Sparks Fly
A DC fanfiction by Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan-based work of prose. Superman, Livewire, Batman and all other characters and worlds are the property of Warner Brothers and DC Comics. Please support the official release.
It was no wonder that S.T.A.R. Labs were having so much trouble with keeping their super advanced crap safe: Leslie's experiences as a juvenile delinquent got her in with just a crowbar and a lock pick.
Okay, she'd gotten in with her press pass first, but honestly-Not even an escort? Or a pat down? She'd snuck a crowbar in!
A small one, sure, but still!
She went down the stairs into the basement of the labs, a dark, smelly labyrinth of metallic pipes, generators and boilers. The constant sounds of pumping fluids and whirring motors was almost deafening. She grimaced and pulled out her phone, switching on the flashlight. She almost wished she hadn't.
"Gross," she muttered, as she saw the grime and rust on everything. "How did this Jones guy not get fired?"
She wandered through the maze, scanning with her cell phone flashlight. There was dust all over, and she wrinkled her nose. Yeah, this was absolutely disgusting. The only clean path was one where the dust had been pushed aside towards a closet: Like someone had run a wide push broom across the floor… And the machinery… And the wall-
"Well, shit," Leslie muttered. She walked down, her boots making soft sounds amidst the din of machinery. She opened the door, and peered into the small closet. It was full of cleaning supplies, junk… And one groaning man in blue, wearing a red cape, tied up to a pipe. A bright red and yellow 'S' was emblazoned across his broad chest. He looked up, his eyes widening when he caught sight of her.
"Huh? Leslie Willis?" Superman murmured. Leslie started, her heart pounding.
She'd never actually… Seen him this close. He was chiseled and trim, and had a lantern-shaped jaw. He was handsome, she supposed, but he lacked that bookish charm that Clark-That guys she liked had.
"Well," she said, looking more confident than she felt, "I guess Big Boy Blue did get brought down by the Big Purple People Eater."
The superhero shook his head rapidly, a worried look on his face.
"You need to get out of here," he insisted, "he might come back any minute-"
Leslie ignored him, immediately pulling her crowbar out of her pants and kneeling next to him. She held up her phone to examine the chains, and the pipe. She stuck the crowbar in hard, and began pulling with a grunt. Superman shook his head.
"I told you-!" He began, but Leslie snorted.
"Listen, I wouldn't have listened to my dad if he'd stuck around so I'm not listening to you! Besides, as much as I hate to say it, I need you," she said. She grumbled as she adjusted her grip, and pulled harder. The pipe didn't budge much, but the chains were! "So does Metropolis, I guess."
"Huh?" Superman asked. Leslie sighed angrily.
"For someone 'faster than a speeding bullet' you sure are damn slow," she growled. "A man named Clark Kent went missing when you started dominating all the headlines! Nngh!" The pipe groaned, and Leslie leaned back to put more weight on the crowbar. "Gnngh! I want you to find him! Because maybe the city only cares about Superman, but I care about him!"
Superman stared intently at her. "You do?" He asked quietly. Leslie felt a blush erupt over her cheeks, and she looked back at the pipe.
"As... Ya know, the voice of the underdog!" She insisted. "You're supposed to be a hero, right? Try to save everyone, no matter what?"
Superman was silent for a time. He then slowly nodded, a wry smile on his face.
"I remember him-Tall guy, blue suit, glasses?"
Leslie nodded. "Yes!"
"I think Parasite might have locked him up somewhere else," he said. "He was snooping around and got caught. Get me to sunlight and we'll find him."
Hope surged in her chest. She felt a genuine smile come over her face, but she kept it nice and cocky. She put her full weight into the crowbar, and the chains snapped with loud clinks! She fell back onto her bottom, letting out a grunt. Superman stood up, flexing and stretching. He reached out his hand to Leslie. She stared at it, and slowly took it. She let him pull her up, and brushed the dust off her pants.
"Well, let's get going then," she said. "And don't forget! We're saving Clark Kent!"
"With you leading the charge? I think he'll be just fine," Superman said with a small laugh.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Leslie demanded. The alien just shrugged.
"Take it as a compliment."
Five minutes of struggle had gotten them… To a boiler a few feet away from the cleaning supplies closet. Leslie groaned under the weight of the big superhero, who was still unsteady on his feet. The shock jock glared up at Superman.
"Strongest man in the world and he can't even stay on his feet?" Leslie mocked. Superman sighed.
"He has been draining my powers," Superman said. "It's like you being drained of blood."
"And I thought vampires couldn't get any worse after Twilight," Leslie muttered. Superman laughed softly.
"I have wondered what would happen if a vampire did bite me," he said. Leslie groaned and pushed him back up to his feet. He tottered, but was moving. And so was Leslie.
"And?" Leslie asked, managing their steps as carefully as she could in the thick dust. She really should have brought an actual flashlight, damnit.
"If they were strong enough to punch through my skin, the solar energy in my body would probably instantly kill them," Superman mused. "Make it pretty easy, I suppose. In this case though, Parasite is kind of like those Chinese vampires who just fed on energy. So it doesn't matter."
"Do you just think about stuff like this all the time?" Leslie demanded. Superman shrugged.
"I've had a lot of time to think," he said. "Being locked up and all."
"Maybe you should think more about crap like this," Leslie grunted. They passed a wall, and entered an area primarily filled with old junk in boxes. "That way, your stupid fat super ass won't have to be saved by shock jocks. You realize I ran out in the middle of a show, right? This could cost me half of my sponsors!"
Superman chuckled a bit. "Well, if we get out of here, I guess I'll owe you an interview."
"Don't tell me Lane had to save your life to get that," Leslie snorted. They came to the foot of some stairs. Superman smiled.
"Maybe I bring out the best in people," he said. "That's what I'd like to think."
Leslie groaned, reaching for the stair railing. Superman grabbed the other railing, and they slowly shuffled to the first step.
"Right now, all you're bringing out of me is that I need to hit the gym more often," she grumbled. "All right, come on! One step at a time!"
They made progress-Painfully slow progress. But they rose above the clamor and cacophony of the basement machines. They made it to the door, and Leslie clumsily yanked on the handle. The door swung open, and the faint light of computers and workstations washed over them. They had ended up in a small, deserted office. There were two doors; one far away from them on the other side of a lot of tables filled with equipment, and the other to the side. Leslie groaned.
"Damnit… Which way?"
"I'm thinking," Superman said. He looked to a nearby side door in the room, closest to them. "My super senses are starting to come back. I can hear…" His eyes widened. "Oh no!"
The far door opened… And the tall, purple form of the Parasite floated in, smirking through his distorted mask-like face.
"Those super senses do come in handy, don't they Superman?" The Parasite asked mockingly. "Oh, and who is this? Nice piece, Superman. You really are a chick magnet, aren't you?"
Leslie snarled. "Like I'd ever like HIM!" She shouted. "You must be dumber than you look!"
The Parasite laughed. "And feisty too!" He cackled. "You get all sorts! But I'm going to have to ask you to give my meal back to me now."
"The powers you steal last about twenty-four hours," Superman said. "You really think you can keep doing this? Just hiding me, feeding on me? Think, Rudy! This can't last!"
"For the first time in my life," Parasite seethed, "I'm somebody! I'm the guy who took down Superman! The real Superman!" He grinned. "And nobody's taking it from me!"
This was not going to end well. And Leslie knew this from making a lifetime of stupid decisions.
So, might as well stay consistent. Make one more bad decision.
Leslie pulled away from Superman, a step back away from the big blue-suited alien… And then shoved him as hard as she could towards the door. She pulled out her crowbar and pointed it at the Parasite.
"Look, just get to sunlight and find Clark you big oaf!" Leslie shouted. "GO!"
Superman stared at her. Parasite began laughing uproariously, still floating. He grabbed one of the tables, and flipped it over-Sending it smashing through the wall and making the entire floor rumble. It went right through another wall, too, opening a room full of vaults.
Leslie was barely able to stay on her feet, but she managed.
"Feisty, but not smart!" Parasite laughed. "Come on babe, what do you think you're going to do to me?"
Leslie threw the crowbar as her answer. Parasite merely caught it, and crushed it between his hands like it was made of matchsticks. Leslie gulped, but she was used to projecting confidence when she didn't have even a drop of the genuine thing inside.
"That was a warning shot! Next one's really gonna hurt!" She blustered.
"That's adorable," Parasite cooed. He blurred, and in an instant he had her by her shirt, lifting her up like she was nothing! Her eyes bugged out as her hands instinctively rose up to beat on his stone-like grip. It was no use though-He didn't budge, not even a little. He kept laughing, and shook his head.
"Well well… Thought I recognized that voice! Leslie Willis! The shock jock!" He grinned and tilted his head. "Called me 'The Big Purple People Eater?' That reference is so old!"
He tossed Leslie into the wall, and she cried out in pain as she fell onto the floor in a heap. She groaned in the pain as Parasite floated over her. He smirked down, like an arrogant god.
"You know, it figures. He has a thing for women with 'L' names," he said, nodding over at Superman. Leslie sneered up at the supervillain.
"He's not my type!" She spat. The Parasite just laughed hard, like there was a joke he and Superman were aware of but Leslie wasn't. That just pissed her off more.
"That's hilarious. Wish I knew why. It's why I need another meal of Superman to remember... But you'll be a nice appetizer." He reached out for her, and Leslie shut her eyes tightly.
"HEY! Rudy!" Superman shouted. "You want your meal, right? Why settle for her, when you've got me?"
The Parasite paused, and looked over at Superman. He was leaning against what was left of the wall, his fists clenched tightly. Parasite smirked and wagged his finger at the alien.
"Always have to play the hero, don't you?" He asked mockingly. He shrugged. "Suit yourself!" He blurred again, charging for Superman… And Superman raised his now open palm. A bit of green was in it, and the Parasite's fingers brushed against it.
"What the-AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!" Green energy crackled and sparked all over the purple form of the entity, and he shook like he was having a stroke. The Parasite fell back, smashing into the floor with wide, blank eyes. Leslie coughed, and rubbed her throat. Superman looked pale, and tossed the green stone at her. She instinctively caught it.
"What the hell was that?" She asked.
"Kryptonite," he managed weakly. "It's radiation… Poisons me. Put it back in the vault. Quickly…"
Leslie blinked, and looked back at the vault room. She shook her head.
"Either you're smart or he was just the dumbest motherfucker ever," she decided. She managed to get up to her feet, and stumbled over to the vault. She found the open one, dropped the rock into it, and shoved it closed. The moment the little door clicked shut, Superman looked a hell of a lot better.
Superman smiled at her. "Thank you," he said. "I owe you one."
"Just," Leslie tried, "just find me Kent, all right?" She paused. "And maybe an interview."
Superman smiled. "It's a deal. Just get me to sunlight."
Fortunately, all the commotion soon brought scientists and security guards. And two of them carried Superman to the main laboratory, which had hundreds of windows that let the full force of the sun fall upon him. Leslie followed as well, as police officers quickly put the unconscious Parasite into a high capacity containment cell. Looked like a coffin, really, but Leslie wasn't complaining. Nor did she really care.
She walked up to Superman, who had been standing in the sunlight for several minutes. "Well?!" She demanded.
Superman sucked in a deep breath. "I can see him," he said. "He's in another boiler room-Near where mine was, actually." He smiled at her. "He's alive and all right… If very dirty."
The insane tension and fear that had been driving Leslie dissipated. She swallowed her pride, and nodded.
"I… Thank you," she said. Superman smiled back.
"Thank you," he said kindly. He flew off through an open window, and Leslie was turning and running.
"GET SOME PARAMEDICS IN HERE!" She screamed at the police as she raced for the basement door. She threw it open, her cellphone light on bright. She flew down the stairs and followed the footprints in the dust, cops and others right behind her. She ran past the open door to the cleaning supplies room, and found another door whose dust had been recently disturbed. She yanked on the door handle, trying to force it open. A guard stepped up, and she moved aside as he unlocked it. Leslie then grabbed the handle, and yanked the door open.
"Clark?!"
There he was. He was chained to a pipe, his suit rumpled and dirty. He looked sick and exhausted, and his glasses were filthy-But the smile on his face when he saw her was inspiring. Clark Kent looked up at her, as she fell down to her knee to check on him.
"Leslie," he gasped. "You found me! What hap-MMPH?!"
And… And now she was kissing him. Yes, her lips were on his, her arms were wrapped tightly around his shoulders, her tongue was trying to break into his mouth-The whole nine yards. She broke the kiss, panting and blushing hard. His own face was red, underneath the grime, sweat and bits of stubble.
"Ah… I… You're okay," Leslie managed. Clark nodded, his glasses askew.
"I am now," he said with a smile. Leslie pulled back, letting the paramedics do their thing, and trying very hard not to look anyone in the eyes.
She went with him to S.T.A.R. Lab's internal clinic, where the doctors looked him over. Pronouncing him fine, Leslie hung around trying not to look worried.
Great. Her entire personal life was going to be on social media in moments, and the tabloids a few minutes after that. She couldn't believe she'd gone so far, just for some guy she barely knew…!
"Leslie?"
She looked up, and over at Clark. He was smiling at her. She hesitantly walked up, as the nurse who had tended him looked away with a knowing smile. Leslie forced her face into a glare.
"You... You're an asshole! And a stupid bastard!"
Clark blinked a few times, his smile unchanging.
"Uh... Huh?"
She shoved her finger into his chest, poking him as hard as she could. He winced satisfyingly.
"Running off and getting caught snooping around a supervillain's lair?! What the hell were you thinking?!" She demanded. Clark shrugged with a little smile.
"That I beat Lois to a scoop?" He asked. "I mean, it is my job after all."
Leslie groaned. "You are crazy, you know that?"
Clark chuckled and shrugged. "Maybe a little. Then again," he gave her a smile, "I heard you acted rather crazy yourself."
"Yeah… Well…" Leslie glanced aside. "I was… Returning the favor. Standing up for the little guy, you know? The whole city lost its mind over losing Superman, but nobody cared about you."
"Except you," Clark pointed out. Leslie shrugged, her cheeks burning brighter.
"Yeah… Maybe a little," she admitted. She looked back at him. "You know, Lois Lane's saved Superman once."
Clark raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" He asked. Leslie nodded.
"Yeah. The jerk thought he brought out the best in people. The ego on that guy, right?" She smiled at Clark. Clark nodded back.
"I think you found it yourself," he said. Leslie smiled.
"... This is the part where you ask me out, you know," she said. "I mean, I saved you. I may have wrecked my own show. For you. Least you can do is take me to dinner."
Clark chuckled softly. "You sure went to a lot of trouble to get a date with me."
"Well, that just means you'll make it special," Leslie smirked back.
The door burst open. Lois Lane rushed in, closely followed by Lenny (who was favoring his left side, like someone had elbowed him in the gut). Lois' eyes widened.
"Smallville! You look terrible!" Lois cried. Clark shrugged.
"So I've been told," he said.
"Leslie! You crazy broad!" Lenny gasped. "Our ratings dropped like a stone! We might be ruined!"
Leslie shrugged, feeling quite confident all of a sudden. "Yeah, well," Leslie began, "we'll make it up with an interview with Superman."
"Wha…?" Lenny managed, as Lois's eyes narrowed. Leslie grinned, stepping closer to Clark.
"What can I say? Sometimes you gotta be crazy to get the win…"
His knowing smile just made her own widen.
Hope you enjoyed this first arc. I may write more if there is sufficient interest.
