Chapter 27 - The Kent Family Saga Part III - Old Enemies

Above all things, never be afraid. The enemy who forces you to retreat is himself afraid of you at that very moment.

Andre Maurois French author (1885 -1967)

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Clark gasped as the smile from the moment before disappeared. He held the phone looking at the receiver momentarily as what he has just heard sunk in. Hearing Lois's cell phone ring in the other room he ran back in time to see her face as she answered it.

"Hello my Dear Lois. Kicked anyone's balls lately?" Click.

Her face went stark white as she threw the phone across the room towards the wall. Clark snapped it up out of the air before it hit the wall realizing they needed the satellite phone even if Lex had the number since it still provided them untraceable calling capability.

Going back to Lois he put one arm around her, dropped the phone he had answered on the table and opened the cell phone hitting the speed dial number for his mother's satellite phone and listened to it ring.

"Clark, that was Luthor, I would know his slimy voice anywhere."

"I know I heard what he said. That was him on that phone too." He motioned to the phone on the table. "He knows Lois, he knows Clark is Superman. He must have put 2 and 2 together."

"Gaw, no! What did he say? Are you sure?"

Clark nodded his head and was about to answer when his mother finally answered her phone. "Mom, Luthor must have escaped, he just called the house phone here and Lois's cell phone. Be careful we'll be there to pick up the kids in just a few minutes."

Closing the phone he answered Lois. "He said four words but it was more than enough to convey his message to me."

"Clark, what did he say?"

"He said, 'Hello Stuperman….vacation's over'. Call Richard tell him what's going on. I don't see or hear any bugs but I want to go up and check the security device on our roof. I better make one for Richard and Chloe's house too. I'm sure Luthor will be gunning for him too now as well as Batman. Make the call, I'll be right back."

Superman checked the roof verifying the device was working. It showed no unauthorized entries in the time he had been gone or out of commission. He rose in the air and surveyed the entire area not really sure what he was looking for. He focused in on Richard's dock. It bothered him that the plane was not there but decided that perhaps they were just not back from New York yet. He did a complete scan of the White property finding nothing. Looking around one last time he floated back down to the back of the house glad for the cover of darkness.

Lois met him at the door. "I'm ready, let's go. Richard didn't answer so I had to leave a message."

Taking Lois in his arms he wrapped her in his cape so he could increase his speed without endangering her. Within a couple minutes he touched down unwrapping Lois as he set her down and they both headed inside the farm house.

Martha and Ben met them at the door as they entered. Ben had his arm protectively around Martha.

"Clark, he called here too just before you called. I didn't get to the phone in time but he left a message. Here listen." Martha called up the message and handed the phone to Clark. "We listened to the message right after you called."

Clark handed the phone to Lois as the message started. 'Kill any wolves lately, Ben?'

"Luthor's out, how? He pleaded guilty and accepted life in prison." Ben tightened his arm around Martha.

"I don't know." He looked over at Kala and Jason finishing their dinner in front of the TV watching The Incredibles. He was glad his mother had thought to set that up as a distraction after he called. "Right now I'm more concerned with making sure everyone's safe. Mom, he called our house phone and addressed me as Stuperman, he must have figured it out, probably when Lois and I got married since he already knew about Jason. He must have then found you and Ben."

Martha covered her mouth with her hand as she drew in a deep breath feeling how vulnerable they all were.

"Ben, you and Mom are obviously being targeted this time too. I'm not sure you'll be safe here. How would you two like a vacation? When I first came back last year you talked about moving to Montana. Now might be a good time to go someplace like that, at least for a while, but undercover."

"Clark, are you sure, what about the kids? We could help you keep them safe."

"Either that or come stay with Lois and I in Metropolis where I can keep a closer eye on everybody. We may still ask you to keep them, at least part time but not here. Luthor knows too much. I don't ant to take any chances with any of you, but I will not let him destroy our lives either. We just have to be wary and constantly on guard. Decide what you want to do and get some things together. I'm going to go retrieve my ship."

Ben and Martha looked at each other and quickly opted to just go to Metropolis for at least the next couple of days rather than try and make a decision on a location in Montana or elsewhere.

Lois opened her own phone handing Martha's back to Clark. "I'll keep trying to reach Richard or Chloe. Clark you should take your mother's phone I would feel better if we could reach you."

"Good idea. I'll call Bruce to get a new phone and also clue him in if he doesn't already know. I won't be gone long."

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Superman quickly checked out the fortress as he placed a call. "Bruce Luthor's out, has he called you?"

"Hello to you too, Luthor escaped? Sh!t. What is wrong with those guards? Couldn't they just accidentally kill the SOB. I should have let Lois shoot him when she had the creep in her sights. Oh sorry. I guess you would have had a problem with that, huh?"

"Bruce, I really don't have time for this. He called my house, then Lois's cell phone and then my mom's cell phone giving deliberate messages with each call. I expect he called Richard as well. We haven't reached him yet. Consider yourself lucky that he hasn't figured out who Batman is yet or he would have called you too! I called to alert you and also to ask for a new satellite phone. My old one bit the dust, most likely when I fell in North Kamdar."

"No problem. Actually I had one for you today but there were just too many people around to give it to you. Richard has it now. He'll give it to you tomorrow. He and Chloe were going to spend the night in New York catch a play or something. That's most likely why you can't reach them. I'll start checking up on Luthor. I hope the little hairless creep does try to look Batman up. I would love to show him how I really take care of problems here in Gotham. Make him sorry he ever saw the light of day outside of that prison cell!"

"Oh, he is going to be sorry alright. I plan to keep a promise I made to him. There is no need for either of us to dirty our hands with his blood. He's wanted all over the world and there are a lot of places where I could drop him off and be sure he'll never get out again. I'll be in touch. By the way thanks again and watch your back."

He hung up the phone just as he finished some programming on the fortress computer adding even more security to the system and the fortress. He also programmed two security crystals. Satisfied he went to his ship and within seconds was landing near the front porch of the farm. Seconds after landing the ship he was back in the farm house.

"Clark, I'm really starting to get worried. Nobody knows were Richard or Chloe went after the U.N. meeting today. Did you talk to Bruce?"

"Yes, I think you may be worried for nothing. Bruce said they were planning on staying in New York tonight, maybe catching a show. That's probably why you haven't been able to reach them."

Just as they were preparing to leave the farm house Richard finally called. "Lois what's up? What's the deal, ten calls, three messages…?"

"Richard, Luthor's escaped and he knows about Clark. You probably have a message from him too. Where are you?"

"We're in New York. We didn't really get a honeymoon and thought we would take advantage of being here in New York City now that the crisis is over. The restaurant had cell phone blocking. It was actually kind of nice. I guess it blocks these phones too. Well maybe not, we actually had both our phones turned off till just a minute ago."

Clark motioned for Lois to give him the phone. "Richard, don't try to fly back till I check your plane out. Where are you staying?"

"The Ritz-Carlton we even got the honeymoon suite. We have tickets for Wicked in just about an hour at the Gershwin Theatre."

"I can't imagine he would try anything there. Just be on your guard and call if you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable no matter what time is it."

"You're really concerned about this aren't you? We'll be careful and stay with crowds."

"Yes I am, I know what Luthor is capable of and you should remember too. Call me tomorrow morning before leaving the hotel. I have my mom's phone right now so use that number. We'll all be in Metropolis at our house there in a few minutes. Mom and Ben are coming with us since the farm is not a safe harbor anymore. I scanned your house, it's clean right now. I'm going to install a security device there tonight. When you get back I'll code the alarm to ring your phone. I already did that for Lois."

"Oh, I have a new phone for you from Bruce."

"I know I spoke to him just a short time ago. He told me where you were. Please be careful and call if you need help or even think you need help. No playing hero. I mean it. Luthor plays for keeps."

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After everyone got settled in at the house Lois and Clark started researching how Luthor had escaped. Details were sparse suggesting a cover-up of some sort but it could have been to cover up coercion, corruption or just plain stupidity. It could just as easily have been due to carelessness caused by the situation when the alien ship was nearing the planet for a second time. Evidently a lot of the guards had abandoned their stations preferring to stay with their families during the final approach of the ship. Clark couldn't help but understand why. The bottom line was Luthor had been missing for at least five days. He could be anywhere. No telling what he was planning or when he would show.

Clark had tried to get Lois to go to bed after several long hours, saying he could finish the research himself but she insisted on helping. When she finally fell asleep slumped over her computer Clark carried her upstairs putting her to bed. He looked at her briefly then checked on the kids before reluctantly heading off. The rest of the world needed him too. A major earthquake had just struck off the coast of Indonesia and a tsunami warning was likely to be triggered for the next several hours. He had to go but it tore at his heart as he left.

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It was just past mid-day in the small island village when Superman first arrived at one of the areas suffering some of the most devastation from the earthquake. He immediately began helping with the rescue efforts. Poorly built shacks had fallen burying whole families alive. He was there only a short time when he started hearing a stark change in the ocean. He stopped what he was doing and took off into the sky leaving many to wonder why he just picked up and left when so many still needed to be found. They saw him dive into the ocean and suddenly visions of a watery destruction came to their minds. People dropped everything and started running for higher ground seeing for themselves the tell tell signs of a tsunami coming. Many just stood in place praying, sure it was already too late to run fearing they were doomed without divine intervention.

Indeed the water fell back sharply from the shore only to return forming a crest 25 feet high striking fear in all who were unfortunate enough to witness it. Just as it was to break onto the village it simply fell back onto itself and the sea settled down to a near normal pattern. This repeated at several islands until the devil waves finally died down entirely. Superman came up out of the water dropping down on a vacant beach. Bending over with his hands on his knees he sought to catch his breath and regain strength before going back to the original site. Looking out over the ocean he made sure the waves were tamed and then flew straight up above the clouds to restore his waning energy before rejoining the rescue efforts.

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Jason tapped lightly on the door moments after the first rays of daylight had hit his window. "Daddy are you awake, can we go flying?" He whispered softly, while fighting his impulse to open the door and run in to his parent's room. He stood by the door bent over slightly listening with all his senses waiting for the slightest sound to tell him it was alright to enter.

Clark was awakened by the light rapping knowing instantly what it was. He hesitated moving for several seconds wanting, needing just a few more minutes to sleep. He had arrived home slightly less than an hour earlier and was not yet ready for morning to arrive. Perhaps he would feel better in the sun. Perhaps he wasn't quite fully recovered yet as he had insisted to his family. The rescue work at the site of the earthquake and particularly his efforts to quell the ensuing tsunami, followed by a high rise fire in Chicago had taken a lot out of him. He just hoped the coverage didn't show just how much he was struggling to maintain his energy levels. Luthor must not know he was not up to snuff. Yes he needed the sun, sun first then perhaps Jason would be satisfied with a short flight.

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Coming Soon Chapter 28 – Wicked Games