Usual disclaimers…the giants own it. I just get to play on their shoulders.
With a Blue Ray mini DVD containing the original video from Krypton in tucked in his cape, Superman flew back east to his rendezvous with Jason. While he flew away from the Headquarters building of the Very Large Array, the Man of Steel stayed low and kept to the highways for cell phone reception. He made the phone calls that he had promised to the technician who had helped him with the video.
The Man of Steel tried calling Bruce Wayne at his office on both Blackberrys. The secretary let through neither Clark Kent, Daily Planet reporter, nor Kal-El, Last Son of Krypton. So, he placed a call instead to Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's butler. He felt sure that Alfred would have a way of transferring his call.
Alfred's voice came on the line, "You have reached Wayne Manor." It was voice mail. "Please leave a message after the - -" Superman cut off the call before the voice mail got to the beep. Technology could save your schedule and people could complicate it unnecessarily all within the span of a few hours' time. He would have to hurry this time, since he needed to talk to Bruce. Or did he? Bruce had always spoken very highly of Lucius Fox. Words like brilliant, tenacious and discrete were always associated with Fox. Perhaps Fox could help him. Hmmm.
"Good after noon, Mr. Kent." Fox took his call. This was swell. "I heard that you and Superman were both trying to reach Mr. Wayne. So, I told the phone room to put either of you through to me, if asked."
The Man of Steel slowed down and dropped altitude. "No wonder Mr. Wayne always speaks so highly of you."
"So, how can Wayne Enterprises help the Daily Planet, Mr. Kent?" Fox spoke in a slightly disinterested tone, and the sounds of turning pages in the background suggested that he was reviewing reports. "Every week, I speak with the Planet's Publisher, Franklin Stern, during the conference call with top managers in all of our business units. Occasionally Perry White will call me, but I don't usually get calls from rank and file employees in any of our businesses."
Wayne Enterprises owns the Planet, when did that happen? While I was gone, like everything else. "I appreciate your time Mr. Fox. I know a man like you is very busy, so I will come directly to the point. If I were …" Superman chose his words carefully here "… researching … background for a story on the mysterious computer virus that recently hit both the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and the Very Large Array, who would I talk to about how cure it or immunize systems against it?"
Fox replied, "We have two men with whom you might speak, Mr. Kent. I'll text you their numbers. One is an employee of our software division in Seattle, Thomas Anderson; the other is a consultant simply known as Smith."
Superman thanked Fox, rang off, and tucked his Bluetooth headset away. The Man of Steel was about to launch himself into a high energy, short term trajectory that would take him back to Metropolis and his meeting at Jason's school when the Superman Blackberry rang again. Caller ID showed the Very Large Array. He wondered for a moment how he should answer. Then he thought of what an average person expects… "Hello, Superman speaking."
"Yeah, hi, I was actually hoping to get your voice mail," the voice sounded like the White Coat who had helped out with video transmission from Krypton earlier. "But I'll just go ahead and tell you. We just resolved another part of the message that seems genuine. It's something about the return of Hahl Jor-Dan or returning to the Halls of Jor-Dan. Were they relations of yours, from back on Krypton?"
"No." the Last Son of Krypton replied authoritatively. "There was no House of Dan on Krypton."
"Okay then, it's nothing really. I just wanted you to know and now you do. Thanks for your time. I'll just - -"
Superman stopped in mid-flight and straightened himself up perpendicular to the ground, preparing to reverse course if necessary. "Wait. Yes. What's that shouting in the background about a bogey off the California Coast?"
"They say it's just a very small blip, Superman," White Coat replied. "We also show two fighter squadrons conducting war games over Edwards Air Force Base. It's nothing they can't handle."
The Man of Steel recalled that he'd overheard Perry talking with the Managing Editor of the Planet's West Coast Bureau in Los Angeles about one of the artists taking some leave to go fly with his Reserve unit. The guy's name was … Rayner. Wondering if that was Rayner out there in the war games, Superman bade White Coat good day and rang off.
Finally he launched himself into that high energy, short time trajectory and headed directly around the curve of the earth from the Arizona desert to Metropolis.
Krypton's Last Son changed back out of his blue uniform and into his charcoal grey suit and glasses before walking up the steps of the Brentwood Academy. He spoke to the Headmaster and school counselor briefly about the pressures parents on their children to succeed at such young ages. The Headmaster invited him to discuss the matter with the faculty and parents during the PTA meeting next week. They scheduled follow-ups then as well. Next, the reporter asked if he could see some of the first grade classes.
As a secretary guided Clark down the corridors, he sub-vocalized to Jason, letting the lad know that he was on his way dressed as Mr. Clark. When the secretary dropped Clark off at the class room, Jason didn't rush up and hug him, though Clark wanted to do just that for his son. The lad simply smiled from across the room. The teacher called recess and guided the children through the halls and out to a play-scape in the quadrangle in the center of the school. Clark spoke to some of Jason's schoolmates about how they liked their school, their teachers. He asked how their parents seemed to feel about the school and about how well they did there. They all raved about their recent field trips to Luthor Corp Plaza here in Metropolis and to Wayne Tower in Gotham.
The reporter came back and spoke with his son more than once. They talked about reading and math mostly. And PE. Jason said that he had been participating more in Gym since their flight together in his Dad's sea plane.
Clark tried to just hang out, with as little agenda as possible, when talking to Jason. He acted like he had an agenda when talked to his son's schoolmates, keeping those conversations brief and to the point, hoping that this would keep the children from noticing how he kept coming back to Jason. With Jason's schoolmates, the reporter even pulled out his small bound notebook and pen to take notes by hand. The youths thought that was quaint and chuckled about it.
"Oh, Mr. Clark." Jason's face brightened. "I almost forgot to tell you about our field trip to Gotham!"
"Well, you go out there to visit your godfather, Mr. Pennyworth at Wayne Mannor sometimes don't you?" Clark looked nervously at his watch. He had to catch the train soon, so he could get some work done.
"Yeah, but this was great!" Jason's grin broadened mischievously.
"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?" A couple more minutes wouldn't hurt.
"The whole school went to Wayne Enterprises. Last week we went to Luthor Corp here in Metropolis. Blegh!" Jason made a face and stuck his tongue out. "But Wayne Enterprises was great. Mr. Wayne's little brother Dick met my class and took us around. We met Mr. Fox and even Mr. Alfred came…"
There was a whistle.
"Oh, that's my teacher." The lad quieted. His face dimmed. "It's time for recess to end. See you tonight for the Pullitzer." He brightened back up.
"See you," The reporter and the lad bumped fists. Then Clark scooped up his computer bag and made his way out to the subway station. He still had an appointment with his real estate lady and an article or two to write on the way.
"So, I finally signed a lease on an apartment." Clark, Richard and Lois were crossing the elevator gallery.
Clark's Blackberry rang.
Richard's cell phone rang.
Richard and Clark answered their calls. Then Lois's cell phone rang.
"Hey, Dad. It's me. It's Jason. Uncle Perry wants you and Mommy and Mr. Clark back down here. He says we all gotta put on our penguin suits and go to the Pulitzer. We're not gonna trespass on any boats on the way are we?"
"No, son. No more of that. But I think we might stay up late and go out for ice cream afterward."
"Great. Can Superman come, too?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Richard extended the cell phone to Clark and then burst out laughing.
"What's so funny, Dad?"
"I'm sorry son. We'll be down there in a few minutes." Richard told his son he loved him and closed his phone.
Perry's yell carried loudly through Clark's Blackberry, "Kent, will you get my International Edition Editor off the phone, finish your male bonding, war stories, or whatever it is today. Tell my investigative reporter to put out her cancer stick and all of you get down here! You have stories to finish, and we have a Pulitzer Ceremony to attend!"
"Yes, sir, Mr. White, I'll get right on that," Clark replied, nearly coming to attention and saluting. "But I think they all heard you just fine and I don't even have the speaker on."
"Ms. Lane, hi it's Trish. The Chief wants you guys back in here. I tried to call Mr. Clark, but his phone was busy."
They all hung up and then started talking at once. Then they cracked up laughing. "Whew, I didn't need super-hearing to catch what the Chief was saying there." They laughed some more.