Clark I
The sky was clear, the stars bright hard diamond points above the city. Clark had assigned Kal-El the north portion of the city so he could stay close to the house in the event the tempocane returned sooner than expected. Clark covered the warehouse district and downtown. It was a surprisingly quiet night. A couple car alarms going off for no apparent reason, two convenience store robberies, a couple fender-benders.
After another circuit of New Troy Island, Clark came to rest on the top of the Daily Planet building, his usual roost. After a few moments, Kal-El joined him.
"Your city's only a little different from mine," Kal-El said. "I love Metropolis. Ever since I got off the bus from Smallville, I've loved the busyness, the people, the energy."
"Having Lois there doesn't hurt," Clark commented with a grin.
Kal-El's expression became more serious. "What happens if we can't get back?"
"Well, I guess we'll have a second Superman on this Earth," Clark said. "I'm sure I can get the two of you new identities. It helps to have friends in low places."
"I meant, the AI mentioned needing a beacon to find the proper plane," Kal-El said. "But I have no idea what it meant."
"I would guess that a telepathic link with people you know who belong to your home plane would work," Clark said.
"But I'm not telepathic," Kal-El protested.
'Really?' Clark thought at him. He watched Kal-El's eyes widen in surprise. 'I can show you.'
"Okay," Kal-El said aloud.
Clark touched his face, placing fingers on his temples. 'Here.' Clark pointed out mental pathways, neural nodes that weren't normally used.
'I see.'
'Clark, we've just gotten word that one of Xon's men may be on Earth with an Andelon assassin,' Zara's mental voice rang out in Kal-El's mind as well.
Clark swore to himself.
"That was Zara, wasn't it?" Kal-El asked. Clark nodded. "Who or what is an Andelon assassin?"
"A nightmare," Clark replied. "We need to get back to the house."
Clark II
A year on New Krypton had strengthened Clark's natural telepathic abilities, although his strongest link was still to his wife. That link had existed even before discovering Kryptonians were telepathic. He gently touched Kal-El's face near his left temple. Lois had once commented the gesture looked like a Vulcan mind-meld. But then, she had also expressed the opinion that Gene Roddenberry probably knew some Kryptonians.
Finding the telepathic links and strengthening them was easier than he'd thought it was going to be.
Then: 'Clark, we've just gotten word that one of Xon's men may be on Earth with an Andelon assassin,' Zara's mental voice sounded.
Clark swore to himself. He certainly hadn't expected Xon to move so quickly.
"That was Zara, wasn't it?" Kal-El asked. Clark nodded. They'd been linked when Zara made contact. "Who or what is an Andelon assassin?"
"A nightmare," Clark replied. "We need to get back to the house." Xon's man would be after the kids, and maybe Lois. He hoped she remembered there were kryptonite bullets in the office safe, and a police revolver locked in his desk. He launched himself into the air and was halfway across the city before Kal-El responded.
"You don't sound too surprised," Kal-El observed, catching up with him.
"Annoyed, maybe, but not surprised," Clark said. "I had a hunch Xon was already on the move. I've fought an Andelon before. They're tough. I was very lucky to survive."
"But you're Superman."
"Your point?" Clark landed softly on the. "An Andelon assassin doesn't need super powers. It uses your own powers against you. It adapts unbelievably fast. It can also disguise itself as anyone. And I do mean anyone."
"So how do you tell the difference?" Kal-El asked.
"Smell, and mind feel," Clark said.
"And Xon's man?"
"I'm sure he'll identify himself."
Lois I
Wanda woke with a start, finding herself on the sofa, an afghan wrapped around her. She looked around to see what had woken her. Kal-El hadn't returned yet, or if he had, he wasn't where she could see him.
A dark figure separated itself from the shadows. It wasn't human. "Where is Kal-El?" the figure whispered.
"I don't know," Wanda said. He was scaring her. His eyes glowed in the darkness.
"His death was promised to me," the figure said with a hissing voice. "But do not be concerned. You will survive to mourn him. There must be mourners. A death is not complete without those who mourn."
A motion outside the house caught her attention and the figure turned its head to see what she was looking at.
Clark and Kal-El were back, both still in their blue and red suits. Kal-El took a step toward the French doors, but Clark laid a hand on his arm to stop him.
"What do you want here?" Clark demanded, looking at the creature standing in his living room.
"The death of Kal-El, of course," the creature said. He looked at both men standing on the patio and Wanda could tell the creature was confused.
"I'd rather you didn't," Clark responded. "In fact, I'd rather you just leave and go tell your master to bugger off."
"Such a charming way with words," another voice said from the darkness. "Lord Kal-El, always playing with words like a guildsman." The last word was spoken with venom. "But then, the House of El always favored the guilds, the under-classes; never their own kind."
"It's nice to know I'm in good company," said Clark. "Are you here to watch the assassin take me out, or are you going to do the honors yourself?"
"I would not sully my hands with your blood," the voice said.
"But you would sully them with the blood of women and children?" There was a hardness in Clark's expression and tone that Wanda wondered at. Her Kal-El had never sounded so cold, even when talking about Lex Luthor and his crimes. She saw Kal-El watching Clark, as if waiting for a cue.
She saw Clark nod ever so slightly, and Kal-El disappeared. Literally. She speculated that he was simply moving faster than the human eye could see. She hoped the man still hiding in the shadows wasn't Kryptonian. She hoped he hadn't seen Kal-El moving.
There was a whisper in her mind. 'Keep him distracted.' She didn't have to ask who was being referred to.
"When Lord Nor told Lord Xon of your arrogance, I didn't believe it," the voice said. "And now I find you've recruited another fool to your cause."
"I wasn't aware that Xon had been made Lord of the House of Et," Wanda said. She moved slowly to the lamp on the table beside the sofa she'd been sleeping on.
"You must be the concubine," the voice said. "You are younger than I had been told. But that will make my taking you away from him so much better."
"Don't bet on it, buster," Wanda muttered to herself.
The assassin headed outside. He left the doors open – the September chill in the air didn't seem to affect him.
He launched himself at Clark.
It was now hard for her to think of him as just Superman. He was Clark Kent, editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, Lois Lane's husband. Superman was just another job. She tried to stay calm as she watched the fight outside.
Clark side-stepped, allowing the alien to land on the patio deck. The alien came at him again, this time with a drawn dagger. The blade glowed green in the darkness.
Again, Clark slipped away from the assassin's grasp, but the dagger caught his sleeve, slashing open the fabric. It was hard to see in the darkness, but she thought she saw Clark grimace in pain as he danced away from the assassin.
"I'm told you are a wizard," the assassin grated, coming after Clark once again. This time Clark blocked the attack with one arm, wrenching the dagger from the assassin's hand and throwing it into the river beyond. The assassin slashed at him with his claws, tearing more of the suit.
Three shots rang out, one on the deck and two in the house.
Lois II
Lois had sensed, rather than heard, her husband's warning that there was an Andalon assassin on the loose. She quietly got up from the bed and slipped on her robe.
There were voices downstairs. One was a sibilant hissing that she recognized from eleven years before – Tez, only Tez was dead, so this had to be another assassin from the same planet. Why couldn't they just leave her family alone?
"His death was promised to me," the hissing voice said. "But do not be concerned. You will survive to mourn him. There must be mourners. A death is not complete without those who mourn."
He had to be talking to Wanda. Did they think she was Clark's wife, or was it Kal-El who was going to do battle this night?
The answer to that question came as Kal-El's voice sounded in her mind. 'Is there a safe place for the children?'
She covered her surprise and thought back at him, giving directions to Richard and Penny's house. He was gone from her mind.
She made her way downstairs, taking care to not step on the squeaky tread. Turned the corner for the basement. She kept tight rein on her thoughts. When she and Clark had discovered, after he came back from New Krypton, that Kryptonian telepathy extended to Earth humans as well, they had practiced shielding their thoughts. The link between them was a strong one and they had found they were prone to distracting one another with the strength of their link. Although it did take love-making to a whole new level.
The basement. She knew about the gun in Clark's desk and the kryptonite ammunition in the safe. As much as Clark hated guns, it was one of the concessions he'd made for their safety. They had both taken gun safety training from the MPD police trainer, and as soon as CJ was old enough, he would go through training as well. Black powder rifles in scouts just wasn't the same. Clark had proven to be a competent shooter. Lois had a standing offer from the MPD to come in as a SWAT team marksman. She assumed it was a joke.
She found the gun and loaded it with the glowing green bullets they kept in a lead lined box. If she was lucky, she could get at least one shot off before the other man, the one she assumed was Xon's agent, knew she was there. She hoped he hadn't been on Earth long enough for his powers to come in.
She climbed the stairs back to the main floor and peeked around the corner. The assassin was on the patio with Clark. So far, Clark was holding his own, but she knew the Andalon was learning, making itself stronger, more in tune with Clark's fighting style. She didn't dare give in to the despair she felt at seeing the assassin ripping into Clark's suit.
Lois spotted the man standing in the shadows. He was wearing a Kryptonian-style black body suit. He started moving toward Wanda at a measured pace. Wanda stepped back, reaching over and turning on the lamp beside the sofa. He had his back to Lois, but she waited for a clearer shot. He turned as if hearing something and she fired just as she had been taught by MPD arms instructor. Shoot to stop. Shoot to kill. No doubts, no mercy.
Clark I
Lois's directions to Richard and Penny's house were clear and precise. She's seen the house from the air, he realized. He hoped the couple was still awake. He didn't want to have to waste time rousing them.
He had picked the two boys up first, not from any chauvinism, but because their room had an open window. He flew them to the Whites' house, hovering outside the master bedroom window as he tapped on it. Richard, at least, was still awake and unlocked the window.
"Superman, what's going on?" the reporter asked as Kal-El handed him the two boys.
"It's complicated," Kal-El said. He had no idea how he was going to explain what was going on at the Kent house. "One of the New Kryptonian factions sent an assassin after your Superman. And he's over at the Kents'. I'll be right back with the other two kids."
He didn't wait for a reply, speeding back to the Kents' for the two girls. Martha Michaela was sleeping in her carrier. Lara was awake and waiting for him with a solemn expression one her face.
"The bad man wants to hurt Daddy," she said quietly.
"Well, I'm going to make sure the bad man doesn't hurt you, or your brothers, or the baby, then I'll be back to help your daddy, okay?"
She seemed to accept his statement, cuddling against him as they flew to the Whites' house.
Richard was waiting at the window to take the children, handing them over to Penny.
"Does Clark need help?" Richard asked. He'd pulled a pair of jeans on over his sleep shorts and was pulling a t-shirt over his head.
"Do you have a gun and Kryptonite bullets?"
"As a matter of fact, I do. Right here," Richard said, picking up a lead-lined bag large enough to hold a handgun. "And before you ask, I have a permit. The chief has a certain paranoid streak when it comes to Kryptonians."
"Not Superman," Kal-El protested.
"No, all the rest of them," Richard said. "So I suggest you stay on his good side."
It took only a few seconds to get back to the Kent house with Richard. They set down under cover of the trees near the fence.
Superman's suit had rips across the chest and Kal-El saw blood seeping from a gash on Clark's arm. The assassin kept coming at him, hands clawed, and Clark kept evading him, using as little of his powers as possible.
"How good a shot are you?" Kal-El murmured to Richard.
"Not as good as Lois," Richard admitted. "But good enough, I hope."
Kal-El backed away as Richard pulled his gun out of the lead-lined bag. Richard aimed and pulled off a single shot. Two other shots rang out from inside the house.
The assassin faltered for just a moment, and Superman took advantage of the assassin's distraction to throw the alien into the river. A simple martial arts throw, but an effective move. The assassin sank like a rock.
Clark II
The gash in his arm hurt like hell. But he paid little attention to the pain, concentrating on keeping the assassin occupied, using as few of his powers as possible to keep the assassin from learning from him. The dagger was poisoned and he was getting tired.
He noted the arrival of Kal-El and Richard White, then turned his attention back to the assassin front of him. On New Krypton, he'd done some research on the Andelon assassins. Zara had called them animals, but they weren't, really. Andelon was a harsh desert planet. Death was all they knew, all they were trained for. But one thing he had discovered about them – Andelons had dense bones. They could not swim in fresh water.
He heard the shot, saw the Andelon stagger. It took all his remaining strength to grab the assassin and throw him into the river.
The fight was over, with a little help from friends. He was so tired. He staggered but was kept from falling by a supporting arm – Richard.
"Let's get you into the house," Richard said quietly. "Penny's watching the kids, and I expect she's called the police."
Clark allowed Richard to help him into the living room. "Lois is going to kill me if I bleed on the carpet," he muttered. He looked over to the black-clad body on the floor and the blood that was already soaking into the Berber carpeting. "Then again, hardwood floors might not be a bad idea. The carpet is definitely getting replaced."
He heard Richard as if from a far distance. "Lois, I think he's delirious."
"The Andelon had a dagger," Clark murmured. "It's in the river. It was poisoned."
He felt hands helping him to the sofa, then the world went black.
Lois I
The assassin was dead in the river. The unidentified Kryptonian was dead on the living room carpet of the Kent house, the police were at the door and Superman was unconscious on the sofa. That pretty well summed up the evening for Wanda. It'd be a great story, if anyone would believe it.
Kal-El had already retrieved the dagger the assassin had used. The edge still glowed green and Kal-El hurriedly handed the dagger to Richard for safe keeping in the lead-lined bag. Kal-El went to stand beside the French doors, arms crossed over his chest in his typical stance, expression calm and watchful.
Wanda let the police into the house, standing aside as uniformed officers came in, followed by Inspector Bill Henderson.
"What happened?" Henderson asked, after instructing one of his people to call for an aid car. Lois was tending to Superman.
Martha had come downstairs and had bandaged the gash on his arm. Lois was placing a cold compress on his forehead. He was still unconscious.
Lois looked over at the officers. "We had word from New Krypton that one of the rebel factions had sent assassins to take out Superman. The assassins came here looking for him," Lois explained. "One of them hurt Superman; kryptonite and some sort of poison on a dagger, it looks like. Then we found him in the house." She nodded to the body on the floor.
"He's New Kryptonian?" the female officer asked. Her name tag identified her as V. Adams.
Lois nodded. "He was threatening me and the kids. I shot him. I do have a permit."
"You shot and killed a New Kryptonian," Officer Adams observed. "I thought they were invulnerable."
"Not to Kryptonite," Lois explained. "My husband represents Superman as the consul general of New Krypton. We have taken certain precautions against the arrival of 'unfriendlies' from there."
Adams looked to Henderson for guidance. The older man looked to Lois. "Lois, since this house is technically part of New Krypton, it really isn't in our jurisdiction. What do you and Clark want us to do?" Henderson asked.
"Could you get the body out of here?" Lois asked. "I'm sure the medical examiner would love to have another crack at a New Kryptonian corpse." She said it lightly, but Wanda could see the strain in her face.
"Where is Mister Kent, by the way?" Officer Adams asked.
Henderson answered. "Oh, he'll show up. Don't worry."
Lois gave him a grateful smile.
Henderson knows, Wanda thought to herself. Does our version know? Does Kal-El know if he does?
The aid car finally arrived. Wanda ushered the two emergency medical technicians into the living room, to where Superman was lying, unmoving, on the sofa. She noted how carefully they moved him from the sofa to the gurney, as if they were afraid of hurting the Man of Steel. Despite their efforts, he gasped in pain. "Sorry, Superman," one of the technicians murmured as he secured the safety straps on the gurney.