Chapter 2: Getting the Act Together
Note: Sorry I haven't updated anything! But I've had technical difficulties on my end. Hope you like it!
Clark now found himself sitting at a desk with a typewriter on it and he was in an office
building.
"Typewriter? Why is there a typewriter here?" he muttered. He picked up his pencil to write
something down but once he but when he tried to write something the tip broke. He got up and went to
the office's sharper. He sharped his pencil and once he had a finished he saw a man that he assumed
was the boss even though he had never seen him before. He walked over to him and followed the man
as he headed up to the front of the room.
"Sir, I'm Clark Kent," he said. "Sir, I believe we need to talk. You see, um...do you what the
date is?" The man didn't respond.
"Gentlemen!" the man called out. "May I have your attention. You're all dismissed." Clark looked down at the papers in the man's hands.
"Bankrupt?" Clark questioned. "What happened to what was making this company money?"
"Yes, at the bottom of the South China Sea," the man informed. "A typhoon came and sank them all." Clark sighed and went back to his desk to clean-up his stuff. He put everything that he on it into his briefcase and left.
Clark walked into his apartment and saw a bucket halfway full of water from a leak in the ceiling. He then walked up to the roof of the building where he saw Charity and two girls playing. Clark smiled. Charity then noticed that he was there.
"Oh, you're home early," she stated. He pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to her.
"And until I can find another job," Clark added.
"Well, I didn't think you were long for that job," Charity said. Clark raised his eyebrow.
"Were long for that job?" he repeated quietly and then muttered. "Perry would have a fit with that kind of grammar."
"That's what makes our lives together so interesting," Charity said as if she hadn't heard a word he had previously said.
"Charity," Clark said sincerely. She turned to look at him. "I'm not your husband. I sorry but I'm not."
"But I have everything I want," Charity responded. Clark was extremely confused and you could tell in his face.
"Did you not understand what I just said?" Clark asked seriously.
"What do you call those two girls," Charity said.
"I'll take that as a no," Clark muttered.
"Hey kids, look who moseyed on into the coral," Charity said. The girls ran towards Clark.
"Daddy!" they exclaimed. Clark got down on one knee as he hugged the younger girl, who's name was Helen. He didn't know how he knew that but he knew. Then the older girl, Caroline, jumped onto his back. Clark stood up as he gave her a piggy-back ride.
"Did you bring the present, Daddy?" Caroline asked.
"What present?" Clark asked seriously. Was he supposed to have gotten something from downstairs?
"For my birthday," Caroline responded. Clark then realized that the present was probably that weird can-thing.
"You're what?" Clark said jokingly. "It's not your birthday. Your birthday was last year" He then set her down and the small family went inside an area with sheet walls. Clark grabbed his briefcase and opened it. "Yes I have it." He lit a match and lowered the flame onto the wick inside. "And here it is." He then took it out of the briefcase and placed it on top of it and spun the can. "Happy Birthday sweetie." The little girls looked at the lights in awe. "It's a wishing device. You tell it a wish and it'll keep that wish until it comes true. Even if you forget it."
"Can I make a wish?" Helen asked.
"Go ahead," Clark said. Helen leaned over and whispered,
"I wish...to marry Santa Clause." Clark chuckled.
"That's a good wish," Clark said. He turned to Caroline. "How about you?"
"I wish for ballet slippers," Caroline whispered.
"That's a good wish too," Clark said.
"What about you Mommy?" Helen asked.
"I wish..." Charity began and then leaned over the machine. "For happiness like this to last forever. For you and you and your father." Clark then heard music start playing but when he looked around for the source of it no one was there.
'Odd,' he mouthed.
"Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head. A million dreams are keepin' me awake," Caroline sang.
"I think of what the world could be. A vision of the one I see. A million dreams is all it's gonna take," the young girls sang. Clark then saw animals in the lights.
"A million dreams for the world we're gonna make," Clark sang.
He then found himself in a bank reading a newspaper. He check the date and his eyes widened.
"1841?!" he exclaimed quietly. "How did THAT happen?" He then heard a familiar chuckle.
"Alright, that price is going up so now what I want has gone down," a familiar voice said. "I can work with that." Clark then saw that person who had been talking was wearing exceptionally small shoes for a man. A woman busted out of the office door furiously.
"Come Charles," she said. The guy got off the bench. "This bank will only lend money to those with money." As they walked by Clark noticed that Charles looked a lot like John Stewart. Charles turned his head to face Clark and his eyes widened.
"Superman?" he questioned before he left the bank with his "mother".
"Mr. Barnum," a man called at the front. Clark didn't responded. "Mr. Barnum."
"Oh, that must be me," Clark muttered. He quickly took his stuff and went inside the office. He muttered, "Barnum? Where have I heard that before?"
"What you're suggesting is risky if not a bit bizarre," the man said.
"Sir I completely agree but it might work," Clark responded. "And I need a job."
"The bank's going to need major collateral," he said. Clark then pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the man.
"Is that good enough?" Clark responded. 'What did I give this guy?' he thought.
"Why would the bank loan us ten thousand dollars?" Charity asked. They were on a busy street.
"Because we gave them collateral," Clark said.
"We don't have any collateral," Charity responded.
"Yeah, that's what I've been wondering about," Clark said. "What DID I give him?"
"In the South China Sea," Charity said. Clark then remembered what his "boss" had told him about a typhoon and the South China Sea.
"I lied to the bank," Clark realized. He then said louder and panickingly. "I lied to bank!"
"So what did we buy with this loan?" Charity asked.
"Barnum's American Museum of Curiosities," Caroline read.
"What kind of museum is it?" Helen asked.
'Why do I have a guillotine in my museum?' Clark thought as soon as the blade had dropped to the bottom. 'That's GOT to be a safety hazard.'
"This is the kind of place where people can see things they've never seen before," Clark said. "Or at least that's the idea."
"Wax figures?" Charity questioned.
"Yes and look," Clark said. "Here's Napoleon. And not everything here is fake. Introducing Mr. O'Malley. He's going to be helping around here."
"You don't look like a magician," Caroline said.
"I'm a thief," O'Malley clarified.
"Oh, great," Clark said nervously. 'Now I'm working with criminals? How crazy is this Barnum person?' "Oh! And look over here!" He led the girls to the elephant.
"An elephant!" Helen said.
"Yep," Clark said.
"I'll get you something real nice you just say the word," O'Malley told Charity.
"Thank you," Charity responded.
"Now look over here," Clark said. He then pointed to the giraffe. "This is the tallest giraffe in the world."
"Can I climb up its leg?" Caroline asked.
"Absolutely not," Clark said. The girls ran off to see other things and Clark turned to face Charity. "Now I know it looks a bit...weird."
"If you didn't, I'd be worried," Charity responded.
"Okay...," Clark said.
"The loan has to be paid back each month," Charity reminded him.
"Right, we just need customers and we'll be fine," Clark said.
"Hundreds of them," Charity added.
"We'll get them," Clark assured her.
He took a picture with them and then he and the girls started handing out flyers.
"Hello, welcome to the Barnum Museum," Clark said as he handed out flyers. "Hope you're enjoying your day."
"I love your dress," Caroline said as she handed out flyers.
"Hello, welcome to the Barnum Museum," Clark said. He then noticed that everyone was throwing the flyers onto the ground. Clark went over to O'Malley who was at the counter.
"Welcome to the Barnum Museum..." he said drowsily.
"How many have we sold?" Clark interrupted.
"Three," he answered.
"Three?" Clark questioned. He then saw Charity holding up three tickets. 'Well, that explains it.'
He walked inside his apartment and saw Charity lying on a coach. He saw a grocery list and sighed.
"This isn't gonna work," he muttered to himself. He then pulled a blanket over her.
"Daddy," Caroline said sleepily from another room. "Daddy." Clark went into the girls' room. They were lying in bed half awake and half asleep. Caroline was holding a book.
"Hey," Clark said. He kissed them both on the cheek.
"Did you sell anymore tickets today?" Caroline asked. Clark gently took the book from her.
"A few," Clark said. "Not a lot but a few."
"I think you have too many dead things in your museum, daddy," Helen said.
"Well a museum isn't meant to be a circus," Clark responded.
"She is right," Caroline said. "You need something alive."
"Really?" Clark responded.
"Something sensational," Caroline said.
"That's a good word," Clark responded.
"It's your word," Caroline said.
"Something that isn't stuffed," Helen added.
"Like a mermaid," Caroline suggested.
"Or a unicorn," Helen added.
"Unicorns aren't real," Caroline said.
"Well mermaids aren't real either," Helen told her.
Clark was sitting at his desk thinking. He then looked at the "Tom Thumb" book that Caroline had been reading. He then looked at the apple on his desk. He then remembered a thing from his "past".
He found himself on a pathway leading to a house. While he didn't know why was there be continued walking. He then found a piece of paper in his pocket. He opened it and saw that it was a hospital record for a Charles.
"Wait, wasn't that the name that woman at the bank called John?" Clark said to himself. He put the paper in his pocket and knocked on the door. It was answered by the woman he had seen at the bank. "Hello, I'm here to see your son."
"I don't have a son," she said.
"Well the hospital records say you do," Clark responded. He pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to her. "Charles, correct?" She let him inside and into the living room. Clark stepped on a toy solider.
"Charles! Charles!" she called. Clark put the solider on the table. John Stewart entered the room and Clark knelt down to him.
"John, it's you right?" Clark asked. John nodded.
"Yeah, it's me," John said.
"Okay so, I'm putting together a show and I'd like you to be in it," Clark said.
"I won't be doing anything embarrassing will I?" John asked.
"I don't think so," Clark responded. "I mean, it's up you on that."
"Alright, I'm in," John told him.
Clark was at his desk finishing a poster of some sort. But before he could read or realize what it said he was whisked away somewhere else.
Now he was hammering up the posters. He then realized what they said.
'Perfect,' he thought. 'This'll make finding the others easy.' He hammered in his poster and saw his girls helping.
"How's it going, girls?" he asked. They continued hammering.
"Hey!" They turned to see three rough-looking gentlemen sitting on a bench a few feet away. "You lookin' for freaks? I know where you can find one."
"Really?" Clark said intrigued.
He found himself in front of a different building. He went inside with the girls and saw a bunch of women working. He then heard some amazing singing.
"Sir, you shouldn't be here..." one of the woman said.
"Oh sorry, it's that, who's singing?" Clark asked. The singing stopped and Clark saw a woman hiding behind a drying towel. The only thing you could see were her green eyes and orange hair. "It's you isn't it?" He walked towards her. "Madam, that is the most beautiful singing that I have ever heard. You are so talented." He pulled back the towel and saw that the woman had an orange mustache and beard. She looked both hurt and angry. Clark's eyes widened.
"Shayera?" Clark guessed. "It is you right?" She nodded.
"Wait? Superman?" Shayera responded. Clark nodded. "What are you doing here?" Helen handed her a flyer.
"So...what do you say?" Clark asked. Shayera smirked.
Clark was then teleported to a desk where he saw a line of people in line to meet him. He was relieved to see that first two people he recognized.
"Diana? Jonn'?" Clark guessed.
"Clark?" Diana responded.
"Superman?" Jonn' questioned. Clark nodded. Diana got up and hugged him.
"It's good to see you," Diana said before letting go.
"You too," Clark responded.
This person had tattoos all over his face.
"So do you have over your..." Clark began.
"Entire body," he said.
"Okay..." Clark responded skeptically. "You're hired."
This man had red hair completely covering his face and there was some of it on the back of his hands.
"Supes!" he exclaimed.
"Wally?!" Superman said excitedly. Wally nodded.
"Yep, it's me," Wally said. "Your favorite scarlet speedster."
"Great, now the only one missing is Bruce," Clark said.
This guy was super fat.
"So how heavy are you?" Clark blurted out. "Sorry, that was rude."
"I prefer not to say it but..." he said.
"Okay, then," Clark responded. "You don't have to say it."
"500 pounds," the man whispered. Clark's eyes widened.
"Okay then," Clark said.
"750 pounds!" the man exclaimed excitedly. Clark raised his eyebrows at his excitement.
This one was really tall. Clark climbed up and had to stand on his desk in order to be about this guy's height.
'Soo...what's your name?" Clark asked.
"Vasily Palvos, sir," the man said.
"Alright Mr. Palvos, you're hired," Clark responded.
O'Malley rolled out the poster onto the ground.
"Great, but, we're gonna need it to be bigger," Clark told him. "And everywhere. So that they can't escape it. Come on and come all to Barnum's American Museum." He was standing outside looking at the street. A song then began inside of him and he began to sing.