14: Parallel

After retelling the rest of the Avengers everything he knew about Thora and his universe, including the different influences of Kryptonite, Superman found himself flying next to Thor, heading for his home. Thor had invited him to stay at his house until they found Loki. Superman was more than willing to just sleep out in the atmosphere but Thor insisted he stay at his house on Earth. Thor was a fast flyer when he wanted to be and Superman had no troubles keeping up. They reached New Mexico half an hour after leaving New York. Superman became alarmed when he realized that Thor was about to touch down in the middle of his lawn in full armor.

"Maybe we shouldn't land right in front of your house," Superman suggested.

Thor looked at him strangely. "Why?"

"Won't people recognize you?"

"Yes."

"But, what about your secret identity?" Superman asked.

Thor continued to look bemused. They'd stopped to hover fifty feet in the air and were beginning to draw attention. "I don't have one. Why would you want to hide who you are?"

Superman looked perturbed. "Where I come from, every hero has a secret identity. It's for protection purposes."

"Interesting," Thor mused. "Everyone knows who the Avengers are. Our identities are not a secret to anyone, including our enemies."

"But, doesn't that make life difficult?" Superman asked.

Thor shrugged. "Sure but we deal with it when it comes. There are a few heroes in this universe who do protect their identities. Spiderman is one of them."

Superman could hear several people conversing, trying to figure out who the new hero was with Thor. "Do you mind if I disappear and meet you in a moment?" Superman asked. "Call it habit but I don't feel comfortable with civilians knowing who I am."

"Of course. How will I recognize you?"

Superman smiled. "I'll introduce myself as Clark Kent."

"Ahhh that is your mortal name? Like Iron Man's is Tony Stark?"

"Yes," Superman said. "I'll see you in a minute."

In a burst of speed, he disappeared from the sky; not even Thor could see where he'd gone. Admiring Superman's speed, Thor descended. The neighbors didn't seem the least bit surprised when he touched down and walked up the garden path to his front door. Several people even waved. Thor returned the gesture. He liked living in this small town. Everyone knew each other so when strangers appeared they stood out like a mile. Jane was well protected with them. It also helped that a few members of S.H.I.E.L.D. were dispatched here to keep an eye on her; they pretended to own one of the local grocery stores.

Thor opened the door. "Jane, I'm home," he called.

Jane rushed around the corner. "Thor! I saw what happened on the news. Are you alright?"

Thor kissed his wife lovingly. "I'm fine. It was all a big misunderstanding."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "That guy nearly killed you and the others. Not to mention the casualties and hundreds of people who were injured."

"Jane, it wasn't his fault. He was being controlled," Thor explained. "We were able to free him from the trance and the second we did, he submitted without a fight. He's been through quite an ordeal. I've invited him to stay with us. In fact, he should be coming over soon."

"Oh," Jane muttered, surprised. "Um, does he eat? I mean- is he hungry?"

"I'm sure he will be," Thor said. He then caught the smell of garlic bread and spaghetti coming from the kitchen. "Smells good."

Just then the doorbell rang. Jane made to get it but Thor indicated that he would do so. He opened the door and there stood a man wearing a blue tee shirt, a red jacket, and blue jeans. A pair of black rimmed glasses sat on his straight nose over a pair of deep blue eyes.

"Clark Kent, I assume?" Thor asked.

Clark smiled. "The one and only."

"Come inside," Thor invited.

"Thanks."

Jane eyed the man skeptically. She'd seen Superman on TV from a picture someone had taken off their cell phone during the battle in New York. Clark Kent didn't look like him. Clark didn't carry himself the way Superman did and the glasses were perfect; they were the kind that would cause people not to look twice.

"Is this your usual disguise?" Thor asked.

"It's the look," Clark answered, "but usually I pretend to be clumsy too. If I act too much like myself, people would spot me easily."

"I'd say," Jane said. "There are not a lot of people that are over six feet tall."

"Allow me to introduce my wife. This is Jane Foster."

Clark gently shook her hand. "It's very nice to meet you. I'm sorry I caused such a problem for your husband."

"That's okay. Thor said it wasn't really your fault. Are you hungry? I just finished making dinner."

"Come, Superman," Thor invited cheerfully. "I doubt you will have tasted a finer meal on all of Midgard!"

"Please, call me Clark," he said with a smile. "It's what my friends call me."

"I'm honored," Thor said. "Usually friendships take longer to form."

"I'm a fairly good judge of character," Clark replied.

The two of them arrived in the kitchen where the table was set for two. Jane busied herself with grabbing another plate and fork. "I'm sorry," she said, placing it on the table hastily. "I didn't realize we'd be having company. I haven't set the table for three since…" she trailed off, suddenly looking sad.

Thor grabbed her hands. "Jane, Clark knows where Thora is."

"WHAT?! And you didn't bother to mention that sooner? Where is she? Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Clark assured. "She's safe."

"Where?" Jane demanded looking from Clark to Thor and back again. "Why isn't she with you if you know where she is?"

"Jane, calm down," Thor urged. "Clark has already had to explain it twice today. Give him time and he'll tell you everything he knows. But can he do it while we eat? I'm starving."

"Fine," Jane said distractedly, sitting down.

Thor grabbed a large piece of garlic bread before dishing up a healthy portion of spaghetti. "Help yourself, my friend," he said cheerfully, passing the food to Clark.

"Thank you." Clark set to work piling his plate while filling Jane in on his tale. He hardly deviated from the words he used earlier to the Avengers and to Thor. Jane perked up when Clark mentioned Jason.

"Is your son like you?" she asked.

"He's still developing abilities similar to my own but super strength and invulnerability have already set in," Clark answered between mouthfuls of garlic bread.

"And you said Thora and he are close?" Jane probed.

Clark smiled. "Yes. Thora is a wonderful girl. You both raised her well. When we are able to go through the portal, I'll make sure that you get to meet Jason. He's a good boy."

"I don't doubt it," Jane said. "You seem very kind to me. If your son is anything like you, I approve."

"Agreed!" Thor said, raising his mug of cream soda high before guzzling from it deeply. Draining it, he made as if to throw it to the ground.

"Thor!" Jane warned.

Thor paused. "Sorry, dear, force of habit."

Jane's smile was slightly exasperated. "I know. I just don't want you to break another one. Asgardian tradition is to throw your mug on the ground after you've drained it," she explained to Clark. "Anyway, go on, Clark. What happened next?"

Clark continued up until the point where Thor had freed him from the Red Kryptonite. By the time he'd finished, dinner was over and they were halfway through dessert. Jane seemed speechless. "This is all…"

"Strange?" Thor suggested.

"Well, yeah," Jane said. "I mean, I'm not as shocked about the whole thing like I would have been a few years ago. When Thor showed up in my life, my perspective on a lot of things changed."

"For the better, I hope," Thor muttered.

Jane leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Of course." Sitting back, she turned to Clark. "So you're from a whole different universe. The portal you came from must be some kind of bridge like the Bifrost except it rips a hole from one universe to another."

"All my life I thought the Vortex was only part of our universe but apparently I was wrong," Thor said. "It must be a common object in all universes."

"Then why hasn't this happened before?" Jane mused.

"I think it's because it was by chance," Clark answered. "I'm sure the likelihood of having two different portals from two separate universes share the Vortex's space is almost zero to none. This is what I'd call a freak accident."

"True, but this accident has happened twice," Jane observed. "First with Thora and now with you. How often do you think it will happen?"

"I don't know," Clark answered. "The difficult thing is that there doesn't seem to be any way to communicate between universes to open portals at the same time."

"There might be a way," Thor muttered. "I will have to talk to my father. He will want to hear your tale, Clark. Thora is his favorite granddaughter."

"She's his only grandchild," Jane pointed out.

"All the same," said Thor, "he would like to know what is going on. Could you come with me to Asgard tomorrow?"

"Sure. I've been really curious about these nine realms that you keep mentioning."

"Great! We'll leave in the morning."

Jane looked at the clock. "It's getting late. Clark, I'll show you to the guest room. You look like you're around Thor's size. I'll bring you some sweats to sleep in."

"Thank you both," Clark said. "I'm very grateful to be staying in your home."

"It's our pleasure," Thor replied.

"Thor, show him where the bathroom is," Jane said, "while I get the room ready."

After being shown the bathroom and guest room and having a pair of Thor's sweats, Clark bid Thor and Jane goodnight before closing the door. He flopped down on the mattress and sighed, feeling incredibly exhausted. He really needed to get a sun charge. Battling against all of the Avengers on Red Kryptonite had left him drained. Conveniently there was a window large enough for him to get in and out of. Quickly changing into his suit, Clark opened the window. Making sure the coast was clear, he leapt into the air and took off for space. He figured he'd only be gone for half an hour.

o0o0o

Little did Superman know, far below him in New York City, the Justice League had just emerged, scaring Loki out of his wits.

"What the devil is going on here?" Loki demanded. "Who are all of you and where in the nine realms did you come from?"

"Uncle Loki?"

Loki started. "Thora?"

Despite the fact he'd thrown her in the portal that started this whole mess, Thora rushed forward and hugged him around the middle. She had missed her world so much that even Uncle Loki was a welcome sight. Surprised, but secretly pleased, Loki returned the gesture. Before his affection became obvious, he grabbed Thora by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

"It's a long story, no thanks to you," Thora said, suddenly remembering that everything was his fault. "But first you need to tell us if you've seen Superman."

Loki decided to play ignorant. "Who?"

"Superman," Thora repeated. "Uncle, he would have come out of this portal just like we did. Have you been watching it the whole time?"

"For the most part. I could have looked away occasionally."

Batman stepped forward and grabbed Loki by the collar. "You're lying," he growled. "You did see him. Tell us where he is."

Loki yanked himself free. Batman was surprised by his strength but didn't show it openly. Loki eyed him and the other League members with distaste. He could tell just from the look of them that they were heroes. "More creatures like the Avengers," Loki mused aloud. "I shouldn't be surprised. I assume Superman is an enemy of yours."

"He's our friend," Green Arrow stated.

Loki raised his eyebrows. "Do heroes on your planet try to take over the world?"

"That's why we have to find him, Uncle Loki," Thora said, exasperated. "He's not himself. Something is controlling him. We have to find him and stop him before he does anything he'll regret."

Loki grinned wickedly. "Why would I help to stop chaos? You should know I don't meddle with that sort of thing, Thora. That's your father's job."

"Uncle, please, he's my friend."

Loki frowned. "I think I'd rather kidnap you."

"Try anything and I'll make sure you will be unable to move, let alone speak," Wonder Woman warned.

Loki didn't have to wonder if her threat was real. The fire in the woman's eyes was enough to convince him. Sighing, he said, "Alright, I'll tell you what I know. He destroyed half of New York City and placed all the Avengers in the hospital before S.H.I.E.L.D. showed up and hauled him away. After that, I know nothing."

"How did they take him?" Batman demanded.

"He let them," Loki answered.

The League shared a glance. All silently agreed that the only reason Superman would surrender is if the Red Kryptonite had been removed. "We need to find him," Hawkgirl said. "Where is this S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"I know how to get in contact with them," Thora stated. "Uncle, you need to keep this portal open."

"And what if I don't?" Loki asked. "As far as I'm concerned, you're home now. There's no point in keeping it open."

"The Justice League needs to get back to where they belong after they find Superman."

"Not my problem," Loki said with a yawn.

Thora suddenly had an idea. "Well, if you really aren't strong enough to keep it open, I guess I can go to Odin and ask him for his help. It's pretty complicated magic. Maybe you don't want to keep it open because you can't."

Loki froze. "You dare to suggest that I am incapable of keeping open a simple gate?"

Thora shrugged. "You're the one who wants to close it."

Loki scoffed. "I'll keep the portal open, you silly girl. My magic will always be superior to Odin's."

"We'll see," Thora challenged. "We'll be back soon. Let's see how strong your magic really is."

Loki grumbled incoherently as she walked away with the League following behind.

"That was brilliant," Flash complimented.

Thora grinned. "When it comes to my uncle, all you have to do is compare him to Odin and he'll do whatever he can to beat him even if Odin isn't directly involved."

"Clever," Batman muttered. "Using an opponent's weakness in such a way to bend their will to yours is an admirable trait. You'd do well in Gotham."

"Thanks. Now, come on, we need to find Superman before Loki figures out what I did."

"Where are we going to start?" Martian Manhunter asked.

"I've got to make a phone call," Thora muttered, searching for a pay phone.

o0o0o

Lois groaned as she opened her eyes. Her head pounded something fierce against her skull. The last thing she remembered was sitting on a crate near Warehouse 249 shortly after throwing up. Looking around, she found that she was in some kind of office. There were no windows, which explained her upset stomach. Lois pinched her nose between her fingers. The door suddenly opened behind her and Lois nearly leapt out of her skin when none other than Lex Luthor walked through the door.

"Lois Lane," he said with a sadistic grin, "it's been, what, ten years? You still look as lovely as ever."

"Lex Luthor," she replied, looking him over, "nice to see you still haven't managed to grown any hair."

Lex smirked but didn't respond. Instead he set a couple news papers on the desk along with a cylinder object made of silver. Lois's eyes bulged slightly as she noticed Kryptonian symbols embedded into the cylinder's surface. Lex watched her silently.

"Why did you bring me here, Lex?" Lois asked. "Isn't kidnapping me getting old?"

"On the contrary," Lex countered, "it's even more exciting than robbing a bank or ruining someone's reputation. I quite enjoy the banter as well as the unfailing routine of the Man of Steel swooping in to save you from my clutches. You would think we were part of some twisted entertaining story with the way the three of us dance. It would make quite the tale, wouldn't it, Mrs. Lane? Or is it Mrs. Kent now?"

"You know its Mrs. Lane, Lex," Lois replied. "A reporter keeps her name no matter what."

"Is that the real reason? Or did you keep it so that your husband could call you by your maiden name the way he did when you met all those years ago for his first interview?" Lex asked wickedly as he threw down a copy of the Daily Planet. The front page story was the first interview she'd ever had with Superman.

Lois's eyes widened in horror as her heart skipped a beat. She stared at the headline, thinking fast. He'd called Superman her husband! Had he figured it out? She had to play dumb! Maybe he was simply fishing. Well, she wasn't going to reveal anything to him. Putting on a look of confusion, Lois cocked an eyebrow and looked back up at Lex. "I think you're confused. My husband is Clark Kent not Superman."

Lex rolled his eyes and leaned against the desk, looming over her with his arms folded. "Lois, do you really think I'm a fool?"

"Do you want me to answer that?"

"No!" Lex snapped. Reigning back in his temper, he smiled. "I'm not an idiot. You dumped Richard White after a three year engagement only to turn around several months later to marry Clark Kent, a man who returned after traveling the world for five years. Superman was gone for five years. They both reappeared at the same time. Then there's the matter of your son, Jason. Nobody would want to marry you and help raise Superman's son except Superman himself. Quite ingenious of Superman to disguise himself as a reporter.; he could get as close to danger as he wanted, ask as many questions as needed, for the sole purpose of performing what he feels is his responsibility to save people. And to think most people haven't even realized who he is! How long did it take you to find out, Lois? Don't tell me he actually had to tell you himself? I pray that you really aren't that naive."

Lois made a futile attempt to play dumb. "I don't have any idea how you came up with the thought that Clark is Superman. Have you ever watched him? There's no way he could be Superman!"

Lex raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? For the last ten years I have had your family on surveillance. The excuses your husband comes up with to get away from crowds are the stupidest things I've ever heard. And I thought aliens were supposed to be intelligent!"

Lois scowled. "Shut up!"

Lex grinned. "I seem to have struck a chord."

Lois stared at him in hatred. "You obviously have spies in the Daily Planet."

"Of course. I make it a point to be close to my enemies. That is the way the saying goes, does it not? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?"

"If you've known all this time, why haven't you exposed Clark?"

"Ahhh that was the question I was waiting for. You see, knowledge is power, Lois. I can do greater damage to Superman if I keep such priceless information to myself."

"That's twisted. What right do you think you had to spy on us?"

"I had every right," Lex snapped. "He's an alien! He doesn't belong here."

"Clark grew up on Earth," Lois retorted. "He's just as much a human as you are."

"Heresy!" Lex shouted. "Human beings do not fly, Lois! They don't shoot lasers from their eyes! They can't see through walls or defy bullets! We live, grow old, and die. That is our nature. Clark Kent is a menace that must be permanently eliminated."

"It's not your place to decide who deserves to live or die, Lex!"

"It is the right of every human being to protect the Earth which in they live," Lex replied. "And if the rest of the world is foolhardy enough to believe Superman deserves to live here, then it's left to me to remind all of them that aliens are a threat."

"Clark is not a threat! He has always protected us, even you! Why do you hate him so much?"

Lex stared at her angrily. "You will never open your eyes to see what he's doing, will you? He was sent here to Earth as a baby to learn how to live among humans so that we would trust him. His birth parents made sure to send him to a place where he could study the heart of American people, Smallville, Kansas. If Jonathan and Martha Kent had been true to their country, they would have turned that alien over to the Government the second he landed in that town. Instead they committed treason against humanity and raised him as their own! They refused to see his oddities as a threat. Instead, they saw them as gifts! How ludicrous! And then, the most abominable crime occurs; you allowed him to accomplish what his race sent him here to do."

"And what might that be?" Lois snapped.

Lex pulled a picture out of the stack of newspapers on the desk and slapped a photograph of her son into her lap. "This monstrosity," Lex seethed, pointing at Jason's face, "is what I'm talking about, Lois. Do you honestly think the alien really loves you? Can't you see that the only reason he decides to be around you is so he can use you to breed his spawn?" Again he pointed at the picture of Jason; her Jason.

"If you think that," Lois cried, outraged, "you're even more delusional than I thought you were."

Lex slammed both hands onto the arms of Lois' chair. His face inches from hers, he narrowed his eyes. "Jonathan and Martha Kent may have betrayed mankind by raising the alien, but you, Lois, have doomed us all to extinction. You helped to create the most abominable creature to ever walk the Earth! You've bred with an alien!" He looked upon her with disgust. "I can't bear the fact that you procreated with an extraterrestrial than a human being."

Lois slapped Lex with all the force she could muster. Lex staggered back, rubbing his cheek. Anger propelled Lois to her feet. Shaking with fury, her face beet red, she retorted in rage, "You foolish, hind sighted, egotistical simpleton! How dare you! First off, how dare you pry into Clark's life! And then you accuse him of trying to destroy mankind?! Are you so incredibly blind that you can't see that everything he's done from the moment he came to Earth until now has been for the good of our race? Jason is a miracle! And he will continue in his father's footsteps to protect the world from people like you who are so conceited to believe they have the right to rule the world themselves."

Lex struck Lois with the back of his hand. "Shut up!" he shouted.

Lois fell back into her chair. Tasting blood, she wiped her mouth.

Lex loomed over her. "I will not allow you to poison the rest of us with your delusions!" he cried.

"What are you going to do, Lex? Kill me?" Lois challenged.

Lex smirked. "On the contrary; I'm going to destroy you and everything you hold dear, starting with your husband and then your son. I have plenty of scientists who would love to discover more about Jason's…origins."

"Don't you dare harm either of them!" Lois shouted, leaping to her feet again.

Lex grabbed her by the wrists and yanked her forward. His face inches from hers, a maniacal glint glittered behind his black eyes. "There will be little you can do to stop me, Lois. When an infection enters the body, it does everything in its power to destroy it. You have infected mankind with a virus that must be destroyed. I will see to it that Clark and Jason are given the same fate. Don't worry; soon you will find that neither of them exists and mankind will be free from them and their spawn."

Forcing her back into her chair, Lex strode across the room and slammed the door. Lois made to go after him but found the door locked from the outside. Slamming her fists against the cold metal, she cried, "Lex, you can't keep me in here! Let me out, or so help me, I'll write a story about you so terrifying it will cure your baldness! If you dare touch my family, I'll kill you! I'll kill you, Luthor!"

Her head spun violently and Lois stopped pounding on the door. Sinking to the floor, she breathed deeply. Lex was going to kidnap Jason! He was going to lock him up in a lab to have people experiment on him. And rarely did a scientist keep their specimen alive when their project was over. The second they learned everything they could, they'd kill her son. And she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Lex would kill Clark the second he reappeared. He knew Clark's identity. Horrified, Lois envisioned Lex walking into the Daily Planet with a gun full of Kryptonite bullets. Clark would be dead before he knew what hit him.

She had to get out of here! Looking around, Lois's eye suddenly found the cylinder. She'd forgotten to ask Lex what it was. Since it was obviously Kryptonian due to the symbols, the item belonged the Clark not Lex. Glancing behind her, she reached forward and picked it up. She would have thrown it in her purse which was still somehow slung over her shoulder but she noticed that the symbols didn't exactly line up. Now was not the time to be giving in to curiosity but Lois couldn't help it. She twisted the cylinder so the symbols would match.

A shockwave rippled through her body as a flash of light temporarily blinded her eyes. The cylinder disappeared from her hands and she felt like her body was floating in a thousand different pieces. The strange sensation lasted for two seconds before the light disappeared. Opening her eyes, Lois looked around. She was in the middle of Metropolis.

"How the heck did I get here?" she wondered aloud, twisting around full circle.

She was standing in the middle of the road, the sun beating down upon her neck. Her nausea went away as she soaked in the rays. Not wanting to get run over but wondering how on earth she was back in Metropolis, Lois rushed to the sidewalk. Several people looked at her strangely but didn't stick around to ask questions. In fact, they all kept glancing nervously up at the sky.

Just as Lois was about to grab someone and ask what was going on, a man came rushing around the corner. He barreled into Lois full force and both toppled to the ground. Lois's hip slammed into the concrete and immediate pain raised a cry from her throat. The man who'd run her into the sidewalk got up hastily without even bothering to apologize. He sprinted across the street, terrified. Before Lois could shout insults at him, a blur of red and blue shot out of the sky. Superman grabbed the man by the arms and raised him into the air.

"I'm sorry!" the man cried. "Please, don't kill me! Please!"

"Then you shouldn't have robbed someone," Superman said, loosening his grip.

The man grabbed onto him to keep himself from falling. "No! Please, I needed the money for my family! My daughter is sick!"

"Why didn't you take her to a hospital?" Superman demanded coldly.

"I was going to," the man explained hastily, "but I needed the money first. Because of taxes I couldn't afford the medical bills. Please, have mercy."

Despite the pain, Lois got to her feet. "Hey!" she shouted.

Superman turned his cold eyes away from his captive. "Ma'am, I suggest you return to your-" but he paused. His cold eyes widened with shock and disbelief. He dropped the man, who fell to the ground. Thankfully he was only three feet in the air. Scrambling, the man dashed around the corner. Superman ignored him completely. His expression still one of bewilderment, he descended to the ground and walked across the road, not even bother to check if the coast was clear. Several cars had to swerve out of the way. Superman stopped in front of her. Raising a shaking hand, he touched her cheek.

"This can't be," he whispered quietly.

"What are you doing?" Lois hissed, shying away. She looked back and forth. Everyone was staring. "We're in the middle of Metropolis!"

Superman pulled Lois into his arms and kissed her full on the mouth. Lois naturally responded. Even though he was acting strangely, she was glad to see he was alright. Temporarily forgetting that they were in the middle of a crowded street, Lois pulled away but stayed in his arms.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she said. Then she froze, remembering the Red Kryptonite. She searched for the red rock.

"What are you doing?" Superman asked, confused.

"The Red Kryptonite," Lois said, "that's got to be why you're acting this way." She looked up and down but the bracelet Zatanna had described was nowhere to be found.

"I'm not on Red Kryptonite," Superman said. "I haven't been exposed to that for years."

Lois lowered her brow in confusion. "But, you had it on you when you went through that-"

Before she could say more, Superman pulled her back into his arms and kissed her again. This kiss was full of longing, like it had been the first time they'd kissed after his return to earth ten years ago. It was filled with passion, him trying to convey to her his need. His hands snaked their way through her hair, crushing her lips further into his own. Lois found herself sliding her hands up his chest over the S symbol. She pushed away slightly to breathe.

"Clark," she whispered, her head slightly fuzzy, "what has gotten into you?"

"You're real," he whispered back, searching her hazel eyes. "You're real," he repeated.

He buried his nose into her hair, kissing her ear gently. "Real," he muttered, leaving a trail of kisses along her jaw line back to her mouth.

Lois shivered. "Of course I'm real," she muttered. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He froze. Pulling away, he stared at her more intently.

"Are you x-raying me?" she asked.

Superman didn't answer. "You're not a clone," he muttered, both bewildered and relieved.

"Of course I'm not a clone," Lois replied, terribly confused.

She glanced around. They were drawing a lot of attention. A crowd wasn't forming, neither were there any paparazzi, but people were obviously staring. They seemed afraid though, as if they were terrified of coming any closer.

"Superman," Lois warned, stepping away, "I'm married now. I know you may have feelings for me but we agreed to be nothing more than friends."

Superman's eyebrows furrowed. "What are you talking about? Everyone knows we're married. They all found out after the accident."

"What accident?" Lois asked, confused.

"Lois, you died."

Lois paused, slightly shocked. "What? No I didn't."

Superman stared. "Yes, you did. Lex Luthor killed you."

Lois staggered backward. "No, he was just talking to me. He left me alone. I didn't die. I just picked up that cylinder thing." Which, she realized, was no longer in her hands.

Superman lightly grabbed her shoulders, regaining her attention. "He killed you ten years ago, Lois. On the Gertrude."

Lois shook her head. "What are you talking about? You rescued us before you got rid of the Kryptonite Island." She stepped forward but then cried out, clutching her side.

"Lois!" Superman looked at her hip. "It's cracked. What happened?"

"I landed on it when that guy you were chasing slammed into me," she answered.

Superman suddenly turned mutinous. "I'll find and kill him for hurting you."

"What?! No!" Lois grabbed his arm, alarmed by his expression.

Superman looked at her wildly. "Let go, Lois. I need to find where that rotten snake went."

"You don't hurt people! You save them! Honestly, what happened to you? Why are you acting like this?"

Superman paused to stare at her. "I've changed."

For the first time Lois noticed the darkness in his eyes. It had never been there before. Suddenly scared, she took a step back. "What have you done?" she whispered. "You're not the same man I know. What happened to him?"

Superman's eyes filled with pain and anger. He stepped forward. "He died when you left, Lois," he whispered. "The hero you knew is gone."

Lois shook her head. "No," she whispered, though she knew he was telling the truth. The man before her was fierce and cold, his expression lacking the compassion and kindness it once displayed to mankind. It took Lois a moment to recognize the expression haunting her husband's eyes. It was the same she saw in Lex Luthor from time to time. It was the expression of one experienced with murder.

Superman stepped forward and the compassion Lois knew slightly surfaced. "I need to get you to the hospital. Come on."

And before she could protest, he gently lifted her into his arms and took off from the ground. Lois would have fought him but she was too terrified to try. Though it was ludicrous to think, this man wasn't her husband. He couldn't be. Clark would never kill anyone. He couldn't.

They touched down outside the hospital five minutes later. Superman refused to put her down. He even kicked the door open, causing it to fly off its hinges. "Clark!" Lois chided but he ignored her. Pushing passed the line of people to the receptionist desk, Superman cleared his throat.

"I demand assistance this instant," he commanded.

The receptionist didn't look up from her notes. "I'm sorry, sir, but you're just going to have to wait in line with everybody else."

Superman used his heat vision and blasted a small hole into the desk two inches above the woman's hand. She leapt back in surprise and stared at him in shock. "Do I still have to wait?" Superman demanded, "Or are you going to get the doctors?"

The receptionist's face drained of all color. "I am so sorry, Superman, I didn't know it was you. I'll fetch someone right away."

"I want the best doctor you have on staff," Superman ordered, "Or else."

"Yes, sir," she muttered, terrified, before barreling through the door.

Lois looked around at the others in the waiting room. Most of them had injuries far worse than her own, including all the people in line they'd skipped. She had expected to see expressions of anger but instead saw terror. Nobody wanted to come close to them. There was a five foot gap between Superman and the others in the room. The fear in their eyes was unnerving to Lois. Never in the history of her knowing Superman had she seen anyone look at him the way these people did. In fact, the people on the street had looked the same way. What had he done to deserve such a reputation? Why did everyone fear him? What had happened to her Superman?

A doctor came rushing forward. "Superman, I apologize for the delay," he said quickly. "I was in surgery."

"If you had kept me waiting any longer I would have given you a reason to be in surgery yourself, doctor," Superman responded coldly.

The doctor flinched.

"That's it," Lois shrilled, "I've had enough! Put me down!" She pounded Superman's chest.

Superman ignored her. "She needs immediate attention and it had better be the best."

"Kal El. Put. Me. Down." Lois spoke quietly but the rage behind her tone was unmistakable. For the first time since arriving at the hospital, Superman looked down at her. She glared into his blue eyes, silently conveying that if he didn't do as asked, he'd regret it. Immediately, he set her down. Ignoring the shock on everyone's face, Lois jabbed her finger right into his chest. "I don't ever want to hear you talking to anyone like that again or so help me, I will infuse myself with liquid Kryptonite and there will be nothing you can do to stop me! And don't you dare say that all of its gone because I know for a fact that Batman keeps a reserve."

Superman's jaw dropped. "L-Lois…you wouldn't dare do such a thing!" he gasped, wounded.

Lois squared her shoulders despite the pain in her side. "I would!" she snarled fiercely. "I don't know what happened to you but whatever it was you should never have allowed it to warp you into what you have become." She looked him up and down in disgust. "I'm ashamed of you."

Superman looked at his boots. The doctor and the patients held disbelief. Lois stepped closer and tenderly lifted Superman's chin until she could make out his eyes. They were angry. Lois sighed. "Look at me, Kal El," she whispered. He brought his blue eyes up to her hazel ones. She smiled sadly. "I only tell you these things because I love you, you know that right?"

He blinked and then nodded. "I know, Lois," he replied quietly.

"Good," she whispered. Reaching on tiptoe, she kissed him gently. "I need to see the doctor," she said. "Will you stay? Or do you need to save the world?"

Superman held her close and buried his face into her hair. "The League can handle Metropolis for now," he muttered. "I need to be here."

Lois smiled. "Okay."

Superman pulled away enough to look at the doctor. What he saw caused him pain that he hadn't felt in years. The pain was guilt. Everyone was terrified of him; it was plain on all their faces. "Doctor, please do everything you can." He spoke gently but the man still remained terrified as he nodded and gestured for Lois to follow him. Superman felt his guilt renew from the doctor's terror. He made to grab Lois but she took his hand.

"I can walk, Kal El," she said gently.

They made their way down to the ICU and soon Lois was on a hospital bed being examined. Superman didn't leave the room. He leaned against the corner nearest to the door, watching the procession in silence. Before the nurse hooked her up with IV's, she asked a series of questions.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

"No."

"Are you pregnant or have been pregnant recently?"

Lois looked over at Superman who noticed the hesitancy. He stepped forward. "Lois?"

Lois swallowed. "I-I think I am," she admitted.

Superman started. "What?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure," she said to the nurse, unable to look at her husband.

"Have you ever been pregnant before?" the nurse asked, jotting things down on a clipboard.

"Yes."

"Are the symptoms similar?"

"The ones I've experienced so far are, yes," she replied.

"What are they, dear?"

"Well," she paused, looking at Superman. He'd come to stand right next to the nurse. "My pregnancies are different than others," she muttered.

"Each one is unique," the nurse responded, ignorant.

"No, I mean, mine are really different," Lois clarified.

"How so?" The nurse asked, a little annoyed.

"My pregnancy with Jason lasted ten months instead of nine," Lois said, "and before you say that sometimes happens, Jason was born premature. He had a lot of health issues. There were moments when the doctors thought he wouldn't make it." She paused and swallowed painfully from the memories. She was terrified she might lose this child. Jason was a miracle but was she really capable of getting another?

"What do you mean he was born premature?" the nurse pried, stirring her away from her thoughts.

"The birth of a half Kryptonian half human is different than a full human reproduction," Superman answered.

The nurse turned red as she realized for the first time that the woman lying on the bed was more than just one of Superman's rescues. "Oh," she muttered. "I apologize."

"That's okay," Lois sighed. "Can I just get an ultrasound? I'd rather not explain the symptoms since the first time I tried, nobody could help me anyway."

The nurse nodded. "I'll be right back."

The second they were alone, Superman turned to look at Lois differently. She knew he was x-raying her. The expression on his face was enough for her; he stepped backward, shocked. He looked at Lois in a new light. "It is mine, right?" he asked, bewildered.

Lois scoffed. "Clark, you can be incredibly dense sometimes. Of course it's yours! Who else's would it be?"

"I don't know," he replied, suddenly cold.

"You're kidding!" Lois snapped, suddenly angry. "You honestly think it might belong to someone else?!"

"Lois, you just magically appeared after being dead for ten years!" Superman snapped back. "How am I to know where you've been?"

"Listen here, you idiot, I feel weak and nauseous unless I'm in the sunlight. The only other time I've experienced that was when I was pregnant with Jason, and we both know you were nowhere to be found when that happened!"

Superman looked at her confused. "What are you talking about? Of course I was there! There's no way I would have let you go through that pregnancy alone!"

Lois stared. Something wasn't right. "No," she muttered, shaking her head. "You left me. You left Earth. You were gone for five years."

Superman shook his head. "Lois, you're confused. I've never left the Earth for anything."

"You left shortly after swiping my memories," Lois cried, slightly beginning to panic. "Scientists supposedly found Krypton and because of the memory swipe, you left. Little did you know our escapade in the Arctic got me pregnant with Jason, whom I had to raise on my own for five years until you came back."

Superman stared at her. "Lois, none of that ever happened. I didn't erase your memories. We found out you were pregnant and got married. We raised Jason. Lex Luthor found out my secret identity and released it to the public then he kidnapped you and Jason onto the Gertrude. He killed you with a kryptonite bullet before I could arrive. After I saw you lying there, dead, something came over me and I killed Luthor with my heat vision. He shot Jason in the arm the same time. I only managed to save Jason by extracting the Kryptonite bullet and flying both of us into the atmosphere. I've raised him on my own ever since and my tolerance for villainy reached zero."

"That's why people fear you," Lois whispered.

Superman tried to keep a straight face. "Yes," he muttered. "I do not allow any crimes to go without the ultimate punishment because crime is what took you away from me."

Lois's eyes welled with tears. "What is going on? This isn't the world I know! Where am I?"

For those of you who have seen Smallville, yes it's the mirror box but I took my own liberties and created a different alternate universe. Hope you liked it! Reviews are appreciated. :)