CHAPTER TEN: STEEL THY HEART
A/N: Superman lies expiring as Selina comes to grip with her feelings. Wally meets a new woman. There is an appearance by the Atom for all of you Ray Palmer fans.
Thanks to all who are sticking with this story, and hugs to all new readers and reviewers as well! You guys make me a better writer, and I appreciate any and all of your suggestions about the pairings in this fic!
Selina rocked Superman as he started shivering from the chills which were engulfing him at the moment. Her eyes scanned the window, but she knew that she couldn't climb out and escape to get help so that the fallen superhero was vulnerable to Luther's whims. She didn't know how deep their animosity went, but she wasn't going to take any changes.
The Man of Steel moaned softly, then opened his eyes. He coughed, and wheezed a little before his symptoms quieted.
"Is there anything I can do?" Selina asked, genuinely concerned for the hero's welfare.
She realized in that moment that although she had not known him very long, he had become a dear friend. Who else had tried to aid her by getting a reporter to find out information about her double, and more importantly, who else had believed in her innocence? There was no one else she could trust, no one who would give her a chance that she could think of.
Superman was raising his arm weakly, whispering, "Side pocket...in my cape...communicator." Selina's hand drifted to his right pocket before he shook his head urgently.
"No," he instructed softly, "left pocket." The Catwoman nodded and reached inside. After a moment, she extracted a small, thin black device resembling a cell phone.
"Who should I call?" she asked.
"Justice...League..." Superman croaked. "Tell them where we are."
Selina had a panicked look. Supposed the high-and-mighty heroes though she had something to do with Superman's condition? Suppose they sent her back to prison first and asked questions later? There had to be someone else non-superhero-y that the Man of Steel knew. She forced herself to remain calm.
"I can't," she said, matter-of-factly. "Do you know what they'll do to me?"
Superman's hot and sweaty hand reached out to grasp hers. Selina felt the hugeness of his fingers, and a soft caress before he dropped his hand again.
"Ask for...the Flash," the red and blue clad hero advised. "Tell him to come here; he'll know what to do." The Man of Steel didn't add that, in actuality, the Flash was still more than likely in the exhibition hall rather than the Watchtower.
"But..." Selina protested.
"Trust me; he'll understand. Set the device...to the seventh setting. That's his...own frequency," Superman said with more force before succumbing to the deadly Kryptonite's effects. He went limp in Selina's arms. She reached out and smoothed his trademark curl to one side, looking at the handsome face.
Bad girl, looking at him as though he was catnip! She chided herself. Selina jerked open the communications device and spoke haltingly.
"Hello...is this the Flash?" she asked.
The Flash's voice sounded as if it were close by. "Yeah," he responded. "Who is this?"
"Just someone who's looking after Superman," she said. "He wanted me to tell you that he's hurt."
"What?!" the easily agitated superhero asked. "Where is he? How badly is he hurt?"
Selina said, "It's bad; it's Kryptonite."
"Crap," the Flash responded, breathing heavily. "Just tell me your address and I'll send some help!"
"You must come alone," Selina said urgently. "He insisted." There was a moment's hesitation as the Flash considered.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
In the exhibition hall, Wally looked for all intents and purposes like he was gabbing on a cell phone, but he was looking around to see if anyone would notice his quick departure. Luthor seemed to still be preoccupied with the press. The paparazzi were engrossed with him; some people were admiring other exhibitions and still others were looking at the pink chemical in the crystalline bottle: Luthor's newest "discovery", Phaze.
Wally knew there would never be another opportunity. He could ask about why Superman insisted that he come alone later. "Where can I meet you?" he said into the device.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Struggling to drag Superman to the door, Selina said, "Believe it or not, we're in the women's bathroom on the northern side. Please hurry!"
"I'll be there before you can say 'Jimminy Crickets,'" Wally's voice promised.
XXXXXXXXXXX
He hung up and was about to go change when he saw a woman in a beautiful blue dress watching him. Whirling around, he saw Lucy Lane, who was giving him an appraising look.
"Hi," she greeted, waving her hand a little timidly.
"Hi," Wally said, his mind not really on talking to her at the moment.
Lucy read his preoccupation with something else right off. "Let me guess," she asked, "busy, right?"
Wally's eyes strayed to her. He inwardly groaned as he got a good look at what she was wearing, and as he got a whiff of her clean smelling perfume. Why was it that life handed one a curve ball just when things were starting to get interesting? He knew the lady was waiting for an answer.
"Very busy," he responded truthfully. For some reason, Wally felt like he had to explain himself. "I've gotta go visit a sick friend."
Lucy said, "I'm really sorry to hear that. Maybe I could help. I've had some medical training."
Wally shook his head. He smiled a little at her kindness, and obvious attraction to him. "No, no, I appreciate it," he told her, "but my friend wouldn't be too crazy at having a stranger in his apartment. You know how it is."
Lucy's face fell slightly, but she understood, since she had kind of crossed the boundaries of propriety by inviting herself to a man's friend's house that she didn't even know.
"I'm sorry for your friend," she told Wally. Opening her matching clutch bag, Lucy got out a small piece of paper and wrote her name and phone number on it.
"If you ever need any help from me or your friend does, please let me know," she said.
"Thanks," Wally said, all business now. He had left the room and had found a place to change at super speed into his costume. It was as he ran to the women's bathroom that he realized he had not given Lucy his name.
"Oh, for the love of…" the Flash muttered. But that didn't matter. He had Superman to think of. He wondered why the Man of Tomorrow had asked for him specifically. It wasn't as though he had medical training. That was J'onn's specialty, and some other heroes, too.
As he opened the door to the women's bathroom and saw Catwoman nursing Superman with a cold compress, the Flash knew why.
"I'm not even gonna ask what you're doing here," he began. "Just let me know when Rod Serling's ghost comes by."
Despite his pain, Superman chuckled a little at the Flash's lame joke. "Always…the same…" the Kryptonian commented. The Flash held up a first aid kit.
"I don't know if I'll be able to help much," he said. Superman eyed the kit despite his growing inability to focus.
"That…won't do it," he gasped out. He was breathing heavily. Selina turned concerned eyes on his friend. The Flash whipped out his teleportation device and hit the button.
"But this will…" he was heard to say as the trio disappeared.
XXXXXXXXXX
Inside the exhibition hall, Lucy thought about her encounter with the second redheaded man. She really hoped his friend was all right, just as her other half hoped that the friend wasn't a sexual companion. She really wanted to get to know him better, whoever he was.
"Oh, f—" she started saying when she realized he had not left his cell phone number. Just then, Jimmy walked up with a small, blonde girl.
"Hey, Lucy," he said, "meet Buffy."
"Hello," Buffy greeted with a slightly Bostonian accent. Jimmy looked slightly abashed at having not paid attention to Lucy much.
"I'm sorry I wasn't more available tonight," he said. Lucy saw the way he held Buffy's hand.
"It's okay, really," she told the pair.
"It's just that we started talking about cameras while we stood next to each other, taking pictures," Jimmy explained. He went on to tell Lucy that Buffy worked freelance, and while she was visiting relatives in Metropolis, she had taken a job at the Metropolis Times. Lucy held up a hand.
"Jimmy!" she said, getting his attention. Jimmy stopped his rambling.
"It's okay, really!" she repeated with more emphasis. She looked straight at Buffy.
"We're just friends," she told her. The ever practical girl wasn't jealous.
"So, it's okay if we talk about…cameras?" Buffy asked, her voice suggestive as she stared at James Olson.
"Sure," Lucy said. "You both look great together." Jimmy smiled, squeezing Buffy's hand.
"We were thinking of grabbing some dinner," Jimmy started, then looked around to see if Clark was there and might be hungry.
"Where's Mr. Kent?" he asked. Lucy looked for Clark but didn't see him. Some other reporters were filing out as the party started winding down.
"Your guess is as good as mine," she said. Jimmy turned his attention back to Buffy.
"What about you?" he asked Lucy. "You wanna go get some food? I know this place that serves great chili dogs."
"As appetizing as that sounds, I have to take a rain check," Lucy said, not wanting to be a third wheel in Jimmy's obviously budding relationship. Buffy was smiling her gratitude.
"Okay," Jimmy replied. "Later." He and Buffy walked out. Moments later, Lucy followed. As she drove home, she hoped that the mysterious red headed man would call her sometime, and that his friend would get well soon.
XXXXXXXXX
Inside the Watchtower, J'onn bent over Superman as he checked several medical instruments. In the background, Selina watched while the Atom walked on his torso toward the Man of Steel's face. He took a sample of saliva courtesy of a huge tongue depressor. Superman's breathing had become more shallow. The Atom jumped onto a silver tray of medical paraphernalia.
After a moment, he studied the minute particles of green dust on the stick and ordered, "Respirator."
The Flash went to get the instrument on the side of the room. He slid it over as J'onn attached it. The Atom's next words had the Scarlet Speedster going to the chemical lab.
"We need an infusion of lead dust, finely ground," the sometimes tiny hero clarified.
Moments later, a small box about the size of a jewel chest was pumping lead dust into the Man of Steel. Selina watched as Superman took small, less labored breaths.
"I'll have to run tests, and I'll need your help," the Atom said to the Martian Manhunter.
J'onn reported, "I linked to his subconscious mind. Superman was exposed to some dust earlier this evening when a blonde woman blew it on his face."
The Atom looked grim. "Uh huh," he said. "I'm sure the tests will confirm that this dust is highly concentrated, and because of its minute particles, it is coating his lungs. The lead dust will buy some time, but because of the larger infusion of Kryptonite already inside of him, it will only delay the inevitable."
"The inevitable?" the Flash asked, a sinking feeling in his stomach. The six inch sized superhero leaped to the floor and grew to normal size.
He looked at both of his colleagues, saying, "Superman is dying. He will die unless he is exposed to a greater degree of lead particles to counteract the exposure to the Kryptonite. It's already got a magnificent head start." The Atom held up the slide with the sample.
"This slide proves it," he said. "There are sub atomic particles of dust on it. They're so minute that the slide probably looks normal to you guys. I spotted them, however, when I was smaller."
"He's not gonna die!" The Flash shouted. "He's Superman, for chrissakes! The Man of Steel! He's been exposed to Kryptonite before and lived to tell the tale!"
The Martian Manhunter told the Flash, "I hope you are correct. I have lost too many friends, and I am not seeking to bury another."
Selina felt tears gather as she watched the proceedings. I hope so, too, she thought.
"Flash," the Atom said suddenly. The Fastest Man on Earth saluted the Atom.
"Ya vol Mon Captain," he replied with a bad German accent. Ray Palmer looked at him dryly.
"Sorry," the Flash apologized. "Whaddaya need?"
"We need a huge infusion of lead dust, larger than the amount here," he said, looking at Superman. The Man of Steel was starting to writhe in pain.
"Get to Star Labs. They should have the materials we need to perform the operation," he said to him. When the Flash had teleported away, the Atom looked at the Martian Manhunter.
"Can you run some tests for me?" he asked J'onn. "I need to find out the exact amount of Kryptonite inside of him for this to work."
The Martian Manhunter grabbed the slide and headed for the chemistry lab next door. When she was alone with the Atom, the Catwoman spoke softly.
"What do you mean about an operation?" she asked. The Atom turned toward her, his look accusatory. He jerked his head to the side and glanced at Superman.
"The lead dust will have to be administered from the inside in order to be the most effective," he said in a clinical voice. "I'm going in."