Chapter 78
The two men stood toe to toe and eye to eye, staring at each other for several seconds. Superman opened his mouth to say one more thing when, behind him, his cell phone vibrated silently in the pocket of his cape.
Accustomed to seeing in the dark, Batman was the first to witness the unexpected reaction on Superman's face before anyone else present. He watched in surprise as the famous being from another planet grimaced, shut his eyes, covered his ears with both hands, and fell to his knees, apparently in some sudden, inexplicable, great pain.
John Jones looked around wildly and zeroed in on the source of the trouble in seconds. His hands quickly found the offending cell phone among the folds of the red cape, and he turned it off even as Batman began to speak.
"What in the...? What's happening?" Bewildered, he looked from one to the other of the two men now kneeling before him. "What's wrong with him?"
Low groans from Superman punctuated each heaving breath as he struggled to say words that made no sense to his companions. "Sorry… the lights…so loud…I…can't…"
Batman's eyes scanned the still, quiet night around them before returning a doubtful gaze down upon Superman and saying to Jones, "And this guy," Batman held out a hand and asked doubtfully, "is the hero I've been hearing so much about?"
"Yes," Jones said firmly as he mentally probed Superman. "And your choice of words is appropriate. I think hearing does seem to be the problem right now," Jones said softly. "Isn't that it, Clark?"
"Yeah…partly." I…I guess I was wrong before." He managed to chuckle with wry amusement through another gasping groan." That …was a cell… phone …signal."
"I must be missing something here." Batman shook his head. "That phone didn't make a sound. Are you telling us that you heard it?"
"No, I heard… the wave of the signal…. thenI saw it." He looked up at Jones somewhat wearily. "It started on my way here."
"You saw—?" Looking down at Superman curiously through narrowed eyes, Batman tilted his head and then crossed his arms in disbelief. "That is impossible."
"Clark," Jones smiled up at Batman as he helped Superman to his feet, "or rather Superman, specializes in the impossible. As do I. You have had no problem accepting my powers as real."
"You're from Mars. That makes it a lot more believable."
"And he is from Krypton, a far older and much more advanced planet than mine ever was."
"Ow!" Superman gasped as a small, tinkling sound came from another cell phone, this time from the pocket of the Martian, and, once more, his hands flew to his ears.
Jones answered it quickly as he rose to his feet and stepped away from Superman to save any further assault on his hearing. "Yes?" As everyone froze in place around him, the voice of Oliver Queen could be heard faintly by even those present not blessed with super hearing.
"John? I can't seem to reach Clark. I'm almost there, but if you see him—"
"He's here actually."
"Great. Then tell him his mom called, and she said the bill is signed. Have no idea what she's talking about, but he seemed to think it was important."
"I think," Jones smiled, "he heard you." He watched Clark's face carefully. The relief written there would have been evident without the use of his telepathic skills.
********
"Well, I'm coming as fast as I can," Oliver said into the phone before turning to Bart. "Look, they are going to need you before this excuse for a sports car is going to get us there. Run on ahead and get the bullets out of those guys' guns!"
"I'm on it." Bart reached for the door handle.
"Wait! Can you— I mean, I can stop—"
"No problemo, GA, I just have to gage it just right because of the pressure on the door, but I'm faster than—"
"Just watch yourself, Okay?"
"Yeah. How many guys and how many guns?"
"Three guys, two guns that they've seen, but there—"
"Consider them de-bulleted!"
With the now familiar whoosh of sound, Bart was gone before Oliver could finish, "—might be more." He pocketed his phone before mumbling, "Now why do I feel more like the Green Snail tonight?"
********
"Clark, I see what you intend to do."
"You can't interfere."
"I won't." The Martian sighed, and then his manner became stern. "But only up to a point," he warned.
A spray of gravel kicked up noisily as Impulse skidded to a stop a few feet away from the surprising scene.
"Whoa!" He almost shouted as he saw Superman on his knees. "Stretch, you all right?" Naturally his questions came quickly, peppering the air even before the dirt and rocks announcing his arrival had settled. "What happened? Is he—? Oh my god! Is that Bats? Wow! Gotta be though, huh? I mean, who else…Oh, hey, gorgeous! Ah! You did that! Weird. But, Clark, what's up?" He spun around before quickly kneeling down beside Superman. "No funky green rocks around. You sure you're—"
"I'm fine…fine," Superman said, his words clearly at odds with whatever was going on inside his skull. "I just need…"
"An adjustment period," Jones said firmly.
"You're saying," Batman began, the doubt still coloring his voice, "you …just now...developed this new power to—"
"Oh, man, all the powers he's got, and now he gets more of 'em! Holy crap! What I wouldn't give…" Impulse got right into Clark's face and squinted as he peered intently into his eyes. "You're going to be okay though, right?"
"Bart! I'm fine! Just … a little quieter would be nice." Superman waved him away from him. "Will you—"
"Oh, yeah," Bart said quickly, giving his friend room to rise. "Sure. Sorry."
"Where's—"
"Oh, he's coming. Sent me on ahead to grab these." Impulse tossed a handful of silvery, metal bullets into the air, and Superman caught each one before they hit the gravelly surface, saving his ears one more attack. "But I passed Lois. You've got about ten minutes before she gets here. Oliver is about five behind her, and baldy…well, guess he finally figured out changing one tire wasn't going to get him here. He's walking."
"And his ETA?" Jones asked.
"An hour. At least. He's not in that good a shape, if you ask me."
"I don't think anyone did," Batman said with a bored tone, "least of all the one among us who's having hearing trouble tonight." He looked at Superman as he pursed his lips in disdain. "Great timing, by the way."
Jones quickly went to his defense. "A little understanding might be in order. Do you have any idea how many light and sound waves permeate this planet's atmosphere? He is now able to see, and what's probably more of a problem for him, hear all kinds of things like radio waves…"
Clark was only vaguely aware of the voices continuing around him. He was trying to tune them all out one by one, as his father had taught him long ago, and have his mind try to settle on any, one, individual thought just long enough to resolve the barrage to his other senses.
"…TV transmissions, satellites…"
Satellites
For some reason, the one word claimed his attention as his emotions calmed, and his brain chose a specific conversation in his memory to replay across his mind, providing the focus he so desperately needed to control this new addition to his powers.
"—Satellites?"
He could feel the anger he had let bubble to the surface in that moment, and he regretted it now.
"…Satellites tracking my every move? You should have told me!"
"Ah, someone spilled the proverbial beans. Let me guess? Kline? And surprise, surprise, you're mad, huh?"
"Oliver, I didn't want Dax-Ur's family disturbed. I made that quite clear. At least, I thought I had."
"They weren't. Trust me. They weren't even home at the time. They will never know we were there. I'll even have the stones returned once we're finished with them, if you like. How's that?"
"And your satellites? No more tracking me, or I will just go up there and—"
"I imagine you could too. Now. From what I hear, those powers of yours are just becoming mind-boggling. Okay, fine. You are now off limits to all Queen Industries satellites. That work for you? So what else is wrong?"
"Dr. Hamilton lied to me."
"He lied to you? About what?"
"I'm not sure. Some odd statement he made about not having any Kryptonian blood in him. Oliver, you don't think that he…"
"He what?"
"That he would have injected my blood…"
"Oh, Clark, no! Is that what you've been thinking?"
"Well, I don't—"
"I can set your mind at rest about that then. Look, what he probably meant was a discarded theory they brought to me a few days ago. Totally absurd. They thought maybe Kryptonians had come here through those portals in the past and interbred with humans. Something about Lois has them puzzled and they were trying to explain it away. That's all."
"Absurd? What makes you think that?"
"Because the rest of their research makes it so. Look, I won't lie to you. The results that I've seen…There's hardly any way with your body changing right now you're going to be able to…well…you know…I mean, you don't want to hurt Lois, right?"
The waiting League members heard Clark mumble, "Lois… don't want to hurt Lois…" as his eyes slowly opened. The Martian understood the situation completely. Impulse and Zatanna looked on with concern, while Batman wondered about Superman's sanity.
"Ahh!" Once again, the chaos of noise and light assaulted him, and he stumbled backwards only to be caught by a quick thinking Bart.
"Any better?"
"Yeah. I think I can control it now."
"Good." Batman was all business. "Because we are running out of time."
********
The four members of the Justice League watched one of their own walk toward the Kent barn with a great deal of trepidation. As the red jacketed figure walked determinedly down the long driveway, they could hear the crunch of the light gravel under his work boots above the soft lowing of the cattle in the distant field.
A hundred yards from the barn door, he disappeared completely, swallowed by the fog that had moved into the area from the south in the past few minutes.
Now their job was just to wait.
********
Pulling up in the driveway at the Kent family farm, Lois and Chloe both saw Clark's truck and knew it meant nothing. Clark could still be out somewhere following up on the breaking news of the night; he had no need of his truck to do that.
As soon as Lois had gotten out of the care and walked ten feet toward the kitchen door, she knew something was wrong.
"What is it?" Chloe asked when she realized her cousin had stopped several paces behind her.
"Something's not right."
Chloe looked around them. There was nothing out of place. It was still, foggy, and very quiet.
"Yeah, too quiet," Lois agreed with her unvoiced thought. "Where's Shelby?"
Chloe chuckled. "Since when are you and that dog on such good terms that you expect a welcome?"
"Since I've taken to carrying dog treats in my purse for him and been on daily doses of Claritin. I tell you, something is …" She took a few steps forward and placed her left hand on the hood of Clark's truck. It was cold, just as she had expected; he'd probably never even used it this week. Still, the lonesome truck, the quiet…it bothered her so much for some reason that she could feel the hair on the back of her neck start to rise.
That's when they heard a single gunshot and a faint yelp from the barn. Immediately, both she and Chloe sprinted forward together, fighting to keep their high heels digging into the gravel and slowing them down greatly. Just inside the barn door, both came to a dead stop as they saw the two gun barrels glint in the dim light just inside the barn.
Shelby was straining on a chain to get to them in between the snarls and growls he was giving to his captors. An old man leaned against the railing of the wooden stairs. He was well-dressed, but disheveled, and he had a few days growth of beard. His manner was strangely calm as opposed to that of the two men on either side of him who were leveling two semi-automatics at the girls.
"Ah, Miss Lane. How convenient! We spent so long this evening waiting for Mr. Kent, and now you've saved us the trouble of finding you as well. My, but you seem to be all dressed up this evening. Special plans?"
"Well, if it isn't Ex-senator Jergens, Pervert Extraordinaire! Extra time on your hands these days, scumbag?" Lois looked at both gunmen and advanced on them with no apparent fear. "I see you haven't improved your choice of companions much."
'Lois…" Chloe cautioned, trying to pull her back a step with a hand on her elbow.
"Chloe, do you know what this man is guilty of?"
"Of course, I read your exposé—"
"Allegedly guilty," the man corrected Lois lightly. "My lawyers say differently."
"This filthy crook thinks he can intimidate the Fourth Estate with some common thuggery. Well, I'll have you know that one yell, and Superman will be here so fast—"
"Lois!"
"Superman? Ah yes, I did read that interview of yours. I did not know he kept tabs on you though. By all means, scream your pretty little head off! I'm dying to meet the man. I happen to have a very special gift for him. I showed it to Kent, but he didn't seem to appreciate it that much."
"Didn't have much time," said one of the two gunmen, and they both broke into nervous, crude laughter, which somehow worried Lois.
"Gift?"
"And now I only have to take care of you before taking my place in history as the man to get rid of that pompous, alien—"
"What gift?"
"Ah, but that would be telling. I have it on very good authority that it will be quite a surprise. If he would have shown up before Kent, well, let's just say, it would have been interesting."
"Lois!" Chloe tugged at her arm desperately.
"What do you mean before—"
Chloe's voice sank to a frantic whisper. "Lois!"
Lois looked down to her right at her cousin and saw the panic on her face. For half a second, the unbelievable thought that her cousin was afraid just because a couple of guns were pointed in their direction amazed her. Then she turned, letting her eyes follow Chloe's to a sight that sent shivers down her spine.
Just behind the old tractor, that spent more time in the barn being fixed than not, was a sight right out of her worst nightmares.
Clark was lying on his back, very still, amid straw stained with bright, red blood that had flowed from a bullet wound to his chest.
Too still.
"Clark!" Her scream cut through the night even as her own thoughts screamed within her. No! It can't be! He's Superman! Bullets can't— "What did you DO!" She jumped forward to run to him, but was pulled back by the firm arm of one of the gunmen around her waist.
"Lois, it's …oh, my god…" Chloe was crying, still standing in the same spot, seemingly mesmerized by the sight of Clark's body. "It can't be…"
"I assure you, Miss Sullivan, it is." Jergens looked down proudly at the bloodied corpse. Then to one of his henchmen he said, "He's still holding that rock. Get it back." Turning back to Lois, who was still gaping at Clark and trying to make sense of it all, he said smugly, "For some reason, our friend said to treat it like gold."
As the other man wrenched the bright blue rock from Clark's fingers, Lois felt her whole world swirl. Oh my god! Blue Kryptonite! She heard Clark's voice as if from a million miles away, "…takes away my powers."
"Can't say he put up much of a fight," one of the henchmen was saying. "Disappointing really."
It can't be Clark! But she could see the blood, so much blood, as it still seeped from the wound. And his face…Clark's sweet, innocent face…
There was no mistaking that face.
********
Sorry for the delay in this chapter. Family problems! But hopefully, I'm back in the swing of writing now. Thanks to all the nudges from Mari2Anne and Athena606! At least you two make me feel very guilty for not updating. So two of you guessed Batman, one of you guessed something else, and one is way off base with one idea, but then who knows, I might use it too. That's where writing as I go gets fun. Thanks to midnightjen for the comment. It was only one sentence, but you made my day! And thanks to the regulars, Princess Bella15, WaffleNinja and Callista and Leamarie. I made this chapter extra long. Hope you all enjoy it, even if I did leave it on a cliff hanger of an ending, (you all know that's my forte by now!)
