Sorry this update took a while -- but, then again, it's a long chapter, and, if you knew my RL, you'd be merciful.
Disclaimer: Superman and his fellow characters are the property of Warner Bros. Studios and DC Comics, and created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. This whole darn plot, each turn of phrase and hackneyed metaphor is mine, and I claim all possible ownership under the sun.
By Rao.
Clark went home. My basement is empty, save for apple pie crumbs and empty ketchup bottles. oh, and a ripped super-suit (don't ask).
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14. Vengeful Truth
Suspended high above the city, beyond the limit of rooftop sky cams, nestled in a narrow pocket of the heavens not tracked by satellite, Kitty writhes in Superman's grip -- despite his advice to stay still.
"Katherine, don't move – KITTY!"
His use of the familiar nickname -- in a tone not unlike Lex's -- freezes her for only a moment. Mesmerized, she watches his eyes -- fire swirling in indigo depths, focusing, coalescing. With inhuman precision, Superman performs a pinpoint laser–exfoliation of the flesh of her right bicep. Kitty winces, the sensation a reminder of childhood run-ins with lit cigarettes –- an expression of her father's love. But this… nowhere near the level of that pain.
Lex had a habit of threatening her with his cigar – lucky for him he'd never burned her…
What's wrong with her? That couldn't have hurt… much. Gosh, super-mind-reading would sure come in handy right now… "Katherine, you okay? – you seemed miles away there; I'm sorry, but we're not done yet -- this will pick… a bit." Holding her by the waist with one hand, he catches the rim of the device with the edge of his superhard fingernail, and flicks it free of her skin.
"Et, Voila."
The tiny object glitters in the twilight.
Kitty tries to twist her arm to see the damage, "Ow… oo… you speak French?" distracted by his silky Parisian accent, her discomfort takes a backseat to curiosity.
"A-actually, yes, I do… sorry about that – your arm, but it couldn't wait."
Hugging closer to him, her eyes glittering in the darkness, Kitty purrs, "S'okay … talk some more French to me…"
Why do girls always want me to speak French? I'll have to ask Mom next time I see her. Superman settles an affectionate eye on Katherine, hoping she will be honest in answer to his query. "J'espère que tu as un bon coeur."
"What does that mean —- something about my heart, right?"
Hmm, not so dumb – just as I thought…"I hope you have a good… heart. Um, I mean, emotionally… not… physically…"
Kitty looks at Superman, and regret shadows her dark eyes. "It's okay – I know what you mean." She takes a deep breath and shrugs out a bitter little laugh, with a question attached. Then the mask drops in place, and confusion paints naïve features as seamlessly as her expensive cosmetics. "S-so Superman – what is that? It looks like a… a sequin, what was it doing in my arm?"
He raises his eyebrows, a tiny frown marring his smooth forehead – the line disappearing under the curl.
Too bad, I'd hoped… "Uh, it does look like a sequin, Ki -- uh, Katherine. However, it's actually a sophisticated transdermal--"
Doll-like eyes, adept in distraction and subterfuge, bat their lashes adroitly, sure of their effect.
"-- trans-what?"
Unfazed, Superman sees through her deception and, with waning hope, plays along. "That's 'under the skin' – a tracking device. Probably works with GPS technology, easily obtainable."
"GPS?"
Oh, this is too much…"Well, anyone can be tracked with GPS via their cell phone – as long as it's turned on, and enabled – still giving the owner some control over being found."
Thank goodness, or Perry may have wondered why Clark was 50,000 feet over the Atlantic at lunch hour yesterday.
…Except that now, Perry KNOWS why.
Clark's abrupt silence, as they glide like ghosts northward, worries Kitty. "Lex," she whispers.
She twists in his secure grip and shakes him by the shoulder, but he shrugs off her touch. Out of character, she punches him in the same spot, with enough energy to knock herself off-balance. "Superman!"
Her antics get his attention, and Clark tightens his grip on her waist. He manages to look both irritated with her, and embarrassed at his lapse in concentration.
"Oh, sorry, Katherine, I was… distracted – a little Vitamin E cream on that and you should be good – not even a scar, okay?" Good come-back, Clark.
"Okay – it's only a tiny scratch." Kitty shivers, and Superman rolls his eyes.
"What was I thinking – Katherine, you do fluster me."
"Well, I guess that's something." Doe eyes do their level best to seduce him, but he just smiles his best paternal one back.
"You're cold… here." he unclips his cape with his left hand without letting her go with his right. Then, in one smooth move that any matador would kill for, enfolds her in the voluminous mantle, the soft wool-like lining effectively shutting out the frigid air.
Katherine looks into his eyes with an intensity that finally embarrasses the farm-boy in him. He smiles back at her, and his heart sinks in his chest as he realizes how much their close proximity affects her. The shimmering full moon exacerbates the situation, and he senses her slow perusal of his features and her tiny fluttering heart. A ghost of a blush colours his cheeks and he turns away, discomfited at her obvious attraction to him.
She reaches up to touch his jaw, her forefinger bringing his face back to hers. An ineffable sadness comes to rest in the set of her jaw, and at the corners of her eyes -- where the moisture of tears threaten to fall.
"Superman, why can't I get one of the good guys?"
He is taken aback by her question.
So much like poor Ms.Tessmacher – she disappeared off the face of the earth, after Lex's fascination faded -- If I have anything to do with it, you will not suffer the same fate.
"Oh, Katherine, I'm s-sorry, but I'm kind of… taken."
The tiniest flutter of eyelash the only betrayal of her disappointment, Kitty rolls her eyes, and her smile hardens. "…I know. But, a girl can dream, can't she?"
Clark/Superman/Kal has no idea how to respond. Nothing in his experience has taught him what to do at this moment to make it right. Therefore, he puts on his hero face, and makes a show of flying being more effort than it is. Staring straight ahead, he frowns and concentrates, hoping she will think he needs to focus on what he is doing.
"It won't be much longer…"
"It's ok, I'm warm now."
Kitty stays quiet for the rest of the trip, but Superman can hear her racing heartbeat, and knows that her emotions are volatile and fragile.
Their flight ends sooner than she would like, languishing in his arms – sad, but somehow happy -- lost, but temporarily found. Then, she lets out a gasp of disappointment when she sees their destination -- the Fortress, in all its original crystal glory, looming on the horizon.
"Aw, Superman, Lex knows where your house is."
Superman shakes his head, just a tiny movement, as if he is about to explain something to a child.
"That no longer matters, Katherine…" a thrill trickles through Kitty, hearing her hero say her proper name. She fights to hide her true feelings, unaware that he is monitoring her heartbeat.
As they approach the edifice, bright laser-like beams shoot out from all sides of the entrance, tracing over both their forms with a deliberate specificity. The insectile nature of the movement makes Kitty shiver, and search Superman's face for an explanation. He seems unaffected by the light show, so she tries to relax and put her trust in him.
He leaves her sitting on a warm crystal bench, still cuddled in his cape. He whispers in her ear, "…Watch," and then strides over to the console. His movement, without the flowing material, is fluid and uninhibited -- like a dancer's.
He chooses a crystal, inserts it in the console, and passes his hand over it. Kitty can't help but gasp, as a diffused light starts at the base of the walls, crawls up to the tips of the crystal formations high over their heads, and suffuses the entire structure in its sapphire luminosity. She looks at Superman, and wonders if her own skin glows like his under the unearthly illumination.
"You aren't human… are you?"
Kitty's unexpected comment shocks Kal-El, and for a moment he thinks he may cry, but then his expression clears, and a sad smile captures his eyes. "No, I'm not. The… AI, and I, found a… kind of Kryptonian force field in the data banks. My father… didn't mention it -- I guess he thought it would be unnecessary."
"He didn't count on Lex… I guess." Kitty subvocalizes.
"No, I guess not." Superman answers her, startling her, so she jumps a little. "Sorry, I hear pretty well…"
"I… I know, I read all the articles."
Kitty hugs the cape to her, and looks at her toes.
"I'm your biggest fan…"
Now what is she up to?
Superman laughs, "You're kidding."
The damage done, the words tumble out of Katherine, and Clark would swear he was listening to a 14-year old raving about her favourite rock star.
"No, um… back in my old apartment I have scrapbooks… I thought I'd get to meet you… if I hooked up with Lex. I had no idea he was so…"
"Insane?"
"Yeah."
Superman stuffs both fists in his sides and throws his head back. He laughs so hard, Kitty, out of old habit, looks around for a way out. Finding none, and relaxing because she remembers just who this is -- laughing like a maniac -- she cocks her head to one side, and watches him laugh, her eyes shining, memorizing every little detail for later.
---------------------------------------------------
Kal floats down to Lois's balcony, carrying a change of clothes in one arm. His hearing monitoring Kitty's heart rate from afar, reluctant to leave the job to the AI Determined to face Lois as himself, he prepares to change at super-speed, when Lois steps out of the shadows and startles him. Okay AI, keep an eye on her – I'm too busy now.
"So, you're here – that means she's safe, right?" Lois looks at him expectantly, and he startles her right back by stifling a giggle.
"I'm sorry?" Clark's appearance -- in the suit, holding a bundle of clothes -- is incongruous, to say the least, and his eyes exude innocence, but Lois can read what's really there.
Kitty Kowalski – c'mon Cla uh-Kal, I have my sources. I knew where you went a half-hour after you left me.
Clark lets out a breath and relaxes, one less thing to hide. "Pretty much – for the moment -- I brought her to the Fortress."
"The… Fortress." Lois watches tears start to form in his eyes, as repressed hilarity overcomes the superhero.
He drops his clothes on the patio table, and slumps in the too-small wrought iron chair. "Lois – it… not… like… that – oh,Ican'ttalk" The chair punctuates each word with a squeak, and Clark can't stop laughing. Kitty is my biggest fan… Lois is… jealous -- my life… is ridiculous.
Desperate for relief, he leans forward, arms resting on his thighs and hangs his head between his legs. Slowing down his breathing, the laughter reduces to hiccups and finally stops. Lois steps forward and places a tentative hand on his back.
"Did I say something funny?"
Clark looks up at her, eyes shining, and a consuming sensation surges through Lois like a hot tidal wave. He shakes his head no, and she knows he wouldn't lie to her -- in the same way she knows that overwhelming sensation is love. For him. Despite Clark. With a start, she realizes that she has never felt this for anyone else, not even Richard.
Her mind clearing in the night air, Lois decides to prioritize – business first. "But, Lex knows--"
Without looking at her, Clark waves his hands in the air, "It's okay – I got an alarm system."
Lois looks at him with disbelief, and then, when Clark tilts his head to look at her -- and grins, Lois realizes he's teasing her – like he used to.
"Oh – well, that's… great. So, what's next?"
"Well, it would be finished -- if Luthor was under lock and key -- but he might as well be back on Krypton – I can't even track him. He's a scientist, and I'm not – he knows more about hiding out than I do – for all I know he's in a remote lead-lined bunker. I have to do a lot of catch-up to get up to speed here; he's had five years head start…"
"At least… he's been charged in absentia, and Ms. Kowalski can testify, and then get a new identity."
"But, I'll have to watch over her – Lex had implanted a tracking device under her skin. I'm sure he had a plan B in place – the next puzzle."
They look at each other, and Lois pulls a Mona Lisa smile. She plops herself down, across from Kal, and plants her elbows on the table. Playfully resting her cheekbones on her fists, she regards him with sparkling eyes. Now she feels like laughing. She looks from his face, to the pile of clothes, and back to his eyes, which by now have sobered.
He blinks.
His eyes are glued to her movement, as she fishes through the pile of clothes, looking for… the glasses. Gripping his horn rims between two fingers, Lois dangles them at Clark. "Guh, it's weird how much you look like him."
Clark looks down at his insignia. He places his hand to cover it, as if nothing was there; he crosses his legs and squirms, feeling weirdly naked.
"Huh, um… well."
Lois leans closer to him, and peers into his eyes.
"Kal -- you guys must be twins."
Lois hands him back the glasses, and Clark sets them down, fumbling as they clatter to the patio. Ducking his head under the table to retrieve them, he blurts out, "Yeah, I guess would explain a lot – we both came down to earth in the same rocket ship when we were only three years old."
Lois yelps, "What --- what… a rocket… ship?"
Still under the table, Clark looks up, and face to face with Lois's knees, he jumps up. But the table, being in the way, and no match for his head, takes off. They watch it fly a short distance, stopping with an ear-splitting clang on the stone edge of the balcony.
Oops, I guess I never told her that – way to escalate the crisis, Kent.
Clark stands up, and tries to put some distance between them, but Lois runs up to him, and pokes him in the chest with her forefinger, pinning him to the brick wall. The insignia distracts her for a moment. Shaking her head, she continues her interrogation of the hero.
"You were raised here on earth."
Clark slides down the brick, to sit on the patio, defeated.
"Um, yeah, – on a farm."
Now, Lois is pacing, working up a sweat -- like a prizefighter warming up for the big fight.
This is not good – she's closing for the kill – and I'm the big game…
Lois clarifies, "Like… Clark."
Small answers – don't volunteer any information, Kent.
He mumbles, "Pretty much."
"You're going to tell me next, that you guys knew each other."
Clark shrugs, knowing that this at least won't be a fib.
"Lifelong – far back as I can remember, actually."
"In Smallville."
"Yup."
Lois stops, shaking her head and scrubbing her hair into a tangled mat. "Wait – no way – you're nothing like him – really – you'd have nothing in common."
Offended, Clark defends himself, "I was pretty geeky in school." Oops – pay attention – this is Lois.
"Yeah, I believe that – more likely, captain of 'The Whatever' team."
Clark shakes his head and his look turns from bemused to resigned. "You really want to know?"
Lois looks about to jump out of her skin with impatience.
"Hell, yes…"
Kal gets up and moves to her, and grips both of her arms. He gives her a little shake -- as if to wake her, or shake some sense into her. "Despite the danger?"
Steely determination shines from Lois's eyes, her reporter's instinct on full alert. "Yes…"
He lets go of her arms, and steps back. Looking at her shoes, he whispers, "Promise you won't be mad?"
"Mad?" I'm mad now, no… I'm insane. Do you mean angry? I'll BE angry if you DON'T tell me NOW."
Clark pales at her outburst, even though he expected as much. A deep breath in, a breath out, a weight lifted.
"He's here."
Lois whirls around in place, her eyes searching the shadows. "Here? On my balcony? Oh, you brought him… Clark, come out--"
"-- Lois…"
"Clark – it's okay."
"Lois."
"What?"
Kal brings her hand up to his chest, his heart beating strong through her flesh, and she looks at it, then up to Clark's face. "He's here." Her own heart speeds up – a rabbit running from the fox.
As if he burnt her, Lois pulls her hand out of his grasp, and steps back. She whips her head around, but keeps her eyes glued to Superman's face as if searching for the truth.
"Clark? Come out – this isn't funny."
A strange foreboding creeps up on Kal, placing its icy hand on his heart. He watches Lois's odd behaviour, and fear replaces his feelings of relief.
"Lois, please, it's not complicated – I'm… him. I am Clark – Perry was right -- he figured it out."
Lois, looking nothing like herself, barely vocalizes her answer, "No."
"Yes – Honey… are you…"
"No." Colour drains from Lois's cheeks, and she falls straight down -- so fast, that Clark just cushions her head before it cracks on the stone. Her heartbeat is strong, but her eyes stare straight through Kal's, and he can't remember ever being so terrified.
"Lois – wake up – Lois!"
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TBC
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