Chapter 10: Rescue

By morning, the interview Superman had "given" to "Clark" had made all the major news networks. The Planet had to issue 4 special printings of the morning edition, just to keep up with demands at the newsstands. Perry was beside himself with joy. He even gave Clark and Lois the afternoon off. With nothing else to do, Lois and Clark went to pick up Jason from school. Well, since it was Friday, Clark did have work to do, but he kept putting it off. When they arrived, they found Jason playing to a little dark-haired girl who looked to be maybe a couple of years older than him. Since he seemed occupied with his friend, Lois decided to take the opportunity to talk to the teacher about the parent-teacher conference to be held that night and also introduce Clark as Jason's father. Meanwhile, Jason wasn't really playing with the girl he was trying to comfort his little friend. "If you ever need help again, call out to Superman, he can help you. I'm sure of it. Say, help me Superman, I'm scared." Jason said patting the older girl on the back gently trying to comfort her.

"Superman's really busy. I'm sure he doesn't have time to help someone like me," she said dejectedly.

"No, he likes little kids, he will help you all you have to do is ask." Jason whispered to her in all earnestness.

"How do you know this?" She asked, listening intently and starting to show hope on her face.

"'Cause, he helped me, that's how. That's my mom and dad. I'll see you next week. Remember just ask." Jason smiled at her as he walked over to his parents ready to go feeling very proud of himself. Daddy's right. It does feel good to help people. But I don't understand why Kala's mommy is so mean. I'm gonna ask mommy and daddy. Maybe they'll know. And then daddy will know what's going on and he'll help Kala. Hmm, maybe I'll ask them if she can come live with us, so my mommy and daddy can be her mommy and daddy and they can love her a whole bunch and take care of her. That's good. I'll talk to daddy, Jason thought to himself, making a decision to help his friend.

That night, Lois and Clark sat with Jason to and early dinner since they had to be at Jason's school at 6:00pm for the parent-teacher. Jason had been unusually quiet all afternoon, and it was not missed by either of his parents. Finally Clark couldn't take it anymore and decided it was time fore a talk, "What's on your mind Jason?"

Jason was quiet for a few seconds before he finally gathered his courage to tell them what he knew, and ask if Kala could be his sister, "Daddy why do mommies and daddies hurt their kids?"

Clark spit out the sip of water he had just taken, shocked to the core by his son's question. Lois was equally flabbergasted. "What makes you ask that Jason?" his mother asked after a few moments of composing herself. Clark was equally attentive to his son's answer.

Jason took a couple of seconds before he answered, seeming to not be sure if he understood what he had said. "There's a girl in my school. Her name's Kala. She's my friend, and we sometimes play together. Her mommy's really mean and is always hitting her, in front of the teachers, the principal, the kids and other mommies and daddies and she hurts her a lot. Kala even got a broken arm. The teachers tried to get her help, but no one did anything."

Clark and Lois looked at each other, neither knowing what to say. Clark decided he had better come up with an answer for his son. "Um… Jason, have you ever told anyone about this?"

"Didn't have to, everyone knows."

Clark sighed, "Jason, neither your mommy nor I quite know how to answer you. We don't know why sometimes parents hurt their children, because neither of us understand that kind of behavior," said Clark, shaking his head.

Lois took over, "Jason, you know that daddy and I sometimes have to punish you right?"

Jason nodded, "Uh huh, like when I broke the window with a ball. You made me stay in my room all day. I could play with my toys or draw, but I couldn't watch T.V."

"That right Jason. Well, sometimes parents also hit their children to punish them for doing bad things, and sometimes they can go overboard with this. Neither your dad nor I believe that this is the answer to everything. Violence only teaches more violence. You learned your lesson simply by having to stay in your room all day, didn't you?" Lois asked. Jason nodded, "Then that was a better punishment. Other times, parents get so frustrated with everything; with their jobs, their lives, and all their problems; that they take it out on their kids, even when its not their fault." Lois continued with her explanation, but you could see that even she wasn't completely convinced by her words.

"But why?" Jason asked, looking from one parent to the other.

Clark answered him, "We don't really know Jason. Neither of us believes in any of that. We both believe that no matter what a child does, they should not be hit. Like your mom said, 'violence only teaches violence'. Sometimes those parents were hit as children and that's the only way they know how to behave. No one taught them that it was wrong to hit a child."

Jason nodded in understanding, "It is wrong. Kala is a great girl. She's my friend, but she's always sad, 'cause her mommy's always been mean to her, ever since her daddy died in the war. And she told me that now her mommy had a new boyfriend, and that he was always trying to touch her in places that children should not be touched." Lois and Clark looked at their son, astonished. This just added a whole new and horrible dimension to his friend's problems. Jason was silent for a few seconds as if gathering his courage to ask his other question. "Daddy, mommy, I told Kala that if she was ever in trouble, to call out for Superman, and ask for his help. Daddy, will you help her?" he asked his father.

"Absolutely, but unfortunately I have to wait until she calls out for help. I can't interfere if she doesn't or else she might get sent back to her mom. But I promise you, Jason, that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe," Clark answered with conviction in his voice.

"You did the right thing in telling her to ask for help, and in telling us what was happening to your friend, Jason," said Lois with a smile. "We're very proud of you Jessie. And I think I have an idea how we can help her, and the other kids like her even more. I was thinking we should look into the child welfare system, and why they had not helped her after all the times she had been hurt. She should have never returned to her mother after her arm was broken. I think its time someone did something to help kids like Kala."

Clark nodded his full agreement, Lane and Kent were going to investigate and hopefully help other children like Kala. Jason smiled happily, knowing he had done the right thing. But he didn't have the courage to ask if Kala could become his sister. Still he wanted to know if it was possible, "Mommy, could Kala come live with us?" he asked.

Again, Jason's parents didn't know what to say, but Clark knew his little boy needed an answer, "I don't know if that will be possible Jason. There are a lot of people who want children and can't have them plus it's not as if we can ask for her to come live with us because there are laws that regulate that kind of thing. But if God wants it that way then it will happen." Jason nodded satisfied with their answers. He finished his dinner and went to change his clothes so they could leave since he had gotten sauce on his shirt.

After the parent-teacher conference, the family returned home with a worn out Jason. He had fallen asleep on the car ride home and Clark scooped him up and carried him to his room. Jason didn't even stir as his father undressed him and put on his jammies. Then he tucked him into bed and Lois and Clark kissed him goodnight and headed for their room. "He was really tuckered out," Clark pointed out.

"It's been a tough day. It certainly took a lot of courage for him to talk to us about what had been bothering him. I still can't believe there are people like Kala's mom. You'd think with all those classes that parents take to be "good parents" that someone would have old them that it's wrong to hit a child," Lois grumbled. "I took them, and one of the things they taught us was how to deal with the stress of everyday life wile caring children. You would think that would help to reduce the statistics of child abuse."

Clark nodded, "And yet they keep going up. I did a little research on the matter while you were helping Jason change. It's barely been three months since the year began and already the statistics for child abuse have more than doubled what had been reported for this time last year."

"Maybe our articles will help," Lois said but was unconvinced.

"They might help raise awareness of the problem, but I doubt they will change much in the immediate future. Soc. Services wants families to stay together, but sometimes it would be better for those children to just be taken away. Wolves would be better parents, at least they care about their children." The dark look on his face told Lois that she already knew the answer to her next question.

"You can hear what's going on with them, can't you?" she asked, though it was a statement, not a question.

He nodded, "All the time. And every time I hear them all I want is to help them, but I can't interfere. The few times I've been able to it was because the children were going to be killed. It seems as though Social Services and Child Welfare only get of their high horse and do something when Superman interfere and rescue the child from certain death. And all those children had been abused or years and they had files on them thicker than the phone book, cataloging all the abuse, and yet they do nothing. Only giving them warnings to never do it again."

"Maybe a superman exclusive thrown into the articles will help?" she said. Clark shrugged. Speaking of exclusives, have you started he Journey to Krypton and New Krypton accounts yet?"

"I finished them both last night. Couldn't sleep so I thought I'd put the time to good use. It wasn't easy, I was procrastinating on them, but writing them was a cleansing. A release of my spirit." Lois nodded. She understood him so well. Too well. She was well aware of why he couldn't sleep. Nightmares. He had an eidetic memory, he couldn't forget, all the horrors he had seen even if they only managed to be remembered in his dreams. More than once in the past few months she'd had to wake him up from nightmares, and the look on his face was more than enough to break her heart every single time. "I'll give them to Perry in the morning," he added before he kissed her goodnight.

By now they had both changed and were climbing into bed. I was then he heard an unmistakable cry for help… from a child… a little girl… Help me Superman, I'm scared… she called. It was enough. Lois, by now knew the look in his face, he had to go someone, somewhere needed Superman, but before he could take flight or even change into the suit, Jason burst into his parents' room. "Daddy that's Kala," it was all he needed to say. In a blur of colors his father became Superman and then sped off into the night to help Jason's friend. Jason climbed into bed with his mother and crawled into her arms, "I heard her call for help," he explained. Lois just kissed his cheek and held him till he fell back to sleep. Her love would save his friend. Mommy, could Kala come live with us? Jason's question from earlier in the evening came back into her mind. Perhaps we could take her in, she thought to herself as she picked up her son and carried him back into his room.

Superman flew high over the city, following the sound of the little girl's voice.Suddenly he heard her scream, Superman, I would rather die if you don't rescue me. He flew faster heading out of the city and to a field on the outskirts of the city. He heard a man speaking to her as he was passing overhead, looking for the child. Superman won't save you; he doesn't care about bratty little kids. He was wrong very wrong, for Superman was already floating over him. He saw a woman standing near a car watching, and he assumed that she was Kala's mother. Suddenly the man threw himself on top of the child. He didn't make it. Clark was just in time. Clark grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and threw him away from the child. He landed 50 feet way from her and wasn't moving, knocked unconscious by his fall. Kala looked up with tears in raining down from her cheeks, and ran at him, throwing herself into his arms just as he was landing. With tears falling down his cheeks, he caught her in his arms and cradled her against his chest. The child was crying into him. She knew, knew that the rescuer she had asked for was there at last. Her friend had been right. As he flew back up into the night sky he looked at the woman who had been leaning by the car and had been yelling and threatening the girl so she would shut up, he looked at the woman, his eyes filled with questions and sadness, but he left without asking one. The woman yelled in a slurred speech, clearly drunk out of her gourd, to bring her back, but he wouldn't… he just flew away disgusted, taking the child with him.

AN: Hey everyone. Sorry I hadn't updated in such a long time but I had A LOOOTTTTT of homework from the uni and didn't get a chance to post my revised chapters until today eventhough i've had them for about a month now. The nex chapter is almost finished. And chapter 12 has now become chapter 12 and 13 since my version of Kala's adoption is a little diferent and very long. BTW. Ive decided on the villain for the end of the story. It's in the next page which i've decided to make into an arc style chapter with interactions between the characters and the writer. I may add a few more of these in the future.