Countless of people witnessed in horror how Superman pushed that teenager into the landing-gear-bay below a departing Boeing 767 before falling from the sky like a stone and crushing the roof of a van. Laying there unconsciously. Some people there could swear that they could hear Timmy's screams when the plane flew over them and the landing-gear got retracted…
Timmy knew very well that he was dead! There was no way he could survive this. He knew the stories. His mom is working in the aviation industry so long. Before he was born, when he was little, while in Germany and now here again… He knew enough about airplanes to know that if he does not get squished by the landing gear, he will freeze to death, maybe lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen and then his dead remains will fall out when the landing gear gets extracted again.
Out of instinct, Timmy tried to dodge the gear when it was coming up and filled out almost the entire space in here…
In the secret passenger-cabin in the rear cargo compartment, Lois was crying and sobbing so loud, that the others almost missed the screams of a boy from beyond the wall.
"What was that?" Kyle asked shocked.
"What?" his daughter asked.
"This scream? There behind that wall?" Kyle said pointing on the wall right of the stairs to the main deck.
Timmy stopped screaming when he realized that he was alive. But he was not able to move. The wheel of the landing-gear was pressing him against the wall. His legs were still a bit free so he could use them to kick, and his left arm was free. But the wheel pressed against his chest and made it difficult for him to breath.
While he was in Ketchikan in hospital, Timmy used the chance to google the character he portrayed on that other Earth. The son of Plastic Man! If he would have these powers, he could easily get out of this trap and squeeze himself through the next small hole and into the cabin to fight the goons and safe the day… But he was just a normal human who was struck in the landing-gear-bay of a plane, because Superman lost his mind…
"AWWW FUCK!" Timmy exclaimed angrily.
"There! There was it again!" Kyle said.
Lois stopped sobbing and looked on the wall below the Fasten-Seatbelt-sign. Curiously she leaned forward to listen, too.
"Hello?"
Timmy realized that he was able to hear Jonathan's mom. The noise from outside was not that bad. Since the plane's fuselage was reinforced to be bulletproof it was also better sound-isolated. But not the thin metal wall between the bay and the cargo-department.
"Miss Lane?"
"Timmy?" Lois exclaimed in shock. Wondering how Timmy got in there…
Clark meanwhile was laying on the runway. Surrounded by dozens of airport-employees, security-guards, police-officers, and others. The airport was closed now. No planes were allowed to land or to depart anymore. Two paramedics kneeled next to the unconscious superhero to check his vitals.
"I never dared to think that I will one day treat Superman!" the male paramedic said.
"I never dared to think that he is a farmer! I always guessed he is a police-officer or something like that?" the female added before looking on Clark again. "Ehm… Mister Kent? Mister Kent, can you hear me?"
Clark was still too weak. The red Kryptonite still affected him. That's why his usually indestructible suit got damaged so badly in that fire on board the cruise-ship. And that's why his totally exhausted body didn't wake up.
"Is he dead?" someone in the crowd asked.
"No! Just unconscious!" the female paramedic.
The people looked up in the sky to look after the LuthorAir-jet that left minutes ago and was not to be seen anymore.
After departing, the crew apologized to the air-traffic-controller for take-off without permission. It was an emergency! After that they made a U-turn to fly pass the airport, the jet was now on westbound course towards Europe. Below them the huge city of Metropolis with its impressive skyline…
Luthor came into the cockpit without knocking to ask if everything was all right…
"Superman was laying on a Follow-me-van! Unconscious!" the captain told.
"Sure?" Luthor asked.
"Yes, Boss!" his 'henchmen-pilot' said from the jump seat behind the operating crew. Discreetly giving him a note.
'He won't be a problem!'
Lex nodded and went back into the cabin to talk with his new pet again…
In British Columbia…
John-Henry and Natalie hiked through the forest, hoping to reach the ranger-station Hedy found. Not aware that the FBI was right about storming into their house in Smallville.
"How far is it, Hedy?" John-Henry asked.
"You reach the ranger-station after 2 miles!" Hedy explained.
"2 miles? Aww… you know… now I understand Jon's frustration about Smallville even more. He was walking every day before he finally could make his license. No surprise he was so mad when Jordan learned to fly!" Natalie wailed.
Thinking about Jonathan, both felt so helpless and powerless. They liked Jonathan! He welcomed both of them with open arms! No matter that John-Henry tried to kill his dad and that Natalie had prejudices against him. John-Henry had to think about that day he and Jonathan were in the barn and the boy praised his work. John-Henry was not very friendly towards him. Jonathan was only curious and interested. The boy had a lot of potential. And John-Henry gave him the feeling that he was only a burden. And thinking about this now, let John-Henry shudder. Knowing know how much Jonathan was struggling since he learned the truth about his dad.
"Do you think Jon is okay?" Natalie asked worried.
"We will find him, Nat-Bug!" John-Henry said encouragingly before suddenly Hedy let an alarm sound up.
"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!"
"What?" Natalie exclaimed before both could hear people entering their house.
"FBI!" a man yelled through the microphone.
"Do you want me to get rid of the intruders."
"NO! Hedy let us talk to those people… HELLO!"
"Hello! FBI! Show yourself!" the male voice said again.
"Ehm… That's quite a bit difficult right now…" John-Henry said.
And so, Natalie and John-Henry learned about the recent reveals, too…
Aboard the plane…
Lois was able to lift from her seat. Her 'seatbelt' was wrapped around her waist but connected to her seat with some kind of cord, allowing her and everyone else to move in this narrow cabin and at least use the toilet in the rear.
Lois kneeled at the metal-wall and knocked against it. Much to her surprise, someone knocked back…
"Timmy, is that you?" Lois asked.
"Yes!"
Suddenly someone stomped with his feet from upstairs.
"SHUT UP, TIMMY!" Jonathan's voice yelled from the main deck.
This let everyone in the lower-deck flinch…
In the main-deck, Lex, Amanda, Eve, and Otis all looked all at Jonathan, who was sitting on the other side. Right over the landing-gear-bay. And suddenly he was stomping with his feet on the floor and yelling the name of a person who couldn't be on board.
"Timmy, Jonathan?" Lex asked.
"I hear his voice below!" Jonathan moaned, still forced to say the truth.
Everyone else present lift from their seats immediately and rushed downstairs…
In the cargo-compartment, Lois was looking for an opening to get to Timmy. Kyle, Lana and Sarah rushed forward to help, too. They needed to get Timmy out of there before he freezes to death. Only Emily Phan, who was still overwhelmed by the whole reveal and the current situation was the only one who remained seating. Pale and in shock.
The moment the door to the main deck opened again, everyone shied back to his seat, fearing the worst or to bust Timmy. Lex came down, followed by Otis who was holding a crowbar in his hand. Everyone was quiet! Fearing the worst. Lex looked back and forth between everyone, waiting for a respond or a clue. But everyone just paled. Fearing to be killed if anyone even shows a hint of emotion.
"Don't try to fool me!" Lex threatened, while Otis played around with the crowbar. "Where is the stowaway?"
Everyone did his best to hide it. To not to show any reaction. But Lex already knew it. He turned to the wall that separated them from the landing-gear-bay. And pointed on it.
"Otis… this one!" Lex said.
Otis took his crowbar, jammed it into a cap between two riveted panels and start to stem it open. Timmy, who was just seconds away from losing consciousness, wondered why out of all people in the world, Superman told him that he is their last chance, before suddenly the wall behind his back seemed to open…
With a loud bang, the metal panel fell on the ground, followed by the teenager who was hiding (or better got hidden) in the landing-gear-bay. Timmy shrieked and then growled in pain when he fell on the floor. He opened his eyes and was shocked to look directly into the intimidating face of Lex Luthor. Realizing that it was true what people say about Lex: Just looking on him life and in person let's your blood freeze in the veins.
"Oh… see who we have here: The little communist friend of Superman's unwanted bi-sexual son!" Lex said before snapping with his fingers, and Otis grabbed the boy to force him back on his feet. "Shouldn't you be dead?"
Timmy almost blurted out: 'Shouldn't you be in prison?' But instead, he yelled instinctively: "Why is everyone calling me a communist?"
"Otis… get this stowaway upstairs! He has to answer us some questions!"
Timmy was petrified when he got pulled upstairs by that goon Otis. Not able to say anything. He was just too scared.
"Leave him alone! He has nothing to do with this!" Lois cried, full of horror. Wondering how the boy got in here.
"You think I am so stupid, Miss Lane?" Lex said and went upstairs, too.
Jonathan's dad was meanwhile loaded into an ambulance-truck and brought away to several waiting DOD soldiers, who just arrived at the airport, too… Unaware of the drama on board that plane!
Timmy got pulled on the main deck where he was tied up and placed on an armchair. He was relieved to see Jonathan again. But horrified about his appearance.
"Holy crap… what did they do with your hair? You look like a cheap Luthor-impostor!"
"Shut up! I am the one who asks the questions here Mister Tanner!" Lex said while Timmy got pushed down and landed on his knees. His hands tied up behind his back. Lex could literally see, smell, and feel the fear in Timmy's body. And he enjoyed it. "So, Mister Tanner! I heard you had a very interesting night with Superman?"
"You know my name?"
"I know everything about you, Timothy!" Lex said with a smile and took a file from his desk. "Timothy Tanner, 17 years old, living in 1938 Schuster Lane, Siegelberg, Metropolis. Parents Randy and Helen Tanner. The father journalist, the mother ground service clerk for InterFly Airways. Both currently on board of light IF2210 from Metropolis to Seattle with connection to Ketchikan on Alaskan Skyways Flight 751! You tell me what I want or I only need to press one button and your parents' plane will never reach its destination."
Timmy turned completely white when he heard that. Luthor was even more ruthless than he imagined. He already knew that this man was not holding back. And he had his own airline! Hundreds of his henchmen were walking around at all possible places. He could indeed imagine one of them sneaking over to place a bomb in his parents' plane. Nobody would notice. He didn't want to imagine it…
"Don't hurt them! Please… I tell you what I know, but that is not much! Just…" Timmy looked over to Jonathan who looked like a petrified statue. He didn't even flinch when he came in. It was as if Jonathan had turned into a robot. "…gosh, what happened with you?"
"The greatest possible bullshit happened to me!" Jonathan answered.
"Aghh… you know what… having someone blurting out the truth all the time is disturbing during an interrogation." Lex moaned and went to the light-switch to turn the red solar-lamps in the cabin on.
Lex was prepared for absolutely everything. Including attacking Kryptonians. That's why every single spot in this airplane had also red solar-lamps and Kryptonite. Since Kryptonite was not affecting Jonathan it made no sense anyway, but having a crying Kryptonian here, would be fun.
The moment the red lights turned on, Jonathan cramped again and held his head in sorrow when a tidal wave of shame and guilt overcame him again.
"AGHHH… AWW… TIMMY… TIMMY I AM SO SORRY…"
"Don't worry, Jon! This is all anyway your father's fault! Just stop talking!" Timmy said before he suddenly remembered Lara's words about the red sunlight…
'…he needs red-sunlight, a high dose for a longer period of time…'
That's it, Timmy thought! A tiny glimpse of hope! An extremely tiny! But right now, Timmy was forced to grab for straws. Jonathan is not handcuffed and not tied up. He is able to move around and obviously controlled by Luthor. If Timmy is able to let him get dosed with enough red sunlight, Jonathan could be able to withstand and try to fight back.
Timmy knew, they will all die anyway! As soon as they all are not useful for Luthor anymore, he will throw them into the ocean. But maybe Jonathan could try? Jonathan was falling on his knees, too and holding his head. Crying waterfalls, while thinking about everything what happened since yesterday evening!
"Stop crying!" Luthor ranted.
"If you want him to stop crying you need to give him a higher dose of the red light! He even stays under your control when you intense!" Timmy said. Hoping Luthor believes it.
"Timmy, what are talking about?" Jonathan asked before he could see Timmy winking with his left eye discreetly. Jonathan saw that Timmy obviously had an idea. "Do you want me to be his toy?"
"No! Of course not! But you need to calm down! And it's not that I have any other options than the truth!" Timmy cried.
Luthor already increased the intensity of the red lamps. Jonathan could feel the light literally weakening him. All his human feelings, everything he believed in seemed to crumble. But… he seemed to calm down. He could think clearly. He was having his own mind again.
"If this is some trap you will regret it!" Luthor threatened before he turned to Jonathan. "Let's test it… Jonathan, stand up and slap yourself!"
Jonathan obeyed. He lifted from the floor and used his right hand to give himself a heavy slap into the face. Mainly out of fear of Luthor, but primarily to keep up the facade. Indeed, it felt not forced. Jonathan could feel his body obeying to his own free minds and commands again.
"Jonathan, did you ever have a crush on a male classmate?"
"Yes, but he was straight, and I have never talked about my bi-sexuality to anyone, so I never showed it to that guy and avoid eye-contact. Not even my brother knows that!" Jonathan blurted out before holding his mouth.
He did it! He lied! Well not completely but he was able to control himself. The intense red sunlight seemed to work…
"Jonathan, I am so sorry!" Timmy cried, before winking again with his eye. Hoping that nobody saw him.
Jonathan understood it…
He got a chance to fight back! To safe them somehow! But how?
As soon as the red lights are off again, he will lose control over himself again. But does it really help him? Does he need to get a high dose of these lights to get back to normal? He needed to know more about it.
"Jonathan, sit down and back off!" Lex ordered harshly.
Jonathan obeyed and sat down on this seat again, his eyes focused on Timmy. The others came around to look at Timmy's face, too. Timmy needed to be smart now to not to bust themselves. Hoping the red sunlight helps Jonathan to recover quickly.
"Okay, Timothy… So, tell how you and Superman spend the last night together!" Lex ordered.
And so, Timmy starts to tell how he tottered home after Jonathan kidnapped him and stole his car, how he lost consciousness after seeing Superman in his living-room, how he woke up in a weird futuristic room that was filled with red light and how Superman and the Smallville Samaritan got damaged and set powerless.
"Where is this fortress?" Lex asked.
"I don't know! Somewhere in the northern Pacific! I really don't know! I was unconscious and Superman does not even tell his son where it is exactly! Why should he tell me?"
In truth, Timmy knew the exact location. Lara told him to protest against her son's 'powered-only-rule'. But he rather dies before he tells Luthor.
"Any secrets, I should know?" Lex asked.
"Is there anything you don't already know?"
"Well, I would like to know how Lara reacted when she realized that there was a powerless human in that Kryptonian's-only-place?" Lex asked curiously.
"She was relieved that I was there to tell her how bad Jon was treated by his father! She is so deeply disappointed in Superman and his powered son, that I think she plans to remove their powers permanently. She says…" Timmy's eyes wandered back to Jonathan. "…that being Kryptonian doesn't mean to have powers. And that she is deeply ashamed that you have such a bad picture of Krypton. She wants to see you again. Now even more than ever before! She is extremely mad on your brother and your father. You should have heard how she ranted on your family! Your brother and your father were crying waterfalls. Let's say… I am not a fan of them anymore!"
Jonathan considered his words and thought about it. He met Lara only two times. Both times he felt so terribly out of place at the fortress. Not able to feel any connection to her. Timmy had no reason to lie to him, so it felt great to know that Lara seemed to like him despite his powerlessness. It gave him a small pinch of good feeling in this terrible hopeless situation. In the meantime, he could hear his mother sobbing even harder downstairs. The door was closed but he could clearly hear her sobbing. Knowing she felt bad for it, too. And wondering if Luthor uses the TV-screen down there to show it to them.
"Where is Superman now?" Lex asked.
"Lost consciousness and is most likely wasted on the airport!" Timmy explained.
"The Smallville-Samaritan?"
"Set powerless in the fortress and unable to leave!"
"General Lane?"
"Too!"
"Mr. and Ms. Irons?"
"I… I don't know!" Timmy said. "After they dropped me in Ketchikan, they flew away and got lost. Lara told me over the phone that she lost contact with them. They might crash somewhere?"
Lex turned to Amanda after that question to look at her. She knew immediately that Lex wanted a confirmation. Amanda grabbed her tablet to check their latest satellite-scans.
"No trace of them anywhere! The last signal was over British Columbia! Looks like both really crashed…"
"Anyone else on board?" Lex asked Timmy again.
"No… I am alone! And if I should survive this, I will burn my Superman-posters!" Timmy said. The last sentence he only said to make Lex well-tempered. Hoping he won't blow up his parents' plane. But after everything he heard about that man, he knew he will do so anyway. Just for fun…
"Answer me one question, Timothy…" Lex said and leaned forward. "After everything you heard tonight, after all you figured out about Jordan Kent and the Smallville-Samaritan, about the way he was trained, developed, and treated, would you accept him as a superhero? I know that Jonathan here, would say yes, because his parents' emotional-abuse turned him into a weak willingness 'Yes-sayer'. But you… as an ordinary civilian, what would you say?"
"Brutally honest: I would never accept Jordan as a superhero! Not because he is the powered one, but because they destroyed someone else and maybe a few other people to turn him into a superhero and because he is not doing it to help others. But just to feel superior!"
Timmy's sentence was hard. It hurt and it let Lois sob even harder. Since she knew that it was true: If their life would be a TV-show, the people wouldn't stop ranting about their bad parenting and saying that Jordan was not ready or that he was the wrong person to get the powers. She knew they made too many mistakes…
Lex meanwhile was satisfied to hear that. His first thought was that Timmy was Superman's superfan, willing to do everything for that darn alien. But Timmy seemed to be a disappointed person whose faith in Superman was destroyed. He was the perfect example for everything Lex wanted the people to be.
"I like you, Timothy! You might be useful!" Lex said before Eve got closer to Lex to whisper something into his ear. "Oh… good idea, Miss Teschmacher! Jonathan, smooch with him!"
Timmy's eyes widened in shock when he heard that. What is this for? Jonathan seemingly willingness lift from his chair again, kneeled in front of Timmy and pressed his lips on his to start to smooch…
At the airport…
General Victoria Hardcastle left a big, armored van and saluted to the present soldiers while she walked to a barrack that was usually empty and that the airport wanted to demolish soon. Now the DOD occupied that small building. Inside it was flooded with red sunlight while a hysterically crying Clark was sitting on the floor in a corner. Handcuffed and trapped. Three armed soldiers stood around him.
"Leave us alone!" Hardcastle said and the others left the room to leave her with Clark alone.
Hardcastle never dared to believe that she gets to see something like this: a crying, devastated, despairful Superman with damaged suit, a bruised face, smelling like diesel and fish and obviously out of mind. She saw the news; she saw the footage of the fight in the social media, and she knew that something terrible must have happened before all that chaos began.
Clark looked up with his tear-filled eyes and didn't stop sobbing. Nothing matters anymore! Everything is lost! Absolutely everything! Just because he was dumb! And now, back under red sunlight, Clark realized that he could put murder on the list of his countless of failures. What the heck was he thinking when he threw Timmy into the landing-gear-bay? The boy is dead! He will freeze to death if the landing-gear didn't squish him!
Hardcastle meanwhile tried to remain calm while she walked up and down in front of Clark. Trying to find the right words.
"I admit… I finally understand it! Your good work-relationship with General Lane and this trust you seem to have for each other. I guess this is why it didn't go so well with Anderson! But being actually in-laws… I openly admit that this was the last I would have guessed." Hardcastle told. "I am not here to make any accusation! Or, to tell you that all of this will have terrible consequences! I know from past experience with you, that it makes no sense to simply lock you up and try to force you to answer. But… I am confused! Oregon, Sacramento, Ketchikan, and now here at Metropolis International! Unnecessary damages and destruction! The public is scared, confused and has now even more questions…"
Clark watched the woman closely while she walked up and down and obviously tried to maintain calmness, too.
"…simply said: You are in trouble, Mr. Kent! In big trouble! And I hope you have a plausible explanation for this, and I am keen to hear it! The full story!" Hardcastle demanded.
"It all began when my mother died…" Clark starts to blurt out the full story of his failures of the past three years.
Aboard the plane…
Timmy was visibly upset while Jonathan seemed to enjoy the long passionate kiss that Luthor ordered. All while Miss Teschmacher start to cheer and film it with her phone and Otis just made fun about it. Luthor only wanted to check if Jonathan is still under his control.
What they didn't know was that Jonathan was only pretending that Luthor is controlling him. In truth he used the smooching to whisper something into Timmy's ears.
"Any help from Superman?"
"No!" Timmy whispered back carefully while keeping sure that nobody saw him whispering. "Superboy wasted! Play along!"
"Okay, that's enough! Jonathan back-off!" Lex barked.
Jonathan shied off and played the ashamed and embarrassed teenager again who blurts out the truth.
"Ughh… Timmy, you taste like fish!"
"That's the stuff they gave me for breakfast in hospital in Ketchikan!" Timmy defended.
"Enough! We have more important things to do! Jonathan, sit down again!" Lex ordered before turning to Miss Teschmacher. "Miss Teschmacher, what was that for?"
Eve came closer again to whisper it into Lex' ear. Jonathan tried to not to show his shock openly, but he could hear this whispering clearly. As if he had suddenly a much better hearing.
"You could post this picture and we can pretend that Superman kidnapped that boy because he was his son's boyfriend, and he does not tolerate that his son is bi. With that the LGTBQ+ community will be against Superman, too!" The woman whispered.
Jonathan wondered how deep these criminals could sink further.
"Miss Teschmacher? I had no clue how smart ideas you can have in this blonde head!" Lex smiled. "I think about it… for now we should enjoy this flight! It's still a few hours before we officially change the course!"
Lex looked on his wristwatch while talking before he took a glimpse out of the window. They almost reached cruising altitude and will be in the air for at least 7 more hours before they reach their hideout-island. Time to relax and to enjoy the show!
"Let's watch a little bit news! But I am also in mood for a drink!" Lex said before he turned to Jonathan again. "Jonathan, go and get us all some champagne from the galley. Your little friend there gets whatever he wants…"
"I don't care what!" Timmy wailed.
Jonathan stood up to obey, since he had to pretend that he was still under Luthor's control…
"Wait! Before you go… I don't like this cry face…" Lex moaned and turned the switch for the red sunlight.
A wave of horror overcame Jonathan's face when the switch was turned, and the red lights turned into normal lights again.
Instinctively, Jonathan grabbed his head and shake himself while growling and moaning. Timmy was terrified when he realized that it was not long enough…
Jonathan meanwhile felt something odd… he felt clean…