Supercop: 4/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
It wasn't until after a pair of uniformed police officers escorted the mugger away and Henderson had accepted the fervent thanks of the elderly victim, retrieved her poodle for her, and seen her driven away by the paramedics to be checked for injuries, did the realization occur to him.
Centennial Park's picnic area was not far from the eastern border of the park. The mugging had occurred on the western side, nearly two miles away. He had crossed the entire distance in less than fifteen seconds.
Maybe learning to use Superman's powers wasn't going to be so difficult after all.
**********
And now, Part 4:
The sprinkle of rain had thickened again by the time Henderson walked slowly back toward his car. In truth, he found it rather pleasant, especially after the heat and humidity of earlier in the day. The lightning and thunder had ceased and the air was cool and filled with a scent of growing things that he had never noticed before when visiting Centennial Park.
The picnic area was still deserted, which wasn't surprising, considering the weather conditions. Slowly, he strolled back into the enclosure.
The big, leafy trees blocked most of the falling water and only the occasional drop sifted through. He sank onto one of the benches to think in solitude.
He had Superman's speed. He'd demonstrated that unintentionally to himself. He'd even used a little of it to catch Snickers, the miniature poodle that belonged to little Mrs. Broadbent, after he'd stopped the mugging. He made a mental note to check back on the senior citizen tomorrow morning.
In any case, he probably had the full range of Superman's powers. It had been quite a while since he had actually stopped a crime in progress and prevented the mistreatment of one of the honest citizens of his city, rather than coming in to investigate once the damage was done -- and he found that it felt good. This was what Superman experienced on a daily basis. The Kryptonian had chosen to use his incredible abilities to do something that all the police in the city couldn't do, and Henderson had always appreciated that fact. Now he was in a position to do the same, at least for a while, until the powers disappeared. They had done so with the two other persons who had acquired them, and he had no reason to believe that he might be different. He would have liked to talk to -- what was his name -- Waldecker about how he had gained his powers. Henderson would be willing to bet that lightning had somehow been involved, but the man had taken off for parts unknown with the collapse of LexCorp. It was too bad there weren't any others except the little boy. Neither he nor his mother had any real idea of how it had happened ...
His thoughts braked to a halt. How did he know for certain that it hadn't happened to anyone else? This was the first time the idea had occurred to him and he considered it with growing realization.
Two years ago, Ultra Woman had appeared suddenly out of nowhere. For two days she had made headlines around the world and just as suddenly vanished without a trace. Her disappearance had coincided with the robbery of an armored car by another super-powered woman who seemed to have lost the powers within minutes of the event. Her capture by Ultra Woman and Superman was the last recorded sighting of Ultra Woman ... until today: the same day that Henderson himself had acquired Superman's powers.
A strong suspicion was forming in his mind concerning the sudden reappearance of the superwoman. If he added up the facts that he knew or had guessed about Superman and everything that he had learned in the last few hours, and applied a little of the common sense that had always been one of the basic foundations from which he worked, a few very obvious probabilities were waving red flags at him. Like everyone else, Henderson had always assumed that Ultra-Woman was a Kryptonian -- but what if she wasn't? What if Ultra Woman was an ordinary human woman who had somehow gained super powers like Waldecker and Jessie Whatever-his-name-had-been -- and Henderson, himself? Considering the events that had preceded his discovery that he had mysteriously acquired Superman's powers, it was more than likely that Ultra Woman had acquired them at the same time he had. He wasn't the only person who had been present when the lightning had struck. Lois Lane and Clark Kent had been there, too, and now Ultra Woman was assisting Superman in dealing with a disastrous earthquake in Japan. And Clark Kent wasn't answering his phone.
It all fit, Henderson thought, feeling almost numbly calm. It made perfect sense. If Ultra Woman was Lois Lane, it was highly probable that Superman was her husband, which would certainly explain the acquisition of Superman's powers by the pair of them. Kent had been pinning Lois and him against the planter, protecting them from the hail of bullets, when the lightning had struck. If Clark Kent was actually Superman, perhaps the lightning had somehow given both Lois and him a charge of the super powers. In fact, it made even more sense, now that he was thinking about it. If lightning had actually hit the planter, the thing would probably have shattered, but there hadn't been a mark on it. Besides, concrete was a notoriously non-conductive substance, and Henderson clearly recalled feeling an electric shock powerful enough to leave every muscle in his body tingling and twitching in the aftermath. If the bolt had actually hit Kent instead of the planter it would explain everything. And, of course, it wouldn't have made a mark on Superman.
And hadn't it been Lois who had claimed that the lightning had hit the planter? That made sense too, in the light of his new realization. She had been protecting her husband's secret, and Lois had always been an expert at thinking on her feet.
Slowly, Henderson began to smile. If his conjecture were true -- and he was at least ninety percent certain that it was -- a number of mysteries that he had wondered about had suddenly become crystal clear, and it was up to him to see that no one else made the connection. There was no way on the face of the Earth that he would jeopardize Superman's secret. The man had lived among them for years, probably using his position as a journalist to alert him to emergencies, arriving at those emergencies in his colorful Suit, then disappearing to report on them as an ordinary newsman. It was a fantastic masquerade, but one that Henderson could understand. As the super-powered alien from Krypton, he would never be left in peace by the media, fans, fanatics, criminals and probably the government as well, but, as an ordinary man, he could still have a reasonably normal existence while Superman made the spectacular rescues. Henderson wasn't going to be responsible for the ruin of Clark Kent's life. He owed the man far too much to ever repay, but this was probably as close as he would ever be able to come to it and that meant that Police Inspector Henderson couldn't be seen exhibiting super powers. He was going to have to watch his step for as long as they lasted.
But that meant that he needed to learn everything that he could about using them. Kent had evidently taught Lois, for Ultra Woman had seemed quite skilled in the use of her abilities when she had made her appearance. He would simply have to be extremely careful until the two superheroes returned to Metropolis, and then he would go to Superman and ask him for help.
Satisfied on that point at least, he got to his feet, glancing at his watch as he did so. It was time he headed for home. Sue was expecting him in about half an hour, which gave him a reasonable margin to safely negotiate the rush hour traffic. A lot of unusual things had happened since he had joined the Force, but today had to win some kind of prize as one of the strangest; that was for certain. Dinner would be ready in a little while, and he wanted to have a talk with her about the events of the day. He would be sleeping on the couch tonight and tomorrow night, too, if Superman hadn't returned to Metropolis by then, and he needed for her to understand why.
He was feeling slightly more confident in his abilities, less afraid that he would overreact and kill somebody by accident. Now that he had become aware of his powers, his reflexes seemed to be adapting fairly well to the new set of circumstances but he wasn't about to risk his wife's safety on the chance that he wouldn't hurt her. He was going to be *sure* before he was willing to sleep beside her again. He'd waited forty years to meet the right woman; her welfare was too important for him to take the slightest risk.
His car was still the only one in the parking area when he arrived, a few minutes later. He unlocked the door, trying to do so without thinking about it, which, of course, was useless, he realized as the lock clicked smoothly open. It was like trying not to think about a red toothbrush. The more you tried, the less you could think of anything else. He started to open the door and hesitated, gave a quick glance around and then walked quickly to the front of the car. With one hand, he reached down, grasped the wheel well with one hand and attempted to lift.
The wheel came up from the ground without fuss and without significant effort. Gently, he set it on the ground again, returned thoughtfully to the driver's door and got in. The car had felt like a featherweight. It illustrated vividly for him how much actual power Superman had at his command. Sure, he'd seen the Man of Steel rip the doors from cars, lift busses and trucks and once at Metro International, he'd even witnessed him bringing in a jumbo jet that couldn't get its landing gear down, but somehow the sheer raw power involved hadn't actually registered like it had today. You saw those things and the mind sort of skimmed over them the same way it did when you saw a heavy piece of machinery doing its job. It was different when the experience was personal. And now, all of Superman's power was at his command as well. It was definitely a little daunting.
He started to put the key into the ignition and stopped as another thought came to him. He had been thinking about Superman bringing in a jet. Superman *flew*. That meant that he probably could, too. After a moment, he gave himself a shake. Flying would have to wait. He'd done enough for one day, and it didn't sound like something you picked up on the spur of the moment. Superman could show him how when he got back. He started the car, put it in reverse and backed out of the parking space. He'd had enough of new experiences for the day. It was time to go home and soak up some normalcy.
**********
Sue was in the kitchen when he walked in the door. He could hear her moving around and the clink of silverware as she set the kitchen table for dinner. He closed the door and called out, "I'm home!"
"In here, honey!" she answered. Henderson followed his nose, as the aroma of her homemade marinara sauce drifted from the open door of the kitchen.
"Do I smell your spaghetti and meatballs?" he asked.
Sue removed the shredded cheese from the refrigerator and set it on the table. "You certainly do," she said. "Hungry?"
"Starved," he said. "How are you feeling this afternoon?"
She rested a hand on her rounded stomach. "Junior is playing football," she told him. "This kid is going to be a quarterback, if all the kicking is any kind of preview."
Henderson grinned and crossed the kitchen to plant a kiss carefully on her lips. "Just so long as she's not a cop, honey, I'll be happy."
Sue laughed. She was an attractive woman ten years his junior, with almost blue-black hair and dark grey eyes. "Sit down and tell me about your day," she said. "You sounded awfully serious on the phone."
He obeyed, and she set the plate of spaghetti in the center of the table. "Help yourself. The coffee's almost ready."
"Thanks. It smells delicious." He picked up the salad dressing and poured a generous helping over the lettuce and tomatoes on his salad plate. "Have you had a chance to listen to the news yet, today?"
She shook her head. "I was a little late getting off the unit, and I've been busy ever since I got home. Why?"
"Well ... something unusual happened today ... unusual, even for the normal day at the Precinct ..."
**********
Sue listened without a word as he related the story of the shooting, followed by the lightning strike and his subsequent discovery that he possessed Superman's powers, but her eyes grew larger and larger as he described what he had done to try to figure out how to control them. When he finished, she didn't say anything for several seconds. Then she gave herself a half-shake. "You're right," she said. "It was a *little* unusual." She sighed. "You know, Mother told me that I shouldn't marry a cop, but I don't think she had exactly this kind of thing in mind." She smiled at his expression. "But you know what? I'm glad I did."
He let out his breath. "Then, you're not upset?"
"Well ..." She made a face. "I can't say I'm happy about you having to sleep on the couch, but I guess I can live with it for one or two nights."
"I'm not going to risk you or Junior with these powers," Henderson said. "Not for anything. When Superman gets back from Kyoto, I'll ask him for some help, and it should be all right."
She nodded. "I think that's a good plan. And in the meantime, if anybody tries to shoot at you, at least I know you can't be hurt. I try not to worry, but sometimes I can't help it."
"I know." He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I'm always careful, Sue. You know that."
"Yes, I do. I just don't want to wind up a widow at thirty-one, that's all," she said. "Was Ms. Lane hurt?"
"A bullet just grazed her arm. I think Kent was more shaken up than she was."
"If this kind of thing happens to her often, I'm not surprised that he reacted so quickly," Sue remarked.
"Neither am I," Henderson admitted. "She's probably been shot at more often than your average cop."
"Why would someone have tried to kill her, though?" Sue helped herself to a serving of spaghetti.
"Probably to stop her from testifying against Quigley," Henderson said. "Someone emailed in a death threat against her yesterday. She was actually the one who broke the case, as humiliating as it might seem to the D.A."
"Maybe you should put her on the Force," his wife said. "She sounds like a pretty good detective."
"Lane is a reporter through and through," Henderson told her. "I'm glad she's on our side, though."
"I remember what you said about Quigley. Why would anyone want to stop Ms. Lane from testifying against him? He sounds like a really horrible person."
He nodded. "That's one way to describe him, but after what happened this afternoon, I think someone may stand to lose a lot if he's convicted and put away."
"I suppose so," she said. "It would be nice if we did find a way to give people with spinal injuries the ability to walk again, but not the way he was going about it. Still the man who discovered the cure would be rich beyond his wildest dreams. I guess that's a pretty good motive for murder."
"Money usually is," he said. He took a forkful of spaghetti. As usual, his wife's cooking was considerably better than the food at any of the places he'd frequented while still a bachelor, and outclassed his own feeble efforts by miles.
"This is great," he said. "If I wasn't already married to you, I might ask you again, after a dinner like this."
She looked innocent. "You mean you just married me for my cooking skills?"
"Not on your life," he told her. "That was just a nice bonus. So," he added, "other than your husband being turned into a superman, how was your day?"
She giggled slightly. "Other than that? Pretty normal, I guess. Things are never routine on a rehab unit, you know. Old Mr. Brown was being uncooperative again. He says trying to walk on his new artificial hip hurts, and of course it does, but if he wants to walk again, he's going to have to work at it. His wife came in while he was making a fuss and told him not to be a crybaby. They got into an argument and I heard her tell him that sex was out unless he could manage to walk around on his own, because she wasn't going to treat him like a baby one minute and like a husband the next. She must be seventy-five years old, but you know, it worked! I never saw anybody change his attitude so fast!"
Henderson snorted. "She sounds like a swinging little old lady."
"She really is. I like her," Sue agreed. "Anyway, he sulked a little, but he didn't argue after that. If he keeps working at it like he did today, he'll be out of the unit in a week. Two at the most."
He grinned. "I guess I can understand his enthusiasm."
She stuck her tongue out at him. "You men are all alike."
"And aren't you glad we are?"
"Of course I am," she said, placidly. "Anyway, that was pretty much the highlight of the day. The little girl who started last week is making progress, too. She's beginning to develop more upper body strength."
"That's the one who was in the car wreck, right?"
"That's right. Superman saved her life, but she'd had nerve damage in the lower spine." She shook her head. "For a while they thought she might regain some motion in her legs, but now ..."
"Yeah." Henderson sighed. "You can see why the Quigley case stirred up so much emotion. He was trying to find a cure for tragedies like that -- but *how* he was going about it was ..." He paused, groping for the right word.
"Ghastly," his wife said, leaving no room for doubt.
"That's about it," he said. "I know we cops aren't supposed to get emotionally involved in our cases, but sometimes it's hard not to."
"Bill, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you if you didn't care," she said. "I know you can't let it show on the job, but I can still see it. It's what makes you so good at your work."
It was funny, he thought, how Sue had seen straight through his carefully maintained poker face right from the start. They had met during one of his investigations nearly two years ago and been married six months later. Now he couldn't understand how he'd managed before she came along. He guessed that was the effect a good wife had on a man. He'd taken a lot of ribbing from the guys at the Precinct over it, too, but he noticed that every one of them had shown up at the wedding.
When they had finished eating and cleared the table, he sent her into the living room. "You've been on your feet all day. Go watch TV or read, or something. I'll take care of the dishes."
"You've had a hard day, too," she protested.
"Yeah, but it doesn't feel like it," he said. "I think that might be because of the powers. Go on and sit down. I'll be there in a few minutes."
When she had gone, he cleared the stove, stored the leftovers, scraped the dishes into the garbage disposal and loaded the dishwasher. As he finished sweeping the floor, he glanced around to see Sue standing in the doorway watching him with a wide-eyed expression on her face.
"What?" he asked.
"When you said a few minutes you meant it, didn't you?" she said.
"Huh?"
"Bill, you were moving so fast you looked like one of those movies in fast forward!"
"Oh. I was practicing," he admitted, sheepishly. "I don't know how long the powers are going to last, so I need to be sure I can handle them."
"You're doing pretty well," she said. "That was amazing!"
"I think I'm starting to get a handle on them," he said. "I haven't broken anything since this afternoon."
"That's reassuring," she said. "You know, this could be a very good thing," she added in the voice that he had learned meant that she'd just had what she thought was a brilliant idea.
"Oh?" he said, cautiously.
"Uh huh. I've been wanting to rearrange the living room furniture for a couple of weeks but I couldn't figure out how to move the piano. This is going to make it a lot easier and you can practice at the same time."
He grinned wryly. "Why aren't I surprised? Okay, honey, I'm at your service ..."
**********
Bill Henderson woke suddenly and completely. Sleeping on the couch wasn't something he was used to anymore, although he'd fallen asleep on the sofa plenty of times while he was still single.
The living room light was out and he could hear Sue breathing in the bedroom. For several moments, he listened intently, trying to decide what had awakened him.
From outside, he could hear the scream of sirens, but he was aware now that they were some miles away. Still, there were a lot of them. Something pretty big must be going on.
Quietly, he crossed the room to the kitchen and turned Sue's radio on very low. Country music came from the speaker and he adjusted the dial, searching for a news station.
" ... Fire at Metro General is raging out of control," the newscaster's voice said. "Now would be the time for us all to shout 'Help, Superman', but the Man of Steel is still in Japan ..."
Henderson was already moving. The hospital was on fire and people needed a superman. It looked as if he was the only game in town.
He hurried into the bedroom and shook his wife's shoulder. "Sue!" he whispered.
She opened her eyes. "Bill? What's wrong?"
"There's a fire at the hospital! I'm going over to see if I can help." He opened his dresser drawer and yanked out a pair of black jeans and a black shirt.
She was instantly awake. "What if people recognize you?"
"It doesn't matter. I'll be careful, but I can't let people burn to death if I can help."
She sat up. "I have an idea. Put on that ski mask you wore when we went up to Vermont for our honeymoon. Then if anyone sees you, they won't recognize you. It's in your socks drawer."
As usual, her advice was right on target. The ski mask was tucked into the corner of the drawer. He shook it out and pulled it over his face. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
She nodded. "Go."
He kissed her hurriedly and ran out of the room.
**********
tbc
