Chapter 38: A.K.A. Superman

Malcolm Spalding pretended to read a book as he surreptitiously watched the couple from across the room. They appeared to be in their late thirties, a bit younger than he was expecting. The man was handsome, muscular but not overly so; not a body-builder type at all. He had black, slightly wavy hair, a slight Asian look to his brown eyes, and wore glasses. He had a day’s worth of beard stubble.

The woman also had black hair in a bob, dark eyes, and a beauty that shone through the slightly disheveled look they both sported. The way they interacted spoke of long partnership. They certainly looked the parts.

At the moment, they were sitting in front of one of the library’s public computers with a web browser open and a stunned expression on their faces.

They’d click to a new page, lean in to read it, then look at each other, gobsmacked. They’d converse urgently in a low whisper for a while, then click again. He’d been watching for fifteen minutes, which meant they’d been at it for over two hours. If they were whom he suspected, he wasn’t surprised.

He didn’t really need to observe them any further. He was just a little intimidated by the idea of walking up and talking to them if they were really… them.

He had one test, one piece of information very few people knew: just himself and a few others. He hadn’t put it in any reports because he hadn’t thought it was real. It was possible a scammer might have this information, but very unlikely.

Finally, he sighed, put the book down, and got to his feet. Might as well get this over with. He walked over to the couple and spoke in a low tone. “Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent?”

The two of them looked up at him, appearing more than a little bewildered. “Yes…?” said the woman, tentatively.

“I’m Detective Malcolm Spalding, Milford Police.” He showed his badge. “Do you mind if I talk to you?”

The man and woman looked at each other, to the screen of the computer, then back to him. “Umm, I suppose not,” said the man. “I thought…” He didn’t finish the sentence.

“I think Detective Maury was a little too hasty when he spoke to you. But before we continue, I’d like to check a few things. First, do you have any identification?”

The couple exchanged glances again, seeming to communicate without speaking. The man reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet. He flipped through it, then held it out with a driver’s license showing.

The license was from the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, in the name Clark Jerome Kent, address 348 Hyperion Avenue, Metropolis, Delaware. It looked very official, with the proper anti-tampering seals and an unflattering photo of the man holding it.

If it was a fake, it was a very, very good one; Spalding nodded. “Ms. Lane, I have one question for you.” He leaned in close and spoke in a near whisper. “Can you tell me your cell phone number?”

She frowned and replied equally quietly. “I didn’t bring it with me… we didn’t think they’d work here.”

“I don’t need to call you. Just tell me the number.”

She replied without hesitation. “It’s 668-555-2049.”

Spalding closed his eyes, his heart pounding. He was nearly certain he was talking to Lois Lane and Clark Kent. Superman and his wife! He opened his eyes again and stood up straight. “I take it you’ve been… catching up?” He nodded to the computer.

Lois and Clark looked at each other again. “Yes,” said Lois glumly. “It’s all so hard to believe. I mean… discovering that…” She looked to Clark.

“Discovering that we’re fictional characters here. That all our friends and family are, too, and even the city we live in,” finished Clark, shaking his head. “I know Lois and I have had a lot of strange things happen in our lives, beginning with…” Even knowing his secret was anything but here, Clark had trouble saying it plainly. “Beginning with where I come from and what I can do, but this…” He shrugged. “This is beyond strange.” He looked at Lois. “This is definitely the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to us. And believe me, that’s saying something.” Lois nodded.

“It’s just as strange for us here, Mr. Kent, I assure you.”

Clark looked to Lois again, then back to Spalding. “But even with all that, we’re just relieved to have found her and to see she’s all right. It’s been a difficult nine days for us.” His expression turned sorrowful. “Though it looks like it’s been eight weeks for her. Mr. Wells warned us that this kind of time displacement might happen when we traveled here.”

“I’m sorry, did you say Mr. Wells?”

“Yes, H. G. Wells, the writer. At least in our world, he really did build a time machine. He’s the one who helped us to travel here.”

Spalding just shook his head. “So how come she arrived on the same day here that she was kidnapped there?”

“It’s complicated, but there’s a kind of navigational beacon you can use if you’ve left it beforehand — it makes it easier to hit the target, as it were. The man who kidnapped her must have left one here. We have one back home to help us return there.” Clark didn’t mention that they’d also brought one with them in case they needed to return to this reality.

Lois was focused on other things. “Kara must have wondered if we’d given up on her,” she said mournfully. “The longest she’s ever been away from us before was two weeks for Girl Scout camp.”

“She’s doing all right from what I hear, and with any luck you’ll see her within a few days.” He paused. “I don’t know if you came across this, but hundreds of people have been claiming to be you.” A flash of anger crossed Lois’s face. “That’s why Detective Maury responded the way he did. After he told me about you, I felt he missed some things.

“That phone number you just gave me is known to very few people, so I think you’re probably the real deal. I’d like to talk to you some more to make sure, but this is not the place for it.”

“You still don’t believe us?” asked Lois, her eyes flashing.

“Honey,” said Clark, “look at it from his perspective. There’ve been a lot of fakers trying to cash in on Kara.”

“I guess…”

“Detective, I have one more thing I can show you, though I don’t know if it’ll convince you either. We have better proof back home, but we didn’t bring it with us. We never imagined we’d need it.” Clark unzipped the main pocket in his pack and dug inside. He pulled out a photo in a rigid waterproof sleeve. “Our family is spread out all over space and time right now, so we wanted to bring this with us.” He handed the photo to Spalding.

It was a five-by-seven family portrait, taken sitting on the steps of what appeared to be a brownstone. Lois and Clark sat together on a back step, with three children in front of them: in front of Lois, a young teen boy who looked very much like his father, glasses and all; in front of Clark, a solemn-eyed little girl who looked like a mix of the two of them; and between her siblings, Kara.

The family had been caught in a relaxed, happy, unposed moment, and you could tell they were close. Spalding noticed that despite her blonde hair and blue eyes, Kara bore a definite resemblance to her brother, sister, and father. It was more obvious when you saw them all together.

“Our friend Jim Olsen took that recently. He was a photographer for the Planet for a long time. He’s a senior editor now but he still does a lot of photography. He’s really gifted.”

Spalding stared at the photo, and could tell it was unlikely to be a fake, purely from the family resemblance and the composition. The way the members of the family were in contact with one another, the expressions on their faces… Kent was right, his friend had a gift. Kara had not been Photoshopped into this picture. He looked back at Kent, and could see the family resemblance directly now.

He handed the photo back. “I believe you… Mr. Kent.” He looked around the library. “We should probably get you folks out of here and someplace more private.”

Lois and Clark looked at each other and stood, then picked up their packs and shouldered them. Clark leaned over and cleared the browser history.

“Where did you have in mind, Detective?” asked Lois.

Spalding rubbed his eyes and didn’t quite answer. “I don’t know if you saw from the news, but there’s a huge political fight going on over your daughter right now. And some of the players are not playing very nice.”

Clark put an arm around Lois, a grim look on his face. “We saw.”

“Given that, I don’t want to talk with you back at the station, because I don’t want this news to get out to anyone until you’re… back up to speed, let’s say. Not even DHS, which is protecting her. I told your daughter I was on her side and I was going to look out for her, and I mean to keep that promise; I want to help you. Do you have a place to stay?”

“No, not yet.”

“I know another friend to your daughter who might be able to arrange something.”

• • •


Kevin, Megan, and Bailey walked in the front door of the Tong home and stopped short at the array of adults.

“Mom? Aunt Penny? Detective Spalding?” asked Megan uncertainly. “Is something going on? Is that why you texted me to bring Bailey with us from school?”

“Close the door, sweetheart,” said Mrs. Tong urgently. Megan blinked, and turned to do so.

After turning back Megan tilted her head and listened. “Is someone using the blow dryer upstairs?”

“About that,” said Mrs. Tong. “We have some houseguests for a few days.”

“Are Grandma and Grandpa here from Florida already?” asked Kevin. “I thought they weren’t coming for a couple of weeks yet.”

“Um, it’s not Grandma and Grandpa,” said Mrs. Tong nervously.

Before she could elaborate, there were footsteps on the stairs and a pair of legs appeared, shortly followed by the rest of a man. He was dressed in a flannel shirt, blue jeans, and hiking boots, and wore glasses; his hair was damp. His eyes fell on the three kids and he smiled.

Megan noticed the slight Asian cast to his eyes and wondered if he was related. Her dad had a lot of cousins they’d never met.

The man turned to their mother and said, “Thank you for letting us stay here, Mrs. Tong. My wife and I really appreciate your hospitality. She’s just finishing up and should be down in a minute.” As if on cue, the blow dryer stopped.

Mrs. Tong giggled nervously, a sound Kevin and Megan did not hear very often. “Please, call me Alice. Um, you’re very welcome… anything we can do…” She seemed flustered.

The man smiled and nodded, and turned back to the kids. “Hi! You must be Kevin, Megan, and Bailey?”

“Yes?” offered Bailey uncertainly.

The man came forward, his hand extended. “I’ve heard what great friends you’ve been to Kara. I’m her dad, Clark Kent.”

All three kids gaped as Clark’s hand hovered in the air, unmet.

Kevin looked to Detective Spalding. “Is… is he really… ?” Spalding nodded.

“Kids,” chided Penny gently.

Kevin reached out first, tentatively, and shook Clark’s hand. When they were done, Kevin stared at his own hand in wonder. “Wow…”

Clark shook the girls’ hands; they too seemed in a daze.

“I really appreciate everything you’ve done for her; thank you.”

There were footsteps on the stairs again, and everyone turned to watch as a woman descended. She too was wearing hiking boots and blue jeans, with a turtleneck sweater.

Clark made introduction. “Kids, this is Kara’s mom, Lois Lane.” He smiled at Lois, and she smiled back.

After fourteen years of raising her own children, school field trips, parent days, play dates, Cub Scouts, Brownies, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts, Lois was long over her awkwardness around children. “Hi!” she said, coming over. “You must be Kara’s friends?”

“Yes,” croaked Megan.

“It’s nice to meet you all. Your mom has been telling us all about you and Kara. I’m really happy that she’s had friends like you here.”

“Does this mean Kara is going home?” blurted Bailey.

Clark and Lois looked at each other. “We certainly hope so, at least soon,” replied Clark. “That’s why we’re here.”

“You’re… you’re Superman? You’re really Superman?” Kevin finally managed.

Clark smiled; being around awestruck kids was familiar ground. “Well, that’s a name I use when I’m helping out. Like Kara calls herself Supergirl.”

“Can you do everything she can do?”

Clark laughed. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard it that way. But actually…” he trailed off and looked to the other adults.

“Kids, remember how we told you you had to keep Kara’s secret? Before it all came out?” said Penny.

“Yes…” said Bailey, confused.

“This is just as important, OK? You can’t tell anyone about our visitors. At least, not until they say it’s OK.”

“Why not?” asked Kevin. “Why can’t Superman… Mr. Kent… just fly off and find Kara? Why are they staying here?”

“That’s why you can’t tell anyone,” said Spalding. “Mr. Kent doesn’t have his powers at the moment. Like Kara, he lost them when he got here.” He paused. “Since he and his wife are vulnerable right now we don’t want anyone to know they’re here, or they may get caught up in the bad things that’ve been going on for Kara’s foster family. I wouldn’t put it past some people to take them hostage, like they tried with Emily Jordan.”

“Couldn’t Kara rescue them if they were in trouble?”

“It’s better if we just don’t go there to begin with, because she can’t rescue them if she doesn’t know where they are.”

“Isn’t there any way to get a message to her?” asked Megan. “They could just go home together, even if Mr. Kent doesn’t have his powers.”

“Unfortunately,” said Spalding, “we don’t know where she is, and we don’t have any way to contact her directly at the moment. The government says it’s for security, but it’s obvious they’re hiding Kara and the Jordans because of the custody issue.”

“Couldn’t we just call or text her?” asked Megan.

“I’m betting the government would find out if you did, and I don’t know how they’d react to Mr. Kent being vulnerable; I’d rather play it safe. If he doesn’t get his powers back in a week or so the way Kara did, then we’ll rethink our plan. If Kara does come back to Milford, they’ll be in range of her hearing and can just call to her.”

“Get them back? She said she didn’t have powers back home,” said Kevin.

Clark scratched his head. “That’s something we don’t understand yet. Before this all started, we’d just noticed she was invulnerable because she’d stopped getting scrapes and bruises. I don’t think she’d noticed that herself.”

“She said she had no idea about any of it when she got here,” confirmed Megan.

“Anyway, that’s the way it was with me when I was her age, and with our son Jordan. I was invulnerable first, and then got my hearing, then the other powers followed gradually. That’s why we were planning to tell her, uh, the family secret soon. We don’t know why she got her powers all at once here. I didn’t fly till I was eighteen.”

“Clark,” said Lois, “Jesse Stipanovic was flying, and he was three and a half.”

“True,” admitted Clark. “But he borrowed my powers; maybe that was it. Still, I guess we don’t really know everything about this. We’ll have to talk to Bernie when we get back, see if he has any ideas.” He turned to the others. “Dr. Bernard Klein is a scientist at STAR Labs. He’s also the family doctor.”

“I wish you could see Kara sooner,” said Bailey. “She really misses you, and I know she has like a billion questions for you.”

The Kents turned somber. “We want to see her too,” said Lois. “What kind of questions?”

“Well, there’s the whole thing about Mr. Kent being Superman…”

Lois smirked at Clark. “You’re three for eight now, Flyboy. You’re not improving your average.” She looked to the others. “I figured it out before he told me. So did Perry White, Jim Olsen, and my dad. And now Kara. We did tell our son, my mom, and Dr. Klein.”

Clark coughed, embarrassed. “My dad really drilled it into me when I was a kid to keep it a secret, so it’s hard for me to talk about.” He looked askance at Lois. “But we would have told Kara first if she hadn’t been kidnapped.”

“There’s always an excuse,” teased Lois. She turned back to Bailey. “What other questions?”

“Well,” said Bailey timidly, “she thinks she might be adopted because of what she read in Kevin’s comics. She felt kind of hurt that you didn’t tell her sooner.”

Lois turned to Clark, all traces of humor gone. “Oh, Clark…”

Clark sighed and put an arm around his wife.

“So is she adopted?” asked Bailey.

“I think we’d rather talk to Kara first about that, before we discuss it with anyone else,” said Clark. “Can you understand? I promise we’ll tell you the whole story after that, as long as she’s OK with it.”

“I guess that’s fair,” admitted Bailey.

“So… so…” stuttered Kevin, “you’re going to be staying here for a few days?”

“Yes,” said Clark, nodding. “We hope to be out of your guest room before your grandparents arrive for Christmas. I hope you don’t mind?”

“Mind?” shouted Kevin, incredulous. “Superman is staying at my house! Of course I don’t mind!”

“What do we tell everyone?” asked Megan. “I mean, if they find out we have guests?”

Lois and Clark looked to Mrs. Tong, who said, “The Kents have already discussed it with me, sweetheart. We’ll be telling anyone who asks that they’re Charlie King, your father’s second cousin, and his wife Lorraine.”

“Oh… those are the first names Kara gave for you when she started at school,” said Bailey.

“We use those names sometimes when we go undercover,” explained Lois. “Kara knows that.”

“What about Dad?” asked Kevin.

Mrs. Tong looked uncomfortable. “Detective Spalding didn’t think it was a good idea to discuss all this over the phone. I just told your father that we have guests from out of town on a surprise visit, and we’re hosting them for a few days. He was OK with it. He can get the details when he gets home in a few hours.”

“So now what?” asked Megan.

“Well,” said Detective Spalding, “I have to get back to the station.” He looked to the Kents. “I’ll put Leo off — somehow.” They nodded. “And you have my number?”

Clark nodded and pulled out a disposable cell phone the detective had gotten for them. “I have it on speed dial.” He waved the device, then stuck it back in his pocket.

“OK, then. Sit tight for now, and if you need anything let me know.”

Clark reached out a hand. “Thank you very much for your help, Detective. We appreciate it.” He shook Spalding’s hand. “Without you, we’d still be wandering around lost, looking for a place to camp, and worrying about getting arrested for vagrancy.” He smiled.

“Yes, thank you,” added Lois, doing the same. “I’m not a big fan of camping out.” She grinned.

“It’s my pleasure, Ms. Lane, Mr. Kent.” He nodded. “I’ll be in touch.” He let himself out.

“I need to get back to the hospital, Alice,” said Penny. “Let me know if you need anything.” The sisters-in-law embraced. Penny turned to the kids and said, “Remember… it’s an important secret.”

“We know,” said Kevin, rolling his eyes. He brightened suddenly. “Wow, this is just like being in a Superman movie!”

Everyone laughed. Penny hugged her niece, then her nephew — over his objections — and was on her way.

“Bailey, do you need to get home?” asked Mrs. Tong.

“Umm, my parents said it was OK to hang out here until dinnertime.”

“Do you kids have any homework?”

“A bit,” admitted Bailey, reluctantly.

“Well, why don’t you three go upstairs and get that out of the way? You can come down and visit more when it’s finished.”

“But…” objected Kevin, “I mean… we have a chance to talk to Superman! That doesn’t happen every day. Can’t the homework wait?”

“Kevin,” said Mrs. Tong in a warning tone. “Homework first.”

“Oookayyy,” he groused, and the three kids trudged up the staircase, turning back once to look at the Kents before disappearing upstairs. “Man!” Kevin could be heard complaining.

“Well, that was familiar,” observed Lois.

• • •