Honeymoon in Metropolis – Matchmaker Style
Rated PG-13
Disclaimers: The characters in this story are property of DC, December 3rd productions and Warner Bros. No Copyright infringement is intended. I have just borrowed the characters for a short time.
Lois and Clark now live in Clark's ‘old' apartment.
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Previously:
Later, at the Daily Planet Clark joined Cat, Jimmy and Perry in the conference room. Clark asked, ‘Where’s Lois?”
Perry replied, “I don’t know, son. Isn’t she with you?”
“No, we separated. She was supposed to come back here and fill you all in on what happened, while I followed another lead.”
Jimmy asked, “Could she have gone back to the apartment, I mean, your apartment. You know, to change clothes or something?”
Picking up the phone, Clark dialed the number. When the answering machine picked up he hung up. With a worried look, Clark said, “She’s not there,” and started to leave, but Perry stopped him. He asked, “What happened? I thought you were going to bring the evidence you had collected here.”
“Perry, that’s just it … there is no evidence. They found out about us and ransacked the Honeymoon Suite. They destroyed all of our evidence.”
In a resigned tone, Perry said, “Well, that’s it I guess. We got nothin to take to the authorities. Look, wait right here. Let me make some calls.” Perry returned to his office.
The longer the delay, the more anxious Clark was becoming. He was sure that Lois had gone off like a loose cannon again and was in danger, he just didn’t have any idea as to just where she could be.
As a conversational gambit, Jimmy said, “I bet Lois was pretty upset, losing all of your evidence.”
With a rueful shake of his head, Clark said, “You can say that again.”
Cat really hadn’t been paying strict attention to what all was going on and said, “I’m starved.”
Jimmy was the first to see Perry returning and said, “Chief?”
Perry replied, “I called everyone I know in Washington. No one's interested. And, as far as the Navy's concerned, there
is no test.” He looked around and asked, “Lois turn up?”
Clark was reaching the end of his patience. He didn’t know where Lois was and he was worried. Then he had a thought. There was one avenue that hadn’t been followed. He moved to his desk, picked up the phone and dialed.
Jimmy asked, “Who are you calling?”
Clark held up his hand for silence as the phone was answered. He said, “Hello, this is Clark Kent with the Daily Planet. I’d like to speak with Lex Luthor, please.” He listened for a second and then replied, “Yes, it is important. Very, important.”
And Now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 9
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Clark was very tempted to change into the Suit and scour the city; however, he knew from prior experience just how fruitless that could be. He needed some clue as to where to look or he’d be wasting his time and perhaps be in the wrong place when push came to shove.
Clark, Perry and Jimmy were in the newsroom, brainstorming. Clark was pacing restlessly while Perry and Jimmy sat on a couple of desks.
Clark said, “Lois hasn't dropped this. I know it. What would I do if I were her?”
Perry offered, “Something impetuous.”
Jimmy offered, “And headstrong.”
Clark added, “And dangerous.”
Cat sashayed up and asked, “Is anyone else hungry?”
Suddenly an unexpected voice answered her question, “No, thank you.” Clark recognized the voice and turned to see Luthor enter.
Perry turned to him and asked, “Lex, what are you doing here?”
Always urbane and courteous, especially to those he considered his inferiors, and especially right now with Clark Kent he needed to remain cordial so he greeted them and explained, “Perry, Mr. Kent, Cat ...” He looked at Jimmy, but didn’t know his name, “... and ... whoever, Luthor Technologies has approximately half a billion dollars in research and development tied up in a project code-named Shock Wave. Shock Wave, even the name, is top secret. Yet, you, Mr. Kent, you call to tell me you not only know of the project, but suspect that Thaddeus Roarke, a man with whom I've had previous unsatisfactory dealings, intends upon sabotaging the impending test. A test which commences,” he paused to look at his gold Rolex watch, “in six and one half minutes.” He paused to let that sink in before he continued, “Under the circumstances I might have elected to stay home and watch reruns of Flipper on the all night cable channel. Instead, I decided to come here.” He looked around at the four people and asked, “What is going on?”
Clark looked at Perry and Perry nodded his permission so Clark launched into an explanation, “We've had Roarke and Congressman Ian Harrington under surveillance. Roarke is positive your system will fail its test, leaving the door open for
his system to be adopted instead.
Off to the side, not involved in the conversation, Cat was thumbing through the yellow pages looking for food and said, “Oooo, Italian would be good. Linguini with clam sauce.”
Luthor was pensive, only for a second, then replied, musingly, “Roarke and Harrington, I should have known.” Looking directly at Clark now, Luthor challenged, “You say that Roarke is positive?”
Clark simply nodded in reply.
Luthor was thinking out loud when he said, “That would imply sabotage. No one ever described Thaddeus Roarke as an incurable optimist.”
Perry challenged, “Now, Lex, how could your system be sabotaged?”
Luthor was less than sure of himself as he replied, “So far as I know, it can’t.”
Clark pointed out the obvious, “But Roarke is an electronic weapons systems expert.”
Luthor had to agree, “Yes, he is.”
Cat said, “Maybe Mexican, chicken enchiladas.”
Jimmy suggested, “What about a power failure?”
Luthor shook his head in dismissal, “Redundant systems, too many backups for that to happen.”
Clark pointed out, “Besides, Roarke hinted at more than a simple breakdown. Something ... bigger.”
With that the conversation ceased while they were all deep in thought.
Cat said, “Oo, Japanese! I could go for something Japanese.” Thinking about her mistake earlier and willing to poke fun at herself, she quipped, “How about some of that 'tsunami.'”
That one word, spoken by an unsuspecting source triggered a string of thoughts and first Clark then Jimmy and Perry looked up in surprise.
Luthor was puzzled. Cat was speaking about food and had mentioned something which wasn’t food, “Tsunami?”
Clark shot to his feet and almost shouted, “Tsunami, a giant wave caused by an undersea tremor!”
Jimmy said, in an awed tone, “Shock Wave.”
Clark turned to Jimmy. He now had an idea of just where Lois was, “Jimmy, where was that Apocalypse Consulting warehouse?”
“Pier 31.”
Perry also realized the significance, “Great shades of Elvis.”
Clark turned to Perry and said, “Chief, I have to get down there.”
“Go, son. I hope you find her.”
Luthor turned to Perry as Clark ran up the ramp and through the stairwell door, “Find who?”
“Lois is missing. She’s been gone for several hours.”
Luthor’s face fell. Noting the location … Pier 31, he left quickly following almost in Clark’s footsteps.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dawn was breaking. Lois and Congressman Harrington were tied side by side to a piling which supported that section of the wharf around the boathouse.
Bart was loading equipment into an outboard motorboat. Congressman Harrington had regained consciousness and he and Lois were watching as Bart did so.
Roarke stepped over and addressed his captives, “I envy you two. You'll have a much better view from here. However,
we do need to get out beyond the three mile limit.” He smirked and bringing his hands up in a Japanese salute, he gave a slight bow and said, “Sayonara.”
Neither Lois nor Harrington had said a word, they simply watched as Roarke joined Bart in the launch. As soon as he jumped aboard, Bart started the engine and pulled away from the dock.
Lois turned to the congressman and asked, “What’d he mean?”
The congressman was almost unresponsive, but he finally was able to answer, “We’re dead.”
Lois was confident in Clark, but since she had gone off again without telling him where she was going, she had some doubt, but she still said, “Congressman, we'll be fine. Someone will find us.”
Harrington gave a slight shake of his head. He said, with a fatalistic tone in his voice, “No, it’s too late.” He paused a second and then continued, “I never meant for this to happen.”
Lois was starting to worry now. She turned to Harrington and asked, “What?”
Harrington stopped talking and simply stared out to sea.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Out at sea an older World War II era light cruiser and its task force was on station. Its duty was to ensure that there were no intruders in the test area. Using radar and sonar it and its escorts were sweeping the area for other vessels. Reports could be heard all over the vessel as they were transmitted via the PA system.
“All systems … operational.”
“Prepared for barrier penetration test.”
“Sonar sweeps … negative.”
A controller picked up a handset and said, “Flight deck, you are cleared for takeoff.”
The signal was given and a Navy Sea Stallion helicopter took off from the helipad on the after deck. Its mission was to deploy the Shock Wave package.
Course and speed of the helicopter was tracked by the ship and when on station the order was given, “Prepare to deploy package on zero. Three, two, one, zero.” The loadmaster hit the release and a large cylindrical object dropped from the belly of the aircraft. A small drogue shoot trailed it to stabilize its descent. It only had to fall three hundred feet before it splashed through the surface of the sea. As soon as it hit the water the drogue shoot dropped off.
Back on the ship, the entry of the package into the water was noted and a countdown started, “Shock Wave in … ten … nine … eight … seven … six … five … four … three … two … one.”
Once underwater, the device dropped an anchor line and floated, stationary, below the surface.
The test was initiated when a torpedo was fired from another surface vessel. No undersea craft were included in the task force due to the nature of the test. The torpedo streaked through the blue-black depths trailing a stream of bubbles in its wake as the compressed air driven propeller sent it under its own power to reach its predetermined point where the Shock Wave system engaged, reacting to the threat presented by the torpedo. First, a barely heard VIBRATION and a shimmer of golden light appeared over the water. But, the vibration escalated into an ear-splitting HUMM. Suddenly the sensors on board the cruiser started to go crazy. Most of the sensor readings went right off the scale. Panic began to set in. The ship rocked in the sudden troughs. Warning ALARMS started to sound. The point at which the detonation of the torpedo occurred was within visual range of the cruiser and resulted in a geyser of water at the site.
From the site of the detonation the geyser had fallen back on itself, but then a swell had started to be generated. This was not like any manifestation that the personnel on the vessel had ever seen. If a pebble had been dropped into a pond the swell would show as ripples moving out in concentric circles from the center, or the spot where the pebble had disturbed the surface. This was different. It was directional! It was growing as they watched and manifested itself as a single wall as if a hand had simply pushed the water in one direction.
The cruiser was close enough that the wall of water had not reached a height that it couldn’t simply ride over. The wave quickly passed under the ship giving everyone a rocky ride as it did and then the crew watched as it gathered breadth, strength and height while it receded from them in the direction of the shore, the shore where the city of Metropolis stood.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lois was still trying to get Congressman Harrington’s attention when she heard Clark’s voice and realized that he was here to save her. She heard Clark shout, “Lois!”
She shouted back, “Clark! Over here!”
She looked at Harrington to get his attention and let him know that the cavalry had arrived, but when she looked at him he was staring out to sea and his eyes had gone almost as large as dinner plates.
She didn’t know how Clark got to her, if he had flown or run, but she was grateful that he was there nonetheless. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Clark was in his business suit and not the Suit. It was natural then that he would kneel behind them and start to work on their bonds.
Still worried, Clark asked, “Where’s Roarke?”
Lois nodded her head and said, “He headed out to sea.”
Clark looked and didn’t like what he saw. He looked at Harrington and saw his blank stare. He asked, “Is he all right?”
“I think he’s in shock. He never meant for this to happen.”
“For what to happen?”
“How should I ...” That was when she saw the wave. She gasped and said, “Oh … my … GOD! Clark! Look! Come on, get us out of these ropes.”
From seaward there was a RUMBLE, like rolling thunder or a hundred freight trains. Lois' eyes widened. Harrington Screamed. Clark swiveled to look.
Realizing that time was short and that Harrington probably wouldn’t remember what was happening anyhow, Clark ripped the ropes apart and freed Lois and Harrington.
comments go here TBC
