Band of Blue TOCChapter 7Deciding to get a head start on the new LuthorCorp CEO Lois impulsively jumped in her car and drove to Smallville, well, the outskirts, anyway. Apparently the new boss lady had taken over more than just the company, she had also moved into the Luthor Mansion. Lois drove up to the door and introduced herself to the guards asking for a private interview, although she admitted it probably sounded more like a demand. Surprisingly it was granted.
“Come in, Miss Lane,” came a deep, but definitely female voice when Lois knocked on the door of the room she had been shown to. Entering she found herself in what must have been a library, but it also doubled as an office and a games room. The light streaming through the stained glass window above the main desk hit the woman stood behind it directly and gave her red hair a seeming yellow glow. Lois realised it was all tailored to give in imposing presence to the occupier of the room. Striding forwards in mock confidence Lois offered her hand.
“Lois Lane, Daily Planet.”
“Tess Mercer, LuthorCorp,” came the very slightly sarcastic reply.
“I’m surprised you agreed to this interview Miss Mercer, with your press conference only two days away.”
“Well, Miss Lane, you’ll find I’m not like other captains of industry. I’m not afraid of publicity, or journalists, especially ones with integrity.” Lois took that as a compliment to herself. Tess Mercer must think her to be one of those with integrity or she knew she wouldn’t have made it past the first door.
“I guess, as I’m lucky enough to be here pre-press-conference, I should let you do the talking. I’m bound to ask questions that you will decline to answer until Monday. So, just tell me what you are willing to reveal at the moment.”
“Miss Lane, you are incredibly perceptive.” Tess Mercer arched her eyebrow as she looked at Lois. “I’m not averse to giving you my own bio. Most of it is public knowledge anyway, but I can put a personal slant on all the facts if you would like.”
“Yes, that would be nice, thanks,” Lois smiled gratefully. This was more than she’d actually expected when jumping in her car that morning. Lois took a seat and pulled out a Dictaphone. She held it up in question and the answering nod prompted her to turn it on.
Tess Mercer came and sat down opposite then began. “I assume you know about my studies of marine biology. I guess that’s as good a place to start as any.” Tess shifted in her chair to get comfortable and then started again. “I was hired by LuthorCorp as part of an obscure project over ...” Tess paused and reached her hand up to her head. Pressing on her temples the screwed her face up in pain.
Lois leant forwards. “Miss Mercer. Are you alright?” she asked.
“It was a project ... argh.” Tess tried to continue but something was obviously troubling her.
Lois stood up. “Shall I get someone, I can call for your assistant?”
Lois noticed a change come over Tess at that point. The pain on her face faded and she put down her arm. Standing she rushed past Lois and walked over to the desk. Lois watched in confusion as Tess opened a small drawer in the table and pulled out a box. Opening the box she withdrew a deep blue pentagonal shaped crystal. It filled Tess’s hand. Lois took a step towards the desk.
Something is wrong. First she seems to have a pain in her head and now she as staring at that crystal, not moving, almost in a hypnotic state. “Miss Mercer?” Lois moved round to stand next to her. Placing a hand on her arms she questioned again. “Tess?”
The second Lois’s hand touched Tess’s arm Tess spun round. Lois jumped back in surprise. There was a strange glint in Tess’s eyes, they looked cold and dead.
“You have been with Kal-El recently. Tell me where he is. I must get these crystals to him.”
Lois felt her heart beating faster in shock. “Hold on there. What’s going on here?” Lois took another step backwards but Tess stepped forwards and grabbed her by the arms.
“These crystals belongs to Kal-El. I must find him. It is his destiny.”
“Now look here,” Lois stated. “I don’t know anyone called Kal-El and I don’t appreciate this Twilight Zone twist to the interview. If you don’t want to talk to me then why did you let me in?” She shrugged out of Tess’s hold and strode over to the seat. Picking up her bag and Dictaphone she turned back to look at Tess ready to deliver another retort but she was stunned speechless. The blue crystal in Tess’s hand was glowing brightly, pulsing as if in sympathetic vibration to another source. Tess was motionless again. There was definitely something strange going on here and maybe it wasn’t Miss Mercer’s fault.
“Look, I’ll go and find someone.” Lois spoke to Tess in a comforting voice though it seemed that Tess didn’t actually hear.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Clark was stood in his den at the top of the barn. He stared out of the open doors and off into space. It was midday but he could still imagine the cosmos. There was a deep sadness in his soul now. He thought his life had changed when he found out that he arrived on earth in a tiny spaceship but the history and knowledge that had been imparted to him through the energy stream this morning had made that interstellar trip bittersweet. He was alone, the last son of Krypton. Son of Jor-El and Lara: Kal-El. Saved from a self-destructing planet, saved to have the opportunity to live, to love. He felt the sadness and the loss of his true parents and he also experienced the gratitude that he was here, now, with his adopted parents. He would not give up his life here on the farm for anything, not even if he was offered the chance to live the life that should originally have been his, on Krypton. The farm was his home, Smallville was his home ... Earth was his home.
Clark turned to look back at the house. He stared through the walls and into his bedroom. It came easily now. The walls faded away until he was looking at the small box on his bedside table. He couldn’t see through it, and didn’t understand why, but he knew what was inside; blue kryptonite. His BFF band had been made of blue kryptonite. It was a compound found on his home planet that had a strange effect on his DNA. It made him seem human. It all made sense now; why he had suddenly developed fantastic abilities a week ago, why they had seemingly appeared all those years ago, only to disappear. What he didn’t understand was why the knowledge given him didn’t include anything on the green variety that seemed even more prolific around Smallville. He turned off his x-ray vision and looked back out to the horizon.
Contemplating the reams of knowledge about Krypton now in his head he tried to avoid replaying the last sentence he heard before the energy stream cut off but he could not. It resounded in his head, echoing in a strong voice.
On this third planet from this star Sol, you will be a god among men. They are a flawed race. Rule them with strength, my son. That is where your greatness lies. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois was sat in a cafe in the centre of Smallville.
I can’t believe I’m actually here. I swore I’d never visit this place. She looked down at the cappuccino cradled in her hands and wondered at the strange morning she’d had. Coming to Smallville had finally seemed like a good idea when she’d been looking for scoop on the new LuthorCorp CEO but she had ended up with a non-existent interview and a trip to the Twilight Zone instead. It just confirmed the strangeness of this town to her. She pulled out her Dictaphone and listened to the recording.
“You have been with Kal-El recently. Tell me where he is. I must get these crystals to him.”
“Hold on there. What’s going on here?”
“These crystals belongs to Kal-El. I must find him. It is his destiny.”
Kal-El. Who the heck is Kal-El? Lois noted the name in her mind.
It must be important. Lois’s reporting curiosity had got the better of her and she had seriously considered taking the crystal from Tess’s hands. It didn’t seem like Tess would move again but she’d quashed the instinct long enough to get help and by the time they had returned to the library Tess was sat behind her desk and the crystal was nowhere in sight. Lois had left then and driven straight for the centre of town knowing she would find a coffee shop.
Lifting the cup to her lips she drained the last of the liquid and stood.
Okay, so that was the one and only time I’m coming to this town, she murmured and strode off towards the door.
“Lois?” She heard her name called out and turned around. “Lois, it is you. What are you doing here?”
“Chloe?” Lois’s eyes widened in surprise and a mouth opened in a giant smile. “Chloe!” They ran to each other and hugged.
“Lois, you said you’d never come to Smallville!” Chloe stated.
“I know,” Lois replied, “But I came looking for a story on the new LuthorCorp boss. She lives in the mansion just out of town.” Lois pulled back from the hug and then glanced around the coffee shop. “And the penny drops,” she said. “The Talon. This is where you live, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Chloe turned and indicated the stairs which wound up behind the counter. “Up there is my apartment. Do you want to come up?” Chloe turned back to Lois and grabbed her arms. “Oh, please say yes, it’s been years since we spent any time together.”
“Sure,” said Lois “it’ll be fun.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Clark stood in the shadows of the alleyway. Dressed all in black he faded in nicely.
I know my destiny, he thought to himself.
I know what I’m here for and it isn’t to rule. It’s to help. He almost shouted it out into the night such was his frustration, but he kept the thoughts tightly locked in his head.
“I’m here to help. I’m going to help,” he muttered. He took control of his wandering mind and concentrated. Voices overwhelmed him but he pushed on through the overpowering sounds. Eventually he started to focus and he picked out conversations. Moving on quickly once he’d heard enough he finally stopped and focused on one voice when he heard shouts for help. Running in the direction of the voice he found some young children stuck on a rickety old fire escape. It was jerking and moving and coming away from the wall and every time they moved or screamed it just got worse.
Clark ran to the bottom and tried to hold tightly to the ladder. He managed to give it stability. “Just keep still now. Just wait a few moments and I’ll get you,” he shouted up to the children. Looking up the length of the fire escape he noticed the major break point. The metal was nearly sheared through and almost about to snap just above where the children were clinging on. Clark focussed his eyes on that patch and tried to bring forth the fire. It didn’t come.
Come on Clark, focus. He tried once again and he felt the heat build.
Good. After a quick burst the metal was welded back together in a giant lump. Clark let go of the ladder and everything stayed in place.
“I think it is safe now, but come down carefully and slowly,” he called out. The children tentatively climbed down the steps and made it safely to the final level. Clark moved back into the shadows so they could not see him, but he watched them all the way to the floor, determined to see them safely on the ground. When the last child’s foot touched the floor he sped off.
Returning to his waiting point he tuned in his super-hearing again. After a few moments he heard another scream, much more urgent and terrified even than the kids had been. A mugging - and less than a block away from here. Arriving at the scene in a second he rushed at the mugger and dragged him away from the young girl. He held the man still while he turned his head back to the girl. “Go, get away now,” he said then turned back to the mugger. He knew his face looked fierce but he was reminded of the mugging he had experienced with Lois earlier in the week and he was angry. Clark was about to punch the guy in his face when an arrow came zipping past his arm and stuck into the wall beside the mugger’s head. Clark turned to look and then dropped his hold on the mugger in shock when he saw who was behind him. It was Metropolis’s resident costumed hero. The legendary Green Arrow.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
So, someone else has joined the cast.
Tell me what you think.
