When Churches Come Crashing Down
Folc4evernaday
Part 38
***
He felt like all his insides were cringing in disgust as he landed on the docks with the last remaining body part of the severed body. It had been mutilated beyond recognition. He wasn’t sure how anyone could do such a thing. Killing someone was one thing, but to tear apart the corpse this way was unthinkable.
“I know, Superman, its….” Inspector Henderson laid a hand on his shoulder.
“I gotta get out of here,” He shook his head, brushing Henderson’s supportive hand off his shoulder.
“Yeah, I understand,” Henderson nodded, “Thank you for everything.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you around,” Clark nodded towards him before ricocheting into the air away from the bay that had quickly become a crime scene.
***
“Lois?” Perry called out when he saw her exit the elevator doors, “Darlin’ what are you doing here? Why aren’t you at the hospital?”
Lois raced down the steps into the bullpen, avoiding his question, “I need a story. I need something big and complicated to take my mind off of everything, please, Perry, I’m begging you,”
Perry looked around at the empty desks around him. “It’s not even seven yet,” He pointed out. “Assignments haven’t even been…”
“Perry,” She impatiently breathed.
“All right,” He nodded, motioning for her to follow him. “I’ll see what I can find,”
***
Clark flew as fast as he could to erase the images from his mind. Before he knew it he was on the Kent farm in Smallville. He landed by the treehouse out back and sighed, resting his head against the old oak. The familiar sounds echoed around him as he sat by the old tree that held his childhood treehouse. He sighed in relief, drinking in the familiarity of everything around him. The images of everything he’d seen that night raced through his mind as he fought to regain control. He just needed to feel his own bit of control over what was going on around him.
A man had been murdered brutally. He hadn’t heard the cries for help. He hadn’t been able to help. Accepting that and knowing that were two completely different things.
“Clark? Is that you, son?” His father’s voice penetrated his subconscious and he looked up into the concerned eyes, uncertain of how to voice everything that was going through his mind.
***
Back in Metropolis, Lois sat at the desk, sifting through file after file. Research. That had been Perry’s answer to her wanting a story. Research.
She picked up the archive books in front of her and sifted through them. She was supposed to be researching Metropolis General and everything they could use on their piece on the fire. Instead, she seemed to keep drifting to a certain name that kept coming up when she read about Metropolis General.
Dr. Tony Benzen.
***
“Every limb was cut off. They just tossed this guy’s body in the bay like yesterday’s garbage. I spent all night digging through everything. The blood,” Clark shuddered remembering the reddish tint of the water he’d swam in scurrying for the head and fingers of the corpse they’d found.
“Clark,” Jonathan laid a hand on his shoulder. “Any idea who the victim was?”
Clark shook his head, “Not yet. He was too…”
“It’s okay,” Jonathan interjected.
“No, it’s not,” Clark shook his head adamantly. “It’s not okay at all,”
***
Jack stared at the police tape in the conference room. A fellow mail clerk tapped him on the shoulder, “I know what you’re thinking, man, but don’t. The boss finds out anyone went in there we’re all toast. Someone got iced in there and they don’t want anyone screwing with the crime scene,”
“Yeah, but who?” Jack asked.
“My money’s either on Mr. Dunning or Ms. Doughtery. Neither one of them have been seen for a while.”
***
Everywhere. He had been everywhere looking for Lois. She wasn’t at home. She hadn’t returned to the hospital. His last stop was the Planet; again. He’d already been here before, but another visit wouldn’t hurt.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted her on the archive floor with his x-ray vision. “Finally,” He muttered under his breath as he landed on the roof. He quickly spun out of his Superman suit and headed down the stairwell to the archives.
“Lois?” He called out when he opened the door to the floor where all the Planet’s archive files were. He scanned the aisles, looking for her. “Lois?”
He turned another corner, looking for her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found her in the corner, sitting on the floor with a large file in her hands. “Hey, what are you doing here?” He asked, taking a seat on the floor next to her.
“Did you know Dr. Benzen had been investigated fourteen times in the last two years and every time the charges magically disappeared?” Lois asked quietly.
“Dr. Benzen?” Clark asked, confused. “Lois, I have been looking everywhere for you,”
“I had to get out of that hospital. I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. I can’t sit at home and do nothing either,” Lois explained. “His name shows up in every lawsuit Metropolis General has had over the past two years. Isn’t that just a bit of an odd coincidence?”
“Lois, he’s dead,” Clark pointed out.
“Why?” Lois asked.
“What?”
“Why? Why is he dead? Everyone just shrugged it off as another unsolved case and I’m tired of it. There is a reason he was murdered. He was connected to Jordan’s kidnapping. Don’t you want to know what he was involved in that made him …made him make the choices he did?”
Clark pulled the book out of her hands, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m fine,” Lois said, jerking the book back.
“No, you’re not,” Clark took the book from her again. “You’re sitting up here in the archives in investigating a three-month-old murder. What’s wrong?”
She didn’t try to take the book from him again. “I really don’t want to talk right now,” She said softly, toying with her hands as she stared at the blank wall across from them.
“Liar,” He said softly.
“You were gone all night,” Lois said quietly, “Are you okay?”
“No,” Clark shook his head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“Me neither,” Lois said, resting her head against his.
***
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Mayson asked uncertainly, looking at Lucy for confirmation.
“Yes,” Lucy said shakily. “If it turns out that my father was responsible I want him pro…prosecuted to the fullest extent; if not I want whoever was behind this in jail.”
“You still don’t believe he was behind that kidnapping, do you?” Mayson asked.
“No, I don’t, but Jimmy said he was working for Intergang; or at least it looks that way. I want him investigated…legally.” Lucy said.
“You know there’s no going back. Knox is out for blood right now. The election is right around the corner and…”
“I don’t care,” Lucy cut her off. “I want it done.”
“You sure you’re okay?” Mayson asked.
“I’m fine,” Lucy said, “Please, just do this for me. I need to get back to work,”
“Lucy, it’s been three days. We can wait until…”
“No, it won’t wait.” Lucy cut her off. “I need to pick up where I left off.”
“Okay,” Mayson nodded. “Do you need a ride home?”
Lucy shook her head, “No, Jimmy’s picking me up,”
“Oh?” Mayson arched an eyebrow, “That’s good,”
“I’ll see you later,” Lucy said, reminding Mayson to focus elsewhere rather than her personal life that was in total wreckage at the moment.
“Right,” Mayson turned towards the door to Lucy’s hospital room. “Just call if you need anything.”
***
“All right, people, let’s have a little lesson in reporting 101, shall we? When a big news event happens where should you be?” Perry paced in front of the conference room looking on at the reporters before him.
“Um, on your way to the disaster?” Jimmy suggested, raising his hand.
“Wrong!” Perry shook his head, slamming his fist on the conference table. “You should already be there! A good reporter is where the news is. Now, the Daily Planet has always been the top dog in this city. So, imagine my surprise when for the first time since I’ve worked at the Planet--and let me tell you that is a very very long time—we end up scooped by this rag!” He threw last night’s copy of the Metropolis S.T.A.R. on the table. Anyone care to explain?”
Ralph raised his hand, “Well, the article is telling how the fire at the hospital earlier this week was a case of sabotage…”
“That’s not what I was referring to!” Perry snapped. “Instinct! That’s what makes or breaks you in the business! Why didn’t anyone know about this when we were investigating? Why were we the last ones to know?”
Allan raised his hand, “In all honesty, Chief, we did know about it; they just printed it first.”
“Thank you, Allan,” Perry sighed, feigning a calm he didn’t feel at the moment, “Just so I’m making myself clear if this continues to happen the faces around here are going to begin to change.” With that he left the conference room, slamming the door behind him.
***
“Miranda!” Turner opened his arms as he stood to greet her, “A pleasure,”
“Good to see you, James,” She smiled, winking at him as she glanced at his bodyguard in the corner.
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well,” Turner said, taking her hand and kissing it.
“Well, I know you didn’t call me for small talk, James, what can I do for you?”
“Revenge,” Turner prodded.
“What about it?” Miranda asked.
“Do you still have it?”
“Of course I never throw out my work.” Miranda shrugged. “What do you need it for?”
“I want to implement it in Intergang’s work,” He explained.
Miranda laughed, “Intergang? I thought you were solo? A one-man criminal organization?”
“There’s already a system in place; why not use it?”
***
Two Weeks Later…
“The identity of the unknown body that was dumped into Hobb’s Bay two weeks ago has finally become known to the public. It is our understanding that this body is not even human but a product of scientific study; a clone. How the subject was destroyed and disposed of this way is still an unknown to S.T.A.R. Labs, but we will keep you posted.” The LNN announcer read off.
Jimmy shook his head, “Unreal,”
“If it was a clone then how do we explain the crime scene that was left at Top Copy and the missing reporter and exec?” Allan asked, pointing to the flyer with a picture of Barry Dunning and Sarah Doughtery reporting them missing.
“This is ridiculous,” Jimmy said, heading towards his desk. “Its not human so everything’s all right? Someone still ripped this clone limb from limb and threw him into the bay as if he was garbage.”
“Jimmy, where’s those printouts from the S.T.A.R. Labs gala?” Perry hollered across the newsroom.
Jimmy sighed, “Duty calls,”
***
“You have got to be kidding me!” Lucy groaned, shielding her eyes from the bright sun as Lois ripped open she curtains.
“Get up!” Lois ordered with her arms crossed over her chest.
“I’m sleeping,” Lucy snapped, yanking the covers over her head angrily.
“You’re hiding,” Lois pulled the covers off of her.
“Hey!” Lucy sat up, pulling the covers that had been ripped off her body.
“You have been resting and recovering and sleeping and everything else in the book for the last two weeks. You said you didn’t want to stay at your apartment and I let you stay here. You weren’t ready to go back to work and I was understanding but Luce it’s been two weeks and you still haven’t left this room to do anything but go to the bathroom.”
“Let it go, Lois, I’m fine. I’m just dealing with some stuff,” Lucy snapped, yanking the covers back from her.
“No, you’re not,” Lois snapped. “Fine would be you actually crying or getting angry. Fine is not sitting in your pajamas all day with a pasted smile on your face convincing everyone but yourself that you’re fine.”
“Let it go,” Lucy argued.
“No,” Lois snapped, “I’m not going to let you do this to yourself,”
***
Mindy Church took a puff from her cigar as she looked out at the view from her penthouse. “He tried to kill me,” She muttered under her breath.
LaToya Cox watched her from a distance, “Muttering about your anger isn’t going to get you what you want,”
“What I want?” She asked, “What I want is revenge.”
“Good.” Mrs. Cox handed her a glass of champagne. “Are you ready to do whatever’s necessary to carry it out?”
“What do you mean?” Mindy asked.
“I have a plan to make sure Lex Luthor gets his just deserts,” LaToya Cox smiled through the smoke that had filled the room from Mindy’s cigar. “Are you prepared to make him pay?”
***
“I don’t understand,” Dr. Klein argued with Dr. Mamba. “How can you have no idea?”
“I’ve done research on clones with Wayne Enterprises, Dr. Klein, but I haven’t worked on chromosomes with this …advancement. Superman isn’t human. A clone of him is almost impossible to…”
“But someone did!” Dr. Klein snapped. “Someone cloned him and we have to figure out what to do about it. There is a replica of Superman out there and he wants to go after the real Superman!”
Dr. Mamba shrugged, “Maybe it’ll be entertaining to watch.”
Dr. Klein sighed, “Just forget it,” He muttered.
“I can’t be of much help here I’m afraid.”
“Then who is?” Dr. Klein asked.
***
“Hey, Lois, you’re late,” Jimmy said walking up to her when she stepped out of the elevator.
“I was babysitting,” She snapped, throwing her arms up in the air, “What do you want, Jimmy?”
“Did you hear they found another body this morning?” Jimmy asked glumly.
“What?” Lois asked aghast.
“CK went to check it out a few minutes ago. This time it's actually a whole body; head and everything. They’re still waiting for an ID.” Jimmy explained.
“What in the world is going on out there?” Lois muttered under her breath, placing a protective hand over her abdomen.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is it’s big and the Chief is…”
“OLSEN!!!” Perry bellowed through the newsroom, looking for Jimmy.
“Speak of the devil,” Lois said glancing over her shoulder at Jimmy.”
“I gotta run,” Jimmy sighed. Lois shook her head, watching Jimmy run towards Perry with an arm full of files in hand.
***
Guilt.
“ An emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that violation.”
He’d read about the emotion, but had never understood until now what it truly meant. He had killed someone. She had been a menace and a murderer herself, but he had been unable to stop her death. He stared up at the news coverage splashing images of police and doctors all over the bay where her body had been found.
He stared at his reflection. He didn’t feel like a Superman. He felt like a Super-coward.
***
“The woman’s body was identified as Sarah Doughtery. Her fingerprints matched with the fugitive, Dianna Stride who had been on the run ever since Bill Church Jr.’s murder a few months back. It is believed Stride knew her attacker but the details surrounding her death are still not being released…”
“Well, well, the plot thickens,” Nigel mused, looking at the confidential police file that he held in his hand.
“Mr. St. John,” The coroner pleaded with him. “If anyone finds out I gave that to you…”
“Not a problem. No one will find out.” He snapped.
“But…”
He pulled out a silver revolver, “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear? No one finds out. You come up with some way of hiding her real cause of death. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Mr. St. John..” He stammered.
“Good.” Nigel smiled, patting him on the cheek. “Be sure it stays that way.”
***
Lois sat in the research lab, staring at the computer screen in front of her. She had to get out of the newsroom. The reports that kept coming in about the bodies had been too much for her. Everything that had been going on the last few weeks had taken a toll on her. Every few hours her daughter would give her a subtle reminder to slow down by giving her a hard kick from inside her womb.
She smiled down at the not so small bump that was her child. The days of her wishing her daughter would come out to join the world sooner rather than later were long gone. She dreaded the day she would be born and forced to face the truth about the world her parents had brought her into. It was selfish.
She couldn’t help but feel responsible for the situation. She had made this life only to bring it into a world of chaos and mayhem. Her sister had been shot and refused to face the grief that was consuming her after losing her child. Dead bodies were popping up all over Metropolis. Intergang was still in full swing even with its founders gone. And Clark…
He was still struggling with being Superman. He wouldn’t come right out and say it, but she could see it on his face. The fear that crossed his face when he would hear those cries for help. Something about being Superman shook him to the core more now than it ever had before and she wasn’t sure what it was; or if he would ever share his fears with her. He was so over protective of her.
“Lois?”
Lois turned around to find Perry standing in the doorway peering at her, “Perry, what are you doing here?”
He cocked his head at her, confused, “I could ask you the same thing. You jetted out of the bullpen like you were on fire. Everything okay?”
Lois shook her head, “I’m fine. I just needed to clear my head.”
He glanced around the room at the handful of research assistants and research techs that were busy at their respective workstations. He took a seat next to her, “You want to talk about it?”
Lois shook her head, “I’m fine, Perry,” She said.
Realizing he wasn’t going to get her to crack he stood up, “If you say so, but just remember my door’s always open.”
Lois watched him leave and then turned back to the blank computer screen in front of her. She was fine. She would prove it to him too.
***
Amanda stared at the reddish-brown brick building from a distance, watching the children climb on the monkey bars and down the slides happily. She had thought she would always have her son with her, but fate had had different plans. He had been taken from her twice now. First, it had been by Tony. When he’d found out about her pregnancy he’d made sure she would never ‘ruin him’ again.
It had nearly destroyed her to watch day in and day out parents that didn’t even deserve children coming in and out of the hospital with their babies. Then one day, just for a moment she pretended it was her with the newborn child. It took away the pain she felt; the hole in her heart that couldn’t seem to be filled no matter what. Then one day the opportunity for her to make her dream become a reality came; and she took it.
***
The green and red glow reflected off of Nigel’s face as he polished the round object in his hand. He examined it through the microscope then placed it in a velvet box next to ten others like it. He smiled to himself. When Superman’s time came; and it would come soon, he would be prepared to take him out. Lex lacked the precision in dealing with his problems. He wouldn’t let the same happen to him. He had designed the Kryptonite cage to weaken and torture the man of steel, but the Kryptonite bullets would be what would bring him to his long awaited death.
***
Sirens blared around the perimeter as the police closed the area off to the public. Lois looked around the scene, trying to find a familiar face that she might be able to get a statement of what was going on inside S.T.A.R. Labs. She spotted Inspector Henderson standing near the blockade entrance and waved him down. She could see the look of distaste on his face when he spotted her. She had a feeling this interview was going to come with a lecture.
“Henderson!” She pushed her way through, “Excuse me, Lois Lane, Daily Planet,” She called out as she pushed her way past the massive crowd that had formed outside the famous laboratory.
“Lois, what a surprise,” Henderson said dryly.
“Cut the sarcasm,” Lois snapped, “What’s going on?”
“You don’t already know?” He asked.
“All I know is there was a gunman inside S.T.A.R. Labs. What else can you tell me?” She asked, holding up her mini microphone to record her interview with Bill Henderson.
“I can tell you on the record, Dr. Bernard Klein was abducted at gunpoint along with a military weapon known as the Quantum Disruptor. The suspect is thought to be armed and dangerous.” Henderson pushed the microphone away from his face. “And I’m guessing by the look on your face that you really didn’t know that,”
She shook her head mutely as she shut off her microphone, “When did this happen?”
“About an hour ago?” Henderson shrugged. “We’re pulling up the tapes right now. He escaped via helicopter so as you can imagine we’re going to be having fun with this one,”
***
Nothing. He had nothing to go on. No one knew which way the gunman had headed via helicopter and he couldn’t find any sign of the machine anywhere. No propeller was being operated anywhere nearby. Which meant that whoever had taken Dr. Klein had already landed; and there was no telling where they were now.
Clark sighed as he flew through the air. He couldn’t help but feel like he was on a wild goose chase.
***
Revenge.
That was the name of the game. He would have his revenge. Nigel would pay for gunning down Lucy. Superman would pay for bringing Lex Corp down. Mindy Church would pay for her husband’s sins against him, and as for the Daily Planet and its prize reporters…
They would pay dearly for ruining his good name.
He stared coldly at the large chunk of Kryptonite sitting before him. He couldn’t help but smile as he imagined the looks on his enemy’s faces when they realized their end was here. Lex Luthor would live again; only this time there would be no one left to stop him.
***
“So, how’ve you been?” Jimmy asked, taking a seat across from Lucy at the café across from the Planet.
Lucy shrugged, “You know?” She sighed, “They won’t let me back at work until this shrink clears me. I don’t understand it at all. I’ve dealt with more stressful situations than this and I didn’t have to talk to a shrink. I think Knox is just trying to look good for reelection.”
“Maybe,” Jimmy nodded. “but I think it will be good for you to have someone to talk to.”
“What do you mean?” Lucy asked defensively.
“I mean, you don’t talk about it, Lucy. I don’t think you’re really dealing with any of it.” Jimmy said softly.
“I’m fine.” She said, “I had a baby; now I don’t. End of story.”
“No, you’re not.” Jimmy shook his head. “You’re not fine. I’m not fine. You were shot. You’re not fine. We lost a child. We’re not fine, Lucy. The sooner you can deal with that; the sooner you can start to put your life back together,”
Lucy stared at him a moment in silence then reached for her purse and walked away.
“Lucy,” He called after her but thought better of it. This was something she had to deal with on her own. He couldn’t help her.
***
“Mamba, you won’t get away with this!” Dr. Klein shouted as he stumbled through the woods.
“Do you see anyone looking for you?” Mamba asked irritably.
“Well…”
“HERE. Do you see anyone looking for you here?” Mamba asked.
“Well, no, but…”
“Then let’s just pretend for argument’s sake that I have gotten away with it.” He snapped. “Just shut up!”
***
“Then let’s just pretend for argument’s sake that I have gotten away with it.” He snapped. “Just shut up!”
He sat up and looked around. Where had that come from? He had thought he was alone here on the island; safe from the temptation of losing control and away from people. He turned towards the source of the arguing and was surprised when he zeroed in on it with his enhanced vision to find Dr. Klein here with an unidentified man.
***
“What about this one?” Ellen asked, holding up a blouse for Lucy to look at.
Lucy shook her head.
“Lucy, that’s the fifteenth rack you’ve stuck your nose up at me about. You’re supposed to be helping.” Ellen sighed.
Lucy just stared blankly back at her.
“You can’t let yourself get like this,” Ellen chided her, “You need to get out and live your life,”
“I am living my life,” Lucy argued defensively. She pointed around her, “I’m in the middle of a store filled with ugly clothes helping you pick out your next atrocious outfit for your next luncheon with people that are too self-absorbed to...to….” The tears came out of nowhere and now that they had begun she couldn’t seem to stop them.
“Lucy,” Ellen approached her hesitantly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Make it stop!” She sobbed, “I…I can’t…” She fell to the floor in tears. Ellen leant down next to her, holding her as she cried.
***
TBC...
