Superman and The Shadow Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 0.5 12/26
Rated PG-13
/ “text”/ indicates telepathic communication
*text* indicates bold
<text> indicates thoughts
{text} indicates over the telephone
Universal Locator designation Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 – Prime
Universal Locator designation Alpha 025 x Gamma - 086 x Tau 142 Alt 25 Shadow
Preeviously
Superman had arrived a few minutes early and was pacing when Leigh-Anne arrived. He said, “I'm glad we're finally going to talk about this.”
Leigh-Anne demurred, “Uh, yes … you first.”
Going straight to the point, Superman asked, “Miss Stipanovic, what is it, exactly, that you want? “
Half way indignantly, she replied, “What every mother wants. A future for her son.”
His reply was succinct, “That’s commendable, but he’s your son … not mine.”
All of the bitterness of a life unfulfilled came out as she replied, “Do you have any idea what raising Jesse's been like? Before I got pregnant, I had prospects. You probably don't know I was runner up in the Junior Stenographer Pageant.”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“I had my sights set on being a Star Search Spokesmodel. But now, that's just a dream. “
“But many single mothers work and raise a child.”
“Jesse's not just any child. And since he got … the way he is... I can't keep him in clothes, 'cause he grows so fast... Can't keep a roof over our heads, 'cause he wrecks every place... Can't keep a job 'cause no day care center'll have him...”
“I'd help if I could, but how? I don't have money, or credit cards, or a shoebox full of cash. Does this look like a rich man's wardrobe? “
“I don't want your money. At first I did, but this has gotten so big! I have a book offer... A Movie of the Week Deal... A kid's clothing company wants to do a 'Jesse' line.... Superman, I can give him the kind of life I never coulda dreamed of. And, of course, I won't be doin' so bad, myself. “
“But it's based on a lie! And that's going to do nothing but hurt Jesse.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But I see the way people are makin' money out there. Who am I? The last Girl Scout? I don't think so.”
“Then I'll keep fighting any way I can. I'm sorry you feel this way. I thought you called me to say you'd changed your mind.”
“Me call you? You called me!”
“No, I didn't. You left a message for me with Clark Kent.”
“No, I didn’t.” there was a moment of confusion before she asked, “What’s going on?”
“Where’s Jesse?"
"I left him with that lawyer fella."
Grabbing Leigh-Anne, Superman flew them to her house. When they rushed in they found the house to be empty.
Leigh-Anne started shouting, “Jesse! Jesse!”
‘He was with that attorney … Rafferty when you left?”
“Yes! Mr. Rafferty said he'd babysit! And they're gone!!”
And now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 12 –
Metropolis 1995
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Universal Locator designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 – Prime
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There was nothing else to do, but report the kidnapping to the police. As soon as that was done, Superman departed, supposedly to look for Jesse. Within minutes, the police were there, dusting for prints and looking for other evidence, while a detective took Leigh-Anne’s statement.
As she talked to the detective, she was sobbing, “I was only gone a few minutes... My God, if anything happens to Jesse...”
Just then, Clark arrived, adjusting his tie as he walked. He asked, “Any clues?”
The detective that had been taking the statement closed the pad and shook his head.
Clark lowered his glasses slightly and looked over the top as he scanned with his microscopic vision. He spotted a few tiny fragments of putty-like substance lying in the crevice between the carpet and the wall. Clark picked them up, sniffed, reacted to the distinctive odor, pocketed one, and took the other to the Detective. As he did, he said, “You might want to check this out. I'm not sure what it is.”
The detective looked at it and stepped away, placing it in an evidence bag as he did.
Just then faux Lois entered. Clark had picked her up and brought her back with him, asking her to check around outside while he went inside. She said, “Some guys in a news van saw the lawyer, Rafferty, drive out of here about two hours ago. No one thought anything of it.”
Leigh-Anne overheard faux Lois and asked, “Why would he do that?”
Faux Lois replied, “Extortion, probably. Look, Leigh-Anne, I know you love your little boy. We're going to get him back.”
Faced with this situation, Leigh-Anne started to break down. She started crying as she said, “This is all my fault. All my fault.”
Clark watched, sympathetically and then glancing into the dining area, he saw one of Jesse’s little capes. Clark moved over and picked it up, looking at it, sadly.
Faux Lois watched as he did and moved over next to him.
Clark, in a subdued tone, said, “Strange... I mean, he's not my son... But I do feel close to him. In a way I can't explain.”
Faux Lois placed a comforting hand on his arm and said, “Maybe because you've lived what's he's living. Maybe because you're the most caring person I ever met. And the most honest.”
Clark turned to look at her as she continued.
” I amaze myself sometimes. I'm so used to tracking down the truth with Lamont... Always so sure things aren't what they appear to be... I forget that sometimes truth is just staring me in the face.”
He asked, “And the truth is?”
“I don’t know how it is between you and her, but the truth is what you tell me. And what I tell you. Because that's the kind of relationship Lamont and have to have. That’s what we should have as well.”
“Lois, the best day of my life was the day you, uh, she found out I was you know who. It meant no more secrets. I'm done with hiding things from you, uh, her.”
Faux Lois was struggling with her emotions. She was in love with Lamont, but she was rapidly falling in love with this man and she was putting herself in that position. Her emotions were in her voice as she said, “I know. I'm still getting used to that. So if any part of me doubted you in all this... I can only say... I'm sorry. And that I love you.”
Clark reached out and took her hand. Looked into her eyes and gently said, “You need to remember Lamont. I think you are imprinting on me. Perhaps this is too much.”
She nodded and said, “No, I’ll be okay. I was just identifying with her.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Anonymous had lied to Jesse and transported him to his hideout. When they arrived, the hacker that he had hired was busily trying to hack into the Tanzorian’s missile control system. Anonymous was looking over the hacker’s shoulder when there was a sudden crash across the room. Jesse was throwing a temper tantrum, destroying articles of furniture.
The hacker had to raise his voice to be heard over the racket, “We're almost in. Tanzor's missile system has a highly sophisticated web of alarms and shunts that must be handled with the utmost care...”
Glancing across the room at what Jesse was doing, Anonymous shouted, “Put that down!”
In reply, there was a sudden crash as Jesse destroyed the article which caused the hacker to jump.
In a whiny tone, Jesse said, “I want mommy.”
In an attempt to placate Jesse, Anonymous said, sweetly, “Mommy is
still at the toy store buying you lots of surprises. So we have to wait just a few 'more minutes, okay? Why don’t you throw me the ball.”
While this was all going on the hacker continued to type.
He looked up when he heard Anonymous shout, “Noooooo!” When he did, he saw him fly across the room and slam into the wall. As Anonymous relaxed, he saw the ball that had hit him in the gut.
A few keystrokes later and the hacker said, “I’m in.”
Dragging himself to his feet, Anonymous said, “
What? That’s wonderful!”
With a satisfied smile on his face, the hacker said, “Now all you need are the launch codes.”
As Anonymous was walking the hacker to the door, he said, “And we'll have them. You've done excellent work. Just excellent.”
“Don’t bother thanking me, just send the cash.” He looked back and said, “Good luck with the kid. He was starting to give me a headache. “
Unwilling to leave any loose ends, or pay for the services that had been rendered, Anonymous pulled a silenced automatic from under his coat and as he shot the hacker, said, “Then by all means, take two of these.” As the hacker’s dead body fell to the floor, Anonymous said, “The check’s in the mail.”
As Anonymous returned to the main room he smelled smoke and saw Jesse burning a drawing on the wall with his heat vision. He shouted, “Stop that, you little…”
Jesse was startled and looked at Anonymous, but he didn’t turn off his heat vision until he had given Anonymous a hot foot.
Anonymous was hopping on one foot as he said, “I mean... We have lots of
other fun games to play. Oh, let's see... How about... I know! 'Grab the President!'
Jesse moped, “No. I don’t feel good.”
Anonymous was holding in his anger as he said, “Oh, I'm sure you have one more little game in you. Don't you?”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Faux Lois and Clark had gone back to The Planet where they had the resources that they needed to investigate after leaving Leigh-Anne’s. Clark had just finished an unfruitful call and slammed down the phone, almost breaking it, in frustration as faux Lois approached holding some items.
He said, “Well, that's it. There's no 'Donald Rafferty' at any law firm in Metropolis. “
Flipping open her pad, faux Lois added, “He may be faking more than his law degree.”
“What do you mean?”
She held up a baggie and said, “The forensic report just came back on this stuff you found at Leigh-Anne's. It’s amazing what your police labs can do with so little material.”
He sniffed and said, “It has a distinctive odor.”
She sniffed and shook her head and whispered, “Your sense of smell is a lot more acute than mine. Another power you haven’t mentioned yet? Okay a super nose. Anyway, it's a kind of putty used by professional make-up artists.”
“Unless Mr. Make-up has reappeared, then there is only one other person it could be ... Anonymous, the master of disguise rumored to be here to disrupt the peace conference.”
Faux Lois gasped out, “Anonymous? You think Jesse's with
Anonymous? Oh God, I hope not...”
They heard the ding of the elevator arriving and looking up they saw Leigh-Anne exiting. As she approached them she said, “I didn’t know where else to go. I'm sorry to be a bother, but I just can't sit home... Is there any news?” Faux Lois reached for and took her hand because she could see that her eyes were red from crying.
Faux Lois looked to Clark then said, “Nothing … that we can confirm.”
Clark placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and said, “Everyone's looking for him, Leigh-Anne. Especially Superman.”
As Clark turned away Faux Lois knew that he was planning to follow up on that promise, but before he had gone more than a few feet, he bumped into Jimmy who joined him as he walked away.
“C.K., I got news. There are three listings for a 'Ding Dong Motel.' One in Joplin, Missouri.',
Clark muttered to himself, “Never been there.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Go ahead, Jimmy. You said there were three.”
“There’s one in Lincoln, Nebraska and one in Traverse City, Michigan.”
It was as if a light had lit in his head. He challenged, ”Traverse City? Isn't that where an airliner nearly went down a year ago?”
“Yeah, a big electrical storm. Superman kept it from…”
Before he had finished talking, Clark turned around and hurried back to faux Lois and Leigh-Anne.
Behind his back, Jimmy finished his sentence, “crashing.” Shrugging it off as more or less normal behavior for Clark when he was on a story, Jimmy turned and headed for his desk.
When he got to where the two women were standing, he asked, “Leigh-Anne... Let me ask you. Were you and Jesse on a plane about a year ago over Michigan? “
Leigh-Anne hadn’t expected such a question, but knowing the reputation of Lois Lane and Clark Kent as investigators, all she could do was answer honestly, “I already told the airline, I'll
pay 'em when I can! I was
sure I had tickets when I got on, but…”
Seeing how upset she was, Clark softened his tone as he continued, “That plane nearly crashed, right?”
Now Leigh-Anne was confused. They were looking for Jesse and suddenly he’s asking about a plane flight about a year ago. “What? Well, yeah…”
Clark pressed ahead, “And you were sitting over the left wing? Window seat?”
“Jesse had the window. It was his first time on a plane.”
Clark pressed on, “And Superman rescued the plane. Then he posed for pictures with some of the passengers...”
Faux Lois picked up the thread, “Outside a motel.”
The realization that they knew ... that all of her lies were now out in the open came crashing down on her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she collapsed into a chair and turned away from them. “I really ain't good for much, am I?”
Faux Lois tried to comfort her. “You love your son, Leigh-Anne. That counts for a lot.”
Clark smiled sympathetically and turned away. Knowing that Anonymous had Jesse and what his goal was gave him a lead that he wanted to follow up on. Faux Lois hurried after him. The mention of the electrical storm had triggered the memory of one of the stories Clark had told her over the last week or so; the story about Resplendent Man and how he had acquired his powers.
She caught up to him near the stairwell and said, “That electrical storm. A lightning bolt must have...”
Nodding his head in agreement he finished for her, “hit me and transferred part of my power through the plane to Jesse. I've only known it to work when I was touching someone, but it obviously...” He stopped as he welled up, emotionally. “So, it
was me in the photograph. I couldn't understand why I felt close to him, Lois, and now I know. I'm responsible for the way he is.” He entered the stairwell and disappeared.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
One of the very few appearances that the President of Tanzor hadn’t cancelled was one in which he was to greet children from a day care center. Security was enhanced with barricades and additional security personnel. The President, who was very fond of children, was bouncing a toddler on his knee and there was a line of toddlers, each with an adult. There had been a vetting process and each adult and child had an ID tag.
In the line were Anonymous, disguised as a grandfatherly figure and Jesse in scruffy clothes and a baseball cap and glasses. Jesse whined, “I’m tired.”
Anonymous was really getting fed up with this kid and it came out as he spoke, “Quit your incessant complain...” Then he caught himself, calmed down and used bribery, “You can take a nap when we get home, okie-dokie? After our game, we'll have ice cream, and cotton candy, and jellybeans... “
Visions of these toothsome sweets overcame his tiredness and he said, “Okay.”
“You're next. Remember how we play this game?”
The child that the President had been bouncing on his knee jumped down and Jesse moved up. Holding up his arms, he said, “Hug?”
Standing up, the President bent down and Jesse put his arms around him. Suddenly, with a whoosh, Jesse took off, carrying the President with him.
Confusion erupted, the Secret Service started shooting, people were screaming and they hit the dirt.
Anonymous strolled away humming a little tune.
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