Superman and The Shadow Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 0.5 14/26
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
One of the very few appearance 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.
And now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 14 –
1995
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Universal Locator designation
Alpha 025 x Gamma - 086 x Tau 142 Shadow
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
In the conference room at The Daily Planet, faux Lois and Clark were watching the videotape of the kidnapping. As it finished, Lois used the remote that Clark had taught her to use, to rewind the tape and play it again.
As they watch, Clark commented, “Anonymous obviously has Jesse completely in his control.”
As it finished playing, she rewound it and played it gain. She asked, “Which of your powers haven’t you used yet?”
“What have I been thinking? Let me use my super-vision. Play it again.”
She played it, but the results were no different.
Shaking his head he said, “Rewind it and play it again.”
As she hit play he said, “This time I’ll use my super-hearing.” As it played, he put his finger to his lips and said, “Shhh. Listen.”
“I don’t hear anything.”
With a smile, he said, “You would if we could have turned it up enough. Just before Jesse flew off with the President, he said something. It sounded like 'Red Choo Choo.'”
“'Red Choo Choo?' I don't speak 'kid' very well, but wouldn't you think that means 'train?'”
Nodding, Clark said, “Red train? Maybe they're leaving by train?”
“Maybe Anonymous has him stashed at a train yard?”
He started to loosen his tie as he said, “It's a long shot. I'll check out every train and train yard on the coast. Don't go away.” He dashed off and disappeared into the stairwell just as Dr. Klein and Leigh-Anne exited the elevator.
Spotting faux Lois in the doorway to the conference room, she shouted, “Miss Lane! Dr. Klein here has news. Where's Mr. Kent?”
“He's helping Superman look for Jesse. We think we may have a lead.”
Leigh-Anne huffed in relief as she said, “Oh, thank God.”
Faux Lois turned to Dr. Klein and said, “Sorry, Doctor. But the D.N.A, results will have to wait... Right now we have to...”
Dr. Klein interrupted her, “I don't have the results. This is much more serious. As I was analyzing Jesse's hair sample, I noticed that its molecular structure varied throughout the strand. It seems there's been a gradual, yet steady...” His frustration at being unable to express what he needed to in words caused him to say, “it's easier if I show you.” As he said this he pulled out a plastic bag with a strand of hair. He removed the hair from the bag and then pulled out a pair of scissors. He directed her attention to the hair, “This end is about a year old.” Bringing up the scissors, he tried to cut the hair. When he did, the scissors broke. He gave that a second to sink in then pulled out another pair of scissors. “And now, the other end, nearer the follicle.” He cut the hair easily with the scissors.
Faux Lois was stunned, she blurted out, “What are you saying? Jesse's losing his super-powers?”
Nodding his head, Dr. Klein, replied, “I’m afraid so.”
Faux Lois commented, “Once he found out how Jesse got his powers, we passed the information on the Superman. He said that the transfer was imperfect. So the results most likely would be temporary. He had no idea as to how long they would last because of that.”
Dr. Klein shook his head and said, “And after this recent exertion... Miss Lane, Jesse is no safer right now than any ordinary child.”
This hit home to Leigh-Anne and clasping her hands to her mouth she gasped out, “Oh!”
In an attempt to calm her, faux Lois said, “Okay. Okay. Listen. Leigh-Anne. we think we know where Jesse might be. Jesse said 'red choo-choo' just before he left with the President. Superman is checking out the train yards as we speak.”
Leigh-Anne became frantic, as she explained, “But that may not be the right place at all! 'Choo choo' is Jesse's word for trains. But also for big smokestacks.”
Faux Lois gasped out, “Smokestacks?”
“Yes, they remind him of those old fashioned steam engines. So he uses the same word for both.”
Turning to Dr. Klein, faux Lois demanded, “Help me out here, Dr. Klein, Where would I find some red smokestacks?”
He thought for a second and then said, “The Metro-Chem plant on the west side.”
As faux Lois grabbed her coat, she said, “If Clark comes back, tell him I went to the old Metro-Chem plant.”
Leigh-Anne, blurted out, “What?”
“Tell him to look for the tall red smokestacks.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The President had been dazed and shocked at the kidnapping. He didn’t have any idea as to just where he was and the doors had locked automatically once he and Jesse had entered. Anonymous had shown up shortly thereafter and using a gun to threaten him, had forced the President to sit in a chair to which he very shortly was bound. In front of him was a computer terminal. It wasn’t a display he was used to seeing, but he gathered the import quickly enough.
Anonymous asked, “I’d like the launch codes for your nuclear missiles. Will you give them to me or do I have to beat them out of you?”
“I will never give you the launch codes.”
“Why not? We just want to destroy your enemy’s capitol city.”
“That would bring about a war. I will not have it. You may kill me, I will never give you the codes.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sometime later, some of his bravado was gone, he looked more terrified and much the worse for wear.
Anonymous, taking a break from beating on the President, asked, “One more time, Mr. President. I insist you give me your nation's nuclear launch codes.” He demonstrated his sadistic nature by slapping the President, hard, before he asked, “Pretty please?”
Persevering, even after the beating he had received and determined to resist more, the President replied, “You are a crazy person! Do what you want to me! But there
will be peace between Tanzor and Fostonia!”
Anonymous, to display his complete lack of morals, said, “Don't get me wrong, I couldn't care less about your little peace treaty. However, I am being paid handsomely to level your opposition.”
The president demonstrated his commitment to resistance by giving Anonymous and icy stare.
Anonymous, realizing that he might have met his match in this type of game; decided on taking a different track. “Well, sir. As much as I enjoy doing this the hard way, perhaps I'll have better luck doing this the easy way.” Picking up a small leather case he zipped it open and displayed the contents, a vial and a syringe. As he did, he said, “Truth serum.” He loaded the syringe and squirted some into the air, making sure that all of the air was out.
Seeing this, the President, his eyes wide in terror, wailed in despair, “No! Nooooooo!!” because he realized that though he could resist any beating, he couldn’t defend himself against this drug.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Faux Lois had been in the city long enough to know the layout of the streets and after leaving the parking garage had picked up a one way heading west. She hoped that once she left center city she’d be able to see the smokestacks that had been mentioned. She had a fair amount of traffic to deal with so it took time to reach the outskirts. Once she did, she spotted the red smokestacks standing far above the adjoining structures. She headed for them.
Finally, she pulled up near a door. Most of the building had fallen into disrepair with crumbling walls and broken windows, but this door had recently been repaired, an obvious giveaway. It was almost like having a sign painted saying, “Enter here.”
She wished that she had Lamont’s power of invisibility. As she approached the door, she mentally reviewed what she had been learning in karate and hoped that Clark would get her message.
The door swung open silently on well-oiled hinges and she slipped in.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The President had obviously had the injection and was babbling. As he babbled, Anonymous typed.
“Fifteen alpha... twenty-six omega...”
“Forty-two sigma... He stopped rambling and started to sing, “Oh, my papa.... To me he was so wonderful...”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
After faux Lois entered she started to tip-toe down the corridor she found herself in. Jesse, who was treating this time away from his mom as playtime, had been hiding around a corner, snuck up behind her and slapping her announced, “Tag, you’re it!” He then ran off down the corridor.
Faux Lois, afraid to raise her voice too high, called, barely above a whisper, “Jesse? Jesse, come back here.”
Cautiously, she followed the way that Jesse had gone. Coming to a doorway, she cautiously poked her head around the jam. She saw the President, strapped into a chair and Anonymous, still disguised as the lawyer, was at a computer terminal, typing as the President spoke.
As she watched, Jesse walked up toward Anonymous. As he did, the President dictated another sequence. “Sixty-one epsilon.”
Wishing that she was farther along in her karate lessons and disappointed that she didn’t have a gun, faux Lois wracked her brain as to what she could use to fool Anonymous into thinking that that was exactly what she had. Reaching into her bag, she felt around. She felt the escrima, but rejected that since she hadn’t learned how to handle it. Her hand encountered a tube that felt like it would be the right diameter. Pulling her hand out, she saw that she had a tube of lipstick in it. Shrugging, she thought, <Better than nothing. Maybe I can fool him into thinking I’m armed.>
Jesse had made his way to Anonymous and patting his leg, said, “Un-cle Don-aaald...”
Anonymous brushed his hand away and said, “Not now, I’m busy.”
Jesse had his eyes on faux Lois as she crept silently from the doorway. She lifted her hand and placed a finger across her lips in s “Shh!” gesture.
Just then, the President said, “Nine delta... I'll take Bleu Cheese on that salad, Miss...”
Looking directly at faux Lois and smiling, Jesse patted Anonymous’s leg again and said, “Un-cle Don-aaald...”
Fear in her eyes, faux Lois shook her head ‘no’.
Jesse giggled at the game he was playing.
Faux Lois continued to inch closer.
She was almost within arm’s reach when the computer beeped. Anonymous straightened abruptly and he chortled, “Jackpot! System armed, missiles ready to go.”
Straightening as he did, brought him within arm’s reach and faux Lois jabbed the lipstick tube into his back. As she did, she commanded, “Back away from the computer.”
Professional that he was, he didn’t make any sudden moves. He slowly raised his hands and backed away as commanded. Once he was a few feet away, he asked, “Now what?”
Unsure as to just where to go from there, she tried to put herself in Lamont’s place and imagine what he’d do. She commanded, “Uh, get down on your stomach. And don't move, or so help me, I'll ... get very mad. What's going on here?”
One of the side effects of the drug that had been used was to place the subject into a state like drunkenness. As a result, the President, slurred out, “Fostonia goes boom!”
Jesse giggled and mimicked, “Boom!”
Anonymous, from his position on the floor, asked, “That's right, Jesse. Wouldn't you like to see some fireworks?”
Jesse nodded eagerly.
Trying to forestall what Anonymous was trying to do, faux Lois said, “Jesse, come here, honey.”
Anonymous, encouraged him, “Just hit the red button. For the big 'boom!'”
Jesse approached the computer.
comments go here TBC
