My Own Worst Enemy
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 18
***
“What do you think you’re doing?” his double chastised as Clark flew next to him, scanning the city.
“Looking for Lois.” He growled angrily, zeroing in on the cemetery where Luthor’s family was buried. Henderson said Bermuda had helped carry Lois to an old crypt with Luthor. If they could just find it...
“What do you think is going to happen when two Supermen show up to rescue Lois?” the double asked.
“Then Luthor will be double scared.” Clark snapped angrily. “Why don’t you worry about checking for where Lois is. This whole cemetery was built on top of a fallout shelter. I can’t see anything below ground.”
“Figures.” the double snorted. “Leave it to Luthor. You know you should have let me kill him when I had the chance.”
“I don’t kill.”
“Maybe you should start.”
“Maybe there’s a better way.” Clark shot back. “Maybe the answer isn’t always to hurt but to help despite everything.” He glared at his double. “You can’t solve everything by snuffing your enemy out.”
“You can’t solve everything by denying the urge to either.” His double retorted as they came in to land.
“Are you done?” Clark growled. “As much fun as it is fighting with you I need to find my wife.”
A flash of anger crossed his double’s face, “Not without me.”
“You want to help then help, but don’t get in my way.” Clark warned, “If anything happens to Lois…”
“You really think I’d do anything to hurt her?” his double challenged.
“I don’t know what to think.” Clark snapped, “I do know you go against everything I’ve ever been taught. I know you are reckless. I know you do more harm than good.”
“The same could be said about you.” his double shot back. “I do what I can on the information I have at the time. I protect the weak and enforce justice.”
“There is a better way.” Clark retorted.
“Better way or your way?” his double challenged.
“It’s not justice if you create an atmosphere of fear and hate.” Clark retorted.
“I told you before. I’m the part of you-you want to deny. The sooner you accept that part of you exists the sooner you can be at peace.”
“I’m nothing like you.”
“How long are you going to keep telling yourself that lie?” his double taunted.
“We’re wasting time,” Clark argued, stepping away from his double. He didn’t want to admit to thinking the things his double thought of, and he didn’t want to admit that sometimes fear was needed to enforce justice. He wanted to encourage people to do the right thing not scare them into it.
“There’s a part of you that knows I’m right.” His double taunted him. “You know you wanted to snap Luthor in half when he tried to hurt her….she was pregnant with Jamie when he sent that dirty cop after her.”
“Stop it.” Clark shook his head, unwilling to go where his double was dragging him.
“She was pregnant when she and Lucy were attacked, and she nearly died!” his double continued. “He cut off her oxygen. He scared her so much she wouldn’t touch another investigative piece until after Jamie died.”
“I said enough!” Clark growled angrily.
“He tried to break her!”
“No!”
“Yes, you know what you wanted to do to him. You’ve known it all along. You wanted to break him in half and make him as scared as she was. You wanted to scare him. You wanted to hurt him. You wanted him dead.”
“Fine!” Clark snapped angrily. “
Yes, I wanted him to suffer, and I wanted him
dead! Wanting it and
doing it are two completely different things though.”
“Finally, the truth.” his double narrowed his eyes. “You’re just as damaged as me.”
“Except I know where the line between right and wrong is.” Clark countered.
“Do you?” his double paced around him, his cape swayed in the wind as he challenged him. “You think Luthor is going to let you just barge in and take her? No, he’s going to have a plan. He’s going to have guns. What are you prepared to do to stop him from hurting Lois? From hurting others?”
“I won’t kill.”
“Even if it’s the only way?” his double challenged.
***
“After a fierce battle by the cyborg many have dubbed, Metallo and not one...but TWO Supermen there has been a stir of mixed reactions to the city’s superhero.” the reporter said into the camera as she approached different people on the street.
“Where the heck did the second Superman come from?”
“I don’t know what to think. It’s like we don’t even know him anymore.”
“If he can do that to that Metallo creature what’s stopping him from doing it to one of us?”
“He’s too powerful. No one should have that much power and…”
Pete clicked the television off and turned to Rachel. “I’ve had enough of the negative nancy patrol. How about you?”
Rachel tossed a rag at him after she finished wiping the last of the countertop. “I think everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but I don’t think they should necessarily voice that opinion.” She let out a huff and added. “Especially when that opinion is wrong.”
“How you holding up?” Pete asked gently noticing the signs of avoidance in her.
“Just dandy. Found out one of my guys has been feeding information to criminals and helping give away witness locations in major cases without anyone being the wiser, but yeah I’m great.” Rachel muttered.
“Rach, that’s not your fault.” Pete soothed, running a hand up and down her arm.
“He could have killed Lucy tonight, Pete. Killed her. How would I ever have been able to look Lois in the face again?” Rachel pressed and then added with unshed tears, “Or Clark?” She sniffed, “It’s my name, my reputation on the line.”
“I know.” Pete said softly. “The important thing is he was caught.”
“Thanks to Lucy.” Rachel pointed out.
Pete sensed there was more to Rachel’s bad mood than Captain Raymond being a dirty cop. “They’re going to find her.”
“What if they don’t?” Rachel asked.
***
“Nothing.” Clark said bitterly when he reached the bottom of the staircase at the end of the crypt.
“Of course not. Why would Luthor make it easy?” his double asked, looking around.
Clark took a step to try and leave when a message appeared on the far wall. The image of Lex Luthor’s face appeared on the screen and Clark did his best not to react to his enemy’s taunting.
“Did you really think it was going to be that easy? You really think I’d leave my fate in the hands of that brute?” Lex shook his head and spoke in a condescending tone, “Tsk tsk tsk, now-now Clark you should know me better than that.”
“What did he just say?” Clark asked, his ears perked up uncertain he’d heard Luthor right. Clark. He’d used his name.
“He knows who you are.” His double said firmly.
“It must be true. Brain over brawn. I mean, you have been standing there all of five minutes and still haven’t noticed the clue I’ve left you. The longer you wait, the less time your wife has to live.” Luthor taunted.
“Clue?” Clark asked, looking around the room when he spotted a lead-lined box in the crevice of the corridor. “There!”
“It’s lead-lined.” His double pointed out uneasily.
“He said it’s a clue to find Lois.” Clark retorted, reaching for the box.
“Don’t open it.” his double warned. “It’s from Luthor. It could be a trap.”
“I have to find Lois.” Clark shot back, reaching for the lid of the box. At super-speed, his double threw the box to the other end of the corridor, burrowing a hole through the cement walls. Through the hole, they could see a glowing green radiation emit from the hole. “The meteorite.”
“Maybe you should be a little more cautious?” his double shot back angrily.
The screen played another recording. “Did you really think it’d be that easy? From what my scientists have found this meteorite is deadly to anyone from the planet you called Krypton.”
“How did he…?” Clark muttered aloud.
“Have a nice death, Superman.” Luthor laughed.
“He knows.” his double said again.
“He thinks he got me,” Clark added.
“Us.” the double corrected.
“How do we find Lois?” Clark asked, narrowing his eyes.
***
“Friez ran it four times. It’s definitely embedded in the frequency.” Mayson said with a long sigh.
“You better be careful with what you’re doing, Mayson,” Bill Henderson warned. “You understand how powerful Bill Church is.”
“I can’t just sit back and watch him do something like this either,” Mayson said. “He’s trying to control people with subliminal messages hidden in the frequency of the cable network and phone lines they’ve got hooked into most of Metropolis.” She let out a long sigh, “What I can’t figure out is why?”
“Have you had any unexplained anger toward anyone lately?” Henderson asked.
“Now that you mention it I seem to recall not liking Superman very much.” Mayson pondered aloud. “I can’t understand why though.”
“Could be the connection.” Henderson reasoned. “You’re going to need more than a hunch and IT analysis to prove it though.”
“I know,” Mayson said with a firm expression. “That’s where you come in.”
“Me?” Henderson asked.
***
Lois looked around the room, feeling her head still in a fog as she struggled with the knots tying her hands behind her back. Across the room, she could see Lex working on something. His head was buried in the computer on the desk.
“What are you doing?” Lois snapped angrily, fidgeting as she rubbed the edge of the rope against the dull edge of the chair, hoping to cut the binds. “Where am I?”
Lex chuckled, “You never were one to dance around. Right to the point.” He stood and walked to a television set on the wall. The coverage showed a satellite being placed on the Prometheus Space Station by the astronauts sent up by EPRAD.
“I don’t understand,” Lois shook her head.
“Ever wonder why I was so insistent on replacing Prometheus’ Space Station last year?” Lex prompted, a smile spread across his face.
“I figured money and power were two good incentives.” She shot back with a disapproving frown.
“True, but the money in medicine isn’t anything compared to the money from developing military weapons.” Lex mused, “You won’t believe the kind of money that gets thrown at you when you tell someone you can make it so they can annihilate their enemy with the push of a button and no soldier has to die.”
A satisfied grin washed over Lex’s features, and realization hit her. She looked back at the screen. “Oh my God. The satellite…”
“Honeybraun Industries liked to call it their most prized possession. It was one of the motives for the takeover. Getting my hands on those plans and developing my own Annihilator was a dream come true.” His eyes narrowed at her, “Until you and Superman destroyed all of it.”
“You can’t do this. That much power in the wrong hands…” Lois tried to plead with him, knowing all too well her pleas were on deaf ears.
“Yes, power. Real human power.” Lex leaned in closer, so he was a few millimeters from her face. She could smell the stench of old scotch on him and pulled away.
“You sick, twisted, disgusting sociopath.” she hissed angrily.
“I’ve added something special to ensure even Superman will bow to me. All the power in the world and he can’t even put his powers to good use.” Lex sneered. “Pity.”
“You don’t get it. Superman. It’s not the gifts he has that gives him power. It’s the heart. It’s his ability to know when not to use his power. It’s his ability to know right from wrong. Something you could never understand.” She shot back at him, smiling inwardly when she saw the look of confusion on his face.
“Oh, does he?” Lex chuckled. “From what I’m hearing these days Superman isn’t the beloved superhero you make him out to be.” He hit a button and showed a screen of embedded ANSI code, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you use the right resources. Steal an election. Turn the city against a loved hero. Turn a hero into a villain.” His eyes narrowed at her. “So many opportunities with radio, television, phones, and computers…”
“He’ll stop you,” Lois said, trying to portray a confidence she didn’t feel at the moment when she felt the rope behind her begin to loosen.
A loud crash from across the room echoed as the cement wall came caving in around them. Lex quickly moved toward the lead-lined box, “Superman, right on time.”
***
Lucy opened the door and sighed in relief when she saw her mother on the other side. “I’m so glad you came.”
Ellen nodded, stepping inside. “How are you holding up?”
Lucy shrugged, looking at the disaster that was the living room. She’d fed and changed Jon and he’d finally fallen asleep in his bassinet, but she was exhausted and afraid to fall asleep without someone here to help. She’d left a message with Jimmy and hadn’t heard back yet.
“I’m tired,” Lucy admitted shyly. “I haven’t heard anything from Clark yet, and I want to know what the police are doing and I…”
Ellen put a supportive arm around Lucy, “It’s okay. Take a deep breath. Now, why don’t you start from the beginning? Just sit here and rest while I clean this up.”
“Okay,” Lucy sighed, wiping her cheeks with her hand to brush away her tears. “You remember Pete’s showing?”
***
“Look out!” Lois shouted.
Clark quickly turned to see Luthor holding a lead box in his hands. After focusing in on the heartbeat he knew and following it through the maze, he quickly found where Luthor was hiding Lois. He heard Luthor reveal his plans and then made his entrance.
Clark shot a beam of heat vision at the lead box, causing Luthor to drop it. He flew across the room to Lois, ripping the binds loose with ease. She stood to her feet, and he embraced her in a hug. “Are you all right?”
“I think so.” She said shakily, “Are you…?” Her eyes widened, “Clark!”
A nauseating feeling washed over him, and he fell to the ground.
‘The meteorite.’ He recognized the feeling almost instantly.
***
“Bill Church Jr. Lex Luthor. Asabi Kharti. Bill Church Sr.” Bill Henderson read off the list of names. “Joey Bermuda has agreed to testify against all of them in return for taking the death penalty off of the table.”
Mayson twisted her lips for a moment. “He’s killed over a thousand people for Intergang and Lex Luthor.” She pointed out.
“He’ll be in prison for the rest of his life.” Henderson pointed out.
“I want video testimony recorded before I agree to anything. I don’t agree to anything until I’ve seen and heard it. That way if he tries to back out I can use the video in court.” Mayson listed off.
“We can do that,” Henderson said. “His attorney’s in the box with him. If you’re willing to play ball, I’m sure she’ll play with you.”
“Let’s go.” Mayson grabbed her briefcase.
***
Lois opened her mouth to scream but couldn’t find her voice as she watched Lex hit Clark from behind with a large chunk of green meteorite. In an instant, Clark fell to the ground. Blood covered his face.
“No!” she cried out, kneeling by his side.
“Almost a year of planning and waiting…” Lex taunted, leaning in as he paced over Clark’s slumped body. “Dream all you want, but nothing prepares you for the moment of triumph.”
“Clark?” Lois shook his body, listening for any sign of him breathing. He was breathing. She sighed in relief and looked back up at Luthor. She wanted to scream, yell...anything, but found herself too angry to react.
“You’re too late. By this time tomorrow Metropolis will be in ruin, Superman will be no more, and I will take my place back where I belong.” Lex cheered in triumph. The television showed the riots in the street chanting against Superman.
“Oh my God,” Lois gasped in disbelief. She looked down at Clark who was still too close to the poisonous meteorite Lex had struck him with. She noticed Clark’s face scrunched in pain and looked to the rock that was a few feet away.
“Yes, a travesty, isn’t it? Everything you’ve worked for gone in an instant.” Lex taunted.
Lois looked down at Clark as she managed to scoot away from the rock another foot. She needed to get him away from it so he could heal. She began to move away from the green glowing rock, struggling under the weight of her husband when she felt a rumble from across the room. She saw Clark’s face relax. On the other side of the wall, a loud crash broke down the cement wall, and everything went black.
***
A tall man in black watched from the visitor’s room as police came in and out of the station. So far there was no sign of Joey Bermuda or the police officers helping him. He tightened his hand over the phone in his pocket. Orders had come from both sides to take care of Bermuda. He wouldn’t disappoint.
***
Lois stared up at the man in red and blue holding a large piece of concrete up. “Get him out of here.” He said, gesturing to the man in her arms.
“How…?” She began to ask, and he shook his head.
“Just get him out of here before Luthor comes to.” He looked back behind him where Lex was groaning from beneath the debris.
She didn’t waste any time, standing to her feet and helping Clark to his feet. “Clark?”
“I’m okay,” He said before looking up at his double and nodding, “Thank you.”
“Wait!” Lois stopped, “The meteorite.”
“Meteorite?” the double asked.
Clark shook the debris from his hair as an arm wrapped around her waist. “Over there.” He pointed to the right corner where a green glow reflected off the wall. Recalling what had worked with Metallo, he aimed a blast of heat vision at the rock. His double aimed a blast toward it as well.
Lois watched in amazement as the rock changed different colors until a clear white replaced the green rock and a loud blast was heard from across the room. “What just happened?” Lois asked as the double set the concrete slab down.
“When the meteorite gets to a certain temperature it becomes hard like a diamond and loses the radiation that makes it lethal to me…” the double explained then corrected, “err...us.”
“Thank you,” Clark said, reaching his hand to shake his double’s.
His double took his hand and shook it, pointing to Luthor, “What are we going to do with him?”
“Let the police handle him,” Clark said firmly.
“He knows,” Lois interjected.
“Something tells me he’s got bigger problems.” Clark pointed at the large slab of concrete on top of Luthor. “We’re going to have to get someone down here. If I try and move it the whole place could cave in.”
“He knows.” his double repeated.
“And I hate that, but it doesn’t change anything,” Clark said firmly. “He’ll be dealt with like any other criminal and lowlife.”
“You could leave him here.” his double pointed out.
“I could,” Clark admitted.
“Clark!” Lois chastised before he could finish.
“But I won’t.” His jaw tightened as he met his double’s surprised gaze. “I uphold law and order and truth and justice. If I were to do that in this one instance, it would take away from everything I’ve done. Justice will be served.”
His double’s face grew perplexed then softened, “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I do,” Clark said, tightening his arm around Lois.
“We do.” Lois corrected.
His double nodded. “We do.”
Before the words escaped his mouth a bright light emitted around the two of them. Lois jumped back, feeling something push her back as the two men fell to the ground. “Clark!”
She held a hand over her eyes, watching in surprise as the two figures began to merge together. A bright light filled the room and then dimmed once more. She looked up and saw one Superman standing in front of her where the two had been moments ago.
“What happened?” Lois asked, standing to her feet as she approached him cautiously.
“I stopped being afraid.” He said with a smile.
“Afraid?” Lois asked, not sure she understood.
“All this time I’ve been afraid of being found out and losing everything to people like Trask and Luthor.” He threw a look at the unconscious Lex Luthor. “After I let go of the fear and just accepted it...I don’t know. The two just became one.”
“You accepted that part of yourself.” Lois reasoned aloud.
“I guess.” Clark shrugged. “We need to call Henderson and get someone down here to help Luthor out.”
Lois nodded, “And make him finally answer for all the crimes he’s committed against Metropolis?”
He nodded, running his hand across her cheek, “Are you okay?”
“I will be when we can get him behind bars and us back home with Jon,” Lois said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.
“Me too.” Clark smiled back at her. “I left him with Lucy, but as far as I’m concerned the sooner we get home, the better.”
“I don’t have my phone.” she frowned, patting her pockets.
Clark looked around the debris of their unstable surroundings. “Just a sec.”
She felt a burst of wind against her face as he flew them out of the underground lair and back to the front door in the Wayward Pines Cemetery. “Oy, warn me next time you do that.” She said, holding onto him for support as she waited for everything to stop spinning.
“Sorry.” He apologized, “You okay?”
“I think so.” She leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek. “About the phone…”
“Right,” He stepped back and disappeared into a blur of red and blue, reappearing before her in his suit and glasses holding his mobile phone for her.
“Thanks,” Lois took the phone from him. “Let’s hope Henderson doesn’t keep us here all night.”
***
Henderson watched as a construction crew worked tirelessly to remove the concrete slab from Luthor’s back. He looked behind him where Clark Kent and Lois Lane stood, watching as the crew worked to help release Lex Luthor from a prison of his own making and finally see him pay for his crimes. The story of how they found him was vague at best but the expression on Lois’ face told him not to press the issue. Whatever it was that had brought the couple to Lex Luthor’s secret lair wasn’t something either of them seemed willing to discuss.
“How we looking?” He asked, looking to the medical team on site that had Luthor hooked up, monitoring his vitals as the construction crew worked to free him from the concrete wall that had fallen ontop of him.
One of the EMT’s nodded in his direction. “Everything seems to be stable.”
Henderson nodded to his team of officers, “Everyone ready?”
“Let’s go!”
The concrete slab slowly lifted up, and the bloodied and bruised body of Lex Luthor was revealed. He let out a long breath.
“Is he talking yet?” Henderson asked.
“Sir, can you hear me?” one of the EMTs asked.
He let out a low groan. “D-die.” he stammered out.
“What?” the EMT asked.
“Y-you d-die.” he stammered out, his gaze looked to where Clark was standing with Lois Lane, holding her protectively.
“You’re not going to die,” he reassured, gesturing to another EMT to help him. “Heartrate is steady.”
“Get ready to move him.” the other EMT instructed.
“One, two, three, and lift.”
Henderson wore a smug expression on his face as he watched the EMTs strap Lex Luthor in and carry him toward the exit. He approached with a pair of handcuffs. “I’ve waited over a year to say this. Lex Luthor, you’re under arrest.” He began to recite the Miranda Rights off Luthor’s face scrunched into a look of rage as the EMTs carried him away.
***
“I’m so glad you’re all right!” Ellen hugged Lois fiercely.
Lois nodded, “A little banged up, but I’ll live.” She looked around the living room. “Where’s Jon?”
“Passed out asleep.” Her mother said with a smile. “Lucy left a little while ago with that boyfriend of hers. Poor thing looked like the walking dead. I sent her back to the condo.”
“Probably a good idea,” Clark said with a weak smile. “Thanks for watching Jon.”
“Anytime,” Ellen reassured. “I’m just glad I was able to get away. I still can’t believe the gall of that captain. Working with the likes of Lex Luthor and then attacking both you and Lucy in your home.” She shook her head in disgust. “A shame.” Lois managed to nod along as she took a seat on the couch, poking her head over the bassinet. Jon was indeed fast asleep.
“I hope you don’t mind me keeping him down here. I just wanted to keep him where I could see him.” Ellen explained.
“It’s fine.” Clark sighed. “Probably best, considering everything.”
“Moments after the satellite was installed a mysterious white beam could be seen from it. It’s unclear what is causing this phenomenon. EPRAD has denied any connection to the satellite and is unaware of who authorized its installation on the Prometheus Space Station.”
“Clark…” Lois gasped, staring at the image. A look exchanged between them, and he nodded, knowing what he needed to do. “Lex said he was going to destroy Metropolis.”
“Oh, my word!” Ellen gasped, taking a seat next to Lois, unaware of the exchange between the couple.
‘Be careful.’ Lois mouthed to him as he stood to leave, tugging at his tie and heading upstairs. A sonic boom could be heard outside as Lois, and her mother remained entranced by the footage on the television.
***
“Moments after the satellite had been placed EPRAD picked up footage of Superman flying toward the station it had been installed on.” the newscaster announced as footage of Superman flying toward the metal disc floating in the sky.
Mayson looked up at the television, seeing the image of the satellite shoot a long white beam. A sense of dread washed over her before an unusual feeling of relief replaced it. ‘Superman bad’ the thought popped into her head, and she closed her eyes, willing the thought to leave. ‘Not my thoughts.’
“This just in.” the reporter spoke into the camera, “Orders to take Superman out have come down from Washington.” The reporter looked around, “Is that right?”
“A bunch of hooey if you ask me.” a voice from behind her spoke.
“Lieutenant Harris,” Mayson looked behind her to see the young woman standing behind her with a scowl on her face. “What brings you here?”
“Orders from the Police Commissioner for our team to take Superman out.” Rachel snorted in disgust. “This stinks worse than a pile of cow manure.”
“I thought Superman was invulnerable,” Mayson said with a quizzical expression.
“So did I.” Rachel said with a worried expression, “but there’s a first time for everything.” A quiet chirp came from Rachel’s radio, and she excused herself.
Mayson spotted Bill Church and his son coming out of Governor Barnes’ office. All three men looked to be up to something. “Thank you for your support.” she heard Barnes say.
Feeling in her briefcase, she found the small square device she was looking for and pressed the red button, keeping the microphone pointed upward. Henderson had obtained the warrant for undercover recording. All she had to do was hold up her end. Bill Church trusted her which made what she was doing hard, but if he was doing what Bermuda said, then a lot more would be at stake. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the task at hand. A smile spread across her face as she walked over.
“Mr. Church, Billy, Governor Barnes.” she nodded to each of them. “I thought I could get some more information on this order that came down against Superman.”
“Superman is the problem. The Churches are the solution.” Barnes said with a broad smile.
Mayson frowned, looking over at the governor, “But you’re running against them, Governor.”
“Something I plan to rectify,” Barnes said with a smile. “I will be pulling out of the race this afternoon. I see now Mr. Church can help this city more than I can.”
“I see,” Mayson said cautiously, looking between Bill Church and his son. “Could you excuse us for a moment, Governor?”
“Of course,” Barnes pushed past them and walked toward the mayor’s office.
“Something wrong, Mayson?” Church asked innocently.
“How about we start with what you’re doing with the Church Network to turn this city into walking zombies.” Mayson crossed her arms over her chest, confronting them.
Church looked at her in surprise, “I guess I should have known I couldn’t hide it from you, Mayson. You’re just too smart.”
“Doing what?” Mayson countered, doing her best to hide the uneasy feeling that washed over her as a look exchanged between the two men.
“Control.” Bill Church Jr. said with a satisfied grin. “Complete and utter control of the masses.” He pointed to the television screen. “We can turn the hero into the villain.”
“And the villain into the hero.” Church slapped Bill Jr on the back. “The perfect way to take over a city.”
“You won’t get away with this.” Mayson stammered out, shaking her head.
“Who’s going to stop us?” Church countered. “With technology like this, we don’t even need Intergang anymore.”
She’d heard enough. She could feel a chill run down her spine. “Intergang?”
“Mayson?” She looked over and sighed in relief when she saw Lieutenant Reagan approaching her.
“Lieutenant Reagan,” She forced a smile.
He looked at his watch, “You said seven o’clock for the deposition, right?”
“Right, the deposition.” Mayson nodded. “We’ll finish this later, Bill.” Before he could argue she had already stepped away, walking down the hall with Lt. Reagan toward the conference room.
“Count on it.” Bill Church called after her.
***
The room was dimly lit and smelled of old oil and mold. Lucy scrunched her nose as she looked around. Jimmy sat next to her with his hands tied behind his back as well.
Two feet. If she’d just been able to get two feet ahead, she’d have gotten away.
“Any luck?” she whispered to Jimmy.
He shrugged, still fiddling with the handcuffs keeping his hands tied behind his back. “Nothing yet.”
“Where are we?” she asked.
“Hobb’s Bay. Some old abandoned warehouse.” Jimmy explained.
“What do you think he’s doing?” Lucy asked, looking across the room where the man that had grabbed them was working on the computer.
“I don’t know.”
***
“Where’s Clark?” Ellen asked, looking behind her.
“He had to give Henderson some more information about the case,” Lois said, running her hand through her hair.
“The white beam has now changed to green.” The reporter on the television spoke.
Lois’ attention moved to the television, “Oh, my God,”
“That’s new,” Ellen said with a frown. “I can’t understand how anyone would think they can hurt Superman. After everything, he’s done to help…”
“I don’t understand it either,” Lois said weakly.
***
Clark flew toward the satellite, aiming his heat vision to the base of it. The metal began to melt, changing the angle the beam coming out of the satellite was pointed at. He took the brunt of the blast, inching his way closer and closer and keeping his heat vision aimed at the satellite. Then something changed. He felt weak and nauseated. He opened his eyes and saw the white light that had been coming out of the satellite had been replaced with a green glowing light.
‘The meteorite.’ he could feel himself growing weaker and weaker by the second. He had to find it and get rid of it. Something caught his attention in the corner. A small crystal that hadn’t been there before. He shot a beam of his heat vision toward it and felt the effects of the meteorite and fought through it.
‘Just like before.’ he told himself. The colors began to change on the beam, and he could feel himself losing latitude as he fell back into the Earth’s atmosphere. A smile spread across his face as he saw the white beam give out.
TBC…
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