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Suspicions [CHAPTER 7 - Nightfall]
Maverick Ervin (or simply Mav) looked up from the front desk, deciding he needed to select an assistant from the list Julie gave him sooner rather than later. Being the face of the Superman Foundation was a full-time job, but he was happy to be active and was proud to be part of something far reaching and positive. The amount of money pouring in was mind boggling, and the help they were able to accomplish with it was even more so.
Superman stopped by at least once a week to make sure everything was still running smoothly, to pick up any mail, to sleep, and to see if there were any changes to the schedule -- particularly in events that needed his presence such as fundraisers or other functions.
At first, Mav wasn't certain about working for the superhero, simply because he wasn't sure how the foundation would work. But then he met with his future team, Murray Brown and Julie Heinz, and then Superman himself. None of them were like he had expected, especially Superman -- or Kal-El, as he preferred them to call him. He was surprisingly personable and genuinely kind. Mav wasn’t sure why this surprised him so much, but it did. After working with so many powerful people, Mav had gotten very good at spotting fake people and it was quite refreshing to discover his new pseudo boss was nothing like the last few people he had had to work under. As for the other two, Brown was eccentric, but not as annoying as he initially thought he would be. He was efficient and actually knew what he was doing, even though his eyebrows and ties might suggest otherwise. Julie Heinz was amazingly organized and had an unrivaled memory, she was also tenderhearted and softly spoken.
“Mr. Ervin?” a white-haired man in an expensive suit and black wing-tip shoes asked, approaching the desk. He had a companion dressed similarly and their posture screamed government. Fortunately, the evening was winding down and there were no other visitors in the building, in fact, he would be locking up in less than half an hour.
“Yes?” Mav asked, grateful Superman's legal status had been unequivocally decided before the creation of the foundation. At least he could be sure it didn't concern anything like that.
“I am Senator John Cosgrove, and I need to get a message to Superman immediately,” he said.
“Yes, Senator, I recognize you,” Mav said simply, unbothered, even though he had voted for the other guy. “What is the message?”
“May we speak privately?” Cosgrove asked, which was sort of an odd question since they were already alone.
“Certainly,” he said. “Just let me lock up and we can discuss this in my office.”
They allowed him to do what he needed before following him to the side room.
“How quickly can you get him here?” Cosgrove asked, somewhat impatiently.
Mav suspected he was anxious and in a hurry. It certainly made Mav a little uneasy, but Cosgrove was at least a halfway decent politician. He didn’t tend to stir up drama, although he could be coarse at times.
“He has a pager. He could be here within minutes, assuming he's not busy, such as at an emergency, or on the other side of the world, you understand,” he answered, finding no hint of deception or the like from Cosgrove or his companion so deciding to be honest.
“Please page him now,” Cosgrove stated.
“Certainly,” he said, picking up the phone and sending the 911 page. “I trust you will explain?”
“This is top secret and cannot go beyond the confines of this room,” Cosgrove said brusquely.
“I understand,” Mav said, agreeing to secrecy.
“It is imperative Superman hears what we have to say. It goes beyond national secu--.”
Before he could finish, there was a whoosh, and the window to the office was suddenly open and Superman was standing in the room. His cape settled behind him as he took in those before him.
“Superman!” Cosgrove said, startled.
Mav suppressed a smirk.
“I understand this is urgent?” Superman asked, glancing at Mav.
“Yes, very much so. I’m Senator John Cosgrove and this is Mr. Smith,” he said, briefly motioning to his shadow. “Superman, I was asked to ensure you know that your presence is needed at EPRAD Command and Control tonight at 8pm. It concerns the safety of the planet,” he said, collecting himself remarkably fast after being so surprised. He stepped toward Superman, his eyes revealing grave seriousness. “Superman, I am not exaggerating when I say the lives of billions are on the line.”
“What’s happened?” Superman asked. “War?”
“No. Something worse. I’m not at liberty to say more here, but you will be told everything at EPRAD.”
“Very well. I will be there at 8. Is there anyone I should seek out specifically?” Superman asked.
“Thank you, and Dr. Stephen Daitch is who you need to meet with, though there will be others. He will have the most pertinent information, however,” Cosgrove answered.
“I’ll be there,” Superman assured.
“Thank you, Superman, I know the President will be happy to hear that. I’ll take my leave now. I have a few other things to do before tonight,” he said.
They each gave a nod, deciding there wasn’t much else to say. Cosgrove and his escort left, leaving Superman and Mav alone.
“Well, I think this involves something from space,” Mav stated. “Daitch is the chief scientist of EPRAD.”
Superman nodded. “Put a hold on any unnecessary spending. I have a feeling our help will be needed in a different way shortly. And accept any volunteers you feel capable.”
“Sure thing. Anything else, Kal-El?”
“Please let Julie know our schedule will likely be changing. I have a feeling whatever is going on will take priority for the foreseeable future,” he said.
“Alright.”
“I’ll contact you after I learn what the situation is.”
“Thanks. And don’t worry if it’s 3am when you can tell me. I’ll want to know, no matter the time.”
“Of course,” Superman agreed before going out the window.
O o O o O
Eight o’clock came quickly.
He landed in the viewing room that was open to the facility’s balcony, spotting Professor Daitch, along with two others. The scientist was looking through a huge telescope, while the other individuals were talking among themselves, including a general.
“You requested me?” he asked, announcing himself.
“Superman!” Daitch said, pulling back from what he was doing.
“Yes, thank you for coming, Superman,” the General said. “I am General Robert Zeitlin, this is Professor Daitch, and I understand you have already met Senator John Cosgrove.”
Superman nodded, before shaking hands with them all.
“So what is this about?” Superman asked.
“Take a look,” Daitch offered, motioning to the telescope. “Though do you need it with your enhanced visual abilities?”
“I do. I have my limits like everyone,” Superman answered, looking through the eyepiece. He pulled back, now having an idea of why he had been called. “How big is it?”
“‘Nightfall’ is close to 17 miles across. It’s travelling near 30 thousand miles an hour,” he said, going to the computer.
A stylized digital countdown with the EPRAD space logo came up.
EPRAD COMMAND AND CONTROL
121:54:23
Estimated Time to Impact
“If my calculations are correct, in a little over 5 days, it’s going to hit the Earth,” Daitch said, taking a deep breath. “The sky, literally, is falling.”
“What kind of damage could this cause?” Superman asked.
“Superman, this could knock the Earth off its axis. Even throw us out of our current solar orbit. It's far larger than the meteor that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. The crater alone will throw enough dust into the air to start a new ice age,” he answered, unable to keep his voice level.
Superman looked to the General and Senator. “When is this going public?”
“The President will tell the public soon, but he wants to avoid panic too. He simply wants to make sure you're on board before making an announcement,” Zeitlin said.
“I’m on board. Is there a plan?” Superman asked, concealing his apprehension remarkably well.
“Yes. We are in the process of modifying an old cold war rocket packed with explosives. We have decided against using a nuclear bomb since we don’t want to introduce possible fallout and feel we can be successful without introducing that risk. The energy that’ll be released with a non-nuclear rocket--from the explosives and through the kinetic force of the rocket’s impact--will be enough to break up the asteroid and redirect the remaining pieces away from Earth,” Zeitlin answered. “We also won't be hitting it head on, but from the side.”
“So you need me to act as a delivery service,” Superman concluded.
“Correct,” Cosgrove said, both relieved and pleased Superman was on the same page as them.
“You’ll have to fly out with the rocket approximately 1.2 million miles from the earth. We’ll place equipment on the rocket that will let you know when to release it so you can make it clear before impact. There will be scanners at the nose of the rocket and it will measure how quickly the rocket is moving and how far it is from the asteroid. There will also be a course indicator that will let you know if you begin going off course. We don't want to rely on our radios in case there's interference -- although we will aim to be in continuous contact -- and we must remember there will be a time delay in our communications back and forth the further away you get. The delay will get up to 10 seconds,” Daitch said. “But anyway, we’re also in the process of making you a space suit.”
“I won’t need a full suit, but I will need air, so perhaps just a vest and a helmet? I can only hold my breath for about 20 minutes,” Superman answered.
“We’ll get you fitted for all necessary equipment as soon as we’re finished here,” Zeitlin promised.
“So you're immune to the vacuum of space?” Daitch asked curiously.
“I've gone to the moon a few times and haven't had any trouble,” he said simply. “So it's just about air supply.”
“Amazing,” Daitch said. “How fast can you go?”
“I've never really timed myself to be honest, but I made it to the moon in about 8 minutes without pushing myself too hard. My cape began to come apart though.”
“And your uniform?” Cosgrove inquired.
“As long as it's close to my skin, it's fine.”
“So you must give off an aura!” Daitch said excitedly as he punched in some numbers into a calculator he had whipped out from somewhere. “And you can go at least 800 kilometers a second! In space at any rate.”
“Professor, I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to discuss this further later. For now, let us move on,” the General gently interrupted.
“Of course,” he said, much to his chagrin.
“Well, now that we know you are on board, we will notify the president and he will make an announcement tomorrow in front of EPRAD Command Center at 2 pm. If at all possible, we ask that you make an appearance then,” Zeitlin said.
“I'll be there,” Superman promised.
“Thank you. Seeing you and the president with a plan and standing confidently together will help the public remain calm. We must do everything we can to ensure a panic doesn't occur,” Cosgrove said.
“Agreed. What may help further is allowing the press to have direct access to some of what EPRAD is doing, after two o'clock tomorrow of course. The unknown is what scares people the most, so also describing a plan B may not be a bad idea. Having a second rocket in case the first doesn't take care of the asteroid fully will assure the world that we're not putting everything on one chance. And to be honest, it would bring me some peace of mind as well. We have time.” Superman paused, looking pensive. “And now that I say that, if there's anything I can do to help prep any rockets to speed things along, let me know. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it.”
“Others have made similar suggestions and there is a backup rocket in the works. It should be ready to go three days after the first, should it be needed, but your help would certainly be welcome,” Zeitlin said.
“As soon as we get you fitted with your vest and helmet, I'll get you in contact with the rocket prep teams,” Daitch said, looking much more at ease than ten minutes before.
Superman nodded in thanks.
“You are a wonder, Superman. You continue to go beyond what any of us could expect from you. I know you have answered before, but I must ask, why do you help us?” Zeitlin asked.
“Earth is my home now. Has been for years, as everyone knows. Earth isn’t perfect, but it is good, and I love her people. Earth has cared for me, and I refuse to allow it to meet a fate similar to my home world,” Superman replied.
Zeitlin straightened, his respect for Superman clearly rising.
“Thanks again, Superman. We’ll leave you with the professor and will keep you updated on anything relevant,” Cosgrove said after a moment.
“In case I am away, here is my pager number. Just send ‘37723’ for EPRAD and I’ll come here right away,” Superman said, a slip of paper seemingly appearing in his hand.
“Thank you,” Cosgrove said, taking the note before taking his leave with General Zeitlin.
“Well, Superman, let’s meet the team,” Daitch said, eager to begin.
O o O o O
Superman met and worked with several teams before morning arrived after briefly updating Mav on what was happening. A deeply shaken Mav promised to keep the news to himself as he worked with Julie on preparing the Foundation for what was coming.
With Daitch's team, they focused on the equipment that would be needed on the rocket and on Superman. The helmet was quickly made, taking an existing space helmet and altering it so it would seal against his skin around the base of his neck through adhesive and the pressure applied by the vest harness that extended down to wrap around his thighs. The ‘space vest’ had compartments for the electronics and air tanks, along with snaps and velcro straps that would secure the helmet, hoses and wires. His ‘S’ emblem was still visible and his cape would be removed when he was fully suited up.
As the engineers and scientists made the finishing touches on his vest and helmet, he helped with the two rockets. With his assistance, he easily saved the teams over twelve hours of work on each rocket.
“The President is on his way,” Daitch’s assistant said, interrupting their work. “He’ll make the announcement soon. General Zeitlin has asked for you and Superman.”
“Thank you, George,” Daitch said, before he and Superman left to meet with Zeitlin.
O o O o O
Within the meeting hall of the EPRAD Command and Control Center, news cameras lined the back and faced an elevated platform with a podium loaded with microphones. Behind the microphone was Dr. Stephen Daitch, EPRAD Chief Scientist. Right behind and beside him was General Zeitlin and Senator Cosgrove. Not far from them were other official looking individuals, but all eyes were on Daitch.
Standing with dozens of other reporters, Lois was astonished by what she was hearing.
An asteroid was coming and, unless stopped, would hit the Earth in a little more than four days. What was more was that there were smaller bits of meteoroids accompanying the cosmic planet killer.
“A plan has been made and thousands of individuals have already been brought together to implement it. If you look behind me you will see our plan. Please forgive its rough appearance.” He motioned behind him and a projector displayed a simplified representation of a few stages involving Earth, a rocket, and the asteroid. “To summarize, we are modifying a missile that will be delivered to the asteroid by Superman tomorrow morning. We have named the rocket 'The Asgard'. Its payload will be non-nuclear and will detonate on impact. Superman will have equipment that will ensure he is on target, coming at it from the correct angle instead of head on, and it will notify him when to release the Asgard so he can get out of range of the resulting blast. It will then strike the asteroid, disrupting its trajectory to Earth as well as destroying the smaller asteroids near. We are confident in this plan and have run several computer simulations. They all support our initial calculations.
“We do have a secondary rocket being prepared in case it is needed, but at this point it is merely a precaution. I will step aside now, but I will answer any questions later,” Daitch said after an official leaned forward a bit and whispered something to him.
Daitch glanced over at someone near the back and stepped away from the podium as a side back door to the stage opened.
Due to the secret service, the press were not surprised by the entrance of the President of the United States -- though they were pleased; however, they were a bit more excited by the colorful figure stepping in behind him.
“Good afternoon. You may be seated,” President Garner said, his voice strong and certain, unbothered by the Press’ split attention. “I was briefed on the situation and plan yesterday and gave the order to proceed soon after. Superman has been working closely with our teams for the past twelve or so hours, helping us prepare for the mission ahead,” he said, turning to the Kryptonian just behind and beside him. “On behalf of the world, thank you, Superman. You have not only saved us insurmountable time, but have become the keystone to saving us all.”
Superman gave a nod in acknowledgement before the President faced the cameras.
“I have no doubt, with our combined efforts, that we will succeed. This asteroid, this Nightfall, will not befall doom upon us. We will defeat it and demonstrate mankind's ingenuity and determination. In the coming days, I ask everyone listening to me now to remain calm and steadfast. I know in times like this fear can leach into us, make us shadows of our true selves, but I tell you, we are better than that, more capable and resourceful,” he said, motioning for Superman to step beside him, shoulder to shoulder.
“Less than twenty-four hours ago, we detected an object in space that in the past would have guaranteed the end of our world. Within a little more than 18 hours, we have retrofit a cold war missile into a defender of life, the Asgard. And in that same span of time we have equipped Superman with the means to transport the Asgard over a million miles into space with time to spare for a second rocket to be launched if need be. We have already accomplished so much in so little time. Let us continue to strive together in all our coming days, for we have already demonstrated that there is nothing we cannot accomplish together.”
Lois had to give it to the President, he knew how to give an inspiring speech.
“I have time to take a few questions,” he offered.
Several raised their hands of course and he answered some of their inquiries which covered a few general things involving the international community.
“All nations have been informed of the situation and their governments are responding in the way they see fit. A number of our allies and even others have come forward offering a range of resources to help us defeat Nightfall and we are grateful,” he said.
“Are there contingencies if both rockets fail or if they do not completely stop Nightfall?” came another question.
“Within the hour, a formal declaration to all local governments will be sent out, directing them to organize and implement any safety measures they deem necessary to protect citizens in case Nightfall or pieces of it get past our efforts. They are to request any needed resources to aid in those measures to the Federal Government immediately,” he said, clearly having foreseen such a question.
“What will those measures likely comprise of, sir?”
“Organizing shelters by identifying safe locations for local residents to go to, such as Cold War era fallout shelters or even places as simple as subway tunnels. Getting such locations ready for mass habitation and helping people who need it to get there would be my priorities, as well as ensuring that any volunteers know what they need to know so they can better help with the efforts.”
“A question to Superman, if he's willing to answer,” a gutsy, but polite reporter asked after the customary self-introduction.
The President glanced at Superman in question, offering him the mic. Superman stepped up after a millisecond of hesitation.
“Yes?” Superman asked, now behind the podium, though the President remained respectfully close.
“How do you feel about the plan?” the reporter asked. Lois felt he managed to keep his awe for Superman decently under control, but like nearly all of them, it was still plainly there.
“It's rare that a species is capable of influencing their planet's fate in the cosmos--to stop what should otherwise be beyond their control,” he said, an odd tone of loneliness and melancholy somehow leaking into his voice. He shifted slightly. “To my knowledge, I'm the last of my people. Nothing could be done to save my former world and there was not enough time for a mass exodus, so I am exceedingly grateful that the people of this world are willing and able to act. So in answer to your question, there is no risk to Earth in trying this plan and the chance of complete success is very high, and I daresay at least stopping the worst of Nightfall is certain, so I fully support this plan and am happy to have a part in it.”
“Do you have any concerns, anything you want to say to the world?” he asked, deciding now was not the time to inquire on Superman’s lost world.
“Yes, though it doesn’t involve the plan itself. As President Garner said, fear can affect people, make them become less than who they really are,” Superman said. He glanced down, clearly choosing his words carefully. He looked up, and Lois was struck by how earnest he had become. “I want to be able to go to the asteroid tomorrow knowing that I will return to find the same world I have grown to love. I don’t want to see panic take any serious hold anywhere. If you’re afraid, which you have every right to be, find something productive to do. Help your neighbor, gather supplies, volunteer with whatever local efforts crop up in response to Nightfall, just don’t give in to fear and allow mob rule to rise. I have long since learned that humans are not helpless. You do have a measure of control in every situation, no matter how dire. So please, don't lose it in fear.” He straightened, having nothing else to say.
The clapping came quickly, followed by everyone rising from their chairs. And then a shout from the back cascaded into a seamless chant.
“No - to - fear! No - to - fear!” the room chanted, echoing out into all the homes of all the viewers watching live around the world.
President Garner boldly placed his hand on Superman's shoulder, beaming.
O o O o O
Clark entered through the backdoor long after the sun had set. He could smell his mother’s cooking and hear his dad juggling with the pots in the sink.
“Mom, Dad?” he asked, knowing they were there but wanting to make his presence known. He knew his dad didn't enjoy feeling as if he'd been snuck up on.
“In the kitchen, Clark,” his dad answered, promptly abandoning the dish washing.
As soon as he entered, his parents quickly engulfed him in their hugs.
“We've been following the news all day,” Martha said.
“Was the confidence shown by officials genuine?” Johnathan asked.
“Yes, fortunately. I think this will work,” Clark assured. “There are risks, of course, but safeguards have been placed to help, such as the second rocket that could be sent with or without me.”
“Do you think the second rocket will be necessary?” Martha asked, concerned.
“As long as the rocket strikes where it should, no, the second won't be needed. The amount of energy that's going to be released is more than enough to knock it from its current path.”
“Are you ready? We saw they made you a suit?” his dad asked.
“I'm as ready as I can be. And yes, they've included everything possible in my vest and helmet. They even hooked up a way to measure my vitals during the mission,” Clark answered.
“How long will it take you to reach the asteroid?” Martha asked, placing her hand on his arm.
“Around 6 hours is the estimate, so 12 hours round trip. I’ll have 36 hours of air. Since they don’t know if I’ll require more under strain they said that they preferred to provide me extra just in case.”
“They seem to be considering everything,” Jonathan said in an approving nod.
“I would hope so. They are arguably the smartest collection of people on the planet,” Martha pointed out.
“Well, I should head back and do some last minute checks, I just wanted to . . . ” Clark trailed off.
“We understand, and we're glad you stopped by. Even with your abilities, we still want to wish you luck,” his mother assured tenderly. “We’re so proud of you and love you so much.”
“I love you too,” he said, giving them both a tight, lingering hug before finally pulling away and departing.
He waited until he was far enough away before leaving a sonic boom in his wake.
O o O o O
Clark knocked on the ajar door, refraining from sticking his head in. Ironically, he had learned that appearing to not be nosy went a long way in aiding in cases since it made one look courteous instead. Granted, with his abilities, this wasn’t really a difficult practice.
"Come in," Henderson called.
Clark entered, quickly spotting Mayson in the chair against the wall.
“Hey, Clark,” Henderson greeted.
“Hi, Bill, Mayson. Glad I was able to catch you two,” Clark said, closing the door behind him.
“Oh?” Mayson asked, curious.
“I wanted to let you both know that I’m going to be out of town for awhile. I’m going to help out my folks in Smallville until Nightfall passes and then I’ll probably take care of a few other things before returning here,” he explained, his tone apologetic and gentle.
“Oh,” Mayson said, taken aback for a brief moment. “Well, do what you need to do,” she said, standing up.
“When do you head out?” Bill asked.
“Very soon. I actually need to fly out before dinner,” Clark admitted.
Mayson nodded her understanding. “I imagine flights are crazy right now, with everyone trying to get to wherever their family is. I’m glad you were able to get a plane ticket.”
Clark nodded in agreement while hiding his concern for her. Unfortunately, he knew it wouldn’t be appropriate to inquire about her family situation right then, especially if it was less than ideal.
Did she have family to actually visit? Surely she did. He hoped. Picturing her alone as the countdown to Nightfall. . . .
He knew Henderson lived with his wife and two children, but didn’t know anything about the man’s extended family. Privately, he swore to himself to get to know his two friends much better after Nightfall.
“I do have a brief update on our case on the Boss, however,” Clark said, changing the subject and pulling out a thin folder. “Here are my notes and a list of possible new leads. I’m not sure how long I’ll be away so want to make sure you have everything I do.”
He placed the folder on Henderson’s desk.
“Thanks," Henderson said as he got up from his desk and went around. “Lois Lane from the Daily Planet came across some very pertinent information as well, but it can wait until you return.”
“If you can act with certainty, don’t wait up for me,” Clark said. “I’ll let you go through my folder later, but to sum up, I suspect the Boss is directly connected to Lexcorp. Her Majesty’s Secret Service will also likely be contacting you soon in regard to Nigel St. John, formerly Thomas Rebin.”
Henderson’s eyes widened and glanced back at the folder. “Well then, I look forward to going over this,” he said before turning back. "Good luck, Kent, and thanks.” He shook Clark’s hand and pulled him into a brief but firm hug.
“See you whenever you get back, Clark," Mayson said, following the trend of not actually saying ‘goodbye’.
“See you, Mayson,” Clark said before embracing her as well.
“Call us when you’re heading back,” Henderson said.
“I will,” Clark promised.
Mayson and Bill both turned to the folder on the desk as Clark closed the door behind him.
O o O o O
Lois hung up the phone from behind her desk, staring at the news channel across the bullpen. The world was handling the news of Nightfall exceedingly well, even when one considered the government’s positive spin of it all and Superman's heartfelt statement. Granted, being shown teams actually working on primary and secondary plans did wonders to help reassure people, including her. She wasn't sure how much of that was due to understanding more of what was being done or seeing Superman participate. She and Jimmy, along with dozens of other reporters, both television and newspaper, were allowed to view EPRAD’s efforts firsthand.
They watched crews prepare the Asgard with Superman zipping to and fro, helping lift equipment into the nose of the rocket so the crews could install it into the Asgard before taking down tools they no longer needed. It was amazing to watch how seamlessly they worked together and how easily Superman maneuvered heavy and intricate pieces of technology that would help save the world.
Such encouraging images were placed into that evening’s edition of the Daily Planet, and it wasn’t long before even more donations began pouring into the Superman Foundation as thanks. Superman would head to Nightfall with the Asgard the following morning at 7 am Eastern Standard Time. By 1:00 pm, the world would know whether or not the secondary rocket, ‘the Phoenix’, would be necessary.
Lois sighed and took a deep breath.
Although the governments of the world hyped up the strong likelihood of success, a number of realistic (and pessimistic) analysts (and by extension a few journalists and radio hosts) pointed out the real risks Superman was taking upon himself.
Everyone knew he needed air to breathe, so they focused there, but then, with the limited knowledge of his abilities, they drew up scenarios on how he could get stranded in space after being blasted off course from the impact's shockwave or through getting lost after some electronic or physical malfunction. He was going to be flying so far out that even he admitted he couldn't really see Earth from such a distance. Thus, it became known that he would need guidance to have any degree of certainty on making it back. It was a sobering thought, but so much was happening anyway that it became just another fragment in the whirlwind of chaos.
She had met with Henderson an hour before. Kent, apparently, wasn’t available to meet, even if they had time to, but there was some good news on the situation. Kent gave Henderson information involving Luthor’s assistant, Nigel St. John, and told him that Her Majesty’s Secret Service would no doubt be getting involved in the future (assuming the asteroid was taken care of).
Henderson also told her about an assistant DA, by the name of Mayson Drake, who he had brought in to help with the case. Lois had not been enthused about bringing in another person, but since it looked like they were getting close to needing a warrant, she couldn't say it was a bad idea.
But limited progress aside, in the end, they decided to postpone their investigation, which was just as well.
She looked down at her watch and got up. She needed to head home and get some sleep. She would need to be at EPRAD Command Center early the following morning.
She made it to her apartment before too long, practically on autopilot when she began the arduous process of unlocking her door and entering. She re-locked the door before glancing around her apartment and recalling when it had been particularly dark and off putting. It wasn’t like that now, which disappointed her somewhat.
She went over to the window and opened it, wanting a slight breeze. Fresh air was what she needed. She turned around, intending to grab a quick snack before heading to bed, but was startled by a knock.
“I need to get better about not startling you.”
She smiled as she turned back to the window where she found Superman -- or rather Kal-El -- floating just on the other side of the partially open window.
“No, I just need to not assume every noise is something out to get me,” she replied, blushing slightly as she motioned him in.
“Just most noises are?” he questioned good naturedly as he glided inside her apartment and silently landed a few feet from her.
Lois failed to hide a snort. “Unfortunately.”
Superman smiled as Lois met his dark brown eyes and grew serious.
“Are you ready to go out there?” she asked.
“Yes. Everything that can be done to make tomorrow successful has been done. It's really quite remarkable. All of the preparations have been coming together very well despite the limited amount of time. How are you with it all?”
“Scared, to be honest. Scared enough for the both of us,” she admitted, making her way to the couch and sitting down.
Superman joined her, placing a bag she hadn't noticed he had on the table.
“What's that?” she asked.
“I wasn't sure if you had eaten, and since the last time I was here I mentioned that I would try to bring take out. . . .” He shrugged and opened the bag, revealing a pair of fresh sandwiches and coleslaw.
One had mixed pickled vegetables and sliced turkey onto crusty ciabatta bread. The other was on honey wheat bread with thick slices of ham, provolone cheese, tomato and leaves of lettuce.
“I stopped by a deli real quick on my way here.”
She blinked. “At this time of night?”
“It’s not as late in California,” he said simply, handing her the turkey club.
“Ah. Well, thank you. I haven’t eaten since eleven. Would you like a drink? I think I have a 2 liter bottle of cream soda in the fridge,” Lois said, deciding to just go with it.
There were other things she wanted to discuss with him besides how exactly he got their food -- though she would have loved to have seen how the people at the restaurant reacted to his presence. Granted, perhaps he didn’t go as Superman?
“Sure, thank you,” he said.
She returned a moment later with two full glasses of cream soda. She picked up her sandwich.
“I’m glad you stopped by. I know tomorrow is going to be pretty hectic; organized chaos, I imagine. We probably won't get the chance to talk at all.”
He nodded. “Yes, which is why I came by now,” he agreed, making her heart skip a beat. “I wanted to thank you. Things would have been very different if you hadn't written that article all those months ago.”
“What do you mean?”
“The world knows about me now because of that article. If my existence had not been more or less exposed then, helping now would have been much harder.”
She nodded slowly, not having considered that consequence of her actions before. “I suppose a stranger coming to EPRAD, offering miraculous help, would not have been received well.”
“Caution and fear probably would have prevented me from helping directly, or at least hindered it a great deal. But I probably would have tried to go a different route anyway, instead of trying to make contact with the EPRAD scientists to stop the asteroid. But it doesn't matter. We are in much better circumstances,” he said, waving it away gratefully.
“So you're confident this will work?” she asked, happy to see him so at ease.
“Nothing is a guarantee, but to answer your question, yes, I'm pretty confident.”
“That's a relief to hear,” she said, before taking a few bites. “Wow, this definitely hits the spot.”
“It's one of my favorite sandwich places. I first came across it last year.”
“You know, I know you've lived on Earth for years, but imagining you just walking into a store or whatever like the rest of us is really hard to picture for some reason.”
“It's probably because of the suit,” he said with a grin as he pointed to his S-shield with his sandwich.
“You're probably right. But anyway, is there anything you need? I mean, do you have anything that needs to be taken care of while you're gone? A pet fed? A plant watered? I know it'll just be half a day, but some pets and plants are needy.”
Superman laughed. “No, my house and affairs are all set. Though . . .” He stilled. “You should probably know, I left some envelopes to be delivered by the Foundation if . . . certain conditions are met. One is addressed to you.”
“Oh.” She lowered her sandwich.
“It's just a precaution. I tend to be optimistic, but I've learned to be realistic with certain aspects of life so I place contingencies,” he quickly explained upon seeing her expression.
“I understand,” she managed, trying not to get too emotional.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything,” he apologized.
She swallowed and forced herself to keep her voice steady. She partially succeeded.
“No, I'm glad you're thinking ahead. If you're being this thorough, it means you've been just as thorough in preparing for taking care of the asteroid.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve just been refusing to think about anything other than success. I suppose that's not the smartest thing to do, especially since I'm a reporter.”
“It's the natural thing to do, which is why I’m going to deflect this conversation to something a little less stressful. What do you plan on doing after all of this is over and things are back to normal? Or as normal as things are for you at least,” he said, before taking the last few bites of his sandwich.
“Return to an investigation that I’m on, which--! One second.” She quickly put her glass down and dashed to her room before returning a moment later. “I’ve been working with Inspector Henderson, and we’ve found some rather . . . alarming things. Heh, sorry; so much for a less stressful topic.”
Superman frowned and took the offered pages, quickly going through her notes including heavily highlighted sections. His eyebrows rose high and his eyes went wide the further he flipped through the pages, the paper and his hands in a blur before he set it all back down in a neat stack. He looked back up at her.
“Despite the seriousness of those pages, I must say I'm a little jealous of your speed-reading ability. It would help a lot in research,” she said, quite impressed.
“It does have its uses,” he admitted before frowning in thought.
“I'm sorry, Kal-El, I should have waited. You already have enough on your mind.”
“It’s fine, and I'd rather know than not. I’ve suspected him for some time but haven't been able to gather enough evidence against him, but with this. . . .” His voice trailed off.
“What?” she asked, growing concerned by his silence.
“As soon as I'm back, we'll move on Luthor. He has a great deal to answer for and we shouldn't wait.”
Lois smiled, relieved he was thinking along the same lines as herself.
“Well, I should go and let you sleep,” he said, putting his trash in the bag for easy clean up before standing.
“Do you need to sleep?” she blurted. Apparently she was more tired than she realized, though, if she was honest with herself, her curiosity often got the better of her no matter her state of mind. Thankfully, Superman didn't seem to mind her sudden and somewhat odd inquiry.
“Yes, but I typically only need two to three hours to feel rested. I've gone about a week without any sleep and just got a little tired but didn't feel the need to test myself further.”
Lois smiled and shook her head.
“What?” he asked, slightly confused.
“I must admit I would have stayed up as long as I could, most likely binge-watching rentals at night, just to see how long I could stay up,” Lois said.
“I can definitely believe that,” he said, amused as she walked him to the window.
He turned back to her. “Well, good night, Lois,” he said as they came to a hesitant stop.
She smiled softly before growing bold, realizing she would forever kick herself if she didn’t seize this moment--if not for her sake, for his. She stepped toward him and took his hand, giving it a firm, reassuring squeeze. He didn’t pull away or look too taken aback, so she brought her hand up and placed it on his chest, near the edge of his family crest, and looked up at him.
“I’ll be alright,” he said, possibly just to fill the silence as he put his free hand on the side of her face.
She nodded, not sure if she could really trust her voice so she swallowed and closed the distance, wrapping her arms around him. He returned the hug, and she was amazed by how warm, how human, he felt.
After a long moment, she forced herself to pull back. “See you tomorrow, Kal-El,” she said, before growing brave once more and placing a light kiss on his cheek.
Surprised, but clearly not offended, he smiled and gave her hand one final squeeze.
“See you tomorrow, Lois,” he said, before letting go and stepping back to disappear the next instant. A sonic boom followed soon after.
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