Clark I
Lois’s directions to Richard and Penny’s house were clear and precise. She’s seen the house from the air. He hoped the couple was still awake. He didn’t want to have to waste time rousing them.
He had picked the two boys up first, not from any chauvinism, but because their room had an open window. He flew them to the White’s house, hovering outside the master bedroom window as he tapped on it. Richard, at least, was still awake and unlocked the window.
“Superman, what’s going on?” the reporter asked as Kal-El handed him the two boys.
“It’s complicated,” Kal-El said. He had no idea how he was going to explain what was going on at the Kent house. “One of the New Kryptonian factions sent an assassin after your Superman. And he’s over at the Kent’s. I’ll be right back with the other two kids.”
He didn’t wait for a reply, speeding back to the Kent’s for the two girls. Martha Michaela was sleeping in her carrier. Lara was awake and waiting for him with a solemn expression on her face.
“The bad man wants to hurt Daddy,” she said quietly.
“Well, I’m going to make sure the bad man doesn’t hurt you, or your brothers, or the baby, then I’ll be back to help your Daddy, okay?”
She seemed to accept his statement, cuddling against him as they flew to the White’s house.
Richard was waiting at the window to take the children, handing them over to Penny.
“Does Clark need help?” Richard asked. He’d pulled a pair of jeans on over his sleep shorts and was pulling a t-shirt over his head.
“Do you have a gun and Kryptonite bullets?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. Right here,” Richard said, picking up a lead-lined bag large enough to hold a handgun. “And before you ask, I have a permit. The chief has a certain paranoid streak where it comes to Kryptonians.”
“Not Superman,” Kal-El protested.
“No, all the rest of them,” Richard said. “So I suggest you stay on his good side.”
It took only a few seconds to get back to the Kent house with Richard. They set down under cover of the trees near the fence.
Superman’s suit had rips across the chest and Kal-El saw blood seeping from a gash on Clark’s arm. The assassin kept coming at him, hands clawed, and Clark kept evading him, using as little of his powers as possible.
“How good a shot are you?” Kal-El murmured to Richard.
“Not as good as Lois,” Richard admitted. “But good enough, I hope.”
Kal-El backed away as Richard pulled his gun out of the lead-lined bag. Richard aimed and pulled off a single shot. Two other shots rang out from inside the house.
The assassin faltered for just a moment, and Superman took advantage of the assassin’s distraction to throw the alien into the river. A simple martial arts throw, but an effective move. The assassin sank like a rock.
Clark II
The gash in his arm hurt like hell. But he paid little attention to the pain, concentrating on keeping the assassin occupied, using as few of his powers as possible to keep the assassin from learning from him. The dagger was poisoned and he was getting tired.
He noted the arrival of Kal-El and Richard White then turned his attention back to the assassin front of him. On New Krypton, he’d done some research on the Andelon assassins. Zara had called them animals, but they weren’t, really. Andelon was a harsh, desert planet. Death was all they knew, all they were trained for. But one thing he had discovered about them – Andelons had dense bones. They could not swim in fresh water.
The fight was over, with a little help from friends. He was so tired. He staggered but was kept from falling by a supporting arm – Richard.
“Let’s get you into the house,” Richard said quietly. “Penny’s watching the kids, and I expect she’s called the police.”
Clark allowed Richard to help him into the living room. “Lois is going to kill me if I bleed on the carpet,” he muttered. He looked over to the black clad body on the floor and blood that was already soaking into the Berber carpeting. “Then again, hardwood floors might not be a bad idea. The carpet is definitely getting replaced.”
He heard Richard as if from a far distance. “Lois, I think he’s delirious.”
“The Andelon had a dagger,” Clark murmured. “It’s in the river. It was poisoned.”
He felt hands helping him to the sofa, then the world went black.
