Note: I'm bumping these first four parts up to "repost" them. Longer note at the bottom of this thread. More to come! Here's the story's TOC.
Sara - 6/15/14Oh, gosh. Okay, you have no idea how nervous I am posting this.
It's been forever since I've posted, and I'm a little intimidated by the huge influx of new, awesome writers with so much fic that I haven't had time (woe!
) to read!
*ahem*
Anyway... Ages ago, it seems, Paul (HatMan) had this inkling of an idea for a story, but he wasn't sure what to do with it. My muse, Mel, started batting it around like a cat does one of those toy mouses... and before I knew it, we had part one. Then part two and three. And part four seemed to stall for months, but I think it's finally... almost done.
Just a few more paragraphs as soon as I find that perfect line to end on.
(I'm becoming notorious for long, rambly author's notes, aren't I?)
Let me sum up: Paul gave me this fabulous idea that I've had immense fun with. He's been BRing and encouraging me every step of the way, so much so that I suspect I should give him co-authorship. A few others also gave me enthusiastic nudging along the way--Rachel and Catherine Bruce. Thank you guys!
I could probably keep rambling, but then you'd give up before you got to the story. :p So, without further ado...
Super Shook Up~~~Part 1~~~
Blackness.
"Where am I?" He groaned, bringing a hand to his head. Whatever had just happened had *hurt*, and now he felt dizzy and disoriented.
He chanced opening his eyes to have a look around. Nothing familiar in sight. Dirt. Asphalt. Tall buildings on either side of him. And a woman.
The woman was staring at him. Staring as if...
He didn't have any clothes on.
And he didn't.
Have any clothes on.
She was stammering something now, something barely discernable through the loud pounding in his head.
"I-I... I saw the light in the sky and came running. I thought... well, it was probably stupid to have run over, considering I thought it could have been part of the asteroid, and I really couldn't tell if it'd landed yet--when I'd seen it. But I felt it--you--when it--you landed. The ground shook a little, and I... do you want my jacket?"
He nodded in a heartbeat, and scrambled to cover himself as soon as she'd tossed it down to him.
Down?
It seemed he was sitting, completely naked, in a crater six-foot deep. And there was a crazy woman babbling at him. His head swam again--possibly from trying to follow what she was saying.
"... you okay, Superman?"
Superman? He just stared blankly. Who on Earth was Superman? And what kind of egotistical...
She was still talking. "Maybe we should get you inside and... um... dressed. Then you can tell me what happened, and if you're hungry, I can fix you something to... I can call for takeout..."
She was reaching her hand out to help him, and he... didn't really have a choice, did he? He didn't even know where he was. Where home was. Where his clothes were...
He managed to scramble out of the hole... somewhat gracefully, considering his limited attire. After readjusting the woman's jacket around his waist, he followed her out of the dimly-lit alley, thankful that it seemed to be the middle of the night when everyone was in bed.
Why couldn't he remember anything? Maybe it had something to do with the lump he was sure was on his head. He must have hit it pretty hard... from falling into that crater? The woman had mentioned something about an asteroid and lights--maybe he'd been startled and had tripped.
They'd walked up a few flights of stairs and down a hallway, and now they were standing in front of what must be the door to her apartment. One, two, three, four... five locks? Five locks, and she was bringing a strange man into her apartment in the middle of the night?
Though... he'd gotten the impression he was no stranger.
The way she kept looking at him... like she was trying not to look. And her heart would race ever so faster every time she snuck a peek. She obviously knew him, and... liked him?
Well, that would be a good thing; he wasn't immune to her, either. Of course, she was fully clothed while he wasn't, but he couldn't deny the way his heart rate had increased and his breathing had become just a touch quicker. And it wasn't from the hike up five flights of stairs.
He cleared his throat. He needed to be thinking about... something else. Like what his name was, for one. Where he lived...
A glance around his new surroundings told him it wasn't here. Not with those couches. Though there was a hint of familiarity tugging at the corners of his memory.
"I've been here before, right?"
She ducked her head a bit and stepped around him awkwardly to shut the door. Was she blushing?
"Yeah, of course, Superman. You know that..."
He shook his head slightly. "Okay, why do you keep calling me Superman? Is it some sort of... private joke or something? A nickname? Please tell me I don't call myself that."
Her brow creased and she cocked her head. "That's... your name, Superman. Don't you..." She trailed off, and then her eyes widened. "You don't remember, do you? Anything."
"I... no, I guess I don't. But..." He tried to keep the slight whimper from invading his voice. "Superman?"
***
She nodded and cleared her throat. She wished her cheeks weren't quite so flushed. "S-sorry. I don't know what else to call you."
She needed to stop staring. She really needed to stop staring. This was Superman. In need of help. And she was taking advantage of the fact that he was more than half...
"Let me see if I can find you some clothes or something, Supe-" He started to wince. "I'll see what I can scrounge up."
He nodded and gave her a slight smile, probably grateful that she'd ripped her eyes away and offered him something decent to wear.
She rushed off to her bedroom, resisting the urge to shut the door behind her and freak out.
Superman was standing in her living room. Naked.
And he didn't have a clue who he was.
The crater had been rather impressive in size. The fireball streaking through the night sky had been lightning-fast. He must have crashed hard. Hard enough to knock his memory clear out of his head.
Why had he lost control? Had he hit the asteroid too hard or... run out of air or something? A feeling of rage surged up, but she tamped it down. She would give those self-saving, ungrateful government officials a piece of her mind later. Right now she had to deal with the amnesiac Superman who'd crashed back to Earth in her alleyway.
He'd landed outside her apartment. Her breath caught. *Her* apartment. That... had to mean something, didn't it? Sure, he'd made a huge crater next to her dumpster and didn't have a clue who he was, but he'd *been* heading her direction before he conked his head.
And that had to mean something.
He trusted her. He'd obviously been in some sort of distress, and he'd trusted her to help him. He just hadn't realized how much help he would need.
Starting with clothes. She shook herself mentally. She had to remain focused here. Clothes for Superman...
Well, nothing of hers would fit. That was for sure.
And it wasn't like she had any men's clothing around. Not even Clark's, though Superman was far broader in the shoulders, anyway. Taller, too.
Superman's suit must have burned up. That was the only logical explanation she could think of. But... did he have spares? And just what did he wear when he wasn't in the suit? Or... maybe he was always in the suit...
No, that would be tiring, wouldn't it? Though maybe he liked the bright and flashy colors. A brief image of Superman in neon pink bike shorts and a equally loud top flashed through her mind. She stifled a giggle.
She just couldn't picture him in normal, everyday clothes. But that didn't mean he didn't or couldn't wear them, and short of finding an all-night clothing store, it looked like she was going to have to see what Clark's closet had to offer.
The selfish part of her protested at that thought. She didn't really want to share Superman with anyone. Not that he was hers... but he had chosen her to help him.
That wasn't really fair, though. To Superman or Clark. They were friends, too, after all.
She picked up the phone and called Clark. It rang a full four times, then the answering machine picked up. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and put the phone back on the hook. Where the heck was he at two o'clock in the morning? Or maybe he was sleeping...
God help him if he had his ringer turned off when the world was ending!
She'd just have to go over there and see, and if he wasn't there, she'd just break in. This was important, and it would be his fault anyway for not being home.
She charged back into the living room with her new plan of action. "Supe--uh... So, I don't have anything for you to wear, but Clark is sure to have something. Not that it'll fit right, but it'll be better than just a towel or something. He's not answering the phone, so I'm going to head over there. Did you... uh..." Eyes on his face, Lane. "Maybe you want to shower while I'm gone. There are clean towels in there, and hopefully I'll be back by the time you're done... otherwise you'll be sitting in a towel, which I just told you was... It shouldn't take me too long."
"All right. I think I can manage that." He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. "Thank you for... all of this, Ms...?"
Oh. Right. He didn't... know her. No reason for that to bother her. Really. He didn't even know his own name.
"Lane. Lois Lane. But you call me Lois."
He smiled that familiar smile of his. "Thank you, Lois. And... be sure to pass along my gratitude to your friend Clark."
She couldn't help but smile back. "He's your friend, too, but I'll let him know."
***
Either Clark wasn't home, or he slept like a rock. His neighbors didn't; that was for sure. She scowled. More than one had stuck their head out the door and yelled for her to shut up. Didn't they realize what was at stake here? The world needed their superhero. And he needed clothes.
She pulled out her lock-picking kit and made quick work of his lock. He really ought to have more than one, or at least one that wasn't so easily picked. She rolled her eyes; he was too trusting for his own good. It wasn't like he had Superman watching over his place all the time.
Once the lock was open, she hurried inside and shut the door behind her before any of Clark's neighbors decided to complain about her breaking and entering too.
Great. It was dark. She groped for a light switch on the wall beside her. No luck. Didn't the man leave a light on when he left?
At least the moonlight sneaking in through the windows was bright and afforded enough light so she didn't trip on her way down the stairs.
It felt funny... wrong, almost, to be here when Clark wasn't. Where was he at this time of night, anyway? If he had stepped out for a midnight snack or even a late night stroll, he would have certainly left a light on for himself. Had he been gone all day?
She frowned. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Clark since...
Since before Superman left. He hadn't even come to send their hero off. Worry crept into her chest. She hoped he wasn't hurt or in trouble, especially since Superman was clearly off duty.
She made her way past the couch and picked up the picture he kept on his end table. Him and her line dancing at the Smallville Corn Festival. Something Martha had snapped when they hadn't been paying attention. She looked so happy, carefree.
"Where are you, Clark?" She ran her hand down the glass over his image.
She caught a glint of light reflecting on the glass. Where...
Over to her right, there was a sliver of light peeking out from under his wine rack.
She set the frame back down and edged closer. Where on earth was that light coming from? It appeared the wine rack was actually raised from the floor. Not barely an inch, but enough to let light through from...
Her heart started racing. There must be a room or something behind the wine rack! Clark Kent had been hiding something from her. From everyone. She rushed over to the wooden structure and started feeling along the walls. There had to be some sort of catch or hinge that opened it.
Nothing on either side. She frowned and worried at her lower lip. Maybe if... She pushed at one side of the rack. Nothing. She pushed a little harder, and the whole thing started to pivot, rotating as if on some sort of turntable. She kept pushing until half the section was three feet further back than where it'd started out.
Clark had a... a... She stepped around to look at the opposite side.
A secret compartment...
And half a dozen of Superman's suits.
tbc...
