Next post will be the 30th or before if I end up with holiday plans again... I might be persuaded to go earlier =p
Thank you again Nancy (anonpip) and Rel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both Sides of the CoinPart 10
Lois and Clark were interviewing personnel on the ground when an odd sound came behind them. They both turn to see CJ. Clark felt something inside him relax as he noticed a euphoric light in his twin’s eyes, <It worked, Cal!>
<I see that, Jay... how did it feel?>
CJ grinned at them, “May I offer you two a ride somewhere?” <Later, Cal...>
Lois frowned at him, then brightened, “How about *into* the Planet newsroom? You... do know what the Daily Planet is, right?”
CJ frowned at her, “I’m sure I can find it...” <...you can definitely keep her, Clark...>
<Thanks... I think...>
CJ scooped Lois up in one arm and loosely grabbed Clark under his twin’s arms. Anyone watching would assume he was carrying both reporters... instead Clark was flying under his own power beside his twin.
Lois pointed out the Planet’s building and CJ headed towards it. Clark described the large windows on one side of the newsroom floor and CJ drew level with them so Clark could push them open. The entire staff was staring in silent shock as CJ landed in a small space that opened up around Lois’ desk. Clark stepped away and CJ set Lois down. She stepped away, once again taking in both men.
Lois then raised a brow, “I think... considering the fact that we saw you first... you owe us an exclusive...”
Clark bit down a chuckle as CJ’s eyes widened slightly, “Is... that how this works?”
Lois smiled, “Well... it’s not a *rule* but we would appreciate it...”
CJ shook his head slightly and lifted off.
“Wait!” Lois cried out, “How do we find you?” she watched him intently.
<Clark?... your new girlfriend is kinda scary...> “I’ll... be around...”
<Isn’t she great?>
<...you’re crazy...>
The women of the office shoved Clark out of the way and converged on Lois. Cat was in the lead and cornered her, “So... Lois... did you find out what the ‘S’ stands for?”
Lois frowned looking at the window, then at Clark, “...super... Superman!”
<‘Superman?!’>
<...it sounds... *not* like us... and that’s good, right Jay?>
<I guess...>
They were interrupted by Perry bellowing for them all to get back to work. But he then turned to Lois and Clark and motioned the two of them into his office. Once there he looked at them both with intense consideration.
“You know... this is the second big story to fall in your laps in as many days...” Lois and Clark shared a slightly nervous glance, “...I was wondering... but... I *am* your editor... so now I am *informing* you both... you write and work incredibly well together... so I want you two to *keep* working together...”
Clark’s eyes were wide while Lois glared, “A *partner*, are you kidding me, Perry?”
Perry returned her look, “No Lois, I am not kidding... now you two write up your story on your flying man and the space station then get outa here.”
***************************
CJ walked in the front door of his parent’s house in Kansas. Rachel moved forward and hugged him, “Well?”
CJ squeezed her, “It was amazing... Clark and I were standing side by side in front of the EPRAD colonists and personal... and then I took them back to the Planet... and no one guessed!”
Rachel smiled at him, “Well... I seriously doubt anyone was comparing you two... after all, there’s really no reason anyone would think to compare you two in the first place...”
Martha walked forward with a stack of newly made suits. She kissed her son’s cheek, “You did a wonderful thing today, CJ.”
Jonathan joined them, clapping a hand on CJ’s shoulder, “I agree... you saved the lives of all those people...”
CJ smiled at his parents, “Well... Rach and I need to get back to Metropolis... how many suits do we have so far, Mom?”
Martha frowned at him but decided to let him deflect them, “With the one you’re wearing I have three for each of you.”
CJ nodded, “Rach... can you get the outfits? I’ll get you...” he leered at her teasingly.
Rachel rolled her eyes at him before hugging Martha and Jonathan. CJ also embraced his parents before leaving with his wife.
They landed near their house and CJ put on a long coat before they headed inside.
Once inside CJ headed upstairs to change.
Rachel hid the suits in their bedroom before meeting her husband in their living room. “Are you ok, CJ?”
CJ smiled at her as he sat on their couch, “Yeah... it was weird... I loved being able to save all those people... and save the space program. But at the same time...”
Rachel sighed and settled in his lap, “I’m glad you liked being able to use your abilities... but if you aren’t comfortable with being in public you need to talk to Clark...”
“It wasn’t so much that I was uncomfortable... I just couldn’t believe it... Clark spent most of the time on the shuttle trying not to laugh at me! Yet no one noticed the similarities between the two of us...”
Rachel smiled, “Well... I bet that bomb was a *little* distracting...”
CJ chuckled, “Did they broadcast how I contained it?”
Rachel raised a brow, “No...”
“I swallowed it...”
Rachel’s jaw dropped, “You did what?!”
CJ grinned, “I ate the bomb!”
Rachel shook her head slowly, “Wow... I mean... I know you can’t be hurt... but you ate a bomb?”
“I’m going to kill Clark too... when I got there he was about to take care of the bomb himself... so I got there just in time...”
Rachel hugged him, “Then you saved Clark too...”
CJ beamed, “Yeah... I guess I did...”
***************************
After getting their story submitted and approved Lois and Clark left together.
Once on the street Lois pulled Clark aside. “Clark,” she smiled at him, “I’m actually happy about this partner thing... Perry’s right, we work well together...”
“You just have an image to maintain,” Clark grinned at her.
She smacked his shoulder, “*Anyway* I’m exhausted... I’ll see you tomorrow Clark...”
Clark brushed a kiss across her forehead, “See you tomorrow, Lois...”
Clark watched her hail a cab. Only once the cab was out of sight did he move from his spot. He ducked into an alley and raced for his twin’s home.
Once inside he found CJ and Rachel on their couch waiting for him, “Jay!” his excitement bubbled over as he pounced on his twin.
Jay laughed in delight at his twin’s excitement before they raced to the guest room. Rachel shook her head in amusement. Her husband had gone from worrying about this plan from top to bottom to being caught up the excitement. She leaned back on the couch with a sigh. She wanted to tell Clark about CJ’s and her miracle but at the same time she understood her husband’s reluctance to say anything before they were sure. She smiled as she remembered her senior prom. Lana had dumped Clark only days before the event so he had gone alone. They had had fun. Clark had danced with half the girls in their class, to the annoyance of their dates and the girls’ delight. Lana had even tried to get him to dance with her but he had instead dragged Rachel onto the floor. After the dance the three of them had gone up to the twins’ childhood tree house and watched the stars. They had talked for hours... as three best friends rather than a young couple with a brother tagging along. They had talked about their plans for college, their dreams, their hopes... Clark had expressed his frustrations at not being able to use his abilities and his hope to get a job at the Daily Planet... and his dreams of finding the ‘right’ woman...
CJ had shocked her by asking her how long she wanted to wait before getting married... even if his tone had been teasing. She had never thought that far into the future before... it had also been the first time she realized that CJ would never be happy staying in Smallville as he talked about studying the stars.
<Rach?>
Rachel smiled, <What is it CJ, I was wondering what had happened to you two...>
<Clark’s getting cold feet now that *he’s* in the tights...>
Rachel giggled to herself, “Clark Jerome Kent! Get out here!”
A moment later CJ shoved a spandex-clad Clark into the room. Clark glared at his twin, “How could you have let *Mom* dress us in this?”
CJ grinned, enjoying his payback, “This was the best of the lot... and somehow... it fits...”
Clark rolled his eyes, “Whatever... *I’m* going to go flying!” in an instant he was gone.
CJ looked after his twin for a long moment and Rachel laughed, “Well? Are you going to race him or not?”
CJ grinned and brushed a kiss across her lips before speeding after his twin.
Rachel shook her head and laughed. Sometimes they were still such... *boys*...
***************************
Clark finally stopped high above Metropolis. He watched some of the highest altitude clouds before flopping onto his stomach and cloud watching from above.
A movement near him made him smile, “Hey, Jay...”
CJ grinned at him, “Well?”
Clark’s smile widened, “It’s great... I didn’t have to worry about being seen... I even stopped a mugging...”
CJ watched his twin, “I’m glad, Clark...”
Clark frowned, “Jay? How do *you* feel about all of this?”
CJ grinned, “It feels pretty great to have single handedly saved the space program... not many aerospace engineers can say *that*!”
Clark relaxed and chuckled, “Race you home!” in a flash he was gone.
CJ took a deep breath... he hoped he hadn’t made a mistake in encouraging Clark on this path. He knew his twin had a deep seated *need* to help people... one that had gotten him in trouble over and over...
So long as no one realized there were *two* “Supermen” and not one... they could both be safe...
CJ sighed to himself, there was no deluding himself now as he once did. This path could very well make all his family’s worse fears come true... or it could save them. Reflecting on his past, CJ was pessimistically betting on the former.
<Jay? You coming?>
<I was just watching the stars come out, Cal...>
***************************
CJ was starting to clear the table when Rachel snapped, “Ok Clark... what happened? All afternoon and halfway through dinner you were high as a kite... now you’re sitting here brooding...”
Clark frowned, “It was something Dr. Baines said when she trapped Lois and me in that warehouse... ‘After all, space is just another frontier... whoever arrives first will...’” Clark looked his twin in the eye, “‘seize the high ground’...”
CJ raised a brow, “And what’s so great about that? It’s a pretty common saying...”
Clark sighed and shook his head, “Never mind... you had to hear how she said it... I’m going to go check something out...” he walked out of the room.
Rachel blinked, “Clark? Where...”
Clark re-entered the room in his new uniform, “I’ll be back later...” he headed for the door.
CJ and Rachel shared a wide-eyed glance before CJ took off after his twin. He finally caught Clark as he hovered above Lex Tower. After a moment’s hesitation he moved towards it, lightly landing on the balcony.
<...Listen in, CJ...>
<Clark...? What are you...>
<Just listen...> CJ shook his head in confusion before landing on the roof to stay out of sight.
Clark watched Luthor in his study. Seeming to sense his observer, Luthor slowly turned towards him. He lightly jumped to the floor of the balcony as Luthor faced him. As he steped forward Luthor pressed a button, raising the windows in front of him.
Luthor began to applaud, “An astonishing debut... Superman.” He added an odd inflection to the name, almost a derisive tone.
Clark raised a brow and said nothing.
“Hadn’t you heard? That’s what they’re calling you... it’s international news.” He spun away to move some papers, then rose, walking toward Clark. “To what do I owe this honor?”
Clark gathered himself, “I came to tell you that I know who you are... who you *really* are. I suppose, on its face, it was a good plan. Destroy Prometheus...” Luthor immediately frowned and turned away, moving to his desk, “...so you could put your own space station in its place. Then, not only would you make billions from the patents of vaccines developed, but you'd also be the supposed savior of the space program...”
Luthor continued to move around the room, keeping his back to Clark, “A very interesting theory... Superman...” his inflection was again discordant and he finally faced Clark again, “But that’s all it is.”
Luthor’s reactions roused Clark’s suspicions further, so he continued, “You are also responsible for the deaths of at least three people...” Luthor shrugged on a jacket, a serene smile sitting unmoving on his lips, “Commander Laderman, Samuel Platt... Dr. Baines.” At the mention of the last name, Luthor’s head tilted to the side and he grimaced fractionally. “Those probably aren't the only skeletons in your closet.”
Luthor turned to Clark, brows raised, hands outstretched, “So, you become both my judge and executioner?”
Clark didn’t react, just continued with his speech, “Like any other citizen of the planet, I must obey the law.” By now Luthor was checking his appearance in a mirror, seeming to ignore Clark’s words. “I am not above it.” Luthor turned back to Clark, a slight frown on his face. “You, it seems, believe you are.”
Luthor returned to his desk, finally meeting Clark’s gaze, “I hold a certain... position in this city.” He drew out a cigar and lit it.
Clark finally moderated his tone, a forceful note weaving into his voice as he watched Luthor puff away on his cigar, “Yes... And there is nothing that would please me more than to see you dethroned and behind bars... like any common criminal. That day will come.”
Luthor smirked and raised his brows, “I trust not.” He approached Clark, an almost excited gleam entering his eyes, “But, then, as they say... let the games begin!”
Clark said nothing, just turned and walked away. Once he was in the open balcony he turned back to Luthor, a slightly arrogant look crossing his face, “Oh... one more thing.” Luthor smirked expectantly. “If you ever need to find me...” Clark lifted easily off the ground, “all you have to do is look *up*!”
He watched a look of stunned rage build on Luthor’s face as he sped away.
Clark landed near CJ and Rachel’s house. CJ joined him just a second later.
His twin looked at him for a long moment, “...now I see what you meant about Luthor...”
Clark nodded grimly.
***************************
As Clark headed to work the next morning a sonic boom shattered the air, <Jay?>
<Terrorist shooting...>
Clark hurried into the newsroom, only to be caught by Lois as he stepped off the elevator. “Terrorist shooting on sixth...”
Lois looked teasingly at him as the elevator closes, “And Kent? *I’ll* ask the questions!”
tbc... *Fin: Pilot*
