Next part on Tuesday!
Thank you again Nancy (anonpip) and Rel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both Sides of the CoinPart 15
TOC Back at the warehouse Lois swiped the card... the door unlocked, “I hope this isn’t a trap...”
Clark sighed, “Me too...”
They stepped inside, only to whirl as the door slammed behind them. Lois rattled the door while Clark turned to a steady beeping noise. A digital countdown rolled over a combination lock.
Lois followed his gaze, “A new security measure?”
Clark frowned, “Maybe...” Clark placed an ear against the box... focusing in on the lock as he turned it.
Lois raised a brow, “Your brother is a hacker and you’re a safe cracker? You two must have had interesting childhoods...”
<You have no idea lady...>
<I thought you got bored listening to us?>
<You wish...>
Within moments the lock gave and the door opened, Lois stared at Clark, “Would you believe... 8/2/47? The date the general said they took their oath?”
<Really?!>
<Ironically... yes...>
<So you didn’t need to use your hearing...>
<Safer that way...>
<...true...>
Lois chuckled, “Well... live and learn...” they proceeded into the warehouse.
They found a dimly lit area that was littered with bookcases, file cabinets and oddly shaped, tarp-covered objects. Clark explored the room while Lois attacked the files. Clark felt a pull on his mind. He frowned and followed it.
<Cal?>
<...you feel that Jay?>
<...faintly...>
Clark neared a tarp and stopped.
<Cal... I...>
Clark flung aside the tarp and stared in shock... the object he revealed was a sleek dull silver craft. Odd runes covered the side and Clark ran his fingers over them. He smoothed his hand to the front of the craft, encountering a now familiar shape... the ‘S’ adorning Superman’s suit. <Jay... It’s...>
<The ship... I’m heading over there...>
<Be careful...>
<Who’s the reckless one?>
Clark felt the pull again and looked down, seeing a burlap sack. Reaching in he found a metal object... a small globe that fit in the palm of his hand. As he watched, the landmasses turned red and rearrange themselves into unfamiliar geography, “Krypton...”
<Holy...>
<*Krypton* Jay... we’re from *Krypton*...>
***************************
Lois sighed as she glanced around and found that Clark had disappeared. She rifled through another drawer only to freeze, “Smallville, 1966” one file read. With wide eyes she withdrew the file, and stuffed it into her briefcase. A noise made her stiffen and she rushed off to find her partner. Finding him staring, enraptured, at a glowing sphere she hissed, “*Clark*!” the sphere disappeared into his pocket as he turned to her... one more weird thing about her new partner... footsteps drew closer though and Trask emerged with several of his men.
“Now, how did you two manage to get in here?”
Lois decided to dodge the question, “That’s *your* problem...”
Trask only cocked his head to the side, “That’s correct...” menace entered his voice, “however... getting out is *yours*.”
Clark moved in front of her, “People know we’re here...”
Lois shook her head as her “bodyguard” re-emerged, “Yeah... like...” she grimaced as she assumed a vapid air, “Superman! He’s going to come looking for us!”
Trask smiled... it was not reassuring. “Oh... I hope so... in fact... I’m counting on it...”
Lois frowned, ‘busted Lane...’
***************************
“Altitude at 10,000 feet...” the pilot said.
Lois groaned softly, once again she and Clark were captured. Lois sighed and leaned on Clark’s shoulder. She was almost sure he could easily save them. But there was that off chance... Clark wrapped an arm around her, drawing her closer. She let herself drift in despair.
<Cal?>
Lois forced herself not to react to the voice in her head.
<Yeah Jay?>
<I got our ship out...>
<Good... can you tell where we are?>
<Not yet... try to get Lois to scream or something...>
<...not funny, Jay...>
Lois forced herself to stay calm and to analyze what was happening. She was hearing voices in her head... but they were... Clark and CJ?
Her thoughts were halted as Trask came over. He sneered at her, wrapped as she was in Clark’s arms, “I assume the two of you are familiar with the scientific method?”
<What is he going on about...>
<Not sure...>
Clark slowly answered, “Advance a theory, submit it to a test...”
Trask smiled at them and Lois’ skin crawled, “My *theory* is that one of you knows how to contact this alien creature Superman...”
<Talk louder so I can track *you*...>
<Jay...>
<And I’m not a “creature”... ok... we just found out the “alien” part is true but...>
<*Jay!*>
<...what?>
<*Shut up!*>
“...probably through some form of telepathic communication...”
<...he pegged that one... too bad the telepathy doesn’t tell me where you *are*...>
<Jay... *please*...>
Lois was trying not to laugh at the twins’ dialogue, “And... and how do you plan to test it?”
“If you were to... become airborne at, say, 20,000 feet... without a parachute... I have to assume you will be suitably motivated to call for Superman...”
<No... Cal will just fly his sweetheart to safety himself... he has a suit too ya know...>
Lois noticed that Clark had given up trying to silence his twin. “What if this theory of yours is wrong?”
Trask shrugged, “Pushing back the frontiers of science is not without risk...”
<Which is why testing on humans is highly regulated...>
The door of the plane was thrown open and air began to whip through the plane. Lois stared in shock. “What... what happens if Superman does show up?”
Trask sneered and motioned for his men to grab her, they pulled her away from Clark, “Does the worm need to know if the fish is going to be fried or charbroiled?” They begin to maneuver her to the gaping door.
<Jay?! Where *are* you?!>
Lois’ eyes widened, she could still hear Clark... “Wait!”
Clark bolted up, “Leave her alone! Use me...”
Lois tried again, “Wait!”
Trask considered her, “What?”
“I want a last request...”
Trask raised a brow, “...within reason...”
“I want to kiss Clark good-bye...”
<Huh? What is she up to?>
<No idea... but anything to stall...>
Trask nodded his assent and Lois walked up to Clark. She cupped his face and pressed her lips to his. He enfolded her in his arms and Lois took a chance, <...Clark...?>
Clark jerked against her, <Lois?!>
<I... could hear you... when you were holding me...>
Clark suddenly relaxed, <...you know...>
<I already figured it out... Flyboy...>
She was jerked away from him, <Lois!>
Trask’s men pulled her to the door, she held his gaze as they shoved her out. Clark instantly dove after her. Lois’ scream echoed in his ears and he sped after her. They entered the clouds just as Clark caught up to her, he wrapped her in his arms and brought them to a stop, hanging in the clouds. Lois burrowed into his shoulder, shuddering, <...flying with you is great and all... but I can do without the falling...>
Clark let out a half-sob, half-laugh. <Me too...>
A sonic boom sounded nearby and a moment later a wide-eyed Superman hovered beside them. “Ummm....”
Clark sighed, “Little late... Jay.”
“So I see...”
Clark rolled his eyes, “Just get us down... believably...”
They soon landed on the Planet roof, “So...” started CJ.
Lois gasped... unable to speak, she pointed to the sky, <*Missile*!>
CJ’s eyes jerked to her in shock before he turned around. Spotting the threat he took to the sky. He rushed up and the missile followed. At a higher altitude he slowed and allowed the missile to catch him. It instantly exploded.
<*Jay!*>
<...I’m fine... the bomb in my stomach was probably worse...>
Lois blinked, <I bet...>
<Um... yeah... why can you hear me? Why can I hear you?>
Lois’ eyes widened, <Shouldn’t you know?>
Clark pulled her close, “Honestly, Lois... you know almost as much about us as we know about ourselves...”
Lois frowned at him, “But...”
“We were found... as babies... in a spaceship out in a field... we really don’t have much more information about our origins...”
Lois frowned, “That’s really all you know?”
Clark sighed, “Yeah... Mom and Dad are great... but there’s so much we just don’t know... and probably won’t ever know... the biggest question we have is: why? Why were two babies stuffed in a space ship and hurtled into space?”
Sadness had entered Clark’s eyes and Lois sought to relieve it by pulling his head down for another kiss.
A soft thump made her pull back. She glared at CJ, who stood next to them, grinning widely. “Would hitting him do anything?”
Clark chuckled while CJ silently raised a brow, “Not really... might hurt your hand...”
Lois sighed before she and Clark headed for the stairs while CJ took off to announce his survival.
***************************
CJ landed silently near his house. He slowly walked inside with a frown fixed on his face.
Rachel looked up as he came in. She saw his face and walked over to him, “CJ?”
CJ met her eyes and said bluntly, “Lois knows.”
Rachel frowned, “Knows...?”
“About Clark and me...”
Rachel’s eyes grew wide, “How?”
CJ began to pace, “That nutcase from the government caught them in his hanger...”
Rachel bit her lip, “Clark saved her?”
CJ shook his head, “Not then... Rach... somehow... they bonded...”
Rachel grabbed onto his arm, halting him, “What?!”
CJ nodded slowly, “They bonded... it took us *years*...”
Rachel squeezed his arm, “CJ...”
CJ pulled her into a hug, “There’s more...”
Rachel frowned, “More? They bonded and she knows the family secret... what *more* could there be?”
“I can hear her, Rach.”
Rachel stared at him, “What do you mean?”
“I mean I heard her like I hear you and Clark...”
Rachel blinked, “I... how is that possible?”
CJ shrugged, “How is anything in our lives possible? Maybe she’s a naturally telepathic human... who would never have found out if she hadn’t been exposed to two telepathic... whatever we are...”
Rachel hugged him, “Does it bother you?”
CJ sighed, “In some ways... I’ve always wished that our bond was as strong as Clark's and mine...”
Rachel shook her head before pulling him down for a kiss. After they parted she ran a hand through his hair and held his gaze, “Does it really matter if we can’t be in each other’s heads all the time?”
CJ chuckled, “No... after all... there are better ways to communicate...”
***************************
A few hours later Lois and Clark burst into what had been Trask’s warehouse along with a SWAT team and Perry. It was empty. Lois let the police rush by her, her shoulders drooping. “It’s gone...”
<No... CJ got *our* ship out... and I have a... globe...>
<I noticed that earlier... and I have a folder labeled “Smallville, 1966”... but those aren’t proof...>
<...they aren’t?>
<No... I’m not sharing you with the world...>
Clark smiled slightly and hugged her. <You sure are getting the hang of this quickly...>
<I’m nothing if not adaptable, Kent.>
Perry approached the couple. Lois pulled back as she noticed him, “They were here Perry... UFO’s...”
Perry stared, “UFOs?”
Clark nodded, “Yeah... assessed, sorted, labeled... right here...”
Perry sighed, “Ok... I believe you... we can’t print it... but I believe you...”
Lois smiled, “Thanks... well... I guess exposing Trask is still a good story...”
***************************
That evening Lois was stuck on a night shift. She sat at her desk in the dark absently tapping a pencil on her desk. The newsroom was deserted... most of the others on the night shift were in other areas of the building and the night editor was napping in his office. Lois groaned inwardly as she tried to think of something to relieve her boredom but wasn’t having much luck.
A sound behind her caused her to still, “I hear you’ve been looking for me.”
She turned and stifled a giggle. Looking slyly up at the man in front of her she replied, “All my life...”
Clark grinned, tipping his glasses up to rest on his head before bouncing a quick kiss off her lips. “I thought you could use some company.”
“Oh?”
Clark’s grin widened, and he held out several bamboo containers. Lois’ eyes widened with glee. She dug into the food as Clark pulled up a chair by her desk.
Between bites Lois hummed her enjoyment, “So where exactly is this food from?”
Clark chuckled before snagging some of the food for himself, “Shanghai...”
Lois tossed a dumpling at him, “Show off!” Clark laughed as he deftly caught the dumpling and popped it into his mouth.
Lois watched him as her mirth began to fade, “You took a huge chance you know...”
Clark frowned at her, “What do you mean?”
Lois sighed, “You gave yourself away to me...”
Clark tilted his head as he thought for a moment, “I...” he frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose, “It wasn’t a conscious thing but...” he shrugged, “I was so relieved in that plane when I realized you knew...” his expression turned thoughtful, <I also thought we could come up with a believable ‘Superman’ interview between us...>
Lois raised a brow, <Great... running a PR campaign for my boyfriend and his brother’s role-play character...>
<Boyfriend?>
Lois looked at him for a long moment, “Yeah... boyfriend...” she whispered.
Clark traced her lips with a finger and kissed her softly.
Lois pulled back after a few moments... “So... the basics... name?”
<No idea... the only names we can remember are the ones the Kents gave us... and our nicknames: Cal and Jay...>
“So... obviously... you have some horribly unpronounceable name so it makes sense to stick with Superman...”
Clark laughed, “That sounds good...”
“Where are you from... you sure aren’t from Kansas...” she stuck out her tongue.
Clark chuckled again, “Before today... I couldn’t have told you where I was from originally... but this... gave me that answer...” Clark extracted the globe from his jacket and showed Lois the red continents. “...Krypton.”
Lois brushed a hand across the globe, her eyes widened as it flashed and reformed a map of Earth.
A sly smile formed on Lois’ face, “Next... Superman certainly *looks* like a man...” Clark’s eyes widened, “...after all, he seems to have all the right... parts...”
“Lo-is!” <I look *just* like any other man, Lois...>
Lois giggled, “Not just *any* man, Clark...” She beamed in delight, as he turned crimson.
Clark glared, “I’m a *man*... just like you’re a *woman*...”
“And we’re both fortunate that that’s so...”
Clark groaned and buried his face in his hands, <You’re worse than Jay...>
<Is that an insult or a compliment?>
Clark raised his head and stole another kiss, <What now?>
“The most important thing... the message... what Superman stands for...”
Clark frowned, “We want to help... do things no one else can because of our abilities...”
“It needs to be more than that... ‘Superman’ is already evolving into some sort of icon...”
Clark sighed, “Yeah... the media storm is tough...”
“Clark... you two made your debut by saving the *space program*... that was going to turn some heads...” Clark suddenly zoned out, “Clark?”
“I heard a scream... Jay’s in the observatory... I need to go...”
Lois smiled and waved him off.
‘My life just got much more complicated...’
tbc....
