--SSS--
When Lois stepped out of the elevator, she realized she didn’t recall anything after seeing Clark and Superman’s clone disappear into the sky. Somehow, she’d gotten back to the office on autopilot. She walked like a zombie to her desk. She was pulled from her worries about Clark by Perry’s sharp voice.
“Lois, where have you and your partner been?”
Coming closer, Perry realized something was very wrong. His voice changed to one of concern, “Lois?”
“Perry?”
“Let’s go into my office so you can tell me what’s wrong.”
Nodding, she stood and followed him. He closed his door and blinds before turning to her. She was standing in a daze in the middle of his office. “Lois, honey, sit down. You look like you’ve had a shock.” After helping her to one of his visitor’s chairs, he took the other and softly began, “What happened?”
“He… he kidnapped Clark.”
“Who?”
“The Superman clone.”
“Who?”
“Oh, you don’t know.” She took a deep breath to steady herself and then began explaining. When she’d finished, she turned to Perry.
“Two Supermen?”
“I saw them together. I know it sounds far-fetched...”
“That’s an understatement. Do you have any proof?”
“Proof? The clone flew away with my partner!”
“Lois, you need to step back. If I’d told you Elvis was pumping gas down the street, what would you say?”
“I get it. This is like the UFO story. Clark and I can each verify it happened, if…” More strongly, she continued, “that is,
when he gets back. But, no I don’t have any hard evidence. I’m beginning to see Clark’s frustration...”
“With what?”
“Um, never mind. Just a thought about something Superman said.” Her shoulders slumped as she admitted, “I don’t have enough evidence to print or call the police.” Turning pain-filled moist eyes to Perry, she squeaked out, “I have no idea where Clark is. What do we do?”
Perry gently held her hands. “We wait. And hope that Superman—the real one—finds them or the clone returns him safely. Clark is stronger and smarter than you think, honey. He’ll figure out a way to get back to you.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. Now, got anything you can write?”
Lois shook her head sadly.
“Want to go home, honey?”
“No! There are some things I need to research. Maybe one of them will give me a clue as to where Clark is.”
“Okay, go get ‘em.”
Wiping her eyes, she stood. Perry watched as the frail young woman before him turned into the consummate professional investigator he knew and loved like a daughter. Steeling her spine, she purposefully headed back into the newsroom and made a beeline for her desk.
--SSS--
It alarmed Clark to realize as they flew that he was not only carrying his own weight, but also his brother’s. Clark guided them to his apartment’s balcony.
The clone seemed fine after they landed. They walked into the apartment.
After asking if his brother wanted a drink or to eat and getting a negative response, Clark continued, “I’m going to call Paul and ask him to come over. Why don’t you change into something more comfortable? If anyone comes here unexpectedly, you won’t have to hide.”
“Okay.”
“Come on, let’s find something for you to wear.”
Clark took him into his bedroom. Together they picked out some of Clark’s clothes. Clark left him to shower and change while Clark made some calls. First he called Paul and asked him to come over. Then, he called Lois to let her know he was back. The relief in her voice was apparent. She told him she’d found the woman who had won Superman’s lock of hair. It was stolen and never recovered. Clark explained he needed a shower before returning to work. They would talk more then.
His final call was to his parents.
“Hello?”
“Mom, it’s me.”
“Clark! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
She called Jonathan to the phone, and Clark made sure they weren’t on cordless phones.
“What happened, son?”
“The other Superman came and snatched me off the sidewalk in front of Lois.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah, we talked. We’re sure he’s a clone. Paul figured it out, and then so did Lois.”
“How is that possible?”
“Superman donated a lock of hair that was stolen, and we think it was used by a scientist to create the clone. Anyway, he figured out who I am, and we talked. He promised not to tell anyone our secret.”
“Can you trust him?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. He’s scared and has never known compassion, let alone love. Look, I’ll explain everything later. Something went wrong with creating him. Paul is coming over to see if he can fix it. He has to use his special abilities.”
“If you trust him, we do. If he’s a clone, he’s your brother.”
“That’s what I think, too.”
“What can we do?”
“Well, he’ll need a place to stay. He’s really more like a boy in a man’s body and needs to learn how to be a man. We haven’t talked about how he’s mastered his powers, but he seems to be able to control them really well. He also needs a name. The only one he’s been called is Superman.”
“Oh, Clark, that poor boy!” Martha cried.
“You know, if we’d had another son we would have named him David. Why don’t you ask him if he’d like that name, even temporarily? You can’t call him ‘Hey, you’ and certainly not Superman. David means beloved. Let him know how we feel about him.”
“Dad, that’s a great idea. I’ll ask him.” There was a knock at the door. Clark lowered his glasses to scan the door. “Paul is here. I’ll call you as soon as I know more.”
“Go. We love you, son.”
They all signed off. Clark put the phone down and let Paul in. Just then, the clone came out of Clark’s bedroom, freshly showered, dressed in a dark polo shirt, a pair of jeans and sneakers.
Clark made the introductions.
“I remember you.”
“We met at the bank. Thank you for rescuing us.”
“Uh, you’re welcome. Can you help me?”
“I don’t know. I have to check you with my sphere.”
“Will it hurt?”
“No. If you have any pain, I’ll know and can make it better.”
“You can?”
“Yes. I have to touch you to find out what’s wrong and find out if I can fix it.”
“Oh, okay.”
Clark interjected, “Why don’t you both use my bedroom? I’ll get a quick shower and change and then it’s all yours. I have to go back to work for a short while.”
His brother spoke up, “I need to get the lock of hair.”
“You know where it is?”
“It’s in a vault in my room.”
“Are you up to it?”
“I have to try. I don’t want them to make any more of us.”
“Are they planning to?”
“Yeah, I heard them say they plan to build an army.”
“What! Unbelievable.” After he shook his head, Clark continued, “Tell me more about the situation.” At his brother’s confused look, Clark explained, “Anything you think is important about the room and the vault.”
Together the three of them came up with a plan to destroy the hair, the specimens and neutralize the equipment. Clark volunteered to go as Superman, pretending to be his brother. They decided the best time to sneak in would be when Luthor was eating dinner. Since Nigel would be serving, they’d both be on the opposite side of the penthouse from the clone’s room. Dr. Leek never came until after dinner.
“I spoke to my folks. If they had another son, they would have named him David. As I recall, they almost called me David. It means beloved. Would you like to use that name until you decide?”
“Yeah. Can I use your name, too?”
“You can be David Kent. How does that sound?”
“I like it.”
Clark showered and changed while Paul scanned the clone. Paul discovered components of frog cells mixed with Kryptonian ones. The ratios of each seemed to vary from cell to cell. Apparently the Kryptonian parts were dominant, but the frog and Kryptonian parts together were incompatible for life. He explained that to both Clark and David. He also explained that the process may cause David to be younger. How much he couldn’t say but would grow from that point into a mature adult. Until Paul completed the process, he couldn’t say what age David would be when finished. And he warned he might lose his super powers.
Clark spoke, “I didn’t get my powers until I was older.”
“Really? So this might make me more like you?”
“Isn’t that the goal, Paul? To only have the Kryptonian cells?”
“Yes. That’s exactly it.”
“Will I die?”
“I’m sure you won’t. I’ll do everything I can to prevent it,” Paul sincerely stated.
“Clark, if I do, you have to do something for me. My father told me about a Viking funeral. That’s what I want.”
“I don’t—”
“If you don’t, there’s a chance someone will use my tissue to make more clones. And I can’t let that happen. You asked me to promise you; I need you to promise this.”
After thinking it through, Clark replied, “You’re right. I promise. But, I also believe Paul when he says he can help. I don’t believe it will be necessary. You have to believe that, too.”
“Okay.”
“Will you two be okay? I should go back to work for a few hours.”
They both nodded at Clark.
“Make yourselves at home. Use the bed if you need to lie down, David.”
“Thank you... for helping me. Can I have another hug?”
Clark enveloped him in a hug. After a few moments, they broke apart, and Clark left for work.
--SSS--
Lois heard the elevator ding. She looked up from her computer for the umpteenth time since returning to work, hope that had fluttered inside her dimming each time she’s been disappointed not to see him. Several people got off. Joy filled her like sunshine as the last person stepped out of the car.
“Clark!” She stood and ran to him, grabbing him in a bear hug. His arms automatically encircled her as he felt her trembling.
“I was so worried, even after you called,” she whispered into his ear.
“I’m fine, Lois. It’s okay.”
Straightening up, she let him go and looked around. Work had stopped as everyone watched, some with open mouths, at the two partners.
Perry came out of his office and called, “Show’s over! Get to work, people! I’m not going to remind you again!”
“Come on, partner. Let’s use the conference room to fill each other in on what happened.” And she tightly held his hand as she pulled him to the conference room.
In the conference room, Lois started. She informed him that the lock of hair had been won at the auction by Mrs. Doyle Alexander. It was stolen a few days later, never recovered, and the thief never caught. Clark then gave her an abbreviated version of what happened. He explained that the clone had wanted to see Superman, and the superhero found them. When they finished, they agreed they didn’t have anything to print.
“Clark, I told Perry, but I’m not sure he believed me. It’s like that Bureau 39 warehouse.”
“Yeah. And Superman asked that we not print it or tell anyone else.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“I know. I can explain it to Superman; I’m sure he’ll understand. We should ask Perry not to mention it, though.”
“Yeah, let’s do that now.”
After explaining the situation to Perry, he agreed to keep it confidential.He felt that the city and the world owed that much and more to Superman.
Clark walked her home and then changed into Superman, flying to LexTower.
Scanning the penthouse, Superman discovered that the clone’s room was indeed empty. There were no surveillance cameras or microphones. He quickly entered the room, disarmed the vault alarm, and then opened it. Spraying the samples with his heat vision, he destroyed their viability. He grabbed the lock of hair in a petri dish and closed the vault. Outside the penthouse, he used his heat vision to incinerate the hair before heading home. The whole thing took him less than a minute at super speed.
--SSS--
After finishing, he flew towards his apartment and scanned it. When he saw Paul working on David, he decided not to disturb them. He flew to an all night sandwich shop he knew, got the order he’s placed earlier and then flew to an alley behind the Planet. There he quickly changed back into Clark before entering the building.
Stepping off the elevator, he saw Lois engrossed in her work. Perry’s office was dark, and Jimmy wasn’t in the newsroom. Lois wanted to eat at her desk, so Clark used her visitor's chair. As they finished eating, Jimmy came out of the elevator. He glanced around before heading straight for them.
“Where’s the chief?”
“He left about a half hour or so ago,” Lois responded.
The color drained from Jimmy’s face, “No!”
Clark asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I promised him I wouldn’t tell… but I found out he got bad news at his physical last week. I think he’s… he’s going to end it all.”
“Jimmy, that’s ridiculous,” Lois proclaimed.
“No, it’s the truth! There’s a note in his calendar to go to the Metropolis Bridge tonight. I think he’s going to jump!”
“I don’t believe it, but let’s go find out what’s on the bridge,” Lois replied.
The three of them grabbed their coats and bolted for the elevator.
--SSS--
Later, after arriving at the bridge just as Perry leaped off the side in a Bungee Jump, the four of them sat on a bench.
Clark spoke, “Fifty, huh?”
Perry replied, “Yup. The big five-oh.”
“Well, congratulations, chief,” Jimmy added.
“Thanks, son.”
“One thing, Perry. I’d lose the hairpiece,” Lois suggested.
“Alice loves it. Thinks it makes me look like a young Dan Rather.” Wistfully, he sighed, “Oh well, it’s at the bottom of the canyon now. So much for my mid-life crisis.”
The chief and Jimmy stood. Perry put his arm around the younger man and spoke, “I hope you’ve learned your lesson, son.”
“Yeah, never trust an old guy.”
Perry’s laughter filled the night air as they walked to a cab.
Lois and Clark remain seated, staring at the night sky.
Clark broke the silence, “Well, it looks like there’s only one Superman again.”
“Yeah, all’s right again with the world… I mean, Metropolis.”
“Hmm, I suppose so...”
They stood and found a cab. Clark gave the driver Lois’ apartment address. Once there, he paid the fare and saw her to her door. Before entering, she turned to him.
“Clark, I’m so glad you’re all right.”
“I’m fine. Really.”
“You’re not going to tell me what really happened, are you?”
“Not tonight. We’re both tired, and I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
“Me, too. I want to know, though. And I want you to tell me everything you know about Lex.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Clark.”
“Goodnight, Lois.”
--SSS--
Clark exited and found a nearby alley to change into Superman. He flew to LexTower to see if anything seemed amiss. The clone’s chamber was dark. Luthor was in his office. Clark had no intention of confronting him tonight, so flew a brief patrol. All was quiet in the city, so he headed home.
After he landed on his balcony, Clark entered his apartment.
Paul came out of his bedroom.
“Paul?”
“It’s done.”
“He’s alive?”
“Yes, and quite healthy.”
“Thank you. How old is he?”
“Three years.”
“Wow. Will he remember any of this?”
“I don’t know. I suspect he’ll remember your kindness. The rest, I don’t know.”
“Well, we’ll just have to see. Can I see him?”
“Sure, although he’s asleep. He should be awake in a few hours.”
“Okay. When he wakes, I’ll take him to Smallville. My folks can watch him until I can make arrangements.”
“Why don’t I come back in the morning and stay with him?”
“Don’t you have something else more important to do?”
“No. You need to take it slow. He’ll probably feel most comfortable with you, and I can calm him. If not with my touch and voice, then with my sphere.”
“Okay, thanks. And thanks for saving his life.”
“Friends help each other.” Then Paul softly reminded him, “You saved Jenny, Scott and me first.”
Clark stepped into the bedroom and peeked at David. The boy was sleeping peacefully with a contented look on his face. He seemed to swim in Clark's clothes that were obviously way too large for the little guy.
Once back in the living room with Paul, Clark spoke, "He needs some clothes. There's a department store open late tonight that has an excellent children's section. Okay if I do some shopping and bring back dinner?"
"Sounds great."
"You want anything special?"
"No, anything is fine."
They discussed options and decided that afterwards, rather than calling a cab so late, Clark as Superman would fly Paul back to his hotel. In the morning, he would check out and stay in Clark’s apartment so David wouldn’t be alone.
The End (for now)
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