Part 13
The following morning, Clark arrived at the familiar glass building that housed the Daily Planet. He had had a long night behind him, his first instinct was to get his mother home and out of harm’s way, so the previous afternoon, he had gone with Martha back to Smallville and had had dinner with his parents.
Upon his return to Metropolis, it had been late, and he spent most of the night helping the Metropolis police department at rounding up a number of the rioters, all of whom had been the youth who were taken to prison in order to go through detox. There was something in the pills he had found at a number of the crime scenes and he pondered if Dr. Klein over Star Labs would be able to provide them some information about what was happening.
As dawn was breaking, he realized that he had intended on going back to see Lois, but had been so sidetracked that he didn’t get around to going to her apartment. Sighing, he got into the elevator and rode up to the newsroom. Perry had come in early and so when he arrived; the newsroom was all but empty except for the layout people who were putting the finishing touches on the morning edition.
He approached the editor’s office and tapped on the door and waited for Perry to open it. “Son, what in the name of Sam Hill are you doing here? It hasn’t been two weeks since we talked.” Perry’s face was filled with a certain amount of nervousness as he faced the reporter. Deep inside, he did not wish to lose his prize reporter because of a misunderstanding and something was telling him that this was specifically what the situation was.
“I know, Chief,” Clark said as he held up his hands in negation. “I have had enough time to think about all of this, and I have made a decision about my future here. I wanted to come back today and tell you what I have decided to do, as opposed to waiting an extra week, simply because the decision will be the same as then as it is now.”
“Now don’t go and make a rash decision,” Perry said.
“I think two weeks is enough time for me to make a decision. I want to stay at the Planet, Chief,” Clark said softly. “I realized that it would be like virtual torture for me to quit the work I enjoy so much and go back to the Smallville Press as opposed to being where I am really happy. A friend of mine talked some reason into me and I realized that it was just as important for me to make a choice for myself as it was to make the right choice.”
Perry smiled and nodded. “So you decided that you would stay here, huh?”
Clark nodded. “I just wanted to thank you for not letting me make a rash decision, and the time I spent at home did help get me realize a few things.”
With that, a very relieved Clark Kent got to his feet and left the editor’s office. Once he was gone, Perry smiled broadly. “I knew it,” he gloated to the stillness as an intern came in with a copy of the morning edition. “None of my chicks are going to fly my coop.” He smiled as he glanced up to see that Jimmy had come off the elevator and watched as the young man’s face broke into a broad grin when he recognized that Clark was now seated at his desk. “Now, maybe things will get back to normal around here,” the editor mumbled to himself as the steady trickle of reporters began to steadily stream into the newsroom.
*****
At this moment, Tempus was grinning as broadly as the Daily Planet’s editor. “It’s perfect,” he muttered under his breath. He had managed to avoid detection by the Metropolis Police and Superman with regards to Smyth’s death. In fact, the rumor mill was working overtime and he smiled when he heard that Superman seemed to be more concerned with some joker in beige than with him. “His paranoia is what will ultimately do him in and I would bet my right eye that he’s bringing Lois Lane into his little game as well. This is working better than I planned.”
The man from the future affectionately rubbed the glowing green bars of the cage that he intended to use to trap Superman. The best thing was that he had planned to do this in the middle of the rave when all the kids would be watching. The crowd would go out of control when they saw this cage, and Superman would be trapped and killed. If Lois Lane was stupid enough to show up, he concluded, then she would be trampled to death. This meant no more Utopia of the future.
It was the most perfect plan; the kids whom he was trying to save would the ones who would hold the key to his undoing. It would be a mob scene, and the best thing was that once he had destroyed Superman, he would become the head of an army of angry youth and no one would be left to stop him.
He smiled as Smyth’s replacement came into the room, the greasy haired man eyeing the cage and smiling as he regarded the cage.
“You’re amazing, Mr. Tempus,” the man said as he took a drink from the can he was holding in his left hand. “When Lenny told me that you had gotten the cage, I didn’t believe it, but it looks like when you speak, you deliver.”
“Oh no great credit to me, Carlos, this is all in a day’s work,” Tempus said smiling slyly as he eyed the can that Carlos was drinking from.
“Pity that Lenny got shot by those snipers,” Carlos said unemotionally after a few minutes of silence had passed between them. “He was like a brother to me, but maybe his sacrifice will be worth it if we could get Superman out of the way.”
What an unbelievable dolt this one is, Tempus thought, but looked at the man with false sincerity. “Yes, Carlos, it really is a pity, but I saw the whole thing, a young looking businessman in beige had done it, I saw the whole thing.” He glanced back over at the cage and then at the man. “Did you get everything arranged with this little gem?” He asked.
“Oh yes, we’re going to have the cage hung as decoration directly over the dance floor,” Carlos said as placed the can on the table and from his pocket; he pulled a slip of paper and unfolded it. Tempus leaned over and saw that the schematics of the entire setup were scribbled onto this piece of paper.
“I want a dark tarp put over the cage so that it won’t be visible until Superman arrives on the scene,” Tempus instructed. “We are going on the element of surprise here, and I don’t want anything to go wrong tonight. There’s a lot riding on all of this, and I don’t just mean Superman, but we have the kids under our control.”
“Hardly a chance of that happening, Boss, we have the best helpers with this, I even arranged a DJ that really rocks,” Carlos put his thumb up. “OK, so what if he’s my cousin, Benny, but without trying to be partial, he is the best rave DJ in all of Metropolis, and he said that the price was right. Tonight is really going to rock.”
“Yes, it will,” Tempus said smugly and nodded. “The rocking that will be done will happen to be a rare and glowing green metal that will destroy anything remotely resembling a hundred percent peaceful and tranquil.” In one hand he held up a small bottle with some white colored pills inside, with the other, a small piece of kryptonite was held between his thumb and forefinger. The bottle of ecstasy, he threw to Carlos. “Now, I want you to make sure that everyone who comes into the rave tonight gets a free sample to make the party all the more better for them.”
Carlos nodded. “My boys will keep everything under control, Boss, we’ll even make sure that they all take their medicine like good little boys and girls.” He chortled at his own attempt at humor. He placed the schematics into his pocket with the ecstasy as he reached for the can drink and started to walk towards the stairs. “OK, boys, raise the cage on my word.” Seconds later he gave the word and the men had pulled on the cables and the cage was raised high in the air.
“Now that the cage is in place, let’s get the final touches done for tonight’s party,” Tempus smiled cunningly as Carlos and two men reached the top of the stairs and disappeared outside. Tempus stared after them. “I’m surrounded by idiots,” he mumbled under his breath. “But, no matter, they do everything I say.” He smiled as he looked down at the small can of cola that sat on a nearby table. “Everything’s going my way…” He smiled as he crushed the can with the side of his fist.
Seconds later, he went up the stairs behind the three men, the flattened can, he left on the table, the piece of kryptonite casually resting next to it.
*****
By late afternoon, things had returned to normal at the Planet. Lois had not had much of a chance to talk to Clark; he was in and out of the newsroom like a virtual whirlwind that she discovered that it was next to impossible for her to talk to him about any of the events that had transpired the night before. At the same time, she wondered if Clark would have believed her. She knew that it was hard for even her to believe, even though she, herself had experienced it.
Sighing, she looked at the wall where a clock hung nearby. She must have been staring at it for a while because before she knew it, the time had changed from three to three thirty without her getting anything done. What she would have given to share this unbelievable story with someone. She knew Perry would scoff off the whole angel scoop. It was one of those ‘been there, done that’ stories. The only people who might be even remotely interested would be Star, her somewhat eccentric neighbor.
Shaking her head, she looked down at the information that Jimmy had collected for her the day before. The youth looked happy for the first time in days, she thought as the realization dawned on her that perhaps Jimmy had been heartbroken about Clark’s abrupt absence. Perhaps there was another reason behind his behavior and that the two of them had been in the same boat all along.
Her thoughts were still on the conversation she had had with Andrew the night before. An angel in Metropolis, that was too weird to be believed, yet she could not deny the truth in what he had said. Why would someone who talks about God be someone who is in cahoots with making trouble? Something just didn’t add up, and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Andrew had to have been telling the truth.
Sighing, she watched as Monica inched over to her desk and after a few moments, she made eye contact with the angel. “So, you ready to go for the gusto, Rookie?” She asked, but her voice was anything but convincing. You’re a reporter, Lane, keep your mind on your work, she chastised herself and tried without much success at getting herself psyched up for going undercover that night with a partner who wasn’t Clark.
“I suppose so,” Monica said cheerfully, but she noticed the look of hesitancy in Lois’ eyes and she looked at the reporter. “Lois, is everything alright? You look a wee bit upset.”
“A wee bit upset?” Lois looked at Monica, her eyes widening, but she smiled. “I haven’t heard that wording since I was in high school and visited Ireland.”
Monica shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps, but you do look upset, do you want to talk about it?”
Lois shook her head. “No, Monica, I’ll be fine.”
The angel nodded unconvincingly, but offered the reporter a smile. She was not sure why it was, but she concluded that Lois must not be comfortable with the mention of Andrew’s revelation from the night before. She had hoped that Lois would have trusted her enough to talk about it, but she didn’t and so she went back over to the desk she was using and sat down at it and began to stir the hot mug of coffee that was placed there.
About an hour prior to Lois and Monica’s planned departure, the telephone rang and Lois grabbed it and spoke into the receiver. “Lois Lane,” she said into the receiver and waited for the caller to identify himself or herself.
“Ms. Lane, it’s Dr. Klein from Star Labs,” the caller said.
“Did you find out anything about the samples that we brought in yesterday?” She asked and motioned for Monica to come over to her desk. When the angel reached her she made a thumbs-up sign and grabbed a pencil and a slip of paper.
“Yes, I did. We spun a sample down and were able to find the basic chemical compounds of the drug in question. Along with the normal substances usually found in ecstasy, we found a highly concentrated amount of anti-depressive components. That is to say that under these high dosages of medication, the user could, depending on body chemistry, come under external control, or worse, they could eventually die if exposed to this drug for a prolonged amount of time.”
“Do you mean to say that if kids are taking these drugs, then they could very easily become…like an army of sorts?” Lois asked as she scribbled some notes down and looked at Monica all the while shaking her head in absolute disbelief.
“Well, yes, this could, in fact, happen, but Ms. Lane, given the extreme high dosages of the anti-depressive medication in this sample, I cannot give you any accurate numbers as to how many people will survive from even one dosage of this particular drug. Based on the information we received through the sample you and Ms. Wings provided, I can only ascertain that it is far worse than just a bunch of kids rebelling against society. There is a serious epidemic going on here. I checked with Metropolis Memorial Hospital this morning where a number of my friends and colleagues work, and they informed me that they have, since yesterday morning, had an estimated hundred extra cases, all of which were kids who had overdosed or had been exposed to this particular ecstasy drug.”
“Did any of them disclose where they had gotten their drugs?” Lois asked. “Was there any indication as to who their dealer was?”
“No, most were unconscious when they were brought in, some have actually died from it, and the ones who were awake were completely oblivious to what was happening around them. Some of my colleagues from the hospital have spoken to me and have said that when things get calmed down somewhat, they’d agree to an interview about their findings, but at present, the entire staff at all the hospitals in Metropolis have been put on high alert because of this. They don’t have time for interviews or anything because kids are constantly being brought in and it’s been going on since early yesterday morning. It’s an epidemic.”
Lois nodded and a few seconds later, she thanked Dr. Klein and hung up the phone all the while looking over at Monica. The angel was quietly seated next to her desk, but after the reporter looked down at the slip of paper where Chief of Police’s cell phone number was scrawled across it, she shook her head with disbelief. “First Smyth is found as dead as a doornail out on the pier yesterday morning, and then this ecstasy thing. Monica, there’s got to be a connection here. If Smyth, one of the most notorious drug lords in Metropolis, is found dead on the pier about two hundred yards from the building where this ‘rave’ is supposed to be tonight, then there has to be a link. That warehouse has been abandoned for over a year, no one’s been inside.”
“Then what would the link be?” Monica asked.
“I don’t know, maybe we’ll find out tonight, but something tells me that Smyth was in on this the whole time, and chances are, the deal suddenly went sour on him and whoever was responsible for putting the anti-depressants into the ecstasy, then I would bet my right arm that its the same person who killed Smyth.”
“To silence him?” Monica asked.
“No, because Smyth wouldn’t have cared. Silence was never a problem for him, I know I tried to interview him once, and that man was like a clam, nothing, absolutely nothing came out,” she smiled weakly. “Well, not until Superman showed up, then he suddenly became the virtual ‘tower of babble’. He hated Superman for that, and when he managed squeak through the legal system without so much as time behind bars, he swore that he’d get even.”
“So, do you think that maybe he got involved in this because he and his killer had the dislike of Superman in common?” Monica asked.
“I’d be willing to bet money on it. Smyth was good at what he did, not good as in positive, but the man knew from the start that everything was about money,” Lois said, but after a few moments she looked at Monica, her eyes brightening considerably. “That’s got to be it. Do you know how much money Smyth could have made in this deal? Let’s get our facts down here.” Lois grabbed a pencil and handed it to Monica who reached for a stenographer’s notebook. “Fact number one, Superman has given kids a positive role model. Fact number two, these kids instead of doing drugs are following Superman’s example, and this does not go over very well for Smyth or his boys.” Lois continued to count on her fingers as Monica quickly wrote the information down. “Fact number three, Smyth was always good friends with bad money. He’s been linked to more cases of money laundering and even counterfeiting than I’d care to count.”
Monica continued to make the notations. “So, if Smyth gets rid of Superman, then he would be able to control most of the money in the Metropolis Underworld.”
“Yes, if he were to get rid of Superman, then he probably thought that the kids would revert their professed loyalty from Superman onto him. But, now he’s dead, so who would be behind what is going on?” Lois asked.
Monica shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t really know.”
“I would guess that it is whoever thinks the along the lines that money is power,” Jimmy said as he ambled over to them. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear you,” he said as Lois looked at him and he lowered his head.
Eventually, he raised it again in shock as Lois’ next words emerged. “Good point, Jimmy, thanks,“ said and they both watched as the young man proudly ambled back over to his desk and sat down in front of the terminal.
“You made a difference to him,” Monica said, thus breaking the subject.
“Well, it’s true, but let’s not get off topic here,” Lois looked down at the list that Monica held. “So, if someone thinks money is power, then chances are, they were scummier than Smyth, they got what they wanted out of him and bumped him off so they wouldn’t have to pay him for his help. So, essentially, we find out who is behind Smyth’s death, then we will find the answer to the problem of the drugged out youth, but also an enemy of Superman…” Her voice trailed off and she looked at Monica. “…Maybe I should tell you about Tempus.”
Monica looked at the reporter. “Lois, I already know about him.”
“Where?” The reporter asked.
“I’ll explain everything later,” the angel said softly. “But, I do know that this man is dangerous, and I know that tonight isn’t just about proving who killed Leonard Smyth, but it is about saving the lives of others.”
Lois looked at her. “So you’re with me on this.”
Monica nodded. “It’s my job,” was all she said.
Lois smiled. “Thanks, Monica.”
The angel smiled as Lois began to type the notes at the computer, but the angel watched as Lois got to the by-line that had been saved in the computer. Monica watched as Lois deleted the name Clark Kent from the by-line and inserted the name: Monica Wings. “Maybe one day I’ll have my old partner back, but until then, it will remain this way,” she whispered, but instead of saving the new by-line, she saved a new file and then started to put the information for the story into the computer.
By the time she had finished she looked up at the clock and noticed that it was six, and the newsroom was practically empty. She still had not seen Clark or Andrew, but now she had more important things to contend to.
“Are you ready, Red?” She asked as Monica got to her feet and had come over to her desk.
“Red?” Monica asked.
“That’s your alias, fits with your hair anyway,” Lois said. “It’s sort of nondescript, which is just what we need for tonight.”
Monica nodded. “OK, then you’re Dove.”
Lois looked at her and nodded. “That’s the idea.”
“I’m a fast learner,” Monica said as Lois gave her the bag with the clothing inside.
“We’ll change at my place,” Lois said. “That way, I can make sure you have not only the clothes, but the look.”
Monica nodded. “I trust you, Lois.”
“Thanks, let’s get going,” Lois smiled and the two women walked to the elevator.
As they went into the small enclosure and the doors slid back together, Andrew appeared in the newsroom and watched them. “Tess,” he looked at the other angel. “They’re really going through with this?” He asked.
“They have to, it’s their job, Angel Boy, and you have a job, too. It’s going to be a long night,” Tess said as she looked at Andrew’s beige clothing. “You need to fit in there, too, Mr. Halo. That means that you’re going to have to undergo a few changes.”
Seconds passed and Andrew’s clothing had abruptly changed. Instead of being dressed in a pristine beige suit and tie with kempt shoulder length hair, the Angel of Death was dressed in black leather pants, Iron Maiden concert t-shirt, silver loop earrings in his ears and his hair was greasy and tied back in a simple rubber band. His face showed the start of a beard.
“Now, I want you to get over there, Andrew, you will see Adam and some of the other Angels of Death at this rave, but your assignment is Clark Kent and no one else. I want you to keep your focus on him,” the Supervisor said.
“I know, Tess, I know,“ Andrew whispered. “He’s going to die tonight…” His voice trailed off sadly.
“The way things are going, yes, but things can change,” Tess said. “Whatever happens, we will have to accept that God is in complete control of the situation.”
*****
As Lois and Monica were leaving the Planet, Clark was flying overhead surveying the scene that was going on below. He had virtually been on call all day and this did not seem to lessen as afternoon turned to dusk and cries for help seemed to emerge every five seconds.
There was no question in his mind, this was a crime wave of epic proportions, most of the culprits not caring if they were caught or ran free and most of the crimes were petty things a mugging here a purse snatching there.
The strangest thing of all wasn’t the fact that he was constantly on the run, but when he had been too late to help people, then he started to notice that there were these strange people present with the victims. They were dressed in beige clothing and seemed more or less passive about what was happening around them. They would sit on the ground and hold the hands of the victims, and it was as though the culprits could not see them. Clark had even seen this Andrew a few times, but neither seemed interested or intent on confronting the other, so they merely had crossed paths a few times without so much as a word.
It had been this way ever since the kids went crazy, Clark had started to see men and women dressed in beige clothing appearing and disappearing throughout Metropolis. He was not sure what to make of this situation, but he wished that he had been able to keep his appointment with Lois the night before and discuss all these things with her. Superman didn’t lie, and he was not about to start just because Lois knew the truth about who he was. She would have to understand, he concluded, considering everything that was happening in Metropolis, sometimes things just happened that was beyond even Superman’s control.
Shaking his head, he landed in the alleyway next to his apartment. His eyes widened as he turned around and recognized Tess standing in the doorway to his apartment.
“Tess?” He spoke her name and the angel smiled and nodded.
“Yes, baby, how are you?” She asked.
“Confused,” he shook his head. “What is happening here? Am I losing my mind?”
“No, baby, you’re not, you’ve been trying to cope with all the things that have happened since you returned to Metropolis,” she said softly. “Now, you have a grave danger ahead of you. I came back to tell you that no matter what happens, you’re not alone, and you will understand everything tonight.” She reached over and touched his face. “God is proud of you, and so am I.”
Clark nodded and once the angel had disappeared, he heard another cry for help and took off. His thoughts were a buzz, but all those things aside; he realized that he had things that he needed to do, and this would all have to take the backburner until he had helped the people of Metropolis.
As he flew over Lois’ apartment building, he looked down to see that Lois and Monica had entered the building. He felt torn at that moment. He would have given anything to land and go and speak with Lois, but now he could not. Sighing, he disappeared over the horizon, his thoughts racing. “Forgive me Lois,” he whispered under his breath as he disappeared across the horizon, his next task as Superman beckoning him.
TBC
The rave comes in the next chapter.
Yvette
