Twins: 15/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
Klein gave an embarrassed grin. "Well, if I can't be hip, I guess that's the next best thing. I'm ready to go home early for once. Care to walk out to my motorcycle with me?"
"That really is your motorcycle?" Lois asked.
He nodded, reaching up to retrieve a leather jacket and helmet from the coat rack. Lois read the logo on the back of the jacket and raised her eyebrows. "Lab Rats?"
"Do you think it's too much?" Dr. Klein asked, pausing in the act of pushing a hand into the sleeve.
"Actually," Lois said, "it's creative. I kind of like it."
"It was my idea," Dr. Klein said. He opened the door to the hall and stood back to let them precede him, then closed and locked it behind him.
Ten minutes later, they watched as the scientist roared out of the lot on the black and silver motorcycle, popped a wheelie, and sped away down the road.
"Jimmy was right," Lois said, after a pause. "Dr. Klein is definitely not ordinary."
**********
And now, Part 15:
The night breeze was brisk and chilly, although Superman was perfectly comfortable as he floated silently above the city, scanning the darkness with his super-senses. He had been there for over two hours, waiting for a sign of his double, and so far he had seen no trace of him. It might be that the other Superman wasn't abroad tonight, but sooner or later they were bound to meet again, and the sooner the better.
At last he heard the swish of air that announced the passage of his twin, and an instant later he sighted the blue and red of the Superman uniform. Instantly, he followed.
His twin was aware almost at once that he had company. Clark could feel that in the ghostly sensation that was the other Superman's mental processes. He was also aware of Clark's mind. That much was also clear. Within seconds, original confronted duplicate in mid air. Before the other man could speak, Clark broke the silence.
"I need to talk to you. You said before when we talked that you were as old as I was."
"That's right."
"Think for a minute," Clark said. "Do you have any memories of your life? Do you remember growing up? Do you have friends? Do you remember being a child?"
The mental touch changed. Clark sensed confusion and a touch of anger.
"You don't have any memories like that, do you?" Clark said.
"So what if I don't?" The reply was tinged with defiance.
"You can't remember those things because they didn't happen," Clark said. "Your 'father' made you from a part of me. You didn't exist until a short time ago."
The anger in the mental touch became more prominent. "That's a lie. You're a liar. You're not even really Superman. You're Clark Kent."
"Have you told anyone that?" Clark asked.
"Not yet," the other man said, "but I might."
"Please don't," Clark said.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because someone's been lying to you, but it isn't me," Clark said. "You heard what Dr. Leek and your father said last night. I could 'hear' you listening to them, and you knew I was there too. As a matter of fact, you can 'hear' my thoughts now, can't you."
The other Superman shifted uneasily. "What if I can?"
"Then you can tell if I'm lying to you. You were grown from a part of me, and you're not going to live much longer unless someone can help you."
"That isn't true!"
"Just think about this for a minute," Clark said. "You're my twin -- my brother. I don't want you to die. Dr. Leek doesn't know what to do about it, but I know someone who does. I can help you, if you'll let me. Remember that, all right?"
The confusion in his twin's mind increased, and then, without a word, the other Superman rocketed away and Clark let him go. He had done all that he could for the moment. Now it was up to his "brother" to decide.
**********
The morning was unseasonably warm and sunny as Lois Lane approached the Daily Planet the next morning; more like a day in July. She glanced automatically up into the sky, searching for a glimpse of her partner, but there was no sign of Superman anywhere. She saw Jimmy Olsen turn his battered fixer-upper into the Planet's underground lot; then the roar of an engine and the screech of tires announced Ralph as the bright red sports car rounded the corner into the parking lot. Brakes squealed agonizingly as Ralph realized that his path was impeded by Jimmy's ancient vehicle. She winced in anticipation, then she heard the hair-raising crunch of metal against metal as the front of Ralph's car impacted the rear of Jimmy's.
She ran toward the scene of the collision. Other people were converging on the accident as well, and then the red and blue of Superman's uniform appeared out of nowhere as the Man of Steel came in to a fast landing beside the two cars.
Ralph had hit the older car hard. Lois pushed her way through gawking onlookers to reach the accident only seconds after Superman. The badly crumpled nose of the sports car was buried in the rear of Jimmy's vehicle, and appeared to have rammed the trunk up into the back seat. Ralph jumped from the driver's seat, a trickle of blood running down his forehead, and ran forward to his co-worker, who was leaning forward in the seat, his head resting on the steering wheel. Superman opened the door of Jimmy's car.
"Jimmy, are you all right?" he asked.
Jimmy put a hand on his neck. "Ow," he said faintly.
Ralph pushed forward, wiping at the blood dripping off his nose and grabbed Jimmy by the shoulder. "Look what you made me do!" he said. "My car's ruined!"
Superman removed Ralph's hand. "Later," he said. "Jimmy, don't move. I'm going to x-ray your neck."
Lois inserted her own body between Ralph and Jimmy. "Jimmy, are you hurt?"
Superman interrupted. "I'm pretty sure you have a whiplash, and you've chipped one of your vertebrae," he said. "I don't think it's serious, but I'm going to take you to the emergency room, just to be on the safe side."
"What are you going to do about my car?" Ralph demanded.
"Nothing," Superman said. "The police will be here in a minute." He leaned forward and lifted Jimmy carefully from the seat. With equal care, he rose into the air and an instant later, he and his passenger were out of sight.
Several of the Planet's security guards had appeared on the scene, and one of them spoke. "What happened?"
"He stopped his car without warning!" Ralph said loudly. "I couldn't stop in time!"
"I saw the accident," Lois said. "That's not quite how it happened."
**********
As a result, Lois was nearly an hour late to work. Perry met her as she arrived at her desk, with an agitated question. "Eduardo just told me there was an accident downstairs. How bad is Jimmy hurt?"
"Superman took him to the emergency room," Lois said. "The paramedics arrived while I was still talking to the cops and took Ralph, too. He had a little cut over one eyebrow."
"Somebody said Jimmy broke his neck," Perry said. "I didn't figure it was that bad, but ..."
"Superman said he had a whiplash and a chipped vertebra," Lois reassured him. "He didn't think it was serious, but he flew Jimmy to the hospital just in case."
Perry let out his breath. "Thank Memphis," he said. "It kind of scared me for a minute. What happened?"
"Ralph tail-ended him," Lois said.
"Him and that fancy car of his," Perry said, shaking his head. "The way he was drivin' it, I had a feelin' it wasn't gonna last long."
Perry's southern accent was so thick that you could cut it with a knife, she thought, which meant her boss was more upset than he was letting on. "Well, it's a mess," she said. "He bashed in the whole front of the car, and the rear of Jimmy's, but I don't think anyone was seriously hurt."
"I'll give the hospital a call," Perry said. "Maybe they'll let me talk to him."
Lois nodded. "Let me know what you find out, would you?"
Perry nodded and headed for his office. Lois dropped her purse on the floor and shoved it under her desk with one foot. Clark hadn't returned yet, and the thought worried her just a little, but surely, if Jimmy were hurt worse than he had thought, Clark would have let them know.
A gust of air blew a paper off her desk and a pair of red boots landed on the floor next to her.
"Superman!" she said. "Is anything wrong?"
He shook his head. "Everything's fine. Could I ask you to come with me for a few minutes? I want to talk to you in private."
Maybe Jimmy was hurt worse than they had believed, she thought. "All right. Is Jimmy okay?" she asked.
"Jimmy's fine. I just need to talk to you about something." He reached out his arms. "Come. Fly with me."
**********
"Who's Jimmy?" Superman asked as they rose over the city. "A boyfriend?"
Lois's breath caught in her throat. She should have been on her guard, but her concern for Jimmy had distracted her. In shock, she stared into the familiar face that didn't belong to Clark at all. "You're not Superman!"
"I'm Superman," the clone replied. "Soon I'll be the only Superman." He looked soberly at her. "He likes you. If I threaten you, he'll have to fight me. I have to kill him."
Lois swallowed. 'Keep calm,' she told herself. She was talking to a child here, no matter that he looked like a man. If she did this right, she might be able to talk her way out of it. "Why do you have to kill him?" she asked.
"He's my father's enemy," the clone said, as if that explained everything. "Superman has outlived his usefulness. Might is right, and the old must be replaced by the new. "
"Your father told you that," Lois said. "Why does your 'father' want to kill him? Superman is a good man. He's done nothing but good in the time he's been here."
"My father calls him his enemy," the clone said.
"Do you know why?" Lois asked quietly. "Why would someone want you to kill a man who helps so many people? Why would *you* want to kill him? He's your brother."
The familiar face was close to hers, and she could see him frowning. "I must do what my father tells me," he said.
"Why?" Lois said again. ""Your father wants you to hurt a good man. That's wrong."
"'Might is right'," he said.
"No," Lois said. "Might is *not* right. Just because you're stronger than someone, doesn't make it right to hurt him." She put a hand on his arm. "I know who your 'father' is," she said. "His name is Lex Luthor. He uses people like *things* and when he has no more use for them he throws them away. He's Superman's enemy because Superman has stopped him from hurting other people. You mustn't do this. It's wrong!"
"I *have* to." The clone looked suddenly like a child about to cry. "If I do what he wants, maybe he won't throw me away. Maybe he'll help me."
Lois shook her head. "He won't," she said quietly. "Lex doesn't care about anyone but himself. He had you created for the purpose of killing his greatest enemy: Superman. After you've done that, he won't need you anymore."
"No," the clone said, almost desperately. "My father loves me."
"If he loves you, why does he want you to do things that are wrong?" Lois said. "Please listen. Superman and I have been trying to find a way to help you. We know a scientist who discovered why the frogs died -- why *you* will die if someone doesn't help you."
"Why would you help me?" the clone asked, almost in a whisper. "Why would *he* want to help me? I'm his enemy."
"Only if you want to be his enemy," Lois said. "He wants you to be his friend. You're his brother! Superman never had a brother, before. He wants you to live."
A streak of red and blue appeared suddenly in the sky, and a split instant later, Superman was hanging in the air, fifty feet away.
Lois cast a single, warning glance at him and turned back to the Superman who carried her. "*Talk* to him," she said. "You'll see. He isn't your enemy. He doesn't want to fight you."
The clone looked at his double, hanging motionless in the air, and then back at Lois. Slowly, he began to descend until his feet touched the pavement and he set Lois on her feet, but kept a grip on her upper arm. Superman kept pace with them, making no effort to come closer.
Lois took the clone's hand. "He's *not* your enemy," she said again. "I'm not your enemy, either. We care what happens to you. Please; don't do this."
Clark didn't say a word, and Lois could see the tenseness in his body. Her partner was afraid to try to rescue her, and with some reason. It was up to her to do it herself.
"Please," she said softly, resting her free hand against the clone's chest. "Talk to him. Let him talk to you. Give us a chance to help you."
The clone released her arm. "Why don't you want to fight me?" he asked, clearly speaking to Clark. "I'm your enemy and might is right."
"Might isn't right," Clark said. "My mother and father always taught me that it's the duty of the strong to protect people who can't protect themselves. Being stronger than someone doesn't make it right to harm him."
The clone cast a glance at Lois and then back at Clark, and Lois could see tears glimmering in his eyes. Clark took a short step toward them. "I don't want to fight you," he said quietly. "If I do, one of us, maybe both of us, would be hurt or killed, and I don't want that to happen. Do you remember what Luthor and Leek said two nights ago? In a few days you're going to start to lose your powers, and you'll die soon after that. It's already starting to happen." He took another step toward the clone. "We don't have much time to stop it," he said. "I told you the truth last night. You're my brother. I don't want you to die. I want to help you."
All at once, the fight seemed to drain out of the clone and Lois saw that tears were leaking from his eyes. Superman was suddenly beside them, and Lois found herself with his solid body between her and the clone. As she watched, her partner put his arm around the other Superman's shoulder.
"It's all right," he said. "You're not alone, and you don't have to be afraid anymore."
The clone wiped at his face with the back of his hand and sniffled, looking more like a little boy than ever, Lois thought. She reached past Superman and patted him on the arm. "Don't cry," she said, somewhat uncomfortably, at least to her own ears. "It's going to be all right."
**********
(tbc)
