"Lieutenant, please leave that ring at the other end of the room," Superman repeated. "If you bring it closer, I'll have to leave." His voice was firm.
Sawyer stood a moment, gazing at the Man of Steel. Perry, fascinated, saw the kryptonite in the ring take on its virulent glow again – so slight, he would have missed it had he not seen it before. Sawyer didn't seem to notice it as she nodded, retreated, and put the ring back down on the end table at the far end of the room. She strode forcefully back to Perry and Superman, determination in her posture.
"Superman," she said. Perry caught her looking at Superman's torso and turned in his seat to see the Man of Steel for himself. Perry breathed in at the sight of the bloodstains and holes in the once-pristine blue spandex. Sawyer continued, "When Perry said that you'd been shot, I didn't believe it."
"Believe it," Superman said quietly, nodding. "I can be vulnerable."
Sawyer raised her eyebrows.
"That's why I'm doing this," Superman said grimly. And before Perry or Maggie could make a protest, he turned his head and stared at the ring. Perry could barely see the ring from where he sat, but he saw the results – the green stone turned black, then exploded, a flash of the nauseating green leaving afterimages in Perry's vision. The metal of the ring, from what Perry could see, retained its circular shape.
"Superman!" Sawyer said, angry. "That ring was evidence! What the hell were you thinking?" She stood facing him, her voice challenging.
Superman stared back, not intimidated by the dynamic officer whose stance told of her fury. "You mean the ring that went into evidence at Lex Luthor's trial five years ago….the ring that he wore when he stabbed me a few months ago….the ring that the Metropolis Police Department assured me would not leave the Evidence Room….the ring that he wore when he shot me and his men shot Richard and Lois?" Perry was surprised at the bitterness in Superman's tone. The hero's face twisted in anger – Perry had never seen Superman without a calm countenance before. It was frightening, really, to see Superman angry.
The lieutenant swallowed whatever it was she had been going to say, and took a deep breath. She turned away from Superman and Perry, breathing heavily, for at least thirty seconds. When she turned back around, her face was controlled.
"All right," she said, flatly, "I'd like your story, then, Superman." Perry could tell that Sawyer, right now, was holding on to her temper by the narrowest of margins. Superman, too, was riled up, as much as Perry had ever seen him. Perry felt a tendril of respect for Sawyer as she stood up to the man who towered over her by at least a foot and outweighed her by a hundred pounds. And that wasn't counting the superpowers.
Superman took a deep breath, too, and Perry saw him push his anger and annoyance down deep, deliberately composing his features. "Very well, Lieutenant," he said, now with his usual calm. "I had been keeping an eye on Lois Lane and Clark Kent since they notified me they were doing a story on Lex Luthor and trying to locate him. I knew how dangerous Luthor was…." Superman went on to tell the tale much as Perry had already.
"So you scooped up Clark Kent and Jason White," Sawyer said, in the tone of one who invited a longer story.
"Yes, Lieutenant," Superman said, nodding. "Clark insisted on making a 911 call before I got them to safety. I assume you got the news then."
Sawyer nodded. "Where did you take them?" she probed.
Superman's face froze in the mask Perry was coming to recognize. "That's not relevant to your investigation, Lieutenant Sawyer," he said.
Sawyer made as if to disagree.
"Look, Lieutenant," Superman said, and the calm was gone from his voice again, "if I tell you, you'll put it in your report. Because you're a good cop."
Despite herself, Maggie Sawyer's lips quirked into the tiniest smile.
"And you know that Lex Luthor has sources in the MPD," Superman continued. "Can you assure me that that information will be kept private?"
No way, Perry thought, and from the sucking-a-lemon grimace that twisted her face, Sawyer felt the same.
Superman continued, not giving the lieutenant a chance to protest. "I came back here as soon as I could. I immobilized Luthor's men – "
Perry couldn't help but laugh. Superman glanced quizzically at him.
"Be sure to unbend all those guns you put around them," Perry muttered. "They're hell to hacksaw off."
Sawyer looked annoyed at the interruption, but when both Perry and Superman started laughing - semi-hysterical laughter, to be sure – she smiled too.
And after that, the atmosphere cleared. It was as if they recognized they were all on the same side. The laugh dissipated the anger and tension.
"Do you mind if I sit down, Lieutenant?" Superman asked Sawyer. Perry, staring at him, could see his weariness. Perry hadn't seen Superman look this tired since he'd come back from fighting the rogue Kryptonians.
"Sure, go ahead," Maggie Sawyer said absently.
"Lieutenant," Superman said patiently, "please sit down too."
"What?" she asked.
"I'm not going to sit in the presence of a lady who is standing," Superman said. Perry choked back a tinge of shame as he realized he himself was doing that. But maybe allowances were made for almost getting shot? Perry hoped so.
Maggie Sawyer gave Superman an incredulous look. "I'm not a lady," she said challengingly.
Superman looked back, unyielding. Without a word, Sawyer sat down, her posture still ramrod-straight. Superman waited until the lieutenant was sitting before he pulled up a chair and sat himself. By some trick of the light, the rips and tears in the spandex seemed more obvious when Superman was sitting.
The lieutenant's eyes left Superman's face to take in the ruin of his costume. He followed her gaze.
"When I got here," Superman said, "Lex Luthor and his men were holding Mr. White, his nephew, and Lois Lane hostage." His voice deepened. "Luthor's ring had removed my abilities," at that point, both Sawyer and Perry couldn't help but look over at the remains of the ring. Superman continued, "And Luthor threatened to kill Ms Lane."
The lieutenant said nothing.
"I wasn't able to disarm Luthor and his man as I usually would," Superman said quietly. "He was going to shoot Ms Lane, so I hoped to distract him by charging at him."
"And?" Sawyer breathed.
"He shot me." Beside Superman, Perry nodded emphatically. That was another thing he'd see in his nightmares – Superman's body jerking at the report of each shot, his body falling, Luthor's ring glowing that eerie green.
"That's all I remember," Superman said, "until I regained consciousness, just before you and your team came in."
Perry schooled his face into a blank mask. There was a lot Superman was leaving out – Perry had no doubt that he knew that Lois had healed him, for one. But the less said, the better.
"I saw him go down," Perry offered. "I had heard about kryptonite – " no lie there, he thought, "and I figured out that Luthor's ring might be it. So I pulled it off Luthor's finger and took it away from Superman."
Superman shot Perry a grateful look, Sawyer an appraising one.
Perry decided to go on. "When the ring was out of range, Superman started to heal." His voice rang with absolute truth as he said, "Damnedest thing I've ever seen."
Sawyer sighed. "From anybody else, Perry, Superman…."
Perry flashed her a smile.
"But the damnedest things do happen to you," Sawyer finished. Perry wasn't sure if "you" meant himself, Superman, or both of them. The lieutenant sighed again, resignedly.
Superman cocked his head, squinted. "I believe the evidence technicians are here," he said.
"All right," Sawyer said, getting up. Superman copied her action, as did Perry, belatedly. "Perry, we're going to take you to the hospital to get checked out."
"I'm fine!" he couldn't help saying.
"Like I said," Sawyer repeated implacably, "you're going to the hospital to get checked out." She turned to Superman. "And Superman, if you could come to the precinct to make a formal statement…."
"What time do you want me?"
Sawyer barely hesitated before saying, "Eleven o'clock tomorrow morning. And if you can get Clark Kent back from wherever you left him…and I'll need a statement from Ms Lane as well. What hospital did you take her to?"
Superman's reply was cut off by the inrush of several evidence technicians. Their eyes widened in surprise at the Man of Steel, and their muffled conversation stopped abruptly. Perry saw again how people reacted to Superman – grateful, yes, but always just a little stiff, a little wary around him.
Superman gestured to Sawyer. "If you'll come with me, Lieutenant, and bring your handcuffs…I believe I have some men to turn over to your custody." He strode out, giving the evidence technicians a courteous nod as he left. Sawyer gestured to Perry to follow her. Perry noticed that Superman hadn't actually answered Sawyer's question about Lois Lane's whereabouts.
With interest, Perry trailed along after Superman and Maggie Sawyer. Down the drive, lit by the flashing red-and-blues of several MPD squad cars, was a crowd. Several uniformed policeman were stringing yellow "Police Line – Do Not Cross" tape at Lois and Richard's property line, keeping away the curious gawkers. The low rumble of conversation stopped for a moment as the viewers saw Superman, began again in a more frantic and louder pitch.
Perry followed in the lieutenant's wake. He saw five men lined up, sitting hunched on the ground. His eyes widened at the sight of the steel ribbons that had once been guns – the ribbons now wrapped around the men, binding arms to ankles.
Superman bent over the first man, and casually snapped the steel strip. At Sawyer's gesture, a uniformed officer fitted handcuffs onto the man and helped him stand. From there, the man was ushered into a squad car. Superman moved down the line, repeating the process. None of the men talked, none made any attempt at resistance, and none made eye contact with Superman or with any MPD officer.
Superman finished the task, drew the lieutenant aside. "I've got to go, Lieutenant," he told her. "I'll see you tomorrow at eleven at the precinct, and I'll get Clark Kent here for you to talk to."
"All right, Superman," Sawyer said. "Tomorrow at eleven."
Superman nodded, and lifted off, his cape flapping in the mild night breeze. A chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" from the watching crowd followed him. Perry noticed that even the hardened MPD officers viewed the takeoff with carefully disguised awe.
Sawyer conferred with her compatriots, and left Perry alone for a moment. Taking away Lex's minions had necessitated the arrival of several more MPD black-and-whites, and one by one, the flashing police cars left the White property. Sawyer turned back to Perry, opened her mouth to speak.
"Lieutenant!" called a voice. Sawyer turned to see Clark Kent sprinting at her from the shadows.
"Kent," she said as Clark came huffing up.
Good cover, thought Perry. No one would ever confuse Superman with a looking-slightly-out-of-shape reporter. Except that the reporter and Superman looked exactly alike. At least they did to Perry.
Perry shook his head slowly as he realized the power of Clark's illusion. Maggie Sawyer had just spoken with him as Superman, gotten in his face, confronted him, interacted with him for fifteen minutes. And, as Clark started a conversation, Sawyer didn't see that he and Superman were the same man. It was downright eerie. Perry suppressed a small chill as he realized how many times he'd done the same thing – treated the two as different men. Now all those flashes of déjà vu made sense.
Clark was gesticulating with his hands, emphasizing his point, whatever it was. Another example of how Clark differentiated his two personas. Superman would not have made gestures – he was always restrained, controlled. Perry wondered, sometimes, even if the glasses didn't hold, if anyone would see the man behind the mask. Clark acted so differently than Superman…..
Perry ambled towards Maggie Sawyer and Clark, gradually hearing their conversation.
" – and Superman took Jason White and myself to safety," Clark was saying.
"Where was that?" Sawyer asked, bluntly. Perry had to chuckle. She'd just asked Superman and he hadn't told. Now she was asking the same guy. And he wouldn't tell her all over again.
"Superman asked me not to say, Maggie," Clark said, an abashed smile on his face. Perry was aware that Clark, in both of his identities, knew the lieutenant well. Superman worked closely with the Special Crimes Unit in apprehending the numerous crazed (and sometimes super-powered) villains that seemed to infest Metropolis and surrounding environs. And Clark Kent interviewed the lieutenant about those events, had developed a friendship with Sawyer, and had even become welcome at the neighborhood tavern that was the unofficial headquarters of the SCU. Perry attributed that to Clark's ironclad journalistic ethics. It took a long time to earn the trust of the Special Crimes Unit personnel, but Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Perry White had done so.
Maggie sighed but conceded the point. "I guess Big Blue is right," she muttered. "I can't promise that information would remain confidential."
Clark was diplomatically silent.
"I want to get your statement," the lieutenant said.
"Not much to tell," Clark said, his face open and disingenuous. "We heard Luthor coming, I grabbed Jason and ran outside, and Superman was there to pick us up and take us to safety." He looked around at the gradually diminishing chaos. He glanced at Perry, Sawyer automatically following his gaze. "Is everyone all right?" Clark said.
"Lois was shot," Perry said, not having to fake the tremble in his voice.
"Lois!" Clark was good, Perry thought, at putting the exact right tone into his words.
"Superman took her for medical care," Sawyer said impatiently. "I trust the big guy to get her to Met Gen right away." She continued. "Richard White was shot too – he just went off to Met Gen in an ambulance."
"Are you all right, Perry?" Clark asked, and Perry had the feeling that this question wasn't just rhetorical, under an assumed façade of concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Perry said. It would have been better if the words had come out in the Pit Bull tone. Unfortunately, they came out in what could only be described as a squeak. The excitement was catching up to Perry.
Clark looked concerned, for real now. Sawyer interrupted.
"He's going to the hospital to get checked out." She beckoned to one of the uniformed cops.
"Maggie," Clark asked.
"What?"
"I'll take Perry to the hospital."
"What?" she seemed surprised.
"It makes sense," Clark stated. "I'll drive us there in his car. He doesn't need an ambulance. And Perry's going to need his car after he's all done. He's not going to want to pay the high dollar to get a cab to take him all the way back here." He took a look at the uniformed cop who'd joined them by now. "And you need all your people to handle the crime scene here," his voice lowered, "and get back to the MPD before any more evidence disappears."
Sawyer grimaced as the implication hit her. Someone, or multiple someones, had helped Luthor get out of jail free. Given the nature of the incident, there was no covering up that the SCU was at the Whites' house chasing Luthor. But so far, the fact that Luthor was hurt had not been broadcast.
Perry didn't know the internal politics of the Metropolis Police Department, but he had no doubt that Maggie Sawyer did. She was experienced in negotiating those byzantine pathways. And he suspected that Sawyer would be able to find out many things – if she were to strike while the iron was hot. Give the bad guys enough time, though, and everything would be covered up. Maggie had told Perry once that one of her personal heroes was Robert E. Lee, because the Confederate general had always pressed, never lingered. His alacrity had won him several victories where his opponent, with superior resources, had dawdled.
Clark and Perry waited. Sawyer looked away for a moment, considering. Then she gestured the uniform back to the group of cops milling about.
"OK," she said. Turning to Clark, she said, "Kent, Superman is coming to the precinct to give his statement at eleven. I want you there at ten-thirty. I want you in the waiting room while he's talking with us."
Perry almost laughed out loud. Maggie looked at him and missed the semi-horrified look on Clark's face. Sometimes you'd get tripped up on the most mundane things, Perry thought. He knew Clark would get out of it somehow, but Perry decided to save Clark the effort. "Maggie," he said, "that won't work."
A questioning look from both Clark and Sawyer.
"You get Clark Kent in there first thing in the morning," Perry said. "He's got to get this foolishness over with so he can get out and start working on the story."
"Are you telling me how to run my investigation?" Sawyer said.
"No. I'm telling my employee that he has to put in a full day's work," Perry riposted. "Clark wasn't there anyway, you know that." Behind Sawyer, he saw Clark winking at him. "You can take my statement before you take Superman's." That would give him some time to talk with Clark and work out what Superman should say. Or else, Clark could just listen in on Perry's statement and figure out the best way to present the story as Superman. Perry went on, telling Sawyer, "Now, if you don't mind, Clark and I will head to Met Gen."
"Oh, all right," Sawyer conceded. "You need to deal with Dr. Chandrasekhar in the Emergency Room, Perry. She deals with the SCU. She'll know how to check you out." She turned away. Perry could tell that her mind was halfway somewhere else already – no doubt thinking about the MPD internal investigation to come. She didn't expect anything new from Clark and Perry – she was just a good cop, tying up all the loose ends.
