[Investigate: Keeper Pt 1]By Blueowl
Summary: First half of 3rd Act of AU series, Investigate. The world has embraced the Man of Steel, which is good, because the future holds more than he may be able to handle on his own.
A/N: Although not required, reading Acts I, II & Interlude is helpful, as this Superman/Clark is not like canon much at all:
Investigate,
Investigate: Intergang and
Investigate: Time InterludeA/N 2: Thanks to Morgana, Chereche, and KSaraSara for their beta work and feedback ^_^.
O o O o O
Chapter 1: Baked Lois looked around, impressed by the set up. A dozen long tables were evenly spaced out in four rows of three on the city park's lawn, each covered by a blue tablecloth and most bearing dozens upon dozens of baked goods. Beyond that were a few inflated bouncy houses and activities for children on the other side of a stand where Maverick Ervin, Director of the Superman Foundation, had given a statement to the press before officially starting the event.
It was the first bake sale organized by the Superman Foundation. Proceeds would go to local hospitals, and most of the goods had been made by Superman himself.
People were already perusing the tables and area, eager to see Superman and try some super-cookies as they participated in what people were already hoping would become an annual event. Already, Superman's chocolate fudge cookies were becoming a favorite, closely followed by the apple pie.
Among the tables of cakes, pies, and cookies, there was a table for face painting where a few volunteers were putting colorful cartoons and designs on children's (and a few adults') cheeks, foreheads and arms. Of course, the most popular choice was Superman's emblem. Lois was tempted to get one on her upper arm, in part because she wanted to see how Clark would react, but also just because she wanted one.
News crews were scattered along the perimeter, near the street, but they were being considerate and not forcing their way amongst the crowds. Granted, where they were positioned gave them all a good view of the event without catching other camera crews in frame.
The past few weeks had been chaotic to say the least on the news front due to the downfall—or perhaps the surrender—of Intergang. However, the most riveting part of the whole thing was the incorporation of CostMart into the Superman Foundation. Bill Church Sr. had put his money where his mouth was and had completely given all of his shares of CostMark over to the Foundation (before confessing to police) and promised to give all remaining cash from Intergang (if ever released from authorities) to the communities they had impacted to help reverse any damage done by the crime syndicate. Church stated he hoped that those efforts would prevent future crime from rising in the attempt to fill the void left behind by Intergang.
It was a marvel, to say the least, and Lois (like most everyone else) could still scarcely believe it.
She shook her head and refocused.
Superman was seated at the end of the second row of tables, signing autographs, posing and greeting everyone who approached. He would remain for the whole day, barring a high level emergency.
Lois slowly walked among the crowd, snacking on her recently purchased bag of cookies while observing and getting a few quotes from people as Jimmy took photos.
"You made all of this, Superman?!" a little boy asked, his eyes wide as he looked at the tables.
"Most of it. Everything I baked I made at the Culinary Arts School of Metropolis Community College. They have eight ovens for teaching and they let me work there this last weekend," Superman answered warmly. "Local Mom&Pop stores donated the ingredients I used. You can see their signs on the tables."
"Wow."
The line moved along, and soon a mother and father with a girl and a boy approached. The boy was in a wheelchair and was being pushed by his father while the girl happily held onto the arm of the chair.
"Luke?" Superman asked, looking at the teenage boy in happy recognition.
The boy beamed while his parents startled at hearing the Man of Steel state their son’s name like he was an old friend.
"See, I told you he'd remember!" the girl exclaimed.
"And you must be Tally," Superman stated, this time causing Luke’s sister to jump.
"You remember them?" their mother asked, astonished.
"Of course. I remember every face I encounter and every name I learn," Superman explained simply, even as the people near whispered excitedly. "I saved Luke from the bus accident and Tally later wrote me a thank you letter when I had been recovering after Nightfall."
Superman looked back at Luke, his eyes gliding over him.
"How is physical therapy? I see you've been making progress," Superman praised, still seated.
"I can walk now! The doctors didn't think I'd be able to do that much, but I can!" Luke said proudly. "I just get tired easily."
"Are you still playing the trombone?" Superman asked, causing Luke's parents to stare in further amazement.
"A little. I hope to return to Band next year. Do you play?" Luke asked curiously.
"Uh, no. The one time I tried I broke it and I haven't really tried since, to be honest," he admitted.
"Really? Well, maybe it wasn't your instrument," Luke considered.
"Hm. What instrument should I try instead then?" Superman asked. "And it doesn't have to be a band instrument."
Luke thought for a moment. "Well, I would have to say piano. You have good posture and your hands look like they would be able to move on keys pretty well,” he said, recalling pointers from his old music teachers.
Superman chuckled. “Okay. I’ll consider it, thank you.”
Luke grinned as Superman looked at his parents.
"We can never express how grateful we are to you for saving our son," the father said, holding out his hand over the table."Thank you."
Superman grasped the man's hand firmly as Luke's mom teared up while nodding in agreement. "Happy I could help," Superman said.
Lois smiled as Jimmy took a picture, certain this would not be the last family to thank Superman that day, although this scene might be the most memorable considering Luke had been the first individual Superman had saved using his cold breath.
Luke had been in a horrific bus crash and the only reason he made it to the hospital was because Superman had decided to cool his body to the point where his heart barely beat. The decision had caused some tissue damage, but it had provided enough time for the boy to make it to surgery where doctors were able to save his life.
Luke and his family moved on as Superman resumed signing autographs and conversing with excited and grateful people, young and old.
"I gather there’s pie?" a man asked, approaching the table.
"There's apple and pumpkin on that table, Paul," Superman answered, greeting the burly gentleman in amusement.
Paul Mohr was a fireman and had been the first individual to visibly interact with Superman, which had been at an apartment fire - Superman's first open rescue.
The crowd instantly recognized Paul and cheered as he shook Superman's hand, although Superman's gaze soon focused on a petite young woman with a squirming toddler on her hip just behind Paul.
"Kal-El, meet Alice Grall and her son, Cooper. Ms. Grall, Cooper, meet Superman," Paul introduced. "You saved Cooper from the apartment fire where you first met me."
"Hello, ma'am," Superman said. "And hi, Cooper."
"Superman, thank you," Alice stated, torn between gratitude, shyness, and awe all at once. Her son, however, was expressing only one emotion with his warm brown eyes: curiosity.
Cooper stretched out his open hand, no doubt in hopes of getting closer to the colorful man.
“You’re welcome,” Superman said with a smile, stretching out his hand and allowing the toddler to grasp his fingers.
Lois wasn't really into kids, but the sight was extremely endearing, especially when the boy began to babble excitedly at Superman. Silently, Lois decided that Kal-El, or Clark, would be a good dad.
The fallout from the collapse of Intergang was thankfully calming and the last few weeks had allowed her to better grasp her change in relationship with Clark. Admittedly, at times she had trouble remembering what to call him, Clark or Kal-El, but the eye-glasses rule certainly helped. Glasses equaled Clark, no glasses (and/or blue suit) equaled Kal-El. She completely understood why he talked about himself in the third person, which was really the only thing she felt she would ever disagree with Martha about.
"The Chief is going to love these photos," Jimmy declared as the young mother and her son both waved goodbye and followed Paul. "I think I can find the picture of Superman holding the boy as an infant and that should tie in nicely, don't you think, Lois? Lois?" he asked, suddenly realizing Lois wasn't really paying attention to him.
"Oh. Yeah, it sure will, Jimmy," Lois agreed, attempting to snap out of her state.
Jimmy frowned at her but went back to taking pictures with a shrug. Lois was glad.
People came and went as the bake sale continued, and by the amount of cash changing hands it was clear to Lois that the hospitals would be receiving a nice donation by the end of it. It was really amazing how much Kal-El had managed to bake. However, it was a good thing the Foundation had stipulated that it was first come, first serve because it was doubtful that there would be anything left by the end of the event. Which, she supposed, was the point.
Superman left the table to walk around, heading toward the bouncy house and painting table. Noon had passed and more people were participating in the offered activities.
Lois fleetingly wondered if Kal would opt to get his face painted, but she suddenly realized there was very little that could be painted on him that wouldn't clash horribly with his colorful uniform. Perhaps a simple smiley face on his cheek?
Sidelining her silly thought, she couldn't help but laugh as children began excitedly clustering around Superman the moment he stopped in front of the inflated playhouse. Even from a distance, she could see their happy expressions as they held up their hands in the wild hope of the Man of Steel picking one of them up.
And then he did!
And gently tossed the delighted child up into the air after a count of three before catching her again. The kids were ecstatic and immediately formed a line as Superman set the thrilled little girl back down on her feet. He then picked up the next child.
The parents looked on in amusement and glee, many taking pictures the moment their child's turn came. Soon enough, all of the kids had received some time in the sky and were essentially walking on air due to how happy they were.
It was very interesting to see how at ease all the children were with Superman, while most of the adults were skittish, even though they were clearly excited. Lois supposed they were star struck, which she could completely understand. She looked back at Superman.
Superman gently began to ease himself away from the gaggle of children, expertly and patiently circumventing their pleas for more play.
He really was a natural and she smiled at the sight.
But then something happened that instantly got everyone’s attention.
He froze. Completely halted all movement as his eyes widened in startled bewilderment.
All of the children immediately pulled back, uncertain, as he closed his eyes and went down to one knee and pressed his right hand flat against the grass covered ground.
The crowd stilled, watching him in confusion. What was happening? Was he hearing something?
He turned his head, his eyes still closed, but before anyone could voice their confusion he simply . . . vanished.
The sonic boom thundered over them.
O o O o O
The rumble was like nothing he had ever heard before. It was so deep and low that the sound seemed to penetrate into the marrow of his bones.
At first he thought it was an earthquake, for he could feel the vibrations through the Earth, but then he realized it was more than that.
Worse than that.
He flew toward the source, heading far to the northwest.
The plume of thick, acidic black smoke and gray ash roiling skyward was massive. It already dwarfed the mountain beneath it and it wasn't slowing in its expanse. The mountain had abruptly woken from its slumber.
He hovered in midair for a second, his eyes scanning the landscape. There was a bustling city less than thirty miles from the mountain base with suburbs branching out much closer. On the other side was a large spread of forest and fields with streams and lakes. Looking back to the mountain and peering through earth and rock, he knew deadly lahars - volcanic mudflows - were possible, if not likely to happen soon.
What could he do in the face of this?
All his years of aiding nations after natural disasters when he had been a Special Field Support Officer in the Air Force came to mind, and the only thing he could think about was what he would have to do if he didn’t find a way to prevent the mountain from swallowing the thousands of lives currently under its shadow.
If he helped in the evacuations, it would help reduce the number of people lost, but it wouldn’t be enough, and the fallout of ash would reach around the world after the immediate area had been decimated by lahars. He had to be more proactive. He had to limit the damage from the volcano and direct its path of destruction away from human and animal life as much as possible. It would be better for the world and for the people nearby. Flying above the mountain and over the city, he quickly came up with a plan and prayed it would work. Using his x-ray vision, he closed his eyes and decided his path.
He shot forward, fists extended. He crashed through stone and pushed through hot gas and boiling water before he penetrated into red hot magma. He felt his cape and his boots burn and pull away. His protective aura only extended a few millimeters from his skin and did not extend to fully cover his cape and boots. However, his focus remained steadfast. Thankful that he could see through his own eyelids (even though using his x-ray vision while moving fast made him nauseous), he curved under the slope of the mountain. Guiding the molten rock to less volatile earth, away from the massive pockets of water underground, he eliminated what would have been additional fallout of soot and mudflows.
He blasted out of the back base of the mountain, relieving the pressure that had been building near the crest that would have resulted in additional violent explosions, possibly more severe than the first.
Lava poured out, and Kal didn't spare a moment to shake off the hot sticky liquid from his form but instead cut a ditch in the ground several hundred yards long to further guide the life blood of the Earth safely away.
With the lava now flowing to an uninhabited location, he turned back to the mountain and looked up at the still growing cloud of choking ash. He could also see a number of helicopters observing a fair distance away and could hear distant alarms and emergency broadcasts urging people to evacuate - even as the churning of rock and soot continued to growl within the mountain.
He rocketed toward the city to survey the scene from above once more, ignoring the fact that his feet were bare and his back was capeless.
O o O o O
Frank couldn't believe what he was seeing. The dense cloud rose ominously into the sky with gray and white mounds whirling with black folds of ash and dust. It was unreal and he had never felt so small.
He heard one of his coworkers shout that Superman was there, but he didn't see him. He prayed they were right, but he couldn't help but wonder what one man, even a superpowered one, could really do to help, other than carry people to safety. No matter what, this was going to be a catastrophe.
There was nothing anyone could do to prevent the volcano from continuing to erupt, and nothing anyone could do to prevent the exploded material from raining down or mountain slopes from collapsing into a mudslide.
The ground beneath him continued to rumble as they scrambled toward their vehicles.
"If that slope goes, we're screwed!" his friend bellowed.
They were one mile from the base of the mountain and had been surveying the land for logging. Well, it was doubtful there would be any logging done now.
“We’re screwed no matter what! The ash cloud will be on us soon, look!” another cried.
“Come on!” Frank shouted, wishing his coworkers would just shut up and focus on running. “In the jeep!”
All four of them piled into his jeep, immediately deciding not to waste time in taking different vehicles, their stuff be damned. They all wanted the same thing. Off the mountain!
He turned the ignition and floored it, speeding down the road as quickly as he dared. He skid on the dirt path but stayed on course, refusing to look back.
“Go, go, go!” his friend urged, his voice thick with fear as the other two started cursing, horrified.
“We’re going to die!” someone cried, he wasn’t sure who, as he glanced at his rear view mirror.
The cloud was upon them and he could feel the heat. The sound of the jeep’s engine was swallowed by the roar behind them.
The slope had given way. Mud, rock, dirt, and debris beneath the surging shadow of ash.
He gripped the steering wheel, still trying to navigate the road even though he knew they weren’t going to make it.
And then the whole vehicle lurched horribly. His seatbelt clenched hard into his chest, jolting him back just before the front of the jeep suddenly launched . . . up?
“Superman!”
Frank looked back, seeing an ash-caked man in the tattered remnants of the familiar red and blue uniform at the back corner of the jeep as he numbly realized the entire vehicle was airborne and speeding over trees and ground far faster than he had ever moved.
They outpaced the mass behind them and in what felt like no time at all they landed on the side of the highway at the edge of the city. Fortunately, he had the wherewithal to put the jeep in park.
Superman approached the driver’s side as traffic continued to crawl slowly pass. The exodus from the city and suburbs was well underway.
“Everyone alright?” Superman asked.
“Yes, yes, thank you!” Frank said, too astonished to even care that Superman had no cape and was covered in blots of soot and mud from head to toe.
“No problem. Now keep going. I don’t know how far this is going to go,” Superman advised.
“Yes, Superman. Thank you again,” Frank said, before doing exactly what he was told. He sped off, joining the thousands of other vehicles fleeing the region.
O o O o O
News of the eruption spread quickly, and soon news channels were reporting all they could to the world. From showing views from helicopters to wiring in reporters calling in from payphones within view of Mount Nime, the frightening reality was blatant.
This was reminiscent of Mount St. Helens, only worse because it was closer to a densely populated area.
"Moments ago, Superman was seen flying a car to safety. He was without his cape and boots, and it is believed he had flown into the mountain itself moments before. A helicopter pilot stated he spotted a trail of lava exiting the base of Nime on the other side with a trail of it running through a deep furrow cut through the forest there," a reporter stated on a television in the Daily Planet, overlooking the erupting volcano.
The reporter put her hand against her ear and quickly turned to face the smoking mountain.
"Superman appears to be blowing his ice breath on the mud slurry sliding down the slopes. We're shifting to the helicopter to learn more," she said.
The view instantly changed, displaying Mt. Nime from high above with the sound of helicopter blades turning overhead. And there, far below, was a form everyone instantly identified as Superman, even though he was without his red cape and boots. He was hovering over the slope nearest the city, finishing up his application of frost onto the formerly sliding earth and debris.
"Jason Green reporting. It appears Superman has slowed the progression of the lahar. This will no doubt give invaluable time to the evacuation efforts," Jason stated, grateful.
The camera continued to track Superman, but what got everyone's attention was when the Man of Steel changed course and began to get closer, approaching the helicopter.
"Superman?!" Jason asked.
Superman came to a stop just outside the helicopter's open side, hovering in midair. The cameraman hurriedly shifted back as much as he could to include the awestruck news anchor, Jason, in frame while capturing the rather disheveled looking Kryptonian.
His uniform was filthy, and though it was still intact, his emblem was blemished with black smudges and clumps of what they could only assume was cooled lava! His face was smudged with soot and his hair was caked in ash.
"Could you tell air traffic control to direct all aircraft further away from the ash cloud, please? Five miles out at least I think would be best. I'm going to try something," Superman stated loudly, making sure they could hear him over the helicopter blades and the fact they all had helmets on.
"Of course, Superman! What are you going to try?" the pilot asked.
"To make a tornado," he answered simply.
"Oh! Okay. Do you need anything else?"
"Actually, do you happen to have a spare set of goggles I could use?" Superman asked.
The co-pilot began to shuffle through a pouch attached to the side of his chair.
"Here, Superman. I hope this helps," he said, holding out close-fitting goggles that had clearly seen better days, but they were whole and the band was still strong.
Superman took them gratefully. "Thank you. I was not looking forward to doing it with my eyes closed."
Not sure what to say to that, they nodded in bewilderment.
"Now go on out, five miles or so. As soon as I don't see anyone near, I'll start," Superman said, putting on the goggles and swiftly adjusting the band.
"Alright. Godspeed, Superman. And thanks," the pilot said.
They pulled out soon after, still trying to keep Superman in sight as the co-pilot radioed in Superman's request.
O o O o O
The last helicopter flew beyond the immediate airspace, providing Superman with the confidence to attempt what he still wasn't sure would even work. But he would try anyway.
With a deep breath, he began to circle the bulging tower of black death blanketing the sky. He ignored the glancing blow of a boulder just expelled from the shattered peak as he super-sped around and around, encompassing the black expanse before slowly squeezing it into a condensed funnel. Faster and faster he swirled the hot soot and ash, siphoning it from the atmosphere and broken peak and slowly bending the funnel down toward an empty field a mile or so away.
He lost track of time, more concerned with preventing the deadly particles of dense dust from polluting the air and entering the weather cycle that would then transport it around the world. Another hour passed, and finally the plume pouring from the blunted peak slowed to a weak ebb and the sporadic spurts of blasting rock stopped. The mountain grew still.
Superman deposited the last sizable portion of ash onto the field, leaving a large mound of condensed volcanic sediment behind as he landed and allowed himself to collapse to his knees.
He took a moment to recenter himself, admittedly feeling dizzy from creating the tornado and sustaining it for so long. Once his head was no longer spinning, he looked up to see helicopters beginning to approach from far off in the distance.
He took off the goggles, glad they had served their purpose well. Even though he was invulnerable and didn't have to worry about the glass-like dust actually hurting his eyes, it still wouldn't have felt pleasant to have to deal with the grit, or to have to use x-ray vision to peer through his own eyelids while going in circles.
He looked down at himself.
Well, another ruined suit.
At least the Superman Foundation insisted on covering fabric costs. After Mav had learned his uniform was actually just made from normal fabric, no doubt having initially believed it was some exotic, alien material, he quickly added it to the list of Foundation expenses. It wasn't a whole lot, but it was nice not having to worry about it anymore, or rather worrying about his parents insisting on covering the cost. Which reminded him, he needed to order another roll of blue fabric now.
Shaking himself from the wayward thought, he did his best to dust himself off, even though it was useless. He looked like a chimney sweeper, but worse, because he also had bits of cooled lava stuck to him too.
Oh well.
Turning his attention back up to the sky, the helicopters were now less than a mile away, their attention clearly on him and the small mountain of steaming volcanic ash beside him.
Calmly standing up before lifting into the air once more, he scanned the helicopters and quickly spotted the pilot and crew he had spoken with before. He flew to them, pushing aside his fatigue and allowing his face to turn toward the rays of the setting sun.
O o O
The world watched in awe as Superman collected the rising plume of ash by creating a massive tornado, bigger than any recorded, before doing something even more spectacular. He twisted and narrowed the tornado like a spaghetti noodle and arched it down like a hose to direct the ash to an empty field, sparing the world from a layer of choking dust.
The moment Superman was done, the funnel slowly faded and the millions upon millions of people watching couldn't help but gasp as the feat they had just witnessed was truly given scale.
Comparing it to Superman’s descending form, it was essentially a mountain, taller than almost any skyscraper and just as wide as it was tall!
Superman landed beside the monumental pile of volcanic dust and immediately sank to his knees, oblivious to the concern that had suddenly surged for him around the world.
He had kept the tornado up for hours! Moved literally millions of tons of ash. He had to be tired! Granted, this was the same being who had gone up against Nightfall and won. . . .
Jason Green, in the helicopter, cleared his throat after being told he was on the air. Knowing he should say something because that was his job, he mentally shook himself, but what should one say after witnessing what could be considered an act of a god?
"Superman seems to be recovering quickly after accomplishing the impossible. He's now getting to his feet, for those who are listening from a radio. The mound of ash he transported has got to be bigger than any New York City skyscraper and it's just as wide as it is tall," he explained, falling to his tried and true, stick-to-the-facts reporting.
"And now Superman is flying toward us," he added after a blink.
Superman was covered in even more soot and ash than the last time they had seen him, but now, thanks to the goggles he had been wearing, there was a streak of less dirty skin across his eyes, making him look like some kind of reversed raccoon.
“Hello again,” he greeted, sounding happy, but by his somewhat uneven flying, it was easy to conclude that he was at least a little tired.
“That was amazing, Superman!” the pilot returned.
Superman laughed. “Thanks. And thanks for these,” he said, holding out the goggles. “I’m afraid one of the lenses cracked though. I’ll have the Foundation reimburse you. My aura was only able to really protect the band and frame when the boulder hit me.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it, Superman,” the co-pilot said as Jason handed the goggles to him. “I’m just happy that these old things were able to help!”
“Alright. Well, I’m going to do another once over, and then head out,” Superman said. “Have I missed anything important about the evacuation?”
“Nothing of concern, Superman. The Park Rangers have everyone accounted for and the lahars haven’t extended as far as they had feared. They’re still moving though, but everyone has made it out of their path,” Jason explained before taking in his appearance a bit more. “Are you okay? I mean, how do you feel?”
“I’m fine, just a little dizzy,” Superman said as the camera behind Jason continued to broadcast live. “Though I'll admit I'm looking forward to going to sleep tonight.”
Jason and the others smiled before Superman eased himself back and gave a parting wave.
“Well, I think we can all say that the world will sleep well tonight, knowing the severity of Mt. Nime's eruption was greatly reduced thanks to the Man of Steel's herculean efforts. This is Jason Green, CLN news."
O o O o O
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