When Lara had stepped out of Lois’s embrace, Clark could tell that it had been an emotional blow to Lois. But before Lois could say anything to Lara, Clark motions for Lois to follow him to the kitchen. He needs to tell Lois what Lara had told him about what had happened to her.
If they are going to rebuild their family, they need to figure out exactly how Bureau 39 had gotten Lara. How did they set it up to make them believe that Lara was dead? What had they done to Lara over the years? And most importantly, how can they keep Lara safe.
Lara’s seizure was still plaguing Clark’s mind. What could possibly have caused the seizure; was it due to something that Bureau 39 has done to her? Or could it be that Lara would have had them even if she had lived with them; could Lara have a naturally occurring condition that causes the seizures?
As soon as they enter the kitchen, Lois turns towards Clark with undoubtably a barrage of questions. But instead, Lois seems to have decided on one.
“Clark, is this real?” Lois asks. She needs to know if Clark genuinely believes that not only is their eldest daughter alive; but back with them.
“Yeah. Lara showed me the scar at the bottom of her ribcage, right where she had been shot.”
“How is this happening?” Lois asks. Over the course of her life, Lois had been through several situations that she knew that other people would write off as science fiction. But having her daughter, that for almost twelve years she had believed to be dead, suddenly appear makes Lois feel like she is lost in the plot of a bad made-for-tv movie.
“Lara said that Bureau 39 is behind this.” Clark dropped the bombshell. It takes Lois a few moments to absorb the implications of what Clark had said.
“Oh God.” Is all Lois can say. All hope that Lara had been taken care of suddenly vanishes. She remembers how crazed Jason Trask had been when he was pursuing his insane conspiracy theories. To know that the organization that spawned him was behind Lara being taken from them is devastating. “I thought that they had disbanded after Trask died.”
“I thought so too; but that was what Lara said. She said a woman named Naomi is possibly the one who is in charge.” Clark explains.
“Is she ok?” Lois asks. Her ‘mom side’ had kicked in and she needs to know what they will have to help Lara heal from. She needs Clark’s observations of what Lara is like. The observations of Dr. Klein regarding Lara’s blood are also plaguing her as she is trying to come to grips with the situation.
“She is very underweight and had some kind of seizure just before you arrived with Mariah. Lara recovered from it quickly, and she said that she has been having them for some time; but she either doesn’t know, or won’t say, why.” Clark reports.
“We need to get her to Bernie to make sure that she’s ok.” Lois says in a tone that it is clear that she is starting to plan their next move.
Before Clark can say anything, noises from the living room caught his attention. Focusing his x-ray vision on the wall between them and the girls. As he watches, Mariah crosses the room and hugs Lara. And unlike with Lois, Lara seems to accept the embrace.
"I knew you were real, Sissy.” Clark hears Mariah say so quietly that it was hard for Clark to hear it, even with super hearing. But as quiet as they were Mariah’s words, especially the name ‘Sissy’ nearly knocked the air out of Clark’s lungs.
From the age of three until shortly after Mariah started school, Mariah had had an imaginary sister that she had called: ‘Sissy.’ The child psychologists that Clark and Lois had consulted with had told them that the imaginary friend, or sister as in Mariah’s case, was likely her way of dealing with her confusion, grief, and longing for her older sister. Mariah, at the time, couldn’t explain who ‘Sissy’ was and following a series of horrific night terrors; Clark and Lois were glad when it seemed that ‘Sissy’ had decided to leave their lives. Now, however, Clark wonders if it is another thing that should have told them that things were not as they appeared regarding Lara.
They hadn’t been watching for Mariah to be developing any superpowers, as Clark himself hadn’t developed any noticeable powers until he was nine. But what if she had been developing her telepathic abilities and was able to establish a connection with her older sister. Zara, in explaining how the telepathic powers worked, had stated that the connection is normally strongest among family. What if the mixing of genes of Earth and Krypton had caused the girls to develop a tighter bond? Could those night terrors have been Mariah experiencing some of what Bureau 39 had been doing to Lara? If only Clark had questioned Mariah more, could he have saved Lara from that pain? Could they have had Lara safe, at home, with them, years ago? The emotional pain caused by that thought is equal to a red-hot sword being plunged into his heart magnified the wounds that had been inflicted today. Clark idly wonders how many more emotional wounds he can endure. Surely, there had to be a limit to the number of emotional stabs to the heart one can receive before it proves deadly.
“What’s wrong?” Lois asks, seeing the expression change on Clark’s face.
“I think Mariah just revealed “Sissy’s” true identity. She just called Lara ‘Sissy’ and stated that she knew that she was real.” Clark explained. Clark can almost watch as Lois comes to the same conclusion as he had, and same self-deprecating thoughts about the what ifs. But before Lois could totally loose it to the depressing thought, Clark pulls her into his arms. Each drawing strength from each other; and the strength of their relationship. Like many of the challenging times in their relationship, the couple knows that if they are to get through their troubles they will need to stand together. Clark has to admit that he needs the strength as much as Lois.
Before either Lois or Clark can say anything more, motion at the kitchen door catches Clark’s attention. Turning towards the door to the kitchen, Clark and Lois are surprised to see Lara standing in the doorway. But the determined expression on her face was unmistakable. It was determined, “Mad-dog” Lane. If it had been any other situation Clark might have found it amusing on how much Lara is like Lois. But Clark knows the pain behind the attitude; it was a knife-edge, strengthened by fire.
“I know you have questions about me. And I have questions for you.” Lara said.
“Where should we start?” Clark asks knowing, from years of interviewing trauma victims, that it is best to let the victim lead the interview.
“Might be best to start at the beginning and try to fill in the holes from there.” Lara suggests.
And while it is a logical course of action, Clark suspects that Lara had an alternative motive to suggesting it. One that Clark could empathize with. For he knows that if he had ever had the chance to speak to Jor-El and Lara, in person, he would probably want to know who Kal-El was supposed to be. And try to reconcile who Kal-El was and who Clark Kent is. While Bureau 39 had attempted to strip Lara of her humanity and identity, she had still developed into her own person; one who needs to fill in the gaps of her personality.
As Lois and Clark explain the circumstances surrounding Lara’s birth, Lara for the most part just listens. That was until Clark had told of the doctor coming out and telling him that Lara hadn’t made it. It was when Clark mentioned the name of the doctor, a name that has stuck in Clark’s brain for nearly twelve years, that Lara made the first link to her past.
“Dr. Zachariah Palmer?” They don’t even have to ask Lara if she knows him. Lara is pale as a ghost.
“Who is he, Lara?” Lois asks, as finding out who he was could be the key to how Lara’s abduction happened.
“He’s a member of Bureau 39. And he makes Dr. Mengele look like Mother Teresa.” Lara explains. And her analogy causes a lead weight of dread to settle in Clark’s stomach.
Dr. Mengele was a notorious Nazi officer who had used the captives of Auschwitz for depraved experiments. And if Lara is saying that Dr. Palmer made Mengele seem like Mother Teresa, a woman who is considered by many a Saint for her humanitarian work, what did it say for what Lara had endured.
“How did you escape, Lara?” Clark had asked the question plaguing his mind. When Lara doesn’t give a verbal answer, Clark decides to ask a more pointed question: “The fire this morning?”
“That was an accident. They were testing my powers, and…” Lara allowed her sentence to trail off as if it were obvious how the fire had started.
“You’ve developed your heat vision?” Lois asks, trying to get a grasp of the fact of her daughter has Clark’s powers. While Lois had known it was possible that their children could possibly inherit the superpowers, it is another thing to be confronted with that fact.
Instead of giving a verbal answer, Lara focuses her gaze on the candle on the counter. After a few seconds, the candle is lit; indicating that Lara has in fact developed heat vision. Clark must admit that he is impressed. He hadn’t developed heat vision until he had been almost fifteen, almost four years older than Lara. And for her to have developed the control to light the candle and not burn down the kitchen, makes Clark suspect that the fire this morning might not have been as accidental as Lara claimed.
“What happened this morning?” Clark asks. He knows it might help to have a preplanned story together if they need to account for Superman’s actions today. After all, there had been witnesses to Lara’s jump from the roof and from the bridge this morning. And those witnesses had seen Superman catch her from the bridge and, instead of bringing her down to the ground, flew off to points unknown with her.
“They were doing their daily tests: Speed, strength, heat vision… and so on. When they were pushing me to use my heat vision, I lost control of it and the lab caught fire. When they realized the fire couldn’t be contained, they scurried off like cockroaches. So, I took my chances and climbed up an air vent to the roof...” Lara allowed herself to trail off.
“And jumped.” Clark finishes for her.
“Yep.”
“You could have really hurt yourself doing that. I saw the blood, so I know you had an injury.”
At that, Lara revealed the barely there scrape on her left forearm. "I heal up pretty quickly. And my recovery time is getting quicker. A year ago, I probably would have bled a lot more."
But instead of the scrape, Clark’s attention is drawn to a scar on the inside of Lara’s wrist. At first glance, it could be dismissed as a burn scar; something that had happened when Lara accidently touched her wrist to a hot surface. But looking at it closer, Clark could see that it wasn’t something that had been done by accident. It had a deliberate pattern. In which he could make out the symbols: “B39”. Seeing that symbol, boldly branded on Lara's wrist solidified Clark's resolve. He will do whatever it took to make sure these monsters never hurt his family again.
Last edited by Daytonagirl; 08/05/22 09:12 PM.
