Sorry it's taken me so long to post Part 19.
The usual disclaimers apply.
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From Part 18:
Mayson sat down in his office. "Nice office, Clark. Did you find Superman?"
"Yeah." He looked up at her.
"Clark, are you okay?"
"Not exactly. In order to help you catch this guy, I'm going to... trust... you..." He swallowed hard. "...with my... life. Don't betray me. You really don't won't to see me angry. I'm only doing this because this guy is one of the worse serial killers ever known."
She narrowed her eyes. "Are you threatening me?"
"Yes. I guess I am. Mayson, you know that dream you've told me about..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A New Hero: Part 19
"What are you talking about, Clark?"
"Damn it, Mayson. Just shut up. Okay? This is hard enough." He thought, 'Oh, god, I can't believe I'm doing this.'
Her eyes got wide. This was not the Clark Kent she thought she knew. "Okay. The dream..."
"Tell me about it!"
"Why?"
"Humor me!"
She shook her head as she spoke. "It's really stupid. When you pulled me out of the car and I was dying, your shirt was torn, and there was something *very* strange about that. I don't know. Were you wearing a blue tie that day? It doesn't make any sense, but I still have the dream occasionally."
"Mayson. Look at me." She did so.
He took his glasses off, slicked back his hair, and put on his best Superman pose. "It makes perfect sense. And, god, if you tell anybody... Don't you *dare* put my kids in danger."
She stared at him open mouthed. "Oh. Oh... Oh.... No, I don't want to make you mad. Not a word. Not a word." She swallowed hard. "This sure explains a lot. Especially why you wouldn't further our relationship. I hated you." Very softly she then said, "I loved you. Oh..."
"Why, Mayson. You aren't still carrying a torch for me, are you?"
Not entirely convincingly, she said, "No! I'm married now."
"Mayson, you can't tell anyone or even hint that you might know about this. It could put *your* son's life in danger, as well as yourself and anyone you love."
She nodded, "Yes. I understand. Why did you do this?"
"I was relatively sure you would recognize me. I'm pale. 'He's pale. I've lost weight. 'He's lost weight."
"You're right. I would have. I can see that clearly now. How strange your life must be. You even talk about yourself in the third person." She looked at him very thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "Okay, tell me what you remember about Arizona."
"I think I remember all of it now. I saw that interview this morning and I realized the connection. It's been a couple of years since that happened, hasn't it?" She nodded.
"Okay, wait, let's make this official. Can I record this?"
"You haven't been recording have you?"
"No, Mr. Suspicious."
"Audio only - obviously."
She said, "Okay. It's ready."
He nodded and used his Superman voice. "Ask your questions, Mrs. Drake-Smith."
"Superman, I'll stop you and ask you questions, but you can start by just telling me what you remember. Okay?"
He nodded and began speaking.
~~~~~~~~~~~
When they were done and Mayson had turned off the tape, she said, "Thank you, Clark. Please make Jenni aware of this."
He nodded. "She will be fine as long as she is here." She stood up to leave, but he said, "You know, I just thought of something."
"Do I need to record this?"
"Oh, no, I don't think so. It's more an observation. If it has been a couple of years since the incident in the desert and if that is what turned him into a serial killer, could there maybe be some unsolved murders that no one has connected to him? Where there any similar murders between Arizona and here? The Mutilator's first official murder, other than the deputy in Arizona, was about one year ago. What about the intervening time? The murders have steadily increased and have been becoming increasingly violent. Maybe he didn't originally scalp the women. Maybe he just took a snip of their hair. That probably would not have been noticed during autopsy."
He thought a moment then continued. "Weren't there some earlier murders where women were murdered by being shot - almost always in the abdomen? Maybe the ones that weren't abdominal wounds were because he missed? These similar wounds seem to be part of all his murders and attempted murders. It also seems that some of the earlier unsolved murders from gun shot wounds were from a distance and not up close. Maybe he decided shooting someone up close would ensure an abdominal wound?"
"I mean, think about his history. The deputy in Arizona was shot in the abdomen. Jenni was shot in the abdomen. The girl I rescued was shot in the chest, but I grabbed her just as he shot her which could have caused him to miss. That could have caused the chest wound as opposed to an abdominal wound. If only I'd seen him a second earlier, I could have caught him and prevented her from being hurt. I was shot in the chest and abdomen. Think about some of the unsolved murders we have had. Some were in the chest. Some were in the abdomen."
"Most of the victims were usually just shot once and some didn't die right away. Ooooh... That's a chilling thought. Since most of the victims were shot just once, it makes me wonder why he shot me multiple times. As far as we know, I'm the only victim that was shot more than twice. Isn't that right?" She nodded. "Hmmm... He called me god. If he thinks of me as a god, then it would make sense that he would think it would take more to kill me. He was trying to make sure he killed me - he darn near did."
"Yes, he did, Clark. I know about all your injuries. They were devastating. A human most certainly would not have survived. You know, I was surprised to find that your internal organs were very like a human's. I would have thought there would have been major differences. Of course there were a few minor things..."
He nodded. "Well, Mayson, I look human, so I don't find that entirely surprising. Hmmm... He used more deadly force to try to kill me. He used kryptonite on me. He is supposedly insane. I have to wonder. If he is insane, then how did he know to use kryptonite on me? I mean, I can understand how he would think it would take more bullets to kill me, but why did he use kryptonite? Maybe he is putting on a very good act. If he is really insane, I doubt that he would have known that."
"Oh, Clark... I'd like to think that no one could do these things and not be insane, but what you have said makes sense. There have been some awful serial killers out there that were not insane that have done worse than he has. I will talk to the psychiatrists that evaluated him and ask them about what you have just said about him using kryptonite on you. I think you are absolutely right. If he knew to use kryptonite on you, then he is not likely insane. And just because he called you a god doesn't mean he's insane. He wouldn't be the first to call you a god. Some people still see you that way." Clark shook his head no at that. "Yes, I know how you *feel* about that, but there are still people that see you that way."
Clark nodded, "You're right. He isn't the first and he won't be the last to call me a god."
Mayson said, "We have looked at some of the other murders, but you bring up very good points that I hadn't thought of. I should have. We will look at some of the other murders again. We are just now are finding out that he was in Arizona. My office has already had a call from the Phoenix D.A.'s office this morning. I haven't been able to call back yet. You know, Clark, maybe you should have been a lawyer."
"I think there's a joke in there somewhere. I'll stick to journalism and novel writing, thank you. Mayson, does your office have any idea how he got his hands on kryptonite. It's a scary thought to think one of my kids could be hurt."
"No,Clark, we haven't found out anything more about that than you already know. I know you still feel rotten, but would you consider looking at some of the previous murder cases to see if you might be able to make a connection that we haven't seen?"
"Well, normally, I'd say yes, but I don't think my doctors would be very happy with me. See what you all come up with and I will consider it. If I can't do it now, I can later. But Mayson, since I'm going to be a witness, couldn't that compromise the case? You might want to consider that."
"Possibly. There's no reason why Clark Kent couldn't help, though, is there?" Clark just shrugged.
They both stood up when suddenly Mayson turned to him and said, "Clark, why couldn't our relationship have been more? You do know how much I loved you, don't you?" She dropped her head and said softly. "Still..." She clasped her hands together, "Wow, think about it. I must be one of the only women around who has slept with Superman, and I have never even liked him much. But I like you. That's very confusing."
"Mayson..." He paused, but now that she had *actually* told him she believed they had had sex, he had to tell her otherwise. He hated to hurt her, but she had to know the truth. "Mayson, I know you are pretty mixed up about the time just before the car bomb, but we never slept together. We *never* had sex."
"Oh, come on, Clark. You are just saying that because of my ambivalent feelings about Superman. I remember it. Those memories are very clear."
"Then you remember a fantasy, because it never happened Mayson. I don't want to hurt you, but you need to know the truth. Sit down. Let's talk about it."
They both sat down. She shook her head sadly, "You are telling me the truth, aren't you?" He nodded. "That time is such a muddle. I remember being at your apartment. I..."
"Yes, you were at my apartment. But we didn't have sex."
"Why? Why didn't our relationship become more. As I remember, Lois couldn't seem to make up her mind about you then. You could have easily had me." She looked at him with such longing that it nearly broke his heart. He had forgotten the depth of her feelings. Or maybe he never knew.
He decide to be gentle and not tell her he hadn't even really been interested. Oh, maybe she had stirred some small amount of sexual desire in him. That probably would happen to most men when a woman threw themselves at him like she had. He was a man, after all. Darn if he hadn't thought she was going to strip off her clothes and his, too, that one time in his apartment, but she just wasn't his type. He wouldn't tell her that. "Well, Mayson, ummm... It seems you really hated Superman. That wouldn't have worked very well, would it?"
"So, Lois knew at that time?"
"Not til later, but she certainly didn't hate the other part of me."
"No, she was crazy in love with him."
"No. She wasn't. She just had a crush on him.. err me, like many other women do."
She nodded. "I guess you are right. Thanks for your help again. I really need to go."
"Mayson, don't betray me."
"Of course not." She loved him. How could she betray him? Oh, the irony - she loved Superman.
He walked toward the front door with her. He thought, 'What have I done?' He felt like banging his head against a wall. She was about to walk out to her car when he suddenly had an idea. Hmmm.... He wondered why he hadn't thought of this sooner. He actually couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it. Would it... Could it work? He decided he was certainly going to give it a try. He touched her arm and said, "Mayson."
He kept his hand on her upper arm. From the studies he and Bernie had done, this required physical contact. Bernie was a brave man. He had allowed him to experiment on him and they had filmed it so Bernie would believe what had happened. A moment later, he said, "Mayson, did I tell you about my nanny Anamarie?"
"Oh, yes, you mentioned it. If we need to talk to her, we will do that later. Tell Superman I said thank you. Okay?"
He smiled. "Yes, I'll do that, Mayson. I'll certainly tell Superman that you said, 'thank you'. Oh, Anamarie will be going out of town in a week."
"Oh, yes, thank you." She happily left and all she remembered was that she had spoken to Superman. Unfortunately since their conversation about 'them' had been so intertwined with the other conversation, he had had to make her forget that, too. At least now it was doubtful she would be bringing him any case files to look at. She now thought that his observations about the cases were strictly Superman's observations. And maybe it was just as well to let Mayson Drake-Smith think she had slept with Clark Kent. He hated to see people in mental pain. Let her keep the idea that they might possibly have been something more. He knew the truth and that would be enough.
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Clark turned back into the hall and closed the front door. Caitlyn was there and he saw the worry in her eyes.
Caitlyn said, "Oh, Clark. I thought that woman was never going to leave. I'm so worried about you. You had to tell her didn't you? You are past time for a nap and I need to examine you. Come on, let's go upstairs. How did she take it? Is she going to be quiet. Is..."
"Caitlyn. Chill." As they were walking up the steps, he said, "Well, you see, I did tell her, but she doesn't remember. I... took it from her. It's really hard to do, but I did it..."
They walked in his room. "Tell me - that must be something to do with the telepathy, right? You don't do that a lot, do you? That's just what you need. Something else to wear you out."
"The rest of the telepathy doesn't seem to have been affected by the kryptonite, but the experiments Bernie and I have done with this have left me very tired. I think it's more a mental tiredness rather than anything physical, though, except that being mentally tired can make you physically tired. Did that make any sense?" He sighed, heavily. "It's hard, but in a way I can't explain - I have to go deep within myself. That's the first time I did it, but it worked like a charm. I considered doing it with Danny, but in the end, I decided I could trust him. It's something that I may never or rarely use again. It's feels like... an invasion. It's emotionally draining. I just didn't feel like I could trust her. Maybe it would have been okay, but I couldn't help but feel she would use the knowledge as some kind of leverage over me. As a matter of a fact, I'm fairly sure of it. She informed me that we had 'slept' together, but that never happened." He lay down on the bed.
"You must have been reading my mind." She smiled at him. "You laid down without me asking."
"I wouldn't think of it. Be gentle with me, please? Or maybe you could just..." he patted the bed.
"No way, Clark. No way!"
"Just a little kiss?"
She kissed him on the forehead. He just rolled his eyes. "Does that hurt like it did last night?" He shook his head no. "I might not kiss you anymore until you are better." When she was finished with him, she said, "Take a nap. I told Jenni what is going on." She sat back in the chair. "Sleep!"
He nodded his head and just as she was getting ready to stand up to leave, he grabbed her and kissed her properly. "Gotcha', Caitlyn!"
She just shook her head and walked to the door. "Mmmm... You taste good, Clark." Then she thought to herself, 'Did I just really say that?'
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Caitlyn went to the family room and curled up with a book - and Meowoof.
Meowoof was quite content to just sit on her human's lap until she saw the dogs. She took off towards them.
Caitlyn thought that the poor dogs didn't know what they were in for.
She heard all the kids come in. Since they knew they wouldn't be doing anything at school today, Zared and Jon had taken Lara to school with them. It was a little unorthodox, but Lara was in seventh heaven. She was chattering away about how much attention she had gotten and the events of the day. The other kids were all just smiling at her. It was obvious that they all loved their little sister dearly.
Caitlyn said, "Zared, I need to speak with you."
He turned towards her but didn't move. "Okay."
She motioned him over to her. She said quietly, "Zared, I don't know that there is any huge threat, but the Mutilator has escaped. I thought you'd like to know so that when you go out this evening for graduation that you can keep an extra close eye on Jenni."
It took him a moment to speak. "Jenni knows?" Caitlyn nodded. "Thanks." He turned towards Jon. "Jon."
Jon walked towards him and Zared repeated what Caitlyn had said. "Help me keep an eye on her, okay?"
Jon gave him a hug. "You know it, Zared."
"I'll have her sleep in my room and I'll sleep in the guest room. Those French doors suddenly bother me."
Jon nodded. "I agree, Zared. She will be safer on the second floor."
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Jon walked over to Hannah and put his arm around her. "What have you been doing today?"
"Nothing really. Just taking it easy."
The doorbell rang and Hannah looked at Jon. "That's probably mom. I'll go to the door."
Jon grabbed her and told her about the Mutilator. "Just make sure you look to see who it is before you open the door."
"Surely you have to know my dad has always taught me that. Besides, I don't really have long hair."
He nodded. "It's down to your shoulders. That might be enough, so be careful." She smiled and nodded.
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Hannah walked towards the front of the house then looked through the peephole before she opened the the door. "Mom, dad. Come in." She hugged both of them. I didn't expect you, dad. I'm glad you are here. I think we need to talk about something."
"Your mom told me last night." Her eyes got a little wide. He hugged her. Even Bruce Wayne hugged his children. His parents had hugged him, after all. "It's okay. I'm sure Clark will be very helpful. It certainly puts a new spin on your relationship with Jon."
"Yes, it does. I can hardly believe you know about Clark. Well, gosh, I can hardly believe *I* know about Clark."
Marilyn nudged Bruce. He looked at his wife and started to shake his head no. She crossed her arms. "If you don't, then I will!"
He just put his hands up in front of him. "I don't think this is a good idea. I'd rather be at the manor, but okay."
Hannah was sometimes amazed at the things her mom could talk her dad into. She wondered what this was all about.
He sighed. "Is there someplace where we can talk privately?"
She nodded her head. "Come with me. Is this going to involve Jon?"
"No! Let me just talk to you first. I imagine he will have to be told eventually," he paused as a look of unknowing came across his face, "if he doesn't already know. No," he thought aloud, "Clark would have told me." She walked into Clark's office and they all sat down.
"Marilyn, I don't know how you convinced me to do this, but... Well, if it can work for Clark. Okay, Hannah. I'm Batman."
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