No long introductions....
Have fun with Part 4:
From part 3: His telephone rang again and Clark, once more, picked up the receiver. This time it was Dr. Klein who told him that a chunk of the kryptonite was gone. Because of the fire, they couldn’t be sure whether it had become gas or had been stolen.
So they didn’t know any more than before. Clark’s list of worries increased.
Part 4: Thanks to a silent city, Clark was able to stay in the newsroom for the rest of the day. He and Lois worked on their stories and submitted them to Perry in time. When they were done, they left the newsroom and returned home.
Clark had also told Lois that most of the material Dr. Klein had collected from him during former kryptonite exposure was destroyed. It was another thorn in their hearts since giving samples like blood wasn’t easy for Clark. Even if Dr. Klein had been on the right track with his researches, there was no longer any way to know. Lois and Clark were both sad, but for slightly different reasons.
Clark felt once more that his not being human kept Lois from motherhood. Of course Lois would never accuse him of it. But it was true anyway. She hadn’t wanted children for years, but with the time her defensive attitude had started to wear down. She had begun to consider the possibility of having children and increasingly liked the idea. And now he, who had brought up the topic repeatedly and had been disappointed every time Lois declined, wasn’t able to fulfill her wish for children.
Lois, on the other hand, couldn’t help the thought that Clark had given up something truly important to him when he had left the New Kryptonians. He couldn’t have known then that he and Lois wouldn’t have children. But Lady Zara would have been able to carry his descendants. Whereas she who considered herself as his soul mate couldn’t grant him his deepest desire. It hurt her soul that Clark had to renounce his desires for her.
Each of them ached because of the misery their partner had to endure. At the same time they tried to avoid every pitiful glance because they knew that the other wouldn’t like to receive it.
Since Jonathan and Martha had similar feelings towards each other, it was a very strange atmosphere in the Kent house when the four of them met there that evening.
They were all playing along, pretending that everything was all right. Martha had cooked a meal and they sat around the table, discussing the day. But neither of them mentioned any problems, though each of them felt that he or she wasn’t the only one with sorrows. Perhaps that was just the reason for everyone’s silence concerning things that really mattered. No one wanted to bother anyone else with their own trouble.
“We won’t be sleeping at home tonight,” Clark said suddenly.
“Are the two of you going out?” Martha asked with a smile. Her “children” enjoying themselves pleased her and eased her mind.
“Not exactly. We are going on a short trip to Europe,” Lois explained.
“Europe?” Jonathan was surprised. “Isn’t that a bit far for a *short trip*?”
“We need to do some investigation there. Do you remember that young woman we told you about on Saturday?” Clark replied and watched his parents expectantly. They nodded and he continued. “She’s been found dead in her hotel room this morning. And then, someone living in the same city as she did called me today and wanted to talk to Superman. I don’t see the connection yet, but I’m quite sure that there is one.”
“We want to know why Carla was murdered,” Lois added.
“When will you be back?” Martha inquired thoughtfully.
“Before dawn, hopefully. Perry is a bit mad at us at the moment,” Clark said with a wry smile, “We‘d better get going now. Lois, you need to change into something really warm.”
It was about ten p.m.. He kissed his parents on the cheek and wished them a good night as Lois went upstairs quickly. When she came back down, Clark had cleared the table and wore his Superman suit. Lois had layered on several pullovers and a few pairs of trousers.
They said good night to Martha and Jonathan and stepped into their backyard to take off into the sky of Metropolis.
“Lois, I will fly fast tonight,” Clark said in a low voice, “You need to get as close to me as possible. I won’t be carrying you in my arms this time.”
“Okay Clark, what do you have in mind?”
“You will lie on my back and wrap your arms tightly around me. My cape can protect you from the wind and my aura will also help to keep you safe.” Clark explained.
“I think that will look ridiculous,” Lois chuckled, but nodded. She stepped behind Clark and wrapped her arms around his waist. He laid his hands on her hips to make sure that she wasn’t going to fall down if her grip loosened during their flight.
“You can even get some sleep”, he offered. “Do you feel safe with me?”
“Always.” Lois replied and placed a kiss on his back.
He floated upwards.
“If you get cold I will warm you up. Just tell me.”
“I know you will, Clark.” Lois was pleased that Clark took her with him. They hadn’t been flying together over a long distance for quite some time now. He wasn’t to keen on taking her with him to major rescues. And other than for those he didn’t use to fly around the world so much.
Clark sped up. But with Lois, he couldn’t fly as fast as he usually did. They would need a few hours to get to Germany.
* * *
Tuesday, Germany, Cologne
The sky over Cologne was blue with a few white clouds in it. The great river separated the city in two sides. They were connected by several bridges. The most famous of them led directly to the Cologne Cathedral, a high and dark gothic monument, on the Left Bank of the Rhine. It was the center of the city and its most important sight. Two towers reached up into the sky, seemingly trying to touch it. Around the main church there were countless others.
The city around them seemed endless, but not because Cologne was so big. It had about a million inhabitants. Rather because the region was so densely settled. Other cities began right at the borders of Cologne. And next to them there were further cities.
Adjacent to the cathedral were the narrow houses of the old part of the city. Most of them weren’t really old, they had been rebuilt after the city had been destroyed almost completely. Between the houses there were remnants of the former inhabitants of the city, the Romans, and the people of the middle age as well. Cologne was a strange mixture of modern buildings and testaments to its history.
At about eight o’clock in the morning Clark flew over the city, searching for the place the man on the telephone had described. The skyline of Cologne was so unlike the skyline of Metropolis. It wasn’t obstructed by skyscrapers. There were only few of them and citizens of the town wouldn’t have called them skyscrapers. The highest ones had about twenty floors. Most of the other buildings had about six. The streets were full of sunlight. Clark liked the city immediately.
Lois excitedly watched the city from above. She saw that St. Patrick’s cathedral in New York resembled the Cathedral of Cologne. But this one was far more impressive. She wasn’t sure if it was actually taller than St. Patrick’s, but being the tallest building around definitely made it more impressive.
Clark had found the place. The University of Cologne looked just like Dr. Thomas had described it. He headed there and soon saw a taller building. A short x-raying showed him that it was indeed the ward of the university hospital. He didn’t know why Dr. Thomas wanted to meet him there. He assumed that Dr. Thomas was a physician. Clark landed in a lonesome corner of the area.
As much as she enjoyed flying with Clark, Lois was relieved to set her feet on the ground again.
“You’d better hide somewhere, I don’t believe he will be pleased to see that I brought someone with me,” Clark whispered to Lois, “I will tell you everything later. If you get into trouble, just call me.”
“Do you really think that I cannot look after myself for a few minutes?” Lois muttered.
“I’m just prepared for all possibilities,” Clark replied teasingly and grinned.
Lois smiled back at him and went away. Clark followed her with his eyes and waited for Dr. Thomas to come. It didn’t take long. Almost as soon as Lois was out of sight, a physician approached. He wore a white coat and already had gray hair. Clark estimated that he was about fifty years old.
“Hello Superman, I’m Dr. Thomas,” he greeted Clark.
“Dr. Thomas,” Clark nodded firmly, “Why did you want to meet with me?”
“I see you get directly to the point. I’d like to do some research,” Dr. Thomas answered.
“Research?” Clark said, alarmed by the mere word. “I’m not going to be a guinea pig. You’ll need to find someone else to do research on.
“Please let me explain what I need from you. Maybe you will agree then,” the doctor pleaded.
“Ok, shoot,” Clark gave in.
“I want to find a way to cure people more easily. Your healing abilities are impressive. I’ve been wondering for quite some time now if we can find this ability in your genes. This way you could help prevent the death of thousands of people. If you would give us your permission to research your genome,” Dr. Thomas explained and watched Superman’s expression anxiously.
“Genetic therapy? Do you really think this will work? As far as I know hundreds of scientists has been researching this field for years. It’s still in its infancy, isn’t it?” Clark demurred.
“Yes, that’s true,” The physician admitted, ”but Genetic therapy is the future of medicine. It offers the best imaginable chances to cure lethal diseases, when it works one day. There’s no living being on earth who possesses genes with the potential of your genome. The research will take years and I want to start as soon as possible. It could change medical science forever. It would be the greatest revolution since the development of antibiotics.”
Clark could see that the physician was excited from head to toe. He found his enthusiasm to be contagious. Of course it would be great to save people’s lives even after his own death. Especially considering the unlikelihood of him ever having any descendants that would be able to. If he couldn’t father children, maybe he owed it to this world to help it otherwise.
*But also tell him not to trust the people wanting him to do whatever it is that they want from him, exactly. I’m not so sure whether it is such a good thing for the world as they claim.* he heard Carla’s voice in the back of his mind. He should think about this first. *Don’t be to fast with your decisions* he reminded himself.
“I promise I will think about it,” Clark said. “But this is all I can promise you right now.”
The physician seemed disappointed. He had hoped for a positive answer. Clark couldn’t help it, he didn’t want to be responsible for the results if this physician wasn’t such a philanthropist after all. Clark nodded firmly and took off to find Lois.
* * *
He found her in a smaller building next to the ward. A little bit of super hearing and x-ray vision had helped a lot to locate her. Clark decided to change into street clothes somewhere, because they would attract less attention. Minutes later he entered the building, going directly over to Lois.
She strolled around in the hall, watching the people around her.
Clark greeted her with a kiss.
“I tell you later. Ready to go, honey?” he whispered in her ear.
“Not yet,” Lois returned. “I heard students saying something about a Carla”. But I didn’t understand what they said.”
“No problem.” Clark smiled. He walked over to the group of students, with Lois following closely behind.
“Entschuldigung. Kennt jemand von Ihnen eine Carla Seefeld? (Excuse-me, does anyone know Carla Seefeld?)” he asked.
The group of students turned to look at Clark. Obviously they were surprised that a stranger wanted to know something about Carla. The suddenly sad expressions on their faces told Clark two things: they definitely knew Carla and they were aware of her death.
“Sind sie von der Polizei? (Are you from the police?)” one of the students confirmed his speculations.
“Nein, ich bin Reporter und heiße Clark Kent. Ich arbeite für den Daily Planet. Das ist meine Kollegin, Lois Lane. Sie spricht leider kein Deutsch. (No, I’m a reporter and my name is Clark Kent. I work for the Daily Planet. This is my colleague Lois Lane. She doesn’t speak German.)” Clark replied. “Sie wissen also schon, dass Frau Seefeld tot ist? (So you’ve already heard of Ms. Seefeld’s death?)“
„Ja. Einer von uns hat es heute Morgen in der Zeitung entdeckt. Carla wollte nach Metropolis reisen und gestern wurde eine tote Carla Seefeld dort gefunden. So viele Carla Seefelds kann es in Metropolis ja nicht geben. ( Yes, one of us read it in the newspaper this morning. Carla wanted to travel to Metropolis and yesterday there was a dead Carla Seefeld found there. There aren’t many people called Carla Seefeld in Metropolis, are there?),” the student explained.“Sie sagten Sie arbeiten für den Daily Planet. Hat der auch eine Redaktion in Köln? (You said you work for the Daily Planet. Is there a newsroom in Cologne as well?)“
“Ich hatte gerade hier zu tun. Können Sie uns bitte sagen, warum Carla Seefeld in Metropolis war? (I’ve got things to do here. Do you know why Carla Seefeld was in Metropolis) “ Clark continued.
Most of the students were shaking their heads and mumbling something about holidays. But there was a shy young woman between them who seemed to know more than the others.
“Sie wollte dort jemanden treffen. (She wanted to meet somebody there.)” the woman said.
“Sie war sehr aufgeregt und meinte, dass es wichtig sei. Aber worum es ging, wollte sie nicht sagen.“ (She was very excited and told me that it was something important. But she didn’t want to say what it was all about.)
“Sagt Ihnen p53 etwas? (Do you know what p53 means?” Clark asked, as he suddenly remembered what Henderson had asked them in the hotel.
“Na ja, das ist der Name eines Proteins. Hilft Ihnen das weiter? (Well, it’s the name of a protein. Does that help you?)” one of the students shrugged.
Clark shook his head thoughtfully. “Das macht keinen Sinn.” (That doesn’t make sense.)
He gave the group a short explanation for his question about p53. The students agreed with him; it couldn’t have anything to do with a protein. Clark thanked the students and said goodbye. Then he turned around to Lois and the two of them walked away. On their way outside, Clark told her what the students had said.
Lois had no clue how a protein could be connected with the death of Carla, either. So both assumed that p53 meant something totally different. Maybe Jimmy could find out something about it? They had forgotten it completely after Perry had been so unhappy with their interest in Carla’s death. For him it was just another murder in the city, not worth a long article from his best reporters.
Lois and Clark searched for some hidden place where they could prepare for their flight back to Metropolis. Clark told Lois about Dr. Thomas’ plans and his reaction to them. Lois was content with his decision to just consider it. She knew that Clark was usually so eager to help that he sometimes forgot to think twice.
Within half an hour, they were back in the air, returning home.
* * *
USA, Metropolis
Superman had been there. That much was true. But what had happened in Cologne? Had Superman agreed? It was possible. The boy scout was an enthusiastic helper. So this was probably the right time for step three. Well, it surely was the right time. He couldn’t afford to find out if Superman had actually agreed, first. If he had, there was no time left for rethinking. Something had to be done as soon as possible.
Thanks to his brilliant plan, he was prepared. All it took to start step three was a short phone call. Hopefully the man he was going to call was prepared just as well for his duty. He had put much effort in finding a reliable man. Everything would work just fine. As sure as his name was p53. He laughed out loud at the irony of this name. It amused him ever since he had chosen it. He loved irony.
* * *
*I’m afraid we can’t help you, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. The debts on your farm are very high. To sell it is the only decision.*
Jonathan woke up, sweat covering his face. The voice of the banker he had spoken to the day before still resounded in the back of his mind.
Their farm was lost. The ache was still so fresh and unbearable that Jonathan winced at the mere thought. How had this been possible? The summer had been great, neither too cold nor too dry. His corn had grown perfectly. He had hoped to solve some of their financial problems this year. With the harvest he could have paid back some of his debts.
But then, by some unpredictable fate, his bank gave notice on his loans. This was totally unusual for the bank of Smallville. They lent their money mainly to farmers since Smallville consisted pretty much of farms. Why shouldn’t they wait until the harvest allowed their debtors to earn enough money? His debts hadn’t even been any higher than they used to be. The previous summer had also been perfect. He couldn’t see any reason for this.
Unless the real reason was not his debts but his land.
Wayne Irig, one of his oldest friends, had also lost his land. And they weren’t the only ones in Smallville. Maybe there was someone eager to buy a lot of land in Smallville. But he had no proofs for this suspicions.
And even if he was right, how could it help him get back his belongings? His and Martha’s future lay in Smallville, not in Metropolis. They were too old to learn a new trade. And they definitely wouldn’t ask Clark for money. There wasn’t much money left for them. Buying the tickets for the flight had been expensive enough. Jonathan didn’t know what he could do.
Maybe he should tell Clark. But what was *he* supposed to do?
* * *
“Clark, I think it’s time to talk” Lois said suddenly while they were flying back to Metropolis. “I mean the children problem,” she added.
They had nearly reached the city and Clark had been right. It was shortly after dawn. Perry wouldn’t be furious at them for coming in late to work.
“You’re right, we need to talk about it. We’ve tried to ignore hurtful topics earlier, but we both know that it only makes things worse,” he replied. “Oh Lois, I’m so sorry that I can’t give you children. It hurts me that I am the one keeping you from the joys of motherhood.”
“I know how you feel, Clark. I can’t help thinking that Lady Zara would have been able to fulfill your desires.” Lois swallowed hard.
“Oh, Lois. Don’t think for a moment that I regret not being with Zara. I love you, with all my heart. My deepest desire is to have children with *you*. It’s not just about descendants. I’d just love to share a part of me with you in this way. But if this isn’t possible, I can live with it. I really can,” Clark announced passionately. “You are the one person in the universe I will love all my life, even after it.”
Lois hugged him tightly, placing a kiss on his back. “You are more important to me than motherhood can ever be. I don’t absolutely want children at all costs. If we are not meant to have children, then it is okay with me. I love you so much.“
Both felt eased by their declarations of love. They had worried so much the other’s pain yet had been so wrong in their assumptions. Of course the children problem wasn’t solved yet and both would have to deal with the fact that they couldn’t grant each other their desire. But they had had other, bigger problems before. They would face this together.
The skyline of Metropolis came in sight. They approached it quickly though Clark had already slowed down. It was early morning and they had two hours left to reach the newsroom. Lois had slept for a while on Clark’s back, while they were flying. She felt safe enough with him to have a nap.
Neither of them knew that someone sitting on the roof of a skyscraper in the city centre was examining the sky thoroughly, waiting for Superman to show up. For now, their only worry was that they might wake up Clark’s parents accidentally when they returned home.
Suddenly Clark heard a sound he couldn’t identify. All he could say was that something approached him very quickly. Then it got farther away and the sound of whatever it was faded away.
He noticed too late that something was very wrong. A searing pain in his left upper leg told him that the “whatever” – it – was a kryptonite bullet and that he now had a very big problem. The sound had faded because the evil green rock had started to rob him of his powers. The feeling was as agonizing as ever, the pain spreading through his whole body almost unbearable.
Lois’ seemingly increasing weight reminded him of the fact that he wasn’t the only one in danger. If this were the case, he could have tried to just fall down on Earth using his remaining strength to soften his fall. He would have mainly trusted in his invulnerability. This was not an alternative now. Oh yes, he had a very big problem indeed!
It didn’t take Lois long to realize that something had happened to Clark. He was moaning and losing altitude quickly. She had known him long enough to identify the symptoms. It had to be kryptonite. And despite the loss of height, they were still pretty far away from the skyscrapers. There was no way for Lois to survive falling down, even if Clark probably would before his invulnerability was completely lost.
“Clark!” Lois screamed not able to totally suppress her panic.
His first answer was another moan of pain. He tried to find the strength for real words. It wasn’t easy because he knew that he should save his power to land securely on the ground. But on the other hand, the kryptonite was draining his powers. Without speaking now they might last a little longer, even though it was to no avail with Hyperion Avenue still being on the other side of the city. Saving his powers wouldn’t lead him anywhere. And if he wanted someone to help him quickly, Hyperion Avenue was the right destination. He seriously doubted that there was another place in Metropolis where he would definitely find help. If he couldn’t prevent Lois from getting hurt, then she would need help for sure.
“Lois, I need your help,” he gasped.
“What can I do, Clark?” Lois asked.
“Call my parents,” he replied.
“Ok, Clark.”
“Do you... remember? Being... with... you... is... stronger.. than.... me... alone,” he coughed, exhausted by the effort of speaking loud enough for Lois to hear his words.
“Of course I do,” Lois shouted against the wind.
“Talk me through this. Keep me awake. Give me your strength,” he said in a much lower voice.
“Alright, honey. Please stay with me.”
“Lois, I love you.”
“I love you, too, my darling.”
Lois felt Clark speeding up again and suddenly knew what he was going to try. He didn’t need to say anything more. She wrapped her arms firmly around him. His grip on her hips was loosening. The whole flight through it had been him who cared about her safety. He had prevented her from falling down from his back. Now Lois needed to stay there on her own.
She searched through her purse with one hand to get her mobile phone. She called Martha and Jonathan quickly to tell them what was going on. Then she put the phone back in its place and wrapped her arms around Clark. Under her left hand she felt the steady beat of his heart with a strongly increased rate.
“You can do it, darling. You’re right on the way. Home is just a few minutes away.” Lois encouraged Clark.
He felt so weak and was barely conscious. His body was set on fire, making him forget the injury completely. He couldn’t put the finger on a single aching spot. Ache was everywhere. From somewhere, digging through the haze of his mind, came Lois soft voice, telling him to keep flying. He couldn’t decline, he owed Lois to obey her words. As hard as it was. But Lois deserved every effort he could raise. Her soft voice sent energy to his sore muscles. He could hold her more easily. At least it seemed so.
His flying had become steadier, which relieved Lois. But they weren’t out of danger. The city was big and Hyperion Avenue was still a few blocks away from them. Lois whispered in Clark’s ear the whole time, trying to make that mental connection with him. She had felt it before, when there had been difficult times. His illness caused by the Kryptonian virus was just one of the examples.
Exhaustion was getting hold of him. Lois’ voice in his ears repeated that it wasn’t far anymore before they reached home. Pain was in every tendon and every bone. It cursed through his being. His body wanted to give up, screaming for his permission to let go. Unconsciousness seemed to be the easy way out. But it wasn’t and his mind was well aware of this. Lois, who pressed him to go further, to use whatever resource he had, was his anchor in this nightmare. But his body had no intention of admitting it and disliked to agree with his mind.
He knew that he was going to lose her. They needed a miracle to prevent it. All he could do now was save her life. It would probably cost him his own, but that didn’t matter. She meant the world to him. She deserved to live and he would grant her a life.
*Do it for her*, he encouraged himself. Calling his parents had only been a precaution if he wasn’t able to land her without injuries.
Lois sighed with relief when she saw Hyperion Avenue. Clark had lost more and more altitude, but they were still flying too high and too fast to land safely. It cut in Lois’ heart like a knife to crucify Clark like this, but both their lives depended on her doing it.
She started to whisper in his ears again, pleading him to slow down. She encouraged him, telling him again and again that he would do it just perfectly. Clark had let out moans during their flight but he hadn’t spoken since his last declaration of love.
Lois felt Clark shivering violently under her and tried to soothe him with her touch. His heart was still beating fast, but not very steadily anymore. It seemed to flutter against her hand. Lois went on telling Clark what he should do and his body followed her instructions unwillingly. She had always admired his willpower, enabling him to go far beyond the burden of his powers. But she had never seen him this strong.
Though all bets were against them, they indeed slowed down. Clark was semi-conscious at best, but somehow he managed to control their descent. Lois had already feared that he would fall from the sky like a stone. But his flying almost inspired her with the trust that everything would be all right again. She wasn’t aware that she was holding her breath, being astonished by the miracle she witnessed. At the same time she was praying silently that her hope wasn’t going to be dashed violently.
He couldn’t think anymore, feeling so helpless against the might of his pain. He still endured it, gritting his teeth, always on the verge of loosing consciousness. Only Lois’ endearing whispers penetrated through the thick fog in his mind. He saw nothing around him and was only kept in the air by her words.
*Don’t stop speaking* a lonesome brain cell formed unspoken words.
But Lois understood him. She was the source of his powers at this moment and she already knew it. Now they were coming in slowly and low enough to consider landing. Hyperion Avenue was so close that tears of relief streamed down Lois cheeks. Only a few whispers separated them from home. Lois wouldn’t give up now.
tbc....
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I must admit, I'm not a nice person, since you'll have to wait a little to read Part 5
