Yes, it's now 20 chapters long. I split one of the later chapters due to size constraints. I didn't want to lose anyone because the postings were too time-consuming to read.
>>> Thursday, August 22nd
Lois stared at the morning’s headline, wanting desperately for it to be untrue but knowing it was absolutely true, knowing that it wouldn’t change no matter how long she glared at it. ‘Superman Arrested,’ it blared. The subheading read, ‘Charged with Second Degree Murder.’ The body of the article told how Superman had agreed to surrender to the DA and be questioned about Bill Church’s death, but had then been arrested and charged. The arraignment was scheduled for ten o’clock that morning, and every media outlet on the coast wanted a piece of this one.
But the Planet had the inside track, the personal relationship with Superman, and therefore was first in line for any scrap of news. Even LNN was calling them for info, pictures, rumors and innuendo, or speculation. Lois had issued one of her rare executive orders that all requests for Superman data – and she meant every single solitary hint – was to be funneled to her. She would release what she saw fit to release, and keep the rest under cover.
She folded the paper on her desk and laid her head on her hands. She had almost two hours before the arraignment hearing. Superman would have a public defender, since Murray Brown was out of state on a business trip for the Superman Foundation. He wasn’t a criminal defense attorney anyway, so Superman would have to search for a lawyer once he was released.
And he had to be released. She’d see to it if they wanted bail, but surely the judge wouldn’t order bail for Superman! The very thought was absurd, but then, so was the entire situation. So she picked up the phone again to make a call about that very issue, but the sight of the receiver in her hand gave her pause.
She’d made a frantic phone call to the Kents before leaving work the night before and broken the news to them. They were disappointed, but resigned. And Lois had managed to make them all laugh when she’d described K. C. Jerome’s first public appearance. They’d even given her a couple of tidbits for the interview which Lois had concocted and printed under Catharine’s byline.
She thought about poor Clark – poor Superman – in jail with a bunch of deliberate lawbreakers. They couldn’t hurt him physically, of course, but who knew what kind of verbal or psychological abuse he’d be subjected to in there?
She forced those thoughts from her mind and began dialing.
*****
From his seat on the bench in the cell, Superman looked at the huge man looming in front of him. “No, sir, I agree that you’re a lot bigger than I am, that you’re probably the baddest fighter in the city of Metropolis, and if I were a normal human you could defeat me in seconds, but I’m not a normal human, so I’m not going to fight you for any reason whatsoever.”
The man was almost seven feet tall and built like a shipyard crane. He leaned down and roared drool into Superman’s face. “That ain’t good enough! I’m gonna whip you right now! Get up, Bubba! Get up and get ready to bleed!”
Superman shook his head. “You don’t understand, sir. I really am Superman.”
He sneered. “Sure you are! You in here cause you forgot to register your cape, right?”
The other prisoners laughed, some harder than others, but no one wanted to cross the man Superman had mentally nicknamed Tiny. “Actually, I’m here because I killed someone.”
“Oh, really? Who’d you knock off, anyway?”
“Bill Church, the head of Intergang.”
The dozen or so men paused and stared at him, then Tiny burst out laughing again and the rest followed his example. “You killed the head of Intergang, huh? You don’t look so tough to me, shorty!”
“I was a little worked up at the time.”
“Ha-ha-ha! A little worked up, huh? Let’s see how worked up you can get now!”
“I told you, I’m not going to – “
Tiny clenched his massive fist and slammed a giant roundhouse punch into Superman’s jaw. A normal human would have sustained multiple broken bones and been knocked against the bars and onto the floor, unconscious if not comatose.
Superman simply finished his sentence. “ – fight you under any circumstances. Okay?”
Tiny stared at him for a moment, astounded, then unleashed two more horse-killing blows. Superman continued to stare calmly. Tiny looked at his hands as if wondering where they’d gone. “I hit you real hard. I know I hit you hard! How’d you do that?”
Superman stood. “I told you. You didn’t listen. Now this can go on until you break your hands, but I’d rather you didn’t punch me again. It’s a little irritating.”
Tiny roared with rage and lifted both fists over his head, then brought them down with crashing force atop Superman’s head. The scream suddenly careened from anger to pain as Tiny hugged his bruised hands to his chest. His anger won out, and he clenched his hands together again and swung horizontally, trying to take his target’s head off.
Superman ducked under the blow, then took a quick breath and blew out. Tiny stumbled backwards as the force he’d put into his punch, combined with the puff of air from Superman’s lungs, spun him completely around. He tripped and sat down hard on the bench against the far wall.
“Hey, man, how’d you do that?”
Superman glanced at the guard station to make sure no one was watching too closely, then levitated in the air and floated above Tiny and his accomplices. “I told you how. I’m Superman. Now, if you’ll stop trying to injure me, which you can’t do, I won’t tell the guards you were trying to start a fight with me. Deal?”
Still angry, Tiny reached up and tried to snatch Superman out of the air. He intercepted the huge man’s grab and lifted him off the floor by the wrist. “Are you done now?”
Tiny wriggled and squirmed like a shark on a hook. Superman shook him slightly and asked, “Once again, are you done now?” Tiny just glared at him. “Okay, then, count on being up here all day.”
Tiny looked down at the floor, then around at the top of the cell, then glared sullenly at his captor. “We’re done, I guess.”
“You sure? I don’t want to have to do this any more.”
“Hey, you obscene deleted expletive – “
Superman bounced him again. “Or we can play for a while. Your choice.”
Tiny stifled a cry of pain and grabbed his shoulder with his free hand. After a moment, he nodded. “Yeah. We’re done.”
Immediately he was lowered to the floor. “There. See how easy that was?” Superman sat down in his previous spot and crossed his arms. “I’m going to rest now.”
Tiny stood in front of him for a moment, then turned and waved his massive arms at the other prisoners. “Y’all make room, now, and let Superman rest. Nobody bothers him! Y’all got that?”
The others muttered and nodded, then turned away from Tiny’s glare. To Superman’s surprise, Tiny sat down gently on the bench beside him and leaned back against the wall. “Won’t nobody bother you now, Superman.”
“Thanks. Hey, what’s your name?”
“Walter Macklin. But folks generally just call me Tiny. Cause I’m so big, y’know?”
Superman grinned, partly at the pun and partly at guessing the big man’s nickname correctly. “Yeah, I can see that. Thank you, Tiny.”
“No prob, man. Hey, can I ask you a question?”
You just did, thought Superman, but said, “Sure.”
“How come you didn’t take me out? I mean, when I slugged you and all.”
He lost his smile. “Why should I? You couldn’t have hurt me.”
“Yeah, but you said you was here ‘cause you knocked off Bill Church. What makes me so special that you don’t wanna kill me?”
Superman frowned. “I promised myself a long time ago, before I even knew that Bill Church existed, that I’d never use my powers to harm people, only help them. But Intergang killed a lot of people and tried to kill more, all at the same time, and I – I guess I just lost it.” He looked at Tiny and willed him to understand. “I did something I promised myself I’d never do. I took a human life. And by doing that, I also caused a lot of people to trust me less. I broke man’s law and violated my own moral code. And I don’t ever want to do that again.” He sighed and leaned against the wall. “I hope I explained it clearly enough.”
Tiny nodded. “Yeah, man, you did. I understand. Like my uncle, when he smuggled some dope up from Mexico and got caught. Said he never wanted to before, just seemed like the right thing at the time. But it wasn’t. He got busted and convicted. Doin’ two to five in New Mexico State Correctional Facility right now.” The immense man slapped him jauntily on the knee. “You just rest yourself, SuperDude. I got your back.”
“Thanks, Tiny.” Superman closed his eyes. Friends are where you find them, he mused.
*****
“Yes? May I help you?”
“I’d like to see Mr. Stern.”
“Do you have an appointment, ma’am?”
“Just pick up your phone and say, ‘Lois Lane to see Mr. Stern.’ I think he’ll let me in.”
“Oh! Ms. Lane, I apologize for not recognizing you. I’ve only been in this office for about a week and – “
Lois leaned over the desk and fixed the girl with a lancing stare. “Is Mr. Stern busy or can I see him?”
“Uh, let me check.” She picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Lois Lane to see you, sir. No, sir, no appointment. She hasn’t said, but I’d guess it is urgent. Of course, sir.” She lowered the phone. “If you can wait five minutes, Mr. Stern can see you.”
Lois controlled her first impulse to snap back at her and tried to smile. “Thanks. I’ll wait.”
From the little blonde’s reaction, Lois wondered if she’d grown long sharpened canines since she’d brushed her teeth that morning. The girl told Stern that Lois would wait, then offered her something to drink.
Lois shook her head. “No thanks, I’m good.”
She sat down in a plush chair and idly wondered how much it cost, and whether or not the money might have been better spent on software upgrades or improved security or increases in reporter’s salaries. Then she frowned and told herself to focus on the reason for her visit.
The young secretary’s phone buzzed and she picked it up. “Yes, sir? Of course.” She hung up the phone and smiled at Lois. “Mr. Stern will see you now, Ms. Lane.”
“Thanks.” Lois pushed through the heavy double doors and tugged them shut behind her. Franklin Stern stood up, and his personality and voice filled the room.
“Lois! My dear, it’s so good to see you. You should come up here more often. You make this office brighter by just being here.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stern.”
“How is the paper doing today?”
“Quite well, sir, thank you for asking. I hope you don’t mind if I’m direct.”
“Not at all! I like a person who gets to the point. Saves time.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, so here’s the point. Superman’s arraignment is this morning and my sources tell me the DA plans to ask for a ridiculously huge bail. If the judge is dumb enough to fall for it, I’d like for the Planet to post bond for Superman.”
Stern’s smile lost some of its luster. “Bail for Superman? We don’t usually bail out people who don’t work for us, especially not accused felons.”
Lois focused on being patient and convincing at the same time. “True, but these aren’t the usual circumstances. I know I’m asking a great deal, but Superman isn’t going to blow off his trial date any more than you would refuse to pay your electric bill. This is an extremely low-risk investment, sir, and the positive publicity that would accrue to the Planet would be more than worth any lost interest.”
“Hmm.” Stern picked up a sheet of paper. “These are the circulation projections for Superman’s trial. We stand to increase point-of-sale revenue by at least twenty percent, and the subscription rate will go up by eight to ten percent. Or so the actuaries tell me.” He put the paper down. “How high do you think the bail will be?”
She didn’t bat an eye. “I’m hearing the DA will ask for ten million dollars.”
Stern was equally poker-faced. “Ten million, eh? Hmm. Let me think for a moment.”
He sat down and folded his hands below his chin, then slowly turned aimlessly in his chair. Lois wanted to shake him, to give him more information, to appeal to his sense of justice and fair play, to convince him to stand up for Superman, but she knew Stern had all the information he wanted at the moment. If he thought he needed anything else, he’d ask for it.
After thirty seconds that felt like thirty hours to Lois, Stern spun his chair to face her again and stood up briskly. “We can go as high as five million. I just don’t have the cash reserves to risk more right now. Besides, the Superman Foundation will also have a legal presence there today, and we can join with them to come up with the money.” He walked around the desk and held his hand out. “Lois, I agree with you. Superman should be free, and the Planet will do all it can to ensure his freedom. I will personally match the Foundation’s contribution to Superman’s bail.”
Her hand disappeared into his huge mitt. “Thank you, Mr. Stern. I promise you, this is money well invested.”
His smile lit up the room again. “I’m sure it will be. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with some real estate people. I’m buying some very nice property upstate but I don’t want to pay what they’re asking.”
Lois chuckled. “Buy low and sell high, right?”
He lifted an eyebrow and lowered his voice. “That’s what I do to people. That’s not what people do to me.”
*****
Lois and Ron got out of the cab at nine thirty-two AM. The streets outside the courthouse were jammed with sightseers, out-of-town press, police, and people simply caught up in the craziness. Ron physically forced a path through the crush up to the police line where he and Lois showed their press credentials. Even so, they had to appeal to the lieutenant in charge of the detail before they were allowed to enter the building.
There was more security inside, in every hallway and office and even in the restrooms, as Ron found out when he went inside one to get some mysterious sticky substance off his shoe. The officer inside nearly arrested him when Ron removed his shoe and started scrubbing the sole.
Lois was pacing in front of the men’s room as Ron exited. “Where have you been? The arraignment starts in ten minutes!”
Ron gave her a hangdog expression. “It isn’t my fault, honest. I almost got arrested in there.”
“What? Why? Oh, never mind! I really don’t need to know about your personal problems. Come on, we’ve got to find the Foundation’s lawyer.”
He pointed. “I think the guy holding up the sign that says ‘Lois Lane’ will have a clue.”
“Huh?” She followed the direction of his finger. “Wow. You’d think this was an airport. Come, Sancho, let us return to the quest.”
Ron followed at her shoulder. “Ooh, a medieval literary reference. Be still, my beating heart.”
“Be still your flapping mouth. Hi, I’m Lois Lane and this is Ron Dombrowski from the Daily Planet. And you are?”
“Wayne Anthony, head of the litigation department at the Superman Foundation.”
Lois’s mouth quirked sideways. “A man with two first names. Convenient.”
Ron frowned. “The foundation has a litigation department? How much litigation is the Foundation involved in?”
“Oh, not that much really, just the occasional knock-off action figures and some unlicensed t-shirts, that sort of thing. Doesn’t keep me all that busy, which is why I drew the short straw and ended up here.” He hesitated, then noticed the serious expressions on his new associates’ faces. “Not that I’m not thrilled to be here, I mean pleased, no, I’m not pleased that Superman’s been arrested, I mean it’s wonderful to meet you, but – “
Ron lifted his hands. “Whoa! Lois, take pity on the guy, okay? Let’s do what we came to do and not let him embarrass himself all over the place. Besides, I don’t think his backup lights are working.”
Lois allowed herself a small grin. “Okay, Mr. Anthony. We think DA Reisman will ask for an outrageously high bail for Superman. Franklin Stern, the owner and publisher of the Daily Planet, has agreed to pay half of Superman’s bail as long as the bail is ten million or less.”
Anthony’s face paled and his jaw dropped. “What! Oh, my! You – you mean you’ll – I mean Mr. Stern will contribute up to five million dollars? For Superman’s bail?”
“Yes. And it’s almost time to start. Let’s see if we can get closer, okay?”
Without waiting for a reply, Lois turned and began elbowing people out of her way. Several people objected momentarily, until they either recognized Lois or saw the intense determination on her face. Ron followed with Anthony in tow, and they managed to secure a place at the rail behind the defendant’s desk.
The arraignment judge looked out over the crowded gallery. She stood and lifted her hands, asking for quiet. Eventually the babble petered out and she smiled.
Her voice was pleasant but firm. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am Municipal Court Judge Evita Rodriguez, and I have the dubious privilege of overseeing the arraignment of Superman today. I realize that this is a most unusual situation for all of us, but this is still a court of law. I have already instructed the bailiffs to forcibly remove anyone who impedes the progress of this court.
“That means that, despite the large number of media people here today, we will not have any planned or impromptu interviews with any of the participants here in the courtroom. You may, if you wish, approach any of the court personnel or other participants on their personal time and speak with them, assuming they’re willing to respond, but you will not disrupt this court today. Anyone who does so will be arrested and charged with contempt of court. Anyone who suffers that fate will have any cameras and or recorders removed from their person and the data contents destroyed, whether analog or digital. That means anyone and everyone.”
She paused and swept the room with her gaze. “If you feel you can’t conduct yourself within these boundaries, leave now. Otherwise, you had better be on your best behavior.”
Anthony leaned forward and whispered to a tall, slender young black woman who was standing at the defendant’s desk. After a moment, she nodded and motioned to a bailiff to let Anthony join her.
Judge Rodriguez waited until Anthony was standing beside the other attorney, then she sat down and said, “We’re ready for our first case. Clerk of the court, please call it.”
“Yes, ma’am. First case, People of Metropolis versus Superman. The charge is murder in the second degree.”
A quiet gasp went up as Superman was escorted into the courtroom. He made momentary eye contact with Lois, and she smiled her encouragement. Lois noted to herself that he wasn’t wearing handcuffs, and the bailiff escorting him didn’t touch him, but only gestured to guide Superman to his proper place in the court. She also noticed that the district attorney himself was there to represent the state.
Rodriguez frowned as she glanced at the folder the clerk handed her. “Second degree murder. Mr. Reisman, you’re swinging for the fences today, aren’t you?”
Jack Reisman puffed up his chest. “Your Honor, the people stand on the charge as read.”
“It’s your career, Mr. Reisman. Superman, have you retained legal counsel?”
The fiercely attractive black woman spoke with a slight but musical Georgia drawl. “Your Honor, I’m Blair Collins from Legal Aid. Mr. Wayne Anthony will assist me today if need be.”
Rodriguez raised one eyebrow. “And is Mr. Wayne Anthony an attorney?”
“I’m head of the litigation department for the Superman Foundation, Your Honor, and licensed to practice in this state.”
“Very well. Ms. Collins, how does your client plead?”
Blair looked at Superman and mouthed “not guilty.” Superman crossed his arms and repeated the plea aloud. Again, the crowd ‘oohed’ at the statement.
Judge Rodriguez looked up and stared until the murmuring stopped. “Thank you, Superman. Mr. Reisman, does the state have any bail recommendation?”
“The state requests a bail of ten million dollars, Your Honor.”
An audible gasp ran through the gallery. Blair immediately responded. “Your Honor! Superman is a well-known law-abiding person and has no plans to escape this jurisdiction. The defense asks for his release on his own recognizance.”
Reisman objected. “The defendant is charged with second degree murder, Your Honor! The state wants some assurance that he won’t simply fly away and not come back.”
Blair didn’t wait for the DA to take another breath. “The very fact that Superman is here right now is proof that he’s willing to undergo this trial! It wasn’t the cell that kept him in custody last night but his own sense of duty and his desire to see justice done. The state has no facility that would keep Superman incarcerated against his will. Your Honor, bail for Superman is unnecessary. He will be available durin’ the trial.”
“Your Honor! This woman – “
Rodriguez slammed her gavel down once. “That’s enough, both of you! Superman, does the court have your word that you will be available for the trial irrespective of other circumstances?”
He nodded. “Barring an event such as an asteroid heading towards Earth, Your Honor, nothing will keep me away from this trial.”
“Fair enough. One million dollars bail, cash or bond. Please return Superman to the holding facility until bail is posted. I assume that’s going to happen?”
Lois and Anthony said “Yes, Your Honor” in unison.
Rodriguez smiled. “I always wanted a good stereo system in my court. Very well.” She whacked her gavel down again. “Pending the clearing of the court, we’ll take the next case. See the bailiff to arrange for bail, Mr. Anthony.”
*****
The cashier fast-tracked the paperwork for Superman’s bail and the officers took care to keep him updated on each step of the process. It was the first time since Luthor’s attempt to run him out of town with the heat wave that he’d experienced the ‘other side’ of the justice system, and it was sobering. He’d seen first-hand, despite the deliberate courtesy the officers showed him, how dehumanizing jail could be. Prison had to be even worse, since the inmates there were more isolated and more regimented than in the city jail.
Between updates from the guards, Clark thought about doing something about the conditions in the jail, some kind of long-term solution, but without a lot more thought and huge amounts of research, he wouldn’t come up with any viable alternatives. Everything he suggested to himself at the moment he promptly shot down as unworkable, incredibly expensive, or impossible to maintain. Maybe he’d write something about it. Maybe he could get some experts together and make some solid, constructive suggestions.
Lost in his thoughts as Clark, he didn’t answer when the guard called for him twice. It wasn’t until Tiny shook him by the shoulder that he responded.
“Hey! Superman, you okay?”
“Uh, yeah, Walter, I was just – thinking.”
Tiny grinned. “Yeah, I done that a time or two. Usually gets me in big trouble.” He stood and gestured to the cell door. “The man wanna see you. I think they’re gonna spring ya.”
Superman stood. “Thanks, Tiny. Hope you get a break from the judge.”
Tiny laughed. “Don’t matter. I’ll land on my feet anyways. You go be a hero again.”
*****
Lois and Jim met Superman as he was escorted out of the holding area. The officer held out his hand and said, “I’m sorry about all this, Superman, I was just doing my job. I hope you don’t hold it against me.”
Superman took the officer’s hand and gave it a manly squeeze. “I don’t. And I appreciate you guys keeping me in the loop on my bail. Say, you should keep an eye on Walter and try to keep him out of trouble.”
“Who?”
“Walter Macklin. He goes by the name of Tiny. He’s not a bad guy, at least I don’t think he is, but he’s a little hot-tempered at times.”
“Macklin? Big guy, built like the Lexor Tower?” Superman nodded, and the officer grinned. “I know him. Don’t worry, we won’t let him hurt anyone, including himself.”
Jim lifted his camera and took the shot. It was too good to miss. Lois knew it was a Meriwether-quality photo, but somehow she regretted it. The moment was personal, private, and she’d pushed it into the public eye.
But it was too late to turn back. She pointed her pocket recorder at him and said, “Superman, how does it feel to be free again?”
He gave her a look as if he’d been expecting her to ask him something else, then said, “It feels great. I know the air in there is just about the same as it is out here, but there’s something indefinable about breathing the air in a jail cell. It just smells like – like the inside of a cage.”
Lois nodded briefly, then asked, “What are your plans now?”
He answered as he walked towards the exit. “I need to find an attorney. Ms. Collins told me she isn’t qualified to be lead counsel for a trial like this, so I’ll have to locate one, although I’d like for her to assist in my case if she can get a leave of absence from the Legal Aid department, assuming my actual attorney agrees. And please tell your readers that I appreciate any suggestions they might have, and that they should contact the Daily Planet with them.”
Lois’s eyes narrowed. That sounded like he was getting a little payback for his being K. C. Jerome the day before. And that didn’t bode well for their personal relationship.
She forced herself back to the task at hand. “How do you think the trial will go? Do you expect to be exonerated?”
He stopped suddenly and turned to her. “I expect that justice will be done, Miss Lane. I don’t expect any special treatment or any favors because of my name or what I’ve done in the past. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get started on a lawyer hunt.”
He turned and pushed through the outside door. The media frenzy surrounding him went into overdrive, but only for a moment, as Superman glanced around and quickly launched himself into the sky.
