Thanks to those of you who gave me feedback. And thanks to rkn for betaing again.
This is the chapter which shows the some of the other consquences of Lois and Clark's reproduction. You'll see what I mean soon.
EDIT: Thanks to Elisabeth for the help with the electricial wires.
On with the story!
A Box of Swiss Chocolates, Part 11
Clark arrived at the police station the next night. Some of the police officers had seemed surprised that he wanted to be involved in this, although they happily accepted Superman’s assistance. After all, it was just a bust of an illegal gambling casino. They did them routinely, whenever the police found enough information on the newest one.
Clark understood that, of course. But something about that casino made him uneasy. Maybe it was just bad memories of what happened years ago, like he was telling Lois the other night. Still, the owner of the casino had a coldness about him that made Clark nervous. What was that man capable of if the police busted his casino? He decided Superman’s presence would be a good idea.
“Okay,” the lieutenant in charge of this section announced. “Everyone is here. Superman, we appreciate your assistance,” he added, nodding to Clark. He nodded back.
So all the police officers took off in their squad cars and he took off flying. They arrived about ten minutes later, ready with search warrants, hand cuffs, and bullet proof vests just in case anything got nasty.
The lieutenant went inside first. Inside there was lot of activity. People were playing every game from poker to blackjack. In the corner was a bar and many people had drinks with them. “We have a search warrant for this building,” he announced, holding up the document. The rest of the police officers and Superman followed closely behind.
Everything happened at once. Half the gamblers scurried to hide. Some of the dealers attempted to hide the equipment in vain. And the owner of the casino pulled out a gun and began shooting it randomly. “Don’t you dare try to cross me!” he cried.
The police officers tried to calm the owner down, find the missing gamblers, and arrest the remaining people in the casino all at once. Clark eyes went up almost to the top of his head when he saw the gun come out. He knew that man had the potential to do something like this! He used super speed to take the weapon away from the man before anything really bad happened. Naturally, all the police officers had bullet proof vests on, but he was still concerned about the other people there. Besides, although the vests prevented the officers from being hit in the most dangerous place, the chest, they could still be wounded pretty badly in the arm, leg, or even head.
As he confiscated the weapon, the owner sneered, “You won’t be able to stop me Superman. I’ll get out! This is my place. You can’t keep it from me forever. You can’t stop me! You can’t stop me!”
Clark sighed and handed the man to the police. Some things never changed. Dealing with criminals was one of those things. He helped gather up the rest of the people, particularly those that had attempted to hide. X-ray vision really came in handy sometimes.
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For the next two days, Kiley didn’t know what to do with herself. She would like to paint, but she simply could not handle working on the abstract portrait of Larry she had been doing before. And she didn’t have the heart to start a different one, either. She had cleaned her apartment top to bottom twice, but what was she going to do after that?
At least Mom and Dad didn’t have to worry about Superwoman sightings in Europe, she said to herself. She would probably never fly there again, not even to buy more chocolate. Larry had made it perfectly clear Superwoman was not welcome in his home or anywhere around it.
Maybe she’d read for a while. Just as she was about to go upstairs to look at her books, the phone rang. Who was bothering her now? she wondered, but she answered the phone anyway. “Hello? she said into the phone, rather annoyed.
“Hello, Kiley,” Larry’s voice replied, nervously.
Larry? Part of her wanted to slam the phone down right there. But the other half of her was very curious just how he had managed to call her in the first place. She had never given him her number! Besides, he thought she was still in Switzerland, didn’t he? “How’d you get this number?” she asked, rather briskly.
“Well, I tried all the hotels I could think of in Zurich. But I didn’t really think you’d stay there after you left yesterday, anyway. I figured you’d be on a plane to Metropolis as fast as you could get a seat. So I looked up the area codes for the United States, specifically Metropolis. And then I gave the operator your name. It took a lot of leg work, but it was worth it to talk to you again.
Kiley was a little touched. Larry had gone through a lot of work just to talk to her. It was sweet. But it still didn’t change the fact that he didn’t accept Superwoman. So there was no way for their relationship to work. “I appreciate you trying to get a hold of me, Larry,” she commented carefully. “But I still don’t see how we can continue dating anymore.”
“Kiley, I don’t understand how the way I feel about the superheroes affects our relationship. But I will tell you that the reason why I don’t like egotistical people has a lot to do with my uncle. He was really self-centered, you know. Even though I had a pretty good relationship with him when I was young, that bothered me, especially when I saw what he had done to my mother. Can you understand that?”
Kiley thought for a minute, beginning to understand. He didn’t have a problem with her so much as the idea of her. Larry was sensitive to anyone who might be egotistical, because of his uncle. Darn Lex Luthor! Even when he was dead, his legacy lived on. Still, his comment last night had really hurt her. Could she get over that? And if Larry knew she was Superwoman, would she really accept her? “I’ll think about,” she told him, finally.
“Please, Kiley?” Larry pleaded. “Can’t we agree to disagree on this one issue?”
No, she said to herself, we really can’t. Still, if he had a problem with the idea of Superwoman, would he change his mind if he saw her in person in the costume? “Okay,” she finally replied. “We can try again.”
“Great!” Larry exclaimed, relief evident in his voice. “Can you get a plane back here soon or will I have to wait a few weeks? Flying here is probably expensive, huh?”
That was a loaded question! Flying commercial to Switzerland would be expensive, but she wasn’t flying commercial because she was one of those “egotistical superheroes! And did she want to see Larry again soon or let her anger die down a little more? “I’ll get back to you,” she finally responded.
She sighed as she hung up the phone. Kiley was still angry with Larry for saying he didn’t want Superwoman in his home. So, did she make the right decision? She didn’t know. After all, Larry might not be able handle HER being Superwoman, assuming she ever decided to tell him. Still, his problems about egotistical behavior made sense, and she really wanted this relationship to work. Maybe she’d work on her abstract painting of Larry after all.
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Clark was just leaving work that night when he heard a call for help. It sounded like it was nearby, so he figured he should handle it. He discretely told Lois where he was headed and then headed for the Daily Planet roof. Spinning into Superman, he took off and headed for the sound. About ten blocks from the Planet was an old electrical company. It looked like someone had gotten caught in some of the wiring. He wondered how that had happened.
Looking closer, her realized the wiring had been used to tie the man up. Shrugging, he untied the man and attempted to use his X-ray vision just to make sure that he hadn’t been hurt. Who knew what happened to him before he was tied up? But Clark’s X-ay vision just wouldn’t turn on, no matter how hard he tried. What was wrong with his powers? Suddenly an intense wave of pain went through him and he answered his question. Kryptonite.
The man from the gambling casino came out of the shadows, laughing. “I told you, you couldn’t stop me, Superman! Kryptonite hasn’t been used in years, because you keep it locked up with your buddy, Klein. But there was another piece around, too. I found it in one of the sewer pipes a few months ago. I thought it might come in handy some day. And then you busted up my casino last night, and I knew I had to get even with you! I rise again!”
Clark felt like an idiot for not looking around him when he first arrived. And what was going to happen to the man being used as a hostage? He was no longer screaming, because he had been untied, but he still seemed to be in pain. He hated it when criminals used innocent people just to get to him. He fell to the floor, crumbling in pain, while the casino man continued to laugh.
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Kiley continued to work on her abstract painting of Larry. She put some judgment in his face, because she was still angry at him for believing Superwoman was egotistical even though he had never met her in costume. But she also added more inner insecurities in his eyes about his relationship with his uncle. And his deep caring he seemed to have for her, since he had gone through all that work to track her down.
Suddenly, she heard the phone ringing again. Was it Larry again? Didn’t he know she still needed some space? Still, she went into her living room and answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi, Kiley, it’s Mom. Listen, I’m worried about your father. He left on a rescue right before we left the Planet, and that was an hour ago. He should be back by now. And there are no other emergencies that he should be involved in, right?”
Kiley paused. No, there shouldn’t be any other emergencies, because she would have heard, them, right? She quickly turned on her radio and listened for reports of international problems or distress. Nothing. And she couldn’t hear anyone calling for help, either. So what had happened to Dad? “Mom, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, but I’m going to fly around and see if I can find him. Maybe he needs help – with the rescue, anyway.”
“Thanks, Kiley,” her mother replied, hanging up.
Kiley hung up as well and quickly spun into Superwoman. Was Dad really in trouble? There wasn’t much that could hurt him, but still…Mom was right. He should have been back by now. Anyway, extra help could never hurt in a rescue. Maybe that’s why he was taking so long. Yeah, that was probably it.
She flew off and began looking for him on the Daily Planet side of town. That was where the rescue probably was, because otherwise she would have heard it first. She didn’t see her father’s red and blue anywhere. Should she try X-ray vision? If he was inside one of the buildings, she wouldn’t see him right away. So Kiley tried looking for him in the surrounding area with X-ray vision. Dad still wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
Kiley was getting really nervous. If she couldn’t find him in any of the areas immediately surrounding the Daily Planet, there was more possibility of foul play. After all, if someone was going to attack Superman, they always made sure to do it where they wouldn’t be spotted by the authorities. Besides, he should have really come home by now. What had happened to Dad? She didn’t really want to believe he was in trouble, that’s why she preferred to think he just needed help on a rescue. But it looked more and more like he was in danger.
Heading further, Kiley flew off to left of the Daily Planet. After all, she still assumed he had gone in the general area of the Daily Planet, because he had heard the call first. She searched more diligently this time, sure to use her X-ray vision on all the buildings. If something had happened to Dad, he probably wasn’t in plain sight.
Finally her eyes came across the old electrical building. As she X-rayed it, she noticed her father lying on the ground in pain. What was the problem, here?
Kiley flew into the building as fast as she possibly could. “What’s wrong, Dad?”
Clark whimpered in reply.
Kiley sighed, realizing he wouldn’t be able to answer her. Dad was seriously hurt! She blinked back her tears as fast as she could. If she let herself lose control, she wouldn’t be able to help him at all! She looked around as fast as she could, trying to find what might have hurt him. Suddenly she noticed a piece of a green rock. That was it then, she thought to herself as she grabbed the rock and threw it away from Dad as hard as she could.
She had almost forgotten about Kryptonite, it appeared so rarely now in the hands of criminals. But apparently someone had found an extra piece. Either that or STAR labs had been robbed again. Still, she would have thought Dad would have mentioned it if they had been. Kiley thanked everything that was good in the world that she wasn’t affected by Kryptonite, though. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to save Dad.
“Dad?” she asked again, after she had gotten rid of the Kryptonite. She shook him gently.
“Kiley?” he asked softly.
“Yes, Dad,” she replied, still shaking him, trying to get him back to reality.
“Are you okay?” he mumbled.
“Yes Dad.”
“What about the other man?”
Kiley stopped shaking him for a second. What other man? She looked around, trying to see if there was anyone else there. She had assumed that who ever hit her father with Kryptonite had since left. After a few minutes of seeing Superman in pain, most criminals found watching him rather boring. Still, she looked anyway.
In the corner was another man who seemed to be in some pain. She flew over to him, even though she really hated to leave Dad. But he should be okay, since she had gotten rid of the Kryptonite. And if there really was another victim, here, she should look at him. She examined him quickly, with her X-ray vision. He didn’t seem to be in serious trouble. “Are you okay?” she asked him.
“Yeah,” the man replied. “But my arms and legs are numb. It’s like I can’t even move them! I was tied up very tightly. I wish I had been able to help Superman.”
She looked at his arms and legs closer. “It looks like you may have lost some of your circulation. You should be okay, but you might want to get checked out, anyway. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”
The man shrugged. “My doctor is always telling me I need to improve my blood circulation, anyway. I’m sure he’ll only say the same thing.”
“Yeah, but still,” Kiley sighed, trying to maintain the “stern, emotionless superhero” in this situation, even though she was still worried about Dad, “it would probably be a good idea if you can’t walk.”
He nodded and Superwoman flew him to the hospital. For a second, she considered calling Thomas to handle the hostage victim. That way, she could stay with Dad. Then she dismissed the thought. Even though she could reach Smallville in minutes, it still wouldn’t be worth the time. Still, she worried about her father. He would be okay now that she had gotten rid of the Kryptonite, right? Kiley really wished she didn’t have to leave him alone. It made her feel like she was abandoning her father. But she knew Dad would want her to take care of the other victim as well.
A short time later, she returned to the old electrical building. She sighed. Dad was always so good to her. She remembered all the times when he comforted her when she was sick and boosted her self-confidence when she needed it. It was nice that she could help him as well.
Still, as she flew over to her father, she wondered if she was being disloyal to him. She had agreed to continue her relationship with Larry, but she knew if she ever told her father she was dating a Luthor, he would think she was choosing Larry over Dad and the rest of the family. She wondered if that was true. Watching her father in that much pain had reminded her how much he meant to her. She didn’t want to hurt him.
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Clark saw Kiley come into view again after taking care of the hostage. “Hi Kiley,” he replied weakly. He hated to admit that he was still weak, even after she had gotten rid of the Kryptonite, but he knew she would realize it anyway. Sometimes having children with superpowers could be a disadvantage.
“Hi, Dad,” she replied. She rubbed his shoulders a little. He supposed he had worried her with his reaction to the Kryptonite. She wasn’t used to seeing that anymore.
“Come on, let’s go home.” Kiley grabbed his hand and took off. He was glad she realized that he wouldn’t want others to notice he needed his daughter’s assistance to fly, even though he did. Still…“ah, Kiley…thanks.”
“No problem, Dad,” Kiley grinned as they took to the air. Clark thanked everything that was good in the world that none of his children had to live with the affects of Kryptonite. They may have to worry about an occasional cold, which certainly upset him, but never the agonizing pain and embarrassment of that stuff.
Soon, they landed in the yard of Hyperion Avenue. Clark took a deep breath. He was glad Kiley had rescued him, but he wasn’t looking forward to explaining the situation to Lois. She would probably tell him he needed to be more careful. Well, look who was talking.
They went inside. Lois was pacing in the living room. “Oh, thank goodness!” she cried running over to hug Clark and Kiley. “You found him! So what happened?”
“Well, the short version is that someone had a hostage tied up, and by the time I realized he had Kryptonite, it was too late,” Clark replied.
“By. The. Time. You. Realized.,” Lois replied as slowly as possible. “How could you not realize there was Kryptonite around, Clark? I thought you could recognize that stuff right away!”
Kiley looked nervously between her parents. “Speaking of the Kryptonite, I think I should go back and get it, now that Dad’s okay. I wouldn’t want anyone else to notice it. I’ll give it to Dr. Klein.” She flew off quickly, leaving an awkward moment between Lois and Clark.
But within a few seconds, Lois’s steam returned, full force. “How many times do I have to tell you to be careful when you’re out as Superman, Clark? Just because you’re invulnerable from most things doesn’t mean you’re invulnerable from everything! The criminals have proven that enough times, haven’t they? We’re just lucky that Kiley isn’t affected by Kryptonite!”
Clark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t realize it was kryptonite right away because it’s been so long since I’ve felt it, Lois. I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with that stuff anymore. And I know I’m not invulnerable to everything. But I still need to answer calls for help. You know that.”
Lois sighed and sat one of the couches. “I was just so afraid, Clark. I was just so afraid.”
He sat down next to her. “I know, honey, and I’m sorry you had to go through that. Like you said, we’re lucky Kiley isn’t affected by the Kyrptonite.”
Alice ran down the stairs. “Dad!” she shrieked. “I’m glad you’re okay.” She ran in and hugged Clark. He hugged her back. “I’m glad I’m okay, too, sweetie.”
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Later that night, Clark realized he needed to tell Lois who had attacked him with Kryptonite. It would maker her more upset, but otherwise, he was keeping something from her. He had stopped keeping secrets from Lois a long time ago. Besides, since the man owned the illegal casino, it indirectly involved the story they were working on.
“Ah, Lois,” he commented nervously as they were getting ready for bed. “About the Kryptonite thing…” he sighed. How should he say this?
“Yes, Clark?” Lois asked, confused. “I thought we went through that already.”
“Yeah, well…um…the guy who attacked me with Kryptonite? He was the owner of the illegal gambling casino we helped bust. The one all the city council members were going to?”
Lois sighed and thought about this for a second. “So we had problems with that place after all. I told you not to get in front of guns in that casino, Clark! But Kryptonite is even worse! You could actually get killed from that! I knew casinos were just bad luck for us! I thought you said you’d be careful when we went into the casino?”
Clark sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again. He knew she was going to be upset about this. That’s why he almost didn’t tell her. He hated to make his wife upset. What could he do about it now anyway?
“I’m so sorry, Lois. I knew that guy could be dangerous; that’s why wanted to help the police with the bust. But I never expected he might have Kryptonite available.”
“Clark, you never expect criminals who attack you to have Kryptonite! I thought you said you’d be extra careful at that casino.”
“I know, Lois. I know.”
“Casinos are just bad luck for us, Clark. I hope we never have another story involving one. If we do, let’s give to someone else.” She shook her head, sadly. There was a time when Lois Lane would never give up a story, no matter what the price. But that was before she almost lost Clark. She still remembered John Dilligner shooting Clark that night. And the way they dragged his body away…And now, they decided to take another story involving a casino, and he was attacked with that deadly substance. There were just too many bad memories associated with those places.
Then she smiled up at Clark. “I’m glad you’re okay, now.” She rubbed his chest. They kept themselves occupied for the next hour or two.
