Lori and Clark – The New, New Adventures of Superman – MMC V 6 04/32
By Ken Janney
Warning: This story is rated PG-13.
Disclaimers: The characters in this story are property of DC, December 3rd productions and Warner Bros. No Copyright infringement is intended. I have just borrowed the characters for a short time.
Previously:
Jon said, “Thanks for the warning, Mom. How are we going to stop that thing? We can’t get near it.”
Lori snapped her fingers and said, “I’ve got an idea. I’ll need your help. By the time your father is recovered I may be ready. We should have time. It’ll take a while for that thing to get through those reinforced walls. Let’s go.”
Lori led the way to a locked room which held all of her firearms. She picked up a compound bow and a quiver of arrows. She said, “Jon, I need your help to modify some of these arrows. Here’s what I need … “
They were busy for the better part of the hour. While Jon was modifying the arrows to her specifications she went upstairs and pulled out a dress and some other clothing which with the help of a pair of scissors she quickly modified to suit her needs before donning the outfit.
When she made her appearance downstairs Clark was just coming out of the sauna. When he saw her he stopped dead in his tracks and asked, “Just what do you think you are going to do in that outfit?”
She answered, “We have a robot to take out and it has to be done at long range. This is where my training will come in handy.”
Clark chuckled and said, “What are you going to do, sprinkle pixie dust on it? You look like Peter Pan.”
Lori replied, “I was thinking more along the lines of Robin Hood.”
Lori was wearing a pair of green tights under an A-line dress she had cut off so that it was a tunic. She had on a wide black belt that accentuated her narrow waist and black knee high boots. A few seconds later when Jon showed up she added her largest black quiver of arrows on her back. She finished it off with a mask of green cloth, a remnant from the hem of the dress and an old Halloween costume hat that was like what Robin Hood would wear. She picked up her compound bow and said, “Okay boys, let’s go corral a robot.”
Clark was impressed by the size of the quiver. He thought it could easily hold fifty arrows, yet he only saw something like half that number sticking out. He asked, “How do you plan to stop that robot with some arrows?”
With a smirk she replied, “Just you wait and see. Jon modified some of my arrows for me. Let’s go! Time’s a wastin’!”
Clark, bowing to the inevitable said, “Okay, I’d like to see just what you have up your sleeve.”
They took off from the back yard. Clark and Lori had their arms around one another as he took off. He flew her this way so that it wouldn’t look quite so intimate. They landed just as the robot was exiting the bunker with an atomic weapon in its grasp after tearing its way into the underground storage.
And now:
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Chapter 3 – Emerald Archer Takes Charge
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They landed far enough away that they were out of range of the Kryptonite. Apparently, when those in control of the robot saw them arrive they wanted to see just what was going to happen and as if daring Superman to attack they stopped the robot. It looked very human just standing there.
After they had all landed, Lori said, “Well, here goes nothing.” She reached into her quiver and selected an arrow. When she pulled it out Clark could see that there was a fiber bundled on the side. A quick twist released it. Lori handed the end of the carbon reinforced polymer filament to Kam-El and said, “Hold on to this.” She nocked her arrow and took aim. When she let fly the CRP filament played out behind the arrow. Superman thought that she had missed her target because the arrow flew wide of the robot but then as he watched the arrow caromed off of a piece of brick and angled around behind the robot at ankle level. Since it was moving now right to left, when it reached the end of the filament that Kam-El was holding it started curving around in a circle because of its momentum. It made a couple of circles before finally banging into the leg of the robot. While this arrow was still in flight Lori selected another shaft and handed the end of the filament to Superman who held on while she took aim and loosed. This arrow followed a similar trajectory only from the other side.
These arrows had been launched so rapidly that there was hardly time for anyone to respond and by the time the controllers had issued a command for the robot to move the damage had been done.
When both arrows had completed their travel Lori shouted, “Pull!”
In response to her command, Kam-El and Superman pulled on their CRP filaments and the robot’s legs were dragged together and it stopped moving again.
Lori reached back and selected another arrow. She nocked and let fly. As this one was in flight she quickly selected another of the same type and let fly.
Both of these arrows had little bags attached to the heads. The targets of these were the shoulder joints, left and right. When they hit, the bags burst and emery dust was deposited in the joints. It only took seconds for the joints to freeze and the arms hung immobile. Unfortunately it didn’t lose its grip on the bomb.
While this was happening Lori had still been busy. Selecting another arrow she let fly. This time at the head was a vial of liquid. While this shaft was in flight she nocked and let fly another of the same. The targets of these two were the optical sensors, the liquid was paint. Now the robot was immobile and blind. After a short struggle however, it broke the graphite filaments binding its legs and it started to move off, at a rapid pace, with the bomb still clutched in its unmoving arms.
Lori said, “So far so good. Now we can follow it back home. It’s blind so whoever is controlling it will have to depend on GPS and mapping to direct it back. I think it’s time to call in the reserves. Maybe they can get close and capture the one behind this. The robot isn’t much of a threat at this point.”
What they didn’t know was that the crew of the helicopter had captured all of the action just before they had to return to the heliport due to lack of fuel. Their raw feed went to their network which went to all of their video outlets and then the wire services. The Planet picked up the feed and put together a story.
The news copter that had been orbiting the site and broadcasting the action was turning away and lost them when the superheroes took off in pursuit of the robot which ended the video feed.
Clark and Jon had sent out a summons to Mike, Bill, Rich and Rob asking them to join the effort. This was the first time that these particular family members had been called on to help and they were all thrilled at the prospect of getting in on the action. All of the female spouses had the pendants. All of the male spouses had simple medallions similar in appearance to a good luck charm which they carried in their pockets. Mike was unable to get away because he was in a meeting with the senior partners of his firm, but within minutes Bill, Rich and Rob joined Clark, Lori and Jon in the air, far above the robot. They watched it move into a tunnel which was apparently an old abandoned mine.
As a group all six entered the same tunnel and flew down it until they came to a junction. Clark said, “There must be lead ore in these tunnel walls, it’s blocking my x-ray vision.”
Jon, Bill, Rich and Rob all replied in unison, “Yeah, mine too.”
“That means that we are going to have to check all of the drifts and galleries the old fashioned way. They go off in all directions so we’ll need to split up.”
Jon took the rightmost tunnel. Lori and Clark the next one to the left, while Rich took the next and Rob and Bill took the final one. After a short distance Rob and Bill had to split up at yet another junction. Clark flew Lori down the tunnel and they all were proceeding slowly and cautiously.
Just shy of a large gallery as they were going around a curve in the tunnel Lori spotted light. They landed before they got too close to the gallery. Clark sent, /We found them. They are in a gallery down the second tunnel. We will wait for you here./
When they were all gathered Clark and Jon led the way as they started to move ahead. As they rounded a curve, Jon and Clark stopped abruptly when they started feeling the pain of the Kryptonite and prevented the others from proceeding. As a group they moved back around the last corner they had turned.
As soon as they stopped they had a quick, whispered conference. Clark was inclined to be cautious while Lori wanted to charge ahead.
Clark said, “We don’t know how many are in there and we don’t know if they’re armed. Jon and I definitely can’t go past the corner because we’d be exposed to the Kryptonite. We still don’t know if Rich, Rob or Bill would be affected. Did you guys feel anything?”
They all shook their heads in the negative.
Jon said, “That really doesn’t prove anything. We were farther ahead and we were just starting to feel it. They might not have been close enough plus there is lead in these tunnel walls.”
Lori said, “I guess that leaves it up to me.” Clark gave her a look which was meant to discourage her, but it didn’t work. She said, “Look, I’m the only one we can be sure won’t be affected by the Kryptonite, so I have to be the one to go in.”
Jon objected, “They could be armed!”
Lori held up her bow and said, “News flash, so am I!” She pulled out another arrow and nocked it. This one had a golf ball sized globe on the end in place of a sharp arrowhead.
Clark looked at it and asked, “What can you do with that?”
“Depending on where it hits, whoever is on the receiving end is going to be hurting, but he’ll get over it. Wait here, I’m going in.”
Suiting her actions to her words, Lori pressed on ahead with her bow at the ready. She peeked around the corner, being careful not to expose more than part of her head. She saw that no one was looking in her direction so she moved forward. When she rounded the corner she saw two men in lab coats working over the robot. She took aim at the guy off to one side and loosed. The blunt arrow hit him in the left deltoid numbing his entire arm. He let out a cry of pain and fell back. This startled his accomplice who was frozen in place.
While the first arrow was still flying she nocked another arrow, this one with a target point and, seeing an opportunity to take a clear shot let fly. The arrow pierced the sleeve of the other man and lodged in a gap in the robot’s body, pinning his arm there. The first man was recovering. He whirled and using his good arm pulled a weapon.
The second man jerked his arm free of her arrow and reached for his gun. Lori quickly faded back around the corner and a shower of rock dust accompanied her as a slug from one of the guns ricocheted off the stone wall behind her. She took off at a dead run.
Not being able to see anything because of the lead, the superheroes had all followed the action with their superhearing. Hearing what was happening and the shouts of her pursuers and the explosions of the guns, they prepared for them. Before they came in sight Bill spun out of his uniform to become Detective Bill Davidson and the rest of the spouses disappeared down the tunnel and around another corner.
As they watched, Lori came around the corner and toward them at a dead run and didn’t stop until she was behind Clark. She was starting to breathe heavily but she still pulled another ball arrow out and nocked it. She aimed out from between Clark’s right arm and Kam-El’s left.
The perps were chasing after Lori and as they rounded the corner they ran into the arms of Superman and Kam-El who disarmed and detained them.
In an angry tone one shouted at the other, “I told you it wouldn’t work, but, no, you were convinced that they wouldn’t come anywhere near that chunk of rock! I told you it would only make them mad! Now look where it got us! We could get life for this!”
The other perp, apparently the brainy one said, “It would have worked if it hadn’t been for that female William Tell.”
Lori started laughing and said, “Don’t you know anything? William Tell used a crossbow! Robin Hood used a regular bow.”
Sarcastically, the brainy one replied, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you.”
Lori was laughing as she said, “Apology accepted anyway.”
The first perp was irritated, “How does that change anything? My arm is still sore where she shot me. ”
The second said, “Quit your bellyachin’! Just be glad that arrow didn’t have a hunting head instead of that ball. Yeah, you’re hurt, but it isn’t serious.”
“Hurt! I’ll say it hurts! Nothing serious?!? I’ll be bruised for a week! What was in that anyway?”
Lori replied, “That was just an impact head. Think of a golf ball propelled with the force of the bow.”
Bill said, “You both might as well save your breath. You’re going to need it for the judge.”
While Superman and Kam-El restrained the men Bill read them their rights and put cuffs on them. He took charge of them and started them back down the tunnel. When they reached the mouth of the tunnel Bill used his cell phone to contact a local police department and requested an assist with a pick up.
Once they were out of sight Rob, and Rich came back out of hiding. Clark asked, “Are you feeling the Kryptonite?”
Rob said, “No, nothing.”
Rich asked, “What would it feel like?”
Clark replied, “If you were feeling it, you’d know. No one would have to describe it to you.”
“I guess the answer is no then.”
Clark decided, “Okay, I guess we give it a try. You guys can go in and look for the Kryptonite.”
Before he had a chance to object Lori included herself in the party and Lori, Rich and Rob moved ahead into the chamber with the latter two fully expecting to feel pain or at least a diminishing of their powers however, neither of these occurred. Rich recovered the bomb that had been stolen while Rob started to dismantle the robot itself. Finally opening the chest, they found the green Kryptonite. Lori located the original lead lined box it had been in, at STAR Labs, and Rich placed the Kryptonite back inside. As soon as the box was closed, Lori called, “All clear!” After they heard this Clark and Jon moved into the chamber.
Lori pulled out her Reporter’s Assistant and documented the equipment making sure that her sons-in-law were not in any of the pictures.
Superman took off with the bomb and turned it over to the military while Jon took the carrier with the Kryptonite and took off for STAR Labs. Rich and Rob waited until Clark returned for Lori. When he returned he gave a report, “The soldiers at the bunker are recovering. Apparently it was a knock-out gas.” Hearing this, they were all relieved. Rich and Rob took off to return to work.
Lori threw her arm around Clark’s waist and whispered in his ear, “Home James.”
Clark put his arm around her and laughing they took to the air.
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That evening they were flabbergasted when the evening edition of the Planet was published because front and center, above the fold was a picture of Lori with her bow drawn ready to let fly and the caption:
“New Hero in Town!”
“Even with the supermen and superwomen that protect Metropolis there are cases that they can’t handle alone. A new hero joined them to help with just such a problem. An archer all dressed up in Lincoln green like Robin Hood appeared on the scene. This Emerald Archer with some trick arrows enabled the Supermen to get the upper hand on a robot that for some reason they couldn’t get near. Story continues 2A”
Clark said, “Well, Whaddya know. Lori you made the front page and this time it wasn’t with your byline! This story is *about* you.”
She grabbed the paper as she said, “Let me see that!” Quickly reading the article she got a smug look on her face as she did. Laying the paper down she said, “I’m waiting.”
Realizing that he had lost the point, Clark said, “Okay, you were right. As old as the technology is, bows and arrows do have their place. You did really good with that. You’ll never hear another complaint out of me about your archery.”
“And don’t you forget it.” She couldn’t hold it in any longer and she burst out in peals of laughter.
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End flashback
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The Emerald Archer, as she had been dubbed, made a couple of other appearances to assist the supermen before her powers began to manifest to the absolute delight of the grandchildren who all knew who she was. Needless to say, they were all disappointed when she stopped using her bow in favor of her superpowers.
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