Clark and Lois – Two Universes - Matchmaker Chronicle Volume 7 31/32
By Ken Janney
Rating 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.
This particular story takes place after Lois and Clarks.
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
(#) footnotes
/ “denotes telepathic communication”/
[ playback of a recording or TV Commentary]For reference purposes the following will hold true throughout.
Universal Locator Designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 – Canon Lois and Clark universe also called – Prime
Alpha 023 x Gamma 025 x Tau 036 – Canon Alt Clark universe also called – Alt 1
Alpha -120 x Gamma 255 x Tau -190 – Common name – Alt 2
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Previously:
Carrie had a day off from school. Scrappy woke her up by licking her face. She hugged him and then got out of bed.
It was only a few days since the papers had been filed, finalizing the adoption. Now her name was Kent and she couldn’t wait to tell everybody.
She stood up and looked around at *her* new room. It was the room right next to the master bedroom at 348 Hyperion Ave. The walls had been painted a pale pink. Her new bed was a three-quarter so that there was room for Scrappy with white posts and a pink canopy. Her dresser and chest were also white with teddy bear decals on the drawers. The lamp on her bedside had a teddy bear sitting down with three blocks piled in a pyramid with ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ showing and a pink shade matching the canopy. Her closet had been modified so that it had a bar at four feet so that she could reach her clothes.
She was smiling and humming to herself as she picked out what she wanted to wear because today was special. Today Mommy and Daddy were taking her to work with them and she wanted to look especially nice. She went to her closet and picked out a party dress that she was partial to, then she picked out her underwear and socks.
A few seconds later Lois came in and said, “Good morning, Sweetheart. How’s my little girl today?”
She answered, “Scrappy didn’t want me to be late. He woke me up.” She pointed to her clothes and asked, “Can I wear those today?”
Lois looked and said, “Those would be very nice. You’ll be the prettiest one there today.”
Lois helped her get dressed. When she finished zipping up her dress she said, “Okay now, wash your face and hands, put on your pretty dress, shoes and socks and then come downstairs for breakfast.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
Lois couldn’t help but smile. To hear this dear sweet child call her mommy sent a thrill through her. She said, “I’ll see you downstairs in a minute.” She gave Carrie a kiss on top of her head and headed out.
And Now:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 29 – Recapturing Luthor
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Universal Locator Designation
Alpha -120 x Gamma 255 x Tau -190 – Common name – Alt2
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Carrie was holding onto Clark’s hand when they arrived in the bullpen. There was an immediate stir in the bullpen. The word had gone around that Olive was taking Lois’ place temporarily and partnering with Clark. Only a select few knew the truth. Lois was already at her desk when Clark and Carrie arrived.
Perry was out of his office like a shot. He asked, “Clark, who is that you have there?”
Clark chuckled and asked, “Why don’t you ask her?”
Perry gave him a quizzical look and said, “Okay.” Then he looked at Carrie and asked, “What’s you name little girl?”
Carrie giggled and said, “You’re silly. I’m Carrie! Carrie Harris Kent.” She looked up at Clark and said, “This is my Daddy.”
Perry sputtered, “Daddy?”
Clark laughed and said, “It’s a long story, Perry. We kept it under wraps until everything was finalized. Let’s go into your office.” Kneeling he said to Carrie, “Why don’t you go visit with Miss. Olive, okay?”
Carrie had been told that she had to call Lois Miss. Olive in the office so she understood. Mommy was pretending to be someone else because there were bad men that were after her so she was hiding. She replied, “Okay Daddy.” She scampered over to Lois’ desk and climbed up in her visitor chair while Lois smiled at her.
Once in Perry’s office Clark explained about who Carrie was and why she had stayed with Jonathan and Martha until the adoption had gone through.
Perry said, “Well, Clark, I guess you and Lois have started on your family. She’s cute as a button. She actually looks a lot like Lois. She could easily be your own child. I’m happy for you.”
“Carrie had today off from school, but will be starting tomorrow. We will be enrolling her in the afterschool program in the daycare center on 2.”
“Where do you stand on the Luthor investigation?”
Clark sighed and said, “We’ve come up dry so far. We’ve had some hints, seen some anomalies. He had so many dummy and shell companies hiding money that it is almost impossible to track them all. It’s just grunt work, follow each lead and see where it goes. If we pick up another lead from that one then follow it. I hope we get something soon. I need my wife back. Olive is okay, but you know what I mean.” This was said on the off chance that Perry’s office was under observation of bugged somehow.
Perry went along with it and said, “I know, but since Lois isn’t here you need someone and she’s here. Make the best of it.”
“I will Chief.” Clark walked out of Perry’s office and over to his desk. He smiled when he saw Carrie up on Miss. Olive’s lap while Miss Olive was checking a file on her computer. He wanted so much to just go over and kiss his wife and hug both of them so much it hurt.
Suddenly Miss. Olive called him over. When he was standing there looking over her shoulder she pointed at her screen and said, “I’m not sure but I may have found something. See here, we have a money transfer from an account that has been dormant since before Luthor started going after you.”
“Where do the funds go?”
“Another shell.” A few keystrokes later she said, “Ah hah, it stayed local. Went to Metropolis National. We might be able to find out who picked it up.”
She picked up the phone and punched in a number. “Twelfth Precinct, Sgt. Tartaglia, how can I help you?”
She looked around to make sure that no one was within hearing before saying, “Good morning Gino, Lois Lane. Is Bill Henderson available?”
“Ah, good morning, Ms. Lane. Mrs. Tartaglia sent some more canoli in with me. Do you want I should save you one?”
“Not today, Gino. I don’t think we’ll be coming in. Thanks for the offer though, your wife’s canoli are simply wonderful. I really need to talk with Bill Henderson.”
“Right you are. Lieutenant Henderson, coming right up.”
There was a series of clicks then she heard, “Henderson.”
“Hi Bill.”
“Lois, what are you doing calling me?”
“We’ve been working on the Luthor story. Listen, I think we have him as still here in Metropolis. We found a money transfer to an account in Metropolis National.”
“Give me the account number. I’ll get a warrant and subpoena the records for the account.”
She gave him the information he needed. He said, “I’ll get back to you.” The connection was broken.
Lois looked at Clark and said, “Let’s go into the conference room.” Turning her attention to Carrie she said, “Sweetie, why don’t you bring your activity bag. You can read or color. There’s a big table in there that you can sit at.”
“Okay Mo … Miss. Olive.” She jumped off of Lois’ lap, grabbed her bag and walked with Lois to the conference room with Clark bringing up the rear.
Once they were in the conference room, Lois got Carrie settled and then turned to Clark. “Okay, it looks like your supposition that he laid a false trail and really stayed here was correct. I think we have been overlooking something. We need to use all of the knowledge we have to break this case. The same way we came here to interview Luthor to help with the other case, let’s use what we learned over there to help with this case. Do you think he could be holed up where you were trapped?”
As if a light had just been turned on Clark got a startled look, then he started to smile before he said, “There you go again, reminding me of just why I married you.”
She smiled as she repeated a familiar line, “I think of all of the angles?”
He replied, “Yeah. Okay, I think Superman needs to check the old subway area to see if there are any hidden bunkers. I hope they are lead lined, that would be a dead giveaway. If I find anything like that Bill will get a call. Wish me luck on this hunt.”
Carrie had a faraway expression on her face as she looked at Clark and said, “You’ll find him, Daddy.”
“Thank you Carrie, I appreciate your confidence in me.”
“No Daddy, I mean that you
will find him. The person you are looking for. He’s there.”
Startled by this Lois asked, “How do you know that Carrie?”
“I don’t know how, I just know. Daddy will find the bad man where he is going to look.”
Lois looked at Clark and lifted an eyebrow before she said, “I guess you had better go prove Carrie correct. See you shortly.”
Clark gave Carrie another look and said, “Okay kiddo, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He headed for the stairwell.
Lois moved over next to Carrie and asked, “Sweetheart, how did you know that Daddy will find the bad man?”
“I don’t know Mommy. I just saw it, in my head. I saw Daddy find him. You need to warn Daddy not to go into the dark room. It would hurt him.”
Immediately Lois sent, /”Clark! Keep your distance. Carrie says that if you go in you’ll get hurt.”/
/”I’m in the air over that area of the old subway. Sure enough, there is a lead lined bunker down there. I’ll keep an eye on it. Why don’t you call Henderson?”/
Lois picked up the conference room phone and dialed the Twelfth Precinct. “Twelfth Precinct, Sgt. Tartaglia. How can I direct your call?”
“Gino, Lois Lane. I need to talk to Henderson, ASAP.”
“Sure thing, Ms. Lane.”
There were the usual series of clicks and then she heard, “Henderson.”
“Bill you need to get a squad over to the old subway entrance at Ninth and Battery. Superman has found an underground bunker that we suspect is being used as Luthor as a hideout. He can’t go in because of Luthor’s history of possessing Kryptonite. The bunker is lead lined.”
“I’m on it. We should be there in less than a half an hour. Looks like Clark was right, huh?”
“Yeah, kinda looks that way.”
“I’ll let you know.” The connection was broken.
She sent, /”Bill’s on the way. He said it could take half an hour.”/
/”Has Carrie said any more?”/
Lois asked, “Did you see anything else Carrie?”
“Tell Daddy that there’s a back door and he needs to keep the bad man from using it.”
/”Clark, Carrie says there’s a back door and you need to block it.”/
A few seconds later she received, /”I see it.”/ … /”I traced it to its far end and backtracked to the backdoor. I collapsed the tunnel, blocking the exit. He has only one way out and that will be through the MPD.”/
A few minutes later he sent, /”MPD just arrived. I’m leading them to the tunnel.”/
/”Remember Carrie’s warning. He must have Kryptonite.”/
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Superman turned to Bill as they were about to make the final descent and said, “I have to hang back. Please search Luthor for Kryptonite.”
Henderson replied, “You got it. We’ll strip search him if need be.”
Five minutes later Henderson came out with Luthor in handcuffs along with three accomplices, none of whom Clark recognized.
Henderson stopped and said, “Thanks Superman. I would suspect that extra precautions will be taken to make sure he doesn’t escape again.”
“You’re welcome inspector. I hope they can keep him under lock and key this time.”
Bill started to snicker as he said, “You should have seen his face when I told him that it was Lane and Kent that had figured out his hideout. It was priceless.”
“Did he have Kryptonite?”
“He sure did! He had three pieces on his person. He was wearing a ring, a necklace with a crystal in a basket setting and a piece in a lead box in his pocket. I found a lead box big enough to hold it all. Here, you can dispose of this.” He handed the box to Superman.
“Thanks Bill, I’ll do just that. I guess I’ll check back with you later.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lois said to Carrie, “Sweetie, Daddy is safe and they got the bad man.”
Carrie said, “You and Daddy aren’t safe yet. There’s more hurtie stuff there.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, Mommy. More hurtie stuff.”
Lois sent, /”Clark, Carrie says there’s more Kryptonite.”/
“Oh, Bill, one more thing, could you have a team go through that bunker with a fine toothed comb? I have it on good authority that there’s more Kryptonite in there.”
Bill turned to a couple of uniformed officers and said, “Kowalski, Hunter, stay here and guard this place. I’m sending in a team to search it once I get up top and can call the request in.”
The two men stationed themselves on either side of the door to wait for the search team.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Superman flew back to the roof of the Plant and a few seconds later Clark Kent exited the stairwell and headed for the conference room.
As soon as he was inside he picked Carrie up and hugged her and kissed her cheek. He said, “Thank you baby. Daddy is very proud of you.”
Carrie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him for all she was worth. She said, “I love you Daddy.”
Clark said, “Mommy and I love you sweetheart. Now, how did you know about the Kryptonite?”
With confusion on her face she asked, “The what, Kryptite?”
Lois interjected, “The hurtie stuff.”
“Oh, that. I don’t know, I just knew it was there and it would be bad and hurt you and Mommy and the baby. Pretty soon Mommy is going to have her baby and it’s going to be a …”
Lois interrupted her at this point and said, “Carrie, remember what we said about secrets? How you have to keep it a secret about who we are. Well, that’s another secret you have to keep. Don’t tell us if we are having a boy or a girl, okay?”
“Okay Mommy, I’ll keep it a secret
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