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Beyond Smallville: Latent
Lois closed her eyes again, but was breathing normally. Her hands had suffered second-degree burns from contacting the live electrical wires inside Symone.
To Clark’s amazement, her hands healed within seconds, as Lois lay still in the hot afternoon Arizona sunshine.
Clark watched as the three remaining helicopters landed beside the wreckage of the first downed Blackhawk Gunship. His heart pounded as he hoped that no one had been killed or severely injured. Kal glanced once more, before scooping Lois up in his arms and zipping off.
He felt bad about leaving Marcus holding the bag with the Feds, but his snap decision was based on the bigger picture, or the greater good. He couldn’t very well sit there with the Feds and explain that the AI, Symone, had been compromised by an alien intellect named BRAINIAC.
In addition, Clark still had to make sure that Lois was no longer under the influence of the unusually colored kryptonite that Marcus and Zara had dug up. He was still in disbelief that the new kryptonite had been located in South America. How had it ended up there? Who had hidden it?
Clark super-sped Lois back to the resort. She rested comfortably for a while back at the condo. He then called Marcus’s cell phone. "Are you free to talk?" He asked the young billionaire worriedly. "Not completely, Clark. The Feds are furious. I tried to cover our tracks by stating that my robotic experiment went suddenly haywire, and we were in the process of retrieving it."
"I told them that we had completely missed the sign saying ‘US Government Property: Keep Out’, and that we were sorry and it wouldn’t happen again." Marcus gazed behind him, to make sure that no one was in a position to overhear.
"I then reminded them of a number of lucrative government contracts that WorthingtonCo was working on, and that they might be in jeopardy if any other issues arose." Clark rolled his eyes. If only I had that kind of power, he mused, asking: "What about the Blackhawk Helicopter crew?"
Clark shifted nervously as Lois stirred. "They suffered mostly bruised pride, Clark, though there were a couple of minor injuries. We were lucky…very lucky…this time." Marc added. "I assume that at some point in the near future, you’ll explain exactly what that was all about."
"Definitely." Clark said, sighing in relief. "How’s she doing?" Marc inquired. Clark noted that Marcus had carefully left out Lois’s name. She was, in fact, still a public figure. The Feds could easily track her down at the Planet. He, for the moment, was in the clear.
Clark looked over at Lois, who was knocked out. "Okay, I suppose, though the jury’s still out on that." Marcus flipped the phone to his other ear. "Clark, don’t use the word ‘jury’." He joked cynically. "Besides, you still owe me for a billion dollar robot." Superman took the barb in stride.
The situation was still serious. "I have to get back to my…uh…guests. We haven’t discussed how we’ll brush the damaged Blackhawk under the rug." Marcus said warily. "Hey, thanks for everything. Come again." The billionaire’s voice dripped with sarcasm, though he was still amazed at the whole ordeal.
"Just teasing." Marc added. "Seriously though, keep me posted on your companion, and give me a call any time. Good bye." Clark said simply. "Sorry about all this, bye." He clicked the phone off. Superman glanced first at Lois, only now realizing what the last words she’d said to him were:
I will never leave you again, Her voice echoed through his mind. Deep down inside, Lois had feelings for him. Yet, how deep were they? Clark had been toying with the idea of a dual identity, and now considered a reason for doing so: Lois’s protection was paramount.
He’d failed to protect everyone at one time or another. It was time to take a decisive role. Lois’s big eyes fluttered open. Clark was glancing down at her as she rested on the couch. "Well, good morning!" He joked. "How do you feel?" He reassuringly patted her arm.
"Like a truck ran over my head!" She quipped. "Ask me again after a few cups of joe. Better make them double espresso’s." Clark helped her sit up. "What do you remember?" He asked her warily. They needed to have a starting point for whatever came next.
"I was about to rip that mechanical Barbie Doll to shreds…then a bright light, and you hovering over me…some kind of choppers were buzzing about." Lois recalled. "Lois, you electrocuted yourself by tearing up Symone’s wiring. Marcus was pissed."Clark needled."
"I bet." Lois stretched leisurely. "I have to say it wasn’t an altogether unpleasant experience waking up in your arms." She teased. Clark reddened. "Thanks, I think." Lois sat up, and suddenly felt a burst of energy. She spiraled past Clark and cleaned up the entire condo in seconds.
"Uh oh!" Superman grimaced. "Lois! Stop! Lois!" He grabbed her by the blouse collar and she settled down, dragging him a few feet along the carpeted floor with her momentum. "Take a breath!" He ordered. "Clark! What the hell is wrong now?" She snapped.
"Lois, sit down. We have to talk!" Superman began worriedly. "You’re not breaking up with me, because you’re still not my plus one!" She taunted. "No, it’s nothing like that. You’ve been infected with the meteor rocks from Marcus’s XS56." Clark calmly explained.
"Yeah, I got that part." She sniped. "I thought Worthington said that he’d never been in Smallville before? He certainly said that he hadn’t been mining any minerals in Central Kansas. He specifically stated that he’d dug up the minerals in South America."
"True." Clark placated his new best friend. "However, it stands to reason that the meteor rocks may not have fallen only in Kansas. Perhaps they’re from a different section of space." He carefully left out the name of the minerals, in case Lois was putting together the whole story.
He doubted that, given Lois’s tenacity, that he would be able to keep his secret from her much longer. What then? Would she accept him? Would she turn on him, creating the biggest story of her life? Everyone else that knew seemed to easily adapt to his and Kara’s alien personas.
"Okay. Now how do I get the meteor infection out of me?" Lois shuddered. "Am I supposed to go through life as a freak?" Clark bristled slightly at her use of the word ‘freak’. "No Lois, you’ll be fine. We can try some things…" Lois’s eyes suddenly went yellow, as she smirked.
"Is it hot in here?" She playfully fanned herself with a TV magazine. Clark gulped. The odd colored meteor rocks seemed to be wreaking havoc with Lois’s emotions. He hoped that they could get back to Smallville, and have Chloe or Oliver sap Lois’s power with some green kryptonite.
Humans weren’t meant to possess the meteor power. Every meteor freak, save Chloe, had ended up dead, insane, or in a vegetative state. People with natural abilities like AC, Bart, and Dinah Lance seemed okay. Clark had yet to think up a name for that category of humans.
"Lois, maybe we should go now, instead of waiting for tomorrow’s flight home." Clark suggested. "No way Smallville! I want to relax and party tonight. In fact, you want to go grab a beer or two at the Tiki Bar?" Clark knew that would be a bad idea, but how could he convince her?
"Maybe we should just finish the article, and get a full night’s sleep." He coerced. "No!" Lois’s eyes flared red, before heading back to normal. "If you want to be a stick in the mud, go right ahead." Clark wouldn’t be able to control her, if he left her on her own.
"Fine!" He grumbled. "Let’s just proofread the article first." Lois grinned mischievously, knowing that she’d defeated Clark. She handed him the multi-page write up. They also ran the article through spell check. He tried to keep her in the condo as long as possible, to no avail.
"Satisfied?" Lois snickered. I’m guessing, not! "Let’s go!" She urged, before he could protest any further. "Go and get a seat, I’ll be right there." Clark directed. "Sure. Bye!" Lois zipped out of her old clothes, and into the bright red dress in a blink of an eye. "Stay out of trouble!"
"Yes, Mom!" Lois said sarcastically. Just like that, she was gone. Clark quickly dialed up Chloe…no answer…then he tried Kara…nothing…finally settling on Jimmy. The young photojournalist didn’t pick up either. He text messaged them as well. No response. That’s odd!
I have to keep an eye on Lois! Will this trip never end? He muttered. Meanwhile, Lois had picked out two seats near the end of the bar, and ordered two cold imported beers. In minutes, a big older man in a cowboy hat and boots stumbled into Lois, nearly knocking over her drink.
"Whoa, there, cowboy!" Lois snapped. "Been into the sarsaparillas all evening?" The drunken rogue was roughly twice her age. "Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about Vinny." The oaf slurred. "That’s a fine looking filly right there. Howdy ma’am."
"Uh…howdy Tex." Lois joked. "Actually, I’m from Oklahoma. Where are you from?" Lois flashed him a thin grin. "I’m from Kansas." She added, rolling her eyes. "That’s some fine grazin’ land out there." Tex leaned heavily on the bar, nearly knocking Lois over with his breath.
"I always called it fly over country." Lois made minimal conversation. "How’s about you and me getting outta here and take a nice long walk on the moonlit beach?" Tex made a nearly fatal mistake…he put his hand on Lois’s exposed leg. "Back off, cowpoke!" Lois snarled.
"What kind of a girl are you?" Tex protested. "Let me put it this way, studly…if you don’t take your hand off my leg…better be wearing your boots. My boyfriend will send ya’ll back home in a pine box! You’ll be buried with your boots on!" She threatened.
"Where is he? I’ll fill him full of lead!" Tex argued loudly. Lois noted that thankfully, he’d left his sidearm somewhere else. "Keep your six shooter in your pants, Tex! You’ll live longer." Lois shoved the oaf’s hand off her leg, just as Clark strolled up. "Is there a problem?" He asked.
"No problem!" Tex whirled on Clark, nearly landing a blow on his chin. Most likely, Tex would’ve broken his hand at the very least. "What? Five minutes, Lois! I couldn’t leave you alone for five minutes!" Lois’s emotions ran their full range, enhanced by the meteor minerals. She was mad, glad to see Clark, and a little aggravated as well.
Tex was about to take another swing, when Lois grabbed him and effortlessly tossed the drunkard across the Tiki Bar platform. Several yards later he crashed into the sand hill, out cold, and down for the count. Lois snickered, and went back to sipping her beer.
"Damn, lady!" Vinny laughed heartily. "How’d you like a job as a bouncer here at the resort?" Lois smiled. "No thanks, Vinny. I’m heading back home tomorrow. The desert sand is hell on my complexion." She joked. Clark sat next to her, wondering what to do next.
All this time, Marcus Worthington had been battling the Feds. Even his high-powered lawyers were having a difficult time with the government bureaucracy. He and Trish had picked up what was left of Symone, and hauled the AI back to base for reprogramming.
Marcus offered to pay for the expensive Blackhawk helicopter, but that didn’t seem to be enough for the Feds. He also offered to pay for the injuries to the chopper crew. The Feds had sent a recovery crew to collect the Blackhawk…when they arrived the chopper was in perfect working order.
The conscientious crew leader had called that fact back in to his commander. His XO didn’t believe him…the crew leader’s voice was suddenly garbled and then all went silent. The XO sent some security people out to the wreckage…they found nothing. All that was left was impressions in the desert sand. Several scorch marks led away from the crash site.
After a moment, they disappeared. The Fed security was in a panic. They called Marcus at home, expecting an answer…he had none. Marcus immediately phoned Clark. He and Lois were just getting ready to turn in for the evening. "Hello?…What? Oh no!" Superman exclaimed.
Naturally Lois heard every word of the conversation. "Lock and load Smallville, we have a Blackhawk to rescue!" She stated with conviction. Clark was stunned. "You don’t have any weapons, Lois." He reminded her. "I don’t need them…meteor challenged…remember?"
"We don’t even know what happened to the helicopter." Clark argued. "How hard can it be to find a single chopper in the area?" Lois asked bravely. "Never mind…it’s here!" Clark had heard the helicopter engines roaring in from the desert. Lois darted outside before Clark could stop her.
Sure enough, a single Blackhawk chopper lowered to within firing distance of the resort condo. "Crap!" Clark exclaimed as he chased after Lois. "Kal El!" the speakers boomed. "If you don’t surrender the power supply, I will lay waste to all of this dirty dusty land." BRAINIAC threatened.
The patrons from the bar, including Tex, scattered in every direction. Vinny had called the police, yet there would be very little they could do against a fully operational, fully armed gunship. "Time for a follow up story, Smallville." Lois said as she zipped towards the alien infested helicopter.
"Lois! Wait!" Clark yelled in vain. Why hadn’t BRAINIAC gone straight to Marcus’s and threatened him? He wondered silently, as the gunship suddenly opened fire on the residents. "No!" Clark shouted, as he watched Lois vault into the air.
Continued...
BRAINIAC fired the last remaining stinger missile at Lois! Clark only had a fraction of a second to react. Lois’s trajectory would carry her right into the missile’s path. My secret be damned! Clark thought, reacting quickly. He used a nearby sand dune as a launching pad.
"Oh crap!" Lois exclaimed as she saw the missile’s launch. Superman, by sheer force of will, soared high into the desert’s black sky, and aimed for the stinger missile. His heat vision would be too risky. The missile would literally explode in Lois’s face. He had to catch the angle just right. Clark barely slapped the missile away from her. It spun end over end spiraling downward.
The stinger exploded on contact in the sand mound below them. Fortunately, all of the resort patrons had evacuated the area nearest to the helicopter. The missile blew a good-sized crater in the ground, sending sand, pebbles, and glassy debris in every direction.
Clark grabbed Lois by her thin waist and tumbled with her onto the sandy ridge beside the edge of Lake Havasu. The two would-be superheroes watched helplessly as BRAINIAC spun the chopper towards Marcus Worthington’s ranch. "Nice save, Smallville!" Lois teased.
"I had it under control." She added with playful arrogance. "So, Chloe’s been hiding you from me all these years!" Lois accused. "What?" Clark didn’t want to get into a debate with her. "Don’t give me that!" She snapped. "You. You’re the red and blue blur saving people in Metropolis!"
Clark was caught. "Lois, I’m sorry for lying to you, but now is not the time…that maniac is going to level Worthington’s place, and steal his subterranean power source. We can’t allow that. Stay here!" He ordered, knowing full well that Lois wouldn’t listen to him.
"Never!" Lois helped him up as she stood. "You and I are taking that bastard down, whoever he is!" Clark was momentarily stunned. The fall had actually hurt him a bit. That wasn’t good. That meant that he still wasn’t back to full power. He’d be no match for BRAINIAC.
He had no choice. Clark had to take Lois with him. Maybe they could somehow combine their powers… "Fine!" He decided grimly. "If you get killed, don’t blame me." Lois smirked. "That sounded like you actually care." He ignored her barb. "Of course I care, Lois…" he hesitated.
"About everyone." He reddened. "Let’s go! Try and keep up." He challenged. Clark zipped off into the darkness, following the taillights of the commandeered Blackhawk. Lois shook her head, laughed, and sped after him. They both left trails of spinning vortices called dust devils in their wake.
The speeding superheroes caught up to the chopper, just as BRAINIAC opened fire on them. The Gatling gun strafed the desert floor ahead of Lois, who barely avoided running into the hail of bullets. Neither knew how supposedly indestructible they still were.
Lois slowed just a bit as the Blackhawk began a return run. "Do we have a plan, Clark?" She called out to him over the next volley of projectiles. Now she asks! He mentally grumbled. "We can bring the helicopter down, but I’m not convinced that it would stop BRAINIAC!" Clark admitted as he somersaulted away from the twin Gatling gun’s fire. "We have to do something!"
Lois yelled as she dove towards him above the trail of still smoldering bullet casings. A few of the bullets bounced close enough to Lois to send a shower of pebbles against her exposed arms and legs. They didn’t do much damage, simply succeeded in pissing her off even more.
"Lois, can you vault high enough to latch onto the Blackhawk’s right runner?" Clark asked as he watched the crazed pilot lower the chopper into a final attack run. "We have to!" Lois yelled. "Ready?" Clark gave her the thumbs up. He readied his stance. As BRAINIAC approached, the two young heroes sped in between the strafing trails, and leapt upward.
Both grabbed hold of the runners, as BRAINIAC sent the helicopter into a spin. The AI had forced their hand. By now, they were within striking distance of Worthington Ranch. Lois climbed up into the cockpit by putting her fist through the door and ripping it free.
The pilot had pitch black eyes, courtesy of BRAINIAC’s control tentacles. He would likely die, and Clark felt horrible as he followed Lois’s lead and tore the door off. "Too late, Kal El!" The possessed pilot turned towards him, fatally ignoring Lois. "I will go on." BRAINIAC said confidently. "Not if I pull your plug." Lois boasted.
She ripped the controls out of the pilot’s hands, as Clark grabbed the human portion of the AI and yanked him out of the chopper. The two beings tumbled towards the ground, leaving Lois on her own. The Blackhawk nosed downward, spiraling towards Worthington’s ranch. "Crap!"
Lois yelled as she used her enhanced strength to force the helicopter to respond. It wouldn’t. BRAINIAC had migrated from the person into the machine’s controls. Lois cursed vehemently. "Lois!" Clark shouted helplessly at the speeding chopper.
He summoned all his strength and ran into hyper speed, and willed himself into the air. Superman took flight, latching onto the helicopter’s tail section. He quickly ripped the rear propeller off and slid beneath the fuselage.
Clark grunted as he used his superior power to slow the chopper. Pieces of gunmetal green armor slipped through his hands, as he yanked the Blackhawk towards the ground. Lois had given up wrestling with the controls, and was busily smacking BRAINIAC’s tentacles away from her face.
As the helicopter neared the desert floor, Lois somersaulted sideways out the cockpit door and landed in heap beside a sand dune. The Blackhawk fell on top of Clark, burying him deep in the sand. They were mere steps away from Marcus Worthington’s front gate.
Two silver craft roughly the size of compact cars whistled out from behind the compound. The airborne security detail flanked the downed Blackhawk. Lois lay motionless in the sand. The first of the sleek experimental craft flooded the area with a spotlight.
The black ooze slithered along the sand towards Lois. The two-man fighters circled the area, finally locating Lois’s prone form. They prepared to set down. The Blackhawk suddenly shifted over on its side, as a dazed Clark Kent crawled out from beneath it.
"Lois?" He spotted her still, unconscious body. By pure luck, the experimental craft’s running lights played upon the ooze. Superman caught the glint of a reflection off the slimy BRAINIAC residue, now just a few feet from Lois. "No you don’t!" Clark exclaimed.
He summoned all of his concentration, placing it into his heat vision. Twin bolts of rapid-fire energy lanced out from his eyes and blasted the ooze into a thousand smoldering pieces. The resulting heat from the miniature explosions roused Lois, who sat up holding her head and shoulder.
"Ow!" She turned slightly, seeing only the damaged helicopter, and the two unusual security craft. "Smallville?" Lois yelled into the relative darkness. "Over here, Lois!" Clark waved, as he slipped out of the crater and collapsed in the cool desert sand. "Are you okay?" He called out.
"Fine, and you?" Marcus Worthington answered jokingly. The young billionaire leaned over him, flanked by two tough looking female guards. A third woman quickly found Lois and checked her over with a small medical kit she’d brought with. "I’m all right." Lois attempted to brush her away.
The med-officer helped Lois to her feet anyway. She stood, wavering slightly.
"Well, the helicopter looks slightly better than the last time I saw it." Marcus quipped. "I’m sure the Feds will be happy that I returned one of their expensive toys."
Clark sat up as Lois staggered over to his side, falling to her knees, trailed by the med-officer. "Clark, can we go home, now?" She whined. That sounds more like my Lois, Superman thought dryly.
Marcus folded his arms patiently. "Care to offer up any explanations, plausible or otherwise?" Clark shook his head. "Not really." He glanced at the security detail. "Mary Ellen, Sarah, would you excuse us?" Marcus politely dismissed his guardians. They obediently left.
The medical girl checked Clark, but he quickly waved her away. "I’m fine thanks." She then removed a small silver device about the size of a cell phone from her belt, and waved it above Lois and Clark without them taking notice, instantly replacing it, assuming that her unusual patients were none the wiser. She headed towards the helicopter to check for any more of the injured.
Clark explained the Brain Interactive construct’s interference and abduction of the government helicopter to Marcus, who shook his head in disbelief. Lois listened with detached interest, opting to keep an eye on the medical officer, as she left the Blackhawk’s cockpit.
"This proves my point, Clark." Marcus added solemnly. "We need to all work together against any alien threat." Present company accepted, Superman thought sourly. "You know, Smallville, this is all kind of hard to believe." Lois complained. "Tell me about it." Clark agreed.
"Why is it that every time we get involved in something, I either end up injured, nursing a bout of temporary amnesia, or get smacked around by a meteor freak or space alien?" She whined. "Now Lois, you wouldn’t want your life to get boring, would you?" Clark quipped, bringing a smile to her lips, and a chuckle to Marcus’s mood.
"Are you back to normal, yet?" Clark asked Lois. "Define normal, Smallville." She joked.
"Clark, I urge you to reconsider." Marcus pleaded. "We need help, all of us." Lois’s brow furrowed. "Reconsider what?" She asked. "Using your special abilities to defend…Earth." Marcus said seriously. Lois gawked. "Are you expecting an invasion?"
"You never now Lois. You never know." Marcus folded his arms. "Clark, this must be what we were called to do. Never mind the newspaper business… we are the news." She announced proudly. "Great." Clark mumbled. "The problem is that humans weren’t meant to have my …abilities."
Lois frowned. "Why not? You seem to be doing just fine, Smallville."
"Thanks, but now I have to give you the …with great power comes great responsibility lecture…just like my dad did years ago when I first discovered my abilities." Clark said as Marcus grinned. "Whatever Clark. We’ll muddle through somehow." Lois said with confidence.
"Anyway, are we through with our drama for this evening?" Marcus asked playfully. "Let’s hope so. Now, I’m tired." Clark responded, and he wasn’t exaggerating. Lois stifled a yawn as well. Good, maybe the whole lady super hero thing was wearing off, Clark hoped. Then again, as my luck would have it… they were escorted back to the resort by two of Marcus’s security guards.
For now, BRAINIAC’s threat was over, Superman silently thanked the stars as Lois nodded off on his shoulder. They returned to the condo a couple of hours before sunrise. The flight back to Metropolis should help to restore some normalcy to their lives, Clark assumed.
They made it to the airport without any further incidents. Lois finished the Worthington story on her laptop on board the plane, minus all the superhero stunts. Clark quickly proofread it, as they landed. "I never thought I would say this, Smallville, but it’s good to be back." Lois admitted.
coming soon: link to "Nexus"
Chicago, IL
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