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Edge of Darkness - PG13
Edge of Darkness
The Evolutions series continues with chapter 12 - the sequel to “Latent” and “Nexus”
Lois and Clark pulled up alongside the police roadblock, roughly a mile from Dairyland Mall. Kara had flown to the secured area seconds after leaving the Kent Farm. About forty-five minutes had passed, much to Lois’s objection. She pulled out a steno pad and pen, completely in her reporter mode. Clark followed her to the lead police officer in charge.
Kara circled the mall parking lot, well within the SWAT team’s radius of fire. Using blinding speed so as not to attract any undue attention, the teen superhero managed to recon the situation. She’d located the terrorist and the hostages, counting thirteen people being held against their will.
The criminal had burned three stores already. Most of the fires had been put out by the segregated sprinkler systems. The hostages didn’t appear to be injured or in any immediate danger. Kara had x-rayed the lunatic terrorist, and found that he was indeed, human.
“Lois Lane, Metropolis Daily Planet.” She waved her press pass at the leader. “This is Clark Kent, he’ll be assisting me on the story. What’s your name sir?” The detective cast her an annoyed glance. “Detective Dan Turpin. Miss Lane, we’re not ready to make a statement to the press, yet.”
“Good enough. Off the record, then, what’ve you got?” Lois persisted, as Clark used his x-ray vision to verify where all of the SWAT team members were. He also spotted Kara, zipping across the parking lot towards them. Turpin hesitantly let Lois in on the situation.
“Off the record, Miss Lane, we have one lunatic holding at least a dozen people hostage. He’s a firebug, arsonist or something. He’s damaged three stores, but hadn’t bothered to steal anything so far. We have no idea what kind of a weapon he may have.”
“An account by one of the hostages by cell phone, states that the perp hadn’t displayed a gun or knife, but… and here’s the odd part…she claims he started fires by waving his hands at the merchandise. We have no true idea what she saw. He might have a miniature flamethrower or some other type of accelerant.” Detective Turpin informed them.
Lois considered that as she exchanged glances with Clark. The same thing went through their young minds – a rogue meteor freak with the power to control fire. “Detective Turpin, has he made any demands yet?” Lois pursued the lead by following the detective closer in towards the SWAT van.
“None whatsoever.” Turpin dismissed her with a wave. “Has he said anything at all?” Clark chimed in, feeling left out of the questioning. “Kent? Why don’t you just let us do our jobs? And all he’d said so far was some vague ramblings about the end being near.”
“We picked it up in the background noise from the hostage’s cell phone. The end of what, we don’t know. He could be suicidal, which makes this incident even more volatile.” Turpin concluded. “That’s all Miss Lane, Mr. Kent, now please stay behind the blockade.”
Kara had mysteriously appeared behind them, and came up alongside Lois. “He’s right cousin, the guy is unhinged. He kept on about something called ‘the great winnowing’.” Kara added details. “I’ve no idea what that means.” The alien teen admitted. Clark considered her account.
Lois tapped her foot impatiently. “The great winnowing seems to refer to something like an apocalypse, I believe. It may be in the Bible or somewhere. Sounds like a standard loony with superpowers. We need to get those people out of there before he snaps.”
“I know Lois, but how can we go in without being seen?” Clark asked conversationally. “Kara and I could break in through the air conditioning system. We ought to be able to surprise him, before he attacks the hostages.” Lois wasn’t convinced. “We still have the SWAT teams to deal with.”
“How about a distraction?” Lois rubbed her thin chin. “I could zip around to the back of the mall and blow something up.” Clark thought that over. “It sounds too risky.” Lois sighed. “Define risky, Smallville? We need to save those people. You two are virtually indestructible, and we have no idea how my powers react. I intend to live a long and rewarding life annoying you.”
Clark and Kara chuckled. “Point taken.” He admitted. “It’s settled then. I’ll zoom to the rear lot and torch the far end of the mall. You two speed in and grab the firebug before he lights up any hostages.” Lois said with determination. Kara liked the basic idea, but added her own twist.
“Kal, I should fly in through the air conditioning vents, while you zip in through the glass atrium.” She suggested. “Wouldn’t he hear the broken glass hitting the floor?” Lois countered. “Nope, I already surveyed the layout. The atrium is in the far west wing, and the hostages are in the east.” Kara responded.
“I’ll start burning the south end, that leaves the north end for the SWAT teams to enter from.” Lois decided. “Okay, I guess it’s our best shot.” Clark agreed. “Now Lois, don’t level the entire mall, and make sure that the fire is out as soon as I have the arsonist.”
“You’ll be heading towards me, correct?” Lois confirmed. “I assume that you don’t want Metropolis’s finest, and the FBI observing your little rescue?” Clark nodded. “Kara, you can start herding the hostages towards the SWAT team. Just tell them that you were hiding elsewhere in the mall avoiding the commotion.” The alien teen nodded. “Wait!”
Lois and Clark froze in their tracks. “What’s up Kara?” He asked. “Clark, focus your hearing. The meteor freak is yelling about something.” Clark complied. Lois was at a bit of a disadvantage. She didn’t have the superior hearing skill down pat yet.
“Death to you all!” The terrorist shrieked. “You’re all going to die! He is coming! The end is soon!” Kara and Clark exchanged glances. Who was the he? Lois couldn’t stand it. “What? Spill it Smallville, what’s he saying?”
“I hope he’s just ranting.” Clark repeated what he heard for Lois’s benefit. “Either way, it sounds like we’re running out of time.” Lois took a deep breath. “Well, I’m ready. How about you two?” Kara and Lois playfully bumped fists. “You go, sister!” Lois joked. Clark was not amused.
“Be careful!” Clark urged quietly. “Don’t be such an old lady.” Lois remarked with cockiness. Kara dashed off at hyper speed and circled in towards the mall. “One, two, three…go!” Lois took off running, and in a few seconds disappeared.
Clark followed soon after, making a last check of the SWAT team’s positions. This had better work…he silently hoped, as he entered the atrium, shattering the glass, and quickly making his way through the mall towards the hostages. Kara had already disabled all the mall security cameras.
Lois walked alone, hiding in between parked cars. What I need is something flammable, she mused, anxiously glancing around the mall parking lot. Nothing out here…maybe inside. Lois dashed towards the glass mall doors, shattering them with brute force.
The alarm system had already been disabled, either by Kara, or the terrorist. She found a cleaning closet, and tore open the door. Let’s see…ammonia, glass cleaner and floor wax, not much to work with, she thought, grabbing what she could. Maybe in the food court? She sped to the center of the mall courtyard. Bingo! She elated. Now I just have to MacGiver this somehow.
Lois filled up an empty container with propane gas and covered it tightly. This ought to make a decent distraction. She hurried back to the mall exit, combined all the elements, and got ready to strike a matchbook that she’d run across in the cafeteria office.
“Happy Fourth of July!” She muttered, tying a cleaning cloth inside the ammonia bottle to use as a fuse, lighting one end with the match. She placed the propane gas bottle next to the one with ammonia and set it down, super speeding away, going back the way she’d come.
The explosion shattered all the glass in the area, and made enough noise to completely throw the SWAT team off their game. Now it was up to Kara and Clark. The automatic sprinkler system came on near the flaming doorframe, extinguishing the blaze.
“There’s our signal.” Clark said loud enough for Kara to hear. “I’m on it, Kal!” Superman sped into the long main corridor, using his blinding speed to locate the criminal. He heard the hostages crying and praying for help. “That’s right! Pray! All of you! For all the good it will do!” The loony said.
Clark tackled the crazed terrorist tumbling head over heels, and grabbing the guy’s hands, pinning them behind his back. “Give it up! Let these people go!” Superman ordered. The hostages were stunned, and quieted quickly. They still expected to die, being burned alive by the madman.
“You! You’re the one!” The nut case said. “Me what? You don’t even know who I am.” Clark wrestled the guy, making sure that he was immobilized. Kara entered the fray from the next room. She had flown through the vents, and landed out of sight of the hostages.
“Okay everyone remain calm.” She ordered. “Follow me. The police are just outside.” Some of the hostages began to murmur. “Now, people! We don’t know how long we can hold him down.” Kara lied convincingly. “He will rise again! You’ll all die!” the wacko still grumbled.
Finally, the hostages hesitantly got up off the floor where they’d been seated and followed Kara towards the exit. “How’d you get in here?” A hostage inevitably asked the super teen. “I was hiding in a different wing, so was my cousin back there.” She gave them the standard line.
“You took an awful chance, Miss.” A businessman commented. “Are you complaining?” Kara countered. “No, not at all.” The guy softened his tone. “Okay, everybody. Hands up!” Kara directed. “We want the SWAT teams to see you.” The first few hostages obliged.
Clark had stood the nut ball up, still restraining his arms. “Who are you afraid of?” Superman demanded. “Afraid? I’m not afraid. I’m simply the messenger.” The freak sounded more like he was in his right mind, after all. “Fine! Whom are you working for?” Clark asked angrily.
“I serve the master.” He laughed. “What’s your name?” Clark shoved him forward. “I’m unimportant. What you need to worry about is him.” Kal was getting frustrated. “Who?” Clark jostled the man roughly. The freak grinned. “Mobus Kahn.” Clark was puzzled. “I’ve never heard of him.”
“You will.” He said, laughing again, as Superman guided him outside, still pinning the freak’s hands behind his back. The SWAT team was shocked, but thankful. Clark wrested him into the back of the SWAT van. Dan Turpin lectured he and Lois about getting involved, threatening to arrest the helpful reporters. Clark shook his head as Kara rejoined them. “That’s the thanks we get.”
“Cheer up, Smallville. No good deed goes unpunished.” Lois put her hand on his shoulder. “On the bright side, we have one hell of a story for Perry…partner.” Kara smiled brightly enjoying Lois’s playful banter. “Can I be in the story, too?” Kara joked. “Sure. You can be interested bystander number one.” She ribbed the teen, hugging Kara. “We make a great team.”
Clark wasn’t convinced that this was over…
----- Added 1 Hours and 51 Minutes later -----
Edge of Darkness pt 2
Chapter 13 of Evolutions
Clark had specifically told the SWAT team leader that the terrorist was insane, and ought to be sedated. The cocky SWAT sergeant waved him away. “You’ve done enough meddling for one day. By the way, how did you get past my team members?”
Clark was discouraged with his attitude. “I guess that your team isn’t as good as you think they are.” He scoffed, walking away towards Lois who was getting the final details of her story from Turpin. “Hey, Smallville, turn that frown upside down.” She quipped. “We have the inside scoop.”
“I sweet talked Turpin into waiting fifteen minutes or so before he calls a press conference for the media. He muttered thanks for your help, though I left him deliberately vague on the details.” Lois grabbed Clark’s hand, in an unusually affectionate manner. Kara was wandering around nearby.
“What’s up little sis’?” Lois noted Kara’s obvious distraction. “I don’t understand, Lois. Why weren’t the police happy we helped them out?” The confused teen asked with a bit of a very humanlike whine in her tone. “That my dear, is called the ‘male ego issue’, present company excepted, Smallville.”
“We stole their glory.” Lois continued. “Trust me on this. I spent more than half my life with my dad, the General. He and his cohorts were prime examples of alpha male egotists. It doesn’t mean that I love him any less.” Clark took Lois’s advice to heart, as well.
“Any other nuggets of wisdom will have to wait. I have a story to file.” Lois said as she flipped open her cell phone. “Gina? Tell Perry that I’ve got a page one on the Dairyland Mall hostage crisis…I’ll hold.” Clark and Kara left Lois to do what she did best as they rested against a grassy knoll.
“You heard that name?” Clark asked his young cousin. “Yes. Mobus Kahn? I don’t know of any Kryptonian criminals by that name. Maybe he was just ranting?” Clark wondered aloud. “It could be a human criminal that presents that threat. Or possibly one of Lex’s leftover meteor freaks.”
Suddenly the SWAT van exploded in a huge fireball. The metal from the van acted as shrapnel, slicing through everything in it’s path. Lois dove out of the way, mostly out of habit. “Whoa!” She rolled over in a ditch. “You better hold off on that final paragraph, Gina!” She yelled into the phone.
Clark and Kara bolted for the flaming van, but it had nearly melted. If any SWAT members were in the truck, it was all over for them. Clark was furious. “I told them to sedate the freak!” He snapped. Kara was saddened, but understanding. “You did all you could, Kal. It’s not your fault that the police didn’t listen.” Lois had gathered her composure and came running towards them.
“Geez! What the hell happened?” She shouted over the din, feeling the heat from the molten truck. Dan Turpin lay behind a police car, stunned by the blast. Several officers were injured, some critically. Immediately, sirens wailed.
The officers were lucky that they had a number of ambulances and rescue vehicles close at hand. Clark zipped around, but there was little he could do without medical training. He and Kara were limited to moving flaming shrapnel from atop injured officers and their vehicles.
Lois helped Turpin to his feet, and he wobbled, feeling his head. “I see you have all of your appendages, detective.” She joshed. “What are you people, cursed?” Dan complained as he surveyed the damage. The EMT squad was already busy patching up the luckier officers.
“Sometimes I wonder, detective.” Lois shook her head. “Please tell me that we at least knew who Mr. Dynamite was.” Turpin was a bit dazed, but recalled the information he’d just gotten before the blast. “Yeah, Lane, the deceased was known as Bertram Ellis. He had no criminal record, was about forty- seven years old, no history of mental illness. The guy didn’t have so much as a parking ticket.”
“Maybe he just snapped.” Lois tried to apply some logic to it. Clark fumed. “Kara, let’s go!” Lois waved him back in. “Freeze, Smallville. We still have to get this story in to Perry. The networks are begging the Planet for details.” Clark calmed down slightly. “What do you need?”
“For starters, a good solid laptop port to hook into.” Lois pleaded to Clark with her eyes. “You want to super speed to the car?” Superman guessed. “Okay. Go. Kara and I will block the view.” The aliens blew a cloud of dust up between Turpin and Lois, giving her the cover she needed.
After filing her report, Lois returned to the waiting superheroes. “I guess we’re done here.” Clark remarked in a depressed tone. Lois again hugged Superman. “Clark, remember…you can’t save everyone.” She whispered in his ear. “That goes for you, too, Kara. That doesn’t mean that we should stop trying. Think about it, we saved thirteen other people today.”
“On the whole, when the balance sheets are tallied, we hope that we saved more people than we lost.” Lois said with unusual philosophical insight. “Humans die every day, Clark, Kara. It’s who we are. Yeah, some of it is senseless, and some of it is what it is.”
Clark and Kara silently considered Lois’s comments. “Thanks Lois.” Superman said as Kara nodded in agreement. “We should think of ourselves as police officers, firefighters, armed services members, emergency medical technicians, or ever vigilant concerned citizens.”
**Dedicated to everyone who remembers 9/11**
“Now buck up, kiddies. I’ll get off my high horse now.” Lois smiled brightly, having given them the pep talk of their young lives. “Lois, you are one in a million.” Clark praised, in a much more cheerful mood. “Of course I am.” She added facetiously. Their lighthearted mood wouldn’t last however…
Edge of Darkness
The Evolutions series continues with chapter 12 - the sequel to “Latent” and “Nexus”
Lois and Clark pulled up alongside the police roadblock, roughly a mile from Dairyland Mall. Kara had flown to the secured area seconds after leaving the Kent Farm. About forty-five minutes had passed, much to Lois’s objection. She pulled out a steno pad and pen, completely in her reporter mode. Clark followed her to the lead police officer in charge.
Kara circled the mall parking lot, well within the SWAT team’s radius of fire. Using blinding speed so as not to attract any undue attention, the teen superhero managed to recon the situation. She’d located the terrorist and the hostages, counting thirteen people being held against their will.
The criminal had burned three stores already. Most of the fires had been put out by the segregated sprinkler systems. The hostages didn’t appear to be injured or in any immediate danger. Kara had x-rayed the lunatic terrorist, and found that he was indeed, human.
“Lois Lane, Metropolis Daily Planet.” She waved her press pass at the leader. “This is Clark Kent, he’ll be assisting me on the story. What’s your name sir?” The detective cast her an annoyed glance. “Detective Dan Turpin. Miss Lane, we’re not ready to make a statement to the press, yet.”
“Good enough. Off the record, then, what’ve you got?” Lois persisted, as Clark used his x-ray vision to verify where all of the SWAT team members were. He also spotted Kara, zipping across the parking lot towards them. Turpin hesitantly let Lois in on the situation.
“Off the record, Miss Lane, we have one lunatic holding at least a dozen people hostage. He’s a firebug, arsonist or something. He’s damaged three stores, but hadn’t bothered to steal anything so far. We have no idea what kind of a weapon he may have.”
“An account by one of the hostages by cell phone, states that the perp hadn’t displayed a gun or knife, but… and here’s the odd part…she claims he started fires by waving his hands at the merchandise. We have no true idea what she saw. He might have a miniature flamethrower or some other type of accelerant.” Detective Turpin informed them.
Lois considered that as she exchanged glances with Clark. The same thing went through their young minds – a rogue meteor freak with the power to control fire. “Detective Turpin, has he made any demands yet?” Lois pursued the lead by following the detective closer in towards the SWAT van.
“None whatsoever.” Turpin dismissed her with a wave. “Has he said anything at all?” Clark chimed in, feeling left out of the questioning. “Kent? Why don’t you just let us do our jobs? And all he’d said so far was some vague ramblings about the end being near.”
“We picked it up in the background noise from the hostage’s cell phone. The end of what, we don’t know. He could be suicidal, which makes this incident even more volatile.” Turpin concluded. “That’s all Miss Lane, Mr. Kent, now please stay behind the blockade.”
Kara had mysteriously appeared behind them, and came up alongside Lois. “He’s right cousin, the guy is unhinged. He kept on about something called ‘the great winnowing’.” Kara added details. “I’ve no idea what that means.” The alien teen admitted. Clark considered her account.
Lois tapped her foot impatiently. “The great winnowing seems to refer to something like an apocalypse, I believe. It may be in the Bible or somewhere. Sounds like a standard loony with superpowers. We need to get those people out of there before he snaps.”
“I know Lois, but how can we go in without being seen?” Clark asked conversationally. “Kara and I could break in through the air conditioning system. We ought to be able to surprise him, before he attacks the hostages.” Lois wasn’t convinced. “We still have the SWAT teams to deal with.”
“How about a distraction?” Lois rubbed her thin chin. “I could zip around to the back of the mall and blow something up.” Clark thought that over. “It sounds too risky.” Lois sighed. “Define risky, Smallville? We need to save those people. You two are virtually indestructible, and we have no idea how my powers react. I intend to live a long and rewarding life annoying you.”
Clark and Kara chuckled. “Point taken.” He admitted. “It’s settled then. I’ll zoom to the rear lot and torch the far end of the mall. You two speed in and grab the firebug before he lights up any hostages.” Lois said with determination. Kara liked the basic idea, but added her own twist.
“Kal, I should fly in through the air conditioning vents, while you zip in through the glass atrium.” She suggested. “Wouldn’t he hear the broken glass hitting the floor?” Lois countered. “Nope, I already surveyed the layout. The atrium is in the far west wing, and the hostages are in the east.” Kara responded.
“I’ll start burning the south end, that leaves the north end for the SWAT teams to enter from.” Lois decided. “Okay, I guess it’s our best shot.” Clark agreed. “Now Lois, don’t level the entire mall, and make sure that the fire is out as soon as I have the arsonist.”
“You’ll be heading towards me, correct?” Lois confirmed. “I assume that you don’t want Metropolis’s finest, and the FBI observing your little rescue?” Clark nodded. “Kara, you can start herding the hostages towards the SWAT team. Just tell them that you were hiding elsewhere in the mall avoiding the commotion.” The alien teen nodded. “Wait!”
Lois and Clark froze in their tracks. “What’s up Kara?” He asked. “Clark, focus your hearing. The meteor freak is yelling about something.” Clark complied. Lois was at a bit of a disadvantage. She didn’t have the superior hearing skill down pat yet.
“Death to you all!” The terrorist shrieked. “You’re all going to die! He is coming! The end is soon!” Kara and Clark exchanged glances. Who was the he? Lois couldn’t stand it. “What? Spill it Smallville, what’s he saying?”
“I hope he’s just ranting.” Clark repeated what he heard for Lois’s benefit. “Either way, it sounds like we’re running out of time.” Lois took a deep breath. “Well, I’m ready. How about you two?” Kara and Lois playfully bumped fists. “You go, sister!” Lois joked. Clark was not amused.
“Be careful!” Clark urged quietly. “Don’t be such an old lady.” Lois remarked with cockiness. Kara dashed off at hyper speed and circled in towards the mall. “One, two, three…go!” Lois took off running, and in a few seconds disappeared.
Clark followed soon after, making a last check of the SWAT team’s positions. This had better work…he silently hoped, as he entered the atrium, shattering the glass, and quickly making his way through the mall towards the hostages. Kara had already disabled all the mall security cameras.
Lois walked alone, hiding in between parked cars. What I need is something flammable, she mused, anxiously glancing around the mall parking lot. Nothing out here…maybe inside. Lois dashed towards the glass mall doors, shattering them with brute force.
The alarm system had already been disabled, either by Kara, or the terrorist. She found a cleaning closet, and tore open the door. Let’s see…ammonia, glass cleaner and floor wax, not much to work with, she thought, grabbing what she could. Maybe in the food court? She sped to the center of the mall courtyard. Bingo! She elated. Now I just have to MacGiver this somehow.
Lois filled up an empty container with propane gas and covered it tightly. This ought to make a decent distraction. She hurried back to the mall exit, combined all the elements, and got ready to strike a matchbook that she’d run across in the cafeteria office.
“Happy Fourth of July!” She muttered, tying a cleaning cloth inside the ammonia bottle to use as a fuse, lighting one end with the match. She placed the propane gas bottle next to the one with ammonia and set it down, super speeding away, going back the way she’d come.
The explosion shattered all the glass in the area, and made enough noise to completely throw the SWAT team off their game. Now it was up to Kara and Clark. The automatic sprinkler system came on near the flaming doorframe, extinguishing the blaze.
“There’s our signal.” Clark said loud enough for Kara to hear. “I’m on it, Kal!” Superman sped into the long main corridor, using his blinding speed to locate the criminal. He heard the hostages crying and praying for help. “That’s right! Pray! All of you! For all the good it will do!” The loony said.
Clark tackled the crazed terrorist tumbling head over heels, and grabbing the guy’s hands, pinning them behind his back. “Give it up! Let these people go!” Superman ordered. The hostages were stunned, and quieted quickly. They still expected to die, being burned alive by the madman.
“You! You’re the one!” The nut case said. “Me what? You don’t even know who I am.” Clark wrestled the guy, making sure that he was immobilized. Kara entered the fray from the next room. She had flown through the vents, and landed out of sight of the hostages.
“Okay everyone remain calm.” She ordered. “Follow me. The police are just outside.” Some of the hostages began to murmur. “Now, people! We don’t know how long we can hold him down.” Kara lied convincingly. “He will rise again! You’ll all die!” the wacko still grumbled.
Finally, the hostages hesitantly got up off the floor where they’d been seated and followed Kara towards the exit. “How’d you get in here?” A hostage inevitably asked the super teen. “I was hiding in a different wing, so was my cousin back there.” She gave them the standard line.
“You took an awful chance, Miss.” A businessman commented. “Are you complaining?” Kara countered. “No, not at all.” The guy softened his tone. “Okay, everybody. Hands up!” Kara directed. “We want the SWAT teams to see you.” The first few hostages obliged.
Clark had stood the nut ball up, still restraining his arms. “Who are you afraid of?” Superman demanded. “Afraid? I’m not afraid. I’m simply the messenger.” The freak sounded more like he was in his right mind, after all. “Fine! Whom are you working for?” Clark asked angrily.
“I serve the master.” He laughed. “What’s your name?” Clark shoved him forward. “I’m unimportant. What you need to worry about is him.” Kal was getting frustrated. “Who?” Clark jostled the man roughly. The freak grinned. “Mobus Kahn.” Clark was puzzled. “I’ve never heard of him.”
“You will.” He said, laughing again, as Superman guided him outside, still pinning the freak’s hands behind his back. The SWAT team was shocked, but thankful. Clark wrested him into the back of the SWAT van. Dan Turpin lectured he and Lois about getting involved, threatening to arrest the helpful reporters. Clark shook his head as Kara rejoined them. “That’s the thanks we get.”
“Cheer up, Smallville. No good deed goes unpunished.” Lois put her hand on his shoulder. “On the bright side, we have one hell of a story for Perry…partner.” Kara smiled brightly enjoying Lois’s playful banter. “Can I be in the story, too?” Kara joked. “Sure. You can be interested bystander number one.” She ribbed the teen, hugging Kara. “We make a great team.”
Clark wasn’t convinced that this was over…
----- Added 1 Hours and 51 Minutes later -----
Edge of Darkness pt 2
Chapter 13 of Evolutions
Clark had specifically told the SWAT team leader that the terrorist was insane, and ought to be sedated. The cocky SWAT sergeant waved him away. “You’ve done enough meddling for one day. By the way, how did you get past my team members?”
Clark was discouraged with his attitude. “I guess that your team isn’t as good as you think they are.” He scoffed, walking away towards Lois who was getting the final details of her story from Turpin. “Hey, Smallville, turn that frown upside down.” She quipped. “We have the inside scoop.”
“I sweet talked Turpin into waiting fifteen minutes or so before he calls a press conference for the media. He muttered thanks for your help, though I left him deliberately vague on the details.” Lois grabbed Clark’s hand, in an unusually affectionate manner. Kara was wandering around nearby.
“What’s up little sis’?” Lois noted Kara’s obvious distraction. “I don’t understand, Lois. Why weren’t the police happy we helped them out?” The confused teen asked with a bit of a very humanlike whine in her tone. “That my dear, is called the ‘male ego issue’, present company excepted, Smallville.”
“We stole their glory.” Lois continued. “Trust me on this. I spent more than half my life with my dad, the General. He and his cohorts were prime examples of alpha male egotists. It doesn’t mean that I love him any less.” Clark took Lois’s advice to heart, as well.
“Any other nuggets of wisdom will have to wait. I have a story to file.” Lois said as she flipped open her cell phone. “Gina? Tell Perry that I’ve got a page one on the Dairyland Mall hostage crisis…I’ll hold.” Clark and Kara left Lois to do what she did best as they rested against a grassy knoll.
“You heard that name?” Clark asked his young cousin. “Yes. Mobus Kahn? I don’t know of any Kryptonian criminals by that name. Maybe he was just ranting?” Clark wondered aloud. “It could be a human criminal that presents that threat. Or possibly one of Lex’s leftover meteor freaks.”
Suddenly the SWAT van exploded in a huge fireball. The metal from the van acted as shrapnel, slicing through everything in it’s path. Lois dove out of the way, mostly out of habit. “Whoa!” She rolled over in a ditch. “You better hold off on that final paragraph, Gina!” She yelled into the phone.
Clark and Kara bolted for the flaming van, but it had nearly melted. If any SWAT members were in the truck, it was all over for them. Clark was furious. “I told them to sedate the freak!” He snapped. Kara was saddened, but understanding. “You did all you could, Kal. It’s not your fault that the police didn’t listen.” Lois had gathered her composure and came running towards them.
“Geez! What the hell happened?” She shouted over the din, feeling the heat from the molten truck. Dan Turpin lay behind a police car, stunned by the blast. Several officers were injured, some critically. Immediately, sirens wailed.
The officers were lucky that they had a number of ambulances and rescue vehicles close at hand. Clark zipped around, but there was little he could do without medical training. He and Kara were limited to moving flaming shrapnel from atop injured officers and their vehicles.
Lois helped Turpin to his feet, and he wobbled, feeling his head. “I see you have all of your appendages, detective.” She joshed. “What are you people, cursed?” Dan complained as he surveyed the damage. The EMT squad was already busy patching up the luckier officers.
“Sometimes I wonder, detective.” Lois shook her head. “Please tell me that we at least knew who Mr. Dynamite was.” Turpin was a bit dazed, but recalled the information he’d just gotten before the blast. “Yeah, Lane, the deceased was known as Bertram Ellis. He had no criminal record, was about forty- seven years old, no history of mental illness. The guy didn’t have so much as a parking ticket.”
“Maybe he just snapped.” Lois tried to apply some logic to it. Clark fumed. “Kara, let’s go!” Lois waved him back in. “Freeze, Smallville. We still have to get this story in to Perry. The networks are begging the Planet for details.” Clark calmed down slightly. “What do you need?”
“For starters, a good solid laptop port to hook into.” Lois pleaded to Clark with her eyes. “You want to super speed to the car?” Superman guessed. “Okay. Go. Kara and I will block the view.” The aliens blew a cloud of dust up between Turpin and Lois, giving her the cover she needed.
After filing her report, Lois returned to the waiting superheroes. “I guess we’re done here.” Clark remarked in a depressed tone. Lois again hugged Superman. “Clark, remember…you can’t save everyone.” She whispered in his ear. “That goes for you, too, Kara. That doesn’t mean that we should stop trying. Think about it, we saved thirteen other people today.”
“On the whole, when the balance sheets are tallied, we hope that we saved more people than we lost.” Lois said with unusual philosophical insight. “Humans die every day, Clark, Kara. It’s who we are. Yeah, some of it is senseless, and some of it is what it is.”
Clark and Kara silently considered Lois’s comments. “Thanks Lois.” Superman said as Kara nodded in agreement. “We should think of ourselves as police officers, firefighters, armed services members, emergency medical technicians, or ever vigilant concerned citizens.”
**Dedicated to everyone who remembers 9/11**
“Now buck up, kiddies. I’ll get off my high horse now.” Lois smiled brightly, having given them the pep talk of their young lives. “Lois, you are one in a million.” Clark praised, in a much more cheerful mood. “Of course I am.” She added facetiously. Their lighthearted mood wouldn’t last however…
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