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  • Originally posted by MargaritaD7
    I've been following your work here and on another platform.
    I was positively giddy to see an update on this one today!
    Aww, thank you. It's been quite hard to write any of my fanfics lately, so it can be a long time between updates. Having said that, a new chapter is coming right up.

    Comment


    • Chapter Fifty-Five

      Kally bounced back within a couple of days. In one sense it was a relief for Clark that she hadn’t got too sick. In another sense, it was a little concerning. From what he’d read about the virus, children usually took up to two weeks to recover from the illness. Kally had taken about a week. It was another one of those things that would make her stand out from other children.

      With his parents almost full time in Washington DC, now that his father had taken the seat left vacant by Senator Burke, Clark wasn’t sure who to turn to for advice. He couldn’t remember much about his own childhood. Or at least, where his abilities had been concerned. He did remember his parents telling him that he needed to be careful, because he was much stronger than other kids.

      It was funny. The ship had been down in the storm cellar for years, before his parents had told him the truth about his origins. All he remembered was that his dad had told him it was very sensitive farm equipment and he was never allowed to touch it. Even when they had to shelter in a tornado. Any other child would probably have taken a look regardless. His dad had threatened a ‘paddling’ if Clark had disobeyed him.

      Clark supposed it had been some sort of insecurity on his part that he’d obeyed. It was one thing he’d sort of shared with Lana, although she’d never really talked about it very much. Being adopted, they had both felt a little worried that if they did anything bad, their parents might have one day sent them back to their biological families. Even if, as it turned out, that was never going to be possible for either of them.

      It had taken years for him to let go of that little insecurity. Despite the assurances from his parents that would never happen.

      He was working in the barn when Kally came out, followed by Shelby.

      “Daddy, whatcha doing?”

      “Working,” he said. “What are you doing?”

      “Nothin’,” she replied, with that innocent look she always put on when she’d been up to mischief.

      “Uh-huh. Where’s your mom?”

      She responded with something that sounded like her mother and grandmother were baking cookies. Bubsy had been teaching Lois how to bake. Not that Lois was bad, per se, but cookies were on a different level to other types of cooking.

      “Daddy?”

      “Hmm?”

      “What’s metab ling?” She looked as if she wasn’t sure she’d said the right word.

      “Metabolism?” She’d obviously listened to what he and Lois had been talking about a few days before. How did he explain it? “It’s sort of … well, it’s something inside your body.”

      “Like what?”

      He bit his lip. “Ahh, well, it’s something that helps you grow.” He had no idea how else to explain it in a way she would understand. She knew nothing about chemistry and probably wouldn’t until she started high school.

      “Oh.” She didn’t look that convinced. Fortunately, Clark was saved from any further questions when Lois called from the porch.

      “Cookies are ready.”

      Clark grinned at his daughter. “Cookies,” he said.

      “Cookies,” she grinned back.

      He walked with her back inside the house and watched as she plopped down in front of the television to watch some children’s programme.

      Bubsy and Lois were sitting at the table, drinking coffee. Clark made himself a coffee and sat down with them.

      “So, what are you two planning now that you’ve almost finished your third year?” Bubsy asked.

      She already knew about their internships, but they still had at least a month to go before their final exams for the year.

      “That reminds me,” Lois said. “We still have to look into the Lucas connection.” They’d told Bubsy and Sam as much as they knew.

      “Are you planning on going to Edge City?” Bubsy asked.

      Clark nodded. Chloe had found out that Lucas had been arrested a couple of times and they had decided to go talk to the Edge City police precinct to see what they could learn about it. Lucas was supposed to have been under Lex’s protection, but he clearly was up to his old tricks.

      “We have tomorrow off,” Lois told her stepmother. “That’s if you and Dad don’t mind looking after the munchkin for the day.”

      “You know we love having her,” Bubsy assured her. “Edge City’s a hundred miles away. It’s a long drive.”

      Clark nodded. He hadn’t planned on driving them, but she didn’t need to know that.

      “So is Metropolis,” Lois reminded her. “It’s okay. We’ll leave early.”

      “Well, why don’t your dad and I have Kally overnight at the Inn? It’ll save you having to bring her over so early.”

      “That sounds like a good idea, Mom,” Lois replied. She looked at Clark, who nodded.

      Thanks to Bruce and Oliver, the security systems at the Inn had been upgraded. They’d also hired a security company to monitor the Inn at night in case anyone tried to enter the grounds unexpectedly. Lois and Clark felt a little easier about having Kally stay with her grandparents knowing the security was there. It also helped that the security company was owned by Artemis Consortium, which was Oliver’s shell company.

      Bubsy looked pleased at her suggestion. “Now, there’s one other little matter we need to talk about. Especially while little ears can’t overhear.”

      Lois seemed to understand immediately. “Why don’t we have the party at the Inn, Mom? We can invite some of Kally’s friends from daycare.”

      Clark nodded. “I think Dad will be able to get a weekend off from the Senate.”

      Bubsy sighed. “I can’t believe she’s almost four. You know, I still remember you showing up on my doorstep when she was just a baby.”

      Lois smiled at her, placing a hand over hers. “I’m so glad you took us in that summer. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t found you.”

      “Oh, honey, you and Kally were the best thing that ever happened to me. If it wasn’t for you, I would have never met your father.”

      “I know he feels the same way, Mom.”

      “Bless him. He’s such a lovely man,” Bubsy replied, with a loving smile. “And because of him, I have two daughters I adore.”

      “Rightbackatcha, Mom,” Lois replied with a laugh.

      Clark watched the two women as they exchanged hugs. It was funny how things had worked out. Lois had needed a mother figure in her life and had found that in Bubsy. Sam had found love again, which had also helped repair the rift between him and his daughters.

      Lois nudged him. “What are you so happy about?”

      “Just thinking how great things turned out. I wouldn’t change the last four years with you for anything.”

      She chuckled. “You’re such a sap, Smallville.” She turned back to Bubsy. “The man would cry at a wedding.”

      “Would not,” he returned.

      “Would too.”

      “Like I didn’t catch you blubbering after that movie the other night,” he retorted. They’d been watching a drama with a sad ending. Lois had sobbed.

      “Well, that’s different,” she returned.

      “Sure.”

      She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’ll get yours, Smallville.”

      Bubsy laughed. “It’s almost like you’re married already,” she commented. Then her eyes widened. “Oops.”

      Lois laughed even as she lightly scolded her stepmother. “Mom!”

      It wasn’t that they didn’t talk about it, but they’d both agreed not to discuss it in any detail with the rest of the family. They still had one more year to go before graduation. After that, it depended on when they were able to get jobs. They had to be realistic about it. Journalism was very competitive. Even if they did know the owner of the Daily Planet, or one of its senior editors, that didn’t guarantee them a job.

      The house was too quiet after Bubsy left with Kally. Normally, the little girl would be running around, making a racket. Clark didn’t mind. She would usually quieten down when he asked her to. She could be mischievous but had never been extremely naughty.

      ***

      They’d once gone shopping in a grocery store. Kally had sat in the cart with her doll, keeping herself entertained, while they’d walked up and down the aisles. Another mom had been there with her two kids, one around Kally’s age. Both children had run around, screaming their heads off, getting in everybody’s way. They’d even knocked down an elderly lady. Clark had stopped one of them before they could run into their cart. At the speed he’d been running, the boy could easily have knocked over the cart.


      Clark had just stepped in his way. The little boy had run straight into his legs, hard enough to fall down. He immediately started crying.

      “Stop!” Clark growled.

      The boy’s cries brought the mother running. “How dare you touch my son?” she berated him.


      Lois spoke up. “Clark didn’t touch him and if your kid hadn’t been running around like a little hooligan, he wouldn’t have had to stop him running into our cart.”


      “Don’t you tell me how to parent my children,” the woman screamed in Lois’ face.


      “Parent? If you were any kind of a parent, your kids wouldn’t be making nuisances of themselves.”


      “Oh, what would you know?”


      “You’re mean,” Kally piped up.


      “Excuse me?”


      “You’re mean,” Kally repeated. “Don’t yell at my mommy.”


      “How dare you?”


      It looked as if the woman was about to raise a hand to hit Kally, but Clark stepped in between them.


      “Don’t you dare raise a hand to my daughter,” he told her.


      The argument looked like it was about to escalate, but the manager appeared, with a security guard in tow. The older child was being forced to walk in front of them.


      “Mrs Smythe, I’ve told you before about letting your children run riot in this store.”


      “My angels …”


      “Devils, more like,” Lois replied. Clark touched her hand and shook his head, signalling not to make it worse.


      “Your son has just destroyed hundreds of dollars’ worth of merchandise and this time, I’m pressing charges.”


      “I never …” Mrs Smythe tried to protest, but the manager raised his hand.


      “Enough! I have it on the security cameras.”


      She tried one more time, pointing to Clark. “He touched my son! He’s a …”


      “Don’t you even dare utter a word against my boyfriend,” Lois interjected.


      “Hmph. I should have guessed.”


      “If this man did anything, he stopped your son from hurting another child,” the manager responded. “Let’s go.”


      The security guard glared at the woman and forced her to walk back along the aisle with the two boys. The manager looked at them.


      “I’m so sorry. We’ve had trouble with her and her children before. After this, she’ll be permanently banned.”


      Clark wanted to refrain from commenting, but Lois couldn’t help herself.


      “She’s done this before? Then why didn’t you do something before now?”


      “Unfortunately, it hasn’t been my decision. Now, however, with the damage the older boy caused, I’ve got a case with corporate.” He shrugged. “Luckily for us, we don’t have too many customers like that. Most of them are great.” He smiled down at Kally, who was happily listening to the conversation. “Your daughter, for instance. She’s very well behaved.”


      “She has her moments,” Lois replied, ruffling Kally’s dark curls.

      ***

      Clark was sitting on the porch swing. The hinges on the screen door squeaked. Lois came out, wearing a warm sweater. Even though it was April, winter hadn’t quite released its grip and it was cold.


      “I made hot cocoa,” she said.


      He patted the seat beside him.


      “It’s cold out here,” she replied, shivering.


      “I’ll keep you warm.”


      She grinned as she sat beside him. “You’re like my own personal heater,” she commented.


      He nudged her, taking the cup of cocoa. They swung gently.


      “What are you thinking about?” Lois asked.


      “Kally.”


      “What about her?”


      “I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder if we’re doing the right thing. Not telling her about me.”


      “Do you think she’d understand? About keeping it a secret?”


      Clark frowned. That was something he didn’t know. His parents hadn’t let him go to kindergarten with other children his age when he was five. The only child he’d had any interaction with was Pete. He hadn’t even met Lana until he’d started the first grade. Which would have been rather unusual, if his parents hadn’t been known for keeping to themselves.


      He remembered his father always talking to him about being careful of his strength.


      “You’re just a bit stronger than other children, Clark,” his father had constantly told him. They’d emphasised the need to keep that information to himself.


      “Well, on the one hand, yours was kind of a special case. I mean, you were stronger than other kids. The only thing different about Kally is she heals faster.”


      “I guess you’re right.” He sipped his cocoa.


      “At least she’s not a brat like some other kids.”


      “You mean, like that awful woman in the grocery store that time,” he reminded her.


      “Exactly. Those kids are going to grow up thinking they can get away with things because their mom never taught them any better. I mean, my dad was kind of strict, but at least I grew up knowing right from wrong. And I’d never have behaved like that in a store. Okay, so I kind of rebelled in my teens, but what kid doesn’t?”


      “Me, I guess.”


      “Well, you’re different, Smallville. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. My dad left me to my own devices, in a way. Your parents might have been strict, but at least they taught you good values.”


      “Your dad did too, in his own way.” It was one of the things he admired most about her.
      She not only had a good sense of right from wrong, but she stuck to her principles. She had strength of her convictions.


      “You’re right, he did.”


      They sat in comfortable silence, the seat swinging gently. The night air was still around them. It was one thing Clark loved about living in Smallville. Especially since he’d developed his super hearing. Out here, the only sounds were the occasional mooing of the cows.


      He knew they’d eventually have to move to the city if they were going to work for a big newspaper. He was needed in the city. There were times when he heard cries for help and he couldn’t sit back and do nothing.


      He’d been going out a few times a week. Mostly to stop muggings and store robberies. While people didn’t see him doing it, he knew he’d started to attract attention. Jor-El had been clear that he was not to reveal himself just yet. As far as his birth father was concerned, people weren’t ready to believe in a man who could fly.


      Not that he could. Yet. Flying was the one ability that kept eluding him.


      They were up early the next morning. Clark cooked the breakfast while Lois called the Inn.


      “Yeah, we miss you two, sweetheart. We’ll see you tonight. You be good for Grandma and Grandpa, okay?”


      Lois briefly spoke to her father before hanging up the phone. Clark shot her a look.


      “Don’t worry. She’s behaving herself.”


      “I didn’t say a word,” he replied.


      “Are you finished making the pancakes?” she asked. “I’m starved.”


      “Almost done,” he informed her, checking the pan on the stove. “Admit it, you just love me for my pancakes.”


      “Well, yeah. But I also love you for your sexy buns,” she added with a sly grin.


      He gestured with the spatula in his hand. “You, Miss Lane, are trouble.”


      “So what else is new?”


      They ate breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen together. By the time they were ready to leave for Edge City, it was almost nine. Lois looked a little dubious as they left the house.


      “Are you sure you don’t want to take the car?” she asked.


      He looked at her. “Are you worried about going super speed?”


      “A little. It’s just …”


      “Look, you just need to hang on to me. If it helps, you can close your eyes. I won’t let anything happen to you.”


      She bit her lip, but nodded. “All right.” She stepped forward, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. She buried her face into his chest.


      “Ready?” he asked.


      She tapped his arm. “Let’s go.”


      Clark set off at high speed. Everything around him appeared to slow down. Even as he sped, his mind was still able to process whatever he saw. It helped when he needed to avoid any oncoming vehicles.


      He’d never calculated his speed but if he had to guess, he would think he ran at more than 1000 miles per hour. The last time he’d been to Edge City, he’d gone to try to help Ryan by stopping a specialist from leaving the country. He’d run from Smallville to the city in minutes. His speed had increased since then.


      He slowed down enough so he could make sure there was no one around when they arrived. He stopped in an alleyway, not far from the police precinct.


      “We’re here,” he said quietly.


      Lois lifted her head. She looked around, then stepped back. Her fingertips were white from clinging so hard. She sighed.


      “No matter how many times we do that, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”


      “It’s okay. Come on. Let’s go see this detective.”


      She took his hand and they walked out of the alleyway and down the street toward the police building. It seemed to be a very rough part of town. Clark could see trash everywhere in the street, as if whoever was responsible for cleaning it up had just stopped caring. He spotted a car across from the station. It had been stripped, the wheels removed, the windows broken.


      “God, look at that.” Lois pointed to what had clearly been a small convenience store. It was empty now, the windows broken, the frames blackened. There had obviously been a fire there at some point.


      “Crime must be really bad here,” Clark murmured.


      They entered the station, only to find no one at the desk. Lois slapped her hand on the bell at the edge of the desk. They waited, but no one came. Lois rang the bell again, smacking it a few more times.


      A man came through the door. He had a scowl on his face. There were large bags under his eyes, which appeared to be bloodshot. Clark stepped back at the odour emanating from the man. He stunk of stale perspiration and cigarettes. He was morbidly obese. Food stains and sweat stains were all over his shirt. The buttons were straining against his bulk.


      “Yeah?” he asked gruffly.


      “We’re here to see Detective Donovan,” Clark said politely, giving the man their names. “Commissioner Jim Gordon from Gotham City vouched for us.” They’d asked Bruce to help them by talking to the commissioner, figuring he might have a bit more influence on the detective than Maggie Sawyer.


      The man did not look thrilled at the prospect. He grunted and turned away from them, going back through the door.


      Lois shot him a questioning look. They stood back from the desk, sitting down on the hard wooden bench.


      Clark noticed an analogue clock above the main doorway. He watched it as it slowly ticked away the minutes. Ten minutes went by. Then twenty. At thirty, Lois looked like she wanted to leave.


      “I don’t think he’s going to see us, Smallville,” she began.


      He was about to agree with her when the door the obese man had left through opened again and a man came out. He was well-dressed in a short-sleeved white shirt and tie. He clearly took better care of himself as his appearance was neat and much tidier than the other man.


      “Mr Kent, Miss Lane, I’m so sorry about that. Dave didn’t tell me you were here until five minutes ago.” He lifted a hatch on the counter and stepped through. “Why don’t we go get a coffee?” he suggested.


      They followed him out of the station and down the street.


      “Is it always this bad?” Lois asked as they walked.


      “Yeah. Unfortunately, the city made a lot of cutbacks, so our officers can’t patrol as much as we want.” He sighed. “I’ve been hearing about this mysterious figure in Metropolis. Sure wish this mystery ‘Blur’ would come to Edge City. We could use the help.”


      Clark didn’t comment. One of the reporters at the Metropolis Star had done an interview with a Lieutenant in Metropolis and they had been highly critical of the ‘Blur’. They didn’t want vigilantes taking the law into their own hands. Clark hadn’t seen it as that. He thought he was preventing crimes from happening. Since he wasn’t really an officer of the law, he couldn’t exactly arrest anyone. That hadn’t stopped him from giving them a taste of their own medicine.


      The detective ordered coffees and they sat down at a rickety table. The coffee shop had dim lighting and only a small number of tables. All the furnishings had seen better days.


      “So, Jim Gordon tells me you’re both studying journalism.”


      “Yes, we are,” Lois said.


      “He said you were interested in Lucas Dunleavy. Is this for a paper?”


      “Sort of,” Clark replied. “It’s a story that has connections to something else in Metropolis.”


      “Hmm. Well, I can tell you that we arrested Lucas Dunleavy on a couple of charges about a year ago. Aggravated assault, theft. The kid’s a real piece of work. But the case never went to court.”


      “Why’s that?” Lois asked.


      “The charges were dropped. I can’t tell you how, but I can tell you who.”


      “Let me guess,” Clark said with a groan. “Lex Luthor.”


      “Yeah. How did you know?”


      “Lex is his half-brother.”


      “Figures. The thing is, the kid’s got a history. Was always getting arrested on something or other. I was just a young cop when I first met him. He must have been, I dunno, fifteen? He was up on some pretty serious charges. Anyway, he makes a call and within an hour there’s an attorney ready to bail him out. Those charges never stuck either. All it took to make it go away was a hefty check.”


      “And I bet I know who signed that check,” Clark told him. “Lionel Luthor.”


      Lex had once told him that Lionel had schemed with Lucas to teach Lex a lesson about trusting family. The only problem with that was that Lucas had apparently told Lex that their father had approached him just a few weeks before Lex had found him. From what the detective had said, Lionel had known where Lucas was for years. Probably the whole time.


      It also seemed like Lucas had been kept in the foster system for one reason. As a test. Lionel had always been the type of man who enjoyed testing his sons. Or anyone who worked for him. Survival of the fittest.


      "I don't know if I've been that much help to you."


      "Do you have an address on Lucas?" Clark asked.


      "Sure. It’s an apartment building, down on 7
      th and Main.”

      “Thank you,” Lois said.


      “Just be careful. The kid’s dangerous.”


      “We will,” Clark assured him.

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      • It's absolutely worth it when you do!

        Comment


        • Originally posted by MargaritaD7
          It's absolutely worth it when you do!
          Aww, thank you. New chapter coming right up.

          Comment


          • Chapter Fifty-Six

            They decided to check out Lucas’ apartment. Lois wasn’t exactly sure what they were looking for, but guessed Clark was thinking anything to connect him to either Vincent or Lex’s current activities.

            The apartment building was nicer than Lois expected. If Lucas really was a crook, she would have thought he would live in a run-down building. Not something that only someone who was fairly well-off could afford.

            She frowned, looking up at the ten-storey building.

            “Well, this is …”

            “Yeah, I know. I wonder if Lex bought it for him.”

            “I guess we could look at city records to see who owns it.”

            “Might be an idea.”

            They checked the names on the mailboxes. Lois didn’t think Lucas would put his name on the box if he was trying to keep his presence low-key. She was right. There was nothing on the boxes to suggest Lucas lived there at all.

            “Maybe Donovan got it wrong?” she suggested, turning to look at Clark. He was frowning at one of the nameplates.

            “Meehan,” he said.

            “Me what?”

            “Meehan. Lionel told me to say that name once. When we transferred identities.”

            It was funny. Clark had a photographic memory, but Lois thought that was something she never would have thought would be connected.

            “Huh. Maybe that’s Lucas’ apartment.”

            “Only one way to find out,” he said. “Come on. It’s on the fifth floor.”

            He went to grab the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge.

            “Uh, I think you have to be buzzed in,” she said, gesturing to the intercom. There were buttons which she guessed they would have to push to buzz the right apartment.

            “Fire exit?” he suggested.

            “What if there’s an alarm?” she replied.

            He grinned. “That’s what heat vision is for.” She just shook her head and sighed.

            They made their way to the back of the building where, sure enough, there was an emergency exit and a fire escape. As Lois had guessed, the door was alarmed. She watched as Clark looked over the door. He must have found the wiring that connected to the alarm as there was a little puff of smoke.

            Knowing Clark would want to super speed, she let him wrap his arms around her and held on as he sped up the five floors. When they stopped, they were in front of Lucas’ door. The emergency exit they’d used was at the end of the corridor.

            Lois could see Clark was about to break the lock. She put a hand out to stop him.

            “What?” he asked in a low voice. “No one’s in there. I checked.”

            “Yeah, but Lucas knows you. If you break the lock, don’t you think he’d figure out it was us?”

            “Oh. Right. You got something else in mind?”

            “I might,” she replied. She’d once been given a Swiss Army knife. There were a couple of blades on it which she thought she could use to pick the lock. Failing that, there was always her credit card. Of course, that depended on how good the lock really was.

            She began working on the lock while Clark listened for any activity.

            “Picking the lock?” he whispered.

            She grinned. “This army brat has picked more locks than Houdini.”

            Thank goodness for cheap locks, she thought as it unlocked without much effort. Clearly whoever did security for the building had got a little complacent. Mind you, she thought to herself, they probably never expected someone like Clark to break in via the emergency exit either.

            The apartment looked like it had two-bedrooms. It was spacious, with a large living area and good-sized kitchen. It was the kind of place that would cost upwards of three thousand a month in New York.

            Lois immediately went to look in one of the bedrooms. Clark stopped her with a hand on her arm. “The other bedroom is probably the best bet. It’s an office.”

            “Why would Lucas have an office?” she asked.

            “Beats me,” he replied. “Let’s check in there.”

            The bedroom was indeed an office, with a desk and computer in the middle of the room. It wasn’t exactly tidy. Papers were strewn all over the desk and on a table next to it.

            Lois opted to start looking through the papers while Clark tried to get into the computer. Some of the papers were the usual junk mail, addressed to ‘occupant’. There was nothing with Lucas’ name on it.

            “Hey, look at this,” she said, holding up a newspaper clipping. It was an article on Lex’s trial. Clark nodded. It was pretty much a confirmation.

            Lois continued going through the papers but didn’t find anything else. She left Clark working on the computer, still trying to get into the files. Chloe had tried to teach him how to hack into a computer but he indicated he didn’t want to use that unless it was necessary. He was using everything he knew about Lucas to try to guess the password.

            Lois went back out into the living area, hoping there might be something else that could confirm he was mixed up in the whole mistrial thing. Except there wasn’t any paperwork to be found. Lucas was either not getting any bank statements or bills sent to his address or it really wasn’t his apartment.

            “Anyone ever tell you breaking and entering is against the law?”

            She looked up to see a man with dark brown hair and almost hooded eyes smirking at her.

            “The door was unlocked,” she replied casually.

            “That’s funny because I’m sure I locked it before I left.”

            She shrugged. “Don’t look at me.”

            “Why are you going through my stuff?”

            “I’m looking for something,” she told him. Might as well tell at least the partial truth, she thought.

            “Yeah?” He moved toward her. Lois quickly adopted a defensive stance. She was sure Clark would have heard Lucas by now, but she could handle herself. “What are you looking for?”

            “That depends.”

            “On what?” He smirked at her. “Don’t try playing games with me, lady. I’ve heard ‘em all.”

            “Yeah? If you’re that concerned about me breaking and entering, why don’t you call a cop?”

            “Maybe I will.”

            “Yeah, tell Donovan I said ‘hi’.”

            His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You know Donovan?”

            “Yep.”

            “Who the hell are you?”

            “Someone you don’t want to mess with, Lucas,” Clark said from the bedroom doorway. “She has a black belt.”

            Lucas smirked at Clark. “Well, well. Long time no see, Kent. What brings you to my neck of the woods?”

            “How about a deal you’ve been doing with Intergang in Metropolis?” Clark accused.

            Lucas stared at him. “Intergang? What’s that?”

            “Don’t play dumb, Lucas,” Lois replied. “The name Vincent Edge mean anything to you?”

            She caught a flash of annoyance. He quickly tried to hide it, but it was fairly clear he knew exactly what they were talking about.

            “What makes you think I’m going to talk to you?”

            “Isn’t that typical of the Luthor family?” Lois scoffed.

            “I’m no Luthor,” Lucas returned. “I walked away from that ******* years ago. As for Vincent, yeah, I know him. I was doing a business deal with him, but I dropped out.”

            “Business? Legal?”

            Lucas rolled his eyes. “Figures, Kent. Okay, fine, you got me. We’d been working together for a while, but he tried to cheat me out of some money. As for Lex, I haven’t seen him in years.”

            “Yeah? Then how did you pay for this place?” Lois asked.

            “Lionel. Before he got sent to prison for murder, he used me to hide some of his money.”

            “So you pretty much stole it,” Clark pointed out.

            Lucas shrugged. “I figured he owed me since he dumped me in the foster care system.” He glared at them. “Why are you so interested in Vince?”

            “Because we think he’s doing some kind of deal to keep Lex out of prison,” Lois told him.

            Lucas snorted. “Yeah, sounds like something he would do. Look, I’m no saint, but I washed my hands of Lex a long time ago. And Vince. So it’s no skin off my nose if you want to go digging up dirt.”

            “Why should we believe you?” Clark asked.

            “Because I’ve got nothing to lose, Kent. Besides, I kind of owe you. You did save my neck that one time.”

            Clark nodded. Lois frowned at her boyfriend.

            “This guy came after Lucas. Tried to shoot him in the alleyway behind the Talon. Lionel told him where to find him.” He explained that he’d managed to push Lucas out of the way, giving Lois a look which suggested there was far more to it than that.

            She shook her head and chuckled lightly. “That’s just like you, Smallville. Even when they don’t deserve it.” She glared at Lucas making her point very clear. Lucas snickered.

            “Damn, Kent! Your girl’s got one hell of a mouth on her.”

            “Yep,” Clark responded. “If I were you, I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side. She also has a mean right cross.”

            “I get that way when the people I care about are threatened.”

            Lucas raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Hey, I got no bones with you. As for Vince, all I can tell you is he took over some nightclub in Metropolis. I forget what it’s called. His dad owned it.”

            “Morgan Edge?”

            Lucas shrugged. “Hell, I don’t know. I just know that Vince’s dad and Lionel went way back.”

            “Yeah, they grew up in Suicide Slums. Then they murdered your grandparents. That’s what Lionel went to prison for.”

            “I knew it was something like that.” Lucas didn’t seem to care much at all about his family history.

            Clark seemed to remember something. “If you walked away from Lex years ago, then why did he get charges dropped a year ago?”

            Lucas looked surprised and annoyed at the same time. “Lex did that?”

            “You seem shocked,” Lois commented.

            “I knew the charges were dropped but I didn’t know how.”

            “Why should we believe you?” Clark asked.

            Lucas huffed. “Believe what you want. Now how about you get out of my apartment?”

            “One final question,” Lois told him. “Why is the name downstairs under Meehan instead of Dunleavy?”

            “Or Luthor?”

            Lucas rolled his eyes. “Why do you think? I told you, I don’t want anything to do with the Luthors. And I don’t want every as*hole in this town knowing where to find me. And before you ask, I did give the cops my address. I didn’t have much choice.”

            “In other words, you’ve pissed off quite a few people,” Clark commented.

            “Are you done?”

            “Yeah, we’re done,” Lois told him.

            They left the apartment and went downstairs, leaving through the main entry.

            “Well, that was … useful,” Lois said with a sigh.

            “I don’t know. Maybe it did turn out to be nothing, but it does confirm the connection between Lucas and Vincent.”

            “But not how that connects him with Ray Sacks.”

            They decided to get some lunch at a local diner before heading back to Smallville. When they arrived back at the Inn, Lois saw Bruce chatting with her parents. Kally was sitting happily on his lap eating a cookie. Lois couldn’t help grinning at the way her daughter seemed to have adopted the Gotham billionaire. Bruce had told her he didn’t really like children but it looked like Kally had a way around that.

            “Hi,” he said. “I had to come and see your parents about something. How did it go in Edge City?”

            “Pretty much a dead end,” Clark replied, sitting down at the table. “We talked to Lucas. He claimed to have had nothing to do with Lex for years.”

            “Except Lex apparently got some charges dropped about a year ago.” They explained what they'd learned.

            “That doesn’t surprise me, since Lionel kept tabs on Lucas for years. It’s Lex’s way of still having some control over his brother.” He scratched his jaw. "Of course, since he did have that newspaper clipping, he could just be lying through his teeth."

            They continued to talk about what they’d learned while in Edge City. Kally seemed to grow bored of the conversation.

            “Uncle Bruce, guess what?”

            He smiled down at her. “What, sweetie?”

            “It’s my birthday soon.”

            “It is, huh? And how old are you going to be?”

            She held up her hand and began counting with her fingers. “One, two, three … four. I’m going to be four.”

            “Wow! You’re getting to be a big girl.”

            She nodded in an exaggerated way. “I’m gonna have a birthday party. And Grandma says I’m allowed to have all my friends from school.”

            “How many friends do you have, Kally?” he asked, sounding amused.

            “Um …” She shrugged. “Will you come to my birthday, Uncle Bruce?”

            “I’d be honoured, Kally.”

            Lois laughed at the happiness in her daughter’s face. She watched as Kally kissed Bruce’s cheek before hopping off his lap and going out to the parlour to play with her toys.

            “You know,” Clark observed, “for someone who doesn’t like kids, Kally sure has you wrapped around her little finger.”

            Bruce snorted. “Look who’s talking,” he replied, then shrugged. "She’s a great kid.”

            “Not all of them are like Kally,” Lois warned.

            “Yeah, I get that. And don’t forget, I’ve been here to witness a tantrum or two. The fact that you two deal with it and don’t let it escalate is just good parenting. She’s not spoiled. Unlike others I could mention.”

            “Are you talking about Oliver?” Lois asked, knowing just how spoiled the young billionaire had been.

            Bruce chuckled. “Him, too, but I was talking about me. I was a spoilt brat.”

            Bubsy came out of the kitchen.

            “Are you two staying for dinner?” she asked. “And you, Bruce?”

            “I should really get back to Gotham,” he replied. “But thank you for the invitation. Another time.” He stood up. “I’ll be here for Kally’s birthday next week.”

            Bubsy nodded and gave him a quick hug. Bruce was not the most affectionate of people but he took the hug graciously.

            Lois loved the family dinners but she was glad to get back home. Once Kally was in bed, she sprawled on the couch. Clark massaged her feet.

            “Mm, that feels good,” she said, closing her eyes in bliss. She leaned back against the cushions, feeling as if she was going to drift off. Then remembered something from earlier. She lifted her head and looked at Clark.

            “What really happened with Lucas?”

            “You mean when I saved him? I’m not completely sure about who the guy was. I just know he came after Lucas and tried to gun him down.” He told her how Lucas had treated Lana, and tried to fire her from the Talon, when she had been co-owner. When that didn’t work, he’d promised to close the coffee shop. Clark had gone after him to try to talk to him when the gunman had turned up on the motorcycle. He’d used super speed to pursue Lucas and swat any bullets away before Lucas could get hit.

            “So, you saved him, even though he’d acted like an a**hole,” Lois said.

            “Well, just because someone acts that way, it doesn’t mean they deserve to be shot.”

            “If you hadn’t been there, he would have been.”

            “If I hadn’t had powers, you mean.”

            “How do you do it? How do you save someone’s life when you know what kind of person they are?”

            “The same way I save anyone, Lois. I can’t not do it in case someone turns out to be like Lex. That would kind of make me like judge and jury.” He chewed his lower lip. “Do I regret saving Lex’s life? Sometimes. Especially because of the things he’s done to us in the last few years. And yeah, I do think about it. Like what if the next person I save goes out and murders someone and I could have prevented it? The thing is, that’s not a choice you should make. You save someone from a burning building not because they’re a good person, but because it’s the right thing to do. I mean Jor-El once told me that Zod was his best friend once. But then Zod went on to destroy Krypton.”

            Lois nodded. It was something she hadn’t really given much thought to, but Clark was right. Choosing not to save someone was like being judge and jury.

            She felt it was similar to what a doctor or a fireman faced in these sorts of situations. If they knew someone was a bad person, would they still try to save them?
            Of course they would, she thought. Because it was their job. Just because Clark had super powers, it didn’t make him any different from a doctor.
            Last edited by phoenixnz; 02-06-2023, 11:17 PM.

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            • I love this story! Thank you for sharing your talent and creativity.

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              • Originally posted by JoD_coyote
                I love this story! Thank you for sharing your talent and creativity.
                Thanks hun. It takes me a while to update these days, but I hope they're worth it when I do. Speaking of which ...

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                • Chapter Fifty-Seven

                  “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Kally, happy birthday to you.”

                  Clark watched as Bubsy brought out the cake. She’d gone all out, frosting a cake with a picture of Dora the Explorer, holding a miniature cake. The smaller cake had four candles on it. Kally was crazy about the animated series, which had stories about a little girl who went on adventures.

                  Kally squealed in excitement as the cake was placed in front of her. She was told to make a wish and blow out her candles. Clark watched as she squeezed her eyes shut for a few seconds before leaning forward to blow out her candles. Just as she did so, a little boy sitting beside her also leaned forward.

                  Bruce, clearly catching on to what the little boy was about to do, quickly put a hand in front of the boy, using his other hand to jerk the boy back in his seat. Kally got to blow out her candles without interference. Clark picked up on a woman grumbling with annoyance over Bruce’s actions.

                  The boy had already been a problem. He’d seen all the wrapped gifts and had immediately demanded some of them. When he’d been told they were for Kally, he’d thrown a tantrum. His mother, instead of chastising him, had proceeded to throw a tantrum of her own, saying her son deserved to have one of the gifts.

                  Clark had already confronted the mother, telling her that the party was for Kally, not for her son. It was Kally’s birthday, not his, and the woman had no right to demand anything for her son. He hadn’t even been invited to the party as Kally had only wanted her friends from preschool. The little boy, clearly spoiled, was considered a troublemaker at the school. He had taken toys off the other children and even slapped another child. Kally, already wise beyond her years, had told him off and then refused to have anything to do with him. The boy had no friends at the school.

                  Realising there was about to be more trouble brewing, Clark watched the mother. She continued to glare at Bruce as if he’d beaten her son. He glanced at his friend, then at Lois, who hadn’t missed a thing. Nor, it seemed, had her father. He was doing his best to stay calm for Kally’s sake, but Clark could see a tic in his jaw.

                  Bruce had turned away, headed for the kitchen where he could sit and talk with some of the other adults. The woman had obviously seen him leave as she made a beeline for him. Clark knew Bruce could defend himself, but he started moving anyway, planning on intercepting the woman. Sam, who had been busy trying to keep the woman’s son from grabbing all the cake for himself, had picked the child up and stepped in front of him.

                  “I got this, son,” he said. “I know her husband.” He adopted a sharkish grin. “He used to be one of the boys under my command at the base.”

                  Clark immediately grinned back. He knew the army brass didn’t take too kindly to military spouses throwing their weight around, or using their spouse’s rank to try to get their own way. That kind of thing was considered un-military and bad for the army’s reputation. Which also meant her husband could be facing disciplinary action for failing to inform his wife of the inadvisability of her actions.

                  It wasn’t long before the woman heard exactly what that would entail. Clark did his best not to use any of his ‘tells’ as Lois called them, trying to make it look like he was enjoying the party while listening to Sam telling the woman off.

                  “Are you freaking kidding me? That child is the most spoiled brat I have ever come across, and it’s no wonder, if you’re her grandfather. I can’t believe …”

                  “The only spoiled brats here are you and your son. Don’t think I don’t hear what goes on in that preschool. What your boy is lacking is discipline. And if I had my way, he wouldn’t be allowed in that school until he learned to behave!”

                  “How dare you? I’ll have you know …”

                  “What? That your husband used to be under my command? Keep it up, lady, because you’re making it very easy for me to ensure that he faces disciplinary action.”

                  “You’re not a general anymore. You can’t make him …”

                  “Yes, I can. The commander happens to be a damn good friend of mine and if I tell him what’s gone on here this afternoon, he’ll come down on you so hard you won’t be able to sit down for a week. I don’t like how you’re raising this boy.”

                  She snorted. “Like you can talk. What kind of father lets his daughter go off and get pregnant at seventeen?”

                  “At least my daughter took responsibility for what happened and my granddaughter is being raised right. Unlike your son, who acts like he’s entitled to have anything he wants. I sincerely hope you learn some parenting skills, lady, because when that boy grows up, he’s going to learn that the world doesn’t revolve around him and he can’t get everything he wants.”

                  “He’s only four. You can’t expect him …”

                  “My granddaughter is old enough to know right from wrong. I already know he’s been caught stealing from the commissary.”

                  “It was just a candy bar,” she protested, but her protest was weak.

                  “Today a candy bar. Tomorrow a car. Or maybe a bank.”

                  “You’re exaggerating.”

                  “No, he’s not,” Bruce interjected.

                  “You stay out of this or I’ll sue you for hitting my child.”

                  Bruce laughed. “Go ahead and try, lady. The judge will laugh you out of court.”

                  Clark heard Bubsy speak kindly.

                  “Ma’am, I’m going to ask you nicely to please leave before I really let my husband loose. I was kind enough to let you and your son stay even though you were not invited, but you have overstayed your welcome.”

                  Clark couldn’t help laughing to himself. Bubsy’s words were polite enough, but he detected the steel note in her voice. Don’t mess with Mama Bear. Sam could be dangerous when angry, but the quiet fury from Bubsy could move mountains. She might not have raised children, but she was just like Clark’s mom who had never had to raise her voice. All his mom had to do was use a tone of disappointment and Clark would slink off with the proverbial tail between his legs.

                  “What are you listening to?” Lois asked beside him.

                  He looked at her. “How did you know?”

                  “Because I know you.”

                  “Your dad’s telling off the mom.”

                  “Good. I’m glad it’s my dad in there and not you.”

                  “What are you suggesting Ms Lane?”

                  “We both know you can be very angry Papa Bear when it comes to our daughter.”

                  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “That’s true. But, you know, you can be just as scary a Mama Bear.”

                  She laughed. “I think all moms are like that.”

                  “It’s not what they say, it’s the look.”

                  “You mean the one that says, ‘I’m so disappointed in you’?”

                  “That would be the one.”

                  “Why am I not surprised that you would be very familiar with that look?” Lois returned.

                  He nudged her. “Like you weren’t?”

                  Kally chose that moment to come over. Her face was covered in cake crumbs and frosting. She leaped into his arms.

                  “Daddy, Daddy!”

                  “Hey, sweetheart. What’s that all over your face?”

                  “Cake.”

                  “Yeah, I bet it is. Let’s get that off your face before you get it all over my shirt.”

                  Kally giggled and hugged him. Clark resigned himself to having a stained shirt while Lois laughed quietly in the background. Maybe the woman did think Kally was spoiled, but she was still far better behaved than most kids Clark had seen.

                  He helped her wash her face and spent the rest of the afternoon supervising the half-dozen children running around the gardens and playing on the bouncy castle Sam had hired for the day. It was warm for April. Not that he really felt the change in temperature that much.

                  Chloe came out with a glass of lemonade.

                  “Lois thought you might be thirsty,” she said, handing it to him. He thanked her and turned back to watching his daughter with her friends. It looked like they’d made up some kind of game of tag as one child would ‘tag’ and the rest would chase them. Chloe laughed. “Kally seems to be having a great time.”

                  “Yeah.” He chewed his lip. He couldn’t help thinking about what the woman had said.

                  “No, Clark,” Chloe replied when he voiced his thoughts. “I don’t think you’re spoiling her. You’re doing what any loving parent would do. You reward her when she’s good and set limits for her. She’ll be thanking you for that one day. Maybe not when she’s a teenager, cause, you know, we all have to go through that rebellious phase, but she’ll understand.”

                  She watched the children for a while. “You know, you’re lucky. You’ve got everything. I mean, I’m not talking about your powers. I mean, Lois and Kally. You’ve got a family that adores you. Some people go through life without that. I mean, that’s okay, it’s just, you know, some people might feel it would be nice to know that someone cares about them the way Lois cares about you.”

                  He looked at her. He could see the wistful expression on her face.

                  “Chloe …” She immediately went into denial.

                  “I wasn’t …”

                  “Yes, you were. And I happen to know someone who likes you. A lot. I just didn’t say anything because I thought you were still getting over Jimmy.”

                  “Soooo …”

                  “It can’t hurt to try, can it? I mean, Oliver’s a good guy.”

                  “I thought you guys didn’t like him at first?”

                  “Well, he was kind of brash in the beginning, but remember how he helped with Kally? And you know Kally loves him.”

                  “That’s true,” she conceded. “Kally does have a way with people.” She frowned. “How come he didn’t come to the party?”

                  “I think he had to go to Australia to check out another of Lex’s facilities. I’m sure he’ll be back in a few days.”

                  “I bet Kally was disappointed.”

                  Clark nodded. Oliver had come to the farm especially to see Kally and tell her why he couldn’t be at her party. It had been a white lie, but with a glimmer of truth so Kally would understand.

                  He’d even given her a birthday gift early. A complete collection of Dora the Explorer toys.

                  As he got ready for bed that night, he couldn’t help reflecting on the things Chloe had said. He did consider himself very lucky to have his family. He’d always wondered if it was ever going to be possible for him to even have children of his own, but Kally was proof that it definitely was possible.

                  Lois came in after checking on Kally.

                  “Sound asleep,” she confirmed.

                  “She probably wore herself out today.”

                  “It looked like she was having a great time though.” Lois got into bed beside him. “So, what were you and Chloe talking about?”

                  “Oh, just this and that. I think she was feeling, I don’t know, kind of lonely.” They’d talked about Oliver’s apparent attraction for Chloe but had decided to just let whatever happened, happen naturally. Clark had seen Oliver try to flirt with Chloe, without realising that Chloe was the kind of person who tended not to realise that the rest of the world existed when she was focused on something.

                  Clark confessed that he’d told Chloe about Oliver.

                  “Smallville, I thought we agreed?”

                  “I know, but she just seemed kind of sad and I thought it might cheer her up a little bit to know that Oliver does like her.”

                  “Well, I don’t know, Smallville.”

                  “I’m not saying they should get married or anything.” It couldn’t hurt for Chloe to go on a date with the blond billionaire. If it turned out they weren’t compatible, there would be no harm done. But Clark had a feeling about them. The same feeling he had when he’d really got to know Lois.

                  He had never told her of the day when he’d taken Lois and Kally to the fortress, only to stay behind. He’d felt almost as if he’d been torn in two. This wasn’t like when he’d become ‘Kal-El’ the night he’d met Lois for the second time. It was as if his mind was in the fortress but his heart was back in Smallville. With his two girls.

                  He’d already known then that he loved her. He just hadn’t been sure that she was ready for that kind of relationship. When she’d thrown herself into his arms the day he’d returned, he’d realised she felt the same way.

                  Next morning, Clark got up at his usual time. His father, normally an early riser, was still asleep. Kara, who was now sharing the apartment above the Talon with Chloe, was already in the barn, doling out feed.

                  “Morning, Kara,” he said.

                  She turned and smiled at him. “How did the party go yesterday?” she asked.

                  “It was great. Kally really enjoyed herself. It’s a shame you couldn’t be there.”

                  She shrugged. “Oliver wanted my help in Sydney and I couldn’t say no.” She had been working with Oliver and his team on the 33.1 facilities. She went on to tell him that they’d been investigating a meta-human with extraordinary strength. He was known as Mammoth. While he was strong, he wasn’t particularly bright. He’d been employed as a guard at the facility.

                  It was a good thing she had gone, she told him. Oliver’s team would have been crushed by the man in the ensuing confrontation.

                  “So, what happened?”

                  “I took him to Oliver’s facility. I don’t know if they’ll manage to hold him. He’s pretty strong. But they’re hoping to figure out what caused his ability and find a way to counteract it.”

                  She suddenly frowned and looked over toward the yard. Kally was walking over.

                  “Auntie Kara, how come you didn’t come to my party?” she asked.

                  Kara dropped the pail she was holding and picked Kally up.

                  “I’m sorry, sweetie, but Uncle Ollie needed me to help him on something. I hear you had a great time.”

                  Kally nodded. “We had a Dora cake, and presents and a castle. And everything.”

                  “A castle? Wow! I wish I could have been there.”

                  Clark grinned at her. “Don’t worry. Mom will show you the tape later.”

                  Kara laughed. She turned back to Kally. “Want to help me feed the animals?” she asked.

                  Kally nodded. “Yup.”

                  Clark watched them go. Kally was obviously telling Kara all about her party as she gestured with much enthusiasm.

                  “Still talking about her party, huh?”

                  Clark turned to look at his father. “Yeah, looks like it. She’ll probably be talking about it for days.”

                  His dad chuckled. “You responded with equal enthusiasm when we gave you your first birthday party.” He sighed softly. “Actually, it wasn’t much of a party, since it was just your mom and me, but you didn’t know any different. I sometimes wish we could have done things differently, but your mom was always …”

                  “Dad, it’s okay. You were trying to protect me.” He knew they were afraid that someone would find out about his origins and take him away. That had always been his dad’s greatest fear. Even when they were fighting about football, Clark knew deep down it had never been about his father not trusting him to not use his abilities. It was the fear that someone might see differences in the way he played and start doing some digging.

                  That was one of the reasons Lex could never seem to shake off his family’s reputation. Considering the way Lionel had manipulated Clark’s father into helping him finalise the contract on what would become the fertiliser plant, he had good reason to distrust the Luthors. Then when Lex started doing his own digging into the way Clark saved his life, that had just added to the ill-feeling.

                  Now that he had his own family to protect, Clark understood his father’s worries. Maybe they still had a few years yet, but considering Lex had already tried twice to get something out of Kally, Clark knew it was only a matter of time before something else happened.

                  Which was why they needed to keep working on investigating.

                  It had come as a surprise when he and Lois received an email from, of all people, Lucas. While Bruce was adamant Lucas was trying to play them against Lex, Lucas had told them that his old friend Vincent was not only trying to take over Intergang from the local leader, Ron Milano, but he’d also confirmed a connection between the district attorney, Ray Sacks, and Vincent’s father.

                  They’d done some further digging and found that Sacks’ father, also a district attorney in his day, had been discovered to have been taking bribes from Morgan Edge. All with the purpose of ensuring that Edge’s men either got off with a lower-level conviction or acquittal.

                  It still wasn’t enough to prove that the current D.A. was dirty dealing, but they’d passed on the information to Maggie Sawyer. She hadn’t been overly optimistic about being able to get the proof they needed.

                  Meanwhile, Sacks was still pretending to be working hard to secure another court date for Lex’s trial. He had called them, sounding annoyed at the delaying tactics of Lex’s attorney. Clark had detected slight variances in his tone as he was talking. One of the things he’d talked about with Bruce was studies into the way voices changed according to whether the person was being deceptive.

                  Bruce, it seemed, fancied himself as something of a detective and had hundreds of papers on various studies on body language and other ways of learning behavioural characteristics. He had even consulted his research and development team at Wayne Enterprises, asking them to look into building something that could give him vocal print analysis.

                  Clark had once asked him how he managed to keep the fact he was Batman from people in his company when he asked them to take on various projects. Bruce had once told him that when he had first started developing the Batman suit, and all the toys that went with it, he’d approached Lucius Fox, who was now the CEO of Wayne Enterprises. When Bruce had returned from Asia, he’d already started formulating a plan to become Batman. So on a tour of the R&D facility, a Kevlar harness and survival suit had been exactly what he’d needed.

                  Bill Earle, who had been planning on taking the company public, had seemed surprised at Bruce’s request for the tour. Bruce had done his research and already knew about the suit. Of course, he’d lied when Lucius had asked what he’d wanted it for and told the man he wanted it for cave diving. Even that had been a stretch.

                  Lucius, to his credit, had never said a word. Even when the ‘toys’ he’d built had appeared on the streets of Gotham. He’d made it clear that he had a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, but he still knew Bruce was Batman. They’d built up a trust between them over the years.

                  “Clark.”

                  He looked up, realising he’d been miles away. Lois was standing in the middle of the barn.

                  “What is it?”

                  “Bruce just called. He said he was contacted by Batman, who was contacted by someone who works for Ray Sacks.”

                  “What did they say?”

                  “Bruce said the guy would only talk to the Blur. He figured we could put him in touch with him. The Blur, I mean.”

                  Clark nodded. He understood the need for her to speak in code. While the farm wasn’t bugged, there was still a good chance that Kally might overhear. As much as they wanted to be able to trust that their daughter understood the need for keeping secrets, she was still only a child.

                  They went in to breakfast. Bruce had already set up a meeting with the contact, but it wasn’t going to be until later that night. That would make it easier for Clark to hide his identity.

                  Bruce met them on the roof of the Daily Planet. As his public persona, Bruce was a good-looking man, but still just human. As Batman, he was impressive. He had a commanding presence. Especially in the dark of night.

                  “He said he wanted to meet you in the alley behind the Planet,” Batman informed Clark in his raspy voice. He had started off just disguising his voice, but Lucius had developed a voice modulator, very similar to the one Oliver used as Green Arrow.

                  “How do we know this isn’t a trap?” Lois asked.

                  “We don’t. We just have to hope that he doesn’t know about meteor rock.”

                  Lois looked at Clark. “You know, you really should start working on a way to counter that. I mean, we can’t have you collapsing all over the place.”

                  She didn’t voice it, but they were both thinking it. What if Kally, once her powers started to develop, also got sick around meteor rock. They hadn’t had to test that theory so far, and it was something Clark would rather avoid.

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