The Foundling - Matchmaker Style
Rated PG-13
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
As always comments are welcome. (ken.janney@kjanney.com)
Previously
Nigel said, “Level three.”
Luthor, near panic now said, “Emergency evacuation, on my count … now.”
In response, Nigel threw another switch. This time red lights began to flash and a timer panel began to count down from thirty. Jets of vapor began to spout into the room and a small metal door popped open looking very much like an escape hatch.
Nigel moved toward the arms of Venus, but Luthor stopped him, “No, leave it. Leave everything.”
Nigel nodded in Jack’s direction, “The boy?”
“Him too. There’s only one thing I want.” He stepped toward the pedestal that held the globe, but as he approached it was as if the globe sensed the approach of its rightful owner and floated up toward the ceiling as if to meet him and out of Luthor’s reach.
Nigel reported, “Level four, sir.”
Luthor was fixated on the globe. He jumped as high as he could and still couldn’t reach it
Realizing that he was running out of time, Luthor finally gave up and joined Nigel at the escape hatch. With one last backward look he ducked through the hatch and Nigel closed it behind them.
Just as the hatch closed there was a final crash and concrete and debris cascaded into the room from the ceiling followed by Superman, his uniform covered in concrete dust.
His attention was immediately drawn to the flashing lights and the countdown timer. Grabbing the lever that Nigel had used to activate it, he reversed the switch, but the timer continued its count. He used his x-ray vision to see the workings and saw a manual switch that would be triggered by the timer. When the timer read three seconds, he used a blast of his super-cold breath he froze the panel and the moisture in the air within the mechanism preventing the trigger from closing, buying some time. Then using his super-strong fingernails he pried the panel off of the front and reaching inside ripped out the wires to the detonator.
Stepping to the center of the room, he lifted his hand and the globe settled into it.
After placing the globe in the hidden pouch in his cape, he went over to check on Jack. He removed his blindfold and bonds then steadied him as he stood. “Who did this to you?”
“I … I don’t know. Denny and I were eating. These two guys came in. I got hit. That’s the last thing I remember.
“We’ll see that you’re taken care of.” Now that all of the excitement was past, Superman looked around, saw the exhibits and marveled at what they were.
He forced the vault door open and led Jack out through the labyrinth of corridors, forcing doors as he went, finally emerging in a sub-basement of the actual museum. Using his x-ray vision he found a secret entrance from a tunnel. He used his heat vision to weld the door closed and planned to follow it to its source later.
He led Jack upstairs. It was night so only the night watchman was on duty. Seeing Superman in the museum after hours made him curious, but not concerned until he saw his companion. He asked, “What’s goin’ on, Superman? Who’s that with you?”
Superman placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder and said, “This is a friend of mine. He just helped me recover some of my property. Can I use a phone? I have to call the police and the museum curator. I think they will be interested in what we have found.”
“Sure. Come with me.” The guard led them to an office and opened the door, “The phone’s on the desk there.”
“Thank you for your help.” Superman picked up the phone and dialed the number for the Twelfth Precinct.
“Twelfth Precinct, Sgt. Cooper.” When Sgt. Cooper heard the voice on the other end he sat up straighter in his chair and listened.
“Sgt. Cooper, this is Superman. I would like to request that Inspector Henderson meet me at the Museum. He should bring Lois Lane and the young boy that is there with her along with him.” He looked at Jack as he finished, “I think his brother would like to see him, to make sure he’s okay.”
The look of worry started to disappear from Jack’s face as he heard this.
“Sure thing, Superman. Ms. Lane and the boy are right here. I’ll let Inspector Henderson know right away.”
“Thank you Sgt. Cooper. I’ll look for them.”
Superman next called the museum curator and asked him to come in.
When everyone was gathered, Superman led them all down to the hidden museum. Once there, Superman said that he had to leave for another emergency, but that he would stop long enough to call Clark Kent and inform him as to his wife’s whereabouts.
Twenty minutes later, Clark showed up with Jimmy Olsen in tow. Jimmy started using his camera as soon as he stepped through the vault door, documenting everything.
And Now
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 10
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lois convinced Henderson that Jack and Denny should be held as material witnesses and put up in a motel, temporarily, and then she and Clark went home to write up the story.
The next day the Daily Planet ran the headline:
”Crime in Metropolis: Superman Unearths Treasure Trove Beneath Metropolis Art Museum!”By: Lois Lane and Clark Kent
“Late last night while searching for a missing youth, Superman uncovered a cache of unknown and stolen artwork. The possessor is as yet to be identified. Once identified prosecution is expected. If authenticated the value of the trove is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Story continues A2”
A sidebar read: “Masterworks Donated to Metropolis Museum of Art." It was accompanied by a picture of Bill Henderson holding up the Venus de Milo arms.
Photo credit: James Olsen
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Before the alarm went off, Lois reached over and turned it off and then scooted around so that she was facing Clark.
All of her movement had awakened him and as soon as she was facing him he started a kiss.
Without breaking the kiss she moved so that he had to roll over on his back and she was on top of him with her elbows on the bed and her hands at both sides of his head.
Reaching under her nightie his hands slipped up her sides and caressed the sides of her breasts. She pulled herself up so that he could get his hands between their bodies and he was able to cup her breasts. Her moan of pleasure was swallowed up in the kiss.
Breaking the kiss, she pushed herself up so that she was straddling his hips and grasping the hem of her nightie pulled it off, over her head. Clark’s hands were still caressing her globes and she smiled her pleasure. She said, “I think we are both overdressed.”
She rolled on her side and started to push off her bikini panties as Clark slipped his sleep shorts off.
That started a period of marital intimacy.
When they were both spent, Lois rolled onto the bed at his side. As she did, she laid her head on his shoulder and laid some butterfly kisses on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head.
She sighed and said, “Now, that’s the way to get the day off to a great start.”
He laughed and said, “I guess you aren’t going to be luring me into the supply room today.”
Lois laughed and with a wicked little grin said, “No, not today. Tomorrow is another story.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After breakfast they headed into the Planet. When they got in, Perry was waiting for them. He was beaming when they exited the elevator.
He was standing near their desks and as they settled in said, “I suggested a strong finishing kick for the Meriwether judges, but I didn’t expect anything like this! If this doesn’t cinch it, I don’t know what will. Congratulations!”
Lois looked up at Clark and at his nod said, “Thanks, Perry. For both of us.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Luthor was on his way to a meeting at another facility
As they passed through the lobby of LexTower he had Nigel procure a copy of the Daily Planet for him.
As soon as Lex saw the headline he snapped the paper shut in disgust.
Knowing the source on Luthor’s irritation, Nigel said, “You could visit them on exhibit.”
Shaking his head, Luthor said, “It won't be the same.”
Nigel offered, “Quite right.” He noted that Luthor wasn’t anywhere near as upset as he had expected and voiced his question, “If you don't mind my saying so sir, you seem remarkably composed considering your loss.”
With an equanimity born of fatalism, Luthor replied, “Give and take, Nigel, win some, lose some. One step backward, two steps ahead.”
Nigel nodded, even though he didn’t really understand and then asked, “In what direction?”
“Actually, I’m not sure. We really have more questions than answers. That globe, how long has it been here? Did it arrive recently? What were the contents of that capsule? It was rather small, too small to be a transport vehicle. Was it simply a message capsule, or was it more? Will there be more? Will we have a regular procession of message capsules from Superman’s home world, giving him directions on how to soften us up for the take-over? Are they sending food-stuffs that he needs to stay alive? If only we could have seen through that mist. We need to find out more. We need that globe back, but he will in all probability place it somewhere that only he can access it from now on. As I said, ‘Win some, lose some’.”
“Yes, sir. I understand, sir.”
“Nigel, on that other matter … how are the arrangements for the accident coming?”
“I think that there will be a regrettable traffic incident … soon.”
“Good. Keep me informed.”
“Yes, sir.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That night, as Lois and Clark were preparing for bed, the globe came to life again. This time they were able to watch the hologram as they listened.
Jor-El and Lara were both standing next to what they knew to be Kal-El’s ship. The cover was open and there was a wire still attached to the globe using a magnetic or suction grip, obviously receiving these final scenes.
They heard, Jor-El,
”I try to picture where you are now as you hear this last chapter. What do you look like? Are you alone? Have you found your life mate? What have you become? Lara and I will never know. But that you should live to experience this ... that is enough. We are content.” Jor-El touched a button and the mist in the capsule cleared. When it did an infant could be seen. Jor-El started to seal the spaceship door. Before he did, Lara lightly touched the capsule's surface and the infant reached for her. Jor-El touched another button and once again the mist suffused the capsule. Jor-El closed the ship's door as another tremor began.
”We give you to Earth, to a realm called America, and a place called Kansas. The mist will cause you to sleep until the capsule is opened. Fresh air will revive you. Remember us, but do not regret our passing. All is fate.”As Jor-El’s voice faded the view shifted to a view of Krypton as seen from space. The globe must have been in communication with satellites in orbit. On the planet’s surface a pinpoint of light could be seen. Rapidly it grew in size and soon its nature was discernible. It was the miniature ship that Jor-El had been working on, the ship that carried Kal-El. As the ship flashed by the satellite the scene continued to center on Krypton. As they watched they started to see explosions scattered across the face of the planet. More and more became apparent until finally in a great cataclysmic blast the entire planet exploded sending chunks of debris in all directions. With the death of the planet the controller for the satellite was destroyed and the scene winked out of existence.
A few seconds were needed by them to recover from what they had just witnessed. Clark’s hand sought Lois’s hand. Lois squeezed his hand and then turned to him. When she looked at him his face was wet with tears.
Lois was also crying as she put her arms around his neck and said, in an awed tone, “Your parents
didn’t abandon you! They
saved you. Instead of trying to build a larger ship to take all of you away and probably failing in the attempt, they concentrated on building the small ship to save you.”
After a few moments of comforting one another, Clark looked once again at the globe. It had resumed the appearance of the Earth and had ceased to glow.
Clark, in a hushed tone, repeated Lois’s words, “I wasn’t abandoned by my parents, I was saved.”
“Clark, I think we need to go to Smallville. We need to tell your parents what we found out and I don’t think we should use the phone.”
Still a little shaky, he replied, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“You know, it’s a good thing that we were the only ones to hear Jor-El. If anyone else learned that they had sent you to Kansas … it would have led straight to you.”
“You are right. I’m glad that only we could hear it.”
In a sultry tone, Lois said, “The trip to Smallville can wait a while. They are an hour behind us after all. That gives us a whole hour.” She moved over, wrapped her arms around his neck and started kissing him.
He quickly joined in and soon forgot all about the globe. They were already in the bedroom so he took a couple of steps forward while Lois stepped back and then she felt the bed hitting her behind the knees and started to fall backwards.
He floated and eased them down onto the bed without breaking the kiss. After a few seconds she swiped her tongue across his lower lip and he opened his mouth in invitation. Her tongue moved seemingly of its own accord ravishing his mouth.
He broke the kiss and she whimpered at the loss, but let out a sigh of satisfaction as he clamped his lips to her earlobe.
While he nibbled on that his hands were busy unbuttoning her top and unhooking her bra.
Her hands were also busy pushing his sweatshirt up so that she could get her hands on the skin of his bare chest. He fingers traced the lines of his pecs and six-pac before moving to his back and splaying across as much skin as her hands could cover. She gasped out, “Pants.”
They broke away from each other only long enough to divest themselves of their remaining clothing before she tackled him and straddled him on the bed. Leaning in she claimed his lips again, but as she did she was moving her torso from side to side, dragging her breasts across his chest.
She stopped and with a wicked grin climbed off of him and knelt on all fours on the bed beside him. She teased, “We haven’t done this for a while. Come on, farm0boy. I feel like a heifer in the field waiting for the bull and you’re my stud.”
This started a period of marital intimacy.
Afterwards, they cuddled for a while, before Clark started chuckling.
Lois asked, “What’s so funny?”
“You’re really becoming a farm girl, my little heifer.”
Smiling she said, “Several similes passed through my mind. I thought that one would be most appropriate.”
“When you said that all I could think of was old man Schuster’s bull, Diablo. He was a mean one.”
“Well, all I can say is, you weren’t mean to me. I loved every second.”
Clark smiled and said, “I’m glad that I satisfied you, but we probably need to head out.”
“No probably about it. Come on, flyboy. I’ll get dressed. You get changed. I’ll carry the globe.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Kent family, all four of them were sitting around the kitchen table. The globe was sitting in the center of the table.
Lois was finishing the narrative, “… so there you have it. That’s the story.”
Martha asked, “Why couldn’t they save themselves?”
Clark replied, “I don’t know. It didn’t say. Lois thinks that perhaps they didn’t have time to build a larger ship, so they concentrated on the smaller one. The globe might know. Maybe it will tell me … someday.”
Lois stood and moved behind Clark. She wrapped her arms around him and said, “Maybe, but we do know that they loved you. They loved you enough to try and save you from a planet-wide disaster … at the expense of their own lives.”
Jonathan asked, “What about the kids, Jack and … Denny?”
“We’re going to ask Henderson to help us with them. They may have to split up, at least for a while. I think we can work through the Superman Foundation to find him a good home. It won’t be as good as the doorstep I ended up on, but better than where he was. Jack’s a little old for that. I’m thinking a half-way house. A place where he can live and maybe get a job. He’s basically a good kid that was put into a bad situation.”
Jonathan asked, “No idea who took him and the globe?”
“We suspect that it was Luthor, but we can’t prove it. He can’t identify the toughs that took him. It was too dark and they knocked him out. He was unconscious until I found him. The partial description he gave me about who bought the globe fits Nigel and Luthor, but that’s not enough.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A couple of days later, Lois and Clark were returning from the Dojo. They had parked up the street and on the other side because of all of the cars parked along it.
Lois got out of the driver’s side and moved to the back to get her gym bag.
As he was exiting, Clark saw an elderly woman crossing the street, jay-walking. He hustled to help her across.
As he entered the street a medium size truck suddenly roared to life and barreled toward him.
Lois’s attention was attracted by the noise of the revving engine and she looked up to see the truck heading for Clark. She shouted a warning, “Clark!”
He turned to face the truck and dropped to the pavement. He allowed the truck to pass over him and then floated up until he was hovering just under the engine block. He flew there, staying with the truck until it came to a stand-still. Swiping his hands across the bottom of the engine he used the oil and grease he picked up to stain his hands and clothes.
When he heard the door open he crawled out from under the truck and captured the driver.
The driver was taken completely by surprise and struggled against Clark. It was a sorely uneven contest. Clark used some of the karate he had been learning and put the man out. Picking him up by the collar he dragged him to a phone booth and placed a call to the MPD.
A few minutes later, Bill Henderson drove up. Looking Clark over and noting the condition of his clothes, he asked, “Okay, what happened?”
“This individual tried to run me over in that,” pointing he indicated the truck, “fortunately there’s enough clearance under those that I was able to hold on to the tie rods and motor-mounts and not be dragged to death.”
“Deliberate?”
“He didn’t stop to see if I was injured. Hit-and-run at the least.”
“We’ll see what we can get out of him.”
Just then, Lois drove up. She jumped out of the Jeep and ran to Clark. “Clark, honey, are you okay?”
Henderson turned to her and asked, “You were there? You saw it?”
“Sure I saw it. It was deliberate. He tried to kill Clark.”
“Okay, we’ll hold him for questioning.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Perry came out of his office a few days later, as usual he was wearing a vest without his jacket with his sleeves rolled up and his tie askew. As he did he saw Cat and Jimmy clustered around Lois’s desk. He didn’t know what was so interesting about the charts that they were looking at, but passed it off as research. Clark was busy typing away on his computer
He was carrying the copy of the paper that had the story of the art find. Waving it in the air he said, “Incredible piece of Journalism, Lois. Too bad about the Meriwether Award, though. Maybe next year.”
Lois looked at Clark and seeing he was busy answered for both of them, “Thanks, Chief.”
Cat, offended for Clark and Lois, said, “Well,
I for one am not satisfied.”
Lois quipped, “Big surprise there.”
Cat warmed to her topic, “We still have no idea where the art works came from, or who was keeping them in a secret vault underneath the museum.”
Lois was having a hard time keeping herself from telling what she suspected, but finally managed to control herself.
In reply to Cat, Perry said, “I hear questions, but I see follow-up stories. Lots of them.” Spotting a copy boy passing, Perry said, “Hey, how ‘bout some coffee here?”
The copy boy stopped and turned around. Lois recognized Jack. It had been almost a week since she had seen him last and she almost didn’t recognize him. He was cleaned up, looked well fed, healthy and neatly dressed. Nodding to herself she thought that Clark had probably used the influence of the Superman Foundation to get him a job here.
Jack answered Perry, “I don't do coffee. It's not in the job description. Read the manual, Gramps.” Turning on his heel, Jack went back to what he had been doing.
Lois made a mental note to have Clark talk to Jack about his attitude.
Perry was irate, he spluttered, “Who is that kid? Hey, you!” Perry chased off after him.
As Perry hurried off in pursuit of Jack, Jimmy was almost chortling as he said, “I love it. I no longer occupy the bottom rung of the food chain.” He thought for a second about Jack’s history and added, “But you better hide the silver.”
Cat turned to leave, but Jimmy stopped her. “So, when is the big night?”
Cat stopped and turned to face Jimmy. She sighed and had a pained look on her face as she said, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.” Her expression changed only slightly. Seeing Lois looking at her she winked as she continued, “I think I'm going to have to declare the bet null and void.”
Disappointment and dismay were evident in his expression as he demanded, “Null and void? Why?”
Cat was bordering on smug as she replied, “Jimmy, I've always thought you were kind of cute. And, if before this you'd told me that you found me attractive, who knows what might have happened? But, now that I know we're related by blood, I can't go through with it. After all ...” she patted him on the cheek as she finished, “we’re family.”
Cat turned and started to saunter away. Jimmy was stunned at her statement, but still hopeful of changing her mind, he followed her. He said, “It’s not illegal!”
Lois smiled and getting up from her desk approached Clark. “How’s it going, honey?”
He didn’t look up as he typed, “Just a sec. Let me finish this.” He typed a few more words, sighed and sat back.
Lois leaned in and read what was on his screen. She said, “That’s nice. They’re going on exhibit that quickly?”
“Yeah, the curator doesn’t see any need to delay the exhibit. All of the items recovered have been authenticated. The Venus arms may be sent to the Louvre so that they can be displayed with the statue. They may even attempt to reattach them.”
“That was a nice thing that you did for Jack.”
“The kid deserved a chance.”
“I think you need to talk to him about his attitude. I think he rubbed Perry the wrong way.”
“I’ll talk to him, but I don’t know how much good it’ll do. Part of the reason I got him the job here was so that we could keep an eye on him. If it
was Luthor and he doesn’t know how much Jack knows or doesn’t know, Jack is a threat to him and he may be wearing a target on his back. Having him here could keep him at least a little bit safer than anywhere else.”
“How’s Denny making out?”
“He’s in a good foster home. Jack sees him on a daily basis. He’s in school and adapting well.”
“I was just thinking about the globe. Do you think it’ll be safe there?”
With a smile he said, “Who would ever think of looking for something belonging to Superman in a child’s tree house in Kansas? As long as we don’t say anything, I don’t think mom or dad will so it should be as safe as if it was in an ice palace in the arctic.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Luthor saw the write-up of the attempted hit-and-run and depressed a switch on his intercom. “Nigel, a moment of your time, please.”
A few seconds later, Nigel entered Luthor’s office, “Yes, sir?”
“The hit on Kent failed. You must take care of the driver.”
“Immediately, sir.” Nigel started to turn away, but was stopped by Luthor.
“And the woman that lured Kent into the street?”
“All she knows is that she was to J-walk there at that time. No way for her to be traced back to us.”
Luthor thought for a second and then said, “Take care of her nonetheless. She knows that Kent was the target. Let’s not leave any loose ends dangling.”
Nigel nodded and started for the door, but before he had a chance to make it through the door, Luthor said, “Try something else next time.”
“Unquestionably.”
The end
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