Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Kerth Quiz #4: Best Original Character

As he reached the bridge of the song, he felt a gust of wind, but he dared not look up. His fingers kept confidently picking out the chords, and he found that he wasn’t shy now that he was fairly certain that he had an audience. He repeated the chorus one more time, then finished the song, letting the last note reverberate before finally stilling the strings. Only then did he look up, and he couldn’t help but smile as he saw her standing there, clapping lightly, a vision in dark-colored spandex.

The previous time he had seen her in this outfit, it had been so brief that he had barely been able to absorb what he was seeing. He had assumed her outfit was all black, but in the lights of his apartment he could see swirls of dark purple and maroon within the fabric. She didn’t wear a cape, high heels, or any frilly adornments, just a plain black mask over her eyes, which she casually removed from her face as he watched. Her hair was pulled up tightly onto her head, held into place with a hair clip. He had never seen her hair up like that outside of uniform, and it was amazing how it changed the shape of her face. As she stood like this, the resemblance to her famous father was unmistakable, but the more he thought about it, the less surreal it seemed. It was just Laura in a silly costume, standing in his living room like she had dozens of times before.

“Bet you didn’t know that I had this hidden talent,” Matt said, eliciting a smile from her.

“I would’ve never guessed. You seem so mild mannered,” Laura answered. Matt gestured to the couch next to him, and Laura crossed the room and sat down.

“Well I don’t do it for the fame or the chicks.” He glanced at her. “Well, maybe a little bit for the chicks. But mostly it’s a stress reliever. Been getting a LOT of practice in the last week or so.” His fingers began to absently strum a different Dave Matthews Band song. “So, I’ve showed you mine. It’s time for you to show me yours.”

She gave one quick laugh and leaned forward. “Excuse me?”

“The special talent that you’ve kept hidden from the world. I don’t imagine you can play bass – we could set up a little band…”

Her expression became one of long-suffering amusement. “I played a little bit of trumpet in high school, but I was always too shy to do solos. And I am NOT joining a band.”

Matt kept playing, though he glanced appreciatively at her outfit. “Shy, huh?” She crossed her arms across her crest and raised an eyebrow, causing Matt to chuckle lightly. “So, come on, let’s have it. I want to see what you can do.”

“Sometimes I think it’s easier not to be happy.” Cat wandered towards the window, trying to detach from her own emotions. “Fake a smile, laugh a touch too loudly. Build an image that’s good enough to hide behind, and steer clear of anyone who could shatter the illusion.”

“Are we talking about you or me?” Lois asked.

Cat shrugged. “Us. Mad Dog Lane is as much of a lie as Cat Grant.” Cat tugged at the hem of her skin-tight mini-dress, the one that drew attention to her figure and away from what she didn’t want others to see. “They’re both avatars, masks we wear.”

Lois cocked her head slightly. “Why are you telling me all this?”

Cat paused, taking time to gather her thoughts. “Because I’ve seen behind your mask. You’re not an arrogant award winner or an untouchable ice queen. You’re not the petty person that jealous haters with a fraction of your talent have tried to make you out to be. You’re funny and generous and kind. You’re beautiful. And I shouldn’t be the only one who knows.”

And Mary Frances found herself looking directly at a young man in a business suit with dark hair and glasses standing next to the stopped car. In the blink of an eye, he looked like he was thrown in the air and turned around so that he ended up sitting in a pile of trash. Before she could fully process what she saw, his companion, a brunette in a red power suit, called out, "Clark!"

Mary Frances moved closer to see if the man was injured. After a couple of steps she stopped when he got up. He rubbed the back of his head, but didn't seem hurt. Before she could politely turn away, he turned his head and she saw his face. She recognized him, but couldn't immediately place him.

This whole scene seemed familiar somehow. Then it hit her. The bus! This was the young man she saw stop a bus with his bare hand.

He was Superman!

Behind them, the sound of dogs grew closer once more. Jor-El worriedly looked from side to side, trying to find a safe place to lay low and wait for the threat to his family to pass. The shed, he decided. Limping, the young family made their way to the shed, careful not to make any noise. But the door was locked.

“The house?” Lara asked in a whisper.

Jor-El frowned. There was no way to tell if they could trust the occupants.

“For Kal’s sake,” she pressed. “He’s shivering.”

Jor-El looked at the infant in her arms. As Lara had said, the baby was shaking and trying to nuzzle in closer to his mother, even in his sleep. He whimpered once. Jor-El had no defense against that. He nodded and looked back toward the house.

“Okay,” he relented. “Just until the danger has passed.”
He helped his wife and child to the porch. Now a car’s engine could be heard, faint, but steadily moving closer. Lara collapsed onto the wooden floor as soon as they reached the door. In the pools of light coming from beyond the windows, he could see now that Lara’s injuries were worse than he’d feared. She was having difficulty breathing and blood oozed from dozens of wounds.

“I’ll draw whoever is behind us as far away as I can,” he said, stooping to kiss her lips. “I’ll double back once the area is clear. I don’t want them to know you are here, in case their intentions in following us are less than noble.”

“But Jor…” she protested.

“I wish I could stay,” he murmured. “But I can’t take that risk. I promise, I will be back for you both as soon as I can. Keep Kal safe.”

“I will.”

“I love you,” he said, cradling her head and kissing her brow. He took his son in his arms and kissed his cheek. “And I love you, my son.”

For several heartbeats, he held his son and stared at his perfect features. Then he gave him one more kiss and placed him back in Lara’s arms. Again, his kissed his wife’s lips. Then he pulled away and hurriedly shambled away from the house.

I remember my dazed confusion when his assault ended. It was as if my brain refused to immediately recall how the Kryptonian guard had snatched me from the group of terrified townsfolk being held captive in the park, and how they all turned their heads away from my screams, and how he dragged me around the corner of the block, behind the row of stores that line the main town square, and how he asserted his will. When he finished, he strode confidently away without a word, as if he was well-acquainted with using women as nothing more than playthings and then leaving them in despair. But I…and again, my brain shuts down and I’m at a loss for words.

I want to give this mysterious Kal-El a chance. I want to find some way to learn to care for him. But I can't ever love him, not even a small fraction of the way that a husband and wife should love on another. Gone is my chance to find happiness with this stranger, if we ever locate him in this hopelessly endless universe.

If we find him.

If we can convince him to come back with us.

If.

And if not...I don't even want to think about that possibility. A lifetime of being Nor's wife. A short life, I can imagine. Nor's temper is notoriously fiery and his patience in short supply. A violent death at his hands wouldn't surprise me in the least. Oh, I'm not afraid of him. Revolted by him, yes. But not afraid. I am stronger than he can possibly know.

A hero to mankind. Mike found himself momentarily speechless. Of course, he'd been the Guardian of heroes before - men and woman serving in the armed forces, police and fire fighters, even a brain surgeon, once - but the way "mankind" had been said give Mike the impression that the boy would be a hero to the entire world, not just in the community or country in which he lived.

"Sounds like a tall order," Mike said after a moment of contemplation. "But, I'm up to the task. Still, I have to wonder...We've never had a person born on one planet grow up amongst the people of a completely different planet before. Will he...be all right? It sounds like, physically, at least, he will. But...how will that affect his mindset?" He couldn't help but to voice his concerns aloud.

The Lord paused and gazed again out into the cosmos. "It will depend on a lot of factors," he said at last, in a distracted voice. "That's why, out of all the others, I chose you, Mike. You have a knack for making strangers feel welcome wherever they are. The path before Kal-El will be a rocky one, no doubt. There will be times when he may feel like an outsider, like there's no place where he belongs. It won't be easy for him. But he does belong on Earth, more than he ever did on his home world. There, he would have been a leader to his people, simply because he was born to the role. On Earth, he can become the very embodiment of hope and shape his own destiny. Perhaps he can help lead the people there to a brighter future."

Clark bowed his head in deference and once more ducked out of the room. He scanned with his x-ray vision to find where the billionaire was. He was being ushered out a back door. Clark swiftly found a place to change, then flew down to meet the world's newest hero.

"Mr. Stark?" he called as he floated down before the man.

"Superman! Lovely of you to stop by," came the reply. "And it's Tony, please."

"May I have a word with you...Tony?"

Tony looked to the men who were guarding him. "Go," he told them. Then, "What can I do for you?" His words were suspicious and heavily guarded.

"We need to have a little talk about your announcement just now," Clark said evenly, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Huh, funny, I don't remember inviting you to the party," Tony quipped.

"Luckily for me, I was in the neighborhood," Clark replied. "Now, please, come with me. I promise no harm will come to you."