Meet Sam Wayne, Part 4
By: C. Leuch
The late morning sky was a cloudless blue and the air was just beginning to get hot and sticky as Jenny and her family crossed the large green space on the Metropolis University campus separating the main parking area and the student union. They were on their way to CJ’s memorial reception, each of them with a box or bag of items in hand. The Union had been chosen as the location for the reception, partly because many of his close friends were still at the University, but also because it was a place where he had hung out frequently, where he had been well known and well liked, where his spirit lived on. The family also recognized that the Union was a rather informal gathering place, more suited to CJ than any stuffy funeral home or church would ever be. If they were supposed to be celebrating CJ’s life, what better place to do it than a building on the campus that he had given so much of himself to?
Jenny wrapped her arms around herself, pulling CJ’s varsity letter jacket tighter around her body. It was several sizes too big and inappropriately heavy for the time of year, but she found it comforting. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she could almost believe that he was walking next to her, the light musk of his aftershave and the tinge of leather bringing back memories of chilly days, his jacket keeping the cold away, his laughter keeping her warm. She smiled, opened her eyes, and sighed, knowing that memories would be all she had of this place after today. It was hard to feel too bad about it, though, especially since she still had her husband to go back to, and he was the most important part of those memories.
Her smile widened as a rumble of thunder reverberated in the sky above. She had to stop herself from waving as a streak of color cut across the horizon, not all that far away from campus. Behind her, she could hear her family members gasp.
“What was that?” her fifteen year old brother Jim asked, his eyes wide. Jenny turned and pointed to the source of the sound.
“Superman,” she said nonchalantly. Her parents and brother looked in the direction she indicated, and she could see their jaws drop fractionally as they saw him. She had to suppress a giggle, reminding herself how she felt the first time she had seen the same thing. It was hard not to be awe-struck when you saw Superman in person after only ever seeing him on television. Little did they know, they’d already spent plenty of time with the Man of Steel since arriving in Metropolis the day before.
“Does that happen a lot in this city?” her dad asked, and Jenny shrugged, trying to keep her expression as neutral as possible.
This was the first time that her family had visited her here. Her wedding had taken place in Missouri, and her access to free flights had allowed her and CJ to visit her hometown quite frequently. There had never been a need for her family to come to Metropolis before. “Well, you know, from time to time. It’s one of those things you get used to when you live in Metropolis.”
Everyone nodded slowly, their eyes still skyward even long after Superman had disappeared to points unknown. Give it a few seconds, Jenny thought, and no doubt one of the Kent men would appear....
“Jenny!” she heard from near the Union. “Sears family!”
Jon Kent, clad in a formal suit, was jogging toward them, his hand raised in greeting. Jenny waved, then gestured for her family to follow as she started toward the building again. Jon only took a few seconds to meet up with them. “Do you need some help?” he asked, pointing to the bulky boxes that Jenny’s dad and brother were carrying. At their grateful nods, he took the boxes and eased into step beside them.
Jenny had a lot she wanted to chat with Jon about, notably the trip that was supposedly going to take to Gotham the night before. But with her family around, it was a conversation that would have to be put on hold for a while. “So, Jon, we’re not late, are we?” Jenny asked, straining to locate her watch under the heavy leather sleeves of the coat.
“No, no, I just got here myself,” he said. “Got held up at work.”
“Or something like that,” Jenny muttered, and he gave her an amused glance. She just smiled.
“Mom, Laura, and the wife are already getting things set up, but I think Dad was going to be a few minutes yet....” The idle chit chat continued on for a few minutes, and they quickly reached the door of the Union. Right before they entered, thunder rumbled across the sky again, and Jim looked up, searching for the source of the sound and quickly finding it.
“Man, that’s so cool,” he said. Jenny held open the door and tugged gently at his shirt, urging him in.
“Come on, Jim. If you’re nice, I’ll tell you about the time I met Superman.”
“Mom’s shown me the videotape, like, a thousand times,” Jim answered, referring to her very public engagement at halftime of the Metropolis University football game honoring Superman and son. Of course, it made ESPN, was recorded by Jenny’s mother, and shown to probably every resident of St. Joseph. At the mention of the tape, Jenny heard her mom sniffle, and had to stifle a groan as she knew that another round of tears were on the way.
Jim was doing a great impression of a brick wall, and Jenny tugged harder on his jacket to try and move him along. “Well, okay, Jon here has interviewed Superman. How’s that?”
“Both of them,” Jon chimed in. “One-on-one.” Jenny looked over toward him and smiled gratefully as Jim finally ripped his eyes from the sky and started inside, quickly making his way toward Jon’s side. Jon smiled back at her, then proceeded to tell Jim the tale of the big chemistry building explosion on campus. The two of them started walking slowly toward the stairwell, Jon gesturing as best he could with his arms full of boxes, Jim listening in rapt attention.
Jenny started to follow, but noticed that her parents had come to a stop. Looking behind her, she saw her dad with his arms wrapped around her mom, who was crying heavily now. With a sigh, Jenny reached into her pocket and pulled out a tissue, thrusting it in their general direction. The previous twenty four hours had been similar to this. At the mere mention of CJ’s name or the sight of his photograph, her mom had become a blubbering mess, going through at least one box of Kleenex so far with no end in sight. She had managed to contain herself when their family had gone to dinner with the Kents, but as soon as they returned to Jenny’s apartment and started gathering things for the service, it had started up again.
“He was such a special boy,” her mother said between sniffles, grabbing for the tissue. “He loved you so much.”
“And I loved him,” Jenny said gently as she took a step toward her mother and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. It had been hard to play the part of the bereaved wife even before her mother had come into town, but now, with the constant outpouring of grief, she was sure that she appeared almost cold by comparison. Once or twice the night before, she had mustered a few tears, brought on by the old happy memories and the knowledge that things would never be the same again. But it was becoming harder to pretend to be sad, to pretend to be anything but impatient. She wished that she could find some way to tell them the truth, that she could end the needless suffering, but now was not the time.
At that moment, the doors to the Union opened next to them, and Clark walked in, the ever-present smile on his face fading as he saw the scene in front of him. Giving Jenny a worried glance, Clark addressed her parents, then guided them toward the stairwell and their meeting room. Jenny followed behind, handing tissues to her mother who tried to wipe away the tears and make herself more presentable. “I’m sorry for making such a scene, it’s just...we all miss your boy so much,” her mother said. “Even Jimmy does. Your Clark always took the time to hang out with him when nobody else would.”
“I’m sure he’d appreciate knowing that you all cared for him so much,” Clark said gently. “And I’m sure being around your son gave him a good excuse to keep in contact with his rambunctious inner teenager.”
Jenny bobbed her head and smiled weakly, knowing that the statement was true. If CJ was nothing else, he was in good contact with his inner child. His sense of fun was part of the reason she loved him so much. But, she thought with a frown, an experience like the one he had, the airplane crash, being surrounded by people in need and not being able to help them, could certainly make the innocence go away. He hadn’t seemed especially brooding when she last saw him, but now, in a new town with a new life, she wondered how he was handling it. When she came back to him, would he be the same CJ? Would he be as quick with a joke? Would he still view life with the sunny optimism that he always had before?
Jenny shook her head and made herself stop, knowing that thoughts like those were fruitless. It was best to look forward to seeing him again, but first she would have to get through this day. As she looked around, she noticed that they had finally arrived at the second floor room. Various family members were in the corner furthest from the door, hard at work moving tables and chairs and getting things set up. Jon had long since placed the boxes of photos and trinkets on the floor, and Laura and Diane had started rooting through them, pausing with each item to make comments before placing it on one of the tables. Jenny’s parents had found a couple of chairs to sit in, and her mother was still trying to compose herself, with Clark offering words of encouragement. Away from the rest of the activity, Lois was moving around flower arrangements, at times seemingly lost behind the large spreads of foliage. As Jenny watched, Lois stopped, her eyes finding a gap in the flower sprigs and locking onto Jenny’s. Quickly, the arrangement was placed on the nearest hard surface, and Lois walked toward Jenny, taking a detour toward Clark and the Sears family, saying a few words to them, and then continuing on.
As Lois reached Jenny, she gave her best smile, held out her arms and shooed Jenny out of the room. “What...?” Jenny asked, suddenly confused. Lois continued to herd her toward the stairs and back down to the ground level.
“This is a rescue, dear,” Lois said. “You looked like you could use one.”
Jenny found herself smiling and falling into step next to Lois. “Yeah I suppose I could.” As they reached the ground floor, they angled toward the back of the building, where a few small eateries and sandwich shops were located.
“I know all about difficult mothers, believe me. Mine wrote the book.” They approached one of the vendors and picked up some coffee, then sat down at a table in the far corner of the seating area. Because it was the summer and only a few classes were in session, they more or less had the area to themselves.
“It’s not that she’s difficult, per se. I mean, I can understand her grief. I’d probably be even worse if he were really gone,” Jenny said. She tugged at the heavy arms of the coat, pushing them up as far as she could so that she could properly grip the coffee. “I just wish she didn’t have to go through that.”
Lois smiled and took a sip of her coffee, looking thoughtfully at Jenny for a moment before speaking. “You could tell them the truth. You don’t need to wait for our permission. I know Clark hasn’t said anything because he thinks it’s your decision, and it is.”
“I know,” Jenny said quietly, looking down at the table. “And I also know that I’m going to have to tell them eventually. When I get engaged to Clark’s new persona, the cat will be out of the bag. But I don’t know how to tell them, and I have the feeling that there will be hard feelings when I do.”
Lois reached out and squeezed Jenny’s arm, drawing Jenny’s gaze upwards. “It’s tough, I know.” Her smile began to fade, and her eyes became distant as she continued. “We told my parents once,” she said, taking another sip of coffee. “Not too long after we were married, the question came up about whether or not we could even have kids. Rather than wait for nature to answer the question, Clark went in for tests, and when we didn’t get the answer we wanted, I asked my father to look over the results. He was a doctor, and I figured that he’d keep the secret safe, but...things happened.” Lois shook her head. “The secret, it can make you miserable if you look at it the wrong way. A freak accident with a memory altering machine made them forget, thank God, but after that....”
“You never told another soul?” Jenny asked, and Lois nodded.
“My sister’s going to be here today and she doesn’t know, or at least I haven’t told her.” Lois sighed.
It must’ve been a lonely existence at times, Jenny thought as she looked at Lois. To hide away a part of your life from the people you loved, from your friends. But she and Clark had had each other for all those years, and now they had the whole extended family to share their deepest secrets with. It was hard to be too lonely when their family shared so much love, and Jenny found herself smiling.
“What?” Lois asked, a curious look on her face.
“I’m just glad I’m not having to go through this alone, that’s all,” Jenny said, looking down. “You know what this is like. I mean, Clark said that something like this happened to him. I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like for you.”
Jenny looked up again, and was surprised to see Lois wearing a pained expression. When Clark had told his story the other night, she thought that Lois had seemed a little less than thrilled at reliving the memories, but Jenny just assumed that it was the isolation that the incident had caused. But it sure looked like maybe it was something else.
“Well, the big difference between then and now is that you at least know that CJ isn’t dead.”
Jenny furrowed her brow. “You mean...?”
“Clark hadn’t told me about himself yet. I had no idea. As far as I was concerned, he really was dead, and that just ate me up inside. I was a wreck.”
“Oh, my God,” Jenny said, her voice small. “Did he try to drop hints or let you in on the secret afterwards? Did you come up with a solution together?”
Lois shook her head, taking a long sip of coffee. “I don’t think he knew how much it affected me. We weren’t dating at the time, although part of me knew that he wanted to take our relationship beyond just being partners. And I think the whole episode shocked him just as much as it did the rest of us, and for a while he probably didn’t know what to do.”
“Still, to not let you know....” Jenny started, and Lois shook her head again.
“I know that he’s embarrassed about the way he handled the situation, and for good reason. But it could’ve been worse. He could’ve given up and moved on, slipping into a new life like CJ did. But he went out of his way to keep Clark Kent alive, and he made sure that I was the first person that saw him after his return from the dead. Through all the grief and the pain, I was forced to admit that I really did love Clark, and more than just as a friend and partner. I don’t know when or if I would’ve realized that if he hadn’t been killed.”
Lois gave a small smile, her eyes distant. Maybe the moral of the story was that even the worst events in life could turn out positive. Even this service today, as negative as it seemed, could end up working out for the best. If nothing else, it would remind them all of what great friends CJ had, that they all had, and how important it was to value those friendships while they had the chance. “So it all worked out for the best, then,” Jenny said, and Lois nodded gently.
“Once I knew Clark’s secret, I didn’t have any hard feelings about what I went through. And when the time comes for you to tell your parents, they won’t hold it against you, either. Love can get you through a lot, believe me.”
“Yeah,” Jenny said, returning Lois’s smile. “I just hate all the acting and the lies, that’s all.”
“That’s why you need to take a time out every now and then,” Lois said, and Jenny couldn’t disagree. The constant sadness of her mother, and the way her family seemed to circle the wagons around her, not realizing that she really didn’t need their comfort, was beginning to weigh on her. It felt good to step away from that and just be herself with Lois. And deep down inside, Jenny found that she was actually a bit excited about making a life in Gotham, and about falling in love with her husband all over again.
“Lois, today you are my hero,” Jenny said, and they both giggled. For the next fifteen minutes or so they talked about whatever came to mind. When asked about the news of the day, Lois sighed and said that there had been a big rush hour pileup on the freeway, which was why the men had taken so long to arrive that morning. Lois also mentioned that Clark had checked his voicemail at work earlier that morning after being out of the office since the accident, and had found the message that CJ had left from the airplane. She said that she hadn’t listened to the message, that the shade of white that Clark had turned upon hearing it was enough to quash her curiosity. Neither of them wanted to speculate what he had heard, but Jenny could imagine. The type of thing that could cause Clark to go pale could only be horrific...and CJ had witnessed it all firsthand.
As the conversation moved on to more pleasant things and the coffee cups emptied, they decided that they should make their way back to the room where the reception was being held. Guests were due to arrive shortly, and both had a sneaking suspicion that their presence would be needed to put the finishing touches on the set-up. They grabbed a few coffees for the rest of the family and returned to a room that was still in need of some attention.
Jenny was glad to see that her mother had stopped crying, although Mrs. Sears was obviously trying very hard not to look toward the front of the room, where all the photographs and trinkets from CJ’s life were now on display. Her mood improved a little as Jenny handed her one of the coffees and moved on to chat with Laura and Jon, who were still shuffling around display items. Everything was arranged chronologically, starting with baby photos and toothless elementary school pictures, through his science awards and on to his academic and athletic achievements in high school and college. A spot was left for his letter jacket, which Jenny shrugged off and put among the mementos. As she took one last look at the tables full of items that spelled out the life of her husband, she felt an unexpected rush of emotion. Her heavy intake of breath drew the attention of Jon and Laura, who were instantly by her side, offering silent comfort and strength. She wrapped her arms around them, and the three stood together for a few long moments just looking at what was in front of them, each no doubt remembering, each grateful that it wasn’t really the end.
A few minutes later, the guests started arriving.
The reception lasted two hours, the initial trickle of guests swelling to a large crowd as time wore on. It seemed like the entire football team, all the coaches, and the majority of the athletic department stopped by to offer their sentiments and share their memories. Jenny met many of CJ’s professors and teachers, along with friends and acquaintances. Some of the attendees had only met him once or twice, but they remembered him just the same. Old childhood friends, former girlfriends, Daily Planet employees, and a lot of the extended Lane family that Jenny had only heard about through legend also came by to pay their respects. It was an education meeting so many new people, but it was also somewhat overwhelming.
Jenny had expected there to be plenty of sadness and tears at the reception, and there was some of that, but more often than not, her husband’s memory brought a lot of smiles to people’s faces. It seemed that everyone remembered him as the guy who was the life of the party, the person they could always turn to if they needed to be cheered up. Beyond just being the funny guy, they also saw him as loyal and dependable, and a great talent and friend. She was truly heartened to see how well loved CJ was, and she wondered if he realized what an effect he had had on the lives of others.
As the crowd began to thin and the end of the reception began to near, an old, familiar face walked into the room. Jenny was the first to notice her, and she couldn’t help but smile as she watched for a moment. The new guest stood just inside the door and looked uncomfortably around the room, trying her best to appear bereaved but not being wholly successful. Her eyes swept slowly over the tables of trinkets and mementos at the front of the room, her eyes widening a little as she found the Kent family members. Finally, a smile formed on her face as she noticed Jenny looking her way.
“Jenny!” she said, quickly crossing the room and drawing the attention of the rest of the family. Jenny glanced toward the Kent clan and had to suppress a laugh as she saw a few members of the family cringing, no doubt reliving memories of times gone by.
“Susan!” Jenny said, walking forward to greet her former roommate with a hug. Susan had graduated from Metropolis University about a year ago, taking her spot in the “real world” after graduation. Jenny had kept in occasional contact with her since then, exchanging birthday and Christmas cards and sending a wedding invitation, although the RSVP was never returned. Susan had grown up a lot in the year that they lived together following the Zarate incident, and she had moved on from her Superman fixation. The Kent family hadn’t seen much of her since then, hence the cringing, but Jenny suspected that they’d be pleasantly surprised if they spent some time with her.
“Can we go somewhere to talk?” Susan whispered as she wrapped her arms around Jenny. Jenny nodded lightly, and as they pulled apart, Jenny motioned toward the hallway. Susan nodded, then turned to give a nervous smile toward the rest of the assembled Kent family before leading the way out of the room.
Neither said anything as they randomly started checking doors in the hallway outside the room. It only took a couple of tries before Jenny was able to find one that was unlocked. “Susan,” she said, motioning toward the room. Together, they peeked inside, made sure nobody was around, and then closed the door behind them. Susan quickly perched herself on a chair and faced Jenny, an eager expression on her face.
“I never told you congratulations,” she said. “How is the happy groom?”
“He’s fine,” Jenny answered, a smile spreading across her face. “This whole thing kind of put the kibosh on the extended Honeymoon....”
“Oh, come on. You guys have been on the honeymoon for the last two years.” Susan’s grin was teasing, and Jenny found herself blushing. In college, she had been careful not to be too intimate with CJ when Susan was around, in part because Jenny knew that she wouldn’t appreciate seeing two people making out in front of her, but also in part because she knew that Susan had had a bit of a crush on CJ. Of course, Susan could infer how intimate the relationship was by the number of nights that Jenny spent at CJ’s place. Jenny wasn’t one to kiss and tell, though, and it just seemed awkward to be discussing these issues with Susan, even if it was in vague terms.
“Anyway, we’d been planning on moving to Gotham, and this just accelerated that a bit. That’s where he is right now.”
Susan’s eyebrows went up. “Gotham? Seriously?” She looked to her left and right, then turned back to Jenny. “He’s going to be Batman, isn’t he?” she asked, her voice low. Jenny nodded, bringing a smile to Susan’s face. “Ooh, I’m going to have to watch for him on the news! That should be exciting. I live in Gotham now, you know.”
The last time Jenny had written to Susan, it had been via her uncle on the outskirts of Metropolis. Maybe the move would explain why Susan hadn’t attended Jenny’s wedding. “No, I hadn’t heard. New job?”
Susan nodded, that eager look appearing on her face again. “Insurance. Yeah, I know, kind of boring, but it pays the bills and get me out of the house. Say,” she said, suddenly thoughtful, “are you going to be joining him out there?”
Jenny nodded, a playful smile on her face. “What, and leave him there to save the city alone? He wouldn’t keep his tights clean without me around.”
Susan smiled. “So where are you going to stay? Maybe we can meet up and keep each other company until he emerges from the dead.”
Jenny’s smile faded somewhat. “I don’t know where I’m staying, to be honest. Clark was supposed to find a place when he went out there, but then....”
“So stay with me,” Susan said quickly. “I have an extra bedroom in my apartment. We can be roomies again, and Clark can stop by whenever he wants.”
There was a certain appeal to the offer, Jenny had to admit. She had figured that she would end up being stuck in a cramped, hole-in-the-wall efficiency until CJ established his new identity and it was safe for them to move in together again. Having a roommate was not an option for obvious reasons, meaning a lot of time alone and probably some pretty hefty rent. But Susan was in on the secret, and she was a trusted friend, even if she did still qualify as an eccentric. They wouldn’t have to sneak around if she was there, and she could help run interference if someone suspected something strange was going on. “Are you sure?” Jenny asked, and Susan’s smile widened.
“Sure I am! It’ll be like old times.”
Jenny looked at her, studied her for a long minute, and Susan’s smile never flinched. What was the harm, she asked herself. Even from the outside, it would look like two old friends hooking up to help Jenny though a tough time. “Okay,” Jenny said. At the word, Susan jumped from her chair and clutched her hands together, her smile now almost painfully wide.
“Oh, this will be great, you’ll see.”
Jenny rose from her chair and gave Susan another loose hug. “Thank you, Susan. I’ll try not to be too much of a bother.”
“Nonsense,” Susan said, returning the hug. “I have a feeling it will be exciting, especially if that husband of yours stops by while on duty. One thing about you guys was that it was never dull with you around.”
“Come on,” Jenny said, pulling out of Susan’s embrace and motioning toward the door. “I should get back to the reception before people start to miss me. We can talk some more afterwards.”
Susan nodded, following Jenny out of the room and back toward the rest of the family. That was one problem solved, with only a few hundred more to go, Jenny thought with a sigh. Now that the service was just about over, she could begin to move on with things. All she had to do was shoo her parents out of town, pack a bag, and get back to the life she had planned before all this happened. Forget about the apartment full of shabby furniture and just opened wedding presents, forget about the cards and flowers that she was already beginning to be inundated with. Only one thing, one person, was really important, and he was waiting for her in Gotham. She’d taken the first step toward getting back with him, thanks to Susan, and suddenly all the remaining steps didn’t seem so daunting.
As she returned to the room, she steered Susan toward the Kent family, and watched with a smile as they greeted her warmly. They chatted for a while as the reception wrapped up, and then Susan helped gather everything up again, returning all the items to their proper boxes and bags. When it was all said and done and the room was straightened up, Jenny slipped on CJ’s letter jacket again, Susan picked up a bag, and together they exited the building, surrounded by Jenny’s extended family. Walking across the green space and toward their cars, Jenny took one long last look back toward the Union and let the old memories come. She would miss the Metropolis University campus and the Union in particular, and she supposed that she would miss the innocence that her life in this place had held. Everyone had to grow up and move on at some point, and this was it for her. The surroundings began to blur as tears formed in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.
“So, Susan,” she said, returning her attention to the walk ahead of her. “Let’s talk about schedules....”
***
From the street, the sky over Gotham was an almost milky dark, the ambient glow from the bright streetlights and signs throughout town drowning out the soft light of the stars. The moon was barely more than a sliver, sitting low enough on the horizon that it was obscured from the average citizen by the tall buildings of the city. The darkness became more absolute as it filtered down to the alleys and side streets, especially in the more neglected parts of town, where maintenance workers were afraid to work, and where the streetlights tended to be darkened. It was easy to hide in the dark, to be obscured by the shadows, and the criminal element knew it. It was just as easy for the unsuspecting tourist to ignore anything not illuminated by the lights from above, to feel a false sense of security merely because they did not see the danger that awaited them in the darkness.
On one street in a seedy part of town, a woman walked briskly along the sidewalk, her eyes locked ahead, her purse slung over her shoulder and clutched with one of her free hands. Her path took her generally down the center of the sidewalk, although she seemed to veer toward the areas of greatest illumination. Turning a corner and progressing up one of the side streets, she let out a yelp as a man stepped from the shadows and stopped directly in front of her, a gun conspicuously tucked into the waist of his pants. The woman’s eyes went wide as the man’s hand came to a rest on the butt of the gun.
“So, uh, I think you might have something I want,” the man said, his voice devoid of emotion. The woman looked down at her purse, then pulled it closer toward herself, gripping it possessively.
“No, please,” the woman said, her fear coming though in her voice. “I don’t have anything in here that’s of any value.”
“That’s for me to decide,” the man answered, taking a step toward her and drawing the gun out of his pants. As his other hand began to reach for the woman, another figure quickly emerged from the shadows. In one fluid motion, one hand reached for the man’s gun as the other balled into a fist and hit the man squarely in the jaw. The woman jumped back, but she didn’t run away, instead watching the scene in front of her with curiosity. The man who had been intending to rob her fell limply to the concrete, his gun clutched in the hand of another man, who was now fully illuminated by the street light. This new man was dressed almost completely in black – black jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt, and dark sunglasses, a black bandanna tied on his head. He looked toward her and smiled.
“Don’t be afraid,” the new man said, his voice gentle. “You’ll be okay.”
The woman nodded once, not moving from her spot. Her eyes locked momentarily on the gun, which the man quickly brought behind his body and out of her sight. He had no doubt that, in his haste, he probably squeezed it a little harder than he should have, harder than a normal person should be able to, and it probably showed. The woman turned her gaze back toward his face, and she studied him for a moment before looking away, sculpting her features into a mask of neutrality, and continuing on her way toward wherever she was going.
As her footfalls continued down the street, the man in black, CJ, forced himself to take a few breaths to slow his racing heart. The hand that clutched the gun squeezed a little harder, distorting the gun into an unusable hunk of metal, then let it fall to the ground. Score one for the good guys tonight, he thought with a wry grin, looking at the unconscious man on the sidewalk.
It had only been twenty minutes or so since CJ had first set out from the infamous bat cave for a night of cleaning up the streets. Since he still didn’t have a suit and probably wouldn’t for a little while, he decided the dip into the vast wardrobe that Bruce had for undercover work. There were outfits for every occasion, although the majority were clearly meant for blending in with thugs and street hoodlums. It was one of those that he had chosen for this night, deciding to concentrate his efforts on street crime and other acts that directly impacted the average citizen of Gotham. He drove to town in an average car, not wanting to stand out, and parked it in an average lot near one of the hotspots that he had noticed the night before. After hiding in the shadows for only a few minutes, he witnessed his first crime, and he acted quickly and decisively. It was just too bad that there was nothing more he could do with this guy. Maybe a sore jaw would be enough to deter him from a life of crime...or maybe not. At least one woman was safe for now, and that was enough.
Quickly, he stepped out of the light and let himself be hidden in shadow once again, his eyes easily locating other dangers in the darkness. Most of the homeless men in the surrounding streets and alleys seemed uninterested in what had just happened, but other men, ones that looked like associates of the man who was now unconscious on the sidewalk, gathered near the mouth of a nearby alley and eyed CJ with malice. It only took a glance to see that most of them were armed, and it was pretty obvious that they wanted to inflict a little bit of pain on him for hurting their friend. With a lopsided smile, CJ sauntered toward them, wanting to get the inevitable confrontation over with. As he approached, the men reached inside their clothing, clutching their weapons, and started to surround him.
“You boys have a problem?” CJ asked in a scratchy voice, his half-smile still present. He stopped and stood tall in the center of the rough circle that the men formed around him.
“No, but I think you might,” one of the men said, drawing a knife from behind him.
“Do-gooders don’t last very long around here,” another man said, pulling a gun from inside his shirt, raising it up, and pointing at it CJ. In an instant gun went off with a loud blast.
Nonchalantly, CJ brought his hand up and caught the bullet. Then, in a quick, fluid motion, he stepped forward and kicked the gun out of the man’s hand. The next moment, the crowd of men seemed to collapse around CJ. Fists flew, weapons were drawn, but none reached their target. CJ may not possess super speed, but he was certainly faster than an ordinary man. As he dodged the errant jabs, he struck out with precision, landing blows on the men around him and gradually reducing their numbers. In mere moments, the large crowd was reduced to two men, whose eyes widened as they looked at their fallen comrades. CJ’s smile grew and he reached out for them, grabbing each by his shirt as he turned to flee. The men squirmed, but CJ pulled them toward him, eventually forcing them to look at him.
“Tell your friends that unless they’re fond of pain, maybe they should find a better way to spend their nights,” CJ said. The men nodded vigorously, their expressions fearful. With that, CJ released them and they ran.
Well, CJ thought, that was certainly invigorating. He looked down and counted the number of unconscious men around him, shaking his head as he realized that there were at least enough to form a football team. He’d taken out a street gang, probably one of those that spent all night robbing and vandalizing. There would be none of that tonight, although he had no illusions that beating the snot out of them on one isolated night would change their behavior. Maybe beating the snot out of them multiple nights would do it, though, he thought with a grin. Wiping his hands against each other, CJ stepped over the collapsed bodies around him and made his way down the street and toward the neighborhood business district, another criminal hot spot.
The streets were fairly deserted now, the neighborhood hoodlums apparently smart enough to know that they wouldn’t be able to wreak too much havoc with him around. This was as good of a time as any to make a phone call, he thought, looking at his watch and pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. It was late enough to be considered impolite for calling someone’s home, but he knew that Jenny would be awake, and that she’d certainly want to hear from him. They hadn’t spoken in two days now, which was the longest that he’d gone without contacting her for as long as they had known each other.
Absently, he pushed the speed dial number for their Metropolis apartment and held the phone up to his ear. It was answered after two rings, but the voice that greeted him caught him off guard for a moment. “Hello?” said the voice of Jenny’s mom, its tone a little hoarse. He hadn’t even considered the possibility that her parents would be coming into town to help her out, and that they would probably be staying at the apartment with her.
CJ opened his mouth to speak, but he was sure that his voice would be recognized if used his normal timbre. After a moment of hesitation, he decided that a little misdirection would probably go a long way. “Yes, may I speak to Mrs. Kent, please,” he said, lowering his voice and adding a nondescript European accent. He cringed a little bit at how he sounded, sure that Mrs. Sears would think something funny was up. To his surprise, she didn’t protest, asked him to wait a moment, and finally handed the phone over to Jenny without comment.
“Hello, sexy,” he said, and he could almost hear her smile through the phone.
“Hey you,” she answered playfully. Behind her voice, he could hear rapid footfalls and the sounds of her moving through the apartment.
“Sorry to be calling so late, and sorry if I woke your mother....”
On the other end, he heard the click of a latch, and a relieved sigh from Jenny. “Don’t be silly,” she said, her voice still light. “I know that you living dead types are creatures of the night....”
CJ clutched his free hand to his chest. “She struck first, I’m hurt,” he said with a laugh. “But, yes, it’s stereotypical but true.”
“As for my mother, well, she’s still a little too bereft to sleep, and she’s letting the rest of us know about it, so we can’t sleep either.”
CJ’s smile faltered. “Oh, hey, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“No, don’t be. It’s not your fault.” Jenny’s voice was a little flat now. Neither of them spoke for a moment. “Your service was today,” she said softly.
“Oh.” CJ’s forward progress stopped momentarily, his gaze turning down toward the sidewalk. That was another one of those things that he hadn’t really allowed himself to think about, although he supposed that, academically, he had known they would probably have a service of some sort. “That must’ve been tough,” he said, wondering for a moment how he would’ve handled the situation if he was in her shoes. At least she wasn’t alone; at least she had his family there for moral support.
“Yes and no,” she answered. “You have a lot of friends, that’s for sure. They were all sad to hear about what happened and I know that you will be missed. On top of everything, though, I think almost everyone felt a certain amount of gratitude just for having gotten the chance to know you. I could certainly empathize with that.” There was silence over the line, and CJ allowed himself a sad smile. “Clark Kent Junior will live on for a long time, in peoples’ memories and hearts. I was really proud to be your wife today.”
His grip tightened on the phone, and he had to take a few steps to the side to find a building to lean against. For a moment he couldn’t talk; the lump that had formed in his throat made it nearly impossible. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, trying to clear his mind, but not completely able to. There were so many things that you never considered as you went through life, things that seemed inconsequential or unimportant, but sometimes those things were what ended up making lasting impressions on others. He had always lived spontaneously, said what came naturally, and never really thought about the lasting impact of all his actions or words, not expecting there to be any. At some level deep inside himself, he knew he wanted to help others, to make a difference, but he had always figured that the way to do it was through heroism, doing the types of things he had seen his father doing. Maybe it was simpler than that, though. Plenty of people without his family’s natural talents made an impact on the world every day. Maybe he’d been one of those people, and he just hadn’t known it.
Jenny seemed to sense his feelings, and chuckled gently through the phone. “On the other hand, a few of your ex-girlfriends showed up, too. Suffice to say, most commented that they’d be more careful what they wished for in the future.”
CJ smiled lightly. “Well, at least I made an impression. I figured that there was no pleasing some of my exes...I guess I was wrong.” He pushed away from the wall and slowly started down the street again, his eyes now trained on his surroundings.
Jenny chuckled. “Anyway, now that that’s over with, I should be able to join you out there in a few days.”
“This town could definitely use a little cheering up, and you’re just the person to do it.” In the distance, CJ noticed some people walking in the shadows, deliberately pressing up against the wall to avoid coming under the glare from one of the lights. They ducked into an alley, looking around before finally disappearing around the corner. Didn’t people realize that they always looked the most conspicuous when going out of their way not to?
“I even arranged for a place to stay. Ask me where, I dare you.” Her voice had taken on that teasing quality that he loved. CJ glanced at the phone and pulled his mouth up into his familiar lopsided smile.
“Okay. Where are you staying?” He was now almost to the alley that the suspicious looking people had entered. Rather than risking exposure, he decided to stop short of the alley itself and do a little bit of creative peeking. He tilted his head forward, looked over the top of his sunglasses and through the corner of the building to see what was going on.
“You remember my old roommate Susan? She lives in Gotham now....”
CJ had just deduced that he was witnessing a drug deal, but as soon as Jenny spoke, the building popped back into place in front of him, and the details of what he had just been watching were all but forgotten. “Roommate-zilla?” he said incredulously, arching an eyebrow. Susan had definitely been a terror when Jenny had first moved in with her, her Wall of Shame still haunting his nightmares from time to time. The Zarate incident kicked her into becoming someone resembling a normal human being, but she still had her quirks. CJ was hardly one to pass judgment or to hold a grudge against anyone, but a part of him buried deep down inside didn’t completely trust her. She knew the family secret, and that made her dangerous. It was true that she had proven herself able to keep the secret, but she had also proven herself to be a little unstable, and that was what worried him. Still, Jenny seemed to trust her, and had become friends with her. In this particular situation, maybe she was the perfect person to have around.
“What is that I’m hearing? Skepticism?”
He took a deep breath, and forced himself to smile. “Let’s call it momentary surprise. I kinda thought that maybe we’d have a little privacy, that’s all.”
“It’s not like I won’t have my own bedroom,” Jenny said. “It’ll be like living with a sister. Wasn’t it your Dad who said that she’s family now?”
CJ sighed and stepped forward. Looking down the alley, he focused on the drugs being exchanged and shot a burst of heat toward them. Next he took aim at the larger stash, incinerating it instantly, the heat intense enough that there was no smoke or adverse by-products. Immediately, he felt more relieved, and was grateful that the drugs had been there to take the brunt of his frustration. “Yeah, he did. Look, I’m glad you’ll be with her, don’t get me wrong.” He quickly moved down the street and away from the alley, not especially wanting to draw the attention of the druggies, who were still stunned at the moment. “I guess....” he lowered his voice until he was practically whispering. “It’s all just been a little bit overwhelming lately, that’s all. I don’t know if you got a chance to talk to Jon, but I have a new identity waiting for me.”
“No, I never got any time alone with your brother today. Congratulations, that’s great news!” she said enthusiastically.
“You don’t know the half of it,” he said, his words hardly more than a mumble.
“So, tell me about it. We don’t keep secrets from each other and haven’t since our first date.”
The memory caused CJ to smile. “I’d love to, but I don’t really want to discuss it over the phone. Besides, I’m a little busy at the moment, if you know what I mean.”
“Ah, I catch your drift. Okay, we can discuss it when I get into town, which should be in a few short days.”
“The sooner the better,” CJ said quickly. Two whole days without her was making him feel a little off balance, like part of himself was missing. She had been by his side ever since he started in the hero business, giving him encouragement, recharging his spirit. Just talking with her on the phone wasn’t enough, and he wondered if the brief rooftop visits that they would be forced to have when she arrived would even be enough. He never had any doubt that they shared some sort of visceral connection, and with all the upheaval happening in both of their lives right now, he needed to hang onto that connection more than ever before.
A quick out rush of air he heard through the phone told him that Jenny was now smiling widely. “Patience, Clark,” she said, laughing lightly. “In the meantime, you have all those bad guys in Gotham to keep you company.”
“They all seem to pass out shortly after meeting me. Wonder why,” he said, her laughter coaxing back his sense of humor.
She laughed again, but stopped abruptly as someone knocked on the door behind her. In the distance, CJ could hear someone say her name, and he felt his smile fading as he realized their conversation was probably over with.
Jenny muttered an expletive under her breath. “Sorry, babe, but it looks like the natives are getting restless.”
“Well, it’s getting late in any case. Hey, I’m looking forward to seeing you. Give the mansion a call when you get into town.”
“I certainly will.” There was silence for a moment, both of them knowing that they had to say goodbye, but neither quite willing to do so. Jenny ended up speaking first. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Always. Good night.”
“Good night.”
With a click, the connection was broken, and that was that. CJ slowly pulled the phone away from his ear, smiling sadly as he looked at it. A few more days, and then, maybe, things would begin to return to normal. With a sigh, he shoved the phone in his pocket and turned his attention to the street ahead of him, noticing that he’d gone farther than he realized. In the distance, he could see the flashing neon signs of the bars and strip joints that were so popular with the bad crowd that seemed to frequent this part of town. The cops didn’t even come out here anymore, knowing full well that the barroom brawls, the gambling, drugs and prostitution would all continue with or without their presence. This was the ugly underside of Gotham, and this was why he had come out tonight. Women brazenly stood on street corners, men boldly transacted illegal business, even under the bright lights from the streets and the storefronts. Screams rang out, carrying above even the din of loud music.
It was time to get down to work.
