Previously:

Now, she didn’t know whether to be angry at his deception or sympathetic at his confusion. The only way to get past either of these obstacles was to bring Clark Kent to Superman. Only by confronting the actual man in blue would Clark have to face the truth.

Clark raised his eyes to meet hers. There was such a sense of loss visible in his gaze that Lois felt her anger melt away.

“Come on, Clark. We need to get going.”

And Now . . .


Story: Clark Kent vs. Superman
By: Rhea

Part Five

It was with a mixture of curiosity and dread that Clark followed Lois through the throng gathered at the hospital. He didn’t know which was worse, having the general public know that there was something out there that could hurt Superman, or knowing that they believed the imposter was the real deal. Lois certainly believed the man was Superman, and considering the patch of dried blood on his hairline and dark circles edging his eyes, he wouldn’t be able to convince her otherwise anytime soon.

The pain had ebbed away and the dizziness had mostly disappeared. He was lost in his thoughts. Clark leaned against the nurse’s station and caught sight of his distorted reflection in the glass of an unremarkable picture of bears with balloons. He looked like hell. Clark tried to use his x-ray vision and a streak of pain lanced through his head. His powers were still nonexistent.

Lois was busy cajoling the nurse to allow her to see Superman, assuring the woman that she was practically family. Clark smiled wryly. He was vaguely flattered at this description and annoyed that her devotion to his alter-ego still managed to stir a whiff of jealousy. But the alternative was not too appealing. What if instead, Lois couldn’t care less if Superman was lying on a hospital bed? Was it really so bad that she needed to see that he was all right? He was touched by her concern.

A petite woman in hospital scrubs took Clark unresistingly by the arm and sat him on a nearby couch. She proceeded to clean the dried blood away from his temple and smiled when she saw no sign of any injury on the newly cleaned skin. “I don’t care if you’re not my patient. I couldn’t very well leave you bleeding on my floor,” she said by way of explanation.

“Sorry. How’s Superman doing?” Clark asked the woman. He needed to find out just what was going on.

“You were in that fire, weren’t you?”

He nodded.

She took in the scene of Lois and the nurses’ station and seemed to come to a conclusion.

“Come with me,” she said with a slightly conspiratorial tone of voice.

When she had started down the hall toward a set of elevators, Clark said quietly, “Lois!”

At first, he thought she would argue with him, but when she caught his eye she must have realized that he had a plan. “I can’t wait to write an expose on this ward. And I’ll be sure to mention you by name, Ms. Trudeau,” Lois said, making a grand exit.

She quickly followed Clark, who led them to an open elevator where the nurse was waiting for them.

“How many people know that Superman’s here?” Clark asked.

“Not many. But I don’t think that will last for long,” she replied. “You’re Clark Kent? The reporter?” the nurse asked for clarification as the doors closed behind them.

Clark nodded. “And this is my partner Lois Lane.”

Lois was lost in thought and smiled at the nurse as an afterthought. Something about hearing him say he was Clark Kent made her feel as if she suddenly understood something. Now, if only she knew what exactly that was.

Lois tried to put the pieces together, not certain that she liked the picture they presented in her mind. She was replaying the events of the entire evening, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. The only thing that she knew for certain was that Clark had not lied to her. He might very well be delusional.

Hell, even she was confused and she hadn’t even had a knock to the head!

First, she remembered how ‘Superman’ had danced with her out of uniform and told her what must be his greatest secret with no provocation. She was good at getting people to divulge information, she conceded with not a little amount of satisfaction, but somehow she doubted that this impromptu confessional was the result of her great reporter’s technique.

Nor could she say that their relationship had progressed to a level that would warrant such a revelation. She hadn’t even seen more than a streak in the sky for the last month. It just didn’t feel right. Superman hadn’t felt right. When she had danced with him, it was as if he was a stranger.

“Are you all right?” Clark asked with customary concern. He reached a hand out to her touch her cheek.

Lois smiled and said softly, “I’m fine, Clark. I’m just thinking about Super. . .” remembering his recent confession Lois quickly amended, “I was just thinking.”

Clark dropped his hand and she saw his expression close. It was as if his soul had been shining through his eyes one moment and then the door had been slammed shut. She no longer had entrance. Lois wanted more than anything to gain another glimpse, but she had no idea how to do that.

Lois recalled Clark’s confession outside the burning building. This was obviously a night of revelations. She had always wanted to know more about Superman. Who would think that two people would tell her the thing she so wanted to learn on the very same day?

The man on the dance floor had seemed wrong, whereas Clark had been filled with earnestness that was so . . . Clark-like. There was a part of her that wanted to believe his words, just as an act of faith in him. But didn’t he realize that he didn’t have any powers? So if the man in the hospital room wasn’t Superman and Clark wasn’t Superman, what had happened to the hero?

The nurse showed them to the room and quickly explained that they had been asked to be as discreet as possible, not wanting to draw attention to the ailing superhero. She winked at them as she left, making Lois wonder if it were directed at her for her not too secret connection to Superman or to Clark because she thought her partner was attractive. Lois straightened her spine and grabbed Clark’s arm, pulling him with undue haste into the small room.

Clark pulled back, cautious about nearing the imposter.

“What’s wrong?” Lois asked.

Clark shook his head but didn’t reply. He didn’t feel the indicative weakness and pain of kryptonite, so he tentatively moved closer.

The man was dressed in a pale blue smock and a white sheet had been tucked under his arms. He appeared to be asleep. For the first time, he was able to inspect this man without the haze of kryptonite to cloud his thoughts, and he was stunned. There were differences between them, he could see, but the imposter could have been Clark’s long lost brother.

Instead of approaching the man in the bed, Lois was over by a small table where a torn superman outfit had been carefully folded. She put her hand through a tear on one arm, noticing that it had been stained with blood. Lois glanced at the man. Sure enough, a bandage covered the corresponding place on the man’s arm. Who ever this man was, he wasn’t Superman.

“How’s your head? Are you feeling any better?” Lois asked her partner.

Clark knew by the look in her eye that she was really trying to ask him if his powers were back. Did this mean that she finally believed him?

“I don’t feel any kryptonite radiation around, so I’m afraid I’m just Clark Kent for now.”

Lois came forward but stopped when the man on the bed spoke. “Is that why I lost my powers? This stuff you call kryptonite radiation?”

Clark looked at the imposter for a long moment, wishing that he could inspect him with his x-ray vision. The monitor beeped, showing that his heart rate had accelerated. “I don’t know.”

Lois said to the man in the bed, “Superman.” She gave Clark a firm look that said very clearly, ‘stay quiet’. “Can you tell me if anything unusual happened earlier today?” It was after midnight now, but she wasn’t a stickler for semantics.

The imposter’s features grew tight as if trying very hard to remember something. “I remember flying and hearing a woman call for help.”

“That was before you had lost your powers? Can you describe where you were flying?”

He shook his head as if it were painful to remember. “I just know that I was walking down the street when a woman called to me and when I turned to face her she threw something at me. It exploded into this ghastly smelling green powder that got into my eyes, my lungs, even beneath my clothing. Once I got home, I changed into civilian clothes so that I could clean my suit, but then I remembered where I was going.”

“Where was that?” Lois asked.

“To the reception to meet you.”

“Was it the woman who was calling for help that got that ‘green power’ all over you? You said earlier that you were flying, but then you said that you were walking on the street when you heard a call for help.” Lois looked at Clark.

“I must have landed earlier. I don’t know.” He sat upright, his movements quick and jerky. “I have to get out of here. That woman obviously had something that could hurt me, make me confused. There are times when I don’t even believe that I’m really Superman.”

Clark wanted to say something. This last comment made him feel as if he was on the verge of understanding what was going on. Clark and Lois were busy helping the man to his feet, so it came as a shock when they heard a voice from the doorway.

“Well, well, well. Isn’t this a charming scene? I didn’t expect to see you on your feet so soon, Superman. In fact, I was told that the green meteorite dust would have a more lasting . . . shall we say lethal result. Tell me, Mr. Kent and Ms. Lane, do you think I should ask for a refund?”


<><><>

Thanks to all of you who left feedback. Thanks go to Mrs Mosley again!