T.O.G.o.M for 2010 The Epilogue
By Tank


Lois leaned back in her canvas lounge chair and watched her sister Lucy splash in the warm waves as they rolled lazily toward the white sand beach. She had brought her sister to this remote, deserted island which she had made her default home since the gangster Clyde Barrow had ended her life as Lois Lane and left her only Ultrawoman.

It was a pretty little place; with large palm trees, and wide sandy beaches. She'd even found a spring feed fresh water pool up at the top of a rocky shelf near one end of the island. She built a small, crude hut not far from the main beach. She didn't spend much time on the island, but used it as a place to crash when she needed to rest and recharge. This time she brought Lucy along for a sort of family vacation. The younger Lane seemed to be enjoying herself.

Lois pulled her sunglasses down and eyed her sister warily as Lucy came rushing out of the water toward her. The last time, she had tried to pull Lois into the water with her. Unfortunately for Lucy, Ultrawoman had suddenly manifested and stopped the young woman's plan instantly.

Lucy came and flopped down in the sand next to her sister. "Hey, Lo, this is really a great place you've got here. You should have been killed long ago."

Lois glared at her impudent sibling. "Not funny, Luce."

Lucy quickly looked shamefaced. "Yeah, sorry, I just mean that this is a really cool place. You've done alright in finding a place to hang out when you're not doing the super routine."

Lois closed her book and set it on the sand next to her. "Yeah, it's nice enough, but it can get pretty lonely sometimes. That's why I don't spend a lot of time here."

"Well, you can always drop by and visit me anytime you want, you know."

Lois smiled. "I know. But I don't think it would be a good idea to have Ultrawoman being seen hanging around Lucy Lane too much. Don't want to put any ideas into anyone's head."

Lucy leaned back on her elbows and let the sun burn down on her face for a few moments. "I totally understand that. But it has been just you and me for quite a long time. Ever since mom and dad died, it's always been the Lane sisters against the world." Lucy turned her gaze toward Lois. "Do you ever miss them?"

Lois reached out and grabbed Lucy's hand. "All the time. It's not like they are in my thoughts every minute of every day. But how can I not miss the two people who took in an orphan from space and made her a part of their family. They never made me feel like I was some sort of freak, even after my powers started to manifest. Their love for me... and you was total." Lois sighed. "It's too bad that their love for each other wasn't quite as strong."

Lucy echoed Lois' sigh. "Yeah, but I think things between them were really starting to turn around. They both were looking forward to that family trip that was planned. Too bad we never got to go."

"Yeah." Lois gave Lucy's hand a squeeze.

Lucy cocked her head and stared, reading her sister's mood. "You miss Clark don't you."

Lois turned her head and returned Lucy's gaze. "Desperately."

"Have you ever brought Clark here?"

Lois shook her head. "No, I've never really had a chance to ask. He won't let go of the formality when ever I'm around, because I'm around as Ultrawoman. It's like he refuses to see me as Lois, even when no one else is around."

"Well, it's only been a couple of months. Maybe he'll loosen up some as time goes by and he becomes more used to the situation."

Lois shook her head. "I don't know. He's never been able to get past the powers."

Lucy chewed on her bottom lip. "I was sorry to hear about his folks. Was he close to them?"

Lois nodded. "Very; it hit him very hard. I really wanted to be there for him, but I knew he wouldn't appreciate the presence of Ultrawoman at their funeral." Lois allowed herself another sigh. "He seems to be pretty much back to normal now. I had to rescue him twice in the last week."

Lucy chuckled as she stood up. "So, what's for lunch?"

***************************

Clark struggled with the ropes which bound his hands behind his back. They were tied too well; he couldn't make any headway toward loosening them. Another jolt threw him against the metal bulkhead of the small plane upon which he was a prisoner.

Clark had gotten a tip about a gun-running operation that began in Metropolis and brought the illegal arms to several feuding factions warring in Africa's Congo region. He tracked them to a small airstrip several miles north of Metropolis. It was while they were loading a shipment onto the small cargo plane that he'd been caught.

Not wanting to leave behind a body to be found by authorities, if someone should chance by, the smugglers decided to take Clark along with them. They'd decide what to do with him along the way.

Clark had no illusions as to what his final fate would be. He just didn't know when, or where. As the saying goes, where there's life, there's hope. Of course, if he did manage to free himself somehow, he still had no place to go. The plane was over open ocean, and not exactly outfitted with parachutes and life rafts.

Another jolt bounced Clark around. The movement of the plane was followed quickly by a crack of thunder that was deafening. Not long after they'd taken off they'd flown into a storm. It had been increasing in intensity ever since. While the winds and rain shook the small plane around causing Clark to have a rather uncomfortable ride, it did have a beneficial side effect. The small crew of thugs was more worried about staying in the air than they were about what to do with their nosey reporter captive.

Having his hands tied behind him made it difficult for Clark to keep his balance as the small plane was continually tossed about by the ferocity of the storm. There was no way he could hold onto anything to keep himself stationary. So he found himself being bounced around amongst the crates of illegal arms.

Another deafening crash of thunder signaled their most violent shaking yet. Several crates broke loose from there moorings and were thrown about the hold, and Clark was thrown about right along with them.

Among all the things that Clark had envisioned might happen, what happened next was the last thing that he expected. It was one of those situations where a combination of things all had to happen in a certain sequence to reach the result that occurred. Two heavy crates of weapons slid across the floor of the plane and slammed into the loading door in the side of the plane. Clark was the third object to be pitched into the over stressed door.

Clark had an above average build but wasn't exactly what you'd call heavy. Still his bulk was enough, after the two significant hits by the weapons crates, to cause the latch on the door to fail. In an instant Clark was in free fall.

The noise created by the howling wind and the continual thunder drowned out any scream of shock and surprise that escaped from him. The pointlessness of yelling quickly forced Clark to give it up.

Before he could contemplate what action might be open to him he found himself grabbed around the waist and his downward momentum changed to horizontal flight. A small, powerful figure in a colorful costume had a firm hold on him.

"Ultrawoman... how?"

"Not now; I'll explain when we get you safe."

Just that short exchange had been difficult to hear over the incredible noise caused by the storm, so Clark agreed that it would be best to hold his questions until they had a change to reach solid land, where normal conversation would be possible.

Suddenly an incredibly bright flash and thunderous boom occurred simultaneously. Every hair on his body stood up and crackled with hundreds of tiny sparks. Immediately after the boom, he was once again in freefall.

*************************

The flash temporarily blinded Lois as the violence of the lightning strike sent her hurtling through the air. It took her several seconds to regain her equilibrium and stop her headlong tumble through the sky. Her ears still rang from the loudness of the thunder. Her skin still tingled. She had been hit by lightning before, but never a strike as massive as that one.

Omigod! "Clark!" She frantically scanned around her, looking for Clark. He couldn't have hit the ocean all ready... had he? Could he have survived the strike? The lightning had hit her in the back, so her body was between Clark and the strike, but would that have been enough to protect him? And where was he? She didn't see him anywhere.

Immediately Lois was skimming just above the waves of the ocean in a frantic search for Clark. Spiraling out from the central point she expanded her pattern rapidly. She prayed that he hadn't slipped beneath the waves. If he had there was virtually no chance that she'd find him.

Suddenly she spied a dark form bobbing on the water's surface. It was Clark!

She sped to him, scooping up his unconscious form and flew toward the shore as fast as she dared. As luck, or fate, would have it; the closest land was her island.

It took nearly five minutes for Lois to get Clark to her hut on the island which she now called home. It was the longest five minutes she'd ever endured. His breathing was shallow and his pulse sporadic. She feared that he had been electrocuted, might be near death.

She laid him on her small bed and rushed to find a towel. She bent over him, using the towel to dry him off as much as possible. Lois was beside herself. She had only minimal training in first aid and CPR. She covered Clark in blankets, to keep him warm, other than that she had no clue as to what more she could do.

She pulled a chair up close to the bed and sat down. She found herself brushing the wet hair off of his forehead. The knot in the pit of her stomach was twisting and it hurt. The thought that Clark might die... it was something she refused to contemplate.

"Please don't die, Clark." A few tears escaped to run down her cheeks.

All of a sudden Clark sucked in a quick, huge breath, then abruptly sat up, dislodging the blanket. He turned and looked at Lois, his expression conveyed his confusion.

He reached out and touched her cheek with the palm of his hand. "Lois? How? What happened? Where are we?"

His bewilderment caused Lois to laugh in relief. "Give me a second and I'll explain everything." Her look immediately changed to one of concern. "But first, how are you feeling? Are you alright?"

Clark held his hands out in front of him, turning them over and then running them over his arms and legs. He looked up into her worried gaze. "I... feel...fine. In fact I don't think I've ever felt so good. What happened?"

Lois reached out and hesitantly touched his cheek. "We were struck by lightning."

"What... lightning? How did I survive that?" She shook her head. "How was it that you were there when I fell out of the plane?"

Lois chewed on her bottom lip. "Well, I was following you."

"Following me?"

Lois grabbed his hand. "Let me explain." Lois took a deep breath and captured his eyes with her own. "I stopped by the Planet and talked to Perry. He mentioned that he was worried about you since he hadn't heard from you in a while. So I went to your apartment and hacked into your computer." Lois smiled at the memory. She was flattered that his password had been LoisLane. "I saw your story notes and tracked you to the airstrip."

"You broke into my apartment?"

Lois ignored Clark's comment. "You had already been taken and so I followed the plane."

Clark was confused. "If you knew I was on that plane why didn't you come and get me. Or capture the whole gang or something?"

Lois stared at her feet for a few moments before bringing her gaze back up to Clark. "I was watching. I thought as long as you weren't in any immediate danger I could follow the smugglers to their destination and take down the entire operation. But the storm put an end to that idea. Once I saw you fall out of the plane, you became the priority."

Clark frowned. "Do you think they made it through the storm?"

Lois shook her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen a storm that bad in a long time. It's not something any rational pilot would try to fly through. From what I could see the thunderheads were too high for such a small plane to fly above."

Clark shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't complain if that plane load of weapons wound up at the bottom of the ocean, but I wouldn't wish for any one's death, even criminals working for Intergang."

"Yeah, well, you're safe and that's what's important to me." Lois reached out and pulled Clark to his feet. "I think I should fly you to Metropolis and let a doctor look you over."

Clark shook his head. "No, really, I feel fine. I don't need to see any doctor."

"But Clark, we were hit by lightning. You fell hundreds of feet to the ocean. It's a miracle that you didn't break any bones. Still, there could be any sort of delayed reaction, or something."

For the first time in months she saw Clark smile. "Well, if there is any delayed reaction, it's that I feel better than I ever have before. It's like I feel super charged."

Lois laughed as the two of them strolled outside her little hut. "Not that I doubt you. Still, I know I'd feel better if a doctor checked you out."

Clark frowned at Lois. "I'm telling you I feel great." He walked over to a large boulder that Lois sometimes used as a picnic table. "I feel like I could lift this boulder and..."

Both Lois and Clark stood frozen, their mouths agape in shock and awe. Clark had playfully grabbed at the boulder and was currently holding it over his head. He quickly dropped it and stepped back.

He turned to Lois. "How did I do that?"

Lois shook her head in disbelief. "I have no idea."

**********************************

Clark sat on the beach watching the sun set in a bloody panorama into the ocean. He'd been on Lois' island, as he'd come to think of it, for nearly a week. He and Lois, as Ultrawoman, had been experimenting and testing what appeared to be powers that he now possessed.

The only conclusion that the two of them could come up with was that somehow the lightning strike had affected a transfer of Ultrawoman's powers to him. How or why it should have happened neither of them knew, but apparently it hadn't had any effect on Lois' powers. She seemed just as powerful as ever.

From what they could tell, he had acquired all the powers she possessed. They had been testing them over this past week, and he had quickly gained a competent mastery over all of them. Flying had been the most difficult, because there had been no physical analog that he could use as a trigger. Lois wasn't able to explain how she did it either. She just said that it seemed to be a matter of willing it to happen.

At first he could float, and hover about a few feet off the ground. Gradually he was able to direct his movements. As of yesterday, he had taken a lengthy solo flight around the island. Lois had been upset with him that he'd done so without her around. She didn't want him trying anything too dangerous when she wasn't around. They didn't know if the power transfer meant that he had Ultra powers forever, or just temporarily.

He had his own theory on that. Clark had noticed that he seemed to gain strength by being in the sun, which there was plenty of on the island. It was like he could feel himself being continually recharged by it. He'd been pushing himself quite a bit during the past week and he never got the feeling of the powers waning. He was convinced that he had these powers for good.

But that brought up another question. Now that he had these powers; what should he do with them?

He felt, rather than heard, Lois' arrival. He turned and watched as she floated down next to him. She had a basket with her, which he knew contained food. She always brought something when she came back from her patrol. She'd told him that she worked out early that she didn't actually need to eat, but who didn't enjoy eating. So they indulged themselves every evening.

Lois spun out of her costume into a pair of shorts and a tank top. She set the basket in front of Clark as she sat next to him. She gave him a smile. "Have I told you how sexy you look without glasses?"

He'd lost his glasses when he went into the ocean, but apparently he didn't actually need them anymore. He returned her smile. "I think you might have mentioned it once or twice."

"So, when I came in you appeared to be pretty deep in thought. Anything you'd care to share?"

Clark picked up a pebble and tossed it toward the ocean. It didn't land for about thirty seconds. "I've been thinking about what all this means; about what I should do?"

Lois leaned her head against his arm. "Any conclusions?"

Clark tossed another pebble. "Well, I'm not a big believer in fate, or destiny. I think a person makes their own destiny. But there had to be some reason why I got these powers." He turned and gazed into Lois' eyes. "My whole world has been turned upside down, not unlike yours had been not so long ago. Amidst all this chaos I know two things for certain."

"What are those?" Her voice was a husky, soft whisper.

"That there is no one I'd rather be with than you... and that I love you very much."

Lois blushed and smiled at the same time. "I know how you feel because I feel exactly the same way."

Clark reached over and played with the ends of Lois' hair. "So, what would think about being partners again?"

Lois grinned as she traced his lips with her finger. "I think I'd like that. But what about your life as Clark Kent? I can tell you that a secret identity is a hard thing to keep up. And with us being together, I think people might be able to make the connection easier. Still it is nice to be able to have that illusion of normalcy sometimes."

Clark sighed. "Yeah, I've been thinking about that. My parents are now gone, and I don't really have any close family. Lois Lane was always my anchor and when she was taken from me I really felt like I was set adrift. Even though I knew 'the secret' I couldn't see any way where I could relate to Ultrawoman." Clark stared at the deepening twilight along the horizon line. "I don't see any reason why Clark Kent needs to come back. As far as the rest of the world knows, he was simply lost at sea while on a story. Maybe we had to lose who we were in order to be together as who we are now. Does that make any sense?"

"I only know that I'll do whatever it takes to keep you with me." Lois reached over and grabbed his hand. "You know that I told Perry and Jimmy that I rescued you, but I didn't elaborate on your condition. Truth be told, I'm pretty sure both of them know that Lois Lane and Ultrawoman are the same person. Would it bother you that they would know the truth about you also?"

Clark shook his head. "No, in fact I think it would be a good idea to have someone normal that we can relate to. It would help to keep us grounded. I'd hate to have to put so much pressure on Lucy."

Lois blushed again. "Speaking of Lucy; I sort of have her working on a costume for you."

"What?"

Lois giggled like a little girl. "Well, I was hoping that you'd want to partner with me and use your new powers to help others. I know that is the kind of person that you are. So, I've got her looking into materials and boots."

Clark gave her a raised brow and a wry smile. "I see, so you planned all along to turn me into what... Ultraman?"

Lois shook her head. "No, I don't want it looking like you are just a copy of me. I was thinking along another line."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I've got Lucy looking into a blue body suit with red boots and cape. Maybe even some red trunks to break up the long line of blue."

"Why red and blue?"

"To match this." Lois pulled some kind of embroidered appliqué from her back pocket. "It was on the blanket my folks found me wrapped in when they discovered my space ship. I think if it was placed on the suit over your chest it would help draw attention away from your face. Less chance that people would recognize you."

"Why didn't you use it?"

"I'd already adopted my costume before I remembered it, and the colors would clash. Besides I wear a mask, and have enough problems with people staring at my chest as it is." She handed it over to him. "I'm not even sure which direction it goes, but if you hold it like this it looks kind of like an 'S'."

Clark frowned. "An 'S'? What's it stand for?"

"I think I'll call you..." Lois leaned in and gave Clark a tender kiss. "Superman."

(can we call it done now?)