I whole-heartedly echo that thought...poor, poor Clark! They definitely seem painted into a corner here, DC, and I can't figure out how your going to get them out of it. Hmmm. I believe you took time travel out of the equation in the last FDK thread, and also said the baby would not somehow die to save Clark. And now we know that his heart isn't compatible with an 'Average Joe' donor--so we're really needing a Kryptonian here. And from the sound of it, it's not a piece of cake to communicate with the group that came to Earth last go around. So...where are we gunna get a heart?

Woo-hoo for letting Dr. Klein in on the secret--along with Lois' father. With all of his shenanigans (Baby Gunderson, etc thumbsup ), he's gotta be able to think of something totally out of the box to help them. And if that were the case, maybe some sort of 'device' can help Clark's heart and avoid a transplant.

And then the 'toy that doesn't go back into the box' would be?....Argh--stumped again dizzy here (but, at least from this random thought-process, it would not be our poor, poor Clark clap ).

Maybe the person/toy that dies doesn't have anything to do with the issue at hand (Clark's heart)? And it's not related to this topic of the story we are centering on.

You sure know how to get us all wondering...I sure am.

[Superman] waved in a friendly manner, but he was still too far off for her to hear him over the continuing din, so he said nothing. Instead, he turned to one of the female police officers as she approached him. She offered her hand and Clark shook it firmly.

"Superman, I just wanted to extend my personal thanks," the woman said. Her badge identified her as Major. "I didn't know it until just a few moments ago, but my sister was one of the people you pulled from the water. Thanks to you, she's going to live."

"I'm happy to hear that she'll be okay," Clark said sincerely. He gazed back at the scene for a quick second. "I wish I'd been able to do more, but I'm glad so many are safe."

"Safe because of you. Anyway, I need to get back." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder at the cleanup that was going on. "Thanks again, Superman."

She strode away, blonde ponytail swaying as she went. Clark turned back to the still dispersing crowd. He was about to gesture to Lois that he would happily provide a Superman statement for their article, but as he stepped forward, everything went wrong.

Pain shot through his chest and arms. Nausea washed over him and he had to fight the urge to vomit. His knees buckled beneath him, sending him crashing to the asphalt, while weakness flooded him. His first thought was that someone nearby had Kryptonite, but after a few moments of agony, he realized that whatever it was that he was feeling, it was not the same as the sickness he usually experienced when exposed to the radioactive stone. His heart sped up and it felt difficult to draw a breath.

You know, way back in part 1, something struck me as odd.


For some reason that bothered me. Why would DC relate this specific incident? And since Superman didn't know or recognize this woman, are we sure she was a cop? Was she really being sincere, or did she have some more nefarious purpose in mind?

Or is she once again being ? Wouldn't be the first time, you know.

I'm eager to see what happens next. And let me offer my applause for coming up with an original and very reasonable explanation for Clark's trouble. I've never linked the life-force sucking machine and Deathstroke to endanger Clark, but I sure wish I had. That's downright ingenious.

Your next post is when?

You know, way back in part 1, something struck me as odd.


For some reason that bothered me. Why would DC relate this specific incident? And since Superman didn't know or recognize this woman, are we sure she was a cop? Was she really being sincere, or did she have some more nefarious purpose in mind?

Or is she once again being ? Wouldn't be the first time, you know.

I'm eager to see what happens next. And let me offer my applause for coming up with an original and very reasonable explanation for Clark's trouble. I've never linked the life-force sucking machine and Deathstroke to endanger Clark, but I sure wish I had. That's downright ingenious.

Your next post is when?

I'm happy to see that Dr. Klein and Sam will be learning the secret. I'm looking forward to those conversations.

I'm with Lois - trying to think of a way out of this corner...and I'm not entirely convinced that you will LET them out of it. If there is hope, I'm guessing a clone would be the answer, as I suggested before. Well-written, though. The fear of losing Clark is very, very real...

I agree Terry. This story is very ingenious on a number of fronts. I also love getting Sam involved.

You are astute to notice the specific relationship between the blonde cop and Superman just prior to his heart attack. It might be nothing and it might be everything.

Way to DC!!

Mike