Luthor had urged Clark toward the waiting helicopter on the roof of the hospital then stopped. The baby was still wailing and Clark was trying to shield her from Luthor and the kryptonite. Clark couldn’t remember ever feeling so powerless, not from his super powers being gone, or even being a prisoner of Lex Luthor, but that he could do nothing to comfort a tiny baby.

Luthor kept eyeing him suspiciously and Clark knew he was wondering why Clark was looking so ill. Clark put on his most innocently pathetic face. “I ate something that disagreed with me last night,” he told the villain, who only seemed slightly mollified.

Luthor grunted and guided Clark around the back of the helicopter. “Watch him,” he ordered Smith then he stepped closer to the open door of the copter. “Heads up everybody!” Luthor shouted. “There’s been a change in plans. Kitty, you and Joe there get this thing as far away from here as possible, as fast as possible.” He looked straight at the pilot. “There’ll be a bonus in it for you.” He turned to Baxter and Lois. “Out,” Luthor ordered.

Baxter climbed out of the helicopter, not bothering to help Lois with her blanket wrapped burden. Clark stepped forward to help her, shrugging off Smith’s hand on his arm and giving in a foul glare. Clark watched as Smith gave Luthor a questioning look and shrugged.

“It’s nice to know chivalry isn’t dead,” Luthor said with a dark chuckle. “Misplaced perhaps, but not dead.”

Clark ignored him, taking Jason from Lois’s arms and handing her the baby instead. Without his powers, Jason actually felt a little on the heavy side. “Are you okay?” he asked Lois, keeping his voice low.

“So far,” Lois told him.

“Hey, no talking, you two,” Baxter warned, waving his gun around.

Wordlessly, Clark helped Lois out of the helicopter with his free hand. Then they followed Luthor through the open door on the far side of the roof. Clark hoped the sardonic grin Luthor gave them didn’t mean things were going to get worse soon.

Lois took his hand as they started down the stairs and he stopped abruptly, startled at what he sensed. ‘What?’

It was Lois’s mental voice in his head. He’d thought that he’d lost that power too when everything else went, although the telepathy seemed to be touch-based at the moment. Or maybe there was something with the physics of this reality that made his powers, especially the telepathy, work a little differently. Clark already suspected he reacted differently to kryptonite than the other Clark did.

‘It’s going to be okay,’ he promised before letting go of her hand. Outside he heard the helicopter rev up its rotors and take off.

Behind him the goon called Smith was peering at the black PDA and frowning. “Boss, I just picked up a spike.”

“Blue Boy’s on the move?” Luthor asked.

Smith shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Let me know if it happens again,” Luthor ordered.

* * *

Jimmy brought in the research in record time. “I’ve also got Penny putting together everything we know about Lex Luthor – his modus operandi, financials, real estate, relatives,” he told them as Perry took the maps from him and spread them over the conference table.

Richard and Joanne walked into the conference room. Perry noted how worn out they both looked. He knew Richard had little sleep last night and he doubted Joanne had slept at all.

“Kowalski gave the police the location of Luthor’s latest hideout,” Richard told them. “An abandoned underground train station.”

“Isn’t that where Luthor was hiding when he hijacked those missiles and tried to take out California eight, nine years ago?” Jimmy asked. Richard shrugged and Perry saw the blank looks of incredulity on both Jerome and Joanne’s faces.

“I think you’re right, Olsen,” Perry agreed, suppressing a chuckle.

Jimmy was watching Jerome and Joanne, a puzzled look on his boyish face. “You guys don’t know about the nuke Luthor set off on the San Andreas? I mean Superman practically had to knit the fault back together to keep everything from falling into the ocean,” Jimmy said in obvious disbelief. “Where are you guys from?”

“Never mind, Olsen,” Perry ordered. “Go see where Penny is on the rest of that research.”

With one last look of disbelief, Jimmy left the conference room, closing the door behind him.

“How the devil did Lex Luthor manage to nuke California?” Joanne asked, looking from Perry to Richard then back again.

The air force was testing a new missile control system,” Perry said. “Somehow, Luthor and his gang managed to put live warheads in the missiles being used and reprogrammed them during the test. One ended up being aimed at New Jersey, the other at the San Andreas. Superman was able to dump the east-bound one into space but the California one went off. Set off a major earthquake, but Superman was able to minimize it, somehow.”

“And this madman was just allowed to walk the street?” Joanne asked. “Wasn’t there enough room at Belle Reve or Arkham?”

“Luthor has a talent for escaping justice,” Richard told them. “Believe me, he should never have gotten out of prison after being convicted of two consecutive life sentences without parole, but he managed it. By the time the DOJ got wind that he’d co-opted a federal judge, he was home free and had access to the Vanderworth fortune.”

“So, what’s this one’s beef with Superman?” Jerome asked.

“That depends on who you ask,” Perry answered. “According to the people with him when he hijacked the missiles, he was ranting on that Superman was the perfect adversary to prove himself against, but that his superior intellect should have carried the day. Superman stole his glory and that simply wasn't to be tolerated. But, according to the manifestoes Luthor used to send to all the major newspapers, the Planet included, Superman was supposed to be the front man for an invasion and was just lulling us poor stupid humans into a false sense of security. Luthor, with his genius insight, was the only one who wasn't fooled.”

“I don’t remember ever reading anything like that,” Richard said.

The only paper in the country that bothered to publish them was the National Inquisitor,” Perry told them. “And, as you no doubt remember, I refuse to have that rag in my house, not to mention my newsroom.”

“At least it sounds like this Luthor’s not pissed because Lois Lane chose Superman over him,” Jerome said. “He’s just pissed because Superman stopped him.” Jerome studied the maps, pursing his lips. “Okay Luthor, where the devil are you hiding this time?”

“Pity Lois or Clark can’t just call us and let us know where they are,” Richard said. “I mean, there’s a hundred possible places he could have them, and that’s just the ones we know about. Unless you can pick up their heartbeats or something.”

Perry watched Jerome’s expression turn thoughtful. “I don’t know either of them well enough for that, at least not in a city the size of this one. But maybe…”

“Clark, even at super-speed you can’t possibly check out every one of these locations,” ‘Joanne’ reminded him.

“No, I can’t,” Jerome agreed. “But I think I’ve been looking at this the wrong way. Luthor grabbed Lois and Clark and the kids because he figures he can force Superman to react. He wants Superman to find him but only under his terms.”

“So he can spring his trap,” Richard said.

“So, what will he do if Superman doesn’t respond?” Jerome asked.

“He’ll do something to make him respond,” Perry answered. “Luthor will give directions to the trap knowing that Superman, our Superman, isn’t devious enough to avoid it.”

* * *

Down several flights of stairs, across a darkened hallway to a pass key protected elevator which Smith made quick work of, down into a subbasement Lois never knew was beneath the hospital. The markings on the walls indicated it was an old bomb shelter.

Clark had carried Jason the entire way, but Lois could see that carrying the boy’s weight was taking its toll on the tall man. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but Lois was sure Clark was growing paler and there was a pained, pinched look in his face. The baby had exhausted herself and was now asleep, or unconscious in her arms.

Through a maze of access and utility tunnels to… Where? Here. Another subbasement, another bomb shelter, only this one looked like it had been recently refurbished. There was a microwave oven on the ‘kitchen’ counter and lab equipment she didn’t recognize on a counter against the far wall.

Lois sank into the broken down sofa that was shoved against one water stained wall. Clark was close behind her, tripping over his own feet in exhaustion. Smith gave him a shove and he nearly fell, barely catching himself to avoid dropping Jason. Clark made his way to the sofa and dropped beside Lois.

“Smith,” Luthor said conversationally. “There’s no need to abuse our ‘guests.’ You can have your fun later.”

Another man walked in from a side room. His expression was one of bored disinterest as he looked Lois and Clark over. He turned to Luthor. “Kowalski’s singing like a bird to the cops,” he said.

“Naturally,” Luthor said. “And I have every faith that she will lead them on a merry chase.” He turned to Smith who had walked over to the equipment counter and was hooking the black PDA up to one of the pieces of equipment. “Any sign of that flying busybody?”

Smith shook his head. “Not a peep,” he said.

Lois leaned close to Clark. “He has a way to track Superman?” she murmured.

Clark nodded. “It tracks brainwaves that are supposed to be unique to him.”

Luthor peered at the device then shrugged. “It looks like Superman isn’t too interested in finding you or your bastard, Miss Lane.”

“If you’re expecting me to start screaming for him, forget it,” Lois told him.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want you to strain your voice, Lois,” Luthor said smoothly. “There’ll be time for that later.” He jerked his head toward Clark and Jason. “Start getting the samples,” he ordered.

Baxter and Smith started toward Clark, who tightened his grip on Jason and glared at the two men.

Lois’s heart was beating like timpani in her chest. “Kitty told me you wouldn’t hurt him,” Lois stammered out.

Luther seemed surprised. “Oh, did I forget to tell you? Miss Kowalski is a pathological liar. You can’t believe a word she says, which I’m sure Metropolis’s finest are finding out already.”

Baxter and Smith started forward again.

“I won’t let you hurt him,” Clark stated. Lois could hear the tremor in his voice, but his expression was grimmer than she had ever seen it.

Luthor looked at him, eyes wide in mock astonishment. “I can’t believe there’s so much gallantry in this day and age. You know you’re defending Superman’s bastard, don’t you? Granted, I never imagined until I heard what happened to the piano that Superman was a dead-beat dad. Who’d a’ thunk it, that strait-laced holier than thou invading bastard was the love ‘em and leave ‘em type? Or has she convinced you the little murderous brat is yours?”

“I’m defending a helpless child who happens to be the son of a friend of mine,” Clark stated. “As to whether Superman is his biological father or I am, or Richard is for that matter, that’s our business and I’ll thank you to stay out of it.”

“You mean you still think there’s a chance the little bastard is human? Luthor asked incredulously. “What was it, a ménage a trois? Or did the slut throw you over for the alien the way she threw him over for the boss’s nephew? Or do you think you can get in her pants again by agreeing to raise the alien’s bastard since her ‘fiancé’ won’t do it?”

Clark just glared at him, holding on to Jason tightly enough the boy was starting to squirm in discomfort. Lois laid a hand on his leg and he calmed a little, but she saw tears running down his face and he was shivering.

“Oh, how positively touching. I so love the female of the species,” Luthor commented. “Cold and mercenary, the lot of them.” He turned to Smith and Baxter. “We’ll do it later. Besides, it might be more interesting if we wait for daddy to show up.”

* * *

The ultrasonic whistle felt like it was going right through Jerome’s head before resolving into a voice. “Superman, it’s your old buddy Lex Luthor calling you on our own special frequency. I’m a little disappointed you haven’t come looking for your girl friend and her kid. Did she tell you he was a murderer? Oh, and I have your buddy Kent and his brat too.”

“Clark…?” Joanne was saying. He held his hand up to stop her so he could listen to the message, slowly rotating his head to get a bearing on the source of the sound.

“I’m going to leave this transmitter on so you can home in on it, Superman. But don’t take too long. My associates… well, you know how hard it is to get good help and these guys… wait too long and I can’t guarantee anybody’s safety… So long, Superman.”

Jerome straightened up and looked over at Perry. “You were right. Luthor couldn’t resist telling Superman where to come for them. He’s left a homing beacon. And he’s warning Superman not to take too long.”

“Only Superman’s in no position to make an appearance,” Richard said, saying aloud what Jerome knew everyone was thinking. “And there’s no way you can pass yourself off as him.”

“But what if you went in as someone else?” Joanne asked. “Undercover?”

“Supercop isn’t going to cut it, sweetheart,” Jerome told her.

“But Lord Nor might,” Joanne said with a grin.

“Not Nor,” Jerome corrected. “A name Clark would recognize, though… and I need a Kryptonian military uniform…”

“And we need to warn Clark,” Joanne reminded him.

“Assuming we can,” Jerome said. “I may end up hurting him.”

“Is there a choice?” Perry asked.

Jerome shook his head. He didn’t really want to try contacting his counterpart telepathically. New Kryptonians had taken the mental gift for granted, training their children into the ability from birth and looking down on anyone without it. Clark Jerome hadn’t even known about it except on a subconscious level until he was twenty-nine. And he freely admitted he wasn't exactly skilled. He wasn’t even sure if it would work in this universe.

He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, seeking out the one other Kryptonian on the planet. There…

‘Jerome?’

‘Clark, we have a plan. Stall…’

* * *

“Mister Luthor, there’s another spike on the detector,” Smith announced.

“Where?” Luthor demanded, his back to his prisoners.

“I don’t know,” Smith said. “It’s not localized like when he’s flying.”

“Luthor,” Clark began. “Did it ever occur to you that the reason Superman hasn’t come after us is that he’s already down for the count? That maybe your little surprise at the refinery worked?”

“If you’re right, which I seriously doubt, then who was it that was flying around last night?” Luthor demanded, turning to glare at Clark. He stopped suddenly, staring at the dark-haired man. “What’s going on with you?”

Lois turned to stare at him. “Clark, your nose is bleeding.”

He reached up and wiped away the blood from his upper lip. He stared at the sticky redness that had come off on his fingers. Lois reached into her purse and carefully pulled out a small packet of tissues. She handed the packet to him and he pulled out one sheet, wiping the blood from his face and hand.

“Luthor, what if what your gadget detected wasn’t Superman, but something, someone, else?” Clark tried again.

Luthor’s eyes narrowed. “You think there’s another super alien on Earth?”

“Mister Luthor,” Smith interrupted. “Whatever it is, it’s on the move.”

“Heading here?” Luthor demanded.

“Maybe…” Smith said. “I don’t know… It’s faded out. No wait… oh crap… it’s right on top of us.”

Luthor turned on Clark. “If that’s not Superman, who the devil is it?”


Big Apricot Superman Movieverse
The World of Lois & Clark
Richard White to Lois Lane: Lois, Superman is afraid of you. What chance has Clark Kent got? - After the Storm