From Chapter Thirteen:
“You want to put the Daily Planet back on the map? Here’s a newsworthy story…..have your best photographer out at the airport, and get tomorrow’s headline ready,” Perry enthused. “Something like this:”
Clark Kent, on assignment in Congo-Brazzaville, brings prize-winning reporter Lois Lane home, after spending ten years in a refugee camp
“You’re right, I’ll send a team out there. You’re coming with me, right, Mayor White?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world! You kids are like my family, son. Meet me at city hall at 9:00 p.m.
I’ll have an airport limo ready to go,” Perry said, standing up, shaking James’ hand.
“Perry – I really appreciate your help with all of this. Your newspaper experience is being wasted in the political arena, you know,” said James.
“Yeah, well, somehow, I don’t think I’m going to run for a third term. This old newshound is itching to get back into it….as long as there *is* a Daily Planet to come back to, of course,” Perry said.
“I’m going to do everything I can to ensure that it’s here for you to come back to, Mr. Mayor,” James promised.
Chapter Fourteen
With only about two more hours before the plane made the approach to Presley Airport, Clark was jolted into reality by the return of his super-hearing. A check of his vision powers revealed that he was “back”! He was hearing (and seeing) a conversation occurring in the cockpit, and the scenario unfolding was making his skin crawl.
“Lois, Lois, wake up,” he whispered to his ‘sleeping beauty’. Neither one of them had really slept the night before, what with their newly discovered ‘lust’ for each other. The long flight had allowed them to catch up on their sleep. What else can you really do when you must spend 18 hours in an airplane, anyway?
“Clark? Hi, Clark,” she smiled. Her expression quickly changed to a more serious one. “Oh no, the ‘tilted head thing’!! Your powers are back, huh?” she whispered. “What’s the matter?”
“The cockpit of this airplane has been compromised. There’s a gunman in there ordering the pilot to move over and let him fly the plane!”
“With all the security these days, how did that happen? And where is he going to re-route the plane to?”
“He’s on a walky-talky with someone else that’s on the plane as a passenger. It looks like a cell phone, so no one is suspicious. He’s talking about flying the plane directly into the former Luthor Corp towers. Lois, that will kill everyone on this plane and in the building! And it’s nighttime, so everything will be pitch black when the electricity goes out. It’ll throw Metropolis into a war zone.”
“Clark, you’ve got your powers back. You can stop this. What are you worried about?”
“I think there are some other planes involved in this terrorism as well, Lois. They’re calling it the “Americans’ April Fool’s Day Massacre” – wow, today *is* April 1st. I lost track of time when we were in Brazzaville!”
[“9/11” has not occurred in the Alternate Universe]
“Well, let’s figure this out logically, Clark. You have got to get into that cockpit and disarm the gunman before his counterpart out here finds out. Then you’re going to have to figure what other planes are being hijacked, and save them as well. You’re Superman, you can do it!
“Where’s the suit?” Lois asked.
“In the baggage department, in the bowel of this plane,” Clark replied. “I didn’t think my powers would come back this quickly, frankly. Must be all the sleep we got on this flight.”
“Clark, where’s your *spare* suits?”
“Back in my apartment in Metropolis, Lois.”
Lois looked for the emergency exit door. It was their lucky day. They were sitting right next to it!
“Clark, with your super-speed, couldn’t you open this door and close it so fast no one would know the difference?”
“Probably,” Clark agreed. “If my powers are *truly* back.”
“We’re going to have to take that chance. Now, first of all, where is the other terrorist? Can you locate him with your super-hearing?”
Clark focused. On a long flight like this, nearly everyone that was still awake was having conversations with their loved ones back home on their cell phones. After a minute or so, Clark was able to find him. He was about ten rows up from them, speaking in an Middle Eastern tongue so no one adjacent to him knew what the conversation was about. His ally in the cockpit was speaking French to the pilot, and then giving information back to him in their native tongue.
“First, disable the cell phone. Can you melt it or something?” Lois asked.
“I’m going to have to levitate a bit so I don’t fry someone’s head in the process,” Clark said, unhooking his seat belt. He floated several feet in the air, focused his heat vision on the transmitter of the cell phone. “Ok, got it!” He smiled as he watched the man shake the phone to figure out why it went dead. Luckily, the passengers around him were fast asleep, and didn’t catch his anti-gravity show.
“I still need to do this as Superman, not as Clark Kent,” he said, and a split second, he was gone. Lois felt a slight breeze as Clark, using the emergency exit door at super-speed to escape, flew under the plane to the baggage compartment, found his suitcase, and retrieved his suit. Mere seconds later, he was sitting next to Lois in his full regalia.
“Now, I need to take out this gunman before he starts shooting. There’s no point in my trying to land this plane manually if everyone on it is dead.”
“True, that’s true. OK, take him out before he can warn anyone else he’s working with that we’re on to him.” Lois had her adrenalin pumping. This kind of danger made her feel alive. This is what she did best, the only reason she survived ten years in the jungle!
“Ok, let’s do this. You keep an eye for anyone else this guy may be working with while I take out the big guy in the cockpit,” Clark said to Lois, giving her a quick kiss.
The passengers felt a breeze as Superman, in a blur of blue and red, broke into the cockpit, knocked the terrorist unconscious, and untied the pilot and co-pilot, restoring them to their proper positions.
“I’m going to take this man and his co-conspirator to the proper authorities, gentlemen,” he informed them. “Please radio in and inform the authorities that there may be more planes in the process of being hijacked.”
When Clark left the cockpit with the terrorist, he found Lois standing over his buddy, who was writhing in pain, holding his crotch. “Lois, what did you do?” he asked, incredulous.
“He started to stand up, he had a gun hidden on him. I crept up on him and kicked him where *his* sun will not shine for a very long time,” she informed him proudly, showing him the weapon.
“Lois, you are an amazing woman. Please try to keep the passengers calm. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised.
Clark took both of them out the emergency exit and hung them by their collars, 10,000 feet in the air.
“You guys planning on talking to me? Or do I just drop you slime right here? I doubt that anyone would miss you,” he bluffed. He hoped his reputation of being too nice to kill anyone hadn’t traveled to certain Middle Eastern countries!
By the time Clark landed in Metropolis with the two terrorists, he had learned of two other targets. One plane coming from Gotham City, heading toward the former Luthor Corp towers as well, and another one heading directly east toward the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
He brought the two terrorists to see Bill Henderson. While this wasn’t his jurisdiction, he would be sure to get the Feds out there ASAP.
He informed the authorities of the danger of the other two planes. Quickly, twin F-14’s were accompanying both airplanes. Since Clark knew that the terrorists wouldn’t be above flying right into another F-14, he personally landed both planes at the closest available airports. The authorities were waiting when the planes set down. The terrorists on each plane had been overcome by the passengers. It seemed that the news had spread about the hijacked flight coming from the Congo from relatives calling them on their cell phones, and Lois’ heroism had motivated other passengers to rise up and take charge as well!
It was a great night for American patriotism. Flags would be flying everywhere tomorrow!
Clark spun out of his suit and re-entered the airplane. Lois was back in her seat. They were preparing for landing at Presley Airport.
“Lois, you’re a hero. You have no super-powers, but you’re a survivor. I’m so lucky to be with a woman as wonderful as you,” he said, giving her a kiss that rocked her world.
“Thanks, Clark, but you’re the hero. You saved three planes and all of those people in the buildings that would have died. I’m so proud of you,” she said, kissing him back.
“It’s amazing that my powers came back just in time, isn’t it?” he asked.
“Yes, really amazing,” agreed Lois. “Actually, since one of the targets was the former Luthor Corp towers, maybe it’s a little *too* amazing.”
“Uh-oh! I’ve seen that look before. What’s spinning around in that beautiful head of yours now?” Clark wondered.
“Well, let’s just say that Mark and Nigel really *were* going to kill us. What if they got tipped off that our plane was going to hit the tower, and they knew that only Superman could stop it? So they let us live so you could save the day.”
“Or, to play devil’s advocate, Lois,” Clark interrupted, “what if they *wanted* the towers to be destroyed, and they thought, ‘how perfect it would be if the airplane that Superman and Lois Lane were traveling in would be the instrument of its destruction’? After all, my powers don’t usually come back for 48 hours. If I hadn’t overhead that conversation in the cockpit, it might have been too late.”
“Or maybe we both just have overactive imaginations, and Mark and Nigel have no tie at all with the terrorists, and it was just a bizarre coincidence,” suggested Lois.
They both started laughing, as the plane touched down on Presley International Airport.
“We’re home!” Clark said. “Thank God. I forgot how beautiful the city looks at night.”
“*I’m* home!” Lois emphasized. “After a decade, *I’m* finally home. What a relief. Murphy’s law was definitely in effect these last several days.”
The paparazzi were gathered in full force at the airport. Everyone wanted an interview with Lois Lane, the woman who disappeared for ten years and came back a heroine. Clark wanted to just take Lois away from all of this, but he also knew that Lois needed to feel good about herself after all this time. While she would rather be *writing* the story, not *being* the story, tonight she was relegated to celebrity status.
Everyone was used to Superman saving the day. Unfortunately, it was somewhat taken for granted. April 1, 2003 would go down in American history as the day that ordinary people had stood up to terrorism. It was truly a time of celebration.
Perry White, James Olson, and a third man, about Perry’s age, who looked vaguely familiar to Lois, finally broke through the crowd.
“Lois, honey, you’re too skinny!!! I’m so proud of you,” Perry said, enveloping Lois in a huge bear hug.
“Perry, it’s so good to be home. You have no idea. You look great, ‘Mayor’ White,” she said.
“Lois Lane, meet your new boss, James Olson,” Perry said, stepping aside so James could shake Lois’ outreached hand.
“Ms. Lane, I can see that the stories I’ve heard about you haven’t been exaggerated in the least,” he said with a big smile. “Welcome back to the Daily Planet. And congratulations, you’re a hero.”
“Thanks, Mr. Olson.”
“Call me ‘Jim’,” he told her, smiling at Perry.
“Ok, thanks, Jim. I’m so happy to be back home. You have no idea how great this city looks to me right now. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Kent, you’re the man!” James said, finally turning and greeting Clark. “Great job, as usual. And you brought our gal here home safely,” said Olson, shaking Clark’s hand firmly.
“Thanks, James. I hear that there have been a lot of problems since I left,” said Clark.
“Unfortunately, yes. I had to fire Timmy. I’ll tell you the rest later. Hopefully, Perry and
my Dad, here,” he said, motioning over to where Lois was, “will be our savings grace.”
“Your *Dad*? The one you don’t talk to?” Clark asked. He looked over at Lois. She was hugging someone that Clark had never met.
“Yes, Clark, please meet my father, John Olson. He’s the one who sent you both the anonymous tip about the Planet’s web server,” he informed him.
Clark shook his hand, and asked, “How do you know Lois?”
“Lois and I go way back,” he said smiling. “To my early days in the NSA.”
“Clark, I can’t believe it! *He* was ‘Johnny Jabbermouth’!” Lois exclaimed. “You clean up really well, John, by the way,” she laughed.
“Ah, now it all starts to make sense. Thanks for the tip, by the way. You’re a lifesaver”, Clark told him.”
They finally got out to the airport parking lot, luggage and all. Lois’ mother, father, sister and brother-in-law were waiting for them at the Lexor Hotel, where a special all-night celebration was underway.
The five of them got into Perry’s limousine. Perry noticed the subtle interactions between Clark and Lois, how they made eye contact quite often, holding hands, smiling at each other.
“Hey, it looks like you two got on pretty well out there in the jungle, huh?” he commented, with a broad Perry all-knowing smile.
Clark and Lois each gave him a mischievous grin back as a reply.
“Say no more. Not my damn business,” Perry laughed, giving Clark a wink. Perry wondered if Clark had told her about her twin that had mysteriously appeared seven years ago. He decided to ask him when they were alone, so as not to stir anything up in case he hadn’t broached the subject yet.
They arrived at the Lexor Hotel (soon changing names to “City’s EDGE Hotel”), and were greeted by more paparazzi. James commented that he hoped that his crew from the Planet was out there somewhere, getting this story. Lois joked that as long as she was back at the Planet he needn’t worry, there would be no more missed headlines!
Clark finally managed to get Lois aside at the party, after spending some time with her family.
“Lois, you look tired. Why don’t you stay at my apartment for several days, and I’ll be happy to help you look for a place?”
“My mother wants me to stay with her, Clark. She wants to ‘catch up’. You *know* I would rather be with you. What excuse can I make?”
“That we got married?” he joked.
“OK,” Lois said. “You can fly us to Vegas right now. Let’s do it.”
Clark was ready to pick Lois up and fly her away when a little voice in the back of his head warned him that he hadn’t told her about the Alternate Universe and her doppelganger yet.
“We need to have that talk before we get married, Lois. You might be upset after you hear the entire story that I have to tell,” Clark warned.
“Clark, I realize that there’s a lot you need to tell me. But after today, I realize even *more* that we are a team. Together, we saved three planes and two major buildings and its occupants from destruction. Whatever it is, I can handle it. If it upsets me, well, I’ll get over it. I just know that you’re the man I want to be with for the rest of my life. A few surprises will just make life more interesting. But nothing will change the way I feel about you. That I am certain of.”
“What about having our wedding on Paradise Island? And your family, they’ll be mad they weren’t invited,” Clark argued.
“We’ll have another ceremony in a month or two, and invite your folks and my family then.”
“Are you sure you’re not marrying me just to get out of staying with your mother for a few days?” Clark asked, with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Clark Kent, you said it yourself: I’m a very stubborn woman, who doesn’t do anything she really doesn’t want to do. And, what better day is there to get married on than ‘April Fool’s Day’, since I’m a fool in love? So where’s our luggage?” she asked, smiling mischievously.
“Huh? What a segue that was. How do you do that?” he laughed. “The luggage was left in the coat room.”
“C’mon,” she said, grabbing his hand. “We need clothes to change into when we get there.”
Less than five minutes later, they were flying to Vegas, armed with the outfits they had purchased in Paris, and their recent blood tests from their trip. Clark was pretty sure that he wouldn’t need them in Vegas, but since they were available, he grabbed them.
They had told the party that they would check back in an hour or so, to just keep on celebrating, and that they would have an important announcement to make when they returned, leaving everyone speculating as to just what that might be. Perry stood in the corner of the room with a big smile on his face. He was pretty sure he knew what it would be.
Twenty-four hour wedding chapels were plentiful in Vegas, as were “paid” witnesses. They changed into their Parisian outfits, and waited for their turn. Clark could hardly believe that Lois was acting so impulsively. He knew he was going to pay for this as soon as they had their talk, but she seemed so sure…..he wasn’t going to argue with her any more. She loves him, he loves her. That should be enough to get them through any rough spots!
Once they were called into the small chapel, complete with Red Velour kneelers, the justice of the peace asked them if they wanted to use standard vows, or use their own personal ones.
They had none prepared, but both of them wanted to “wing it”. Lois began first.
“Clark, all my life I looked for a man that I could trust, that wouldn’t betray me, someone with integrity and honesty and strength of character, someone that wasn’t intimidated by being with a strong, assertive woman, a man that could look at me and see the real person that I am inside. As you know, I had given up thinking that I might ever find this person. Until five days ago, when you swept into my life and became everything I ever wanted in a friend, in a lover, in a partner, and, now, a husband. I love you Clark Kent, and I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband with all of the enthusiasm that I can muster, after being in an airplane for 18 hours and kickboxing a terrorist as well. Your turn,” she grinned, placing the hastily purchased wedding ring on Clark’s finger.
Clark gave Lois his most illuminating smile, one that sent chills down her spine and made her want to….*you* know…….jump his bones.
Clark took a deep breath and began. He knew that Lois might change her mind after she heard *his” vow, but at least their marriage would start out on the right footing.
“Lois, seven years ago, I met a woman identical to you, she *was* you, except that she came from an Alternate Universe, one that is similar to this one in many, many ways. I was immediately attracted to her and even felt that I loved her, but she belonged to the Clark of *her* universe. She told me that what I felt for her was really meant for you, and that someday, I would find you. There’s a lot more to the story than this, but she helped me become Superman, because her husband is Superman in *her* world. I prayed every day for seven years that I would find you, my soul mate. What I feel for you is ten times stronger than what I ever thought I felt for her. You are *my* Lois, the woman I was meant to be with through all of my lifetimes, however many there may be. I love you now, Lois Lane, and for the end of time, and I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife with so much enthusiasm that’s it’s unbelievable. That is, after hearing all that, if you still want me. Do you?” Clark asked tentatively.
“I do,” said Lois. Clark slid the wedding ring on her finger. “And Clark, you’re going to have to tell me that story again later. I didn’t really get it,” she smiled. “Something about some woman that looked like me and had my name? Huh??”
“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride,” said the justice of the peace, laughing because they had started kissing long before he finished the sentence.
After having a picture taken of them for posterity (both of them in black!), they changed back into their “traveling” jeans, and lifted off.
“Lois, if we’re going to make the announcement when we get back, there are two special people that need to know first,” he said.
“Let me guess….are their names ‘Lang’?”
“It happens to be on the way, anyway,” smiled Clark. “Did I tell you how much I love you, Lois Lane?”
“Clark…we didn’t talk about this, but you don’t expect me to change my name, right?” asked Lois.
“Honey, I don’t want you to change a thing,” he replied.
“Then I love you too, Clark Kent.” They both laughed.
They touched down on the porch of the farmhouse. It was a clear April night, and it was about midnight in Smallville, Kansas. No need to use the tunnel to enter the house at nighttime, at least.
“They’re probably sleeping. Farmers are very early risers,” Clark pointed out. “But I know they would want to be awakened for this.”
“Ma! Pa!” he shouted up the stairs. “Wake up!”
In a matter of minutes, Martha and Jonathan appeared, half-asleep, at the top of the stairs.
“Honey!!! You’re home! We heard about the plane! We’re so proud”- Martha stopped in mid-stream as she spotted Lois standing next to Clark. “You must be Lois! We’re so proud of you, too,” she said.
Soon the four of them were having tea in the kitchen. Martha and Jonathan’s eyes had welled up seeing Clark and Lois together. It reminded them so much of their dead son and daughter-in-law.
However, it also gave them a sense of completeness. Their “new” son was happy. They were a family. Life was good.
“Ma and Pa, we have a big surprise. Lois and I just got married in Vegas!” Clark announced.
Incredulous at the news, but knowing how their son and his Lois had been a perfect match, Martha and Jonathan both got up, congratulating them and giving them both huge hugs and kisses.
“We have to go back to Metropolis and make the announcement at the party we just left,” Clark explained. “But I wanted to see you and have you both be the first to know.”
“Honey, we’re so happy for the both of you. Can you come over this weekend and spend some time? We want to get to know Lois, and I’ll bake your favorite apple pie…..”
Clark looked at Lois for approval. Her eyes said “yes”.
“Absolutely. We’ll be here next Friday night and spend the weekend,” Clark promised.
With that, they said their good-byes and were airborne again.
With the time change, it was about 1:30 a.m. when they arrived back at the party. A few people had left, a few people were drunk, but the people most important to the lives of Lois and Clark were still there.
Clark clicked on a glass, as he stood near the podium in the room, turning the microphone on.
Lois stood next to him, radiant, glowing.
“We want to thank everyone that’s here tonight that came out to see this wonderful woman, Lois Lane, who returns home to us after spending an arduous ten years in a very unfriendly, war-torn country. She is quite special. So special, in fact, that tonight, I am proud to say that Lois and I are married. I am so thrilled that she agreed to be my wife.”
After a thick silence, the tone of the room changed suddenly. Glasses started clanging, Lois and Clark kissed for like five minutes straight, and the music got loud again. Ellen Lane, who had had too much to drink, staggered up to Lois.
“What?? You can’t tell your own mother you got married? I guess you don’t want to stay with *me* tonight,” she slurred. “’s OK, I’m always the last to know. I’m the one who went shopping for your clothes, you know. That’s right, your mother!”
Lois gave Clark a stricken look, and said, “Mother, it’s not like that. Clark and I literally *just* got married, spur of the moment. All of you are the first to know, really.”
[Just a little white lie. So what if Martha and Jonathan were *really* the first to know. They’re all the way in Kansas.]
“Mother, we need to get you to your room. Are you staying here at the Lexor tonight? I wish you would,” said Lois.
“Your father is over there flirting with that woman,” she said, pointing her finger across the room. “He’ll never change.” Ellen Lane obviously was having a hard time dealing with her divorce from a man she apparently still loved.
Lucy and her husband came along and saved the day. “Mother, you’re coming back with us. We have a suite with an extra bedroom. Let the newlyweds have their privacy,” Lucy said, giving Lois the “thumbs up” sign as she ogled her now brother-in-law, Clark Kent/Superman.
“Thanks, Lucy, you’re a doll. We’ll see you tomorrow,” Lois said.
“What do you say, wife o’mine? Ready to blow this place and see if you like my bachelor pad enough to stay there for awhile?” Clark asked.
“Let’s do it, Mr. ‘Lane’!” Lois said with a sly grin. Maybe she would ask Clark to change *his* name to Lane. HA HA. Clark Kent Lane. Had a nice ring to it.
Clark smiled to himself. The telepathy had returned. He “said” back to Lois, {“no thanks, I have my career established under the name Clark Kent. Wouldn’t do to change it now”}.
Lois “heard” Clark in her head and laughed. Then the realization of what that might mean hit her hard. She forced herself not to “think” about anything for the moment. She became very quiet.
The party was still going strong when they said their goodbyes to everyone and flew to 344 Clinton St.
TBC
