This is my second story for Ficlet Friday. I'm staying in the same AU. It's not necessary to read the other story first, though.
Magical Hiccups
"Did you see that? They're writing about us," Clark Kent said under his breath. He looked down at his companion, who was wagging his tail and looking after a whole group of dogs going for a walk with their dog-sitter.
He smirked. "Ah, I see. You've got better things to do than reading headlines at a newspaper stand."
Houdini placed his nose against Clark's hand. In reply, Clark gently scratched the Irish Setter behind his ears.
"Did one of the ladies strike your fancy?" Houdini licked his hand. "I'd understand if you'd rather spend time with them instead of keeping an old mope company."
Houdini looked at Clark and deliberately sat down. His eyes seemed to say that he was going to stay, no matter what. The Setter was awfully stubborn.
Clark smiled at him and turned his attention back on the headlines, perusing them with a frown. He'd rather see his name as a byline instead of plastered all across at least a dozen tabloids. MagiKal here, MagiKal there. He didn't like it.
Clark clenched his hands into tight fists as a surge of frustration washed over him. He let out a breath, reminding himself that he couldn't change his fate. Looking at the Irish Setter, he didn't really want to.
Being MagiKal was better than hiding from the world. At least this way he'd a chance to live an almost normal life.
"Hey, Mister, are you going to buy one of those papers?" The owner of the newspaper stand asked.
"Oh, right, sorry!" Clark flashed him an apologetic look and pointed at one of the few newspapers that hadn't written about him. "How much for the Daily Planet?"
He exchanged money for the latest edition of Metropolis' famous newspaper and with a nod of thanks, Clark reached for his bag and shouldered it. Houdini got up, giddily wagging his tail. The dog followed Clark, never leaving his side.
With a quick glance Clark speed-read through the paper, before he folded it and stuffed it into his bag.
"She got another front page article, Houdini," he muttered. "Lois Lane is really one of the best reporters out there. I really wish I could work at the Daily Planet. But I doubt they'd be interested in any of my freelancing articles."
He heaved a sigh and tried to shake the sense of despair that always took hold of him when he remembered that he couldn't work among people anyway.
Suddenly, he felt Houdini tugging at his sleeve. The Setter had stopped wagging his tail and tensed as if smelling prey. But despite being a gundog, Houdini wasn't much of a hunter. Once again, he dug his teeth into Clark's sleeve and tugged with more insistence.
Clark stopped and studied the dog's face. "Another hiccup? You sure?"
Houdini barked.
"Okay, then. Let's find a secluded spot." Clark fell into a light jog, Houdini right by his side.
They hurried down the street until Clark spotted a quiet alley with dumpsters and piles of empty cardboard boxes. As if on cue, he felt the prickling in the back of his neck that indicated his "hiccups", as his Mom liked to call them. It was a rather cute expression for his loss of control, but somehow it had stuck.
Hidden behind boxes and dumpsters, Clark dropped his bag. He managed to change into MagiKal just in the nick of time. His feet already left the ground and his vision blurred. Blinking a few times, he managed to clear it. Houdini was an odd mix of bones and hair.
"Just great," Clark muttered. "I hope I'm not going to be sick afterwards."
His x-ray vision going wild was a close second to his hearing being out of whack. He still hadn't found the magical aspect of a migraine.
Clark forced his way back down and took several balls and pins out of the bag. He stuffed them into large pockets on his costume while he lost hold on gravity. Once again his feet left the ground until he was hanging in the air upside down.
"Let's hope nobody sees this," he whispered. "You stay here. Be right back."
Houdini settled down and rested his head on his paws. His tail flopped up and down a few times. He barked as if to wish Clark good luck.
With a nod, Clark turned upright. Then he put on a broad smile and walked through the air, several feet above street level.
Within moments, he was back on the main street. Drifting higher, he pretended to climb invisible stairs. His eyes burned. He couldn't stifle a groan. This was going to be a full-fledged hiccup.
Already, the people gathered on the street. He pulled out metal balls containing oil. Clark started to juggle them, while he inflamed one after the other with involuntary bursts of heat vision. When he had eight balls in the air, his heat vision still hadn't settled. Clark gulped. This was a bad one. He changed to juggling the balls one handed and began adding the pins.
The people cheered, while Clark broke out in cold sweat. He fought hard to keep the different items up in the air, while gravity was pulling at him again.
He descended an imaginary staircase until his feet touched the ground. His heat vision died down, leaving him with sixteen items to juggle. He killed the flames with his icy breath, before he dropped the flying objects.
The audience applauded and much to Clark's relief, the prickling in the back of his neck stopped. There would be no further power bursts.
He took a bow before the cheering crowd. Then he saw her. She had dark brown hair, rosy cheeks and eyes the color of chocolate. She was absolutely stunning..
He stared at her, helpless against her spell. Boy, he should really snap out of it, before he made a complete fool of himself.
"Bravo!" she shouted.
Hastily, Clark gathered his items. Then he did a somersault, shooting up so quickly that it seemed he'd vanished.
From deep down on the street he heard her voice again.
"Magical," she whispered.
He couldn't agree more.
Last edited by bakasi; 12/11/22 12:51 PM.
