Investigate: FlareSummary: 6th Act of AU series, Investigate. What is Power without control? Strength without restraint? What if Superman’s grasp of his abilities and all that makes him -
him- slipped or were skewed by things beyond anyone's control? What does it really mean to be Super?
A/N: Once again, a special thanks to Ksarasara and Chereche who helped beta this fic and acted as soundboards ^_^. And thanks to those on FOLC's Discord group who helped me clarify ideas.
A/N: Although not required, reading the previous Acts of Investigate is helpful, as this Superman/Clark is not like canon much at all. They can be found here:
Investigate Series________________________________________________
[Chapter 1: Dangerous]“How was your time with Wilson?” Lois asked as he came into their living room.
“Good,” Clark said with a shrug. “It was a little strange, though. The last time I saw him was about five weeks ago, but for him it was five days.”
Lois nodded as he sat down beside her. “It’s definitely a hard thing to wrap your head around.”
The public had done their best to process the statement sent out by the Foundation providing a brief overview of what Superman had experienced in the parallel world, but the reality of such things was just too surreal for most, and since such technology was hopefully beyond their reach for the foreseeable future, the world quickly settled on simply being happy Superman was back.
"I'm just glad his schedule is so flexible. He only has a few patients other than me now. Granted – well, he didn’t outright say – I think he's looking to cut back a bit more."
"Well, he has another grandbaby on the way, right?" Lois asked.
"Yeah. A boy this time," he said, taking her hand as she relaxed against him.
Lois smiled softly, feeling a gentle undercurrent of Clark’s whimsical hope on one day being a father or perhaps even grandfather.
"Mom and Dad are coming down this weekend," Clark said, suddenly sounding a tad exasperated, though his aura revealed he was really feeling embarrassed and pleased, like a kid who is privately thrilled their parents showed up to an event but don’t want to admit it.
"Your mom wants to personally see the Fifth Anniversary parade in your honor, huh?" Lois asked knowingly.
Clark pinked up. "Yeah. As well as participate in the pie contest – although I think she might have been teasing me there."
Lois laughed.
“I’m just glad I won’t be judging the pies. If my mom did participate, it would be a conflict of interest for me and wouldn't be fair to those competing,” he said, and Lois was fairly certain he was joking.
“You are going to be sampling the winning pie though, right?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said, “I just hope they don't ask me to compare it to my mom's."
Lois giggled at his expression. "But Clark, you know that that's the first thing they're going to ask you."
He sighed, though amused. "That's why my mom was laughing!"
O o O o O
Lois smiled as Clark bit into his sandwich.
They had decided to eat lunch together. It was a slow news day, and Clark didn't have any meetings, at the Foundation or otherwise.
"My sister has another boyfriend," Lois sighed.
"Another winner?" Clark asked apologetically, already knowing where this was headed.
"Unfortunately. I just don't get it. I mean, I understand
why she does it - thanks, Daddy - but it's just . . . . How many times does she have to do it to realize this is not good for her in the long run or the short term? And it's not like she's stupid, she just keeps making
stupid decisions, choosing losers and then taking forever to see the truth and
doing something about it," Lois complained. "It's like she's blind, brainwashed into thinking that 'this guy will be different!' while ignoring the fact all the conditions and characteristics are the same as with the last creep."
"It's never easy seeing someone we care about make lousy decisions," Clark agreed, looking up as a man with two kids walked by their table.
Clark’s good eye automatically took in their faces, something he subconsciously did with every child he saw, and, more often than not, every adult.
It was less than a second later when his mind shifted gears, sidelining the conversation he was having with Lois and recalling two missing persons posters.
One from Pennsylvania, three months before.
Another from Colorado, back in 1995.
/Call the police. Those two kids were kidnapped. The boy has been missing for months and the girl two years,/ Clark abruptly thought to her, taking a deep breath.
/What? Are you sure?!/ she asked back, dropping her frustration about her sister.
/Very sure. I don't know the man, but the girl is from Colorado and the boy is from Pennsylvania. I'm going to follow them. Keep back, he's armed,/ Clark replied as he calmly stood up while the man and two children left the restaurant.
He heard Lois yank out her cellphone as he duly followed the three out.
"Sir!" Clark yelled, jogging up to them outside and holding out his set of house keys. "Did you drop these?"
The man and kids stopped beside a white minivan and turned toward him.
"Uh, no," the man said in confusion, allowing Clark to get a good look at him.
The tanned man was taller than most and barrel chested, though not overweight. His clothing was well-used but decent and his thinning hair was combed over neatly.
Clark glanced at the kids. They were clean and their clothing was fairly new, but Clark could hear their thundering hearts under the shadow of the big, looming man. The boy looked at Clark imploringly, while the girl seemed void of emotion. He had already been certain, now he was over 100% positive. These were the children on the posters.
"Oh, okay. Just thought I'd check. Cute kids, yours?" Clark asked lightly.
"Yup," the balding man lied smoothly. "Well, we need to get going."
Clark smiled amiably as the boy and girl stood nervously off to the side, closest to the van and behind the man. "Oh, I see, road trip," Clark said with a nod at the van’s out of state license plate, Oregon. "Well, if you have time, I highly recommend stopping at the amusement park just off the highway."
"Uh, we're actually going to go camping," the kidnapper rambled, opening the van door and failing to hide his rising nervousness. "You know, check out the good fishing spots."
"Hm. I like fishing. Well, I would wish you well on your trip – if you weren't lying," Clark said, suddenly locking eyes with him.
Clark didn't hesitate as the man, knowing he had somehow been found out, moved to grab the girl while his other hand went to his waist band.
Clark snatched the man’s wrist, allowing the girl ample space to get away as he shoved her kidnapper into the van before body slamming him to the ground as a knife was unsheathed. In that same instant, the boy instinctively pulled the girl away and got them both behind Clark.
Clark expertly twisted the blade from the larger man's grasp in the next blink and forced his chest and face into the dirt just off the pavement.
"No! No! Get off me!" the man roared.
Clark held the man down, pinning his arm back and ignoring the cuss words now spewing out as Lois and several other people hurried out of the restaurant. Others stopped and gaped along the sidewalk and from across the street.
"The police are on their way," Lois said loudly as the man struggled harder.
"No! They're my kids! Ask them! Get off of me!" the man shouted between profanities.
"They are
not yours," Clark stated, his voice so low and firm that it rumbled with more danger than a massive earthquake. "Now, shut up."
The man trembled.
Clark turned his head and looked at the boy and girl clinging to each other just a few yards away as he maintained his steel grip on the giant man beneath him. He looked at Lois.
/Their names are Alex and Jasmine,/ he mentally told her.
"Alex, Jasmine?" Lois said softly, startling them.
"Y-you know us?" the girl breathed, facing her and no longer blank.
"My husband, Mr. Kent, told me your names," she said, nodding over at Clark. "He helps kids return to their families."
The two looked back at Clark, their eyes wide, before the sound of police sirens pulled their attention away.
O o O o O
“How are they?” Lois asked Clark when he got home.
“Their families are flying in tomorrow,” Clark said, slowly taking a seat beside her on the couch. “They’ve been looked over, and the hospital’s psychologist spoke with them. Their healing is going to take a long time, but the important thing is that it’s starting.”
Lois nodded. “I can’t imagine being in either of their shoes, especially Jasmine’s. In that situation . . . for two years.”
Clark swallowed thickly and Lois felt his aura ebb a painful twinge as he recalled something.
“What is it?” she asked, taking his hand.
“I’m just remembering my first case. The reason I became a PI. When I was 18 in China. When I found that ring. Well, system of rings,” he said, referring to the human trafficking rings he had successfully helped bring down.
Lois gave him a comforting squeeze.
“Sometimes I make myself forget such darkness exists,” he whispered.
“I don’t blame you. It’s not something that many people can even believe exists. For many, it’s easier to ignore, to look away,” Lois answered. “But today, I saw firsthand how important it is to be aware, to be ready to act. You saved two kids from remaining in a hell today, and you brought down a monster.”
Clark slowly inhaled, his aura tightly clenching around her in love.
“Will you need to testify?” Lois asked.
“I don’t know yet. Hopefully, I won’t,” Clark said. “Has my name come up in any articles?”
“No. The police have done a good job keeping that from my peers,” she said, a bit amused. “They’re leaving you as a ‘good samaritan’, an ‘alert citizen’, and the like.”
Clark nodded, relieved. “That’s good.”
Lois smiled, leaning against him.
O o O o O
He glanced at his watch.
The first round of testing for the study determining the long-term safety of his aura in healing would be starting in thirty minutes.
Fred Plas, the Chief Medical Director of the UN, had contacted the Foundation earlier that week, informing them that a list of hospitals had been selected, and over one hundred burn victims were expected to be part of the initial study. Of course, most of those patients were not yet known, but everything that could be made ready, was ready.
And now Kal would begin healing under the careful observation of the UN's medical council and doctors of every participating nation.
Kal landed in Madrid, Spain, at the entrance of the Hospital Universitario La Paz, where a group of scientists and doctors were excitedly waiting with news crews.
"Good morning, Superman. Again, thank you for proposing this. We are excited to begin," Dr. Plas greeted, shaking Kal's hand before turning to the media that had gathered. "Today, we start work on the eagerly awaited study looking into the long-term effects of Superman's aura on the human body. We hope to have a preliminary report in a year's time, which we will follow up on year over year for the next five years, but more on that later. We have work to do. No questions at this time. Thank you."
Dr. Plas motioned for Superman to join him, and they entered. A single cameraman broke from the array of news outlets and followed them into the hospital. Kal was pleased they had preemptively handled the press; it was certainly a relief to just focus on the primary purpose of being there.
"We have everything ready, and as previously discussed with Dr. Klein, have selected four individuals today," Dr. Plas said, guiding the small entourage down corridors. "What is filmed is part of the documentation and will of course need the permission of all participants to be made public."
Kal nodded, unbothered. He had expected some degree of recording.
"It’s been decided to have everything done in here," Plas said, leading them into a large room with eight beds, although only four were occupied.
Three of the patients were children and one was an adult. The adult and two of the children were heavily bandaged and connected to a range of medical equipment, and their beds were enclosed by transparent plastic curtains. The third child was heavily scarred but otherwise free and currently grinning at Superman.
Beside each bed were a collection of hopeful individuals, and in front of the nearest bed with the most critical looking patient was Dr. Klein and two other doctors.
"Dr. Alcon! It's nice to see you again," Kal greeted, shaking her hand.
She laughed, seeing his surprise. "Nice to see you too. They asked me to help oversee this part of the trial, and I was more than happy to accept," she said.
Dr. Alcon had been the doctor who had helped treat him when he had torn his aura three years before and whose burn scars had been completely healed by his erratic aura during that time.
"I'm glad," Kal said, before glancing at the doctor beside her.
“This is Dr. Campillo; he’s the head of the Burn Center here,” Dr. Alcon said.
“<It’s an honor to meet you, Kal-El,>” Dr. Campillo said in Spanish, shaking his hand.
“<Likewise,>” Kal said.
“<We can change how we go about this, but we thought it best for you to go family to family?>” Dr. Campillo suggested as Dr. Alcon went to the nearest bed.
“<That’s fine,>” Kal said agreeably.
Campillo nodded and motioned for Dr. Alcon to continue.
"This is Maria Ruiz and her parents, José and Sofia. Maria suffered third-degree burns on over 70% of her body in an accident earlier this week and has been placed in a medically induced coma. For obvious reasons, we wanted her to be seen by you first," Alcon said before giving an encouraging nod to the parents. “<Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz, we are going to have Superman heal your daughter first as we discussed, okay?>” she asked, speaking in Spanish.
“<Thank you, Superman. Thank you so much!>” the father said, quickly shaking his hand as Mrs. Ruiz looked on in tearful hope.
“<You’re welcome. Do you have any questions before I start?>” Kal asked.
“<No, no, they already explained everything. We are ready,>” Mr. Ruiz assured as Mrs. Ruiz nodded fervently.
“<Alright,>” Kal said, looking to Dr. Klein as Dr. Campillo went to the curtain and unzipped it.
“The camera is on you, and I’ll be watching your aura and collecting data. From my previous calculations, I don’t anticipate any trouble, but it’s best to be safe. We’re ready whenever you are,” Dr. Klein said.
Kal nodded and went to the side of the bed, conscious of everyone watching, but soon his full attention was on Maria.
From her size, she looked to be four years old, but beyond that, he could only see that she had short black hair. Everything else was covered in special bandages. He didn’t attempt to guess what the accident had involved, but whatever it had been, her face, arms and chest had suffered the worst of it. He frowned slightly as he wondered where to touch her, but then decided he didn’t need to make direct contact with both of his hands.
“<I’m going to cover her with my aura first to assess the damage,>” Kal said, knowing they wanted and needed to be told what he was doing.
“<Okay, just let us know if you need us to do anything. We left the bandages on but placed relief cuts in them to be safe. If it would be best to remove them, we can,>” Dr. Campillo said.
Kal nodded and knelt down beside the bed. Slowly, he placed his left hand on the uncovered portion of her head near her temple and slid his fingers through her short, dark curls to gently cradle her head and touch her scalp beneath. He then carefully covered her tiny, bandaged hand with his right hand and took a deep breath as he extended his aura and draped it over her entire form.
The damage was what he had expected, but it was still painful to know a child had experienced it. He could hardly wait to help her.
“<Alright. I’m going to start,>” he said.
Closing his eyes, he eased his aura to condense over and into her wounds and allowed the grip of the now familiar siphoning of power to take hold. He winced, both in sympathy and from the tug at his center as her wounds began to close. He heard excited mutterings, but he allowed it to wash over him as flesh revitalized, swelling evaporated, and skin regrew.
He exhaled and pulled back before slowly standing up.
Dr. Alcon and Campillo hurried forward, quickly assessing Maria, as Dr. Klein came beside Kal and smiled.
“Everything is looking stable,” Dr. Klein said. “Your aura fluctuated as we’d expect and calmed soon after. And I see a faint aura around her now, but it’s not as dense as . . . patient one’s," he said, not wanting to state Melissa's name. "Likely because Maria was not as critical."
Mr. and Mrs. Ruiz wept with joy as Maria's bandages were removed, revealing new, healthy skin. A moment later, Maria stirred and opened her eyes.
"<A miracle. . . .>" Mrs. Ruiz breathed, kissing her daughter's unblemished forehead.
Superman moved further away, giving the family space and time to process.
"<See, Grandma, he's not dangerous!>" a young boy in the far bed said, his voice carrying further than he had likely planned, because he froze when nearly everyone in the room instantly turned their attention to him.
It was hard to tell his age due to the scarring on half of his body and part of his face, but Kal estimated him to be about eight.
"<I-I didn't . . . it wasn’t– >" the boy's grandmother stuttered out, utterly horrified by how her grandson's words must have sounded. And maybe her words had been said just the way he had made them sound. Whatever the case, she looked ready to cry. "<I'm sor– >"
Kal lifted his hand and she instantly fell silent. "<It’s alright.>" His face remained soft as he collected his thoughts and looked at the boy. "<What’s your name?>"
"<Mateo, and this is my grandma, Grandma Roma,>" he answered, suddenly nervous.
"<Well, Mateo, while I don't know the context of what your grandmother had said, you need to understand something,>” Kal said gently but very seriously as everyone listened with bated breath. “<I
am dangerous.>”
“<What?>” Mateo breathed, baffled.
“<I'm dangerous. However, I want you to understand – I want everyone to understand – being dangerous isn’t automatically bad. I’m dangerous, but I
choose when and how to be dangerous. When and how to use my strength, my heat vision, and all my other abilities. And even if I didn’t have super powers and was an average human, I would still be dangerous and would
want to be so. The man who raised me, while gentle and kind, is dangerous too, even though he doesn’t have my abilities and is as human as you. He’s not the strongest man around physically, but he’s still willing to fight to protect others, push back against those who want to harm. And he taught me to do the same. Taught me to control my abilities and when I should use them. When to let myself be an active, fearful threat, because sometimes to be able to do good, you have to be dangerous. Do you understand?>”
“<I . . . think so? So there’s a good dangerous and a bad dangerous?>” Mateo asked.
Kal smiled. “<Put simply, yes. Some might consider it semantics, but I think it’s important, especially if I want to be honest about myself and my abilities. Being who and what I am, downplaying what I am capable of is . . . unwise. It’s unwise for anyone, really, but for me. . . . You don’t need to understand this part yet,>” he went on, still looking at Mateo. “<But I can't afford to be less than fully self-aware, to be brutally honest with myself, because, due to my abilities, I am
always very dangerous; however, like in all things, the difference between good and bad is choice and self-control.>"
Kal turned his eye to Grandma Rosa, who, oddly enough (or perhaps not so oddly), looked much calmer than before.
"<Thank you,>" she said tearfully.
He gave her an understanding nod before looking back to Dr. Alcon and Klein.
"We ready?" Kal asked.
"We are," Dr. Klein said, looking to Dr. Alcon, who nodded as Dr. Campillo stepped back from Maria, satisfied though she remained asleep.
"<Are you ready, Mateo?>" Dr. Campillo asked.
"<Yeah!>" Mateo said eagerly as Superman approached. “<Do I need to lay down?>”
“<If you'd be more comfortable, but I think sitting up would be fine. Now, I’m not sure how this is going to feel for you, so if you need me to stop for any reason, please let me know,>” Superman said.
“<Will it hurt?>” he asked, though he didn’t seem afraid at all, just curious.
“<I don’t know. Dr. Alcon? How did it feel to you when your scars were healed?>” Kal asked.
“<Oh. Well, I felt what I now know was your aura going through me and then concentrating on my scars. There was a surge of tingles, and then my scars disappeared. It happened very fast,>" she explained.
"<Wow! Okay!>" Mateo said, holding out his hands, ready to go.
Kal laughed and took his hands, glancing at Dr. Klein, who gave a nod from behind the aura camera.
In the next half hour, three burn survivors were freed from layers of bandages and persistent pain, and a fourth was freed from restraining, tender scars. Four families were changed for the better, and the next steps to fully understanding Kal’s aura began.
O o O o O
A/N: I am working on the last two parts for this series now. My goal is to post at least once a week so it'll give me plenty of time to finish with plenty of buffer while getting some muse juice
. Hope you all enjoy this next installment of Investigate! Please let me know what you think of it
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