How I Spent My Christmas Vacation -- One Year Later: 2/?
by Nan Smith
Previously:
Clark set Lois on the floor and stepped forward, changing from Clark to Superman in the blink of an eye. "I'll get him, ma'am," he said quickly to the woman and vanished instantly. In another instant he was back, a howling child held in his arms.
The woman grabbed her baby. "Oh, thank you, Superman! I don't know how it happened!"
"Just keep a closer eye on him after this," Clark said with a smile. He turned back to Lois. Then he looked past her.
Lois didn't see what happened next. One instant, Clark was standing in front of her; the next he had spun her around, shielding her body with his own. A bright red glow enveloped them both.
A wave of dizziness swept over her and the world around her was abruptly blotted out.
**********
And now, Part 2:
Clark's arm was holding her up. "Lois?" his voice asked.
She raised her head, struggling to orient herself.
"Lois? Are you all right?" He sounded very worried.
"Yeah -- yeah." Things were steadying down. She blinked at him, trying to clear her head. "A little dizzy. What happened?"
He released her, keeping a steadying hand on her arm. "Someone shot us with a red beam."
"Well, go get him," she said. The dizziness had gone now, leaving only a faint tingle along her nerves.
Clark took a quick step forward and paused. He looked back at Lois, his brows contracted in the slightest of frowns.
Something wasn't right. "What's the matter?" she asked.
"Uh -- I think they went this way," he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. The message was clear. He wanted her to follow him. Lois extricated herself from the crowd of people around the woman and baby and started after him.
Moments later, she caught up with him, standing at the entrance to Robertson's. The big department store was a blaze of red, green, gold and silver, glittering brilliantly in the glow of the fluorescent lights. The crowds of shoppers swarmed through the aisles as they hunted frantically for gifts. Clark was peering into the crowd, looking back and forth.
"What is it?" Lois asked. "What's wrong?"
"I can't fly!" Clark's voice was very low but none the less intense for all that.
"*What*?"
"And," Clark continued, "no x-ray vision, no super-hearing --"
"Clark ..."
He looked at her. "How do *you* feel?"
"Fine," she said almost rhetorically and then realized that it was the exact truth. She had never felt so well, so full of energy. "No, honestly," she said, at his skeptical glance. "I really do feel fine. But what do you suppose happened?"
"I don't know!" He paused and took an audible breath. Lois could see him deliberately take control of himself. That was one of the things that always astonished her about him -- how he could manage to keep calm under circumstances that would completely freak her out. "The only thing I can figure is that it had something to do with that red beam."
"Then we'd better go back to where it happened and see if we can find some clues," she said. "Did you see where it came from?"
"There were two women," Clark said. "I only caught a glimpse of them. One was holding what looked like a camcorder. That was what shot out the beam of red light." He turned. "You're right. We need to look for clues."
"And then," Lois said determinedly, "we need to go see your friend, Dr. Klein, over at STAR Labs. Maybe he can figure out what happened."
**********
The crowd had largely dissipated when they returned. The security guard was still present, and two men in the clothing of paramedics had appeared on the scene and were speaking with the woman whose baby had caused the disturbance. A short distance away on the floor tiles lay what appeared to be a camcorder. One side of it was obviously blackened, and a little curl of smoke was still drifting up from it.
"Is that it?" Lois asked.
Clark nodded and went to examine the device. The security guard looked around as he knelt beside it. "Thanks for the help, Superman," he said.
"No problem." Clark picked up the camcorder, turning it slowly over but, Lois noted, he didn't open the cassette compartment. The enormity of what had happened was gradually dawning on her and she let out her breath in a controlled exhalation, trying to regain mastery over her jumping nerves. If whatever this thing was had somehow robbed Superman of his powers, it was dangerous. It made sense to wait and let Dr. Klein open it.
"I'd better take that to Lost and Found," the security guard said.
Clark shook his head. "I doubt the owner will be back to claim it," he said. "If he does, you can tell him to contact me."
The man hesitated. "Why do you want it?"
Lois stepped forward. "If you can't trust Superman, who can you trust?" she asked.
The guard grinned faintly. "You got a point," he said. "All right. If someone comes looking for it, I'll tell him you have it."
"Thanks," Clark said.
"I guess the Christmas shopping is going to have to wait," Lois said, as they walked toward the escalator.
"I guess so." Clark said. He was examining the camcorder but he still didn't open the case. "This thing's lined with lead," he said suddenly. "The cassette compartment, anyway."
"Lead?"
"Uh huh. Now that's interesting."
"Yeah," Lois said. "Either those women didn't want you to accidentally see what was in it, or --"
"Or what?"
"I don't know," she said, "but I think you'd better wait to open it. If it could take your powers away like that, whatever's in there might be dangerous. Are you sure Kryptonite is the only thing that can affect you?"
He shrugged faintly. "Lois -- the other one -- didn't mention anything, and I've never come across anything else that could."
"That doesn't mean there isn't anything," Lois said, "but it makes me suspicious. Promise me you're not going to open that. Let's let Dr. Klein do it. If it turns out there's Kryptonite in it, it wouldn't do you any good at all."
"You don't have to convince me," Clark said. "I think you're probably right."
"But," she continued, "I think we'd better stop at the Men's Shoppe here."
"Huh?"
"Unless you want to walk out in the snow in a spandex outfit," she elaborated. "Without your powers you're going to freeze."
He looked surprised. "I hadn't thought of that. You're right."
"Wait for me on that bench," she directed. "I'll be right back. And maybe you should phone Perry."
Clark glanced at her in surprise. "Why?"
"To cancel dinner, of course."
Clark shook his head. "I don't want to disappoint him," he said.
"But --"
"Lois, my powers are gone, but I'm not sick or anything," he said. "I don't want anyone to know what's happened. If the criminals find out I've lost my powers --"
This probably wasn't a good place to discuss the loss of Superman's powers, Lois thought. "All right. Stay here and I'll get you the coat. Be right back. And while you're waiting, you'd better phone a cab."
"Okay." Clark started to turn toward a pay phone that was situated by one wall and stopped. "Have you got a couple of quarters?"
She fumbled in her handbag and produced the required cash. "Here. I'll be right back."
Lois hurried toward the store. The less time Clark hung around the mall in his extremely conspicuous outfit the better, as far as she was concerned. The whole episode hadn't really hit her yet, but the thought of Superman without his amazing abilities was enough to make a chill run up her spine.
Ten minutes later she walked out of the shop to find Clark sitting on the bench, waiting patiently for her. A woman with two small children was sitting on the other end and the older child, a boy of about four, was unabashedly staring at the bright costume. As Lois approached, he parked himself directly in front of Clark and leaned forward.
"Are you really Superman?" he asked in a conspiratorial tone.
Clark opened his mouth to reply when the boy's mother intervened. "Of course not, Billy," she said. "What would Superman be doing sitting here in the mall?"
"Well, actually," Clark began.
"There you are, John," Lois said, interrupting quickly. "I've been looking all over for you. Your coat was in Lost and Found, just as I thought. Come on; we're going to be late." She smiled at the little boy. "He's just here to advertise Superman action figures at the toy store. They're running a special."
The child's mother nodded. "I figured it was something like that."
"I want a Superman toy!" Billy announced.
"Well, we'll have to see what Santa brings," his mother said.
Lois and Clark walked away, as the little boy's voice rose to a wail behind them. "But I *want* one! I *want* one! I *want* one!"
"What if she finds out the toy store doesn't have a special on Superman action figures?" Clark asked in a low tone.
"She'll figure it's a different toy store," Lois said. "Don't borrow trouble."
A few minutes later, walking out of the mall, Clark pulled the coat tightly around himself. "Brr!" he commented. "I'd forgotten what it was like to be cold."
"Did you ever get cold?" Lois asked. "Actually it doesn't seem particularly cold. It's usually warmer when it's snowing, though."
"Well, it feels cold enough to me," Clark said. "I got cold when I was a kid. I didn't start getting my powers until I was around ten."
"That probably explains it," Lois said. "It's been a long time."
"I guess so," Clark said. "I hope the cab shows up pretty quick."
"I think that might be it," Lois said as a cab pulled up at the curb.
"Are you Lois?" the cabbie asked as they approached the cab.
"That's me," Lois said. Clark reached out to open the door for her, but Lois was ahead of him. She grasped the handle and pulled.
The handle of the door came off.
"Hey!" the cabbie said. "What'd you do to my cab?"
"I didn't!" Lois said indignantly. "The handle fell off! You better get this thing fixed."
"Shall we get another cab?" Clark asked.
"And wait around in the cold? Forget it." Lois got in and Clark slid in after her, closing the rear door with care.
"Take us to Clinton Avenue," Lois said. "Anywhere on the block will be all right." She looked at the broken door handle in her hand and frowned.
**********
"...On the way to dinner." Lois glanced at Clark, who was fastening the buttons of his jacket, and spoke into the phone. "Yes, we'll bring the camcorder -- or whatever it is."
Clark sat on the battered sofa that had belonged in his mother's living room. He fastened the last button of his jacket with hands that tried to shake and certainly would have if not for his determination not to show anyone, even Lois, how the loss of his powers had affected him. Superman, after all, was supposed to face all situations with calm and stoicism.
Lois set the phone down and crossed to the sofa. She sat down beside him and suddenly put her hand over his. "Clark, I promise we're going to figure out what happened; do you understand me? We're Lane and Kent. We'll find whoever did this and get your powers back."
Well, he decided, that effort had been short-lived. His attempt to put on a brave face hadn't worked with Lois. She'd seen right through him, just like she always did. He gave a faint sigh, almost of relief. Pretending in front of her wasn't something he liked to do, anyway.
"I know you're scared," Lois said. "I am, too -- a little. Just because you're Superman doesn't mean you don't have feelings -- no matter what the news services used to say about you."
"I'm not very super right now," he said.
Lois shook her head vehemently. "You'll always be super, Clark, powers or not. It's just the kind of person you are. We're not going to panic over this, though. Not yet, anyway."
He smiled a little at that. "Aye aye, sir," he said. "You're the boss."
"Then if I'm the boss," she said, "I'd better go and change. We're due at Perry's in an hour and we still need to stop by STAR Labs."
"Is your Jeep here or at the Planet?" Clark asked.
"Here," Lois said. "If you recall, we flew in to work this morning."
"Yeah." Clark bit his lip. "Let's hope it wasn't for the last time."
"We don't know anything about it right now," Lois said. "We're not going to think that way until we know for sure. I'll be back in fifteen minutes and we'll head for STAR Labs."
She went to the inner door of his apartment that opened into the hallway of the apartment house. Her apartment was next to his, which was a distinct convenience at times. Clark liked hearing her moving around next door, and he usually ended up in her apartment in the evening, where she would cook dinner for both of them, after which he would clean up the dishes in two seconds flat. It wasn't that Clark couldn't cook, of course. Like any bachelor, he had acquired the basics through necessity. Lois, on the other hand, hadn't learned much about cooking from her mother, who had apparently spent most of Lois's teen years alternately drinking and drying out. As an adult, she had become frustrated with her lack of cooking skills and taken a cooking course at a French school of culinary arts. After some initial fumbles, she had graduated second in the class. Following that particularly rigorous introduction to cooking, she'd experimented with other styles, and proudly displayed her expertise for Clark the day after they had moved her into her new apartment.
Clark had been suitably impressed. The first Lois Lane he'd known had admitted to being a poor cook. This was one of the differences between the Lois of his universe and the other one. That first night had been the model for many others to come, and they had continued it ever since.
"Why don't I wait in your living room," he suggested, getting to his feet. "I promise not to peek."
She laughed. "If I was worried about that, I'd never have moved in next door. Come on." She opened the door quickly and stumbled backward as it collapsed inward, literally ripped from its hinges. Clark rushed forward in an instinctive attempt to catch her, sure that she was seriously hurt, but almost at once she was rising to her feet, pieces of the wooden door falling harmlessly to the carpet and the shocked expression on her face was almost ludicrous. Clark stepped forward to give her a hand up, staring at the mess she had made with sudden, dismayed comprehension. Lois met his eyes and the same understanding was reflected in her face.
"Oh boy ..." Clark said.
**********
"Well," Lois said, as they walked slowly up the pathway that led to the Mayor's residence, "at least we know where your powers went. They aren't gone -- just temporarily misplaced."
"I hope it's 'temporarily'," Clark said.
"Sure it is," Lois said. "If it can be done, it can be undone."
"That's not always true," Clark pointed out. "If you shoot someone dead, that's it."
"Yes," Lois countered, "but neither one of us is dead. Let's not give this up until we've found out all there is to be found out. Somehow, someone transferred your powers to me. If that can be done, they can probably be transferred back. Dr. Klein *said* he'd get back to us as soon as he figured out what that red crystal stuff inside the camcorder was. I'm betting it's Kryptonite."
Clark shook his head. "Kryptonite is green."
"You mean," she countered, "all the Kryptonite that we've *seen* was green. How do we know there aren't any other kinds?"
Clark opened his mouth to answer and shut it again, a stunned expression transfixing his face. After a moment he nodded. "That's true. I *don't* know. Lois -- the other Lois," he clarified, "never said anything about it, but that doesn't mean anything. She might not have known about it, or it might simply be that there wasn't the time. The subject didn’t come up, except at the Mayoral Election debate"
"So," Lois said, "we wait until we get Dr. Klein's report. In the meantime, though, who knows about Kryptonite and what it will do?"
"Well --" Clark frowned. "Everybody who saw that so-called debate saw what happened when Tempus exposed me to the Kryptonite. But Perry found it and he and James gave it to Dr. Klein."
Lois nodded thoughtfully. "Was Tempus acting alone?" she asked. "Was anyone helping him?"
Clark stopped. "He was running for mayor," he said. "He had several people on his campaign staff, but there was one man --" His voice trailed off. "Why didn't I think of that before?" he muttered under his breath, but Lois heard him clearly. "The guy's name was Major Domo."
"You're kidding," Lois said.
Clark shook his head. "I know -- talk about corny. That was his name, though. I doubt that Tempus told him much, but he had to have known about the Kryptonite. I did some research on him after Lois went back to her own universe. He didn't have any kind of criminal record, but he'd been a paid political operative for several years. He was associated with several pretty sleazy political campaigns, and there were a lot of allegations that he was behind some major political dirty tricks."
"In other words, a typical politician," Lois said. "Guys like that walk a fine line between the legal and illegal all the time, but maybe this time he's strayed a little bit over the line. Do you know who he's worked for since?"
Clark shook his head, starting up the walk toward Perry's home again. "No, but we can probably find out."
"I think we should," Lois said. "He's at least a suspect until we find out something more."
The door opened as they mounted the steps, and Lois decided that the Mayor had been watching for them.
"Come on in!" Perry said. Then he stopped, looking back and forth at their faces. "Either you don't want to be here, or something has happened that shouldn't have," he stated in no uncertain terms. "Do I want to know what it is?"
Lois glanced at Clark. "You think we should tell him?"
Clark sighed. "Yeah," he said. "I think we should. Maybe he can help."
**********
tbc
