Chapter 1
"Would you look at the sight of that thing," Lois scoffs. "The only thing holding up that dress is pure faith," she says.
Lois is not wrong. The toothpick on the runway wears a dress made entirely out of strings of beads that wrap around her lithe figure. She stops at the edge of the stage and twirls in place, beads swaying along her body. Heat rises to my face. From our position at the round table by the stage I would only have to look up to have a front row seat to her more sensitive lady parts. My face reddens. I sip my champagne and avert my eyes before I see more than I should.
"The designer needs to hit the drawing board again. I've seen aliens with better fashion sense." Her tone is hard and calculating, but she never once loses her lopsided smile, as if she's privy to the world's secrets and couldn't be bothered to share with the class.
A knot forms in the pit of my stomach. I prefer the term 'Traveler' to 'alien.' Alien makes me sound like the villain of a sci-fi movie. There is still time; you never know, I might be one bad day away from becoming the nightmare in 'Brightburn.' No matter how many times I save the world, there will always be those out there that fear me.
I roll my eyes. "I thought you hated the suit."
Lois smiles coyly. "God no," she moans against my mouth. "It's such a turn on."
Lois loops her hand between mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze, her eyes lighting up like twin stars. I keep waiting fot the floor to fall out from under me. I'm afraid I'd blink and this pleasant reality will evaporate like smoke. Lois will wake up and realize she's dating an alien. Superman is nothing more than a story to her. The exotic alien that lands her front page news, time and time again. If Superman gains a new power or bleeds, she'll be the first to break the story. At first, she'll be excited at the prospect of her boyfriend being from another world. But at the end of the day my Kryptonian side will drive us apart faster than a speeding bullet. No one could ever love an alien.
"Gotta say," a stifle a huge yawn. "Girls are more reserved in Smallville."
I wince, as my ribs throb in protest and I lean on the table for support. It hurts to speak. I curse my bruised chest that has stubbornly remained tender even after a month of recuperating. Though the mugging I stopped yesterday probably didn't help move the healing process along.The naysayers will be thrilled to know The Man of Steel has still failed to heal after Nightfall, the meteor that nearly destroyed the whole planet. It was just my luck, Nightfall turned out to be a remnant of my home world.
On the bright side, I can at least remember my name now. And everything else in between. More importantly, Lois Erica Lane. I would have given up long ago without her at my side.
"Clark," Lois rubs soothing circles into my back. "Why don't we call in reinforcements and skip the fashion show from Hell?" she whispers in my ear, a suggestive lilt to her voice. "There's still time catch the evening monster truck rally and the after party," she teases, nibbling eagerly at my earlobe.
I shoot her an incredious look. She's unbelievable. We're in public. "Perry gave us a job to do.We can't just quit because this story isn't exciting enough."
"Careful, Smallville," Lois warns. "You might jinx us."
Don't worry. If a lunatic wrecks havoc on the show Superman will be there to save the day . . . or die trying. 'I am this close to grounding you, young man.' Uncle Emil's words from yesterday ring in my head. 'Your body will never heal at this rate. You need rest and lots of it.' Rest and Superman don't exactly work well together. I don't have time for self-care. There's a whole world out there waiting for Superman; a whole world full of voices and stories itching to be heard.
"Jinx is a fun villain," I say distractedly.
Two red dots appear on Lois's cheeks. She eyes me sharply and looks at me as if she can't decide if she wants to kiss me or hit me. "What did we say about you joking, Smallville?" She smiles amusedly.
I grit my teeth. "That I shouldn't."
"Bingo," Lois claps her hands mockingly. "There isn't a single funny bone in your body."
She doesn't give me enough credit. I am hilarious. I'm not the the League member who doesn't have a single ounce of humor; that would be Batman. He doesn't know how to take a joke. That's probably why his archnemis has made it his life's mission to make The Batman laugh. I wonder what happened in Batman's youth to make him so darn serious all the time. It had to be something traumatizing, or maybe he really is a vampire with the emotional range of a teaspoon.
"Clark," her smile slips off her face. There's a new hesitant note in her voice that draws my attention. When I look at her she's like a little kid going to school for the first time. She licks her lips, her eyes glassy. "You know, I love you right?"
I nod. "Course I do."
"When Nightfall almost hit . . ." she falters and exhales sharply. "I thought I lost you, for good." she chokes out, tears blurring her vision. I frown. We've already discussed this. She's acting as if I'm at Death's door again.
Her words dredge up bleak visions. Dozens of news crews and flashes blinding me. Hundreds of people gathered on the roof of S.T.A.R Lab to catch a glimpse of their last hope. The vastness of space swallowing me whole. A meteor the size of Alaska blocking out my vision. Impact imminent. The taste of charcoal suffocating me, head spinning. Getting lost in a black fog filled with floating emerald debris, the energy sapped from my bones. Growing harder and harder to breathe by the second. Miraculously returning to Earth. Unable to remember my name or the last twenty-two years.
Instinctively my fingers intertwine through Lois' hand, her touch anchoring me to the present. When she looks at me worry is etched in every part of her beautiful face. I sometimes forget how close I had come to dying - to losing her.
"You'd tell me if you're not a hundred percent, right?"
"You never lost me," I trace the vein along the inside of her palm with the back of my thumb. Her heartbeat speeds up and she parts her lips, looking at me with naked hope in her eyes and an underlayer of potent hunger. Now days, when she thinks I'm not looking, I catch her eying me like a mountain climber seconds from tumbling to his death.
"I want you to know Clark," Lois starts tentatively. She swallows a lump in her throat. Now, she's making me nervous. She's acting like she's about to tell me my parents were killed. "God, I wish you were a mirror." she shakes her head. "This isn't easy to say."
"Whatever it is Lois," I say. "We'll figure it out together."
"Right," she agrees. "There is absolutely nothing to worry about. We're Lane and Kent. We can handle anything thrown our way," she bites her lower lip and searches my face with pleading eyes.
"We've established I can't read minds, Lois," I say. "What's eating at you."
"Oh my God! She's here!" the woman at the table next to us screams. "It's Andrina!!" she squeals, eyes bugging out in awe. "I LOVE YOUR DRESS!"
I follow the woman's gaze to the stage and my dinner turns to stone in my stomach. Six years of meticulously avoiding her come crashing down. Lana Lang - no sorry Andrina glides across the stage wearing an elegant white evening gown that shimmers like a sea of stars. A gem that matches her sapphire-blue eyes hangs around her neck. She waves gaily at the adoring crowd and gives a graceful curtsy.
The sunlight reflects off her engagement ring, a ginormous rock that only the likes of Lex Luthor could afford. I'm surprised I feel nothing but emptiness at the sight of it. When I saw the announcement I at least mustered up a modicum of grief. I grieved the loss of the girl next door, the girl I once thought was my future wife. Lana hasn't been that girl for a very long time. Lex and Andrina deserve each other. Luthor would at least be able to support her expensive tastes. Who knows? Maybe Andrina is the spark he needs to turn his life around. It would be nice to catch a break from the annual 'tests' he throws at Superman.
Andrina glances up and her piercing blue eyes find me in a crowd of thousands. She blows a kiss my way. I forget how to breathe. Suddenly I am seventeen-years old again, begging with Lana to give me another chance. Begging for Lana to accept me. But she will always fear the alien.
"Careful, Smallville," there is laughter in her voice. "You might burn a hole through America's Sweetheart's head."
I clench my teeth together. "Trust me Lois, she's not America's sweetheart."
"Her million of fans will disagree with you Smallville," Lois points out. My ears turn red. Lana is only famous because she exploited my life story.
"I don't care how many fans she has," I hiss. "I know the true Andrina." I try to melt into my seat. When Andrina is around I always feel like the entire world is watching me, judging me.
"God forbid anyone writes a song about Superman," Lois laughs. "You talk about her as if you know her," Lois observes. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"Nothing worth mentioning," I take another sip of champagne and try to quell my racing heart. I need something stronger than champagne. Only problem, alcohol doesn't affect me at all. Maybe later, I can call Barry and he can whip something up for the both of us in his lab.
"I love you Metropolis!" Andrina wraps her white-gloved hands around the mic. "How are you doing this lovely night?" she holds the mic out to the audience and there is an uproar.
"Disgusting," I grumble. "This is supposed to be a fashion show, not a cesspool of raging ffan girls."
"Wow Smallville," Lois's head snaps towards me. "I had no idea you were so against musicians." Not all musicians, just the one.
"I gotta tell ya," Lana says. The crowd quiets down. "I am truly thankful to be able to be here with you tonight," Lana brushes a strand of black hair behind her ear. I much prefered her as a ginger. The black hair dye makes her rosy-freckled face look like a round peach. "We really had a close call six months ago," she bites her lower lip worriedly. "But it's thanks to Superman I live to sing another day," she looks up and locks eyes with me. She mouths 'Thank you,' and blows me another kiss.
Lois's face turns crimson. "Why is she looking at you?"
"Because she's a madwoman."
"A madwoman who just blew Clark Kent a kiss!" Lois says incrediously. "Why would she care about Clark Kent?"
"Take a closer look," I advise her. "You'll recognize her under the scales and horns." Lois studies the young singer on the stage carefully.
"No way . . ." she gasps. "That's not Lana!"
"Yep,"I chug down some more champagne. Lois laughs. "She looked better as a redhead."
"This next song is dedicated to Kal-El of Krypton," Andrina winks at me. Lois glares at her pointedly. "My friend and savior . . if you know the words sing along."
Oh God, no. shoot me now.
"Look up in the sky!" Lana starts to sway back and forth, tapping her foot along to the music.
"It's a bird!
It's a plane!
Uh-oh . . .
She holds the mic out to the audience once more and the audience sings as one:
"It's just the 'Merican, 'Merican, American . . .
"ALIEN" Lois joins the chorus, her boisterous voice drowning out the rest of the crowd.
I am getting Karyoke night flashbacks only this is a lot less pleasant.
"Other guys may be cool and neat
But American alien's invincible, come fly with me!
One look from you and you warm my heart
Always giving my human heart a start!
Live life, have fun, merrymaking.
We'll fly, fly, through the endless sky!
You're my hero, save me!
American, 'Merican, American alien,
You're so fly, you're so fly!
Yeah, you blow my mind!
Don't need a Wayne or Queen when I could have
My very own, very own American alien!
Fly me to the moon and back faster than a speeding bullet!
We can have a picnic on the dark side of the moon.
Trust me when I say, it beats eating in the bullpen
Listen to my heartbeat with your superhuman hearing.
Then you'll know it beats only for you!
The 'Merican, 'Merican, American alien
American, 'Merican, American alien
You're so fly, you're so fly!
You blow my mind!
Don't need a Wayne or Queen, when I could have
My very own, very own American alien!
He might not be from Metropolis or Gotham
But he's one of us, without a question.
As American as apple pie, never let me go!
Hold me tight with your super strength,
Till the end of time!
The 'Merican, 'Merican, American alien
American, 'Merican, American alien!
The 'Merican, 'Merican, American alien
American, 'Merican, American alien!"
Lana finishes the song with a dance move that makes my eyes sore. "Never forget we owe our lives to the American alien."
How, she's changed her tune since High School. As I recall, it was the fact I was an alien that drove a wedge between us. She couldn't ever love an alien.
"I don't know about you, Lane," I stand up. "But I've had enough of this circus show."
"Did you just call me Lane?" her eyes widen in shock. "Wow, now I know you're pissed," she grumbles, but she can't quench her amused smile. Her eyes skit to the stage and back to me. Lana is watching Lois and I like a hawk, a fact Lois Lane is all too aware of.
"Hold me tight with your super strength," Lois stands up on her tiptoes and wraps her arms around my neck. "TILL THE END OF TIME . . ." she sings against my mouth.
My heart jumps to my throat. Instinctively my arms wrap around her and I lean down to kiss her. I can taste the peppermint on her breath. We're so close I can see the ring of blue around her violet pupils. Lois eagerly kisses me back, sucking the air out of my lungs. Her body hardens against mine. I know she's only trying to gauge Andrina's reaction, but I don't care. It's been an eternity since I've been in her intoxicating embrace. I lower my head and slide my tongue through her parted lips. Lois wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer, her gaze ravenous.
Lana's melody morphs into a scream. I break away from Lois and turn in time to see Lana jump for cover behind one of the speakers.
The window shatters and glass tumbles down on us. I hug Lois against my chest and shield her from the blast. I snap my head in the direction of Lana's screams and groan. A bronze armored suit crashes through the window, leaving a trail of sparks and smoke in its path. The automaton heads straight for Lana. God forbid there is a peaceful show with no deranged maniacs trying to settle some score.
"I like your necklace," I'm surprised the voice inside the suit is feminine and achingly familiar.
"Give it to me!" The automaton reaches down with an arm the size of a chimney and scoops the speaker Lana was hiding behind up.
I lower my glasses to scan the armored suit, secretly hoping I can fry the circulatory and call it a day. I really don't feel like being Superman. He has a way of making my life more complicated. Not to mention Dr. Emil ordered me to hang up my cape for the time being and relax. Unfortunately, there is nothing relaxing about my life.
"Lead lined," I swear.
"You know what that means," Lois quirks up one inquisitive brow. "Kryptonite," she whispers in my ear.
"I'm gonna go for help," I mimic flying with one hand.
"Look out!" Lois screams.
The speaker slams into my back, knocking the wind out of me. Pain shoots down my spine. Stars dance in my vision. There is a new ringing noise in my head that can't be good sign. My vision blurs. On any other given day a speaker to the gut won't faze me. Except, I haven't fully recharged my battery after Nightfall.
"Gah," I grit my teeth and start to heft the hunk of weight off me, my arms cramping under the mound of dead weight on top of me. I clench my jaw tightly, a bead of sweat trickling down my cheek. Not too long ago, I lifted an entire asteroid into orbit. I freeze, my arms falling to my side.
I'm not wearing the suit.
"Smallville!" Lois falls to my side, her eyes glassy. "How many fingers am I holding up?" she holds three fingers up. I don't have the energy to respond. Just my luck, Nightfall was a piece of Krypton. I can feel the Kryptonite burning through my cells.
This whole situation is damn inconvinent. Superman can walk off a forty pound speaker easy-peasy, even an exhausted and drained Superman could squeeze out from underneath this relatively unscarred. Clark Kent, now that's a different story. He should be as flat as Flat Stanley. I try not to think about the small crowd that has gathered around the fallen reporter. Their horror is slowly shifting to shock as they realize I'm still conscious.Though, Superman isn't doing so hot either. It's as if an entire skyscraper has collapsed on top of me and cut off all the circulation in my body.
"Lois," my voice comes out strained and weary. "Lois . . ." I cough, choking on my own saliva. "I need you to . . . get . . . Dr. Emil." it's an effort to get the words out. My chest aches and I'm already out of breath and I haven't even thrown a single punch.
Lois kisses me. I close my eyes and wish I could freeze this moment in time. Her lips against mine fill me with a light as bright as the solar energy that empowers me.
She breaks away leaving me gasping for more. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," she whispers against my lips. Lois shoots me one last worried glance and disappears into the chaotic crowd, leaving me alone with a huddle of strangers gathering around the fallen reporter.
"She's crazy!" someone nearby screams. "He needs an ambulance not a boner!"
"My phone is dead!"
"Somebody call for help!"
"Where is Superman?"
"Blimey, he's still awake!"
"No way!"
"That thing gotta weigh at least fifty pounds."
I do the sensible thing and close my eyes. I slow my heartbeat to a crawl. Hopefully if I play dead long enough they'd run away.
"He's dying!"
"Its coming right at us!"
There's the distinct prittle-prattle of feet running away. When I open my eyes my onlookers are gone. In their place are two bronze boots as big as pillars. I gaze up at a flat metallic head attached to the robust armor. A lone green eye glares down at me. This is usually the part where the monster grabs me and tosses me around. I swallow hard. It continue to stare at me.
"Okay this just got weird," I grumble.
Though, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I heave the speaker off of me, twist the ring Zatanna gave me and slip into my suit. I hover precariously over the automatons head, my scarlet cape flowing behind me.
"Let's see who you are under there," I dive towards it. My muscles cry out in protest as I pound my fist into the automaton's helmet. There's a sickening crunch as a bone shatters in pointer finger and I bite down a scream, tears blinding me. I ignore the prickling sensation in my hand and hit the automaton with all my strength. Its head spins around, one, then twice, and then the armored suit collapses backwards. I don't give the culprit a chance to recuperate. I implant my boot on its chest. I reach down to rip the breastplate open . . .
The automaton grabs my hand out of midair and throws me aside as easily as a paper airplane. My teeth rattle and the room goes topsy-turvy. A pregnant woman screams as I crashland into the seat next to her, the metall armrest bending underneath me. My head rattles. I bite down on my tongue and swallow down a scream. Can't let them know I felt that. I massage my soar head, ears ringing.
"Are you okay Kal?" the pregnant woman pokes her head over the seat. A small part of me appreciates that she is using my birthname instead of the name The Daily Planet christened me with. "Is it okay if I name my son after you?"
You've gotta be kidding me. Does she not see I'm in the middle of something? Honeslty, I don't give a rat's ass what she names her son. I soar back towards the stage and stumble, almost losing momentum in the air. In the blink of an eye the automaton is nose to nose with me. Spectacular. It can fly too. There goes my upperhand.
It grabs me by the neck and squeezes my windpipe. I claw at its meaty hands, gasping for air. Its lone green eye starts to glow and it blasts me with a ray of heat. A scream rips out of my chest as the beam swallows me whole; it burns my flesh. My cells feel like they are being boiled on a stove. In retrospect I should have seen the artificial Kryptonite coming from a mile away. No doubt, this is one of Luthor's creations.
Through the haze of pain I realize the oddity of this situation. Lex Luthor would never attack his fiance. Darkness crawls in the corner of my eyes, the room slipping in and out of focus.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Andrina screams. She's a speck on the stage beneath us. "I'm right here you numbscall!" she waves her arms animatedly. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED HURT HIM!" She throws her glittery pump at the automaton. Her shoe spins through the air. At the last second the automaton turns its head around. The heel nails me in the eye.
"Oops," Lana whimpers. "Sorry Clark!"
For what? Betraying my trust or poking my eye out. "Jesus Christ," I swear, my vision blacking out. I shake my head and glare at the automaton."My turn," I say, heat flaring up in my vision. I pour every ounce of energy into my heat vision. The room lights up like a furnace. The scent of scorched metal and flesh fills the room.
Thud. Thud-umph–thud.
I gasp at the sound of a heartbeat. I forgot there was someone inside the suit. Someone who probably has a fiance or family waiting for them at home. Someone who has a life to live. Someone worth saving. Scorch marks darken the bronze hull. Where its head once was is a smoking slab of metal.
"Don't come any closer alien!" the automaton growls, snatching Lana up.
"Nobody needs to get hurt," I say. "Please, put her down."
Bad choice of words. The automaton throws Lana out the broken window.