Chapter 2: First Rescue, First Meeting
Clark is sitting in a bar sharing a drink with Jimmy when both the lights and the tv goes off. That’s odd he thinks but shrugs his shoulders and goes back to his drink. After all power cuts were not unheard of, at least they weren’t before he left.
Back in mission control the lights suddenly come back on after a minute or two but the problems have only just begun. The shuttle is still counting down on automatic to main engine ignition. They can’t stop it and they can’t get the shuttle to detach. Diana watches on helplessly. Even if she could find an excuse to leave, she couldn’t get there fast enough. If the engineers can’t solve it then those people are doomed she realises.
Back in the bar the tv comes back on. On it, is breaking news of the shuttle’s problems. Clark understands all too well the consequences. Unless he acts those people will die. He actually sits there for a moment in two minds whether he should help or not.
“Oh god Chloe.” Jimmy says next to him panic stricken.
Chloe! What is he doing sitting here? Is he really going to let innocent people die? Is he going to let Chloe die? No he’s not. Clark sneaks out and remembers he has left the costume in his suitcase. At superspeed he runs to the Planet and up the stairs and gets his costume and is gone again. He finds an alley and changes and then shoots off after the plane and Chloe.
Back in mission control Diana is pacing back and forth. She hates being helpless. She is an Amazon warrior. She doesn’t do helpless well. How she would love someone to beat up on right now. Her attention is caught by the man at the radar. “There’s an unidentified aircraft coming in from the north and it’s coming in fast.”
In the plane Chloe Sullivan is getting thrown around. This is what she gets for trying to help someone get to their seat. God she’s going to have bruises for a week assuming she survives this which frankly isn’t too likely at the moment. Great she finally has her dream job at the Daily Planet, is engaged to a great guy and now she’s going to die. Then suddenly she catches a red and blue blur fly past the window. Clark?
She hears footsteps walking above her. It is him. It has to be him. The plane stops accelerating and she finds herself weightless before there’s a jolt and she realises they are falling.
In mission control Diana looks over the man’s shoulder and sees the blip move with incredible speed past the accompanying jets. It easily catches the airplane and shuttle and then seems to merge into them. Then a few seconds later the blips separate and she sees the shuttle fly off into orbit. However the airplane is quite clearly falling. The strange blip shoots off in pursuit. That is no aircraft Diana realises. No aircraft can move like that. The blip moves like a person who can fly.
Clark was making sure the shuttle reached orbit. He had spotted Chloe in the plane. She wasn’t strapped in but she seemed alright. Once the shuttle was gone Clark turns his attention back to the plane. This is where the hard work begins. He zips off in pursuit of it. His first attempt at slowing it by grabbing the wing fails when the wing breaks off. The plane is now nose first diving for the ground. He pursues it flying through the other wing. He overtakes it and grabs the nose of the plane. He’s rapidly running out of time. He strains with everything he has to slow it down and to his immense relief stops it a few feet above the ground. He lowers the aircraft to the ground and floats across to the door, rips it off and steps inside.
Chloe having finally managed to get strapped in can barely believe she’s alive. She thought when they started plummeting down that was it but then they stopped suddenly. The door rips off and in he walks. Ooh that’s a new suit and why the hell is that her first thought?
Clark walks in and spots Chloe. Good she’s ok. He asks if everyone is ok. They all stare at him in disbelief, like they’re seeing a ghost. Well this is going well. “I hope this little incident hasn’t put you off flying. Statistically speaking it’s still the safest way to travel.” he says. He gives Chloe a little smirk and heads off.
Chloe has to stop herself from laughing at the flying remark. God when did he get so lame.
Diana watched the blips fall off the radar and assumes the aircraft is gone. Nothing not even she could have stopped it at the speed it was moving. Then on the main screen an image pops up of the aircraft. Diana stares rather astounded. It is lying in a sports stadium and then she watches as a red and blue figure with a cape floats along and rips the door off. One of the technicians in the room screams “That’s Superman.”
The whole room erupts. Diana just looks on. She had heard stories of this Superman but they were so incredible she had ignored them mostly. Considering some of the things the press had said about her over the last couple of years she had dismissed most of them as exaggerations. Superman reappeared at the door and the camera zoomed in on him. Diana is surprised when her heart rate increased. Sure he is handsome but she had met handsome men before. The fact he had stopped that airplane meant he had strength that rivalled her own. Was he blessed by the gods too? Diana also noticed one more thing before Superman flew off. While he tried to mask it in his face, in his eyes there was a sadness there. She wonders what burden he carried to warrant such sadness. He was certainly interesting. She decides she would have to find out more.
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The next day Perry assembles everyone for a meeting. No prizes for guessing what it is about. Superman. He wants to know where Superman went, does he still stand for truth and justice, etc, etc. Chloe knows where he went because she asked Mrs Kent but not really why he went. He disappeared without saying goodbye to her. Some friend he is. After Perry dismisses them she heads off to Clark’s desk.
Clark hears her coming. The click, click of her heels. He looks up when she reaches his desk. “Hey Chloe.”
“Don’t hey Chloe me Clark Kent. You haven’t come to see me in years. You never even said goodbye before you disappeared. I had to learn about it from your mother.”
Oh god he didn‘t say goodbye. He had been so determined to leave as quickly as possible he had forgotten to tell her what he was doing. He is a terrible friend he suddenly realises. “I know Chloe and I’m sorry. Are you ok? You know the plane.”
“I’m fine and thank you. By the way new suit?”
Clark shakes his head. She nearly dies and all she can think of to ask is if he got a new suit or not. “Yes. I didn’t think the bright colours were appropriate anymore.” he tells her.
“You’re probably right. Sooo..”
“Sooo?” Clark imitates her.
“Exclusive interview. What do you say?”
“I’ll think about it.” he teases her.
Chloe pouts. “Come on Clark. Get it out the way. We have more important things to do.”
“We?”
“Yeah, you and me just like back in high school.”
Of course and the trouble she dragged him into back then was always so much fun. “Uh huh. What other things?”
“The blackout.”
“What about it?” Clark asks.
“It wasn’t a blackout. It was more like an EMP. Everything electrical was knocked out. It wasn‘t normal.”
“Just like someone not a million miles away from me right now.” Clark mumbles under his breath.
Chloe narrows her eyes “I heard that! If I didn’t know how much it would hurt me I would smack you one.”
Clark rolls his eyes before saying “Sorry Chloe. Ok fine, interview but obviously not here and probably not tonight. I think I should make my mark on the world again first.”
Chloe nods in agreement “Great. So help me with the blackout?”
“Of course and I am really sorry about not visiting you and telling you that I was leaving.”
Chloe can hear the sincerity in his voice. “I know you are Clark but we can talk about that when we‘re somewhere more private.”
Clark nods. “So how are you doing? Married yet?”
“Engaged.” Chloe replies.
“Anyone I know?”
Just then Jimmy comes over and kisses Chloe causing Clark to arch an eyebrow. “Are you ok?” Jimmy asks her softly.
“Yeah I’m fine Jimmy. I missed you.” Chloe tells him.
“God Chloe I was so scared. I thought you were dead for sure.”
“Well we should be thankful Superman decided to show up when he did.”
“I know I am.” Jimmy tells her.
Chloe smiles and gives him a kiss “Now Jimmy, Clark and I have to get to work so if you‘ll excuse us.”
Jimmy is confused at the familiarity she speaks of Clark with. “You two know each other?”
“We went to school together.” Chloe tells him.
“It was Chloe that got me interested in journalism. We worked on the school paper together.” Clark adds.
Chloe smiles wistfully at the memory. “Ah the good old Torch.”
Clark smiles too at the memory. “The Wall of Weird.” he mentions to her.
“Oh my god. I haven’t thought of that in years. Remember the hot tempered football coach who could start fires?”
Clark smiles. “Yep. Remember shape shifting Tina?”
“Not likely to forget her Clark am I. Remember Greg the bug boy?”
Clark’s smile fades slightly. Greg had been his friend once before he was changed by the kryptonite. “Yeah I do.”
Jimmy watches the two of them banter away. They really are friends and he had no idea until this very moment. He wonders what other things about Clark and his fiancée he doesn’t know about.
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That night Clark is hovering above the clouds listening for trouble. He and Chloe had spent all day starting their investigation into the blackout, even though Perry thought Superman was the number one priority. Chloe was right. It was odd. It was like someone set off an EMP in the city just as she thought. They would have to see if they could pinpoint a place of origin tomorrow. Tonight he was going to try and make up for all those years he was away. Saving the plane had reawakened his realisation that humanity really did still need him and tonight he would start on that quest again. As he hovers there he can almost hear his father’s words “They can be a great people, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. That’s why I have sent them you my only son.” He would lead the way like he was suppose to before he left.
His hearing picks up a bank alarm and he flies down, sonic boom in his wake. He soon comes across bank robbers armed with a Gatling gun. They’ve gotten cocky in his absence. The robber turns the gun on 2 security guards and pulls the trigger. Clark flies and lands in front of them. The bullets bounce off and he walks towards the robber. Once the Gatling gun’s ammo is exhausted he pulls out a pistol and shoots Clark in the eye. Honestly, he knows it has been 5 years but can no-one remember he’s bullet proof. He soon grabs the robbers and hands them to the police on the ground. As he flies back up he finds someone hovering there.
Diana had heard the bank alarm and was about to intervene when a she saw a red and blue blur fly in and appear on the roof. She watched in some amazement as the bullets bounced off of him harmlessly. She was stuck in Metropolis while an investigation into what happened with the shuttle was started. Her bosses wanted her to oversee it. So while here she decided to patrol the city. She had never actually got around to visiting Metropolis before. She had been all over the world during the last couple of years. That is when she came across those other heroes. Some she liked more than others. A certain one in Gotham city had the ability to make her like him and hate him at the same time. Diana did not doubt his bravery or his skill but his attitude irked her when she was there. He made it quite clear that he felt like she was intruding in his own little kingdom yet she could plainly see he cared about people even if he didn’t show it. He frankly gave her a headache with all his contradictions.
Diana had spent all day reading up on Superman. She couldn’t explain her interest in him really. There was just something about him that intrigued her. From what she had read, mostly from his interviews which was something she had never thought of doing herself because she could not stand the media, with their pointless questions and speculation about her and she better stop there before she goes off on another one of her rants about the media. She takes a calming breath.
Anyway from what she read it had said he was not of this world but another one far away across the stars. It seemed he truly did possess the powers of a god but he didn’t seem to act like one. He helped people and asked for nothing in return then 5 years ago he left without explanation. She wondered what had happened to him to drive him away. Back to the present Diana watches him pick up the robbers, hand them over to the police and then fly back up. “Hello.” she greets him.
Clark sees that it is this Wonder Woman he had only basically read about in the papers his mother had. He had been too busy trying to get his life up and running again to get around to finding out anything more about her and he figured he had plenty of time to get around to it later. He gives her a quick look over. Wow in the flesh she is really something. She is virtually as tall as him and he can’t help but notice her startling blue eyes and her outfit. For some reason he can’t help but think her legs seem to go on forever and then chastises himself for that thought and averts his eyes from said legs. He better say something. “Hello, you must be Wonder Woman. I‘ve heard about you. So what brings you to Metropolis?”
Diana takes the chance now he is closer to really take in his appearance. She can’t help but notice his outfit seems to draw the eye away from his face and onto his broad, muscular physique. She has to admit he reminds her of the heroes of old and is caught by the strange blue of his eyes. She catches his gaze shifting from her afraid she would catch him staring. “I was just flying through when I heard the gunfire” she says in response to his question. “You must be Superman. I’ve heard about you too and well the S gives it away.” she says in reference to the shield on his chest.
Clark chuckles at that. “That’s a misconception. It’s not a S. It is the symbol of my family. The crest of the House of El.”
“I see. Your family is important?”
“To me. It’s my way of honouring their memory.”
“They are gone?”
“My home was destroyed long ago. To my knowledge I am all that is left.”
“I am sorry.” she says with some sympathy.
“Thank you. What about you? Where are you from?”
“Themyscira.” she decides to be honest with him like he seemed to be with her.
That sounds oddly familiar to Clark. He thinks about it. He had heard that name somewhere before he‘s sure of it. Oh now he remembers. It’s from Greek mythology. “The home of the Amazons?” he asks her to confirm his memory.
Diana smiles. She didn’t think anyone remembered that “Yes. You’ve heard of us?”
“I’ve heard stories. I thought you were myths. No offence.”
“None taken. In fact that’s the way we like it. We are wary of Man’s world.”
“I can understand that. They have some flaws but I believe in general they’re good at heart.”
“Experience taught us differently but I’m starting to see that from my time here.” she tells him. After all it was true she had met some very courageous and generous men in the last couple of years. Not that many saying that but still.
“I’m glad.” he says in response hoping she might see humanity as he does. Clark’s hearing picks up a car in trouble “I have to go but maybe we’ll see each other again.”
“I would like that.”
“Well Goodnight Wonder Woman.” he says as he begins to rise.
“Diana.” she says.
Clark stops for a moment. “Sorry.”
“Call me Diana.” she tells him.
Diana. That’s a nice name he thinks. “Call me Kal-El or Kal for short.” he tells her. After all it is only fair after she told him her name.
Kal. Diana likes that name “Goodnight Kal.”
“Goodnight Diana.” Clark flies off. Funny he can’t remember anyone using his Kryptonian name before apart from the AI at the Fortress but he did like the way she pronounced it with her accent. That was an interesting meeting and she was an interesting woman even if he didn’t have time to find out all he wanted to know about her, like where she got her abilities from or where exactly her home actually is. Amazons? Who knew they were real. Not him certainly and from her heart rate she was telling the truth as far as he could tell but he can think about all this later. He has to stop this runaway car first.
Diana watches 'Kal' fly off serenely into the sky. Shame their talk was so short. She never even really got a chance to ask him about his abilities or how he comes to possess them. Well hopefully they would meet again soon because she found him interesting. He almost seemed shy she noticed which was odd in one so handsome. Wait did she just think him handsome? Now where did that thought come from she wonders, and then she remembers she thought of him handsome yesterday as well. She has no idea where these thoughts are coming from. Her mother and sisters would probably think she’s going soft on men or something but Kal, and by the way she really does like that name, just seems…she can’t think of the word, nice maybe. Oh well her musings can wait for another day she decides as she flies back up and continues her patrol round Metropolis.
After dealing with the runaway car and the quite odd female driver who insisted on him taking her to a hospital even though Clark was positive there was nothing wrong with her, he heads to Gotham to catch up with an old friend.
