Superman Movieverse Forum

Title: Family Reunion
Author: Mr. Beeto
Rating: PG-13
Beta: htbthomas and Shado Librarian
Summary: AU Twist on Donner/Singer Movieverse: Tie the three films together into a cohesive whole, and provide a more credible and interesting reason for Superman to have returned to Krypton.

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Author’s Notes:
Thanks again to the beta team of htbthomas and Shado Librarian, a.k.a. dandello.

Chapter 33 – Hiding Out

Wednesday, October 4, 2006 7:25AM CDT
Richard followed Lois and Jason up the crystal stairs through a cinder block wall into an old cellar.  It was illuminated by a single overhead light bulb and revealed an open tread wooden staircase on the opposite end of the room that led up to a trapdoor.  Lois climbed the stairs and pushed the trapdoor open, motioning for Jason to go through ahead of her.  Richard paused at the foot of the stairs and looked behind him, his eyes widening in surprise when he discovered a solid cinder-block wall with no sign of the doorway they had just walked through.  “Whoa,” he muttered in amazement.

“What was that?” Lois asked.

“The door to the other staircase is gone,” Richard replied.  He walked over to the wall and pressed his hand against the area where they’d just walked through.  “You’d never know there was just a doorway here.  It’s solid as a rock.”

“Yeah, it does that,” Lois confirmed.  “Superman said it’s kind of like the transporters from Star Trek, dematerializing the wall when it authenticates our palm and voice prints, and rematerializing it again once we’ve gone through.  It’s a security feature – nobody is going to stumble across the portal accidentally.”

“If he has that technology, why not just beam us up?” Richard asked curiously.

“It was some B.S. about it being ‘unsuitable for live transport’,” Lois explained, wrinkling her brow in confusion as she attempted to recall the conversation.  “Inanimate things like walls and floors are fine, but not people…  I really didn’t press for the technical details – the technobabble was making my brain hurt enough as it was.”

Richard shook his head in disbelief and followed Lois up the stairs with their bags.  When he climbed out of the trapdoor, he was surprised to find that they were inside a barn and had apparently been discovered.  A golden retriever was licking Jason’s face as he petted the dog, prompting happy giggles from the little boy.  Kara was also there, happily chattering to Jason.  Richard also saw an old woman outside the barn, carrying a child’s jacket and back pack as she rushed towards them.  He concluded that the woman had to be Clark’s mother, Martha Kent.

“Kara!” Martha called.  “Your bus is going to be here any minute.  You need to get ready for school.”

“But Jason’s going to need someone to play with,” Kara protested.

Lois knelt down in front of the little girl and gently said, “He’s going to school today, too, honey.  Once your dad gets back, we’re going to bring Jason up there to the very same school that you’re enrolled in and we’re signing him up.  You’ll both be getting on that bus tomorrow.”

“I can still wait with Jason until Dad gets back,” Kara suggested hopefully.

Lois smiled at her and said, “Sweetheart, you’ve already missed too much school this year to take time off just because we’re here.  You’ll get to play with Jason after school…  Now let’s get your jacket on and get you on your bus.”  Martha handed the jacket to Lois, and she helped Kara into it.  She had just zipped up Kara’s jacket when the loud and low timbre of the bus horn permeated the air.

“There’s the bus!” Martha said anxiously.  “Kara, let’s go!”

“Go on,” Lois encouraged her.  “We’ll still be here when you get home.”

Martha took Kara’s hand, and led the reluctant little girl out of the barn and to her bus.  Jason started following her, but Lois’ arm on his shoulder stopped him.  “Wait here until the bus is gone,” she instructed him.

The three of them watched silently as Martha led Kara to the bus and eventually out of sight from their hiding spot.  Once they passed from view, Richard commented, “So…  Kara’s already signed up for school here?”

  “Um, it’s one of the advantages of a small town, where everyone know everyone else,” Lois explained apprehensively.  “The principal’s a family friend, and they were able to call her last night to make the arrangements for Kara.  We could have done the same for Jason, if we’d known we’d be coming here, but we didn’t make that decision until later…  I think the kids will like it here – and there’s no place safer for them.”

  “Because the hi-tech security from portal will keep Luthor out?”

“Something like that,” Lois answered.

“Just like it kept him out of Superman’s fortress?” Richard pressed skeptically.

Lois sighed in frustration and complained, “The security wasn’t in place then and Luthor waltzed right in.  It was ‘security through obscurity’, to quote the lead investigator that processed the crime scene there.  Well, Superman’s made some major improvements in the security since then, with guidance from that same Canadian investigator – nobody will ever get in that easily again…  It’s kind of a long story and you really don’t want to get me started on it.”

Richard opened his mouth to speak but halted his reply when he noticed Martha returning to the barn.  “I’m so sorry about that – it’s not how I normally greet my guests,” Martha said apologetically.  She held out her hand to Richard and said, “You must be Richard.  I’m so glad to finally meet you.  Welcome to our family.”

“Family?” Richard repeated in confusion as he automatically reached his hand out towards Martha.

“You’re my grandson’s other daddy, which makes you family in my book,” Martha explained.  She squeezed his hand tightly and smiled warmly at him.  After a moment, she shifted her attention to her other guests, looking down at Jason and cheerfully said to him, “Well, how’s my special grandson doing this morning?”

“Okay,” Jason replied happily.  “Grandma, can I go play with Shelby?”

“After breakfast, if it’s all right with your mom,” Martha told him, pleasantly.  She then turned to Lois and explained, “Clark thought you probably skipped breakfast in your hurry out the door this morning.  Come on inside, and we’ll take care of that.”



Superman floated high in the mesosphere, focusing his vision across the globe as he watched his mother lead her guests into the house.  Well, they should be safe and sound, he thought.  Time to check on the others.  He shifted his position in the sky, floating down as he swept his vision across Metropolis.  He located Perry White climbing into a Lincoln Town Car at Siegel International Airport with the two armed bodyguards that Bruce Wayne had provided.  Bruce had also provided the heavily fortified vehicle, which would protect its occupants from all but the heaviest munitions.  The speed with which the billionaire was able to deploy a bulletproof car had surprised the Man of Steel.  I’ll have to ask Bruce about that later, Superman thought.

He then focused his vision through the roof of the airport terminal, quickly locating Alice White as she boarded a plane for Seattle, where her son and grandchildren lived.  That should keep her out of harm’s way for now at least, Superman thought.  Perry’s the only one still exposed, though the car and bodyguards certainly help, he thought.  He returned his attention to the Town Car, watching as the engine turned over and the bodyguard/driver left the airport.

Superman next shifted his concentration to Planet Plaza, extending his senses in an ever expanding perimeter around the Daily Planet building and scanning the crowd for anyone taking an unusual interest in the building.  He also scanned for weapons and the telltale electromagnetic signature of covert electronics, which was well within the range of his visual acuity.  He identified a pickpocket and a group of three armed teenagers within several blocks of the building, who he quickly apprehended and turned over to the police.

After returning to his observation point in the sky, Superman resumed his watch over the plaza and its normal morning traffic while he mulled the situation over.  He recalled the F.B.I psychologist’s theory that Luthor wasn’t good at thinking on his feet when something unexpected came up, despite his tendency to overdo the planning and analysis for his schemes.  Maybe Luthor didn’t anticipate that we’d defeat his trap and hasn’t had time to get his ‘Plan B’ worked out yet, Superman thought.  Well, Luthor certainly won’t give up – that’s just not his style, Superman thought.  He’ll strike back.  It’s just a question of when and where and who. 

He continued to vigilantly monitor the plaza beneath him, noting Jimmy Olsen’s entrance into the Planet’s underground garage on his scooter, and tracking Perry’s Town Car.  It was only after Perry and his entourage arrived on the editorial floor that Superman finally dropped from his hiding place and zoomed North across the globe to the Fortress.



“Richard, it’s not a problem,” Lois said insistently.  “We took Jason to a specialist late Monday afternoon and when the test results came in, it turned out he doesn’t have those food allergies after all.  I never got the chance to tell you about that with everything that happened.”

“But Doctor Solomon said–” Richard protested.

“Doctor Solomon was wrong,” Lois interrupted irritably.  “We don’t need to worry about dairy and gluten in his diet, so there’s no reason he can’t have pancakes.”

“Lois, if it helps, I still have that gluten-free pancake recipe that I downloaded the other day, and we had already picked up the special ingredients it called for,” Martha informed them.  “I never got around to testing out the recipe, but we could give it a try if you’re worried about Jason’s diet.”

“I really hate to put you through the trouble, especially when we shouldn’t have to worry about that anymore,” Lois replied apologetically.

“Oh, it’s no trouble, dear,” Martha assured her.  “Just give me a few minutes and I’ll have a batch whipped up.  If Jason doesn’t like them, we still have Rice Krispies in the cupboard.”

“Thank you, Martha,” Lois told her sincerely.

“Yes, thank you,” Richard echoed sincerely.  He returned his attention to Lois and said, “It’s better safe than sorry, Lois.  Let’s at least get a second opinion before taking any risks with his diet.”

“Richard, I…” Lois began impatiently.  She was silent for a moment, and then declared, “No more arguing over breakfast.  We’ll talk about it later.”

Several minutes later, the family was finally sitting down to breakfast.  Martha had presented Jason with a short stack of pancakes, topped with fresh fruit and maple syrup.  After a tentative bite, the little boy’s face lit up and he eagerly dug into his breakfast.  Martha offered Richard a spicy Spanish omelet and breakfast potatoes and provided Lois with her usual morning fare of coffee and bagel.  Richard eyed Jason’s pancakes, and inquired apprehensively, “Are you sure that there’s no gluten in those pancakes?  They look like the real thing.”

“Yes, they’re gluten-free,” Martha assured him.  “I made them with rice flour and tapioca flour instead of the wheat flour.  Most of the recipes I looked up made similar substitutions.  Rice noodles instead of wheat noodles for things like lasagna and spaghetti and certain casseroles, and corn starch instead of flour for gravy thickening.  Those are really quite minor substitutions, for the most part.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with everything.  They really have no good substitute figured out for breads and rolls.”

Richard seemed satisfied with the explanation, and finally sampled a tentative forkful of his omelet.  He raised his brow and commented, “This is remarkably good.  Thank you for the breakfast, Martha.”

“Oh, it’s just simple country fare,” Martha replied modestly.  “It’s really no bother.”

Richard nodded in acknowledgement and continued to eat in silence for a moment before he stated purposefully, “Last night’s lasagna was also very good – I think it’s Jason’s new favorite.”

Martha chuckled, and replied, “Well, I’m glad everyone liked it…  The only change I had to make from my usual recipe to make it gluten-free was to substitute rice noodles and I really didn’t notice a difference in the taste.”

“Richard…” Lois began warningly.

“I’m just complimenting the cook,” Richard insisted crossly.

Lois gave him a disbelieving look, and sternly warned him, “Don’t drag her into our arguments.”  She turned to Martha and softened her expression, telling her sincerely, “Sorry about that, Martha.  Things have been a bit tense lately.”

“Oh, no need for apologies,” Martha replied politely.  “I understand.”

Richard sighed and told her contritely, “I’m sorry, too, Martha, and I meant what I said about the food.  If my mom cooked like this, I might never have left home.”

“Well, that didn’t stop Clark when he finished school – though I suppose everyone has to leave the nest sooner or later,” Martha commented wistfully.  “Of course, I’ll be the one leaving this time around.”

“What do you mean?” Lois asked worriedly.

“When Ben and I get married next month, I’ll be moving in with him, though not in the same house that you’ll be staying in,” Martha explained.  “We’re trading houses with Ben’s son, Matt.  He’s got three kids and a fourth on the way, all shoehorned into a small house six miles east of here while Ben has more space that he knows what to do with.  Matt’s place is just the right size for a couple retirees.”

“Oh,” Lois replied quietly.  “I guess I hadn’t thought about that.”

Martha chuckled lightly and said, “Neither had Clark.  You should have seen the expression on his face when I told him our plans …  Anyway, I won’t be that far away, and Ben and I will still be around to help, if need be… he’ll have to work out alternate arrangements while we’re on our honeymoon, though…  Maybe Ben’s daughter, Sarah, can help if Clark needs anything while we’re gone.”

“Where are you going?” Lois asked curiously.

“We’ve booked a Caribbean cruise,” Martha replied cheerfully.   “We’ll fly out of Wichita to catch the ship in Miami and then we’ll spend the next ten days island hopping.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to fly out of Metropolis?” Lois inquired sleepily.  She yawned widely and added, “I mean, with the portal and all...”

  “Our package included the airfare out of Wichita, and everything was arranged long before Superman came back and built a portal here,” Martha explained.  After a moment, her expression turned serious and she asked with concern, “Lois, did you get any sleep at all last night?  You look like you’re going to fall asleep in your breakfast.”

“I didn’t get much, but I’ll be fine,” Lois assured her.  “I just need more coffee.”

“Nonsense,” Martha declared authoritatively.  “You need your rest.  I’ll have Ben come get you after breakfast so you can lie down and get some sleep.”

“I’m used to long nights, Martha.  There’s no need to worry,” Lois insisted politely.

“You’re fighting a battle of wits with this Luthor madman, and your mind will be much sharper if you get your rest,” Martha pressed gently.  “I’ll worry less if you at least try to get a little more sleep this morning.”

“I’ll be fi–” Lois began, before interrupting herself with another wide yawn.  She then smiled guiltily back at Martha and after a momentary pause, she added, “Well, I suppose it can’t hurt – but just for a little while.”



Ben Hubbard parked his Ford F-150 behind the house and cheerfully informed his guests, “Well, here we are.  Come on inside, and we’ll get you settled in.”  Ben led Richard and Lois in through the back door and stopped in the kitchen.  He turned to them and kindly told them, “There’s plenty of food in the fridge.  Go ahead and make yourselves at home, and don’t worry about eating whatever food you find.  If it was something I planned on and you find it first, I obviously didn’t hide it well enough.”

Lois chuckled and replied mirthfully, “You should be careful who to tell that to.  I know some guys with bottomless pits for stomachs.”

“I haven’t regretted it yet,” Ben replied cheerfully.  “Bedrooms are upstairs.  This way.”  He then led them through the living room and up the stairs, stopping once his guests had joined him on the second floor.  He pointed down the hall and informed them, “The bathroom is that first door on the left and the door next to it is a linen closet.  There are plenty of clean towels in there, so go ahead and help yourself to whatever you need.”

Ben turned and pushed open the door to his right and informed them, “And this was my daughter Sarah’s old room.  Nobody’s slept here in ages, but the mattress is still firm and you’ve got fresh sheets on the bed… I hope you don’t mind pink, Lois.”

Lois set her suitcase at the foot of the bed and said drowsily, “It’ll be fine.”

Richard gaze locked on the twin bed and he muttered, “Looks like tight quarters with just a twin bed.”

“It’s plenty big enough for Lois,” Ben insisted.

“Just Lois?” Richard said in surprise.

Ben’s tone turned serious, and he sternly said, “I don’t know how things are done where you come from, Richard, but around here people don’t share a bed until after they’re married.  I have you in the room down the hall.”

Richard eyes widened briefly at the comment and his lips tightened into a frown as he noticed Lois’ relieved expression.  After a moment, he relaxed his features and covered his displeasure as best he could.  He nodded his assent and neutrally told the older man, “Of course.  That won’t be a problem.”

“Good,” Ben replied pleasantly.  “Come on, now.  Let’s get out of here and let the lady get her rest.”  He led Richard down the hall to the last room on the left and motioned for Richard to precede him into the room.   Richard entered the room and Ben informed him, “This was my son Matt’s old room.  Sorry I can’t offer you a bigger bed.  We used to have a guest room with a double bed, but I gave that away some years back, and my kids are redecorating the room as a nursery in advance of my son moving his family in.”

Richard nodded absently and looked around the room, noting the single bed against the opposite wall and the room’s pale green walls, decorated with copious posters of old sports heroes.   “I suppose this will work out fine,” he said quietly.  “When’s your son moving in?”

“They tell me they’ll move everything while Martha and I are on our honeymoon,” Ben informed him.  “They’re still trying to do as much as they can in advance – Lisa’s not tolerating the smell of paint very well right now.  They’ve got more work planned on the house this weekend.”

“I hope we’re not interfering with their plans,” Richard replied politely.

Ben waved him off and cheerfully replied, “Oh, don’t worry, you’re not interfering.  We may have to shuffle you around between bedrooms temporarily, but it’ll all work out.”  The old farmer was quiet for a moment and then said seriously, “Richard, I know things must have thrown you for a loop lately, but there is something that I hope you’ll come to realize during your stay here…”

“And what’s that?” Richard asked suspiciously.

“That you’re not in enemy territory,” Ben insisted compassionately.  “You’re among friends.  And as far as any of the Kents or Hubbards are concerned, you’re family.”

“Family?” Richard repeated doubtfully.  “You’d really consider Clark’s rival to be family?”

“We don’t see it as a rivalry and neither does Clark,” Ben explained patiently.  “You’re Jason’s other daddy, and nobody here is going to ask that boy to choose between you and Clark.  And nobody here will try to get in the way between you and your fiancée.   Clark and Martha are particularly adamant on that point.”

“So I should relax because everything’s going to be just fine?” Richard asked skeptically.

“I’d have no way of knowing that, one way or the other,” Ben replied seriously.  “You and Lois may have your problems to deal with, but I don’t know either of you well enough to be able to advise you on it…  Nobody here is going to be piling on, though.”

“Is it that obvious that we have problems?” Richard asked sadly.

“It’s obvious that you’re under stress,” Ben explained patiently.  “Who wouldn’t be with that madman gunning after them?  Anyway, I know this isn’t really home for you, but we’ll still do our best to make you feel at home for however long you’re here.”

“Thank you,” Richard told him sincerely.

“My pleasure, son… Now, I have some chores to take care of and then I’ll be heading back over to Martha’s.  Her number’s pinned to the corkboard next to the fridge, if you need anything.  Try to get some rest.”

“Actually, I won’t be resting for awhile – I’ve got quite a bit of work to do this morning,” Richard replied.  He picked up his laptop bag and pulled out his cell phone, frowning as he viewed the display.

“Those don’t work too well out here,” Ben said.  After a moment he added, “I thought you were supposed to leave it with Martha for somebody to pick up.  There’s some kind of special modification they can do to make it work out here…  If you like, I can take it back over there with me when I go.”

Richard folded up his phone and handed it over to the older man.  “I suppose it can’t hurt, though I’d be interested in knowing what kind of modification they think will do the trick.”

“I wouldn’t know, but I’ll be sure to ask for you,” Ben promised.  He then he strolled down the hall and back down the stairs.



Richard set himself up at Ben’s kitchen table, and as Lois had promised, there was a strong Wi-Fi signal available for his encrypted session into the Daily Planet.  He was quickly able direct his staff on the breaking news in his area and found himself only slightly inconvenienced by his missing cell phone.  The I.M. group chats proved to be an effective substitute and he was satisfied enough with the morning’s production to take a lunch break shortly after twelve o’clock, Metropolis time.  He raided Ben’s refrigerator and made himself a ham sandwich.

Richard ate his lunch slowly, his thoughts again returning to his relationship, as had so often been the case in recent days.  He concluded that he’d been mostly right about Lois and Jason spending Monday evening with the Kents, erring only on the venue. Lois still sneaked out with Jason behind my back for a visit with the Kents, and then lied to me about it afterwards, he thought.  As upset as he was over the covert family gathering, he found it impossible to be angry with Clark’s mother or her elderly beau.  Ben and Martha really do seem to be sincere about welcoming me here and not wanting to cause trouble for us, Richard concluded.  Too bad I can’t say the same for Lois and Clark – she seemed especially uneasy bringing me out here and a bit too relieved about the separate sleeping arrangements.  I know they’re hiding something.

Richard’s thought’s then turned to the unexpected flight from their home and their Smallville sanctuary.  How long are we going to be holed up here? he wondered.  Lois and Clark knew that Luthor was likely to lash out at them – and still they provoked him.  Why were they so determined to be the ones to take him down?  Richard reflected on the recent articles written on Luthor and the single briefing he’d been permitted to attend.  Lois and Clark had an undeniable passion for the story, and a steely determination to bring the felon to justice.  But at what cost? Richard wondered.  Is it really worth it?

The rough idling of a heavy truck behind the house interrupted Richard’s ruminations and he walked over to the back window and peeked out.  He saw an old pickup truck pull up that was probably older that he was, and with Clark behind the wheel.  He climbed out of the truck and walked up to the back door.  Richard pondered that he almost seemed like a different man dressed in jeans and tee-shirt rather than the ill-fitting suits that Richard was accustomed to seeing him in.  Richard met him at the back door and let him in.  “I wasn’t expecting to see you over here,” he commented curtly.

Clark held up Richard’s cell phone in front of him and said quietly, “I thought you’d want this back.  You’ve got four bars now.”

Richard took the phone and flipped it open to verify Clark’s assertion.  “What did they do to it?” Richard asked curiously.

  “It’s sending its signal across an alternate carrier wave, bouncing off a satellite and getting converted back to the cellular network through a relay in Metropolis,” Clark explained.

“This is a satellite phone now?”

“Um, yes and no,” Clark answered.  “Yes, it’s accessing an unidentified satellite but it still looks like a normal cell phone to the phone company – except that they’ll think you’re using it from Metropolis instead of Smallville…  That’s off the record, by the way.”

Richard nodded his head and quietly said, “Thanks.”

Clark fidgeted nervously and said, “I’m, um, going to need to bring Lois up to date on our story once she’s up.”

“I’m up,” Lois said from the other room.  She had a robe wrapped tightly around her and her hair was a mess, giving the impression of someone who’d just gotten out of bed.

“We didn’t wake you, did we?” Clark asked nervously.  As he spoke, he pulled a mug from the cupboard and poured a cup of coffee.

“No, but your truck did,” Lois declared.  “Should it really be that loud?”

“Oh… sorry,” Clark apologized.  He handed the mug to Lois and added, “It probably just needs a tune-up – I’ll check it out later.”

“Thanks…  Did you take care of everything for Jason?” Lois asked tiredly.  She took a seat at the kitchen table and greedily sipped her coffee as she looked up at Clark.

Clark sat down across from her and said, “Um, yeah, we’re all set.  Julie Neville introduced him to her kindergarten class this morning, and I hear he’s already fast friends with little Tommy Walton.  Tommy will be with him at Saint John’s kinder-care this afternoon, too.”

“What time do we need to pick him up?” Richard inquired seriously.

“The bus will bring them home,” Clark replied happily.  “It should show up in front of the house around twenty after three…  That’s central time – we’re an hour behind Metropolis here.”

“Speaking of Metropolis, what was that I heard you say about updates on our story?” Lois demanded.

  “Oh.  Well, the judge dropped the gag order.  He also gave both parties ten business days to file redacted versions of their previous motions.  Vanderworth’s lawyers already had theirs ready and immediately filed them electronically.  Of course, there’s nothing from Luthor’s side yet.  That’s not surprising when you consider that his lawyer’s already threatened to file an interlocutory appeal⁽¹⁾.  Perry has Susan scrambling to pull copies of all the Vanderworth’s redacted filings before Luthor has a chance to reseal them.  She’ll be reviewing and analyzing them, too.”

“But it’s our story,” Lois protested.

“Well, Susan is the legal correspondent,” Clark pointed out.  “We can still look through the filings later, if you want – see if we notice anything Susan missed.  But right now, Perry has us on Harold Junior.  He wants an exclusive Vanderworth interview in the can before Luthor’s favorite appellate judge can shut it all down again.”

“I’ll give Harold Junior a call in a little while.  What else did I miss?”

Clark flicked his eyes over to Richard and back and somberly replied, “Um, this might not be a good place to talk.”

Richard rolled his eyes and irritably complained, “How many times am I going to have to promise my silence to you two?  I’ve already said a dozen times that I won’t say anything, okay?”

Clark looked at Richard and back to Lois with a worried expression in his eyes and awkwardly began, “It’s, um, not that simple.”

“Why not?” Richard demanded.

“Richard, this isn’t about you,” Lois snapped.  “We’ve got some sources in sensitive positions that are very insistent about us not sharing what they tell us, and we have to respect their wishes if we want the background information from them to keep on flowing…  My dad never shared classified shit with us when he came home at the end of day, and none of us ever took it personally…”

“You’re not in the army, Lois,” Richard reminded her.

“I’m also not going to alienate our sources.  Neither is Clark,” Lois replied angrily.  “Besides, didn’t Perry tell you to keep your nose out of our stories?”

“That was before we had to run for our lives because of your story,” Richard argued.

“That doesn’t change anything,” Lois insisted.

“Um, maybe I should head back to the other house,” Clark mumbled.

“Clark, just ignore him,” Lois said irritably, earning a glare from Richard.  After another quick sip from her coffee, Lois asked, “How much time did Perry give us on Vanderworth?”

“Well, it’s a bit late for the afternoon edition, considering that it’s already twelve thirty in Metropolis,” Clark pointed out.

Lois rolled her eyes and complained, “You really shouldn’t have let me sleep so long!”  She drained her coffee and stood up, telling him, “All right, I’ll call Harold Junior right now, take a quick shower, and we can be on our way.”

“Wait, you’re not seriously thinking of going back to Metropolis right now, are you?” Richard asked incredulously.  “What happened to laying low out here in Smallville?”

“We are laying low but we’ve got to keep the pressure on Luthor,” Lois snapped.  “Did you forget what we said last night about ‘boots on the ground’?”

“And risk getting yourself killed?” Richard complained.

  “Um, actually, the risk in this case is fairly low,” Clark replied quietly.  “The security’s pretty strong at the Planet, especially given that the portal is extending its sensors over the entire building.  Anybody tries bringing a weapon in there, and Superman gets alerted.  We also have something figured out so that nobody will see us leaving the Planet.  Vanderworth has also beefed up his security, after Luthor’s attack on us last night.  We should be quite safe.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Richard demanded to know.

“Richard, we’re not a couple of amateurs here,” Lois answered huffily.  “We know the drill, we’re not taking unnecessary risks and we have some very capable people helping us.  And we’re not going to let Luthor intimidate us.”

“Lois–” Richard began impatiently.

“Are you planning on nagging me like this every time I go to work?” Lois interrupted heatedly.

Richard glared at her and snapped, “Since when is it such a crime to worry about my fiancée?”

“It’s not, if you can do it quietly,” Lois countered impatiently.  “Now, I’ve got work to do.”  She then turned on her heel and marched out of the kitchen.



(1) An interlocutory appeal, in the law of civil procedure, is an appeal of a ruling by a trial court that is made before the trial itself has concluded.

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