Superman Movieverse Forum

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BTW, I forgot to mention last time SHADOLibrarian is now serving as my Beta.  Thank you so much SHADO. 
   
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And now
Chapter 16 – Urgent Matters   

Three squad cars raced to the scene from different directions arriving almost simultaneously. The first car smashed through the flimsy gate screeching to a halt in the driveway with the second and third cars pulling up behind it.  The car with Iinspector Henderson raced up coming to a halt next to the first car in the oversized circular driveway.  The officers piled out of their cars, their guns ready as they took positions at the demolished entryway to the home just as a shot rang out.      

BANG!

The first two officers stormed the doorway not wanting to wait, knowing at least one hostage was inside.  They entered ready to fire if necessary with three other officers and Inspector Henderson just behind them.  The three men Superman had observed just moments earlier tried to flee towards the back of the house.  “Hold it right there!”  One of the officers shouted as he ran towards them pointing his gun, meaning business.

The rest of the officers flowed in, taking up positions around the large almost empty front room, some searching the rest of the house.  Two of the officers approached a well dressed man who lay moaning on the floor face down, a gun still clutched lightly in his hand.  They realized it had to be Lex Luthor.  Both of the officers kept their guns trained on the man as one of them kicked the gun away then roughly turned him over with the same foot.  It was definitely Lex Luthor and he had a gunshot wound in his temple with blood streaming out.   

Inspector Henderson and the officer that had driven him raced to where Superman was sprawled over one end of the couch just a few feet away from Luthor.  The feet of the small boy were barely visible sticking out from under the red cape.  His hysterical screams echoed off the bare walls.   

At their approach Superman managed to stand up but seemed stiff and unsteady, barely able to gain his feet.  “Take… the boy out… of here.”  He managed to say between labored rasping breaths. 

The officer looked at Inspector Henderson who nodded, grabbing the boy he ran out putting the child into the unmarked car and he tried unsuccessfully to console him.

The boy was barely out of view before Superman collapsed, falling into the inspector’s arms.  A second officer joining him as the two gently lowered the failing hero back down on the couch. 

Henderson looked back and forth at the two badly injured men.  Both appeared to have been shot yet there was only the one gun. 

Just then Luthor moaned and was barely audible saying, “Damn… forgot … only five… left…”  He smiled looking at the officers standing over him drawing on the bitter remains of his strength to continue squinting treacherously as he said.  “At least… I still win….”  His last words were, “You can’t save him.” 

Inspector Henderson looked away from the madman, hoping indeed he had breathed his last breaths and instead turned his full attention back to the young hero who was struggling to breath and had just lost consciousness.  Worried as to how bad it was he began looking for wounds on the prone body of his friend.

Several more officers had joined them as word had spread quickly from the moment Superman had called reporting the location over the police radio of what was going down.  The officer guarding the three men pointed his gun at a scrawny, nerdish looking man asking, “What happened here?  What did Luthor mean ‘only five left’?”

The man looked at his two comrades then started to answer until a second officer stopped him. 

“Wait!”  Wanting to make sure they followed the letter of the law.  These men were not going to get off on a technically if he could help it.  “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you each understand these rights?”

The three men nodded.  The nerdy man continued with what he had been about to say.  “Luthor threatened to shoot the kid if Superman didn’t show himself.  He started counting to ten, the door came splintering in and Luthor took three shots then turned towards the kid and took a forth.  Superman was suddenly just …there,… hit and shielding the boy.” 

The officers exchanged glances as they looked from the nerd to Superman, unconscious and being tended to by the inspector.   The inspector leaned over his charge and speaking softly said.  “Hang on, help is on the way.”  He had found the two entry wounds.   

The nerd continued.  “Luthor ran over closer to Superman and said something like he wanted him to die a slow and painful death.  Then he shot him again in the back.”  The man shifted his eyes, suddenly scared, worried about what was going to happen to him for being a part of the shooting and probable death of Superman.  “I swear I didn’t know he was going to actually shoot Superman when I made those kryptonite bullets.”

The officer closest to him gritted his teeth barely containing his urge to spit on the man.  “Yeah, right!  Just what did you expect him to do with them?”

Inspector Henderson spoke up.  “That’s enough, let him continue.”

“We all heard the sirens and then the sound of the front gate crashing in.  Luthor seemed incensed and pulled the trigger again.  Only he forgot he’d used all the kryptonite bullets.  There had only been enough kryptonite to make six and he had used one when he shot the kidnapper earlier.”

There was another siren in the courtyard.  The officers exchanged questioning glances.  Inspector Henderson looked once again at Luthor’s body understanding dawning on his face.  Two EMT’s came running into the house one stopping only for a second to look at Luthor’s body then continuing on to Superman’s side to join his comrade already taking over from the inspector, starting to assess the unconscious hero. 

Inspector Henderson had moved away to allow the paramedics access to their patient.  He looked down at Luthor an ironic smile briefly crossed his face.  He finished the story for the nerd.  “The two bullets that wounded Superman were tipped with kryptonite, but the final ‘lead tipped’ bullet ricocheted off and right back at Luthor.”    
   
The other two thugs looked away from the officers sorry they had ever hooked up with Luthor.  He had been bad news from day one but they had been afraid to cross him, fearful for their own lives.  They knew they were going to prison for a long time but at least Luthor was dead and would never be able to strike back at them if they cooperated with the police now.

Henderson continued to observe the EMTs working on his friend.  They had managed to find the clasp and strip down the suit revealing his upper torso.  Finding the two entry wounds they were surprised that there was almost no bleeding at either site.  There should have been lots of blood.  They looked up at the inspector seeing that he too was surprised.   

One of the men radioed in to the doctor at the hospital communicating the vitals and identifying the patient as both men continued to work.  The second man put an oxygen mask in place to aid Superman’s increasingly labored breathing.  At the direction of the doctor they made a futile attempt to insert an IV.  The needle was rendered bent and unusable.  The men looked at each other, frustrated but continued readying their patient for transport, there was little else they could do.   

Another siren was heard out near the street as the driveway was now full with police cars.  Onlookers filled the street trying to figure out just what was happening several had heard the gunshots and the crowd was abuzz with speculation.   

One of the paramedics offered an opinion to the officers all grouped around the fallen hero.  “If he was shot with kryptonite, perhaps it cauterized the wounds.  The entry sites look like  burns.”  He looked up then said urgently.  “We need to get him to the hospital.  We can’t do anything for him here but give him oxygen.  At least he doesn’t appear to be losing blood.    That may be his only saving grace.”   

The other paramedic looked up worried but not wanting to voice his concerns.   They both knew Superman could be bleeding internally and he couldn’t help remembering all he’d heard about Superman’s recent hospital experience.  How the best doctors had been powerless to help him.    It was still a big topic of conversation with all of his friends both at the firehouse and at the hospital.  He didn’t want to think about how this was likely to end.

Two ambulance attendants came running in with a gurney clanking loudly over the empty tile flooring.  Soon the Man of Steel was loaded and being raced back out with the EMT’s at each side.  They had covered him with a blanket to help shield him from prying eyes now overhead as well as lining the street.  As they loaded the gurney, a bit of red cape was visible for those crowding in trying and see what was happening.  The officers tried to control the onlookers but word started to spread that it was once again Superman being rushed away in an ambulance.

Both EMTs stayed with their patient, monitoring his condition as the ambulance raced towards the hospital with several police cars clearing the way in front of them.  Each car had lights flashing and sirens blaring as they tore the quickest path towards the hospital.  Just two blocks from the destination a long black hearse pulled in front of the ambulance as it slowed down just about to turn a corner blocking it from continuing after the police cars.  Three men got out of the hearse and without hesitating opened the back of the ambulance.  The paramedics looked up, concerned then surprised, when they saw that one of the men was none other than Batman. 

“You need to let us take Superman.  They won’t know how to help him at the hospital.  You must trust us.” 

A second man added urgently, “We’ve prepared for this day and may be his only hope.”

The two paramedics hesitated, torn, sharing quick glances one to the other.  They understood the magnitude of their decision.  Batman didn’t wait for an answer, he grabbed the gurney his friend was on and started to pull it out of the ambulance.  “Wait, we need to go with him,.”  one of the men said.

The driver was turned around in his seat, his radio in his hand about to call for help.  Batman looked at the driver cautioning him, “You need to continue on to the hospital. You need to let us go in secret.”   

Batman then addressed the EMT that had spoken.  “You can’t come with us but know that Superman is among friends and perhaps the only ones who can save him.” 

The EMTs nodded. They had both heard the stories from the recent incident when Superman had fallen from the sky.  So as soon as Superman was unloaded they reluctantly closed the door and told the driver to continue to the hospital.  They knew the police cars would be back if they got too far behind and they might not be as quick to let the hearse go on its way. 

Xox

Dr. Emil Hamilton assessed his patient as the hearse raced away in a different direction from the hospital.  “Not good, two entry wounds, possible lung damage, if the bullets fragmented no telling how much other damage we’ll find, and that is not even considering the poisonous affect on him.”

Bracing the gurney watching the doctor work Batman called ahead, “Incoming, Code Green.  This is not a drill. I repeat this is not a drill.  ETA five minutes.”  He looked down at his unmoving friend.  “I guess it was a good thing I high tailed it here from Gotham and monitored the emergency frequencies on the way.  I just hope your theories are right and that we got to him in time.”

The hearse continued finally turning onto a side street and pulling into a parking structure in   Queensland Park Borough near Metropolis Harbor.  The structure provided parking for S.T.A.R. Labs and was just one of the many S.T.A.R. Labs facilities located in various cities throughout the United States.  This particular facility specialized in marine biology, at least that was what the visible and publicly known part specialized in.  Only a very select few knew that beneath the parking structure and the S.T.A.R. Labs building was a secret lab and a very elite and specialized hospital facility.  One fully funded by none other than Wayne Enterprises.            

The hearse turned right, going down to a lower level of parking marked maintenance crew only.  It continued, finally stopping near a place marked off as ‘no parking’.  The driver waited while Batman and Dr. Hamilton quickly exited the back, pulling the gurney out with the still unconscious Superman once again hidden from view by the blanket just in case anyone might see them in the dark basement like structure.  They hurriedly pushed the gurney to the freight elevator close by and soon disappeared from view.  The hearse returned the way it had come, back to some obscure parking place to remain on call and ready if needed at a moment’s notice.

Xoxo

The ambulance arrived at the hospital.  Several of the officers from the police escort ran to the ambulance opening the back door wide.  They had all been worried when the ambulance had fallen behind, thinking it had stopped so some kind of urgent care could be administered to the patient, to Superman.  The officers were shocked to find the gurney and Superman missing.  The driver and both paramedics exited the vehicle, looking around pensively.  They hesitantly explained what happened.  The police were livid that the men had allowed Superman to be taken from their care.

Dozens of hospital personnel huddled around the emergency entrance.  They had already been informed seconds earlier by the paramedics over the radio of what had just happened and they were stunned into silence, unable to move from the spot just in case they had been mis-informed.   

Xoxo

News travels with lightening speed and news like this was no different.  Perry looked stunned as the fast breaking news flashes began to scroll across the bottom of the screen.

…Superman Has Been Shot…Reportedly In Critical Condition… Being Transported To Metropolis General Hospital…. Lex Luthor Dead.

Grabbing his phone, it was late but he called Lois.  She was already watching the same reports, Richard by her side.  She raced to the phone grabbing it instantly just as another update appeared and the station switched from the normal redundant programming to a hard news anchor, obviously just taking his place to report what was happening live.

The newsflash crawling at the bottom of the screen continued to be updated.

  ….Superman Critical… Reportedly Abducted From Ambulance By Batman…

Lois dropped the phone screaming, running to the other room she retrieved the phone that Superman had given her earlier.  With shaking hands she opened the phone, remembering that she had seen a listing in the contact list that just might be of use.  She desperately searched her memory but it seemed to be failing her along with her fingers as she fought back tears.

Richard took the phone from her shaking hands.  “Let me.  I think this is what you’re looking for.”   He pulled up the contact for Darth Vader they had both laughed about just a short time ago while checking out the phone shortly after speaking to Jason and Martha Kent.

He hit the call button then handed her the phone. 

A man answered saying only, “Not now… I’ll call soon…”

Lois said urgently, “Wait! Please, don’t hang up!” She had to fight to control her voice.

The man answered her plea, the tone much softer than before, “Be assured, he is being cared for by the only ones who have any possibility of helping.” Then the line went dead. 

Lois almost fell sobbing into Richard arms as she clutched the still open phone which seemed to be her only lifeline to knowing the fate of the man she knew she didn’t want to live without. 

Richard finally understood his place in the scheme of things and rocked her slowly, letting her cry., Iit was his privilege and duty to keep her safe as he always had till the other man could reclaim her as only and always his. 

Richard slowly closed his hand over hers closing the phone in the process.  They stood there together, unable or unwilling to move from the spot.  He continued rocking her till her sobs quieted then they moved together back to the other room.  He helped Lois take a seat on the sofa then retrieved Lois’ cell phone from the floor where she had dropped it, placing it on the coffee table.  He quietly called Martha with the ‘Batman’ phone letting her know what was happening and promising to keep her updated.  He added that she should perhaps come to Metropolis and offered to fly her and Jason whenever she wanted.  He felt a need to help her be closer to her son but he was also anxious to have Jason back home.  Lois needed them both  with her now. 

Finished with that more urgent call, he returned his Uncle Perry’s call, letting him know some of what was going on but not nearly all.  Finally he rejoined Lois, gathering her to his side as they watched silently for any additional news that might be reported.  They both knew the only one who could really provide what they needed had said he would call back, but when?  Richard kept the phone in his hand ready to answer as soon as it rang.         

Xoxo

I Hope that wasn’t quite as evil of a cliffhanger.  My muse is having fun with us.   :O