Superman Movieverse Forum

Wishes Granted - Chapter 5 – Rivals

Clark watched as Jason pulled Lois from the bullpen once again amazed at just how perceptive their son was and thankful that his quick actions would allow the two men a moment alone before having to face Lois.  Clark turned his gaze back to Richard who was closing the distance between them. 

“Bet you weren’t expecting to see me were you?  Or perhaps you weighed the risks of telling me about the pocket universe.  I must say it was just too handy a thing to have just the one.” 

“Oh, I weighed the risks all right. I decided that even with the risk of exposure it posed to me personally that it was still the preferable option to take.  I hope I haven’t misjudged you.”

“Well, I certainly misjudged you!  I thought you were planning to stay away from Lois.  Actually now that I see and understand things a little better and you seem to have quite a history of not staying away from Lois.  You even weaseled your way into becoming her writing partner… again.”

“There has never been any weaseling on my part to work as Lois’s writing partner.  Where is all this paranoia coming from?  Just so you know, Lois came back here just a few minutes ago because she was worried after seeing news reports of a bizarre acting Superman.”

“Yeah big surprise, she wanted to save you… again.”  Richard motioned to his desktop which was covered with several of Jason’s toys.  “Looks to me like you’ve been quite cozy here with my son all day.  What gives with that?  Going at Lois from a different angle are we?” 

Clark sighed, not certain if Lois had confided Jason’s paternity with her fiancé or not.  Either way he seemed overtly sensitive about the subject.  It added yet another complexity to tread softly on.  “You had promised to take Jason flying today, remember? Lois had plans of her own so she dropped him off earlier then left, but yes, Jason and I have been here all morning… we were waiting for you.”

“Heh.” His body language telegraphed that he was not impressed.

“Richard we need to figure out what happened and how to get back to where we belong, not spar over your insane imaginings.  I do freely admit to wishing I never had left and I won’t disrespect you by lying about still loving Lois.  I even made a play for her when I first got back.  How could I not think that perhaps she had been waiting for me to return when she refuses to set a date to marry you?”

“You actually came on to her?  When?” 

“It doesn’t matter.  What does matter is that she put me in my place, absolutely nothing happened.”  Clark turned away dejected.  “Richard she has chosen you.  I’ve accepted it and I think you need to get over your jealousy or you might just blow the whole thing.”   

Softening his stance, he rubbed his chin absorbing what he’d just been told.  “She rejected you, Superman in favor of me?” 

“Yes”

“And she doesn’t know…that you’re Clark?” 

“No.” He shook his head, concerned. “Not presently.”   

Richard relaxed with the added knowledge but still struggled to come to terms with everything.  “This is so freaky, because I actually wished I was you late yesterday afternoon when you two had your heads together for so long working on that article.  I was so sure that Superman would never have had to worry about thinking some clumsy reporter would be a rival with any woman he wanted.  I guess to you, I’m that clumsy reporter.”

“Not at all, since I was wishing to be you, possibly at the same moment.   It’s way too much of a coincidence that we were wishing to be each other and now we are.”

“You’re sure you don’t have some kind of morphing powers or maybe you jumped into my body forcing me into yours?”

“Richard, it wasn’t me.  I don’t have any idea how this transference happened or more importantly at this point how to reverse it.  I find it interesting that you chose to use the word ‘freaky’ to describe what has happened.  Jason told me about a movie you two watch where this happened to people wishing to be each other.”

“Wait a minute…you told Jason!”

“No, of course not. But he’s smarter and a lot more perceptive than you realize.  He figured it out on his own.” 

“He’s barely five years old.  You had to have done something to give yourself away.”

“No, not so much. You see he already knew Clark Kent was Superman and has known since that first day I got back.  Like I said, he is very perceptive.” 

Just then the elevator dinged and both men saw the doors opening to show Lois with Jason in tow coming back into the bullpen.

Richard leaned towards Clark menacingly wanting his admonition to really hit home before Lois and Jason joined them.  “You just leave Jason out of this.  Once Lois and I are married, I plan on adopting him.  He may not be my biological son but he is my kid all the same and I don’t want you horning in trying to use him to get to his mother.  So back-off buddy!”  He almost spat the last words out.   

To make his point even more he poked Clark in the chest with one finger for emphases but in his anger and not knowing his own strength he knocked an unsuspecting Clark off his feet and back into the wall. 

Xox

Lois had finally caught up with Jason and tried to appease him with a treat but he didn’t want any of the suggestions she would allow so she finally insisted they go back up to the office empty handed.  They exited out of the elevator and headed towards the bullpen just in time to hear Clark uncharacteristically tell Richard to ‘back-off’.  She watched in horror and disbelief as Richard was punched and fell backwards against the wall.  He crumbled to the floor, unconscious, having hit the back of his head hard against the unforgiving brick wall. 

Lois let go of Jason’s hand and rushed past Clark to Richard’s crumpled form.   He moaned slightly regaining consciousness quickly as Lois kneeled down on the floor to check his head for injury.  She looked up at her normally mild mannered colleague with bewildered eyes. “You hit him?” 

Jason remained transfixed where Lois had left him looking from one parent to the other not sure how to react.

“It was an accident.”  Richard ran his hands through his hair in unease and remorse.  He hadn’t meant to hit Clark he was just finding it harder and harder to control his emotions and most importantly his reactions.  He had not been prepared for what this day was bringing his way.  Who would have been prepared…Superman? he thought.  He seems to be handling it a lot better than I am.  Yet another thing he does better than me, even though I now inhabit his body. It’s just not fair. Damn none of this is fair. 

Clark tried to sit up but Lois had turned her attention back to him and was doing her best to restrain him from moving too much until she could be sure he hadn’t sustained a more serious injury.

“It’s alright, I’m not really hurt.  I just bumped my head that’s all.”   

“Richard, you were knocked unconscious.”

Jason walked around Richard giving him wide berth and joined Lois at Clark’s side.  He continued to look at Richard warily. 

“Jason honey, go get Daddy a glass of water.”  Once the little boy trotted away Lois continued, “Richard, please just stay still for a minute.  Let’s make sure you’re not hurt. You could have a concussion and not even know it.” 

She ran her fingers though the hair on the back of his head feeling for a bump or evidence of an injury.  “Why did Clark hit you?  And how on earth did he hit you hard enough to send you against the wall like that?”   

“Sheesh, I said it was an accident.”  Richard said a little too forcibly then moved towards Lois with his hand reaching out to touch her. 

Lois flinched back unnerved by the strange man now reaching towards her.  “Just stay away from us.  Accidents like this don’t just happen.” 

Not willing to be deterred, Richard grabbed Lois’s wrist pulling her up to her feet wanting to explain. “It’s not like that at all…”

“Ow! You’re hurting me.  Let go or I’ll kick you where you’ll be sorry for weeks.” 

She took a stance to carry out her threat but before she could Clark jumped up and gently pushed Richard’s arm away helping him to finally come back to his senses.  He released Lois’s wrist just as Jason appeared with a paper cup partly filled with water, droplets spilling out along the way as the little boy ran back having heard his mother’s yelp. 

“Lois, he’s right. It’s not what you think.  He doesn’t understand his own strength right now.  It’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.  Something really strange happened to the two of us today.” 

Richard nodded trying to calm his over-reactions, “Yeah, I would say it’s strange but I wouldn’t say it was just the two of us.  It seems more like the three of us from where I stand.  Are you going to tell her or should I?”

“Tell me what!”  Seeing Jason seemingly hanging on every word she raised her hands one towards each man in a stop motion.  “Wait!”  Then turning her attention to her son she said.  “Jason, sweetie why don’t you put that water down and go find something to do at Mommy’s desk for a little while, okay?  Mommy and Daddy need to talk to Mr. Kent.”

“Lois you don’t need to send Jason away, he already knows everything I’m about to tell you.”

“What? I demand to know just what is going on here!  It feels like I’ve entered some weird altered universe today.  Please, just tell me what the heck is going on.”

“I’m sorry Lois, but once you hear you’ll understand why it is so difficult to explain.”  Clark said apologetically.

“Then freakin’ damn it, tell me.”

Clark took a deep breath and started, he certainly didn’t need Mad-dog Lane to surface now, things were already complicated enough.  “Lois somehow when we woke up this morning, Richard and I had exchanged bodies.  I know it seems impossible to believe but I’m really Clark and that is really Richard.”  He said pointing to the tall reporter.

Lois stood in place her eyes darting from one man to the other and back again.  The room was quiet as if they were all holding their breaths.  After many long seconds Lois laughed and shook her head in denial.  “Yeah, that was a good one, now tell me what is really going on because either you have been watching too many of those stupid movies you like so much or you cracked your head just now.  So do I call the men with white coats or the paramedics?”

“Lois, honey he’s serious.  It’s me, I really am Richard.”  Lois tuned to look at Clark putting her hands on her hips in an expression of growing annoyance. 

The room was quiet again as Lois refused to believe the impossible.  She shook her head far from convinced then countered, “Even if I did believe you, and I don’t, that doesn’t explain how you so easily punched Clark against the wall just now.” She had used her fingers to put air quotes around the name, mocking them both.   

Richard raised his eyebrows which were almost hidden behind the frames of his glasses.  “Like I said, are you going to tell her… or should I just show her?”

Clark sighed.  “Lois you wanted to know why Superman has been acting so strange.  It’s because the Superman that has been out there today wasn’t really Superman, it was Richard.”

Lois rolled her eyes as she sighed loudly, “So now you’re trying to tell me Richard is in Clark’s body and also in Superman’s body?  He not only traded bodies with you but split in half and is even now in two bodies at the same time?  Do you really expect me to believe any of this bull, it’s totally preposterous.” 

Richard smirked at Clark’s inability to set the record straight. “She’s never going to believe you. Perhaps a picture really is worth a thousand words.”  As he spoke Richard removed his glasses, loosened his tie and undid the top buttons of his shirt revealing the blue suit underneath including the top of the famous crest. He couldn’t help but think how cool it must look.  Too bad Jimmy wasn’t around to snap a picture or two.   

“Ta da!  We were wrong darling, dorky Clark really is Superman.  It seems that he has fooled everyone but our little son.” 

Lois was struck dumb with the sudden unexpected revelation.  It took her several seconds to collect her thoughts and still her racing heartbeat enough to answer coherently.  She studied the face void of the obscuring glasses that distorted the eyes and dulled their brilliant color.  There was no denying it.  Clark Kent really was Superman.  If things weren’t so mixed up right now she would have practically killed him on the spot for keeping that information secret from her.  She was the mother his child for Pete’s sake.  But then again how could she been so blind to not have seen it before? 

Finally finding her voice, Lois started hesitantly, “So Clark… is Superman… but it doesn’t naturally follow that the two of you have traded bodies.  Come on, how is it even remotely possible? People do not trade bodies except in fiction. The last time I checked, this was real life.”  She looked back and forth between the two men for a plausible answer. 

Jason piped in.  “Me and Daddy had strawberry pancakes for breakfast this morning.”

Richard frowned. “No way, you’re allergic and I hate strawberries.”

Jason smiled at his mother thinking he had made a point.  “See.” 
   
Clark smiled down at his young son.  “Jason thanks for trying to help but that really isn’t enough proof.”  He looked back up at the two adults, glad that at least Lois was taking the revelation that Superman was Clark Kent well.  He knew that could change once things settled down but it did lighten his load for the moment.  “Lois why don’t you ask a question only one of us would know.”

Richard smirked at Clark then addressed Lois.  “How about this instead, I happen to know you have a really cute birthmark right here.”  He turned slightly pointing to a place near the middle of his right butt cheek.

Lois hesitated then shook her head thinking back to that fateful first interview.  “That doesn’t prove anything ether.”

Richard frowned, “Oh… yeah, x-ray vision.  I guess he would have had plenty of chances to peek.”      

Clark rolled his eyes and said under his breath, “Peeking was not required.”

Richard jerked his head towards him. “What did you say?”

Clark blushed slightly and answered.  “I said, peeking was not allowed.” 

“Oh yeah,” he laughed nervously. “I guess I’ll have to remember that, in case we can’t figure this switch thing out.  I assume its part of that whole ‘no personal gain thing’.”

Lois scoffed, “Superman is not a witch.” She again put her hands on her hips and looked between the two men, “One of you will have to do better than that!”
   
Lois again looked back and forth between the two men.  They really did seem serious.  “Alright, I have something.  Which one of you knows the one question that I asked during that very first interview with Superman that Perry titled ‘I Spent the Night With Superman’ that was not included in the article?  Just so you both know, I have never told anyone else so only the two of us would know.”

Clark spoke up without hesitation, “You asked me, and I quote, ‘What color underwear am I wearing’.”

“And you answered?”

“I answered, and once again I quote, ‘Is this planter made of lead?’ You responded, ‘Yes, why?’  Then I answered ‘Hmmmm, I seem to have a problem… seeing through lead’.” 

Lois stood there dumbstruck just looking at the man who had spoken looking every bit like Richard but clearly with Superman’s vivid memory.  She was at a loss as to just how to respond. 

Richard watched the looks going between the two, fearing more than ever that he didn’t know the whole truth between the two and it was going to end up biting him in the nether zone before all was said and done.

“Is that enough or shall I continue with the rest of the evening?  I remember it all down to the last detail.”

Lois sighed softly finding the unbelievable hard to swallow but unable to deny it any longer.   She turned her attention to the man she now understood to be Richard.  “So why did you hit him.  Don’t you realize you could have killed him hitting him so hard?”  Shaking her head she asked incredulously.  “Who would have died if you had killed him?  Would you have killed yourself or Clark and with him, Superman would have died?”

“I didn’t mean to hit him. I just meant to poke his chest to make a point and to make sure he leaves you and Jason alone.  I didn’t want him to confuse Jason about who his real daddy is or for him to use Jason to get to you.”

“Well since we’re exposing secrets.”  She stopped, reconsidering what she was about to do, looked down at Jason questioningly then back to her son’s real father before continuing.  “Jason knows?” 

Clark nodded softly agreeing, with what she was about to expose and reassured her saying,   “He has good hearing. He heard you tell me at the hospital.” 

Jason smiled up at his parents shrugging his shoulders in acknowledgment. 

Richard looked between the three, hating the vibe he was now getting. “What! There’s another secret!?’’

Lois nodded.  “He has every right to treat Jason as a son.  Clark or Superman, whatever you want to call him, is Jason’s father.” 

“What! Why you son of a…”  Richard completely lost it and this time threw a punch at Clark’s jaw hitting him almost straight on.  Clark was once again jammed into the wall and slid down unconscious.   

Jason went running to his fallen Daddy ready to stand between the two men if needed even though his lower lip was trembling in despair. 

“What is wrong with you, Richard?  That’s it! I won’t allow you near my son as long as you’re acting like this.  If you can’t control yourself then leave.  Clark and I can figure this mess out without you.”

Richard backed away feeling remorse and confusion as Lois cradled Clark’s head until he once again slowly began regaining consciousness. 

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean…”  Seeing the hurt and pain in Jason’s eyes he turned and left his office and slowly walked over to Clark’s desk plopping down in the chair despondent.  “Why am I acting like such a monster?  This isn’t me.  I’m not like this.”   He sat with his head in his hands feeling completely miserable and alone.

Jason appeared at his side and tapped his shoulder so he would raise his head and look up.  “I know Daddy.  You wouldn’t really mean to hurt anybody especially my other Daddy.” 

Richard’s heart almost broke thinking of what he had just done and that Jason was still willing to forgive and love him.  He opened up his arms and Jason climbed up into his lap, almost immediately resting his head against the broad chest.  The irony wasn’t lost on him.  It was, after all, his real father’s chest. 

“Everything will be okay Daddy.  We can figure it out together.  That’s what you always tell me when I’m scared.”

“Clark is right. You really are smarter than the rest of us.  I guess you do take after your Daddy, your other Daddy.” 

Xox
        
The others had thought they were unobserved but Kristina had seen and heard it all, hidden from view in a corner cubical.  She brushed a tear from her cheek and wondered if there was any way to undo the damage her simple incantation had caused.  She would never have believed such a simple little bit of magic could have caused so much trouble.  Her mother had always warned her away from her frivolous ways.  She finally understood why, but it was too late and her mother was well beyond her reach for guidance now.  Maybe it was time to fess up and work with those she had innocently hurt.  Perhaps working together they could put things right.  After all that was why she had come to Metropolis in the first place, to meet and perhaps befriend Superman.  The very last thing she wanted was to be responsible for bringing down the man of steel.   
     
Xoxo


Many thanks once again go to SHADOLibrarian for serving as Beta.