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Karl

Author: Marnie Rowe

Email: bumpkin-is@cogeco.ca

Rated: PG

We are in need of an editor for both grammer and to help with polishing. We are looking to make this an on going series. Volunteers and/or comments are always welcome at Bumkin@ibm.net

Karl looked up at his father, he knew that the rumors were getting to be too much again. His father had ranted at him, time and time again, that he was not to appear any different to outsiders, but he felt that if he could do something to help then he had to. It was something that he had felt right from the start, and that his childhood confident, now wife, Cassie had encouraged.

But unfortunately that was not how his father tended to see it, he was very protective of his family’s privacy. Charles Tanaka felt that when his son pulled these angel stunts of his, that he was violating the family’s privacy, literally inviting someone to come and snoop sticking their collective noses into their private lives.

So Charles had called his son into his study for a little `conference’. Karl knew that he was going to be raked over the coals or at least punished in some way for his latest angel stunt but he had no real idea what his father had planned to use to show him the error of his ways.

Karl sat stiffly across the desk from his father. When Charles faced his son, Karl knew that his father was fed up with his actions. At least his persistent inability to remain inactive during an emergency most of the time.

Charles cleared his throat a few times before he began, unconsciously, but Karl knew if his father was that preoccupied with what he had to say that it wasn’t going to be good. “Son I know you know why I have called you here today. Due to your most recent good deed you have brought unwanted attention to our family yet again, and I think I have the solution for it.”

Charles listened intently to his father. “I ‘m willing to cooperate father.” was all he said when it looked as if his father was waiting for some sort of response from him before continuing.

Charles nodded and then continued, “As you well know we have long been contemplating expanding our computer firm to the East Coast and I have been advised by some of our main stock holders that now is the prime time to do it. So, son, I am asking you to move to Metropolis for the sake of the company and make sure everything is set up to our exacting standards.”

“But father….” Karl tried to interrupt only to be silenced instantly by Charles holding up his palm imperiously. “No ifs ands or buts Karl, You now have heard my wishes and by this time in your life, you also know that what I say goes, that there is to be no arguing with me.” Charles paused and sighed as he took in the wounded expression on his son’s face. He continued in a softer voice, ” I would like for you to do this, son, not only for me but also for your mother. This move will solve all of our problems. It will provide a steady and trustworthy leader for our eastern branch and it will keep the reporters’ curiosity at bay.”

Karl’s shoulders slumped with defeat, he knew that his father had indeed found a good way to manage the curiosity hounds but he didn’t have to like it, he only had to obey. He slowly stood up without saying another word to Charles and left.

Meanwhile in Metropolis, as Karl was dejectedly walking out of his father’s study across the country in California, an unsuspecting Lois and Clark entered the DP newsroom. They were entirely preoccupied with the story that they were trying to break and so when Jimmy bounded up to them asking exuberantly, “Lois, Clark, guess who Perry is getting to do the revamp of the computer systems? You won’t believe the coup he has pulled off this time.” They looked up at their young friend blankly, and Jimmy said exasperated, “Only Karl Tanaka, the original wunderkid of computer programming! Darn guys where have you two been?”

Jimmy walked away from his friends, disgust showing clearly in every move he made as they watched him go trying to figure out what they had done wrong this time, the same question in both sets of brown eyes.

The couple looked at each other, then they shrugged and barreled into their Chief’s office.

“Perry, we need a task force, we are not going to be able to break this story without some help.” Lois announced as soon as she was clear of the door. Perry never even looked up as he said, “OK Lois, put what you have so far here on my desk so that I can look it over and get back to you”

Clark thought that at last Perry had found a way to take the wind out of Lois’ sails without the volume, `hmm’ he wondered if that would work the next time she was after him…. `Nahhh,’ he never could master that tone that Perry had used. Clark hid his grin as his wife did a remarkable impersonation of a fish, mouth opening and closing, then with not one word out did as she was asked by her editor.

A very bemused Clark followed his still fishy faced wife out of the editor in chief’s office and they went to their desks to write up the other stories that they had recently finished.

Karl was fuming, he did not understand why his father thought that he should be so docile about the decision made for him even though he was an adult and recognized as a professional in his field. He felt that in his father’s eyes that he would always be the lostling baby that they had found out in the boondocks while on vacation. All parents felt that way about their children, but he thought that his father was taking it a bit far. He was a grown man, with a wife and child!

At that moment his wife walked in, “I heard about your father’s decree, I think that it was a good choice” was her totally unsolicited opinion.

He turned to face her at her remark with a stunned expression on his face, “What? Why?” she turned and calmly began to pack as she continued, “Because dear, I think that you have lived under your father’s shadow for far too long. You are a master in your field and I think that you deserve more of the credit than you get.” Then as if it was totally unimportant as an aside she tossed off,” And besides, I have redecorated everyone around here, I need a challenge myself.”

Karl grinned, which was his wife had intended and swept her into his arms, “It is that why you like the idea you red-headed enchantress? To broaden your horizons?” She laughed a throaty chuckle and said, “Well it is a combination of both my Love” Then she leaned in for a devastating kiss, before squirming out of her stunned husband’s grip.

They fell to packing again with light hearts, side by side, the trip in the future taking on the aspect of an adventure more than a punishment.

*** ** *** ** ****

In Metropolis…

Lois and Clark settled into their seats for another long night of boring stakeout. Lois commandeered the one set of binoculars they had, while Clark watched the darkened building with his glasses lowered in the usual manner.

It wasn’t long before the tip that they got from Bobby Bigmouth panned out and they finally broke their story. Clark reached for the cell phone that they kept up on the dash of the jeep and called Sgt. Zymack of the MPD to tell them about the deal going down at that exact moment

Zymack quickly agreed to send the SWAT Team their way. Clark took this opportunity to quickly spin into Superman so that he may keep watch of the events about to unfold and to ensure that no one got hurt. It wasn’t long before the SWAT team arrived led by Maggie Sawyer and the members of the illegal drug cartel was hauled into jail with enough evidence to put them away for a good long time.

Lois mingled with the cops and got quotes while Clark still in the suit made sure that everything and everybody was safe. He lifted the truckful of drugs and contraband to the precinct to save some time and to prevent anyone from tampering with the evidence. By the time he had returned to the scene of the arrest the SWAT team was all ready to leave and Lois has their story all sewn up. Grinning happily to each other, they got into the jeep and drove home, glad that a few more of the scum who preyed on the innocent are safely behind bars.

The next morning, Lois and Clark LANned their finished story to a very happy Perry who gave them the rest of the week off as a reward for the above board work excellence. Lois and Clark happily accepted their editor’s gift, and made their plans to go for a long awaited dip in the Pacific Ocean near a certain private beach that they knew of. “It’s about time we got some time to ourselves,” Lois grumbled so only Clark could hear her. Clark smiled as he slowly led her towards the elevators.

Their elevator door closed just as a man wearing a nondescript shirt, ponytail and sunglasses got off of the other elevator.

Jimmy was the first person who noticed the new arrival come into the newsroom. He thought that it was just another kook or drifter, that the planet tended to attract because of the long hair and nondescript working man’s clothes. When the guy asked to see Perry White, Jimmy pointed him in the general direction of Perry’s office, not even bothering to say a word. The fellow walked over to the door of the editor-in-chief’s office and knocked, Perry looked up and waved the younger man in. After a few moments of conferring with the editor, they came out onto the floor and Perry introduces Karl to the body of staff… then Perry introduced Karl to Jimmy specifically knowing that the young man idolized had idolized Karl for a long time. Jimmy’s face flashed red then white and back to red as he blushed furiously.

It didn’t take to long for Jimmy to quickly recover control of his facial features and immediately approached Karl with an expression of hero worship plain on his face that spoke volumes to anybody who knew Jimmy. “Oh man you are my idol, I can’t believe you are actually here. I have been following your career for as long as I can remember. I was just blown away when you developed the cure to the 2000 bug.” Karl watched the young man gush about him a bit self-consciously. It’s not everyday that people come up to him and worship him like any kind of hero, especially with the other things that he was able to do, he didn’t know what to say to this young man who seemed to idolize the more human part of him. Jimmy continued gushing all about Karl’s past exploits until Karl’s cell phone rang, startling them both. Karl picked it up almost desperately, with a visible sigh of relief as Jimmy’s attention was then diverted elsewhere by a reporter paging him with something for him to research.

Karl’s call was from Cassie.. she was in the park across town with Joel for a picnic.. He walked over to the office of the editor in chief and poked his head around the frame after knocking.

A gruff “WHAT?’ prompted him to ask respectfully, “Mr. White is it okay if I go to lunch with my family and then come back to start?”

Perry was flummoxed, an adult that was respectful, in his office asking permission to do something in his newsroom?

Normally it was demanded or he was just told, only one other employee at the Planet showed that kind of manners to anyone, and that was Clark.

Perry waved that it was O.K. with him, preoccupied with something on the paper, but a smile still stretching his mouth showing Karl that it was really fine with him. There was something about the fellow that made every one of Perry’s old investigative reporter instincts itch like mad. He pondered to himself about what it might be as he watched the programming wizard walk across the newsroom floor and as he entered the elevator, but then another head poked into his office and wasn’t as polite as the last requestee, they demanded that Perry do.. Perry wasn’t going to have that, they had better learn to give the respect that was due to him.

He roared at the pushy reporter that dared to address him in such a cavalier manner. “What in tarnation! Does no one in this building have any manners?!?!! Get out, knock and wait for me to call you in!” Then it was back to the grind as usual in the Planet.

Karl breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief as he emerged from the lobby of the Planet building. He had no idea how big this city was, it was rather overwhelming. The people weren’t much better and he was looking forward to meeting his wife and son in the park. In no time at all he was there, the park to him was an oasis of sanity in the bustle of the huge sprawling metropolitan city.

Karl sat there for a moment admiring the quiet and serene feeling that he receives from his surroundings. The soft sound of the water falling into the fountain has managed to relax him and soothe him.

Suddenly a flash of memory came forth from the recess of his mind…<<it was storming, rain was coming down in sheets and the bright flash of lightning is the only source of light…>> Karl heard a voice from far away <<Even if the ground opened up…>> He looked around him looking for the source of the voice. Confused, he turned to his wife, “Hey, Honey, did you hear something?” Cassie turned to face her husband in surprise. “No babe, why? What did you hear?” Cassie now is a bit worried, for a minute back there she was assuaged by some very strong and unrecognizable feelings from her husband.

“Karl, are you sure you are all right? I got some really odd…I don’t know what to call what I felt, I guess…images… from you. What’s going on?”

Karl smiled at his wife and came over to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead to reassure her. “Don’t worry about it honey, I just got some sort of flash back. I’m sure it’s nothing. Now let’s see what’s for lunch.” Karl brushed Cassie’s fears away, not to belittle her but because that he was uncomfortable with this manifestation of a power that he had never had before. He then reached for the basket from which had been emanating odors that were making his mouth water. He remembered the aromas from home and they were driving him nuts!

Cassie smiled back as her husband demonstrated how at the bottom he was a typical male, nevermind the strength and flying he was still a slave to his stomach. She sat down beside him and called to Joel to come and eat, but still felt a faint shadow of unease at the episode earlier.

As she watches Karl eat and play with Joel she can still pick up on his uneasiness. Wishing that she knew what was really bothering him, she sat and ate her own portion of the packed lunch.

Karl looked up from the food he was devouring when he felt something from his wife. He looked deep into her eyes and saw compassion and love for him reflected from their deep blue pools.

Cassie looked back at Karl staring at his warm chocolate brown depths trying to convey her support knowing that he will talk to her about what is really bothering him in time, but that time is not now. Now is the time to be a family in this little part of paradise that will hopeful became the place where their dreams can unfold and bloom.

They reached out simultaneously to grip each other’s hands, touch seeming to bolster the bond that had been between them as long as they had known each other.

**** ** ** **** ** ** **** ** ** *****

Karl was whistling as he rode the elevator up to the newsroom’s floor, eager now to get started on the massive project that loomed before him, thanks to the great lunch and the escape time that he had gotten to spend with Cassie and Joel.

When Karl stepped out of the elevator, he stopped dead in his tracks, stunned by what he was witnessing.

The newsroom had been transformed while he was out, before it was an orderly place, now it was pure pandemonium!

When came in earlier it was during the morning lull and most of the reporters were out getting stories but now they are all back at the Planet laying out their pages and writing up their stories for the afternoon edition.

It was an understandable shock, when he had been in earlier it had been during the morning lull, but now most if not all reporters were in residence putting together their notes and writing up their stories for the afternoon edition.

He smiled to himself as he compared the busy newsroom to busy little ants that he saw at the park during lunch. He was still pondering when another flash or memory hit him. <<…he felt happy…and proud… as he looked out at the bustling newsroom. He is now part of this, part of something big and good that reaches out and influences millions of people everyday…>> Karl shook his head several times to clear it. It was at this moment that Jimmy spotted him and immediately rushed to his side.

Karl saw Jimmy approach and flinched involuntarily. He wondered if he could get rid of the young man quickly this time or if he would be cursed into having a shadow. Jimmy must have broken the sound barrier in his haste to reach Karl’s side. As he approached Karl he had a huge and adoring smile just for Karl. But then he just shrugged and supposed that if the young man worked here there had to be something in his head other than stars. So Jimmy was flustered when he saw Karl return his smile. ” I know that Perry counts you as a valuable member of his team so I don’t mind if you can help me out too, but I don’t want to find that you have neglected any of your other duties in the process all right?. Jimmy nodded so much Karl was afraid his head would just fall off and roll on the floor.

Karl resisted the urge to grab the head that was looking about to fall off and to curb the desire even more he turned away and asked the air beside him if Perry had told Jimmy where Karl was to start.

Jimmy jumped with joy that his newest in the flesh hero was talking to him, like he was a real person.

“Um,” he stammered, ” I think that he wanted you to redo everything so that we are beyond up to date…” Karl nodded and motioned for Jimmy to lead the way to the work they need to do.

Jimmy walked a few steps ahead of him still talking about the things that need to be accomplished but Karl’s attention was diverted by a red/blue streak in the sky.

It was through the big window that the very first pictures of the man in blue were photographed Karl realized, by the young man whose was walking at his side. Karl remembered when he had seen the paper with those photos gracing the front page. He looked out the window wondering what Superman was like up close and personal. Karl hopes to meet him and maybe get a chance to talk to him about …things. The sound of Jimmy calling his name brought him back to the here and now. After giving Jimmy an apologetic look they continued down the hall.

He remembered the reaction that his father had as well when that particular issue of the paper had come to the little town that they had set up as their headquarters. Charles Tanaka had been white with rage. His narrow eyes had almost disappeared in his anger. At first he had thought that his son had defied his edict that nothing that might draw attention to the family was to be done. But then he realized that his son had long hair and that the young man in the pictures had short hair.

So for a moment he had seethed in silence, looking more like the dragons that his race venerated than just an old man who was the head of his household. He just stood there a frail old man till you saw his face, his nostrils were flared and a vein was throbbing ominously in his temple. Karl was strong and almost invulnerable but he still feared hi father when he was like that. He wasn’t stupid after all…

But that was definitely been the day that he had the most conflicting sense of wants in himself. But that had been the day that he had been the most torn about his heritage. He had desperately wanted to search out the man that was so like him, but he did not want for his father to feel betrayed by his son’s actions.

He was even in the building that housed most of the man of steel’s friends. Was this his fate coming to meet him a t last or just blind luck?

Well it didn’t really matter he thought to himself as he worked, Jimmy proved to be more of a help than a hindrance after all so things were progressing really smoothly till the Friday, at home and at the Planet. Jimmy had dropped the ga-ga act after a couple of days and Perry spoke to him in a friendly manner. Apparently the Chief was susceptible to good manners at least it predisposed him into liking you. The only kink in the whole move so far had been the townhouse that they had purchased, it wasn’t vacant yet so they had been forced to get an apartment to stay in until they were able to move into the townhouse they had bought online.

The only apartment they had been able to get was this nice one in a rougher neighborhood of Metropolis. It was located at 344 Clinton St.. It was perfect for them, there was a loft that they had finished to make into the bedroom for Karl and Cassie, and then there was one other bedroom for Joel. Only one bath though, and the staircase to get to the loft was one of those awkward wrought iron spiral things but it would have to do.

Other than the prohibitive rent, it was really very nice, Karl had liked it immediately and he was wondering if they truly wanted the House after all.

The apartment seemed so familiar. It feels as if it had been a big part of his life but he can’t understand why he feels this way.

The minute that he had walked in to the apt he had felt like he was home, that he and Cassie belonged here. The feelings were the strongest in the main level but there were some on the balcony as well, there were also some very negative feelings as well but they just added to the total ambiance of the dwelling.

The only room that seemed to be free of the memories was the loft, which was why that they had chosen to make that their bedroom, well and that it was larger too.

Joel was as curious as a cat and had explored the entire apartment in next to no time but he also didn’t tell his parents when he had found the secret compartment. That was going to be his special place.

For when he couldn’t resist to do the things that he was told not to, to just plain hide when the newness of the whole move got to be too much for him. Which is why on the Friday afternoon he was tucked away inside the cubby, crying silently. All the strange newness of the city had overwhelmed him and there was no way that he was gonna be a crybaby in front of his mom. Cassie had not been able to find Joel and she could sense that he wasn’t in danger, just unhappy. So when she had called Karl at work to come home and help her look, it wasn’t really urgent.

Karl came home right away because he wasn’t as easy about her not finding Joel, he was still nervous in the big city. It took Karl no time at all to follow the sniffles and snuffling that characterized his son’s unhappiness to the wine rack in the dining area. Looking through the wall he found how the door latched and fiddled about until it clicked.

A barrage of images swamped Karl, as the door opened with a quick whoosh,

<<…Hands opening the door and then hanging some clothing that seems so familiar to him yet he can’t seem to place the image…as the hands shut the doors again he felt as if everything just fell into place…flashes of a woman with a lively face and shoulder length bobbed dark hair… some images of a kindly old couple who are smiling …the same elderly couple but this time worried…the woman again but her hair is short now…>>

Image after image burned into Karl’s mind, in a never-ending stream it seemed, with emotions carried right along in their wake.

“Dad? What’s wrong?” Joel asked a bit concerned when his dad suddenly froze in the doorway of the secret compartment, eyes glazed over.

“Dad? Dad?” Joel got up and approached his dad and waved his hands in front of his face. When Karl didn’t respond Joel started screaming, “MOM! SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH DAD!!”

Cassie had been busy unpacking their dishes when Joel’s panicked cries reached her ears. She dropped the box and hurried to Joel. As she approached him she caught the edge of the images that has taken possession of Karl. There were many and varied, some were of a colorful costume and others were of a feisty looking brunette, and some a mixture between the two, and then there were a few with an older couple that looked very nice. Cassie thought that she would’ve liked the old couple for sure, and the woman too except that she felt emotions coming from the images and what her husband was feeling for this stranger made her very upset. She too froze in place but she quickly recovered and wrapped her arms around Karl. “Karl, babe, come on Karl!” Joel was still talking to his father as well, pleading for him to come back.

Karl reluctantly tore himself away from the strangely compelling images flashing through his mind when he heard the imploring voice of his wife and the stricken voice of Joel.

“Wha…what’s wrong?” He shook the tendrils of his lethargy off his mind and turned and embraced Cassie and opened his arms to accept Joel into the embrace as well. Joel rushed into the offered arms and they obligingly closed around him.

He held them close until he regained full control of his thoughts and he tried to clear his throat. “It’s ok honey, I’m ok…”

Cassie extracted herself from his embrace and looked at him. “What’s going on Karl? Who’s that woman I saw? I know the images came from you because I felt your surprise and. I don’t know…love? What’s going on?” Cassie said as she tried to keep her emotions under control. She felt hurt when she felt overflowing love coming from Karl for the unknown woman.

“What’s going on Karl? Who’s that woman that I saw in your mind when Joel called me? I know the images came from you because I felt your surprise and.”

But Cassie also felt her husband’s confusion at what he was feeling so she was willing to wait for an explanation rather than just jumping to any conclusions.

Karl was just as disturbed as his wife; he had never really let anyone get close to him except for Cassie and then when their loving had produced Joel. Up until then and even right to the present, he had only ever let his family close. His relationships with anyone else were just friendly acquaintances.

This intense Deja-Vu that he was experiencing nearly constantly everywhere in the city was beginning to truly unnerve him.

It was like he had lived here before in a past life or that he lived here in an alternate plane of existence. It really didn’t matter to him what it was, He was beginning to think that he would have to beg his father’s permission to move back home to retain his sanity.

He looked into his childhood friend’s eyes and she could see how tortured he was, moving close to hold him again, she crooned soothing words into his ear to try to help him cope with this as she had helped him to cope with his developing powers as children together.

They just stood like that until it was dark, Joel did not understand but he could feel the love that emanated from his parent’s embrace and he basked in it.

On the Saturday morning Karl decided to go in to work to make up for not returning the night before. When he walked in the place was in an uproar, not usual for the mornings at any time so when Jimmy bounced up to him he asked the young man what all the fuss was about.

Jimmy replied, “Well Lois and Clark were sighted early this morning and now we are waiting for them to make their appearance, they have not been here yet and they have been in the city for hours!”

Karl still looked confused, so Jimmy elaborated a bit more after he remembered that Karl was not a fixture at the paper. “Well Lois and Clark are the best that we have and part of that is that they cannot stay away form the newsroom.”

Karl saw what the young man meant, the two reporters were the ones who got the highest volume of superman stories, and of course cracked some of the most interesting stories, needless to say those were the most dangerous as well.

It seemed that a lot of the superman stories that they got were due to breaking the other ones. Something about that Pattern in his minds eye got him thinking about why it seemed to be familiar…did he know a program like that? Had he read a book about that sort of story? What was it? Oh well He had other things to do and If he worried at it, the answer would never hit him but if he tried to forget about it, the answer would probably pop full blown into his mind in a short while without him doing anything to help it along.

Karl noticed the large thunder clouds that were gathering through the main window of the ‘Planet’ and thought to himself that he had better finish up early if he was going to get Joel home before the rain started to pour down. Hopefully it would hold off long enough for them to reach the apartment.

It didn’t take Karl long to finish what he had scheduled for the day and he left to meet his wife and son with a clear heart. He met them out front of the little cafe that was frequented by a lot of the trendy set of metropolis, where Cassie had put up one of her business cards to attract some clients. Well it had worked and now she needed Karl to finish up her planned errands from her to do list. There were only two things that Cassie hadn’t managed to get done that kept the guys away from home, so Karl decided that they might as well do them before they went home. They were not made of sugar so if they got rained on a little that they weren’t going to melt. So the guys were off on a scavenger hunt dictated by the ultimate ruler of the household.

Karl decided that he was going to do the no brainer on her list first.

It was just as they were hitting the open market that the sky opened up, drenching them in seconds. In the crush of people Karl and Joel got separated. Karl thought that Joel was right behind him still holding onto the loops of his belt. He couldn’t hold Joel’s had because his hands were occupied with carrying and protecting their dinner from the rain by the time he realized that Joel was gone it was too late.

Joel didn’t know what way is up. Everywhere he looked he saw people scurrying for someplace to stay dry. He looked around him but he can’t see any sign of his dad. He let go of the loop on his father’s pants when he stopped to bend down and pick up a quarter on the street, any child would do the same thing with a treasure like a whole quarter beckoning. When he straightened up his dad was gone. He looked around himself frantically one more time hoping that his dad is just a bit ahead or around but unfortunately Joel saw no sign of him.

He began to cry, at first he tried to hold back the tears but the rain and his feelings of abandonment took over. He started sobbing out loud and calling out for Karl, screaming out “Daddy!” at the top of his lungs but to no avail, the sounds of his cry was muffled by the deluge of rain pouring from the skies.

Clark was patrolling the city when it started to rain so he decided to turn around and head back home for a while. He was halfway home when he faintly heard the grief-stricken and soulful cry of a child. If he hadn’t been tuned into and listening for any possible signs of distress then he would not have heard the child’s cry over the sounds of the city in a downpour. He stopped in mid air and concentrated solely on where he had heard the sound. Before long he was flying directly overhead Joel.

He softly landed in beside the boy and asked him if he was all right, Joel sobbed out that he was lost and that he had lost his daddy. Clark knew that there really wasn’t much that he could do for the boy in his Superman guise so he thought for a moment and decided that for once Clark would be more helpful than Superman would. He bent down and told the young man that he was going to get a friend of his to come and help, he lifted off and landed again in the ally by the shop where the boy is huddled and changed to Clark. As Clark he approached the child again, in the dim lighting and the rain Clark’s hair was plastered to his skull and his glasses fogged so much that they could’ve been sunglasses. So when Joel looked around at the approaching footsteps he thought that he had found his father and rushed headlong into Clark’s arms. “Daddy,” the youngster sobbed, “I thought that I had lost you!” Clark stood still as the boy clung to him, barely breathing in his shock at being mistaken for someone’s father. Then before he had even thought of anything to do or say Joel pulled away from him muttering, “you are not my father.” Stepping back Joel looked up at Clark’s face and asked out loud enough for someone human to hear, “Who are you? And why do you and my father look so much alike?”

Clark just said stupidly “Um, well I am a friend of superman and he asked me if I would take you under my wing so to speak until we can find your parents.” Then looking very human indeed as he was puzzled to his very core, answered the boy’s second question as well, but not probably with what the boy wanted to hear. “As for looking so much like your father, I have no clue.” Clark decided that he would take the boy home to the townhouse and wait for Lois to get home after her meeting with her mother. She would know better what should be done in the city, sometimes he really felt like a small town hick even though he had lived in Metropolis for over five years.

Lois was having a great day, but that was before she spotted her mother at their usual table in Chez Pierre. Don’t get her wrong, Lois loves her mother she just can’t handle her in large doses. “Oh good, Lois, you’re here. I’d like for you to meet Cassie Tanaka, she’s an interior designer from the West Coast who has just recently moved here. Cassie, this is my daughter, Lois.” Ellen introduced them quickly as the waiter approached their table to see if they want anything to drink. Lois and Cassie smiled at each other and then turned to the waiter to order their drinks. After the waiter has left Ellen looked towards Lois with the look in her eye that Lois fears. It is the look that tells her that her mother is getting ready to meddle in her everyday life. When she saw the look she immediately started shaking her head and scooting her chair back. “Oh no, mother, it’s not going to happen. I don’t need my home redecorated. You might talk Clark into it but he’s not here and it’s not going to happen.” Lois said vehemently as she prepares to leave. From her seat Cassie amusedly watch the argument between Lois and her mother, something about Lois lane was very familiar to Cassie but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was, oh it was probably that she had seen the woman’s photograph in the paper somewhere. Barely containing her mirth when she saw Lois flash a look at her mother, which was predictably filled with exasperation, she broke in quickly. “Oh please stay Lois, I promise not to mention home decorating during lunch. I’m actually here because I met your mother while she was visiting Lucy last year. We were shopping and we both reached for the last blouse on a rack during a sidewalk sale.” Cassie recalled the event with fondness. She had thought that Ellen was just another crazed shopper, but seeing how the color suited the woman who had reached for the same blouse she had gracefully let Cassie have it, they had team shopped together after that incident.

The rest of the lunch proceeded very quietly and peacefully as the three women talked about the things that has happened since they last saw each other. Lois also took the opportunity to remind her mother about the banquet they were to attend next week for the Metropolis Orphanage. Lois’ beeper interrupted the end of the shared lunch, after a quick glance at the display Lois said with real regret, “Oh shoot, its Jimmy, I need to go. Thank you for the lunch mother. It was nice to meet you Cassie.” Lois said abstractly as she tried to polish off the last of the chocolate mousse on her desert plate.

“Oh it was a pleasure to meet you Lois, here take one of my cards, I’d like to have lunch with you again, especially since I now know that you love Double fudge crunch bars as much as I do.” Cassie said as she dug a business card out of her wallet. As she was rooting for the card, Lois noticed the picture in her wallet. “Oh what a cute little boy!” Lois exclaimed. Cassie took out the picture and handed it to Lois. “Oh yes it’s my little boy, Joel. My husband took it before we left California.” Lois gave back the picture to Cassie and took the proffered card. “Thank you Cassie, and expect a call from me soon. It was really nice to meet you.” Cassie and Ellen stayed a few more minutes talking before they too departed and went their separate ways.

Cassie was on her way back to their apartment when her cell phone rang. “Hello? Oh hey honey, how are you?…What?!!…What happened?!!…I’ll be right there. DON’T MOVE!” Cassie quickly dropped her cell phone back to her purse and whistled for a cab, luckily one was just dropping off a passenger.

Lois hurried home to collect Clark, seeing as they were partners they should go into work together when paged. When she entered the townhouse she was really surprised to find the little boy from the picture in Cassie’s wallet. “Joel, Joel Tanaka, right?” she said out loud and the boy’s head jerked up. His eyes focused on Lois startled, Clark’s eyes looked almost the same as he heard his wife utter the child’s name before he had a chance to introduce him. Lois now remembered where she had heard Cassie’s last name before, it was when Jimmy had accosted them their last day at work before they had left on the little vacation that they had managed. He had been muttering something about a `Karl Tanaka’, some sort of computer whiz from the West Coast. It seemed that her mother had found the man’s wife to try to corner Lois with.

It seemed that Clark had leaped to the same conclusion that she had, after Lois had said the name out loud. “You were paged by Jimmy as well?” he asked his wife. “Yessir, I sure was.” Was her sarky reply. “What do you want to bet that since his father knows that the Planet is the one newspaper that has a direct line to Superman, he is there this very minute?” Clark knew better than to bet against his wife when she was more than likely right, it tended to cost him. Big. He just grinned back at the woman that he loved and got up, he helped the boy back to his feet and they all headed out to Lois’ jeep to head to the Planet. They all quietly piled into Lois’ jeep and silently drove to the ‘Planet’ the only sounds that came from inside of the car was Lois as she grumbled at the stupidity of the drivers in Metropolis. Before Lois was tempted to perform any acts of road rage that could result to feelings getting hurt or worse, they arrived safely at the ‘Planet’.

They were heading up in the elevator to find Joel’s dad when Clark got a funny feeling in his stomach. It was kinda like when he had been around Zara and Ching, a funky kind of echo effect. He shrugged it off, knowing that there were no New Kryptonians around anymore. But as they approached the newsroom floor the funny echo sensation seemed to worsen.

On the newsroom floor Karl was standing with Jimmy, hoping that his friend knew what he was talking about. His stomach felt like it never had before, it was fluttery and tight at the same time. Karl thought that if this is what humans go through all the time, then he was thankful that he wasn’t entirely human. He didn’t think that he could stand the feeling.

Cassie has just gotten off the elevator, when the other elevator opened and Lois and Clark walked out of it. Cassie didn’t notice them behind her because she was too busy searching for her husband. Karl looked up when he felt Cassie’s arrival. Despite the unknown symptoms he has been experiencing their connection came through loud and clear. Karl quickly waved so that Cassie can spot him. But that also allowed Lois to find Jimmy, she began to usher Joel through the crowd in the newsroom towards the man she only saw vaguely beside her young friend. Lois almost collided with Cassie as the woman stopped in front of her husband. She took the near mishap as an opportunity to push the boy into his parent’s embrace. They made room for him unconsciously. Then they realized whom they were holding and tears of relief swept through both of them. Karl was a bit concerned though. He had thought that as soon as Joel was found that his stomach would stop feeling so funny, but so far it had gotten worse, if anything. He did not connect his ill feeling to the people that had brought Joel in, though in retrospect he should’ve.

When he looked up he saw a face that he recognized easily…after all he saw it in the mirror any time that he bothered to look. Clark Kent was his double, but if anything he was a doppleganger of him with the way that his stomach was in knots. Yes there were some pretty big differences, but underneath those differences it was him, a mirror image like none he had seen before. Karl was struck silent and his shock must have communicated itself to his wife, because Cassie looked up as well. And Lois had felt Clark’s bolt of shock as well because she looked sharply over from where she was talking with Jimmy. It was humorous to anyone looking at them all, the two men alike enough to be twins and then their wives expressions being studies of identical shock even though they looked nothing alike. Karl realized what it probably meant very quickly, that if superman had the same abilities as him and that Clark was enough in looks to be his twin that Clark Kent was probably Superman.

Clark knew another test to use though, and the queasy feeling that Karl had been experiencing disappeared as soon as a thought lanced into his brain. It was Clark demanding to know where Karl had come from and who exactly was he? And why was he here at all? As if being addressed had aligned something in his brain, Karl found that the close proximity of Clark was no longer affecting him adversely. That he could now if he chose respond in kind. <<How in the.. what makes us able to do this?>>

Clark shook his head and tried to focus. <<I can hear you! Who are you?>>Jimmy noticed the matching shocked expressions on his friends faces and so he was the one who pointed out the obvious, aloud. “Whoa! Man CK, I never noticed that you and Karl looked so much alike!” Lois and Cassie shot Jimmy a look that made him self-conscious. A double whammy from the women attached to the men in stasis made him exclaim. “WHAT? What did I do?? What is it?” His expression was that of the martyr to his foot in his mouth.

No-one answered the young man at first, but they did decide that they should really take the discussion that must be had, to somewhere a little less public. Lois looked at Clark then to Karl and then back to Jimmy, a smile curving her mouth and shaking her head with her mirth. “It’s nothing Jimmy, nothing but your great timing. Again.” Clark, Karl and Cassie started laughing at the look of utter confusion on Jimmy’s face. But then the two couples sobered as they found each other’s eyes with their own.

Jimmy shook his head and moved away confused as always about what Lois meant with the timing crack. Who, other than her husband, could understand the tangents that Lois took off on?

They watched Jimmy walk away and by silent, mutual consent they headed towards the elevator and ultimately to go towards Lois and Clark’s brownstone. Lois stopped at her desk for a minute to write down their address and give it to Cassie and Karl. They parted their ways. Lois and Clark to prepare for their dinner while Cassie and Karl took Joel home, so that he could get changed into dry clothes before going back to the brownstone.

As Clark was preparing dinner and waiting for Lois to finish getting ready for Cassie’s and Karl’s arrival he recalled a moment in time that seemed oh so long ago. <<Lois and himself were sitting on the Metropolis Bridge after Perry’s daring bungee jump pondering the events of the past few days. Clark was looking up in the sky. Lois sighed and then said “…Well there is only one Superman again. All is right in Metropolis.” Clark smiled, “Almost, it might have been nice having 2 of them. Superman can have a brother. Someone to talk to. We all need that.” >> Clark sighed, then brightened as he thought that there might yet be a chance, for Clark as well as Superman to have a brother.

THE END of part one.