From ghill52695@aol.com Mon Nov 04 16:49:12 1996 I cannot tell a lie; I did not write this. I am forwarding this 3-part Superman/X Files crossover for Danielle Culverson. Please e-mail her at smythja@aston.ac.uk if you want to contact her. Enjoy! Subj: Superman 2 1/3 Date: 96-11-04 06:18:24 EST From: smythja@aston.ac.uk (smythja) Reply-to: smythja@aston.ac.uk To: GHill52695@aol.com This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. The Superman characters belong to DC Comics, and were created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. All unrecognised characters and plot-lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. Rated - PG. This is for all the people who emailed me asking for a sequel after I posted "Superman". - Sorry it took so long to come. - For anyone who hasn't read "Superman", it might be useful if you read that first - it's in the Gossamer Archives. This story is set a year after "Superman". Mulder and Scully travel to Metropolis when the "Man of Steel" is accused of murder. No spoilers. Danielle Culverson. "Superman 2." Part 1/3. The Metropolis apartment was empty and still. The curtains at the windows were open, letting in the afternoon sunshine, which lit the dust motes as they danced in the air. A faint smell of bacon hung around the apartment, the remnant of a hearty breakfast. In the kitchenette, a plate, two water glasses, and some cutlery stood at the side of the sink, waiting to be cleaned. The rest of the kitchenette was clean and tidy, - everything in its place. In the main room, a bureau stood along one wall. A glass trophy stood on one shelf, with the words "Clark Kent 1994-95" inscribed on the base. There were five photographs. One showed a couple in their fifties. Another showed the same couple with a handsome young man with dark hair and glasses standing between them. He had one arm around each of them, and all three were smiling. The next two photographs showed this man with an attractive dark-haired woman. They were both smiling in the pictures, and obviously very much in love. The fifth photo was of the young woman alone. The main room was two steps down from the small area just inside the door. At the bottom of these steps was a small trestle-table with a reading lamp standing on it. From behind the door at the top of the steps, muffled voices were approaching. Cheerful laughter resounded, - although diminished a little by the door, - through the room. Then the door opened, and the young couple from the photographs came in. The young man held the door open for his fiance to enter. She had a handbag over her right shoulder, and three cardboard wallets in her arms. The young man held a larger set of wallets, with the unmistakable cardboard box of a take-away pizza balanced on top. He closed the door, and took the pizza into the kitchenette to reheat it while the young woman put down the wallets she was holding on the coffee table, and sat down on the couch. "I don't know why you bother, Clark." Lois Lane declared, as the microwave started humming in the kitchenette, "We both know there's no need for that." Clark appeared again in the doorway. He raised a finger to his lips, and spoke in a cautious, but urgent stage whisper. "Lois! Keep your voice down! You don't need super-hearing to hear through these walls, you know." Then he smiled, seeing a pout surface on her pretty face. A moment later he carried the pizza, still in its box, back to his fiance. They took a slice each, and sat side by side on the couch, Clark's arm around his reporter partner. Lois picked up one of the wallets from the coffee table, and opened it, taking out the papers inside with one hand, while simultaneously taking another mouthful of the piece of pizza held in the other. Clark leaned over her shoulder, and scanned the page. "Vagrant murders?" he asked, "What's this about?" "Something Perry gave me this morning." Lois replied, "A wave of violent vagrant killings in Metropolis. - Not that there aren't always a lot of vagrants being killed, mostly in drunken fights, - but there's been an increase lately." Lois wrinkled her nose, and put the papers back in the cardboard wallet. She snuggled up to Clark. "Let's not bother with the work tonight, after all." she murmured, "It's four weeks until our wedding, - lets just spend some time to ourselves." Clark cocked his head on one side, hearing a distant sound, and the smile on his face fell, "Erm... that may not be possible." "What is it?" "Fire alarm in the Metropolis Trade Tower." he replied. "Oh Clark, you haven't even finished eating." Lois sighed. Clark glanced at the remaining four slices of pizza, and inhaled two of them. Lois shook her head in disbelief, and then waved a dismissal. "Go!" A bolt of blue and red flashed across the apartment, and Superman left by the open window. * * * Dana Scully opened the door to the basement office of FBI headquarters, and came to a surprised halt. She raised her eyes to the ceiling, - give me strength. The office was in its usual state of turmoil. The filing cabinet drawers were open, the waste paper basket was overflowing, the unconditioned air was stuffy already, despite the fact that it was only 8.30am, and the room smelled strongly of coffee and ozone from the photocopier. There were two desks facing her, and one to her left. The one on the left carried a computer. Of the two in front of her, the one on the right was neat and tidy, and the nameplate on its front edge read "Dana Scully. Special Agent." The desk on the left was covered with papers, which in turn were covered with round coffee cup stains. The "In" tray was empty, and the "Out" tray above it almost full. The nameplate had fallen to the floor, where the words "Fox Mulder. Special Agent." could be read by anyone willing to crane their necks around to a 160' angle. All of this was expected however, and did not phaze the FBI agent standing in the doorway. What bothered her was the other thing on the desk on the left of the two in front of her. - The sleeping head of her partner. Scully closed the door carefully, and hung her overcoat on the coat-tree. She regarded her partner for a few moments before saying sharply, "Mulder." "Huh?" He awoke, blinking in the light, a look of mild confusion on his face. He smiled when he saw her, despite the fact that she had her hands on her hips, and was frowning at him. "Hi, Scully." "Mulder, you stayed here all night again." She stated the obvious. He sat up, and stretched his arms above his head. "Yes, I wanted to catch up after things built up during the Fallins case." "Mulder, this is not the best way of working up overtime." Scully shook her head in despair, "You look a mess." "Thanks, Scully." he replied in a sarcastic tone, "Any more useful tips?" "Mulder, vagrants sleep in deserted buildings. - Normal people go home." Now Mulder grinned, "Since when do you say I'm normal?" Scully sat down at her desk, "I just wish you'd go back to your apartment, even if you only get a couple of hours sleep on your couch in front of the t.v.. - It's better than sleeping here. - Devoting your life to finding the truth is one thing, - looking for it twenty-four hours a day is another." "Yes, yes, you're right, I know." Mulder nodded, and began searching through the papers on his desk, evidently for the case he was working on. Scully took a report from her "In" tray, read it through, signed it, and put it in her "Out" tray. Then she looked at Mulder, who was still hunting through his "organised mess". "What've you lost now?" she asked impatiently. "The Gormel case from Greeber and Walbrook." Mulder replied without looking up. "Isn't that it on top of the other work you've completed?" Mulder looked, and sighed with relief. Picking it up, he checked it over quickly, "I've already done it! - I must have done it last night. - That's good. - Now I've got time to go home and have a shower." "And put on a clean shirt, I hope." Scully added. Mulder grunted some reply, and grabbed his black overcoat from the coat-tree where it hung next to Scully's. "See you in an hour." he threw over his shoulder as he hurried out. Scully shook her head as she stared after him, and then opened another piece of work in front of her. * * * The elevator doors opened, and Lois and Clark stepped out into the familiar "Daily Planet" newsroom. They stood on the raised floor by the elevator doors for a minute, taking in the sight before them. Lois wore a black calf-length cocktail dress with spaghetti straps, high-heeled shoes, a white fake-fur jacket, and the necklace and earrings Clark had bought her for her birthday. Her hair was set in a fetching style, and a black handbag hung from her left shoulder. Clark was on her right, looking neat and almost formal in his dark suit and tie. - The friendly smile on his face took away the formality of his clothing however, and he cheerfully greeted Jimmy Olsen, the "Daily Planet"'s photographer and computer genius, who rushed up to greet them. "Lois! CK! - You made it!" "Of course, Jimmy. - You didn't think we'd miss Karen's leaving party did you?" Lois scolded gently. "Hi Jimmy." Clark raised a hand, - the one not at Lois' waist. They walked down the ramp to the newsroom floor, and began greeting the friends and colleagues they found amongst the chaos of the party. The newsroom had been transformed in an evening, and now decorations hung from the ceiling, buffet food was laid out on the cleared desks in the centre of the room, and a banner hung across the side of the room, - "Good Luck, Karen!" The party was for Karen Antonelli, a vivacious 27 year old who had been working at the "Planet" ever since she left school. She was moving to Europe with her new husband, Marcus, and her colleagues wanted to wish her all the best. Lois and Clark found Karen amongst the scores of people milling around, and gave her the gift they had bought between them, - a pretty cut-glass vase. "Oh, Lois, Clark, - thank you!" she cried, opening the gift. She admired it, put it on her desk with the other presents she had been given, and then hugged first Lois, and then Clark, "It's lovely. - I'm so sorry I won't be able to come to your wedding. - You'll send me pictures, won't you?" "Of course!" Lois smiled, and took Clark's hand in hers, "I'm sure you will love living in Europe with Marcus. - You'll forget all about us in no time." "I shan't!" Karen protested, and laughed. Then more people were greeting her, and Lois and Clark moved away. They went to get a glass of wine each, and some food from the buffet. Then, retiring to a relatively quiet area of the newsroom, they talked to each other. "Are you okay to drink that?" Lois asked, nodding towards Clark's glass of wine, "I mean, it doesn't affect you differently, or anything?" Clark smiled, and shook his head, "Doesn't seem to affect me at all." he confided. He took a bite from the sandwich on his paper plate, and nodded towards Karen. "She seems to be enjoying all of this." "It's what she likes best, - being the centre of attention." Lois replied. A smile touched at Clark's lips. "You used to be like that." "Mm... I think being engaged to you has improved me." she answered, "But don't get big-headed about it." "Lois! Clark! - Where have you been?" It was Perry White, the editor-in-chief of the "Daily Planet". He pushed through the group of people between him and the couple, and came over to them. "How come we never had an engagement party for you two?" he asked. "Probably because we were too busy working on some big story." Lois replied, "But never mind Perry, you're coming to the wedding, aren't you?" "And the way Lois' mom is organising that, it will be some party!" Clark declared. Lois rolled her eyes. "I know. - I wish she wouldn't. This was supposed to be a small wedding." "Nonsense!" Perry exclaimed, "The star reporting team of Lane and Kent have got to make an impression when they become the star reporting team of Kent and Kent. - Think what a great front page it will make!" "That's my point." Lois murmured, but Perry was moving away. - It was time for the Metropolis Central News, and as usual, all activity in the newsroom came to a halt, and all eyes turned towards the television. "... the nine o'clock news in the Metropolis Central area. I'm Lynne Cross. "The headlines tonight, - Nuclear arms talks have been stalled again by bomb threats. A mystery disease sweeping Minnesota is threatening the lives of thousands of people. And railroad worker strikes are causing serious problems for commuters. "First, a local story just in. An anonymous messenger brought this video to MCN studios not twenty minutes ago." The screen changed to what appeared to be a home-video. The scene was apparently an alley in one of the more squalid areas of Metropolis. There were two figures in the shot, - a vagrant in his forties, with a bottle in one hand, who was facing the camera, and the unmistakable red and blue suit of the Metropolis "man of steel". The super-hero had his back to the camera, and was apparently in conversation with the vagrant. "The messenger said this was shot just before 8.30pm tonight, and brought straight to MCN as it was "in the interest of the citizens of Metropolis"." the newscaster continued. Lois glanced in confusion at Clark, who was also looking surprised and concerned. "That's not Superman, is it?" she asked. "No." Clark replied. Lois heard his sharp intake of breath when the "Superman" on the video caught hold of the vagrant, and, lifting him into the air, smashed him into the wall of the building at the side of the alley. "My God!" Perry exclaimed from near the front of the group of now silent partyers, "That can't be... great shades of Elvis!" The vagrant slumped to the ground at the foot of the wall, and the television cut back to the almost grim face of Lynne Cross. "Speculation about the "man of steel"'s behaviour is already running high. - Is this some fit of anger on the part of the Metropolis super-hero, - an anger taken out on the shunned and defenceless part of our society most citizens try to ignore? Or is there a hidden evil streak behind Superman's smiling face and high moral ideals?" A picture of Superman appeared on the screen. "Just how perfect can anyone be? - After all, no-one really knows Superman. - He could be capable of anything." Perry strode forward, and turned the television off. "I'm not having that crap on in my newsroom." he said angrily, "Spoils the atmosphere." But the atmosphere was already spoiled, and the party was a lot quieter and more subdued afterwards. Lois and Clark stayed a little while longer, and then left as soon as they felt they could without being impolite. * * * Scully arrived in the X-files basement office with a newspaper in her left hand. Mulder looked up when she entered. "Hey Mulder, do you remember the case we did in Metropolis a year ago? - The Superman case?" "Yeah?" "Take a look at this." She tossed the newspaper onto her partner's desk, and sat down at her own, swiveling her imitation leather chair around to face him. Mulder unfolded the paper, and looked at the front page story. A large picture of Superman smashing a tramp against a wall was accompanied by the unwieldy headline, "What sort of steel is Superman?". Mulder read the story quickly, and then looked up at his partner. "And what does Clark Kent have to say about this?" "Nobody's asked him." Scully replied. "But, why..." Mulder broke off, remembering that Clark Kent's secret identity wasn't known to most people. "I suppose he doesn't want to blow his cover, and that's why he hasn't come forward." He got up and went to the middle filing cabinet of the three that stood against one wall. Rifling through it quickly, he came up with the Superman case-file. "Here we are, file number X-3-9-1-2-9-7. Status - Open." He glanced at his partner, "You fancy a trip to Metropolis, Scully?" "I've already booked a flight." she replied with a smile, "We leave Washington National Airport at 18.34 tonight, and we'll be in Metropolis in time to get some sleep and start work tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" Mulder's face fell, "Couldn't you get an earlier flight?" "Mulder, it's already 2.47pm. - That's the next flight to Metropolis. - And even if we flew now, you'd be in no condition to start work when we arrived. - You're not superhuman." Mulder pulled a face, and dropped back down into his chair. He leaned back, crossed his right leg over his left so that his right ankle rested on his left knee. He folded his arms behind his head, and attempted an expression of nonchalance. "Doesn't bother me." he said, lifting his nose melodramatically, "I can wait until tomorrow. - No problem." Scully smiled. After each of the last two times they had been to Metropolis, Mulder had gone around for weeks after muttering "Contact!" every time he saw her, his eyes aglow. - Now it looked like she was in for more of the same, even if Clark Kent, alias Superman, wasn't the model man he made himself out to be. * * * Clark closed his apartment door carefully, after checking to make sure no-one was outside. He turned to face Lois, who was standing by the couch watching him. He spread his hands at his sides, a look of helplessness on his face. "What's going on?" Lois demanded, her arms folded, her eyes flashing angrily. "It wasn't me." "I know *that*." she retorted, "You wouldn't do something like that. - I don't think you could, even if the man was someone really evil. - Besides, you were with me. So who was that on the video? He sure looked like you, from behind at least, and he's as strong as you." "I know." Clark nodded, and walked down to Lois. He sat down heavily on the couch, and she sat beside him, taking his hands in hers. "We need to decide what to do." she said gently, "We know it isn't true, but Superman has no alibi, - we can't even give him one as everyone saw us at the "Planet"." "Exactly. Everyone saw us, so Superman *does* have an alibi." Clark interjected. "Only if you reveal your identity. - Is it worth that?" "I don't know. - Can we leave Superman to be thought guilty of the crime he didn't commit, but has no way of proving himself innocent of? The circumstantial evidence is immense, and we've seen the public's reaction to Superman's "downfalls" before." "If Superman was to find the person responsible..." Lois suggested, but was cut off by the shrill of the phone. Clark went to answer it. "Hello?... Oh, hi Mom, Dad... Yes, Lois and I only just got in... Yes, I did see the news... Well, I don't know Dad. How can we prove that Superman isn't involved?... Yeah, I know..." Clark turned to face Lois as his parents' conversation moved towards her reaction to the video on the news, "Of course... Yes, she did... Okay, bye Mom, Dad. - Call me if you think of anything." Clark hung up, and returned to the couch. "Well?" Lois asked. "They're just as stumped for a solution as we are." Clark answered her unspoken question, shrugging, "And I've never known them to be, before." "Oh Clark, we'll think of something." Lois reassured him, "We'll just have to sit tight for now, and take it as it comes." The "man of steel"'s alter ego looked so forlorn and defenceless that Lois' heart went out to him, and she put her arms around him and drew his head down to her shoulder. "It'll be alright," she murmured quietly, "somehow." End of part 1. I'd greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism from fellow X-Philes. Email me at . Danielle Culverson. From ghill52695@aol.com Mon Nov 04 16:52:24 1996 Here is the second of three parts. Again, if you want to contact the writer, it is Danielle Culverson at smythja@aston.ac.uk. Subj: Superman 2 2/3 Date: 96-11-04 06:19:05 EST From: smythja@aston.ac.uk (smythja) Reply-to: smythja@aston.ac.uk To: GHill52695@aol.com This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. The Superman characters belong to DC Comics, and were created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. All unrecognised characters and plot-lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. Danielle Culverson. Part 2/3. * * * Scully sat down in the aisle seat beside her partner, and carefully buckled her seat-belt. Mulder was looking out of the small porthole window at the wide expanse of the airport outside. Scully watched the other passengers as they sat down and talked amongst themselves, and the two air hostesses who moved up and down the aisle, checking everything was in order. She glanced at Mulder, wishing he didn't look so perfectly at ease with everything, and then picked up the in-flight menu from the pocket on the back of the seat in front of her and began studying it with the intensity of someone trying to avoid something. Scully finally put down the menu, - having read it through carefully four times, - as the plane taxied to the end of the runway. She clutched the armrests of her seat as they gathered speed, and left the ground. Her face set, she stared straight ahead of her until the "Seat-belt" light at the front went out. She unbuckled reluctantly, and looked around for something to occupy her wandering imagination. "You know, Scully," Mulder said suddenly, turning towards her, "this is the same type of plane that Superman saved when he first came to Metropolis." "Really?" If Mulder had looked at his partner, he would have seen the fear in her eyes, and the silent wish that he would not tell her anything that would heighten her already extravagant fears. - But he didn't look. "Yeah. - The plane lost both engines on one side, and started to spiral. Superman took the position of the number one engine, and supported the wing. Instead of having to make an emergency landing, they went all the way to their destination without further incident. - Except, of course, that when they got there they only had two of the four engines they'd started with, plus one man in a red and blue suit. - It's all in the case-file." "I'm sure it is." Scully muttered through clenched teeth. Finally Mulder looked at his partner, and saw a momentary flicker of fear in her eyes before she looked away, and hid her emotions from him. He put his right hand over hers, and squeezed gently. "You okay, Scully?" His voice was filled with the concern she would have liked to hear five minutes earlier. "I'm fine." she answered curtly, and ended the conversation abruptly by signaling the passing air hostess. "Could I have a cup of coffee?" she asked, "White, no sugar." The young woman nodded, and hurried away to get it. Mulder watched his partner with mild concern as she waited for the hostess to return. When she did, and Scully seemed to be quite contented, sipping her coffee, he allowed his gaze to return to the window. At his side, Scully was far from contented, but refused to let her apprehension show. - As she'd told the FBI counsellor, Karen Kossoff, during the Donnie Pfaster case, she didn't want Mulder to feel he had to protect her. So, despite the fact that she had been terrified of flying ever since her "abduction", she had resolved never to tell her partner her misgivings. * * * The elevator doors opened onto the newsroom at the top of the "Daily Planet" building, and Mulder and Scully stepped out. It was still quite early in the morning, - Mulder had been up early at the hotel, and anxious to get on with the case, - but the newsroom was already busy. Messengers hurried about with piles of papers, sealed envelopes, and polystyrene cups of lukewarm drinks. Harried-looking reporters hunched over at computer terminals, and from the glass-walled editor's office came the impatient shouts of the "Daily Planet"'s editor-in-chief, Perry White. Mulder scanned the room, his eyes coming to rest on a door to the left of the editor's office. It was new since the agents had last been to Metropolis, and Mulder's sharp eyes picked out the words on the door. - "Lois Lane and Clark Kent." - Through the glass wall, he could see the two reporters at their desks. Clark had seen them come in, and was watching them through the glass. "... however many times you say it! - Now get going!" Perry White's voice suddenly became louder and less muffled as the reporter with him opened the office door, and came out quickly. He looked nervous and hopeful, much as Clark Kent had when he first came to the "Planet" Mulder noted. The editor, standing in the doorway, spied the two agents. He apparently recognised them. "I can guess why you're here." he said gruffly, as the agents approached him. Scully put out her hand, and the polite gesture seemed to confuse and calm the harassed editor. He took her hand and shook. "Mr White." she said. Mulder followed suit. "You've obviously worked out why we're here. - We were hoping to talk to Miss Lane and Mr Kent." By now Lois and Clark had come out of their office, and at the sound of their names they approached the group. "You want to know about Superman." Lois stated, a hint of anger and defiance in her voice. She crossed her arms. "Yes," Scully agreed, "if we could talk to you separately, - and in private?" "You can come into our office." Clark said, and then glanced at Perry, "If that's okay with you, Chief?" "Sure. Sure, - go ahead. - I've got a newspaper to get out, - can't stand chatting." He waved his hands in dismissal. Clark led the two agents into the office, and closed the door behind them. After a moment's thought, he closed the blinds that covered the glass walls. "I guess you want to know where I was the night Ed Thomas was killed." he said, referring to the name of the vagrant who's death had been videoed. He faced the two agents. Scully had sat down in Lois' chair, and had swiveled it to face him. Mulder was standing at her side, leaning against the wall. "Yes." Scully agreed, "Can you prove where you were?" "I can prove where I was," Clark replied, "but not where Superman was. - I was here, at the "Planet", at a leaving party. I was with Lois, and lots of people here saw me." "So who was it who murdered Ed Thomas?" Mulder asked. Clark shrugged. "I don't know. - I've been keeping watch, but I haven't seen anything untoward." "Okay. - As long as your alibi checks out, I guess we will have to start looking for the *other* Superman." Mulder moved over to the door, opened it, and gestured for Clark to go out. He and Scully followed. They went into the editor's office, where Perry and Lois were waiting. "We had hoped that either Mr Kent or Miss Lane, both being friends of Superman, might have been with him at the time of the crime, and thus able to establish an alibi for him." Mulder began, "But Mr Kent tells us that both he and Miss Lane were at a party here at the time of Ed Thomas' murder?" It was barely a question, so as not to arouse suspicion, but Perry nodded affirmatively. "Yes, it was Karen Antonelli's leaving party. - Everyone was here." he agreed, and then frowned, "What I can't understand is why Superman hasn't come forward to deny the charges..." Perry was cut off by a hurried knocking at the door. The "Planet"'s photographer, Jimmy Olsen, put his head around the door. "Er... excuse me, Chief, I thought you'd want to see this. - There's been another one." The five in the office hurried out after Jimmy, to watch the news update showing on the t.v. A video, much like the last one, was being shown. Again, a figure looking very much like Superman stood with his back to the camera, holding a vagrant up against an alley wall with one hand. The vagrant, although apparently the worse for drink, was clearly terrified. As the agents and "Daily Planet" staff watched, "Superman" slammed his free fist into the vagrant's head, and then let the mangled body fall to the floor. The picture cut back to the newscaster. "This tape was shot only twenty minutes ago, according to the note left with it." she told the audience, "The identity of the camera-man is not known, but police have already confirmed the death..." Mulder let his concentration wander from the broadcast to the reporter partners standing a little way in front of him. - At the time of the murder, he and Scully had already arrived at the newsroom. * * * Mulder and Scully stopped outside the door to Clark Kent's apartment, and Scully knocked firmly on the frosted glass. A muffled shout came from within. "Coming!" Scully glanced at her partner, who had turned to look back the way they had come. Then the door opened, and Clark Kent invited them in. "I thought you might want to talk to me again." he said, closing the door behind them. The two agents walked down the two steps, and Scully sat down in an armchair when Clark invited. Mulder remained standing. "Who is it, Clark?" a woman's voice called from the kitchenette, and a moment later Lois Lane appeared in the doorway, a dish-towel in her hands. "The FBI agents who were at the "Planet" this morning." Clark replied. "Oh,..." Mulder hunted quickly for words, "We didn't realise you had company, Mr Kent. If it's inconvenient..." "It's alright, Agent Mulder." Clark cut him off, "Lois knows." "Knows?" Scully asked, an eyebrow raised. "There's been a lot of changes since you were last in Metropolis." Clark smiled, taking one of Lois' hands, and drawing her over to the couch. They sat down. "Lois and I are engaged to be married." "In three weeks." Lois added. "And I've no secrets from my future wife." "Now." Lois said sharply, and it was evident from the look that passed between them that this had been a major sore point only recently patched up. She turned towards the agents. "What do you want to talk to Clark for anyway? - You know he can't be involved." "Yes, but he may be the only person who can deal with this problem." Mulder answered, "And we need to know how you are planning on handling this." The reporter partners looked at each other uncertainly. "We're not really sure *how* to handle this." Clark admitted, "Even if Superman comes forward, no-one will believe his denial. And I don't think I can catch the killer, except by extreme good fortune." "If Superman stayed in view, he would have an alibi." Scully suggested. "Whoever is behind this is obviously trying to damage Superman, or else he wouldn't bother with the costume. - If Superman stays in view, the killings will surely stop. - Besides, Superman is needed in the city." Lois said. "I think Superman will have to appear at the hearing tomorrow." Clark said thoughtfully, "The city has called on him to come forward, and people will lose faith in him if he doesn't abide by the law." "I agree," Mulder nodded, "but what about the long term? How can we stop or catch the true killer? - Who would try to have Superman thought guilty of murder?" "Lots of people." Lois replied immediately, "Someone's always trying to make money out of Superman, or get him out of the way. - He's too important a figure for people to leave alone." "Well perhaps we should see how his appearance goes down at the hearing tomorrow, and then work from there." Mulder decided, "There must be some way of proving Superman's innocence, other than revealing his true identity." * * * The crowd around the Metropolis Courts was getting larger by the minute. Word had traveled around that Superman had been called upon to attend an initial hearing concerning the recent murders, and everyone wanted to know what was going to happen. A small group of people carried placards bearing phrases such as "Put the man of steel behind steel bars", and "Superman is not above the law". They chanted as they walked in a circle, "Super-hero, super-zero. Super-hero, super-zero..." A line of police officers stood alone the front of the courts building to keep the crowd back. The crowd silenced abruptly as Superman flew down to land just behind the police line. He looked around at the crowd without saying anything, feeling their hostility towards him. Then he entered the building, and was escorted to the court-room by two police officers. The court-room was full. A female magistrate sat at the front of the room, and a clerk of the court just in front of her, with a shorthand keyboard. A small group of police officers who were investigating the case, along with the doctor who had carried out the autopsies on the two victims, sat on the far side of the room to where Superman was led. Glancing around the room, he saw Lois and Jimmy amongst the crowd sitting at the back of the court-room. Reporters and camera-men were everywhere, the lenses of their cameras following him. He sat down. The magistrate banged her gavel. "There will be silence in this court-room." she declared. The crowd silenced grudgingly. "This is an informal hearing at this time, to establish the nature of the crime that has been committed. Any interruptions from the floor will result in the public and the press being excluded from this court-room for the duration of the hearing." She turned towards Superman, and he rose to his feet as she addressed him. "Superman, you are aware of the reason for this hearing?" "I am, Your Honour." he replied. "And have you seen the two pieces of video tape that allege to show you killing Mr Edward Thomas and Mr Vince Morgan?" "I have, Your Honour." "I ask you, first, did you murder Edward Thomas?" "No, I did not." "Did you murder Vince Morgan?" "No, I did not." "Do you deny that the person featured in the two pieces of video tape is yourself?" "I do." Superman answered, "I do not know who that person is, - but I shall endeavour to find out." "Superman, can you prove your whereabouts during either of the two murders this hearing is concerned with?" "I regret, I cannot, Your Honour." The magistrate nodded slowly, and glanced at a document in front of her. Then she looked up at Superman again. "Very well. This matter will have to proceed to a formal trial, where Superman's guilt or innocence in connection with these two crimes can be properly established. Superman, although a human in your position would have to await trial in jail, this state has no facility to keep you against your will. In the light of the good work you do for the city of Metropolis, and the knowledge that in the past your word has always been good, the court will release you on your own cognizance, to return here at the appropriate time for trial. Does the court have your word on this?" "It does, Your Honour." Superman replied. "Very well. - This hearing is over." Reporters converged on Superman from all sides as the two police officers escorted him out of the building. At the sight of him, the earlier silent crowd outside broke into a roar, and Superman flew away, almost fleeing their taunts. * * * "Secondary examination of Mr Edward Thomas by Dr. Dana Scully, 4th June 1996. The time is 11.21am." Scully began. She and Mulder had gone to Metropolis General Hospital to re-examine the bodies of the "Superman" victims. Scully wore a white coat over her brown suit trousers and green scoop-neck ribbed top. A cap covered her thick auburn hair, and she wore surgical gloves on her small, slender hands. Mulder stood at the side of the room. He looked somber in his navy blue suit, although the startling tie he wore did something to lighten it's effect. His hair was neatly combed, - for once, - but his eyes were creased and tired. - He hadn't slept much the previous night. - He held Scully's suit jacket in his hands, as she had been too hot to wear it under her white coat, and watched her begin the examination. "File number X-3-9-1-2-9-7. Investigating agents, Special Agent Fox Mulder and Special Agent Dana Scully. The preliminary autopsy was carried out by Dr. Frondheim on 3rd June. Victim is a male Caucasian, approximately 43 years old, length 162 centimetres, weight 79 kilograms. The hair is long, ill-kept, and matted. The first upper left incisor is missing, and the lower second left incisor has been badly damaged prior to death, and is dead. From the stains on his fingernails and teeth, it appears the victim was a heavy smoker. There are a few old scars on the body, but only one fresh wound. The back of the skull has been shattered, in a manner consistent with a very heavy blow to it. Combined with the small amount of bruising on the victim's forehead, it appears that his head was pushed backwards into some hard object. This wound was undoubtedly almost instantly fatal." Scully paused, and looked up at her partner, "It looks consistent with the video, - he wasn't beaten or otherwise abused before being killed." "So whoever was in that video *did* kill him then, straight out." Mulder mused. Scully nodded. "I'd hoped it would be otherwise, - that we could prove medically that the video had been set up." "And Superman too." Mulder added, "We'll just have to go about it another way. - What about Vince Morgan?" Scully walked over to the second body, and checked it over. "No go, I'm afraid." she shook her head, "The only visible injury to either of them is the fatal one." "Perhaps they were drugged first..." Mulder wondered. Scully shook her head, "You didn't hear? - The toxicology report came back this morning, - clear. Apart from the alcohol these two had been consuming, there was nothing in their systems that shouldn't have been there." "Apart from the alcohol..." Mulder's eyes brightened as he made a connection, "They were both holding a bottle when they were killed." "Mulder," Scully sighed with the careful patience of long practice, "most alcoholic vagrants are *always* carrying a bottle, even if it's empty." "But I bet these two weren't, - and I bet they were of the same type." Mulder said, his voice speeding up as his mind raced ahead of it, "The bottle is a lure, to get the vagrant into the position they want, near to the camera." "Mulder, how do you know all this?" Scully asked. "I don't," he grinned, "But it's worth checking out, isn't it?" End of part 2. I'd greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism from fellow X-Philes. Email me at . Danielle Culverson. From ghill52695@aol.com Mon Nov 04 16:55:26 1996 Following is the last part of "Superman 2." Please contact Danielle Culverson, the writer of this story, at smythja@aston.ac.uk. Subj: Superman 2 3/3 Date: 96-11-04 06:19:51 EST From: smythja@aston.ac.uk (smythja) Reply-to: smythja@aston.ac.uk To: GHill52695@aol.com This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. The Superman characters belong to DC Comics, and were created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. All unrecognised characters and plot-lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. Danielle Culverson. Part 3/3. * * * Clark looked up from his computer as Lois came out of Perry White's office, with questions in his eyes. She met his gaze and came over to him. "Perry wants us to work on the Superman story." she said quietly, "He doesn't believe Superman is involved, and he wants the "Planet" to put Superman's side forward." "Perry always did side with Superman." Clark nodded. Lois slid into her seat opposite her partner. "But what *is* Superman's side in this?" she asked plaintively, "How can he continue his work if he isn't cleared?" Clark shrugged, "I don't know, but I don't see how he can prove himself innocent, short of catching the guilty parties." "Surely if anyone can catch them, Superman can?" "I hope so." Clark murmured. He glanced at the screen in front of him before looking back at Lois. "But I think he needs to do more than catch them. - They'll just say he made it up in an attempt to pass of his guilt, and it will go worse for him. - He needs proof." "You mean proof like the video?" "That would be good." Clark admitted, "But I don't see how he can get that either." "Perhaps the FBI agents will come up with an idea." Lois suggested. In the corner of the main room, the "Daily Planet" staff were moving around the television to watch the news update. Lois and Clark got up and went out of their office to watch too. "Good afternoon, this is the three o'clock news in the Metropolis Central area. I'm Sue Marks. "Today's main story, - there has been yet another incident in the wave of vagrant murders apparently committed by Superman. This video came to MCN studios just over an hour ago." The screen changed to show a scene very much like the two that had been shown previously. "Superman was at Metropolis Courts this morning, where he denied having any part in this crime-wave, despite the video evidence. When the court's decision to release Superman on his own cognizance was released to the public, there were protests outside the courts." The screen flicked to an image of the chaotic crowd outside the court. "Superman was unable to produce an alibi for the previous two murders, and as public reaction escalates, it's coming to look more and more like the citizens of Metropolis would rather be without Superman than have him committing these senseless killings." "That woman talks like Superman's already been found guilty!" Perry exclaimed, having come out of his office. He turned towards Lois and Clark, "You two better get going on this, and soon, - or Metropolis isn't going to want Superman any more." Lois glanced at Clark, and he met her eyes. "We'll get right on it, Perry." Lois said, but she didn't take her eyes off Clark. Grabbing their coats and bags, they headed out of the newsroom before the t.v. news had even finished broadcasting. * * * Scully walked into her partner's hotel room without knocking, and glanced around. The room was quite large, and had an ensuite bathroom to Scully's left. The bed was directly in front of her, looking slightly crumpled, but unslept-in. She was unsurprised to see that the television had been lifted from it's original position on a small coffee table, to a wooden chair which stood at the end of the bed, so that it's screen could be seen from the bed. On her right, her partner sat at a small table by the window, with some papers in front of him. She went over to him. "Busy?" "I've been trying to build up a profile on the killer." Mulder replied. "Found anything interesting?" Scully peered over his shoulder. "Hmm..." he shuffled through the papers and came up with three photographs. "I had these stilled and blown up from the three videos." he began, turning slightly to his right to look up at Scully as he passed them to her, "The three victims *were* all carrying the same type of bottle, - although it's too common to be traceable." Scully scrutinised each photograph carefully, and then shrugged, "Does it help? - We already know these aren't normal vagrant murders." "I'm not sure." Mulder answered, pulling a map of Metropolis from under the papers. He spread it out across the table. "I've marked the three murders we're working on, Ed Thomas here," he pointed with one finger, "Vince Morgan here, and the latest, "Fizzer" Harris, here. - I also marked on nine similar cases prior to these, which may well be by the same person." "Why would someone kill nine people before doing the video if they only wanted to implicate Superman?" Scully asked. "Probably because they wanted to establish the crime before linking Superman to it. - That means they must be thinking long term, with some sort of plan in mind. The pattern of the crimes isn't definite, but it does follow a course. - I don't think there's any consciouss side to it, other than the idea that the perpetrator musn't kill twice in the same place. - But there's a subconsciouss aspect. When he thinks of where to go next, his mind makes a logical move along this pattern." Mulder indicated a vague circle on the map with his finger. "It's not definite, as there's no consciouss reason for it, but it's certainly there." "So the next murder is likely to be somewhere around here?" Scully indicated a small area on the map. Mulder nodded. "Yes, and it's likely to be soon. - The killer seems to be escalating." "So I guess we should go and see Lane and Kent." Scully said decisively. She turned, and headed for the door. "See you downstairs in five minutes." The door closed behind her. * * * Half an hour later saw them all at Lois' apartment. Lois and Clark were sitting on the couch, Scully in an armchair, and Mulder standing near the window looking out. There was an uncomfortable silence, which Mulder broke. "I see your neighbour claims to be a psychic." he observed. "Oh, that's Star. - She moved in a couple of months back, just around the time Clark and I got together properly." Lois told him. "There any truth in her claim?" Mulder asked. Lois smiled. "Sort of. - She makes the craziest statements most of the time, but occasionally she makes an uncannily accurate prediction. And she does seem to have some contact with the spirit world. - Mostly she's just a really nice, open, generous sort of person." Lois paused, "Although her midnight seances would try anyone's patience." There was another brief silence, which Clark broke. "I suppose you saw the news this afternoon?" "Yes," Scully replied, "although we'd already been contacted by the police by then. We suspect that there will be another crime soon, as the killer appears to be escalating. - Possibly tonight. - Agent Mulder has drawn up a partial profile, and has an idea where the next strike will be." "But what can we do about it?" Lois asked, "We need to prove Superman's innocence, not just catch the people who might be involved." "I doubt we can do that without an alibi." Scully told her. "We do have an alibi..." Clark suggested hesitantly. Lois stopped him immediately. "No, we don't. - You are not going to give up your identity to prove Superman's innocence. - I want *you* for my husband, not the man of steel." At the window, Mulder was paying little attention to the conversation, but was watching something happening outside. "Who's that?" he asked Lois. She got up and went to the window to look. "That's Mr Wilmslow. - He's one of Star's regular clients. He thinks he was one of Napoleon's top commanders in a past life, and she's been putting him in touch with Napoleon in the spirit world. - Don't worry about the uniform, - he always wears it." Mulder watched the departing man in silence. Scully, sensing something going on in his head, got up and went to the window as Lois went back to sit with Clark. "What?" she asked Mulder, somewhat impatiently. "A costume." he muttered. "Huh?" Clark, still sitting on the couch, looked baffled. Mulder turned to face the reporters. "A costume." he repeated, "The killer uses a costume in order to fake Superman's appearance, - although how he became so strong is uncertain. - The way to catch him, his accomplice, and get proof of Superman's innocence is to get right in the middle of the action, - in costume." "I don't understand what..." Lois began, but was cut off by Scully. "If you're thinking what I think you are..." she warned. Mulder shrugged. "How better to catch the vagrant killer than by masquerading as a potential victim?" * * * "I'm definitely not sure I like this." Scully frowned, looking down into the alleyway below her. "An undercover operation like this should really be cleared through the local police and the Bureau." "I'm not sure there's time for that." Clark answered. Scully, Lois, and Clark were standing on the roof of a derelict building, having flown up there. - There was no way to walk up to the roof. - Below them was a narrow alleyway much like the ones the other murders had taken place in. They were in the area that Mulder expected the next murder to occur in. Mulder was in the alleyway below them. His suit had been exchanged for a grubby t-shirt and trousers, and a thick overcoat. He sat against the wall, a blanket over his bent knees, with an almost empty bottle in one dirty hand. The night grew dark and cold. On the top of the building, the three watchers waited for any movement in the alley below. Mulder huddled under his blanket, constantly on the alert, despite his drunken appearance. An old man pushing a rusty empty shopping cart wandered down the alley, causing the three on the roof to get to their feet quickly. Mulder looked up at the man, and then held out his left hand, - his right, hidden beneath the blanket, was on his gun. "Got any change?" he asked hoarsely. "Don't joke, man." the man muttered, and continued on his way. Mulder glanced up at the three heads peering over the edge of the building, and shrugged. Twenty minutes later, a stray dog ran along the alley, keeping to the shadows. It held one of it's back legs up slightly from the ground, but seemed quite happy without it. There was no movement for several hours. Lois and Scully dozed at the top of the building, while Clark kept watch. Even Mulder, the eternal insomniac, was growing sleepy. It was getting towards morning when the next man came down the alleyway. He held an almost full bottle in one hand, and Mulder recognised it immediately as being of the same sort as those he had seen on the video. Again, he reached out with his left hand. "Got any change?" It was almost a croak. The man looked at him, and smiled slightly. "No, I don't think so," he glanced down at the bottle he held, "but you can have this if you want." He held it out to Mulder, who grabbed it eagerly, and then looked at the man suspiciously. "Go ahead, - I got it for nothing anyway. There's a whole crate of them been left a few alleys down." He glanced back the way he had come. "You want to come and see?" Mulder pretended to think a little, and then nodded. He got to his feet slowly, making sure his gun was out of sight when the blanket fell away, and shambled after the man, who had turned to go back the way he had come. Glancing up, he saw three faces watching his progress. The man led him into an alleyway three buildings down from where he had been sitting, and then stopped. A man dressed in a "Superman" outfit stepped out suddenly from an adjoining alley, and caught hold of Mulder by his t-shirt. The agent struggled a little as the man pushed him slowly back against the wall. The man who had had the bottle picked up a video camera from behind a garbage bin that stood against the wall, and spoke to Mulder. "I'd like you to meet my cyborg, - he certainly would like to meet you." The man turned the video camera on, and lifted it to start recording. The cyborg in the Superman suit lifted Mulder into the air by the fistful of t-shirt he held. A bolt of red and blue shot down from the sky, and Superman wrenched the cyborg away from Mulder. The agent pulled his gun out from beneath his shabby overcoat. The man with the video camera ran, still holding the camera, for the end of the alley while Superman was busy disabling the cyborg. Mulder ran after him. "Halt! Federal Agent!" he yelled. Then Scully appeared around the corner at the end of the alley, her gun raised and aimed at the running man. "Freeze!" she yelled, "Armed Federal Agent!" The man stopped, and in a moment Mulder was on him, and had handcuffed him. Scully picked up the video camera from the floor where it had fallen just as Superman came up with the cyborg. "I think that just about covers it." Mulder said. * * * Lois and Clark smiled furtively at each other as they waited for the news to come on. The newsroom gradually quietened as everyone turned their attention to the television. Perry came out of his office to watch. "If there's another one of those vagrant murders I want that thing turned off." he declared, "They're lowering the profession of journalism with all this crap." "Good morning, here is the news for the Metropolis Central area. I'm Sue Marks. "The perpetrators of the vagrant killings that Superman had been implicated in were caught early this morning by the man of steel himself while they were trying to commit yet another murder. One of the two is a cyborg, who was masquerading as Superman. The other, - apparently the leader of the operation, - is Gerald Cartinelli, who videoed the crimes in an attempt to frame the Metropolis super-hero." The video came on. The "Daily Planet" newsroom team watched a scene similar to the ones they had seen before, - a scruffy vagrant with a bottle in one hand, facing a man in a Superman suit, who lifted him into the air with one hand. Then the real Superman shot into the picture, releasing the "victim", who promptly pulled a gun from inside his coat. Superman grabbed hold of the man in the suit, and in doing so turned him slightly towards the camera, making it obvious that the man only vaguely resembled Superman from the front. Then the picture moved, as though the camera-man was running. The watchers heard a man's voice yell, "Halt! Federal Agent!", and then a woman's voice, "Freeze! Armed Federal Agent!". The camera was apparently dropped to the floor, and the picture became steady, if lop-sided. Then it cut back to the newscaster. "Hey!" Perry exclaimed, "Wasn't that vagrant one of the FBI agents who came around here the other day?" Lois shrugged, "I don't know, Perry, was it?" "Clark?" "Don't know, Chief, - maybe." Clark smiled. * * * Mulder and Scully sat at their desks in the X-files office in the basement of FBI headquarters. They were writing up their reports on the latest turn of the case, to be added to the existing case-file. "Do you feel it's a bit of an anti-climax to come back to more down to Earth things after this, Mulder?" Scully asked, seeing that her partner had forgotten his report, and was staring into nothing. "Huh?" He was startled out of his daydream, and glanced over at her, "No, I was just thinking it was good we were able to close this episode of the case without revealing Superman's identity to give him an alibi. - It would have been a shame to spoil the chance he's got at a normal life." "Normal life?" Scully smiled, "And what would you know about that?" Mulder grinned, "I've only one thing to say to you, Scully. - Contact!" He widened his eyes deliberately, and she sighed. "Oh no, Mulder, - not again!" The End. I'd greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism from fellow X-Philes. Email me at . Danielle Culverson.