Son of Krypton, Daughter of Earth

Five W's

Clark hurried from the Daily Planet when the offices emptied at 5:00. He ran to the subway, wishing he could become Superman and fly there quickly, but he needed to guard his identity. He had to learn the Five W's of news: who, what, when, where, why, about Ms. Lexy Logan, a stranger from New York City. Wherever that was.

He left the subway at the 14th street station and ran to Luthor Medical. He sat in a small waiting room near Lexy's room while Barry finished interviewing her. STAR Labs had worked out that the storm was the result of a galactic storm that occurred once or twice in half a million years. The Maelstrom, as Clark called it in his articles, linked the Phantom Zone with other worlds and dimensions, and perhaps two dozen people had been switched between worlds. Lexy was the only one from her Earth, as far as the Labs could tell, but they were still searching for other displaced persons. Escapees from the Phantom Zone were being rounded up. All of the other new arrivals seemed to come from other worlds in this dimension, and arrangements to return them to their home worlds were being made.

Lexy's world was unknown in this dimension, and STAR Labs knew of no way to return her. They would keep trying. Barry told Lexy as much as he could reveal and promised Earth's Alien Placement Office would help her while she was on Earth.

Lexy watched Barry dreamily. Whatever they'd given her made her truly mellow. "So this is an Earth my world only knows about through fiction?"

"Yeah. It's uncanny, but there may be some kind of, I don't know, visions, between our worlds. Tomorrow, you'll be released, and I'll take you to STAR Labs for a few days."

"It looks like I'll be here for the rest of my life, then. That's not good."

Barry said, "Until we can find a way to return you safely to your home world, which we're calling Earth1, we'll keep trying."

"Thanks. I'm tripping on something mellow, so I'll think clearer tomorrow. Whooo. It's a matter of life and death that I return home quickly."

Barry didn't ask what was so urgent but knew something concerned her greatly. "Clark Kent is here. He'd like to talk to you."

"Oh, Su—so that reporter from the Park," Lexy said. "I'd like to talk to him. My backpack and my sister's cat, I left them in the Park when they brought me here. The hospital doesn't have them. My sister's going to be furious about her cat. When—if—I return home.

Barry left, followed by knocking on the door. "Come in," said Lexy. Clark opened the door and took a step inside.

"Miss Logan, thank you for agreeing to see me. Barry said you asked about your backpack and the cat. I have them at my office. I can get them to you when you like or keep them for a while. I need to take them to my apartment, though."

Lexy blinked at him dreamily. She could see him clearly now. Tall, handsome, dark-haired, calm and alert. He looked good, and she was a cold mess, although dryer now than in the park. Clark Kent looked much as she imagined Superman might be if he were real. He was real, here. She might be the fiction.

She smiled slowly and groggily, and Clark flushed slightly and took a deep breath. This woman knew so much about him, from a world he didn't exist in, she made him nervous. He shut the door behind him and came to the bed. She pointed to a chair next to the bed and he sat down.

"Barry, Dr. Allen, explained what happened, as least as far as some place called STAR Labs knows. He knows your other identity. He's the fastest man alive." Lexy paused. "The Flash."

"Yes, he's an old friend. He made his identity public a few years ago, just before he married Iris West." Clark took out his cell phone and checked his notes. "I'd like to talk to you about last night and this morning, for the Planet. And then, if you will, what your world knows about Superman."

Clark finished questioning Lexy about her experiences during the Storm, letting her talk and asking questions. He said, "I took the liberty of getting cat food from your backpack for Bootsie, and your things were soaked, so I dried them." Lexy nodded. "I found this book, and I read it. Sorry, but it's kind of about me, although this adventure never happened."

Lexy saw Clark holding 'Phantom Attack.' "That's alright. You'd better keep it, for safety. If I'm not in a coma dreaming all this, we got pretty accurate stories about Earth. Barry said that's what you call this dimension, or alternate reality, or wherever we are."

"Thanks," Clark said, putting the dangerous book in his briefcase. "Here's my phone number. Barry will get you a cell phone tomorrow." He handed her his business card with his office, home and personal numbers written on it."

Lexy looked at it and laughed. "Imagine, I've got Superman, I mean Clark Kent's phone numbers. Ooooh. The meds the doctors gave me must be wearing off." She looked at him curiously. "Please, tell me how accurate that book is."

Clark looked out the window at the rain clouds before answering. "Maybe 50-60%, as far as it goes. I live at 344 Clinton Lane, in a one-bedroom apartment, Lois and I aren't married, and there aren't any Earth-Kryptonian children that I know of."

"Oh. Ohhhhh. You and Lois have a lot going on. One day."

Clark looked at her and chose his words with care, "Lois was never my girlfriend like in your book. Your world. We dated a few times, when we first started working together, because she wanted me to get to Superman." Lexy snorted, then grinned loopily. 

Clark continued, "Lois is really ambitious. She dated a lot of important, powerful men, including Lex Luthor. They were engaged for a while, but she broke it off. We dated again. She was hired as the anchor on World News Week program on Galaxy Communications. Jerry White is president of programming, and he was engaged to Cat Grant, who was host of their popular talk show. Suddenly Jerry and Cat ended their engagement, and Lois and Jerry were living together. She told me he was the only man who could make her forget Superman." He paused, and his eyes grew damp. Lexy handed him a tissue. Her hand was soft and warm when he took it. She's too groggy to remember I said this, although she'll hear the gossip if she's here long enough.

Lexy was silent, considering his words and his longing for Lois. Her wrist throbbed, and she rubbed it gently. "That is different from my books. You and Lois were always the couple. Nothing separated...Well, you two got married, kids, the whole nine yards, that is. In the stories in my world, Jerry White died, and you and Lois are together."

Clark nodded. From the passionate descriptions of Lois and Clark's love affair in her book, he knew she must be describing an Earth unknown to his world, even if her book was fiction. He was slightly embarrassed that she'd read intimate descriptions of him and Lois. What's it like to have that kind of relationship with Lois as your love and lover? Or with any woman, for that matter? None of my girlfriends ever made me feel that way. Superman came between Lois and me. Superman and all the ladies. I'm Superman. And I'm not. Sadly.

"What's next? Barry told me I'd be checked for metahuman abilities. If I don't have them, I'll be in some resettlement program for people without super abilities. Which I am, I guess. Barry said he might find me a job at the Labs, until they find a way to send me home."

"Yeah," Clark smiled at her, and Lexy warmed. He was so handsome. "I'll help you, too. I can help you find your way around the city. I may know of an apartment if you stay in Metropolis long enough. Sometimes people are offered a home in other cities."

He's kind. Or he just wants to keep me quiet. Wow, the drugs are wearing off. Maybe he just wants to help. "OK."

"I'll check with you tomorrow at the Lab. Barry said he'll take you there after you're released."

"I'll call if I have any questions." She looked at his kind face. "Thanks for your help. Even if I didn't know about you. I don't feel so alone."

I know that feeling. So lucky I had Martha and Jonathan. Clark stood up and held out his hand. She looked at it thoughtfully, slow from the tranquilizers. Her hand slipped into his, and he squeezed it gently. "Goodbye till tomorrow, Lexy."