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| The Metropolis Files; An ongoing continuation from 'Memento' | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sun Apr 4, 2004 1:16 pm (2,387 Views) | |
| kittsbud | Mon Jun 21, 2004 12:06 am Post #101 |
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Paranoid Schizophrenic!!!!!
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I've been busy, but I promise I haven't forgotten this fic! I'm just time juggling again ;) |
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| Gizmo | Mon Jun 21, 2004 4:39 pm Post #102 |
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Citizen
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Something tells me we wouldn't let you forget about this, Dawn! :D :D :D :D |
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| kittsbud | Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:20 pm Post #103 |
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Paranoid Schizophrenic!!!!!
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Okay, sorry it's been so long, but here's a lil more
;) Clark raised a brow slightly, but didn’t make the effort to speak. Jonathan scowled, and expected Lex to blame himself for the lack of security. Neither man was prepared for what Lex suggested next. “I know we don’t have time to deliberate this, but I think that guy was my brother, Lucas.” Lex put a hand on Clark, “I realize it sounds crazy, but once we all get down I’ll try and explain better.” Clark smiled just a touch. He wanted to tell his friend that Lucas was dead, it couldn’t be him, but they had almost run out of options, and his strength was depleting with every second. “Guess you better explain later then.” Clark hunched forward and took a long glance at the beckoning flames. He watched their every swirling motion and used the sight to spur himself on. Just how much force would his lungs need to expel to extinguish the ravaging fire long enough for escape? The cop didn’t know if he even had the power to put out a candle on a birthday cake, but he would try. Inhaling as deeply as he dared, Clark thought one last time of Ryan, Chloe and everyone else he held dear, and then he exhaled. On a normal day, giving his all like this could freeze over Lowell County. Tonight he’d be happy with a few flights of stairs. Lex gaped as frigid air seemed to encapsulate them all in stark contrast to the recent humidity. The orange and red glows of the flames appeared to mute as the air around them was transformed into ice, and they were forced die off to mere smouldering embers on the blackened stairs. Clark didn’t stop though. It was as if the cop knew there was more fiery tentacles yet to be vanquished, and that it had to be done soon. Once the sub-zero breath was gone from his chest, he knew there would be no more. As he finally expelled the last of the air he had taken down, Clark fell forward unconscious, and was only saved from a painful fall down the stairwell by Lex’s quick thinking. Jonathan instinctively stepped forward too, but there was little he could do with Ryan still in his arms. “We need to get him down, NOW!” The distraught father couldn’t see his son breathing, but he could see glowing cinders everywhere, ready to re-ignite the inferno at any moment. Clark had tried his best, but not all of the fire had been smothered with the cop’s icy breath. Lex nodded, and then reaffirmed his grip on Clark, once again picking up his friend. “Let’s hope the blaze is out long enough for us to get down.” He huffed a little as Clark’s weight began to take its toll on him. Jonathan didn’t speak, but let Lex go down first. It was easy to see he was tiring with Clark’s mass on his shoulders, and they needed to move quickly. Please let everyone still be alive when we get back down…Jonathan didn’t dare to think that Clark may even be one of the casualties. He hadn’t groaned or shown any signs of life since he’d almost gone head first down the blackened steps. “I think I can see the fire door that leads onto our floor!” Lex rubbed his smarting eyes with the back of his hand and then let them refocus. The writing was smudged and the edges of the sign had peeled back with the heat, but they were definitely nearly back to where the ill-fated party had taken place. Small ringlets of fire spiralled upwards from the doorframe, but it was apparent that even here Clark’s ‘gust’ had helped put out the larger flames. Jonathan shuddered and wrapped baby Ryan beneath his shirt, ready to dive through the last fiery obstacle before the child could be reunited with his mother. I hope. He looked at the tot, so unaware as to what was happening around it, and then took one last glance further down the stairs. Below them the building was still ablaze. Why? Was all the farmer could ask, before joining Lex in an effort to kick down the door that led to freedom, or heartbreak. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Stillwater made it exactly one floor down before he realized he had made a wasted journey. When the explosion had been triggered it had not only set the Plaza on fire, but it had taken out the second emergency stairs completely. A crumpled handrail hung loosely over a pit of nothingness, and only dark grey smoke and the occasional rumble permeated the air. It was like looking into the very depths of Hades. Yeah, except we don’t know the name of the devil’s disciple who just made this mess! The small town sheriff was angry, and hated the idea that he felt so useless. He coughed dryly and remembered suddenly that he needed to be elsewhere, and fast. Inhaling all this smoke is affecting my mind. I’m getting sluggish. Time to move my butt before it gets singed! Stillwater doubled back with an extra burst of speed, knowing that if the other stairwell was blocked too, they were all as good as dead. He jogged across the forty-fourth floor offices to the shattered glass window that the bad guy had caused, and sighed with relief when he noted Lex, Clark and Jonathan had vanished. Lex must have found a way out. Knowing he needed to hurry, the sheriff glanced down only once to the distant sidewalk below. Police cars and two engines from the local fire department were already setting up perimeters and hooking up hoses to try and save the building. Crowds had gathered and were pointing skyward at the blazing spectacle, and Stillwater guessed some were maybe even rejoicing at a Luthor’s downfall. Lex had done much to save the family name over the past few months, but to some he would still always be considered bad blood. Stillwater shook himself. He was losing concentration again. I need to follow the others… The sheriff whirled around and dodged a fallen office chair, and desk as he raced after his companions. As he bounded through the doorway he stopped dead in his tracks and inhaled deeply with surprise. It was quite obvious the stairs had been a fiery coffin with no way out. The whole area was black and charred, with tiny flames already beginning to reaffirm their grip on the flaking walls. And yet, something had quelled Satan’s inferno, if only for a brief respite. Stillwater gaped and realized that above him the fire raged on. That must mean whatever put the blaze out here, actually originated here. He carried on down the steps, glancing all around him as he descended. Maybe the sprinklers actually kicked in on this floor? Stillwater looked up, but could see no indication that any fire systems had ever been online. In places, he could also swear he spotted the remnants of tiny ice stalactites as they melted in the heat that was now blasting up from the lower stories. It must be the smoke getting to me! Except that he knew it wasn’t. Someone or something had miraculously cleared the way for Lex and the Kents to escape. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Lex and Jonathan tumbled through the main door into the party area and simultaneously exhaled with relief. The group of bad guys who had been left behind by their boss lay tied in one corner, and the remaining guests who hadn’t been killed outright all appeared to be present and accounted for. No one else had been injured by the explosions. “Jonathan!” Martha Kent was the first to cry out as the men stumbled to a halt looking like they had danced with the devil. “Clark? Ryan?” She put a hand to her mouth as uncertainty set in. It was too much to even consider that two of her children might be seriously hurt. Chloe and Berman were next to rush up, shortly followed by a milling crowd of onlookers who didn’t quite know what to expect next from the evening. Everyone knew they were trapped, but the men’s sudden reappearance gave them all some kind of hope to grab onto that there was still a chance for life. Jonathan handed Ryan over to Chloe without a word. It was easy to see the young reporter was torn between her son and husband, but right now there was little she could do for Clark. Instead, she grabbed the tiny infant as tears streamed down her face, and she nodded her thanks to both Lex and Jonathan for bringing her family back. “Lois, can you help me with this?” Berman pointed to an overturned table that had recently been thrown over in the furor. It still had a white lace cloth dangling from one edge, and was easily big enough for the purpose the doctor had in mind. Once they had it upright, she hastily patted the top, “Lex, set Clark down on here.” The billionaire obeyed and carefully laid his burden down with a guilty sense of liberation. Clark was one heavy cop. “There was Kryptonite in the upper stories somehow…” he whispered, careful not to let anyone close by hear his words. Berman understood perfectly. She’d known Kent’s secret for some time, and it made it much easier to try and help him. “Clark?” The geneticist leaned close and let her words come out warm and soothing as she checked the cop over. Blood still soaked his jacket, but when Berman tugged it away and then tore open his shirt, she was reassured to see that a multitude of tiny sore pock marks were all that remained of his injuries. “He’s healing,” She comforted the anxious faces of Lex and the Kents, “But can you keep the other partygoers back? And find me something to use as a dressing? It might look suspicious if Clark suddenly has a whole lot of blood on him and no wounds.” The doctor was watchful that no one got too close while she worked. “Ryan…” Clark mumbled, and then came too with a start as Berman pressed a torn section of cloth over his wealth of minute injuries. “Ouch!” He scowled at the doctor playfully, and then became more serious as he recalled what was going on. “Ryan, where’s Ryan? And what about Karyn?” He asked again frantically and more coherently as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. “Your sister is doing pretty well considering what I have to work with up here. And Ryan is fine.” Berman cocked her head to Chloe, who was standing close by, cradling their snoozing tot. “Now lie back down, I’m sure even you don’t feel one hundred percent that quickly. And besides,” she added, her eyes narrowing. “People are watching. You need to act a little more dazed, if you get my meaning.” Clark nodded, but didn’t want to have to fake being ‘out of it’ for too long. From what the cop could see, his abilities were going to be sorely needed in the not too distant future. How can I get everyone down from up here? “Son, are you…” Jonathan didn’t have to finish the sentence. It was an automatic question, and one both he and Martha had to have the answer to. “I’m alright now, Dad, but what about Ryan?” Abruptly the image of his son tumbling through the air came back to the cop, and he tugged at Berman’s sleeve. “The guy up there…he dropped Ryan. Can you check him over?” Kent had hoped Chloe wouldn’t hear his hushed words, but from the sudden look of horror on her face he knew she had. Normally, he would have expected her to go into overdrive, but with the realization of what was happening she simply handed Ryan over to Berman. Clark guessed it must be shock, but it was still surprising to see his wife dumbstruck for the first time since he had known her. While his other half checked over the infant with the Kents in tow, Lex made his way to Clark’s side by the table. In a way he felt responsible for everything that had occurred, and from the odd looks he was getting from Jonathan, he guessed the farmer somehow held him accountable too. Perhaps my security was to blame. Which means I was to blame, he’s right! “I know you have more on your mind right now, but we need to talk about the man behind this.” Lex followed Clark’s gaze as Berman probed Ryan’s body for signs of any distress, and waited patiently for the cop to answer. Finally, Clark broke his worried stare and swallowed hard. “Lex, that couldn’t have been Lucas. I had a call just before I came here tonight. Lucas is dead. I thought you would have been informed…” Lex licked his lips, but shook his head. Stuffing a hand in his torn pocket, he pulled out the note the maniac had thrown down to him. Its ornate inscription still burned into the billionaire far more than the flames on the stairwell ever had. “I was informed.” Lex held the note in front of his long time friend, “but I know my own brother, Clark. Somehow, that was Lucas up there, and our little feud has just been resurrected.” Clark had never seen such conviction in Lex’s eyes. If it were any other man before him, the detective would have balked at what he was being told, but now instead he was afraid. If Lucas was truly alive it could explain the motive behind the evening’s events, and it would also mean no one in Metropolis would be safe until he was caught. But why the fake prison death? Why not just escape? And just where is Lucas getting funding now that he no longer has access to the Luthor fortune? Clark’s musings were cut short when a well dressed stranger stepped forward from the bulk of the guests. He was around six feet with a small moustache, and a very serious gaze that eyed everyone in the room before he spoke. “I don’t mean to be rude here folks, and I know everyone has been through quite enough already, but there’s a situation that’s going to need or attention real soon.” The man turned towards the stairwell and pointed at the thin entrails of smoke that were wafting in. “What we have here are two fires burning towards one another at a pretty rapid rate, and we’re stuck in the middle…” “You don’t say?” Someone smart-mouthed from the crowd, but failed to reveal themselves. Lex shot a look of disgust in the general direction of the voice, and then joined the speaker to address the terrified group of survivors. “I wouldn’t make fun of what this man has to say.” Luthor searched the faces before him with his hawk-like gaze, daring the smart-ass to come forward. When they didn’t, as expected, he introduced them all to the man at his side. “For those of you who don’t know, this is Fire Chief O’Halloran. If you want to live, I suggest we all listen to what he has to say.” TBC... |
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| Renee | Mon Jul 12, 2004 1:46 pm Post #104 |
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Don't mess with JS
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At long last, an update! And a good one too! |
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| Caitlin1689 | Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:47 pm Post #105 |
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Graphic Design Freak
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Ooooh, very interesting!! :D Great update! |
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| kittsbud | Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:28 pm Post #106 |
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Paranoid Schizophrenic!!!!!
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Clark remained on the table but nodded to himself. It made sense that O’Halloran was here. In fact, the only real person of importance that was missing was Captain Manning, Clark’s boss over at the precinct. There was no way even Lex would get him out to a party, which tonight had proved a good thing for Manning. Well, we know we’re in the middle of an inferno. What else can O’Halloran have to add? It appeared the fire chief had read Kent’s mind, because without further pause he began to explain. “The thing that concerns me at the moment is something we call a flashover. In a building like this fire can act rather unpredictably, but with two fires caused by specific incendiary devices…” “Why don’t you just cut to the chase?” It was smart-mouth again, but this time no one rebuked him. O’Halloran seemed unsure how to go on without getting technical, but he tried with a sigh. “Pretty soon those fires are going to meet, and if they do and we’re not already dead from smoke inhalation or burns, well, we’ll be incinerated in one almighty explosion that will probably tear the building down.” Lois winced. “Ouch! You’re telling me fires don’t just burn, they explode too?” “In this situation, yes.” The experienced firefighter decided bluntness might just push some of the partygoers into coming up with a solution even he could not. “You see oxygen and heat are our enemies right now. If we could just get some of the buildings fire control systems online, we might stand a chance.” Lex shook his head. “The system and redundant backups must have been shut down at the main control terminal somehow. The sprinkler control valves, everything. I don’t know how anyone could have breached my security. How they’ve accessed the main computer is totally beyond me. Everything in this building was designed specially and is state-of-the-art. ” “I guess money doesn’t always guarantee you get the best service and loyalty after all, Lex.” Jonathan Kent squeezed Martha’s shoulder reassuringly as he shot the remark at the billionaire. He didn’t mean to be rude, and in fact Lex had to agree with his comment. “If we get out of this situation alive, I’ll find out how this was done. I’m sure none of my people were crooked, and yet…” Lex shook the thought away and frowned as something more important came to mind. “If we could get the system online, would it suppress the fire?” He stared pointedly at O’Halloran. The Chief shrugged. “Depending on what you have installed, it might, or at the least it could buy us some time while my people fight it from below.” “Well, it seems to have worked on the stairwell out there. I can’t believe you guys haven’t mentioned it!” Paul Stillwater breezed in through the battered down door Lex and Jonathan had left in their wake and summarily began coughing. After he regained some degree of normalcy, he looked to Lex. “The sprinklers or something has been on out there. I’ve never seen anything like it…” Lana cut the Sheriff off as she ran into his arms in sudden relief that he had returned. Paul hugged her back, but continued to look bemused over his tiny girlfriend’s petite frame. He was about to ask more when he realized Clark was looking much better since their last meeting. Oh boy, was I seeing things up there, or was Kent at deaths door? And what about the stairs? “It doesn’t matter what’s been on, what matters is getting them back on.” Lex countered. “And there lies the problem. The main computer is in the security office several floors down. The fire has already blocked our access to it.” “What about the elevator shafts?” Lois was quick off the mark. Chloe’s quick Sullivan reflexes may have been dulled by her ordeal, but Lane’s had not. “I know our bad guy disabled all the cars including the freight and service ones, but do you think someone could climb down a shaft?” Upon seeing his son’s swift expression of hope, Jonathan Kent sent a glare across the room that was so icy it almost dampened the flames on its own. Clark noticed, but ignored the plea and swung his legs off the table and onto the floor. As his feet hit the recently soiled carpet, the cop felt a wave of dizziness swim through his head, but he didn’t let anyone else see. I have to deal with this and get everyone down before the flashover. “Maybe someone should go take a look? Anything’s worth a shot.” Kent hobbled casually towards Lex, knowing only Stillwater had seen how ill he was earlier. Don’t look too healthy just yet… “Hey, from what I saw upstairs, should you be even standing?” Paul was no fool. He’d quickly deposited Lana to watch over Chloe and was ready to jump back into the fray. “I can go with Lex and check this out.” He scrutinized Kent and the amount of dried blood on his now open shirt. How can he even be standing? Clark scowled. He’d known this would happen, but how could they distract the all-too-helpful Sheriff? |
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| Renee | Thu Jul 15, 2004 6:20 pm Post #107 |
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Don't mess with JS
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Ahhh, smart-alecky and overprotective Jonathan! I love it.
:D Nice work. (And you were right -- you do NOT get to grumble over my short updates anymore!) |
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| kittsbud | Tue Jul 20, 2004 12:55 pm Post #108 |
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Paranoid Schizophrenic!!!!!
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“I should go with Lex. I’ve been in this kind of situation before. I know how unpredictable fire can be.” It was a lame excuse, but the only one the Metropolis cop could come up with. “What about O’Halloran?” Stillwater countered, glancing back at the fire chief with a raised brow. “Shouldn’t he be the one making the calls in this situation?” O’Halloran joined the squabbling group and put an arm around Stillwater, drawing him into something that resembled a football huddle. He didn’t want the other guests to be alarmed by the men’s bickering, and he also needed to resolve the problem quickly. “Gentlemen, I doubt very much the elevator shafts will be of much use to us. They’re most likely already filled with smoke and fumes, maybe even the fire itself.” He kept the level of his voice to a bare minimum. “Perhaps in his condition Detective Kent could go take a look with Senator Luthor and report back to us what they find. You and I, and a few of the more able-bodied men can go see if we can find another alternative, or something to slow the advancing flames for a while?” Clark breathed out for the first time in over a minute at the professional firefighter’s idea. It was just what he had needed to hear, but had thought was impossible. O’Halloran had just handed him a break he couldn’t afford to misuse. “I’ve been in a couple of fires before. I know what to expect if we manage to get the elevator doors open.” Lex hastily agreed. “Let’s not waste anymore words. Paul, you and Chief O’Halloran are of much more use getting this rabble into a group that might be able to fight back this inferno. I’ll go with Clark and check the lifts.” He winked; convincing Stillwater he was only doing it to let the injured Kent feel useful, and the ruse appeared to work. Paul nodded a silent understanding. “Just be careful, and if you do find anything don’t try playing the hero.” He looked fixedly at Clark with a look that said ‘I know you’ and then to Lex. “That goes for you too!” Lex’s trademark wry smile appeared, but he didn’t speak again until Stillwater had followed O’Halloran, and was busily rounding up a small team to try and beat down the rapidly approaching firestorm. “He’s smarter than Adams and Ethan put together.” Lex suggested. “You might want to watch your back when you’re in his presence.” The senator guided his old friend to the elevator he knew was the nearest to the security office. Luckily, it was out in the next corridor, and well away from the throng of people who didn’t know Kent’s secret. “Are you feeling alright?” He asked, noting Clark still didn’t seem his old self. Kent nodded. The Kryptonite exposure had drained away a considerable amount of his powers, and even though he was no longer injured or sick, his abilities weren’t up to full strength just yet. Coupled with that, he also had the added weight of Karyn’s injury and Ryan’s fall on his mind. “I can hold my own, don’t worry.” He finally told Lex as they walked to the end of the passage and up to the closed double doors of the elevator. A thin veil of smoke eddied around them as Clark laid a hand on the shiny metal door, testing it for heat permeating from the other side. The surface was warm to the touch, but not unbearably hot, which meant they might be in with a chance of opening the shaft without being engulfed in a ball of flames. “If we get this thing open without being burned to a cinder, can you get down there?” Lex had a pretty firm grasp on the fact that his friend may not be one hundred percent. Clark gently put a hand on Luthor’s chest, pushing him backwards down the haze filled corridor, “Let’s find out.” Once he was certain Lex had enough clearance in case of some kind of backdraft, he returned to the elevator and let his fingertips search out the crack that signaled the center of the double doors. With one quick jerk the cop felt the metal give up to his diminished, but immense force, and the shaft opened up before him. A surge of air gusted up from the vertical tunnel below, swiftly followed by a geyser-like jet of concentrated heat and flame. Kent jumped back with almost lightning speed to dodge the blast, and then once the out rush of energy had died down, he returned to the ledge of the opening. Lex joined him momentarily to stare into the chasm they might dare to climb. Fiery tendrils ascended three of the four walls, spiking out from already breached sections of the shaft, but below both men could still see what appeared to be the elevator car paused between two floors. The thick wire cable that guided it still seemed taught and intact despite the intensity of the explosions, but there was no electricity to power it, and the emergency brakes had kicked in automatically. “It looks like the car stopped at least a floor down from the security office we need to get to. If you can get through the flames we might be able to get the fire systems online somehow. Maybe we could even override the lift shutdown protocol and try that car out…” Lex offered helpfully. “The only trouble is, only I have all the codes to access the program, and it might take too long to try and explain them all. It’s a complex and unique system.” Clark winced and tugged off his jacket ready to make his descent. “Lex, there’s no way I can take you with me through that. You’ll have to try and talk me through every possible scenario as quickly as you can.” It was another dire setback to an already impossible problem, and even though Kent was no fool he suspected Lex’s innovative design might just baffle him. “It’s nice to know that a simple farmer might still have some of the answers.” Jonathan Kent smiled as the two younger men whirled about at the sound of his approach, and he offered up two small Motorola radios and headsets without a pause. “I acquired these from our kidnapper friends. I had an idea you might need something to keep in contact with.” “Dad…” Jonathan gulped and put a hand on his son’s arm in defeat. “Son, I know this is something I can’t talk you out of.” The farmer’s lips curled upwards slightly, and a wealth of knowledge seemed to appear in his weathered but handsome features. “I should know better than to even try by now…just stay safe, Clark.” Clark took one of the radios and tucked it into his belt, then slipped on the headset and clicked in the connector. He tapped the microphone, and Lex acknowledged he was picking up the sound with thumbs up. “You know me, Dad,” The loving son hugged his earthly father for the briefest, and yet most heartwarming of moments, “I’m always careful…” Jonathan pulled back and noted Lex’s faintly envious and yet amused stare. “Careful yes,” He admitted, “but you also seem to find trouble more often than not.” “I’ll be right back.” Clark turned to the open doors and without saying more stepped straight into the shaft as if there was a concrete floor beneath him, instead of a sheer drop. Jonathan and Lex couldn’t help but follow the intrepid detective’s path, and they both dared to lean into the man-made chasm far enough to see what was happening. Playing it safe, Clark had floated to the thick lift cable and was using it to steady his descent with his right hand. The thick diameter wire took none of his weight, but simply served as a safety line should the cop feel dizzy from his earlier ordeal. Right now, he was feeling the heat in the confined conduit, but his flying capabilities appeared intact and extremely useful. “I can see the elevator doors to the security level…” Clark held the microphone close to his mouth as he hovered; making sure Lex received his transmission above the crackling and sizzling of burning electrical wires within the superheated walls. “It’s time to see if we can put out a fire.” Lex glanced over to Jonathan from his crouched position and could read the worried father’s thoughts- they were a mirror of his own. Please don’t let that floor be on fire, or we’re all about meet the devil’s flames a whole lot sooner than the man who caused this. |
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| Renee | Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:06 pm Post #109 |
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Don't mess with JS
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Good update, sweet father-son scene, evil cliffhanger! Let's get cracking, girl! :) |
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| Whitetiger4 | Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:48 am Post #110 |
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Smallville Tigress... On the Prowl! *GROWL*
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Yeah, I second that! I'm back now, so I can pester you for more! muwahahahahaa! :biggrin: |
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| kittsbud | Fri Jul 23, 2004 12:11 pm Post #111 |
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Paranoid Schizophrenic!!!!!
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But I'm going on vacation....soon, oh so soon...:p |
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| Whitetiger4 | Fri Jul 23, 2004 6:41 pm Post #112 |
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Smallville Tigress... On the Prowl! *GROWL*
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Then you better get busy huh? :pfft: |
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| SalemKent | Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:27 pm Post #113 |
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Newbie
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Hey that is cool, I wanted to know if you can help with an alternate universe fan fic? wrong post |
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| kittsbud | Fri Jul 30, 2004 9:56 am Post #114 |
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Paranoid Schizophrenic!!!!!
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Hi guys, sorry it's been awhile... Clark once again let his fingers search out the small crack in the middle of the doors. It felt strange hovering in the shaft this time, as he used his flight to keep himself level while he worked. Luckily, the doors didn’t take more than a few seconds to tug open, just like the top set hadn’t. “I’m in!” Clark let out the triumphant cry as he pried the metal doors open and noted the floor was still intact. The flames had yet to push this far down, and that meant the system terminal for the overrides should still be working. “There’s some smoke, but the room hasn’t been compromised.” He spoke quickly into his microphone while jogging to where Lex had directed earlier. “Do you see the main console?” Lex worriedly asked, willing Kent to find his objective. A hiss and crackle of static preceded Clark’s reply. “I see it. There’s someone slumped over it…” The cop’s words became faint as he put his attention on the fallen man. The victim wore a security uniform, and his head lolled to one side giving the illusion his neck had been broken. Clark checked with his x-ray vision and saw the guard’s spine was intact, but that his stomach wall was not. Someone had stabbed the poor soul mercilessly. Just like that guy was supposed to have stabbed Lucas Luthor… Reluctantly, Kent grabbed the dead man’s arm and gently dragged him from his plush office seat. Taking the now vacant chair, the cop hit a key on the console and was shocked to find the computer was already booted with all the security settings and passwords entered. Had the guard been in on the whole thing, only to be betrayed like the other henchmen had been? “Lex, the system is already active and the passwords have been entered.” Clark watched the Plaza logo revolve on screen, waiting for him to input a command. “Your man is dead, though.” Jonathan waited patiently for Lex to explain what he was getting through his earpiece. He could tell from the Senator’s face that so far things were playing out rather strangely, but at least in their favor. “The guard is dead, but the system’s on.” Lex recounted, clutching a hand over the microphone so Clark didn’t get the feedback. “I think we can work this Mr. Kent, but I need you to keep the others away for a little longer.” Jonathan nodded and took one last glance down the hot elevator shaft before returning to see how Karyn and everyone else were doing. He didn’t like leaving his son, but if anyone could handle himself it was Clark. “Clark,” Lex put all his attention back on the task at hand, “Can you access fire control first?” The billionaire stepped through the procedure in his mind before attempting to guide his younger friend through it. “We need to find out where they shut down the system from. I have a feeling they shut down the sprinkler valves, but it could be the sensors themselves…” Kent took in what he was being told and flicked through several screens with lightning rapidity. It all seemed too easy to be able to have such control on Lex’s state of the art computer terminal. What if the guard wasn’t in on this? Where and how did they get the codes? Is there someone smart enough to break them that fast? More questions zoomed in Clark’s head as he followed his instructions precisely. After only two more minutes, water and specialized foam began to pour out of sprinklers and jets on every floor where the system was still intact. Even the high-density deluge didn’t quell all the flames, but it did manage to dampen their progress somewhat. Now what? How do we explain I did this, and manage to convince people to get into that elevator if I can get it to work? “Lex, as I’m sure you can see, I got fire suppression working. Now how about the elevator?” While he waited for a reply, Kent felt the water spray dousing every inch of his body, washing off some of the dried blood from his earlier encounter. It felt good to be cleansed. “This might be trickier,” Lex admitted. “I don’t have so much first hand knowledge of the elevator program.” He looked back to the party area, hearing whoops of joy from some of his guests as they too were all-but drowned in a sea of foam and water. “Can you bring up the main building schematic and work from there?” Clark was already on the task. Hitting the enter key every few seconds as he ventured further into the buildings construction and electrical diagrams. Finally, he found what he was looking for as the ‘Elevators deactivated’ window flashed in red on the monitor before him. He punched yet more keys and the screen flashed up a new message in green, followed by a warning chime. “Lex, I’ve restored power to every working elevator, but I have a new warning screen telling me the emergency brakes can’t be disengaged while the system still detects a fire, and that none of the lifts were occupied when they shut down.” The cop’s heart rate went up a notch, even though with his super powers it had nothing to do with physical exertion. They had to get things moving, because the fire suppression wouldn’t stop the induced inferno forever. The whole thing had been too well planned. “The program can’t be hotwired, Clark. The brakes won’t disengage unless we can fool it into thinking the fire is out.” Lex thought about his words. How did he know it couldn’t be hotwired? Someone had gained access and he hadn’t thought that possible either. Clark had a faster idea anyway. “What if I can get the brakes off manually?” He moved through the corridor back to the open elevator doors and squinted down at the motionless car. His extra-sensitive eyes honed in on the braking modules, and he realized with exasperation that if he tore them off, and the car got into trouble, it would tumble the remaining distance to the lobby area totally out of control. “The only problem is, I’ll have to ride down on top of the car in case anything goes wrong afterwards…” Lex didn’t like what he was hearing. “What am I supposed to tell people? Sorry, Clark hasn’t vanished he’s holding the car up your taking a ride in?” He didn’t mean to be sarcastic, but things were getting more complicated by the minute. Kent ignored the jibe and jumped lithely down on top of the elevator, testing to see if it would hold his weight. The metal car didn’t even shudder. It was stuck solid. Perfect. Reaching down to the first set of brakes, Clark exerted just a tiny amount of his immense strength and tore off the unit. He did the same on the opposite side until the elevator was totally released. Now he just had to gain control. In the center of the roof was the customary emergency door that led inside the actual car. There was a safety catch, and Clark released it quickly to pull open the shiny metal shutter. He glanced down instinctively, even though he knew no one was inside, and then hopped through the opening. The car was just as luxurious as everything else in the Plaza, and Clark was impressed by Lex’s effort, even if it appeared to have been a wasted one. I guess I missed just how lavish this place was coming up. But then I was kind of occupied with Chloe and Ryan… As he looked around he pushed at the touch-pad to send the car back up to where Lex was patiently waiting. ‘Warning, emergency braking system is offline’, a female voice cautioned, and the elevator refused to budge. Clark pushed again, and this time he was presented with another problem. “Warning, braking system offline. Please enter security code to override shutdown.” The lift’s electronic voice seemed to taunt. Great, just great, by the time I get through with this security stuff the building will be toast, along with everyone in it. With lightning speed, Kent tried the codes Lex gave him earlier; hoping one would work before he had to ask his old friend again. Luckily, the second attempt paid off, and the car finally started its dangerous ascent back towards the encroaching flames. Now to get everyone down and try to explain why I’m missing, and just how we pulled this off! TBC... |
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| Whitetiger4 | Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:32 pm Post #115 |
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Smallville Tigress... On the Prowl! *GROWL*
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oooh! Way to go Clarkie!! heh Okay, I'm ready for the next part now! :D |
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| Gizmo | Thu Aug 12, 2004 1:55 am Post #116 |
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Citizen
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I'm ready too! Yay Clark! My heeeerrrrooooooooooo!!!! I've fallen in luv with Detective Kent! And i luv how Lex knows about Clark and is helping him! Totally made me smile thinking about Lex lugging big heavy Clark down those stairs! What a bud! :D :D :D |
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| Whitetiger4 | Thu Aug 12, 2004 8:42 am Post #117 |
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Smallville Tigress... On the Prowl! *GROWL*
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GIZZY!!!!!!!! :hiwave: Where ya been? I haven't seen you in ages!! How are ya?? Great I hope! Okay *ahem* I'm calm now, so uh, Dawn you gonna work on this one now? :duck: Oooh post #1300! Woo! :biggrin: |
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| kittsbud | Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:29 am Post #118 |
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Paranoid Schizophrenic!!!!!
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Yes, this gets my attention next. I should be working on it now, but I'm knackered... |
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| Whitetiger4 | Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:33 am Post #119 |
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Smallville Tigress... On the Prowl! *GROWL*
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excues excuses! Write I say! :whip: |
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| draconix | Thu Aug 12, 2004 5:05 pm Post #120 |
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Dragon Guardian
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I guess Ican join the bug patrol now
:) It's been very good so far.high caliber(likeyour other storie), nice plotline, well developed characters. |
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