"Four More Visits: Shall Kingdom Come?"

"Visit One: A Very Friendly Visit"

Clark heard laughter at the door to his apartment even before he heard the knock. A quick peek with his x-ray vision told him that this was one visitor he didn't want to miss. The woman swallowed her laughter as Clark opened the door and greeted her. This was the mysterious woman he had seen around town for the last few months. Unfortunately, he had never seen her when he wasn't publicly embarrassing himself up in some way or another. This time she was wearing a tight fitting bell hop's uniform complete with brass buttons and a cylindrical hat with a tassel on it. The uniform included a jacket with tails and tight red briefs. On her shapely legs were black fish net stockings. This was the closest he had ever been to her except in his frequent, disturbing dreams. He had to consciously make his heartbeat slow back to its normal rate.

Alexis asked, "Are you Mr. Kent? Mr. Clark Kent.”

Clark answered, "Yes, I'm Clark Kent. That outfit is quite a different look for you."

Alexis pouted a bit saying, "Don't you like it. It is a little tight but I've always been told I have the figure to get away wearing an outfit like this. I'm sure you wouldn't understand what it's like to have to wear a tight fitting, outlandish costume to do your job."

Clark gulped, "I didn't mean to imply ... they were right. You do have the figure to ... It looks nice on you. It doesn't really matter what you wear if the outfit suits you and that one does ... suit you."

Alexis said, "Well I hope that doesn't imply that I'm suited to be a bell hop because I have much bigger goals for MY life. HEY, wait a minute! How would you know how I normally dress? Have we met Mr. Kent? I think I would remember meeting you. You do look awfully familiar. I think it's the glasses that are throwing me. Do you ever wear contact lenses?"

Clark cleared his throat and said, "Never. To answer your question, we have never met formally before, but I am a newspaper reporter and I often cover newspaper stories. I've seen you when I cover newspaper stories where Superman is present. Of course, no woman notices me when he's around."

Alexis answered, "Mr. Kent, don't sell yourself short. Of course, I keep my eye on Superman. He's stalking me! He got a photographer to follow me and snap pictures too!  People think I flatter myself when I say that, but it's true. He stalks me but I can't imagine why!" Alexis inhaled deeply causing her chest to rise and the lapels of her jacket to make way for her low cut vest to push its way through. Clark involuntarily tilted his head downward and back up to see Alexis giving him a knowing smile. Clark's face reddened noticeably. Alexis continued, "Yes, he follows me wherever I go. It's got me un-nerved. I found a supply of lead based paint and painted my apartment 3 times. I found some lead foil and lined my drapes with it. I went as far as to put that foil under my clothes even though it might be a heath risk to me. Here, look. I don't think Superman's around." With that Alexis reached inside her vest and pulled out the lead foil from each side then pulled some from her briefs? She wadded it up and placed it in Clark's hand. "Could you be a dear and throw that away for me. I have more in the car and I always start the day fresh." Clark took the foil to a nearby trash can and tossed it out. Alexis used the opportunity to step inside and close the apartment door behind her. Clark was noticeably nervous about the shut door. Alexis continued, "You know, If Superman got too excited around me and decided to do something, no power on Earth could stop him.”

Clark said, "Look Miss ... uh Miss ... Miss ...."

Alexis stepped up and took Clark's hand and shook it, "I'm Alexis. My brother called me Alex but I'd like you to call me Lexxy." Clark noticed a smell about Alexis that made his nostrils flair. He had only smelled it before when she was about on other occasions and once in his bedroom when he stayed the night at his parents' house after someone posing as Cat Grant had paid them a disturbing visit. He was unfamiliar with this scent but it was disturbing and intoxicating. He had to force himself to concentrate in order to form words and continue the conversation.

Clark said, "As I was saying Alexis ...."

Alexis interrupted, "LEXXY!"

Clark continued, "... Lexxy ... nothing I have ever read and heard about Superman would indicate that Superman would ever ...."

Alexis interrupted again, "Look, you just told me that you noticed how I am dressed and how I normally dress. So, we don't even know each other and you have checked me out enough to know what I normally wear. Don't tell me that you wouldn't look at more than my clothes if you had the opportunity -- and don't tell me that he isn't like a normal man in that respect. You and him are not that different at all. Deep inside, all men are the same and they all want the same thing."

Clark said in a deadpan voice, "I'm sorry you feel that way."

Alexis asked coyly, "So did you get an eye-full of me before you opened the door?"

Shacked, Clark said, "I beg your pardon?"

Alexis, laughing said, "I saw that peep hole you have in your door."

Clark asked, "Why is that so funny? Was that what you were laughing about before you knocked?"

Alexis asked, "You heard me laughing 'before' I knocked on the door? That's one thick door. My, what ears you have Mr. Kent! Yes. Yes, I was laughing at your peep hole. Some things just strike me funny and the thought of you of all people having a peep hole was hilarious to me.

Clark asked, "Why wouldn't I have a peep hole?"

Alexis shot back, "Why would YOU ever need one?"

Clark stated, "To see who is outside the door before I let them in,"

Alexis laughed again, "Like you would ever need a peep hole."

Clark was getting nervous, "Are you implying that I could see through the door without a peep hole. As you pointed out, that is one thick door."

Alexis smiled, "Hmmm. Maybe you can see through things" She pulled open the jacket and displayed herself and said, "What color underwear am I wearing? Alexis began laughing hysterically and then said, "I'm just kidding, Mr. Kent, I'm not wearing any."

Clark mumbled, "You're not even foiled."

Alexis replied, "Oh, good! You're paying attention. Seriously Mr. Kent, I find it amusing that a big, strapping man like yourself would have to concern himself with who is outside his door.”

Clark answered, "There could be a group of men or a man with a gun or a bill collector or some annoying person that I might not want to talk to."

Alexis pursed her lips and said, "Ooooo! I would think that that was a shot at me except you did open the door ... after you got your eye-full. I'm glad you weren't afraid that little old me might throw you to the floor and have my way with you."

Clark answered, "No, I wasn't afraid."

Alexis purred, "I'm so glad you aren't afraid of me. So, do you use that peep hole?"

Clark answered, "No, I don't. It was there when I moved in. I won't press the point but your explanation is a little off. You were laughing before I opened the door and you didn't know me so how did you know I was a big strapping man? Can YOU see through doors?"

Alexis answered, "YES!" Looking down then said, " ... and you wear red briefs like me." Then laughing she said, "Only joking! I was told what you look like by the woman that sent me here. She was very descriptive. I work for a delivery service."

A flustered Clark commented, "You wear very expensive clothing most of the time for someone who works as a messenger."

Alexis explained, "Well, I'm a legal secretary. And although my pay isn't all that good, the bosses insist that I dress that way for the sake of the clients. Over half of my pitiful salary goes for my wardrobe. That makes it necessary for me to work jobs like this at night."

Clark said, "I apologize for being nosey."

Alexis answered, "Well that's your job, isn't it? Well now it's time for me to do mine."

Clark asked, "Is this like a singing telegram or something?"

Alexis said, "That's funny! Most people would ask if it's a "strip-o-gram.""

Clark shot back, "Oh, I would never -assume that, especially after you told me about the lead foil."

Alexis said, "Oh, don't -assume that I'm a prude because of that. I just like to be in control of who gets the privilege and how often."

Clark said, "Well I would hope that you wouldn't be doing that kind of work without someone you know there to protect you. In fact I am nervous for you coming alone even on a job like this."

Alexis smiled and said, "Oh, you are so sweet. But believe me, I am one woman who really can take care of herself. Hey. You mentioned a singing telegram. One time, I went to deliver a message to a guy and he was drunk and wouldn't take no for an answer. He wanted his telegram sung to him so I finally stopped fighting with him about it and sang for him. I sang, "Your Mother is Dead, Your Mother is Dead, she fell from the hayloft right on her red head." “Alexis laughed hysterically but Clark stood there with only a forced half grin on his face.”Didn't you think that was funny, Clark? It's only a joke!"

Clark said, "It's only a joke but it was a little too close to home or me. So, right now I hope you aren't bringing me a message about my Mother."

Alexis looked grim and said, "Well actually," then smiled brightly "I'm not. I am bringing you something. Did you notice my watch at all? You might have if I had worn it on a pendant."

Clark looked at the watch on Alexis's wrist and commented, "Very nice. Looks expensive."

Alexis said, "Yes, but it's not very feminine, is it? It's for you from a female admirer. She wanted me to wait until you try it on and then return to her to tell her how you like it."

Clark said, "I couldn't possibly accept it without knowing who it's from."

Alexis said, "What Boy Scout Troop did you belong to?"

Clark answered, "Smallville Troop 122."

Alexis replied, "Whew. OK. Miss Lois Lane told me that if I had to I could tell you that she sent you the watch. She also told me to persuade you to keep it ... and I can be very persuasive. Being a Boy Scout and all, I don't think you'll want to test the limits of my persuasiveness."

Clark answered, "Give me the watch."

Alexis said, "I thought not. A girl can always hope. On the bright side, that saves me a trip to the car to get my whip."

Alexis handed Clark the watch and he placed it over his wrist as he asked, "I'm not familiar with this kind of service. Do I give you a tip?"

Alexis said, "Don't worry about it; I'll get my tip later." She noted Clark trying to figure out how the band worked so she said, "There is a little button on the band that makes it latch. Just push on it."

Clark pushed the button, the watch latched firmly and the back of the watch opened to allow a piece of red kryptonite to push outwards and into tight contact with Clark's skin. Instantly Clark knew he had been set up. He shouted at Alexis, "You tricked me!"

Alexis answered, "Yes, but you will enjoy my tricks now, believe me.  I am disappointed though that I had to use the red stuff.  Most men would have been all over me by now given the circumstances." Alexis began a seductive victory dance and started to sing, "I used to look good to you, but now you'll find me -- simply irresistible. I'm so fine, you won't care about nobody else. I'm so fine, you'll want me all the time ...."

Clark cried out, "I can't. I CAN'T! You have to stop before it's too late. I might hurt you.”

Alexis stopped singing but continued to dance as she said, "Oh, you can try to hurt me, Clark. I might even like it. It would be nice to feel something, anything for a change. Then again, I might hurt you too!" In a blur of motion Alexis ran at Clark and pinned him back against a wall. She ripped off his shirt and bit him on the arm just below his left shoulder. He cried out in pain but mostly in surprise and pushed her back. He went to the mirror to see the bite marks in his skin and the trickle of blood from one of the indentations before his body healed itself.

Clark turned to face the woman and asked in a desperate voice, "Who or what are you and what do you want from me?"

Alexis answered him in Kryptonian,

"I am your mate Kal-El. Cooked up for you by your loving Mother Martha and programmed to be genetically compatible for you by your domineering father Jor-El. I was born to love only you -- to want only you -- to bear you the children of Krypton so it may live again. But you rejected me. You didn't want me. But you want me now, don't you? You can smell me can't you? Your keen senses tell you that I am a Kryptonian woman.  My presence is causing a reaction in you that you can not contain or control. And with the red kryptonite loosening those Boy Scout inhibitions of yours, you won't be able to deny me this time. I on the other hand, no longer love you -- quite the opposite. But I do need you. I need your seed and I will have it ... and I can see you are ready to give it to me. Let the games begin. Our kingdom come, our will be done, on Earth as it was on Krypton!"

With that said, Alexis rushed Clark again and embraced him. Her hands caressed him. Her mouth explored him. For a time Clark stood like a statue and tried to resist the fever that had taken hold of him but it was no use. After a couple hours the apartment on Clinton Street turned out to be too fragile for their activities. They flew while locked in am embrace to the Fortress of Solitude. News reporters soon realized that Superman had been noticeably absent. The Daily Planet alerted authorities that Clark Kent had gone missing. Clark's apartment was discovered to be in ruins. Meteorologists took note of rising temperatures at the polar ice cap.

Two months later, Kal-El awoke in his fortress alone and naked. He looked at his wrist and saw that the wristwatch had been removed. He went to his dresser and found an envelope addressed to him. In it was a note that read: "Thanks for everything. Perhaps we can get together in a year or so and do this again. In the envelope you will find payment for services rendered. Until next time, Alexis Luthor." Enclosed in the envelope were 10 bills bearing the likeness of Samuel P. Chase. Tears came to Kal-El's eyes. He mumbled to himself, "You poor girl. That kryptonite key. The explosion. I made you what you are. It was my fault. Even without that damned wristwatch, I think I love you, Lexxy.


End of Visit One

Visit Two:  Tidings of Great Joy

Lex was heading towards his office at a fast clip when his administrative -assistant waylaid him, “She’s here again, Sir.  I’m sorry but I have no way to stop her and there’s no point in trying.  If I locked the doors we would just end up replacing them again.”

Lex brushed by her and said, “Never you mind, Miss Harris, this will be the last time.  You can be sure of that.”  Lex pushed open the double doors to his office to find Alexis in his chair behind his desk.  She was just sitting there spinning herself around in his chair and playing with his letter opener.  Lex shouted at her, “Alex, I told you what I would do to you if you ever dared come here again – and on this matter at least, I am a man of my word.”

Alexis asked, “So how are you going to kill me?  I’ve got a pretty tough hide, you know.  Can’t we just have a friendly chat?  You can kill me the next time I visit.”

Lex answered, “There won’t be a next time.  As for “friendly chats,” I’ve had it with you and your chats.  You’ve got all the powered in the world packed into that top-heavy body of yours, yet you tear your victims apart with your most deadly appendage – your tongue!  While you live and breathe, I have no chance of any kind of a personal life.  Anyone I care to be with will undoubtedly get one of your innocent looking but venomous little visits.  You and your chats!  You and your pranks.  The only good thing about the way that you get your kicks is that it makes you tend to ignore your business which makes me all the stronger.”

Alexis responded, “Like you have any concept of strength.  Oh! And nice of you to notice my powerful body.  I’m very proud of it and a girl likes to be noticed.  And my tongue, you’re far from the first to notice how skilled it is.  So all the normal loathing aside, are you ready for some family news before you make another futile attempt to kill me?”

Lex looked at her disdainfully and said, “You’re not my family.”

Alexis said, “Well we had the same Father.”

Lex snarled, “Your Father had the word “Pyrex” printed on him.  You’re nothing but an abomination my Dad had whipped up for him in his lab.  But then, in another of a long line of things that made me hate the man, he had the audacity to graft a -sluttish version of Martha Kent’s face onto you because he had the hots for her.  I’ve always wondered if he called you “Martha” while he took his pleasure with you?”

Alexis shot back, “No, he called me “Lex.”  This is MY face brother dear and if I look like Martha Kent it’s because I am her daughter.”

Lex laughed, “So you are starting to believe your own lies now?  I’ll bet good old Dad scraped something Martha left on a toilet seat that Martha had used so he could use it to make you.  There’s no way that that sainted woman gave you anything substantial.  It makes me sick to see you wear that face.  Maybe I’ll cut it off and let the real you show through.”

Lex moved towards Alexis and she motioned him to back off saying, “Lex, not another step.  I’m not affected by your ring as much as Mr. S., but I still don’t want you near me with that ring on.  Plus your breathe smells.  You need your sister to tell you these things because your high paid lackeys have to much to lose if they are honest with you.”  Lex took another step and Alexis jumped up holding the letter opener by the tip and shouted, “What did I tell you?!!  Another step and I’ll pin that bald thing you wear on your shoulders to the far wall with this letter opener.  You know how good my aim is and I can throw this a lot quicker than you can get close enough to effect me with that ring.  And that would be too bad to because you would never get to hear the happy news!”

Lex glared at her and said, “The only happy news I want to hear is when my personal physician tells me “She’s dead, Lex.”  And after I hear that and after I stop celebrating, I’ll do things to that body you think so highly of to ensure that there will be no surprise resurrections.  They won’t find a part of you that won’t go through a flour sifter.  And why would you –assume that I need to get anywhere near you to kill you when all I have to do is say, “Die, Alex die” and the deed is done.”  Alexis heard the panel slide open behind her but she was hit with intense kryptonite radiation before she could react.  She immediately flopped forward onto the desk then fell onto her back on the floor.  Lex casually walked over to his desk and stood over her and said, “So, so predictable.  You know how I hate it when you sit at my desk and touch things that belong to me.  And because you know that, you have to do it.  You just have to do it.  And, now, because you didn’t listen to me and stay out of may hair ….”  Through the pain Alexis began to laugh.  Lex continued, “… because you didn’t stay out of my life, you have to die!”  Lex looked down at Alexis, lying so still and vulnerable and thought about how best to shame and humiliate her.   He said, “Sometimes I forget and wonder what Lionel saw in you, but now I remember exactly what you were to him.  It may not seem like it, but I am a man who believes in family traditions.  He was your property and now you are mine.  What was good for the father, is good for the son as well.”  Lex watched as she moaned and writhed in pain, then continued, “Oh, how I like it when a woman moans in anticipation.  Be patient dear, soon you will have what you’ve always longed for.”   Lex pulled off his belt and laid it on the desk.  He slid off his shoes and unzipped his pants.  The took off his pants and hung them neatly over a chair.  All the while he stood leering at Alexis, drinking in her pain.  Then he took off his underwear and stood over her so she could see him clearly.

Alexis stared up at him for a few moments and then began to chuckle -- then laughed – then laughed hysterically.  Her laughter took her far enough away from the pain to manage to speak.  As she laughed, she said,  “No wonder you were always so concerned with surpassing Lionel in business  -- you couldn’t measure up any other way!  Is that the weapon of mass destruction you are going to kill me with.  No wonder I could ever locate it – even with my microscopic vision!”

Lex’s smile slowly disappeared.  Soon his face was contorted in anger.  He grabbed his pants and fumbled putting them on.  As he slid his shoes back on, he hit the intercom button on his desk and told Miss Harris to have his special suitcase brought to him from the vault and to bring it in to him immediately.  He walked back to Alexis and began kicking her mercilessly.  Alexis managed to curl up so that Lex couldn’t kick her in the stomach.  He noticed how she protected herself and maneuvered to get in a better position for kicking her where she obviously didn’t want him to.  When he was about to get a clear shot, she screamed, “NO, Lex, the baby!  Don’t hurt the baby!  I’ll do anything.  Anything.  I’m sorry, Lex.  I’m so sorry.  ANYTHING!”

Stunned, Lex stepped back and said, “Baby?  I didn’t think there was a man on Earth that could ….”

Alexis mumbled, “On Earth, yes.  From Earth, no.  You’re going to be an Uncle, Lex.  I came to tell you that you are going to be an Uncle.”

Slowly a fire came to Lex’s eyes.  “You slept with him too?  You’re having his child?  Oh, No!  Not another one!”  He grabbed his belt from the desk and got down and bound Alexis’s hands and then secured them to the leg of the desk.  She was now unable to shield herself from his blows.  As he was about to resume kicking her, Miss Harris brought the briefcase to his desk.  He went to it and opened it up.  In it were ingots of kryptonite in various sizes and shapes as well as kryptonite in liquid solution.  Lex looked through the briefcase until he found a syringe.  “This was meant for my friend in the cape, but as I always say, family comes first.”  He shook the solution in one of the bottles so that any kryptonite that had settled out would return to solution.  He then filled the syringe and knelt on Alexis’s arm so that it was immobile and rubbed his ring on her skin to make sure the needle would pierce it.

Miss Harris looked over the desk at the woman and said, “Shouldn’t you rub some alcohol on that arm before you give her an injection?”  Lex looked up and began to laugh.  He laughed so hard he was shaking too badly to give the injection.  “Come here Miss Harris,” he said as he continued to laugh.  He pointed at Alexis’s arm and said, “Spit Miss Harris.  Spit right here.  Miss Harris hesitated for a moment.  Beating someone to death was one thing, but spitting on someone was bad manners.  But an order from Lex Luthor was not to be questioned, so she spit.  Lex added his own spit to the mixture and then emptied the contents of the syringe into her arm.  Alexis screamed in pain and fainted.  Lex then got up and repeated the procedure with the other arm just to be sure.  He went back to his desk and closed the briefcase and handed it back to Miss Harris and said, “Get this back to the vault.  Make sure the doors are locked behind you.  My sister and I still have unfinished business.  When you return from the vault, go and freshen up a bit.  I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

Lex looked down at Alexis and said, “You always looked so beautiful when you were sleeping, but I can’t stand to see you wear that face.  I must fix that like I promised I would.”  Lex unhooked Alexis’s hands from the desk leg and dragged her around to the front of his desk so he would have more room to maneuver.  He sat down on her and began punching her face repeatedly until she was unrecognizable.  He then stood up and resumed kicking her.  He was methodical about it.  He worked his way down her body and turned her over to make sure he hadn’t missed a spot.  He saved the stomach for last.  As he kicked, he said, “This one is for Superman.”  He kicked again and said, “This one is for Lionel.”  He kicked a third time and said, “This one is for Helen.”  He continued to beat her for every person in his life who had betrayed him or stood in his way.  Finally, he said, “This one is for Clark”  but he pulled back his foot before it made impact and for a moment recalled the one friendship in his life that meant the world to him.  He stopped knowing that he would be too tired to celebrate if he continued any longer.  He was about to leave her when he reminded himself that he is a businessman and that Alexis’s DNA still was of value to him.  He took his coffee cup and rinsed it out in his kitchenette.  He knelt down again and beat Alexis with his ring to start some fresh blood flowing.  Then he squeezed the wound to fill his mug.  He briefly thought about taking a sip but decided not to.  He put the mug in the refrigerator and blew Alexis a kiss as he walked by her still body on the way to the door.

Lex strode confidently out of his office and sat on the edge of Miss Harris’s desk. He was smiling and a little out of breath. She saw the blood spatter on his clothing. His green ring was now covered with red matter that totally obscured it. His hand was dripping with blood. She knew what was coming next so she adjusted herself in preparation.  She began to punch an extension number before even being given the order. Lex calmly said, “Get one of our special clean-up crews up here. I have some garbage in my office that I need to have removed. But tell them not to come up here for 20, no 30 minutes. We have things to do first.” The secretary called and passed on Lex’s orders as Lex began removing his bloody clothing in front of her. She had worked for the man long enough to know that he became aroused by certain acts of violence. Any time Lex achieved some personal victory he liked to celebrate in the same way.  She knew that he had wanted an end to Alexis for some time and it seemed that he had finally succeeded. Her only surprise that was he hadn’t taken his pleasure with Alexis instead of with her. Maybe even he hadn’t sunk that low yet.  She felt fortunate that he had succeeded because he could be a little rough when he suffered a disappointment – something that happened more and more often since Superman made his appearance.  But she was well paid for the job and she just considered what came next to be one of the perks.

Lex was finishing up with Miss Harris when he heard a loud crash in his office. “Call security. NOW!” he barked as he flung his office doors open. He was hit in the face by a blast of cold air coming from a hole in his office wall. He looked quickly at the floor and saw a puddle of blood where the body had been. A trail of blood led to a bookcase that had been pivoted to reveal a hidden closet he had there. He rushed over and looked inside only to find it empty. “But that prototype war-suit had no power cell in it. How could she possibly!” He shouted. Then he thought about it for a second, then he spoke to his absent sister, “Clever girl! The suit runs on kryptonite radiation. There was enough kryptonite in your body to power the suit for a while. And the more you use the suit, the less Kryptonite will be left in your system. But I’m afraid that won’t be enough to save you, dear sister -- not nearly enough. And you haven’t a friend in the world to run to. Do you? Maybe soon, I’ll have the pleasure of killing you all over again.“

“Visit Three:  Homecoming”

Martha heard a loud thump out front.  She thought it was just snow falling off the porch roof, but in her heart, she desperately hoped that it was Clark returning home.  It had been two months since he had disappeared and there had been no word from him.  She flung open the door hoping to see her son’s beautiful face, but instead there stood a metallic monster.  The seven foot tall emerald green and magenta being with only a dark tinted visor for a face reached an arm towards Martha.  Martha screamed and slammed the door quickly.  Jonathan came running.  When Martha told him what she had seen, he quickly grabbed his father’s shotgun from its display on the wall and loaded it.  Martha screamed, “Don’t go out there!”  But he pushed past her, looked out through the small window in the door and then opened it.  He looked back and forth and saw nothing until he tilted his head down to see the “robot” curled in a fetal position on the porch floor.  He cautiously tapped it with the barrel of the shotgun but it didn’t move.  With great effort, he rolled the thing over with his foot.  It lay on its back perfectly still.  Martha got up the nerve to join Jon on the porch.  She knelt down despite Jon’s objections and found the release to the helmet.  After removing it, she jolted back when she saw the bloated face with the green and black skin.  The face was covered with open wounds and the hair was matted with blood.  “Jon, it’s some kind of alien,” she said.  Jon shook his head and said, “I don’t think so.  That armor has a Lexcorp logo on it.”  The creature started to moan and Martha leaned closer.  In the voice of an injured female child, the creature looked at Martha through eyes that were nearly swollen shut and said, “Mommy … Mommy … Mommy please help me!”  Martha leaned closer still and said, “I’m not your mother, dear, but I will do everything I can to help you.”  The voice gained a little strength and said, “You ARE my mother!  Please don’t deny me.  Please don’t send me away again!”  Martha looked up at Jon and said, “She’s delirious.  Help me get her out of this thing and into the house.  We’ll need to call Dr. Wonch right away.”  The woman in the armor shouted, “NO, don’t call anyone.  PLEASE.  He’ll find me.  Don’t let him find me.  If he does he’ll kill the baby.”   She attempted to get up then lost consciousness.  “Hurry Jonathan,” shouted Martha.

Before long, Alexis was in Clark’s bed upstairs.  Martha had tears trickling down the face from the empathy she felt for this young woman as she gently cleaned Alexis’s skin with a warm wash cloth.  Her skin seemed to be a light green but her body was covered with black and purple bruises from head to foot.  When her eyes fluttered open, Martha said, “Lie still dear, you are pretty badly injured and I don’t know what to do.  If my son was here, he would know but he’s not.  These injuries you have – were they caused by that machine you were in?”  Alexis mumbled, “No.”  Martha then asked, “Are you … human?  I know that Lexcorp has been experimenting with genetic manipulation and mutation, so we thought that maybe you are a test subject.  Or maybe you are an alien visitor?  Where do you come from?”

Alexis answered, “I’m from right here.  Kryptonite poisoning in me.  He beat me up.  I never thought he would.  Never thought he was really that way deep down.  He could be so charming.  We had a tea party once.  I was only playing.  It was just a game.  I insulted him.  He could have just insulted me back.  Those are the rules.  Instead, he hurt me … hurt my baby.”

Martha was shocked, “Someone did this to you?  On purpose?  What kind of monster ….?!”  Nothing you could have said or done justifies this.”

Alexis answered, “I insulted his manhood, his private parts.  I laughed at him.  And I touched his letter opener.”

Martha said, “None of that justifies this!  Nothing would.  But, dear, at your age, you should know that you don’t just say things like that.”

Alexis started sobbing, “My age?  My AGE!  I’m only 13 years old.  Why won’t anybody ever just let me be a kid!”  As Alexis sobbed quietly, Martha took and held her hand and kissed it gently.  Her heart went out to this woman – so badly injured, so delirious, thinking she was only 13 when she had to be at least in her early 20’s.  At least she knew that the woman was human – at least to some degree.  Martha concluded that Lexcorp must have been using kryptonite to turn this woman into some kind of super-soldier.  What happened to the Lex she knew?  He would never experiment on a human being.  She wished that Jonathan would hurry back from stowing that armor in some hiding place.  More than that, she wished that her son would return safe and sound and soon to help this woman as he had helped so many others.

Alexis woke to find Martha still holding her hand. She turned her head to look into Marta’s eyes and said, “Please. I wanted to ask you before but I didn’t. Please tell me my name.”

Martha answered, “I don’t know your name, honey.”

A little sharper, Alexis said, “Mom! Please!”

Martha calmly told her, “I’m sorry, dear, you’re very ill. You’re mistaking me for someone else. I’m not your mother.”

Alexis argued, “I know who you are. You are Martha Kent wife of Jonathan Kent.  And I am the only child of your womb.”

Martha said, “I don’t know what to say.  I don’t know what lead you to think that I’m your mother, dear.  I don’t have a daughter.  Don’t you think I would know if I had a daughter?  I think you are a little confused.  When you get a little better, I will help you try to sort all this out.”

Alexis continued, “You are the one who’s confused.  You probably don’t think I’m your daughter because you probably thought I died 13 years ago when you threw me in that dumpster after aborting me.”

Martha said, “Don’t say things like that.  Please.  We’ll look into this later.  Just get some rest now.”

But Alexis wouldn’t stop.  She continued, “I know it’s true.  I know it all.”

Martha said, “I guess if you’re really 13 you would think that you know it all.”

Alexis got more determined and continued, “I am 13 and I do know.  I know that Kal-El’s protector healed you in compliance with the will of Jor-El so that you could conceive me.  You are the woman that Jor-El entrusted to raise Kal-El.  He also entrusted you to raise me.  I guess one out of two isn’t bad as long as you’re not stuck being number two like I was.”

Shaken that Alexis knew Clark’s Kryptonian name, Martha asked without thinking about what she was saying, “What are you talking about?  What is a protector?”

Alexis explained, “Kal-El’s protector was a device that provided a safe environment for him on his journey here.  It was designed to watch over him, care for him and educate him.  But it needed to be in contact with the mind of Jor-El to do that.  You might have thought of the protector as a spaceship but it was much more than that.  And the little octagonal piece was the mind of Jor-El.  It is a synthetic brain into which Jor-El’s consciousness and wisdom was downloaded.  It also contained a bank of knowledge from Krypton’s archives.  You probably don’t remember our trips to the protector after I was conceived.  The protector altered me so I would be a suitable mate for Kal-El and educated me so I would be prepared for my destiny.”

Martha asked, “Your destiny?”

Alexis continued, “I am destined to rule this planet with Kal-El and continue the lineage of Jor-El.  Of course that won’t happen now.  I’ll be dead soon.  And I think my baby … my baby.”

Martha asked, “Who filled your head with this non-sense?”

Alexis answered, “Some of it is knowledge I was born with and some of it Lionel Luthor told me after he bought me from the man that rescued me from the dumpster.”

Martha replied, “Now I understand.  I don’t like to speak ill of the dead but Lionel Luthor was out to destroy my family by any means at his disposal.  Lying was the least of the things he would do in his efforts against us.  He told you these things so that he could continue to hurt us even after his death.”

Alexis answered, “Lionel didn’t lie to me.  He didn’t have to.  He shared every little ugly detail of his life with me.”

Martha answered, “Look, some people lie whether they think they have to or not.  They are so skilled at it that they can’t stop it even when the truth will get them what they want.  If someone tells you something 10,000 times, that makes it true.  That’s how people are – especially children when they are being told something by someone in charge over them.”

Alexis answered, “Well, if you wanted me to believe YOUR lies than you should have kept me and told me your lies rather than throwing me in the dumpster.”

Martha shouted, “Stop saying that!  I didn’t do that.  I would NEVER do something like that!”

Alexis grinned mockingly and said, “And I didn’t come here 3 months ago pretending to be Cat Grant and let daddy dearest fondle me in the kitchen.  We’re both model citizens.  I’m a liar and you’re a baby killer.”

Martha stood up and gasped, “That was you?!  Why did you come back here?  Are you so twisted that, despite being beaten until you are un-recognizable, you crawl back here to mess with our minds again?  I should have left you to bleed to death on the porch!”

Alexis simply replied in a defeated tone, “Porch … dumpster … what’s the difference?  At least I got you to make dinner for me.  One time in my entire life, my Mom makes dinner for me … and, then, it’s only because she thinks that I’m some total stranger.  You never held me; you never fed me at your breast; you never shared your home with me; you never told me a bedtime story or rocked me to sleep.  You didn’t even put me up for adoption so I could have a family with someone else.  You just pushed me out into the cold and tossed me in the trash.”

Martha shouted, “Stop this.  Stop this NOW!  My daughter is dead.  She died when an explosion caused our truck to flip over while I was pregnant.  I held that baby in my arms as long as they would let me and then they took her away and buried her.  I wanted her buried on the farm near me but there was some stupid ordinance ….  So I came home with no baby and my son was gone too.  I know Jon was there for me, but I felt like I was all alone.”

Alexis showed no sympathy, “Yeah, right.  Like I was alone the first time my cycle started and I had no one to tell me what was happening.  Yeah, Lionel was there, but I didn’t want his attention.  You should have been there to tell me it was alright.  And where were you when Lionel decided he wanted son’s as strong as me.  Where were you when he took my childhood away?  You we’re there to protect me.  You we’re there to rescue me.  You were in this cozy little farmhouse while he was on top of me.”

Martha stared at Alexis and said, “What exactly do I have to do to shut you up?

Alexis answered, “Well, you can strangle me here while I’m lying helpless or you can answer my question.  That’s all I want from you now.  Just answer my question and I’ll never bother you again.  What is my name?”

Martha said, “I don’t know your name.  You said it was Cat Grant, but that was just another one of your lies.”

Alexis asked, “Wasn’t there a time when you wanted me?  Didn’t you sit and think and come up with a name for me?  Or did you always plan to get rid of me?”

Martha pleaded, “Stop it.  For the love of God, please stop it.”

Alexis said, “I have no love from God or anyone else.  Lionel loved me in his own way but he’s gone now.  So, no, I won’t shut up until you shut me up.  I want my name!  I’ll pay you for it.  I’ve got all the money in the world.  You can have it all.  I won’t need any of it where I’m going.  And, I know you need it.  Dad … Jonathan has got to be the least successful farmer since Oliver Douglas.  Just tell me my name!”

Martha answered, “I don’t want a dime of your filthy money.  If anything, you just proved you’re a Luthor, not a Kent.  Why do you want her name?  Why?  What treacherous little plot do you have in mind that requires you to know her name?”

Alexis answered, “I just want to know it, that’s all.  I want my real name on my tombstone.  I don’t want to be Alexis Luthor anymore.  I hate her and I hate you!  You want me to shut up.  It’s easy.  Just play pretend.  Pretend that I am your daughter and that you want to tell me how you picked out my name for the hundredth time.  Pretend that I am bored with the story but that I’m so sweet and kind that I’ll let you tell me again.  Just pretend.  Would it hurt you to pretend for two minutes?  Would it?”

Martha answered, “Oh, yes.  Yes it hurts.  Only God knows how much it hurts for me to talk about it, but if it will stop you from saying these … these lies about my poor, dead daughter then so be it.”  Martha took a deep breath and then continued, “When I was pregnant, there was a very special boy that stayed with us. He was like a brother to Clark. Then he died. In memory of him, I decided to call my baby “Ryan” if the baby was a boy or “Ryanna” [ree-ah-nuh] if the baby was a girl. So the baby’s name was “Ryanna Lynn Kent.” I cursed her by giving her that name because, like Ryan, she died too young. So there’s your story.  Now you know HER name, but don’t bother putting her name on a tombstone because it’s already on one. It’s right next to the place where I am to be buried with Jonathan. It says, “Ryanna Lynn Kent, beloved daughter.”  And if you mark YOUR grave with my daughter’s name, I swear that I will take a chisel and remove it even if I am damned for doing so.  I hope you are happy now!”

Martha looked in anger at Alexis’s bruised and battered face and watched as a smile spread across it.  She watched Alexis’s lips as they mouthed the name Martha had told her.  Then the smile got even bigger and Alexis’s face seemed to glow slightly as her teeth came out of hiding.  Suddenly, Martha’s chest hurt.  That smile.  It was all too familiar.  Her mother had smiled like that.  And at times, when she was putting on her make-up and Jon would crack a joke, she would see that same smile in the mirror.  That was her mother’s smile.  That was her smile.  Martha shouted, “NO! It’s not true! My God in heaven it can’t be true!” Martha staggered across the hall to her bedroom and laid face down on her bed.  She cried until she had nothing left in her. Meanwhile, Alexis -- Ryanna Lynn Kent repeated her name again and again until she fell into a sleep and dreamed of merry-go-rounds and swing sets and family picnics by a small lake.

An hour later, a red-eyed Martha Kent wandered back across the hall and into Clark’s room. She looked at Ryanna lying on her side for a moment and then crawled into bed with her daughter. She nestled up against Ryanna’s back. She gently put one arm under Ryanna’s head and wrapped the other arm around her. She kissed Ryanna and lay down resting her cheek on the back of her daughter’s head. She softly said, “Good night Ryanna, sweet dreams. Mommy loves you.” Ryanna had felt Martha’s embrace and heard her words. She pulled Martha’s arms tighter around her and said, “Please let me hate you, the only thing that keeps me alive is my hatred.” Martha whispered back, “Then you have my permission to hate me. All that I ask is that you stay with us. Just stay.” With that, both feel into a deep sleep.

In the morning, Martha came downstairs with her arms held out from her sides. The skin on her arms and face was badly burnt. Jonathan saw her burns and hurried to her side. He started leading her to the kitchen as he said, "I shouldn't have let you spend the night with her, but you were sleeping and everything seemed OK. We should have called the authorities the minute she showed up. What did she do to you to burn you like that?"

Martha answered, "She didn't do anything. She's so hot with fever, I got burnt just by resting next to her."

Jonathan seated Martha into a kitchen chair, and said, "That isn't possible. Is it?" Jonathan ran to an aloe Vera plant and began to cut pieces off of it.

Martha said in a panic, "Jon, she's sick. She's really sick! Get Clark. Get Clark, now!" Jon rushed back to Martha and began gently applying the gel from inside the pieces of the plant to the burns on Martha's arms. Martha pushed Jon away and said, "Didn't you hear me? Forget about my arms. We need Clark!"

She tried to get up so she could check on her daughter, but Jon pushed her firmly back into her seat and started work on her cheek as he said, "Martha, Clark is gone. You know that. We'll deal with this ourselves somehow. But right now, you are my first priority."

Martha was too weak and dizzy to get up and get away from Jon so that she could back to get to her daughter's side. She needed to get Clark and Jon wouldn't help her. She needed to be with Ryanna, but Jon wouldn't let her go. In frustration, she snapped at Jon, "Ryanna needs me and I need to be there for her this time."

Jon said, "Martha, calm down! This won't take but a minute and then we can see to ... Ryanna? So just hold still!"

Martha began to cry and tilted her head back and screamed, "Clark! CLARK!! Please Clark. Help me! Help me." Jonathan tried to quiet her but she continued to scream and cry for Clark to come home.

Jonathan almost jumped out of his skin when a voice behind him said, "Dad, what's wrong with Mom?"

Jonathan turned to see a familiar face, took a deep breath and said, "Clark! Where the he11 have you been?"

Clark answered, "Well 2 minutes ago I was trying to clean my apartment in Metropolis when I thought I heard Mom call me. I'll explain later. Right now, what's wrong with Mom?"

Clark knelt at Martha's side and began examining her burns, but Martha said, "It's not me. It's not me. I've just got some burns. It's your sister, Clark. She's upstairs and I think she's going to die!"

Clark asked. "Lexxy?" He seemed to disappear in front of their eyes.

Jonathan said, "WHAT?!!" Martha did her best to explain to Jon who the woman upstairs really was. She had to try to convince Jon that she wasn't being fooled by Ryanna or by her own desire to have her daughter back.

Clark found Ryanna in his bedroom.  He noted the intense heat coming from the room before he entered it but that didn’t bother him.  As he approached Ryanna, a wave of nausea hit him.  He knew that feeling well and it told him that the greenish color of Ryanna’s skin was not simply body make-up.  He could barely recognize her due to the bruises and swelling.  He cringed just imagining the kind of beating she had taken.  He backed off and let his eyes do a thorough examination.  He found that she had significant internal injuries.  Also present were the remains of a dead fetus.  He didn’t need his eyesight to tell him who had fathered that child.  Clark couldn’t handle what he had just discovered so he had Superman take over for him.  He focused on the urgency of the matter and blocked it from touching him emotionally as much as was possible for him.  He sorted through the vast library of medical knowledge that he carried in his mind and determined that the first course of action should be to try to reduce her body temperature.  He took a deep breath and used his total muscular control to collapse his lungs.  As the air inside him was forced to compress, it released its heat which Clark stored in the human battery that his body is.  He then exhaled the air into the room drastically lowering the room temperature.  He mentally noted that learning this trick in order to keep kegs cold at parties in college had finally paid off in a more altruistic way.

Clark came downstairs and before he could speak Martha was asking about how she was and if he could help her.  Clark said that she was very sick but that he had some ideas on how to help her heal.  Jonathan said, “Martha told me that this is the woman that came here posing as Cat Grant.  Now this woman has Martha convinced that she is your sister.  Instead of being surprised when Martha referred to the woman as your sister, you called her “Lexxy.”  How do you know this woman, Clark?  And do you believe that she is your sister?”

Clark answered, “Her DNA indicates that she is your offspring.  Considering Lionel Luthor’s involvement in this, I might have suspected a clone except that she has demonstrated to me knowledge of Krypton even greater than mine.  And she is about as human as I am.  In some ways she’s stronger than me.  If I had that much kryptonite in me, I wouldn’t be sick – I’d be long dead.  If Lionel could alter DNA like that, he would have conquered the world before he died – he might have even given himself powers like mine and immortality.  She was not the product of anything he did.  I take that back.  He is not responsible for her genetic make-up or knowledge of Krypton, but he is responsible for twisting her mind.  If that man wasn’t already dead ….  So Lexxy was altered by Jor-El.  And, according to Lexxy, his reason was to create a viable mate for me so his bloodline could continue.”

Jon asked, “So it’s true?  My daughter is alive?  Again, you seem to know her.  When did you meet her and how long have you known who she is?”

Clark swallowed hard and continued, “She was following me all around Metropolis.  I think she was pulling pranks on me.  She seems to think I rejected her somehow and is angry beyond words.  I think she would have killed me if she didn’t still need me.  She visited me two months ago and told me who she is.  I was with her since then.”

Jonathan looked disappointed, “So your friends think you are dead, the world thinks Superman is gone, your Mother and I are worried out of our minds and you are out on a play date with your sister?  You couldn’t pick up a phone and tell us you were OK?  You couldn’t super-speed over here and tell us that our daughter is alive?  This isn’t like you.  I expect more from you than this.”

Clark explained, “She tricked me Dad.  She exposed me to red kryptonite and seduced me.  We spent every moment together for two months.  All I could think about was her.  Then I woke up yesterday and she was gone and so was the red kryptonite.  Then I wanted to come home but the world had suffered in my absence and there was so much to do.  I was going to call when I heard Mom.”

Jonathan said, “Well thank God you aren’t under the red kryptonite’s influence anymore – and thank God that she doesn’t have you under her spell anymore.”

Clark said softly, “That’s not quite true.  The red is gone, but it seems like my feelings have stayed.  I think I love her Dad, and I need to do whatever I can to save her.”

Martha came to Clark with a pleading look in her eye and said, “You say you were with her every minute until yesterday.”  Clark nodded.  Then with an edge of panic in her voice she asked, “Please Clark, tell me that you didn’t.  Please.  You couldn’t have.  Not even under the influence.  Please.  Not my son.  You wouldn’t.  Please tell me that you didn’t!”

Clark hung his head and said, “I’m sorry, Mom, I did.  I couldn’t help myself.  I couldn’t.”

 Martha stood trembling for a minute and then threw herself at Clark and started pounding at his chest with clenched fists.  Tears rolled down Clark’s face and he said, “Mom, please stop.  You’ll hurt yourself.  Please stop.”

Martha stepped back and screamed at him, “How could you?!  How could you do that?!  How could my son do something like that?!  You are a monster!  Get out of my house.  Get out NOW!  How could you have beaten her like that?  GET OUT!”

Clark said, “Mom, … Mom, … MOM!  I didn’t beat Lexxy.  I had sex with her.”

Martha tried to take in what she had just heard.  She said, “But I heard you say you did it.”

Clark repeated, “What I did was have sex with her.  And I got her pregnant … but I never hit her.  And when I do find out who did that my vow against killing may just go out the window.”

Martha was dazed by all the emotion that had just poured out of her.  She felt disoriented and confused.  She started to work it through out loud, “You had sex with her?  With your sister.  I guess I knew that.  But you aren’t her biological brother … and you weren’t raised as brother and sister… but she is only 13 … but she is a Kryptonian biologically or at least altered genetically so it’s not like she’s a normal 13 year old girl ….

Clark slapped his head, “THIRTEEN!  Oh my dear God!  I guess I never stopped to do the math once I found out who she is.”

Martha looked at her son and remembered from the ache in her fists that she had just been hitting him (for the first time in her life).  She looked at him with teary eyes than embraced him as hard as she could despite the burns on her arms.  She kissed him and whispered in his ear, “I’m sorry Clark for ever thing you could have.  Forgive me.”  Meanwhile Jonathan sat in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee and feeling totally useless.

Martha composed herself and said, “We can sort all of this out later -- if there is a later for her.  Can you help her?”

Clark answered, “I have a couple ideas that might help restore her health, one of them is pretty risky and the other one … is downright dangerous and might not work at all.”

Martha asked, “What are you going to do?”

Clark explained, “The kryptonite is mainly in her bloodstream but it is starting to settle in her organs and tissue.  There’s a change that several total blood transfusions can clean enough of the kryptonite out of her system to allow her body to dispose of what’s left.

Martha asked, “What type of blood does she have Clark?”

Clark looked her straight in the eye and said, “My type.”

Martha gasped and said, “No.  Oh NO!

Clark said, "I have to try it, Mom. It may be the only way to save her life."

Martha said, “I forbid it.  What you are suggesting is reckless and dangerous.  Think of another way or contact someone who can look at this objectively. You are not thinking rationally right now.”

Clark answered, “I know you are thinking of me as your little boy right now, but I have read and studied ….”  Martha raised her hand in a signal Clark knew very well.  She wanted to speak her mind without being interrupted.

Martha put on her sternest, most authoritative voice and said, "Look Clark Joseph Kent, I may not have read, understood and memorized every medical text there is like you have. I may not walk around with eyes that let me see every aspect of a working, human body. But I do know a thing or two. While you were gone missing, I read a book by the famous talk show hosts Doctor Author and Doctor Neserk which describe what you are going through. The book states that when a person is kidnapped or coerced against their will to go away with someone and is then seduced into intimate acts for a long period of time, the victim develops a condition that affects their judgment. The person comes to believe that he or she loves the one that forced their attentions on him ... or her. That condition is called ... It's called ... stupidity. I know you think you love her Clark and I believe you do, but not the way you think you do. You have a good heart, Clark. You see a victim and your heart goes out to her. You feel responsibility for her and a mis-placed guilt. I feel guilty too. Just having this conversation makes me feel like Judas. It's not that I don't love her. I DO! She's my long lost daughter and I want her to live more than anything. But she may not be able to be saved and I won't have you risking your life to try. I couldn't stand to lose both of you."

Clark told her, “I’m sorry to disobey you Mom, but I’m determined and I don’t think you can stop me.  Don’t worry.  My body regenerates itself in no time.  We’ll both be fine.”

Martha told him, “If you do this, I’ll … I’ll … I’ll …..”

Clark asked, “What Mom?”

Martha blurted out, “I’ll never make peanut butter fudge brownies for you again!”  After realizing how lame a threat she had made, she burst into tears again realizing that she had no way to control her son anymore – and that soon, both her children might be dead.  Clark pulled her into another hug and kissed the top of her head.  She went upstairs to watch over her daughter from as close of a distance as the heat would allow.

Clark went into the kitchen and said to Jonathan, “I hate to ask this, but due to my disappearance, my bank account was frozen so I don’t have any cash.  I’m going to be eating a lot in the next few hours so I have to make a trip to the store.”

Jon casually pulled out his wallet and gave Clark his own ATM card and said, “Well, at least I’m good for something around here.  The pin number is B O D U K E.”

Clark thanked his Dad and rushed off.  Before long, Clark had hauled the needed medical apparatus from his fortress and had made enough sandwiches to feed a small army.  Clark wrapped Ryanna in lead foil to the point that he could stay in the room without the pain incapacitating him.  He continually exhaled cold air into the room to help keep Ryanna’s temperature down.  He had arranged leaded glass bottles to collect her blood and had set up a cot a safe distance from her for him to lie on while the blood was transferred.  Went Ryanna was properly attached to the equipment and her blood started to flow, Clark pulled a shard of kryptonite out of a small leaden container and taped it to his skin so that he could pierce his skin.  When his blood began to flow he laid down on the bed and let nature take its course.

Ryanna’s eye’s fluttered open.  When she saw Clark lying next to her, she said,, “What?  YOU!  Didn’t I pay you enough for your services?”

Clark said, “You paid me plenty.  The Metropolis Children’s Hospital thanks you.”

Ryanna glanced briefly at her belly and then looked like she was going to cry.  She said, “Don’t talk to me about children, Kal-El.  I hate you. I hate you.  I HATE YOU.”

Clark said, “I love you too, Lexxy.”

Ryanna shot him a cutting look and said, “The name is Ryanna Lynn Kent.  But my friends call me Lynn or Linda.  So YOU can all me Ryanna.  Better yet, just don’t talk to me.”

Clark chuckled then he laid back.  He waited and he prayed that the procedure would work.  When he had depleted about one third of his blood supply, Clark got up and changed into his swimsuit.  He had looked over at Ryanna and she seemed to be sleeping, but she was watching the show through barely opened eyes as Clark changed.  Clark went downstairs and got enough sandwiches to feed about 10 men and, despite the 6 inches of snow, went outside to lay in the sun for a while he had his snack.  He willed his metabolism to speed up and blood cell production in his body proceeded at a remarkable pace.  After a while, Clark went back in and started giving Ryanna more blood.  The process seemed to be working.  Ryanna’s color was getting peachier, her bruises were diminishing, but her temperature kept rising.  She was barely ever conscious and occasionally muttered in Kryptonese, but wasn’t able to respond to simple questions.  After her entire blood supply had been replaced a few times, Clark was starting to think that it was a losing battle but he wasn’t ready to give up.  Ryanna’s mouth was hanging open and, instead of drooling, steam was slowly rising from her mouth.  Her eyes were now open but stared out vacantly at the ceiling.  Jon tried to come in and hold Ryanna’s hand but it was too hat for him to get more than a couple steps into the room.  Jonathan pleaded with Clark to give it up but he wouldn’t hear of it.  The next morning, Jonathan and Martha found that Clark was still giving blood.  They were surprised that the room had cooled some and felt that that must be a good sign.  Ryanna’s face had healed to the point where they could recognize the woman who had visited their house a few months before, but her eyes were open and held no expression.  They asked Clark if she was getting better and he told them that the drop in temperature was her body releasing the last of the energy she held.  The transfusions hadn’t had the desired effect.  Clark told them that it was time to try something else.

Jon shouted at Clark to give it up.  He said, “This was too risky for you and you said the other plan was dangerous.  Son, it’s time for you to accept what is happening and say goodbye!”

Clark shouted, “NO!  I CAN’T.”  He stood up and yanked the needle from his arm.  He went to Ryanna, removed the tubing from her, covered her exposed arm in the foil, kissed her and then wrapped the foil tightly around her face.  Ryanna looked like a dull silver cocoon when Clark finished.  He faced his parents for a moment and then after a blur of motion, Clark was gone and Superman stood before them.  He was in costume, but his cape was draped on his arm.  In another instance, the cape was wrapped tightly around Ryanna so that none of the lead foil was exposed.  Superman effortlessly picked the bundle up and cradled her in his arms. 

As Superman walked toward Clark’s bedroom door, Jonathan stepped in front of him and said, “No Son.  Accept it.  She’s been dead to us for years.  We had a moment to know her again and make our peace with her.  Be grateful for that.  Just let her rest.”

Superman looked into his Father’s eyes and said, “Mr. Kent, I vowed once that I would never disobey you again, but I am sorry, Sir.  I must.  Move out of my way.  You know you can’t stop me.”

Jonathan wasn’t used to dealing with Superman, so he looked down and stepped aside.  Martha touched Superman and his bundle as he marched past her.  He went downstairs and out the front door.  Martha said, “Jon, what do you think he’ll do?

Jon answered, I don’t know, but if it’s more drastic than giving her all his blood, I don’t want to think about it.”

As he stepped from the front porch and into the yard, Superman looked around at the farm and talked to the bundle in his arms,  “We have a beautiful home here, don’t we Lexxy … Ryanna …  Sorry.  And no matter how bad things get at times, it’s worth living just to come back here and sit on the front porch once in a while.  And if you cooperate with me now and get better, I bet Ma will forget about what she said and make us some peanut butter fudge brownies.  I just bet she will.  Goodbye farm!”

With that Superman ran down a familiar road and waved at Pete’s house while imagining him there waving back at him and wishing him well.  Then he took to the skies.  Higher and higher he climbed until the Earth gave up trying to pull him back.  He moved at speeds that he had never attempted before and was further away from his adopted home that he had been in all the years since he had first arrived.  “Hello Sol!” he mouthed as he reached out and touched the source of his power.  This close to the sun, he felt more powerful than he had ever imagined he could be, but he knew that in a moment, he would remove the lead foil, if enough kryptonite remained in her to make him vulnerable, his body would be vaporized before he could think another thought.  Then he said silently to the woman in the cocoon, How about it Ryanna?  Do you want to stay here with Sol and shine down on the Earth or do you want to go home with me and convince Ma to make us those brownies.  Those brownies will make you think you’ve gone to heaven.  Well maybe we’ll both stay here.  It’s time to find out.”   He removed his cape from Ryanna and loosened the foil.  The foil vaporized.  Her face stared blankly but her full beauty had been restored.  Her eyes looked at the face of the man holding her for a few moments and then she smiled brightly at him. He smiled so wide that it hurt, then said, “Brownies it is then!” and kissed Ryanna passionately.  He pulled back to look into her face once more.  She had a puzzled expression on her face – as if she didn’t understand what he had done or why.  He stroked her hair to comfort her and realized that Ryanna didn’t recognize him.  He prayed that her brain hadn’t been damaged by the fever.  He knew that he had made the only decision that he could have made.  He hoped that it was the right one.  If it meant that he had to spent his life by her side so that she couldn’t hurt herself or others with her powers, so be it.  He shifted position to grab Ryanna around her tiny waist with one arm then headed back to Kansas with her held tightly to his side.

End of Visit Three  

"Visit Four: A Visit with Her Tutor"

Ryanna was dreaming about reading about Jane running in the story she had read that day with her Mom. She had been told that she had read all the words perfectly. She could see Jane run. Run Jane, run! But soon it was her running across the fields and back towards her farmhouse where she could smell the aroma of her mother's cooking. As she came to the porch, there stood her father smiling at her. He said, "You are my daughter in whom I am well pleased. I have a present for you. From a box, he pulled a blue dress with a short skirt and a red cape. On the cape and top, there was the symbol that was the mark of her brother. Jonathan continued, "This is a cloak of many colors that I give unto you to show you that I love you." Ryanna smiled in her dream and listened as Jonathan said, "Wake up now and come to me, matriarch of the house of El on Earth." Ryanna was confused by what her Dad had called her and his voice was different. He continued to ask her to wake up but he called her by a name she didn't know -- but she did know that it was her being addressed. She roused herself from the dream and said, "Daddy?" But there was no one there in the dark room but her and her many plush friends. She knew that it was more than a dream that she had. She had been told that dreams could tell special people things, so she got out of bed and crept into her parents’ room where she saw they were both asleep. This was confusing because she had heard the voice. She wanted to go find who had called, but she hesitated for a while to look at her parents holding each other as they slept. She smiled and went downstairs. She walked through the kitchen and out the back door in her bare feet wearing only her cotton sleeping gown. She felt drawn to a corner of the barn, squatted and began to dig with her bare hands. She found the top of some cement that had been put into the hole years before. She hit the cement with her fist and it crumbled. She fished through the rubble and found a flat octagonal "something." She traced its outline with her finger and said "stop sign." She blew on it to dust it off and looked at the symbols on it which she didn't recognize despite knowing her abc's forward and back. It started humming and glowed softly. She smiled at the thought that her mom might like this for Christmas. Then she looked at the hole that she had made and felt guilty. Her dad hadn't told her she could dig out here or break that cement and she didn't normally do things without permission. But she knew she had to break that cement. She didn't know why but she just had to. She heard that name being called again and she knew it was her that was being called. Was God talking to her? Mommy and Daddy told her that she was a special girl, but was she that special? She certainly hoped that she wouldn't have to go see a Pharaoh or hold a snake in her hand. She clutched the thing that she had found in her hand and walked off towards the snowy field. She didn't know where she was going but she knew it was important. But she started to tremble at the thought of facing God on her own, so she dashed back to the house to get a friend to go with her. They all wanted to go, but she chose the Teddy Bear she named after her Dad's truck. Fforde was her best friend and constant companion. She washed off her hands so as not to get him dirty then grabbed up Fforde by the arm and rushed off to meet God.

The thing from the hole that she held clasped firmly in her hand seemed to let her know where to go. At dawn, she reached the mouth of the cave. She said to her friend, "Don't be scared Fforde, I'll bet this is where Clark's friend lives. The thing in her hand led her to a large chamber with strange pictures on the wall. When she came up to one picture in particular, the object jumped out of her grasp and spun it the air. Ryanna clapped at the show it put on for her. The thing flew to the wall and was absorbed into it. A diamond shape like the one Superman wore on his chest opened up and a light flooded out. A man composed of light and shadow appeared before her who looked like her brother Clark, just slightly older. "Are you my brother?" she asked. "No" replied the image. "Are you God?" she asked. "No, but I am the one that you must obey," was the response. She asked, "Why do you look like my big brother Clark?" The voice answered, "The one you call Clark is my son, Kal-El. He is not your brother." Ryanna's lower lip trembled and she shouted back at the image, "YES HE IS! Mommy says that Clark is my brother. Don't say that he isn't! I want him. He's mine. Don't say he's not mine!" The image responded, "He is yours, but he is something that is better than your brother. You will be to him as Martha is to Jonathan. Ryanna's face softened and she thought of her Mom and Dad cuddled in bed together. She said, "Really. Mommy and Daddy love each other and hold hands and stuff."

The image continued, "You have lost what I have given you from the time before you were born."

Ryanna said, "I did? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I can go look for it if you want me to. What did it look like?"

The image continued to speak, ignoring what Ryanna had said, "You have been damaged but there was much healing as well. It is a good thing. You were not suited to be the new mother of Krypton the way you were. This is a time of change for you. I give you an opportunity. You have made enemies that will seek you out. You are not yet ready to defend yourself. Would you like a new face so that your enemies wouldn't recognize you? Would you like blonde hair and blue eyes?"

Ryanna answered, "HEY. Don't you like how I look? Don't you do that! And I don't have any enemies -- not a one. I love my neighbors as myself." Then she paused and thought about it. "Oooo. Wait a minute. Mommy wouldn't let me have pierced ears like she has. I thought she was being mean but she said it was because there was nothing that could make a hole in me and even if there was the holes would heal up like zip zap. And ear-rings that clamp just won't pinch me tight enough and fall right off. So could you do that? Could you pierce my ears like Mommy's ears?"

The image seemed impatient with the discussion and said, "I could but I won't. There is no purpose to it.

Ryanna pouted and begged, "Please, please. Pretty please!"

The image ordered, "Stop that!"

Ryanna continued, "PLEASE! I want to wear ear rings next time Clark visits. I want to look pretty for him. Pleeeeeease!"

The image pointed to her ears and said, "Very well, feel your ears."

Ryanna felt her ears and squealed with delight and shouted, "Thank you, Thank you!" Impulsively she leaned forward and kissed the cheek of the image in front of her. She could have sworn the image color shifted a little into the red spectrum for a moment.

The image said, "Enough of this. Now it is time for you to learn again what I have taught you once before. Let your lessons begin."

As the light intensified around Ryanna, she said, "Oh! I'm learning a lot already. Mommy keeps me at school to teach me since I am so much bigger than the other girls. Want to hear a story I know? It's from the Bible! Jacob had a dream and his dreams always came true because God sent him the dreams and God had a destiny planned for Jacob. So Jacob told his brothers that in his dream, they all bowed down to him. Well this made them angry because they were all older and the youngest is supposed to bow down to his older brothers. But Jacob's father honored and respected him above the others. He gave his son a coat -- a coat of many colors. And his brothers were jealous of the favor shown him by his Father and ...."

Ryanna continued to speak but her words shifted to Kryptonese as she finished the story. Soon she was describing the methods to create a stable warp field for travel to other solar systems.


At home Jonathan found the back door open and tracks leading outside. He yelled up to Martha to see if Ryanna was upstairs. She yelled back that Ryanna was gone and that Fforde was gone too. Jon ran out the back door and followed the tracks. Martha caught up with him at the barn. Jon was staring at the hole and the debris from the cement. "Oh, no, Jon!" gasped Martha. Jon turned and started following Ryanna's footprints across the field but Martha caught his arm and stopped him. She pulled him back towards the house saying, "You'll need your coat. She may have gone a long way."

When they entered the kitchen door, there sat Ryanna and Fforde at the kitchen table. She turned her head side to side quickly so Martha could see the ear rings dangling from her ears. Ffordie was similarly attired. With a broad smile on her face, she turned to Martha and said, "Mom, could we have pancakes today? I am SO hungry!"


End of Visit Four
END OF STORY



Here's the dilemma. I really thought Martha's baby had potential so I wrote a tiny little story to show that it was possible to continue the story even after Martha was told that the baby was dead. I really didn't want to create a "Supergirl" raised by Lionel, but this was a way to have Lex Luthor remain a friend to Clark and have Alexis Luthor become Clark's ultimate adversary. So, what I have done here is bring the story back to where I would have liked to see it. A sweet girl learning life's lessons from Martha and Jonathan and having an older brother to be a role model for her. Unfortunately, this 13 year old child has the body of a 26 year old supermodel, the naivety of an infant and the knowledge of a highly advanced race of people -- not to mention Kal-El's powers and a higher resistance to kryptonite. Also, she is programmed and genetically designed to be mated with only one man on Earth. Alexis is dead in a sense, but Ryanna is only beginning. Will Alexis's enemies hunt her down? Will Ryanna get Alexis's money? What happens the first time Lex sees Ryanna? I hope he has a change of underwear handy. Are Alexis's memories actually gone for good? I'm concerned that at least one of you won't be satisfied with letting the story play out in your own imagination. I prefer writing short stories if anything and I don't want to get trapped into another story or series like this one. Perhaps Mr. Millar and Mr. Gough could keep certain aspects of "Smallville" vague enough that when Clark leaves, they could introduce Ryanna or a version of her and let her story continue from there. They could use the same sets and Martha and Jonathan would be there. Tom Welling could do guest shots. Chloe could visit. Even Lana .... Nah, forget it.