By Betty Huang <quiettornado7491@gmail.com>
Rated PG
Uploaded July 2000
Summary: A follow-up story to the author's "Sour Blood." Dr. Klein creates a cure for Kryptonite, but there are serious side effects when Clark becomes addicted to the drug.
Guest Star: Monica, from "Touched by an Angel"
***
It was a nice morning as Monica went to visit an old male friend. He was an angel, such as herself, and a very special kind of Angel. His name was Mike and He was the guardian angel for; you guessed it, Superman.
"Hello, Mike. How's the guardian angel business going?"
"Busy, considering what my assignment is."
"Taz told me that I was suppose to fill in for you when you go on vacation."
"Yes, you don't know how much this means to me. I've been so busy with this case. I don't even have time to breathe. He really keeps me busy."
"Who is your assignment?"
"Him." Mike pointed down at Clark Kent from the cloud he was sitting on.
But a few seconds later, he and Monica were in the same room as Clark's family. Mike continued to brief Monica on the whole family and her assignment without interrupting the family's conversation about Joey going to Martha and Jonathan's farm for the summer. Not noticing the presence of the two angels in the room, all continued talking while Mike told Monica who everyone was. "This is Lois Lane. And those two older couple on the couch are Clark's parents. The teenager is Joey Kent, Clark and Lois' first child. And the tall blond gentleman is Jimmy, their work associate. He's just stopping by for a visit. Anyway, like I said, this assignment keeps me really busy. Many times Clark would have been killed from exposure to Kryptonite had I not gotten Lois there on time to save him."
"Kryptonite?" Monica started to look confused. Mike knew that familiar look. She then continued to comment on the assignment she was given, "I don't see how hard is it to be Clark Kent's Angel. It looks like a normal family."
"Sure it may seem that way. But just wait."
Just then Clark heard the police radio broadcasting a bank robbery in progress. He right away spun into his suit. Monica's mouth dropped open in shock, "Clark is an alien!" Clark left the room as Superman.
"Come on Monica, let's follow him."
At the robbery site, Superman landed on the ground as two thieves came out with a hostage. The second robber fired his gun. Mike snapped a finger and time stopped, "Monica, remember this is a Kryptonite bullet. This substance will give Clark an agonizing death." With the second snap of his finger, time came back to life. At that exact moment, Mike told Clark to move to one side. Clark right away got a feeling that he should move. The bullet missed by a few inches. It only scraped Superman's shoulder.
"This seems easy."
"Yes, but, worse is yet to come."
"What could be worse? A revenge by some old enemy?"
"No, a couple of months ago. Clark found out that this little brown mushroom from his home planet could enable him to be protected against Kryptonite poisoning." Mike shows Monica the mushrooms and then the pill version. "But what the lab result does not show is that this little mushroom if eaten at full strength by Clark is highly toxic. Its addiction rate is like that of the human type of narcotics. I can't begin to tell you how much this little thing can do."
"Why don't you just find all the mushrooms and destroy it?"
"I can't do that. As soon as the entire criminal element found out that this plant protects Superman from Kryptonite, they went and took most of the plant and its seed. The only ones are left are in Star Labs. And besides, Monica, you know the regulation. We're not supposed to interfere. We can only get them to realize what they are doing is wrong and hope that he'll make the right choice." Mike popped the two of them back to Lois and Clark's town home. "Clark's already had taken it twice. Once under the Kranite exposure and once trying to stop Tempus from trying to take over earth with the Tamzillians. Well, I hope you have better luck in convincing them. They are pretty skeptical people, they don't even believe in angels. I better get going, I'm using up my vacation time. Bye."
"Bye, Mike. Hope you get the rest you need."
Later, Clark and Joey took Martha and Jonathan back to the farm and then Clark doubled back for a second trip to take the luggage to the farm.
The next day, Clark woke up bright and early with the sun and went into the sunlight to stretch and recharge. "Now that I'm fully charged and awake. I think I'll go downstairs and make Lois some breakfast."
In a matter of fifteen minutes, Clark had the breakfast done and took out the brown mushroom-based bills that Dr. Klein gave him. That was when Monica went up stairs to wake Lois up. "Clark. Where are you?" Lois said in a very soft tone of voice.
Hearing Lois call for him, Clark put the pills back in the bottle and closed it. Then he super-sped upstairs to help Lois get out of bed.
"Now, on the count of three. OneŠtwoŠthree."
"Okay, I'm on my feet." They paused for a few minutes as Lois tried to get her balance. "Thanks Clark. Since Joey has left to see your parents' farm for the summer, we are by ourselves."
"We sure are. Peace and quiet." He kissed her. "And with our second baby on its way, I hope that red Kryptonite wont kick in this time when you finally deliver the baby." He proceeded to help Lois down the stairs. "Breakfast is ready." Clark watched Lois as she took each step down the staircase. They both sat down to eat their breakfast before heading off to work, not noticing the pill box had been put back in its cabinet by Monica.
"Well, I don't know Clark. I think that maybe it is good for the baby. Maybe now, Joey is immune to the green Kryptonite."
But at work, Clark was reading a report on some doctor's experiments for a short article that he was writing for an article. He soon started thinking about another article he had read in the past about another scientist's report where it stated that the scientist had said, "What do I like to do the most? Ah, to figure out what makes supermen tick. How he can resist all those virus and what made him so strong." That was also when Clark remembered seeing that same scientist in the same room with him when he was tied down on those table few months back when Henry Potters had captured him. Suddenly Clark got this urge he didn't recognize. He opened the drawer of his table and took out one pill.
***
That evening after hours Dr. Klein was analyzing the few mushroom samples he had left and found something interesting. He noticed that when he had mixed the Kranite with the mushroom liquid they neutralized each other. But when the mushroom liquid was not mixed with anything else besides the blood sample of Clark's, he noticed something different happened.
Dr. Klein looks into the microscope and saw the reaction of Clark's blood to the serum seven without the Kranite mixture, he comments, "That is odd. Now, that really reminds me of something I saw a while back." However, Dr. Klein couldn't remember why it looked so familiar.
***
Finally after two nights he had gotten fed up with Lois' constant questioning. He lost all self-control. Taking out his anger on the one he loved, he hit Lois and sent her backward into the wall of their living room. His anger clouded any thoughts he might have had concerning the lives of his wife and unborn child.
"What has gotten into you Clark? I was only trying to help. You're not the same man I first fell in love with. You've changed.
"Maybe, I've changed for the better. Maybe my eyes have been opened. Why don't you just leave me alone!" Clark stormed out of the room.
Lois cried for a few moments after Clark had left the room. As she began to calm she started to think more clearly, "This is totally uncharacteristic of ClarkŠwhat is wrong with himŠ" She knew that he is not like this. After recovering from the trauma of almost getting killed by Clark, she gathered her thoughts together. She went and tries to calm Clark down and to get him to think rationally about what he has done and probably ask him to get some help from Doc Klein. But all Clark wanted was to be left alone.
After another couple of days had passed, Lois finally had enough of the constant arguments. Lois and Clark separated. Clark moved out of the house.
The next day, everyone at work could see the changes in Clark and Lois' relationship. Lois hardly ever spoke to Clark any more. When Perry White tried to help, Clark just told him off saying "Perry, it is none of your business!" and then stormed out of the room. Cat Grant, Jimmy, and the other co-workers could see that Clark had changed for the worse. A few hours later, Clark quit his job at the Daily Planet.
The latest edition of the Daily Planet: Superman, Where is he? Subtitled: One week of non-stop disaster and violence and all without Superman's help.
Perry then saw the latest edition to the National Inquirer: "Latest reports sight a man similar in Superman's figure, power, and size in a city bar purchasing some sort of mushroom or mushroom type drug." Perry skipped a few sentences ahead and read. "Star lab reports the mushrooms might be a highly addictive substance. Further study is needed." Perry could see that the editor of the National Inquirer had added in something else at the end of the report. "Superman's doctor, Doctor Klein, believes that the mushroom is from Superman's home planet. Could this drug explain what Superman is doing, currently? Could Superman finally become a drug addict?"
Jimmy, who had known that Clark was Superman for a while now, went up to Lois and asked her about this latest addition of the National Inquirer's front -page report. "No, Jimmy. I have no way of contacting Superman, anymore."
"And what's this about a mushroom serum?"
"Superman was taking a few of those mushroom serum to build up his immune system to Kryptonite. I don't believe he has taken that much to cause a reaction like they said."
Three in the afternoon, Clark came to Star lab dressed in black cotton tights with the Superman emblem on his chest in red. The "S" was decorated in flames. "Give me more of your serum 7."
"Superman, I gave you a lot already. You shouldn't take more then you need."
Superman took Dr. Klein by the scruff of his shirt and hoisted him a few feet off the ground. "I want those serums.". That was when Dr. Katharine Allison came up behind Superman and injected Superman with a new kind of syringes developed for medical purposes. It not only tagged him but the liquid that was in it gave him a splitting headache. He knew that whatever he was injected with was reversing the effect of the mushrooms. He did not want to stick around any longer and give her the chance to inject him with more.
Monica stood by and looked behind Clark. She saw another female doctor coming up closer behind Clark. She knew what was in the syringe that the doctor was holding, the generic version of the antidote for the mushroom serum. Dr. Allison had worked on it herself. When she looked at Dr. Klein's recent research on the new vegetable, Superman droped Dr. Klein and left the lab.
That night as sirens filled the city, Monica got the sphere to light up while Lois was passing by the box that Clark had used to keep the sphere in. He only had recently brought it back from the ranch because of a few questions he could had wanted to try and ask the sphere. Lois touched it and a figure of Clark's Kryptonian father appeared. "It is to my understanding that some of the Kryptonite might latch on to the aircraft as it takes off from Krypton. I believe what will follow after the Kryptonite is the second layer the Kryptonian core called Kranite. Kranite is a deadly rock that causes blood poisoning. The substance that has been coming out of the core has destroyed many Kryptonians. We have found the cure too late. As the core of this planet will erupt within two weeks, I can no longer devote my whole effort into this project. I must save my only child. Now, I will include the seed and instruction to make the cure effective. If done in a wrong manner, the mushroom seed is as deadly as the Kranite. This mushroom is highly addictive if taken at its full strength, it will turn anyone from a gateka to a bal-lor. Simply speaking in human terms, it will turn mice into a tiger. First sign of overdose is irritability and death will be sudden." Before the Globe shut down it showed where the seeds were hidden along with the proper instructions. Lois rushed to the kitchen to see the bottle had only two pills left. She rushed over to Star labs to see Dr. Klein.
The first thing that came out of Dr. Klein's mouth when he saw Lois was "Is it true? Superman is now protecting the thieves and murders for cash and for those mushrooms?"
Lois didn't answer Dr. Klein. Finding the answers to her own questions were a matter of life or death, "Dr. Klein, you have to find the shuttle that baby Superman came in." She tried to remain calm and dared not use the word Clark, for there were still three other people in the room. "The cure for those mushrooms is in it." Lois proceeded to explain to Dr. Klein what she found out and what the mushroom serum he had developed was doing to Superman.
"A whole entire personality change." Dr. Klein could hardly believe what he had done. He started to feel extremely guilty.
"Yes. We need to find that shuttle in order to restoreŠ" Lois whispers her next word, "Šmy husband."
"Oh, I should have seen it when he came in this afternoon, when he came in and tried to get more of them."
"He did?"
"Yes. Superman's shuttle is in the large safe. I can take you there now." So, that very second, they left the lab room to go see the aircraft.
Meanwhile, Clark was in his black uniform inside a bar drinking some whisky when the bartender wouldn't fill his drink. Clark picked the guy up. "Fill it. Or do you want this to be your last day on earth." So, the bartender did as he was told to do. Liquor was the only thing that Clark knew would cause the drug's effect to last longer. That was when Mr. Gadget walked up to him, "Hey Mr. Soup. Is it true about that mushroom pill called Serum 7?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The National Inquirer asked Dr. Klein about those Serum 7 pills. He says that those things makes you turn evil like us."
Clark wondered why Mr. Gadget was asking him all these questions. He scanned Mr. Gadgets pockets and saw some of the mushroom pills. He picked the man up and took the pills. Once he had them in his hands, he threw Mr. Gadget across the room. Clark took two pills in his mouth and swallowed them. Everyone in the room could see how Superman was getting a high out of the pills. Mr. Gadget soon recovered and came to Superman who was dressed in his new suit and made Superman an offer
"Why don't you consider my offer? I can get you a life time supply of those of the pills if you are willing to be the body guard for my new boss."
"I'll think about it."
Sitting nearby helpless and watching everything, Monica noticed that her plan just backfired. She thought for a while before she finally realized that she didn't need to come up with a plan after all. All she needed to do is let Lois know where Clark is. After she had heard Clark mention about a robbery job that he was going to do, she left the scene quickly to go and find Lois.
"Hey Janet, come over here." An exotic dancer came walking up to Mr. Gadget in a skimpy outfit A small leather bra covering only the nipple area held her extra large breasts. Her shapely waist visible as her bottom half donned only a leather thong and biker boots. She stood close to Superman as Mr. Gadget said "Show Soup here a good time."
"The name is Dark Night, now."
Janet began to wrap herself around Superman and kissing his neck. Superman showed his delight in the current situation. Knowing he had no where to sleep that night, he also showed delight in the offer to sleep with the dancer. Mr. Gadget slipped Janet a few fifty-dollar bills without Dark Night's knowledge.
"Let us go somewhere private." Janet whispered her thought to Dark Night.
Later in Star Labs, Klein had made up the serum instructed in the manual and also 20 Kranite serum in a tranquilizer dart with red Kryptonite heads.
The next morning, Clark went to do a job for another robber for payment in cash and serum 7. At the same time, Lois called on two police officers that were sharp shooters and owed her a favor. Dr. Klein gave each officer 10 darts each. Lois was in the with the two officers, Dr. Klein, and Doctor Allison.
"Now, remember. You can only miss five times for each of you, that is why I made ten darts. We have to make sure he gets at least five to eight dosages."
"Honey." Dr. Allison interrupt Dr. Klein's briefing to give him the syringe.
"Yes, Peach." Dr. Klein replies to her.
"Here's the new model. It should work on Superman as well. It's all loaded up with the antidote."
"If this thing works on Superman, it'll work on anyone." The two officers looked at the instrument. It reminded them of the one the doctor used on the TV show 'Star Trek'.
"The last one broke after it came out of Superman's skin."
Later at the robbery site, the thieves were already leaving the bank with their load of money and Dark Night.
Two police cars pulled over near the entrance of the bank, one went after the bank robbers.
As Dark Night tried to stop the cops, one of the sharp shooters aimed his tranquilizer gun at him. He made a bull's eye right into Superman's neck. Superman dropped the car as he began to feel the Kranite taking effect. Then another one hit him in the shoulder as he tried to catch up to the first patrol car. He pulled all the darts out of his neck and shoulder. He tried taking off into the air again, before two more darts hit him in the back. He pulled those out and dodged aside from the other two darts. Dark Night took off after the first vehicle. The two cops took off after Dark Night in their car.
"Now that is only four," replied one of the officers as he counted the number of darts on the ground.
By the time the second vehicle caught up to the first two officers, Dark Night had succeeded in stopping the first vehicle from advancing. But just then, the serum 7 was starting to wear off, leaving Clark with a sudden urge to take more pills. That was when the first officer took one bad aim just to distract Dark Night from taking the pills. He knew that Dark Night would dodge to miss the dart allowing the second police man to hit him right on the mark The fifth shot got Clark's head to clear up; now he was able to notice that what he was doing was wrong. He still couldn't fight that urge. Dark Night and Clark began fighting each other. Clark was trying to take back the control over the situation, until Dark Night took control and was about to swallow another pill. Suddenly, he was hit by another dart in his lower back, which made him fall and drop the pills. He had no control over his legs and found it impossible to stand up. "No!" As the pills rolled towards the manhole and into the sewer, he tried to get them back before they were lost. Monica made sure he could not get to them. Instead, he fell right off into unconsciousness as his body began a process of recovery mode. Repairing some of the damages that the serum seven had caused.
***
At Star Labs, Clark was finally back to his old self after a few minutes of rest. Dr. Klein gave Clark another injection of the antidote that Dr. Katharine Allison had made from the instructions stated in the notes from the shuttle.
"Lois, please whisper," Clark said as the Kranite took effect first, and then the antidote started working, stopping Clark of his urges and leaving behind a huge migraine." But before Clark could continue to ask Dr. Klein about getting something for his headache, he started remembering everything he had done for the past few days. Clark started to apologize to Lois for putting the baby's life in danger.
"It's okay, Clark. I'm just glad your back." She hugged him.
Dr. Katharine Allison noticed the way Clark was rubbing his head. She handed Clark a purple drink. "Here, drink this." As Clark drank, he noticed a foul taste but drank it anyway. "Sure tastes sour," he thought. "At least no more headaches."
Clark then remembered cheating on Lois. This made him wonder, "What was I ever thinking of? I know my mom and dad didn't raise me to be like that." Guilt was all he could feel.
Clark's parents soon came in and tried to keep their cool, but wound up hugging Clark.
"Clark, are you okay? You had us worried."
Dr. Katharine Allison was the only other person in the room with Dr. Klein, Lois, and Superman when Martha and Jonathan came in. She started wondering what was going on. "Finish the drink," she instructed Clark, deciding to not ask any questions, but she continued to speculate and question what's been going on. So, Clark picked the cup back up and finished it.
As he finished, Martha and Jonathan helped their son to the car. Dr. Allison had given Superman a bill of complete health. She took Lois to one side and gave Lois another bottle to keep in case some thing else develops. "Keep this in a fridge. If he doesn't get better by tomorrow, you can heat it up to just about boiling point and serve like a tea."
"What is it?"
"It's like a vitamin supplement for Superman. I read it in this manual here. It helps the immune system to get back to normal once it's been damaged by Kryptonite and serum 7."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
As Lois saw a diagram of a human figure showing where all the different parts of a Kryptonian body, Lois then remembered where that surgeon had dug his Kryptonite knife into Clark, when Clark was being experimented on. Lois wondered if the doctor's knife could have made Clark's immune system malfunction a bit. According to the diagram, the organ that the surgeon had dug his knife into was the immune system.
Once home, later that evening, Lois was enjoying having her husband back and just wanted to relax and not share him with anyone else. However Clark couldn't rest until he made everything right. He insisted on calling Perry White to apologize for his rudeness and to ask for his job back.
After Clark got off the phone with Perry, he sat down on the couch next to Lois while hoping all the way there that his wobbly feet would be able to get him there without falling. Clark sat down as Lois put her head on his shoulder and then faced him, "How are you feeling now?"
"Better." Clark paused as he thought for a few more minutes. "I just don't know what made me blow up like that. You know I wouldn't hurt you, LoisŠand the baby."
"I know that, Clark. You weren't yourself. I'm just glad I got my husband back. Now stop obsessing again and kiss me." Clark did so, and was glad to be back in his home.
THE END <for now>
The rest of this author's stories are available directly from her. Write to Betty Huang <quiettornado7491@gmail.com>.