By BanAnna <annaebanana@yahoo.com>
Rated: PG
Submitted: April 2003
Summary: A Tank Ending for the episode "And the Answer Is…"
All characters are copyrighted by DC Comics, Warner Brothers, December 3rd Productions, and probably some other people too. Tony Blake and Paul Jackson wrote some of the dialogue in this story, but most of the dialogue is of my own originality. No copyright infringement is intended; this is just for fun.
For an explanation of the concept of Tank Endings go here to Annesplace:
http://www.nfanfic.net/juliefic/authors/tankending.html
***
"Close your eyes," he instructed her. He took a deep breath, then sent an icy cold stream of air out of his mouth and down her entire body. When she was completely frozen, he moved toward her to gently pick up her body, but the moment he touched her she shattered into a million tiny pieces.
Stunned, Clark scrambled to pick them all up and put her back together, but it was no use. Dejected, he scooped up as many of the pieces as he could carry and took them to Mazik and Nigel.
"What is this?" Mazik asked with a laugh as Superman dropped the many-colored pieces on the table in front of him.
"It's Lois Lane. You told me to bring you her body and you would let my parents go. That was the deal, now where are they?" he demanded.
"Now, now, don't get testy. The deal was that you would bring me the body of Lois Lane. This isn't a body! This could be anyone, or anything for that matter." Mazik looked at his watch and shook his head. "I'm afraid your thirty minutes are up, Superman, so I'll be killing Ma and Pa now. I hope you've told them you love them."
Superman hoisted Mazik by the collar of his shirt and looked at him with intense rage as he tried to squirm free. "Lois is dead and I want my parents back now!"
Nigel stepped out of the shadows. "I'm afraid Mr. Mazik is right, Superman, and we'll be disposing of you, too."
Before Superman could move, Nigel opened the lead box he was holding and the kryptonite inside of it sent an excruciating pain throughout Superman's entire body. He dropped to the ground and his face twisted in torturous agony. Nigel stood over him with the kryptonite while Mazik flipped the switch to release the poison gas into the chamber where Jonathan and Martha were trapped.
The two villains stood watch for a while to make sure that everything went according to their plan. Soon enough, Superman and his parents were dead, and the tiny pieces on the table were swept into the trash.
Mazik opened a small flask and poured some of the liquid into a shot glass. "My father always said, 'Close a good deal with a toast.'"
"Obviously a man of excellent breeding," Nigel said. He took the glass from Mazik and put the liquid away in one quick, smooth motion.
"He was a pig. If it hadn't been for that diary…"
"Ah yes, yes the diary. Subject of our next negotiation." Nigel pulled a gun from inside of his jacket and pointed it at Mazik.
"Oh man! No, I guess I should have known. This says that you double-crossed Lex Luthor."
"Well, that is what I'm best at."
"Did I ever tell you how my old man died?"
"No."
"I poisoned him."
Nigel, still pointing the gun at Mazik, realized the significance of those words just as the poison began to attack his insides. Anger washed through his body along with the toxic drink and, on an impulse, he pulled the trigger as he stumbled back into the wall.
The bullet hit Mazik square in the chest and he hit the ground with a thud. The last thing Mazik saw as he succumbed to death's grip was the trash can full of those strange, tiny pieces.
THE END