Mission on Fifth Street

By cuidadora <cuidadora1717@gmail.com>

Rated: G

Submitted: October 2016

Summary: What happened when Clark showed up at the Fifth Street
Mission in the episode "All Shook Up"? Who really recognized
him at the Mission? Does his secret remain safe when he doesn't
remember he has a secret to keep?

Story Size: 4,413 words (24Kb as text)

A prequel to "The Nun's Tale".

I don't own the characters; they belong to someone else. I just
borrow them. No copyright infringement intended.

Thanks to Marcelle for being the GE for this story. Your helpful
suggestions added clarity to make this story flow better and
easier to read.

***

Day 1

Mother Mary Frances walked on the sidewalk next to the buildings.
She allowed the more hurried pedestrians to pass her. Today she
was in no rush, because she was early.

This was one of the perks of her recent promotion. She set her
own schedule and would occasionally indulge herself in watching
the people around her. It was something her dad had taught her
when they were waiting on an arrival at Metropolis International
Airport years ago, before Mary Frances became a novitiate. The
flight was delayed for several hours. Rather than getting upset,
her father calmly took the opportunity to watch the people in the
airport. He told her stories she'd never heard before, sharing
how many acquaintances and family members whom he hadn't seen
for years had crossed paths with him in one busy airport or
another.

It was one of the last lessons he taught her, and one she took to
heart. Whenever she could, she would find a way to do something
productive instead of getting upset if her plans were suddenly
changed, or if she found herself with a long wait. And when she
looked at the people around her, she remembered her dad's
stories and really looked at them. Not only to see if she knew
any, but also to gauge their emotions, and when possible she
liked to brighten someone's day.

Today was a sunny day with people hurrying to work. It was a bit
early in the day for shoppers or tourists, and it was not the
peak tourist season in Metropolis anyway.

Suddenly, the world became dark as an ominous shadow passed over
the sun. The pedestrians all stopped where they were since they
couldn't see in the unexpected darkness.

She heard a car skidding and instinctively turned in its
direction, even though she was still temporarily blinded by the
sudden darkness and couldn't see what was happening. Before her
eyes could fully adjust, the sun returned.

And Mary Frances found herself looking directly at a young man in
a business suit with dark hair and glasses standing next to the
stopped car. In the blink of an eye, he looked like he was thrown
in the air and turned around so that he ended up sitting in a
pile of trash. Before she could fully process what she saw, his
companion, a brunette in a red power suit, called out,
"Clark!"

Mary Frances moved closer to see if the man was injured. After a
couple of steps she stopped when he got up. He rubbed the back of
his head, but didn't seem hurt. Before she could politely turn
away, he turned his head and she saw his face. She recognized
him, but couldn't immediately place him.

This whole scene seemed familiar somehow. Then it hit her. The
bus! This was the young man she saw stop a bus with his bare
hand.

*He was Superman! *

She clamped her jaw shut so she would not give him away, and
stopped staring at him. She remembered the look on his face after
he saved the bus. It reminded her of one of her former students
who didn't know the answer to a question and was frozen in fear.
She remained silent because the last thing she wanted to do was
to cause him any distress or to reveal his secret. Of course,
that assumed she could say anything, since Mary Frances thought
it likely she couldn't speak coherently now due to her
surprise.

He and his companion spoke briefly, stopped at the coffee kiosk
where he bought them each a cup of coffee and then headed into
the *Daily Planet* building.

Mary Frances took a deep breath and walked up to the coffee
kiosk. She was pleasantly surprised to see Mike there. She
hadn't seen him in a long time, but he always had a smile and
was pleasant.

"Hi, Mary Frances! Congratulations on your promotion," Mike
said as he handed her a cup of tea, fixed exactly the way she
liked it.

Mike's smile and welcoming manner put her at ease. She relaxed
and found herself able to speak to him.

"Thank you, Mike," she said as she handed him the money for the
tea. "Keep the change."

He smiled and replied, "Thank you. And you're welcome. Be sure
to go to the Fifth Street Mission tomorrow evening."

"Can you tell me why?"

"You're needed there. They'll be shorthanded."

Mary Frances took a sip of her tea and asked, "Why me?"

Mike kindly replied, "You have an important mission. Don't
worry, you'll know what to do."

She left with a new spring in her step. As soon as she left the
kiosk she forgot about seeing Mike there and continued on to her
appointments, feeling happy and blessed.

In front of the *Daily Planet* building, she stopped to buy a
copy of today's paper. She noticed the lead article on the front
page was by Lois Lane and Clark Kent.

As she walked to her appointment, Mary Frances reminisced about
Lois as a driven ten-year-old. She wondered if Lois had figured
out just who her writing partner was, and what kind of woman Lois
had become. Apparently she was still driven to be the best.

The rest of her day was unremarkable.

***

Day 2

Mary Frances spent the next morning and early afternoon in a
flurry of activity due to her usual schedule, plus the
unscheduled added responsibilities due to the imminent threat of
the asteroid Nightfall colliding with Earth.

After lunch, her secretary came rushing into her office,
anxiously saying, "The Fifth Street Mission is shorthanded
tonight. They need another person to help. Apparently some of
their volunteers cancelled with Nightfall threatening. The
Mission will provide transportation there and back. Or someone
can stay overnight at the shelter."

"Okay," Mary Frances calmly replied.

"But how can we find someone on such short notice? Everyone has
plans or is scheduled to work."

"Oh, I'll go. Or rather Sister Mary Frances will go."

"Are you sure? I can ask--"

"No, I go there at least once a month. I feel that I need to go.
It's important, although I can't explain why. I'll plan on
coming back tonight and will pack an overnight bag just in case I
need to stay."

"I'll call them back."

"Thanks. I'll take them up on an offer of a ride. Ask them if
they want me to bring anything."

An hour later her secretary returned with the devastating news
that EPRAD had lost audio and radar contact with Superman. EPRAD
announced a news conference for the next day. For the next hour,
Mary Frances prayed for Superman's safe return.

***

The Evening of Day 2

Sister Mary Frances looked around at the clientele of the Fifth
Street Mission. Tonight there were more folks than usual.

Most of them were more fearful and cautious than normal when
coming into the mission. After a hot meal and some extra
attention from the staff and volunteers, most seemed more relaxed
than before. As she looked around, she noticed that Henry O had a
companion at his table tonight.

She noted how this was unusual, since Henry usually was alone.
While Henry seemed relaxed and was chatting, she noticed the body
language of his companion was tense. He seemed to shrink as Henry
talked. As she watched for a few minutes, he seemed to become
more uncomfortable, not less.

Mary Frances was concerned since she didn't recognize this man.
He was dressed in what looked like mismatched clothes. His shirt
looked to be part of a uniform, perhaps a repairman. His pants
didn't match, and his clothes were worn. As he turned, she saw
his profile and noted that his glasses seemed too small for his
face.

She had the nagging feeling all day that something important was
coming and she needed to be watchful especially here in the
mission.

As she cautiously approached their table, he turned towards her.
She stifled a gasp of recognition and schooled her features into
a neutral expression. What touched her heart most was the lost
expression on his face.

Henry O cheerfully greeted her, "Hello, Sister. Care to join
us?"

"I'd love to, if you don't mind."

"Please."

The young man next to Henry politely stood as she approached, and
held a chair for her as she sat, then resumed his seat.

"Thank you. So how are you two doing tonight?"

Henry O answered, "Well, I'm fine. But my friend here needs
some help."

"Well, that's my job. How can I help?"

"See, he's lost his memory. I think he was mugged. Found him in
a hole without a stitch of clothing. Excuse me for using such
language."

"That's okay. I've heard far worse from children."

Henry chuckled and then continued, "Who would do such a terrible
thing? I was concerned he might've been drugged, but he doesn't
seem drunk. He was reluctant to come here, but I convinced him to
get something to eat and that no one would hurt him."

"Of course not! We're here to help." Turning to Clark she
asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Do you remember anything? Your name? This city?"

"No, not my name. Maybe... Metropolis? I'm not sure..."

"That's right. You're in Metropolis. So you do remember some
things. If you're not hurt this very well may be temporary."

"But I don't know who I am."

Mary Frances gently replied, "Well, we haven't met formally,
but I think I know who you are."

"You do?"

Henry eagerly interjected, "See, I was right! You needed to come
here! So who is he?"

"Well, I think he's Clark Kent." Turning to Clark she asked,
"Does that name sound familiar?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Okay. Will you let me contact a friend of mine on the police
force? I think he knows you and can get you in touch with your
family and friends."

"Police? I didn't do anything wrong," Clark said with a tremor
in his voice and an expression filled with fear.

In a calm voice Mary Frances replied, "Oh no, if you're who I
think you are, then you are definitely one of the good guys. And
you work with the police sometimes. Will you let me call my
friend and see if he can meet us here? I won't let him take you
anywhere unless you feel comfortable with him."

"O-okay."

Mary Frances excused herself to go to the office and call
Inspector Henderson. He was on duty so she talked to him. He
couldn't come personally to the mission, but would send two
officers in a squad car to bring Clark to the station. Mary
Frances told Henderson that either she or Henry O might need to
accompany Clark since he seemed so skittish. He agreed and would
inform the officers.

When she walked back into the dining room, she was startled to
see two burly men at Henry O's table. They looked menacing, and
appeared to be threatening Henry and Clark. Henry looked annoyed
but remained calm. Clark, if that's who he was, looked both
terrified and upset.

She was incensed that anyone would come into the mission, a place
of sanctuary for all and disturb the clients. Especially that
particular young man! Summoning all her courage and authority,
Mary Frances marched over to the table to discover what was going
on.

She stood next to Clark's chair and asked in her best
no-nonsense annoyed voice, "Can I help you *gentlemen*?"

They turned to her, saying, "We're looking for someone."

"Oh? Perhaps I can help you. I've been here all night."

"We're looking for a friend who may be hurt. We, um, need to
find him."

"What's his name? Do you have a description or a picture?"

"Well, he's tall and has dark hair. Like this guy, except our
friend is taller, has more muscles and doesn't wear glasses."

"Really? So what's his name?"

The two men looked at each other but remained silent.

Mary Frances stood looking at them and crossed her arms across
her chest. While she had to look up at them since they were
physically taller, she felt as though she were towering over
them. She said in a tone indicating she had reached the end of
her patience with these two, "I'll ask you once more. What is
his name? Surely your friend has a name?"

"Well, we're not sure what name he's using. We think he's
hurt and may be hiding."

"I see. How about a picture or more specific information than he
looks like my friend here? He looks like a lot of people."

"Yeah, I suppose so."

"And who is he hiding from? If you don't know what name he's
using, how about introducing yourselves? Prove to us that he's
not hiding from you."

They remained silent.

Quietly, the mission staff had noted what was going on. Suddenly
those two men realized they were surrounded by six of the
volunteer staff, including two men who often worked as bouncers.
They moved between Mary Frances and the two interlopers. The
intruders lost their surly attitude and seemed uncomfortable with
the added attention.

After a few minutes of silence, Mary Frances told the men,
"Okay, gentlemen*. *Here's what we're going to do. We could
ask you to leave because you're upsetting the men at this table.
However, I'll accept that you're looking for your friend*.
*Since we can't help you, there are two policemen coming in a
few minutes. You can wait by yourselves at that empty table by
the front door and discuss your search with them."

"Oh, no. We don't see our man and had best be on our way."
They scurried out of the mission like the police were already on
their tails.

As soon as they were gone Clark turned to Mary Frances and said,
"Thank you. I didn't know what to say to them, but I know they
were lying. I'm not sure how I know that, I just do."

"I have no doubt you're absolutely correct. I called my friend
Bill and he can't come himself. He's sending a couple of
officers in a squad car to talk to us. If you want, I can go with
you to the precinct to see Bill."

"Yes, thank you. That would be nice. This is all kind of
confusing."

"Of course it is. We want to help you get your memory back."

Henry added, "You see? You came to the right place. Now Sister
thinks she knows your name, and she got rid of those guys. You
know, Sister, I don't think they're Catholic."

"Oh, what gave them away?"

"Anyone who's worked with a nun, especially one who's been a
teacher, knows not to mess with her."

Clark looked bewildered.

Mary Frances, Henry and the volunteers laughed. The volunteers
returned to their duties.

The two police officers arrived within a few minutes. Mary
Frances had the mission's staff contact other missions and
shelters in Suicide Slum to be on the lookout for those two men
and then filled the officers in on what had happened. The
officers put out a description, and that those men were wanted
for questioning.

She accompanied Clark to the precinct. After Inspector Henderson
recognized him and introduced himself, Clark felt comfortable
being left with in the inspector's care. Before returning to the
mission, Mary Frances asked Bill not to mention her involvement.
She explained she didn't know why but it seemed important for
her to remain anonymous tonight. She had told him about the two
men who approached Clark at the mission, and he promised to
question them himself if they were found. He told her he would
just indicate that two of his policemen had found Clark at the
mission. While it was true, it wasn't the complete story.

***

Day 6

Clark was on a mission to find Sister Mary Frances.

It had been frustrating. The administrator of the Fifth Street
Mission was away for two weeks, and no one else knew how to
contact the sister. They didn't even know how she knew to show
up when they needed additional help. Inspector Henderson was away
on a special assignment and unreachable. To Clark's frustration,
no one else at the 12th Precinct knew Sister Mary Frances.

He wanted to find her and be sure she was okay. His sources had
informed him that those two guys were hired by "The Boss" to
find Superman. Apparently someone had suspected his plummet to
Earth. If EPRAD missed it, it meant someone with powerful
connections had been looking for him. If he had to guess, he
would suspect Luthor or Bureau 39 were involved... or maybe both.
Now that scared him, more for Henry O and Sister than himself.
But, he had no proof, only his instincts.

Clark had already found Henry, and made sure he was okay. He even
convinced him to stay at the shelter for a few days. Clark wanted
to reassure himself that Sister was also okay. Both Henry and
Sister had been so kind that night. He would never forget them.

Other than Sister Mary Frances, the only two other women who had
ever defended him so boldly and bravely were Lois defending
Superman and his mother defending him as Clark.

So he searched all the city's Catholic offices for leads to
Sister Mary Frances as often as his other duties permitted. If
necessary he would call or visit every orphanage, church and
office.

He found himself one afternoon asking the Mother Superior's
secretary about Sister Mary Frances. The secretary was cordial
but reserved. She called the Mother's extension, and to Clark's
surprise, he was ushered immediately into her private office. The
door closed behind him.

Clark looked around the office, and saw a blonde middle-aged
woman dressed in a business suit next to a table. She was setting
out a second cup for tea. A plate of chocolate chip cookies was
already on the table.

Looking up, she extended her hand, saying, "Mr. Kent? I'm
Mother Mary Frances. It's nice to meet you. I'm a fan of your
work."

Stunned, Clark gently yet firmly shook her hand and said,
"You're the Mother Superior?"

"Yes. Would you like to join me for a cup of oolong tea and
cookies? And tell me why you're here. Please have a seat."

Clark stood politely until she was seated and then said, "I have
been looking for Sister Mary Frances from the Fifth Street
Mission. It looks like I may have found her."

Mary Frances enigmatically smiled at him and poured him a cup of
tea. She said, "Fix your tea as you like it. I have cream,
sugar, honey and lemon. We can probably find some milk if you
prefer. I'm not sure about nondairy creamer or artificial
sweetener if you want those. And yes, you've found her. Although
I hope you don't plan to publish that."

As Clark fixed his tea he replied, "This is fine. And this is
not for publication. It's personal. I wanted to be sure you were
okay, and to thank you for your kindness last week."

"You're welcome. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"My sources told me those two men who stopped by Henry's and my
table looking for someone were hired by the shady underworld
character known as 'The Boss.' I wanted to be sure neither they
nor anyone else bothered you."

"Nope. But then very few people know where to find me."

"I found that out over the past few days. Do you mind if I ask
why?"

"No, I don't mind." She paused, and then explained, "I've
been Mother Superior for only a few weeks, and Sister for many
years. People treat me differently since I've become Mother
Superior. It's like I'm not allowed to have a sense of humor or
to have problems like regular people."

Clark smiled to himself at that description. As Superman he dealt
with those same issues.

Mary Frances continued, "So, sometimes I need to just be a
regular nun. In the case of the Fifth Street Mission, they know
me as Sister Mary Frances and so I'm her when I go there to
work. I am sorry you had problems finding me."

Clark thoughtfully replied, "I wouldn't call it a problem, just
a challenge. The mission administrator and Inspector Henderson
are both unavailable, and no one else seemed to know how to
contact you. I was concerned that you were safe."

His concern and tenacity to find her warmed her heart. She took a
minute before replying, "I appreciate that. I should have given
you my contact information before I left you with Bill Henderson.
Here, take my card. It has my direct line if you ever need to
contact me." She handed him her business card.

Taking the card Clark replied, "Thanks. I am curious how you
recognized me. As far as I know, we hadn't met before that
night."

"Not officially, no." Mary Frances took a sip of her tea, and
studied Clark.

"May I call you Clark and you call me Mary Frances?" After he
nodded yes she continued, "Clark, what I'm about to tell you I
will never tell anyone else. And I'm asking that you not share
Sister's identity with anyone. I don't expect your promise
until after I complete my story."

She thoughtfully paused to gather her thoughts. This was harder
than she thought it would be. And unexpected since she hadn't
thought Clark would come to find her.

Steeling herself, she began her story. "In early September,
Sister Barbara and I were shopping downtown. We were crossing the
street when a bus headed out of control towards pedestrians. As
we reached the sidewalk, Sister Barbara turned to help an elderly
woman next to her and I turned to look back at the bus. I saw a
dark haired young man in a trench coat and business suit stop the
bus with his bare hand. I'll never forget the look of fear on
his face as he scanned the crowd before disappearing into it. And
frankly, I never want to be the cause of that fear.

"A few days later, Superman appeared. I figured he was the same
young man. Clark, he saved my life and the lives of all the
people on the bus and the other pedestrians. I would never
endanger him or his family. He did give me the idea, though, that
Sister Mary Frances could do what Mother Superior can't. You
see, Mother Superior can't be silly or funny. As her, I often
seem to be put on a pedestal, and frankly feel like I'm living
in a glass house or a fishbowl.

"Anyway, about a week ago, I was walking down the street when
the Nightfall solar eclipse occurred. I was almost in front of
the *Daily Planet*, and saw the same young man in front of a
stopped car when the eclipse ended. Now I didn't see him
actually stop the car, but I did see him jump into a pile of
trash after the car had stopped. He didn't seem seriously hurt.

"A young woman called him 'Clark' and after buying coffee,
they both went into the *Daily Planet* building. I bought a
*Daily Planet* paper and saw the front-page byline of Lois Lane
and Clark Kent.

"When I saw you at the mission, I recognized you. I'm sorry if
this has caused you any distress."

Clark had turned pale as she told her story. Using his super
senses, he closely watched her body language and listened to her
heartbeat throughout her speech. He felt confident she was
telling the truth, and had no plans to expose him.

"Mary Frances, what you have discovered is a dangerous secret.
If you read the *Daily Planet*, you may have read about Colonel
Trask and Bureau 39. In an effort to capture Superman, they took
my parents, neighbor, Lois and me hostage. My neighbor was
actually tortured. He and my parents nearly died."

"Are they okay now?"

Clark smiled wistfully as he answered, "Yes. The neighbor Wayne
recovered fully. And my parents... well they're just amazing."

"Clark, as I said before I have no intention of sharing this
with anyone. Ever. I've already taken a vow of silence on the
matter, with you as the only exception. I don't know what else I
can say to convince you of my honesty.

"Except that my identity as Sister Mary Frances is not
dangerous, but I do believe being able to be her occasionally is
important for my mental health. I'd probably go crazy or resign
as Mother Superior if she didn't exist. And exposing her would
do just that. Does that make sense?"

Clark nodded affirmatively.

Mary Frances continued, "You have a secret. I have a secret. We
each keep our own and each other's secrets. Now I am okay with
you telling your family about Sister since I assume they also can
keep a secret. If you need to tell anyone else though, I would
ask that you let me know first."

Clark finished his tea, and was deeply touched by her sincerity
and concern. He quietly said, "I believe you. Thanks for sharing
your secret and for keeping mine."

"Now tell me, Clark, are you okay? Did you have any serious
injury from Nightfall?"

"Only the amnesia, which lasted until shortly before Superman
deflected the rest of Nightfall."

From there, they continued conversing about Nightfall, the *Daily
Planet* and other topics. They found they both enjoyed teas.
Clark told her about some of his travels, while Mary Frances
regaled him with amusing stories of her secret identity.

And they began their lifelong friendship over that pot of oolong
tea and plate of cookies.

THE END