Chapter 3 [Talon]

Miranda left Sandra to run things out front so that she could take a break. It had been a busy morning, never allowing them a breath. At least there’s a lull now. She closed the storeroom door behind her. Opposite her, a cloth was stretched over the hole leading to the alley. Uncle Dave blew through there pretty quickly. Even two days later, she could still feel the Protector’s rage. I wish he weren’t so angry. She reached out toward the counter where her lunch bag sat.

As if on its own volition, the sandwich slowly floated to her. Sending stuff flying away is easy. Making stuff come to me is hard. She bit into the peanut butter and jelly. And I wonder if I’ll be able to do those blasts like Uncle Dave does?

At that moment, Lana came in. “Hey, Miri, do you have a minute?”

“Let me finish my sandwich and I’ll be right out,” Miranda indicated. “Sorry you caught me mid-bite.”

Her boss grinned sheepishly at her. “Sure. Sorry to rush you.”

“No sweat,” Miranda declared, taking a fast bite.

Lana walked back out into the main area where Clark, Martha, Angie and Cassie sat. “What do you think?”

“It’s really cool,” Angie noted.

Cassie nodded, not sure of what to think of everything around her. In particular, she felt something familiar in the air here.

“Can I get you something? A cup of tea? Or a soda?” Lana offered.

“Coffee for Mom and me,” Clark accepted with a smile. “How about some chocolate milk for them?”

“That okay with you, girls?” Martha asked.

The little ones nodded and expressed, “Thanks!”

“Be right back,” Lana agreed, going to the counter.

“Cassie, what is it?” Clark queried. “Is everything okay?”

She sighed, “I think our Papa’s been here recently. I can feel him.”

Her sister nodded. “Yeah.”

At that moment, Miranda walked over. As she did, she felt something too. What the?

As soon as she had, the sisters stared at her but elected not to say anything.

Picking up on the telepathic contact between them, Miranda assured them, Everything’s all right.

Angie and Cassie stiffened.

“This is our friend, Miranda Arighatto. Miranda, this is Angie and the shorter girl is her sister, Cassie,” Martha introduced.

“Hi!” Miri greeted, leaning over to smile and look them in the eye. As she did, she noticed Angie’s necklace. What the? It can’t be! But I need to know for sure. “That’s a pretty necklace. Where did you get it?”

“Mama gave it to me,” Angie mentioned. “It’s my favorite thing in the whole world.”

“I’ll bet it is,” Miranda concurred. “Can I look at the locket on it? Just lean closer and you won’t have to take it off.”

“All right,” the little girl agreed and did so.

Miranda looked at the golden locket. It was a circular with a mini-inscribed “A” on the back. Almost instinctively, she touched the clasp, opening it.

“Hey! How did you do that?” Angie gasped.

The others were looking at her too. There was no apparent clasp on the golden bauble yet she knew exactly where to open it.

Miranda noted, “Read the inscription, Lana.”

Her best friend looked at the lines and read, ‘To Auntie Angie with love. Miri.’ She gasped. “It can’t be!”

Miranda took out her necklace and the locket she wore. “It is.” She snapped open her bauble and recited, “ ‘To Miri-Ma with love. Auntie Angie and Uncle Dave.’”

The sisters leaned over and read it too. “Miranda!” they realized and hugged her.

While Miri didn’t know what to make of this, she knew that they were somehow related to her. “That’s right. But who are you? Uncle Dave didn’t have any kids.”

The two girls sulked, thinking she was dismissing them.

Sensing their disappointment, Miranda comforted them. “It’s okay. You’re my cousins?” They nodded. “That’s great!”

“Is he here?” Cassie asked, feeling impatient with all of the attention Angie was getting.

“You just missed him,” Lana sighed. “He and your Aunt April left this morning.” At that moment though, she felt a surge from the corner.

Clark looked over and saw the tell-tale energy signature by the storeroom door. He’s here. “Hey, Lana, you think we can show them the back room? There’s something neat in there.”

“You aren’t going to hurt us, are you?” Cassie wondered hesitantly.

“Why would you ask such a thing? Of course not,” Miranda promised. “I think there’s something you’ll want to see. Follow us.”

Martha looked at the three teenagers curiously, wondering what was going on. Is this another one of Lionel’s tricks, I wonder? They need to be careful. She followed the others.



****



As soon as they were in the backroom, the girls surveyed the area excitedly, picking up on their father’s aura all around them. “Papa! Papa!”

“Wha’s this?” the Protector asked as his image appeared in front of them.

“They’re your kids apparently,” Lana indicated.

“Mah kids? Big Bro an’ Ah don’t have no kids! Least not any livin’ ones an’…” The spirit-image looked at the two girls again.

“It would figure he wouldn’t want me,” Cassie complained, breaking down into tears. “Not after what happened before.”

“Happened before? What happened before, Cassie?” Martha wondered.

The Protector growled, “Cassie? Did ya call ‘er, Cassie? Can’t be!”

“It is,” Miri affirmed. “Who are they? Do you and Uncle Dave know them?”

“Cassie’s dead. Lie-Boy scared Big Bro an’ Karen into killin’ ‘er!” the Dark One noted with an air of malice. Looking at the other girl, he supposed, “Ya’re Ang’lina, Ah bet.”

“Don’t hurt us, Mr. Monster. We thought you were our Papa,” Angie requested fearfully while hiding behind Martha.

“Hurt ya? Ah…ah….” The image, if it was possible, quaked with indignation. “Ah ain’t no monster! An’ Ah’d never hurt ya! Lemme see ya.”

The two girls shook with fear at the sight of the dark image.

“It’s okay,” Lana assured him. “He isn’t as scary as he looks.”

The sisters walked hesitantly toward the image. They gazed upon the glowing thing there with trepidation, fearing that it would send them away again.

The Protector hissed low, the fear grating at him. “Ah won’t hurt ya. Ah jus’ wanna know somethin’. ‘Kay?”

The two kids nodded silently.

The image stared into their eyes and scanned their auras, affirming their identities. He discovered that despite their advanced ages, they were indeed who they claimed to be.  “Sonnuva! Ya’re ‘em!”

“Told you so,” Cassie retorted.

“Come on, Cassie, can’t you feel he’s hurtin’?” Angie inquired. “Where are you, Papa? We wanna see you.”

“Ah git ‘im. Go w’ La…na and Miri-Ma. Kay? Be back,” the Protector promised, disappearing into the darkness.

“Where did he go?” they chorused.

“He was an image in your minds,” Clark explained.

“Like a ghost? But he can’t be dead!” Angie panicked.

“He’s not. Come on; let’s enjoy our drinks while we’re waiting. All right?” Lana directed.

As they walked out, Martha shook her head. This whole thing is really strange. At some point, we’ll need to talk with David about this.

****


[Ten minutes later]

The girls started on their second glasses of milk impatiently. They wondered where their father was.

“I knew he wouldn’t want us,” Cassie moped.

“That’s not true,” Miranda disagreed. “I can’t imagine Uncle Dave being like that.” She looked up to see the man in question coming in the front door. “In fact…”

The sisters looked at the man rushing toward them with differing reactions.

Angie smiled and called, “Papa!”

Cassie wanted to believe he wanted them but previous experience kept her from doing so.

Dave reached the table and looked the two girls over, confirming what his alter ego had told him. “I can’t believe this….Cassie, Angie, how…?”

“We came back for you,” Angie told him.

“I can leave if you want to send me away again,” Cassie told him.

“Send you away?” their father asked. “Never!”

“You hurt me before!” she snapped.

Dave collapsed into a chair beside them. “We didn’t know until it was too late.”

“What? The Protector said that Mr. Luthor made you hurt them. What did you do?” Miranda asked.

He looked around to see the other patrons staring at them. Let’s keep this on mind link if you get my drift. Clark, Lana, can you hear me? Seeing them nod, he continued, The girls…are resurrected somehow. You were in Heaven, right?

Mama wanted to come but she couldn’t, Angie revealed.

What happened? Lana asked. What did you do to Cassie?

Dave took a deep breath. Her mother and I were high school sweethearts and best friends. We got married and she became pregnant. Then Lionel made his big revelation. He looked at them and then his daughters before continuing, Karen was adopted by her family but we didn’t know who her original family was. Lionel did. We’re twins. Once we found out, we divorced and well…we were pressured into…getting an abortion. He choked back a sob. I heard you screaming in my mind as they did it, Cassie. But it was too late. I’ve hated myself ever since. With that, he broke down.

The three teenagers gasped in shock and horror.

“What?” Martha asked, wondering what their conversation was getting at.

Clark leaned close to her and whispered, “Mom, Cassie and Angie came back from the dead. I’ll tell you the rest later. They’re his daughters.”

His mother stiffened, looking over the two sisters and their father. What else is there? What could be upsetting him like this?

“See, Cassie? I told you,” Angie insisted, hugging their father. “Bad man made them do it.”

“I promise, Cassie, you aren’t going to hurt anymore. Give me another chance,” he requested.

Cassie looked at the eyes around her and frowned. “How do I know that?”

“Cassie, our grandparents hurt him too,” Miranda asserted. “I’ll be here watching too.”

“You promise, Miri?” the elder girl insisted.

“I do,” Miranda vowed without hesitation. And so will the Other. Nothing will happen to them. Nothing.

“Okay,” Cassie relented, joining her sister in his arms.

“Thank you. You won’t regret this,” their father promised. I’ll keep them safe, Angie. I promise that. And wait until Karen hears about this. Never mind that. They’re back. My angels are back. Thank you, Lord. Thank you.

An we’re keepin’ ‘em safe, the Protector declared.

Clark, Lana and Miranda smiled, hearing the two sets of thoughts and knowing that another link had been established there.



Conclusion
[Kent Farm]

After leaving the Talon, he had taken his daughters for a long walk around Crater Lake. They had talked about things, catching up on people and events happening on both Heaven and Earth. At least they all knew that their relations still cared about them. Thanks to Lionel, there were bad memories to be erased. However, they had all vowed to do that together.


****


After supper that night, Dave set down his coffee cup and looked at the others around the table. In addition to the Kents and the teenagers, Steve and Lex had joined them there. Telling the story again—even to his closest friends—proved especially difficult for him.

Lex rubbed his friend’s shoulder in support. His father had outdone himself with that tragedy. “I knew he hated you, Dave, but to do that?”

“He did all right,” Steve concurred. Looking at the two girls, he assured them, “Your parents love you.”

“I know that, Mr. Steve,” Cassie declared. “Papa’s not just saying it. I know he really feels that way.” She patted her father’s hand. While she wasn’t ready to cuddle up to him, she would do so at some point.

“Absolutely,” Dave agreed. “Your mother, April and I are glad you’re here. They’re waiting to see you when we get back to Amherst.”

“We can find out together,” Angie assured her sister.

****



[Later—Fortress of Solitude]

Clark and Lana stared at the stars shining down at them from space. As orphans, Fortune had taken them from their parents. However, they were still alive at least. Now that they knew about their young friends’ fate, they were grateful for his parents’ influence.

“I always wanted to know why my parents had to die,” she remarked. “At least we weren’t like those kids.”

“I wonder who was the worse off—the girls or Dave and his sister?” he wondered.

“Both,” Miri pointed out, coming up the stairs. “They’re all victims of Lex’s father. Fortunately, they have a second chance.”

“How’s your uncle doing?” Lana wondered.

“He’s beating himself up pretty badly. At least he has your parents, Clark, to talk to as well as Lex and Steve. I think he and my cousins will be all right at least.”

As will all of you, Jor-El concurred.

Miranda looked around in shock. “Who said that?”

I did, Jor-El indicated, appearing in front of them in his spirit form. Due to your abilities, you can understand me, Miranda Arighatto. Since you have proven yourself a worthy ally to my son and his consort, I have enabled you to do so.

“You’re Clark’s father?” Miri wondered.

I am, the spirit declared. Thank you for your help in all things. You did well in supporting your friend in his time of need as he did for you. But beware; your mutual enemies are still out there. You will need to learn about yourselves to survive—much more. With that, he vanished into the darkness.

“What do you suppose he meant by that?” Lana inquired.

“The Black Hand is still out there and so are Lionel and Arighatto,” Clark detailed.

“And we’ll need everyone’s assistance to hang in there,” Miranda agreed. “I can’t believe it, Clark. Your father’s ghost really talks with you!”

“Now that he’s not trying to kill us, having him as a teacher is a great help. Still, the Hand gets tougher to beat each time we face them. How will we stop them the next time?” Lana wondered.

“Who knows? We’ll figure that out when the time comes. Meantime, let’s enjoy our time together and hope for the best where our friends are concerned,” he surmised, as they resumed their vigil of the distant stars and tried to dismiss such thoughts.

Still the present for their friends looked good at least for now. But it would prove an Indian summer of hope before the Black Hand’s next stratagem came to pass….That would happen soon enough indeed.

THE END (for now)

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