Chapter 5 “Crumble”

It was halfway through lunch that Clark picked up a distant creaking. Lois, not blessed – or cursed – with super hearing, chatted away happily, but Clark put down his fork and strained to listen. Yes, there it was again. A bit louder this time. What was it? And where?

Vague recognition tickled the back of his brain. He had heard this before, but he couldn’t, for the life of him, remember what it was. It made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Lois had noticed her companion had fallen quiet.

“Something wrong, Clark?”

“Oh, er … no, it’s nothing … I-”

And then it clicked.

“I – forgot to put extra money in the parking meter. I’m sorry Lois, I’ll be right back.”

Mumbling a hasty apology, Clark hurried out of the lunchroom, ignoring Lois’ protests. He remembered the sound now. He had heard it when the other buildings in the old river-district collapsed. Not good.

Clark shot into a small and deserted alley. His x-ray vision told him no one was going to approach any time soon, and Clark changed into his Superman uniform at super speed before taking off into the sky. It was up there that he heard the sound he dreaded.

CRASH!

A loud, low noise told Clark that he was too late. A large cloud of dust rose from the scene into the sky, like a huge signpost. Not that Clark needed it.

Landing at the scene, Clark quickly took in his surroundings. Three dozen of people were staring at the rumble shakily, clinging to each other for support.

“Did everyone get out on time?” Clark inquired, but the people were too shocked to reply.

“Did everyone get out on time?” Clark repeated, this time more pressing, looking a dust-covered man straight in the eye.

The man shook his head.

“The people on the top floors - ” The man’s voice died in a dry sob, but it was all Clark needed to hear.

Flying up to the rubble, Clark scanned the building for life forms. About two dozen of people had died instantly, but five were still breathing.

Hold on, I’m coming!

Clark started shifting the stone, too slow for his liking, but cautious to avoid another collapse. An arm came into view, the fingers moved weakly.

“Hold on, there, sir. I’ll get you out of this.”

The man responded with a groan, and Clark began to dig a little faster.

Sirens filled the air as ambulances reached the scene, no doubt alerted by bystanders and survivors.

“What have you got for us, Superman?” one of the emergency personnel yelled.

Clark gently gathered the broken man in his arms and, holding him as still as possible, flew him to the ambulance.

“There are four other live people in there, I’m afraid the rest didn’t make it.”

The paramedic nodded grimly and loaded the man into the ambulance as Clark took off again.

The second man to be rescued appeared to have sustained only minor injuries, but he agreed to go to the hospital for a check-up, anyway.

The third person however, a woman in her mid-thirties, had died before Clark had reached her. Clark lowered her on the ground gently and continued to the fourth.

It was while he was shifting the rocks looking for the fourth person that he heard the familiar sound of an SUV coming closer and Clark didn’t have to turn around to know that Lois Lane had arrived. The soft clicking of a camera told him that Jimmy was close in her wake.

Clark listened to Lois interviewing a witness as he dug away more rubble that held a hysterical woman in it’s grip.

“It’s alright, miss. I’ll get you out of here in no time.”

Scooping the woman up, he flew towards the ambulance yet again. Lois spotted him and ran over.

“Superman!”

Clark waved at her to acknowledge her presence, but didn’t linger to talk to her. There was one more man buried under the pile of bricks and cement. And he didn’t look good.

Working his way down, Clark scanned the unconscious man’s vital organs, and he knew there was little hope left for the man. However, it was when he turned the man around that Clark got a real shock. He knew that face…

As Clark hurried back to the ambulance he scanned to growing crowd for Lois, praying that she wasn’t anywhere around. He found her talking to the emergency personnel and, despite his wishes, looked up when the Man of Steel approached. Of steel though he was, her piercing cry shattered his heart when her eye fell on the man in his arms.

“Oh my god! RICHARD!”