The Superman At The End of This Story
 

Chapter One

Mac was very bright for a square-headed, precocious, eight-year-old boy that lived in the great city of Metropolis. He had been lately involved in the world of astronomy, taking occasional visits to an old observatory outside of the city and seeing a fellow by the name of Nigel, who used to be the conductor for a popular orchestra. On one night, when there were lots of stars surrounding the big moon in the sky, Mac visited Nigel as he was looking through his telescope at a particular spot in the sky.

?Hey, Nigel.? Mac said, as he entered the observatory. ?How?s it going??

?Mac,? Nigel said, ?I?ve got a question for ya.?

?Uh, okay. Shoot.?

?It?s almost been three years since Superman left our world and had gone out somewhere in the vast blackness that we call ?outer space?. Where do you think the Man of Steel went off to, Mac?? Mac thought carefully; he had been a huge fan of the Daily Planet newspaper and read (and collected) every issue printed. He remembered one issue that estimated that Superman had gone to save other planets from more destructive forces of evil.

?Superman?s just a busy guy, Nigel.? Mac replied. ?His job not just requires protecting us but other worlds as well.?

?So you believe Superman might?ve fled to another planet? Mars, perhaps?? Nigel queried.

?Well, I wouldn?t say it was Mars that he might?ve gone to.? Mac told Nigel.

?So you believe that Superman could?ve possibly discovered a planet not like our own, realized there were people there that needed saving, and decided to be the protector of that world, since there?s no destructive force threatening ours.? Nigel remarked, and Mac became a little suspicious.

?Where are you getting at with this, Nigel?? Mac asked, and Nigel looked away from the telescope, jumped out of his chair, and approached Mac.

?I believe that I had discovered a new planet.? He said, and Mac had gone from being suspicious to interested.

?A new planet?!? Mac exclaimed. ?In our solar system?!?!?

?Hard to believe, isn?t it?? Nigel said, as he gulped down a cup of coffee.

?You do realize that if you tell the world about this, then you?ll be branded as ?The World?s Greatest Astronomer?, right?? Mac said. ?Guinness would be on your doorstep in a heartbeat, man!!?

?I won?t be the one to tell them, Mac,? Nigel said, ?You will tell them.?

?Me?!? Mac yelled. ?But?But all I did was walk in and say ?How?s it going??.?

?Mac, you?ve been coming to this observatory long before I even decided to become an astronomer.? Nigel said. ?It wouldn?t be fair if I were to hog all of the glory over something that I?d discovered only three months after I started working here.?

?And it wouldn?t be fair if I went around telling everyone about something that I didn?t even know about ?til this very moment.? Mac contradicted. ?You?ve spent three months sitting in that chair and looking up in the sky for cosmic phenomenon to tell the whole world about, while all I have been doing is avoiding wedgies from my brother, Terrance.?

?Well, if you tell the world about your latest discovery, even Terrance will learn to respect you.? Nigel assumed.

?Or criticize me in a fit of jealousy.? Mac uttered, just before he walked over to the large telescope and looked through it for a brief moment, seeing an image of the ?new world? that Nigel had discovered. The planet?s appearance was strangely similar to Earth?s; the only difference was in the color?Earth contained a mixture of green and blue, while the new planet was mixed with olive and brass. ?Where did it come from??

?My guess is that it?s been there since the dawn of time.? Nigel said, and Mac seemed very puzzled.

?If it?s been there for that long, then how come no one has noticed it until now?? Mac inquired, and Nigel shrugged his shoulders in reply. ?Well, let?s say if Superman did leave our planet for that one and we told everyone about it, the reaction would be anything but amazed, Nigel.? Nigel didn?t consider that possibility; but the grin on his face didn?t disappear.

?At least everyone will know where he has gone.? Nigel remarked, and Mac just shook his head.

?I don?t know, Nigel.? He said. ?I don?t think the world?s ready for something this big.?

?Then don?t tell anyone.? Nigel said. ?But sooner or later, people are going to start wondering again, and they?re going to ask that infamous question: ?Where has he gone??.? Mac sighed, feeling a little disappointed with himself for not helping Nigel. He wished there was a way to make the both of them satisfied, but there seemed to have been no possibly way to do that; unless?

?Nigel, you remember my friend Frankie Foster, right?? Mac asked, and Nigel reminded himself of who she was.

?The co-owner of that home for imaginary friends at the corner of Sesame Street?? Nigel replied, as Mac moved away from the telescope.

?Well, as of late, she?s been applying for a job at the Daily Planet, where Bob Johnson?a resident of Sesame Street?has been working for almost forty years now.? Mac mentioned. ?If I were to tell Frankie about our discovery, then I?d be giving the Planet an excellent reason for hiring her.?

?Then wouldn?t she be getting all of the credit?? Nigel asked.

?Hey, if she does, then she deserves it, considering all of the work that she?ll be putting at both Foster?s and the Planet.? Mac said, and Nigel nodded, with a smile.

?You are a very bright young man, Mac.? Nigel said. ?It?s just too bad that I won?t be around any longer to see how far your intelligence will take you.?

?What do you mean?? Mac said, a little concerned.

?The city?s going to be tearing down this observatory in a week,? Nigel said, ?And they?re expecting me to leave within that timeframe.? Mac couldn?t believe what he was hearing.

?They can?t do that!? He exclaimed, angrily. ?Do they even realize what this place means to everyone?!?

?This place means a lot to you, Mac.? Nigel said. ?The city would care less about how long it has stood and what it means to science.?

?I?m going to start a petition!? Mac declared. ?Metropolis is not going to get away with such an unruly act!? Nigel just smiled at the furious eight-year-old, as he came up to him and put his hands on his shoulders, calming Mac down.

?Don?t try and become a superman yourself, Mac.? Nigel advised. ?You read the Daily Planet, and you know how the world feels about such a character.?

?Yeah, I know.? Mac said, sadly. ??Metropolis and the rest of the world no longer needs a savior, now that our hero has left??Lois Lane, in a issue of the Planet that was printed in 2004.?

?You were only six when you read that issue.? Nigel indicated.

?And I cried when my favorite reporter on the team, Clark Kent, had gone back to his hometown of Smallville and left the staff for an unknown period of time.? Mac said. ?There are people in the world that are upset that Superman has vanished, wondering where he went off to; but I?m probably the only person that?s concerned where Mr. Kent has gone. I mean, who just leaves the biggest metropolitan newspaper in the world, without telling anyone where he?s going or how long he?ll be there??

?Clark Kent?s just a busy guy, Mac.? Nigel said. ?He?s probably got more going on outside the paper than he does inside.?

?Superman is a busy guy, and it?s obvious enough that Clark Kent?s no Superman,? Mac contradicted, ?So there?s no reason for a great reporter like him, who?s still in his prime, to just retire from journalism like that.?

?Have you asked Bob Johnson where he could?ve gone?? Nigel queried.

?He was too concerned about Superman?s disappearance to worry about Mr. Kent?s.? Mac replied. ?I begged Frankie several times if she could investigate his disappearance, as soon as she got hired; but even she felt that her future job was more important than some mild-mannered reporter.?

?She?ll agree to the investigation, now that you have plausible information on Superman?s whereabouts.? Nigel said.

?Now that I know what this city?s gonna be doing to this observatory, I?m going to keep the information about the new planet to myself.? Mac stated, with a great deal of hatred in him. ?The people of the city are already up to their necks with confidence, since they?ve learned to accept a world without Superman. Telling them that we have a secret world in our solar system will only make them more power-crazed than Lex Luthor himself.? And with that being said, Mac followed it with a small grin on his face. ?Besides, who?ll believe an eight-year-old anyway??

?You got me there, Mac.? Nigel said, as he picked up a brown suitcase and started making his way towards the exit. ?Well, the next time you?ll hear from me, I?ll be orchestrating one of the finest symphonies since John Williams?s London Symphony Orchestra.? Mac noticed how Nigel was leaving before him and couldn?t help but to feel a little uncertain.

?Aren?t you going to wait ?til I?m done scouting the stars?? He asked Nigel.

?No one cares to break into an old, beat-up observatory, Mac.? Nigel said. ?Just leave the door open when you?re finished.? As Nigel left the building, Mac just shook his head in despair; he really wished there was something he could do to change the way Metropolis felt about the observatory. But little Mac knew that doing that would?ve been more impossible than talking Superman into coming back to Earth.

When it was close to ten o?clock, Mac started to leave the observatory for the last time ever, but stopped once he had discovered that one of the drawers in a nearby desk had been left open. Curious, he looked in the drawer and found some folders that contained documents that were as old as the observatory itself was. Looking through each of them, Mac had discovered notes that had been taken many years ago, involving the mysterious planet that he and Nigel came across that night. It suddenly hit Mac that there was a possibility that they weren?t the first people to find out about it.

Mac wondered if Nigel discovered those documents or not, as he quickly flipped through them. He noticed how detailed the documents were, going into things like whether the planet orbits around the sun, moon, Earth, or any other planets in the system and how long had it been there. But then Mac scanned through the very last folder and read some documents that just had puzzling questions, instead of heavy details. There was only one statement that Mac found in the whole document, explaining some bizarre occurrence that the planet had gone through. The statement read, ?It was like some kind of strange eclipse, as the planet was covered by a huge shadow.? That statement was followed by the last question that had been written into the document, and it read, ?Why has the planet suddenly reappeared after twenty years??

Mac looked at the date that the last question was written on and realized that it was written only a year before Nigel took over the observatory, which meant that there was no possible way he could?ve taken those notes. What really made the notes so mysterious to Mac was that some of them were written at a time when he was visiting the observatory, yet he never met the person that worked there. The eight-year-old could only determine that the observatory worker that he never met was the one that wrote the notes. And before he placed all of the folders into his backpack, he wrote a question underneath the last one in the final document that had read, ?Who documented all of this??

END OF CHAPTER ONE

You know, I've not read any fanfic for yonks and I'd forgotten what a strange and diverse field it is. I can't imagine you'll get too many fans here as the actual Fosters content is a little limited so far but don't let that stop you as I'll admit I'm just a little curious about where on earth you're going with this (beyond Earth, I suspect). It's also good to see the Clark Kent/Superman identity thing brought up again. It was a good gag decades ago and it's still funny now. Glasses rock.

btw is your name Big Daddy at all related to 70s Wrestler who wore a silver top hat and had a girl's name?

Thanks, Koosie. It's actually just an old nickname given to me during my high school years. And it's also the name I use for my imaginary friend on the "Big Awesome House Party" game. :)

Chapter Two

Mac sat on the porch steps to the Foster?s mansion, looking over some of the notes from the observatory closely. Two weeks had passed since he had found them there, and he was disappointed when he had gone back to the observatory one day, only to discover that it had been torn down to pieces. Mac was saddened by the loss, but he knew that there was no time to let the tears come out; he had to solve the mystery of the ?hidden planet.? Spending those two weeks looking over the notes, Mac never felt so confused in his life. Just when he thought he understood where the planet might?ve come from, there were twists that put him right back where he started. The ?hidden planet? was a mystery for sure, and Mac almost felt like he was reading a ?Whodunit?? story rather than documented information.

?Hey, Mac.? Someone said, and Mac turned his attention away from the notes for a brief moment to look back at Frankie, as she was coming out through the front door.

?Hey, Frankie.? Mac said. ?Going to that job interview at the Daily Planet??

?Yeah, and I?m really nervous about it, too.? Frankie replied. ?Bert and Ernie are supposed to be going with me.?

?They?re applying for jobs?!? exclaimed a surprised Mac. ?I hope they realize that there might not be many seats they can fill you all in.?

?Hey, if they could squeeze Bob in, I?m sure they could squeeze Bert, Ernie, and me in as well.? Frankie said, just as Bert and Ernie themselves were walking down the sidewalk and stopped as they were passing through both the mansion and the bus that was parked in front of it.

?Yoo-hoo! Frankie!? Ernie shouted. ?Are ya ready to go??

?Yeah, we?re on a tight schedule here.? Bert added. ?If we don?t get going soon, we might not get the chance to be hired for the jobs.?

?We?ll take the bus over to the Planet, guys. It should get us there in less than a second, especially with someone like me behind the wheel.? Frankie said, and she turned back to Mac, winking at him. ?I?ll see ya later, pal. Wish me luck.? As Frankie was walking down the porch steps and away from the mansion, Mac looked down at the notes that were sitting on his lap and thought hard about telling Frankie about the unknown planet that he and Nigel discovered.

?Uh?Frankie?? Mac uttered, and Frankie stopped to turn to her friend, with a smile on her face that was covering up the nervous feeling that she had in her.

?Yeah?? She said, and Mac looked long and hard at her, still wondering if he should reveal such big information to her that could ensure her a position at the Daily Planet. He really felt guilty about taking such credit away from the person who discovered the hidden planet, which he realized was not Nigel. Frankie just stood there and stared at him as he looked away from her and back at the notes, wondering when he was going to say something. Bert and Ernie were both glancing at their wristwatches, keeping up with the time they had left before their interview with Perry White (the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet).

?Frankie.? Bert said, a little irritated. ?Could you please hurry up? We?re going to be late.?

?I?m coming.? Frankie said, getting more nervous than she already was; she turned to Mac, with an apologetic look on her face. ?Listen, Mac, could you just hold that thought for, like?ten hours? We really have to make this interview we have with Mr. White.? Mac was disappointed that he wasn?t brave enough to tell Frankie about the big information; but he was a little relieved that she was too much in a hurry to listen.

?Sure, Frankie.? Mac said, and Frankie went over to him and gave him a kiss on his forehead, just before hopping into the bus with Bert and Ernie and driving off to the Daily Planet building. Mac had gone to being relieved to becoming furious in a second, jumping up from the porch steps and hurling all of the documents across the air and scattering them across the lawn. ?Stupid hidden planet!? He began stomping all over the papers, putting nasty footprints on them and tearing some of them to pieces. ?Stupid me! I can?t believe I chickened out like that! How could I be such a stupid coward?!?!? Mac noticed some small, thin, pencil-sized, crystal object that was lying on the sidewalk and kicked it in a fit of anger, sending it flying across the air and hitting someone on the head.

?Like?OUCH!!!? Someone exclaimed, with a beatnik type of voice, and Mac got a little worried, fearing that he might?ve seriously injured someone. He ran in the direction that he kicked the object in, jumping over the fence and finding a teenaged character sitting on the sidewalk, rubbing his head in pain. The teenager closely reflected the late 1960s time era, particularly in his clothes, which consisted of a green t-shirt, bell-bottom pants, lanky and bushy brown hair, and a rough goatee. He was pretty much a modern-day hippie that was still living in the 60s.

?I?m so sorry about that. I?? Mac said, and he stopped when he recognized the beatnik, especially his pet (a brown-furred Great Dane with black spots) appeared next to him. ?Wait a sec! Shaggy?!? The beatnik smiled at Mac, just as the Great Dane jumped on Mac and licked his face, making Mac laugh a little. ?And Scooby-Doo, too!!?

?Like, I wish I can say I?m happy to see ya, Mac,? Shaggy said, and he groaned as he rubbed his fingers through his bushy hair, ?But the lump on my head is keeping me from being happy. Oh!?

?I?m really sorry about that, Shag.? Mac said, as Scooby-Doo jumped off of him. ?I was looking over these notes that I?d found in the old Metropolis observatory, and I?? Mac stopped in mid-sentence again to look around for someone or something. ?Hey, if you here in Metropolis, then that could only mean that my good, old cousin is here as well, right??

?Velma?? Shaggy said, and he chuckled. ?She?s over there with Fred and Daphne, talking to Big Bird.?

?Really rig rird.? Scooby said, just before he let out a big chuckle.

?You got that right, Scoob. Big Bird is a lot bigger in person.? Shaggy said. ?Hey, Mac, did you know that Big Bird knows Superman personally??

?So he tell us.? said Mac, who seemed non-impressed. ?You know a lot of people know Superman personally, mostly because he saves a lot of butts everyday.?

?Well, Big Bird?s story is different.? Shaggy said. ?He says that he has known Superman since he was a teenager himself.? Mac seemed to have suddenly gained some true admiration in Big Bird?s claim. ?Isn?t that something else? The only person I figured would know Superman in that way would be his own mother?that is, if he has one.? As Shaggy spoke, Mac looked down on the ground, spotting the object that he kicked and picking it up; it was at that moment when he got a little confused. That crystal was nowhere near the mansion or any other part of Sesame Street until the moment that he angrily threw the documents down on the ground.

?Where did this come from?? Mac uttered, and when Scooby and Shaggy noticed how he was glancing at the object that hit Shaggy in the head, Shaggy just laughed and Scooby stared at him oddly.

?Oh, don?t worry about what happened, Mac.? Shaggy said. ?I get conked on the head all of the time. Just ask Scoob here.? Scooby smiled and nodded in agreement with that fact, just as Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, and Velma Dinkley (the other members of Mystery Inc.) arrived at the scene, with one of the most popular characters in the neighborhood, Big Bird. Unexpectedly, Velma scooped Mac up off the ground, nearly making him drop the rystal in his hands, and gave him a big hug.

?How?s my precious little cousin doing today?? Velma asked, with a smile.

?I?m fine.? Mac replied. ?Now will you put me down? I?m right in the middle of solving an important mystery right now.?

?Aw, isn?t that cute?? Daphne said. ?He?s got a mystery on his little hands.?

?I guess that urge to solve mysteries just runs in the family, doesn?t it, Velma?? Fred queried, and Velma blushed as she set Mac back down on the ground.

?That?s the crazy thing about genetics,? Velma said, ?You never know who else might have the same love of things that you have.? Mac was a little annoyed by how much of a baby the Mystery Inc. gang was treating him, which was a bit common, considering the fact that they had known him since he was an infant (and they were known as the ?Scooby-Doo Detective Agency?).

?What kind of mystery are you trying to solve, Mac?? Big Bird asked.

?A couple of weeks ago, while I was visiting the old observatory that once stood outside the city, I discovered these really old notes in this drawer.? Mac said, as he led them back to the mansion?s front yard, where Bloo (Mac?s imaginary friend) was making paper airplanes out of the documents that Mac scattered all over the yard, much to Mac?s displeasure. ?Bloo! What?re you doing?!?!?

?What?? Bloo said, as he threw the last paper airplane that he made across the air, making it do a complete loop right into his face. ?I just found these papers lying all over the yard, with no one even bothering to pick them up, so I figured that I just, you know, make some neat airplanes. See?? Bloo revealed some of the paper planes that he made, which he had perfectly formed into models of actual planes.

?Now there?s one creative imaginary friend!? Shaggy exclaimed, and Bloo gave him a confident look.

?That?s what I?ve been telling everyone, ever since I moved in.? Bloo uttered.

?Bloo!? yelled an angry Mac. ?These papers were not for making airplanes!?

?Then what are they for?? Bloo asked.

?They were notes on a hidden planet that?s beginning to form in our solar system!? Mac shouted, and Big Bird & the Mystery Inc. gang were stunned by that news.

?Hidden planet?!? They exclaimed, just before Velma picked up one of the paper airplanes and unfolded it reveal some strange writings on the sheet. She recognized the writings, which were almost alien, and grinned a little.

?Cousin, it looks like you?ve found more than just notes on a hidden planet.? Velma said. ?If I?m right, and I almost always am, then you may be uncovering one of the biggest phenomenons that our universe has to offer.?

?What?re you saying, Velma?? Mac asked.

?I?m saying that whoever documented these notes probably discovered a new Kryptonian planet that has been evolving in our galaxy for centuries.? Velma informed. ?Mac?you might?ve not only found out where Superman could be, you probably discovered a new civilization of Kryptonians in our own solar system!? Until that moment, Mac knew that the discovery was huge; but now it seemed that it had become extraordinarily colossal.

?Is that all?? uttered Bloo, who was the only one that didn?t seem too impressed over the discovery and just rolled his eyes in disgust. ?I expected something bigger than that, like the cure for cancer or something.?

?Bloo.? Mac uttered, with a shocked look on his face.

?Yeah, buddy??

?Shut up.?

END OF CHAPTER TWO

Sorry it had taken me a while to get this one in. Been real busy. :)

Chapter Three

Twenty-one years could seem like an eternity for a man in prison, and scheming con artists like the Sleaze Brothers could vouch for that sensation, as the two had spent that much time in prison for stealing an apple from a boy. They were lucky enough to be sent to same prison, because the gullible Sid Sleaze wouldn?t last a week in one of the most maximum security prisons in the United States. While the brothers were in imprisonment, Sam often tried to come up with a ?brilliant? plan to get them out; but his plans failed miserably, leaving them to do cruel chores like cleaning up toilets and nasty scum at the bottom of pots and pans in the kitchen hall.

Just when it seemed as if things couldn?t get any worse for the brothers, they realized that the end of their sentence had arrived and were released from prison. Their eyes were sore from the sun?s glare, which they hadn?t seen for twenty-one long years, as they stepped outside for the first time in years. They breathe in the fresh air, only to choke on it afterwards; these boys had gotten so use to polluted air that clean air seemed bad for their lungs.

?Well, Sammy, it looks like we?re startin? all over again.? Sid said, and he shook his brother?s hand. ?I?ll be seein? ya around, pal.? Sid was about to walk away, until Sam grabbed him by his left arm and held him back.

?Hey! What do you think you?re doin??!? Sam exclaimed, and Sid seemed a little confused.

?Don?t you remember?? Sid said. ?Before we got out, you and I agreed to go our separate ways, so I figured that you want to go your way, while I go mine.?

?You idiot!? Sam yelled, in frustration. ?I was mad at the time I said that, because I got caught sneaking food out of the kitchen and had to clean toilets, while you were sitting comfortably back in the cell!?

?Oh, so that explains that white line you drew up in the center of the cell.? Sid uttered. ?All this time I thought you were trying to use the entire cell to draw one big picture.?

?Can we stop talking about prison? We?re out now, so let?s drop all that talk!? Sam demanded. ?Let?s talk about how we?re going to get our revenge on that kid that put us in here.?

?The apple kid?? said a confused Sid.

?No!? Sam retorted. ?The other kid! The one with all of those ?special? powers??

?Oh, the Superboy!? Sid exclaimed, and he got a little nervous. ?Well, I?ve got news for ya, Sammy?that Superboy is now a Superman.?

?Yeah?so?? Sam said, and when he put two and two together, he got nervous himself. ?Oh?I see your point.? For a moment, it seemed as if Sam Sleaze wasn?t the great schemer that he used to be, coming up with several ideas in less than two seconds. But that?s when an idea (which he thought was magnificent) struck him. ?Hey! I remember reading something a few days ago in the Planet about Lex Luthor, one of the greatest criminal masterminds in the world, being released from prison tomorrow.?

?Oh, I don?t know about that.? Sid said, getting even more nervous. ?We just got out of prison. Working with a guy like Luthor could get us back in.?

?Luthor is a genius, brother.? Sam said. ?He?s got more brains than even me!?

?He?s been thrown into jail twice.? Sid contradicted. ?Once for stealing and using a nuclear missile, and again for working with three evil villains from the planet Krypton, in an attempt to take over the world.?

?But with us by his side, he doesn?t have to worry about hitting that third strike.? Sam said, and he started whispering to Sid as he looked back and noticed a guard standing by the main gate, which they began walking away from. ?Listen, Luthor was locked away in a prison cell in Metropolis, where that big yellow bird we once used for our carnival lives with the rest of the ?Sesame Saps?. That bird was a good friend of Superman?s, and if we kidnap him again, and this time we?ll do it more subtle, then Superman will have no choice but to crawl out of the cave that he?s been hiding in and save his old friend.?

?But where does Luthor play into all of this?? Sid asked.

?We?ll be giving that bald freak the greatest reason of all for hiring us to be his personal henchmen!? Sam exclaimed, and Sid shook his head, frowning.

?I?m really not comfortable with this idea.? Sid said. ?I think we?re better off going back into the carnival business.?

?No one will ever come back to our funfair after our reputation?s been bruised.? Sam remarked.

?Well, can?t we just put some ice on our reputation?s bruises and try to get things back the way they were?? Sid asked, and Sam was very annoyed.

?Listen, you chicken out on this great opportunity now, I?ll tell that guard there that you were the one that drew a mustache on the warden?s portrait.? Sam threatened, and Sid was a little surprised that he knew about that, considering that he was alone in the room when he drew that mustache?or so he thought.

?Alright! Alright!? Sid exclaimed. ?I?ll do it.?

?Good.? Sam said, with a wicked grin. ?Now all we have to do is get our old truck back from the junkyard that those cops threw it into, and we?ll be on our way to Metropolis in no time.? As Sam walked away from the prison gates with his brother, who he had his arm around in false brotherly affection, Sid seemed very unconfident about the scheme that his brother cooked up. He was really looking forward to starting a new life after their prison time; but with a sibling like Sam Sleaze, that was impossible to achieve.

END OF CHAPTER THREE

Chapter Four

Two weeks prior to the time that Sid and Sam Sleaze had arrived in Metropolis, they were able to retrieve the truck that they used to travel around in, hauling equipment for their funfair. Upon arriving in the colossal city, Sid and Sam discovered that searching for a small place like Sesame Street was almost like finding a needle in a haystack. On every turn that Sam made behind the wheel, he found a place that he and his brother had seen before, which gave him the impression that they had been going around in circles for several times.

The Sleaze Brothers had brought a map of the city along with them, just in case they ended up in situations like the one they were in. However, when the two realized that they never learned how to read a map (there were times during their travels when they ended up in the wrong country), they knew that the situation was beginning to seem hopeless. They had soon taken a break from their search, going to a chicken restaurant for lunch.

?I don?t get it, Sid.? Sam said, very frustrated. ?I mean no city in the world can be this big! It?s ridiculous!? Sid just munched away on his chicken, while listening to his brother complain. Some of what Sam said didn?t make contact with his hearing, because he was so focused on his meal. It had been years since he tasted real food, which was more than the moldy bread and contaminated water that they fed them in prison. ?At this rate, we?ll never find that bird! And without that bird, there?s no knowledge of Superman! And with no knowledge of Superman, there?s no way we?ll be hired by Lex Luthor! And without Lex, we?ll just be two jerks starving on the streets!? After finishing his last chicken leg, Sid focused on his brother, just in time to hear the last thing that he said.

?We?re not starving now.? Sid indicated.

?You may not be, but I am!? Sam exclaimed, and as he reached over to the plate that was sitting in front of Sid, he picked up a chicken leg from it, only to realize that all of the meat had been stripped off of it. ?I don?t believe it!? He looked down at the plate and noticed how there was a pile of bones sitting on it. ?You ate everything before I had the chance to grab something, Sid!? Sid let out a loud belch that attracted some attention among other customers.

?I?m sorry, Sammy.? Sid remarked, with a guilty look on his face. ?But do you know how long it?s been since I had chicken for lunch??

?I should know, considering the fact that I was locked up with you!? Sam yelled, angrily.

?Calm down.? Sid said, and he smiled. ?Hey, listen. I?ll go and get us some more.?

?Forget it,? uttered a disappointed Sam. ?There was only ten dollars in the wallet that we found on the ground. It won?t be enough to get us a second helping.? Sid looked hopelessly at his brother; the both of them were quiet for a brief moment, thinking of what they could do next. ?I can?t believe I don?t have a single idea in my head.?

?I can?t believe it either.? Sid said. ?You?re the one who usually has all the ideas.?

?Not anymore.? Sam contradicted. ?Jail has rotted my mind. I can?t think of anything!?

?You think now?s a good time to try and restart that funfair?? Sid asked, and Sam erupted with anger.

?What did I tell ya about that?!?!? Sam shouted, just before he grabbed Sid?s arm, leading them both away from the table and out of the restaurant. He still had quite a firm grip on his brother?s arm as they went down the sidewalk. ?We are not going to be the same world-traveling, carnival-throwing nitwits that we were before we got into prison! We?re going to think bigger this time, you understand?!?

?Sure, Sammy. I understand.? Sid said. ?But with no money and no bird, how are we going to do anything big?? Before Sam could answer that question, the brothers heard someone whistling to them; they turned their heads to the right and spotted a short green-skinned, purple-nosed stranger wearing a trenchcoat and a black fedora in a nearby alleyway.

?Come ?ere.? The stranger uttered, and the Sleaze Brothers looked to each other, wondering what such a character could?ve possibly wanted from them. Curiously, they entered the dim alleyway and approached the stranger, who seemed very paranoid, looking left and right constantly as he addressed the brothers. ?You boys wantin? a chance to be Lex Luthor?s right-hand men, eh?? Sam and Sid were surprised that the stranger had known about their mission.

?Who told you about that?? Sid asked.

?I work for someone that?s twice as big as Double L is.? The stranger said, looking around at the empty alleyway. ?In fact, they would practically be the same person, if it weren?t for one thing.?

?And what?s that?? Sam queried, and the stranger gestured for them to kneel down, so he could whisper his answer into their ears.

?The person I work for is a woman.? He replied. ?A woman named Carmen Sandiego.? That name struck Sam and Sid as hard as the name of Lex Luthor did; as criminals they would know about every well-known criminal in the world, and there was no criminal (except for Lex Luthor) that was bigger than Carmen Sandiego.

?Carmen Sandiego?!? Sid and Sam yelled, and the stranger frantically shushed them, and then he looked around to see if anyone heard that name.

?The lady in red heard about your little task, and she sent me in to give you an offer that you couldn?t possibly refuse.? The stranger said.

?What kind of an offer?? Sam asked, and the stranger looked around again, just before he opened the left side of his trenchcoat and revealed a sparkling crystal that looked exactly like the one Mac had found. The crystal sparkled in the eyes of Sam and Sid Sleaze, as they both gazed upon its beauty.

?There are rumors goin? around of a new planet that?s formin? in our solar system.? The stranger said, and the brothers got very confused.

?A new planet?!? They exclaimed, and the stranger shushed them again, closing his trenchcoat to cover the crystal from anyone that he thought was listening in on their conversation. After looking around to see if there was anyone listening, the stranger went back to business.

?Riiiight.? He uttered, opening his trenchcoat again to show the crystal to the brothers. ?Gentlemen, what I have here in my coat pocket could be the key to a new civilization of people just like our friend, Superman. And with a civilization like that, we can discover remarkable alien technology that could turn ordinary guys like you and me into gods, and?in Miss Sandiego?s case?a goddess.? Sam and Sid were very intrigued by the revelation that the stranger had given them; it was far better than what they had in mind. However, they couldn?t help but to wonder if there was a catch.

?Hold it. Hold it.? Sam said. ?Why would Carmen Sandiego want to bring us into this plan of hers?? The stranger looked around again, before answering Sid?s question.

?Before I got to ya, you boys were goin? after that Big Bird character from that Sesame Street place, riiiight?? He asked, and the brothers nodded. ?And you figured that since the bird has a history with the Man of Steel, kidnappin? him and gettin? him to spill the beans on Superman would get you into Luthor?s club, riiiight?? Sam and Sid again nodded in response to his question. ?Well, who needs one bird to go after another bird, when you can become a new type of bird yourself?? Now Sam and Sid were more puzzled than ever. ?If you boys take Miss Sandiego?s offer, then she can promise you that by Saturday, you?ll become more of a superman than Superman himself.? The Sleaze Brothers liked the idea of becoming a new breed of ?Supermen?; there was no way they could refuse such a great offer.

?Consider it a deal, Mister??? Sam said, and the stranger looked around again, before he whispered his name to the brothers.

?Lefty.? He said. ?Just call me?Lefty.?

?Thanks, Lefty!? Sam exclaimed, and Lefty shushed him, looking around while Sid got curious about something.

?Hey, Sammy, what about Lex Luthor?? Sid asked. ?I mean, I know we?re going to be dealing with a woman that?s better than he is, but the man is still big. He could be listening in on us as we speak.? With that remark from Sid, Lefty started scouting the entire alleyway, as the brothers talked amongst themselves.

?Luthor?s been old news since he tried to build his own country.? Sam replied. ?Carmen Sandiego is the new craze in criminal media nowadays. And if she can promise us superpowers of our own, then I say to heck with Lex Luthor!? Sid gave a little smile to his brother; for some strange reason, he felt more confident about teaming with Carmen Sandiego (probably because he was captivated over her stunning beauty). ?Hey, Lefty!?

?SHHHH!!!!!? Lefty exclaimed, as he came back over to Sam and Sid.

?So what do have to do in order to become Supermen?? Sam asked, and Lefty indicated the crystal in his coat pocket again.

?There?s a kid that lives on Sesame Street who owns a crystal just like this one.? Lefty said. ?According to Miss Sandiego, there are three crystals just like this one out there. The one that I have with me now was found somewhere in the darkest, deadliest regions of Gotham City. We sent at least fifty VILE agents in that part of the city, and only one came back with this crystal.?

?What?s so special about these crystals anyway?? Sam asked.

?Miss Sandiego says that they?re some kind of keys that opens a portal into the new planet.? Lefty informed. ?Once the crystals are together, that portal will open. But it?s a possibility that they will scatter again, after the rough trip through space.?

?So there are three crystals, eh?? Sam said. ?The first one?s on Sesame Street and you have the second one with you now. Where?s the last one??

?We hadn?t gotten to that one yet.? Lefty said. ?Miss Sandiego thinks it?s in the hands of Lex Luthor, who we think has a similar plan concocting in that big, bald head of his. Only it probably would involve going to Superman?s winter home in the Artic.?

?I?ve heard about that place from a couple of inmates back in the pen.? Sid stated. ?The Fortress of Solitude!?

?SHHHH!!!? Lefty exclaimed.

?You know that really getting on my nerves.? Sam remarked.

?Sorry.? Lefty uttered.

?Alright. It looks like we still have to get to Sesame Street in order to succeed in our mission.? Sam said.

?But there?s one problem that we haven?t solved yet.? Sid added.

?How do we get to Sesame Street?!? They yelled.

?It?s amazing how you guys could know Carmen Sandiego and not know where Sesame Street is.? Lefty commented, shaking his head in disgust.

END OF CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter Five

A lot of the Sesame Street residents gathered by Hooper’s Store as Mac shared his discovery with everyone else, including Oscar the Grouch, who seemed to have been packing his bags at the moment for a trip he was taking to Gotham City with Count von Count. Everyone was so intrigued by Mac’s discovery they helped him in his research, using every bit of knowledge that they had concerning astronomy or Krypton. Even Goo offered to help the group.

“I’d always known that Superman wasn’t the only survivor of his home planet of Krypton; though I wouldn’t expect that Kryptonians could create their own planet like they are now.” Goo rapidly said. “But if Superman and his Kryptonian family has the power to create new planets, does that mean we can create planets of our own, too?”

“Oh, will you clam it?!?!” exclaimed Oscar. “You’re wastin’ your time, if ya ask me!”

“Oscar, it’s important that we find out more about this planet.” Maria stated.

“Yeah, Oscar.” Big Bird said. “Don’t you want to know where Superman is?”

“You already know the answer to that one, turkey.” Oscar remarked. “Wherever the old boy scout went is none of my business or any of yours for that matter!”

“Hey, what’s your problem anyway, Meyer?” Bloo asked, and Oscar always got even grouchier when Bloo messed up his name. If there was anyone on Sesame Street that annoyed him more, it was most definitely Bloo.

“The name’s Oscar, ya walkin’ blanket!” He yelled. “And my problem is that while everyone else in Metropolis has learned to forget about the so-called Man of Steel, you guys keep talking about him like he’s still here.”

“Well, that’s because he is still here, Oscar.” Big Bird said. “He’s in our hearts, just like Mr. Looper.”

“Coco. Coco. Coco. Coco.” Coco corrected Big Bird.

“Oh, yeah...Mr. Hooper.” Big Bird said.

“Well, there’s a big difference between the two, bird-brain!” Oscar exclaimed. “He’s gone, I tell ya! And he ain’t ever comin’ back!” The others wanted to think that Oscar was wrong in what he was saying, but it frightened them to realize the truth. It was silent for a while, as the Count had arrived at the scene.

“I cannot vait ‘til ve go back to Gotham City!” Count said, with a chuckle. “So many buildings vith so many floors that I vould just love to count all the day long!”

“You’re not countin’ nothin’ as long as I’m there with ya.” Oscar said. “You don’t want to stir up another mess similar to one we got involved in during our last trip, do ya?”

“Of course not.” Count said. “But if I cannot count vhile ve’re on the trip, then I’ll just pay a visit to my friend, Bruce Wayne.” When the others heard Count mention a friendship that he had with Bruce Wayne, their minds had gone off of Superman for a brief moment and focused on Count—Mr. Herriman seemed to be the one that was most interested.

“I do say, Master Count, you know Bruce Wayne? One of the most brilliant and sophisticated gentlemen in that dreadful excuse of a city known as Gotham?” Herriman asked, and Count smiled brightly.

“Yes.” Count replied. “I find his admiration of bats most intriguing of all his characteristics.”

“What I don’t get is why he never shows a bit of interest over the Batman, whenever people start talking about him.” Oscar said. “Now there’s a real hero…the Batman! Never smiles, never asks anyone how there day is doin’, and he always keeps to himself!”

“Yeah, that sounds a lot like someone we know.” Mac said, glaring at Oscar.

“And the Batman never leaves his fans wonderin’ where he’s gone.” Oscar said, and that comment from the grouch left Mac wondering if the studying that he had his friends doing for him really was all just a waste of time. “Well, Count, we better get to Gotham before sunrise.”

“Uh, don’t you mean before sundown, Oscar?” Luis asked, while indicating the sun that was setting in the sky.

“Gotham is usually at its grouchiest at night.” Oscar told Luis.

“Well, we hope you guys have fun in Gotham…if you can.” Gordon said.

“Fun?” Oscar said. “In Gotham, we’re gonna be havin’ a blast!” And with that, Oscar and Count hopped into his beat-up car and drove away from the neighborhood, leaving a trail of nasty, black smoke coming out from the exhaust pipe. The others coughed as the smoke billowed their way; and when it cleared, the Sloppy Jalopy had disappeared and the Foster’s bus had appeared, along with a small yellow Volkswagen that was driven by Bob. Mac reacted to their arrival in surprise.

“Frankie, Bert, Ernie, and Bob are back from the Daily Planet!” Mac exclaimed, turning to the others with a cautious look. “Now, remember…you can’t tell Bert, Ernie, and Bob about what we’ve learned today.”

“Why can’t we let them in on our discovery?” Fred asked him.

“Si.” Eduardo said. “Senorita Frankie, Senor Bert, Senor Ernie, and Senor Bob are a part of our barrio just like everybody else.”

“Because if we tell them, then they’ll have no choice but to tell all of Metropolis and the rest of the world as well, since it’s their duty as reporters to do so.” Mac said. “I don’t think any of us are ready to let the world in on our discovery. So, everybody please keep a lid on things. You got that…Bloo?” Mac looked towards Bloo with suspicious eyes, which offended Bloo a little.

“Oh, please, Mac.” He said. “Ya think I’m gonna be a clumsy ox and just blabber about the whole thing in front of them for no reason? You really think I’m that weak?” Mac just looked at Bloo for a long moment, with his arms crossed and still looking at Bloo suspiciously. Bloo sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. “I won’t tell Frankie, Bert, or Bob about the new planet, okay?”

“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Mac asked.

“Oh, come onnnn!!!” Bloo exclaimed. “Like Ernie would ever accidentally tell someone a big secret like that.”

“A big secret like what?” Someone asked, and they all turned their heads to see the four approaching characters. Mac began to get a little nervous.

“That…uh…you guys are now reporters for the best Metropolitan newspaper in the world!” Maria exclaimed, and they all applauded Bert, Ernie, and Frankie; but they soon stopped once Bob stepped up and raised his hands up to them.

“Well, at least two of them were able to get in.” Bob said, and once they all noticed the disappointed and angered look on Frankie’s face.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Mac said. “Frankie knows just about everything there is about journalism, even more than I do.”

“You wanna know why they didn’t accept my application, Mac?” Frankie said, trying desperately not to blow up in front of her friends. “Because they don’t believe someone who works at an adoption company for made-up characters would qualify for a position at a big newspaper business, where you work with real people.”

“What?!” Everyone yelled, offended and surprised all at the same time.

“I’m sorry, but that’s just discrimination at its worst right there!” Wilt remarked.

“Mr. White is very strict about the people who are either working or want to work for the Daily Planet.” Bob said.

“Looks like I’m stuck just doing fifty thousands chores at the mansion.” Frankie uttered, just as Mr. Herriman hopped up next to her and placed a paw over her shoulder for comfort.

“There, there, Miss Francis.” He said, sincerely. “You’ll only have twenty chores to do this week.” Frankie glared at Herriman, wanting so desperately to punch the imaginary rabbit right in the face but kept herself from doing so.

“Thanks, Mr. H.” She said, sarcastically.

“Gosh, Frankie.” Fred said. “That’s really terrible.”

“Yeah, it’s a real bummer, Frankie.” Bloo agreed. “Too bad Mac’s keeping us from telling you guys about the new Kryptonian planet that’s forming in our solar system, otherwise you could get this all off your mind.” The eyes of everyone around Bloo had quickly focused on him. While Frankie, Ernie, Bert, and Bob were looking at him in surprise, everyone else was giving him looks that were dirtier than what Oscar could give.

“New planet?” Bert said.

“Forming in our solar system?” Ernie said.

“And it’s Kryptonian?” Bob queried. Bloo, not realizing that he broke his word about keeping the secret, began telling the four all about it.

“Mac found these really old notes in the Metropolis observatory, just a few weeks ago.” Bloo said. “And these notes contain information about a planet that’s been forming in our galaxy. So, Mac comes across this crystal that has all of this weird writing on it. And Velma tells us that it’s Kryptonian and the new planet could possibly be where Superman is now. Cool, huh?” The area had gotten deathly quiet.

“Man, and I thought I talked too much.” Goo uttered, just before Frankie started snickering and then chuckling. And once that chuckling turned into uncontrollable screams of laughter, everyone just stared at her, like she had gone completely insane.

“Uh, Frankie?” Mac said. “Are you…?”

“Mad?!” Frankie shouted, and that’s when she stopped laughing and gave Mac a furious look. “Yes, Mac. I’m mad because you hid some information from me that was so valuable that I could doing a story right now on the whereabouts of Superman!!! You are so unbelievable, Mac! We keep your best and only imaginary friend from getting adopted, so long as you can come every day with your little happy attitude!! I mean…what do you want from us, kid?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?!” Mac had felt like crying; but he was more angry than sad.

“I only wanted to make everyone happy,” Mac said, “But that might as well be impossible! This city has lost so much respect that we think more about ourselves than we do each other! I only kept this secret from you, Frankie, because I felt like I needed more time to study up on things, just so you could have a solid story for the Planet.”

“Well, there’s isn’t going to be a story now, seeing as how I’m not going to be a reporter!” Frankie snapped.

“It isn’t Mac’s fault, Frankie.” Velma uttered. “He was only thinking about what was right for everyone.” Mac looked down at his feet and sighed; his anger was starting to decrease.

“None of this is right, Velma.” Mac said. “I should’ve never discovered this stupid planet.”

“Stupid?!” Daphne exclaimed in surprise. “But, Mac, this is where Superman could probably be right now; you said that yourself.”

“It’s a waste of time, Daphne!” Mac yelled, his anger returning. “Oscar was right! Superman ditched us for no reason at all, and he’s never going to come back!” Everyone, including Frankie (who was starting to feel bad about screaming at Mac), was shocked to hear those words come out of the child’s mouth.

“You…You don’t really mean that, cousin.” Velma said.

“Yeah, Mac.” Bloo said. “What about the new planet? We could make a fortune with this kind of information, man!”

“Forget about it!!!” Mac shouted. “I don’t ever want to hear about it again! In fact, everyone just leave me alone!!!” With that being said, Mac ran away from his friends. It was at that moment when Frankie had really felt disappointed with herself for hurting Mac’s feelings.

“Oh, man. What’ve I done?” Frankie murmured, just before she started chasing after Mac, calling out his name as she entered a section of the neighborhood that had become very dark, with the sun now gone. Due to the dark atmosphere, she accidentally bumped into a few trashcans, and she couldn’t tell if she was walking down a sidewalk or walking into a pitch-black alleyway. But, luckily, a streetlight had kicked on just in time, helping her see that she was still on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, she also saw a gagged and tied-up Mac, as he was lying down on the ground and moaning with fear. An ice cold hand went over her mouth; and the last thing she had seen was a trench-coated figure approaching Mac, as their kidnappers blindfolded her.

END OF CHAPTER FIVE

Chapter Six

When the Sesame Street residents woke up the next morning, each of them felt as if something bad had happened in their neighborhood. Maria, Luis, and Gabby were the last ones to step out of their home and noticed how empty the street looked; never in the neighborhood?s history had the street every looked so empty in the morning. The Rodriguezes started wondering where everyone could?ve been on that sunny morning, and once their eyes were directed towards Hooper?s Store, where everyone seemed to have been, they went there to find the whole neighborhood discussing about something seriously wrong.

?What?s going on?? Maria asked, just as soon as she, Gabby, and Luis stepped in.

?Mac and Frankie are missing.? Gordon told them.

?When everyone woke up in the mansion this morning, they couldn?t find Frankie anywhere.? Wilt said.

?Yeah, I knew she was missing the moment I found a pile of dirty dishes sitting in the kitchen sink.? Bloo added. ?Not only that, but the crumbs I left on the couch were still there, dirty clothes were lying all over the place, and no one?s made breakfast yet.?

?And Mac?s gone, too?? Gabby said.

?That?s what his mother told us when she called.? Susan said, and the Rodriguezes became just as nervous as everyone else was.

?Where could they?ve gone to?? Maria asked, while Luis was looking around for someone in the large group that stood either in or out of the store.

?And where?s Big Bird, Grover, and our friends from Mystery Inc.?? He queried, and everybody was suddenly taken aback by their disappearance as well.

?I could?ve sworn I saw Grover this morning.? Miles said, and the store had become quiet for a long time, as everyone stepped out and looked around the neighborhood for the seven missing characters. While most of everyone was looking through alleyways, rooftops, and the inside of their homes for them, Alan and Gordon were looking in places that were more obvious, like Big Bird?s nest. They couldn?t have found a better place to look, because once they looked there, they found a folded piece of blue paper.

?Hey, everybody!? Gordon shouted. ?We found something!? Everyone in the neighborhood stopped looking in their places and approached Alan and Gordon, as Gordon began opening up the paper. ?It?s some kind of note that we found in Big Bird?s nest.?

?Is it from Big Bird?? Gabby asked, and as Gordon started scanning through the note, he was a little surprised by who exactly it was from.

?It?s from Super Grover.? Gordon said.

?Super Grover?!? Everyone exclaimed, just before Gordon started reading the note.

?It says, ?Dear kind residents of Sesame Street??

------------

It has come to my attention that the city of Megalopolis is in desperate need of a superhero?No! Not a superhero! A protector of the people?No! Not of the people! The entire planet! Yes! There is only one that can help humanity now, and that?s Sup?per Grover! And as your protector, I promise to keep watch over the city, day and night, protecting everyone from threats like cavities, bullies, and?uh?other things that are of more than one kind, as long as sourpusses like Superman are off on vacation. So, fear not, my friends! Let everyone in the city of Megalopolis know that there is a new superman?or should I say, a new Super Grover in town, and he?s definitely here to stay!

---------------

After Gordon read the note, the Sesame Street residents heard a loud whooshing sound, and they all looked up to the sky; however, instead of seeing a man in a red cape, they saw a monster in a red cape flying over the neighborhood. The Sesame Street residents knew that Super Grover was obviously no Superman, and protecting Metropolis would be a tremendous task for him to handle; but he seemed to be all that the city had left, with the Man of Steel away.

When Super Grover had completely flown over Sesame Street, he began flying over the rest of the massive city, flying in between buildings and under large bridges, all while catching the attention of several citizens that almost believed he was really Superman (until they noticed the blue fur and the Roman helmet). The higher Super Grover flew in the air, the more confident he became as he noticed all of the eyes of the city watching him.

?Look at all of the stunned faces, as they look up at me!? Grover exclaimed. ?Finally, after four years without a superhero, the city of Megalopolis can now depend on a hero of a different kind! They can now look up in the sky at Sup?? While Super Grover was making his dramatic pause as he said his own name, he had no idea that he was flying directly towards the Daily Planet building. Once he did, it was too late for him to turn back, as he crashed right through the wall. Inside the building, several reporters and staff members heard the loud crash that Super Grover made within the broom closet, and they all watched him as he stepped out, wearing a tattered suit and trenchcoat (with his Roman helmet still on his head) and looking dazed. ?Anybody?want any?doorknobs?? That was the last thing he said before collapsing to the floor.

END OF CHAPTER SIX

Chapter Seven

Somewhere far outside the city of Metropolis, the Mystery Machine (the psychedelic van owned by Mystery Inc. and always driven by Fred Jones) was driving down a lone country road in the midst of the afternoon. Joining the Mystery Inc. gang was Big Bird, who was scrunched up in the backseat with Shaggy and Scooby, as Velma, Daphne, and Fred were sitting up front. They all seemed very worried and uncomfortable, and for the past seventeen hours, they had been very quiet, until Big Bird finally spoke up.

?I still think we should?ve told everyone where we?ve gone and what happened to Mac and Frankie.? Big Bird said.

?We couldn?t tell them, Big Bird.? Fred contradicted. ?We were given specific instructions by their kidnappers not to tell anyone about their capture, as we find this Kryptonian crystal that they want us to look for.? Velma held the ransom note in her hands and looked down at it with a few tears coming out of her eyes; she was very worried about her cousin and furious that someone would kidnap, just for a crystal.

?Why did they have to go and take Mac, too?? Velma asked. ?They got what they wanted! Why do they need him?! He?s got nothing to do with any of this!?

?They probably want to give us a good reason to go out and find this crystal for them.? Fred assumed. ?Had they not given us instructions, the first thing we would?ve done was go and look for clues that?d lead us to the kidnappers.?

?This isn?t right!? Velma exclaimed, furiously. ?We?re being forced to look for something for somebody that?s too much of a coward to tell us his name or show his face, while he?s out somewhere torturing my innocent cousin!!? Before Velma could?ve completely gone off the handle, Daphne placed her hands gently on her shoulders and eased her pain.

?Calm down, Velma.? She said. ?I?m sure Mac?s fine.?

?He?s only eight years old, Daphne.? Velma uttered. ?He?s a brave little guy; but bravery is a very limited emotion, you know.?

?I wouldn?t worry too much.? Daphne said. ?He does have Frankie with him.?

?Ugh! Don?t even mention her name right now!? Velma snapped. ?That girl?s lucky that whoever her kidnapper is got to her before I did, because I?d tear her limb from limb after screaming at my poor cousin!?

?Hey, look at it this way, Velma,? Shaggy said, ?Mac will have something to keep his mind off the fear of being kidnapped.? Velma looked back at Shaggy and shot him a dirty look; Shaggy, startled by Velma?s look, turned to Scooby and shrugged his shoulders. ?Too soon, Scoob?? Scooby pondered for a second and then nodded in reply. Meanwhile, Daphne was scanning through a map of the area that they were driving into; she still couldn?t believe where they were going to look for the Kryptonian crystal.

?Smallville, Kansas.? She uttered, a little bewildered. ?Big Bird, what makes you believe we?ll find a Kryptonian crystal there?? As she asked that question, she looked out the windows and took notice of all the vast cornfields that stood on opposite sides of the road.

?I?ve been through here before. I heard it?s been known for its meteor showers, so I figured that since those meteors came from space, like those crystals had, this would be a good place to look for one.? Big Bird said. ?While I was on the run and trying to get back to Sesame Street, I passed by this place and met a lot of helpful people, including Clark Kent.? The Mystery Inc. gang was intrigued over that bit of news from the big yellow bird.

?I didn?t know you personally met one of the Daily Planet news reporters in his own hometown, Big Bird.? Fred said.

?Oh, yeah.? Big Bird said. ?If it weren?t for him, I would?ve never?? Big Bird stopped talking, once he realized that he was about to unveil a huge secret to his friends.

?You would?ve never what?? Shaggy asked, and Big Bird didn?t reply; instead, he just quietly sat there and looked very nervous. Daphne noticed how nervous he looked and got a little concerned.

?Big Bird,? She said, ?Are you alright?? Big Bird looked past Daphne and towards the passenger side window, seeing three crows sitting on the arms and head of a scarecrow that they were passing by. He used that image as an excuse for his nervousness, just to distract the Mystery Inc. gang from what he was previously talking about.

?Uh, hey! Anyone noticed how scary those crows look on that scarecrow?? He asked, and the gang looked out the window to see the crows, but they weren?t as intimated by them as Big Bird supposedly was.

?Oh, come on.? Shaggy uttered. ?I?ve seen things in a spooky house scarier than that.?

?Reah.? Scooby said. ?Re, too.?

?Well, they look a little scary to me?even for birds.? Big Bird said, and Daphne slightly glanced at him; she couldn?t help but to suspect that the bird was hiding something from them. Instead of alerting Velma or the others about it, she just pretended as if it was nothing. However, she knew sooner or later that Big Bird would slip up and the truth would eventually come out.

It was sometime late in the evening when the group arrived in Smallville, which was literally a small idyllic American town with residents that were generally very friendly. Fred was the only one that was awake when they got there, mostly because he was the one driving; but he desperately wanted to rest his eyes and was only a moment away from closing them. That?s until Big Bird began to wake up, opening his eyes to see the familiar town of Smallville past the van?s windows.

?We?re here!!!? Big Bird shouted, and the excitement in his voice woke up everyone in the van, including Fred, who was so alerted that he accidentally steered the Mystery Machine off the street and towards a nearby café.

?Look out, Fred!!? Velma cried, and Fred immediately hit the brakes, bringing the van to a screeching halt before it could?ve crashed through the café?s front entrance. As Fred shut off the van, everyone sighed in relief; Big Bird felt a little sheepish.

?Sorry.? He muttered. ?I guess seeing Smallville for the first time in years makes a bird feel a little giddy.?

?If that?s how you are when you?re excited, then I hate to come to your next birthday party, man.? Shaggy said, just before Big Bird looked closely at the café in front of them, recognizing it.

?Hey, I remember this place.? He said. ?This is where I met Ben Hubbard.?

?Who?s Ben Hubbard?? Fred asked.

?One of the locals.? Big Bird replied. ?I?m sure he can help us find that Kryptonian crystal.? Seeing that they had no clues to help them out on the mystery (and how much Scooby and Shaggy were hungry), the gang took Big Bird?s word for it; they all hopped out of the Mystery Machine and headed into the café, which had only a few customers, a few employees, and a piano player inside. Scooby and Shaggy immediately went up to the counter and ordered some food, while Big Bird?s attention was directed towards the other customers. He didn?t seem to recognize any of them as Ben Hubbard and felt a little disappointed. ?Oh, he?s not here. Before I left the town, he told me that I could always find him here, if I ever wanted to come back.?

?I?m sure he?s around, Big Bird.? Daphne said. ?It is a little late. He?s probably home right now, getting some well-deserved rest. Right, Fred?? Fred only replied with a loud snore; Big Bird, Daphne, and Velma turned to one of the booths in the diner, seeing Fred sitting there with his head down on the table, sleeping.

?It?d probably be a good idea if you drove us to the nearest hotel, Daphne.? Velma suggested.

?No hotels here.? Someone said, and they looked to the large piano that was sitting in the farthest corner of the room. The back of the piano was facing them, enabling the player to hide his appearance from them. On the night that he was in the café, he was playing the melody to ?English Country Garden.? ?There are only motels in Smallville.? The player spoke with a slightly raspy voice; when Big Bird, Daphne, and Velma walked over to the piano to see who it was, they were surprised to see that the player was in fact a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. ?The name?s Rowlf, just in case you?re curious. Not very good at introductions, so that?s why I sit here everyday and play this piano.?

?Oh, I get it.? Daphne said, with a smile. ?People just come in and see that you?re a talented pianist.?

?That, and I get bored easily.? Rowlf said, and Daphne & Velma chuckled; however, Big Bird didn?t feel like laughing that moment, because he was too fixed on finding Ben Hubbard.

?Do you know??? He asked, but Rowlf already knew who he was asking about.

?At the Kent farm is where ?Big Ben? last told me he?d be.? Rowlf replied. ?Goin? out on a little date with Martha Kent.? Big Bird was excited over the information that was given to him.

?I knew he?d be there!? Big Bird exclaimed, and he turned to Daphne, pleading. ?Can we go there, Daphne?! Can we?! Can we?!? Big Bird was hopping up and down as he pleaded to Daphne, who was a little unsure about what she should do. She looked over at Velma, who seemed to be willing to go along with it; then she glanced over at Scooby and Shaggy, who were munching down on every meal out of the menu; and finally, she looked at Freddy, who was still sleeping in the booth. After she saw Fred, an idea popped into her head; she turned back to Rowlf and asked him something that was important to her plan.

?How far is it to Kent farm?? She asked.

?Well, by car, it would be twenty minutes from here,? Rowlf said, ?But by foot, it might be an hour and a half.?

?Well, Big Bird and I are going there on foot, so we better get going.? Daphne said, and she turned to Velma, who had a stunned look on her face. ?Take the boys to the nearest motel in town. You can call me on my cell, once you?ve found a room. And if it?s dingy, don?t worry. I?ll be back in time to give it a perfect makeover.?

?What?re you doing, Daphne?? Velma asked.

?Well, with Fred unconscious, Shaggy and Scooby filled up with food, and you left to take care of them, there are only two people that can solve this mystery over night.? Daphne said.

?But, Daphne, you heard what Rowlf said.? Big Bird stated. ?It?ll take an hour and a half to get to the farm on foot. Ben Hubbard will be gone by the time we get there.?

?I don?t think so, my big yellow friend.? Rowlf said. ?Big Ben was really anxious to see Ms. Kent; so he might be there for quite a while.? Daphne placed a hand on Velma?s left shoulder, giving her the same comfort that she gave her earlier on.

?If we want to get Mac back sooner and safer, then let me go and try to solve this mystery.? Daphne said, and Velma thought hard about her plan, realizing how much it would indeed help get things done quick enough to save her cousin.

?I wanna regret this so bad.? Velma said. ?But because it involves getting my cousin back as soon as imaginably possible?I say go for it.? Daphne smiled at Velma and even gave her a big hug, shortly before both her and Big Bird headed out of the café and began their journey to the Kent farm.

END OF CHAPTER SEVEN

Chapter Eight

Fighting both the darkness and the ?midnight mosquitoes,? Daphne and Big Bird were pleased to know that they were only a few blocks away from the Kent Farm. They saw from afar as the lights inside the old farmhouse glistened through it windows, illuminating both it and the rest of the farm. They could see Ben Hubbard?s truck leaving the farm and barely saw him wave goodbye to Martha Kent, as she stood on the porch. Big Bird?s hopes were shattered, while Daphne just remained calm.

?Oh, no! We?re too late to catch him!? Big Bird exclaimed. ?All those miles we walked?they were all for nothing!?

?Relax, Big Bird.? Daphne said. ?I?m sure he?ll be driving our way.? And it seemed that Daphne was correct; but as Hubbard?s truck came near them, Ben Hubbard himself had a bit of trouble seeing through his glasses and took them off to see if he needed a new prescription. His truck wriggled along the road, and it would?ve almost hit Big Bird and Daphne, if Daphne hadn?t pushed herself and Big Bird away in time. The two landed in the dark, vast, grassy field nearby, watching Ben Hubbard put back on his glasses and straighten up his truck, as he drove it calmly down the night road.

?Oh! He didn?t see us!? Big Bird moped.

?Which should be a good thing, considering the fact that he almost killed us!? Daphne exclaimed, feeling a little upset. ?Maybe it?s best if we just call Velma and get her to take us over to the motel.?

?You mean just forget about finding the crystal tonight?!? Big Bird said, with stunned eyes. ?Forget it! I?m going to the farm right now!? Big Bird started walking over in the direction of the Kent farm, while Daphne tried to hold him back and keep him from going.

?Big Bird! I?m sure it?ll be there tomorrow!? Daphne yelled. ?Let?s just go back to the motel and get some sleep, okay??

?I?m not sleepy.? Big Bird refused.

?But I bet Martha Kent is.? Daphne alleged. ?How do you think she would react if she saw a seven foot bird and a young but beautiful red-headed girl standing on her front doorstep? I?m telling you! That woman will call the police once she sees on yellow feather touch her property!?

?But we?ve got to find that crystal! We?ve got to save Mac and?? Big Bird and Daphne stood their bickering, once they felt the ground beneath them shaking. As the shaking grew rougher, they started to get very curious. But their curiosity had quickly increased, as the dark grassy field that they were standing on was illuminated by a passing bright light overhead. They looked up to see what appeared to be a large, ominous fireball falling towards the earth.

?Get down!? Daphne yelled, and she wasn?t sure why she said that, but she was desperate enough to keep herself and Big Bird safe by forcing themselves down on the ground. They shut their eyes tight, as they actually felt the fireball crash to the ground. It created a tremor massive enough to be felt by anyone within a sixty-mile radius. In the motel that the other members of the Mystery Inc. gang were staying in, they also felt the tremor, which brought Fred out of his slumber and made Scooby and Shaggy let out a loud belch. In the café, Rowlf had accidentally hit the wrong key, as he and some other people looked around in confusion.

Back near the Kent farm, Daphne and Big Bird got off the ground and looked to where the fireball had crashed; they were completely unaware of the fact that their faces, Daphne?s clothes, and Big Bird?s feathers were all covered in mud. They couldn?t believe that the fireball was in fact a huge crystal ship that had left a remarkable trench in the ground; everything around it was aflame, but not so much to where no one could go near it, which was exactly what Big Bird wanted to do, until Daphne held him back again.

?Don?t.? She uttered, cautiously. ?Something doesn?t feel right about this.?

?It?s okay, Daphne.? Big Bird said, and a look in his eyes made her feel somewhat assured, but she still stayed where she was, as Big Bird started heading towards the crash site of the crystal ship. At the same time, Daphne noticed how Martha Kent was quickly getting into her truck and driving to the crash site as well. She couldn?t help but to feel a little worried, as she watched Martha and Big Bird arrive at the site at the exact same moment.

?Big Bird, you?re gonna get yourself into so much trouble.? She murmured, but she was surprised and a little relieved when she noticed how Martha gave Big Bird a big hug, just before they both began inspecting the crystal ship. ?Okay. Guess I?ll just?? Daphne was about to head over to the crash site and join up with Martha and Big Bird, until something caught her by the ankle and made her fall face first into the mud. As she brought her face out of the mud, Sid and Sam Sleaze appeared, along with Lefty, and pinned her to the ground; she couldn?t see their faces, due to the mud in her eyes.

?Listen, kid,? Sam said, ?I don?t know what it was that just fell from the sky just now, but you, me, and Sid here are going to stay right here ?til the bird gets that last crystal for us.? Daphne spat out the bits of mud that were in her mouth, so she could address who she believed to be the people who kidnapped Mac and Frankie.

?You guys really think you?re going to get away with whatever you?re planning?!? Daphne exclaimed. ?Well, I?ve got news for you?YOU?RE NOT!!!?

?Yeah, riiiight.? Lefty said, not intimidated.

?Sid, keep an eye on the bird and the old lady.? Sam ordered, and Sid moved away from the scene and glanced over at Big Bird and Martha, just as they were crouching down near the crashed crystal ship and checking on what appeared to be a man in an alien space suit. It was at that moment when Sid began to realize what the object was that had fallen from the sky and who might?ve been in it at the time. He immediately ran back to Sam and attempted to alert him about his suspicions.

?Sammy, I?I think we should?I think?I think I just saw?? Sid stammered, but Sam didn?t give him the opportunity to come out with it.

?Quiet!? He exclaimed, turning back to Daphne. ?Like I said before, we had to wait hours before you and the bird finally got here, now we?re gonna wait some more hours before the bird gets back here with that last Krypta?Krypan?Krypos??

?Kryptonian.? Sid uttered.

?I know how to pronounce it!!!? Sam snapped. ?When he gets back with it, we?re all gonna take a nice road trip back to Metropolis, where you?re gonna met a good friend of ours.?

?You?ll like her.? Sid said. ?She?s the world famous thief, Carmen Sandiego!?

?Shhhhhh!!!!? Lefty and Sam exclaimed, and though the mud covering her face didn?t show it, Daphne was shocked by that sudden news.

?You guys are working with Carmen Sandiego?? Daphne said, and she let out a little chuckle. ?The gang and I have been trying to put her away for nearly a decade. She has always been the one criminal that we figured would put Mystery Inc. out of business, once she was locked away for good.?

?Well, ya ain?t gonna be putting her away any time soon.? Lefty said. ?As long as we have the kid and his friend in our captivity, we?re all gonna be like two peas in a pod.?

?Wouldn?t that be ten peas in a pod, because there?s six of them and only four of us?? Sid said, and Sam & Lefty exchanged odd looks. ?Of course, that pod wouldn?t be big enough to hold everyone, so it?ll have to be ten peas in two pods. But that wouldn?t make sense, because??

?Shut up, Sid.? Sam said. ?Shut up.?

?I just have to ask you guys one thing,? Daphne said, ?What do you need Mac for? He has no business in all of this, and neither does Frankie for that matter.?

?Because they know too much, all of your friends from that Sesame Street place know too much.? Lefty said.

?Then how come you didn?t kidnap the whole neighborhood?? Daphne queried.

?And have our handiwork on the news for the whole world to see?? Lefty remarked. ?That?d be just askin? to go back to the pen.?

?But with Carmen Sandiego on your side, you wouldn?t have to worry about being captured by the police.? Daphne said. ?And sooner or later, people will start wondering who might?ve captured the two residents of Sesame Street, and you can bet that your names will come up once people start asking who would have a vendetta against the sunniest place in Metropolis.?

?She?s right!? Sid exclaimed. ?We can?t keep those two kids forever. We?ve got to let them go sometime.?

?Sid, will you be quiet and keep watch of that bird and the old woman?!? Sam ordered, and the nervous Sid did what his brother demanded for him to do and moved away from the group, glancing back at Big Bird, Martha, and the stranger from space. ?You?re wrong, kid. No one?s gonna find us.?

?Riiiiight.? Lefty said. ?We?re like shadows. Once you shed light on us, the only thing you?ll find is a blank space.?

?We may be unstoppable now, but once we have all three of those crystals, we?ll be invincible!!? Sam exclaimed, and both him and Lefty chuckled, while Sid was standing nearby watching Martha and Big Bird as they headed back to the farm in the truck, with the stranger they had found in the crystal ship. Sid didn?t know much about Superman; but from the unearthly things that Carmen Sandiego told both him and Sam, he had to believe that the Man of Steel might?ve made an unexpected return to Earth.

END OF CHAPTER EIGHT

Chapter Nine

By the time morning had arrived over Smallville, the following members of Mystery Inc. had no clue where Daphne and Big Bird were. They sat in their motel room, quiet and worried, as Fred tried several times to contact Daphne on her cell phone. Every time he got her voice message, he groaned and hung up the phone in frustration. Scooby and Shaggy felt themselves getting very hungry, but they were too worried about their friends to eat anything. Velma was staring out the window of the room, seeing the magnificent sunset that shined brightly over the vast cornfields outside of town.

?Where are they?!? Fred exclaimed, and Velma sighed before she answered Fred?s question.

?They?d gone to a farm outside of town that?s owned by the Kent family.? Velma said. ?They went there thinking that they would find the Kryptonian crystal there.?

?They thought a crystal from another planet would be stocked up someplace in a farm?? Shaggy said, and he & Scooby tried to keep themselves from laughing, but their snickering only offended Fred and Velma.

?This is serious, guys!? Fred exclaimed. ?Now we?ve got four missing people on our hands, and we still have to find that crystal in order to get two of them back.?

?Big Bird thought that a guy named Ben Hubbard would know where the crystal is,? Velma said, ?Either he?s still at that farm or he?s here in town.?

?Well, let?s find this Ben Hubbard and ask him where Daphne and Big Bird are.? Fred said, and they were about to leave the motel room, until the door opened and two dirtied figures entered. It was Daphne and Big Bird, looking happy, disgusted, and amazed all at the same time. Fred, Velma, Scooby, and Shaggy were extraordinarily surprised to see them there, so much that they each wanted to give Daphne and Big Bird a hug, until they noticed how dirty and smelly they were.

?Does it take that long to nab one crystal?!? Velma asked, while pinching her nose. ?We?ve been calling for hours! What took so long?!?

?From the looks of your clothes and the smell that fuming this room, I?d say you had gone horseback riding.? Shaggy said, and Daphne smiled, not seeming to be a bit offended over his remark.

?For your information, we were lying in mud, which is the perfect thing to clear up a complexion.? Daphne said. ?And speaking of information, we found out who the people that kidnapped Mac and Frankie are.?

?You did?? Fred said, surprised. ?Who is it??

?Do you guys remember the Sleaze Brothers?? Daphne asked.

?Remember them?? Shaggy said, and he & Scooby looked very angry. ?Those creeps stole one of the grandest sandwiches that Scoob and I made six years ago, when we rode one of the lamest rides in their lame carnival. Since that day, we?ve been just itchin? to get payback.?

?Well, it looks like you might get after all, Shaggy,? Big Bird said, ?Because the Sleaze Brothers are the ones that have kidnapped Mac and Frankie, with help from Lefty the salesman?well, that is, he was a salesman.?

?But they?re not the masterminds behind this crime.? Daphne said. ?While my makeup was being washed away by the mud on my face, I found out that the kidnappers are working with the greatest thief of all time, Carmen Sandiego!? The name sent a shiver down the spines of Fred, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby, just like it had with Daphne?s, when the Sleaze Brothers utter the name in her ear.

?Carmen Sandiego.? Fred uttered. ?That would explain everything.?

?Indeed, it does.? Velma said. ?The interest in the Kryptonian crystals, the interest in the new planet, and she might?ve kidnapped Mac for the knowledge of it all.?

?One of the brothers did say that Mac ?knew too much?,? Daphne said, ?But he also said the same about Frankie.?

?Frankie only heard about the info on the new planet in one night. What else would she know about it?? Shaggy asked, and he thought a little more about it. ?Maybe she knew something that none of us did.?

?The only thing Frankie knows is how to find a good place to listen to punk rock.? Velma said. ?But never mind about her. I just wanna know how Daphne and Big Bird were able to avoid Lefty and the Sleazes long enough to escape and come back with all of this information.?

?We didn?t escape.? Big Bird said. ?Superman came and rescued us!? The Mystery Inc. gang just looked at Big Bird oddly; neither of them believed the bird?though Daphne wanted to, but being that her eyes were blinded by mud at the time, it was hard for her to believe anything that she didn?t see.

?Yeah, that?s?uh?cool, Big Bird.? Fred said, with a fake smile, just before he came close to Daphne and whispered in her right ear. ?What really happened??

?Martha Kent had shown up with her son, Clark, and threatened to call the police if Lefty and the brothers didn?t leave the premises?that?s all.? Daphne murmured, but Big Bird could hear every word they had said, making him offended that the gang still didn?t believe him.

?I?m telling ya, Superman saved us!? Big Bird exclaimed. ?He wasn?t wearing his special costume at the time, but he came and he lifted Lefty and the brothers high in the air and flew off the ground and around the clouds, long enough to scare them to the point where they just ran off in their truck and never came back! He saved us! He did!?

?Take it easy, B.B.? Shaggy said. ?We believe you, man.?

?No, you don?t.? Big Bird said. ?You?re just saying that to calm me down?and it?s not working. Oh! I?ve never felt this frustrated since I tried telling everyone about Snuffy!?

?Man! You still trying to convince everyone that dude?s real?!? Shaggy exclaimed, and Big Bird just shook his head, as he started making his way towards the door.

?Just forget it.? Big Bird said, in a defeated tone. ?I?ll never convince anyone that I really met him. I?ll be at the diner across the street if you?re looking for me.? The gang watched the disappointed yellow bird as he left the room; they really felt sad for him, only because of his extremely active imagination.

?Poor thing.? Daphne said. ?I want to believe him; but my eyes were so filled with mud, I could only go by what I heard and that was Martha Kent scaring off Lefty and the Sleazes.?

?This is only a phase, Daphne. You know that.? Fred said. ?In two years, he?ll start telling everyone that he?s friends with a guy who climbs up walls and wears a mask.?

?Let?s get back on subject here, people. No offense to Big Bird, but my cousin?s safety is more important than a wild imagination.? Velma said. ?Daphne, were you able to see if Ms. Kent knew anything about strange out-worldly crystals??

?She couldn?t tell me anything.? Daphne said. ?But her son told me that the meteorite that fell from the sky last night contained a crystal that he trusted us enough to loan.? Daphne reached into her purse and pulled out the Kryptonian crystal. As they all stared at it, it sparkled in their amazed eyes; it was almost as if it had a hypnotic hold on them.

?And he actually gave this to you?? Velma inquired.

?Actually, he gave it to Big Bird, who then gave it to me.? Daphne said, and she noticed how her companions had gone from looking amazed to being a little suspicious. They did the math in their heads, but none of them were able to work up a reasonable conclusion. ?You guys don?t think that?Big Bird?? None of them said anything; instead, they just continued staring at the crystal, wondering what they should do next.

Meanwhile, inside the Smallville Café, Big Bird entered to find the same number of customers and employees from last night, which he found to be a little odd. What really surprised him was seeing Rowlf the Dog still playing the café?s piano; however, he was playing the tune to ?Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!? After asking a diner employee if they served birdseed milkshakes and getting a ?no? in reply, Big Bird walked over to the piano and had a chat with Rowlf.

?Good morning, friend.? Rowlf said. ?I play this tune almost more than I?ve seen the movie?and that way too many times.?

?I really like it.? Big Bird said. ?I hear my friend Bob sing it every morning. He even sings it during other times of the day, like the evening, the afternoon, or while he watching stars in the sky at night.?

?That must be one happy guy to sing a song about mornings during other parts of the day.? Rowlf remarked.

?Oh, yeah.? Big Bird said. ?Everybody?s always happy at Sesame Street.?

?Sesame Street?? Rowlf said, intrigued by the name of the place.

?The neighborhood that I live on in Metropolis.? Big Bird said, and Rowlf?s memory seemed to have kicked in that moment, as he put two and two together.

?You know, I think I?ve finally recognized you from someplace.? Rowlf said. ?I knew the moment you came in with that other dog and his human companions that I?ve seen or heard of you from someplace.?

?You have?? said Big Bird, feeling a bit honored. ?Well, I wouldn?t be surprised. Everyone in Smallville probably knows who I am.?

?That?s because everyone in Smallville knows who Clark Kent is.? Rowlf said. ?That kid was one heck of a hero in this town. Saved me once from one giant hole that I dug up one day in the fields. There was no possible way I could?ve climbed out of that hole by myself. But when Clark flew in and rescued me, I couldn?t have been more relieved that my life had been saved by the one and only, ?Superboy?.? Big Bird was surprised that an ordinary dog/piano player like Rowlf actually knew Superman himself.

?You know Superman, too?!? Big Bird exclaimed, and Rowlf quickly shushed him; Big Bird covered his beak, looking around to see if anyone heard him?thankfully, no one had. ?Why do you think he revealed his powers to you??

?He might?ve thought I was just your typical dog who wouldn?t know any better.? Rowlf said. ?Little did he know that he rescued what would one day be the only dog to ever play the only piano in Smallville?s only café.?

?Wow.? Big Bird uttered, with his surprise quickly being replaced by his sorrow, as he remembered how his Mystery Inc. friends neglected his fact on having a history with the Man of Steel. ?I bet no one believes that you met Superman before he became Superman.?

?Well, it?s probably best if they don?t, my big yellow friend.? Rowlf said. ?You see, when you?ve learned Superman?s big secret, it?s like you?ve taken an oath to a secret club or something; this club being for Superman fans. If you go around telling everyone that you knew Superman before he became Superman, then you?ll break the oath you made to the club and be kicked out for sure, because people will know who he really is, and they?ll go to Clark and ask him endless questions. And Superman?s greatest enemies will become Clark Kent?s greatest enemies, coming after those he cares about the most.?

?Wow.? Big Bird said, taken aback by Rowlf?s words. ?I never saw it that way before.?

?So you see why it?s important that you keep your beak closed and that I keep my muzzle shut about Supes? secret?? Rowlf asked, and as Big Bird nodded, a freshened-up Daphne stepped into the café and found Big Bird standing next to Rowlf and the piano.

?Big Bird, let?s get you cleaned up, before we head back to Metropolis.? Daphne said, and as she lead him out of the café, Big Bird looked back at Rowlf, who made a zipping gesture across his mouth as a way of telling Big Bird not to say anything about a history with the Man of Steel anymore. Upon leaving the café with Daphne, Big Bird nodded in agreement.

END OF CHAPTER NINE

Chapter Ten

Outside the city of Metropolis, there was a nicely established manor nestled in the countryside; none other than the greatest thief of all time, Carmen Sandiego, owned both it and the property surrounding it. Only a day after their encounter in Smallville, Lefty and the Sleaze Brothers arrived at the manor in their truck; they were each mortified over what they had gone through in Kansas, and none of them were certain of how they should break the news to Carmen. Upon entering the manor, a man wearing a black fedora, dark sunglasses, and a black suit and tie greeted them; the man was one of the many VILE agents guarding the entire manor. His outfit was the exact same one that was worn by every agent in the organization, but that wasn?t the weirdest part of them; they all appeared to have no emotion whatsoever.

After being checked by the VILE agent, Lefty and the brothers were taken upstairs to Carmen?s office, which was an enormous room with lots of portraits of Carmen herself, accompanied by displays of all the valuable items that Carmen had stolen over the five years that she had spent living a life of crime. Lefty and the Sleazes had entered that room many times before; but every time they had, they were intrigued by everything Carmen had displayed in it. However, their admiration was shortened once their eyes were locked on the desk that sat near a gigantic window, with a view of the Metropolis city that was miles away. With her chair facing the three, Carmen spoke with an eerie hint of calmness in her voice.

?You didn?t get the crystal, did you?? Carmen said.

?Riiiight.? Lefty replied, though he really didn?t want to. ?But something?or should I say, someone kept us from getting it.?

?Let me guess?Superman?? Carmen said, and Lefty & the Sleazes were surprised that she knew, just as she tossed something backwards to them, which Sam caught at first but then dropped. Lefty bent over and picked up the object that Carmen had thrown; it was a copy of the Daily Planet that had a photograph of Superman himself on the cover. The headline read in big, bold words: ?Superman Returns!!? It explained how Superman rescued a malfunctioning jet plane before it had crashed into a baseball stadium.

?Uh, yeah?we just found out that he?s?? Sam said, but Carmen?as before?finished his statement for him.

?Back?? She said, as she swiveled her chair around to where she was facing the three criminals. ?I send you three to do the simplest thing I could possibly assign you, and you foul it up, just like that!?

?Hey, listen, Sandiego,? Sam said, getting frustrated, ?You?re the one who came to us! If you want to find someone else who can get these crystals for ya, then I suggest??

?I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Sleaze!? Carmen shouted, her voice echoing throughout the room and the rest of the manor. Sam immediately kept quiet, fear quickly replacing frustration. ?So you got your butts handed to you by Superman, at the same time you failed to retrieve the crystal.? As she spoke, she got up from her desk (in a very sultry way) and moved towards them. ?You know, each and every time you guys do something brainless, I find a better reason to turn you into supermen.?

?We?ll get the crystal for you, Miss Sandiego.? Sid assured. ?We just need a better plan.?

?Forget it.? Carmen said, moving back to her desk. ?While you three were off in the town of ?Yee-Haw?, a few of my agents and I were able to infiltrate the Vanderworth estate and get back the second Kryptonian crystal that Mr. Luthor stole from us.? She pulled out a key from one of her trenchcoat pockets and used it to unlock one of the desk drawers, which she was keeping the once stolen crystal in. ?So, not only do we have the crystal that Luthor had obtained, but we also have the one that the child and his friend had as well.? While Carmen was pulling the second crystal from the drawer, she pulled the one that she stole from Mac out of another trenchcoat pocket. The two Kryptonian crystals that Carmen held close together in front of her astounded lefty and the Sleazes.

?Great.? Sam said, with a smile that quickly faded. ?But there?s still the problem of getting that third and final one.?

?How much do you wanna bet that the bird and his friends from Mystery Inc. got it?? Lefty asked.

?I?m willing to bet your lives on that.? Carmen said, with a wicked grin. ?Knowing Mystery Inc., they?re always one step ahead of me. But, fortunately, I always find a way to get one step ahead of them.?

?You?ve got a plan, Miss Sandiego?? Sid asked.

?Don?t I always.? Carmen replied. ?While we were infiltrating the Vanderworth estate, I was able to find some notes that Luthor has been making on this master plan that he?s going to unveil soon on the world. Unfortunately, I wasn?t able to see what exactly it was that he?s planning to do, but I have found out a bit of intriguing information.?

?And what?s that?? Sam asked, just before Carmen reached into another desk drawer and pulled out a laptop and a compact disc. Setting the laptop on her desk and turning it on, she inserted the disc on the side of it afterwards, bringing a holographic image of a huge crystalline building that she immediately had shown to Lefty and the Sleazes.

?My friends, this is where we shall take the crystals to activate the gateway leading into the new planet?the Fortress of Solitude.? Carmen said, and Lefty & the brothers were impressed over the crystal structure of the complex. ?It?s Superman?s ?secret citadel?; somewhere where he can go to take a load off his mind. And it?s also a place where you can learn valuable bits of information that pertains to Superman?s former home of origin, Krypton.?

?I bet there are thousands of valuables in that pad that we can steal and make tons of money off of.? Sam said, shortly before Carmen slammed the laptop shut and glared into Sam?s eyes.

?We are not going to make cash off of crystals from another planet!? She yelled. ?We are going to use them to go to a planet that I wish to be the supreme ruler of! Yes! I?d like billions of people to bow down to one of the greatest kings of all time!? Sid couldn?t help but to notice the error that Carmen made in her last statement.

?Uh, don?t you mean one of the greatest queens of all time?? Sid said, and Carmen made a shallow expression after she realized her own mistake.

?Oh, yeah?right.? Carmen said, and Lefty & the Sleazes turned to each other with strange looks on their faces; neither of them would?ve ever expected a super intelligent thief like Carmen to make a small mistake like that.

?Riiiight.? Lefty said. ?So, getting back on the real issue at hand, how exactly are we gonna get that third and last crystal from our adversaries??

?Now that the detectives from Mystery Inc. know about my interest in the crystals, they?re going to be turning to their friends at the ACME Detective Agency for help finding out where I am.? Carmen said. ?And since the computers that ACME use in their headquarters are so advanced nowadays, I?m guessing that they?ll find the exact coordinates to our location within an hour.?

?An hour?!? Sam exclaimed. ?In that case, we?ve got to bail out of here, ASAP!!!?

?No use trying to hide from them, Sleaze.? Carmen said, while drinking a cup of what appeared to be coffee, but was black enough to look like oil. ?Like I said, their technology is very advanced, and it?d be useless to run.?

?So what do you suggest we do?? Sam asked, with a hint of hostility in his voice, which angered Carmen a little.

?First, I suggest you get the base out of your voice, before I have one of my agents turn you into guacamole that I would be happy to dip some nacho chips in.? Carmen said, and Sam immediately toned himself down, even though it really made him feel weak taking orders from a woman. ?The detectives have the crystal that we?re looking for, and we have the crystals that they would like to take away from us, in order to keep our plan from happening.?

?So you think we should play a game of cat-and-mouse with them, in order to trick them into coughin? up the last crystal?? Sid asked, and Carmen smiled at him, while applauding.

?Very good, Sid.? Carmen said, and it was difficult to tell if she was being sincere or sarcastic, since she was using a combination of both in her voice. ?Now I see who has the most brains out of the two brothers.? That comment really steamed Sam up; he had always seen himself as the one with all of the brains, seeing as how he was always coming up with new schemes. But he was able to keep himself from mouthing off to Carmen again.

?Thanks, Carmen?I mean, Miss Sandiego.? Sid said, and he looked at her with dreamy eyes, remarkably captivated by her stunning beauty, as well as her great intellect.

?Yes, since the detectives literally have no clue what I plan on doing with the crystals and because ACME?s mainframe has no record of the exact location of the Fortress of Solitude, I think that should be the perfect place to lead them to.? Carmen suggested. ?That way, they won?t see the trap that we?ll spring on them, upon entering the Fortress. It?s the perfect way to get the last crystal that we need to open the portal to the new planet.?

?Where exactly is the Fortress of Solitude again?? Sam queried.

?Up north in the Arctic, of course.? Carmen said. ?I guess Superman built it there, just so anyone who doesn?t like the cold won?t go near it. Unfortunately for him, I like the cold.?

?Yeah, but I don?t.? Sam said.

?Then I suggest you dress warmly, Sleaze,? Carmen said, ?Because the jet that?s supposed to take us there is going to leave in ten minutes.? With that said, Carmen headed out of her office, leaving Sam and Lefty feeling uncomfortable and Sid madly in love. Sam and Lefty could already feel themselves getting very cold, just thinking about the freezing atmosphere of the Arctic; but it was an unbearable love for Carmen Sandiego that kept Sid warm.

?The things you gotta do, just to obtain powers far greater than Superman?s.? Sam said. ?But, just think of it, once we do get powers like Superman, we won?t have to worry about freezing our heads off. And we probably don?t have to take any more orders from Carmen Sandiego, because we?ll be far more powerful than she?ll ever wish to be.?

?Riiiight.? Lefty said, while Sid gave the both of them a shocked look, figuring out what they had in mind. He wanted to speak up and defend someone he truly loved, but his cowardice was what kept him silent.

END OF CHAPTER TEN

Chapter Eleven

Ever since Superman returned, Super Grover?who assured the city of Metropolis that he would always be there to protect it from danger (something he had yet to do, due to spending more attention reciting his monologues)?couldn?t help but to feel like he was being neglected by the citizens. There were several times when he tried to help someone in need, like when there was a robbery at a bank, where a crazed robber was firing a barrage of bullets at not only the police, but Grover as well, forcing him to hide someplace safe while Superman arrived and stopped the robber. There was also an incident involving a runaway car that Super Grover believed he could?ve easily taken care of; but he was once again beaten to the punch by Superman, who stopped the car and taken the woman for medical attention.

The defeated Super Grover decided to fly across the skies instead of saving people for the night; it really depressed him that no one needed his help any longer, since Metropolis?s old hero was back in the game, so to speak. With a sense of hearing that was almost as acute as Superman?s, Grover heard a girl crying for help?apparently, her cat?s stuck up a tree. He realized that if he couldn?t save anyone from bigger problems that he might as well help them with smaller ones. But as Grover flew back down towards the city, something that moved faster than a 747 blew right past him, making his cape fly right over his head and blinding him.

?Hey! I can?t see!? Grover exclaimed, as he was now flying blindly through the Metropolis skyline, barely able to avoid flying into a few buildings. ?How am I supposed to save a cat from a tree, if I can?t even see the tree?!? Super Grover didn?t know it, but he was soon flying right over Sesame Street; he was so close to the street that he ended up crashing through the roof of the Foster?s mansion and also through several of its floors, before he ended up crashing through the front door and landing onto the porch. Bloo, Wilt, Coco, and Eduardo arrived in time to see Grover lying there, looking dazed and weak; they had just gotten back from a long search for Mac and Frankie, who everyone on the street had been looking days for. ?Have?no?fear?Sup?per Grover?is here.?

?Man, Grover, you don?t look so hot.? Bloo said. ?Maybe you ought to go home and get some rest.? Grover shook off the cobwebs in his head and regained what little consciousness he had to address the four imaginary friends.

?I can?t just give up!? He exclaimed. ?Somewhere in this city, someone needs help from a hero other than Superman.?

?Superman?s the only hero we have in the city.? Wilt told Grover. ?Whom else could we depend on for help??

?Well, I don?t know, perhaps?ME!!!? Grover yelled. ?I can help anyone far better than that so-called ?Man of Steel? can! Why, I don?t think there?s anything that can stop me, like kryptonite can stop him! I?m unbeatable?well, that is, unless you count tall buildings that I can?t leap over in a single bound?or my lack of direction.?

?If you want to help someone so bad, Grover, then you can always help us.? Wilt said.

?Really? That?s great!? Grover exclaimed. ?I?ll do anything! What do you four need help with? Come on! Tell me! Tell me!?

?Coco. Coco. Coco. Coco. Coco.? said Coco, putting Grover at a complete loss.

?Either you want me to get your something to drink or you?re saying what you are.? Grover remarked.

?She says that Mac and Frankie have both been missing for days and no one has a clue where they went.? Wilt translated. ?We would turn to Bert and Ernie and ask them if they could use their resources at the Daily Planet to help us out, but they?re still a bit shaken up from the plane incident that they were covering earlier.?

?What about Bob?? Grover said, and he looked down for a moment, wondering if he heard that question asked before.

?Perry White has him doing a story on a recent burglary at the Metropolis Museum.? Wilt said. ?Bob said he?ll try to get it taken care of as fast as he can, so he can get back to helping us find Mac and Frankie. Until then, we?re just helpless.? And that?s when Eduardo began to weep loudly, with tears coming out of his eyes and showering over Coco and Bloo.

?Poor senor Mac and senorita Frankie!!!? Eduardo screamed. ?They?re loss and we have no idea where they have gone!!?

?Take it easy, Eduardo.? Wilt said. ?I?m sure we?ll find them.?

?I?m tellin? ya that those Mystery Inc. creeps kidnapped them!? Bloo uttered. ?They?ve been gone for the same number of days Mac and Frankie have.?

?Wait a minute.? Grover said. ?You saying that the four meddling kids and their dog are the ones that kidnapped Mac and Frankie??

?It?s obvious that they did!? Bloo exclaimed.

?Bloo, I?m sorry, but that is just ridiculous!? Wilt retorted. ?Why would Mac?s own cousin kidnap him??

?Like I?ve been saying, he owes her money!? Bloo replied, and while Wilt, Eduardo, and Coco were shooting dirty looks at Bloo, Grover slightly turned his head to the right, seeming to be hearing someone from afar with his magnificent hearing.

?Hark! My cute little ears hear voices miles away from here!? Grover exclaimed. ?I hear our friends from Mystery Inc. talking to a couple of detectives from the ACME Detective Agency.?

?The ACME Detective Agency?!? Wilt yelled, in surprise.

?Yes, that?s exactly what I said.? Grover stated.

?But that?s all the way out in California, and we?re like a billion miles away from there!? Bloo indicated.

?Hey, we superheroes have very good hearing, okay?? Grover said.

?What?re they saying?? Eduardo asked, and Grover listened closely to the voices.

?They?re discussing something about Carmen Sandiego, Kryptonian crystals, and both her and the crystals being way up in the North Pole, which is where they?re heading to right now.?

?Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh!? Bloo yelled, hopping up and down. ?Ya see? I told ya! The North Pole?s always the place they go to ?do away? someone that owes you a lot of money.?

?Bloo, stop being silly.? Wilt said. ?Carmen Sandiego may be the one that kidnapped Mac and Frankie, in order to get all that information about the new planet.?

?New planet?? Grover said, obviously confused again. ?What new planet??

?Days ago, we discovered that there?s a new planet forming in our solar system that?s Kryptonian.? Wilt said. ?We thought that was we?re Superman could?ve gone, until it was said he actually went out of our solar system, thinking that his old home of Krypton still existed, but it unfortunately wasn?t.?

?So why is a slick thief like Carmen Sandiego so interested in this new planet?? Grover queried. ?You think she?d be more into stealing the Queen of England?s jewels.?

?Who wouldn?t be?? Bloo asked. ?I mean, come on! It?s a new planet for cryin? out loud! It isn?t everyday you see one of those!?

?You got me there.? Grover said, just as a determined look appeared on Wilt?s face.

?I have a feeling that if we find Carmen Sandiego, we?ll find Mac and Frankie, too.? Wilt said. ?Come on, everybody! We?re heading up north!?

?But it will take many Dias getting to there!? Eduardo exclaimed.

?And how are we supposed to get there anyway?? Bloo asked. ?It?s not like any of us can drive a bus there.?

?You won?t have to go by bus, my dears.? A voice said, and they turned to see Madame Foster standing in the doorway, holding up a small controller. She pressed a button on the controller, and the next thing they knew, her late 1970?s Pontiac Firebird sports car pulled up in front of the mansion.

?Now that?s what I call a ride.? Grover said, as Madame Foster approached them.

?I heard it all, and I?ve just got one thing to say about Carmen Sandiego,? Madame Foster said, ?I?ve been wanting to kick that woman?s butt, ever since she had stolen the statue of Christopher Reeve that I won from the bingo hall, only three years ago! I?m been lookin? for payback ever since!?

?So you?ll drive us to the North Pole?? Bloo asked.

?You better believe I will!? Madame Foster said.

?YES!!!? Bloo cheered. ?I?m gonna finally get to see Santa!? Bloo stepped cheering once he noticed how everyone was giving him dirty looks again. ?What?!?

END OF CHAPTER ELEVEN

Chapter Twelve

It had only taken an hour for Big Bird, the Mystery Inc. gang, and two of ACME?s best detectives (Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck) to head up to the Arctic region of the world, where they found Superman?s secret citadel, the Fortress of Solitude. Neither of them had ever seen such a stunning sight before, and even though they were all bundled up in warm clothing, it was the Fortress itself that kept their minds off the cold atmosphere.

After passing through a massive canyon and carefully crossing the frozen moat that surrounded the Fortress, the group entered to find that the interior of the place looked far more intriguing than the exterior. But instead of marveling over the scene, they focused on their primary reason for being there: finding and capturing Carmen Sandiego. However, in each and every part of the Fortress they looked, Carmen was nowhere to be found.

?She?s not here.? Velma said.

?That?s impossible!? Daffy exclaimed. ?Our computers are always one hundred percent accurate. If they say she?s here, then she?s here!?

?Our computers don?t have any record this place, Daffy.? Bugs said. ?To them, it?s just an empty space on the top of the world.?

?But to me, it?s more than that, detectives.? A voice echoed throughout the Fortress?s interior, and as the group looked around to see where it had come from, they were taken by surprise when a large group of VILE agents appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them.

?Aw, man!? Shaggy exclaimed. ?Something told me this was gonna be a trap!? That?s when Carmen Sandiego herself appeared at the scene, with Lefty and the Sleazes accompanying her. A gagged, tied up, and blindfolded Mac and Frankie were also at the scene, being guarded by three VILE agents.

?Welcome to what will currently be my sanctuary, detectives.? Carmen said, while a VILE agent approached Velma and just stood in front of her with an outstretched hand. Velma knew exactly what the agent wanted, and she had no choice but to give it up. She reached beneath her coat and pulled out the third and last Kryptonian crystal, handing it over to the agent, right before he handed it over to Carmen.

?You got what you want,? Velma said, ?Now let my cousin and Foster go!? Carmen smiled at Velma, and she turned to the agents guarding Mac and Frankie, gesturing for them to release the two. After they were untied and had their blindfolds and gags removed, Mac and Frankie turned to each other, and Frankie hugged Mac warmly.

?Oh, Mac!? She exclaimed. ?I?m sorry about what I said, pal. I never meant to blame you for costing me my job like that.?

?I only wanted to keep something like this from happening, Frankie.? Mac said. ?I didn?t mean to cost you your job.?

?I realize that now.? She told Mac. ?And I promise that I won?t ever accuse you of anything again.? Mac and Frankie smiled at each other, just before a VILE agent pushed them towards Big Bird, Bugs, Daffy, and the Mystery Inc. gang. Velma was the second one to kneel down and hug her cousin.

?Are you alright, Mac?? Velma asked.

?I?m fine, V.? Mac replied, and Velma looked angrily towards Frankie, who just sheepishly smiled at her. Meanwhile, Carmen was staring down at the three Kryptonian crystals that were in her gloved hands; they sparkled in her eyes, just like they had with everyone else, as she moved towards a crystal bank, where there were several slots for many different Kryptonian crystals. There were slots for memory crystals (which were empty at the moment), and then there were slots for the type of crystals that Carmen had in her possession.

?Finally?the time has come to rule the cosmos.? Carmen uttered, right before she inserted two of the crystals into the slots. Both the crystals and the rest of the crystal bank glowed brightly, at the same time an image of the face of Superman?s biological father, Jor-El, appeared within many of the giant crystals in the Fortress. He was just as handsome as his son was; yet he looked very sad at that moment.

?My son,? His deep voice echoed throughout the Fortress, as well as the rest of the Arctic section of the world, ?I did not wish for you to take this crystal and the other two with you on your journey to Earth, because they contain a power?a technology similar to the one I had used for the Phantom Zone. I sent them with you as a warning of a planet born within the Phantom Zone that has found a way to exist within the cosmos, often disappearing and reappearing in every known galaxy. If you happen to encounter this type of world in the galaxy that you?re in, you must find a way to destroy it and rid it of the infectious chaos that will spend over every part of the cosmos. And if you do find a way, use the third crystal to generate a wormhole that will take you away from Earth and into this ?Phantom Planet?. But be careful, my son, for this planet imitates the one closest to it, and often these imitations will be exact or they might be entirely alien. Only you can stop this planet, my son?only you.?

As the image of Jor-El disappeared from the giant crystals, Carmen smiled wickedly, very much anxious to discover the ?Phantom Planet? that Jor-El warned her about. Mac, Frankie, Big Bird, Bugs, Daffy, and the Mystery Inc. gang looked to each other nervously; they suddenly realized that the new planet was not to be discovered by mere mortals and that it was crucial to alert Superman of its presence in their galaxy. It was even more crucial to stop Carmen from inserting the third crystal, which she was doing that very moment.

?NO!!!!!? Velma cried, as she and the rest of the Mystery Inc. gang tore away from the VILE agents holding them and ran towards Carmen. Sid and Sam, who were the ones standing the closest to Carmen, turned and attempted to hold them back. Just after Carmen inserted the third crystal into the crystal bank, there was a large beam of light that came out of the sky, shining right between two giant crystals and over Carmen, the Sleazes, and the Mystery Inc. gang. They all looked up at the light, wondering where it had come from, and they looked to the people standing out of the light, noticing how they all seemed to be frozen in place.

?This is it! This is the portal!? Carmen yelled, and she started laughing maniacally, as the group began to feel as if their bodies were being sucked up a giant vacuum. The Sleazes and Mystery Inc. watched Carmen in shock, as her body began to vaporize, realizing a metal skeleton beneath the skin and coat. Beyond the metal rib cage was a small cockpit, where Scrappy-Doo (former member of Mystery Inc. and now their worst adversary) had been operating the Carmen robot for years. He laughed as maniacally as his robot did, as it crumbled to pieces around him, leaving him floating in the air with the stunned Sleazes and the surprised Mystery Inc.

It wasn?t long before the eight of them were suck right out of the Fortress of Solitude and into the skies above, along with the wormhole that had come down to the Earth?s atmosphere. Back in the Fortress, the remaining people (including Big Bird, Bugs, and Daffy) noticed how there was no one by the crystal bank anymore, and they all looked around in confusion.

END OF CHAPTER TWELVE

Chapter Thirteen

When Fred opened his eyes after spending an unknown amount of time being unconscious, he was surprised to see that he was no longer inside the Fortress of Solitude, but somewhere outside. He was thankful enough that he was still in the Arctic; but it just puzzled him that he wasn?t in Superman citadel anymore. Fred got to the feet, only to feel as if he was losing his balance afterwards; he looked down, seeing that he was standing on the edge of a huge block of ice that was floating in the cold water. Regaining his balance and keeping it on the block of ice, he looked around to see where his friends were.

Fred spotted the unconscious Daphne lying across another block of ice, only a few feet away from his, while Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma were all unknowingly sharing one of the biggest ones out there. Fred figured that he could just jump over to Daphne?s ice block, since it was only a few feet. But once he jumped, however, he leaped a little further than a few feet?more like sixteen feet! Fred couldn?t help but to scream, as he fell towards an ice block and landed on it for a brief time, until he fell into the cold water, creating a big splash that drenched Daphne and awakened her.

?What the??? Daphne uttered, and when she noticed how Fred was struggling in the cold water, she began to panic. ?Freddy!? Daphne took off her heavy winter coat and then her boots, just before diving into the cold water and swimming after Fred. As she swam towards him, she was a little surprised that the water wasn?t as cold as it should?ve been. Once she got a hold of Fred, she swam with him to the huge block of ice that Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma were on. She set Fred down on the block first, and then she brought herself onto it. ?Are you alright??

?I shouldn?t be, after nearly drowning in that ice cold water,? Fred said, looking all over his drenched body in surprise, ?But I am alright. In fact, I?m not even shivering!?

?I?m not either.? Daphne said, looking at herself. ?And I was swimming without anything to keep my body or feet warm.? Fred looked around at the area, seeing that the Fortress of Solitude was nowhere around.

?A few minutes ago, we were standing in a giant crystal building,? Fred said, ?And now we?re out in the middle of nowhere. Now that?s one big mystery.? Daphne went over to Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma, bringing each of them out of unconsciousness.

?You guys okay?? Daphne asked.

?Ask that question again, after I?m filled up with some burgers and pizza.? Shaggy replied, and that remark, along with Scooby?s hungry look, helped Daphne know that the both of them were fine. Velma stood up on the ice block and joined Fred as she looked around the area as well.

?Either we?re still in the Arctic or we found a better way to travel to Antarctica.? Fred remarked.

?We?re still in the Arctic.? Velma said. ?But I think it?d be better ask whether we?re in our world or the ?Phantom Planet? that Superman?s father warned us about.?

?Well, we must be in the ?Phantom Planet?, because I remember getting sucked out of the Superman?s crystal summer home and flying in between two large planets, courtesy of this strange blue, yellow, and red wormhole.? Shaggy said.

?I remember that, too.? Daphne said.

?Yeah, so do I.? Fred said.

?We can?t be on the ?Phantom Planet?.? Velma contradicted. ?Look where we are. We?re still in the Arctic zone.?

?But do you remember what Superman?s father said about imitating planets that are closest to it?? Daphne asked. ?Maybe we?re in the Phantom Planet?s imitation of our world.?

?Well, it can?t be an exact one.? Velma said. ?Notice how Superman?s citadel is nowhere around. If this were an exact imitation, we?d be seeing it somewhere near us or standing right in it.?

?It?s all so funky, man.? Shaggy uttered.

?That?s not all that?s funky, Shaggy.? Fred said. ?You know what I did while all of you were unconscious? I think I?flew.? Shaggy, Scooby, Velma, and Daphne looked to each other and shared peculiar expressions, before turning back to Fred and looking at him in the same way.

?You flew?? Velma queried.

?I can?t really explain what happened.? Fred said. ?All I was trying to do was jump from my ice block to Daphne?s, and I ended up soaring higher than eight feet and longer than a yard.?

?That?s impossible, Freddy.? Daphne said.

?Yeah, man, if you were able to do that, then might as well be?? Shaggy said, and he stopped when they all began to see the irony of the situation they were in. They were five beings from another planet that came to a slightly different one, harnessing godlike powers that were granted to them through the sun?s rays.

?This must be what Scrappy?s plan is all about.? Velma said. ?He must?ve figured on following the origin of Superman?s powers, in order to turn himself and the Sleaze Brothers into beings just like him.?

?But the little troublemaker probably didn?t count on us following him here.? Daphne said. ?If he plans on conquering this place, knowing that neither him or the Sleazes belong here, then who knows what kind of chaos he will cause, in addition to the infection that the existence of this planet will bring over our entire universe.?

?Which is why we have to find out where he is and stop him!? Fred exclaimed.

?And now that the five of us have superpowers to match his, he doesn?t stand a chance.? Shaggy said, with a chuckle. ?Right, Scoob??

?Reah. Reat rision.? Scooby said, just as he focused his eyes downward, creating invisible microwave energy beams from them that hit the ice block beneath them and started to melt it all away.

?Scooby!!!? Daphne cried, and Scooby stopped projecting the beams from his eyes, once he realized how the gang was losing their footing on the melting ice block. When all of the ice block had melted away, the gang truly believed that they were all going to fall into the cold water (which really would?ve had no effect on them); but they were surprised when the air had caught them as they fell, and they were floating instead of falling.

?Hey! We?re flying!? Shaggy exclaimed, and he started to wonder if he could control his flight. He was really surprised when he did, flying high into the air, almost reaching the clouds. ?Hey, gang! Check me out!? The others smiled, as they all began flying through the Arctic sky, heading above the clouds and letting the morning sun hit their super-powered bodies.

?Man! I can?t believe how easy this is!? Fred exclaimed, as they all removed their warm winter clothes, realizing that they no longer need them, and got back into their ordinary street clothes. That?s when Daphne?s hands went up to her ears, which she covered with them, and she winced in pain. ?What?s wrong, Daph??

?Argh!? Daphne exclaimed. ?You guys don?t hear that?!?

?Hear what?? Velma asked.

?All of those voices?echoing through my ears!? Daphne yelled, and Shaggy smiled once he realized what was happening to her.

?It?s your super-hearing, Daphne.? He said. ?You?re hearing all of the voices around the world.? Daphne gritted her teeth, as she desperately tried to fight through the unbearable pain the billions of voices had on her head.

?I wish it would stop!? Daphne shouted. ?It?s giving me a migraine.? But that?s when Velma had gotten an idea that she believed would assist them in their mission.

?Daphne, see if you can focus on Scrappy?s voice.? Velma suggested. ?It might help us find out where he might be on this alien planet.?

?I?ll see if I can, Velma.? Daphne said, still wincing in pain. ?There are so many of them.? She attempted to do what Velma wanted her to do, and though at first it was undeniably painful for her, she was able to use her incredible powers to shorten the number of voices down to one, which was Scrappy-Doo?s voice. She no longer winced; instead, there was a small grin that crept across her face. ?Got him.?

?Which direction?? Fred asked, and Daphne pointed to her left.

?That way.? She said, and the gang started flying in the direction that Daphne pointed. As they flew away from the Arctic zone, Velma couldn?t help but to notice something unusual about what happened to Daphne.

?You know, Daphne, if that were Superman hearing all of those voices, he wouldn?t have been in pain like you were.? Velma said.

?Well, for someone that hasn?t spent her entire life with superpowers, it could be a little hard for my subconscious to get used to.? Daphne remarked, just before she noticed how Scooby was rubbing his eyes and whimpering. ?You see? Even poor Scooby?s going to be having some trouble seeing for a while, after using that heat vision.?

?I guess when it comes to things like swimming in freezing water, our physicality is totally immune; but when it comes to using powers similar to Superman?s, I guess our mentality can?t take that much ?super-ness?.? Velma assumed.

?Well, if that?s how we?re going to be like, I hope we can handle a confrontation with Scrappy and the Sleazes.? Fred said, as they exited the Arctic zone within less than an hour, flying right over Iceland.

END OF CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Chapter Fourteen

Back on regular Earth, the VILE agents (which were fabrications built from the same technology Scrappy used to develop his Carmen robot) stood exactly where they were; they did not seem to realize or care about what happened to Scrappy, the Sleazes, and the Mystery Inc. gang. Frankie, Mac, Big Bird, Bugs, and Daffy wondered if the agents were even ?alive? that moment, and they tested to see if they were by slowly moving away from the agents that were guarding them and heading towards the exit. But that?s when one VILE agent moved faster than the blink of an eye, blocking their path.

?You?ve got to be kidding me!!? Frankie exclaimed. ?What?re you guys made out of??

Just after Frankie asked that question was when something bizarre happened to all of the VILE agents. They suddenly began to shake slightly at the first moment, but then violently in the next. The nuts, bolts, and every other mechanical part that was keeping them together began to rip from their bodies, falling through the sleeves of their coats and pants. Mac, Frankie, Bugs, Daffy, and Big Bird watched in utter disbelief, as the bodies of all the VILE agents inside the Fortress of Solitude suddenly collapsed, leaving nothing but pieces of their robotic bodies lying over piles of the clothing they wore.

?O?kay.? Mac uttered, as she shared bewildered looks with his friends. ?What the heck just happened?? At that moment, Madame Foster appeared in the entranceway of the Fortress, along with Wilt, Coco, Bloo, Eduardo, and Super Grover, who were all wearing warm clothing. ?Madame Foster?!?

?Grandma?!?!? Frankie exclaimed. ?H-H-How did you guys find us here?!?

?Did I ever tell you the time I joined a good friend of mine in an Arctic expedition?? Madame Foster asked. ?I can?t believe how stunned and embarrassed I was to discover this place. Ho, ho! You have to give it up for the Man of Steel to own such a marvelous place like this.?

?Wait a minute! Wait a minute!? Daffy yelled. ?How could she know about this place and we don?t?!?!?

?It?s called karma, Daffy.? Bugs said. ?You?re practically best buds with it.? As Daffy gave Bugs a dirty look, Big Bird was inspected the remains of the VILE agents that were lying all over the Fortress.

?So?was it you guys that stopped the robots?? He asked.

?Actually, it was Super Grover that stopped them.? Wilt indicated.

?He saved us all!? Eduardo exclaimed, and Grover truly felt honored, at the same time he felt very cocky.

?Yes! By unleashing a low shriek from my cute little voice that is dangerous enough to put any machine out of commission, it was I, Sup?per Grover, that saved you all from the dreaded forces of the one dreadful thief known as Carmen Sandiego!? Grover said, while Bloo looked around, intrigued by the sight but confused over where Carmen was.

?Speaking of the lady in red, where is she anyway?? Bloo asked.

?We just found out that there is no Carmen Sandiego, just as there is no organization known as VILE.? Mac said. ?It was a ruse to achieve a diabolical scheme set up by the former member of Mystery Inc., Scrappy-Doo!? Bloo just stared at Mac for a long time, before he suddenly busted out with laughter.

?Yeah, right, bud.? Bloo uttered. ?Seriously, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?? Bloo just cracked himself up even more after asking that question.

?We?re serious, Bloo.? Frankie said, as she walked over to the crystal bank. ?Scrappy-Doo, while disguised in a robotic body, used three Kryptonian crystals to take them away to the new planet, in an attempt to conquer it all.?

?And Mystery Inc. and the Sleazes went with her?I mean, him.? Mac added, and Bloo, Wilt, Coco, Eduardo, Grover, and Madame Foster were all shocked by that news.

?Wow. That sounds more crazy than what?s going on back in Metropolis.? Bloo said.

?What?s going on back in Metropolis?? Mac asked.

?There?ve been these strange earthquakes, and Metropolis doesn?t often get those.? Wilt informed. ?If Superman weren?t there to prevent so many accidents, there wouldn?t be much of the city left.? At that moment, a muffled beeping sound was heard from the group, and it seemed to have been coming from Bugs. He pulled out a handheld device that had a small screen built into it, and once he activated it, the face of Lola Bunny appeared on the small screen.

?What?s up, Lola?? Bugs asked.

?There?s been a lot of strange activity outside the North American continent, Bugs.? Lola said, just before a map of the eastern side of the U.S. appeared on the small screen, along with an image of a green-glowing island that was miles away and growing slowly. ?There?s some island outside us that?s never been there before?that is, until now. According to our computers, it?s entirely made out of kryptonite.?

?How much you wanna bet Lex Luthor?s behind it all?? Bugs asked.

?And how much you wanna bet Superman gonna be there to try and stop him, even though he has no idea the island could kill him with all of the bedrock covering the greenness?? Daffy added.

?I?d like to bet that island of kryptonite might be the only thing that could destroy the ?Phantom Planet?.? Mac stated.

?And I?d like to bet that our friends up there on that planet might be destroyed along with it, if we don?t find a way to bring them back.? Frankie said, and she started playing around with the crystals in the crystal bank, attempting to bring Scrappy, the Sleazes, and Mystery Inc. back to Earth.

?Lola, keep us updated on the Man of Steel?s status on that island.? Bugs ordered. ?He might just live up to his dad?s expectations, if he survives.?

?What do you mean, Bugs?? Lola asked.

?Nothin?. Just keep your attention on the activity that?s happenin? on that island.? Bugs said, just before he shut the device off and joined Mac, Frankie, and the others as they continued playing around with the crystal bank.

END OF CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The final chapter.:)

Chapter Fifteen

The super-powered Mystery Inc. gang couldn?t believe how unusual the ?Phantom Zone? version of Earth was. When the gang arrived in Metropolis, they expected to find a version of it that wasn?t as different as the one on Earth; but their expectations were crushed completely. The ?Phantom Zone? version of Metropolis was like a ruin; buildings (including the Daily Planet one, which had a demolished globe sitting on top of it) were ravaged and crumbling, there were police sirens blaring every ten seconds, and rioting in the streets. The gang was sick to their stomachs at the display.

Upon arriving at Sesame Street, the gang was greeted by a sight that was just as dreadful as the rest of the city. What they found was a neighborhood with buildings that had freakish graffiti written all over them, sidewalks and streets that were shredded to the point where anyone could make out the sewers beneath it, and children that were either sitting on street corners with pale expressions on their faces or scouring for food in the nearest dumpster. And instead of sunny skies shining over it, there were dark gray rainy clouds hanging over it, giving it a very dark look.

?Don?t believe anything you see here, gang.? Fred said. ?None of it is real.? Daphne wanted to believe that, but everything in front of her was real enough to make her run to the nearest sidewalk, where she collapsed to the ground and began retching. While she was doing so, three people walked out of a broken down apartment building, yelling at each other from the top of their lungs. The gang was surprised when they realized it was Maria, Luis, and Gabby.

?You know, if you?d just get your lazy butt off the couch once in a while, she wouldn?t be out in the streets, doing what she?s doing!!? Luis told Maria, referring to Gabby.

?Oh, so it?s my fault that our daughter?s a bum?!?!? Maria exclaimed, furiously.

?Would you guys just shut up and let me do what I want with my life?!? Gabby demanded, as she was dressed in a very revealing outfit.

?What do you care what we say?!? Luis yelled. ?You don?t even live here anymore!!?

?Get outta here!!? Maria told Gabby. ?You have no home on this street anymore!!?

?Fine!!!? Gabby screamed. ?Who wants to live on a ghetto neighborhood like this anyway?!? That?s when another resident of the ?Phantom Zone? neighborhood, a man named Bob, stuck his head out from the window of his apartment and yelled at Maria and Luis, while Gabby started walking away from the neighborhood.

?Hey!! Will you foreigners keep it down there?!?!? Bob said. ?It?s already bad enough that my wife?s deaf! You wanna make me the same way?!? Another resident, a man named Gordon, stuck his head out as well and shouted.

?Why not?!? He said. ?You?re already got us deaf from listening to your nasty singing.?

?Well, boy, if my singin? is so bad, then why don?t ya just move out?!? Bob exclaimed, just as Gordon?s wife, Susan, came out and threw her bags into a beat-up yellow Volkswagen.

?We?re way ahead of ya, cheapskate!!? Susan yelled.

?That?s enough!!!? Fred suddenly yelled. ?You guys aren?t supposed to be this way!? As Fred addressed the residents, Velma looked at the section of the street where the Foster?s mansion should?ve been, only to see the charred remains of a place that had been burnt to the ground and never rebuilt. ?You?re all friends?you?re all family.?

?Not anymore, Freddy.? Someone said, and the gang looked to where Hooper?s Store should?ve been, seeing Scrappy and the Sleazes coming out of a place that was run down and dingy. ?This is the new and improved Sesame Street of the ?Phantom Planet?!? While Scrappy was talking, Sid Sleaze looked as if his heart had been broken, not from learning that Carmen Sandiego was a fabrication, but more from what he witnessed out of the dreadful version of Sesame Street.

?Well, we hope you guys had enjoyed your hour on it, because you?re coming back to good old Earth with us.? Fred said, and Scrappy & Sam chuckled.

?We ain?t goin? anywhere, kids.? Sam said. ?We?re having too much fun here.? Sam walked over to the yellow Volkswagen that Gordon and Susan were putting their things into and lifted the vehicle high in the air with one hand, showing off the abilities that were granted to him upon landing on the ?Phantom Planet? as well. ?Ya see??

?You guys don?t understand.? Velma said. ?If you don?t get off this planet soon, then you might cause a rift in our universe that?ll surely put an end to all of humanity.?

?Why? Because Superman?s daddy said so?? Scrappy said, with a wicked grin. ?I?ve got news for ya, Velma. I actually belong here.?

?No, you don?t.? Velma told Scrappy. ?You belong on Earth, just like the Sleazes and the rest of us do.? Scrappy just chuckled.

?You don?t get it, do ya?? He said. ?I?m not the weak little puppy that you guys knew back then. I?m the ?Phantom Zone? version of him!? The gang just looked at Scrappy-Doo in confusion and suspicion; they wondered if he was pulling another cruel prank on them. ?Like Jor-El stated in his warning, this planet often reappears and disappears; and while it was doing that in your galaxy, both myself and the ?Phantom Planet? had been doing a bit of research, mainly on Superman. We tapped into his origins, and once it was discovered that his powers came from the sun, the ?Phantom Planet? reprogrammed itself to where everyone here could have the same Kryptonian DNA that Superman has to allow the sun to ?program? him.?

?So?we?re not the only ones here who have superpowers?? Shaggy asked, and he & Scooby got a little scared, as all of the residents of ?Sesame Street? started to surround the gang, each giving them nasty looks.

?What I don?t get is why you came to our planet and fooled us into thinking that you were the real Scrappy-Doo?? Velma asked.

?Because I wanted to see if you people were just as powerful as Superman was.? Scrappy remarked. ?And when I found out that all of you were just weak little beings, I got the notion that I?we could conquer your world and others, thus giving us total control over infinite universes!?

?Not everyone here on this warped planet will go along with you plan, Scrappy.? Fred contradicted.

?Where?s the real Scrappy-Doo?? Daphne asked.

?Oh, come on! You?re Mystery Inc.!? Scrappy replied. ?You?ll figure out where he is. Oh, wait?no, you won?t?because you?ll be dead by then!? Scrappy then gestured for the Sleazes and the evil residents of ?Sesame Street? to go after the gang. That?s when Sid stepped in and stood by the Mystery Inc. gang, forcing Scrappy to gesture for Sam and the other villains to stop. ?You fool! What do you think you?re doing?!?

?This ain?t right! None of it is!? Sid exclaimed, and the gang felt pleased that Sid realized that it was, while Sam felt really embarrassed.

?Sid, don?t chicken out now!? Sam exclaimed. ?Think about what you?re doing!?

?I don?t care, Sammy.? Sid said. ?We?ve gone way too far this time!?

?Enough of this!!? Scrappy exclaimed, and he gestured for Sam to go after Sid. ?Kill him!? A shocked expression appeared on Sid?s face, as he stared at his brother, who stared right back at him with the same type of look, just before turning towards Scrappy with an angry glare in his eyes.

?What did you say?? Sam asked him.

?Ya heard me!? Scrappy shouted. ?I said kill your brother!? Sam stared at Scrappy for a long time, and then he approached a nervous Sid, who was wondering if his own brother was going to acknowledge Scrappy?s command. But instead of killing Sid, he just put his left arm around him and gave Scrappy a dirty look.

?I may be a lot of things, but the one thing I?m not is a killer.? Sam said, and Sid smiled at Sam and gave him a big hug, which didn?t last long, because Sam had brushed him away. ?Alright! Alright! Don?t make a scene. I?m not going that soft.?

?Looks like you?re short two men, Scrappy.? Velma said, but Scrappy didn?t show any intimidation on his face.

?No matter.? He said. ?I still have a billion more.? With the snap of a finger, Scrappy ordered the wicked ?Sesame Street? residents to continue advancing towards them. But just when it looked as if it was the end for them, a large beam of light with a mixture of blue, yellow, and red colors in it had come through the dark clouds in the sky and shined over the Sleazes and Mystery Inc. The group stared at Scrappy and the evil ?Sesame Street? residents, as they were frozen in place outside the light, just as they were sucked right off the ground and into the sky, departing from the ?Phantom Planet.?

Once they were out of the planet?s atmosphere and into outer space, they all stared through the clear walls of the wormhole in amazement, as they saw what appeared to be an entire island floating away from the Earth and towards the ?Phantom Planet.? Little did the group know that the island was actually the one made out of kryptonite and covered in bedrock that Lex Luthor had grown (courtesy of Kryptonian technology) and escaped from, shortly before Superman (who used heat vision to melt the island away from the sea floor, before it got a good hold) ultimately got it into space.

The Sleazes and Mystery Inc. watched with intrigued looks on their faces, as Superman hurled the entire island away, making it float towards the ?Phantom Planet.? As the island got closer to it, the olive and brass colors of the planet quickly turned to a dark shade of purple; but it was the nasty shade of gray that told the Sleazes and Mystery Inc. that the planet and everything else on it was dying, as the kryptonite island entered its atmosphere. It was only a brief moment before the island crashed to the ?Phantom Planet?s? surface, rupturing through its crust and coming down to its core. Once the kryptonite island hit the core, there was a momentous chain reaction that caused the entire ?Phantom Planet? to vaporize, along with its inhabitants, all never to be heard from again.

While an unconscious Superman started crashing back into the Earth?s atmosphere, the Sleazes and Mystery Inc. were sucked back to the Arctic zone and straight into the Fortress of Solitude, where they landed on the same spot that they had left from. Mac, Frankie, Madame Foster, Eduardo, Bloo, Wilt, Coco, Bugs, Daffy, Big Bird, and Grover all were happy that they were able to bring the group back to Earth, and they were also pleased that Superman had unknowingly destroyed the dreaded ?Phantom Planet? before both it and its inhabitants could?ve caused any serious damage to their universe.

?You?re back!!? Mac exclaimed, as he ran up to Velma and hugged her.

?And just in time, it would appear.? Velma said, with a smile.

?How was it like on the ?Phantom Planet??? Mac asked, and Velma and the other members of Mystery Inc. just grinned.

?Let?s just say it feels awfully swell coming back to someplace you can really call Earth.? Velma said, and while the group was celebrating over Mystery Inc.?s return and the destruction of the ?Phantom Planet,? they barely noticed the head of Lefty peeking out from behind a large crystal. He had been hiding there from the moment the VILE agents had malfunctioned, waiting for the right moment to escape from the Fortress. When he realized that it was his chance then, he moved away from his hiding place and towards the exit; that was until the Sleaze Brothers, who weren?t all that happy to see him, blocked his path.

?Hey, boys.? Lefty said, nervously. ?How was yer trip??

?Oh, we?ll be happy to tell ya all about it.? Sam said.

?On the way to the ACME prison.? Sid added, and the brothers grabbed both of Lefty?s arms, as they walked with him towards Bugs and Daffy, who they were going to turn themselves in to.

?Oh, this is not riiiiight.? Lefty uttered.

END OF CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Epilogue

While Bugs and Daffy had taken Lefty and the Sleazes to the ACME prison, the Mystery Inc. gang had returned to Metropolis with their friends from Foster?s and Sesame Street, only to discover news about Superman crashing into Centennial Park, where he laid unconscious in a massive crater that he created. He was shortly afterwards rushed into the Metropolis Hospital, where doctors attempted to revive him; but due to his invulnerability to needles and electric shock, all they could do was hope and pray.

A day later, while everyone in Metropolis (including residents from Sesame Street, the Mystery Inc. gang, and two visitors from Smallville?Ben Hubbard, Rowlf the Dog, and Martha Kent) all stood outside the hospital in hope to hear some positive updates on the status of Superman?s health, Lois Lane had gone inside the building with her son, Jason, and visited the Man of Steel. Out of everyone in the city (with the exception of Big Bird and maybe a few others), Lois Lane was the one citizen that was closest to Superman. While she was inside the hospital, a depressed yet hopeful Kermit the Frog gave a report, amidst the huge crowd of people (some of which he interviewed weeks ago).

?Uh, hi?ho. Kermit the?Oh, you know who I am.? Kermit said, sadly. ?There probably aren?t many of you viewers out there, seeing as how almost the entire city of Metropolis is here in front of the Metropolis Hospital right now. But, for those that aren?t aware, Superman had suffered from a massive dose of kryptonite poisoning, a day ago, and?well?he?s in there right now?probably somewhere between life and?death.? Kermit stopped reporting for a moment to look back at the hospital complex and wonder about Superman?s condition. Jim the cameraman, who still had the camera on, noticed how Kermit was ignoring the fact that he was on live television.

?Uh, Kermit?? Jim said, and Kermit snapped out of the trance he was, going back to his news report.

?Oh, um?sorry.? Kermit uttered. ?Uh?we?ll keep you updated on Superman?s health, Metropolis. But until then?just?just hope and pray that our Man of Steel will survive.? Kermit looked downwards as he finished off his report. ?This is Kermit?uh?oh, never mind. Just go back to Chevy, will ya?? As Jim shut off the camera, Kermit joined the crowd, as they all looked up at the hospital and prayed. Nearby, Fred and Velma seemed to have been the only ones in the crowd that were able to muster some smiles, thinking about how Superman stopped the ?Phantom Planet.?

?He saved a lot of lives on this planet.? Velma said. ?But if only he knew about the lives he saved on other planets as well.?

?Yeah.? Fred remarked. ?But I have a feeling that he knows. He is Superman, isn?t he??

?Got me there.? Velma said, just as the smile on her face was replaced with a frown. ?But even the mightiest hero of them all can have his flaws.? Fred?s smile disappeared also, once he realized what she meant. Both of them joined everyone else in prayer, just as Lois and Jason came out of the building and rejoined with fiancee and father Richard White (nephew of Perry White), who drove them away from the scene.

--------------

That night in Metropolis, while some people still stood in front of the Metropolis Hospital, others were at home fast asleep. The Mystery Inc. gang had left the city in search for the real Scrappy-Doo, and the residents of Sesame Street were asleep themselves?all except Grover, who stood on the roof of one building in his Super Grover garb, keeping watch over the neighborhood and hoping himself that Superman would be alright.

Most of everyone on Sesame Street slept indoors; but Big Bird could only sleep outside in his nest, where he was most comfortable. It had been a long adventure for him, solving mysteries and searching for items from other worlds. He was in deep sleep at that time, and nothing (except maybe an alarm clock) could?ve woken him up. However, there was one thing that did; a slight gust of wind blew past the bird, forcing him to open his eyes and see if there was a storm coming. But instead of seeing a storm, Big Bird was surprised to see someone that he had a lot of history with: Superman.

?You?re here! And you?re okay!? Big Bird exclaimed, as Superman smiled at him. ?Oh, wait ?til everyone hears about this! I?ve got to wake them up!?

?Let them rest, Big Bird. It?s the middle of the night, you know.? Superman said. ?Sesame Street and the rest of Metropolis will eventually find out that I?m okay.?

?Everyone in the city?s been so worried about you.? Big Bird stated. ?We all thought you wouldn?t make it this time.?

?I thought that myself.? Superman said, with a grin. ?But I?m okay. In fact, I?ve never felt so good in my whole life.?

?That?s nice to hear.? Big Bird said, smiling. ?You know what some of my friends and I found out recently? We found out that there was a planet forming in our solar system, and at first we thought it was Kryptonian, but then we discovered from a message that your dad sent in your home up in the Arctic that the planet was in fact some kind of alien copy of ours.?

?You took your friends to my Fortress of Solitude?? Superman asked, a little surprised.

?Well?yeah, we had to in order to stop the Sleaze Brothers and some other bad guys that wanted to use the planet for evil purposes.? Big Bird said. ?Even Madame Foster from across the street found out about it before I did. But we all promised not to tell anyone where it is, because we respected your privacy.? Big Bird noticed how Superman was looking down, seeming to be a little distraught. ?You?re not mad, are you?? But instead of getting upset, Superman started chuckling, looking very happy.

?No.? He said. ?But hearing that made me think about a friend of mine, who has this son whose biological father is actually?? Superman stopped once he realized that he was talking to a bird that had the mind of a six year old and probably wasn?t ready to hear about the ?Birds and the Bees? just yet. ?Just promise me that you?ll never tell anyone else?about the Fortress and my other secret, and maybe I?ll treat you to another visit. Okay??

?Sure thing, Clark?I mean, Mr. Kent?I mean, Kal-El?I mean, Mr. El?or should it be??? Big Bird stammered, and Superman chuckled as he put a hand on Big Bird?s shoulder.

?Just stick with Superman, Big Bird.? He said, and Big Bird nodded with a smile. ?Well, you get back to sleep, while I go and see who else needs my help.? Superman smiled at Big Bird, as he lifted himself off the ground and slowly flew away from Big Bird?s nest and home, waving goodbye to him in the process. ?Good night, Big Bird.?

?Good night, Superman.? Big Bird said, watching the Man of Steel as he flew right past the building that Super Grover was patrolling from. The appearance of Superman had taken Grover by surprise; it surprised him even more when Superman stopped flying for a moment to turn and face Super Grover, as he hovered in the air.

?Thanks for keeping watch while I?ve been gone.? Superman said, and a speechless Grover just gave Superman a thumb up in reply. ?I just have one little bit of advice for ya. Stick to protecting Sesame Street, while I protect the rest of the world. Okay?? Grover wanted to respond in words; but all he could do was nod in reply. ?See ya around, Super Grover.? Grover had fainted on the rooftop, just as Superman zoomed right up to the sky, breaking the cloud cover; he could once again go back to protecting the Earth, now that he had returned.

THE END

Good idea.