The Superman At The End of This Story

[Big Daddy]

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

[koosie]

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?

[Big Daddy]

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.

[Big Daddy]

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

[Big Daddy]

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

[Big Daddy]

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

[Big Daddy]

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

[Big Daddy]

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

[Big Daddy]

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

[Big Daddy]

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