Holy crap, ninjas.
Tokyo, Japan 1999
Clark stood staring at the bright, active city. It occurred to him how far he really was from home.
***
The next day Clark sat at a side walk cafe having some coffee while reading the paper. He heard the sound of a rifle going off from a building across from the cafe then spotted the bullet flying by headed for a woman sitting a few feet from him. He blew a puff of air that sent the bullet into the wall above the woman's head. The rest of the place erupted in panic but the woman the bullet was aimed at remained calm, even giving the miss a bit of a chuckle.
Clark listened and heard a second shot. This time he managed to catch the bullet without anyone noticing. He did notice the woman who seemed to be the target slightly surprised, as if she expected a second bullet.
Across the street on a roof top an American assassin named Floyd Lawton sat confused, "What the hell?"
Clark looked over and saw the assassin packing his gear. He sighed because there were far too many people around for him to stop him unseen so he decided to stick close to the woman.
He cut through the crowd and asked, "Excuse me, miss. Do you speak English?"
She looked him over, "Yes, why?"
Clark grinned, "Thank god, I'm completely lost, I'm trying to get to the Meiji Jingu shrine. I promised my mom I'd get a few pictures and for the life of me I just can't find it."
She looked him over, "Oh, what the hell, got nothing better to do at the moment. Veronica Sinclair, and you are?"
He shook her hand, "Clark Kent."
"Okay Mr. Kent, come with me."
Unbeknownst to Clark the woman had every intention of using him as a human shield, while he intended to stop who ever was trying to kill her.
Lawton was on his cellphone, "Relax, every body has an off day, I got her in my sights, she has some tourist rube with her"
He sighed as his current employer spoke, "Fine send your pajama squad, they can clean up after me."
***
Later Veronica seemed bored as Clark snapped pictures of the shrine. He came over, "Thanks for showing me around, Ma would've read me the riot act if I forgot."
She gave a fake smile, "No problem, how would you like to see some more sites with me?"
Clark nodded and the started walking back to the car. Before they made it several men dressed in black dropped down from seemingly nowhere and Clark's eyes went wide, "Ninjas are real?"
He looked toward Veronica, "You run I'll hold them off." She did her best damsel in distress impression and ran off in an almost dainty fashion. As she rounded the corner one threw a shuriken which Clark caught mid air. They all looked at the tourist and one did a flying kick into Clark's chest. He fell to the ground as Clark gave a small chuckle. Another came up and delivered a shin to Clark's arm and screamed as his shin bone shattered on impact. He then easily swatted the rest down and started off after Veronica but stopped considering how it would look if he showed up unscathed. He ripped his shirt in a few places and mussed himself up. And just the picture he balled up his fist and gave a deep sigh before delivering a hard shot to his own face to draw some blood. He hoped no one noticed the rumble that resulted and made his way after her.
He staggered up to her, "Oh, thank god you're okay."
She gave him a shocked expression that he'd survived.
***
Lawton arrived at the shrine and chuckled at the sight of the ninjas laying on the ground groaning in pain, "Well guess its time to get serious."
***
They went back to Clark's hotel room so he could get cleaned up. Veronica thumbed through some of Clark's pictures while he was in the bathroom. She found it a bit odd that most of them were not of touristy sites but jungle and the poorer parts of the countries he's visited. "Look's like I went and got a Samaritan."
Clark overheard he somewhat condescending comment from the other room with a slight grin as he came out. She looked to him with false concern, "Are you sure you're up for more site seeing?"
He nodded, "Oh yeah, let's get going."
***
They found themselves in an art museum that was near closing and Clark followed Veronica to what she said was a favorite piece of hers. A jade dragon that had been carved around ten years ago by an artist who had died from cancer. As they neared the case Clark felt a bit ill. She gave a wary glance, "Its never glowed before."
She asked Clark, "You Okay?"
He nodded, "Yea, just a bit of heart burn."
He knew it was kryptonite, but luckily the case was preventing a completely lethal dose. Unfortunately Lawton was behind them with a wrist mounted gun trained on Clark. The kryptonite weakened him enough for the bullet to go through his back. Clark hit the ground as Veronica turned to see Lawton in a full body suit and a metallic mask. She grinned a bit, "Wow, Deadshot himself, I'm flattered. Sorry Clark, you're just a bad judge of character."
She then threw a kick toward Deadshot who caught her by the ankle and swatted her down. He then took aim but noticed Clark grabbing his leg. He looked down, "Have a little dignity buddy, you're already dying on the floor over a glorified dog fight promoter."
Lawton then turned back to see that Veronica had run off, "Well I guess you do make a fine distraction."
He took off after her as Clark pulled himself away from the dragon sculpture until he stopped feeling the effects. The wound nearly instantaneously healed and Clark jumped to his feet, "Okay, that was embarrassing."
As he exited the museum he saw the two of them ducking into an alley. Clark looked around to ensure there were no witnesses then shot into the air. He followed them from above and knocked all of Lawton's bullets down with his heat vision then hit his wrist gun. He stopped the chase to remove the melting weapon.
Clark then stood behind him and tapped him on the shoulder, He turned back shocked and Clark back handed him across the alley. Veronica ran out of an alley not paying attention and ran into a police officer. He recognized her from a wanted bulletin at his station. She sighed as he ordered her to surrender.
***
Lawton woke up in a dumpster with a pipe wrapped around him and the sound of sirens outside, "Well, this sucks."
He managed to pull a small cutting tool from his boot and quickly freed himself and slunk away to avoid arrest.
Clark arrived back at his hotel room and turned on the TV and saw Veronica being arrested, the reporter indicated that she was wanted in connection with illegal underground fight clubs. Clark eased back into his bed, "Not a bad days work."
(To be continued)
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