The Last Daughter of Krypton - IC

Lex knelt down, catching Misty with his eyes. "I believe you, Misty, and I want to help. Please, calm down... Tell me what you heard." Lex said, thinking: "The poor girls hearing things... She may need to be sedated..."

"I don't need to be sedated lex Daddy was talking to me asking if it was me his sweet Misty. Why won't you all believe me Daddy is here I know it." Misty cried in Lex's shoulder. Misty then looked at her mother "You believe me right Mother." Misty stared at her mother for a few seconds thinking in her head believe me mommy believe me mommy. after about 10 seconds her mothers looked at her daughter like it all suddenly made sense to her. "I believe you Dear."

Standing up, Lex hid the look of surprise over what Misty had just said, acting as naturally as he could. "Well then, I'll go look for him... Bruce, feel like helping me?" Lex offered, feeling that it would be for the best if mother and daughter were left to console one another for the time being.

Misty ran over to her mother and started crying. "Daddy, can't be gone mother he just can't be. He never got to see me go to prom or go out on my first real date or anything like that. He can't be gone he didn't get to meet my new friend Kara or Bruce. He just can't be gone."

Misty's mother Janet didn't know what to do she wanted to break down and cry but she couldn't not with her daughter acting so hysterical she had to be strong for her daughter so she just held the young blond haired girl in her arms and let her cry.

Lex had asked Bruce if he wanted to help. Seeing Misty the way she was, Bruce thought it best to leave her with her mother. Bruce was, after all, a stranger.

Alright Lex, what are we going to do? Bruce asked the billionare. Bruce thought about what Misty had said. The voice in her head. A normal person would have placed this as hysteria, dillusions. But Bruce, oddly enough, believed her.

Where was the last place someone saw Mr. Graves? Bruce asked Lex. How could a hospital loose a patient? Bruce wondered.

"The last person to see Mr. Graves was an intern. I've spoken with him, and he said that he witnessed Mr. Graves asphixiating on some sort of gas. He said that it filled the whole emergency room... He waited for the room to clear but when it did, Mr. Graves was gone. Bruce, he told me that there was no way for Mr. Graves to have left the room except by the same way he had... Mr. Graves should still be in the emergency room."

Bruce thought about this. Let's check out the emergency room. Obviously he had to have gotten out somewhere. Bruce thought.

Green gas...intern watched him exhale it...waited for the smoke to clear...hmmm.

Alfred, would you check with the doctors who were working on Mr. Graves? Tell me what they did, and what they found. Bruce called to Alfred standing a little bit behind him.

after crying for about 10 more minutes in her Mothers arms Misty pulled away and concentrated on her mom. If Randal is gone how am i gonna raise Misty on my own. I have no job, no money. I will miss Randal dearly other then him Misty is all I've got. I love her so much she is the only reason i can't cry right now.

"Mommy go ahead and cry if you want. It will make make you feel better."

"Misty I haven't cried in front of you in years. I can't cry right now one of us has to be strong."

"Mommy there is no reason to hide your feelings from me. I can tell exactly what your thinking and what emotions your feeling. Your scared Mommy you don't know what you will do without Daddy though you refered to him as Randal. You don't have a job no money and well other then me he is all you got."

"Misty how did you know all that." Her mother just gasps.

"I told you Mommy I can read your mind. Its been happening all day but i just realized it when i was looking at you a minute before right now your thinking how i haven't called you Mommy in years."

Before they left to the emergency room, Bruce heard Misty talking to her mother. There was nothing her mother could do to raise the child up by herself.

Bruce thought about himself and Alfred.

Bruce would have to worry about that later. Right now, he was worried on making sure that Misty didn't have to be raised up without a father.

"Don't worry Mother I heard daddy's voice in my head so i know he is still around. He was trying to communicate with me. Lex will find Daddy I just know it."

Misty became the one comforting her mother as things continued to unravel. She began to think of how Lex wanted her sedated that did bother her a little bit but she realized that she would of freaked out too if the roles were reversed and after all Lex wasn't a bad guy. Misty got a smile on her face when she realized the power of knowing what people were thinking.

"Its just as the Intern said, the only way Mr. Graves could have left the emergency room was by going right by him..." Lex said after giving the room a good search. "There's not even a sign of him in here that I can find. What do you think Bruce?" Lex asked as he came back to the young mans side.

Erin could see no use for sticking around at school, not when she was worrying herself sick about her burn flaring up once again, after 10 years of cold silence. She couldn’t careless if her grades fell for this. Despite her hard exterior Erin did worry, at heart she was the biggest worrier you would ever find, she would just never show it. School was a waste of her time anyway, it wasn’t like she actually wanted to be here, if it wasn’t a requirement then she would have just quit. Never the less there was always skipping her lessons and since she was actually going to the hospital, she could get a note from the doctors, to justify her absence.

By the time second period came around Erin had been excused to go to the bathroom, and a little while later she was stepping through the hospital’s revolving doors.

Soon enough she had been ushered into the waiting room with all the other hypochondriacs, non-emergencies and families of patients. It was there that the irritation came back, at first a persistent itch, then warmer and warmer, until pain set in. She clutched her stomach, and looked up at the ceiling putting on her game face. She wasn’t going to be weak. Weakness was pathetic, and she was not pathetic.

Her eyes fell back to the floor as the pain worsened, and then travelled along the row of seats until she came to a familiar blonde and who could be assumed as her mother. Erin’s eyes narrowed. This wasn’t to say she was jumping to conclusions, especially since the pair seemed to be grieving a loss, or perhaps not, but it happened back on the bus when that blonde girl was getting all agitated. It was stupid to assume that Misty was anything to do with the pain Erin was going through, it could have been a simple coincidence that she was here, or it could have been anyone else in the room affecting her…

A frail voice chirped up beside her. It was a kindly looking old lady with cotton ball gripped in between her worn fingers. “Probably just growing pains sweety” Erin smiled politely back at the frail looking thing, and returned to her own thoughts. The lady didn’t know the half of it. Growing pains? No. An old wound resurfacing? That was more like it.

“I’ll be fine thanks…” She replied, focusing back on Misty and her mother. What was wrong?

“I’ll be fine thanks…”

Misty couldn't remember where she had heard that voice before but she was certain she heard it earlier that day. She turned around quickly and noticed the girl from the bus earlier that day. She stared at the girl for a moment trying to figure out why she was here. I can't let this pain get to me I can't show this weakness and why is it always get worse when i'm near that blond freshman.

Misty then spoke up "Your in pain come here and sit down i'll get you some help." Misty now had something to take her mind off what was going on with her father.

Bruce looked around the room, trying to figure out what could have happened.

An idea hit him.

If Misty could still hear her father outside of this room, then maybe she could hear him if she was in the room. Oddly enough, if he didn't leave, that meant he had to still be in here, right?

Lex, would you get Misty in here? She might be able to help us with this. After all, if he didn't leave, that means he's still in here, right? Bruce told Lex. Lex gave him a very puzzeled look.

It's the only thing we have at the moment Lex.

"Misty's been through alot today, Bruce, I don't think its all that healthy to entertain her youthful delusions, do you?" Lex asked calmly. The look in Bruces eyes said quite clearly that he wasn't going to budge. "Fine, I'll go get her, but I have to say, I don't entirely agree with this..." Lex added, shaking his head as he walked out of the room.

"Misty, Bruce thinks he might have found a lead, but he wants you to help him... Hello young lady, and who are you?" Lex asked of the sullen looking girl that Misty was talking to.

Lex finally gave in and went to go get Misty. Bruce stayed and looked around the room. Everything appeared normal, but Bruce's instinct told him different. He had a bad feeling about this.

Something wasn't right.

Alfred walked up to where Master Bruce had been, only to see Mr. Luthor, the young Mrs. Graves, and a new young face that Alfred had never seen before.

Madam Graves, seeings as how young Master Bruce has dissappeared again, is there anything at all that I can do to assist you and your friend here? Alfred asked. The new young girl looked as if she was in massive pain.

I happen to be skilled in the medical area, and may be able to offer some help to you ma'am. Alfred added, as he noticed not many doctors and nurses were around, probably looking for Mr. Graves.

Ravenloft said:

"Misty, Bruce thinks he might have found a lead, but he wants you to help him... Hello young lady, and who are you?" Lex asked of the sullen looking girl that Misty was talking to.

Click to expand...

"This is my new friend..." Misty concentrated for just a second on the girl standing in alot of pain next to her. "This is Erin. Erin i'd like you to meet Lex Luthor."

Madam Graves, seeings as how young Master Bruce has dissappeared again, is there anything at all that I can do to assist you and your friend here? I happen to be skilled in the medical area, and may be able to offer some help to you ma'am.

"Thanks Alfred please look after Erin a minute why I see what Bruce wanted. Erin I'll be right back." Misty said as she ran off into the hospital room her father was supposed to be in.

As Alfred watched over Erin, trying to make sure she was alright, Bruce waited for Misty, checking over the room.

Misty and Lex cam up behind him. Misty, do you hear anything at all? Do you hear your father in here? Or somewhere around here? Bruce asked her.

....

Alfred noticed the young woman, Erin, grabbing at her stomach. Is there anything I can do for you ma'am? I noticed that you have been gripping your stomach. Do you mind if I take a look? Alfred asked. He figured that it might be an infection, maybe a rash, or something.

Alfred knew he could help, if the young woman would let him.

Lex lingered in the door way to the emergency room, pinching the bridge of his nose, and shaking his head in disapproval. "...Up three points, Haxel down two points, buy stock, Lexcorp up seven points, Wayne enterprise up seven points, buy st..." Lex's thoughts were moving like a ticker tape through time square.

"Hhhhhhhelp mmmmeeee.... Mmmmmisty.... cant feel... drifting... drifting... awwwway..." A voice whispered, whisping and circling about the room before fading out again.

"DADDY I'M HERE DADDY. Everything will be Okay Talk to me DADDY PLEASE. LEX THIS IS NO TIME TO BE WORRYING ABOUT YOUR STOCKS DADDY IS HERE SOMEWHERE AND HE FEELS LIKE HE IS FADING AWAY. DADDY TALK TO ME LET ME KNOW WHAT HAPPENED HOW I CAN HELP DADDDDDDDYYYYYYYY...." Misty was getting hysterical and about to lose it.

"Okay, this is getting out of hand Bruce, we're here to help Misty, not push her over the edge into hysterics..." Lex said as he went to Misty's side. "Let me take you home Misty, you should get some rest, its been a very traumatic day for you..."

No Lex, wait. Misty, what is he saying? Where is your father? Bruce intervened. He believed Misty, that she could hear her father's voice. If only he could as well.

Misty, please, can you tell me where he is? Bruce asked again.

I know it's difficult for you. And I'm sorry for that. But you are the only one who knows anything about where he might be. So please Misty, concentrate, focus on your father's voice. Bruce said, as calmly as possible. Help us out Misty, where is he?

"I don't know where he is Bruce I can only hear his voice in my head its not like a distance thing and he faded away. Daddy is gone for now Daddy is gone. Why Daddy why. what are Mommy and I gonna do without you Daddy." Misty just collapses on the floor crying knowing her dad is around somewhere but no one not even her can find him.

Bruce gave up. Lex was right, he shouldn't put Misty through this right now. But he didn't know what else to do. Misty, I'm sorry. Bruce said to the young girl, collapsed in the middle of the floor.

He failed.

He had told himself that no one should have to go through the pain he went through, and now, when he had a chance to help, he failed. Even made things worse for the young girl.

Bruce walked out of the emergency room.