No, I insist. I have a friend coming to town and it"ll free up more of my time. He likes you better anyway. You always get the good stuff out of him.
(convincing) Come on, Lois. He owes me an interview as a favor. It"ll be an exclusive.
LOIS.
(hesitant) Okay, I"ll do it, but not because I want the story. I"m doing it so you can spend the evening with your friend to do whatever it is you do when you"re not here. Understood?
CLARK.
You"re helping me out.
LOIS.
Exactly.
Across the room RON and JIMMY are listening in.
RON.
Lois is one hard case.
JIMMY.
Miss Lane hates to lose... especially to Mister Kent.
RON.
Actually, I"d hate to be on the receiving end of that but I think Kent actually likes it.
RON walks off.
JIMMY.
You think?
CUT TO:.
EXT. STREET - DAY - RUSH HOUR.
A speeding VAN is weaving DANGEROUSLY through traffic while being pursued by POLICE cars. The VAN loses its pursuers but SWERVES to avoid a civilian, causing the VAN to flip several times landing in the middle of an intersection.
Dazed, three ski-masked THUGS emerge carrying duffel bags of money. THUG #1 Let"s go!
They flee through the streets, past pedestrians and into the subway.
INT. SUBWAY.
The THUGS jump the turnstile and FORCE THEMSELVES Into a subway train as the doors shut and it pulls from the platform. Subway patrons scream with terror.
THUG #2.
Everybody shut up or somebody"s gettin" a bullet in the head!
THUG #1.
(to THUG #3) Go up front and make sure the driver doesn"t radio anybody or make any stops until I say so.
THUG #3 hustles to the front of the car.
THUG #1.
(to THUG #2) They can still stop the car from the central station so if we don"t stop at the 147th then they don"t know what car we"re on.
The train approaches the next platform without slowing.
THUG #3.
(excited) We"re not slowing! They don"t know which train we"re on! We are outta here!
The THUGS rejoice in a quick celebration as the train speeds past the platform.
On the platform is CLARK KENT next to LOIS LANE (with her cell phone.) The waiting commuters are confused and start mumbling. In an instant, CLARK peers into the moving train with his telescopic vision sees the THUGS with their hostages.
CLARK takes two steps backwards behind the line of people. His gray hat can be seen above the headline as he moves along the platform in the direction of the train. Between the people, we see a blur that changes from a gray suit to the familiar colorful uniform. He emerges from the other side as SUPERMAN and flies into the tunnel.
He"s gone in a blur.
INT. SUBWAY TUNNEL.
SUPERMAN speeds through the darkened tunnel, his image is a flicker among the pa.s.sing subway lights. As he approaches the train he turns sideways (left side down, his front to the train) and squeezes BETWEEN THE TRAIN AND SUBWAY WALL.
His face strains as he builds speed and MATCHES the turns without slowing.
INT. SUBWAY CAR.
The HOSTAGES in the train are panicked. One HOSTAGE, facing the window, can see a large sideways "S" shield moving past them to the front of the train.
HOSTAGE burps a small nervous laugh and another until they quickly build to a frenzy of uncontrolled laughter. The other HOSTAGES fear he"s going to get them killed. THUG #2 (to LAUGHING HOSTAGE) What the h.e.l.l is so d.a.m.n funny?
laughing hostage (trying to calm himself) You...
SUPERMAN arrives at the front of the train and turns upright flying in a standing position at the door.
LAUGHING HOSTAGE.
(laugh) ...are gonna...
SUPERMAN forces his fingers between the doors and tears them open with the sound of twisting metal.
LAUGHING HOSTAGE.
(trying to stop) ...get your a.s.s...
SUPERMAN, hovering two feet above the floor, steps down inside.
LAUGHING HOSTAGE.
(laughing) ...so kicked.
EVERYBODY in the train looks at the LAUGHING HOSTAGE with no idea what he"s talking about.
SUPERMAN (OS).
Gentlemen...
THUGS turn to see SUPERMAN. Immediately they point their guns and fire in a rapid succession of bullets. Barely moving, SUPERMAN whips his hands through the air catching dozens of bullets.
THUG #2"s gun jams.
THUG #1 runs out of ammunition.
THUG #3 keeps firing and SUPERMAN, still catching bullets walks slowly toward him, reaches out, wraps his fingers around the gun and begins to "crinkle" it causing it to SMOKE AND break apart. Metal chunks clang as they hit the floor.
After the last piece falls, SUPERMAN laces his fingers with the THUG"s and squeezes causing the THUG to buckle to his knees screaming in pain.
SUPERMAN.
(to THUG) I"m guessing you"re new here.
THUG #2"s gun unjams and he fires at SUPERMAN"s back. SUPERMAN hears the shot and turns. The bullet hits him square in his chest and ricochets...
POV the bullet: speeds back to THUG #2"s forehead. THUG #2 screams and as the bullet closes in on his face, it stops in mid-air.
CAMERA pans out and SUPERMAN is holding the bullet between his thumb and index finger, four inches from THUG #2"s forehead. The bullet is wafting smoke.
THUG #2 is whimpering. SUPERMAN I think this belongs to you.
He puts the hot bullet in THUG #2"s palm and closes his fingers around it.
The train comes to a stop.
EXT. STREETSIDE.
There are emergency vehicles and POLICE waiting streetside. SUPERMAN emerges from the subway surrounded by the crowd of people he"s rescued.
A little GIRL approaches. GIRL Superman, can I get my picture taken with you?
MOTHER.
We"re from out of town and it would be a great souvenir.
SUPERMAN.
I really don"t do pictures... but I"ll tell you what...
SUPERMAN holds out his hand still full of bullets. He kneels to the girl"s level and blows on them. The little GIRL winces at the cold air. When the mist clears, the bullets are incased in ice.
SUPERMAN plucks one from the mounds and hands it to her.
SUPERMAN.
Why don"t you take one of these and tell all your friends you saw Superman catch it?
GIRL.
COOL!.
SUPERMAN sets the frozen bullets on the ground and the crowd scrambles for them.
SUPERMAN sees LOIS off to the side jotting notes on a tablet furiously.
The GIRL takes the frozen bullet and gleefully shows her parents.
FATHER.
Thanks, Superman.
SUPERMAN.
My pleasure.
SUPERMAN shakes his hand and winces. FATHER looks at him shocked. LOIS notices.
LOIS.
Let me see that.
SUPERMAN.
I"m fine, Lois.
LOIS opens his hand and his palm is burned. LOIS looks at him with fear in her eyes.
LOIS.
Is this from the bullets?
SUPERMAN.