Just a quick note.
Jose pointed something out to me and >I forgot to let you guys know. I don't know if anyone else has realized it, but in the scene at Centennial Park, Lois says it's three days before her wedding, but then in what seems like the next day, it reads that it's Lex's last day as a bachelor. The mistake is in Lois's scene. It should say two days. And at the beginning of part 6 (Clark arriving at home), it should read three nights and not four:
There was nothing strange in her not being home four nights before her wedding day. What was it he'd expected?
The mistake actually comes way from the beginning. Luthor tells Superman (in the scene where he finds out the secret) that it's seven days to the wedding. Well, it's six in fact.
Hope I didn't cause too much trouble! It will all be fixed before the story goes to the archive (and I'll try to edit the posts too)
Well, on to part 7
Cris
NOTHING BUT A LUTHOR ON THE WAY, PART 7
Clark ran after her. He couldn't let her go, not without a proper explanation. The way things were, there was nothing to lose. Reaching for her arm, he stopped her, forcing her turn to face him. “Lois, please. Let me explain.”
“You've already had your chance,” she said, before beginning to walk again.
Desperation showing in his voice, he pleaded, “Please. After you hear me out, if you want me to walk away, I will. You won't have to see me again.”
As mad as she was, the prospect of Clark being out of her life for good sent a shiver through her. That wasn't what she wanted, or was it? She was feeling hurt, but that didn't mean she wanted him gone. <<See? You've already let him soften you. So what if you never see him again? You don't need a liar in your life...>>
Determined not to let her doubts show she faced him again, trying to look undisturbed. “Fine. Explain.”
Slightly relieved, yet still unsure, he said, “I was thinking we could go somewhere a little more private...”
*************************************
After a short and silent ride in Lois's new car, they arrived at her building. As they reached her apartment, she took the keys out of her purse and proceeded to unlock the door. Once inside, she shut the door and stared at him, demandingly. “Private enough? I'm listening.”
“I... don't know where to start.” He'd imagined himself finally confessing his secret to her many times, and she was angry, but that was after he actually told her everything, not before. Her mood certainly didn't help.
She was losing her patience and wasn't willing to hide it. “Come on, you've had a year to come up with a proper explanation. That is, if you ever intended to tell me about it.”
“I'm not sure how it seems to you, Lois, but this isn't easy. I know, in your eyes, right now I'm nothing but a liar and I can't blame you; I know how it must look. But I want you to know one thing: I'm not Superman.”
He really had a lot of nerve. She hadn't asked for an explanation; she'd wanted him to trust her, and he hadn't. His confession hadn't come until she'd revealed that she knew his secret. That was all she needed to know. Yet he had insisted and all he was willing to offer was a denial? “I thought you could do better than that. You're a reporter, for heaven's sake! Haven't you learned there's no denying the evident?”
She was about to go on with her ramble when he spoke again, “Let me make one thing clear. I AM Clark Kent. That's who I've been from the day my parents found me at Shuster's Field. Superman is not a real person. Or rather, he is not a different person.” At the mix of confusion and anger her face bore, he explained, “I know it's hard to understand; it's taken me a lot of time to make some sense out of that, but my mom wouldn't have it any other way. Superman is only what I can do.
"I wasn't born with the powers; they developed as I grew. I was Clark already. It was only a little under a year ago that I decided to really use those powers to help. For years, I worried about becoming the target of all sorts of experiments. My dad kept saying I might end up in a lab if I wasn't careful enough, though I'm not sure they'd be able to keep me in, anyway.
"True, I helped here and there, but had to move from one place to another to avoid becoming the front-page story of "The National Whisper'. Until I arrived here. The only place I'd felt a bond to before was Smallville, and even there I wasn't sure I belonged. Now... I know I've found my place in the universe.”
She avoided meeting his eyes. His words had always been able to appease her but that was something she wouldn't allow today, and it'd be much easier if she didn't feel him staring back at her. He was a liar; he'd betrayed her... “You're right, that pretty much explains why you've been deceiving me from day one. 'Hey, found my spot in this world; let's lie to the people I care about'.”
“Now, that's not fair, Lois.” This was harder than expected. “I swear I haven't lied about anything else. But you have to understand there were reasons why Clark and Superman had to be seen as two different people. Don't you think I deserve to lead a normal life? Sure, I can help people, and I want to, but I can't do it twenty-four seven. Do you have any idea how much it wears you out? Because there's more to Superman than the nice heroic rescues. Have you ever thought about the not so auspicious emergencies? About how it feels when you're a second too late, or a mile too far? Because even the most amazing powers don't help you through that.
"And it's not only about me; it has always been more than just a selfish decision. If anyone knew who I really am, my parents and everyone and everything else that's precious to me would be in danger. And I might be a second too late to save them too.”
With every one of his words, and as his speech became more desperate, keeping up her anger was harder. Yet there it was, that nosy voice still haunting her, reminding her that if he'd lied all this time, it didn't have to be any different now. Much softer than she'd intended to, she said, “But why lie to me? I thought I was your friend... No, you said I was more than a friend. And you knew you had my trust, yet never gave me yours. And you tell me about being unfair?”
How could he refute her words when he'd asked himself those very same questions? Every time he hadn't been completely honest with her, it had hurt. For a man with moral beliefs as strong as his, it'd been a continuing incongruity. He believed and fought for truth, yet lied to the woman he said was his whole life. And she was right; he had been deceiving her all along. The worst part was that, if he told her his worst fear, the one thing that had always made him keep Clark and Superman as two different people in her eyes, she'd be infuriated. Worse, she'd be greatly offended. With no effort, he could hear her saying that she couldn't believe he thought she was that shallow; that he should have known better. It didn't matter whether she really believed it or not; if she deep down realized there was some truth in it, she'd still choose to look offended. She was too proud. How could he then confess that his secret had been kept that way because he wanted her to love HIM, Clark, the man in the business suit, the man without powers... the ordinary man? Mostly after he himself had accepted that there was not two, but only one person. Hadn't he convinced himself that Clark Kent didn't fade away when he wore the suit? That the powers were as much a part of his regular life as they were of his heroic acts? Why wasn't it the same where Lois was concerned?
Finally, in a mere whisper, he said the scary words, “I wanted you to notice me. It's not a matter of pride; I needed to feel that you could learn to value in me, your partner, all the great things you admire in Superman. Without forgetting my many flaws, and realizing that there are good things in me; that I have a lot to offer, if only you would let me. I needed you to see the real me. The man behind... the man inside the suit... But without being dazzled by the halo of perfection you seem to perceive when you face the hero.”
Scared, she realized it was so easy to just lose herself in his softness, in the tenderness his voice bore, in his care. SO many feelings she'd never known. It felt like standing on a cliff, staring at the darkness below, suspecting there was something good awaiting, but also aware of the chances of it being an illusion. He could be lying; she'd been there before, and she had vowed to never return. She had thought he could be different and in just a few hours the image she'd built up of him had fallen apart. Was she willing to forget? Was it something she could do?
The sound of his voice took her from her musings. “I guess all of that doesn't matter anymore. You saw through it. I don't know how I could think an investigative reporter like you wouldn't figure it out...”
It's all it took to trigger the last of her anger, though it wasn't exclusively directed at Clark anymore. The reaction, however, was. “You're assuming I found out on my own.” A wry smile formed on her lips. Seeing he was missing the irony of the situation, she went on, “I've been complaining for days about the childish behavior you and Lex have been displaying. As obvious as it is that you're not very fond of each other, this was beginning to look like a schoolyard fight. You kept the other, but with no proof... that is, until recently. Who would have thought there was more than jealousy behind any of it?”
Looking extremely puzzled, Clark observed her as she opened a drawer and pulled out an envelope.
Then she walked to the door, extracting the contents of the envelope as she did. “I guess not even I expected Lex to prove there was truth behind his accusations.” And as she handed him the pictures she held her door open. “Now if you'll excuse me...”
“Lois...”
“No, Clark. I heard you out. Now leave.”
********************************
After a glance at himself in the mirror, Perry reached for his suit jacket and went towards the entrance of his two-story house. He stepped outside but as he was about to close the door, turned and walked back in.
In his living room, he approached a chest of drawers and opened the top one. A smile crept on his face as he found what he was looking for. His old tape recorder. For a moment, his thoughts drifted back to a time before he became editor at the Daily Planet, to the many interviews the machine had been through, to the many investigations it'd seen him break... It reminded him just how much he loved journalism. Just how much he loved the Daily Planet.
More than a tool, the small device had become a charm. He hoped it could be witness to another great exposure, that it would help him start seeing himself as a reporter again. <<And behaving like one. >> And if his source wasn't a hoax, it might even become the bearer of the most valuable information he could stumble on.
Out on the street again, he locked the front door and headed towards the curb. His mind was still racing from one memory to another, bringing back forgotten feelings and making him grow more determined, if possible, to accomplish the goal he'd set for himself. He'd see the Planet back up, or he'd die trying, and he'd bring the creep behind its disappearance down.
Even though he'd told Clark they had to rule out all the possible suspects before closing the circle around Luthor, the truth was, he was almost as sure as his former star reporter that he was their man. And if he'd had any doubts, talking to Jimmy and Jack should have been enough to make them vanish. They'd paid him a visit earlier today and had eagerly filled him in on what they knew. He'd done the same. Together, the three had tried to settle the path their investigation had to follow from then on. Deciding they needed to know as much about this Boss as they could, Jimmy and Jack had left a short while ago.
He had told the boys he had some leads to follow, but hadn't said a word about his source, partly because the man had insisted that he come alone and partly because he didn't want to get their hopes up. If the stranger had the kind of information he'd hinted on the phone, most of their problems would be solved. But how likely was that? If he turned out to be a fake, they couldn't afford to be back in (to) square one. No time could be wasted; Lois's wedding to Luthor was in less than two days. The more information they were able to collect, the better.
Focusing his attention back on the street, he hailed for a cab. As he climbed in the passenger seat, he gave the cabby the address. The driver, a strong built man in his late forties, turned in his seat and inspected Perry. His surprise was obvious and he made no effort to hide it. “What's a man like you gonna do in such a nasty part of town?”
Not wanting to go into an in-depth explanation, Perry simply answered, “Sources have the strangest habits.”
***************************************
When the phone rang for the fourth time, Lois decided to pick it up. She'd been avoiding talking to Lex since she'd made him leave two nights before. At first, she'd let the machine get his messages, but later, she'd chosen to disconnect it and just let the phone ring, unwilling to hear another of Lex's pleas.
She wasn't sure she had a right to be mad at him, but it didn't really matter. The truth is she was mad. He'd been trying to put Clark down for days and even though his suspicions had turned out to be true, she was sure he hadn't acted out of pure concerned. He'd felt threatened by Clark, no matter how many times she'd told him there was no reason to. What more reassurance could he need, than her acceptance of his marriage proposal? He had to understand that becoming his wife didn't imply forgetting everything that was important in her previous life. Or rather, that whether it did or not was solely her choice, never his.
“You're not going to stop, are you?” she said before Lex could utter a single word.
When he spoke, his voice came out gentle, “Lois, can't I worry about you? We haven't spoken since Monday and... Well, I was afraid you were angry with me...”
Not hiding her indignation, she retorted, “Don't you think I have the right to be angry? For reasons I can't quite understand, you've been accusing Clark non-stop for days now. Lex, I'm old enough to know the kind of reaction any friend of mine deserves. I don't need to have you telling me how mad I have to be. Whether something bothers me or not, and my reaction to it, it's exclusively my decision."
“But darling, I was only worrying about you. I don't want anyone to hurt you. I know you don't deserve it.”
Trying hard not to lose control, she went on, “Again, Lex, that's something I will have to determine. And if you can't accept that, there's no way I can become your wife.”
Once she finished, they both grew quiet. Lex knew she was waiting for his reaction, but he wanted to think his words thoroughly. He doubted she would call the engagement off, no matter what he said, but he wanted to chose the right words; he wanted to say the kind of thing that would make her never doubt his intentions again, that would reassure her that he was, in fact, acting only out of concern. Even if he wasn't. Besides, drawing the silence longer probably suited his purpose best; she would think he was being extra careful not to push her away even further..
When he finally spoke, he told her what she wanted to hear, “Lois, you know there's nothing I want more than to be your husband. I will never stop worrying about you, but if it's what it takes to keep you at my side, I promise to not interfere wherever and whenever you ask me to. But, please, answer me one thing. Would you have rather not knowing about Clark?”
“Can't you see that's not the point? No one but Clark should have told me that.”
“But he'd made no intention...”
She didn't let him finish. “How can you be so sure? I'm not defending his attitude; I can't. But that doesn't mean what you did was right. It was his secret. I don't even know how you found out and, before you try to explain, I don't want to know. But you had no right.
“Lois, I... I know that both Clark and Superman mean a lot to you. I just couldn't bear the fact that he'd been dishonest with you, after all you've done for him.”
How she wished he wasn't right. It was so hard to fight his words when he was saying exactly what had been on her mind since she'd found out Clark's secret. But, for some reason, she couldn't avoid defending him. <<I'm not defending him, >> she mentally pointed out. That Clark hadn't behaved correctly didn't justify Lex's attitude. That was all she needed him to realize. “Lex, if you can't assume that what you did wasn't right, no matter how true your words were, there's no point in carrying on with this conversation or with...”
Cutting her off, he spoke again, “Don't say it, Lois. I'll admit it; it wasn't right. But don't walk away; I couldn't bear to lose you.”
************************************************
He knew what this part of town was like before hand; he'd been here many times. But he had to admit that, over the last few years, the situation had deteriorated. A little naively, he realized, he'd expected his source to be on time. With information or without it, at least he wouldn't have had to stick around too long.
Now, as the sky darkened, his surroundings were beginning to look creepy. He wasn't sure how much longer he was willing to stay. What were the chances of getting a positive reading out of his little trip to Suicide Slum, anyway? Of course any break, or would be break, in their investigation was good news, but he still didn't understand what had made him trust the stranger in the first place.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard footsteps approaching. Before he could turn to see whom they belonged to, he heard a gruff, demanding voice address him.
“Don't move.”
************************************************
She hadn't given him the time to take in what she'd just revealed. Before he could react, she'd slammed the door in his face, leaving him standing in her hallway, holding the pictures in his hand. He'd carefully examined them, yet had remained unaware of their implications.
After that, he'd done what he always did. He'd walked out of her building and, making sure no one was watching, turned to his usual getaway, flying far from the truth.
This time, however, it had been different. It was usually his lies that made him fly away, one of his many lame excuses; yet today, he'd been running away from the truth. Lois knew and, despite not having taken that in yet, it wasn't what worried him the most.
She hadn't found out on her own; Lex had told her. And if the prospect of Lois discovering his secret had been scary at the park, that Luthor had been the one to tell her was terrifying. With his knowledge of Luthor's dealings, the same knowledge Lois seemed intent on ignoring; he could only begin to imagine the kind of hell he could be put through. Ever since he'd first been exposed to Kryptonite, he'd thought that would be his worst enemy; he'd so far proved invulnerable to everything else and he'd also grown confident on the safety of his secret; being turned into a lab rat had long ago become a distant possibility. Of course, he had planned to have Lois in on the secret at some point, but having his life in the hands of the city's most powerful and disreputable man was nothing short of dreadful.
What could he do? There was no convincing Luthor that he didn't fly around wearing spandex. He had seen the pictures and, knowing Luthor, he was bound to have more evidence to fall back on. There was something he couldn't understand, though. He must have known his secret for days now, how come he hadn't let him know? Or at least, why hadn't he tried to call it to his attention? After all, the man had tried to have him at his service when he'd first arrived in Metropolis; what wouldn't he do with his newfound knowledge? He had to have thought about a million different ways in which he could take advantage of the secret. And, in the short time he'd known Luthor, the man had never missed the opportunity of gloating about his victories over him.
There were so many questions that needed an answer. He had to find out what Luthor was up to; he needed to know what he intended to do with the information. Obviously, openly asking was out of the question, but he needed to confront Luthor, see if he let anything slip. He was incredibly proud when it came to his achievements; if he paid him a visit, he couldn't possibly be worst off, could he?
But what would he say? His arms crossed, nothing-can-hurt-me pose wasn't going to do this time.
He looked at the world below; at the place that had become his home. He couldn't lose all he'd worked so hard to achieve. He couldn't let Luthor, of all people, win. He had to find a way out. If not for him, he had to do it for Lois.
**********************************************
Lex was peacefully enjoying his last day as a bachelor, with his feet on the desk, leaning back on his chair and relishing on the soft aroma of his cigar. Could life get any better?
A soft tap on the window made him turn around in his chair. There was only one person who could be knocking on the window of the city's tallest building. With a smile of recognition – and satisfaction too – he stood and opened the window to let his guest in.
“My, what a pleasure, Superman. Or should I say, Mr. Kent?”
END OF PART 7
