Band of Blue TOCChapter 23 “Lane. Kent.” The editor-in-chief’s voice bellowed through the bull pen. “Get your butts next door ... yesterday.”
Clark paused at the bottom of the steps and turned. Perry was just exiting the elevator and heading straight for Lois’s desk. Clark turned back to see Lois stand up from her desk.
“Next door?” she asked. Turning to look to her left she frowned. “The copy room?”
“No, smarty pants, LuthorCorp. There’s been a press conference called.” He glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes.” Clark reached his desk just as Perry looked back up. “Move it. This isn’t happy hour at the holiday inn.”
Half way through removing his jacket, Clark reversed the action and shrugged it back over his shoulders. Lois jumped around and grabbed her notepad. Pulling her jacket off the back of her chair she set off for the stairs in a hurry. Clark caught up to her half way.
“Morning Lois.” He tried to open the conversation. She didn’t speak. “Any more news on your father?”
“I’m going to try and force a visit later today. He’s not going to avoid visitors any longer.” Clark heard the determination in her voice. Her footsteps were loud on the stairs as she climbed. It was as if she were putting a tonne of emotion into the force of each step.
“Do you want me to take you?” Clark asked.
Lois halted at the top of the steps and turned. “Stop, just stop it.”
“Stop what, Lois?” Clark wrinkled his brow.
“Stop being so nice. You’re just too nice. Stop it.” Lois turned away and stalked off.
I’m too nice? Clark pondered over the meaning of that.
How can someone be too nice? Does she want me to be nasty? “Lois!” He caught up to her again and grabbed her arm just as she was exiting the building. She swivelled round to face him. “Please tell me what I’ve done wrong. Why won’t you talk to me?”
“Why won’t you stop following me around like a lost puppy?” she challenged him. Clark stood still in shock and Lois broke out of his grasp and continued on to the LuthorCorp building. Clark felt the emotional hurt hit him in the heart.
She really doesn’t want me. In fact she finds my attention annoying. Lois was entering the LuthorCorp building when Clark forced his feet to start moving again. When he was shown into the meeting room he scanned for Lois but could see no sign of her. Frowning, he shuffled along a line of chairs and took a seat, waiting for the press conference to begin.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois stood in the bathroom, leaning against the sinks with her hands. She was breathing too fast, hyperventilating. She glanced up and stared at herself in the mirror.
I can’t deal with this. I can’t talk to him until I’ve figured it all out in my head. She looked away from the mirror.
It’s too complicated. How can I feel this way about someone so soon after meeting them? She put her hands in her pocket and her right hand touched something. Rolling the distorted bullet between her fingers while still in the pocket she spoke out loud to no-one in particular.
“It’s just too complicated.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Hey, Smallville, make some space.” Lois squeezed through the rows of chairs and reporters to get next to Clark. Even though she was trying to keep an emotional distance she still wanted to be near him. His presence just made her feel safe.
“Where did you disappear to Lois?” he asked.
“Had to powder my nose,” she replied. The completely seriously delivered line sent Clark into peals of laughter. What a beautiful, happy sound.
“Powder your nose. Lois, that’s ridiculous. You’d never be one to ‘powder your nose’.” Clark flashed her a big grin and she saw a sparkle in his eyes.
How does he know me so well? “You are so right,” she replied, deadpan, and then smiled. Maybe there was nothing to worry about. They had a natural, fun banter. This could be a good friendship. “So, any idea what this is about,” she asked while getting out her pad and pen.
“Not a clue. There’s no-one here yet.”
“You know, Clark. The last LuthorCorp press conference was quite a show. Superman revealed himself to the world there.” Lois looked at Clark.
“Superman. Of course.” Clark muttered to himself.
Lois frowned a little.
Does he think I talk about Superman too much? But why should that bother him when ... “Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen of the press.” Lois’s thought was cut off by a group of people walking in the side door. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
All chatter stopped and all eyes turned to the podium at the front of the room. The tall, well-dressed man continued to speak.
“You have all been called here today so that you can witness the return of our CEO. He went missing over two months ago but he was found yesterday. Lex Luthor.” The door opened again and out strode the man in question.
Gasps of shock sounded from many mouths soon to be followed by shouts as many journalists stood and leaned forward, shouting out their questions, desperate to be the first one to be acknowledged. Lois watched as Lex walked slowly to the podium and just stood in silence.
Eventually everyone quietened and then Lex spoke.
“I will take your questions in a moment but let me pre-empt a few before you start.” He paused then looked around the room. Lois shivered, there was something familiar about the way he surveyed the room, put himself in charge. “I shall be resuming command of LuthorCorp today. Miss Mercer will stay on as my advisor for as long as I require. I shall be releasing a detailed statement later on today; each paper will receive a copy. Now, I expect all your questions will revolve around my disappearance and subsequent re-emergence. Let me make it clear that I have been assessed to be in perfect health but do not know how. I was M.I.A. for over ten weeks yet do not understand how I survived.” He paused and then lifted his arms invitingly. “Questions,” he stated simply.
“Mr Luthor, where were you?”
“Mr Luthor, will you be reversing any decisions made by Miss Mercer?”
“Mr Luthor, who assessed your health?”
“Mr Luthor ...”
The questions poured out, over the top of each other but Lex just looked around, not indicating to any of the journalists that they could repeat their question and get an answer. Lois raised her hand and stood with confidence.
Lex stopped as his gaze passed her. His eyes tightened slightly as he looked at the man sat next to her. She turned and looked at Clark. There was a strained history between the two of them. I wonder what he’s thinking about this. Lex’s gaze flicked back to her and he pointed directly at her. “Yes?” he asked.
“Lois Lane, Daily Planet. Care to comment on the arrest of District Attorney Sacks.”
Lex shook his head in confusion. “I fail to see the relevance ...”
Lois immediately cut in. “You have had several business dealings with him in the past. And it is his questionable associations and business dealings which have landed him in jail.”
“Miss Lane,” Lex paused, “I have nothing to say on the matter and would ask that you refrain from any further speculation.” He broke off his gaze and looked around the room again. “Next question.”
Lois sat down and tapped the end of her pen against her notepad. She listened in to all the other questions but Clark was making constant notes next to her so she didn’t take anything down. She found her thoughts drifting and, as she focussed on the pen tapping, she realised what had struck her as strange.
Lex referred to himself as M.I.A. Why? That’s a very military term. She stopped tapping and nibbled her lower lip.
Daddy would use that term in lectures with me whenever I’d snuck off. Lois looked back up to the podium in shock. Lex’s stance, and the way he’d walked in ... it reminded her of the General.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Back in the bull pen Lois and Clark rushed to their computers and immediately set to typing. The frantic chatter all around was a constant background noise the rest of the day. Clark focused so intently on his computer screen that he jumped in shock when Lois planted a coffee in front of him.
“Spill!” Lois ordered.
He looked at her and frowned then glanced at the coffee.
“Spill it, Smallville. What’s on your mind?” She cocked her head to one side. “Your one-time friend, some-time enemy, Harry Houdini head of Luthorcorp just announced his return to the world. You must be thinking something.”
“I’m thinking,” Clark replied sarcastically, “that you made it clear you want no form of partnership with me.”
Lois dropped her head and sighed. “I’m sorry, Clark. Can we not talk about this yet? Maybe,” she paused and took a shuddery breath, “Maybe you could take me out later.”
Clark reached out and covered her hand for a second. “Ok, Lois.” He smiled at her and she smiled back. He felt a little hope steal back into his heart. “Erm.” He looked back at his computer screen. “Lex, then.”
“Lex,” Lois stated. She wrinkled her brow. “There was something strange about him. Did he ever spend time in the military?”
“What?” Clark asked shocked. “You know his biography. The closest Lex ever got to the war is a hostile takeover in the board room.”
“I know.” Lois turned away and walked back to her desk muttering to herself. “There was just something ...”
“Are you thinking that Lex has been held hostage during his missing months? Maybe some military base?” Clark asked. Lois had some crazy leaps of logic but they were usually also genius ideas.
“That’s one avenue we could investigate,” she said.
We. Clark couldn’t stop the goofy grin from appearing on his face.
She said we. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chloe was riding up in the elevator again. This time she was not about to surprise her best friend. This time she was fully involved in the secret team, or she very soon could be. She recalled dialling the phone number earlier today; fingers shaking.
“Mr Queen?” she asked when the call was answered.
“I told you to call me Ollie,” came a friendly voice.
“Sure, Ollie.” Chloe felt herself smiling. “I’ve decrypted the whole file. There’s a ton of data about this Project Ares.” Ollie’s friendly voice had put her immediately at ease.
“Bring it all over. Can you come now?” His voice was suddenly serious and all business. And that’s how she found herself back in the penthouse. This time it was just her and the handsome billionaire. The rest of the ‘team’ were nowhere in sight.
“Mr Queen,” she said confidently as she strode across the floor. “Sorry, Ollie.” She reached into her bag and pulled out the laptop. Placing it onto a small glass table she flipped it open and started tapping away. “I’ve got full access to the file now, but have only looked at a couple of sections to check if it truly is decrypted. I hope that’s ok.”
“It’s fine Miss Sullivan.”
“Look, if you’re gonna make me call you Ollie then you should call me Chloe, don’t ya think?” she turned and placed her hand on her hip.
Ollie laughed and smiled. “Of course.” He swivelled the laptop round a little so the screen was visible to both. “Let’s open this can of worms then.” His voice was quiet and it was as if he’d made the comment to himself.
As Chloe opened document after document she watched Ollie’s frown deepen. There seemed to be a righteous fury building in his eyes. When he slammed the top of the laptop down in anger ten minutes later Chloe jumped backwards.
“Do you know what that was all about?” he shouted at her. Chloe knew the anger wasn’t for her.
“Some sort of Super Soldier project,” she replied.
“Lex Luthor was experimenting. Trying to create perfect soldier. A Super Soldier as you so correctly say.” He was storming around his apartment. Chloe felt a little scared. Ollie stepped back up to the laptop and opened it up again. Muttering under his breath he tapped away on the keyboard. “Well, he’s not going to get away with it. There’s a map, we can send in the team to make sure this project is truly shut down.”
“Team?” Chloe asked quietly and tentatively. Maybe she would finally find out what was going on.
Ollie turned his head swiftly and looked her directly in the eye. He seemed to be looking into her soul, her very being; assessing her worth and dedication. Suddenly he smiled and then strode off. At the top of the apartment he stood in front of a frosted glass wall. Chloe turned and followed. As she got closer the wall parted and revealed a secret room behind. Chloe felt her speed slow and her eyes widen. Inside the room was the obvious costume and accessories of a certain superhero.
“You’re Green Arrow!” she said in awe.
“Yes, Chloe.” He picked up a small black device and pointed it at the wall. A bank of monitors sprang to life displaying familiar faces. “And this,” he indicated, “is my team.”
Chloe stood in shock. There was A.C., or Aquaman, as it said under his picture. And Victor ... Cyborg. She slowly studied each screen. Impulse, Canary, Zatanna, Manhunter...
She turned to look at Oliver Queen; renowned playboy, billionaire CEO, with respect and awe visibly showing in her eyes. He smiled at her and spoke.
“Welcome to the Justice League.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Anything to say yet?
