...I Knew The Truth
Part 17Lois tightened her coat around herself, trying to ignore the cold, humid air that was slowly creeping though every layer she had put on. Blowing her warm breath onto her hands was not helping much and the last burst of Clark’s heat vision was already wearing off – again. It was dark, save for the light of the city reflected by a thick layer of clouds that covered the sky. The dim illumination was enough to reveal Clark’s still form. He was sitting a few feet across from her, staring into the air, almost motionless since the last rays of sunlight had vanished beneath the horizon. His face had that far away look Lois had seen enough of to last a lifetime.
She knew it meant he was listening to something only his ears were able to hear, waiting and hoping for some miracle that would change the course the day had taken so far. Though Perry White’s speech had sent everyone into bustling activity, even the most ambitious reporter could not change the fact that it was a slow news day. Lois and Clark had been roaming the streets, knowing full well that any Superman related story would simply fall into their hands.
The occasional wail of sirens that resounded in the streets had gotten their hopes high, but there had been only two incidents for Superman to help with: a car pile-up and a bank robbery. While both had been spectacular to watch, they had ultimately been quick to write up. By afternoon, Lois and Clark had been no closer to the ultimate Superman front page story than they had been in the morning. Fortunately, and that was the only thing Lois actually found soothing about their situation, the same was true for everyone else.
The city seemed to have drifted off to a quiet slumber, a state that was rare even for the hottest days in summer when half the population fled to a vacation somewhere in the cooler, more rural parts of the east coast. It was even rarer for the rainy days of fall, when the dark parts of the city became even darker, covering the underworld’s sinister business dealings. Clark being Clark had instantly suspected Lex Luthor to be responsible for the unexpected hiatus and had suggested this stake-out at the top of Lex Tower right above Luthor’s penthouse.
This was where Lois and Clark had been sitting since dusk and according to the expression on Clark’s face would continue to do so until dawn. Not able to stifle a sigh, Lois got up and stretched her numb legs, trying to bring back some warmth into her body. She was hard pressed to admit it, but she was long since ready to call it a day.
A set of head-phones lay forgotten next to the spot she had been sitting on. With Clark’s help Lois had placed a bug close to an open window, enabling her to listen to what was going on inside the penthouse, too. But listening to Luthor’s evening routine had been rather boring, though admittedly enlightening as well. Now she knew without a shadow of a doubt, that the man was a self-absorbed egomaniac. Other than that, there was not much information to be gained and Lois was beginning to feel that continuing their observation was going to be futile.
“Clark, do you really think that he’s going to do anything tonight? It’s almost midnight,” Lois said, her teeth chattering with every word she said.
She drew her coat even tighter, realizing with a sense of guilt that she was in fact complaining about a stake-out. Perry would have a field day if only he knew. It was one of the reasons she had turned down almost any partner her editor-in-chief had come up with. Knowing her own stubborn streak, she could relate to Clark, who was desperate to finally bring Luthor down.
“Never mind,” she muttered the instant he looked at her.
The expression of surprise on Clark’s face turned into one of sympathy as he registered her shaking form. Lowering his glasses, he bathed her in another burst of heat vision, gently warming her up. Then he slid his glasses back on his nose and gave her a self-conscious smile.
“No,” he replied, dejectedly. “You’re probably right. I’m just not quite ready to admit it.” He smiled at her again, sadly this time, and with a regretful shrug he returned to listening.
Lois watched her partner. The constant tension in his shoulders had visibly receded through the course of the day. A faint, but contented smile was constantly playing around his lips now as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It softened his features, marking the real difference between the man and the hero he had created. Even the fact that their stake-out had so far been completely pointless had not managed to completely wipe that smile off his face.
The creation of Superman had changed something about Clark on a deeper level than just the smile it had brought onto his lips. He was less detached, less reserved. Today, he had even joked with her, something that had seemed completely impossible just a few days ago. Clark was gradually letting her get through the thick defensive wall he had built around himself. Lois felt that she was just catching a glimpse of what Clark might be like when he was truly happy.
Even this hint of a smile was infectious. The longer Lois studied him, the more she forgot about her own discomfort. Lois felt a pang of satisfaction that it had been her idea that had brought this change along. She had helped repair at least part of the damage that Lana Lang and Luthor had done. That made her glad as much as it made her angry at the two people who had hurt Clark so much as to turn him into the lifeless hull he had been, existing just to stop Luthor from hurting anyone else. Lois sent a silent prayer to Heaven, begging that they would succeed. She desperately wanted to get to know the real Clark.
“Maybe Luthor is inactive because he is still wondering if it was really you wearing the cape?” she suggested in a jest.
“He’d have to be galactically stupid not to draw the conclusion,” Clark replied, his faint smile widening into a half-grin. Lois could tell that he was just as much amused as he was worried “I can’t believe this is actually working, Lois. When I stepped into the newsroom this morning, I thought that someone was going to recognize me for sure.”
Lois shook her head, whispering. “You didn’t see yourself on television, yesterday. You look so different in the suit, it’s incredible. Embarrassing as it is, I’m almost certain you would have fooled me, too,” she admitted.
Clark weighed his head. “Nah, I don’t think so. You’re the smartest reporter I know. You would have seen right through my deception. I’m beginning to believe it’s a good thing that I had to swallow that bomb right before your eyes,” he let on quietly.
Though Lois felt flattered at his compliment, she did not share his opinion. Knowing how she had reacted to seeing him in the suit for the first time, she probably would have been completely blinded by his appearance. As little as she had seen of Superman yet, he seemed to belong to a plain of existence that was unattainable for a mere mortal. The incredible things he was capable of gave him the air of a god rather than a man. But Lois thought that she would have been even more impressed with his moral code. He was using his powers to help, still abiding by the rules when he could so easily have taken the law into his own hands.
Lois was not someone to easily admit her own weaknesses. But she strongly doubted that she would have wanted to see the human being underneath the suit, because that would have meant her hero could be flawed. Strangely, knowing the real Clark made Superman seem all that much more like a hero. That was the most confusing thing about the truth.
Suddenly Clark gestured at her to take the head phones. “I’m hearing something,” he said excitedly.
Lois quickly complied, putting on the head phones just in time to hear a door close. Several pairs of feet resounded on the floor, at least one pair of them clad in high heels. For a moment the shuffling of feet was all Lois could hear. What was said was barely above a whisper, not loud enough to be picked up by the bug they had placed. Lois wondered if Clark could understand what was being said. She was about to ask him, when suddenly Luthor spoke up.
“Thank you very much for following my invitation on such a short notice,” he said seriously.
“What’s this about, Luthor?” a man with a British accent asked.
“I’m sure you all watched the news,” Luthor replied curtly. “Do I really need to explain to you what the arrival of this so-called ‘Superman’ means for our business?” The way he emphasized his words it was no question that he really meant *my* business, not saying it simply for the sake of keeping up appearances. Luthor huffed in annoyance, the small sound revealing more about his real character than a thousand words ever could.
Lois felt goose-bumps creeping up her arms that had nothing to do with the chilly night air. Her curiosity however had been piqued. This really could be it – the proof they so desperately needed. Clutching the head-phones a little tighter, Lois resumed listening to the conversation that was going on downstairs. She heard soft murmurs of consent.
A woman asked, “So what do you propose?”
“I suggest we find out what kind of a threat Superman really poses,” Luthor answered, sounding more composed now. He paused, giving the others a bit time to think before he continued. “What do we know about Superman?”
There was another brief silence, so intense that Lois felt it would have been possible to hear the proverbial pin drop.
“Man, he can really jump …” a second man said, waiting a beat before he added. “… for a white guy.”
Lois made a mental note that at least one of Luthor’s goons was either Hispanic or Afro-American. Clark would probably know. He had lowered his glasses deep onto the tip of his nose. Before she had a chance to ask, Luthor chimed in.
“Yes, but how far? How high? Is he, for example, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound?” he concretized the question. Naturally, there was no reply.
After a while, the British guy asked. “He's immensely powerful.”
Luthor added. “How powerful? More powerful than an avalanche? More powerful than a locomotive?” Again, his question was met by silence.
“He's still a man,” the woman finally said, sounding bored. “All men are weak.”
Luthor ignored her comment. “Obviously, we know very little,” he said sourly, pausing briefly to let that sink in. Returning to business, he continued “I have designed a series of tests for Superman. I’ll need your help.” For a moment there was silence, but there had to be some kind of non-verbal conversation, because Luthor groaned “ Yes, Monique?”
Lois wrote down the name, quickly and listened to Monique’s suggestion. “Let me hire a couple of shooters, and I'll turn Superman into a large wet spot. Tests won't be necessary,” she said, obviously not too impressed with Superman so far.
Luthor’s voice was dangerously calm. “Have you ever read Sun Tzu's 'The Art Of War'?”
“I'm waiting for the Reader's Digest version,” she replied, unfazed.
Lois heard another soft groan from Luthor, before he explained like a teacher to a particularly dumb child. “Sun Tzu was a general of ancient, Imperial China. He teaches us, I'm paraphrasing of course, that 'knowledge precedes victory; confusion precedes defeat.'
Monique did not take the bait. “Really? Well, an Uzi precedes a bloody mess. Even in China.”
It was obvious Luthor’s patience was wearing thin. “Let's do it my way,” he barked. “In fact, I've a very special role planned for you during the testing.” It sounded very much like a threat.
A shiver ran down Lois’ spine. Luthor wanted to test Superman? What kind of tests exactly did he have in mind and what exactly was his intention? Did he want to know what Superman was capable of or did he want to draw him out to find out if he really was Clark?
“When do we start?” the ‘Not-White’ guy asked, as Lois had secretly dubbed him.
“Now,” Luthor said coolly. “We’ve got a lot to do. Nigel, remind me to get back to you later, I have a very special assignment that needs your attention. But first things first …”
Lois listened as Luthor explained what kind of tests he had in mind, each of his words proving what kind of a man the self-professed philanthropist really was.” Again and again her eyes darted towards the tape recorder, making sure that it was running. With each passing moment, her excitement grew. This was going to be the story of the century, almost bigger than Superman. Clark had been right about Luthor the whole time- he actually was pure evil.
* * *
“This is huge,” Lois said for the umpteenth time, clutching a steaming mug of tea, desperately trying to get some warmth back into her body. Clark had already tried to help out, but that had been as futile as the tea was going to be. Lois was not cold because of the icy wind, this chill ran much deeper. “Luthor needs to be stopped. He risks killing people just to perform some stupid tests.”
Clark looked a little green around the gills. “He wants to draw me out. And if that doesn’t help – you know what he told Nigel.” He lowered his gaze, staring into space and biting his lip.
Lois’ heart tightened in her chest. Yes, she remembered – Luthor was going to try and expose Clark. But this time he made sure that any potential blood would not be on his hands. Clark had warned her about Luthor. But until tonight, Lois had not really understood that this man would really stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He considered Superman to be a challenge, an enemy he wanted to know more about.
During her years as an investigative journalist Lois had seen and heard many disturbing things. Even so, she had never listened to someone who could so casually order a murder or had the power to make his minions risk their lives just to test someone else. His influence made Lois think of a guru of some obscure cult rather than a crime lord. His ability to hide his evil side under a mask of politeness and charisma made him all the more dangerous.
“Becoming Superman was a bad idea,” Clark said quietly, interrupting Lois train of thought. “Luthor is not going to back down, if by some miracle I manage to dodge being exposed this time.” He got up, obviously no longer able to remain seated. He paced the living room nervously. “I should have stayed off his radar.”
Lois lifted a brow. “You were the one who suggested throwing Luthor a bone,” she argued. “Don’t you remember? And now you’re already giving up? Clark, Luthor is not going to be a nicer person just because you throw in the towel. If anything, you becoming Superman gave us the chance we probably wouldn’t have gotten any other way. We’ve got his evil business dealings on tape,” Lois pointed out, wondering why he did not see that on his own. Maybe, after spending years of trying to bring Luthor down, he could not imagine that finally he was so close to reaching the finish line. “He ordered two murders and a suicide, if Superman is not going to come to their rescue. That’s all the evidence we’re going to need.”
Clark simply shook his head. “Having his voice on tape is going to be useless if it comes to a trial. Besides, we did not acquire it legally,” Clark said dejectedly. “And even if we found some police officer who was willing to listen, I’m not going to let these people die, just to bring Luthor into jail.”
Lois felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth as Clark mentioned the police. “I know just the right guy to give that tape to,” she whispered, completely enamoured with her idea. “Remember Inspector Henderson?”
“He investigated Platt’s death, didn’t he?” Clark asked.
“Yes, he did,” Lois confirmed. “I’ve met him during several investigations. We’re not exactly on friendly terms since he does not always agree with my methods. But he’s a decent, upright police officer and I’m positive he’s going to listen. Believe me, I’m the last person willing to admit that I need help,” Lois confessed with a self-conscious smile on her lips. “Still, I think we should talk to him, show him everything we’ve got on Luthor.”
Clark did not reply. He just looked at her thoughtfully, mulling over what she had said. Lois could practically see him think, silently arguing the pros and cons until finally, almost imperceptibly, he gave a nod. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lois took a sip of her tea that was still warm but no longer steaming. Even so, warmth instantly spread through her body, fueled by the fact that they now had a plan. Lois felt the same pleasant tingle in the pit of her stomach that accompanied the chase of every good story. Involuntarily, she checked her watch, finding that it was still too early to get started.
“We’ve got a few hours before Luthor is going to act out his plan,” Lois said softly.
Again, Clark nodded. ." You must be tired. I should be going so you can get some rest."
"I'm not tired," Lois protested, only to be betrayed by a jaw-cracking yawn. Smiling self-consciously, she admitted. "Alright, maybe I am. But what about you?"
"I already told you I don't need to sleep, at least not much," Clark said defensively. He clearly did not like to talk about himself.
Lois watched him for a moment, her heart going out to him. He looked so lost, small despite his broad frame.
"Where are you going to stay?" she asked.
Clark shrugged. "Around. With my folks - I don't really know. Perhaps Superman should do another patrol." He vaguely pointed outside as if to illustrate his point.
"What are you going to do, if we succeed in bringing Luthor down?" Lois asked.
"That's something I'll consider when the time has come," Clark replied matter-of-factly. "I'm not going to count any chickens before they're hatched. Now if you'll excuse me. I’ll see you later at the newsroom."
Without waiting for her to say anything else, he stepped towards the window, opened it and with a whoosh, he was gone.
"Clark, don't you dare..." the rest of her protest died on Lois lips. Baffled, she stayed behind on the sofa, having no choice but to stare at the billowing curtains. Anger rose within her, bubbling up in a stream of curses Lois muttered to herself, since there was no one else to listen. She could not believe he had run off again.
"Fine, leave me alone. See if I care," she shouted, though she knew very well that he probably would be too far away to hear her. However, that did nothing to quench her anger. If anything, she became even more furious. The bitter truth was that she did care. She could not quite explain it, but Clark had come to mean a lot to her, even more so since she shared his secret.
Lois huffed in annoyance, fighting back the tears that were all of a sudden threatening to roll down her cheeks. It wasn't like her to be so sensitive. She knew she could blame it on the lack of sleep, that and the fact that her life had been on the line twice in the course of a week. Still, she did not want to go there, not again. The experience with Claude had been bad enough. No way was she going to cry because of a man. Never again, she silently vowed to herself, but found that she was already faltering in her resolve.
The problem with Clark was that she knew exactly where he was coming from. Lois had little hope of ever winning his heart. He had been deeply hurt and it was actually a miracle that he was trusting her enough to let her help him. However, once Luthor was behind bars, Clark would almost certainly be gone.
He was the only partner she had ever been able to tolerate. They were as close to being friends as she had ever been, except maybe her friendship with Linda. But she had betrayed Lois.
"You're still up?" Lucy asked out of nowhere.
"God, you startled me," Lois gasped in surprise. She had completely forgotten about her sister.
"I thought I heard voices," Lucy said softly, stifling a yawn. "After the break-in I was afraid that maybe the robbers had returned. I had trouble sleeping, just thinking about what happened. Oh, Lois, this must have been so terrible for you. Are you okay?" she continued, rivaling Lois in full babble-mode.
"Clark was here, my colleague from work," Lois explained with a sense of guilt. "I'm sorry we woke you up."
"That's alright," Lucy replied, a glint in her eyes. "So, did you two have a date?" she asked giddily, her earlier worries obviously forgotten. She sat down on the love-seat next to Lois, the last remnants of sleep wiped off her face.
"We have been working," Lois replied. " a stake-out."
"Oh," Lucy muttered, disappointed, barely refraining from rolling her eyes. "Typical," she added with an exaggerated sigh. "I thought you liked this guy."
Lois opened her mouth, ready to lash out at Lucy, telling her to mind her own business. She did not feel like discussing her love life or lack thereof with her little sister. Besides, she was not even sure she was interested in Clark that way.
<Yeah, right,> she thought self-consciously, <and why else would you bite her head off?>
"I do like him," Lois said quietly, deciding that it was far better to be honest with Lucy and more importantly with herself. "Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated than that. Someone in Clark's past hurt him badly. I'm not even sure he will ever trust me enough to become friends." She sighed. Let alone more than friends, Lois added mentally. She cringed. That was just her luck.
to be continued...
