Winner Takes All
Folc4evernaday (folc4evernaday@gmail.com)
Rated: PG-13
Part 35
***
Notes: Hope everyone has been enjoying the story. I finally finished editing the conclusion to Winner Takes All, When Churches Come Crashing Down so here is the rest of WTA.
WARNING: NOTHING is as it seems..
This part has serious TRIGGER WHAM.
***
“Here’s the deal, Inspector. My client gets Man-1 and she’ll give you everything you need to know about the murder of Martin Snell as well as the destruction of the Daily Planet.” Sheldon Bender remarked smugly.
“What?” Inspector Henderson asked incredulously.
“Your choice.” Sheldon Bender added.
***
Lucy walked down the hall of Metropolis General Hospital towards the Intensive Care Unit. After identifying herself at the nurse's station she was let into the ICU. She scanned the various doors for Lois’ room number. She stopped short when she saw Clark sitting next to Lois’ bed; head in his hands.
“Please, sweetheart, I can’t lose you too,” Clark whispered hoarsely.
What was he doing out of bed? He’d been unconscious just as long as Lois and probably needed his rest...
“Clark?” Lucy knocked lightly on the door.
Clark turned to face her. A look of sorrow covered his face. “She hasn’t woken up,” Clark explained; his voice cracking. “Not once.”
“I am so sorry. If there was anything I could do…” Lucy began to cry.
“You didn’t set the fire,” Clark said shakily, glancing down at Lois.
“No, but I had to sign the papers for them to operate on Lois.”
Clark visibly winced at the mention of Lois’ surgery. “It was….It was for the best. She would have…She would have died otherwise.”
“None of this makes any sense. Lex said they found explosives in Jimmy’s room…” Lucy rambled.
“What?” Clark’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Lex.
“They arrested Jimmy earlier today. Lex hired a lawyer for him…”
Clark angrily ran a ragged hand through his hair. “Lex, Lex, Lex. I don’t care about Lex. My wife is sitting here in a coma from something LEX probably did and you are too BLIND to see it.”
“ Lex would never…”
“How the hell do you know what he would do?” Clark snapped back. “You have no idea what that man is capable of doing.” He waved his hands in front of him, “My wife …Your sister…is lying in a hospital bed….my baby…my…my son….” He could feel the tears threatening to overflow. He shook his head, “Just…get out. Please. I cannot stand to listen to you talk about that man around Lois. Especially not now.”
“She’s my sister.”
“When she wakes up I’ll have someone call you,” Clark whispered. “Please; just go.”
***
“Lex Luthor?” Henderson asked incredulously.
Mrs. Cox nodded, pulling out a flash drive. “Everything you need to hang him is right there. ‘The Boss’ that so many people are afraid of is Lex. He ordered the hit on Martin after LexCorp came under attack.”
“You think you know somebody…” Detective Wolf mused.
“Write it down.” Henderson handed her a paper and pen. “Everything.”
***
Perry gazed at the Stern Building before entering. No building seemed to have the same effect on him as the Daily Planet. There was just something so majestic about it that was lacking in other offices. He made his way upstairs to meet with Franklin Stern.
“May I help you?” the receptionist asked.
“I have an appointment. Perry White.”
The receptionist nodded and smiled. “Right this way.” She opened the door to a lavish office where Franklin Stern sat at his desk, scanning through a pile of files on his desk. “Mr. Stern?”
“Come in, Mr. White. Please, sit down.” He gestured to the chair in front of his desk.
“Thank you for seeing me at this late hour,” Perry said, taking a seat.
“Perry, may I call you Perry?” Perry nodded and Franklin Stern continued, “I work a fourteen hour day, always have. If I show my face at home before eleven p.m. my wife calls the cops.”
Perry laughed. “I know what that’s like all too well, Mr. Stern.”
“Strange that we’ve never met. I’m familiar with your work of course.”
“As I am yours.”
“I miss reading the Daily Planet. It has imitators but no true successor. Metropolis has lost an asset.”
“Those of us who worked there were proud to call it home. That’s why I’ve come.”
“I didn’t think you were looking for a fourth for Bridge.”
“Mr. Stern, you own television and radio stations. You have interests in book publishing, but have you ever considered owning a newspaper?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, Mr. White, but there is no newspaper.” Stern pointed out.
“The Daily Planet was more than concrete and girders. It was people with ideas and principles. Those still exist.” Perry pleaded his case. “There is a newspaper. There is just no place to print it.”
“Even if that were true, why would I want to own the Daily Planet?” Stern asked.
“I can’t imagine anyone wanting anything else,” Perry said softly.
***
“CK?” Jimmy was stunned to see Clark sitting alive and awake across from him. “Are you okay? How’s Lois?”
Clark’s expression was dark. “She still hasn’t woken up.”
“I’m sorry, CK.” Jimmy’s face sobered.
“Why do the police think you did this, Jimmy?” Clark asked.
“Somebody planted explosives in my apartment.”
“Luthor,” Clark muttered.
“You guys don’t like him either.” Jimmy smiled.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“I found some stuff that morning. I had hacked into LexCorp’s financial files and other encrypted files. I saved it to my flash drive. It’s at the hospital. Check it out. I think Luthor’s behind this. His lawyer keeps trying to get me to cop a plea.”
“Don’t,” Clark warned. “Whatever you do; keep your head low and don’t draw attention to yourself. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Hey, don’t worry about me. Tell Lois we miss her.”
“I will.”
“CK?”
“Yeah, Jimmy?” Clark asked when he got up to leave.
“I’m really sorry about Jordan.”
Clark winced at the mention of his son’s name. “Thanks,” He said hoarsely, leaving the room as fast as he could. He could bounce bullets off his chest but the mere mention of his precious son’s name could bring him to his knees right now. He shook his head. He couldn’t do anything about Jordan, but he could help his friend.
***
“Damnit!” Henderson punched a hole through a wall. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was a trick!”
“Are you sure?” Detective Wolf asked
“It’s a virus.” Henderson snapped. “No evidence is on here. It’s just a damn virus!”
“Did you already sign the papers for the deal?”
“Judge Stevens has already signed the papers.”
***
Stern was thoughtful for a moment then shook his head, “I’m sorry, but my answer is no. I wish you luck, though in finding some way to rebuild. If you do; you have my subscription.”
Perry nodded then got up to leave. He stopped at the door, disappointed, “I just hate to see Lex Luthor win.”
Stern’s gaze turned icy. “Lex Luthor?”
“I suspect he’s the one behind the explosion that destroyed the Daily Planet. I’d just like to see his face when….Well, thanks again for your time, Mr. Stern.”
***
It hurt. Everything hurt. Her body was numb with pain. “Clark…”
“Lois…” Clark’s voice echoed through her mind.
“Clark….Jor…” Tears escaped her eyes as she tried to open them. Something was wrong. “Clar…”
“I’m right here, honey,” Clark whispered, holding her hand firmly in his grasp.
A bright light shone in her eyes as she tried to open them. Everything was blurry. Her eyes stung. “Wha..” She blinked her eyes, trying to focus her vision. Clark was watching her hesitantly. His eyes were red and his face was blotchy. It was evident he’d been crying. “Clark…”
He leaned down to kiss her. “I was so scared. I was so scared you…”
“I’m okay.” She tried to reassure him; kissing him back hungrily. “I’m okay.” Something was still wrong. A nagging sensation tugged at the back of her mind. She slowly broke off the kiss and looked towards Clark. His face was still covered in sorrow. Something had happened. Something bad. She instinctually reached down to touch her growing abdomen only to find softened skin..She lifted up her hospital gown and saw the incision She frowned, looking down at the lack of growth beneath her hand. “No no no no no….Jordan…My baby….Where’s my baby? Clark, where’s our baby?”
Clark’s face visibly winced; he pinched the bridge of his nose; a gesture she had learned was something he did when he was trying to control his emotions. “Lois…”
That tone. “No..” She shook her head repeatedly. “No. No. No…God, please no…” She cried.
His arms wrapped securely around her as she beat against his chest; repeatedly crying ‘no.’
***
Lucy looked around Lex’s study; surveying the room. Clark claimed she didn’t know Lex as well as she thought. She’d prove him wrong once and for all. She began opening drawer after drawer. Nothing. Files on LexCorp’s finances. Project K. Project S. She picked up a small black remote that lay on the desk. It looked like a remote to a stereo.
“I wonder what this is…” Lucy mused. She opened the file.
“What are you doing in here?” a voice behind her asked.
***
Clark took a deep breath; trying to regain control of his emotions before entering Lois’ room. She needed him to be strong for her right now. He couldn’t let her see him like this. She had cried herself to sleep earlier. The doctors had come in to check on her. Everything had seemed fine. They were optimistic about her coming home soon.
Home. Without their baby.
‘Don’t go there.’ He told himself.
He pushed open the door to Lois’ room. She wasn’t there. “Great.” He muttered under his breath. He turned on his heel and began looking through the hospital for her. His powers still hadn’t returned.
***
“Mr. White, I’d like to help you, but my hands are a bit tied right now,” Henderson explained. “I just signed a deal for evidence that gave our entire system a virus; cleaning our entire hard drives.”
“Lex Luthor was behind the attack on the Planet. I know it. I just need to prove it.” Perry urged the Inspector.
“Yeah, that’s what we were told too, but the evidence isn’t there,” Henderson argued.
“What if I can find you some?” Perry asked.
“Good luck.” Henderson scoffed.
***
“You sick, twisted, disgusting…How could you???” Lucy raged at the top of her lungs. “You destroyed the Planet….You..YOU KILLED my NEPHEW!!!” She was hitting Lex aginst the chest repeatedly with the folder as the papers flew around the room. “How could you?”
Lex grabbed her wrists to stop her from hitting him anymore. “Spoils of war..” he said grimly. She tried to escape he grasp and he moved to grab her by the neck and held her against the study wall, “Your sister chose her side. Your nephew is just a casualty from the battle.”
“His name was Jordan!” she hissed back, trying to escape his grasp, “Let go of me!!!!” she cried, struggling to escape from his grasp. “Help!!! Superman!!!! Someone hel…” Darkness overtook her as she lost consciousness.
TBC...
