Epiphany
Folc4evernaday
Part 21
Sam crinkled his nose as Jonathan continued his story, "There's Corn-O-Rama, Corn Queen Pageant, the Husk-Off, Popcorn, creamed corn, corn on the cobb.."
"That's a lot of corn," Sam stated, uncertainly.
"It's a lot of fun. Before those agents went crazy on us, Lois had a good time when she came out here with Clark earlier this year."
"I'll take your word on it." Sam said, guiding the motor back into the tractor as he spoke. "I think this baby's just about done."
"Nothing like a hard day's work to spruce up your appetite." Jonathan said with a look of satisfaction."
The car door caught his attention, and he turned to see Martha and Ellen approaching them with several bags, "Jonathan can you two give us a hand?" Martha pointed toward the bags in the back of the truck.
"Did you leave anything in the store?" Jonathan teased.
"Very funny," Martha smiled back at him. "I got enough for a few days. I thought you could grill up some burgers and I got some fresh apples from Mazie to make some apple..." The rest of Martha's statement fell on deaf ears. Jonathan knew exactly what Martha had plans to make with Mazie's apples. Her famous apple pie.
***
Lucy sat across from Lois and Clark at the table in the den watching them cautiously as Clark relayed the information 'Superman' had told him earlier in the day. She still wasn't sure what to believe. Throughout the day she'd watched her sister and the Kents trying to determine if their reaction to the disaster in the Gulf was that of concerned parents or that of concerned citizens. Lex Luthor coming back to Metropolis like nothing had happened had been hard for everyone to take. The man that was trying to railroad Jimmy was out free as a bird while Jimmy was being framed for heinous crimes. It wasn't fair.
“I haven’t heard anything from Henderson, but I did get a chance to bring our files and laptops from our apartments so we can work on finding something on Luthor,” Clark explained, pulling out his laptop.
Lois nodded, sharing a look with Clark before grabbing a file box from him, "Nice of Superman to give you a lift."
There it was. That look Lois and Clark kept sharing whenever they talked about Superman. There was something there. She knew it, but could the explanation really be that Clark was Superman? Could Superman be the same man that teased her sister and threw darts with Jimmy and cooked dinner for them on late nights of research and homework?
“It was nice of Superman to give you a ride back,” Lucy commented as she took a sip of her water. “You’re lucky to have a friend like that, Clark.”
Her mind was screaming at her that the pieces didn't fit. How could Superman bleed? How could he bruise? How could he get drunk? A thousand thoughts were running through her mind at the moment as they went through the disarray of papers on the table of notecards and post-its. Organized chaos.
“Uh, yeah,” Clark said shifting under her gaze slightly, “I caught him after the incident this morning.”
“How’s he doing?” Lois asked, placing a hand on his. It was a silent gesture not lost on Lucy.
She watched as Clark's eyes locked with Lois' and then his hand moved to her cheek, stroking her jawline silently before turning to answer, "He's still upset about the men that lost their lives this morning, but he's hanging in there."
That statement intrigued Lucy. Clark seemed to have a lot of first-hand knowledge of Superman's feelings and thoughts. Lucy felt a twinge of sorrow as she took in Clark's statement. Superman was upset about the men that lost their lives. She watched her sister place a hand on his chest and move to rest her head on his shoulder. Lois opened her mouth to respond, but Lucy interjected instead, "I'm sure he did everything he could."
Clark gave her a weak smile then murmured, "Thirteen families have to bury their loved ones because of what happened this morning."
"That's not Superman's fault...or the crew's for that matter," Lois added.
Lucy shook her head, "Whoever sabotaged that rig to blow up this morning has those men's lives on their head." She grew quiet for a moment then added, "Of course we all know who that was."
Clark's face grew grim, "Not definitively."
"That pesky detail of evidence again." Lucy sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Yeah," Lois gave a weak smile.
The front door opened and they turned to see Jonathan and Sam with two large grocery bags in their arms with Martha and Ellen right behind them, "Hope everyone's hungry," Jonathan called, heading into the kitchen. Clark got up to follow them into the kitchen and help, leaving Lucy with Lois.
"So," Lucy said softly bringing her glass of water to her lips and taking a drink.
"So," Lois said, handing her a stack of papers, "Why don't you make yourself useful and help me organize these."
***
Lesley Prescott knew everything about everyone in her neighborhood. She prided herself on being the one person that knew the dirt on all her neighbors and their spouses. If someone was having an affair, splitting up, or even in danger of being evicted from the country club she knew about it. Which was why it was a surprise to her that a tidbit of information on the elusive Ellen Lane hadn’t landed in her lap as it should have. When she’d inquired about the younger woman’s travel plans, she’d been evasive, leaving a key for watering the plants and instructions to not discuss her travel plans with anyone.
She finished watering the last of Ellen’s orchids, frowning at the pristine awards from the National Garden Club of New Troy that sat displayed on her window sill. When she opened the door to leave she felt a hard push as a burly man with a large box stood above her, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"
"Well, I never have..." She muttered grimacing at the dirt she now had all over her from falling into the flowerbed outside the door.
"I'm so sorry," He pulled out a handkerchief, reaching out to brush the dirt off her stained white blouse, "Let me get that,"
"I've got it!" She snapped, grabbing the cloth from him.
"Of course ma'am, I'm so sorry. I was just looking for an address to deliver this package too and I..."
She eyed the large package in his arms curiously, trying to spy the name on the label, "Oh, well you're in luck. I'm head of the neighborhood association. I can tell you everything about everyone. What's the address?"
He smiled, glancing down at the package, "It's for an Ellen Lane," He read off.
"Ellen?" She frowned, "Oh, she's out of town. Won't be back for quite some time." She reached toward the box which he was able to successfully pull away from her.
"You don't say," He looked like he was hiding a smile, "Any idea when she'll be back?"
"They didn't say," She fingered his arm, "but between you and me I think she's gotten herself into quite the pickle."
"Really?" He grinned, "What makes you say that?"
"Well, you didn't hear it from me but I have it on good authority that she left out of here with Superman."
"Superman?" He whistled, impressed, "Really?"
"Superman's apparently really close with her daughter, the reporter." She gave a crooked smile, "If you know what I mean."
"Of course," He nodded. "So Mrs. Lane had a flight from Superman. When was this?"
"Yesterday afternoon," She said airily, "Apparently they'll be gone for an indefinite amount of time."
His face broke into a broad smile, "Well thank you, ma'am; you've been most helpful."
"Don't you want to leave the package?"
"No, it's a certified package. I have to get her signature."
"Pity." She frowned.
"Yes, it is."
***
Vicki looked around the new set of her news broadcasting station, taking in the lights and cameras, "Bruce you shouldn't have..."
"Well you always said you wanted to see your name in lights, Vicki," He motioned to the illuminated lights on the desk with 'Vicki' embossed on the front.
"It's beautiful." She whispered, leaning in to kiss his cheek, "Thank you Bruce."
***
Lex threw his phone on the receiver, hoisting the intercom system it was connected to upward and heaving it across the room in frustration. Unsatisfied with the trajectory of the phone he cleared his desk of the papers with the swing of an arm, knocking the contents of the desk to the ground.
Bruce Wayne had done it again.
He had outplayed him again.
Every satellite feed that LNN relied on for airing the news station had been booked well into the twenty-first century. Every satellite feed that ironically was owned by LexCorp yet had been leased out to WayneTech for the new "Vicki Vale Show."
If he canceled the contract, he'd be looking at paying over five billion dollars in legal fees and breach of contract fees. If he let the show continue LNN would have nowhere to air, and he would lose revenue from advertisers that would surely sue for the mishap.
"Probably did it on purpose..." Lex muttered under his breath as he fought the anger boiling over inside him, willing his temper down as he began to plan his revenge.
***
"Yes, Mrs. Olsen, this is Perry White...." Perry spoke into his phone as he glanced around the crowded waiting area, watching as Constance argued with the guard, trying to finagle another visit for tomorrow with Jimmy.
"Yes, I called you about Jimmy?" There was a loud shriek in his ear before he could make out what she was saying.
"No, no, nothing like that. The reason I'm calling is we need to get a hold of Jimmy's father." There was a dead silence on the other end and then she mumbled a number for him to call before abruptly hanging up.
He sighed, glancing down at his hand he'd jotted the number down on and began to dial.
***
Sam Lane took a sip from his coffee as Lois and Clark finished relaying what Clark had learned during his trip to Metropolis that day, “So, this Bruce Wayne? Is he someone we can trust?”
“Honestly, I’m not completely sure,” Clark began. “We don’t know a whole lot about him."
"We'd just met him a few days ago." Lois explained, "But Perry had met with him and seemed to trust him. He has a pretty good judge of character," She shot Clark a smile as she finished her last statement.
He smiled back at her before turning back to Sam, "Luthor isn't going to stop until he's sent the message to everyone that he is unbeatable. He's challenging anyone who's dared stand up to him." He cast a worrisome glance toward Lucy, "Hence why we moved everyone out here for safety."
"What about Jimmy?" Lucy asked, taking an empty seat next to Sam, "He's still locked up."
"Yeah," Clark said grudgingly, "Jimmy has been charged, but there is no way it will stand up in court."
"The charges against him are laughable really," Lois added, "I spoke with Perry, and he's reaching out to Jimmy's dad to get the terrorist and NIA connection tossed. Once that charge is gone, we should be able to get him out on bail."
Sam was quiet for a moment before stating, "It's not going to be that easy." He glanced at Lois then at Lucy before continuing, "This would work if you were dealing with honest people, but the people we're dealing with aren't honest. He's being set up to send a message. That's how Luthor works. We need to send a message right back."
"How?" Lucy scoffed. "We're not exactly on a level playing field right now."
"Lois and I were planning on going back to Metropolis to see what we can dig up on Luthor's past..." Clark began.
"Now hold on right there!" Sam cut him off, "If it's too dangerous for us to be in Metropolis it is too dangerous for you two. You need to be smart about this and..."
"We can't just sit around and do ....
NOTHING." Lois argued. "We have to do this."
"So what are we supposed to do until then?" Lucy demanded, "Sit around and wait for you to give us the bat signal? No, if you're going. We're all going."
"That's right," Sam added. "We need to fight this monster together."
"It's too...." Clark found himself cut off again.
"Too what? Risky? Dangerous?" Lucy prompted, "What makes you think you can take those risks but we can't?"
Clark glanced at Lois who shrugged her shoulders. There was no reasonable explanation he could give them. By Lucy's standards, it was either all or nothing. He relented, "You're right."
"So what is it going to be?" Sam asked, "Are we staying or going?"
Clark looked at Lois, "It's up to you."
***
"Bruce?" Vicki approached him with a worried expression, "We're set to air in thirty minutes and the power just cut out."
"What???" Bruce asked in disbelief. "That's not possible."
Vicki pursed her lips as she chuckled, "Impossible as it may be that's the situation. What do you want to do?"
He groaned, looking around the room as he tried to form a plan, "I think I have an idea. Have your lighting technician meet me at the hardware store."
"But Bruce..."
***
Lois let out a long sigh as she finished packing her bags. Clark watched her silently, "You sure about this?" He asked cautiously, worry evident in his tone.
She let out a long breath and turned to him with a smile, worry lines visible on her face as well, "I'm sure. We have to help Jimmy and the only way to do that is to bring Lex down."
"I know that," He sighed, "I'm just not sure about bringing your father and sister along." He shook his head uncertainly, "I can't be everywhere."
"They know the risks." Lois reminded him. "They want to help, and daddy wants a chance to make things right. With his knowledge of Lex's plan for the super chip maybe we can use it on building a case against him."
"Has he made a decision about testifying yet?" Clark asked.
"He said if we can get another person willing to testify with him he'll do it. He just doesn't want to be the entire case. It's a guaranteed bounty on his head."
"I can understand that." Clark reasoned. "The question is, who?"
"Well, according to a source of mine, there was a breakout at Oakland Prison. Johnny Taylor escaped." Lois hoped he could see where she was going with the information.
"When was this?" Clark asked surprised.
"This morning when you were in the Gulf," Lois said softly. "I think it was a setup."
Clark's face hardened, "He put all those lives in jeopardy..."
Lois closed the gap between them, placing a hand on his arms that were folded across his chest, "How are you doing?"
His head hung as he moved his head from side to side, trying to find the words, "I don't know. I've had so much happen in the last few days my head's still reeling from it all."
“How about,” She looked around to make sure no one was around before moving her hand on his chest to draw the ‘S’ symbol, silently asking about Superman.
"I'm okay I guess." He shrugged. "I woke up, and all my powers seemed to be at a hundred percent."
"Seemed to be?" Lois asked concerned.
"I didn't exactly have a chance to test them out." He pointed out, softening his gaze he moved his hand to cup her cheek.
"And the Kryptonite?" Lois asked hesitantly, uncertain how to voice her concern over his exposure the day before to the poisonous rock.
"Dad said he and your dad got rid of it. It's been destroyed." He reassured her.
“Good.” Lois sighed, “I guess it’s better we found the Kryptonite, rather than a Trask-wannabe finding it."
Clark nodded, “That chunk was bigger than the one Wayne Irig found a few months back.”
Lois let out a shaky breath, "Do you think there's any more out there?"
He rested his head against her head and spoke, "I don't know. Mom said she was going to try and check that area and see if they found any more, but right now, who knows..."
"You scared me." He looked at her in concern, and she continued, "I know you told me it was real. I thought I understood…but seeing you on the ground like that…” Her voice cracked as she spoke and he put a hesitant arm around her shoulders.
“I’m sorry.” He wrapped his arms around her protectively, and she rested her head on his chest, resting her arms around his waist as he spoke.
Lois leaned her head against his shoulder. “Clark?”
“Hmm?” He asked.
“Don’t scare me like that again.” She said quietly, wrapping her arms around him.
“I’ll try.” He reasoned, leaning in to kiss her.
"Only if you promise not to scare me with your half-baked plans." His eyes twinkled with laughter.
"My plans are not half-baked." She argued.
"Dangerous. Risky." He ticked off each point with a finger.
"You can't catch criminals by following all the rules." Lois pointed out.
"You can't stay out of trouble by constantly taking risks." He retorted with a smile, moving to cup her cheek.
"You're just as bad about jumping in without looking as I am." She pointed out, leaning in to kiss him, "You just do it with a cape." With that she pulled away, turning back to the luggage she was packing.
***
Fuentes grinned as he pulled out his phone, "Hey, Boss? Yeah, it looks like the Lanes are laying low. Apparently, SUPERMAN took them out of town."
He listened to his instructions and nodded, “You got it boss. I’ll head over there now.”
***
Clark had left to do a scan over their apartments and check in with Bruce Wayne on having a safe place in Metropolis where her father could stay. Leaving Sam to explain everything to their mother who-- by the sounds of what was coming out of the barn--was not handling the news well. Outside the barn, Lois sat with her sister listening to Sam and Ellen argue about the decision to go back to Metropolis. "This was why I didn't want you two coming with us," Lois sighed.
"She'd be mad no matter what." Lucy pointed out.
"You have no consideration for anyone do you?" Ellen's voice echoed from inside the barn, "Not only do you put your family in danger by meddling with this....MONSTER..."
"Now, Ellen, you don't understand the severity..."
"I understand just fine." Ellen scoffed, "Go! Put yourself and your daughter at risk again. While you're at it, maybe you can get Lucy AND Lois to watch them kill you. I mean it's not enough for your daughters to see you beaten to a pulp. Why not add the burden of watching their father die to it, right?"
"You are blowing this out of proportion, and you know it." Sam retorted.
"No? You think going back to Metropolis isn't going to raise any red flags?" Ellen scoffed. "You got in bed with the MOB, Sam. Organized crime. Guns. Bullets. Ring any bells?"
"Don't you think I know that? That's why I'm going back to Metropolis! I have to fix what I've done. I have to protect ...."
"How?" Ellen scoffed, "How are you going to protect them when you can't even protect yourself?"
The slamming of the door echoed outside, and Lois and Lucy quickly scrambled to their feet to avoid their father as he stormed out of the barn angrily.
"Big mistake," Lois muttered.
***
Lex took a puff of his cigar, contemplating the latest news he'd received. Superman had helped Lois Lane's family leave town without being detected by him. Why would the man of steel go to such lengths for her?
He pulled out the tape he'd been playing earlier in the aftermath of his destruction of the Daily Planet. The image showed Lois Lane stroking the man of steel's face and catching his gaze for a moment before pulling away.
He rewound the tape and played it again.
There was obviously something going on there. What exactly he wasn't sure yet.
He pulled out his cell phone and began to dial, "Nigel, get ready for stage two..."
***
Lois took a deep breath before entering the barn where she found Ellen gathering herself. The pain and worry on her face were evident. "Mom?" She pulled out a bottle of water with some aspirin, "I thought you could use this."
Ellen took the bottle of water and aspirin from her and muttered, "I doubt a pill can relieve the years of neglect and betrayal."
Lucy poked her head in from behind her, "Try two."
Ellen rolled her eyes, "You two are hopeless." She took two aspirin and placed them on her tongue, taking a swig of water and swallowing them before walking with Lois and Lucy back toward the farmhouse, "So you're heading back to Metropolis?"
"We are," Lois said confidently. "It's time we start doing what we can to expose Lex for the monster he is and put a stop to the destruction he's doing to Metropolis."
"Pig-headed. Just like your father." Ellen dismissed, looking toward Lucy, "And you're okay with this?"
"I'm going too." Lucy acknowledged as Ellen let out a sigh. "Mom, it's not as bad as it seems."
"Not as bad?" Ellen scoffed, "I'll remember that for your headstone. 'She said it's not as bad as it seems,'"
"Mother, don't be so dramatic," Lois retorted. "We're not going to leave Lucy where she'll be in danger. She'll be with me the entire time."
"Oh, well that makes a difference." Ellen retorted sarcastically, "You get kidnapped what once a week and get thrown out of planes about once every three months so she SHOULD be safe."
"We'll have Superman helping out too," Lucy added. "He's just as invested in bringing down Lex Luthor as we are."
"Really?" Ellen asked incredulously, not quite believing her.
Lois glanced at her sister in surprise before adding quietly, "Yeah, he's agreed to keep a look out for us and is helping with our investigation."
"Lunatics," Ellen stated, crossing her arms over her chest. "Surrounded by lunatics." She grew quiet for a moment before stating, "I thought I knew him. He was a brilliant surgeon. I was his loyal nurse. We had it all...until." She let out a long sigh, "Well you girls know the rest."
Lucy glanced toward Lois then back at their mother but didn't say anything. Lois softened, trying to find the right words to say, "I know. It was a really bad thing that happened."
"He is just so.....
SELFISH." Ellen fumed angrily.
"He's trying to help." Lucy pointed out. "He's trying to fix what he did. Mom, I know you don't understand, but he's trying to mend things between all of us. If you would just..."
"What?" Ellen narrowed her eyes at Lucy, "Let it go?"
"Well..." Lucy began, but Ellen cut her off before any formal response could be formed.
"I am so sick and tired of that phrase tonight I could scream." Ellen jumped into her tirade, "You think I don't want to let it go? You think I enjoy sitting here worrying about you two. I've got one that won't choose a career path and another that's practically married to her job, dangling above the jaws of death like she's going to get a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. I'm your MOTHER. That's what I do. I worry. I fret. I stress. I worry every second of every day whether you're in danger or not. When you say, you're going to traipse around a city with thugs and hoodlums looking for a way to get back at your father....I
WORRY."
Lois glanced at Lucy, neither daring to say anything. Ellen looked at them both anxiously, trying to decide what to do next. Her eyes shifted to the night sky as the sound of the now familiar sonic boom echoed from behind the farmhouse.
"Well, I guess that's your ride." She huffed angrily as they reached the driveway to the farmhouse.
***
A tall man with salt and pepper hair glanced around the New Troy Airport, looking for the man that had called him earlier. Luckily he'd been in between assignments to make the detour in his travel plans. He still wasn't sure how much he could help, but he would try.
A tall man with at thinning hairline and gray hairs stood with a woman in her mid-thirties with glasses and a briefcase, holding a sign with a name he recognized. He took a deep breath and approached them, "You must be Mr. White?" He extended his hand to shake, "Jack Olsen."
***
TBC...
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