Epiphany
Folc4evernaday
Part 35
A/N: HUGE Thanks to DC on this part. She really helped me with finding just the
right punishment for everyone's favorite billionaire to hate. (Or is it EX-Billionaire). Thanks for riding along in this epic. The final page count on this one turned out to be 590 pages (not including the Cover Page) in Word. Single Spaced.
Yeah, that's longer than my former longest epic, WCCCD.
Anyway, without further ado, here is the final part of Epiphany
***
Luthor had inched his way toward the exit and was almost at the stairwell when he looked back to see Superman holding Batman back. He could still escape. He could still get another charge of powers and….
“Going somewhere Lex?”
He came face to face with the beautiful Lois Lane holding a gun on him with Resplendent Man and Wandamae behind her.
“We’re going to put you away for the rest of your life!” Resplendent Man said in a growl. “No one hurts Wandamae and gets away with it!”
“Ah, my dear, Lois, I see you’ve found my little pet project…” He glared at Resplendant Man, “Just a few modifications and rest assured Superman’s powers will be mine. Then we can be together once more…”
“Are you out of your mind?” Lois hissed. “I don’t want anything to do with you!” She scowled back at him in disgust, “You think it’s his
POWERS? That’s what you think??”
“You’re not getting any more powers.” Resplendent Man shot back. “I’m done taking orders from you!”
“Then I suppose Wandamae will have to find a new home for her….special care.” Lex glared back at him sinisterly.
“You monster!” Resplendent Man argued.
“And you wonder why I didn’t want to be with you?” Lois shot back. “This! The games and the manipulation and the power play you try to force on others….Trying to prevent a sick woman from getting medical care? You are SICK!”
“Let’s not mix words Lois. It was obvious Superman seduced you with his powers…”
Lois glared at him angrily, “He most certainly did
NOT!”
“Oh, puh-leaze, someone sure does think highly of himself…” Resplendent Man muttered. “I’m sure your radiant personality had a lot to do with that one, buddy!” Lex glared at him but Resplendant Man glared back, unaffected by his intimidation tactics knowing Wandamae was safe.
“You want the truth? Here’s the truth, plain and simple. I didn’t
LOVE you. I thought I
RESPECTED you, but that went out the window the minute I learned what you were
REALLY doing to the people of Metropolis. Murder? Testing on
Children. Testing Superman by blowing up buildings???”
“Kidnapping a
mentally ill woman.” Resplendent Man added.
“A means to an end,” He remarked, “Surely you can understand there are casualties in war.”
“On a battlefield. Not on the streets of Metropolis where innocent people expect to be safe.” Lois shot back.
“You should be ashamed of yourself.” Resplendent Man said with a low growl.
“There he is!” Clark’s voice echoed down the hall.
Luthor looked to see both Superman and Batman coming toward him from either side. The sound of sirens could be heard from outside. Panicked he looked between the heroes.
“We called the police.” Lois said smugly. “From Dr. Kelly’s phone. How long have you been stringing that
poor woman along?”
Seeing the escape ladder leading up to the roof he made a break for it, “You’ll never take me alive!”
“It’s over Luthor!” Clark called after him.
“The police have the entire block cornered out. “There’s no escape.”
As he climbed the ladder he heard the door to the stairwell open. Panicked he looked around. He would never give them the satisfaction of taking him alive. He spotted the fuse box on the wall and reached for it.
“Waldecker, cut the power lines, now!” Clark called out.
Just as he reached for the cables inside the box everything went dark. “You can’t cheat justice, Luthor.” Batman called after him. A moment later he felt someone drag him off the ladder as handcuffs were slapped on his wrists and shackles on his ankles.
“It’s over.” The familiar voice of Inspector Henderson said smugly.
***
Once Luthor was taken away kicking and screaming Lois turned toward Clark in the candlelit corridor, “Are you all right?”
He reached over to wrap his arms around her, “I am now. “ He cupped her cheek, “Are you?”
“I’m fine.” She smiled back at him. She looked back toward Bruce who was fiddling with the machine Dr. Kelly was working on with Resplendant Man hovering over him. “What is he doing?”
“Trying to find a way to make the machine drain his powers.” Clark said with a chuckle, “Apparently being a superhero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
She smiled, leaning into him, “I was so afraid…”
“I know.” He sighed, holding her close. “Me too.” He kissed her forehead, “It’s over.”
“Finally.” She said with a grin.
“Finally.” He repeated, cupping her cheek. “God, I was so afraid I wasn’t going to get to you and he was…”
“I’m fine.” She reassured him, leaning in to kiss him.
“I love you,” He murmured against her cheek.
“I love you too.” She whispered, “So much…which is why I wanted to…”
He stopped her, “Please not
here.”
“But…”
“I really don’t want either of us having this night linked to the
memory of when I asked …” He tightened his lips into a thin line. It was hard for him to even say it. “Not now. Once Luthor’s behind bars and secure under maximum security with no hope of escaping we can talk about it and ….”
“Okay.” Lois said, taking a shaky breath. “It’s okay.” She gave him a weak smile.
“I think we’ve figured it out.” Bruce interrupted, motioning for them to follow him. He pointed a flashlight toward the wall, “We did solve one mystery already,”
Lois and Clark looked where he was pointing. The powerlines were plugged into the machine, “It’s hooked into the powerlines…”
“The power surges.” Lois breathed. “That’s what’s been causing them.”
“Bingo.” Bruce said. “They were close, but the telemetry and negative positive settings were reversed. I think it’s ready for us to test.”
“Test?” Clark looked at him confused.
“Time to return the powers to their rightful owner.” Bruce said with a smile.
“Is it safe?” Lois asked concerned.
“I’m about 99% sure it’ll work.” Bruce said. “It’s up to you, but Mr. Waldecker wants the powers gone.”
“Okay, let’s do it.” Clark nodded. He stepped onto the dial Bruce pointed to and watched as Resplendent Man did the same.
“Let me know when you’re ready.” Bruce said.
Clark took a deep breath, preparing himself as Lois lowered the goggled over her eyes to protect them from the light. “Now.”
The room filled in a bright illuminating light. Lois watched as the dial slowly moved back down. Bruce turned the switch off and looked to the two men. “How do you feel?”
“Sore.” Waldecker said.
Clark took a deep breath, stepping off the dial, “How do you feel?” Lois asked, looking at him.
He tightened his muscles, and started testing his powers. All were coming in perfectly,
“Super.” He whispered.
***
Six Weeks Later…LEX LUTHOR INDICTED!
LEXCORP BANKRUPT
LUTHOR CHARITIES TAKEN OVER BY SUPERMAN FOUNDATION
DAILY PLANET REBUILD SUCCESS
***
Lois walked with Clark toward the Planet where Perry had asked them to meet him. Things had been awkward the last few weeks. Finding out that Bruce Wayne was none other than the mysterious Batman and that he knew Clark’s identity had been a lot to digest but also having Clark not want to talk about his proposal while he was still dealing with his testimony against Luthor in the Federal Trial had been even harder.
He’d said they could talk about his proposal after the trial. The decision had come down on Monday, and it was now Wednesday. Thursday Lex would be sentenced, and this mess would be behind them. Then hopefully she and Clark could talk about a certain question he had been in the middle of asking her when Lex had arrived at his apartment.
Thanks to Bruce's help they'd been able to scan the entire apartment to make sure no residue of the poisonous rock was left. Clark had brought her mom back to Metropolis after dropping Lex off at the FBI. Their father had come out of witness protection once all the lieutenants had been picked up. Darlene Richmond had been caught trying to flee the country. It had come as quite a shock to learn that she had been the love interest of both Bruce and Lex. When she hadn't returned after Lex's parents' murder and Lex had, Bruce had assumed the worst. It had come as quite a shock to learn that she'd become a professional killer under the teachings of Lex Luthor.
Every agent and every lieutenant had been arrested at the same time, preventing Lex to reach outside the prison walls to intimidate witnesses while awaiting trial. It had been the perfect arrest. The perfect case. Now, it was over.
“So, how are you feeling?” Clark asked, taking her hand in his.
“Good.” She smiled back at him. “I think I’ll frame this one.” She pointed to the story with her and Clark’s by-line on it under the title, ‘Fall of the House of Luthor: Federal Corruption Exposed!’
“That one was a good one.” He smiled back at her.
“Was?” She challenged.
“Sorry.” He apologized. “It’s a very good story.”
“Much better.” She grinned back at him, tightening her hand around his, “How are you? I mean, now that the trial’s over?”
“Well, there’s still the sentencing…” Clark pointed out.
“I thought Bruce said he was handling that,” Lois noted critically.
“He is, but I still want to be there.” He stated solemnly, “Make sure the cell door is locked tight, and he can’t get out again.”
“And him knowing about…” She gave him a flying signal they had begun to use when talking about Superman in public.
“Considering he’s being dubbed insane and being sent to a mental institution I highly doubt that will become an issue. “Bruce said he’s recommending he’s sent to Arkham so he can keep an eye on him.”
“Good,” Lois said softly. They approached the Planet in silence, finding Perry in front with Bruce Wayne and a crowd of their co-workers outside the front of the Planet.
“Mr. Kent,” Bruce nodded, “Ms. Lane,” He gave them both a firm handshake. “Thank you for coming.”
“I didn’t know we had a choice,” Lois observed looking around. “Looks like the Planet’s just about ready.”
Perry grinned ear to ear. “We open up tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow?” She grinned, “Really?” It had been cramped working with Clark in shared office space, but once Jimmy had been released, it had become even more cramped. She’d found herself working in the Conference Room and floating everywhere to have space to work. It was hard.
Given everything that had happened these past few weeks with Clark being consumed with Lex’s case and adjusting to living together after the attack, it would be good to have some normalcy again. There was something so comforting about the big Daily Planet globe. She watched with a grin as the crew unveiled the globe on top of the newly expanded building of the Daily Planet.
The staff that had been working to keep the Paper running the past few months from WayneTowers was huddled in front of the building, staring in awe at the familiar globe. There were cheers and applause scattered throughout.
“That’s not the best part of the news though.” Perry grinned, pulling out an envelope. “As you know this time of the year is the time for Kerth Nominations…”
There were some scattered hollers in the crowd, and Perry motioned for them to settle down. “This year’s nominations I’m proud to say, included three nods for reporters from the Daily Planet.”
“One of these was written during the time the office was displaced, showing true potential,” Bruce interjected.
Clark wrapped an arm around Lois with a knowing smile, “You’ve got it in the bag.”
Lois gave him a half-smile and whispered, “Good luck.”
“The first nominee goes to our very own Ralph Simms for his series on Political Corruption in City Hall.” Perry read off. “Congratulations son. That was top notch work.”
“Thanks, Chief,” Ralph called out.
“Our next nominee goes to Catherine Grant, and her expose on Arthur Chow and his illegal gambling deals.” Lois did her best not to laugh, recalling how angry Cat was when she had been dumped by the billionaire for a belly dancer. In revenge, she’d written an expose on his dealings with the illegal gambling casinos.
Bruce interjected, “Unfortunately, Ms. Grant is no longer with the Planet. After the arson, she moved to California to pursue a career in the Fashion Industry. We wish her the best of luck.”
“I’m told she will be coming to the awards this year though,” Perry reassured them. “The last nominee he grinned ear to ear as he read, “Well, it’s actually a team.” His eyes sparkled as he looked toward Lois and Clark. She grinned, bumping her hip with Clark’s.
“They’ve worked hard to make a name for themselves this year, and cracked open some of the biggest cases like the more recent ‘Fall of the House of Luthor Series.’ However, the story getting the nod this year is the ‘Metamide Series on Assassin Darlene Richmond.’ Congratulations to both Lois Lane and Clark Kent on their first nomination as a reporting team. In the newspaper business, this is when we say you’ve arrived.”
Clark leaned into kiss her, whispering, “Congratulations, Ms. Lane,”
“Congratulations, Mr. Kent.” She whispered back.
There was an eruption of cheers and congratulations all around as Bruce Wayne motioned for everyone to follow him inside to show them the new facilities. The same technology everyone had gotten used to at WayneTech was now running the Daily Planet. The setup was the same with their familiar desks and Perry’s office. It was home.
"Hey, huge congrats!" Jimmy said, offering her a big hug. "You and CK will cream Ralph."
Lois chuckled, "Yeah, I'm sure we will." She spotted Clark in the corner of the newsroom talking with Perry. He kept looking in her direction then back again.
"So, Lois?" Jimmy interrupted her thoughts, "I've been meaning to talk to you about Lucy..."
"Lucy?" Lois asked, pulling her attention back to Jimmy.
"Yeah," He said uneasily. "I’ve been going over this over and over in my mind and I still can’t make heads or tails about what happened last month…"
She looked back at him in concern, “What do you mean?”
“Remember when Lucy told you she cleaned up CK errr yours and CK’s apartment after your run-in with Luthor?”
Lois shifted uncomfortably, “Yeah.”
“She didn’t tell you the whole story.” Jimmy whispered. “There was blood…and a broken window. She cleaned it all up. Why would she do something like that?”
“She said she wanted to make sure the place was cleaned up by the time we got back. It’s just the way Lucy is.” Lois said hurriedly. When Lucy had given her the
‘unusual rock’ she’d found and told her what had happened it had confirmed her suspicions that she knew about Clark, but she never said anything. Now here Jimmy was trying to figure things out…
“I guess, but….Lois, that was
evidence. What if something had happened and the police needed it?”
“Lucy would never destroy something she knew was evidence. She knew how traumatized I was about returning to the apartment after what had happened with Lex a few months ago. She just didn’t want us going through that again.”
“I guess…” He gave a weak smile, still not quite convinced.
Deciding she needed to distract Jimmy, she arched an eyebrow, “Why do I get the feeling this isn’t about what happened last month but rather what’s going on…or
NOT going on between you and my sister?”
“What are you talking about?” Jimmy chuckled nervously.
“Let’s see, you two have been connected at the hip since you got out. I saw that kiss the night of your congratulatory dinner. What’s going on?”
Jimmy ran a nervous hand through his hair, “When she came back she said she wasn’t ready for a relationship. I’m respecting her wishes and giving her her space.”
“That was nearly seven months ago!” Lois said in surprise then said in a huff, "Talk to her." She patted him on the shoulder. She then pointed toward Perry, "I've gotta go talk to the Chief."
"Talk to her?" Jimmy muttered to himself.
Lois walked up to Perry, spotting Clark in conversation with Bruce about what she could only imagine was related to their recent friendship as crime fighters. "Hey, Chief," Lois said pulling Perry's attention to her.
"Lois!" He smiled, "How you doing darlin'?" He grinned broadly, "Congratulations on your fourth nomination."
"Thanks, Chief," She said with a grin. "I guess this is a first for me. Sharing a nomination."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out." Perry reasoned.
"So what were you and Clark talking about earlier?" She asked, cutting to the chase.
"Uh, Graceland," Perry said rather quickly.
"Graceland?" Lois asked, looking at him in confusion. "Yes, Graceland. Great place. Been there thirteen times. Did you know that's where Alice and I had our Honeymoon?" Perry began rambling about his last trip to Graceland and Lois looked back toward Clark who was still in conversation with Bruce Wayne. Something was definitely up.
***
"I've got the keys. You can just drop them..." Bruce stopped and turned. Clark followed his gaze, "Ms. Lane, Congratulations on your...what is this third nomination?"
"Fourth." Clark corrected before she could respond, wrapping an arm around her.
"Thank you, Mr. Wayne." She said in a careful tone, looking between the two men. "Why do I get the feeling you're trying to change the subject the minute I walked over here?" Lois asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"No clue," Bruce said, handing her a glass of champagne. "Here. Cheers." He held up his glass.
She clinked her glass with his and Clark's, but Clark could tell she wasn't buying it for a minute. He suppressed a chuckle. She'd just have to wonder for another twelve hours. He'd been working with Perry and Bruce on this for weeks now.
After everything that had happened after his botched proposal he wanted to make sure it was a happy memory for both of them. He'd toyed with the idea of taking her back to Venice and doing a reset of that night, but after everything, he thought a new approach would be best.
"You're not fooling me." Lois said, "I know you're both hiding something."
"You must be one of those kids that never had a surprise party growing up," Bruce commented.
"Nope."
"Pity," Bruce remarked. "
So much fun."
Lois looked at them critically, arching her eyebrow at them. Clark cleared his throat, hoping to distract her, “Uh, did you hear anything on the trial for Darlene?” He asked, turning to Bruce.
Bruce shook his head, “No, I’ve done my best to stay away from that case. The person she’s become….” Bruce scowled, “She’s not the same person I met at Westminster. I don’t know if that’s Luthor’s doing or some of her own, but the choices she made…”
“What’s scary is how long she and Lex were using that formula of Dr. Carlton’s to silently kill people that got in their way.” Lois took a sip of her champagne.
“If you two hadn’t have put two and two together a lot of families wouldn’t have gotten justice.” Bruce said wistfully, “It still eats me up that Wayne Enterprises got mixed up with a character like Carlton to begin with. Taking advantage of those kids like that…”
“Sometimes we see what we want to see.” Lois said giving Clark’s hip a gentle nudge.
“Believe me, I know all about….” A call on his cell phone pulled Bruce and Clark back to the present. Bruce looked down at his phone and grimaced. “I’ve gotta take this.” He patted Clark on the shoulder, "I'll see you around."
Lois turned to look at him, "Well?"
"Well, what?" He shrugged.
"What's going on? Why are you over here having secret meetings with Perry and Bruce?"
"Who says I'm having secret meetings?" Clark asked.
"What were you talking to Bruce about?"
"He was congratulating me....us." He said, cupping her cheek.
"What was that about a key?" She asked.
"Uh, he's got a new jet he's wanting to test out." He shrugged.
"Ah," She nodded, not quite believing him. "And Perry?"
"Congratulating us on the Kerth." He grinned.
"And?" She looked at him expectantly.
"And nothing." He chuckled nervously. She was really cute when she got all worked up.
"Oh, really," She grinned back at him as if she'd caught him in something.
"What?" He asked.
"Perry said you were talking about Graceland." She smiled, leaning in to kiss him, "I don't like surprises."
He grinned, "Who said anything about a surprise?"
"I'm going to find out what you're hiding."
"I'm sure you will." He leaned in to kiss her.
***
The next morning, Lois Lane walked through the doors of the Daily Planet, taking note of the quiet lull in the lobby. Today was the first day the Planet’s Metropolis office would be open for business. The first day she and Clark and Jimmy and everyone would be back working at the Planet since the bombing.
She spotted Perry standing by the elevator doors, looking around the lobby that seemed less populated for it being the first day back. “Morning, Perry, what are you doing down here so late?” She glanced at her watch, “You’re usually elbow-deep in red ink by now, aren’t you?”
He pressed the call button for the elevator and motioned for her to get on. She looked behind her, watching as he waved at her from the closing doors. Curious but uncertain what to make of her editor’s peculiar behavior she pressed the button for the newsroom, listening as the elevator hummed to life. She tried not to think about the last time she was in the Daily Planet elevator.
‘Stop it.’ She chastised herself.
‘Everything’s fine.’Before she knew it, the elevator dinged, signaling the arrival on the newsroom floor. Or at least she thought it was the newsroom floor. She stepped out of the elevators and found the room was completely dark, minus the led candles that were lit, leading to the center of the newsroom. She glanced at the wall where the elevator doors had just closed, eying the ‘wallpaper’ that had been taped up. It was the first article she and Clark had written on the sabotage of Prometheus. She touched the print that had their first by-line together.
She turned toward the stairs where another article was taped to the railing of the stairs with a red circle around the by-line. She smiled when she recognized the article as her first one on one interview with Superman. Next to it was an article she recognized. The one-on-one interview Clark had written announcing Superman’s intention to stay in Metropolis. The article he’d ‘scooped’ her on and sent her on a wild goose chase at the Metropolis Sewage Reclamation Facility. A small smile spread across her face as she made her way down the steps finding article after article she and Clark had written together. The Invisible Man. The Smart Kids. Finally, she reached the bottom of the steps and found the article on the boxing scandal with Menken’s Gym. The first article they’d written as partners.
The soft brush of cold air crossed her face, and she looked up to see Clark standing in front of her, “I couldn’t leave that one out. First article we wrote as partners.” He smiled, reaching out to cup her cheek.
Overwhelmed, she looked around the room that was illuminated by candles and newspaper articles, “Clark, what is going on?”
He pulled her to him, taking her hand in his, pointing to the next article that was taped on the first column in the newsroom pit, “This one is special. You were convinced to have a bad time, but by the end of it you were having fun.”
Lois smiled, recognizing the article as the one she’d written on Jason Trask’s demise. “That was when I realized you were more than just my partner, but my friend.” She recalled.
“Mmm, hmm,” He guided her to the center of the room where a heart shape had been formed with the candles, “We both realized that.” His fingers laced between hers, holding her palm in his as he met her eyes with his.
She stroked his cheek, “Clark, what is all this?”
“The walk down memory lane?” He grinned back at her.
“Something like that,” She whispered.
“I love you.” He whispered, “I almost lost you.” His voice cracked at his last statement.
“Clark…” She stroked his cheek.
“I almost lost you, and it made me realize how precious life is. I don’t want to waste another second without saying what’s been in my heart since the beginning. I love you, Lois Lane. I have loved you from the moment you barged into my interview with Perry. I have loved you during every fight. I have loved you during every close call we’ve both been in."
" I love you when you babble. I love that you cry when you get mad. I love the way you refuse to give up. I love the way you light up when you’re on the tail of a good lead. I love that you demand truth and justice in a world that is so broken, demanding it be a better place. I love that you make every day, everything, and every moment that much better. I love the way you crinkle your nose when you're trying to figure a problem out. I love the way you steal my clothes. I love the way you keep your organized chaos in everything you do. I love the fact that I can smell your perfume when you get ready in the bathroom for days. I love you, and I have loved you through it all. I have never and will never stop loving you.”
Lois felt tears forming in her eyes as he spoke, pouring his heart out to her. She bit her lower lip, holding back the tears as he continued, holding her hands in his, I told you before I want to grow old with you. I want everything with you, Lois. I want to die in your arms when I’m 110. I want it all with you, now. Not, six months or a year from now. I want it all with you, now. I want to start our life together and never look back. You save me from myself without even realizing it.” He motioned to the room around them, “This. All of this wouldn’t be possible without you, Lois. Every article here. The building we’re standing in. All of it is because of you. I can’t imagine my life without you standing by my side. You are the first person I want to talk to when I wake up and the last person I want to talk to when I go to sleep at night. You complete me.”
He dropped to his knee, pulling out a familiar black velvet jewelry box, opening it to reveal a ¾ karat diamond ring, “Oh, my God, Clark...Is that for me?”
He smiled back at her, “It is if you want it to be. Will you marry me, Lois Lane?”
She didn’t need to think. She didn’t need to ponder. Immediately she knew the answer.
“Yes. Oh, my God! Yes! A million times yes.” She cried, wrapping her arms around him. His mouth found hers, cupping her cheek as he ran his hands through her hair, holding her to him as he slipped the ring on her finger.
His arms encircled her waist, and the lights around them came on. In the back of her mind, she could hear a soft ping of the elevator and cheering from her co-workers. Slowly they pulled apart and saw Perry with the crowd, pointing everyone to the Conference Room that was decorated with balloons and a large ‘Congratulations’ banner.
***
From Perry’s office, Lucy watched with a small smile as Clark held Lois close. The ring on Lois' hand sparkled against the overhead lights in the Newsroom. “Good for you, sis,” She whispered. After all the chaos she had been through with Lois and Clark the more determined she became to keep Clark’s secret; even from him.
It was safer this way. She suspected Lois knew that she was onto them after she had given her the green meteorite she’d found, but she continued to pretend she didn’t know her now future brother-in-law moonlighted in tights. She pretended not to know and let Clark feel a sense of security around her. Maybe one day she’d tell him but today was not the day.
One hand settled on her shoulder from behind, and she jumped, turning behind her to see Jimmy holding a piece of cake, “I stole a corner piece.” He handed it to her.
“Thanks,” She grinned back at him.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Jimmy pointed to the crowd where Lois and Clark were standing. “How do you feel about your big sister getting married.”
“All I can say is it’s about time.” Lucy grinned. “They seem to really love each other.”
“Yeah, well they were really good friends; helps make for a good relationship,” Jimmy observed.
“True.” Lucy sighed, taking a bite of her cake. “We’re really good friends too, you know.”
“I know.” He nodded with a smile. “You fought harder for me than anyone from what Lois said.”
“I couldn’t let them lock you up for something you didn’t do,” Lucy whispered quietly.
“Thank you for that, Luce. These past few weeks have been….intense. You’ve been a good friend.” He whispered taking her hand in his.
“A good friend.” She repeated. Not sure what to make of his statement.
“Yeah.” He smiled at her. “You said you wanted to be friends when you moved back. Nothing complicated.”
“And you’ve been great at being a
good friend.” She emphasized ‘good friend’ once more.”
“Something bothering you?” Jimmy asked.
“Yes!
You!” She huffed, “How much more do I have to spell it out for you before you ….. Get a freaking clue??”
“Spell
what out?” He asked confused.
“This!” She grabbed him by the face and pulled him to her, capturing his mouth with hers. Before he could react, she pulled away then said, “You really should pay more attention, Jimmy.”
With that, she got up to head toward the newsroom where Lois and Clark were still shaking hands with fellow co-workers looking to congratulate them.
“Whoa!” Jimmy whispered to himself, before getting up to follow Lucy, “Hey, Luce, wait up!”
***
Maniacal laughter filled the halls as four strong guards carried an enraged Lex Luthor to his cell. Due to the warning, Superman had given them about Lex Luthor’s attempt at suicide he had been forcibly placed in a straight jacket and shackled to prevent him from harming himself.
“No, no, I don’t belong here. Don’t you know who I am?” Lex raged as he fought against his restraints.
They stopped in front of a large iron door, and the taller of the guards pounded on it three times. The door unlocked, revealing a tall blonde in a lab coat with a dark green mini skirt and pale gray blouse that was just barely professional. “Dr. Quinzel,” the first guard cleared his throat, seeming to have a battle with gravity of the eyes as he forced himself not to look down, keeping her gaze as he spoke.
She shook her hand at him, stroking his cheek seductively, “Oh, Dave, how many times have I told you? Call me Harley.”
“Yes, ma’am, uh, Har-Harley…” He stammered, uncomfortably as she toyed with his collar, gazing at Lex with a quizzical expression. Lex watched as the doctor continued to toy with the guard just before he let out a soft groan she turned her attention to Lex.
“You must be, Mr. Luthor. I’ve been waiting for you,” She slinked toward him seductively running a hand through his hair. “All that money and prestige….just to wind up in Arkham Asylum with every nut bag that’s had a grudge against the mythical Batman. Trying to bring down a legend. You boys will never learn, will you? Quite a fall from grace isn’t it, Lex?”
Fury filled him as she pointed out how far he’d fallen from his failed attempts to bring Superman down only to have himself thrown into a mental institution and have him stripped of everything: his power, his money, his good name, and most of all…Lois Lane. Superman would pay for this along with his new friend, Bruce Wayne. He just had to bide his time.
“Alexander Luthor, transferred from Shady Brook Hospital of New Troy with a recommendation for isolation.”
“Really? Let me see that.” She grabbed the file from which the guard was reading. Here eyes sparkled as she read the report in front of her, “My, my, Lex, you have been a bad boy, haven’t you?” He glared at her angrily, not trusting himself to speak without giving too much of himself away. “Kidnapping attempted mass murder, arson….tsk tsk tsk…Well, don’t worry, Lexy,” He cringed at the pet name as she ran a hand through this hair once more, “we’ve got just the thing to fix you right up…”
She turned to the guards, “Put him in with Mr. J.” Her nose scrunched up with a smile as the guards around him laughed, carrying him toward the cell at the end of the hallway.
“No isolation?” Dave asked.
She laughed, “Since when do I take recommendations seriously. I know what I’m doing. Toss him in with Mr. J for a few hours, and we’ll meet for our first session after lunch.” She then stroked Lex’s face, “You’re in luck. Today is red jello.”
The hallway where the maniacal laughter seemed to be getting louder and louder. “What is this? You can’t do this….” He argued, trying to gain some sort of leverage to free himself but found the efforts futile as the metal door opened, revealing the distorted figure of a man with clown makeup and scars along his face. Immediately he recognized who he was face to face with and he struggled against the guards. “No! No!
No!!!!”
“Meet your new roommate, Lex. I’m sure you two will be best friends.” One of the guards jeered as he threw Lex to the ground. Laughter filled the room as the painted faced man approached him with a grin.
***
Soft waves hit the shore on a small island off the coast of the Caribbean. The sandy white beaches were scattered with children as they played on one side of the beach. On the other side was a small quaint out of the way luxurious beach house with green shuttered windows and matching doors. On the front door, a
‘Do Not Disturb’ sign hung loosely on the silver knob.
Inside the room, the window was left open to allow the soothing sounds of the ocean as a couple laid together, tangled up in one another. Clark glanced over at Lois with a slow smile, “Hi.”
“Hi.” She whispered back, turning in his arms to face him. “I had the strangest dream. I dreamt we actually got married yesterday.”
“Really? That’s weird. I had the same dream.” He smiled back at her, taking her left hand in his, running his thumb over the newly placed wedding band. “I love you, Mrs. Kent.”
“I love you, Mr. Kent,” She giggled, pulling him into her arms for a soul-shattering kiss.
The End
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