Chapter 2:
Smallville, 1975
Clark started noticing it yesterday. That feeling of being watched. At first, it was nothing. But then, he started running around the farm, really running. A jolt of excitement ran through him. Right when he began running faster than the barncat when he’d accidentally lit his tail on fire, he felt as though someone had noticed him. It caused him to trip, skid to a stop and rip through his mother's garden in the process. He cringed. Mom was going to be so mad. He picked himself up, dusted himself off, and for a brief moment when he looked up, he thought he saw someone in the distance, staring at him. He couldn't quite make it out. By the time he was able to focus his vision, however, the watcher was gone.
Perhaps he hadn't seen anything. After all, he was quite a ways away. And Dad would flip if he even thought that someone might have seen him do something a little more than ordinary.
Clark looked over the damage done to the garden and cringed once more. Yeah, that was definitely more than ordinary.
So, for now, Clark decided to ignore what he thought he saw, and he'd tell his parents about it when he either had more concrete evidence or at a time when he wouldn't already be in big trouble.
*****LnC*****
Metropolis, 1993
"Lois, Chief wants to see you about something in his office," James remarked quietly as he rushed past her desk.
Lois sighed irritably. Kids these days. Sure, she understood taking your work seriously, but at least she knew how to cut loose sometimes, live a little. James Olsen— who hated being called Jimmy but Lois called him that anyway— was only an intern, but as far as he was concerned, he was going to be the best damn intern the world had ever saw... until he got promoted.
She caught the scrawny kid looking her way once again with a frown on his face and decided to head towards Perry's office before he came back over. He arched an eyebrow and she threw her hands up in surrender and stood up. "Fine!" she muttered, marching straight into Perry White's office.
Perry startled when she threw the door open. "Whaddya want, Perry?"
He glanced outside into the bullpen nervously. "Would you mind shutting the door, Lois?"
Lois did as she was told. If there was one person she responded the best to, it was Perry White. She took a seat across from his desk and softened her tone. "What's going on, Chief?"
He looked stressed and more concerned than usual. A hand flew to the top of his head and began worrying at the hair there. "It's the paper. I... I don't know how to explain, really—"
Lois furrowed her brow in confusion. "Is there something wrong with my articles?"
"Hmm? Oh, no— honey, this has nothing to do with you or your writing."
"Then what—"
"It's our advertisers. They're dropping like flies. It's like they know something we don't... I don't know what's going on, but if things keep going at this rate, I'm worried that the Daily Planet isn't going to stand for much longer."
Lois felt like she'd been punched in the gut. "The Planet? Go under? B-but—"
"I don't like it any more than you do, Lois."
She was in shock. Lois slumped back into her chair. How could this happen? The Daily Planet had been printed for two hundred and nineteen years! A newspaper like that going out of business was unheard of! And just why were the advertisers backing out? What happened that scared them off so much? What were they hiding? Obviously, there had to be some reason for it; they couldn't just back out for no reason! And how could they stop it?
Wait a minute. Lois forced her wayward thoughts to grind to quick halt. Before she overwhelmed herself with all of this anxiety, she should at least find out more details. "Perry, why are you telling me this? What am I supposed to do about it?"
He shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable with what he was about to say and eyeing her warily like she was a long dormant volcano. She scowled and crossed her arms. He acted like she was a child sometimes. "Now, listen darling. I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't think it was my only option. And I don't want you to worry about anything just yet— barring any major changes in circumstance, we've still got some time here, thanks to contracts—"
"Perry, just spit it out already."
Perry nodded as though stealing himself. "Okay. Do you, uh... well see, I know you have a personal relationship with Lex Luthor. And I know this may be out of line for me to ask, but he's the only man I can think of who would have the means, but could you ask him to look into it? Maybe try to see what's going on with the advertisers and such..."
Lois furrowed her brow in thought. "You can look into that yourself, Perry, and you know it. What's the real reason?"
He sighed and shifted some papers around on his desk. "I want it on his radar in case all this hits the fan. I'm hoping that he cares enough for you to keep the place you work intact, you know what I mean?"
Lois fought the urge to let her mouth hang open. "You want Lex to buy the Daily Planet??"
Perry leaned forward, quick to defend himself in this one matter. "It makes sense, doesn't it? The man's got deep enough pockets. He might not even have to buy it— just pay off some of the advertisers or something to stay onboard. And he's already said he'd do pretty much anything for you—"
"He never said that," Lois interjected, starting to feel uncomfortable with all this speculation.
"Lois, the man proposed to you! And you turned him down! And he's still stuck around! If that's not commitment then I don't know what is."
Lois flushed. She hadn't told anyone except Perry about Lex's proposal, and now here he was using it as blackmail. Low blow, Perry White. "It's not that simple, Perry—"
"You think if you told him what was going on with the Planet— the job you love so much— that he wouldn't jump and buy us out?"
"He already has one media outlet—"
"Perfect! Then he's got experience in the field."
Lois rubbed her temples soothingly. "Perry," her tone took on a note of pleading.
Her boss noticed how this was all impacting her and laid off it for a moment. "I'm sorry, darling. But I'm just trying to get you to see what's going to happen. If we can't get more advertising support, the owners are going to have to sell the paper. And it can go to someone good, or it can go to someone bad, or it can just wither away. If push comes to shove, I'd rather it be Lex than that last one."
Lois sighed audibly. She knew he was right. It wasn't fair, but it was true. "I'll think about it, okay?"
Perry nodded at her. "Good girl. That's all I ask."
*****LnC*****
Clark Kent stood outside in the alleyway, waiting patiently for his informant to meet him. If he knew the man at all, he'd be walking around this corner in five, four, three, two, one—
"I say, sir, do you have the time?"
Clark grinned devilishly. "Only if you give me your watch."
The taller, old English gentleman mustered a smug smirk of sorts, which Clark knew to be about as good as it got when it came to Nigel St. John cracking a smile at a joke. They walked a bit farther into the darkness of the alleyway before uttering a word, making sure they were away from prying eyes and ears.
"Hey, buddy... You got a buck?"
Clark was rifling through his wallet the moment the homeless man's voice reached his ears. He pulled out a few hundred dollar bills and thrust them into the beggar's hands irritably. "Here. Grab your things and get out of this place. Go buy yourself a meal."
The man's eyes opened wide at seeing all of the money that literally just fell into his lap. He looked up at Clark with wonder in his eyes. "You must be some kind of angel, bro—"
"Did I stutter? Get the hell out, before I change my mind!"
The man recoiled, and Clark fought back his wolfish grin. He knew what a picture he must make. The generous businessman, going from kind to belligerent in a matter of moments, frightening him. He watched behind the homeless man's eyes as it clicked that he must have intruded on some very private business and that if he didn't do what was asked, he'd be in trouble, so he did as told and bolted.
Clark rolled his eyes, back to irritated and impatient. Nigel simply chuckled, speaking only after the man left. "You've always had a bit of an issue with patience, haven't you sir?"
Clark shrugged. "What can I say? I had an unstable childhood and a nearly unlimited supply of funds. If I can throw money at a problem to make it go away, I will."
"Sort of going for the opposite approach now, aren't we?"
Clark nodded fiercely as Nigel brought him back on track. "Right. So how goes the ad hunt anyways?"
"All but three companies have dropped their support of the Daily Planet, with another one... shall we say, in negotiations. And not to worry, I used some of the lower-level people involved with Lexcorp, so it'll still trackback."
"Excellent." Clark was brusque, no muss, no fuss. Exactly the way he liked it. "Let me know when the others pull out."
"Sir, if I may enquire," Nigel spoke slowly, as though slightly frightened by what sort of response he may get. Clark knew Nigel better than anyone could, and knew that he wouldn't have spoken up if it weren't for good reason. He paused as though considering a moment, before finally Clark nodded to get him to continue. "Why is ruining the Daily Planet so important? Everything you've had me do before has had some kind of direct impact on Mr. Luthor. But Lex doesn't have any part in the Daily Planet."
"You're absolutely right, Nigel. He does not."
The ex-intelligence agent frowned. "But why?"
Clark laughed a bit menacingly. "Oh, Nigel. You are good. You know, if it were anybody else, I wouldn't even let them question me."
"I am well aware, sir." He did a good job trying to hide his spike of fear at Clark's words. Pointless, but a good effort, Clark thought.
"Okay. So let me put it this way. Lex isn't directly involved with the Planet yet. But he is involved with someone at the Planet. I'd like to know exactly how involved he is."
A single arched eyebrow betrayed his surprise. "Ms. Lane? What do you want with her?"
"Nothing. I just know that the deeper involved he gets with her, the more complicated my life becomes. So, we're going to push everyone into their place on the stage, and let the chips fall where they may."
If Nigel was any more surprised by his friend and colleague's comment, he didn't say so. Clark took that as a good thing. "Is there anything I should know about Lois Lane that I don't already?"
Nigel nodded. "A few odds and ends of course. She's the Daily Planet's top reporter, loves undercover work, likes to cut loose sometimes. She's known Lex Luthor for about a year now— they met at a press conference for some pretentious cause or other that he'd signed up for, and she'd gotten to know him. They've been officially dating for about ten months now."
Clark nodded, taking all of it in with slow deliberation. "What are their feelings towards each other?"
"Lex is absolutely enamored with her. In fact, rumor has it he proposed to her a couple of months ago. Lois turned him down though. Something about not wanting to tether herself to anyone, give up her freedom or some other self-righteous speech of the kind."
"So his feelings obviously run deeper than hers," he stated flatly, putting the pieces together.
"I would say so. They're not broken up, so I know she still likes him well enough, and Lex would hang around to the bitter end like a puppy if she'd let him. I know he still keeps the ring in his desk drawer, just in case."
Clark filed all this information away in the back of his brain, to be judiciously used later. "Is that all you have?"
Nigel shrugged his shoulders slightly. "All I can think of that's pertinent."
Clark nodded absently. "All right. Let me know if anything else comes up." Nigel gave a curt nod of his own and began to walk away when Clark's voice pulled him back. "Oh, and Nigel?"
"Yes, Mr. Kent?"
Clark smiled. "I have a feeling that we're closer to the end of this road than ever before. Be prepared for anything."
A twisted sort of grin suddenly took over Nigel St. John's expression. "I'm never unprepared, sir."
Clark eyed him judiciously, and gave him a slight nod. And with that, they went their separate ways.
Last edited by Mouserocks; 05/28/18 03:11 AM.
