Delusions of Grandeur
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 1
***
Three Months Later…
Lois Lane gripped the steering wheel, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. It had been three weeks since she’d last stepped foot into this city. Three months since everything had come crashing down around her and she’d been forced into hiding.
<<“Clark wouldn’t just give up.”>>
She shook her head, recalling the conversation she’d had with Martha and Jonathan. The last few weeks had been difficult for all of them. Missing. The idea that Clark Kent –her partner, her best friend, her…
What? Her mind called out to her, taunting her at how easily she had dismissed his declaration of love to her.
<<“I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.”>>
<<“If that’s what you want, then fine! Get in bed with the devil!”>>
<<“Superman, is there any hope for us?”>>
<<“There are things about me that you don’t know. That you may never know.”>>
<<“I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.”>>
<<“Clark wouldn’t just disappear.”>>
<<“When did you last see him?”>>
<<“I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.”>>
“I’m an idiot,” she told herself, staring into the rearview mirror as she approached the bridge leading into New Troy. She let out a shaky breath, “I can do this. I can do this.”
With that she hit the gas, speeding across the bridge as the path cleared.
***
Three Months Ago…
Lois stepped off the elevator leading into the ballroom being decorated by Lex’s design team. It was much more expensive taste than she would have preferred but it made Lex happy. She squashed her initial reaction to the extravagant flower arrangements accented with gold and diamonds.
It was something she’d get used to she supposed. After all, she was marrying the third richest man in the world. He was accustomed to a certain lavish lifestyle that was well beyond anything she could imagine.
“Mrs. Luthor, is there anything we can help you with?” one of the consultants asked, looking at her in surprise.
‘Mrs. Luthor?’ Lois heard the name and felt as if the ground had opened up beneath her, pulling her in. True, she would be Mrs. Luthor in a matter of sixteen hours, but hearing the name spoken aloud felt like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of her. Gone were the days of her being known as Lois Lane, independent woman, career woman, and journalist. In its place would be someone known as ‘Mrs. Luthor.’
A panic began to set in and she swallowed the lump that began to form in her throat, “Um, any word on the guest list?”
“No update on the guests you asked me to follow up with yesterday, Mrs. Luthor,” the woman responded with a friendly smile.
There was that name again she blanched.
“I can try to call again…?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Lois said hurriedly, backing away from her. The enormous room suddenly felt as if it were closing in on her. She darted out of the room and headed toward the stairs, intent on getting as far away from this woman and the horrendous room that felt like it would swallow her up at any moment.
***
Jimmy turned the key Clark had given him to the apartment, suddenly assaulted by the strong aromas of spices from whatever the Chief was stirring in that larger than man sized pot on the stove. He did a double take, looking around the apartment for Clark.
“About time,” Perry commented, not looking up from the food he was cooking.
“Where’s Clark?” Jimmy asked in concern.
Perry shrugged, “I don’t know. He should have been here.”
Jimmy frowned, looking around the apartment. Clark had been leading this investigation into Lex Luthor from the get go. True he did disappear at times but not showing up at the agreed upon time seemed out of character.
Perry took the wooden spoon he’d been stirring with and scooped up a bite of the grub he’d been making. A red liquid with a white meat looking substance sat on the edge of the spoon and Perry asked, “Crawfish etouffè anyone?”
Jimmy, for the moment forgot his concern for his friend and exchanged a look with Jack who looked equally uncertain on the Chief’s cooking skills as he was. Jack piped up, “Actually we just ate.”
“You’ll eat again,” Perry said unphased, tapping the jar of paprika to the pot. “You gotta use the sweet paprika, not the regular. And cayenne pepper, plenty of it. 'Course the secret is the apple juice, half a cup.” He pointed to the plates and Jimmy and Jack nodded, taking the hint. They weren’t getting out of this.
Jimmy sighed, following Jack’s lead and began to set the table. His mind kept drifting back to the statement Perry had made earlier. ‘He should have been here.’ With everything he’d discovered from John Black and Clarks’ insinuation that Lex Luthor could be the boss running the crime in Metropolis it made him wonder if his young friend might have gotten into trouble with the subject of their investigation.
He knew Lex Luthor had a reputation in the business world as being cut throat and menacing. Perry had told him about what Fuentes had said when Lex Luthor offered them money to leave. ‘He’d be better off with the police after him.’ A chill ran down his spine. He had a bad feeling that he just couldn’t shake.
Silently, Jimmy and Jack prepared the table, setting the plates and bowls with spoons and glasses around the table. Perry brought the pot over to the table, taking a sniff of the aroma as he turned and asked, “So, what’d you two find out?”
“Plenty,” Jimmy said, holding up a handheld microcassette recorder he’d borrowed from Clark. He’d taped John Black’s confession on it, implicating a ‘boss’ as the triggerman behind the Planet’s bombing and framing Jack. “John Black’ll do just about anything he’s paid to do: break in, plant explosives…” Jimmy glanced toward Jack who wore a sour expression. “Just like he did in the case of our young Jack here.”
“Beautiful,” Perry cheered, scooping out a serving of the hot liquid into the bowls at the table. “We’ll get that tape down to Inspector Henderson first thing in the morning along with Jack’s statement.” He then turned toward Jack, “Looks like you’re off the hook, son. Congratulations.”
Jack beamed back at him and pulled out the video camera Perry had let him borrow, “Thanks, I’ve got something too. Mr. Simon Truesdale, former Daily Planet board member, has had a sudden attack of conscience. He's now willing to confess to receiving a substantial cash 'inducement' I think he called it to support the sale of the Planet to Luthor.”
Jimmy caught the glint in Jack’s eyes and asked, “Any particular reason for this sudden attack of conscience?”
“It might be related to a certain video tape he’s hoping his wife never receives.” Jack smirked.
Perry let out a loud laugh, “Poor woman.”
“Not after the divorce settlement,” Jack said with a wry grin.
“What about you, Chief?” Jimmy asked.
“Well, now, as it turns out, Lexel Investments did have additional insurance on the Daily Planet building.” Perry said evenly.
“How much?” Jack asked.
“About twice what it would've cost to repair it.” Perry spat out in a grunt. “Lex Luthor cleared a cool seventy-five nil on the deal.”
Jimmy’s eyes widened and he shouted out, “That’s motive. He’s nailed.”
“So, what are we waiting for?” Jack looked at Perry in confusion.
The question was obvious. Why hadn’t they taken this evidence to the police? His mind reminded him once more of his missing friend. He knew something was wrong.
“Clark.” Perry pointed to the table. “Sit. Let’s eat.”
Jimmy stared at the mixture in his bowl uncertain if he should risk tasting what the Chief had offered up as dinner. At least when Clark cooked he knew it was edible…more than edible. The Chief had never brought lunch in the entire time he’d worked for him as a copy boy. Not once did he see Perry White bring in any meal from home. Did he really trust what was in that bowl?
***
Lex stared at the young redhead, uncertain how to respond to the news of his missing his fiancée. He took in a deep breath and responded, “Gone?”
“She just turned white as a ghost and ran toward the elevator an hour ago.” The woman offered a forced smile as she looked back at him nervously. “I wouldn’t worry, Mr. Luthor. I’ve seen this all before. It’s just a case of pre-wedding jitters.”
“Worried? What makes you think I’m worried?” he stood to his feet, crossing the room to where the young petite woman fidgeted nervously under his gaze.
“I…I…didn’t mean any—”
“I run a multi-billion-dollar empire. I have over nine hundred ninety-nine thousand people at my beck and call. I can go anywhere in this city and people stand to attention. Do I look worried?” His eyes widened as he stared her down.
“N-no, Mi-Mister Lu-thor,”
“Because I’m not.” He hissed angrily. “I want to know the second she reappears. Are we clear?”
“Crystal,” she stammered out.
“Good,” he smoothed out the front of his shirt. “Now, don’t we have a wedding to plan?”
***
Lois parked the Jeep outside Clark’s apartment. Why was she here? She stared at the familiar brick exterior of the building that she’d run to so many times before. Ever since she’d met Clark Kent there had been a shift in how she reacted to danger. No more holding in her fears and not letting it show. She’d come here at least a dozen times in the past few months when she was scared or needing to talk.
Not once had she entertained the thought that there might be something more to the fact that it was Clark she saw herself turning to.
‘Not Lex,’ her mind reminded her.
Mrs. Luthor. The name felt…wrong. Out of place as she slowly began to realize something her heart had realized already. She didn’t want to be Mrs. Luthor. She didn’t want to plan parties or hold functions or be known as just someone’s wife. She wanted to do things. She wanted to be the one making headlines not be a footnote in someone’s life story.
<<“Clark, can't you see what's happening? You’re driving us further and further apart.”
“I'm not the one doing the driving, Lois. You are.”>>
“What am I doing here?” she wondered aloud, letting out a shaky breath. Her last conversation with Clark had ended horribly. Gone were the days of being able to laugh together. A line had been crossed and there was no going back.
<<“I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.”>>
<<“I just don’t feel that way about you…romantically.”>>
<<“If that’s what you want then fine! Get in bed with the devil!”>>
<<“I’m not the one doing the driving, Lois. You are.”>>
“I said yes.” She reminded herself with a shaky breath. “What am I doing? I’m…” She let out a sob, giving into the emotions that continued to hit her like a wave. Flashbacks from the past few weeks and the numerous fights she’d had with Clark continued to plague her mind. How had she gotten here?
<<“I’m not the one doing the driving, Lois. You are.”>>
<<“I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.”>>
<<“I’m not the one doing the driving, Lois. You are.”>>
<<“I just don’t feel that way about you…romantically.”>>
<<“I’m not the one doing the driving, Lois. You are.”>>
<<“If that’s what you want then fine! Get in bed with the devil!”>>
<<“I’m not the one doing the driving, Lois. You are.”>>
Lois swiped the tears in her eyes, determination crossed her features as she stepped out of the Jeep and made her way to the familiar apartment building. “This ends now,” she muttered under her breath.
***
Lex picked up his mobile phone as he locked the metal door leading to the cellar. A smirk crossed his face as he recalled the distraught Superman, struggling to breathe as he had taunted him over and over with the sweet victory that would soon follow. Lois Lane would soon be his and Superman would be nothing more than a red stained memory.
“Find her?” Lex asked, not even bothering to greet the caller.
“She’s sitting outside Clark Kent’s apartment.” Mrs. Cox informed him.
“Kent?” Lex scoffed, feeling his blood boil at the mention of Lois Lane’s former partner. No matter what he did it seemed the bond Lois shared with this hack continued to hold on. What she saw in her partner and why she insisted on constantly trying to repair what had already been damaged he couldn’t’ understand. He did know the time had come for Clark Kent to meet a similar end as his flying friend in red and blue.
“Take care of it,” he ordered.
***
“When was the last time you heard from him?” Jimmy asked, taking a sip of water as he looked across the table at Perry.
“About the time we all called to check in.” Perry answered, shaking his head. “I’m sure he’s fine. You know how hard this has been on him. The wedding’s tomorrow. I’m sure he’s just…drowned a few too many sorrows at Heartbreak Hotel.”
“I don’t know, Chief,” Jimmy grimaced, running a weary had through his hair. “Something doesn’t feel right about any of this.”
The phone rang.
Jimmy and Perry both looked at it but neither moved.
Jack cleared his throat, reaching over to answer it, “Hello?” He listened for a moment then responded, “No, I’m sorry, Mrs. Kent. He’s not in. Hasn’t been in all afternoon. Oh, this is Jack. Yeah, that’s the one….I’m glad I’ve turned a new leaf too. Uh-huh, I’ll tell him you called. Bye.”
Jimmy and Perry looked at Jack with a prompting expression. Jack sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Clark’s mom. Apparently, he was supposed to call them back with…”
“See?” Jimmy pointed toward Jack as if it would help make his case more clear. “Clark was supposed to call his parents back. He didn’t call.”
“Now, Jimmy, calm down,” Perry tried to soothe.
“It’s been twelve hours, Chief,” Jimmy said wearily, glancing at the clock.
A sharp knock at the door followed by the frantic yelling, “Clark, open up! I know you’re in there!”
Jack glanced at Jimmy, “Is that…?”
“Lois,” Perry said, standing up and heading toward the door to answer it.
“Clark, I know you’re in there. Open the—!” she stopped when she saw Perry standing in the doorway. “Chief?”
“Uh, Lois, what are you doin’ here?” Perry asked, stepping outside the apartment.
Jimmy felt a surge of anger envelop him when he saw Lois standing on Clark’s doorstep. He was grateful Perry didn’t invite her in. She didn’t deserve to be invited in. Not after what she’d done.
Lois had turned her back on all of them. She had literally gotten into bed with the enemy. After everything that had happened and the pain that had been caused by her fiancé he couldn’t look at Lois Lane the same.
***
From the distance, a dark figure watched as Lois Lane made her way up the steps leading to the apartment building. The dark-haired beauty held her gaze on the brunette, ensuring that she hadn’t been seen. She couldn’t afford to be recognized. Having Lois Lane see her in the midst of carrying out Lex’s orders wouldn’t do well for her career…or her life.
She let out a long breath, turning to the man behind her. “Everything’s set?”
He handed her a small palm sized remote, “Five-hundred-foot range. Be sure to wear some protection if you’re nearby. The blast can leave a nasty side effect otherwise.”
“Thank you, Pete,” she turned, running the back of her hand against his cheek. “You always were so creative with your work.”
“Thanks for springing me early,” he grinned brightly, showing his gold tooth. “Bad luck that kid escaping before we could get acquainted.”
***
Lois got out of her Jeep, making a decision as she slammed the door behind her and headed up the steps to Clark’s apartment. She needed to talk to Clark. She needed to put everything out there and talk this through. That was the only way. She reached his door and beat on it repeatedly, beginning to holler, “Clark, open up! I know you’re in there!”
<<“I have been in love with you for a long time. You had to have known.”>>
<<“I just don’t feel that way about you…romantically.”>>
“Clark, I know you’re in there. Open the—!” she stopped when she saw Perry standing in the doorway. “Chief?”
What was Perry doing at Clark’s apartment? She peered behind him and saw Jimmy in the corner. Her frustration at Clark not getting to the door fast enough hit a bump as her mind raced to process the reason Perry or Jimmy might have for being here. Perry was supposed to be down in Florida enjoying his retirement. Jimmy was…
“Uh, Lois, what are you doin’ here?” Perry asked, stepping outside the apartment.
She frowned when she saw the stern expression on Perry’s face, blocking her entry into the apartment behind him. “I…I’m looking for Clark.” Lois explained, uncertain how to explain why she was here on her former partner and best friend’s doorstep the night before she was supposed to be getting married.
“I gathered that,” Perry said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“We had a fight.” Lois said hurriedly, not meeting his gaze. “I just…I can’t… I mean, I…” she continued to stammer, unable to get the words she was trying to say out in a coherent sentence.
“Darlin’ Clark isn’t ...” Perry responded with a frown.
“Don’t, Chief,” Jimmy’s voice came from behind Perry as he stepped out of the apartment with Jack following behind him. “Don’t tell her anything. She’ll probably go run back and inform her low-life fiancé.” Jimmy snorted. His features were hard with anger and his eyes were cold as he stared back at her.
“What?!” Lois gaped at Jimmy in surprise, uncertain where the hostility toward her had come from.
“Now, Jimmy, hold on here,” Perry tried to intervene unsuccessfully as Jack piped in.
“You’re not welcome here,” he crossed his arms over his chest. “Especially not after what you put Clark through these past few weeks.”
“I want to hear that from Clark,” Lois countered, narrowing her eyes at the duo, sending the silent message that she wasn’t going anywhere.
“Why? You didn’t twist the knife in his back hard enough? You came by for seconds? Unlike you, I’m actually loyal to my friends. I stick by them no matter what.” Jimmy shot back in a cold tone. “I thought you were different. I thought you wanted to make a difference and change the world. What happened to the Lois Lane that never backed down? Did she ever really exist?”
“Jimmy,” Perry warned but Jimmy ignored him.
“No, of course not! She’s gone. Just like the Planet! Just like CK! Just like everything!” Jimmy raged angrily.
“Gone?” Lois looked at him confused, but Jimmy cut her off, ignoring her question.
“So what’s the plan now? Sit around planning parties and become the new face on the society page?” Jimmy taunted. “Maybe if you’re lucky Luthor will let you play reporter at one of his media conglomerates so you can pretend like nothing’s changed. Maybe he’ll buy you that Pulitzer you’ve always wanted. I mean, you’ve got the dough now, right?”
“It is not like that!” Lois yelled back at him angrily. “You have no idea how hard this has been on me or how much I wish that…”
“That what?” Jimmy scoffed bitterly. “You wish things would have been different? You wish you hadn’t up and abandoned your friends when we needed you most? I can’t believe I actually thought you were my friend. Friends stick by one another. Friends are there. Friends listen to one another. Friends don’t disappear from one another’s lives like they never existed!” Jimmy continued to raise his voice growing more and more angry with each word as his voice rose. He shot a look of disdain toward Lois then sneered, “Why don’t you go back to planning your wedding, Mrs. Luthor?”
That was the last straw. Lois lifted her hand and struck Jimmy hard across his cheek. She could feel the burn against her hand from how hard she struck him. Her arms were shaking from the anger raging in her veins.
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that, you ungrateful little brat!” Lois moved to jab her hand in his chest, knocking him down. “You don’t get to decide what I feel or what I …”
“Okay, both of you back it up!” Perry ordered, grabbing Lois by the shoulders. “Now obviously there are a lot of high emotions right now. Why don’t we all just calm down and take a breath.”
“What are you even doing here?” Jack snapped.
Lois stared at him with a snort, “I don’t even know anymore.” With that she turned on her heel and Perry chased after her.
“Lois! Get back here!”
She made it halfway across the parking lot when Perry caught up with her. Jimmy and Jack were a few feet behind him. “What?” She glared at him. “Obviously I’m not welcome here. So, I’m leaving. Thank you so much for reminding me why I don’t trust easily and why I don’t have friends.”
A loud rumble filled the air and they turned to look toward the sound. The glass on the windows of the apartment building began to crack and a low whine could be heard as fire erupted from below.
“Run!” Perry yelled, pushing her back as they raced to get as far away from the blast as they could. Lois stared at the yellow, orange, and white flames that engulfed Clark’s apartment building in shock.
“Call the police!” she heard Jimmy say.
“No!”
***
Three Months Later…
Lois parked her car outside the familiar parking lot. The blackened brick and ash covered concrete that remained still haunted her. She took a deep breath, staring up at the building that had now become condemned. The yellow police tape, marking the area off hung halfway on the ground.
A tap on her window caused her to jump, turning to see the friendly face staring back at her, “Bobby, don’t scare me like that!” she scolded, rolling her window down.
“Sorry, kid,” he said, opening up the passenger seat and climbing inside. She glanced out the window and rolled her window up. “A little jumpy today, I see,”
“Well, having to change everything about myself in order to stay under the radar does that.” Lois shot back snidely, handing him the brown bag from Marco’s she’d picked up. “One Bobby special with the works. Now, what did you find out?”
“Ah, girl, you always deliver,” he cheered, taking a bite of the enormous sandwich. He reached over and took a slurp from his soda, swallowing with a big gulp.
“Bobby?” she prompted, looking back at him with an annoyed expression.
“So, your boyfriend was last seen at his apartment just like your contact said,” Bobby said in-between mouthfuls. “But no one can confirm he was inside the building when it blew like the STAR said.”
“I know that, Bobby,” Lois said hurriedly.
Bobby looked at her with a worried expression, “You really think…?”
“I don’t know,” Lois lied coldly. “Anything’s possible I suppose.” She flipped her hand through her hair, “What about Lex?”
“Guy’s got an army like Fort Knox around him at all times. “I’m not sure how you think you’ll get to him.” Bobby responded.
“I’ll find a way,” Lois reassured him. “What about your sister? Was she able to get anything from that tape?”
“No, it’s completely damaged,” Bobby shook his head. “But I did spot your guy Truesdale sporting a new car last week.”
“Lex,” Lois grimaced.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Bobby gave her a worried look. “You sure about this?”
“It’s the only way I’m going to know what happened to Clark,” she said, staring at her reflection in the rear view mirror. She caught the glimpse Bobby gave her and gave him a weak smile, “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“This is dangerous even for you, kid.” Bobby reminded her. “And there ain’t no Superman to come to your rescue this time. No one’s seen the big guy in months. He just up and disappeared and…”
“I know,” Lois glanced back at him, “But with any luck when I find out what happened to Clark I’ll find Superman.”
“You seem awfully sure of that,” Bobby observed.
“I have to be,” Lois smiled weakly.
***
Three Weeks Ago…
The smoke cleared as the firehose blasted the flames at full blast. Lois stared at the scene of wounded families being tended to. On the edge of the crowd she spotted, Linda Monarch, one of the anchors from LNN setting up equipment to cover the news of the fire. The nurse tending to the cut on her arm seemed just as rattled by the event as she was. Her hand trembled against her arm as she attempted to wipe it with antiseptic.
She looked around, hoping to see a familiar face. Over by the congestion of officers and firemen, Perry was talking to one of the officers. From his face, she could tell the news wasn’t good.
“It’s gone,” she heard Jimmy say as he walked past her. Jack walked a few steps behind, shaking his head.
“I’m fine, really,” she gave a weak smile, standing to her feet and moving to follow them. She waited a few moments before she approached them and asked, “What’s gone?”
“What?” Jimmy looked back at her evasively, unwilling to meet her eyes.
“You said ‘it’s all gone.’ What’s all gone?” she repeated, arching an eyebrow at him.
“Nothing, Lois. Don’t worry about it.” Jimmy waved her off.
Jack glared at Jimmy for a moment then turned to Lois, “Clark’s missing.”
“What?” Lois looked at him in surprise. She heard the words but it still seemed foreign to her mind as she heard Perry repeat what Jack had already said.
“Clark’s missing.”
“Missing?” Lois looked behind her, seeing Perry’s solemn face. “What do you mean, missing?”
“We don’t know, darlin. He just up and disappeared.” Perry explained, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“But…” she frowned, unsure how to process the information she’d just been given. Her mind continued to race as she recalled her last conversation with Clark this morning. The painful words they’d said to one another and the image of him walking away. How could he be missing? “I just saw him!” She made the statement louder than she should as if that would change the fact that Clark was missing.
“What are we going to do?” Jimmy asked, pointing toward the burning building behind them.
Her eyes moved to the blackened brick that was slowly being revealed as the fire from the explosion began to fizzle out. How many times had she pulled up to this building and shared a laugh, a movie and meal? Now, it was gone. She felt a tear escape her eyes as she realized how that part of her life was gone forever. The door on that part of her life had been destroyed the moment that bomb had gone off.
“We’ll figure something out,” Perry reassured him. His words seemed empty as he continued, trying to given them a false sense of security. “The first thing we need to do is…”
“Find Clark.” Jack piped in, throwing darts at her with a glare. “Maybe we should start with Luthor’s dungeon.”
Lois immediately went on the defensive. “Lex would never…”
Jimmy was quick to cut her off, “Oh, please, Lois, for all of our sakes don’t even bother finishing that statement. Don’t you dare defend him! After everything he’s done? CK is missing!! Do you get that? He left and he never came back!” Jimmy snorted, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared back at her.
It felt like he was twisting the knife in deeper as he spoke, avoiding her gaze. No matter what Jimmy had always been by her side. He’d been her support system and friend for the longest time. Now he looked at her as if she were a bug in need of squashing.
She felt a lump in her throat as she listened to her friend tear into her with such malice. Of course she understood Clark was missing but that didn’t mean Lex had anything to do with it. She swiped at the tear in her eyes as Jimmy continued his verbal assault.
Jimmy looked at her with disdain, shaking his head at her. “You know he was killing himself trying to prove all of this …not to bring down Lex Luthor. No, to stop you from marrying this…psychopath! This murderer that you somehow agreed to …to..to..marry! You don’t even know the guy!”
She could feel the goosebumps rise on her arms as she stared back at Jimmy. The white, hot anger steaming from his words as he continued his verbal assault on her. She wanted to respond but found her brain unable to form a response. Tears of anger ran down her cheeks as her throat closed up on her.
Psychopath.
Murderer.
How could Jimmy think these things about Lex?
She knew Jimmy was angry and feeling lost after the loss of the Planet but projecting that onto Lex wasn’t fair. “That is not fair!” she finally managed to respond in-between sobs of anger.
“Fair?” Jimmy scoffed, letting out a mocking laugh, “You want to talk about fair? Lex Luthor basically made us jobless and homeless for some pocket change! You know, I lost my apartment? I was living in my car. For what?”
Lois felt her features harden as she stared back at Jimmy. The anger in Jimmy’s eyes bore a hole in her as she finally found her words. The painful words he’d lunged at her hung in the air but all she could focus on was the unfounded claims against Lex whom had done nothing to deserve his harsh judgement. “That doesn’t make any sense!” Lois argued on instinct, “He has money. Lots of it. Why would he…?”
“Gee, that answers everything, doesn’t it?” Jack asked sarcastically with the roll of the eyes. “He has money so he couldn’t possibly be behind a conspiracy to get more! I mean, we’ve never heard of a case of a good businessman doing dirty deals to keep the cash flow coming in, right? You of all people should know that everyone puts on a front.”
Lois narrowed her eyes at Jack, feeling her blood boil at the implication of Lex being less than trustworthy. It seemed Clark’s mistrust of him had spread among her former friends.
Now, Clark was missing.
Clark was missing.
That thought sent a range of emotions through her as she struggled to rationalize against the empty accusations being leveled at her fiancé. Though she still felt uncertain imagining herself as Mrs. Luthor she still felt compelled to defend him against the verbal assault thrown toward him.
“There has to be a reason. He…” Lois stopped herself, recalling her last conversation with Clark.
<<“Clark, can't you see what's happening? All you're doing is driving us further and further apart.”
“I'm not the one doing the driving, Lois. You are.”>>
“Of course, you’d defend him!” Jimmy snorted.
“What is your problem?” Lois shot back angrily.
“What’s our problem? Look around!” Jack jumped in, and pointed to the burning building. “Our friend—Your partner—supposedly your friend is missing. The place we were staying at just blew up and a whole lot of people are homeless and all you seem to be able to do is defend the lowlife behind everything!”
Lois glanced from Jack to Jimmy who was staring down at the ground, shaking his head. Remorse washed over her and she sighed, “I’m sorry you lost your job, Jimmy, really I am, but the Planet bombing was not Lex’s fault and…”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t my fault either!” Jack interjected angrily.
“Well, the evidence sure does say differently, doesn’t it?” Lois snapped back angrily.
“You know what?” Jack jabbed his finger in her face, “You deserve everything that’s coming to you.”
“Okay, that’s enough, both of you!” Perry barked, “Now, Lois, I know you have a lot of strong emotions right now. We all do,” he looked at her with a stern expression before he continued, “but I swear to God if you try to blame the Planet bombing on Jack one more time you’re going to see a side of me you’re not going to like.”
“Fine, I’ll sit here and say nothing while everything goes to hell,” Lois muttered just loud enough for Perry to hear. He gave her a look but didn’t say anything.
“In case you all have forgotten we’ve got a serious problem here.” Perry pointed to the burning building behind them.
Lois immediately backtracked, catching herself as she realized how petty she was being, fighting with Jack and Jimmy when everyone in Clark’s building was now homeless. She glanced down, feelings of guilt washing over her as she took in her surroundings. People were homeless. Clark was missing and here she was arguing about what may or may not have happened to a place that had become all of their home for so long. They all lost something that day.
“Yeah, CK is missing.” Jimmy ran a hand through his hair, throwing a disapproving look toward Lois.
She wanted to say something, do something to break down the iron gate prison walls Jimmy had up, keeping her at arm’s length. “Jimmy,” she began at the same time Jack threw a sarcastic remark toward her.
“And big surprise,” Jack snapped irritably, “Lois couldn’t care less.”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve you little… ” Lois lunged forward to swing at him and Perry grabbed her from behind and placed his arm between the three of them.
“That’s enough out of all of you,” Perry ordered, looking back at Jack and Jimmy. “We’ve got more important things to do than argue amongst ourselves.”
“Fine,” Jack shrugged, under Perry’s glare.
“Fine,” Jimmy agreed, staring at his feet.
“Lois?” Perry looked at her expectantly.
“Fine,” Lois repeated, crossing her arms over her chest and looked back at Jack and Jimmy, taking a deep breath. “I may have been a little out of line.”
“A little?” Jack glared at her.
“Can it!” Perry ordered, preventing the tension from escalating any further. “Now, let’s just calm down here and see if we can figure out what happened to Clark…” He looked up toward the burning building. “And who’s behind this.”
Lois followed his gaze, uncertain how to react. She felt numb. She let out a low breath and turned back to him, “How long?”
“What?” Jimmy asked.
“How long has Clark been missing?” Lois asked.
“We think since about mid-morning,” Perry responded with a defeated sigh. “Last time we heard from him was when we all checked in after…” He stopped, glancing at her uncertainly.
“After what?” Lois asked, looking back at him expectantly.
“Well, there’s no easy way to say this,” Perry said, staring back at her, “We’ve been looking into the bombing of the Daily Planet.”
“…and Lex Luthor.” Jack added darkly.
Lois let out a muttered curse. “Why am I not surprised?” She stared back at Perry in shock. “You’re investigating Lex? Really, Perry?”
Perry ignored her, continuing on, “We have been investigating the bombing of the Planet which yes led us to investigating Lex Luthor.”
Jimmy nodded, shrugging his shoulders, “He was the owner at the time and the one with the most to gain.”
“Right,” Lois shook her head, “Glad to see Clark’s spreading his distrust of Lex amongst friends.”
“I’ll be the first to admit I don’t like him, Lois, but right now we’re just going where the evidence is pointing.” Perry responded.
“Which is where?” Lois asked, “LexCorp? Chief, you can’t seriously think that…”
Perry sighed, then continued, cutting her off. “We have evidence linking the Planet’s bombing to someone...”
“Well, had.” Jack interjected, pointing to the building behind them.
Lois stared back at the building simmering with white smoke as the firefighters put the rest of the fire out. She felt a lump in her throat as she stared at the blackened brick. All the memories of the fights and late night talks came rushing back to her. Everything was different now. No more chasing down stories. No more investigations that would lead to their dual by-lines on the front page of the most prestigious newspaper in the world.
She felt tears running down her cheeks and choked out a sob, “I can’t even be angry at him because he’s…”
“Gone,” Jack scowled at her.
“Yes, Clark’s gone. Everything’s gone.” Lois groaned angrily. “The Planet is…gone. Everything is….” She felt her throat tighten up as a sob escaped.
“That’s the first time you mentioned losing the Planet,” Jimmy acknowledged, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t know you cared.”
“Of course, I care,” Lois scoffed, looking back at him. “The Planet was home.”
“Yeah, it was,” Jimmy smiled softly. The hardness of his features began to fade and he sighed. “I can’t believe we lost everything.”
Lois recalled what Perry was trying to tell her earlier. She turned to him, “Chief, you said you found evidence in the Planet bombing?”
Perry placed a hand on her other shoulder, “We, uh, think the boss was behind the Planet’s bombing.”
“The boss?” Lois asked, glancing back toward him. “The boss that everyone whispers about but no one has a name or a face? That boss?”
“The one and the same,” Perry responded with a sigh.
The hair on the back of her neck stood up and her throat went dry. “No one has been willing to point the finger at this guy. All he is is whispers and innuendos. No name. No face.”
“Clark was looking into a possible lead on who he thought the boss was,” Perry explained, looking her square in the eye.
“What?” Lois shook her head, realizing just how much trouble her former partner may be in. “Is he out of his mind? Do you have any idea how dangerous this could be? Did he at least let Superman know where he was going?” she began to ramble, feeling a panic rise inside her. “What if he…?”
“Easy, easy, easy,” Perry placed both hands on her shoulders and tried to calm her down. “Just take a breath,”
Clark was missing.
The boss of all people was behind the Planet bombing.
Clark went after the boss.
Clark was missing.
“Who did he think it was?” Lois asked, afraid to find out the answer. He looked away, staring back toward the building that was covered in white smoke from the fire that had been ablaze for the last half hour.
“I’m not going to get into this now, Lois,” Perry shook his head. She watched in surprise as Perry ran a hand across his forehead, his face full of anguish. He let out a low growl, “Everything! It’s over! It’s all gone! The board member’s testimony, the guy that framed Jack, the insurance policy…”
“Wait, what? What are you talking about?” Lois asked, not following how he’d gotten from the boss to the mention of an insurance policy and Jack.
<<“You're an investigative reporter. Investigate.”>>
Realization crossed her mind and then it clicked, “You think the boss is behind this, don’t you?”
“What do you think?” Jimmy asked, his eyebrow arched at her. “Clark’s missing. The evidence we gathered against the boss is gone.”
She opened her mouth to respond but stopped herself when she spotted something…someone in the corner of her eye that was out of place. There against the edge of the crowd was a familiar figure running toward an awaiting SUV parked on the corner. “Is that…?”
Mrs. Cox.
“Lois?” she heard Perry call after her but she brushed him off, racing to catch up to the SUV as it pulled away. She frowned, narrowing her eyes when she saw the custom license plate on the vehicle as it pulled into traffic. As the SUV turned she saw the face of Mrs. Cox staring back at her from the rear window.
What was Lex’s personal assistant doing at Clark’s apartment building?
***
Four hours.
Lex did his best to control his emotions as he stared at the clock in his study. No sign of her at her apartment. No phone calls. She’d been seen outside of Clark Kent’s apartment. The eve of their wedding and she’d gone to his apartment.
‘Never again,’ he thought to himself, reaching for the glass of bourbon on his desk. After tonight those days would be over. He’d made sure that once Lois was finally his wife she would learn her place. Showing up at her former partner’s apartment was a sure way to have the papers talking. Thankfully, Mrs. Cox had been quick on her feet, taking care of three problems in one.
“Where do you want these, Mr. Luthor?” a voice called from the hallway.
He looked up to see Nigel standing in the doorway with a group of movers behind him.
“This way,” he instructed, pointing them toward the hallway that led to the master bedroom.
***
Lois slammed the door behind her, she let out a muttered curse. She had done her best to keep up but the driver of the SUV had disappeared behind a tractor trailer and she’d lost him. She still couldn’t come up with a reasonable excuse for what Mrs. Cox could possibly be doing at the scene of the bombing that had taken place this afternoon.
All the residents of Clinton Street were now homeless.
Clark was missing.
Who was this boss?
She turned to put her things on the side table. She stopped when she noticed it was missing. Her eyes narrowed when she looked around the apartment. All her furniture was gone. Her knick knacks and pictures on the wall were gone. She stared at the empty apartment, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand up and reached for the door knob behind her. A sound came from the bedroom and she tensed, uncertain what she’d walked into.
“Hello?” she called out, tightening her grasp on the knob. She should run but she didn’t have anywhere to go. She didn’t have anyone to call. Perry was supposed to call her once he and the guys checked into a room,
“Oh, I see you’ve caught me,” the sinister voice of Mrs. Cox came as she entered the room, “I thought I was going to have to take a detour on the way back. Thanks for saving me a trip.”
Lois stared at the woman in shock, trying to figure out how she had gotten into her apartment and what she was doing here as she glanced around the empty apartment once more. “What is this?” Lois finally found her voice.
Mrs. Cox smiled, “Lex wanted to make sure you didn’t have to lift a finger.”
Lois narrowed her eyes at the woman, “Is that so?”
“I would have gotten this done sooner but something came up,” the woman smiled back at her, letting out a gleeful laugh. “You understand?”
Lois thought she heard a hint of something sinister behind her laugh. She stared at her, uncertain how to respond. “You were following me,” Lois accused, her eyebrows narrowed as she stared back at the woman.
“Just doing my job,” she responded smoothly.
“And what is that exactly?” Lois asked.
“Whatever is required,” the smile that smoothed across her face seemed far more sinister than the one she’d seen the other day. The woman’s lips pursed and her jaw tightened as her eyes narrowed at her. “Come now, Ms. Lane, surely you aren’t naïve to think you could go traipsing around town without Lex catching wind,” Mrs. Cox stared her down coldly.
Something in her eyes, reflected a darkness Lois had never seen before. She’d never liked the woman. Not from her first meeting but there was something more. Something darker. She felt a chill run down her spine as her mind raced to process what Mrs. Cox was implying.
“What are you …?” Lois felt her mind begin to race as the pieces fell into place. “Lex had you follow me?”
<<“You're an investigative reporter. Investigate.”>>
“I believe it’s time to get back to the Penthouse. We wouldn’t want any more accidents to happen, now would we?” Mrs. Cox smoothed a sinister smile across her face.
<<“Whatever is required,”>>
What did that mean? The longer she stood here under Mrs. Cox’s gaze the more her reporter’s instincts began to go off. Normally when that happened she was sparring off with a known criminal, not staring down her fiancé’s personal assistant down and suspecting she was behind something far sinister than following her to Clark’s apartment. Had Lex told his assistant to follow her or had she done that on her own?
<<“From what I’ve heard, I’d be better off out there with the cops on my tail than you, Mr. Luthor.”>>
<<“You're an investigative reporter. Investigate.”>>
<<“We, uh, think the boss was behind the Planet’s bombing.”>>
Something wasn’t right. She blanched slightly as the pieces began to fall into place. The buried memory came to the forefront of her mind along with those from her conversations with Perry and Clark today. If Lex had put her on her tail and he was dangerous enough that a known criminal didn’t trust having him on his tail… What if…
‘No, that’s crazy,’ she told herself quickly squashing the doubt that had rose up in her mind. ‘Isn’t it?’
<< “You were following me,”
“Just doing my job,”
“And what is that exactly?”
“Whatever is required,”>>
<<“We, uh, think the boss was behind the Planet’s bombing.”>>
“Pretty convenient timing,” Her eyes narrowed as she stared back at Mrs. Cox, realizing the person behind the bombing could be standing right in front of her. “You showing up at the scene of the arson and then disappearing when you’ve been spotted.”
“The same could be said about you as well, Ms. Lane,” Mrs. Cox gave a warming glare.
“What did you do?” Lois’ eyes narrowed as she reached for the door behind her.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Mrs. Cox held up a 9mm. “Don’t make me do this the hard way, Ms. Lane.”
***
TBC...
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