Chapter 52:
"I thought what you told Aymee about being an adult was very sweet."
He smiled softly down at her where she stood in line in front of him. "You think?"
Lois nodded, leaning back against him slightly to look up and meet his gaze. "Spoken like a true lone wolf," she quipped, measuring him up with her eyes subtly.
Clark smirked and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Yeah, well... those who can't do, teach, right?"
She snorted. "Nerd."
"Kent," Henderson's voice called out to him across the room. Clark frowned as the detective crooked his fingers at him.
"I'm gonna go see what he wants."
"Fat chance, Kansas. We're gonna see what he wants."
Clark rolled his eyes, but was grateful for the buffer. They made their way over to the scowling inspector. "I'm not sure how good your hearing is, Lane, but I only called your shadow over."
"Funny. You can talk to us both."
Clark put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down and turned his focus to Bill. "What did you need?"
Henderson's eyebrow arched, obviously not missing the gesture and the proximity between them. "Is there something I need to know going on here?"
Lois flushed with anger and Clark's mouth fell agape. "No! None of your business!" She exclaimed in outrage.
"Lois— Bill, is now really the best time for this?"
"I don't really think this should wait."
"Well?"
"You described a person to Aymee after explaining Carlton was incarcerated."
Clark sobered up, and all the severity of their predicament fell back around them. He nodded. "I did."
"Want to tell me how you came up with that very specific description?" Henderson questioned, eyebrow arched disdainfully.
Clark shared a look with Lois and then glanced out at the empty alleyway now filled with cops, debating how much he could say. "It's... a very specific description for a very specific person."
"Bill," Lois cut him off with a gentle hand to his diaphragm and kept her voice low and soft, "there's a lot at stake here. I know you're a trustworthy guy, and a good cop, but there's a lot of people that aren't. And just like you're not always entirely forthcoming in your investigations, we can't be entirely forthcoming in ours."
Bill glanced out at his team of cops, the magnitude of what Lois had said slowly registering across his face. "So you think you know who this guy is, and you are investigating."
Clark nodded his head firmly, never more sure of anything in his life, his heart pounding so hard that he was sure Henderson would hear it. "Absolutely."
"And you're aware that's almost exactly how our neighborhood superhero described the man who kidnapped your sister?"
Lois looked sad for a moment, but nodded her head along anyway. "I'm aware. And that doesn't change our answer."
Henderson pursed his lips and seemed to mull over his options. Clark shifted his weight on his feet, unsure as he waited, and finally spoke up. "Look, Henderson. We have a pretty good idea of what's going on here, and it's a bigger investigation than you think. But if all goes well today, maybe we can meet up and have a drink. Talk about this more."
Bill grimaced and finally acquiesced with a nod. "Fine. But I'm taking you up on that offer."
Clark exhaled with relief as the man stalked away, doing the final checks on his guys before they raided the place. He'd hoped that their response was passable. He needed a little more time to gather his physical proof, organize his actual paperwork to pin on Lex. Tonight. He couldn't be caught off guard with this again.
"Hey, don't look so worried. It's all going to work out."
A muscle in his jaw jumped. "It has to. Otherwise..." he let his voice trail off, thoughts spiraling down into words he couldn't say aloud. Otherwise Nigel would rat him out. Otherwise Lex wouldn't be ruined. Otherwise he'd get caught, go to jail. Otherwise he'd lose Lois.
Everything hinged on this handoff of information going smoothly.
"It will."
He glanced down at her reassuring words. She didn't have any idea how comforting they were, even if it came from a place of ignorance. Clark darted his eyes around to see if anyone was watching, and smuggled her a quick kiss. She grinned against his lips before pulling away.
"Were you going to go, you know, help out?"
Her question was paired with that swooping gesture again, and he huffed a small laugh at the shorthand she was already developing for his alter ego. "I don't know. I figured I could help out if things get hairy, but for now... I can't see or even hear that Nigel's here. It might just be the kids— which would be great of course, for their sake. But if Nigel's not here—"
"Then how are we going to find him?"
His smile was tight, hints of his nerves pulling away at the expression. "Yeah."
They watched from the sidelines as Henderson instructed Aymee to enter the building first, and they were to follow behind a minute or two. The young girl steeled herself and followed directions— it seemed the serum was wearing off little by little. As the cops disappeared into the building, Clark allowed himself to get closer to Lois, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into him. She smiled up at him and hooked an arm on his. He could allow himself a moment of peace. He wished that he could just fly her to his place and make a little better use of their time, but this was nice.
He wasn't entirely sure what to do from here anyway. This morning was unlike any previous mornings. It was soft and warm and tender, and Lois knew his big secret already. It was as close to normal as he'd ever had, downright domestic. And he hadn't hated it. But that probably had more to do with the company than with the setting.
His heart beat a little faster as he looked down on the top of her head, her raven-dark hair so soft and silky. He wanted to run his fingers through it again, but that would probably be too intimate a gesture in public. He'd honestly thought he'd care less afterwards, that she'd be out of his system. But if anything he only loved her more now than he did yesterday.
Holy crap. He really loved her.
"What are you overthinking up there?"
He huffed a laugh against her scalp and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm thinking about how amazing you are. And how much I don't deserve you."
Lois turned around in his arms and leaned into him with her arms around his neck and a sappy smile. "I'm not some flawless gem you can wear around your neck, Kent. Even though I'm pretty damn flawless, and I just so happen to be in this position."
He chuckled and adjusted his hold on her waist. "I used to own a diamond mine, Lois. I think I know a little something about flawless gems."
She teasingly smacked his chest, and he beamed at her even as she gathered herself again. "If we're going to do this, we need to be fair to each other. Partners. Through thick and thin. So you can call me on my garbage and I can call you on yours. Deal?"
He smirked. She continuously amazed him. "Deal."
"Seal it with a kiss or it doesn't count."
He chuckled again and leaned in—
A shriek from above tore his attention away, and he left her waiting on his lips. "Help! Somebody help me!"
He pulled her arms off of him and only briefly catalogued her frown. "Sorry. It's Aymee. I gotta—"
"Go," she stated firmly, pushing him away from her.
He made sure no one was looking and darted around the corner to change into his suit. He rocketed up the side of the building and found one of the boys holding Aymee halfway out the open window. Clark looked darkly at the boy and crossed his arms sternly. "Let her go."
"Sh-she's a liar! She told us she was going to get us more of the metamide-5, and instead she brought the cops?!"
"You don't want to make this any worse for yourself. Why don't we all go back inside and resolve this?"
The boy glanced down at the streets below and back up at the hero nervously, even as Aymee whimpered. After a long moment of debate, he finally backed up, and Clark floated in through the window. "I heard there's some problems here. Where are the police?"
Aymee dashed away her frightened tears before replying. "They trapped them in the elevator. They knew they were following me. I don't know how—"
"Shut your face, Aymee!"
Clark glanced around the space, covered in wires and camera equipment and a small pile of duffle bags in the corner. A quick sweep with his x-ray vision revealed it to be stocked with cash. A wave of surprise washed over him, and he touched down on the ground gently. "Color me impressed. I didn't hear about any robberies recently."
"Shows how much you know," the main boy sniped at him, arms folded and a smirk on his face.
"I'll tell you what it shows," he started, floating in the air and folding his legs in a casual, seated position. The murmur of the other two kids amused him, but he kept his features schooled. "It shows ingenuity. Creativity. You can't buy smarts like that, and you certainly can't get it from a drug. The metamide-5 might enhance your intelligence, but it's not you. You guys are the smart ones. I want to see what you can do."
They shifted on their feet, and Aymee's whimpers quieted down as they contemplated his words. Clark knew he had it in the bag at this point. He gestured at the girl with a twinkle in his eyes. "Aymee figured it out. What's the point in being so smart if everything you do is credited to the drugs?"
Phillip shifted his weight nervously. "We're not that smart yet."
"Then you're cheating."
He watched as they each seemed to come to the right conclusion, and he smiled. "So. I'm gonna go get the elevator, and what do you say we get you guys back to normal life?"
*****LnC*****
His head started spinning the second he opened his eyes. The throbbing, aching reminder of last night's bender-turned-blackout was ever present, and Lex clutched at his head firmly, exerting enough pressure that some of the blood stopped rushing in his ears. His mouth was dry as a bone. He clenched his eyes shut firmly again at the glare of the... late evening light? He would frown, but his face hurt too much to move any muscles. He groaned loudly. How long had he slept? He couldn't remember getting drunk like that in ages. Drinking just to drink. Drinking to forget. He'd sworn he'd never do it again after that awful night in Kansas.
Kent.
He counted to three and took a deep breath. He had to get up. As luxurious as his carpeting was, it was scratching at his face after sleeping there all night and day. He rolled over onto his side before giving up again, and sinking back down. Maybe he could just die here. That seemed easier. He laid there staring across his floors glumly.
Something glinted back at him, in the waning evening light as the sun began to dip beneath the Metropolis skyline. Lex frowned at it curiously. He didn't recognize it. Something silver? Hidden in the corner, underneath the table and the large potted plant.
A memory asserted itself, and an image. Looking through the police reports and crime scene photos. Reading Sheriff Harris' scrawl about young Clark Kent and a silver box that went missing. He fought the wave of nausea as he struggled to his feet slowly.
The box he'd chucked at Nigel's head.
He staggered over to it, and spent a solid minute trying to convince himself to bend over and pick it up, but every time he did, the aftertaste of bourbon and stomach acid burned its way up his esophagus. He leaned forward heavily, resting his hands on his knees. You are not a young man, anymore, Lex. He girded himself, and heaved forward to pick it up successfully this time. A small grin twisted his lips, and he winced as he brought the box in close to his chest. The metal was cool to the touch, grounding him a little. Lex breathed in a few deep breaths and flipped the latch on the small lead box unceremoniously.
A sickly green glow greeted him the moment it was open, and his heart skipped a beat. A laugh bubbled up in his chest and he stared at it mesmerized. He ran a hand over his brow and swore. Lex had no idea what it meant for his plans, but he had one more piece to the puzzle. He licked his dry, cracked lips. "Goddam green rocks."
*****LnC*****
Lois smiled up at the caped hero as he drifted into the window of the building high above her. Giddiness threatened to overtake her. He was wonderful, truly. She could hardly believe the whirlwind of events that brought them here, to this moment in their lives. Maybe destiny was real. She had a feeling deep down that this would be one of the most important relationships of her life. There was the real possibility that it would be the last one.
A gloved hand appeared over her face and covered her mouth firmly.
Time slowed down.
Her eyes widened as adrenaline shot through her veins. She tried to scream, but he smothered what sound he could, and then the jut of something hard and metallic in the center of her back stilled her.
"Hello, Miss Lane."
Her blood ran cold at the sound of his voice. Lois struggled valiantly against the old British butler, panic racing down her spine.
Nigel jostled her as he pulled her back with him. Her palms were sweating, making her grip too slick to fight back. Crap. He dragged her around the corner, out of sight of the building. Out of sight of Clark. Every step away from that building dug the pit in her stomach deeper, but he was stronger than her and clearly knew what he was doing. She dragged her feet across the concrete, trying to slow them, catching a heel in the crack of the sidewalk. Her heart pounded heavily. That was a good idea. She'd leave her shoes behind, so she could make a fast escape. Lois toed off the other shoe, and tried flinging it away to be noticed, when Nigel hefted her up so her feet weren't touching the ground. She kicked through the air with a mangled cry of outrage.
"Go ahead and try me, Miss Lane. I've got no loyalties left and you've cost me a lot more than you're worth alive. I'd be much obliged to shoot you." He pulled sharply on his next drag, and his other hand came up to press on her windpipe. Before she could even recognize what was happening, she found herself being stuffed into the trunk of an unmarked car. Fear zipped through her veins. This wasn't fair; her life was finally getting back on track and things were going well—
"You must have some balls on you to kidnap me in a group of cops with the Man of Steel floating above. You'd better let me go before he finds you and trust me, you won't like it when he does."
He smirked at her and shook his head, and a sinking feeling knotted up her stomach once more. "Oh, I'm counting on it."
He slammed the lid of the trunk and Lois was entombed in darkness.
