Chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3:
Victoria watched anxiously from behind the handsome, muscular stranger that just walked in her tavern. She was comforted by a smaller man who had entered her tavern with him, an older man with a different accent and a bowler hat.
“ You can trust him, miss!” was the only thing he had said before the visitor spoke again.
“ You have no idea who you are dealing with, amigo!”
Clark laughed, “ first of all I chose my friends and you aren't one of them and as for that I don't know who I am dealing with I have only one response for you, neither do you!”
The mean visitor took a step towards Clark, " Do I need afraid of you muscle-boy, I don Carano, the kings best friend!"
Clark took a step towards don Carano, something he usually didn't do, his arms still crossed over his muscular chest.
Victoria looked up when she heard Wells reaction, “ Oh boy!”
Carano pulled out his gun to prove his point, the point that he could get away with everything.
Everybody in the tavern reacted stunned, everybody except Clark, he even took yet another step forward.
" Another step and I will,..." but he was too shocked to continue when he noticed that his gun was gone and now in the hands of his enemy.
Clark had taken the gun without the use of super-speed just a quick reflex in human-speed but what he did next stunned everyone, he took the gun and he bent the steel like it was a piece of paper.
Don Carano was shocked, for the first time in his life he was afraid enough to back down. Clark knew that he had won this battle with only showing some super-strength, that could easily be explained without giving away his heritage. Clark was glad that the man never pulled the trigger, the fact that bullets bounced off his chest would be more difficult to explain. He knew he reacted seriously out of character, but nobody knew Superman, so there would be no reason to act like he was too mild-mannered, he could react more like himself, although he knew how superstitious people were in this time so no flying.
Victoria was stunned when she saw Clark bending the gun, " Could he be the one she was looking for?" Victoria shook her thoughts away, she would take a good look at the man, he was muscular
yes, he defended the poor but he had no mustache.
She took this opportunity of peace to run towards her best friend, she felt safe with Clark and Wells but they were still strangers, she knew Diego by heart and there was no one she trusted more than Diego, not counting Zorro that is.
Diego took this opportunity and pulled Victoria behind him, he too didn't know what to think of the strangers who defended the love of his life.
“ Now,...” Clark continued, “ if you want a place to sleep, please apologize to the lovely senorita!” pointing towards the place Victoria had taken now in Diego's embrace.
“ My apologies for my behavior, senorita, my attitude was rude because I am not used to such a modern woman. Can have a room for the night please?” he snarled between his teeth not sounding very sincere.
Victoria was a strong woman and as much as it pained her he did apologize and she was a forgiving person, " alright, ..." she responded, " but I don't want to hear anything from my girls that you were rude to them or you will sleep on the street! The quartel is right in front of the tavern so I don't need to go far for help!"
She nodded towards Pilar, who started to climb the stairs to get the room ready for their overnight guest.When she noticed that the man was following Pilar on a distance she knew he would behave for now.
Victoria left Diego's embrace and walked over to the young man who had defended her from don Carano, “ Thank you very much for what you just did senor?...”
Clark laughed, “Kent, Clark Kent and this is my friend Mr. Wells, it is quite alright, senorita euhm?”
“ Sorry I am senorita Victoria Escalante and this is my best friend don Diego De La Vega,” pointing towards a large young man in a baby blue suit with black embroidery.
“ Buenos Dias, senor De La Vega, senorita Escalante, I hope I don't need to sleep on the street now that he apologized, do still have rooms for me and my friend?”
Victoria smiled towards the gentlemen, “ You are in luck, senores, I have two room left, I will send Maria and make sure they are ready for you.”
“ Is it possible to hire them for a few nights?” asked Clark not knowing how long he would need to find his Lois.
Victoria smiled again, she was really taken by the handsome stranger, Diego noticed this too and started to get a little jealous by it, it was the first time smiled at a man like that, that wasn't Zorro, being jealous of his alter-ego was hard enough, seeing her smile at a stranger was even harder.
“ certainly senor, can I offer you some enchiladas with chicken as a thank you?” she said with all the gratefulness in her voice.
" That is too kind senorita, but I am willing to pay for my food, that is no problem at all."
Victoria shook her head, “no these are from the house.”
" Well please, let me thank you then," he took Victoria's hand and placed his lips on her knuckles
“ And please call me Clark!”
“ Alright, Clark, let me make those enchiladas, I will be right back. Do you want some too Diego?”
Diego nodded, “ That would be nice Victoria thank you, please gentlemen join me for lunch?”
Diego pointed with a flat hand towards and the empty bench he occupied earlier.
Clark looked towards H.G. Wells who nodded back
" That would be great thank you don Diego." Diego wanted to know everything that could be known from these strangers, who were obviously Americans.
S-Z-S-Z
Miles and miles further into the desert in an abandoned farmhouse.
“ You will not get away with this, Tempus! Superman will find me and you will be sorry!”
Tempus laughed, " I hope so, my dear, I hope so, you see in order to kill your love story I need to get rid of you or him and what would be the best for me you think an annoying, dead reporter, a pesky dead superhero or two, or both?"
" You are going to kill us both, aren't you? Wait a minute A hero or two?" asked Lois, her reporter instinct coming to the surface.
“ Oh so you think you two are the only couple who are in my way of ruling the world, why do you think I brought you here.”
.
Tempus laughed again, “ The legend of the fox of the night and his Victoria ring a bell?”
Lois was shocked, " do you mean we are in early 1800?"
" Tsk, tsk, tsk, aren't we a little too curious miss Lane? Don't worry, you will have some company soon enough."
Tempus laughed while he walked away from her. He hoped that the man whom he had hired would do his job right and bring Victoria to him, alive and well! He needed live bait.
Tempus turned back around oh and before I forget I have a little something for you to wear when your hero comes to your aid he tied Lois her mouth again and placed a necklace around her neck, with a green stone in the center, "and to treat everybody equally I have one made for you soon-to-companion too. Bye, for now, Miss Lane,"
Lois was left alone again with no way to escape, her hands tied at a large wooden beam and her feet tied close to each other.
For the first time since long, she was afraid, afraid that she would never see Clark again and even afraid for Superman's life, she had no way of warning him.
She was glad she wore a suit skirt for the summer with the hot desert sun glowing on the roof of the abandoned house she was captured in, she looked around as far as she could, she saw a small kitchen and a bunk bed.
She leaned her head against the wooden beam, watching above her, thinking about what she was about to lose if Tempus got his way, and seeing the stone around her neck she was hoping that Superman would run into Zorro before they were able to capture this other woman.
Her thoughts went to her boyfriend, she laughed at the thought that she had lost her heart to that farm-boy out Kansas, never, in a 100 years had she thought she would fall in love so hard as she had now.
Her other thoughts went to her best friend, Superman, she prayed that he wouldn't come on his own.
“ Please be Careful Superman and please let me see Clark again!” these were the last thoughts before Lois lost her consciousness due to the heat.
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