InjusticeFolc4evernaday
Chapter 13: Stinging Like A Bee
A/N: This is your TRIGGER warning. This chapter includes a graphic depiction of violence and discusses the subject matter of child loss extensively.Present Day Lois laid in Jon’s bed next to him and fingered the silky strands of his hair, holding him to her as she hummed a lullaby to him. His soft breathing whistled through his little nose, and she smiled to herself, cradling him in her arms as she shifted carefully out of the small wooden bed to make her way out of the room.
She ran a hand across her wrinkled blouse and reached her arms over her head, stretching her tired muscles out. After the confrontation with Nunk and the latest attempt from the tabloids, she’d taken Jimmy’s advice and checked Jon out early. Perry had let him set up in the small conference room, playing cards and coloring while she and Clark finished typing up their follow up pieces on what she really considered fluff pieces. The mayor’s stance on crime in Metropolis and song and dance about how she would be putting a stop to the warehouse district’s drug ring. They’d heard it all before, but until they had something to print on the kidnappings and city corruption, this was the best she could do.
Perry did write an editorial shaming the paparazzi for their blatant disregard for journalistic ethics and even going so far as to accuse them of being in the pocket of whoever was trying to destroy a respected journalist with nothing but innuendos. It ran on the front page of the evening edition, but she doubted it would do much good given the current climate was to believe the most outrageous scandals first and ask questions second.
She closed the door behind her, careful not to make a sound as she tip-toed away from Jon’s room, heading carefully toward the staircase that led downstairs. Most of the evening had been filled with Jon’s retelling of his adventures with Uncle Perry and figuring out what to make for dinner. Clark had left for patrol just after dinner and probably wouldn’t be back for another hour.
She hadn’t brought up what was being splashed on the tabloid covers, and she was tempted not to. There wasn’t anything to discuss. It was another smear attempt. Just like the one before it and the one she was sure would come after. This one felt different. More painful and sickening as the story in itself insinuated a physical relationship with Lex and Claude that never was.
The mistake she had made in allowing herself to be seduced by Claude had been a one time mistake she swore she would never make again. What she’d mistaken for the blossoming of a new relationship and love had been met with betrayal and callous disregard for everything she had thought they had. It was that mistake that had kept her from taking a risk on any future relationship.
That of course had been
‘B.C.’ Before Clark.
Burying herself in her work had been second nature to her, and it had nearly a year of being partnered together to realize he had slipped past her barriers. He had gotten to her despite her attempts to keep him at a distance. Every investigation they worked on together brought them closer to one another, so when faced with losing the Planet and their partnership, they both had reacted to the loss with despair. She had been in denial over it all until the truth had been staring her in the face.
Flashes from her assault at the hands of Lex flooded through her mind, and she sank to the floor just outside Jon’s room. She let out a shaky breath as she waited for the memories to subside, feeling tears burn in the corners of her eyes. The other mistake she had made had nearly cost her her life. Denial was a powerful tool that could cloud your judgment to even the most obvious things. She’d found out the hard way just how powerful it could be.
After months of listening to Clark warn her about Lex and blowing it off as him being jealous or just not giving him a chance, she had finally come face to face with the side of Lex Luthor Clark had tried to warn her about. She found herself face to face with a cruel monster she couldn’t even recognize, fighting for her life as she endured the cruel tauntings. It was by pure happenstance that he hadn’t gotten the opportunity to force himself on her. He’d certainly threatened it enough. Even now years later she found herself haunted by that night.
<<“I own you. I own this city. No one does anything in this city without me knowing about it.”>>
<<“Do you really think Superman will take you back once he knows I’ve had you?”>>
<<“Well, it’s no matter. His interference has been taken care of permanently. Mrs. Cox saw to that.”>>
<<“How does it feel to know how close you were to bringing down the boss of Metropolis…and fail?”>>
<<“You think I wouldn’t have a contingency plan, hmm? Your precious Superman? Gone. Your partner? Gone. Your career? You won’t be able to show your face anywhere without me knowing. I’ll make sure you never so much as edit a note on a post-it. You never should have crossed me.”>>
<<“That idiot Kent never could figure that out. I was always twelve steps ahead of him. I’m unstoppable.”>>“Lois?” Clark’s voice called out to her, pulling her out of the mental walls she had found herself in. She looked up, staring at the familiar walls of her home and saw Clark knelt down on the floor next to her. “Hey, honey, what’s wrong?” Clark’s hand brushed against her cheek.
Lois shook her head, gripping the collar of Clark’s shirt, pulling him to her, and resting her head against his chest. She could feel the tension inside her grow as panic swarmed through her mind, reminding her of just how close she had come to losing everything.
“It’s okay, I’m right here,” Clark soothed, cradling her in his arms, smoothing his hands against her back, and he whispered in her ear, trying to coax her out of the full-fledged panic attack she was on the brink of. “Everything’s fine. Jon’s asleep in his bed, snoring like a little chainsaw.”
A soft chuckle escaped her throat, and she felt the pins and needles run through her as she smirked at him, reaching up to swipe her hand against her cheek from where the tears had trickled down her face. “He doesn’t snore like a chainsaw.”
His lips brushed against her cheek and murmured, “You feeling okay to stand up?”
“Not yet,” Lois responded, looping her arms around his neck. He let out a grunt just before lifting her up in his arms and carrying her to the bedroom. She smiled her thanks and placed a hand across Clark’s cheek, “That was a quick patrol.”
“It’s…eerily quiet tonight.” Clark murmured, leaning in to kiss her.
“Maybe the mayor isn’t all talk?” Lois wondered aloud, resting her head against his chest.
“Could be,” Clark let out a heavy breath, settling on the bed next to her.
She caught his gaze, seeing the silent question across his face. She shook her head, “I had a panic attack.”
“I know,” he said gently, reaching over to stroke her cheek.
She let out a long breath, “I think maybe all this paparazzi stuff is getting to me a little more than I was willing to admit.”
“Or maybe they pushed things too far,” Clark responded grimly, resting his hand against her hip bone. “Jimmy showed me the cover of Tattletale Weekly earlier.”
“Oh,” Lois frowned, letting out a heavy breath.
“Lois, they’re not going to stop unless we make them stop.” Clark pleaded gently. “I know you don’t want to draw more attention to this, but now they’re going after Jon.” He squared his jaw, “He can’t hang out in the newsroom forever. What are we going to do when he starts Kindergarten?”
“I know, but the more we push back, the more attention we give this…garbage,” Lois argued halfheartedly. “Nunk is nothing but a bottom-feeder nobody trying to cling on to this temporary bit of notoriety he’s gotten from this scandal he’s cooked up with that low-life that couldn’t write his way out of a paper bag.”
“And if it weren’t completely disrupting yours and Jon’s lives I’d agree with you.” Clark reached over to cup her cheek. “This is the second panic attack you’ve had this month.”
“This…” She gestured toward the window, letting out a heavy sigh. “It just brings up a lot of things I don’t like to think about.”
Clark was quiet for a long moment, resting his hand against her back before he finally broke the silence, “We both know this isn’t just Nunk or even Claude. What happened…”
“Almost happened,” Lois corrected.
“Almost happened.” Clark clarified, leaning in to kiss her. His forehead pressed against hers, and his hand brushed against her cheekbone, “You made sure it was a matter of public record thanks to your stunt at Luthor’s trial. The fact that it is a part of public record makes it even easier to push back. It’s blatant defamation.”
“That would require me getting on the stand again and going into morbid detail of…” Lois clamped her mouth shut, shaking her head. “I did it once, and I just don’t think I have it in me to do it again.”
“So, maybe we see if we can scare them off with just the threat of a lawsuit,” Clark reasoned aloud, tightening his arms around her. “Maybe that’ll be enough to scare off whoever is behind this and dissuade any paparazzi from escalating this smear campaign any further.”
“I won’t testify again,” Lois said shakily, recalling how hard it had been to admit into record the worst mistake of her life and how close she had come to losing everything. Even now, years later, she found herself reminded of how that terrifying night when Lex had tormented her, assaulted, and nearly killed. Reliving it for any reason other than to ensure his forever sentence in whatever hole the courts opted to lock him away in was too much to bear.
Clark’s thumb brushed against her jawline. “I’m not asking you to.” A frown crossed his face, and he murmured, “I just hate standing back and doing nothing while these vultures continue to attack you and now, Jon.”
She visibly relaxed against him, resting her head against his shoulder, “I love you, you know that, right?”
“I seem to recall you mentioning it a time or two,” he teased, leaning in to kiss her.
His lips pressed against hers, and she let out a soft moan, reaching up to stroke his cheek.
“I love you, Lois.”
________________________________________
The headlines scattered on the table, and Donald Schumer pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning back in his chair as he propped his feet up on the desk in his office. Across from him was the editor from Tattletale Weekly looking across from nervously stammering his unimaginative explanations for the day’s events. “Do you know why your paper was selected to run with this exclusive on Lois Lane?”
“Because we’re the best,” the editor responded smugly.
“Because you’re expendable,” Schumer remarked coldly, flicking the lighter to his cigar and taking a long puff. “If I wanted just anyone to print just anything, I wouldn’t need you. Would I?”
“You said you wanted the smear campaign. This is just nature taking its course.”
Schumer held up the latest headline with a picture of Lois Lane’s son and Superman on the cover. “How exactly do you think you’re going to continue that campaign with a super target on your back?”
“Look, it’s been talked about…”
“I decide what goes to print,” Schumer growled angrily. “I didn’t get where I am by making mistakes like drawing the attention of the neighborhood boy-scout.” Schumer took a long puff from his cigar and reached over to press the burning end against the print in front of him, singing off the photo of Superman in a round burning sphere. “Get every last print before it makes the morning news circuit. Am I clear?”
“Perfectly.”
________________________________________
Omer Demir tapped his hand on the table in front of him, contemplating his next move. Those reporters were getting closer and closer to uncovering much more than this missing girl’s location. If they kept pressing, it could entirely dismantle the entire organization. He tapped on the cardstock business card in his hand, wondering just how much goodwill he could scrounge up from his dear friend Jack.
________________________________________
Lois leaned over the conference room table, looking over the thousands of photocopies Clark and Jack had been able to make of the police’s missing person reports in the last ten years. A chill ran down her spine as she stared at the youthful faces of children that had been taken from everything they knew and planted into the dark abyss of wherever they had been taken.
“These are the last of them,” Clark said, pointing to the haunting image of the young Ingrid in the corner of the table. “But this is the girl Jack was looking for.”
“The same one Superman rescued a few months back.” Lois shook her head in disgust. “There have to be thousands of kids here.”
“But one of them got out,” Jack pushed the photo toward her. “We find her. We will find the others.”
“Maybe,” Clark added half-heartedly. “We still don’t know that she was kidnapped by the same people.”
“We don’t know that she wasn’t.” Jack argued. “It’s a long shot. I get it. But it’s the only lead we’ve got.”
“You weren’t able to get anywhere with your friend Omer?” Clark asked, raising an eyebrow at Jack.
“No,” Jack shook his head. “He was …anything but helpful when I mentioned the other kids missing. He seemed to be discouraging me more than anything, which was a bit surprising.”
Lois glanced in Clark’s direction, wondering if they should voice their suspicions of Omer to Jack or not. Clark shook his head, signaling for her not to. She took a shaky breath, pulling herself away from the images and turned toward the newsroom where she saw Jimmy at the window, motioning to the phone for her and pointing to her with two fingers up.
“Lois Lane,” Lois reached over to answer the phone, wondering if she shouldn’t have asked for more information first before answering. Clark and Jack continued with their discussion on Omer and the young girl, Ingrid, as she tried to make out the recorded message playing in her ear.
“You have a prescription ready at Metro Pharmacy for PrimaCare ONE.” The recording then continued in its robotic voice. “If you have questions about your prescription, please call your Primary Physician.”
Lois hung the phone up a little sharper than she should have, catching both Clark and Jack’s attention. Clark’s brow furrowed as he looked at her in surprise, “Everything okay?”
“Just a mix-up at the pharmacy is all,” Lois said hurriedly, ducking out of the conference room and heading back to her desk. She could feel his eyes on her as she sunk down in her seat, noting the blinking red light on her phone.
Without a word, she picked up the receiver and dialed the pin to listen to the voicemail messages.
________________________________________
“Weird,” Jack commented, looking back at Clark. “She doing okay with all this tabloid stuff?”
Clark shook his head, glancing toward the window where Lois could be seen dialing a number from her desk phone, “About as good as can be expected.” Clark pointed to the case file in front of Jack, “What did you mean by your friend Omer not being helpful at all?”
“It was weird,” Jack admitted, taking a seat at the table. “I showed him the data on how many unsolved kidnappings were originating in Metropolis and he wasn’t surprised by it but rather kinda dismissive. Like trying to brush it off like there was some other reason for all those kids to be missing.”
“Which there could be,” Clark admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “We don’t know enough to be pointing the finger at anyone.”
“Yeah, but this guy’s job is to help rescue kids from these sex trafficking and black market child slavery rings.”
“You’d think he’d be the last one to dismiss data that supports his cause,” Clark snorted offhandedly.
“Exactly,” Jack shook his head.
“What?” Clark asked, noting the perplexed expression on Jack’s face.
“I don’t know. I guess I just expected more from him.”
________________________________________
Two Years Ago…Clark’s arm lazily reached across the bed, slipping his arm around Lois’ waist. A deep satisfied sigh escaped his throat as the rumbling from the construction a few blocks away reached his ears, nudging him awake. His hand moved to her abdomen, noting with a smile when he saw Lois’ hand was already there.
A smile crept across his face as he cradled her in his arms, trying to focus on the faint but rapidly beating heartbeat that thumped in unison with Lois’. The rapid thumping was like music to his ears as he laid next to her, focusing on each twitch of her lips and flutter of her eyelashes. So often, he found himself pulled away at the most inconvenient of times, making the small moments like this all the more precious.
His face broke out into a mega-watt grin as his mind drifted into the wonderful world of ‘if’ that came with the news Lois had shared last night. One minute he’d been pleading with her not to go barreling into that warehouse in Hobb’s Bay, and the next, she had been in tears changing his entire world with two words. Suddenly the frantic almost desperate need to protect both him and Jon from the Kryptonite poisoning made sense. Here was this new life they both wanted more than anything to safeguard from the chaotic world around them.
It was terrifying.
He had thought Kryptonite had been long gone for so long, and then when it had crept back up, he thought he was doing the right thing having Dr. Klein find a way to counteract its effects. Now it was possibly in the hands of Bad Brain. Unlike Luthor, Bad Brain had no rhyme or reason for the way he went after his victims. That was what made him so deadly.
“You’re awake,” Lois mumbled softly, fluttering her eyes open beneath the moonlit sky that peeked through their bedroom window.
“It’s still early,” Clark whispered, tightening his arms around her and burying his chin into the space between her neck and shoulder. “Go back to sleep.”
She turned her head to look at him, reaching her hand up against his face and tracing the outline of his jaw. “What are you doing up?”
“Just…thinking.” His hand settled against her abdomen, and he brushed his lips against her cheek.
“Yeah?” her face cracked into a smile. “Anything in particular?”
“Just…how much I love you,” he murmured, placing another kiss to her cheek.
She smiled, rolling over to face him and reached up, hooking her arms around his neck and pulling him to her. He found himself immediately reminded of how they had fallen asleep last night as her naked body pressed against him.
“I still have to have the ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy.” A throaty whisper escaped her lips as she lifted her right leg, brushing it up against his hip.
“So, let’s call now,” he sighed, nudging the curve of her neck with his nose.
She giggled, fingering the hair on the back of his neck, “It’s almost five in the morning.”
“So?” Clark chuckled, lifting his head to meet her gaze.
“So, scheduling an ultrasound with the on-call isn’t exactly a good use of time this early in the morning.” Her arms hooked into a tight fold, tugging him closer and allowing him to settle his weight on her as he felt his body immediately react to hers.
“Hmm, well, then what would be a better use of time?”
Her leg lifted, gradually brushing against the back of his thigh as she murmured in a soft whisper, “Well, I have a few ideas…I mean, if you’re not preoccupied.”
“I can’t think of anything…” he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers in a soul-shattering kiss.
________________________________________
Dan Scardino tucked the boarding pass in his pocket, tightening his grip on the carry-on bag he had on his back. His gaze moved across the semi-crowded terminal, where he was awaiting the announcement to board.
Hamil’s information seemed to have panned out with the powers that be but unfortunately, McCord hadn’t weathered as well through the scrutiny on their methods of extracting the information from Hamil. The bombing of the port and subsequent dead end as they had put it had all been planted on McCord’s shoulders and with it the strong encouragement to retire from the agency.
Though it wasn’t unusual for the higher-ups to weigh in from time to time on an investigation, it did seem strange that the one lead they’d received was the one where Washington decided to flex its muscles and prove who was in charge.
‘Sudan here I come,’ Scardino thought to himself.
________________________________________
Lois wrapped an arm around herself, staring at the footage on Stern Media Network with Alice on the screen relaying the recent development in Bad Brain’s reign of terror. “Scooped,” she muttered with a sigh, looking over at Clark, who was standing next to her with a hot travel mug of coffee.
“Authorities are saying the recently escaped prisoner Bad Brain Johnson was found unconscious with several patrolmen. How he or any of the officers got that way is unknown at this time, but the Police Chief of Metropolis has issued a statement citing all officers are undergoing care at MetGen along with Bad Brain. Once recovered, Bad Brain will be returned to custody.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure there’s a lot more to the story,” Clark commented, taking a sip from his mug. “The entire alley they found Bad Brain in looked like it had been completely consumed in some kind of high-powered energy. Even the bricks on the building were stained with impressions from the blast.”
“Anything jump out on your patrol this morning?” Lois asked, taking a sip from her travel mug.
“Nothing outside of the signs of something high powered exploding.” Clark shook his head, pulling her to him. “Maybe Bad Brain crossed the wrong person, and they got their revenge.”
“Maybe,” Lois placed a hand on his shoulder. “I just hate those officers got caught in the crossfire.”
“Me too,” Clark frowned, “I wasn’t able to get a definitive timeline out of the Police Chief. They’re guessing sometime before the warehouse in Hobb’s Bay went into flames, but until the doctors finish their tests, no one really knows for sure.”
Lois nodded, noting the somber expression on his face. She knew that look. He was beating himself up over not getting there or hearing the cries for help that could have never even come from whatever blast had taken them out. She moved her hand to his chest, toying with the end of his tie, “You know this isn’t your fault, right?”
“I know,” Clark sighed, unconvincingly looking away from her.
“You can’t be everywhere and you can’t do everything.” She reminded him, looping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her.
“I still feel guilty when someone gets hurt,” Clark frowned.
“Well, you’re going to have to set that aside for a rainy day because we have an appointment after Perry’s staff meeting to confirm the pregnancy at Met Gen.” She flashed him a half-smile. “I mean, I guess I could reschedule if you’re still brooding…”
His lips captured hers, and his hand cupped her face, murmuring softly, “Don’t you dare.”
A grin crossed her face as she looked back at him, expectantly, “So, I take it you’re coming with me?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Clark promised, brushing his lips against hers. “You couldn’t keep me away.” His hands moved to her midsection, smiling at her before resting his forehead against hers. “I can’t wait to tell Jon he’s going to be a big brother.”
“Think we can talk Perry into letting us leave for that long overdue vacation a day early?” She asked, toying with the knot to his tie. “I mean, Bad Brain is in custody…”
“And what about the Kryptonite?” Clark asked, stroking her cheek.
“Dr. Klein said he thought he had it all back,” Lois reminded him. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she gave him a pleading look. “I miss my boy.”
He let out a heavy sigh, nodding with her. “Me too.” He leaned in to kiss her. “You still need to be careful.”
“
I need to be careful?” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I’m not the one that walked into Bad Brain’s trap.”
He let out a heavy sigh, nodding in defeat. “No, but I am going to be more cautious too.” He ran his hand across her midsection. “We both need to be more careful. We got lucky. Bad Brain is in custody and out of commission, and neither one of us had to take any unnecessary risks to capture him.”
“Are you calling my investigative skills
unnecessary risks?” Lois asked.
“Maybe,” he leaned his head down to press his lips to hers. “You know what I was thinking?”
“That we’re going to be late?” Lois pointed at the time.
“We’re already late,” Clark shrugged.
“We’re always late,” Lois corrected, tugging him by the end of his tie with her toward the door.
________________________________________
“Authorities are saying the recently escaped prisoner Bad Brain Johnson was found unconscious with several patrolmen. How he or any of the officers got that way is unknown at this time…”
An electrical spark came from the screen of the television, crackling the image into multi-colored pixels. The store clerk tapped on the screen, looking around for the source to the sudden short circuit. He looked to the wall where the television set was hooked up to and pulled out the melted power cord.
“What in the world?” the clerk wondered aloud, holding it up in dismay.
________________________________________
Lois tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she skimmed over the cover story for the warehouse bombing from last night. “I think this one’s just about ready to send over to Perry.” She craned her neck to look back at Clark, who was standing behind her. “What do you think?”
“That’s not how you spell
‘assess,’” Clark pointed at the screen, leaning over her shoulder to give her a quick peck on the cheek.
She smirked at him, making the change on her typo and then hitting the send button before spinning around in her chair to where she was face to face with him. “Any word from Henderson on Bad Brain’s condition?”
Clark shook his head, “No, they’re staying pretty tight-lipped about it.”
Lois twisted her mouth, folding her arms across her chest as she looked back at him with a frown. “Sociopath like Bad Brain ends up unconscious in an alley with two squad car units, and no one seems to know why.” She shook her head, “Someone knows something. They’re just not talking.”
Clark shoved his hands into his pockets, nodding his agreement, “You’re probably right.” A grin crossed his face as he leaned in to whisper, “You know they are under observation at Met Gen.”
She chuckled, leaning in closer to him as she toyed with the end of his tie, “Why, Mr. Kent, are you insinuating we should use our ultrasound appointment as an excuse to investigate a story?”
He grinned back at her, pressing his lips to hers, “It is a big building. Easy to get turned around.”
“Hey, hey, you two cut that out!” Perry barked, passing between the walkway of their desks. He stopped, mid-stride, looking back at them with a concerned expression. “Either of you hear from our new columnist this morning? Leslie?”
“Not a peep,” Lois responded with a shrug. “Why?”
Perry grunted, shaking his head. “This is the last time I hire a radio host to work on a column. Can’t even string two thoughts together without a comma splice….” He pointed toward the conference room. “Staff meeting in five. Try not to be late…” he glanced toward the desk off to the corner with Leslie’s nameplate on it and grumbled. “…like some people around here.”
Clark grimaced, watching Perry head back to his office, “I’m guessing he’s not a fan either.”
Lois rolled her eyes, “Trying to combat everyone’s opinion on the person that’s saved just about everyone here on her first day isn’t a good way to make friends. Then again, why would you take a job at a place that supports the very thing you supposedly are against?”
“I’ve heard money talks,” Clark shrugged his shoulders, pointing to the clock on her computer. “Better not be late.”
________________________________________
Bill Henderson tapped his notepad, looking over at the pale skinned officers that were hooked up to what felt like a hundred monitors. He turned to where the doctor heading up their treatment was standing, taking note of the officers’ condition.
“Hey,” he waved his hand up in the air to capture the doctor’s attention. “You got a sec?”
The doctor looked at his watch and nodded, motioning for him to follow. Henderson tucked his notepad in his pocket and followed him out into the hallway. “Tell me something, doc, you’ve been doing this what…?”
“Twenty-five years.”
“You ever seen injuries like this before?” Henderson asked, glancing toward the room they had just stepped out of.
“No,” the doctor responded grimly.
“What do you think caused it?” Henderson pointed to the room with his arm. “You’ve seen them. They’re completely drained. Pale and on death’s door. What the heck happened to them?”
“As I told you before, detective, it’s electro-shock. We did have an electrical storm last night…”
“Really, when’s the last time an electrical storm did that?” Henderson argued.
“Bill?”
Henderson looked up, spotting the familiar reporting duo a few feet away. He glanced toward the doctor who quietly nodded and made his exit. Henderson folded his arms across his chest, looking back at both Lois and Clark, who somehow managed to talk their way past security “A bit early in the day for interviews, isn’t it, Lois?” He nodded toward the guards that were on duty, “How’d you get past security?”
Lois pulled out a visitor’s badge, “We’re not here for a story.” She frowned, looking over at Henderson, “but something tells me maybe we should be.”
“How are they?” Clark asked, keeping his arm around Lois.
“About as well as can be expected,” Henderson explained with a defeated sigh. “I have no idea what we’re dealing with here.” He admitted with a shrug before adding. “And that is completely off the record.”
“You guys have any leads on who might be behind this?” Lois asked.
“All our evidence seems to be pointing to Bad Brain.” Henderson shrugged, pointing to the secured room behind him. “And he’s not exactly talking.”
Lois and Clark exchanged a look seeming to silently be deciphering what he had said in some secret code between them. Clark opened his mouth to ask something further when they were approached by a nurse.
“This is a restricted area. Can I help you?”
Henderson smirked as he watched the duo fast-talk and feign a bad sense of direction as the nurse pointed them toward the sign that led to ‘Ultrasound.’ The curious side of him wondered just how much of their display was for show and how much of it was genuine as he spotted Clark place a hand on Lois’ midsection before disappearing down the hall.
Henderson turned on his heel to head back into the room and frowned when he saw the screen outside the room flicker. “Hey, what’s going on here?”
________________________________________
The wand moved against Lois’ abdomen filling the room with the rapid thudding from the unborn life growing inside her. A giggle escaped her throat, and she looked over at Clark, who was beaming from ear to ear with a mega-watt grin.
“I love you,” she whispered, reaching out for his hand.
“I love you,” he whispered back, pressing his lips to hers.
The technician handed her the prints of the ultrasound and wished them well before handing her a disposable cloth to wipe the gel off her abdomen. So many thoughts wandered through her mind, and she let out an elated sigh.
Pregnant.
This was really happening. There was really a little baby growing inside her. A little life that would grow into a brother or sister to Jon. She felt her face stretch to accommodate the smile that had continued to grow across her face.
“We’re going to be parents again,” she whispered softly to Clark as he helped her up.
“I know,” he murmured, leaning in to kiss her.
________________________________________
Clark wrapped his arms around Lois, unable to wipe the smile off his face. His hands intertwined together as he held her in his arms, placing a kiss against her forehead, “I love you, you know that?”
“I think you’ve mentioned it a time or two,” Lois teased, tugging on the lapels to his jacket and pulling him to her. Her lips pressed against his and she murmured softly, “So, now that it’s officially confirmed, how do you feel about all this? I mean I know we didn’t exactly plan this out, but Jon is getting older and …” she paused, looking back at him shyly, unable to hide the elated grin that had crossed her face. “I know he’s going to be such a great big brother.”
“Lois, I’m ecstatic,” Clark murmured against her lips, running his hands through her hair before adding with a chuckle. “If I didn’t make that abundantly clear last night or this morning, I can keep trying…”
She swatted at his chest, playfully and gestured to the open elevator car, “I think this is our floor.”
Clark let out a heavy sigh, stepping out of the elevator car and seeing the yellow number two painted on the cement column just outside the elevator doors and walked with her to the corner parking spot they had claimed earlier.
A buzzing noise reached his ears, and he turned to see the lights overhead flickering, followed by a loud pop. The underground parking garage then turned dark, and he turned to Lois, who was gripping his hand with an unusual amount of pressure. “Lois, why don’t you go ahead and head back? I’ll meet you at the Planet.”
She opened her mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it, nodding her agreement and heading toward the Jeep. Another crackling noise emitted, and this time he saw a bright glowing light emit from the corner of the garage over where the generator to the parking lot was located.
A figure in black with pale white hair stood over it, seeming to draw the electrical energy from the generators. A quick change into his Superman uniform and he was face to face with the mysterious figure approaching with caution as he called out, “I’m no expert, but I don’t think the generator is included with the parking fee.”
A hard blast filled the room, and he flew back, hitting the cement column behind him. He quickly reached up to stop it from falling and then turned to see the figure in front of him that appeared to be emitting a white light energy.
“Blah, blah, blah, Super Duper don’t you have a cat to save?”
The blast hit him across the chest, and he fell back again. She let out a snort, “You think that’s bad just wait till I finish chargin’ up…”
A scream from the other end of the parking garage reached his ears, and he growled back at the figure, “You’re hurting people. You need to stop.”
“Make me.”
________________________________________
Pain.
Excruciating nerve-ending pain.
It hit her like a wave.
A painful, irreversible electro-shockwave with such deadly consequences. Lois had barely made it to the Jeep when she felt the painful aftereffects hit her. Her head hit the pavement, and her teeth hummed as every nerve ending in her body cried out in agony. Every limb locked up and with it any chance she had of bracing herself for the inevitable fall that was to come.
A cry of agony escaped her throat, and panic filled her mind.
The whirlwind of images from the day flooded her mind in a scattered maze of uncertainty. Her hand trembled, and she stared at the flickering overhead light, wincing as she felt the weak tingling run through her body. Her hand brushed against the cold concrete beneath her, assessing her surroundings.
Hospital.
She needed to get to the hospital.
No.
Yes.
No, she was at the hospital.
She needed to go back to the hospital.
Yes, that sounded right.
She turned her neck, feeling a hard cramp run through her abdomen as a labored sob escaped from the depths of her soul, echoing in the empty space she was in. Her arms trembled as she held them around her abdomen, trying to will the pain away.
"Clark," she called his name in a hoarse whisper that barely made it past her lips. A blood curdling cramp consumed her, and she felt her body go limp from the pain.
Her eyes drifted to the space behind her. There was an elevator. She could get to the elevator and get help. She was still at the hospital.
She just had to get help.
She needed to get out of here.
Needed Clark.
Another cramp seized her and she felt tears trickle down her cheeks from the pain as a dampness between her legs flooded out.
‘No…Please God no…’“Cl…”
Her legs buckled when she tried to stand, and she rolled over, cradling her abdomen as a gush of warmth ran down the inside of her legs. She gritted her teeth, trying to keep them from chattering as she crawled toward the elevator, dragging her limp body to the panel. A sickening feeling washed over her as she looked back at the dark pool of blood that had fallen.
It was too much blood.
‘Please, no…’She reached the elevator doors, planting her hands on the floor as she propped herself up, trying to will a calm over her she didn’t feel. She placed a hand over her abdomen, taking in a labored breath as she whispered out, “Please don’t leave me.”
Her hand floundered above her head as she flailed it around, trying to find the single button to call an elevator to the underground parking garage. Her teeth chattered as she sat there, clutching her abdomen as the labored cries escaped her throat. A million thoughts raced through her mind as she waited for the elevator doors to open.
The pain was all-consuming.
The physical pain she could bear.
The pain would heal, and she would be stronger for it.
She always was.
But this.
This excruciating pain that ran through her, knocking the wind out of her and crippling her mind, body, and spirit -this was something she was sure would destroy her. There weren’t enough tears to sob or pleas to cry. She felt the world itself stop around her as she cradled her body, waiting for a miracle.
________________________________________
Everything hurt.
Every muscle.
Every nerve.
A taunting tone came from the electrical villain that continued to use the generator as her power source for continuing to bring her electrical assault onto the innocent patients and Clark as he staggered to his feet, gritting his teeth and daring to challenge her.
“Oh, please, Super Duper you’re really pathetic. I’ve barely touched you, and you’re already whining like a little girl…”
“You need to stop, Leslie,” Clark called out, trying to reach the woman behind this mask of bitterness in hopes that he could convince her to stop since his strength was nothing compared to pure energy.
He caught the familiar bite in her tone and the face behind the bleach white hair and pale skin tone. Another wail reached his ears as another blast of mind-numbing electrical energy pulsed through his veins. He gritted his teeth, summing up all his strength as he barreled his way toward her as the entire level of the parking garage emitted in a bright blinding light.
Another shot came at him as she taunted him, floating int a ball of energy and aiming the blasts of electrical energy around him and crumbling the building around him. He quickly aimed his heat vision toward the building, looking for anything that would stop her.
“Oh, you know my name, do you?” she grinned back at him, holding her hands out and shoving a wall of electrical energy in his direction. “Why don’t you have a seat, Supers, and stay awhile?”
“What’s wrong, don’t you answer to your name? Or maybe you don’t want the world knowing who is responsible for all this destruction?”
“You don’t know anything about me, Super.” She shot back with a wall of energy thrust on him again. “If you’re going to quote me, at least get it right. It’s LiveWire now.”
His brow furrowed as he growled back at her, “It was you, wasn’t it? Those officers. Bad Brain.”
“Hey, I can’t help it if they don’t know how to get out of my way!” LiveWire shoved another wall of energy toward him, crackling her hands in the air and pushing him down against the corner wall of the parking garage. “And this is Metropolis’ hero?” She scoffed. “Pathetic.”
The wall behind her continued to crack, and he aimed his heat vision at the wall again, but this time he aimed the beam at the pipe behind her, striking it and spraying LiveWire with a gush of water and fizzling her out. He stood over her shaking his head in dismay. From the distance, he could hear the police approaching through the stairs.
“Superman!” one of the officers called out to him over by the painted number that read ‘LL’ for lower-level. “All clear?”
Clark nodded, motioning the officers to approach. “I think she’s subdued now.”
A crowd of officers approached in hazmat suits, prepared to take her into custody. Clark let out a heavy sigh. At least now, he had somewhat of an explanation for what had happened to Bad Brain. Still, what had happened to Leslie might forever remain a mystery.
A blood-curdling scream reached his ears, and his face went pale, recognizing the voice immediately. He scanned the path of destruction from which he had followed Leslie from and panicked when he saw the white stains on the walls leading up to the level Lois had been on.
‘Lois…’________________________________________
“Lois?”
The parking garage was dimly lit with a buzzing overhead light that barely lit the corners of the cemented space. Each step he took toward the Jeep filled him with a sense of dread Clark couldn’t quite explain.
“Lois?”
Something was wrong.
He could feel it with every fiber of his being. The pain inside his chest hit him like a wave from somewhere he couldn’t quite describe. Pins and needles roamed through his body as he fought against the overwhelming sensation of dread that continued to paralyze him in place.
He looked down, noting the blue spandex uniform was still on him. He was still dressed as Superman. Why was he still dressed as Superman? Why hadn’t he changed yet?
He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the sounds around him. Lois. He couldn’t find Lois. He had to find her. He had to…
It wasn’t a huge amount.
A droplet.
Maybe two.
More than two.
Still, it was fresh.
“Lois?”
His heart hammered against his chest as he stared at the droplets, noticing the small trail that seemed to grow darker and more concentrated.
Then he saw it. The handprint. The very clear handprint covered in deep blood red smeared against the pavement. The lines of the smear grew more intense until they finally stopped just outside the elevator doors.
There.
“No, no, no, no…”
The trail of wheels running through a large pool of blood could be seen just outside the elevator. The elevator panel had a bloody handprint on it from where it had been slammed with a few failed attempts.
‘Lois…’________________________________________
Clark barely made it through the elevator doors, feeling the sick churning in the pit of his stomach as he turned the corner to where he had been what felt like moments ago. He looked down at his hands, seeing the dried red stains on his hands and blanching inwardly at the sight. He reached the counter where a nurse and doctor were standing there just staring at him in disbelief.
He pointed to the elevator behind him and finally found his voice to utter out, “There was a woman in the …parking garage. Blood.”
The doctor nodded, “Yes, Superman, we have her under observation.”
“C-can I see her?” he stammered out, not quite following why the doctor was calling him Superman.
“Well, we have a call in to her husband right now. Only immediate family right now. You understand, Superman.” The nurse smiled back at him.
He was about to argue when he saw the blue spandex on his arm, covered in the red blood from where he had found the bloodstains in the parking garage. He’d forgotten to change. He needed to change. Then he could come back and see Lois. It seemed so trivial right now…to change his wardrobe at a time like this.
He looked down at the yellow and red crest across his chest, trying to assess what it was the doctor and nurse were saying. He needed to change. He had to change in order to see Lois. He looked around the crowded waiting area and backed away until he found a door leading to the exit.
He ducked inside the bathroom just outside the door, checking there was no one else in there and quickly changing back into his suit and tie from earlier. He stopped in front of the mirror, seeing the bloody smear across his forehead. The water was icy cold as it hit his palm. He quickly scrubbed at it until it was gone then, as quickly as he entered, he exited the small bathroom.
A weary hand ran through his dark hair, and he braced himself, reaching out to take the doorknob in his hand and pulling it toward him. Inside he found the waiting room in the same condition it had been in moments ago. The woman from earlier flashed a somber frown in his direction and pointed him to the hallway behind them.
He barely got Lois’ name out of his mouth before he found himself face to face with a doctor that was placing his hand on his shoulder and offering his condolences. The same doctor that had been offering congratulations not even an hour earlier was telling him how lucky Lois was to be alive. How lucky…?
The word felt like a sick taunt as if he was to be grateful for the fact that the small glimmer of hope for a life he and Lois had been promised barely an hour before had been snuffed out. Luck had nothing to do with this.
His hand moved across his face, trembling beneath the pressure of having to stand in front of these people and listen to all the different excuses they tried to give him for why his child’s life had been taken. He could hear the remorse in their voice, and he was sure they probably thought they were helping with their pamphlets and clinical description of calling his child a fetus as they kept straight faces explaining how much pain Lois would be in and how lucky she was to be alive. The words felt hollow as they kept referring to his child as a fetus and referring to the miscarriage as ‘natural.’
There was nothing natural about what had happened.
“Where is Lois?” he finally interrupted, unable to listen to their excuses for another second.
The doctor’s face sombered and she pointed down the hall, motioning for him to follow. A swipe of the badge later and they were walking through the same hallway he’d been in over an hour ago, only this time they weren’t going toward the sign that read ‘Ultrasound.’ But toward the sign that read ‘Post-Op.’
“She’s still pretty out of it,” the doctor explained, opening the door for him.
He stepped inside the room, hearing the door close behind him and let out a labored breath, fighting back the rage that threatened to consume him. The room was dimly lit with a single window by the bed where Lois laid hooked up to what seemed like a thousand machines. Each step felt like a monumental defeat as he inched closer and closer to Lois’ bedside.
A hard lump that felt unmovable sat in his throat as he propped himself on the edge of the hospital bed, gazing over Lois’ pale body. She looked so fragile, hooked up to all these machines, keeping track of her heart rate, oxygen intake, and blood pressure. He placed a hand over her left hand, noting it was covering her abdomen.
‘Oh, God, does she know?’ Her lips parted ever so slightly, and her voice cracked with a single word escaping her throat, “Ow.”
“Lois?” Clark leaned closer, trying to assess if he had heard her or simply imagined the small sound that escaped her lips.
“Ow…” she repeated, more forcefully as her eyes fluttered open, gazing at him with tears in her eyes. She clamped her eyes closed and gritted her teeth, “It hurts.”
His hand brushed against her cheek, and he whispered, “I know, honey, you…” He felt his voice tremble as he tried valiantly not to allow the rage inside him escape. The last thing Lois needed to be doing was trying to console him. “You were struck by …” His head lowered as he fought back the tears, trying to find the words. “Lois, I’m so sorry…”
Tears trickled down her cheeks as she croaked out the question he knew was coming. “The baby… Clark, is our baby…?”
He bit down on his lower-lip, hanging his head as he leaned closer, cradling her in his arms as he cupped her face with his palm, “I’m so sorry…”
“No.” she shook her head adamantly as the tears streamed down her cheeks, flowing freely as a weak wail escaped her throat, crushing what little resolve he had left. “Please, no…”
“I’m so sorry…”
TBC....
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