InjusticeFolc4evernaday
Chapter 17: From Zero to My Own Hero_______________________________________
Perry peered above the rim of his glasses looking over at Lois who was sitting with Jon on the red checkered sofa in his office, sifting through the large file box that the Planet attorney had brought by for them to review. Adding the recent accusations to the defamation suit had been a more satisfying point in the day.
He felt a smile curl across his face when he noticed the small stack of papers Jon had colored this afternoon. After the story of neglect allegations came out Lois had whisked Jon out of daycare and settled in his office for the rest of the day while continuing to work through the investigation she and Clark were running with on the missing girls while simultaneously keeping Jon busy.
“How’s he holding up?” Perry asked, clearing his throat.
“He started nodding off about fifteen minutes ago,” Lois responded quietly.
“Jimmy did good with his write-up this morning,” Perry leaned back in his chair. “The board seems satisfied at least.”
“Well, that’s all that matters, isn’t it?” Lois rolled her eyes.
“Lois, something needed to be done,” Perry replied gently.
“Yes, but somehow Clark’s and my right to privacy got superseded by the public’s right to know.” Lois let out a heavy sigh. “I know the Planet had to take a stance, but it could have been done without my statement. That is the part I have a problem with, Perry.”
“It wasn’t optional,” Perry acknowledged as more of an observation than a statement. “I’m sorry.”
“I know you are.” Lois said, setting the paper in front of her down. “Agent Scardino is working with Ingrid to try and piece together what she knows with the DEA’s case on Agent Blake’s murder. I’d like to try and get some headway on this case without another disaster pulling my attention toward unnecessary statements or responses to the public. You have my permission to print all the denials you want and slap my name on it but don’t pull me off an active investigation to satisfy the board’s status quo complex.”
Perry bit the inside of his lower-lip, feeling remorse wash over him as he glanced over at the very irritable Lois Lane accompanied by Jon’s dozing figure. “He, uh, looks tuckered out.”
“He is,” Lois frowned. “We both are.”
Perry nodded, “Why don’t you two cut out of here early? If Clark comes by I’ll send him home too.” He added the last comment, knowing Lois had been lingering around the Planet in hopes of catching Clark. He had stormed out of the newsroom before anyone could talk any sense into the boy. Lord only knew where he had disappeared to and Superman sightings remained non-existent for the better part of the day. All either of them could do was sit and wonder what the next move was and pray he was all right.
________________________________________
Maniacal laughter echoed through the halls and the dark room Clark stood in felt more like a dungeon than a visitor’s room. The aged bricks and cell bar windows brought an eerie calm to him as he waited for his nemesis to be escorted into the darkened room. He looked above him to where the single bulb flickered, emitting a yellowish hue across a small corner of the room.
A creak of hinges and the grinding metal of the locks announced Luthor’s arrival and Clark turned to see the frail looking man who was but a remnant of the man the world had once known as Alexander Luthor wheeling himself in the room with a faint red trimmed wheelchair. Despite his frail body Clark knew from experience never to let his guard around the sinister psychopath.
Clark felt his fists clench and unclench as he met the soulless dark gaze from the man that had nearly taken everything from him. A smirk crossed Luthor’s mouth and then twisted into a scowl before he broke the silence with his snakelike reflexes.
“Well, to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from you, Superman? Miss me already?”
“Yeah, like a tapeworm.” Clark growled, feeling the anger within him boiling as he glared at Luthor, trying to keep his emotions in check. He tightened his jaw and hissed out, “We need to have a chat about Lois.”
“Lois? Why? Last we spoke I wasn’t to even utter her name for fear of the mighty Superman’s wrath?” A sneer crossed Lex’s face as he slyly asked with a raised brow. “Something change?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Luthor.” Clark growled out, pacing back and forth in the darkened corner of the room across from him. “I know you’re behind this.”
“Behind what…exactly?”
“Enough with the games, Luthor,” he snapped, crossing his arms. “This ends now.”
“Well, as much as I enjoy a good puzzle, I’m afraid I’m at the disadvantage here, Superman. What with me not knowing to what you’re referring to, Superman?”
Clark rolled his eyes, hearing his alter-ego’s name roll off Luthor’s tongue was like nails on chalkboard – a bitter reminder of how Luthor had gotten the upper hand on him and discovered a truth that could destroy everyone and everything he held dear.
“The tabloids. The paparazzi…I warned you once, Luthor.” Clark barked, meeting his enemy’s gaze with venom.
Luthor chuckled, clucking his tongue as he gazed up toward the ceiling, lost in thought for a brief moment before turning back to Clark, “Yes, the warning that I believe we can both agree I’ve been most gracious in following. Not a peep in…how long has it been?”
“Five and a half years,” Clark growled out, fighting the urge to throttle Luthor. “And not long enough.”
“Yes, five and a half years and yet I’m the one to be blamed when a turn of the tide among public opinion occurs, hmm?” Luthor raised his brow, drawing out his amusement as he snickered. “You locked me away in a dungeon with the world’s most vile creatures and threw away the key. You really think I have any reach from within here?”
“I wouldn’t put
anything past you.” Clark sneered back at him with a growl.
“Are you really so narrow minded to believe that all evil in this city rests on my shoulders?” Luthor frowned as he added, “How unimaginative is that microscopic brain of yours that the idea of someone other than myself being capable of any wrong doing.” Luthor shook his hand dismissively, “I’ll never understand how a freak in a cape got the better of me.”
“You never answered the question,” Clark pointed out with a raised brow.
Luthor scowled, shaking his head before changing the subject, “I see Lois is still stirring up trouble with the seedy bottom-feeders of the city. Tsk tsk tsk…Really with all that power you can’t control one woman? Pathetic.”
“I don’t
control anyone,” Clark spat back. “Especially the people I love.”
“How is that working for you? You have all the power in the world yet where it would be most useful your spine is nothing but a limp noodle. But I digress this is where we differ in our approach. You would much rather play hero than prevent the danger all together. A mistake I never would have tolerated.” Luthor’s eyes darkened as he sneered offhandedly. “A woman with that much independence is bound to make trouble.”
“Well then, we can all be grateful Lois finally saw the light and realized what a low-life piece of vermin you truly are.” Clark growled, feeling his anger seething within him.
“Yes, the caped hero wins again. I’m left with my spoils and a kingdom of horrors,” He gestured to the darkened walls around him. “Probably for the best anyway.”
“You want to sulk about rotting in this hellhole then look no further than yourself, Luthor. You destroyed everyone and everything you touched.”
“And yet you have no problem picking up my scraps like a rabid dog feasting on the head of the pack’s sloppy seconds.”
“Rejection really does something crazy to your mind doesn’t it, Luthor?”
“Oh, rejection?” Luthor laughed, shaking his head then hissed out the venom words. “You don’t know. You have no idea, do you? The trade she made…”
“What are you blabbering about?” Clark glared at him with disdain, unable to follow where Luthor was headed with his ramblings.
“Oh, Superman…. How do you think she found you? Luck?”
“Go to hell.” Clark spat back, putting the pieces together of what Luthor was insinuating.
Luthor gestured to the room around them, “I’m already there.” A slow smile spread across his face before he added in classic twisted knife fashion, “You never even questioned it, did you? The convenient timing of a surprise pregnancy and nary a question in sight. She certainly made sure to dig her claws in deep, didn’t she? Tell me something, does little Jon have my eyes or Lois’?”
Without a second thought, Clark hoisted him up and slammed up against a wall. “You scum-sucking parasite I swear to God you come near Lois or Jon, I will break every last bone in your body again and again…”
“Did I hit a nerve, Superman?” Luthor chuckled as he hissed out. “Five years is a long time. Sitting here waiting while you build your little happy home with my son…”
“My son is off-limits, Luthor.” Clark raged in an eerie low hiss as he jerked him closer by his collar.
“Your son? How sure are you, really?” Luthor chuckled within his grasp.
“You’d be surprised just how much pain a human can endure without dying…Don’t test me, Luthor.”
He could see a flash of fear in Lex’s eyes. “You don’t have it in you.”
“You stay away from my son. You stay away from my wife,” Clark snapped as he leaned in close enough to see the fear flashed across his adversary’s face. “Whoever it is you’ve convinced to spew your vicious lies to better stop or the next time I make a visit you’ll be spending the next six months in a body cast.”
“My son,” Luthor snapped back.
He tightened his grip on Luthor’s neck and glared him down, feeling the anger flood through him at the insinuation of what vicious lies he was trying to paint. Luthor’s eyes flinched and Clark smirked, feeling he’d gotten the better of his nemesis as he tossed him back in his wheelchair in a slump.
“Your fear’s showing, Luthor.”
With that he shoved the visitor’s door open and stormed out, leaving behind the maniacal laughter and cackling as he exited Arkham Asylum. Luthor’s words haunted his thoughts all the way back home to Metropolis.
________________________________________
Victor Talley bit his teeth down on the end of his pen, raising a brow at Jeremy Novak, the Special Prosecutor that had been ranting in his office for the last half hour about the Luthor case. His jaw tightened and he set the pen down on the pad in front of him, trying to rationalize what could possibly be motivating Novak to push for this case to be reopened. The prosecution of Lex Luthor and his underlings had taken its toll on his entire department and cost him two agents. Reopening the case was not an option as far as he was concerned.
“Are you listening to me, Director Talley?” Novak called out to him, stopping mid-stride and slamming his hands against the desk in front of him.
“Blah, blah, blah, reopen the case your team worked on for nearly half a year and cost you the lives of a few of your agents.” Talley rolled his eyes, sneering back at Novak with disdain, “That about it, or did I miss something?”
“Talley, I don’t think you understand the predicament you’re in.” Novak growled, glaring down at Victor with a dark stare. “There are a lot of powerful people looking at this case. Asking questions about the star witness you propped up on the stand.”
“There were several witnesses,” Talley snorted.
“The one that connected the boss to Luthor?” Novak snorted, shaking his head. “The way I hear it there was a lot more to the story than Lois Lane let on. Maybe sloppy work, Talley?”
“Or maybe you need to stop listening to the fairy tales your friends on the Hill are trying to pander.” Talley leaned back in his chair, folding his hands across his chest. “The case was solid and I’m not reopening the case.”
“You open it or I’ll get your replacement to,” Novak snorted with a glare.
“The only way you’re getting anywhere near that case is to pry it out of my cold dead hands.” Talley growled with a sinister glare.
“I’ll get the Attorney General on this, Talley.” Novak warned.
“Why?” Talley chuckled, “To point out that you have zero probable cause to reopen a closed case where we have the suspect serving time? Oh, please do.” Talley pointed to the door behind him. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t shake with fear.”
“You think I’m joking?”
“No, but it’s interesting that you think I’m going to let you just undo all the hard work my team put in on this case, Novak.” Talley wagged his finger in the air and tightened his jaw. “Luthor is in jail where he will remain for the next nine hundred years and I’m not going to let you or anyone else jeopardize that.”
“And Lois Lane?” Novak growled.
“I think you’re barking up the wrong tree, but just to show there are no hard feelings and to solidify once and for all that I’m right and you’re wrong I’ll have Agent Davenport take a second look and send over the report when he’s done.”
“He was the agent on the case.”
“Yes, he was.”
“Don’t you think that might be a conflict of interest?”
“He’s more motivated than anyone to wrap this investigation up and drop these insane conspiracy theories you and your friends have conjured up by sniffing too much petroleum distillate.” Talley sneered, pointing to the door. “Now, if there isn’t anything else some of us have real cases to investigate.”
“I’ll look for your report.” Novak shot back.
“I’ll look for your formal apology.” Talley added with a sneer. “And if you don’t get out of my office right now, I’ll be sure your next appointment is licking stamps in the middle of Podunk town, Novak.”
________________________________________
‘He’s lying,’ Clark told himself, feeling the muddled thoughts hanging over him as he approached the townhome he and Lois shared. ‘Just trying to get in my head.’ Still, the perverse details Luthor tried to spew at him still haunted him.
<<“How do you think she found you? Luck?”
“Go to hell.”
“I’m already there.”>>
<<“You have no idea, do you? The trade she made…”>>
<<“My son.”>> ‘Lying bastard!’ his mind screamed out as he reached the balcony of their townhome. The tightness in his chest continued to build and the volatile confrontation with Luthor played in his mind over and over again. He stepped inside, closing the back door behind him and spinning into the green shirt and black leather jacket he’d been wearing earlier.
He let out a shallow breath, leaning his head back against the door. He looked up toward the stairs, hearing the soft drumming of the shower running. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a soft sigh, listening to Jon’s soft snores as he walked up the steps to check on him. He reached the top of the stairs and stopped just outside Jon’s room, placing his hand on the door. He wanted more than anything to wrap him up in his arms and never let go but he knew if he dared open the door Jon would be up most of the night.
He leaned his forehead against the door, mulling over his confrontation with Luthor once more before sinking down to the floor and burying his face in his hands. Even after six years the memories of his torture and the manipulation still haunted him. A hand folded over his shoulder and he looked up, seeing Lois wrapped in her terry cloth robe and her hair wrapped in a towel.
“Clark?” She knelt down beside him, moving her hand to his knee. “Are you all right?” He looked back at her, feeling the tension in his shoulders disappear as he stared back into her eyes. Her hand moved to his cheek, stroking his jaw as her eyes creased with concern. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
What was he supposed to say? He knew everything Luthor spewed out of his lying throat was just sour grapes and an attempt to hurt him and Lois even further. He wouldn’t give Luthor the satisfaction of hurting Lois any more than he already had. He wanted more than anything to take away every second of pain Luthor had put her through. Not only had he terrorized her and threatened to assault her but now Luthor was trying to claim parentage to his son. His beautiful—smart-as-a-whip, spitting-image of himself—son.
‘Over my dead body,’ Clark thought to himself, uncertain how to respond to her question.
“Clark?” Lois called his name and he leaned into her, capturing her lips with his. His hands buried themselves in her hair, devouring her lips with his. She let out a soft moan against his lips, running her hands through his hair. “It’s okay,” she mumbled incoherently as he leaned into her, wrapping his arms around her and pushing the chaos that had been tormenting him for the last hour out of his mind.
His hands roamed up and down her body as he stood to his feet, allowing her long legs to wrap around him and he lost himself in the art of kissing her. Every ugly image and perverse scenario Luthor had painted for him disappeared as he staggered through the master bedroom door with her in his arms. Seconds later he fell into the bedsheets with her, letting out a low groan as her hands roamed up and down his face, whispering soft reassurances as she helped him shed every last article of clothing that prevented him from the skin to skin touch he so desperately needed.
He could feel his body tremble against her as he settled his weight on top of her. A reassuring smile crossed her face and she ran her hand against his cheek as she whispered, “It’s okay.” Her lips peppered against his face, whispering soft reassurances to him. “I’ve got you.”
How so much could be conveyed between them with a silent touch and aching gaze still astounded him. He didn’t have to tell her the ugly awfulness that had been haunting him for her to know how desperately he needed her to hold him and never let go. After nearly six years of marriage and one child—soon to be two—she could read him like a book. She was the glue that held him together when he thought he would break. She continued to save him again and again sometimes without even realizing it.
“I love you,” he murmured into her ear, his voice cracking, surprising them both with the emotion in it.
“I’m right here,” she whispered reassurances to him as her limbs wrapped around him, holding him in a warm cocoon and shutting out the rest of the world. “I’ve got you.”
________________________________________
One Year Ago…The sound of Jon’s giggles echoed through the downstairs followed by that pitter patter of his footsteps against the hardwood floor. Clark knocked on the doorframe of his and Lois’ bedroom door, smirking when he saw three large suitcases laid out on the bed. “I thought we were only leaving for a week.”
The weekend away was supposed to take some of the pressure off of both of them and hopefully help increase their chances of conceiving. It had been six months now since they’d been delivered the painful news that they may not be able to conceive a child of their own without the help of a fertility specialist. Something had clicked after that, consuming them both with the desire to have another baby.
Lois had described it as a gaping hole that desperately needed to be filled. He wanted so desperately to give her what she sought after but each month the rejection came again and again, reminding them both of what they’d lost at the hands of LiveWire.
“This from the man who brings a change of clothes everywhere he goes?” Lois arched her eyebrow at him as she reached over to zip the smaller of the suitcases.
“Jon is trying out the fishing pole with dad,” Clark chuckled, placing his hands over her shoulders, leaning in to press his lips against her cheek. “I’m not sure who’s having more fun, Jon or dad.”
“Well, they’ll have plenty of time to test out the new pole.” Lois grinned, patting his cheek with the back of her palm. “He’s really excited.”
“Well, it’s his first fishing trip,” Clark whispered in her ear.
Lois nodded, leaning her head back against him, “I’m glad your folks were able to come with us. I know Jon will enjoy having them with us.” She turned in his arms, looping her arms around his neck and pulling him to her, “And maybe taking a break from your crusade to go after the people that built Vixen will give you some perspective when we get back…”
“Perspective?” he chuckled, tracing the outline of her hips with his hands as he allowed a crooked smile to wander across his face. His eyes lingered on the soft curves of her legs, noting the perfect way the fabric from her jeans hugged her body. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
“Well, I hope six days and seven nights away from the rest of the world will be good for the both of us.”
“And not chasing down leads for a week, you going to be able to handle that?” he challenged.
“I’m planning on doing my own investigation,” she teased, reaching her hand up to caress his chest with her palm.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, it’s very thorough research.” Her hand brushed over his shoulder as she grinned back at him. “Seeing how long a certain superhero can stand being unplugged from the rest of the world without coming up with excuses to return a video…”
“Very funny,” he scrunched his nose up, leaning in to whisper a kiss against her lips. His hands drifted to her lower back and he brushed his lips against her cheek. “I already spoke with Perry and he’s going to let us know if anything major comes up.”
“Just Superman-wise or with your investigation into the guys that helped build Vixen?” Lois asked, tracing the outline of his collar.
“Both,” he responded, framing her face with his palm.
“Just don’t forget we’re leaving Metropolis to get away from it all,” she reminded him, reaching her hand back to pull out a sheer black teddy from the corner of her suitcase. “Focus on…” she trailed off as she let the lacey lingerie fall down from where she held it up to herself on her index finger. “…other things.”
His eyes danced across the lacey material, feeling the heat rush through him as his mind quickly began picturing her creamy skin beneath the material. “Metropolis? Never heard of it…” he joked, capturing her mouth with his as he lowered her on the bed with him.
She let out soft giggle, tightening her arms around his neck and pulling him to her. “We still have to pack...”
________________________________________
Dan Scardino craned his neck, looking around the white walls of the office he was in. He glanced across the table to the agent that was anything but focused on gathering the information he had to give them regarding the human traffickers.
“So, this Yvonne that helped you is…where?”
“Dead.”
“And this Omer?”
“I don’t know.”
“And this Albert Schiller?”
“I don’t know.”
“What do you know, Agent Scardino?”
“Look, I know what I saw.” Scardino fumed angrily. “And Agent I really don’t like your tone.”
“You want the FBI to take on a case that has no fresh leads where you’re still carrying it around to chase a ghost.” Agent Johnson folded her hands over her chest and glared back at him.
“I’d like to talk to another agent.” Scardino shook his head. “Jack Davenport still working in this office?”
“He’s on another case.” Agent Johnson tapped her hand on the notepad in front of her.
“Well, then, I guess I’ll just resurrect this dead case myself until he gets back.” Dan Scardino said, standing up and heading for the exit.
________________________________________
Clark let out a low whistle, holding his hand up to look across the waterpark where the cabins were looking out on. Just to the left was a nature trail leading up into the mountains the resort was on. A wooden sign pointed toward the trail with a picture of a fish and pole directing everyone to the lake in the center of the circle of cabins.
“A waterslide!” Jon squealed happily, jumping up and down in his red and blue swim trunks, pointing to the green and white alligator slide that had water spraying through it.
“And look,” his mom pointed to the blue and yellow swing that was spinning with water spraying through it.
“I wanna go. I wanna go…” Jon frantically jumped up and down pointing at the waterpark.
Clark let out a sigh, shaking his head, “Okay, okay, we’ll come down as soon as we drop our stuff off in the cabin.”
“But…” Jon’s lower-lip began to quiver, putting on his most endearing act of sympathy, eying his grandma with bright eyes and a puffed out lip that threatened to double by the second as he pleaded his case. “I don’t wanna go to the cabin yet.” He pointed to his feet. “I got my water shoes on…”
His mom took sympathy on Jon and waved him off. “Why don’t you two finish unpacking and you can meet up with us later?” she leaned down to whisper in Jon’s ear, “I think your grandpa’s already started setting up the tacklebox anyway.” They turned toward the entry gate to the waterpark and Clark sighed, shaking his head as they walked off.
He finished the trek up to the cabin with a red door and a ‘32’ hanging from the center of it. He walked up the three steps leading inside, carrying the suitcase over his shoulder and the large tote bag filled with towels and toys Jon had brought with him. He opened the door with his keycard, noting the immediate presence of the cold air from the air conditioner directed at him.
He set the suitcase and tote bag down on the table in the corner, propping the suitcase on its back and unzipping it and flipping it open. The water running in the bathroom stopped and he turned to look over his shoulder where he saw Lois exiting the restroom with a set of white hand towels in her hand, setting them on the table next to him. His gaze lingered across the sheer white oversized tank top that hung over the bright peach toned bikini he could make out without the help of his x-ray vision.
“Hey, where’s Jon?” she asked, leaning over his shoulder to give him a quick peck on the cheek.
“He just had to go see the waterpark with mom.” Clark chuckled, handing her a few of the items on hangers as he pulled them out of the suitcase. “Where do you want his shirts?”
Lois pointed to the door next to him. “There’s a closet right here.”
He reached over to open the door and hung the clothes on the wire shelf inside with the other clothes Lois had already hung up, smoothing his hand against the front of one of Jon’s shirts as he did so. He then turned his attention back to Lois, running his hand over her hip, “You know that boy’s going to run his grandparents ragged on that waterpark.”
“Well, I suppose we’ll have to take shifts.” Lois sighed, looping her arms around his neck, leaning in to whisper to him, “I think you can take him.”
He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her as he let out a heavy sigh, “Don’t be so sure about that. Even I have my limits especially when he puts on that look.”
Lois giggled, leaning in to kiss him, “Who knew Superman could be such a softie?”
“Who knew my real weakness was a couple of puppy dog eyes from a three-year old and his gorgeous mother?” Clark grinned, tightening his arms around her as he pulled her to him.
A tender smile crossed her lips as she leaned up to stroke his cheek, “Are you saying you’re outnumbered?”
“It’s not exactly a fair fight,” his eyes drifted across the sheer cover that came down to the middle of her thighs.
“Hmm, well, I suppose we’ll have to go easy on you then,” she grinned, leaning in to kiss him. A low moan escaped her throat as his hands planted themselves on her hips, walking him back to the bed. “You know, that line for the waterslide is pretty long…”
His hands ran up and down her sides, gathering up the sheer fabric before pushing the cotton material of the cover she wore, finding his way beneath the thin material and coming in contact with the bare ivory skin of her upper-thigh. “We should probably wait an hour before we go swimming anyway with that whole no eating right before swimming rule.” His eyes danced across her curves as his hands slid up her lower-back.
“It was just a few pretzels,” Lois giggled, running her hand across the front of his shirt. “But a rule’s a rule, right?” Her legs came in contact with the edge of the bed and she leaned in closer to him, fingering the outline of his pectorals through the cotton shirt he was wearing.
“Well, we know how much of a stickler you are for rules,” he grinned, leaning forward to brush his lips against hers. His hands slid up the curves of her hips, tracing an imaginary outline from her hips and up her waist as he pressed his weight against her, leaning her back on the bed.
“Hello?”
A faint sound reached his ears as he hovered over Lois. His lips smoothed their way across hers, tracing the outline of her mouth with his tongue as she slinked her arm around him, tugging him ontop of her.
“Hello?”
“Clark,” she murmured, sinking back into the mattress as his hands wandered up the back of her thighs, feeling their way up the smoothness of her legs as he hovered over her.
“I love you,” he whispered in her ear, tearing the cotton cover from her and tossing it to the ground. His hands wandered up her sides as she tugged at the cotton hem of his shirt helping him shed himself from the light-weight material before letting her pull him back into her arms.
“Hello?”
“What is that?” Lois asked, pushing back against his shoulder, arching her back as she sat halfway up, looking at him with her cheeks flushed and chest rising and falling heavily as she turned to look at him with a quizzical look.
“What’s what?” he asked, letting out a heavy breath, panting as he rolled over on his back next to her.
“Helloooo?”
The faint sound from a speaker reached his ears and he frowned, reaching down to pat the pocket of his swim trunks, groaning when he pulled out the cell phone from his front pocket with the screen lit up. “Hey, Jimmy,” he felt his cheeks flush as he heard the uncomfortable pause on the other end.
“Hey, CK, I was just about to give up on you. What happened you pocket dial me or something?”
“Something…” Clark acknowledged, stealing a glance over at Lois who was wearing a very amused expression as she rolled on her side, watching him with a hint of a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. “Uh, what’s up?”
“I know you guys are on vacation, and I don’t want to bother you…” Jimmy began to ramble as Clark’s attention shifted to the flirtatious smile on his wife’s face. He watched with agonizing interest as she yanked the sheer cover up over her head and tossed it to the floor, revealing the bright peach bikini that held his attention as she repositioned herself on the bed, propping her head up with her chin in her hand. “…I was going to just email everything I found.”
“Yeah, sure, Jimmy…” Clark managed to squeak out as his focus moved to the two strings dangling across her shoulders, holding her gaze for what felt like eternity as she tugged the knot holding them together loose. He let out a low moan, watching in complete agony as the fabric fell to the side, exposing her to him.
He barely got a chance to give voice to the hurried good-bye on his tongue before her legs looped over him, supporting her with her knees as she straddled him and tossed the remnants of her bikini top to the side. He vaguely recalled pressing the end button on the mobile phone before disappearing into his wife's embrace.
________________________________________
Present Day…Clark let out a low moan, jerking himself awake when he spotted the faint light from the sunlight outside his and Lois’ bedroom window. Fragments from the night before lingered across his mind and he let out a low groan, looking across the room to where the sheets and remnants of clothing laid strewn across the bed from the frantic lovemaking from the previous evening.
His hand reached across the curve of his wife’s thigh pressed against his hipbone. He let out a long contented sigh, glancing across the smooth ivory skin pressed up against him. He just wanted to hold onto this moment a little longer. Before the onslaught of foul darkness creeped into the forefront of his mind. The ugliness Luthor had tried to stain him with still lingered in the back of his mind.
<<“You have no problem picking up my scraps like a rabid dog feasting on the head of the pack’s sloppy seconds.”
“Rejection really does something crazy to your mind doesn’t it, Luthor?”
“Oh, rejection? You don’t know. You have no idea, do you? The trade she made…”>>He had been so sure Luthor had been behind the latest fabrications coming out of the paparazzi. He hadn’t stopped to think before storming into Arkham to confront Luthor. Nearly six years later and he was still making the same mistakes he had then. Jumping head first into the situation and not assessing the consequences before finding himself face to face with the vermin that had been locked away in his hell hole never to be seen or heard from again.
Until now.
<<“You never even questioned it, did you? The convenient timing of a surprise pregnancy and nary a question in sight. She certainly made sure to dig her claws in deep, didn’t she? Tell me something, does little Jon have my eyes or Lois’?”
“You scum-sucking parasite I swear to God you come near Lois or Jon, I will break every last bone in your body again and again…”
“Did I hit a nerve, Superman?”>>His jaw tightened as the reminder of Luthor’s insinuations and claims on Jon raced through his mind. The sour grapes were nothing but Luthor’s attempt to drag him down on his level but it still stung. It wasn’t the first time Luthor had tried to make innuendos and attempt to twist his assault onto Lois all those years ago as some prize of victory to be congratulated. Only in Lex Luthor’s mind could the battery and assault and attempted rape of someone be twisted into a perverse reality where Luthor was the wounded victim.
<<“Your son? How sure are you, really?”
“You’d be surprised just how much pain a human can endure without dying…Don’t test me, Luthor.”
“You don’t have it in you.”
“You stay away from my son. You stay away from my wife.”>>Clark reached a protective hand across Lois’ abdomen, pushing the confrontation away from the forefront of his mind, focusing his attention on the miracle that continued to thrive beneath his fingertips. A smile curled across his face as the faint simultaneous heartbeats of Lois and their unborn child echoed in his ears.
He wanted so desperately to have a face behind the mask of darkness the paparazzi were hiding behind in each of these headlines that seemed to grow more and more dangerous with each moment.
It wasn’t that simple though.
There was no face in the darkness to seek out.
The shadows continued to swirl around them, staying just far away from the light.
Something had to be done.
“You’re awake,” Lois whispered lazily, reaching over to cup his cheek as she lifted her head from his shoulder.
“Yeah,” a smile cracked across his face and he leaned over to kiss her forehead.
“You okay?” Lois asked, propping herself up on her elbow.
“Yes…No.” He shook his head, letting out a heavy breath. “I don’t know.” He finally settled on his answer with a frown.
“What happened?” Lois placed a hand on his chest, looking at him with her questioning gaze.
“The latest headlines…I figured Luthor probably had his hand in it somehow so I went to confront him.” Clark let out a shaky breath. “Not my finest moment.”
“Clark, you shouldn’t have done that.” Lois let out a sigh, wrapping her arms around him in a protective cocoon.
“I know that now,” Clark choked out, taking in a deep breath as he savored the feeling of her arms wrapping around him snugly. “It was a waste of time and … I’m sorry if I worried you last night. I…Even after six years he still finds a way to get under my skin.”
“You want to talk about it?” Lois ventured cautiously.
“Not really.” Clark murmured, turning toward her to cup her cheek.
________________________________________
Ingrid skirted the remnants of her pancakes across her plate, glancing up across the table to where Dan Scardino was sitting, sipping his coffee as he jotted down notes on a notepad in front of him. She reached over to take a sip from her orange juice. She had tossed and turned most of the evening, trying to get comfortable in the sorry excuse for a hotel she had been put up in. The second thoughts and apprehension had gotten the better of her around three a.m. leaving her staring at the ceiling for hours planning her escape but she could never quite make the move to leave. Each time she did she remembered Esma. Another girl much like herself who was living in hell under the thumb of these monsters, having her innocence stripped from her.
As much as she hated being under the thumb of the DEA Agent sitting across from her and having what felt like no freedom to come and go as she pleased it was a price she was willing to pay for the moment. Tobias and Yusif had to pay.
“I set up a meeting with the detectives that are investigating Esma’s disappearance,” Agent Scardino said, setting his coffee mug down.
“Detective Reed,” Ingrid recalled the name being mentioned earlier when she had gone to the police earlier.
“That’s right,” Scardino smiled gently. “Since the police station can’t be trusted we thought we’d arrange for them to meet us where you feel comfortable. Mr. White at the Daily Planet has been generous enough to arrange for the Daily Planet’s boardroom to be used.”
“And what if someone sees these detectives coming in and out. You don’t know the reach these people have.” Ingrid shook her head with dismay. “You can’t trust anyone.”
“Do you trust me?” Scardino asked, raising a brow at her.
“I have no reason to, but …you seem genuine with your desire to stop these atrocities.” Ingrid replied with a slow smile. “Almost as if you had something to gain from your pursuit.”
“I do,” Scardino chewed on his lower-lip and then instead of elaborating he asked her, “You came to the Daily Planet and found those reporters whose job has nothing to do with putting a stop to the parasites that prey on children. Why?”
“Every other paper and publication remained silent about this poor girl’s kidnapping. Every other publication then turned around and attacked them yet they continued to publish story after story with one message.
‘Bring Esma home.’ They weren’t looking for a story that would win them accolades. They weren’t splashing any spin that you normally see. I figured if they could be that dedicated to helping bring Esma back home then perhaps they could help stop the men responsible without worrying if they could be bought or intimidated.” Ingrid reached over to take a sip from her glass, letting the last of the liquid swirl around the bottom of her glass before she set it back down. “I prayed someone somewhere would do the same thing for me.”
“They were,” Scardino answered with a shrug. “It may have started from Omer’s influence but from what I’ve been told Kent and Lane were searching for you with Jack along with all the other missing kids they were connecting to this trafficking scheme. He was just as surprised to discover Omer’s involvement in all this.”
“No one expects the man with the heart of gold to be the wolf in sheep’s clothing taking his piece when no one is looking.” Ingrid commented bitterly.
“Well, that’s why they hire jerks like me to sniff ‘em out.” Scardino signed the receipt dropped off by the waiter and flashed her a quick smile. “You ready?”
________________________________________
Cold stares and even colder shoulders greeted Lois and Clark as they entered the newsroom later that morning. Lois rolled her eyes as she caught the sneers scattered through the desks of her fellow journalists. “Tough crowd,” Lois observed under her breath as she made her way toward her desk.
“Ignore them,” Clark whispered in her ear.
Lois tightened her jaw, taking a sip from her coffee mug as she set her things down on her desk. Ignoring the obvious blatant stares and dirty looks being directed at her felt like sitting down in the middle of a fight. Yet she knew no good would come from causing a scene. The cold shoulders and stares would disappear eventually.
Her gaze shifted to Perry’s office where a crowd of suits were standing with their backs to the door and window of Perry’s office. “Odd,” Lois uttered with a raised brow as Jimmy walked past them.
“Yeah,” Clark agreed, following her gaze with a frown. “Hey, Jimmy,” He pointed to Perry’s office. “You know what’s going on over there?”
Jimmy stopped mid-stride, pointing to Perry’s office. “FBI’s been in there for at least an hour with the Chief.”
“FBI?” Lois’ brow furrowed.
“Yeah, Jack Davenport came by with a few suits early this morning.” Jimmy explained with a shrug. “I think it might be connected to that case you guys were working on with Jack.”
“Jack hasn’t mentioned anything,” Lois commented, pursing her lips.
“He’s been keeping a low-profile after everything came to a head with Omer Demir,” Clark interjected with a frown.
“Might be worth giving him a call, you think?” Lois wondered aloud.
“Maybe,” Clark agreed.
“Or you could just ask Agent Davenport yourself,” Jimmy pointed to the door that was opening with the agent leading the exit out of Perry’s office.
“Jack,” Lois raised an eyebrow as she saw Agent Jack Davenport approach them with a tense expression on his face. “Long time. You throw a party without us?”
Not even a hint of a smile crossed Davenport’s face when he stopped in front of them. “There somewhere we can talk?”
________________________________________
Leo Nunk gritted his teeth as he watched the nurse extract the bullet from his foot. A metal clank could be heard where the bullet was dropped onto a metal tray. The pain meds were finally starting to kick in. He looked away as the nurse continued with her questions.
“You really expect us to believe you shot yourself, Mr. Nunk?”
“That’s what I said…” Nunk growled.
________________________________________
Davenport was uncharacteristically quiet as he stood in the corner of the conference room, avoiding eye-contact with either Clark or Lois. Clark picked up on the slightly rapid heart rate from the agent and increase in body temperature which hinted at Davenport’s current state of mind as he appeared to be seething in his anger as he paced the small corner of the room he was standing in.
“You two seemed to have really stepped into it this time,” Davenport finally said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked over at them. “Everything from adultery to criminal master-mind. I mean, that’s a new one for me.”
“It’s a load of crap.” Lois snapped folding her arms over her chest and jutting her chin out with a stern gaze focused on Davenport.
“No doubt,” Davenport smirked for a brief second before replacing it with a frown. “Unfortunately, it’s gotten the attention of my superiors and a special prosecutor.” He let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve been instructed to investigate the validity of the claims in order to keep this special prosecutor from re-opening the Luthor case.”
Clark shook his head adamantly. “You cannot be serious!”
“If I had my way, I’d find the biggest rusty nail to sit this boil of humanity on, but we don’t have a choice. If that case gets reopened Luthor gets a new trial and his conviction gets vacated.” Davenport growled angrily. “I can’t take that chance.”
“No,” Clark took a protective step in front of Lois. “How is this even possible? That monster terrorized this city and Lois and because someone cooked up an imaginary tale and printed it in a publication that isn’t even worth the ink its printed with everything we worked on, everything we lost and sacrificed to bring that sociopath down…. It just doesn’t matter?”
“I’m as furious as you are, Kent.” Davenport snapped irritably. “I lost my partner because of this demented sociopath and I sure as hell don’t want to be giving him any opening to argue against the evidence presented at trial. If I refuse to do it then they’ll just pull another agent that doesn’t know you to come in and do the investigation.”
Lois broke her silence, “Why are they so deadest on this? Who would actually want to reopen this case?”
“I don’t know,” Davenport said with a shrug. “Talley said he threatened the Special Prosecutor with a call to the Attorney General and the guy didn’t even blink. They threatened to replace Talley if he didn’t get in line so his hands are tied too.” He ran a hand through his hair and let out a shallow breath, “I’ll try to make this as painless as possible.”
“Too late,” Lois fumed, storming out of the conference room.
________________________________________
Jack sat in the corner of the conference room, glancing up occasionally to where Agent Dan Scardino sat a few seats down from Ingrid. He felt his stomach churn in anger as he listened to the details of her time in captivity and eventual escape.
Names that he had yet to hear of sprang from her lips and yet they all came back to the one name he knew. Omer Demir. How had a man that claimed to be trying to help the children subjected to the world’s atrocities by these traffickers be one of them? It seemed so foreign to him.
Detective Reed placed a hand across Ingrid’s hand, giving it a squeeze and then stood up, thanking Ingrid for her time.
Dan Scardino looked at him and asked, “You sticking around?”
“Yeah, I’ll hang around,” Jack nodded.
Scardino looked at Ingrid, “Keep him nearby. I’ll be back in a few.”
Ingrid nodded, staring down at her lap as the detectives left the room with Scardino. Jack let out a heavy sigh, uncertain what to think of the agent or even the recent discovery of having a man he had thought he admired be exposed as a child trafficker and possibly worse.
“How much longer you think?” Ingrid asked, looking in his direction.
“They’re not going to make you go through everything all at once,” Jack reassured her, walking over to the mini fridge to pull out a soda. He pointed to the open shelf of drinks and asked, “You want anything?”
“No,” she flashed him an uneasy smile. “I’m fine.”
He pointed to the scar across her forehead, “That’s a nasty scar.”
“One of the few that weren’t delivered to me by these animals.” She touched her head and replied with a heavy sigh. “I got caught in an explosion trying to escape this city. Hasn’t quite healed yet.”
“Sometimes stuff like that happens around here, but Superman always shows up to save the day.” Jack offered her a half-smile as he claimed the seat across the table from her. “I’m sorry we couldn’t have helped stop this from happening to you.”
“They said you worked with Omer?” Ingrid arched her eyebrow at him.
“In the capacity of thinking I was rescuing children from child trafficking rings not …” He clamped his mouth shut, unable to finish his sentence.
“…not orchestrating a conspiracy to make money off the children he helped kidnap by double crossing his investors?” Ingrid thrust her tongue into the side of her mouth as she clenched her jaw, seeming to be holding back something.
“I get the feeling you know a lot more than you’re saying.” Jack remarked carefully.
“I learned a long time ago not to show all your cards.” Ingrid clarified with a guarded expression.
“We’re going to need to know everything in order to find Esma,” Jack explained gently.
“There are so many different places she could be,” Ingrid wiped a tear from her eyes. “And I just met you all. I didn’t sign up for this lock down and to become a prisoner all over again.”
“You’re not a prisoner,” Jack argued.
“You tell me where I can go and what I can do. The life I attempted to build is in shambles now. I’m sure I’ve lost my job…” Ingrid shook her head dismissively. “You have no idea what it’s like to lose everything and have your freedom squashed again and again.”
“You know these people. They’ll come after you. We can’t let them get away with this and right now you’re the only solid lead we have to stopping them.” Jack remarked cautiously.
“See? No choice,” Ingrid sniffed.
“Last I checked you didn’t have a gun to your head,” Jack cocked his eyebrow up across his forehead and looked at her with a sympathetic smile. “Look, I know you’ve been through a lot and you have no reason to trust any of us, but these guys are the good guys. Lois and Clark are the best people you could ever know. Detective Reed is amazing at what she does and is dedicated to helping wherever she can. She volunteered at the soup kitchen all the time when my brother and I were getting our meals from there.”
“And this Agent Scardino? What about him?” Ingrid asked.
“I don’t know him well enough to have an opinion, but he seems like one of the good guys.”
________________________________________
Dan Scardino turned the corner in the newsroom, finding Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen inside one of the conference rooms with a stack of boxes the entire stretch of the conference room table. He let out a low whistle as he opened the door, “Wow, you guys have been busy.”
“We’re trying to establish a timeline on these missing girls,” Clark pointed to Jimmy who was tapping away at his keyboard. “Jimmy’s trying to analyze everything to see if anything matches with the data we were given by the FBI.”
“FBI?” Dan let out a low whistle. “Careful there. I hit a lot of roadblocks dealing with them on this.”
“Agent Davenport helped us bring down Lex Luthor. We know him well enough to know we can trust him.” Jimmy explained, not looking up from his screen.
“Yeah, sure.” Clark grumbled, reaching a hand over to skim through another file.
“Oh, I’m so convinced now,” Scardino flashed him an uneasy smile.
“It’s just a formality,” Jimmy looked over at Clark. “Jack Davenport knows there’s nothing there.”
“Famous last words,” Clark scowled, handing him the file in his hand. “Another one in Hobb’s Bay.” He gestured to Dan, “How’s Ingrid doing?”
“She’s warming up to Detective Reed and Henderson.” Scardino remarked carefully, closing the door behind him. “I know she’s holding back a lot but even the stuff she has given us…It’s the makings of a horror show.”
“Yeah,” Clark frowned, “And there’s still kids out there living that horror show.”
________________________________________
TBC...
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