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Injustice
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Chapter 18: I See It All

________________________________________


Jack Davenport looked up over the rim of his reading glasses at Lois Lane sitting across from him. “At what point did you first realize Lex Luthor was involved in criminal activity within the city of Metropolis?”

“When he had a knife to my throat and was threatening to assault me…just like I told you six years ago,” Lois fumed angrily.

“Have you ever known Nigel St. John prior to your relationship with Lex Luthor?” Davenport asked.

“No.”

“Have you now, or have you ever received gifts from any known criminals?”

“No,”

“For the record, why do you believe you are being investigated?” Davenport raised his eyebrow as he stared back at Lois with a smirk across his face.

Lois smiled as she leaned back in her chair. “I’m being investigated because I dared to speak out about a young girl’s kidnapping. I’m being investigated solely on the basis of a planted story within publications like the Tattletale Weekly and National Whisperer.”

“Thank you,” Davenport leaned over to press the stop button on the camcorder.

“That’s it?” Lois asked, looking over at him in surprise.

“That’s it,” Davenport replied, typing up the last of his report and hitting send on the email. “I was instructed to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. I found no evidence of wrongdoing.” He flashed her a quick smile, “I’m copying you and Kent on the report to the Special Prosecutor and the Attorney General.”

An email popped up in his inbox, and he chuckled when he read it.


Jack replied back with a quick two-word response.


Lois smiled up at him, “Thanks, Jack.”

________________________________________

Clark glanced at the clock again as he sat across from Jon, helping him color the dragon in his coloring book. It was getting late. He wasn’t sure how much longer Lois would be. He hated she was being forced to go through this alone, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He wanted so badly to put a stop to all of this, but right now, all he could do was follow the advice of their attorney and lay low while they let the legal system work to their benefit.

He had spent most of the day digging through the files they had on the missing children along the eastern coast thanks to the advice Ingrid had given him in looking into the major cities along the coast.

Despite the technology and advancements in travel and shipping, the movement of illegal goods still depended on freight trains, shipyards, and the occasional illegal passport on a personal airline. All of which relied on being close to the coast in order to move the illegal goods and people to the other parts of the world. That was how they got the girls out. That was how they got them in. His stomach churned in disgust just thinking of how many lives had been destroyed with this operation running right under his nose all this time.

What he still couldn’t understand was how there had been nothing to signal distress when these kidnappings were taking place. What made this different from the muggings and assaults he picked up on? Why did he hear their screams but not these children?

A knock on the door caught his attention, and he turned to Jon, who was happily coloring in his book, then turned to the front door to answer it. His heart stopped in surprise when he found a woman in her mid-forties standing outside his door with a white badge around her neck with her photo that read, ‘Metropolis Child Protective Services’ and a uniformed officer.

“Mr. Kent?” the woman asked, pointing to her badge. “Linda Bailey. I’m with Metropolis Child Protective Services. We need to speak with your son, Jon.”

Clark’s jaw tightened, taking one more glance back at Jon, who was oblivious to what was about to happen. Before he knew what had happened, the words came flying out of his mouth. “No.”

“Excuse me?” the CPS worker echoed in surprise.

“I said, no.” He repeated, crossing his arms over his chest. “You are not going to come barging into my home and harass my four-year-old son. You and I both know the only reason you’re here is to keep up an image with the public.”

“Our job is to protect children …”

“And my job is to protect my child…from you.” Clark snapped, pulling a card out of his pocket from the attorney’s office he’d picked up earlier. “You can talk to my attorney.” With that, he slammed the door in her face and turned back to Jon. Hopefully, they would be gone by the time Lois returned home.

________________________________________

One Year Ago…

Clark let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he cradled the phone in his hand, fighting the tempting desire to gather his family up and take them someplace where they couldn’t be hurt. He found his voice after a long pause, “Luckabee did what?”

“Almost overnight. O’Neil Industries was taken on a hostile takeover according to sources. CK, the companies Luckabee Enterprises owns now… ” Jimmy’s voice wavered as he listed them all off, “The Daily Planet, Utilities, transportation... phone companies, broadcasting, tech companies, military weaponry, and marketing firms…It’s all…”

“Put them all together, and it’s just like LexCorp,” Clark remarked grimly.

“Not just ‘like’ LexCorp, CK. Every company that’s been acquired was at one point owned by Lex Luthor before you guys took him down.” Jimmy explained over the phone. “LexCorp has been resurrected under Luckabee Enterprises.”

“Why?” Clark wondered aloud, more to himself than to Jimmy. “What’s his endgame?”

“I don’t know,” Jimmy answered. “I know you guys aren’t due back for another day, but I figured it was important.”

“No, no, thanks for calling Jimmy.” Clark sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Listen, do me a favor, will you? Run a check on Luthor’s estate and check for any unusual activity and get back to me, will you?”

“You thinking Luthor’s behind this?” Jimmy asked.

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Clark answered.

“You got it.”

________________________________________

Lois bit her lower-lip, holding back laughter as she watched Jon dance around the waterpark, catching a whistle of the water coming out of the green and yellow turtles. The high-pitched laughter was music to her ears as she watched him run around the small stretch of padded area where the kids were playing,

“He’s certainly having a blast,” Martha commented with a light laugh, leaning over to hand Lois a drink from the tray in front of her.

“He’s a never-ending ball of energy,” Lois grinned, watching Jon climb on top of one of the turtles with another one of the boys.

Jonathan approached with fishing poles in hand, waving at them from behind the iron gate, “I see someone’s already hard at work….” He gestured to Jon, who was happily playing in the kids area. “We still heading up to the trail?”

“Just give him a minute to get dried off and changed and then we’ll be right behind you, Jonathan,” Lois answered, motioning to Jon who was running around with shrieks of laughter.

Jon saw Jonathan by the gate and ran over to him, giggling as he did so. “Hey, grandpa.”

“I thought we were going on a hike,” Jonathan grinned at him.

“We are,” Jon giggled. “I got busy playin’.”

“Come on, bud, let’s get you dressed,” Lois said, motioning for Jon to follow her. She flashed a quick smile in Jonathan’s direction, “We won’t be long.”

Jonathan nodded, “Any idea where Clark is?”

Lois frowned, shaking her head, “He was gathering up Jon’s gear last I saw…” She reached her hand out to take Jon’s with her as they headed toward the gate leading up to the lot where the cabins were. “I’m sure he just got distracted. He keeps checking in with Jimmy on the Luckabee case.”

“Ah,” Jonathan’s eyes lit up into a smile of recognition, recalling the name of the Daily Planet’s new owner Clark had been investigating.

“What’s a luck bee?” Jon asked with a curious gaze.

“It’s a…never mind,” Lois shook her hand. “Come on, let’s get you dried off and changed.” After a quick promise to be right back, she walked with Jon through the gate watching as he bounced up the pebbled trail until he finally stopped in front of their cabin door. She pulled a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door.

The small table in the corner had Jon’s hat and vest. On the bed was the orange tackle box with block lettering on it that spelled out Kent. Lois frowned, looking around the empty room, “Clark?”

“Daddy?” Jon called out.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she gathered up Jon’s shirt and pants on the bed. She pointed him to the bathroom with a pair of underwear and pants. “Go ahead and get changed. No playing in the sink and no dripping on the floor.”

Jon nodded with a giggle and she knew from the minute he ran toward the bathroom he was going to make a huge mess, but her mind was elsewhere as she scanned the room, looking for a note or something from Clark. A faint sonic boom came from outside, and she sighed in relief, counting silently to three. The door opened, and she glanced up to see Clark in the doorway with his hair disheveled from its normal neatly combed style and the blank, shell-shocked expression across his face as he quietly closed the door behind him.

“Clark?” Her brow furrowed in concern as she gazed at him, standing up from her place on the edge of the bed, “What’s wrong?”

He leaned his head back against the doorframe with a frown, “Where’s Jon?”

Lois pointed toward the bathroom as the sound of his soft giggles from the bathroom hung in the air. “Probably making a huge mess.” She crossed her arms over her chest, “What is it?”

“I, uh, had to go see Jimmy about something…” Clark said, still unable to look at her as he stared across the room with a forlorn expression.

“It couldn’t wait another day till we get back home?” Lois asked, placing a hand across his chest.

“No,” Clark shook his head, and his voice cracked into a high-pitched growl. “As of this afternoon, Luckabee Enterprises is an exact replica of LexCorp. Not just the types of businesses, Lois, the exact same businesses Luthor had under his thumb…”

“What?” Lois heard her voice waver as she took a few steps back, shocked at the news he had just laid out for her.

“That’s not all,” Clark explained grimly, “A week ago, Luthor’s estate was accessed by an heir.” Clark pinched the bridge of his nose, “I’ll give you a wild guess where that money got transferred to.”

“Luckabee Enterprises,” Lois breathed out the name, hoping against hope she was wrong as she sunk down into one of the chairs by the side table.

“I wish I’d been wrong,” Clark grunted, hanging his head.

“What are we going to do?” Lois asked, rambling out the thousand thoughts that were racing through her mind. “Someone needs to tell Perry and oh, God, what if he’s working with Lex? What if he knows…?” She drew and invisible ‘S’ across his chest.

Clark ran his hands up and down her shoulders, whispering in her ear, “Jimmy’s already talking to Perry, and we don’t know that he’s even talked to Luthor or if Luthor even knows he exists…”

“But, you just said…”

“It was accessed by a blood test and the firm handling the estate,” Clark explained, wrapping his arm around her. “Let’s just…not freak out until there is something to freak out about.”

“Okay, so let’s start with what we do know…”

________________________________________

Lex looked over his shoulder as he wheeled himself down to the visitor’s room, feeling a rush of exhilaration run through him as he approached the tall steel door. He hadn’t felt this alive in years. Plotting and working out each intricate detail brought him back to life. His mind had been tired and ready to give in to Dr. Hugo Strange’s torture but knowing he not only had a son but one who could carry on the legacy of the Luthor name brought new meaning to him. Revenge would be his.

Superman would pay.

He reached the visitor’s room, hearing the door echo behind him as the guard slammed it shut and turned to his son seated across from him next to the dark-haired man he’d introduced as ‘Leslie.’ The plan sounded like something out of a bad soap opera but given how close he had come to his enemies, he wasn’t about to poke holes just yet.

“We have a problem,” Leslie folded his hands across from him, resting them on the table. “It appears the ruse of the out of town conference has hit a snag.”

“Make a big enough fuss, and they’ll come running. Lois always loves the attention of the spotlight on her,” Lex waved his concerns off.

“That might work if they were around, but it appears both Lois Lane and Clark Kent have couldn’t be bothered to participate in this prestigious event.”

“Why the hell not?” Lex growled, jerking his head over to Leslie with a glare.

“It seems they’re both too distracted. Are you sure you know this Kent, as well as you, claim? It seems to me he’s too busy playing daddy to notice much of anything.” Leslie spouted off with a heavy shrug. “Not exactly the biggest threat if you ask me.”

“He’s far more dangerous than he seems,” Lex mumbled out, taking a long pause to mull over what Leslie had just revealed. “Playing daddy, you say?” His gaze sharpened as he pressed for more information. “How old is the child?”

“Three,” Leslie responded nonchalantly.

He quickly did the math in his head, adding up when the child could have possibly been conceived. A hard chuckle as the reality of the threats he’d received from Kent and Lois’ behavior in the courtroom suddenly made much more sense.

“Something wrong?” his son asked, slamming a hand on the table in front of him. His face scrunched into a tense scowl as he jabbed a finger at him. “Oh, I get it. You certainly do get around, don’t you?” A dark expression crossed his face, and he scowled at Lex with a long hard glare before leaning back and cocking a spit wad in his face.

________________________________________

Present Day…

Jon wiggled back and forth on his seat at the table, happily chewing away at his toast and reading the back of the box of cereal on the table. Clark held the phone to his ear, listening to the directions he was being provided by their recently acquired attorney for the upcoming hearing this morning in family court.

The doorbell rang, and he let out a sigh as he crossed the room to answer the door. He smiled when he saw his parents on the other side of the door. The smile quickly washed away as he motioned for them to enter. Clark let out a long sigh as he listened to the attorney explain the purpose of this morning’s hearing and what they should or shouldn’t do in court. He made his way back to the kitchen, still listening to the attorney as he poured Jon another bowl of cereal. His mom pulled up a chair next to Jon, and his dad placed a hand on Clark’s shoulder, offering him a sympathetic squeeze.

He hated this.

Every last second of the last week had been a nightmare. The paparazzi had gotten wind of the calls for an investigation by Child Protective Services and had turned the harassment up a notch leaving both him and Lois struggling to keep Jon in the dark about what was happening. It was unnerving to watch everything unfold.

Everything seemed to be simultaneously coming apart at the seams – originating by a planted story that at any other time, would have been laughed off. He couldn’t prove it, but the pressure Davenport had been put under to investigate Lois along with the recent investigation with CPS had to be coming from somewhere. Could it be Luthor or possibly someone connected to Intergang? Lois had originally thought the kidnapping was connected to the global criminal enterprise, but he wasn’t entirely sure where to point the finger.

Though he had his initial doubts about Dan Scardino at the beginning, he had been eternally grateful to have someone around to assist Ingrid while they dealt with the current threat from CPS.

“Thanks, we’ll see you there,” Clark said, hanging up the phone and turning to his parents. “Thanks for taking Jon this morning. Lois didn’t want to risk …” He saw Jon look up at him curiously, and he clamped his mouth shut, meeting his dad’s gaze. “Thank you.”

“We’re happy to help,” his mom interjected gently, placing a hand on Jon’s shoulder. “Who is ready for a visit to the science museum? I heard they have a room that makes you dizzy.”

Jon giggled at his grandma, and Clark flashed them a quick smile, feeling the apprehension build inside him as he watched Jon gather up his things. He knew it was ridiculous to feel so torn up over such a simple hearing knowing there was nothing that could be done other than the Child Protective Services being granted the authority to talk to Jon and continue their investigation or have it completely shut down. Still, knowing how uncharacteristic everything had been surrounding the continued vulture-like focus that plagued them, he couldn’t help but wonder what the outcome would be if the CPS was granted their motion.

After a quick good-bye and a few hugs that lasted longer than necessary, Clark headed upstairs to check on Lois. They still had an hour before they were due to be in court for the hearing. He reached the top of the stairs and was immediately greeted with the creaking of the pipes as the water to the shower was turned off. He smiled as he made his way to the bedroom, where Lois had two outfits laid out on the end of the bed. A deep violet suit pantsuit and a charcoal suit with a similar style.

“Hey,” Lois’ voice caught his attention, and he turned to see her standing behind him wrapped snuggly in her lavender terry cloth robe and her hair wrapped in a towel.

“Hey,” he smiled, reaching out to pull her to him. “How are you holding up?”

Lois frowned, grumbling out, “I’m not sure which is the pregnancy or which is just nerves. My stomach’s been in knots all morning.”

“I spoke with Patricia, and she said she’s heading over right now. All that can happen is for CPS to be granted permission to talk to Jon or have the investigation shut down completely,” Clark heard the slight hick in his voice as he spoke.

Lois nodded, resting her cheek against his chest, “That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t want Jon to have to talk to those people. I don’t want him to even know anything about this.”

“I know,” Clark sighed, letting out a low breath. “I hate this. I feel so helpless.”

Lois let out a low breath, changing the subject, “I take it Jon’s already been picked up?”

“My folks just left with him. They’re headed over to the science museum, and he is none the wiser.” Clark reassured her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her to him as he added with a whisper. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

“I’m not as convinced.” Lois murmured, tightening her arms around him as she added in a hoarse whisper. “I can barely hold it together long enough to make it through a shower or to say good-bye to Jon for a day trip out with his grandparents. How am I supposed to make it through an entire morning of court hearings?”

“Lois,” Clark rested his chin against her shoulder blade. “Honey, I’m worried too, but we’ve done everything we can. I’ve called Patricia, and double and triple checked on where to meet her. All that’s left is to show up and defend our stance against these people.”

“I hate this,” Lois whimpered against him, resting her forehead against his chest.

“I do too,” he whispered in agreement, cradling her in his arms.

She let out a heavy breath, reaching her hand up to wipe away the tears that had trickled down her cheeks. She stepped out of his embrace and grabbed each outfit off the bed to hold up for him to inspect. “Violet or Charcoal?”

He gave her a once-over, and she blushed as his eyes lingered over her. The last few weeks had been a challenge for both of them, adjusting to the impending arrival of their unborn child. Nearly a week after confirming the pregnancy, her body seemed to register the fact that she was pregnant. A change that had not been lost on him in the slightest as he found himself entranced by his wife’s newly pregnant body. To him, she’d never looked more gorgeous.

He pulled her to him and allowed his hands to roam up and down her newly established curves, resting them across the sides of her hips, feeling the smoothness of her growing abdomen beneath his hands.

“You’re not helping,” Lois argued with him half-heartedly.

He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, reaching over to cup her cheek as he murmured, “You look stunning in both of them.” He flashed her a wicked grin as his hands slipped inside her now slightly open robe and added. “Though I prefer what you’re wearing right now.”

“Oh, that’ll go over well. Show up in court in barefoot with nothing but my robe and towel,” Lois chuckled with a roll of her eyes, leaning over to set the outfits down and then looping her arms around his neck. “I love you. You know that?”

“You’ve mentioned it a time or two,” he grinned back at her.

“How much time do we have till the hearing?” Lois asked with a shaky breath.

“Forty-three minutes,” he murmured, glancing at the clock. “Why?”

“No reason,” she whispered, reaching up to hook her hand around the end of his tie, tugging him with her down on the bed.

________________________________________

Victor Talley bit down on her lower-lip, staring at the man across from him with sharp black-trimmed glasses and a pointed nose. He had seen him on television from time to time on the Top Copy specials, and he’d seen his photo next to the extravagant stories he published on those weekly rags that printed stories about Elvis Presley’s love child or resurrection. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to look away as he listened to the story that seemed so far-fetched it just might be true.

Corruption all across the department with members of Congress and even his own agents on the take to help further the agenda of the corrupt and cover for one another in the blanket rule of keeping one another’s identity a secret as a means of survival. The concept of using the press to destroy those that oppose the corrupt and simultaneously orchestrating the downfall of those that dared speak out felt eerily familiar.

Nunk cleared his throat as he pointed to his injured foot, “These people are crazy. I did my fair share, and I’ll own up to it, but I need help, and from where I’m sitting, you’re the only one I can turn to. I need help.”

________________________________________

Tobias stood in the corner of the courthouse, watching as the woman he’d been waiting for entered through the security checkpoint with her file jacket and a large tote bag in hand. The red-haired woman was tall and shapely with a determined look on her face that would take on the careful pieces he had set in place to orchestrate the downfall of these troublesome reporters. Had she been a few years younger, he’d have repurposed her for another field of work that was more profitable, but for now, that was a market he was less proficient in.

“Ms. Patricia Banks?” Tobias called out, adjusting the knot on his tie as he walked up to the woman headed toward courtroom 3B.

“Who wants to know?” Patricia asked suspiciously, looking over at him with a frown.

“Call me an interested party,” Tobias smiled at her holding up the briefcase he’d carried with him inside.

“I’m due in court,” Patricia pointed to the courtroom doors that stood behind him.

“No, you’re not,” Tobias replied coldly, setting the briefcase down in front of her.

“What are you doing?” Patricia asked with the pigment of her skin slightly flushed, and her voice box rapidly moving inside her throat in a panic.

“You work long, hard hours, Patricia. Saving the lost souls, and yet you still can’t save your mother, can you?” Tobias remarked boldly, hearing her voice catch in surprise. A smile crossed his face, and he slithered closer, “The drug trial starts next month, right?”

“How did you…?” Her eyes widened in a panic as she backed away from him. “Get out of my way.”

“I can’t let you go in there, Patricia.” He pointed to the briefcase in front of him. “Take the money. Spend some time with your mother before the trial begins. Lord knows you won’t get a second chance if things don’t go well…”

Tears glistened in her eyes, “I…”

“Yes, you can.”

________________________________________

Lois used a coffee stirrer to mix in her cream and sugar in the Styrofoam coffee cup. Her hand was shaking nervously, and she could feel her heart racing as she tried to pour the coffee into the cup only to have it spill all over the counter. She let out a muttered curse, and a hand reached across her with napkins and paper towels to help her.

“Thanks,” Lois gave the woman a grateful smile. She felt her eyes begin to water as she stared at the mess across the counter, trying to tidy up the small countertop next to the vending machines setup for everyone waiting to have their names called in the courtroom. They only had two more cases before theirs, and the attorney they’d hired had been a no-show. Clark had taken advantage of the short break to search the courthouse for her to see if there might have been a mix-up with the courtroom she needed to appear at but so far nothing.

“How far along?” the woman pointed to the obvious bulge in Lois’ abdomen.

Lois placed a hand across the bump and gave her a watery smile, “About three months.” Her voice trembled, and she found herself bursting into tears.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” The woman tried to calm her down, placing a hand on her shoulder as she followed her back to where the wooden benches were outside the courtroom. “Look, family court is just like anything else. It has its purpose, and for the most part, the judges are very fair.”

“Our attorney just didn’t show up this morning,” Lois blinked back tears, shaking her head. “Who does that?”

“Scum bags,” the woman replied, extending her hand to Lois to take. “Constance Hunter.”

“Lois Lane,” Lois introduced herself with less confidence than she normally would have. “Journalist and persona non grata among paparazzi and politicians apparently.”

“So, I’ve heard,” Constance leaned her elbow against the back of the bench. “You seem to have made quite a few enemies.” She gestured to the courtroom behind them, “So I take it that’s what brought you here?”

“They want us to let CPS talk to our son to investigate allegations of neglect that were completely fabricated by the paparazzi. We told them we’d see them in court.”

“Smart,” Constance nodded in agreement.

“Except for the fact that our attorney has disappeared on us,” Lois added with a scowl.

“There’s no actual allegation outside the tabloids?” Constance asked with a curious frown.

“None,” Lois shrugged her shoulders. “Who knew fabricated stories could incite mob rule on the court system, right?”

“Well, technically, it can’t,” Constance answered her gently.

Lois spotted Clark approaching with a takeout coffee in hand and smiled when she saw him. He handed her the coffee and claimed his seat next to her, shaking his head when she glanced at him with a questioning gaze. Lois pointed to Constance, “Constance, this is my husband…”

“Clark Kent.” She smiled back at him. “I’ve read your work. Good stuff.” Constance gestured to herself, “Don’t mind me. I was just nearby when the coffee maker decided to act up. Constance Hunter.”

“Nice to meet you,” Clark held his hand out for her to shake. He pointed toward the courtroom doors, “Looks like they’re back in session.”

________________________________________

Jeremy Novak stood at the prosecution table, wearing a broad smile as he glanced across the aisle where Lois Lane and Clark Kent sat at the defendant table, unaccompanied. The Kents glanced in his direction and then at one another, seeming to be uncertain with one another. Novak straightened his shoulders and turned his attention to the judge that was preceding over today’s hearing, frowning when he saw Judge Colin Harper at the bench.

He glanced behind him to where Tobias was seated front-row with a man he didn’t recognize. He felt a hard lump in his throat as he leaned over to whisper to Tobias, “I thought this hearing was with Judge White.”

“Judge Harper didn’t take the bait,” Tobias responded in a harsh whisper. “Just do what I paid you to do, and everything will be fine.”

________________________________________

Clark reached his hand over for Lois’, eyeing the man standing behind the prosecutor’s desk. He leaned over to whisper in Lois’ ear after the Special Prosecutor had introduced himself. “That’s the attorney Davenport was warning us about.”

Lois craned her neck to look over at the blonde-haired man sitting behind the prosecution table. “What are we going to do?”

“Pray for a miracle?” Clark asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Mr. Novak, what are you doing in my courtroom?” Judge Colin Harper asked, raising a furrowed brow at the special prosecutor.

“Jeremy Novak for Child Protective Services of New Troy, your honor,” Novak responded, standing up from his seat.

“I figured that much,” Harper grumbled. “The question was more referring to why one of the Attorney General’s state attorneys is handling a motion any of the attorneys at our local District Attorney’s office can handle.”

“I, uh, volunteered…” Novak replied with a smile.

“Uh-huh,” Judge Colin Harper looked over at the defense table, glancing toward the defendant’s table where both Clark and Lois were seated. “Mr. and Mrs….” He glanced down at the bench, flipping the paper up in front of him. “Kent? You do know you have the right to an attorney, correct?”

Clark stood up from his seat, followed by Lois, “We’re aware, your honor. The attorney we acquired has been a no-show this morning.”

“Had you spoken with this attorney prior to the hearing?” Judge Colin Harper asked, raising his eyebrows in concern.

“Just this morning, your honor,” Clark answered, feeling the flush cover the back of his neck as he stared back at the judge’s perplexed expression.

“Your honor, this is a clear delay tactic in order to buy more time. It’s already been a week since the initial visit to the Kent’s residence, and still, the minor child has not been produced to CPS for assessment.” Novak argued, glaring in Clark’s direction.

“Your honor!” a voice from the back raised up, and all eyes turned to Constance Hunter, who was making her way to the front. “Constance Hunter for the defense.”

“Ms. Hunter?” Judge Colin Harper looked at her with a perplexed expression.

“Just evening the odds, your honor,” Constance looked slightly rattled as she reached the defense table and set her briefcase down on the table.

Lois smiled, and Clark mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ in her direction. Judge Harper let out a heavy sigh and asked, “Are we ready to proceed?”

“Yes, your honor,” Constance responded.

“You don’t need time to debrief?” Novak looked over at Constance in surprise, and she arched her eyebrow at him with a smirk.

“Something wrong, Mr. Novak?”

“Of course not.”

“Good, I mean it’d be a shame if you were prepared for a fair fight, wouldn’t it?” Constance asked with a smirk.

“Let’s proceed, your honor,” Novak shrugged his shoulders.

“After you,” Constance motioned to Novak, who handed her a copy of a folded blue and white motion.

“Child Protective Services demands the immediate action of the courts to enforce Lois Lane and Clark Kent to produce the minor child Jon Kent in connection to allegations regarding neglect and possible criminal activity within the residence.” He motioned to the motion in front of the judge. “It’s all in there, your honor.”

“Uh-huh,” Constance looked back at Novak, crossing her arms over her chest. “Anything else?”

“That’s all,” Novak responded confidently. “The State rests its case, your honor. The minor child should be produced to CPS for investigation into these allegations.”

Constance Hunter turned to the Judge with a smug grin across her face, “Your honor, we ask that the motion against the Kents be immediately denied with prejudice as the state has failed to produce any evidence of these alleged allegations against the Kents nor have they produced any evidence to support their claim and slanderous accusations of there being criminal activity in the home of the Kents.”

Harper turned to Novak with a raised brow, “What evidence does the state have of these criminal activities?”

“Ms. Lane was investigated by the FBI as early as last week.”

Lois leaned over to whisper in Constance’s ear, “At his request. The FBI agent and director were threatened into completing an initial investigation, and they found nothing.”

“Your honor, that investigation was incited by Mr. Novak himself, and if Mr. Novak wishes to enter these allegations into evidence, we can gladly call down the agent that conducted the questioning of Ms. Lane to verify there was no wrongdoing by the Kents.” A smirk crossed her face as she added, “Besides, last I checked, being accused of something didn’t immediately guarantee someone is guilty of the charge. Last I checked, we had a justice system that looked at all defendants as innocent until proven guilty.”

“Is there any substantial evidence outside of an investigation you are neck-deep in, Mr. Novak, or are we supposed to just take your word for it?” Judge Harper asked, propping his chin into his palm as he looked across the courtroom at Jeremy Novak, waiting impatiently for an answer.

“We have a statement from Mr. Leo Nunk…” Novak replied confidently.

“What were the findings of the FBI’s investigation, Mr. Novak?” Judge Harper asked, rolling his eyes.

“The investigation was closed and…” Novak looked away. “The findings were inconclusive.”

“That’s not what Agent Davenport said,” Constance argued, holding up a copy of the report provided to her by Lois. “Investigation was deemed unnecessary and a waste of FBI resources.”

“Let me see that,” Judge Harper motioned for Constance to bring the report to him. She approached the bench and let out a concerned grumbling as he skimmed through the report.

Constance looked over at Clark and Lois with a smile, “Just give him a minute.”

Judge Harper cleared his throat, looking over at Novak with a scowl, “Mr. Novak, does this look like a circus to you, young man?”

“No.”

“Do I look like Bozo the clown, son?”

“Of course not, your honor.”

“Then why are you bringing this three-ring circus into my courtroom? Your entire basis for this investigation is a publication in the Tattletale Weekly. Where is your evidence?”

“There is none, your honor,” Constance spoke up, glancing over at Novak with a smug expression. “The investigation initiated by Mr. Novak and his peers, the accusations by the Child Protective Services and the State…all of this is a blatant witch hunt with no factual basis to subject my clients to this fruitless investigation with zero merit outside of what the Tattletale Weekly has printed on their cover.” Constance arched her eyebrow as she glared at Novak, “If the State is that bored, I have plenty of cases he can volunteer on…”

“Mr. Novak, do you have any evidence of actual abuse or neglect taking place in the Kent residence?” Judge Harper demanded with a sharp growl.

Novak stammered, looking back at the man seated behind him then back at the judge. He let out a heavy sigh and gave him a pleading look, “If we could just…”

“Witnesses?” Judge Harper asked.

“No.”

“Complaining child?” Judge Harper inquired, growing more and more irritated by the second.

“No.”

“What basis are you trying to open an investigation?” Judge Harper asked, tapping his hand against the bench desk he was seated in.

“Well…” Novak began but quickly clamped his mouth shut at the judge’s sharp glare.

“The Tattletale Weekly, your honor.” Constance Hunter interjected.

The gavel pounded, “Case dismissed with prejudice. I’m not sure how they do things in the courtrooms you’re used to arguing in Mr. Novak, but here we have actual evidence before we set foot into a judge’s court. And we don’t let the tabloids dictate which cases are investigated.” He wagged his finger at Novak, “You, in my chambers.”

Lois nudged Clark’s side, pointing to the man looking in their direction, “You ever seen that man before?”

“No,” Clark narrowed his gaze at the balding haired man that was staring them down with an intensity that sent a chill down his spine. He whispered back to Lois, “Get a photo while we’re leaving.”

________________________________________

One Year Ago…

Lois poured over the file in front of her, tapping her hand across the solid wood table as she scanned the information they’d pulled on Leslie Luckabee. After Clark had updated her on everything, Jimmy had found they had updated Jonathan and Martha and arranged for them to continue the last night at the cabin while they resumed the investigation into Leslie Luckabee. No sense in disappointing Jon if they didn’t have to.

“He’s a ghost,” Lois commented, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Never existed before four years ago,” Clark summarized, leaning over the table and jabbing his finger at the photo of Leslie Luckabee.

Perry leaned back in his seat, folding his hands across his lap and adding his own synopsis, “It’s entirely possible Leslie Luckabee could be a cover, but if that were the case, then the acquisitions made by Luckabee Enterprises and Leslie Luckabee himself would be invalid. You can’t go into a legal contract with a ghost.”

“We need to find him,” Clark shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “He’s up to something…”

“Well, he hasn’t been anywhere near the Planet in the last few days,” Perry commented with a shrug. “Odd considered he’d practically built his office next to mine there for awhile.”

Lois leaned over to whisper to Clark, “We should probably check with your folks to make sure Jon is okay. You never know…”

________________________________________

A sonic boom echoed in the background, and Jonathan Kent looked up from the front steps of the cabin, looking over at Jon, who was happily fiddling with his bag of cars, making motor sounds as he illustrated the play world he’d built in the confines of his dark navy blue bag. A smile tickled the corners of his mouth when he saw his son in his Superman suit, approaching with an amused look.

It seemed whatever had spooked him had been pushed aside as Clark pasted on a smile and put on his best Superman performance for his son.

Everything was fine.

He hoped.

________________________________________

Clark reached his hand over to squeeze his wife’s shoulder, giving her a supportive smile as she lifted her head up from her hands to meet his gaze. He felt numb after nearly a week since LexCorp had resurrected under the guise of Luckabee Enterprises. No one had seen or heard a thing from the reclusive philanthropist, and the more they dug, the more he was convinced there was more to the story.

The doors to the conference room opened, and Perry appeared with a manilla folder in hand. “Jimmy got a copy of the medical records in Hong Kong.”

“Hong Kong?” Lois craned her neck to look at Perry with a perplexed expression.

“According to the records, Lex Luthor was listed as the father on the birth certificate,” Perry explained. He tapped his hand on his chin, “Now, here’s where it gets confusing…”

“We’re listening…” Clark edged cautiously.

“One birth certificate, but a death certificate was filed with the courts for the child yet never found in the medical records…”

“Luthor tried to hide his existence,” Clark summarized. He flipped through the manilla envelope.

“Says the mother died in a car accident three years later.” Lois peeked over his shoulder, scanning the page he was on over his shoulder. “That’s one way to avoid a scandal.”

“The mother’s death certificate was legitimate. I found several mentions in the society pages of New Zealand’s publishing outlets. The mother wasn’t just anyone. She was the daughter of a diplomat. An inquiry was made into her death, and foul play was suspected but couldn’t be proven.” Perry sighed, tapping his thumb against the edge of the table. “According to the reports, there were several surgeries performed on the child afterward, and a trust was set up by Lex Luthor to care for him.”

“Are we thinking Leslie is this missing child?” Lois asked.

“I don’t know,” Clark shook his head. “It still seems like a pretty big leap between Luckabee’s non-existent life and this child Luthor had. There isn’t anything tying Luckabee to Luthor.”

“Why would he go to all this trouble?” Lois asked, “If he’s not Lex’s son, then why bother?”

“I don’t know.”

________________________________________

Leslie Luckabee stormed through the stairwell leading into the underground subway station. He glanced over to the small room Lex Luthor Jr. was testing with a handheld device against the floor, reading something off of it with a scowl.

“Aren’t you a little old for those handheld games?”

“I’m testing the calibration, you moronic imbecile!” Lex Luthor Jr. growled at him, turning sharply in his direction.

“Ah,” Leslie soured his face into a tight scowl and let out a heavy sigh. “Well, if you’re done playing …whatever it is you’re doing there, I’d like to talk about what we’re going to do about Superman.”

“What about him?” Luthor asked, unfazed by the mention of the name.

“What about him?” Leslie echoed angrily. “He’s digging into my past in Australia, New Zealand…It’s only a matter of time before he figures it out. Which begs the question of when are we going to get rid of him?”

“Superman isn’t our concern right now,” Luthor hissed, shaking his head.

“Yes, well, while you’re over here twiddling with toys, he’s ripping years of work apart faster than a speeding bullet. You still haven’t perfected the Kryptonite…”

“I will take care of it.” Luthor snapped.

“Like you took care of Vixen?” Leslie hissed in his ear.

“That was a minor set back. The only thing you need to worry about is our plan for Clark Kent.”

“All this trouble for one lousy reporter?”

“He’s much more dangerous than you give him credit.” Luthor darkened his gaze as he added, “He will be destroyed along with the child known to the world as Jon Kent….I will not be replaced.”

“You said nothing about killing a child,” Leslie’s eyes widened in horror.

“Plans change.”

“I’m done,” Leslie backed away from him in disgust. “I didn’t sign up for this.”

“I tell you when you’ve had enough. You work for me. I make the rules.”

“Last I checked, you still can’t make it to the surface without hiding behind shadows,” Leslie taunted him. “I’m done taking orders from you.”

“I made you!”

“You got your money’s worth, didn’t you?”

A leather-covered hand reached out to grab him by the collar, pulling him down to where he was eye-level with Luthor as a sharp toned hiss escaped his throat. “You are a lucky man. Lucky I found you bussing tables in that café, hoping for an acting break. Lucky I educated and trained you. Lucky I handed you the world’s most powerful corporation…”

“I didn’t sign up for…”

“You sign up for what I tell you, you signed up for. I say jump, and you say how high? It seems the lines of fact and fiction have blurred in that feeble mind of yours, so let me remind you of a few truths you seem to have forgotten. We wouldn’t want your luck to change, hmm? You pretend to be Lex Luthor Jr. I am Lex Luthor Jr. You pretend to be the brains of this criminal enterprise. I am the brains of this enterprise. I made you, and I can destroy you. Never forget that!”

He tossed him to the ground with a hard shove and asked, “Are we clear?”

“Crystal.”

________________________________________

“Here,” Clark pointed to the photo in front of him of a boy with bandages wrapped around his hands and the side of his face. “Look at those injuries.”

“Look at those surgeries,” Lois argued, pointing to the long list of reports on medical procedures performed. “He very well could have had plastic surgery to erase the damage.”

“But look at this,” Clark pointed, “Green eyes. Five-foot four. One sixty-five.” He frowned, shaking his head. “That was six years ago.”

“Leslie’s a good six feet tall,” Perry interjected, shaking his head. “and I don’t think he wears stilts.”

“And he has brown eyes, not green.” Clark pointed out.

Perry pointed to the date of birth, “This boy’s at least ten years older than Leslie too.”

A commotion came from the newsroom, and Perry looked over toward the glass door where Jimmy was motioning to him. He opened the door, and Jimmy yelled out. “They’re evacuating the building. Someone just called in a bomb threat.”

Lois met Clark’s gaze briefly, nodding as he motioned to the stairwell. A hidden message silently passed between the two of them as he made his exit from the conference room, disappearing amidst the chaos toward the stairwell. He opened the door to take cover from prying eyes while he made a quick wardrobe change when he felt it.

A piercing pain ran through him, knocking him to his knees. His eyes fluttered, darting to the dark figure standing over him, taunting him with a maniacal laugh, “Superman, so glad you could make an entrance. I’m afraid you won’t be swallowing any bombs today.”

Before he could react, another burst of the painful shockwave ran through him, and darkness overtook him.

________________________________________

Lois tightened her arms around Jon, cradling him against her chest as she looked around the crowded streets across from where the Planet was located. Perry walked up to her with a concerned expression on his face. His hand tapped on his chin as he continued toward her, motioning for her to come to him.

She followed where he was motioning for her to meet him, stopping in front of the men dressed in heavy-duty bomb diffusing gear. “Perry, what’s up?”

“There’s no bomb,” Perry explained quietly, looking around the crowd. “Someone called it in to clear the building, we think.”

“Are we sure?” Lois asked apprehensively.

“We searched every floor, miss. No explosives.” The man in bomb squad gear replied. “You have a good day, Mr. White.” He moved off toward the rest of the squad who was packing up to leave.

Lois turned to Perry with concern, “You think this is Leslie?”

“I don’t know what to think, Lois.” He let out a heavy sigh, “Where’s Clark? Usually, he’s first on the scene when we have scares like this.”

“I…I don’t know. He disappeared after the call came in, and…I haven’t seen him.”

________________________________________

Luckabee staggered through the crowded precinct, scanning the faces for someone familiar. He gripped the handheld recording device in his jacket, letting out a heavy sigh as he reached the office of the police commissioner.

“Can I help you?”

“I’d like to report a crime.” He set the tape recorder on the commissioner’s desk and smiled back at him. “It’s all there.”

________________________________________

Clark lifted his head, feeling the familiar achiness wash over him. He looked around the room, noting the green hue across the walls. He shook his head, placing a hand across his chest, feeling the pain still lingering from his attack. Even in his weakened state, he could feel the faint hint of his powers still lingering. He blinked, looking toward the door with what looked like a digital camera just above the red digital lock pad that read, ‘secure.’

He reached his hand up, feeling his glasses on his face, and dipped them down the bridge of his nose, aiming his heat vision at the camera. A faint flicker of sparks burnt through the wires, and the red blinking light on the camera and the digital letters on the lock pad faded away. He pulled himself to his feet, shaking off the pain that continued to linger.

<<“We seem to be having a repeat of your past behavior again. It would be a shame to lose all that progress…”

“Go to hell.”

“That was a mistake.”>>

‘No.’ Clark quickly dismissed the memories of his time under Dr. Kelly’s care. He wouldn’t go there. He had to get out of here. He scanned the wall, looking for how to trigger the door open and smiled when he found the locking mechanism inside the wall. A moment later, the door was sliding open, and a room full of computers and the remnants of a construction site welcomed him. He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he stepped outside the room, keeping a careful eye out for whoever had brought him here.

A light, slow clap came from the corner, and he jerked his head around to see a man sitting on a stool in the corner, his face partially covered from the large brimmed hat. Still, on his guard, Clark took a step toward him, feeling the relief as he moved further away from the sealed room.

“Not even two minutes and you’ve already shown your cards. I’m impressed, but assessing your surroundings isn’t high on the list of priorities when you’re surrounded by Kryptonite, is it, Superman?”

The accusation caught him off guard, but Clark refused to react to the name, continuing to glare at the stranger as he folded his arms across his chest, unfazed. “Who are you?”

“Isn’t the better question, who are you?” the man asked with a cackle. “I mean, really a pair of glasses and hair gel? That’s your disguise?” He reached over to take a sip from his wine glass, reaching his hand over to press a button on a remote that started playing Opera from the speakers around them.

“Œdipe,” Clark’s eyes hinted at recognition, but he remained in his stoic position watching as the man swayed his hand back and forth, seeming to move to the French lyrics of the tragic tale being told through the art of opera.

“Very good,” the man smiled, wagging his finger at him. “I always did enjoy the Greek tragedies. Though unlike Oepidus, I plan to embrace my destiny.”

“Your destiny being?” Clark inquired with a bark in his tone.

“Why, isn’t it obvious?” he cocked his head at him, chuckling aloud and adding in a harsh whisper. “I’m going to rebuild my empire brick by brick and destroy everything you hold dear, Superman.”

“Isn’t that a bit cliched?” Clark scoffed, shaking his head. “Picking up where Lex Luthor left off despite him leaving you to fend for yourself…”

“You know nothing!” the man roared in fury. “My father is nothing but a coward. Don’t you dare mention his name in my presence.”

“Then why do you insist on recreating his work? You can’t even think up a plan on your own?”

“I’ve improved on it,” he insisted, setting his glass down on the table.

“Unimaginative,” Clark smirked, looking back at the room he’d just exited. “Kryptonite cage, really?”

“It’s not your average Kryptonite,” he hissed back at him.

“No, it’s much less effective,” Clark remarked, narrowing his gaze at him, feeling a smile curl across his face as he watched the fury cover his face. ‘Got you right where I want you.’

________________________________________

Lois rushed into the police station, meeting Bill Henderson in the middle of the precinct with a frantic plea, “Where is he?”

“Lois, calm down.”

“He threatened to kill my child. I’m way beyond calming down, Bill.” Lois fumed, clenching her white-knuckled fists.

“He wasn’t the one that threatened it.”

“Then who did?” Lois demanded.

“Lex Luthor Jr.” Henderson explained, letting out a heavy breath. “Look, we’ve got enough to hold him and this Lex Luthor Jr. We just need to find him.”

________________________________________

Clark felt a rush of adrenaline run through him as he slammed Lex Luthor Jr. against the concrete column that was helping hold up the city above. The sudden onslaught of voices he shouldn’t be able to hear and senses he knew to be the quickly returning powers Luthor had thought he had rid him of fueled his anger as he tightened his grasp on the withering neck of Lex Luthor Jr.

“I see the synthetic Kryptonite works nowhere near as well as I’d hoped. I’ll be sure to up the dosage next time.”

“What makes you think there’ll be a next time?” Clark growled, tightening his grasp around Luthor Jr.’s neck and snarling out in a mocking tone. “When I’m through with you, you’ll be locked up in the cell next to your father for the rest of your miserable life.”

“As far as the rest of the world knows the robotic superhero made to make Leslie Luckabee look like a hero, the CEOs that magically found themselves on train tracks and underground sewers were all the product of someone else. Lex Luthor Jr. had nothing to do with any of that.”

“You always talk about yourself in the third person?”

“Do you?” Lex Luthor Jr. chuckled, mockingly as the sound of voices approaching echoed around them. “I suppose this interview’s over, hmm? What should I do with all that time at the police station? Maybe get to know that Chief of Police and let them know about a little secret I know…”

“Alexander Luthor Jr, you have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney….”

Clark smiled, watching as Luthor was led into custody by Detective Henderson. Perry walked up to him, patting him on the shoulder as Lex Luthor Jr. continued ranting and raving about not living in a cage.

“Creepy,” Clark commented, looking over at Perry.

“Well, maybe he’ll be more comfortable being questioned at Shady Brooke. They know how to handle stuff like this…” Perry shrugged his shoulders.

________________________________________

Tears trickled down Lois’ cheeks as she stared back at the painful single line on the pregnancy test that told her she’d gone another month without conceiving. She felt her stomach clench as she thought through each painful negative test result she’d received. The first few she and Clark had sat together, waiting to see if fate would smile on them. After some time, she had taken it upon herself not to burden him with the pain that came from each negative result.

She wanted so desperately to fill the void within her, clinging to hope that they would prove the doctors wrong and mend the brokenness that shattered her into a million pieces. Each month that passed without conceiving, the more painful it became. The realization that she might never have the opportunity to birth another child again made the gaping hole in her heart ache all the more. Jon continued to grow to be so much more like his dad each day, and the thought of not getting a chance to see him be a big brother made her ache for what had been lost.

She took a deep breath, tossing the test into the garbage can and turning to the large mirror in her and Clark’s master bathroom, reaching her hand up to swipe the tears off her cheeks. This was just another in the long list of blows she’d received in the last twenty-four hours. Another month with a negative test result. It seemed like a fool’s errand to continue trying like this.

Hours after the bomb threat and Clark’s escape from Lex Luthor Jr.’s lair, she felt numb. The vicious, sadistic truths they had learned from Leslie on what Luthor’s true intentions were for vengeance were enough to keep anyone up at night. Her baby. Her precious little boy had been a target for the sole reason of him existing. No other explanation.

“Lois, honey?”

She clamped her eyes closed as she felt the floodgates let loose, and the anguish she’d been holding back for most of the afternoon escaped. Clark’s arms wrapped around her in a tight cocoon as she let out a labored sob, mumbling incoherent pleas over the cruelty of the world as he cradled her against him, lowering them both to the ground until they were sitting on the floor leaning back against the bedroom door.

“Do you have any idea how scared I was? I didn’t know where to look…”

“I know, I know.” Clark reassured her, whispering a kiss against her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

“He made his own Kryptonite,” Lois shook her head in disgust. “Thank God he wasn’t able to succeed, but Clark he could have killed you if he’d gotten it right.”

“He didn’t,” Clark reminded her. “It’s fine. Everyone’s fine,” Clark whispered, running his hands through her hair. “He’s locked away in Shady Brooke with a first class ticket to Arkham coming up next.”

“He tried to go after Jon.” Lois said numbly.

“He didn’t get the chance.” Clark reminded her. “He’s safe.”

“I can’t. I can’t go through that again. I refuse.” Lois looked back at him, shaking her head. “I can’t lose him or you….” She trailed off, shaking her head in dismay. “I may never get the chance to have another baby. The way things keep going, we’re going to have to ship him off to Switzerland to keep him safe.”

“Why do I get the feeling this isn’t just about Luthor Jr.?” Clark asked, cupping her cheek.

She let out a heavy sigh, shaking her head. “I took a test this afternoon. Negative.” She hung her head, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“Maybe, we’re putting too much pressure on one another.” Clark began carefully.

“What do you mean?” Lois jerked her head around to look at him. “I thought…”

He cut her off, shaking his head. “I would raise a hundred kids with you if that’s what you wanted, Lois. There is nothing I would love more than to have an entire house filled with a little you and me running around with Jon, but after everything we’ve been through I can’t help but wonder if part of the reason all of this is so hard right now might be because of how much pressure we’re putting on one another. I love you. I love Jon. You two are my world, but maybe instead of focusing on what we don’t have right now, we just focus on what we do have. A beautiful family of three with room to grow if the fates allow it.”

Tears trickled down her cheeks as she felt his lips cover hers. A silent nod of agreement came followed with a heartfelt plea before he scooped her up and carried them to the bedroom, intent on making the painful realities from the last few hours disappear.

________________________________________

TBC....

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