Three Rules
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 3
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Panic rose up inside Lois as she banged on the metal door, searching for anyone who would hear her pleas. “Help! Somebody! There’s a bomb! Please!”
A startled gasp escaped her throat as the doors opened with the help of a hand sliding across the edge and someone…Was he wearing a cape? She barely had a chance to look at him as relief washed over her, and she uttered a quick, “Oh, thank God! We’ve got to get the bomb squad down here and...”
She found herself unable to finish her statement as she stared at him, getting a look at him for the first time. The blue and red suit was flashy and looked like something off of a Saturday morning cartoon, but there was something so familiar about his eyes as he looked back at her. She tried to place it. Wondering why this stranger in tights and a cape looked at her as if he knew her.
She had a thousand questions racing through her mind as she stared at the ‘S’ emblem sewn across his chest, trying to find her voice. A soft clearing of his throat came, and he pointed at the beeping device behind her, “If you’ll excuse me, Ms. Lane.”
She stepped back, watching as he reached for the device, yanking open the wires and pulling out the small explosive trigger, and placing it in his mouth to swallow. She wanted to scream, yell…something. This was insane. Yet as she watched the bomb explode and disappear inside this stranger, she felt was so familiar.
Wait, he just said her name. He knew her. Her eyes looked up, sharply catching his gaze.
He knew her.
His eyes felt familiar.
His voice.
<<“Such a typical male response.”
“Lois, trust me on this. I am not your typical male.”>>She stared at him for a long moment before breaking the silence, “How did you know my name?”
His eyes seemed to almost twinkle with a smile as he stared back at her. It hit her like a wave. His voice. His face. It was all him in this person that had just swallowed a bomb and ripped a metal door off its hinges before her eyes.
“You just swallowed a bomb, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.” He responded as she continued to stare at him with a critical gaze. A narrow look crossed his face as he frowned, “I don’t believe you’re supposed to be back here, Ms. Lane.”
“Well, I won’t tell if you won’t, Smallville.”
The admission caught him off guard as he stared at her for the longest moment. She was sure of her assessment as soon as she saw the look of panic on his face. Mustering up the pretense of calm, she folded her arms over her chest and broke the awkward silence that had fallen between them.
“I’m guessing you were planning on a haircut before heading back to the Planet? Kinda makes you stand out. And if I were you, I’d do something with the hair while in the suit because a pair of glasses isn’t enough to hide behind unless you plan on providing Perry with the mother of all excuses…”
“How did you…?”
“Please,” Lois shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not the top investigative reporter for nothing.” She pointed behind him, “And might want to save this for later…”
Before he could respond, several colonists appeared in the doorway. Among them were Mrs. Platt and her daughter, Amy. Lois shifted her shoulders back as they both turned to face the colonists.
The head colonist took a step inside and surveyed the damage. He looked from the torn circuitry of the panel to where Clark was standing. He appeared to have drawn the wrong conclusion, so Lois interjected, still reeling from the events that had occurred moments ago, “Th-there was …a bomb.” She pointed at Clark. “He...he ate it.”
The colonists all appeared to be equally shocked by the news. Amy wheeled herself up to Clark, unafraid. Lois watched in amazement as Clark’s face lit up with a light smile, kneeling down, so he was eye-level with Amy. Prometheus had been Dr. Platt’s dream for her. Now, thanks to Clark, that dream would see reality.
“Hi.” Amy looked at Clark with a whimsical smile, admiring his suit as she pointed to the ‘S’ on his chest. “I like your costume.”
“Thank you. My mother made it for me.” He smiled back at her. “What’s your name?”
“Amy. Amy Platt. Who are you?”
Clark hesitated a moment and then responded with, “I’m…a friend.”
“Can you really fly?”
He nodded. “Yes, I can.”
“Can you teach me?”
“Not to fly.” He winked at her, looking around them. “But once this lab is operational…walk…that’s very possible.”
The public address speaker crackled as the whirling sound from the booster rockets whined down to silence, indicating they were turning off. “Attention, colonists. The mission has been scrubbed. Prepare to disembark.”
The colonists all voiced their disappointment. The head colonist sighed, “It’s over.”
“Why?” Lois asked, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Once the thrusters have been fired they have to be replaced,” Mrs. Platt explained.
“We’ll lose our launch window. We just have to forget about Space Station Prometheus,” the head colonist said in despair.
“No, you don’t. There’s nothing wrong with this transport or the station. You only need to get there,” Clark reasoned aloud.
“How are they supposed to do that?” Lois asked, watching as the metaphoric wheels began to turn in Clark’s head.
“Easy. I’ll give them a boost,” Clark replied with a smile.
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Clark’s mind was reeling with questions as he flew the Messenger transport into orbit, helping place it on the Prometheus Space Station. So many breakthroughs would come from this mission, and so many lives changed. He wanted to bask in the moment and celebrate this advancement but he couldn’t.
Everything seemed to change the moment Lois had called him out on the giveaways that had told her who he really was. He still had to talk to her. Returning to E.P.R.A.D. wasn’t something he envisioned going well with the conflicted feelings that ranged from horror and panic to awe and admiration. He knew she was the best and yet he had flown in without a second thought. He should have known he wouldn’t be able to hide from her.
So now he was left with a dilemma. How could he continue to live in Metropolis? How could he use this…whatever persona to keep up two identities when someone he’d met less than a week ago had seen right through him?
If it weren’t for that bomb….
That bomb.
A bomb that had been placed on the Messenger to destroy Prometheus. He didn’t have the proof, but he had his suspicions. He stopped mid-flight, landing on the balcony of the Penthouse to Lex Luthor’s home. His arms were folded across his chest, keeping the stance as he waited for Luthor to notice his presence.
The billionaire caught his eye, standing from his desk and pressing a button to open the windows that led to the balcony. A slow clap accompanied the welcome as Luthor looked at him with a narrow gaze.
This was it.
He was positive Lex Luthor was behind the explosive device on the transport this evening and possibly even Dr. Baines’ death. He just wished he had the hard evidence to prove it.
“An astonishing debut….” Luthor cheered, bringing the claps to a pause. “To what do I owe this honor?”
He took a step towards Lex. “Dr. Platt’s name has been cleared no thanks to you.”
“Yes, I heard Dr. Platt’s suicide was ruled as foul play.” Luthor allowed carefully. “I’m not sure what that has to do with me?”
“Someone was pulling the strings and lining the pockets of Dr. Baines and others to be sure Prometheus failed. I suppose on the face, it was a good plan. Destroy Prometheus and just about anyone can swoop in and build a space station of their own in its place. Not only would they make billions from the patents of vaccines developed, but also be the supposed savior of the space program.”
Clark stared at Luthor for a long time, careful not to point the finger at him directly without his evidence.
“That’s quite a theory,” Luthor replied calmly, but his eyes gave away his nerves that were rattled by the insinuation.
“Isn’t it?” Clark uttered with a long pause. “Imagine someone so cold and heartless that they’d be willing to kill innocent people that just want to find a cure in order to cut in line and get the credit.”
“A terrible thing,” Luthor mused, staring back at him coldly. “What did you say your name was again?”
“I didn’t,” Clark responded. “Perhaps you should commit your abundant resources to finding the person responsible for these murders, Mr. Luthor. I hear you like to throw your resources around.” A smirk crossed his face, and he counted, “Unless you already know who is responsible for these crimes?”
“So, you become both my judge and executioner?” Luthor challenged.
“Like any other citizen of the planet, I must obey the law. I am not above it. I don’t think you have that same belief, Mr. Luthor. You seem to believe you are above the laws that govern this city and keep order.”
Lex smiled back at him. “I hold a certain …position in this city.”
“Yes, and there is nothing that would please me more than to see you dethroned and exposed for who you truly are. That day will come.”
“I trust not. But then, as they say…let the games begin,” Lex lifted his glass in a toast and took a sip.
He turned away, floating a few inches off the ground as he prepared to fly away. “One other thing. If you ever need to find me, all you have to do is look up.”
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Lois slammed the door to her apartment closed and let out a shaky breath. She leaned her head back against the door, sighing in relief. So many questions remained swarming in her mind. The long drive back from E.P.R.A.D. had given her a lot to mull over. After an hour of questioning, she’d been released by security and left to return home. She had snuck onto the Messenger transport in hopes of landing the story that would help take her career to the next level.
She looked around at the familiar surroundings, noting Lucy’s noticeable absence, and headed for the bedroom to change out of her work clothes. She turned on the shower and stepped in, closing the door behind her. The water beat on her back as she leaned back against the hot water.
She’d certainly found that story, but right now, she was struggling to figure out just which way to take that story. A bonafide superhero had rushed onto the Messenger transport and saved the lives of the colonists, and flown it into space. That was news. That was an irrefutable fact she couldn’t deny.
<<“I said nine. I thought you’d be …naked…um, ready.”>>
<<“Lois, trust me on this. I am not your typical male.”>>
The question came as to whether she should reveal everything she knew.
She barely knew Clark.
He seemed to be a genuinely kind person.
A hero.
Something the world needed desperately right now.
Lois winced as she felt the tight muscles in her neck, begin to relax against the hot water.
<<“We should have known. We should have protected him.”>>
<<“You are a strange one, Clark Kent.”>>She stepped out of the shower and wrapped her towel around her as she headed toward the bedroom to change. She opened the drawer and grabbed a tank top and pajama bottoms to change into.
Her mind kept spinning through the last few days, trying to make sense of the chaos so she could come to a decision. She wanted a Pulitzer. She wanted it more than anything in this world, but was it worth possibly destroying an innocent man’s life for?
No.
She didn’t know him.
She wasn’t sure what this persona he had raced onto the scene in was supposed to do other than help the colonists that were in danger of losing their chance at a cure that had been ripped out of their grasp by an unknown force working against them. There was a lot she didn’t know, but right now, she knew he seemed to be an ally.
‘Tomorrow,’ she promised silently, pulling back the covers and preparing to settle in for the night.
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Lex leaned back in the fine leather seat behind his desk, turning to face the view from his balcony as he puffed on his cigar. The moonlit sky felt different. A change in the air from the freedom he had always enjoyed amid the city. This unnamed adversary had thrown the metaphorical gauntlet and called him on his game.
Now, it was time for him to do the same
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“What?”Clark felt the panic rise up inside him as he hung his head, staring down at his boots, listening to the heavy pounding of his father’s heart in his chest. Every warning and fear of discovery they had fought against had come to a head. Despite the costume and the best of intentions, he had discovered.
“Jonathan, calm down,” his mother urged, placing a supportive hand on Clark’s shoulder. “We don’t even know that Lois will…”
“Calm down? Everything we’ve worked for is at risk. Not only does he pull a stunt for the whole world to see on national television, but his super persona is exposed by a reporter he’s known for less than a week.” Jonathan threw his arms up in the air. “I don’t even know what to say or think.”
“We don’t know that she’ll say anything, right?” his mom looked in Clark’s direction, trying to assess his opinion on the matter.
“I don’t know,” Clark shook his head.
“Well, did she say anything?” his mom asked.
“Other than suggesting a haircut and something more than glasses in my disguise?” Clark asked with a furrowed brow.
His mom turned to his dad shaking her head, “That doesn’t sound like someone who’s eager to expose Clark to the world.”
“Even so, it’s dangerous,” his dad shook his head. “This isn’t like being caught by Sherriff Holmes in the cornfields with half-burnt crops. This is a big city with people that don’t know you and are out for themselves. Always looking to make a quick buck. If they find out about you, they’ll put you in a laboratory, and …”
Clark shook his head and finished the familiar phrase with him. “ … ‘dissect me like a frog.’ I know, Dad. Believe me, I know, but I didn’t know what else to do…” Clark stood up and paced around the room. “I couldn’t just let the Messenger explode.”
His parents exchanged a look, and his mom placed a hand on his shoulder. “So, what do we do now?”
“I don’t know,” Clark admitted, shaking his head.
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MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA IN SPACE!The headline for the Metro Gazette read.
CIEST MANIFIQUE!The headline for the Paris Bulletin read.
ALIEN INVASION ON EARTH!The headline for the Daily STAR read.
I’M HAVING THE SPACEMAN’S BABY!The headline for the National Inquisitor read.
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“We are in shock tonight as over the emotional events preceding the Messenger’s takeoff from E.P.R.A.D. and the mysterious circumstances surrounding the landing on Space Station Prometheus. The world is waiting for answers as to who this…..flying man is. No one knows who he is or where he came from.” the President of the United States addressed the press.
“Mr. President? Do you feel this ‘flying man’ as you put it is friend or foe?” Michael Mabee from the Gazette asked.
“At this time, we don’t know enough about him, but by all appearances….he seems to be a friend,” The President said, “Next question?”
“Has anyone tried to contact this ‘flying man’ and find out if there are any others like him?” Nick Nelson from the National Inquisitor asked.
The President sighed for a moment, “Mr. Nelson, as I already stated, we haven’t spoken to him, but if it makes you feel any better when E.P.R.A.D. was checking the footage from the rescue, there were no signs of any unidentified flying objects in Earth’s orbit,”
“But what if…”
The television blinked, and Lois set the remote down, tapping her hand against the table in front of her. Her hand brushed against her cheek, pushing her hair behind her ear as her mind drifted to the events over the last twenty-four hours. The world was watching and demanding answers to the events that had transpired yesterday, and for once, she had the answers but wasn’t convinced the truth should be told.
‘Flying man?’ Question after question tumbled through her mind as she gathered her things.
‘Time to face the music.’________________________________________
TBC....
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