Three Rules
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 5
________________________________________
The tea kettle whistled from the stove, announcing itself to the farmhouse. Martha moved the kettle from the stove, pouring the hot water into each awaiting mug filled with the awaiting tea bags. She smiled as she set each mug on the tray, turning to carry them into the living room where Jonathan and Clark were discussing the recent events that had transpired in Metropolis.
“You sure you’re okay, son?” Jonathan asked as Clark continued blotting at the stained suit in his hands. “That was no nickel popper.”
“I’m fine,” Clark said, continuing his attempts to clean the spandex suit in his hands.
“Remember to blot. Don’t rub,” Martha advised, setting the tray down and claiming a seat next to Jonathan.
“It’s not coming out,” Clark groaned, shaking his head.
“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. With that reporter friend of yours knowing your identity and so many people asking questions still…” Jonathan tapped his hand on his hand nervously. “Are you sure you can trust her?”
“I’m positive,” Clark flashed a quick smile at Jonathan before turning back to his suit. “If I can just get this out…”
Martha reached for the suit examining it carefully and asked aloud, “Do you think it’s a dirt based stain or an oil based stain?”
“I don’t know, mom,” Clark groaned. “It’s a
bomb stain.”
Jonathan interrupted, shaking his head in dismay, “Will you two forget about the laundry for a minute!? We've got a serious problem here.”
Martha gave her husband a sympathetic pat on the knee, “Jonathan, it isn’t certain the explosion was aimed at him.”
“Aw, bull,” Jonathan muttered under his breath. “Someone’s gunning for our boy.”
“It's not me I'm worried about. It's everyone else in Metropolis.” Clark explained with a defeated sigh. “Most of the paramedics and front line officers were injured from the blast. Lois nearly lost an eye…”
“Oh, Lois again…” Martha grinned impishly, taking a sip of her tea.
“It’s not like that,” Clark shook his head as a small smile crossed his face. “I mean, she’s been surprisingly…supportive. She had every opportunity to rat me out to Perry and she didn’t. She hasn’t even pressed for information on why I’m doing what I’m doing.”
“Even if you don’t know yourself,” Martha observed quietly.
“Well, I sorta do. I’ve asked myself a thousand times ‘why me?’ and never could understand it, but this. It feels right. It feels like I’m finally finding purpose.” Clark explained as his face lit up the room with a grin that melted her heart.
“I’m still nervous about this reporter friend of yours,” Jonathan commented letting out a heavy sigh. “If your friendship with her were to go south she has everything she needs to …”
“Lois isn’t like that, dad,” Clark tried to reassure him. “You can trust her. We can trust her.”
“I hope you’re right,” Jonathan sighed, gesturing to the footage from the bombing earlier. “Try not to walk past any more exploding buildings.”
“I’ll try my best,” Clark chuckled.
________________________________________
After dinner, Clark headed back to Metropolis, circling around the waterfront district. For the most part, everything seemed quiet. The moonlight over the water cast a reflection as he flew overhead, making his way toward Carter Avenue and the upper east side of Metropolis. He smiled when he caught a glimpse of a couple kissing goodnight on the steps of one of the apartment buildings before he found the apartment building he was looking for.
Apartment building 1058 was one of the newer buildings and had a unique charm to it as he floated outside the balcony behind the building of the fourth floor, pausing as he came face to face with Lois Lane.
A twisted smile crossed her face for a brief moment before she walked toward him, unlocking the window and pointed to his worn out suit, shaking her head. “Shouldn’t you be wearing something else for evening flights?”
He looked down and smiled, “I guess old habits are hard to break.”
She shook her head and gestured for him to enter “You might want to get in here before someone sees you.” She turned back toward him and motioned to his attire, “So, you just save the cape and boots for things that go boom?”
Clark let out a soft chuckle, running a hand through his dark hair. “Not exactly.” He pointed to her forehead that was bandaged from earlier. “How’s your head?”
“I’ll live,” she acknowledged with a confident puff of her chest.
“Good,” he flashed a weak smile at her. He felt his throat go dry as he looked into her eyes that stared at him with a question silently written across her face. His heard lurched in his throat, forming a hard lump that silenced all thoughts and reasoning.
“Was there something else?” she asked, craning her neck to the side as she looked at him expectantly.
He shook his head, uncertain what had drawn him here in the first place. “No, I just…”
“Wanted to drop by?” she asked with a curious gaze.
“Something like that,” he acknowledged.
“You should probably consider a change of uniform if you’re going to make a habit of patrolling the city.” She drew an imaginary ‘S’ in the air and giggled.
He nodded, smirking at her for a moment before spinning into the red, blue and yellow suit. He looked down at himself nervously. “I guess I’m still getting used to this.” He reached his hand out, cupping her cheek, “Goodnight, Lois.”
“Try not to run into anymore exploding buildings tonight,” Lois teased.
Clark nodded, smiling back at her as he floated outside the window, “I’ll try.” With a final wave he disappeared into the night sky, letting out a heavy sigh as he flew across town to where he was staying at the Apollo hotel. His heart hammered in his chest as flew over the city, recalling the visit with Lois. He was still trying to find his stride as he explored the freedoms with the dual identities he was trying to carry.
Lois did have a point.
Flying above the city as his alter-ego – which he still had yet to name – would provide him more of a cover. He landed outside the Apollo, changing into his suit and tie from earlier and heading up the steps. The flickering light outside the door blipped as he fished the key out of his pocket, muttering below his breath as he struggled with the door hinge. The doorknob broke in his hand and he let out a defeated sigh.
“I’ve got to get out of here.”
________________________________________
The next morning, Lex Luthor sifted through the headlines across his desk, showing the heroics of the unnamed hero that had captured the city’s attention. He took a sip from his tea, glancing over the article on page two with the news of his medical board under investigation for negligence in a triple by-pass. The hospital was insured but the doctors under investigation were acting without approval from the board in the risky procedure.
He let out a deep sigh, wondering if the next test would push articles like this to the back of the classified. He took another sip from his tea and reached for his phone.
“Yes, Asabi?” Lex stole a glance at the clock on the wall. “I believe we’re ready for our next test. Be sure Ms. Kahn and Mr. Johnson are in position.”
________________________________________
The newsroom was filled with chaos from the moment Lois stepped off the elevator. She barely made it to her desk before she’d been bombarded by Jimmy Olsen and other fellow reporters pointing at the announcement on display from Perry.
A large blow – up of Clark in his red cape and boots at E.P.R.A.D. was on display outside Perry’s office next to a large board with red block letters with Perry’s questions underlined.
Who is he?
What is he doing here?
Is he friend or foe?
Lois set her things down, shaking her head as she looked across the chaotic newsroom. “I guess Perry read the article on the Carlin Building explosion.”
Clark walked up to her, gesturing to Perry’s sign, “Doesn’t look like Mr. White is backing down on his demand for answers.”
Lois shook her head, looking at him with a sigh, “You know, if it’s not the Daily Planet it’ll be someone else.” She shrugged her shoulders, gesturing to Perry’s office. “Any idea what you want to do about this?”
“I’m … still trying to figure it out.” Clark explained.
“Well, don’t wait too long or else you may not have much of a choice on how the story gets told,” Lois raised her left brow. “With an entire city scouring for every tidbit of information out there and nothing to help humanize this…stranger there’s no way to control the narrative.”
“Lois? CK?” Jimmy waved a facsimile in his hands as he approached. “This just came from Detective Henderson.”
Lois nodded her thanks and skimmed over the facsimile. Clark looked at her expectantly, “What is it?”
“They finalized the report from the bombing yesterday. Surveillance was tracked back to the manufacturer.” She handed him the report. “LexTech.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Clark muttered under his breath.
“Lois! Clark!”
They both jumped, startled by Perry’s booming voice coming from the editor’s office as Perry poked his head out the door. “Possible jumper at the Lexor Hotel.”
“We’re on it!” Lois called out, grabbing her things as Clark headed toward the stairwell.
________________________________________
Lex Luthor sat back, watching the footage from the view he had on the monitors of each building. The top of Lexor Hotel had surveillance cameras positioned to give him ample coverage of Jules Johnson in position on the ledge with the Metropolis P.D.’s negotiator who was attempting to talk Mr. Johnson down from the ledge.
The police negotiator’s voice crackled through the speaker on Lex Luthor’s desk.
“It’s always darkest before the dawn, son.”
Lex watched as Jules’ face twisted with a smirk as Jules asked the negotiator from the ledge, “Is that so?”
“Come down. We’ll talk it through.”
“I don’t know. I kinda like it up here. Fresh air.” Jules’ arms spread out, taking the view in. “Great view.”
“Well, can I get you something?”
Jules grew thoughtful for a moment. “Cappuccino?”
“Whatever you want.”
“Make it decaf,” Jules added with a wink. “Caffeine makes me jumpy.”
Lex shook his head in dismay, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. He reached over to press the microphone hooked up to the earpiece Jules was wearing. “Enough fun and games. Any sign of him?”
Jules shrugged his shoulders, grinning ear to ear as he teetered on the edge. He leaned forward, waving his arms dramatically in the air for the crowd below.
Lex reached over the press the button for the microphone, “Theatrics are not going to get us the results we need.”
“Come on, I have to make it realistic, boss.” Jules responded as a sonic boom was heard in the distance. Across the screen Lex saw a red and blue streak. Jules looked behind him to where the mysterious hero Lex had been attempting to draw out stood in blue spandex and red boots. Jules gestured to the emblem across the stranger’s chest. “The S-Man.”
“You don’t really want to do this,” the stranger called out to him.
Jules pretended to contemplate the comment a moment and sighed. “You know, you’re right.” He moved away from the ledge. “I’ve seen the error of my ways.”
Lex shook his head in dismay and turned to the monitor from LexComm Towers where Nigel was positioned with Monique. He pressed the button on his desk from the microphone and called out to Nigel, “Ready?”
The footage showed Monique trembling on the ledge of the LexComm Tower with Nigel holding her by the ankle. “Confirm.” Nigel’s voice crackled through the speakers.
“Please, be careful,” Monique pleaded with Nigel.
“Don’t worry, lovey, I’ve got you.” Nigel grinned.
“Execute,” Lex said, taking a puff from his cigar as he watched the monitor where Jules was to be sure the stranger was indeed still across town. He looked at Asabi who nodded, hovering his hand over a timer.
“Roger that,” Nigel said. “Sorry, lovey.” He let go of Monique’s ankle and pushed her off the ledge with a cane.
“Wha-? No!” Monique screamed as she fell from LexComm Tower.
The blur of red and blue filled both monitors and Lex leaned back, watching to see at what speed this super-powered being had in hopes of exposing his weaknesses. Monique’s screams filled the air and Lex reached over to turn the volume down as he focused on the image.
He saw the pigments came together and he saw the cape wielding hero with Monique in his arms from the footage across from Luthor Savings and Loan.
“Mark,” Luthor called out.
Asabi stopped the timer. The digital indicator blinked, 2.1191416 seconds.
Lex smiled, impressed. “Faster than a speeding bullet.”
________________________________________
The sonic boom from above caught Lois’ attention as she stood outside LexComm Towers with the taxi cab she had hailed, chasing after Clark in his rescue of the second jumper. She watched as Clark flew with the second jumper toward Metropolis General Hospital and climbed into the taxi cab to follow.
“Metropolis General Hospital,” Lois requested as she closed the cab door behind her.
“You got it.”
________________________________________
After making sure the second jumper had settled in with the ER doctors Clark circled back to LexComm Towers to survey the scene without the excitement from earlier He hovered over the Luthor Savings and Loan, noting the absence of the cameras and patrol cars that had previously occupied the streets below. In their place were the normal comings and goings of Metropolis citizens trying to get from point a to point b within the lunch hour. The chaos from earlier long forgotten.
He looked over his shoulder, checking for anything out of the ordinary before landing on the roof of the LexComm Tower that hovered over where the second jumper had plunged herself from. He did a quick scan over the roof of the building. An occasional cigarette butt and trash and debris could be found near the edge of the roof, but something stood out from the rest of the debris. Off to the side, on the corner of the ledge he found a freshly disposed cigar next to a package for a calling card with LexComm printed across the top of the packaging. He frowned, shaking his head and examining the cigar. He didn’t smoke himself but he had been around enough people that did to know it was an expensive brand. A familiar brand.
<<“So, you become both my judge and executioner?”
“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.”
“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.”>>A shudder ran through his spine.
‘Hard facts. Follow the evidence,’ he reminded himself.
________________________________________
Lois Lane’s eyes narrowed as she watched the doors leading to the hospital triage open and a familiar man in a dark suit step out, tucking a hat over his balding head and rushing toward the double doors that led out of the hospital. She quickly set the magazine she’d been using as a cover down on the table and bolted up, following the man with a disposable camera in hand.
She made her way outside, noticing another man in a turban waiting for the man in the dark suit. There was something so familiar about both of them. She just couldn’t place it. Before they could close the door to the town car they were standing outside of she took a few shots with the camera in hand and then aimed it toward the license plate, hoping to get a clean shot before the car took off with both of the mysterious men inside.
________________________________________
Clark picked up the phone on his desk back at the Planet, tapping the pencil between his index and middle finger as he responded, “Clark Kent, Daily Planet.”
“Mr. Kent, this is Gertrude about the application you put in on Clinton…” a squeaky voice rang in his ears. “You wanted me to call when Mr. Wallace returned?”
“He’s there?” Clark asked, reaching for a pen on his desk.
“Yes, he’s over at the three hundred unit if you’re still interested…”
“Of course,” Clark cheered, trying to contain his excitement as he jotted a quick note to Lois for when she returned. He would have to wait to update her on what he’d found on the jumper later.
________________________________________
Lois tapped her fingers against the counter as she waited for the photos she’d taken to be developed. Normally she’d just take this back to the Planet, but there still wasn’t enough on this to prove anything and explaining why she’d wasted half a roll of film to Perry wasn’t how she wanted to spend her afternoon.
“Lane?”
She jerked her head up as the clerk approached with a slim envelope of photos for her. “Right here.”
“You know you had eighteen more photos on there… Why the hurry?” the clerk asked.
“Just needed to match the plate is all,” Lois shrugged, grabbing the photos from the clerk hurriedly.
“Right,” he snorted moving off as Lois flipped through the photos, spotting a familiar emblem on the license plate.
‘LexCorp.’“Gotcha.”
________________________________________
Clark buried his hands inside his pockets, looking across the discolored walls and carpet stained with debris from the last tenant. He frowned, feeling defeated as the landlord, Floyd showed him around.
“This street is one of the quietest areas in Metropolis. I own a couple of different buildings. This is the only one I have that doesn’t give me any trouble.”
Clark nodded, looking around skeptically. His gaze moved to the windows and the angle in which worked perfectly for easily making an exit and entrance without facing any other buildings as the brick mortar buildings from one of the corporate offices faced the window. It was a perfect setup. If it was livable.
“You married?”
“No.”
“Girlfriend?”
“No.” Clark ran a weary hand across the back of his neck.
“Boyfriend?” Floyd ventured and Clark looked at him with an insulted scowl. “Me? I mind my own business. Where you from?”
“Kansas.” Clark opened one of the kitchen cabinets only to have it break off. He looked at Floyd with a raised brown.
“Few screws is all.”
Clark turned on the kitchen faucet and brownish water flowed out. He looked at Floyd once more.
“Minerals. Good for the liver.”
Clark walked over to the balcony with Floyd a few steps behind him.
“Nice view. You see out, no one sees in. Walk around in the buff. I do.”
Clark looked at the man shaking his head to rid himself of the mental image that had just invaded his mind. He needed a place and this looked to be the best he could get. “How much?”
“Nine-fifty.”
“Nine hundred and fifty dollars?” Clark choked out in shock.
“Hey, you want cheap. Go back to Iowa.”
“Kansas,” Clark corrected. “This place needs repairs...”
“Okay okay…Nine even?”
“Only if you deduct the cost of whatever materials it takes to get this place in a livable condition the first month.”
“Done.”
“So, when can I move in?” Clark asked.
“Soon as the check clears.” Floyd grinned.
________________________________________
Lois set her things down on her desk, returning to the Planet after an impromptu visit to the photo lab down the street and then again at the copy shop downstairs. Armed with the new information she waved Jimmy over as he juggled the Chief’s latest project of repairing ‘Mr. Foot.’
“Jimmy, got a sec?”
“Anything is better than this,” Jimmy sighed, giving her a pleading look. “What have you got?”
“Think you can run a plate and do a search for me?” She pulled out the photocopies of the two men outside the hospital and the license plate.
“Hey, that’s Lex Luthor’s manservant, isn’t it?” Jimmy asked, pointing at the man in the turban.
“I knew I recognized him from somewhere,” Lois grumbled aloud. “What about the other guy? He seems familiar right?”
“Kinda,” Jimmy shrugged. “I can’t be sure but I can take a look.”
“Please,” Lois smiled back at him.
“You got it,” Jimmy grinned, taking the photos with him as he headed back to his desk.
She turned to her desk, picking up the note folded over with Clark’s handwriting on it.
‘Had to run out. Be back in a few and then compare notes on jumpers.
- CK’________________________________________
Lex cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder, shaking his head as he jotted down the notes from Nigel. “What do you mean hysterical? It was barely even a hundred feet…” He let out a frustrated sigh and added, “Yes, fine, whatever. Transfer an extra hundred thousand to her and clean up this mess.”
With a hard click he hung up the phone and spun around in his chair, looking at the bulletin board he had pinned up with question after question covering the photo of the mysterious hero that continued to elude him. Though he had come closer to learning about the new rival he had yet to truly understand him or know what his purpose was for being here in his city.
Endangered lives appeared to draw him out, but not enough to rattle the hero enough or even make the connection that it was he Lex Luthor that dared to challenge him. A fact he was sure only this rival would be close enough to connect.
He needed something….bigger. Lex looked over at the note he had on his monitor, reminding him of a certain meeting with a secret government agency that was fast approaching.
________________________________________
Nuclear Explosion Averted By Super Man!
By Lois LaneThe headline covered the newsstands as Lois turned toward the long alleyway to meet with her source on the recent uptick in disasters that had rippled through Metropolis. Each disaster appeared more deadly than its predecessor and each time there was a glaring hint leading her back to the philanthropist, Lex Luthor. Never enough to make anyone second guess him or pull him in for questioning but enough to raise her suspicions. LexTech designed the remote control powering the explosion at the Carlin Building. The jumpers were escorted to the hospital by an individual that worked at LexCorp. More recently, Luthor Power and Energy’s nuclear plant overheated and seemed to recover from the disaster almost instantaneously.
There was something here.
She knew it deep in her gut.
The more she dug the more convinced she was of the fact that Lex Luthor was up to this string of disasters. She still had little physical evidence to sway an outside party. It was all circumstantial and no one would be willing to put their neck out for a hunch.
She reached the white and blue striped cart where the familiar face stood with an arm full of foil covered goods. He took a big bite of his hot dog, grinning as he saw her approach, “Hey, you made it.” He pointed toward the attendant at the stand, “You hungry?”
“I’m fine,” Lois managed, looking away as he took another bite. “You said you had a tip come in about LexCorp?” She prompted him as they walked toward the white and black covered van he had parked at the end of the alleyway.
“Luthor Space Station and LexCorp,” he corrected, setting his collection of food and drinks down on the hood of his van to fumble for his keys. He turned the key to the driver’s side door and leaned in to pull out a thick brown folder and handed it to her. “I got a guy down at the courthouse that was keeping an eye out for me and he sent this over.”
Lois skimmed the file, reading the suit contents on the brief and shook her head, “I guess he wasn’t as crazy as I thought…”
“Who?”
“Uh, no one,” Lois smiled back at him, shaking her head. “Thanks for this.”
“No problem,” he grinned back at her. “See you at Louie’s on Thursday?”
“What and miss you boys making a fool of yourself? Wouldn’t miss it.”
________________________________________
The hallway echoed with the music playing from the rundown speakers of Clark’s boombox as he moved at super-speed through the new apartment. The ink had barely dried on the paperwork last week and he’d still yet to settle completely into his new apartment. Most of his spare time had been consumed with making repairs when time allowed. More and more disasters around Metropolis demanding his attention. Each one seeming to challenge him and his abilities like never before.
Bombings.
Suicide jumpers.
Runaway trains.
Nuclear explosions.
He set the paint roller down, looking around the apartment to examine his work. Once the paint dried he could finally begin settling in. He let out a heavy sigh, looking over at the futon he’d set up in the bedroom with several boxes that had yet to be unpacked. With any luck the afternoon would remain disaster-free and allow him the time to finish setting up his new apartment. With the constant rescues he was being drawn out for he found himself struggling to keep up with his responsibilities at the Planet and as unofficial hero and protector to the Metropolis citizens.
The investigation into the disasters that had come out of nowhere continued to leave both him and Lois uncertain of where to look next. Each disaster sent Perry spinning for the next angle and left him wondering what would come next. He couldn’t help but suspect each disaster was coordinated. The bombing was initiated by remote control. The jumpers were within minutes apart. The nuclear explosion all but ceased within minutes. Almost as if the disaster was completely within the control of someone else.
The phone in the kitchen rang and he reached over to answer it, “Hello?”
Jimmy’s voice chirped from the other end of the phone, “Hey, CK, it’s Jimmy. I finally got that background check you wanted on the jumpers from last week.”
“Yeah, what’d you find out?” Clark asked, grabbing a notepad and pen from the counter to jot down what information Jimmy had.
“Jules Johnson works at LexCorp. Strong family and community connections. Mental evaluation came back clear. Almost like he didn’t even intend to jump.” Jimmy read off for him.
“He doesn’t intend to jump but plummets off a twenty-story building?” Clark asked, jotting down the information with a heavy sigh.
“The other jumper was a different story though,” Jimmy explained with an uneasy breath. “Monique Kahn. Also works at LexCorp…”
“Yeah, who doesn’t?” Clark muttered under his breath.
“Strong family connections in the city but mental evaluation came back horrible. Turns out she’s terrified of heights.”
“She’s terrified of heights and jumps off a thirty-story building?” Clark asked with a raised brow.
“Good luck,” Jimmy chuckled.
“Thanks, Jimmy,” Clark hung up the phone, turning to his notes on the pad in front of him.
‘LexCorp’ was circled for each of the jumpers. He let out a heavy sigh. Lex Luthor seemed to have his hand in every disaster in one way or another. With a blur of red and blue he disappeared, changing into his spandex uniform and cape and flying out the back window and over the city of Metropolis.
________________________________________
Lois Lane gazed across the table, contemplating her next move as she watched the sun set outside her apartment window. This was it. A hard piece of evidence to pick up the Messenger story and possibly expose Lex Luthor for his part in the sabotage. She wanted more than anything to rush down to the courthouse and demand answers though she knew they would be hard to come by on a weekend.
A heavy breath escaped her lips. She felt a nagging urge to take what she’d found to Clark. Afterall, he was the one to push this angle to begin with on the Messenger story. Though that angle had all but dried up she knew he was equally frustrated with how little traction the sabotage had gotten once the excitement of the launch had faded. The undercutting and sabotage that had taken place had been deliberate and cost several people their lives. The fury that ignited in her over the new director’s inaction on it left her numb.
She wanted to see justice.
She wanted to see corrective action.
She shook her head, laughing to herself.
The farmboy seemed to be rubbing off on her. Expecting the world to work in a fair and meaningful way when the cynical side of her knew better. Though she’d been hard pressed to admit it at the time there was certainly something about the way he seemed to approach each story and disaster as if everyone could get a fair shot. The innocence was endearing and had it not been for her own knowledge of how the world worked she might even believe it possible to find this goodness he saw in others. She’d been proven wrong countless times before and knew better, but couldn’t help but be intrigued by him. Even without the powers he seemed to draw the innocence and good-hearted joy out of everyone he met. It was a trait she envied and admired all at once.
She let out a heavy sigh, reaching for the phone. It rang a few times and the voicemail clicked on, “Hello you’ve reached Clark Kent. I can’t get to the phone right now ….”
She slammed the phone down in frustration, reaching for her keys.
‘Probably for the best anyway. This was an in person conversation.’________________________________________
Lex Luthor looked over the Daily Planet’s front-page article detailing the nuclear explosion he had coordinated to test the super being’s strength over the last two days. The unfortunate consequences that came with the test was of course the damage his nuclear plant had been subjected to at the hero’s hands and of course the fines that surrounded that damage. The damages of course would be recouped with his price hike for Luthor Power and Energy. The information he’d obtained from the tests was of course invaluable. He had learned more about this stranger that had invaded his city with his presence. This presence continued to remain a threat to him and everything he had built in his city.
The windows behind him opened and he jumped up, slightly startled by the presence of the caped stranger in the doorway to his office. Lex’s brows rose up his forehead, “Well, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
The prompt for an explanation was met with a cold stare as the red cape flew behind the hero as he stopped in front of the prized sword of Alexander the Great. “You want to know how strong I am, Luthor?” He bent the sword in half.
Lex swallowed hard, watching in horror as he pulled out a pistol from the case in Lex’s desk. “You want to know how fast I am?” He loaded the single silver bullet in the chamber and aimed it at Lex.
Lex felt a twinge of fear and horror rush through him as the bullet left the chamber and then stopped at the last minute, stopping millimeters from his chest when the bullet was pressed between his index finger and thumb just before he handed the hot remnants of the bullet to Lex. The hot bullet singed his palm and Lex jumped back as he watched his nemesis stride over to the window and give him a warning glare. The line had been drawn. There was no denying what they both knew to be true.
“Just so we’re clear, any other abilities you’d care to demonstrate?” Lex called out to him.
“The tests stop…now.”
“And if they don’t?” Lex challenged, narrowing his eyes at him with a menacing glare.
“You better think long and hard just what you’re willing to lose for a hobby that puts innocent lives at risk.”
“Me?” Lex shook his head, clucking his tongue, “I admit nothing, but let’s say the tests as you call them continue. What then? Obviously, your presence has put a target on Metropolis. Are you willing to accept the responsibility of putting innocent lives at risk?”
“Are you?” the darkness in his eyes clouded and he firmly stood his ground, “My presence is only a danger if I’m considered a threat. As far as I can tell the only one who might see me as a danger would be you.” His nemesis’ eyes darkened as he stared Lex down.
“If you truly believe that then you are the fool,” Lex smiled, amused by the dark glimmer he saw in his enemy’s eyes.
“I know who you are, and I will bring you down. That is a promise.” With that he disappeared from Lex’s office, leaving the white curtains billowing in the wind with his exit.
“We’ll see…” Lex murmured, taking a puff of his cigar.
________________________________________
Clark let out a frustrated growl as he spun out of his suit and into his shorts and t-shirt from earlier. He looked around his apartment, feeling the rage pulse through him. Had it not been for the late hour he would have flown straight to the Kent farmhouse. He glanced at the pitch dark starlit sky, hanging his head in frustration.
Luthor’s threat gnawed at him, wondering what to do.
He still wasn’t even sure what to call his alter-ego let alone how to handle Luthor’s threat. The tests would continue. That much he was sure of. As long as he remained in Metropolis, tending to rescues, then lives would be at risk. He ran a weary hand across his face, fighting back the fury that threatened to bubble over.
The loud tapping at his door caught his attention and he reached for his glasses, off the side table. He shot up to answer the door, fumbling with his glasses to place them on his face before answering the door.
“Lois?”
He opened the door for her to enter, surprised to see her at his door.
“Hey,” she brushed past him, looking around. “Sorry to barge in, but this couldn’t wait and you weren’t answering your phone. Which I guess is pretty normal at this hour, but it can’t wait.”
An amused expression crossed his face and he chuckled, “You mentioned that. Twice.” He held up his hand with two fingers up as he followed her inside, curious as to what had drawn her to his door at this hour.
She gave the apartment a once over, shaking her head. “This doesn’t even look like the same place anymore.”
“Uh…thanks?” he smirked at her as she dug through her satchel and pulled out a heavy brown expanding file folder.
“I’ve been keeping an ear out with my sources for anything to do with LexCorp since the bombing last week. One of my sources came across this.” She reached over to hand him the file.
He opened the folder, raising his eyebrows as he skimmed through the front page of a lawsuit Lois had uncovered. “Lex Luthor is suing the United Nations of Congress for their patents?”
“Maybe that angle on the patents wasn’t as crazy as we thought,” Lois said, pacing in front of him.
“The angle that went cold when we started digging into LexCorp,” Clark sighed, recalling the dead end they had run into as soon as Lex Luthor’s name came into the investigation.
Lois bit her lower-lip, shaking her head in dismay, “Well, unlike the disasters and the closing of ranks that happened at LexCorp this gives us something solid to hopefully resurrect the Messenger sabotage story.”
“Us?” Clark grinned back at her.
“Well, it
was a team assignment,” She acknowledged with a shrug. “I wouldn’t want to be accused of being unfair.”
“No one could accuse you of being unfair, Lois,” Clark took a seat next to her on his newly acquired sofa that was positioned at the brick wall where he was hoping to set up a television and entertainment center, but for now his radio and bookshelf stood alone with a few framed photographs from his travels abroad.
Lois nodded, shaking her head. “So, now we have a hard fact to take to Perry, but I’m not entirely convinced we won’t hit the same brick wall if we try to work this with EPRAD.”
“You’re probably right, but last I heard it’s called investigative journalism for a reason.” He let out a low grunt. “Especially when Luthor is concerned.”
“Well, lucky Metropolis had someone looking out for them these past few weeks,” Lois commented, running a hand across her face. “I swear it’s not always like that here.”
Clark let out a soft chuckle, “Well, somehow I don’t think the events over the last week would have occurred if I weren’t here.”
“Or if a certain billionaire wasn’t feeling threatened?” Lois prompted, nudging him in the side with her elbow.
“He’s not going to stop, Lois,” Clark ran a hand through his hair. “I never should have done this. I never should have come out of the shadows and…”
“And what…saved people from deadly situations and stopping disasters from happening?” Lois’ gaze turned sharply to him.
“I can’t be everywhere at once.”
“So what, you just give up and let him bully you?” Lois asked, turning to look at him in surprise. “You can’t let him get away with this.”
“I don’t have anything to fight back with. I’m just a nobody that happens to have these abilities…”
“And happens to use them to save the Space Station, stop a bomb, rescue two people from plummeting to their death and prevent a nuclear explosion….” Lois listed off each item on her hand. “You’re right, such a waste. What was I thinking? Who are you to try and get a simple minded businessman to follow little things like laws….”
“Ha, ha,” Clark tapped his hand against the file in his hand. “You’ve made your point.”
“Have I?” Lois crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him with a raised brow. “You can’t seriously be thinking of giving up…”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, unsure where he stood with Lois’ gaze on him.
“Look at all the good you’ve done in your short time in Metropolis. Lex Luthor has built up businesses and provided jobs but it could never amount to everything you’ve done. If what we suspect is even half true he can’t be left to stand in power unchallenged. People need someone to stand up and say something is wrong.”
“And you think I’m that person?” Clark frowned, letting out a heavy breath. “I don’t even have a name for this cape and boots and…”
“Well, Perry had a name,” Lois grinned back at him.
“Super Man?” he shook his head.
“It’s got a good ring to it,” She shrugged her shoulders.
“You really think so?” he asked.
“Super powers. Superman.” She grinned.
“What if it’s not enough?” he asked, feeling his insecurities tumble off his lips without a second thought. He caught himself, wondering why he’d given voice to that fear.
“It is for one person.” Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek momentarily before meeting his gaze with a long pause.
He felt a hard lump fill his throat as he attempted to voice a response. The more time he spent around Lois the deeper he fell into the intoxicating trance that overpowered him when he was around her. It was as addictive as any drug and equally dangerous. She had the power to destroy him with a swipe of a pen.
“Maybe,” Clark agreed. “So, Superman, huh?”
“Yeah,” she grinned back at him. “Though you have to make it official with an interview for the Planet. We don’t want another paper picking up the name and running with it…”
“Even though Perry already beat us to it?” Clark asked.
“Well, he dubbed a headline,” she reminded him.
“I guess I owe you that exclusive.”
“As long as you’re not planning on running with your tail between your legs back to Nebraska…”
“Kansas.”
“Midwest Nowheresville without a syndicated paper…”
“They have newspapers…”
________________________________________
TBC....
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