Three Rules
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 6
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Superman: Metropolis’ Hero
By Lois Lane The hero's colorful photo in blue and red graced the front page of the Daily Planet with Lois Lane’s exclusive interview with the elusive hero dubbed Superman. Lex set the paper down, reaching over to take a sip of his coffee. A soft caw from the balcony ledge caught his attention, and he smiled, holding his arm out to offer a place for the hawk to land.
“I think we’ll suspend testing, for the time being, Asabi,” he instructed as the hawk landed on his gloved hand. “The results are substantially complete. I’m very pleased.”
“But I don’t understand, Mr. Luthor. This Superman has proved himself unbeatable. You failed to frighten him off…”
“Yes, he's tough.” Lex agreed with Asabi, nodding his head with a shrug, “In fact, he's the opponent I've been waiting for. Unbeatable? No. Superman has a defect, a chink in his armor.”
“What is that?” Asabi asked.
“Superman has morals. He has ethics. He is unrelentingly good.” Lex paused a moment, staring out across the city below him as he uttered a promise more to himself than to Asabi, “Because of that, I will win.”
“To your inevitable victory, Mr. Luthor,” Asabi held up a fine china teacup with freshly brewed tea for him to take.
Lex reached his hand out to take the teacup from him, inhaling the fragrant tea before taking a sip. He turned to Asabi and asked, “What’s on the schedule this morning?”
“The meeting with the Senate Leader over the disbursement of Bureau 39’s assets is at ten. There’s a board meeting this afternoon with LexTech, and Mr. Bender has requested a meeting this afternoon.”
Lex nodded, setting the teacup in his hand on the table next to him. “Yes, set up a meeting with Mr. Bender after my meeting with the board.” He waved to Asabi, signaling to him he was dismissed, and leaned over to pick up the article he’d read over earlier about the supposed Man of Steel. The tests he’d performed had certainly brought to light the capabilities of this Superman, but there was still so much more to uncover. The future was unbelievably bright, and he couldn’t help but salivate over the upcoming victory.
The article gave Superman an introduction as if Ms. Lane was introducing a friend, championing all the good he had done for the city and insisting he be given the citizens of Metropolis’ undying trust. His mouth twitched as he scanned the article, setting his gaze on the small thumb size photo of Lois Lane by her by-line. He would of course, expect nothing short of the best from the top investigative journalist of the Daily Planet, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t something more to the less than critical tone to her article on his nemesis.
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A weary had ran its way across Jason Trask’s face as he stared at the empty compound, letting out a snort in disgust. After dedicating himself to the government in his pursuit for truth he had been tossed aside like an afterthought. Nothing.
He turned on his heel, walking toward the open lot where his old Ford was parked, preparing himself for his next move. The mission was not over. The enemy had stepped out of the shadows, and he would bring him to his knees before he had a chance to unleash his power on humanity. This was one war he wouldn’t lose.
Unlike the traitors that had let their guard down around this supposed hero, he could see right through the charade. He would not let the Earth be destroyed because the bumbling idiots in Washington couldn’t recognize the danger they had put the country in by dismantling Bureau 39.
It was a fatal mistake they would regret, but he would be prepared.
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The soft hum of the air conditioner echoed through the thin walls of the newly appointed director’s office. Lois bit down on her lower-lip, tapping her pen against the notepad in front of her as she watched the man’s beady eyes dart around the room, looking anywhere but in her direction.
“I don’t think you understand just how dangerous what your adventure on our Messenger spacecraft has done to the program….”
“Well, it can’t have been any more damaging than it literally blowing up mid-flight,” Lois countered, holding back her frustration with all her might.
Perry had set up the interview for the Planet as a way to smooth things over after her disastrous run-in with EPRAD’s team after Clark’s initial rescue. Explaining her presence and the bomb that was nowhere in sight by the time the authorities had arrived left her in the hot seat with EPRAD. Explaining that Clark had swallowed the bomb and ripped the sealed door off its hinges had proven a challenge as neither the authorities or the passengers believed her until they saw Clark actually fly the Messenger into orbit.
“We still haven’t completely exonerated the Daily Planet from the investigation into the sabotage,” the director advised, folding his hands across his chest.
Lois shook her head in disgust, “Well, then perhaps you should invest in a better security system.” With that she stood up from her seat, storming out the door of the director’s office. She turned the corner, letting out an aggravated sigh as she moved past the scattered suits throughout the long walkway leading to the exit.
Frustration filled her veins as she pushed past the security check leading to the elevator doors. An aggravated sigh escaped her lips as she fished out her security badge and press pass in order to board the elevator. As she pulled the security badge out of her purse, she looked over her shoulder, spotting the director standing outside his door and shaking hands with an unknown woman in a dark suit that hadn’t been there before. She quickly grabbed the disposable camera in her bag and took a few quick photos discreetly before reaching her turn in line to pass through the security check.
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Lex leaned over the report in his hand, biting his lower lip as he jotted down his notes from the dissolution summary he had been provided. The information he’d been given from the Senate Leader hinted that Bureau 39’s activities went much further than what the public knew. Several bunkers full of unmarked evidence gathered solidified that fact.
“Mr. Luthor?”
He looked up, spotting Asabi in his doorway, and waved him in. “Yes, Asabi, please come in.”
“An update from Mrs. Cox,” Asabi advised, handing him a thin manilla envelope. “Your investment with the new director appears to have paid off.”
“Excellent,” Lex chimed, leaning back in his seat as he flipped through the file in front of him. Inside was a detailed summary of a project drafted by EPRAD to provide him the unredacted file on Washington’s insistence on keeping Bureau 39’s existence quiet for so long.
He stared at the photo of a man in his mid-thirties with a report of an unknown spacecraft landing in the late sixties that led to the Bureau's establishment and founding by Agent Jason Trask. He smiled to himself, wondering aloud, “I don’t suppose our new friend has an inkling to just where Mr. Trask is hanging his boots?”
“Unfortunately, the last he was seen was just before Bureau 39 was shut down in Washington.” Asabi advised.
“Well, I suppose that gives us somewhere to start.”
“Of course, Mr. Luthor.”
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Clark peeled back the thick file folder in front of him, sifting through the reports he and Lois had received from the medical offices on the list of patents. He still suspected the list they’d received from LexCorp was lacking but it was a start.
“Hey, CK, another fax from Luthor Medical,” Jimmy held up a large handful of the new fax in his hand.
Clark waved him over and nodded, “Just put it down anywhere. I’m still going through all of this…”
“Yeah,” Jimmy set the file down, shaking his head. “Still trying to chase down all those patents?”
“It’s the only lead we have to follow right now,” Clark advised, highlighting one of the names on the sheet in front of him.
“Yeah, it feels like there’s a half-completed jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces and no directions on how to put it together…” Jimmy agreed with a defeated sigh. “Kinda like my life.” He let out an uneasy breath, looking back toward the editor’s office. “Two years out of college and still doing everything but journalism….”
“Have you tried talking to Perry about it?” Clark asked, turning to his friend with a raised brow. He’d seen the grunt jobs Perry often sent Jimmy on. Heck, his interview was interrupted by Jimmy’s update on Perry’s golf cart repair. Though he hadn’t realized just how long Jimmy had become the go-to person for grunt work at the Planet.
“Perry White looks at me and sees Mr. Fix-It or Mr. Go-Get-It. He doesn’t seem me as a real journalist.” Jimmy brushed him off with a defeated wave of the hand. “How often do you see him ask anyone else to go on a coffee run— Or fix foot massagers — Or reorganize Elvis plates?”
“Jimmy, you have to stand up for yourself. Show him you want to be taken seriously,” Clark advised, trying to counsel the young man.
“Stand up to Perry White? No way. I’d be out of a job,” Jimmy said.
“You never know until you try,” Clark responded, placing his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder with a supportive squeeze.
Jimmy nodded in agreement as Clark’s attention was drawn to the elevator doors Lois had just stepped out of. Jimmy let out a chuckle, “I guess that’s my cue.” He stood up from his seat and looked back at Clark with the shake of his head, “I wouldn’t get my hopes up, CK. Two things are always certain. The Daily Planet will publish rain or shine and the only relationship Lois Lane is interested in is the pursuit of her next Kerth.”
Clark’s head jerked back with a sharp stare as he looked at Jimmy in surprise by the comment.
Jimmy shrugged back at him, “You’re my friend and I care about you, but the only thing that will ever come is friendship with Lois. I’ve seen it happen before. Don’t get your hopes up. Expecting anything more is just asking for trouble.”
With that, Jimmy moved off, heading toward Perry’s office as Lois approached with a fresh cup of coffee in hand and a paper bag from the local photo shop down the street. Lois reached out to hand him the extra cup. “Double mocha extra fat, extra cream.”
“Thanks,” Clark reached out to take the cup from her.
She checked over her shoulder before adding, “Some of us have to actually watch what we eat because we don’t have a metabolism that allows us to eat like an eight year old and not reap the consequences.” She held up her own coffee cup before taking a sip.
“I’ll try to keep my eating like an elementary school aged kid to a minimum.” He chuckled, shaking his head as she gave him a teasing grin.
He was in trouble.
“What’s that?” he asked, pointing at the bag in her hand.
“I don’t know,” she perched herself on the edge of his desk and laid the glossy photos out for him. “Apparently the director at EPRAD still blames me and the Daily Planet for the blemish on his record so that was a dud, but when I was leaving I saw this woman who was not on the floor before I arrived or when I was leaving but magically appeared….I don’t know. I thought it might be worth looking into.”
Clark frowned, taking a sip from his coffee again and reaching for the report he had on Nanosoft’s patent. It had been sold through a private negotiation that Bob Fences had advised was headed by an unknown woman. The woman’s description fit the photo Lois had taken.
“Well, I don’t know. It’s suspiciously close to Fences’ description of the negotiator on Luthor Space Station’s claim.”
“You think we might be able to connect her back to Lex Luthor or at least to the two thugs that were waiting outside the hospital last week?” Lois wondered aloud.
“Nigel and Asabi are both ghosts in the system,” Clark reminded her. “Without getting the government to unseal their records we’re at clue and a half, but it’s a start. It has to lead somewhere.”
“One can only hope.”
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Lex Luthor boarded his private jet, reaching for a glass of fine champagne as he prepared for takeoff. It appeared the breadcrumbs had been laid by Jason Trask but he was never a patient man. A trip to Washington to uncover his whereabouts was the only way to get the answers he so desperately needed. The change of scenery would be a welcome distraction with the apparent changing of the guard.
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The next morning the Daily Planet was full of excitement and activity as reporters moved through the newsroom at a frantic pace, attempting to chase down their next lead. Lois set her things down at her desk, stealing a glance across the aisle to where Clark had settled into his desk across from hers. A position he had claimed during their recent work on the EPRAD story. She took a sip of her coffee, savoring the warm flavors as she turned back to her desk.
“Wow, that must be some coffee, Lois, you’re practically drooling,” Cat sneered, walking up behind her and brushing the fur coat against her as she stopped in front of Lois’ desk. Lois felt a crimson pink cross her cheeks as Cat leaned in to whisper, “Or are you drooling over …other things?”
Lois rolled her eyes, pushing the innuendo Cat was hinting at off her shoulders with ease as she claimed her seat, looking at the gossip columnist with a heavy sigh, “Isn’t it a bit early for you to be in? I thought you only came out on a full moon.”
“Ha! So close and yet still unable to deliver those one liners,” Cat shot back with a smirk, following her gaze to where Clark was seated, “So, I guess the rumors are true then. The infamous Mad Dog Lane has chipped away some of the ice. Should I get a bucket?”
“Not unless you need something to sit on while you recover from the shock that contrary to popular belief of well, you, one’s social life doesn’t equate to front page news.”
“Who said anything about front page news?” Cat asked, pulling out her copy of the Planet with the photo of Clark rescuing the colonists at EPRAD’s launch last week. She let out a low whistle, “Seems tall, dark and handsome isn’t the only one turning heads…” She smirked at Lois, “What exactly happened at the Space Station last week?”
Lois glared at her. “And you wonder why nobody ever takes you seriously?”
Before Cat could respond Lois heard her name being called from Perry’s office. She glanced over to where Clark’s desk, noting his absence briefly before making her way to her editor’s office.
Lois reached Perry’s office, standing in the doorway as Perry waved her in. She nodded to Clark who was standing on the otherside of the doorway.
“Lois, Clark, come on in,” he signaled for her to close the door behind her. “Go on and take a seat.” He claimed the chair at his desk and Lois took a seat across from Perry, wondering momentarily what the sudden beckon to Perry’s office meant.
“I, uh, want to start with congratulations, Lois, that piece on Superman has everyone talking and asking for more. The publisher’s ecstatic that the Planet nabbed the first interview. Keep up the good work.”
Lois flashed a weak smile, feeling a blush cross her cheeks at the attention before Perry continued.
“The publisher’s also taken notice of the work you two did on Dr. Platt’s murder and the reported sabotage.” Perry explained calmly.
“The story we weren’t allowed to print?” Lois pressed curiously.
“It didn’t go to print but our publisher still has access to the unprinted content on the Planet’s database.” Perry furrowed his brow. “As of right now, the Planet isn’t willing to stick its neck out on the sabotage story against Lex Luthor, but if you were to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter with follow ups looking into parties equally possible as suspects and Mr. Luthor was listed among those suspects the publisher wouldn’t stop us from printing and we would be covered legally.”
“Does this mean we can continue the sabotage story?” Lois asked giddily.
“It means you can continue working on it among other current stories,” Perry clarified, looking between the two of them. “Together.” He cleared his throat sternly adding, “I’m temporarily assigning you both as partners. The EPRAD story and any future assignments will be handled together.”
Lois bit her lower-lip, uncertain how to respond. On one hand, she hated the idea of being saddled to another reporter’s by-line, but Clark had already proven his worth and if she had to be partnered with anyone she’d rather it be someone she could hold down a conversation with and not run screaming from the room.
Lois exchanged a look with Clark momentarily before nodding to Perry who had drifted into an Elvis yarn. She shrugged her shoulders. It certainly would be interesting. What was the worst that could happen?
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TBC...
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