Three RulesFolc4evernaday
Chapter 8
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Southside Fires Take Over the City!
By Lois Lane and Clark KentThe front page of the Daily Planet was wrinkled beneath the stack of thin manilla folders and a coffee ring from day-old coffee mugs. Johnny Taylor ran a weary hand across his face as he looked across the smoke-filled stage where the try-outs of different girls vying for a spot in his elusive club. Not that he could blame them. The Metro Club was known for its elusive clientele and gorgeous girls.
“Johnny?”
He looked over to where his sister Toni was standing over him with a disapproving scowl. He let out a low chuckle, “Boy, you get that look on your face, and you look like ma.”
“What are you going to do about this?” Toni slapped the latest edition of the Daily Planet on the table for him with a glossy photo on the Southside district in flames.
“I’m working on it,” Johnny said with a noncommittal wave. Not really sure what he was supposed to do about the arson that had erupted almost overnight.
“Leo’s place was burned last week and now Donnie’s,” Toni fumed, shaking her head.
“I’m handling it!” Johnny slammed his fist on the table, causing Toni to jump back.
“They pay us for protection,” Toni reminded him coolly. “Protection we can’t offer.” Before he could counter her comment, she turned to storm off
“They pay us for protection,” Johnny muttered under his breath, mocking his sister as he turned back to the stage, returning to his task of selecting a new dancer for the evening act.
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Lois raised her arm above her brow, shielding the sun as she gazed up at the clinic that was set ablaze. The crowd around her was filled with patients and nurses that had been rescued and fellow journalists covering the fires. This was the third one in the last week, and yet again, the flames had overtaken the firefighters fighting the blaze.
She walked past the LNN Announcer, giving her take on the day’s troubling events as the camera rolled.
“Another case of arson has drawn firefighters to the Southside district. This makes three in the last week, and tensions continue to rise as Metropolis Fire Department officials have no leads.”
A rumbling of activity near the awaiting ambulance caught her attention, and Lois moved toward the barrier to investigate. Detective Henderson and Fire Marshall Lawrence stood by with a small trio of awaiting ambulatory workers.
“What’s going on?” Lois asked, pointing toward the clinic that was still ablaze that held the group’s attention.
“Another fire in less than a week’s time,” Lawrence muttered, shaking his head.
Henderson’s jaw tightened as a chirp came across the radio hooked on his belt, and a frantic cry came on the frequency.
“This place is going to cave in. There’s a custodian trapped on the top floor, but we can’t get to him…”
A loud crackle screeched through the frequency, and a loud crack was heard. Lois looked up, spotting the familiar red and blue streak as glass shattered from above.
A voice in the crowd shouted, “Superman!”
“It’s Superman!” another voice cheered.
Lois felt the corners of her mouth twitch when she spotted an exhausted Clark carrying the dazed man in his arms. The crowd grew more frantic and chaotic as Clark landed, and ambulatory workers approached with a stretcher, assessing the victim’s vitals as Clark helped answer the questions that were being hurled at him from varying directions.
“Not going to join the jackals today, Lois?” Henderson asked, clearing his throat.
“Same story, different day.” Lois raised her brow, turning back to Henderson with her arms crossed over her chest. “I’m more interested in covering why these fires keep happening.”
“Not interested in keeping the same story going all week, huh?” Henderson chuckled, shaking his head.
“Every fire is in Southside. I can’t be the only one to have picked up on that,” Lois observed aloud.
“We are investigating the source of the arsons that have erupted in Metropolis.”
“Any comment on the fact that the last three arsons have been on businesses supposedly protected by the Metro Gang?” Lois asked, tapping her hand on the edge of her notepad.
Henderson chuckled, shaking his head. “I enjoy reading your stories, Lois. It always gives me a new perspective.”
“Is that your way of saying ‘No comment’?” Lois guessed with a heavy sigh.
“Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us tomorrow,” He held his paper mug up and took a sip, then moved off. Lois narrowed her gaze at him, staring across the chaos that had been left in the wake of the recent arson.
Lois let out a defeated sigh and turned to leave, backing away from the crowd and finding her way to the alleyway she had parked on. The chaos from the distance continued to ring in her ears as she looked around the narrow street, noting the passersby seeming to be unfazed by the arson. She set her sights on the small neon light dimly lit at the end of the alley with a ‘Now Hiring’ sign under the white and black script sign that read ‘Metro Club.’ Before she could talk herself out of the idea that had begun to form in her head, she quickly ducked inside her Jeep to change.
The music from the club reached her ears as she walked inside, keeping her eyes peeled as she pushed the door open. The barkeep at the front pointed her toward the dining room where the stage was lit up, and the girls were performing their auditions.
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The newsroom was filled with a chaotic buzz as Lois set her sights on the coffee station, where she found her partner preparing his own cup for the afternoon. “You read my mind,” she smiled at him, reaching over to pour her own cup.
“Busy afternoon?” Clark asked, turning to follow her back to her desk with his own coffee cup in hand.
“Something like that,” Lois sighed, shaking her head as she pointed toward the coverage from earlier on the recent arson. “I’ve been following this string of arson attacks in Southside and seeing if I can find a connection.”
“Anything spring to mind?” Clark asked, following her gaze. “The Fire Marshall is stumped, and the detectives assigned to investigate aren’t much help either.”
“I have a lead, maybe,” she shrugged her shoulders. “But it’s a stretch.”
“What’s a stretch?” Clark asked curiously.
“Well, the fires have all been at businesses paying the Metro Gang for protection,” Lois summarized, taking a sip from her cup. “So, I’m going to go undercover at the Metro Club and see if I can flesh out anything.”
“Are you crazy?” Clark’s jaw tightened into a square as he shook his head adamantly. “Lois, those guys aren’t just club owners. They’re gangsters. Sleep with the fishes and disappear, never to be heard from again…Ring any bells? Their calling card has been littered across the obituaries for the last month.”
“I know how to handle myself, Clark. I’ve gone undercover with dangerous characters before. I’ll keep a low profile and see what I can find out.”
“You’re in over your head on this one, Lois.” Clark advised, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t get why you didn’t at least talk to me about this before trying something so risky.”
“Just because we’re partners doesn’t mean I can’t chase a lead on my own,” Lois countered with a heavy sigh. “Not that it’s even a solid lead yet.” She let out a huff, “I can handle myself without backup.”
“And if something went wrong, what’s your plan?” Clark asked.
“I don’t need back-up.”
“Don’t need back-up on what?” Perry asked, walking up to them with a curious look.
Lois shook her head, “Nothing.”
Clark turned to Perry and pleaded, “Chief, try and talk some sense into her, would you?”
“Ever try to milk a steer, son?” Perry smirked, turning to Lois with a heavy sigh.
“Ha, ha,” Lois rolled her eyes and then gestured at Clark, “It’s nothing, Chief. Clark here would rather give up the scoop on the Southside arsons than let me take a few small chances.”
“A
few chances?” Clark echoed aghast. “You want to go undercover where an exit interview is being taken out back and shot and that’s a little chance?”
“Now, Lois…” Perry gave her a stern gaze.
“Would Woodward and Bernstein have won that Pulitzer if they didn’t take a little risk?” Lois countered.
Perry sighed, shaking his head, “Now, Kent, it’s always been my policy to stand behind my reporters one hundred percent.” He pointed to the window above them and continued. “Now, if you went up to those windows and told me you could fly, I’d back you up. I’d miss you, but I’d back you up.”
“Thanks, Chief,” Lois cheered.
“Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go in without backup,” Perry advised, wagging his finger at Lois.
“Backup?” Lois cringed as Perry pointed at Clark. “No.” she shook her head at Clark. “Perry come on, I don’t need a baby-sitter.”
“You can always take Jimmy,” Perry offered.
Lois groaned, shaking her head as Perry moved off with a soft yodel. She turned back to Clark with a scowl. “This is a bad idea.”
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Clark tucked the pen behind his ear as he looked around the large office, catching a glimpse of the large table Lex Luthor had setup on display for the crowd. A photographer stood next to Luthor, snapping the promotional photo.
Lex looked on as he motioned for everyone to gather around and then pointed to the colorful display. “Schools, shops, restaurants, theaters, offices, apartments: a self-contained community. A giant step forward in urban reawakening. A new, bright jewel in Metropolis’ crown.”
“With the uptick in arson in Southside, aren't you worried about making such a large investment in Southside at this time?” Clark asked, catching the miffed expression on Luthor’s face as he met his gaze.
“I never worry, I act,” Lex responded, offering a charismatic smile, turning back to the crowd of reporters, waiting for the next question.
Unwilling to let Lex get off so easily, Clark pressed the issue with another question. “So, is your plan to rely on faith to protect your multi-million dollar investment, Mr. Luthor, or is there something more substantial being implemented?”
A flicker of a scowl crossed Lex’s face for a moment before he recovered and smiled, “Metropolis must strike at the root of the plague that continues to drag its citizens down. When a tree is sick, you don't merely trim its branches, but you cut down the entire tree.”
“Are you suggesting the Southside district is a plague on Metropolis?” Nicole Knight from the STAR asked.
“Suggesting, no,” Lex shook his head. “Every city has its blemishes, and Southside is Metropolis,’ but with this revitalization project, we hope to rectify this and restore the city to its true glory.”
“By cutting down the blemishes?” Nicole asked with a smirk.
“If necessary,” Lex smiled, “Southside is currently a blight on the face of our fair city. LexHarbor will change all that.”
“How do you respond to accusations that coercion was used to pressure the city council to approve this project without appropriate study?” Clark asked, watching for a reaction from Luthor.
The scowl returned to Lex’s face once more. “I don't respond to accusations. I'm more concerned with results. I believe in this city. I believe we can empower ourselves and take back our streets from crime and gang influence.”
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Clark tugged on his tie, looking around the dimly lit room of the Metro Club. From the cusp of the crowd, he could see the glamorous sparkle from the dancers on the stage amid the misty smoke that filled the air. It wasn’t his first time in a setting like this, but he wasn’t exactly in his own skin. The shimmering lights and overflowing drinks among the patrons kept the ambiance of the Metro Club going. From the corner of the room, he spotted Lex Luthor with Miranda on his arm, talking with the bartender.
Lois had been undercover for the last three days as a new trainee at the Metro Club. So far, nothing but tips to avoid being harassed and a visual on the clientele that visited the Metro Club had been garnered from experience. He had thankfully been able to blend into the crowds and keep tabs on the happenings at the club without drawing attention to himself.
Not only had he had the challenge of working undercover alongside Lois, but he had also been pulled into rescue after the rescue to help assist the Metropolis Fire Department in keeping the out-of-control fires that had taken over the southside of Metropolis.
He moved through the crowd, trying to get close enough to catch the conversation Lex Luthor was having with the blonde-haired woman at the bar. He walked toward the stage, keeping a close eye on Luthor as the conversation transpired.
“Mr. Luthor, this is a surprise.”
“I always like to examine the product before investing.”
A hand poked out from behind the curtain, beckoning him toward it - which he immediately recognized as Lois’. Her soft murmur tickled his eardrums, droning out the conversation with Luthor and the woman at the bar he had been trying to listen in on. “Clark, what are you doing? You’re going to stick out like a sore thumb pacing around back here?”
He pulled the curtain back and stepped inside as Lois faced him with a scowl on her face. “It’s kinda hard to keep tabs on everything with you interrupting me every two seconds.”
“You’re the only one over here,” she gestured to the back stage before crossing her arms over her chest, “I thought you were supposed to be keeping a low profile.”
“I was…I am.” He corrected as he looked around the dressing room he was standing in. He pointed to the yellow feathers poking out from beneath her robe, “Are those feathers?”
“No…” Lois tightened the robe around her.
“Looks like feathers to me,” Clark chuckled, pointing to the yellow feather on the floor.
She quickly shook her head, “Did you find anything out from the Fire Marshall?”
He grinned, knowing exactly what she was doing, but decided not to press his luck. “Message came in while you were out. Unknown source of the fires remains the same.”
“Four fires in the last three days with the same heat source no one can identify,” Lois muttered in disbelief.
“Anything show up while you were training today?” Clark asked with a smirk. “I mean, besides the chicken feathers?”
“Ha, ha,” Lois rolled her eyes. “Don’t you have a billionaire to go spy on?”
“Five minutes!” the stagehand called out to her through the door.
“I was, and then someone insisted I come back here,” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Rather forcefully if I might add.”
“That’s it. Go back to working the crowd.”
Clark shook his head, “But then I’d miss your debut. I promised Jimmy pictures…”
“Places! That means you, sweet thing.” The stagehand called out.
“Don’t you dare,” she scolded, wagging her finger at him. He fought the chuckle in his throat, wondering momentarily how far he could push the teasing banter before she snapped. Her lower lip pursed into a pout as her eyebrows narrowed and she looked as if she was about to add to her threat when a loud bang and the screams of the crowd in the dining room startled them both, causing them to jump.
“Something tells me that’s not the opening act,” Clark muttered, pulling his glasses off and preparing for a change in costume. He quickly spun into a blur of red and blue pixels, changing into his Superman suit within seconds.
With a gentle push he flew out into the dining room, preparing to face whatever threat had made its presence known to the patrons of the Metro Club. What he found was an empty room with four men dressed in metallic suits aiming their weapons at the stage and blasting the room with flames from the devices in their hands.
“Metros, there’s a new act in town!”
“You’re dead, Johnny!”
Clark spotted a blonde-haired bewildered man bolting toward the office just before it burst into flames.
‘That must be Johnny,’ he guessed as he flew toward him, shielding the unsuspecting man from the flames and aiming a blast of freezing breath at the flames.
“Out! Everyone out!”
He looked over to see Lois ushering the patrons toward the door. Toward the back of the stage, he spotted the blonde woman who had been sitting with Lex Luthor earlier cornered by the flames. With a blast of freezing breath, he snuffed the flames out and reached over to lift up the wooden door that had fallen and trapped her.
“Come on,” Lois waved toward the door as Johnny was making his way toward the exit. Clark flew the woman to where Lois was, ushering her out as well.
He looked back to where the intruders had been standing a few moments ago, shaking his head in dismay when he saw they had disappeared. He aimed a blast of freezing breath at the flames, snuffing them out before he cleared the air with a deep breath, inhaling the smoke and revealing the damage the intruders had done.
‘Toasters’ was printed in ashy residue the arsonists had left on the wall above the stage.
“I guess we finally know what the unknown cause of those fires was,” Lois commented, walking up to him with a shake of her head. “Toasters. How original.”
“Flame throwers turned into deadly weapons.” Clark pointed to the wall. “I’m guessing that’s the Toasters’ M.O.”
“How do we stop them from burning Metropolis down?” Lois asked, looking around the ashy debris.
“I don’t know.”
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TBC....
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