Three Rules
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 9
________________________________________
Jason Trask peered across the room to where an elderly couple stood at the counter with an older man, exchanging pleasantries while checking out. The clerk motioned to the bags and the couple waved good-bye with the other man they’d been conversing with. Trask placed the paper he’d been hiding behind back on the shelf and followed the couple from a safe distance.
Three names had shown up on the Bureau 39 report as suspected interference in the bureau’s retrieval of the unidentified object that had crashed in Smallville in 1966. Though the object had been retrieved eventually he still had nothing linking him to the traitors that had harbored the alien known as Superman all these years.
That would soon change.
________________________________________
The double doors to the waiting room opened, revealing an irritated Lois Lane as she tore the hospital bracelet off her wrist, shoving the paperwork from her visit into her purse as she pointed toward the door. “Have you been out here this whole time?” she asked as she walked up to him with an arched brow.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Clark responded, shoving his hands into the pockets of his suit jacket as he followed her toward the exit.
“I’m fine,” she harumphed with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know why everyone’s making such a big deal about this. It’s just a little smoke inhalation. The doctor said it’s nothing to worry about.”
“Mixed with whatever that stuff was that the inspector found under the stage,” Clark reminded her, keeping himself a few paces behind her.
“For all we know it could be a bad batch of moonshine,” Lois sniffed, shaking her head in dismay as she turned the corner to where the parking garage was located, searching for her Jeep.
Clark let out a low chuckle, “Well, it certainly had a stench to it.”
“Tell me about it,” Lois commented.
They reached the end of the walkway and came to the elevator leading up to the parking garage. Lois reached over to press the call button, looking around the parking garage. Her face softened as she turned back to him, jutting her chin out as her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek.
“So, I’m guessing Perry’s put you on protecting Lois from herself duty?” she asked, twisting her mouth into a tight purse of her lips.
“Perry didn’t send me,” Clark responded shyly, shrugging his shoulders. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She held her hands up for him to examine, “I’m not sure if you noticed but it take a little more than an exploding building to knock me down.” The elevator doors pinged open and she stepped inside with him close behind her. “I’m still in one piece and not going anywhere.”
A good-natured smile crossed his lips and he murmured, “Let’s hope not.”
Her eyes twinkled with a sparkle, twitching her lips into a bright smile accompanied by the dark intriguing eyes staring back at him with an almost magnetic hold that drew him to her on instinct. “I guess we have to figure out another angle to research the Metros. With the fire nearly torching the place I don’t know how solid my undercover assignment is going to be.”
“Well, maybe that’s a good thing,” Clark pointed out, brushing his thumb against the scrape on her left cheek.
“Not if we lose the trail on these bozos,” Lois muttered with a defeated sigh. “I thought we were finally getting somewhere.”
“We have a name,” Clark reminded her.
“Yeah, for all the good that does us,” Lois leaned her head against the elevator wall behind her. A smirk crossed her lips and she crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him expectantly, “You know, if it weren’t for me working undercover we never would have learned about the Toasters.”
“Uh-huh,” Clark shook his head, sensing where she was going with this.
“I mean, it’s almost like working undercover helped the investigation.” She continued with a bright twinkle in her eyes, pacing in front of him. “Like it’s a part of the job.”
“There’s a fine line between taking unnecessary risks and following a lead,” Clark let out a deep sigh, feeling the jabs from the point she was making grow more and more obvious.
“I don’t think that’s how you say ‘You were right, Lois’,” she grinned back at him, teasing the knot of his tie with her index finger.
He smirked at her, fighting the urge to lean in closer to her. It was really hard to think straight when she was standing this close to him. The intoxicating pull he felt when he was around her was enough to drive him mad. He wanted so desperately to push past the barrier that had been built between them, labeling him as ‘just a friend’ and explore the ever-evolving feelings he had for her. He wanted so much more but the risk of losing what they shared now terrified him. He wasn’t just risking his friendship with her but everything he’d built in Metropolis up until this moment.
“You can say it.” She grinned at him with flirtatious whisper.
“Say what?” he croaked out, wondering if he had missed something as he continued to push the almost impossible urge to kiss her out of his mind as she giggled.
“Repeat after me,
‘You’re right, Lois.’” She bit her lower-lip, leaning closer to him as she whispered in a sing-song voice, “Come on. You know you want to.”
His tongue darted out of his mouth, wetting his lower-lip as he felt his mouth go dry, trying to keep his focus as he stared into her entrancing dark eyes. “I…” The elevator doors pinged on the third level and he chuckled, pointing at the open doors and added, “Saved by the bell.”
________________________________________
Toni Taylor bit her lower-lip as she settled into the office chair that had once been her father’s and later on her brother, Johnny. She had hungered after the power that was held in this chair for years. Salivated over the changes she could make to the empire her family had built and nodded quietly as she had been pushed aside and put into the role of dutiful sister and obedient daughter.
They couldn’t even to begin to comprehend her potential. That was how she had been successful in claiming ownership of everything. Johnny had been a fool playing mob boss under the thumb of Lex Luthor expecting to cling onto the power their father had once wielded. It was a pipe dream that would never come
A light knock on the door frame drew her attention to the unexpected visitor that had darkened her doorway.
“Lou,” she smiled faintly at the right-hand man she had inherited from Johnny. Though his loyalty had been fierce to her brother it was to the business and the organization of the Metros that Lou truly stood by with unfaltering allegiance. “Johnny make it to the airport okay?”
“On the flight with an escort just like you asked, Ms. Taylor.” Lou nodded with a flick of his wrist, pointing his thumb behind him. “You, uh, expecting a visitor?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Toni’s lips pursed as she looked curiously over Lou’s shoulder, wondering who might be dropping by while the club was still in disarray from the attack on her brother a few nights ago.
“Want me to announce …?” Lou began to ask but found himself cut off as the visitor made his presence known.
“I don’t believe that’ll be necessary.”
Toni’s lips pursed when she saw Lex Luthor standing next to Lou with a stern gaze prompting her to wave to Lou, signaling Lex was welcome. “Thanks, Lou, I’ll take it from here.”
Lou nodded, looking between them before moving off and leaving her to handle Lex on her own.
Toni tapped her fingertips against the wooden grain of the executive desk she was seated at, watching as Lex strode inside the office, giving it a once over with his nose in the air before turning his attention to her.
“I see you’ve wasted no time in moving in,” he ran his finger against the ashy residue that covered the desk. “I suppose it might look a bit too eager to spruce the place up the day after you claimed your seat at the table.”
“I’ve had more important things on my mind, Lex,” Toni rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she gestured to the seat across from her. “Take a seat.”
“I think I’ll stand,” Lex countered, pulling a copy of the Daily Planet’s city section out and opening it to the second page where he pointed to the list of businesses that had been destroyed by the Toasters. “It appears your control on those hoodlums is slipping. Lex Labs was hit last night by the Toasters.”
“I’ll talk with them,” Toni said dismissively.
“You better, or I’ll be the one reminding them those weapons they enjoy so much can be reclaimed just as easily as they were given to them.”
“I’ll make sure they stay away from LexCorp,” Toni promised.
“Like you kept them away from Miranda’s Revenge formula?” Lex countered with a snarl.
“That was a mistake, Lex,” Toni fumed irritably. “No one knows it was here and any evidence linking back to LexLabs blew up with the backstage.”
“Just be glad your Toasters were the only ones exposed.” Lex fumed, shaking his head. “Another mess up like that and I’ll be sure everyone knows just how the Toasters came into power.”
“You do that and you’re sinking yourself, Lex,” Toni warned.
“Am I?” Lex countered with a sly smile. “Your precious Toasters have only met with you. The only one with even an inkling of the connection between those fires and my real estate venture is you. How exactly do you think that’ll go down in front of a judge and jury?”
“Get out.” Toni fumed.
________________________________________
Bill Henderson let out a heavy sigh as he pushed through the glass doors of the Metropolis P.D. lobby with Lois Lane and Clark Kent in tow. The glossy polaroid Lois was waving in his face showed the name of the ‘Toasters’ etched onto the Metro Club’s wall as she excitedly demanded the police do something.
“I’m not sure what you expect me to do here, Lois.” Henderson mused with a defeated sigh.
“Well, can’t you search for these guys in that database of yours?” Lois asked, motioning back toward his office.
Henderson rolled his eyes, “Sure, let me just hop on over and search for four guys in metal suits that respond to Toaster.” He shook his head, looking at her over the brim of his glasses. “Or did you have some other database in mind that isn’t the standard Metropolis P.D. issue.”
Clark’s jaw tightened to a square and he spoke up to ask, “What do you need in order to track these guys down?”
“Names, address, some kind of description to help narrow down the search other than non-descript characteristics that can be any average Joe off the street.” Henderson explained. “We want these guys off the street as bad as you do, but there’s not enough to go on.”
________________________________________
A loud crack echoed in the darkroom as Jason Trask lifted the crowbar against the crate, prying the lid open. He let out a low grunt as he reached up to wipe the sweat from his brow. Another grunt and shove against the wooden crate revealed the contents of the crate. He smiled to himself, reaching in to pull out a large manilla envelope with a small globe in the shape of the Earth.
He scanned the file, searching for anything that might hint at who or where to start in his search for the traitors that had given refuge to Superman all these years.
‘He didn’t just crash into the middle of nowhere without drawing attention to himself,’ Trask thought to himself, tossing the globe in the air. He pressed the top of it with his thumb, hoping for a reaction but found no response.
‘Useless,’ he tossed it back in the crate and turned back to the file in his hand.
________________________________________
Lois reached over to claim an eggroll from the takeout carton in front of her, skimming through the list of delinquents that had been arrested in the last year for arson. It was a long shot but it was the only place she or Clark could think to start. They had to do something and sitting around waiting for the Toasters to strike while they worked undercover was getting them nowhere.
“Well, there goes that one,” Lois sighed, crossing another name off the list and taking a bite from her eggroll. She pointed to the receipt on the table printed in Chinese and wondered aloud, “So do you get jetlag flying all over the place or are you invulnerable to that too?”
“No jet lag.”
“So not fair,” She took another bite of her eggroll. Her gaze moved across the table to where Clark was seated as she mulled over the conversation from earlier. What had come over her? She had lost all sense of restraint in a matter of seconds. Her lips tightened into a round ‘oh’ as she watched the tip of his pen brush against his lips before pulling it away.
What is wrong with you?
“Sorry. Can’t help it.” He shrugged his shoulders, pointing at the file in front of her she was working through. “You were saying?”
Saying? I was saying something?Her mind went blank as she looked down at the file in front of her, trying to will her brain to focus on the story.
Stop it.Don’t you remember what happened with Claude?
Obviously not. “Kinda hard to plan mass arson of the city when you’re in Shady Brooke,” Lois responded, crossing the name one last time and moving to the next on her list. “This feels so pointless. We’re never going to get through them all.”
“I can go through these in a few minutes,” Clark offered.
“And cross-reference them with the database each time?” Lois asked, pointing to the laptop set up in front of him.
“Okay, maybe several minutes,” Clark acknowledged with a smile.
Her lower lip tucked inside her upper lip and she felt her jaw tighten to suppress an inward groan.
Get a grip. “Uh-huh,” Lois smirked back at him. “I like to pull my own weight.”
“I’ve noticed,” Clark responded, tapping at the keyboard, leaning in to hold up the name in front of him and compare it to what’s on the screen. “This is taking forever.”
“Well, look on the bright side.”
“What’s that?”
“You only have twenty-two more letters to go.” She rolled her eyes and offered him a quick grin. “Besides, it could be worse.”
“I know, but the longer it takes the more time these guys have to set fire somewhere else.” He let out a defeated sigh, “They’re getting more and more bold with each fire.”
“Somehow I suspect this latest one was personal.”
“The leader called out to Johnny Taylor.” Clark mused. “Maybe it was personal?”
“Maybe,” Lois shrugged her shoulders. “He didn’t get where he is by making friends.”
“Which is another reason you shouldn’t be…”
“Ah, ah, ah,” Lois wagged her finger at him. “Don’t even try it. We wouldn’t even know about the Toasters if I weren’t working undercover.”
Clark let out a begrudging nod before adding, “I can think of less dangerous ways to work an investigation.”
“Sure, when we’ve got time to work sources, but unless you want downtown Metropolis to resemble a charcoal briquette this is the only way. Besides, we can use this to see who else in this city is corrupt.”
“Other than Luthor you mean?” Clark ventured.
“And Senator Harrington.”
“That one didn’t surprise me,” Clark acknowledged, reaching over to take a sip of his cola.
Lois pushed the paperwork in front of her away and turned to Clark, “I think this is as far as we’re going to get for now. I’ve got to get going.”
“Early shift?” Clark asked.
Lois smiled, “You’re looking at the Metro Club’s newest singer.”
“Is that a good idea?” Clark asked, “Being out on stage like that might draw attention to yourself and put a target on your back.”
Lois caught the concern in his eyes, but brushed him off with a confident smile, patting his shoulder as she stood from her seat, turning to leave.
“Or give us a chance to draw the Toasters out and stop them for good.”
________________________________________
Velvet chords flowed through the air as Lex Luthor strode into the Metro Club, taking a moment to admire the scenery as the dancers moved past him with a flirtatious grin. A reaction he was used to by now, but he had little time to divulge in the desires of the flesh at the moment.
He strode toward the back office where he found Toni chatting up one of the bartenders. He held a stern gaze, pointing toward her office, “Ms. Taylor, I believe we’re overdue for a chat about our mutual friends?”
“Whatever do you mean?” Toni asked innocently.
Lex held up the cover of the Daily Planet’s evening edition with a photo of herself next to Johnny’s blasting the power move of the Metros that covered the page. An aghast expression filled her eyes as she grabbed the paper, shaking her head in dismay.
“How did this become front-page news?”
“It seems to me you have a leak, Ms. Taylor.” He looked around the club suspiciously.
“No one knew about this other than those in the boardroom,” Toni mumbled aloud.
“Your trusted allies,” Lex mused before countering. “Or are they?”
________________________________________
Clark stood at the end of the bar, sipping on his drink and watching as Lex Luthor led Toni Taylor toward the back room away from prying eyes. He tuned his super-hearing into the room to overhear the conversation while nursing the drink in his hand.
“I can’t just shut them down now. How will that look?”
“It’ll look like you’ve used them to their full potential and are eliminating those that can destroy the both of us.”
“You mean destroy you, don’t you? What’s wrong can’t handle not having your every word worshiped?”
“You need me.”
“I don’t need anything or anyone.”A loud tapping of the drums and cymbals by the band immediately tuned the conversation out as he tapped at his ear, trying to recover from the loud intrusion. He spotted the familiar silhouette on stage and smiled when he heard the introduction.
“Introducing Lola Dane….”
His gaze darkened when he spotted Luthor exiting the back room with Toni Taylor catching sight of Lois on stage.
‘Oh, no,’ Clark though to himself, moving toward the stage in an attempt to warn her.
________________________________________
The lights dimmed and Lois stepped out on stage as the spotlight shone on her. She spotted Toni Taylor, the new head of the Metros sitting off to the side at the same table as Lex Luthor.
What is he doing here?She held it together, forcing a smile to the patrons, hoping not to blow her cover. Surely Lex wouldn’t rat her out in the middle of her performance, right? The fact of the matter was she didn’t know. She had no idea what to expect from him, but the suspiciously narrow eyes he was giving her didn’t give her the warm and fuzzy feelings either.
Where was the exit?
Hmmmmm I've got a crush on someone. Guess who
I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie
All day and night time give me sign
I never had the least notion that
I could fall with so much emotionShe caught a glimpse of Clark off to the right who seemed to be trying to signal to her. Try as she might behind the bright lights she couldn’t make sense of it. Her head turned to where Lex was seated, feeling goosebumps raise up on her arms, wondering what he was doing here. Was he in with the Metros? Here for the entertainment? Trying to get a rise out of her?
Could you coo, could you care
For a cunning cottage, we could share
The world will pardon my mush
'Cause I've got a crush my baby on you
‘Breathe,’ she told herself.
How glad the million ralish from millionaires to caddies
Would be to capture me
But you had such persistence; you wore down my resistance
I fell, and it was swell
‘Crap!’ She’d looked at Lex again. Why was he staring at her like that?
She needed to get out of here…
She couldn’t fight the urge that had washed over her, nudging her to run toward the nearest exit. She wanted to leave. Desperately wanted to grab Clark and just…
‘
Where did that come from?’Her eyes met Clark’s watching as his lips moved, mouthing to her ‘Get out now.’
She scanned the room and noticed a couple of the Metro goons by the back door with Lou.
‘
Double Crap!’
You're my big and brave and handsome Romeo
How I won you I shall never never know
It's not that you're attractive
But, oh, my heart grew active
When you came into view
‘Focus. You can do this.’ She told herself.
I've got a crush on you, sweetie pie
All the day and night-time give me sigh
I never had the least notion that
I could fall with so much emotion
Could you coo, could you care
For a cunning cottage
That we could share
The world will pardon my mush
'Cause I have got a crush, my baby, on you________________________________________
Clark darted behind the stage, waiting for Lois as she exited the stage. He caught a glimpse of the glittering sequin dress Lois was wearing glimmering in the dimly lit hallway leading to the dressing room. The dark suits that had been following Toni Taylor throughout most of the evening had dispersed through the crowd almost immediately. The conversation he’d overheard with Toni Taylor and Lex Luthor had sent a chill through him, reminding him of just what kind of danger Lois was in by continuing this charade.
“Lois?” he called out to her, waving her toward him as he heard a scream from out in the dining room.
“What is it?” she asked, reaching down to take her heels off as she walked with him toward the dressing room.
He scanned the dining room and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was one of the waitresses accosting a patron at the club. He shook his head, “It’s nothing.” He pointed to the door leading out to the back exit. “You need to get out of here. Did you see him?”
“Yes, I saw him,” Lois responded reaching her hand over the other as he noticed a tremble in her fingertips and shoulder as she walked with him. “I…”
“Lois, are you alright?” Clark asked, reaching over to cup her cheek as she attempted a quick nod.
They turned the corner to the hallway leading to her dressing room and came face to face with Toni Taylor who was blocking them from leaving with a stern gaze across her face.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” She pointed to Clark, “You know VIP specials with the singers usually go through Lou.”
Clark bit his lower-lip, preparing to shield Lois from whatever was about to go down. The cross expression on Toni Taylor’s face and the arch of her brow hinted at the superior complex she had. Her nose twitched and her eyes darkened with a sharp glare as she stared them down, daring either one of them to make a wrong move. He caught a glimpse of the pistol in her hand tucked behind her left elbow as her arms rested across her chest.
Lois’ mouth opened to argue, and he reached over, clasping her hand in his and motioning to her not to say anything. She closed her mouth and Toni smiled smugly, turning to him as she snidely tapped her chin and accosted him with a sharp cluck of her tongue. “Tsk tsk tsk, but something tells me that’s not what you’re doing here, is it, Mr. Kent?”
He stood firmly in place, not reacting to his name as he stared blankly at Toni Taylor, keeping himself as a barrier between the weapon Toni had in her grasp and Lois.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Kent? Cat got your tongue?” Toni turned to Lois as her hand tightened around the pistol in her grasp, “Ms. Lane, you really should look into a career in show business. That’s quite a set of pipes you have.” She pointed the barrel of the gun at them both moving it from side to side, “Not that it’ll do you any good.”
Clark held his gaze on Toni, lowering his glasses far enough to aim a beam of heat vision on the handle as she squeezed the trigger, causing her to drop it. In that moment he moved at super-speed, moving Lois out of the way as the entire hallway burst into flames and a loud booming voice came from the dining hall.
“We’re back, Metros! And we’re not leaving until we desecrate this place!”
Clark set Lois down just by the doorway, pointing toward the exit, “Run. Get out of here and call the police. I’ll take care of these guys.”
“But…” Lois began to argue but stopped, seeming to question her argument mid-sentence as she nodded and ran toward the exit.
Clark quickly removed his glasses, tearing open his shirt to reveal the emblem of his Superman suit before disappearing into a blur of red and blue. At super-speed he flew into action, moving around the club at an impossible speed, moving the club patrons out of harm’s way. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted two of the large thugs running from the fiery blaze being directed in their direction by the Toasters.
Clark let out a blast of freezing breath, snuffing the fire blazing weapons out and covering the weapons with ice. The clacking of heels in the corner caught his attention and he turned to see Toni Taylor making a run for it with the pistol tucked in her bag as she raced toward the exit. There was no way he was going to let her escape. Using the singed curtain, he wrapped her up in the heavy cloth, tying it securely and then standing back to survey the scene.
Police sirens approaching from the distance echoed outside and he smiled confidently, looking at the fuming Toni Taylor as realization began to dawn on her.
A low moan came from the life size icicle form of the Toasters and he smiled, striding over to where the police officers that had entered moments ago were standing.
He looked back to where the Toasters stood frozen in place, ensuring they wouldn’t be moving anytime soon. The first officer smirked pointing to the icicles dripping from the nose of the first Toaster. “Like to see ‘em burn their way out of that.”
“Careful not to tempt fate, hmm, Wright,” Detective Henderson said, nodding to Clark as he looked around the club, surveying the scene. “Well, Superman, what do we have here?”
“Detective, these are the gentlemen responsible for the fires in Southside.” Clark explained, gesturing to the burned name of ‘Toasters’ imprinted on the wall behind him.
“This is insanity.” Toni fumed from the corner. “These hoodlums break into my club and destroy the place and this buffoon attacks me and treats me like a common criminal…”
Henderson cocked an eyebrow at Clark. The silent question written on his face as Clark motioned to the curtain that held Toni Taylor and explained. “Ms. Taylor appears to have been the mastermind behind this. An attempt to push her brother out of power.”
“You can’t prove anything. I want my lawyer.”
Henderson rolled his eyes and motioned to the officers to take her into custody, “Yes, yes, I’m sure they’ll get this sorted out downtown, but until then you’ll be coming with us, Ms. Taylor.” Henderson looked over his shoulder, “Thanks for your help, Superman.”
Clark nodded watching as Toni Taylor was taken into custody before leaving the scene. He ducked into the back alleyway and changed back into his street clothes. After a quick scan, he found Lois waiting patiently at the coffee shop across the street, sitting at one of the tables just outside the shop.
“You look like you could use this.” She handed him the paper mug.
“Thanks,” he held it up briefly, giving it a sip as he claimed the seat next to her, eying her as she grinned ear to ear, scooting closer to him. “You okay?”
“Perfect,” her sing-song tone caught him off guard as she looped her free arm across his shoulders. “Everything’s perfect.”
His mouth twisted as he caught her gaze, noting the carefree expression across her face. She seemed uncharacteristically at ease considering she had been facing the barrel of a pistol less than an hour ago.
“This coffee is wonderful,” she grinned gleefully, leaning her head against his shoulder.
The fragrant scent of lavender and vanilla teased his nostrils, catching him off guard as his brain went into a fog, numbing itself to all reason. Question after question arose as he stared into her dark brown eyes, but the desire to search for answers was non-existent. Her fingertips teased the back of his hairs.
Something is wrong.His mind screamed it but his brain couldn’t comprehend the warning signs as he felt she tilted her head toward him, running her index finger against his chin. Her eyes sparkled as she leaned closer and he felt his mind go blank as her lips caressed his. A low moan escaped the back of his throat and the world around him quickly dissipated.
________________________________________
Bill Henderson ticked his tongue against the inside of his mouth, shaking his head as he looked across the table where Toni Taylor was seated. “My, my, my, Ms. Taylor, you certainly have built up a reputation for yourself in such a short tenure as the leader of the Metro Gang.”
“What are you rambling on about?” Toni Taylor gave Henderson a sneering glare as she leaned back in her chair. “I run a legitimate business and keep the books.”
“And the under-the-table blackmailing and gambling is just a perk?” Henderson smirked back at her.
“I think I want my lawyer now,” Toni responded coolly.
“I’m sure you do,” Henderson remarked, placing a pistol that had been tagged as evidence in front of him. “You want to tell me about this?”
“I’d rather not,” Toni replied turning away.
“We can pull the cameras,” Henderson reminded her.
“Nice try,” Toni smirked. “The heat from those weapons would have destroyed any film from that low-grade security system my brother installed.”
“And how would you know that exactly, Ms. Taylor?” Henderson’s brow raised as he tightened his jaw.
“I want my lawyer.” Toni shot back.
“Certainly,” Henderson replied, tapping his hand on the table. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty to discuss with Lex Luthor’s statement on the events from tonight.”
“Lex Luthor?” Toni echoed the name seeming to be thrown off her game at the mention of the billionaire’s name.
“Apparently you threatened him tonight,” Henderson prompted innocently. “We can discuss that when your lawyer gets here.”
“Wait, no.” Toni grew quiet for a long moment, seeming to be contemplating her next words carefully before she continued.
“No? You don’t want to wait to talk to your lawyer?” Henderson asked.
“I want a deal,” Toni challenged.
“What kind of deal?”
“Immunity.”
“You must be joking.”
“I never joke when it comes to life or death,” Toni insisted. “Believe me you’ll want to hear what I have to say.”
________________________________________
The front door closed sharply behind him as Lois’ lips vibrated against Clark’s sending a ripple of desire through him. Her lips tore at his, unwilling to part from his as he walked with her into her apartment. Her hands twisted in his tie, toying with it from side to side and her lips ushered him closer and closer.
His mind jumbled in the serenity of the warm cocoon Lois held him in as her hands slid up and down his chest in an enticing rhythm that sent his mind through a hazy fog, struggling to make sense of the intoxicating euphoria that Lois had enveloped him in.
“Lois,” his voice rasped her name as he sank down on the loveseat with her, letting out a shuddered moan as she collided with him. “I think ….we need…to slow down.”
Her sultry whisper teased his earlobe, jolting him out of the spell he had fallen under, “Why would we want to do that, Clarkie?”
The faint hint of her sing-song tone and glint in her eyes left him panicked as he reached up to hold his hand up, pushing her away, “Lois, just take a minute.”
“But why?”
There it was again, that teasing tone that felt so out of place for Lois to use as she leaned closer, “I mean it’s not like I don’t know all your secrets…unless you have another side job you disappear to?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” He managed, letting out a low breath as he scrambled to come up with a reasonable excuse to make a quick exit. “We just really need to slow down,” Clark whispered pulling back and resting his forehead against her shoulder.
“Mmm, but I don’t want to slow down,” Lois reached her arms up over her head spreading them like wings over her head
“Yeah, I noticed,” Clark nodded, standing up and walking back toward the kitchen in hopes that he could find something to help spark an idea for how to convince Lois there was something wrong here.
She reached her hand out, toying with his tie as she playfully continued her intoxicating persuasion, “Slow is boring. Snails and tortoises don’t win any Pulitzers.”
“Tortoises?” Clark arched his brow at her, trying to follow her rambling.
“You don’t win any journalism awards by sitting on the sidelines and doing nothing,” she traced an invisible ‘S’ across his chest with her index finger. “Or stop any runaway trains.”
“Last I looked the story was already written and I haven’t heard any runaway trains lately,” Clark smiled, pulling her hand back and stopping it from further distracting him as she leaned in closer.
“It’s a figure of speech,” Lois giggled.
“Not one I’ve heard of,” Clark chuckled, biting his lower-lip as he swallowed the hard lump in his throat. She was gorgeous and the out of character behavior continued to nag at the back of his mind.
How long had she been like this without him noticing?
“Clarkie,” she whispered in a sing-song voice hanging onto him with a sultry purse of her lips.
“Lois,” he reached over to tilt her face to him, “you’re not yourself. Something has changed and…”
Before he could finish her lips were on his once more, consuming him with an intoxicating caress of her lips that sent ripples through him that would easily make a lesser man forget his name much less the fact that the gorgeous woman in his arms was not herself.
“I don’t need to be myself,” she responded, tugging him to her by the knot of his tie and then uttering three words he never thought he’d hear from her lips, “I love you.”
It was intoxicating.
The intense emotions and overpowering tug that drew him to her. He wanted so desperately to just give in to the desires of his flesh and allow himself to be drawn into her arms without a second thought. Every word uttered and every soft caress was a reminder of everything he had longed for from her over the last few months. He wanted so desperately to hear those words from her without the hint of Lois’ inhibitions being stripped from her.
He couldn’t. He wouldn’t do that. He wanted so desperately for those words to be true. Perhaps in some capacity, they were, but he would never be sure if he allowed himself to give in. She meant too much to him.
“Lois,” he let out a heavy sigh, reaching over to cup her cheek. “If you still feel that way when whatever this is has worn off then we’ll talk then.” He pushed her away, straightening his tie and smoothing his hand across his chest.
To her credit she didn’t try to argue any further, instead opting to push her lower-lip out into a pout seemingly resigning herself to the clear limits he had drawn. “I’m not sick.”
“I didn’t say you were,” Clark replied with a heavy sigh. “Let’s get you over to S.T.A.R. Labs to see if we can get some answers.”
“S.T.A.R. Labs?”
________________________________________
Lex Luthor boarded his private jet, tucking a copy of the Daily Planet under his arm as he claimed his seat with an exquisite spread waiting for him. To his left was Nigel St. John his trusted advisor and bodyguard accompanying him on the flight to Kansas City to investigate the sighting of Jason Trask that had been reported earlier in the week.
He was certain the man held the key to both understanding Superman and his origins and possibly discovering the Achilles heel to the indestructible man.
________________________________________
Joey Bermuda tapped his hand across the table, waiting for the usual spiel with the officers that pulled in all related contacts in their raids of mid-management drug lords. He had gone through this exercise time and time again and he envisioned it wouldn’t be his last.
It came with the job when working with the mob.
He was good at what he did though and loved a challenge.
The door creaked open and he spotted the tall man in the doorway holding up his shades as he clipped them on the collar of his dress shirt before claiming the seat across from Joey. “Mr. Bermuda?”
“That’s me,” Joey grinned back, waiting for the inevitable ‘You’re free to go,’ only to be sorely disappointed as the detective claimed the seat across from him.
“Seems you and I have a lot to talk about,” the man introduced himself as he set a folder down with the label, ‘Antoinette Baines.’ He cleared his throat and nodded to his badge, “I’m detective Henderson. I’ll be conducting the questioning….”
“Questioning?”
“On your involvement in the arson and sabotage of E.P.R.A.D,” Henderson advised. “You have a right to an attorney. You have the right to…”
________________________________________
TBC....
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