Prompt: #095 Upside Down
Summary: What if Clark hadn’t managed to make his own escape from Luthor’s cage? What if Superman went missing due to his kryptonite exposure? What then?
Copyright 8/25/2007
written for the Clois 100 challenge over at LJ
This needed to be less than 6000 words, so a few things are left unexplained. This also follows Nightfall, so Henderson knows.
Disclaimer: The usual. No copyright infringement is intended. No money is being made from this.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luthor’s screams still echoed in Lois’s nightmares. His screams as he fell from the penthouse level of the tallest building in Metropolis. His screams of rage when she told him ‘no, I won’t’ instead of ‘I do’ at the altar, when his world of power and pleasure turned upside down.
But it was silence that echoed in her days. Superman was missing, and although Clark was sitting beside her, he seemed to be missing as well.
After two months, the Daily Planet was back on the news-stands. Nearly all the staff had returned with a few notable exceptions. Cat Grant had gone to NewsTime. Jack Miner and his brother had moved away from the city. Most of the wounds were healing, at least the physical ones. The emotional ones would take longer. And some scars were deeper than others.
Lois Lane gave her partner a sidelong glance. Clark had his phone tucked against his jaw and was typing at the same time. He was a puzzle, a conundrum – she knew from Perry and Jimmy that Clark had been the one spearheading the effort to discover the truth behind the destruction of the Daily Planet only weeks after Luthor had purchased it. But since the newsroom reopened a few days ago, Clark had been keeping his distance from everyone, including her. They were still partners but something was missing. There was no joy in Clark these days. He did his work, followed the stories. But there was a slump in his posture that hadn’t been there before, a pain in his eyes that he thought she didn’t see when he looked at her.
“Lois, when I thought about losing my job at the Planet, saying goodbye to Perry, Jimmy, everyone...” Clark had told her only days after Luthor shut down the Planet. “I realized something. I realized I could lose all that and still go on. I realized there was only one thing I didn't want to live without... and that was you. Seeing you every morning, working with you, being with you…”
“That's why you should...” she had protested. Lex had given her a great job at LNN and told her she could hire whoever she wanted for her staff. She wanted to hire Clark.
“No. Lois, listen to me,” he said, cutting her off. “I'm not talking about the partnership. I'm talking about us. I've been in love with you for a long time.” His brown eyes searched her face. “You must have known.”
“I knew... well I knew that you liked me, were attracted to me, but... I'm sorry. I don't think about you in that way... romantically,” she told him, watching his face fall and hating herself for it. “Clark, you're my best friend, the only partner I could ever stand to work with. I admire you, respect you, and I do love you, but only as a friend.”
She knew that telling him that she was considering Luthor’s proposal had hurt him. Even worse that she had asked Clark to relay the message to Superman that she wanted to talk to the superhero.
She’d heard Superman’s arrival before she saw him. The familiar ‘whoosh’ through her window. She had gotten ready for bed and had settled in to watch television for a bit as she waited for him to show up.
“Superman!” She got up from her sofa to greet him but he was stiff, stoic, arms folded over his chest as he looked at her.
“I heard you wanted to see me.” His voice was cool. Like Clark’s had been when he left her that afternoon. She hadn’t been sure what to expect when she asked Clark to contact him, but she knew it wasn’t this cold aloofness.
“Yes. I'm just trying to figure out... well, there've been a lot of changes going on in my life and I'm trying to make the right decisions, but I can't until I know... how you feel.” She stepped over to him and placed her hand against the emblem on his chest. It was slight, but it almost seemed like he flinched at her touch. She pulled her hand away.
“Superman, is there any hope for us? You and me? I'm so completely in love with you that I can't do anything else without knowing.”
He shook his head, his expression softening. “Lois, I do care for you. But there are things about me you don't know, that you may never know.”
“It doesn't matter,” she told him. “I know you. And I don't mean you the ‘celebrity’ or you the 'superhero.' If you had no powers, if you were just an ordinary man leading an ordinary life, I'd love you just the same. Can't you believe that?”
“I wish I could, Lois,” he said. There was an incredible sadness in his face. “But, under the circumstances, I don't see how I can.”
She turned away from him. She was Lois Lane. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her cry.
That was the last time she’d seen the Man of Steel. His last public appearance had been two days later when he responded to a bank alarm that had gone off accidentally. The bank guard had reported that Superman looked ill before he left. There had been no miraculous rescues, no sightings, nothing of Superman since that day. That had been over a month ago.
She listened in on Clark’s side of the phone conversation. “Yes, I agree it’s past time an announcement was made… I’ll take care of it… No, I’m fine, thanks. Keeping busy… Thanks Inspector, I will,” Clark said to the person on the phone before hanging up. Clark sighed and looked over what was on his screen. Lois moved over to peer over his shoulder. In the ‘old days’, it would have been Clark reading over her shoulder, correcting spelling and grammar and attributions.
She gasped as she read the lead-in. ‘Police Believe Superman Dead – following an intensive forensic examination of the sub-basement in the Lex Tower where Lex Luthor ran in his attempt to elude capture just prior to his suicide leap from the penthouse, MPD homicide detectives and forensic analysts have concluded that much of the blood and tissue found in the sub-basement were in fact Superman’s. Additional evidence includes a bloody Superman suit and blood splatters on Luthor’s wedding clothing, indicating that even on his wedding day, Lex Luthor was involved in questionable matters…’
“Why didn’t you tell me they thought Lex was involved with Superman’s disappearance?” Lois asked. She felt her heart pounding, her knees going weak. She managed to grab her chair and pulled it over to Clark’s desk so she could sit down. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Henderson didn’t want to say anything until the forensic analysis was complete and he wanted to give Superman time to come back, to show that he was okay,” Clark told her. His voice was quiet, solemn. “He hasn’t come back. There’s more than enough evidence to have charged Luthor with murder-one, assuming Luthor hadn’t taken his dive off the balcony first.”
“Lex murdered Superman?” Lois asked, trying to keep the horror out of her voice. Superman was murdered? But Superman was invulnerable. Superman was… super. He couldn’t be dead. Then another small voice pointed out: Where is he? And why haven’t you noticed?
Clark shrugged, not noticing her inner struggle. “Superman went to see Luthor a couple days before the ceremony was scheduled. I know because Luthor asked me to relay the message to him.”
“And that’s when Superman disappeared,” Lois completed for herself.
Clark nodded, taking a shaky breath. “He was going to come back and tell me what Luthor was up to, only he didn’t come back. After a while I got worried and went to talk to Luthor myself. He was very cordial, invited me down to the wine cellar so he could show off his newest acquisition. He swore that he and Superman had simply chatted and Superman had taken off to handle some emergency somewhere. Luthor was pressing me to come to the wedding. He kept saying he wanted it to be your happiest day. I was actually at the point of considering showing up when I saw that cage he had set up in the middle of the room.”
“Clark, why would he have a cage in a wine cellar?” Lois asked. She had heard bits of Clark’s story from Perry, who got it from his sources, but this part was new. How much has he refused to share until now?
Clark shifted in his chair, an uncomfortable look on his face. “As a temporary holding pen for troublesome people, I suppose.”
“Was Superman there?” Lois asked softly.
Clark shrugged, staring down at his hands. Lois noticed, not for the first time, the faint scars on his palms and fingers, almost like old burn scars.
“If he was, I didn’t see him,” Clark told her, voice low, almost monotone. “The next thing I knew, I was inside the cage and the door was locked and Luthor was gloating about how he planned to have the wedding service piped down so I could hear it. He went on about what he planned to do to you on your wedding night, that you were too independent and needed to learn who was your master. He was quite brutally explicit.”
Lois went cold at Clark’s description. Over the weeks since Luthor’s death more and more information concerning his questionable, even illegal, business practices had come out. At first she’d tried to deny it, but as the evidence accumulated, as more and more former employees came forward, the fact that Luthor had been a criminal mastermind, possibly even a psychotic one, became undeniable.
Clark’s head was still down as he continued. “I don’t actually remember much after that, except for Luthor beating the crap out of me.”
“That’s what happened to your hands?” Lois asked softly.
Clark nodded. “The bars were electrified. Henderson told me they probably wouldn’t have even found my body if Luthor hadn’t been so anxious to finish me off. He led them right to me. You know the rest. When I finally came to, I was in the hospital and Luthor was dead.”
Lois did know the rest. But it was nice to hear Clark’s side finally. This was the first time he had really opened up to her since his declaration of love for her after the Planet’s destruction. Even in the hospital he had refused to talk about who had hurt him badly enough for him to end up in the hospital. She had tried everything she could think of to get him to talk to her. Even told him she had lied about only caring about him as a friend. Told him why she had said ‘no’ to Luthor. But that had happened days later: at the time the police found Clark Lois was simply numb with shock.
Perry and Jimmy had escorted her out of the chapel and out of the building. “Where’s Clark?” she had asked when she saw that he wasn't with them.
Perry shook his head. “We haven’t seen him in a couple days. Not since Luthor called him to arrange a meeting with Superman. No one’s seen Superman either.”
They were interrupted by a scream from overhead: Luthor diving off the penthouse balcony. Then Inspector Henderson came out of the building to tell Perry something privately. She’d watched Perry actually go pale at the news.
“Lois, hon’, the police just found Clark in Luthor’s wine cellar. They’re taking him to the hospital now,” Perry told her gently.
“Clark…? The hospital…?” Nothing was making sense. “Why was Clark in Lex’s wine cellar?” she had asked finally.
“That’s a very good question, Miss Lane,” Henderson said. “One that I hope Mister Kent can answer, assuming he lives.”
-o-o-o-
Clark sat back in his chair. Even telling the abridged version of the story left him shaking. He had been barely conscious, lying face down in his own blood and vomit, unable to move when Luthor had come into the wine cellar that last time. He heard Luthor’s foul ranting, but could do nothing. The kryptonite had sapped his strength, left him with only an unending agony deep in his bones. At that moment all he hoped for was for Luthor to make his death a quick one.
Footsteps, then other voices. Luthor swearing, a scuffle, then a man’s shout: “Oh my God… Inspector! Down here!”
He heard more footsteps, the key turning in the lock, a horrified whisper. “That’s not… that’s not Superman, is it?”
Fingers on his wrist then at his throat. He tried to keep from moaning. Another voice, one he recognized: Bill Henderson, MPD. “Superman’s invulnerable… The suit is one of Luthor’s sick tricks…” Henderson’s voice came closer. “Just rest easy, son. Help is on its way.”
A little further away, another shout: “Where the devil is that first responder?”
Clark managed to croak out one word: “Lois…?”
“She’s okay son,” Henderson told him from somewhere close. “Just hang in there, Kent…” Clark didn’t have enough energy to wonder how Henderson knew his name.
The next few hours were a confused blur. He had vague recollections of being strapped to a gurney, of sirens and lights, the smell of antiseptics, the touch of a damp towel wiping blood and vomit from his face, gentle voices talking to him, reassuring him. When he finally regained consciousness, he was in a hospital bed, hooked up to monitors and I.V.s. His powers were gone. Luthor had gotten his wish: Superman was dead.
“Clark…?” Lois’s voice intruded and brought him back to the here and now: the Daily Planet newsroom. “Are you okay?”
Clark nodded. “Yeah…” He glanced at the article on the screen and hit the print icon. “At least the nightmares have mostly stopped.”
Perry strode out of his office followed by a well-dressed forty-something woman. Perry stopped between Lois and Clark’s desks.
“What are you two still doing here? I thought you were going out to cover the murder of that plastic surgeon,” he demanded.
“We’re just heading out,” Clark assured him. “I needed to finish this,” he added, handing the printed-out sheet to the editor. Perry glanced at it then stopped, reading the piece more closely.
“This is confirmed?” Perry asked.
“Inspector Henderson called me himself to give me the details,” Clark told him. “There are a few things he didn’t want made public, but the consensus is that if Superman had survived his last encounter with Luthor, he would have contacted me or Lois and he hasn’t.”
The woman took the article from Perry’s hand and skimmed it. “You’re accusing Lex Luthor, this city’s greatest benefactor, of murdering an alien?” she asked. She seemed to be trying to keep her voice sweet, but there was an edge of outraged hostility to it.
“That’s what the physical evidence points to,” Clark said, quietly. “Witnesses saw Superman with Luthor heading for a sub-basement that had only one exit. No one has come forward saying they saw Superman leave. The surveillance tapes of the day in question were erased. Rather conveniently, to some people’s thinking. Now, if you’ll excuse us, Lois and I have a murder to look into.” With that, Clark turned on his heel and headed toward the elevators. He didn’t look back to see if Lois was following.
“Hold on a minute, Clark, Lois,” Perry called out. Clark stopped and looked back at Perry. “This is something you need to know, too.” Perry took a deep breath and looked around the newsroom. “All right everybody, gather 'round,” he said loudly enough to be heard over the ambient noise of the newsroom. “I have an announcement to make… As you know, we've all been through some difficult times recently and our new owner feels that, well, some of us might be suffering from stress. You know... irritability, short fuses...” Perry looked pointedly at Clark. “So, as of today the Daily Planet has its own staff psychologist.”
“What? He can't be serious?” Lois murmured to Clark.
“Doesn't sound like such a bad idea,” Jimmy muttered to her.
“You want to spend your time on a couch listening to psychobabble, go ahead,” Lois groused. “I've got...”
“Many of you might be familiar with this woman from her syndicated column we've been running,” Perry said, ignoring Lois. “...Healing the, uh, Inner Self.”
“Yeah. They yanked the Jumble Puzzle for that,” Jimmy muttered. “And I was just gettin' good at that game.”
“Frankly,” Perry continued. “Not being one for all that touchy feely stuff myself, I don't much care for her column. But, it's increased circulation significantly and the good doctor has convinced our publisher that she can be of some help here.” As he spoke he indicated the woman with him. “Doctor Carlin.”
The woman smiled. “Well, I'm looking forward to meeting all of you over the next several days. Please feel free to drop in to my office any time.”
Her announcement was met by near silence.
“Okay people, we got blank pages to fill,” Perry yelled. The staff dispersed amid low mutters.
Carlin stepped closer to Lois and Clark. “Miss Lane, Mister Kent. I'm especially looking forward to meeting with the two of you.”
Lois snorted. “Doctor Carlin, a lot of people have tried to get me on a couch. And after all this time, I'm not about to start with a psychologist.”
Perry raised one eyebrow at Lois’s statement but refrained from saying anything.
“In my experience it's the people who say they're fine that need help the most,” Carlin said sweetly.
Lois smiled at Carlin, but there was no humor in it as she took Clark’s arm and turned to head for the elevators. “If you'll excuse us. We have work to do.”
-o-o-o-
Lois was still fuming when they reached the alley where Heller’s body had been found.
“Do we know if he was murdered here or just dumped here?” Clark asked.
Lois stared at the ground. She had a bad feeling about Carlin, a little niggle in the back of her brain that said something was very wrong. With an abrupt growl of annoyance she kicked an empty soda can out of her way.
“Lois?”
“That Carlin woman! I can't believe her gall,” Lois spat. “'In my experience it's the people who say they're fine that need help the most.'” she mimicked.
“She is a professional. She might know a little more about it than we do,” Clark said.
“Clark, we’ve both been through rough scrapes before,” Lois told him with a more gentle tone. Clark wasn't the enemy. He was at least as stressed as she was and he had finally come out of his shell enough to notice what was happening around him, enough to talk about it, to talk to her.
“It’s part of the job,” she added. “And yes, we’re both acting a little stressed. I mean, Luthor put you in the hospital. The man I thought I wanted to marry turned out to be the head of the East Coast underworld and it looks like he murdered Superman.”
“But she just has our best interests at heart, don’t you think?” Clark said. “I mean she is a professional psychologist.”
“Clark, after more than a year in the city, you are still a naïve boy scout,” Lois commented. “No, I don’t believe she has our best interests at heart. In fact, I know I’ve seen her somewhere, or maybe her picture and it wasn't in connection with anything good. Besides, I don’t trust anyone who refers to Superman as an ‘alien’. Just because his national origin was a different planet doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be treated with the same respect as everybody else.”
She stopped and studied his face. His expression seemed to have brightened a little when she started defending Superman. “Clark, do you really think he’s dead? I mean, there’s no body.”
“I don’t know, Lois,” he said. “I honestly don’t know. But if he hasn’t come back yet… Lois, would you be really upset if he really is gone?”
The question surprised her. “I’d be upset, yes,” she admitted after a moment’s thought. “Because he was, is, a good and caring man. But after the whole… after everything I’ve come to a realization. I made a fool of myself. Superman was like a movie star, unobtainable, safe and I behaved like a crazed fan. I knew I could be hopelessly in love with the fantasy of him, and nothing would happen because that’s all it was, that’s all he was. A fantasy. Even Lex was a fantasy. Twelve car garage, manor house in the country, servants. Every little girl’s dream. I was going to be a princess.”
“Only he turned out to be Bluebeard?”
“Close enough,” Lois admitted. “And then, when I was getting ready to walk down the aisle, I realized I didn’t really want to live in a fantasy. That real life includes coffee breath and leftovers, laundry, arguments, making up afterwards. I wasn't going to have those with Lex, or with Superman.” She studied his face and saw confusion and hope battling it out. “Am I making any sense?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Clark told her.
They continued down the alley in silence and stopped near the yellow police tape that marked off the area around the dumpster where the victim had been found. The side of the dumpster still showed traces of fingerprint dust. Lois looked over the area.
“It's ironic isn't it? Someone whose work it was to make people beautiful ends up in a dumpster,” she mused. “Could a patient be so unhappy with their tummy tuck they'd kill their doctor?”
There was the sound of movement behind the dumpster and they both moved to the other side. A man dressed in drab rags was rummaging around in a pile of discarded vegetable crates.
“Excuse me...” Lois said to get his attention.
He looked up at her, eyes going wide in terror. Then he took off down the alley.
“Hey! Wait!” Clark yelled after him. He began to give chase, but stopped at the alley entrance.
“I lost him,” Clark said. He sounded tired and discouraged. “He must have ducked into one of the doorways.”
“Why do you think he ran?” Lois asked.
“I don’t know. But he looked scared to death.”
“I’ll put the word out that we want to talk to him,” Lois said, checking her watch. “Lex’s will reading is in about two hours. We have time to actually sit down for lunch if you want.”
-o-o-o-
“Lois, you don’t have to go to the will reading if you don’t want to,” Clark told her as the waiter filled their coffee cups one last time and Clark took care of the check.
“But I do want to,” she said. “It’s a little more closure for one. Two, the Planet is doing a series on the breakup of Lexcorp and the will is definitely part of that, and three, Bender, the attorney handling it, called me this morning and asked me specifically to be there. He also asked me to keep it quiet, so I told Perry I was going to have you handle it for me.”
“And what are you supposed to be doing while I attend the will reading?”
“Looking for that homeless guy who ran,” Lois answered.
-o-o-o-
Lois and Clark stayed to the back of the room as Luthor’s attorney sat at the ornate desk in the late billionaire’s office and read the will. The other listeners consisted of members of the press who were taking notes as well as men and women in business suits. The whole group reminded Clark of vultures circling.
“And to the Metropolis Arts Council, Mr. Luthor bequeaths the sum of...” Bender’s voice was a low drone. More donations to museums and schools. Even in death, Luthor wanted to go down in history as Metropolis’s biggest philanthropist.
“As for Mr. Luthor's controlling shares of Lexcorp, he has instructed that they be assigned to a special trust, to be administered by my law firm and will be liquidated in due course.”
A buzz filled the room at that announcement. Luthor’s shares were to be liquidated and set aside, leaving millions, if not billions, of dollars sitting in an account somewhere, for someone.
“All of Mr. Luthor's personal property, including his artwork and jewelry will be auctioned off and the proceeds will be split between ACL Corporation, which administers an annuity for his ex-wife and LLL Corporation which will administer an annuity for his widow,” Bender continued. “A scholarship in Mr. Luthor's name will be established...”
Lois sat back in her chair, stunned as Bender droned on. Clark noticed and leaned close to her.
“Are you okay?”
“I can't believe it... he never said a word about...” Lois began. “He was married, Clark! All those times he told me I was his first true love... You tried to warn me and I didn’t listen…” Her eyes widened as the niggle that had been bothering her came into focus. “Arianna Carlin. I saw her picture in Lex’s office once and the next time I went in it was gone. I asked his assistant about the photo and she said the woman had been Lex’s assistant and maybe more, but it was over a long time ago. She said it had gotten messy and Lex didn’t like being reminded of it. But then why was her photo in his office?”
“ACL Corporation,” Clark mused. “Arianna Carlin Luthor? We’ll need proof before we take this to Perry.”
“Wait a minute,” Lois murmured as she started looking through her purse for a second notepad. She found it and pulled it out. “The police were going through Heller’s records and contacting his patients to see if there was some link to his death there. His last patient…” Lois’s voice had dropped as she tried to sort out her notes and her thoughts. “His last patient was a woman, full facial reconstruction but no name in the records. Treatment was paid for by ACL Corp. I put Jimmy on looking into the company but no joy so far. Maybe this is the break we’ve been looking for.”
Bender was finally finished reading the will. The other members of the press filled out, followed by the business people.
“Mrs. Luthor,” Bender called out as Lois and Clark got to their feet to follow everyone else out of the room.
“My name is Lane,” Lois reminded the attorney. “The ceremony wasn’t completed. Lex and I were never married.”
“Yes, quite,” Bender responded. “In any case, a corporation was set up in your name to handle an annuity that is designed to give you a comfortable income for the rest of your life, assuming the marriage didn’t work out. This was Mister Luthor’s standard procedure. By accepting the annuity, you agree not to contest the will or make any further claims against the Luthor estate.”
“I signed a pre-nuptial agreement,” Lois told him. “I have no claim on his estate. I don’t want any part of his blood money.”
Bender sighed. “You may dispose of your income check any way you choose, Miss Lane. Your predecessor likes to travel and write.”
“Miss Lane’s predecessor? That’s Arianna Carlin, isn’t it?” Clark asked. “ACL?”
Bender nodded. “The marriage lasted about a year.”
-o-o-o-
“I cannot believe the gall of that man,” Lois was still fuming as she and Clark entered the elevator to head for the newsroom floor. “Even dead he’s trying to control my life…”
“Uh, Lois, did you notice the funny looks we were getting when we walked in?” Clark asked. The people in the lobby had shied away from them, and the security guard sitting at his station had grabbed the phone as they passed. Without super-hearing Clark couldn’t actually hear what the guard said into the phone, but he suspected it wasn’t good.
“No, why?” Lois answered as the elevator doors opened. It was as if a switch had been thrown. The normal chatter of the bullpen died to near silence as people looked up to see them exit the elevator. A very worried-looking Perry walked up the stairs to meet them.
“Uh, Lois honey,” Perry began as though afraid of her reaction. “We don’t want a repeat of what happened earlier… But if you feel the need to talk, Doctor Carlin’s here and so am I.”
“Perry, what are you talking about?” Lois asked. Carlin walked up to stand beside Perry.
“It’s exactly as I warned… Severe post traumatic stress,” she murmured.
“Lois, you don’t remember coming in here with a gun and threatening everyone?” Perry asked gently.
“Why should she, since she wasn't here?” Clark asked.
Carlin shook her head, expression full of pity. “He’s simply enabling her…”
“I don’t know what happened here, Perry,” Lois said. “But Clark and I have been together since we left here this morning, and we have witnesses.”
Carlin just shook her head again. “It’s worse than I thought… complete denial. Both of them.”
“I don’t know what your game is, Doctor, but I’m tired of it,” Clark stated. He ignored Perry’s surprised expression at the tone of his voice as he addressed Carlin. “But Lois and I have spent the past two hours at the reading of Lex Luthor’s will. Every business reporter on the east coast was there.”
“Lois, is that true?” Perry asked.
“Yeah, Lex even left me something in his will,” Lois told him. “An annuity like he had set up for his ex-wife. Turns out the corporation handling her annuity was also involved with that dead plastic surgeon, paid for the work he did on his last patient. Oh, and yes, the police know about the connection.”
“Luthor was married before?” Perry asked.
“Uh huh. Arianna Carlin Luthor,” Clark said, looking straight at Carlin. Even without his powers he could tell her heart rate was up and she was sweating. And it didn’t take superpowers to see the gun she had in her hand.
“I loved him. Even after he left me for a string of younger, prettier women, I never stopped loving him,” Carlin told them. “And you killed him.”
“Luthor killed himself,” Clark said, keeping his voice low and calm. “He chose death over facing the consequences of his actions.”
“Lex Luthor was the best thing that ever happened to this city, this country,” Carlin growled. The gun in her hand didn’t waver as she pointed it at Lois. “He was a great man.”
“He was a cold, calculating killer who made his billions from the blood of the people he ran roughshod over,” Clark stated. He was inching himself closer to Lois. Even without his powers, he weighed 200 lbs and his molecular density was greater than human average. He calculated he had a greater chance of surviving a gunshot than Lois did. And even if he didn’t… Every time he heard a siren, every time he went out to cover a fire or a fatal accident he died a little inside. You let Luthor murder Superman. You knew it was a trap, you went in anyway.
“A great man can be forgiven a few minor mistakes,” Carlin said.
“No one is above the law,” Clark stated. “Murder one, false imprisonment, assault with intent to kill, none of those are exactly ‘minor’ mistakes.”
“You can’t prove anything…”
“Luckily, he doesn’t have to,” a familiar voice said. Clark turned his head to see Bill Henderson standing at the door to the stairwell with another plainclothes officer, Ryder, and several uniformed police. “It’s over Doctor Carlin. Your accomplice is in custody and she’s singing like a bird.”
“That’s impossible,” Carlin stated. “Lex’s killer is standing right here. Lois Lane.”
“Put down the gun, Mrs. Luthor,” Ryder ordered.
“Don’t ever call me that. I have not been Mrs. Luthor for fifteen years,” Carlin spat. Clark turned back to watch her just as her finger pulled back the trigger. He acted more on instinct than reason, pushing Lois back and down out of the way, as he reached out to grab the speeding bullet. The slug stung as it hit his palm. Carlin swung around to face the police officers who now had their own guns out.
“Drop it now!” He heard Ryder shout at Carlin. Clark grabbed Perry and pulled the older man down. More shots, but these were from behind them. Carlin simply looked puzzled as her grip loosened on her gun and it fell to the floor. Then she dropped to the ground, eyes staring at nothing.
Henderson hurried down the steps and knelt beside the body, checking for a pulse at her throat. “I hate it when people do that,” he muttered to himself. He turned and looked over at Perry, Lois and Clark. All three were climbing to their feet.
“Are you okay?”
Lois and Perry both nodded. Clark simply stood there. What just happened? His hand ached and he caught Henderson eyeing him as he rubbed the bruise on his palm. Clark stuck his hand in his jacket pocket to hide the mark that shouldn’t have been there.
Henderson picked something small off the floor and put it in his pocket. “Lucky for you guys, she wasn’t a very good shot. I expect we’ll find the first slug somewhere in that far wall.”
“Would somebody mind telling me what in Sam Hill is going on here?” Perry demanded.
“We got a 9-1-1 from your lobby guard that Miss Lane was back in the building, only a couple of officers had already picked up a woman matching her description robbing a gun store about three blocks from here and Lane and Kent had an airtight alibi for the entire time.” Henderson grinned at Lois and Clark. “A few other facts came our way and those tied Carlin and the Lane look-alike with Heller’s murder. A few things the look-alike said worried us enough for us to respond to the 9-1-1 with a few more people than we normally would.”
Henderson sighed. “With this many witnesses and the other circumstances, I’d say this is pretty cut and dried. Forensics has to do their thing, but it shouldn’t take too long.” In fact as they spoke, officers were taking photographs, measuring out the area, and taking statements from the newsroom staff.
Henderson beckoned Clark aside and stepped over to a quieter corner. Clark’s hand had stopped aching quite as much and he pulled it out of his pocket. The bruise was already fading. Henderson dropped a flattened piece of lead into Clark’s hand. It was the bullet Carlin had shot at Lois.
“Good catch. So, when do you think we’ll be announcing that Superman isn’t dead after all?” Henderson asked softly.
Clark stared at him a moment. “Soon, I hope.”
He clapped Clark on the shoulder. “Give me a call when he shows up. I’ll get his statement and we can close the case.” With that, Henderson walked away from him, moving to join the other officers as they worked. It still felt odd to know there were people besides his parents who knew his secret and were keeping it and helping him.
“Clark?” Lois asked from just beside him. He hadn’t heard her approach. “What did Henderson want?” She spotted the piece of metal in his hand. “And what’s that…”
“It’s complicated,” Clark answered.
“Clark, I’m your partner,” Lois said. “Partners talk about things, right? Talking is good.”
Clark nodded. The scars on his hands from the kryptonite were fading to invisibility and he could hear Lois’s heartbeat. Superman was coming back.
“Lois, we need to talk… about Superman.”
With those simple words Lois Lane’s world turned upside down.
