It’s a holiday here in Spain tomorrow, so I’ve decided to post today instead, just in case I don’t get the chance to be around tomorrow.
I think there’s a lot happening in this section. I just hope this doesn’t rank me higher on somebody’s evilness scale... (Please, define evil... :p )
Hope you like it.
Cris
NOTHING BUT A LUTHOR ON THE WAY, PART 5
Lois simply stared at Lex, feeling slightly puzzled. They had spent most of the evening together, first at his place and later along the streets of Metropolis; why the sudden urge to share something with her? What was it he needed to say that he couldn’t say before? It had to be important if it couldn’t wait.
She fully opened the door and let him in. Once inside, she settled herself on the couch and waited for him to join her.
Trying with all his might to look utterly concerned, he made no effort to speak. He chose to wait for the reporter in her to surface.
It wasn’t long before she finally asked, “Lex, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”
Pleased, he said, “Well, it’s complicated, Lois. I don’t know how to say this...”
His hesitation was beginning to upset her and, when she spoke again, her voice came out louder, “How about just saying it?”
“It’s about Clark,” he said, looking as if it actually hurt him to bring the matter up.
Now she was annoyed. “Come on, Lex; not you too. You’re both behaving like school kids, fighting to gain some attention. I’m not a trophy! You have to stop trying to discredit each other!”
Though rather amused inside, he kept his serious pose. “Look, Lois, I’m not trying to discredit Clark; it really isn’t my intention. But I feel he has betrayed the trust you’ve put in him. I doubt he even deserves that trust.”
“Lex, please, don’t do this.”
“Lois, I know what I’m talking about. I’m not playing the jealous boyfriend act.”
Regaining some of her composure, she spoke, “Lex, you’re my fiancé and Clark is my friend... my best friend. There’s room in my life for both of you; you don’t need to fight for my attention.”
“To me, Lois, a friend is someone who you can trust,” << Which is why I don’t have any, >> he wryly mused. “ And Kent is not that kind of person.” He knew how Lois worked; you had to get her attention first and then explain. So far, he was definitely succeeding. It wasn’t bad if he made her lose a little of her patience on the way. At least for now; he’d have plenty of time to tame her once she became his wife.
“Look I’m to tired for this. If it’s all you’re going to say, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” She had had more than enough of their constant attacks. She wasn’t sure she understood their reasons, but she wasn’t willing to try any more. <<Not tonight. >> “Lex, I really think it would be better that you...”
He cut her off, still attempting to look disturbed, “Lois...”
“No, I mean it. Leave.”
Resigned, he stood to leave, as she held her door open for him. As he was about to exit, he stooped and turned slowly, reaching inside his jacket for the envelope and the tape. Handing both things to her, he softly told her, “Please, do take a look at this.” He was gone when Lois closed the door two seconds later.
***************************************************************
It was late and she knew she should be asleep already, but she kept replaying her conversation with Lex. The behavior Clark and him were showing had begun to annoy her. She just couldn’t understand it; the harder she tried to keep both of them at her side, the less possible it seemed. They kept accusing the other of being untrustworthy but neither said why.
The thought drove her gaze to the small coffee table by the couch. There lay the tape and the envelope Lex had given her before leaving, which she’d forgotten about until now. Unable to restrain her curiosity – she was, after all, Lois Lane, investigative reporter; curious by nature-, she decided to examine both things. Carefully opening the envelope, she brought out its contents.
<<Pictures? >> Before her mind could wonder further, she realized the subject of the pictures was none other than her ex-partner. Or was he? All she could see in some of the shots was some kind of blur. As she came closer to the end of the stack, three of the pictures caught her eye. In one, Clark seemed to be ironing... a spandex suit? A red and blue spandex suit? The other two seemed to have been taken one after the other. One showed Clark opening his backdoor and the next showed...
She looked at her watch. <<That’s right; I’m delusional. I’m so sleepy I even see more than what really is there. >> Not satisfied with her own reasoning, she nervously grabbed the tape and fumbled with it for a few moments before she managed to pull it out of its case. She stood up and went towards her VCR, sliding the tape in it.
She didn’t move from where she was standing. Her eyes were fixed on the TV while her mind worked hard on processing all the information it was receiving. Despite the obviousness of the images, it was taking some time for it to sink in. As if she were hypnotized, she kept rewinding and fast-forwarding the tape, seeing every scene over and over. The reporter in her had to back down in the face of the evidence yet her heart refused to believe, like it knew the feelings that would arise once she faced the truth.
In full denial mode, Los turned off the TV and threw the remote carelessly on the floor. She couldn’t deal with this now.
Drowsily, she went to her bedroom and, after quickly changing, crawled inside her bed.
***************************************************
“So, how did Miss Lane take the news?” Nigel asked, truly intrigued.
His arrogant self back, he smiled. “I can only image that, Nigel.” He paused briefly to make sure he had the other man’s attention. “I didn’t tell her. I hinted that there was something that made Kent untrustworthy, yet I didn’t say what it was. She became deeply upset and asked me to leave. So I simply gave her the evidence.”
“Wouldn’t you have rather to have told her yourself?”
“Well, I just know her pride would be hurt if she had to admit that she’d been wrong in her strong defense of Kent’s integrity. It’ll be easier to have her come round about it this way. She might even thank me for opening her eyes.”
Nigel gave him a polite smile. “What if she calls off the engagement or at least asks you to postpone the wedding?”
“I very much doubt that will happen.” He opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a cigar. He carefully unwrapped and lit it. “You know, Nigel, I sometimes amaze myself. I know that, despite not letting it show, she believed I was acting out of pure concern. And besides, it’s not like I couldn’t prove my accusations. By now, she is probably so mad at Kent for lying to her that she probably doesn’t even care how she found out. A betrayal is always a betrayal.”
“I see your confidence is as strong as ever.” He certainly wasn’t surprised. He couldn’t remember his ‘boss’ ever being insecure or doubting his power. Even when things didn’t go as planned, he always seemed to obtain a positive reading out of everything he did. Though hardly as witty, Lex reminded him of his own self.
Briefly puffing on his cigar, he answered, “I guess that’s what bringing enemies down can do to you.”
Nigel saw the proud look on the younger man’s face and wondered if there was anyone on earth whose ego could match Lex’s. After a few moments, he gazed at him, silently requesting his permission to speak again. “Unless you need me sir, I should leave. There are some things I have to attend to this morning.”
“Sure, Nigel. But I’ll be needing you again sometime this evening. I’m going to be busy with the wedding preparations but I’ll arrange everything and have Mrs. Cox fill you in on the details. I’ll have her call you and tell you when and where to meet.”
“Ok, sir.”
As soon as he was sure Nigel was gone, he picked up the phone. “Mrs. Cox? Yes, about tonight. Here’s how I want things done...”
**************************************************
Lois woke up feeling a little confused. She’d had the weirdest dream. Though she couldn’t remember the details, she knew it involved Clark, an iron and... a Superman suit? <<I really do have to avoid coffee late at night, >> she thought.
As she entered the living room, however, the pictures, which lay scattered on the table, reminded her of the realization she’d been faced with the night before. She had to fight the sudden urge to crawl back in bed like she’d done yesterday, in an attempt to block out all trace of reality. She was afraid that if she allowed herself to think about the situation, her world would simply tumble down.
She had worked too hard over the last year, convincing herself that, maybe, she had been wrong about humanity; that there were some people who actually believed in values and virtues who others dismissed as old fashioned. First, she’d believed in a hero who dedicated his life to protecting others; she’d loved him and admired him in a way she never thought she could feel towards anyone, let alone a man. And worst of all, she’d let him know that. But that hadn’t been enough for good old Lois, had it? She’d had to let Clark see through her. No disguise, no defenses.
She paced her living room, her agitation growing with every passing minute.
Slowly, the two men that she’d learned to trust and love, even if in different ways, were fusing into one. But as hard as she tried, she couldn’t determine who the real man was. How could she? They both had tried to show her that the world was not only selfishness and lies; hurt and betrayal. How could they? How could he, ‘Mr. I fight for truth and justice’? She could have expected it from Clark; he was a man. But Superman... Wasn't he supposed to be so much more than that?
<<What am I saying? Superman is Clark, or Clark is Superman, or.... >> How could she think that either of them was really different from the other men in her life?
What hurt the most, though, wasn’t that they... he had lied to her. She was angry and hurt beyond words, there was no denying it, but, above all, she was disappointed in herself. Hadn’t she learned her lesson? How could she have forgotten? About Claude, about Paul... about her dad... When was she going to realize there wasn’t such a thing as a decent man?
In an attempt to calm down, she sat on the couch, nervously fidgeting with her engagement ring. She soon found herself thinking about Lex. << My fiancé...>> So far, her relationship with him hadn’t been disappointing. It had taken her a long time to make up her mind, yet she didn’t regret the choices she had made. Lex could never hurt her this way. She wasn’t sure that he wasn’t capable of it, but she wouldn’t allow it; she’d never give him that kind of power over her.
No, Lex was a safe choice; a wise choice. <<And to think I almost sacrificed it... for Superman! >> She had been mad at him, at first, for his constant attempts at making Clark look bad. That was why she’d asked him to leave; she wasn’t about to take anymore of all that nonsense. Except it had turned out to be anything but nonsense. He had been right about Clark. Weren’t best friends supposed to share everything? He’d hidden a whole side of him; or rather, he made her think it was two completely different men.
But were they really so different? Because, now, apart from feeling galactically stupid, she realized maybe, just maybe, she had worked to make them different. Yet, why ever would she do that?
Just then a growl interrupted her. It was her stomach, complaining, probably asking for a breakfast she’d been too busy to get. What time was it? She looked at her watch. 11:30. <<I might as well have lunch...>> she thought.
<<Clark. >> He was going to meet her at LNN in half an hour.
Well, having lunch with that... that... liar was definitely not among her plans for the day. He could wait. He should wait on her. It was the least he could do. And when she didn’t show up, he should worry. Not that it would make up for his deceit, but at least it would make her feel better; serve her as part of her well earned revenge.
*****************************************
Perry had fallen asleep on top of the stack of papers and by the time he’d woken up, the sun was already out. The previous day had been long, spent browsing through the files, lost in the midst of numbers, names, dates... <<If it helps clear up what happened to the Planet, I’ll have a thousand days like yesterday. >> But it hadn’t all been boring data; he’d made a few phone calls as well. The information obtained was little, but sufficient to keep him going. Though the board members hadn’t been exactly keen on talking to him, their attitudes had been enough to arise his suspicions. He would only have to ask for some of the favors he was still owed. After all, over thirty years in the reporting field had resulted in a long list of enemies, but it had also earned him respect and admiration. He probably had just as many friends. But who wanted to keep track of their foes anyway?
When the phone rang, Perry rose to his feet, and walked over to the night stand to pick it up, expecting Clark’s voice – or Alice’s, loud, demanding tone, wondering where it was he’d spent the night. But he found neither, and it surprised him.
“Mr. White? Perry White?”
“Yeah, who wants to know?” It was few who actually knew that he was back in town; to the world, he was still Perry White, retired reporter and former editor of the Daily Planet, supposedly enjoying the wonders of warm and sunny Florida.
“You could say I’m a friend.”
There was something strange in the voice at the other end. It belonged to a man and Perry could sense the trace of an accent, even if slight. The stranger seemed to be trying to hide it, as if it could give him away.
“Look, I don’t know who you are, or what it is you what, but I don’t have time for games.”
Harshly, the man replied, “ I thought I had some information that would be rather valuable to you. I guess I was wrong.” He stopped, giving the reporter time to react.
It might be just another weirdo; there were plenty of those in a city as big as Metropolis, but he wouldn’t lose much if he listened to the stranger. Besides, he could hang up anytime. <<Let’s hear him out. >> “Information? What kind of information?”
“I see I got your attention. First know that there are some rules that you’ll adhere to. That is...”
“Rules, what rules?”
The stranger didn’t hear him. “... if you want to know what really happened to the Daily Planet.”
*************************************************
It was still a few minutes before twelve, but Clark was already standing by the entrance of the LNN building. Or rather, he was nervously pacing, stopping every few seconds to take a glance inside.
The same over rehearsed speech kept playing in his head, the way it had for weeks, maybe even months. He’d be lying if he said that he hadn’t thought about Lois in a romantic way almost from the beginning, even if he hadn’t admitted it to himself until recently. The feelings had been there from the day he met her, hard to ignore, even harder to face. But he had finally plucked up the courage he needed to bare his soul to her. Ironically, it had taken an engagement, to none other than Lex Luthor, the person he most disliked – hate was too a strong a word for a Superman- for him to make up his mind.
He felt a mixture of anticipation and insecurity; as hard as he was trying, he simply couldn’t ignore the shadow of rejection.
He looked down at his watch. 12:03. He searched for Lois again. 12:07. He was becoming impatient; the longer he had to wait; the easier it’d be for him to back down.
12:12. Determinedly, he stepped inside and approached the front desk. “Excuse me, I’m Clark Kent, I’m supposed to be meeting Ms. Lane here. Do you know where I can find her?”
The young woman checked the sign on book before staring at Clark. “I’m sorry, Mr. Kent. Ms. Lane won’t be coming in today. She took the day off.”
“I know, but she told me she had to drop by to pick up some files.”
“Give me a minute.” She spoke on the phone for brief seconds and then looked back at Clark, apologetically. “I’m sorry, she called earlier and said she wasn’t going to be able to come.”
He tried to hide his disappointment as he thanked the woman and exited the building.
Why Lois had decided to stand him up, if that was what she had done, was a mystery to him. If she didn’t intend to show up, she would at least have told him, wouldn’t she? And it wasn’t likely that she was chasing down a story. The reporting she did now was different form the one they did back at the Planet.
Maybe she hadn’t stood him up. Maybe it was the wedding arrangements. As little as he liked the prospect, she was getting married in four days.
He pondered stopping by at her apartment, just to make sure that everything was fine. Then he realized he hadn’t been home all morning; what if she’d tried to talk to him and had left him message instead? Deciding going home was probably the wisest choice, he walked into a nearby alley and spun into his Superman suit.
Once at his apartment, he went straight towards the answer machine. The light wasn’t even blinking.
So she hadn’t called. He sunk in the couch, running his right hand through his hair. She’d dumped him. Well, not exactly, since it wasn’t a real date. At least, he doubted she expected the direction their conversation was going to take.
But he still felt like he’d been dumped. After all, he was going to offer her so much more than he’d ever offered any woman he’d actually gone on a date with. He didn’t intend to be too blunt. ‘Hey Lois! Good Morning! I’m in love with you. How are the wedding arrangements coming?’
He would have chosen a friendly start, to ease the tension, make him comfortable – or as close as it could get. Then he would have explained what he felt; gently, though probably avoiding her gaze.
Waiting for her reaction would have been the worst part; the look on her face; rejection if it came. And...
“Hey! Great to know I’m not the only one who’s a mess these days!”
A little startled, Clark shifted his gaze to where the voice had come from. “Jimmy, what...?
The younger man cut him off. “Sorry, CK. I meant to knock, but since the door was open...”
“We thought that you wouldn’t mind.”
Agitatedly, Clark responded, “Jack?” Where the heck have you been? They’ve been searching for you. I’ve been searching for you. Both of you.”
He stopped momentarily, staring at both of them, reproachfully. “I can’t believe you two have been together these past few days and didn’t let me know. What, you thought I wouldn’t find out?”
“It’s not exactly like that. Jack came to see me only a couple of nights ago. And what do you mean find out? Find what out?”
“Well, for one thing, that Jack broke out, that you’ve been kicked out of your apartment and are currently working at a rather disgusting strip club...”
“Not anymore... I quit last night.”
“You quit?” came Clark’s surprised replied.
Shrugging, he shyly looked away. “Well, it helped that I wasn’t doing my job all that well.”
“Now, that’s an understatement,” said Jack, amused.
This time, Clark turned to his young friend. “ Don’t think I’ve let you off the hook. You have a lot of explaining to do. But better close the door and come down before you give me the details of your fieldtrip.”
“Ok, I’ll explain, but... we have eaten little this past few days. Could we save the talking for later, after we’ve had some food?”
******************************************************
As Jack ate the last bite of the Chinese takeout, Clark stared at him, demandingly. “Well?”
Jack mumbled his response, his mouth still full. “I just couldn’t stay there.”
“Gee,” replied Clark, a sarcastic tone in his voice, “I was worried you’d give me an explicit explanation.”
Before Jack could give Clark an answer, Jimmy, who’d moved to the couch to watch TV while he ate, called them, “Hey guys! Come see this!”
A special news report was showing footage form a burning factory in the outskirts of Philadelphia. Firemen and police officers where already on the scene, but it seemed like they were having no luck in keeping the fire under control.
“Listen, Jimmy, Jack. I have to go out. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but it shouldn’t take too long.” Emphasizing every word, he added, “Please, don’t leave the apartment, ok? And if the phone rings, just let the machine get it, all right?”
As they nodded their response, Clark headed up the stairs and out of the apartment.
************************************************
Hours later, in a deserted alley not far from Hobb’s Bay, a man stood patiently waiting. Hopefully she would be there anytime. Examining the surroundings in detail, at least with as much precision as the darkness allowed, he became aware of why exactly she’d chosen that particular place. Not that it mattered, though.
He was still inspecting the location when he felt her footsteps. Slowly, he turned to greet her.
**********************************************
It was over before it had actually begun. Two shots. She hadn’t even bothered to use a silencer. Given the part of town they were at, the sound of gunfire was unlikely to attract any attention, added to which, the late hour would have helped.
As fast as she’d come, she turned away, moving swiftly for a few blocks, until a dark car drove up to her. Pulling the back door open, she climbed in.
The driver handed her a cell phone. “He said to call as soon as you were back.”
Slowly, she pressed the keys. Soon, a voice came from the other end. “Hello?”
“Sir?”
“Good night, Mrs. Cox. I’ve been expecting your call. Good news, I hope.”
“Everything went as planned. Two shots. I left him lying flat on his back.”
“Well, done. Expect a generous reward for your services.”
*******************************************************
END OF PART FIVE.
