RL is a pain in the butt. In any case, time to put my two cents into the fire ...
The fact that he could only resist Lois for short periods of time was a secret Clark harbored nearly as closely as Superman's identity. He had done his best to get out of his apartment before Lois could tempt him into staying longer. Flirting with her was one thing, but seeing his normally unflappable partner vulnerable and teary-eyed brought out every protective instinct he possessed. It had taken a huge amount of restraint not to hug her when she'd admitted that she was afraid. If he had stayed, and she'd turned to him for comfort, events could have spiraled out of control.
Not nearly as much as it will when she finds out the truth! Clark my friend you are skating on very thin ice!
Clark was just a tad bit foolish stepping into Luthor's home ground.
It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. Clark descended rapidly to land on the deck outside Luthor's office. He swung his arm, adjusting the cape so it fluttered out behind him, then placed his hands on his hips in a deliberately aggressive stance. Clark had the momentary satisfaction of seeing both Luthor and Mrs. Cox become slack-jawed in astonishment. A moment later their expressions simultaneously shifted to masks of pleasant indifference. Luthor pressed a button on the desk and the pane of glass separating them slid silently open.
Of course those two treated him with indifference, at the moment they held the one thing that could not only cripple him, but kill. The confrontation between Lex and Superman was chilling to say the least, the billionaire truly had him on the ropes with the threat of Krypton looming in the air.
"No, I am warning you." Luthor leaned forward slightly, his dark gaze boring into Clark's. "If anyone is in danger, Superman, it's you."
Clark blinked, then felt a chill slide down his spine at how utterly calm Luthor was. Clearly the man felt he was holding all the cards.
"Yes," Mrs. Cox chimed in. "I saw you on the news earlier today. You were looking a little green around the gills. Have you been feeling well?"
Clark didn't glance at her, didn't take his gaze from Luthor. The man was sitting stiff and proud, his dark eyes glittering with satisfied amusement. His cold confidence gave Clark a perfect understanding of the unspoken threat. Luthor had kryptonite and he had no qualms about using it. Luckily, he didn't seem to have it anywhere in the room at the moment.
For several long and silent seconds nobody moved. Clark didn't blink, didn't twitch. He didn't want to do anything to show the slightest hint of fear even as a giant hand seemed to be squeezing his chest. He met Luthor's gaze, staring him down.
It was Mrs. Cox who broke the silence, clearing her throat as she rose from her perch on the corner of the desk. "I'm afraid you caught us just as we were about to go into a meeting. If you'd like, I can put you on the schedule for tomorrow…"
"No," Clark answered without taking his eyes off of Luthor. "We're done here."
"Yes," Luthor said softly, "I believe we are."
For another long moment they glared at each other. Then Clark turned, striding confidently out of the penthouse and onto the patio.
"Please be careful, Superman," Luthor called out. "It would be a tragedy if anything should happen to you."
This was so well written I couldn't leave any part of it out! My heart jumped! Poor Superman!
Now, where do we go from here? Come on Thursday!
