Hi Mary!
You know, it’s funny about the title: Virginia did an nfic with that title that spent a significant part on Lois being stranded in the woods and taking shelter with Clark
Getting the story should have been very straight-forward: interview the LexLabs scientists about the newly discovered universe, add a few quotes from Lex about its potential for solving the over-population problem, have Jimmy snap a few pictures of a woolly mammoth or something, and collect her awards the following year.
about the logical conclusion: “collect her award”
Lois's first thought was to ignore him and go back to her dreams of Superman's arctic castle
Themed dreaming
however, said dreams involved sitting frustratingly alone next to an inexplicably-placed air-conditioner running at full tilt. Given a choice between two realities in which she was freezing cold with no Superman, she chose to sit up.
Oh, this is comedy gold. Also, reading this while it’s still 30°C outside. It’s now 8 p.m.
though how the man could stand these sub-zero temperatures without it was beyond her.
He stares at her as she’s wearing the short clothes she has arrived in. it makes him glow internally.
At least there was no risk of having to confront a mirror out here.
What about Clark’s glasses. Also, what will Lex say when he sees Lois looking more rugged than Jimmy?
JIMMY: I already have a girlfriend!
The blanket he held around his own shoulders fluttered behind him in the wind, reminding Lois of the annoyingly absent star of her recent dreams.
Another multi-level cute one!
“Thanks.” She tore open one of the packets and managed to devour its contents before even registering a taste, assuming there was any. She eyed the second curiously. “Was Dr. Lewis feeling generous, today?”
Ah, is the Kryptonian living off air and sun again?
KAL-EL: There is much less pollution in this age and thus more sunlight per square inch to soak up.
The second packet of meat assured her that she'd missed nothing in not tasting the first, but at least she was nearly full for the first time in a couple of days. Maybe she'd get out of this alive, after all.
If worst comes to worst, the billionaire can always go on a hike alone in the woods while they find some mystery meat for the group.
Lex looked dramatically different, having gone from a smooth and perfectly-coiffed gentleman to an unkempt figure that she could picture yelling at the dumpsters behind a liquor store.
Another multi-level funny! And please take note on how Lois described Clark as scruffy looking in his manly beard while she describes like as a drunken hobo who just relieved himself inside his pants.
Beside him, the plump and bespectacled Dr. Diggory shifted nervously and adjusted the hood of his parka. “You know, if you just turn me onto my side, that usually helps the—”
Someone’s been snoring? Or is Lex looking for…companionship the jail-times way?
Heck, I even miss shaving.” He reached up to scratch his cheek.
Oh, right, Season One Jimmy. He already shaves.
SEASON TWO JIMMY: Hey! I also own a shaving kit.
“At least that's one thing you don't have to worry about, being a girl and all.”
And suddenly Lois clamps a hand over her mouth and scampers off.
She gave a non-committal grunt. Mercifully, her blanket was long enough to cover her legs.
She could ask Clark if he would be willing to help her shave her legs. Oh, right, she would need to get a clue first.
Dr. Plummer took a deep breath which puffed white in front of her. “Always establish the relevant facts, Mr. Luthor, even if they seem obvious or like something that should already be known to all parties. For example, Eustace and I assumed it was *obvious* that if the emergency rescue protocol would take up to six months, then the emergency survival provisions should be enough to *last* for six months.”
Ooooh! Burn!
Even if you only know how to safely identify one thing: maybe a certain mushroom, an herb, any type of berry...?”
Lex is extremely hungry, I’m sure he’d love to get some of that foraged stuff as soon as it’s prepared into an edible stew?
The cheer evaporated. Everyone looked at everyone else, eyes widening with growing concern as each blank stare met several others.
Hey, what about the boy scout? Also, shouldn’t Lois have taken survival lessons? It would be very likely she gets dumped in the woods at least twice a year?
Lex straightened, regaining some of his cool and confident demeanor. “I've shot tigers before.”
And yet, he started looking for his brown pants as soon as that sabretooth *tiger* visited the camp.
Lois stared at him in shock. “Aren't tigers endangered?!”
Yes, by poor people. Which is why only rich people are allowed to shoot them.
Jimmy stiffened. “Predators? You mean like that big cat we saw on the first day?” When all four scientists nodded, he gulped. “You think there could be more of those?”
No, that was the last of it’s kind, the species having been hunted to extinction by the local apex predator.
Dr. Diggory shook his head. “Oh, not grizzlies, no. They shouldn't migrate to this continent for millennia, yet.”
Jimmy's shoulders relaxed a little. “Well, that's good, at least.”
“We're more likely to see the genus Arctodus, of the short-faced bears,” Dr. Diggory continued, “the smaller species of which is about the same size as a grizzly.”
Lois put an arm around Jimmy to keep him from falling over.
She’s adorable!
Everyone turned to look warily at the forest which suddenly seemed *too* close to the camp. The wind howled as it shook the trees—at least, Lois hoped it was only the wind.
Okay, after counting bears big as houses and wolves big as horses, what about the White Walkers?
Dr. Lewis swallowed. “So, let's put it to a vote: eating, or not being eaten?”
They could dangle one from their camp from a tree branch and use spears to kill what comes to try and nibble?
It was a difficult choice, but Lois finally voted to take the risk on getting more food.
Thought on it a full 1.64 seconds, didn’t she?
gathering pine-cones and needley fallen branches. Even though neither of them had an ax or a saw, they could still do their part in gathering kindling for the up-coming fire.
Will the pinecones explode? I re-checked and there seems to be evidence on this on the internet, but I didn’t rabbit-hole it.
Something flashed in the light of the afternoon sun, and the blade of a knife appeared just in front of Lois's face. The handle had been lashed to a long piece of wood, and when the mist from her gasp finally cleared, she saw the figure who was holding it: “Lex?”
I really thought they’d meet wolf girl. The knife sounded weird, though.
“The first weapon mankind ever invented.” Lex beamed proudly.
No, that would have been a club.
“Man already knew that he could bash his brother's head in with a rock, or anything heavy enough to serve as a club; but this...”
Ah, the first *sophisticated* weapon.
LEX: I did *say* invented by man.
“Just basic game theory.” He lowered the spear again and met her eyes. “You've heard the numbers: rescue comes in six months; four people can last for three of those months, eight people for one and a half. But now, work the math in the other direction: two people could live quite comfortably for the entire six months.”
*squints* He does sound like a sociopath.
LEX: *Survivor*.
Her gasp billowed in front of her. “And let everyone else die?! Lex, that's horrible! How can you even think that way?”
LEX:
When did I suggest we *let* them die as we wander off with the provisions? And waste all that meat?
when the camaraderie breaks down and people begin to turn on each other, who do you want to have your back?”
LOIS: /points at Clark/
Lois watched him leave, stunned. After a moment, a noise from deep within the woods made her whip around to look behind her.
Hey there, wolf girl!
The good news is that Clark here found a tree that had already fallen over naturally,
CLARK: I only exhaled in aw when I saw it standing there.
The bad news is that it must have fallen very recently, because...well, feel it.”
CLARK: I tried to look at it closely but they interrupted me before I could figure out if it was already dry wood.
Clark adjusted his glasses. “They'll dry. I...have a feeling.”
Uh-huh…
Somehow, Lois didn't feel that sharing Lex's assessment of their situation would help with group cohesion and morale,
“Hand-ax." Dr. Carroll had already returned his attention to carving up the tree.
Lois blinked. “What?”
He didn't bother looking up from his work. “Man's first invented weapon was the hand-ax: take a rock, sharpen one edge, and now you've got something that can cut wood, carve meat, or stab an enemy in the face.”
Jimmy caught a thrown chip that had gone wide. “Be careful, you guys! If you see any of those giant bears or demon wolves—”
“Dire wolves,” Dr. Lewis corrected, as though that were remotely helpful.
Yes, the demon wolves only come out during the full moon.
Lois pulled him to a stop behind a particularly wide and full tree that just about shielded them from the view of the camp. “Clark, I want you to promise me something.”
That Clark won’t let Lex eat Jimmy?
“I want you to promise me that...if things go crazy...” She gulped. “...If everyone starts turning on each other...Promise me that you and I will always have each other's backs.”
Awww… also /points to earlier remark on Clark having Lois’s back/
He considered the tiny flame for a moment before carefully setting it under a pine-cone at the bottom of the pile. Everyone leaned forward, watching with held breath. Clark even lowered his glasses to get a better look.
At first, the match seemed to fizzle and turn black without accomplishing anything, but then the pine-cone glowed orange and smoke began to rise.
*Applause*!
“We will.” Clark's voice was firm and held no trace of doubt. His arm came up around Lois's shoulders, further banishing the cold and creating a safe bubble that neither wind nor dire wolves nor half-crazed murderers could breach. “We'll all get out of here alive.”
Now, why would Lois think “half-crazed murderers” while they’re stuck here with some scientists and Lex?
![[Linked Image]](http://expert2.be/smilie/pix/tapfoot.gif)
I also noticed that since you’ve been back at it, the chapters have been quite longer than your usual treats. And more frequent!
:wave : Michael
