So it's over. Or rather, it's not. I feel a bit cheated, even though I realized a few chapters ago that you wouldn't be able to finish this in what was left of the forty-one chapters you had promised us.
I also feel a bit cheated when it comes to the WHAM warning. I was nervous about who was going to die, but so far it was only Nigel, so I was worrying over nothing. The death of the principal villain - at least the principal villain so far - really doesn't merit a WHAM warning. But you told us yourself that you had really planned to finish this story when you reached the forty-first chapter, and then someone besides Nigel was meant to be dead.
Who was the intended victim? I speculated that it might be Lois after all, and you commented that it was interesting that I would think it might be Lois. Really, Terry? Which LnC character has been killed most often in recent years? Clark? Jimmy? Perry? Martha, Jonathan? There is no contest. It's Lois. You have killed her yourself in one of your stories, but you have never killed Clark, not permanently. (I don't think you have given Jimmy, Perry, Martha or Jonathan a violent or premature death, either, even though Perry and/or Martha and Jonathan may have succumbed to old age.)
In your upcoming sequel, I therefore consider Lois a potential victim. Another obvious possibility is Rebecca, of course. And Cat. Is Clark in danger? Only if you want to prove to me that you can do it - kill Clark, I mean. But I guess that the most likely male victim might be Lex. His death would be enough of a loss to merit a WHAM warning.
I really liked Lex in this chapter. You wrote his musings very well. I absolutely don't blame Lex for killing Nigel, but I appreciate the fact that Lex regrets the fact that he had to kill, nevertheless.
But he couldn't escape the knowledge that he'd taken some satisfaction in pulling the trigger and shooting Nigel. He'd thought Lois was dead, he knew Rebecca was bleeding to death at Nigel's feet, he'd seen firsthand the effects of the green crystal on Superman, and Nigel's pistol was about to spit death at him. There had been no reasonable second choice.
Yet the deed was done, and the impact on him would be great. He hadn't shot anyone since his days in the military, and the innocent and idealistic youth of that time had given way to an older and more reflective man who deeply regretted the taking of human life, no matter the justification. And this was something that would dog him for some time.
I like this very much.
I also like how Clark trusted Lex with his secret about his and Lois's telepathic link, and again I very much liked how you described Lex's reactions to this astounding news.
Clark nodded. “Good thought. Hang on a minute.” He turned his head and his eyes took on an unfocused look.
Now what? thought Lex.
After a few seconds, Clark seemed to come back to himself. “Lois says that Rebecca is in the emergency room and they're planning to take her directly to surgery. Bill Henderson is checking on her, and as soon as he gets back Lois will head back this way.”
Lex goggled at him. “How – how could you possibly know – “
“Oh.” Clark smiled sheepishly. “I forgot you didn't know. Lois and I can communicate telepathically.”
“Ah.” Lex took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The day continues to bring me surprises.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that.”
Lex shook his head. “No matter. We should depart as soon as possible.”
I really liked and sympathized with Lex here.
And I liked him here, too:
He glanced at Clark again. This man could speak mind-to-mind with Lois. Who knew what they might say to each other? Was this ability part of the entire super-hero package, or did it portend something more serious? Could Superman read other minds? Could Clark communicate with Rebecca also? If not, what did that mean concerning his relationship with Lois? And what did it mean for his relationship with Rebecca?
What did the answers to those questions mean for Lex's relationship with Lois? He loved her, that was certain, but he was not quite sure that she loved him. He'd thought so the night before on the Miss Emily, but she hadn't said the words and he'd been afraid to ask her just how she felt about him. Given his previous statements about both Superman and Ultra Woman, he thought he understood why. It was a breach he'd have to work very hard to heal. And he truly wanted it to be healed.
The friendship between Lois and Clark was stronger than any non-romantic relationship he'd ever seen, but did that mean that Lois really loved Clark and was simply getting out of his way to keep him from having to choose between herself and Rebecca? Or did it mean that Clark and Lois had mutually decided not to be romantically involved?
The incredible news about Lois and Clark might easily have made Lex feel betrayed, belittled, insanely jealous or angry and scared. But he is just thoughtful, and he is wondering about what all these things mean, and how he can do the best about the situation. He certainly still loves Lois.
The scene with Lois and Henderson was so funny somehow:
“Hey! Are you Ultra Woman?”
So much for being left alone, she sighed. She turned to face the man calling to her.
Oh, great, it was Bill Henderson. The day was getting more interesting by the minute.
She'd never met Bill as Ultra Woman. Best to be standoffish and act like she didn't know him from Adam's pet porcupine. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I am Ultra Woman. Who, sir, are you?”
I giggled at Lois's decision to be a porcupine - oh, wait, it was Henderson she was going to treat as if
he was Adam's pet porcupine! (And that mental image in itself was so funny.)
“New costume, I see. Looks good on you.”
“Thank you. Are you a fashion consultant or have you a legitimate reason for accosting me?”
Wow! That porcupine is prickly!
Her overly formal and prickly manner didn't faze him a bit. “Did I hear right? You just brought in a gunshot victim?”
“Why do you wish to know this, sir?”
He looked into her eyes for a moment and seemed to step into a more formal character himself. He fished his shield out of his coat pocket and held it up. “Detective William Henderson, Metropolis Police. I need to ask you some questions and I'd like to get a formal statement from you.”
She nodded imperiously to the taller man. “Ask your questions, Detective William Henderson.”
She nodded imperiously to the taller man - that's so funny! (And she called him Detective William Henderson!)
“Right.” He hesitated for a moment, and Lois thought he was going to terminate the interview. But she was wrong. “Who shot her?”
Lois sighed. “You must ask that question of the people who were with her at the time of the shooting. The boat is the Miss Emily, owned and operated by Lex Luthor. The other two passengers aboard were Clark Kent and Lois Lane.”
Bill grinned crookedly. “I see. I should have known that Lois would be in the middle of something this weird.
If Henderson hasn't already guessed that Ultra Woman is Lois, he is bound to figure it out soon.
He held out his hand. “No, thank you, Ultra Woman. Ever since you came on the scene, a lot of the crooks in Metropolis have either decided to go somewhere else or take up honest occupations. The violent crime rate is down and the bad guys are more scared of you than they are of the police. Or even Superman. So let me thank you.”
She took his hand and gripped it firmly. She was slightly gratified to see his jaw tighten as she squeezed. “You are welcome, Detective Henderson.”
Lois couldn't resist squeezing Henderson's hand until it hurt! So funny!
All in all, this was another very well-written, satisfying chapter. The entire "Further On Down the Road" has been a pleasure to read. But to me it was a bit of a disappointment that we may be another forty-one chapters away from the conclusion of this story.
Ann
