Well, Kaylle is still insanely busy, so this section hasn't been BRed. Still, I don't want to keep you nice FoLCs waiting. So I'm just going to post. Hopefully there won't be any glaring errors and things will make sense and it won't be too talky and boring. Basically, I hope you like it. If you do spot anything, constructive criticism is always welcome.
Thanks to Kaylle for BRing everything up till now, often on very short notice.
If you need it, you can find the TOC for this story
here. Now, on with the story!
Part 8
Lois's POV
I woke up disoriented, groggy. My head hurt. There was a pressure on my arms. I must be tied up, I realized, all too familiar with the circumstances. "Help, Superman!" I cried, automatically. Then I remembered. Superman wasn't going to come rescue me this time. In fact, I was supposed to be rescuing him. This was not good. I struggled a bit, but I was tied too tightly. I wasn't going anywhere for a while.
I tried focusing on my senses, trying to piece together where I was. The room around me was bare. Nothing but blank concrete walls. That wasn't too helpful. My ears gave me a little more information. I could hear noises. Footsteps, voices, machinery. It was hard to tell anything specific. Walls and distance muffled the sounds, merging them into the generic thrum of a busy workplace.
I racked my brains, hoping my memory would give me some clue. I'd been in the clinic, I recalled. Investigating the mysterious Rogers wing. Jimmy had been with me, but I'd sent him away. I could only hope he'd managed to escape.
So, I'd been captured in an Intergang facility. I wondered if I was still in the lab, destined to be their next guinea pig. Probably not. The last thing they'd want to do would be to make me stronger. Unless, of course, there was something else they could do to me. Not a pleasant thought.
At least Perry knew where I'd been going, I suddenly realized. Even if Jimmy hadn't managed to make it out, Perry would know where to send help. Assuming I was still in the clinic.
So, if I was in the clinic, I could expect torture, but possibly also rescue. If I'd been taken elsewhere... I wasn't sure what that would mean, but I knew it wouldn't be good. On the bright side, there was always the chance that I'd been taken to the same place where they were holding Clark. If I could somehow free myself, I might have a chance to help him. It seemed like a slim hope, but I clung to it desperately, none the less.
A few minutes later, I ran out of positive thoughts. There didn't seem to be anything I could do for myself, and Clark was still in danger, assuming he hadn't already been killed. Something in me told me I'd know if he was dead, but that seemed like wishful thinking. The panic I'd been holding down for so long took over. I'd been Clark's best chance of rescue, and I'd blown it. There was nothing I could do. I was going to die, and so was he, and the whole world would pay for my mistakes.
I began sobbing uncontrollably. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn't even do that much. That thought made it even worse, and I sobbed all the harder. I gave up trying to hold it back. I'd been keeping a firm lid on it for days, but now... what did it matter? I cried until I ran out of tears, and my sobs turned to dry painful coughs.
Eventually, the coughing stopped. I slumped, physically exhausted and emotionally drained. I'd have fallen over, but I was held upright by the firm embrace of the ropes. I sat, listless, too weary even to fall asleep.
Some time later -- I had no idea how long -- the door opened. I hardly noticed. Someone walked into the room. A man. I looked up, not really caring, but simply out of habit. Curiosity was just too deeply ingrained to ignore. I looked him over. Early thirties, I guessed. Handsome enough, though nowhere near Clark. Clark. I closed my eyes and slumped again.
"Oh, my dear Lois," he said tenderly.
That got my attention. It was not at all what I'd been expecting. Pieces clicked together. I looked up again. "Bob?" I said it out loud, too tired to worry about the wisdom doing so.
He blinked and frowned at me curiously. I wondered if I'd been wrong. It was only a moment, though, before something flickered across his face. That expression flashed by too quickly to identify, replaced by obvious surprise, mixed with just a hint of amusement. "Oh my. Even more resourceful than I'd anticipated. I suppose I should have known better. Yes, it is I, although I would appreciate it if you'd call me Robert. So much more dignified."
His mannerisms seemed familiar, his tone even more so. I wondered again if, somehow, despite all the evidence, the man in front of me could be Lex. Maybe he'd had plastic surgery. A lot of plastic surgery. It didn't make much sense, and I wasn't exactly in a condition to sort through it. "Uh, sure," I said. "Robert." He smiled, and that, too, was eerily familiar. "What are you doing here, Robert?"
"I came for you, of course," he said smoothly.
"How did you know --"
"Never mind that now. Time is of the essence."
"What are you going to...?" I trailed off as he pulled out a knife and started walking towards me. I held my breath as the blade drew closer. His other hand reached out, grabbing at me. The knife moved in, the point aiming for my chest. I swallowed. The metal touched my shirt. I stared at it, fixated on its gleaming edge. Then it moved upwards, slicing through the rope.
Only seconds had passed, I realized as I exhaled in relief. Quickly, efficiently, he tugged my bonds aside. I stood up, shaky. He put out an arm to support me, tucking the knife away with the other.
"Come on," he said. "Let's get you out of here."
I nodded, unable to do anything else.
He led me to the door. I moved back to so he could open it. Reluctantly, he let me go. He stepped outside, looking around cautiously. Then he nodded and turned back to me. He held the door open for me and gestured for me to go past him and to the right. Not seeing any better options and far too weary to run, I did as he asked.
He stayed a step behind me as we walked. I wondered why. It could be that he wanted to keep an eye on me, to make sure I was okay. It could be that he wanted to be ready to catch me if I stumbled. If, however, the man who'd rescued me was somehow, despite all odds, Lex Luthor, then it seemed more likely that he was staying behind me because he wanted to be in control.
"Turn left at the next hallway," he whispered.
I nodded my understanding, then turned my head to the side. "Why are you doing this?" I asked over my shoulder.
"Shh. Not now."
I sighed to myself. I didn't like waiting, but he was probably right. The less we talked, the less chance we'd be overheard. I kept walking. He directed me through a few more turns, then through a door that led to a staircase. We went up. After two flights, he told me to open another door. This one led into what appeared to be a warehouse or stockroom of some kind. He touched my arm to get my attention, then pointed down one of the rows. I nodded and started walking again.
His silent instructions took us through a maze of stacked boxes. I was not surprised in the least to see that most of them bore the CostMart label. Eventually, our path took us to a wall. Searching around, I quickly spotted a door. I looked at him. He nodded towards it. We made our way over, all but creeping on tiptoe, and managed to reach it without incident. He opened it for me, and I stepped outside.
I looked around. We were standing in a nondescript alleyway. The harbor district, I guessed, though I couldn't be sure. I turned back to Bob. No, I reminded myself. He wanted to be called Robert. Best to respect that, under the circumstances.
He pointed the way, and I went. I could break and run, I knew. I was feeling more together now that I was free again. Better than I had been, in fact, with the tension of my suppressed panic relieved, at least for the moment. Still, I had an opportunity here. Robert had the answers to at least some of the questions which had been plaguing me. He also, I reminded myself, had a decent-sized knife. Of course, he'd had plenty of chances to use that on me, if that's what he wanted.
I was still weighing my options when he stopped me and pointed to a car parked nearby. I hesitated. He looked at me, his lips quirking with some hidden amusement. "I've had a rough day," I said, a little defensive, "and..." I paused for a moment, considering my next words. Best not to directly say that I hardly knew him, that I didn't trust him. On the other hand, I did have a reasonable objection. Sort of. "You have a knife."
His smile broadened. "And you'd rather not be in an enclosed space with the man holding it, even if he did use it to rescue you? I suppose I can forgive that this once. As you say, you've had a rough day. I hope you'll learn to trust me more, in time."
I looked at him, not sure what to make of that.
"Well, then, are you up for a walk? Your Jeep is parked wherever you left it. They probably would have done something with it by now, but they've had other things to occupy them around there. I even managed to get the keys when no one was looking. Your cameras are a total loss, and I didn't see anything else worth the risk it would have taken to retrieve. The keys, though, were small enough that I could get away with it. So, here they are. I assume you parked reasonably close to the clinic. That's about a dozen blocks from here."
I thought that over. Twelve blocks. A little more than half a mile. That would almost certainly put us in the harbor district, given the warehouses around here. Not exactly a neighborhood I felt like walking alone, not the way I was feeling. My enigmatic suitor wouldn't have been my first choice for company, but beggars can't be choosers. At least he seemed to want me alive. It would be okay. Probably. Twelve blocks would give us time to talk. I nodded. "Let's go."
He gestured grandly down the street. I turned in the indicated direction. He walked beside me.
As we strolled casually along the sidewalk, I thought over the questions I wanted to ask him. Best not to start with anything too big, I decided. Start with something easier. Test the way. "So, Robert, what do you do for a living?"
He laughed. "Well, on paper, I'm a glorified stock boy."
"In reality?"
He thought that over. "In reality, I guess you could say I'm a glorified stock boy. For now, at least."
"Have big plans?" I asked, casually.
Something flashed across his face. A deadly seriousness that I'd seen on only a few people, Lex among them. "The biggest," he said.
"Care to enlighten me?"
"In due time," he told me, smiling again.
That line of questioning, obviously, was not going to get me too far. "Okay, if you won't share your plans, can I ask you about something else?"
"Of course, although I can't guarantee I'll have the answers you're looking for."
"Fair enough." I considered asking about Superman, but realized it would be better to leave that question for later. Asking might well upset him, hurting my chances at getting answers to other questions. So, what else did I want to know? The resemblance to Lex nagged at me, impossible as it was. If that nagging was right, then showing that I hadn't forgotten about the body might well serve to improve Robert's disposition. Besides, I was curious. "Do you know anything about what happened to Lex Luthor?"
His eyes widened, startled. Some emotion stirred in them, but was gone before I could place it. His posture, which had evidentially stiffened while I'd been focused on his expression, relaxed -- possibly by a conscious effort, though I couldn't be sure. "I'm afraid I can't help you there. To my knowledge, Intergang had nothing to do with that."
"Just what are you doing with Intergang, anyway?"
He took a moment to answer. "Spying on them, I guess you could say. Finding little tidbits, piecing them together, and passing them on to you."
"Why?"
"So that you can use those brilliant investigative skills you're so well known for to take their plans apart."
"But why me? Why Intergang? Why do this at all?"
"I have my reasons."
"Care to share of them?"
Again, it was a little while before he answered. "Let's just say they took something from me."
That, I realized, could mean almost anything. Still, it would give me something to go on when I got back to the Planet. "So, what else can you tell me? Have anything more that you didn't include in your last email?"
"Like what?"
"Well, how about the Dealer? What's going on with him? Why is he selling those guns to the gangs?"
"Oh that? It's the same as the lab, of course."
The same as the lab? The lab was experimenting on gang members, using them to... of course. "It's a field test."
"Exactly. They keep track of every weapon sold. When the guns don't work, the designers get to see what went wrong. When the guns do work, the dealer gets tapes of an effective demonstration."
"And, in the meantime, the gangs are paying for it. Both with the money for the guns and with the wounded, most of whom end up at the clinic."
"A neat little operation, isn't it?"
I wondered how to take that, but pushed the question aside. There were more important matters. "So how do I get the Dealer? Do you have any way I could find him? Anything I could use?"
"No, I'm afraid not. That's all I have for now. I'll keep my ears open, you can be sure of that, but everyone's become more wary now that a major operation has been shut down."
"Major operation?"
"The clinic. Nice bit of work, that, even if you did get yourself captured in the process. I told you to be careful..."
"I was careful. As careful as I get, anyway."
He chuckled at that, but there was an underlying seriousness to his expression. "Well, see if you can learn to be a little more careful in the future. I might not be able to come get you next time."
"You don't get anywhere if you don't take a few risks. But tell me... what happened at the clinic? You said it was shut down?"
"Oh, of course. You wouldn't have heard. My apologies. Apparently, the police raided the facility last night. An anonymous tip, or so I heard. I'd assumed that was your doing."
I thought it over. "It was, although not directly. I brought... backup. With instructions to call the cops if I didn't come back out in time."
"Ah. A wise precaution." He looked like he was considering adding to that, but said nothing further.
"It was only sensible, all things considered."
"Sensible?!" He looked and sounded completely incredulous. It was hard to tell if he was amused or horrified. All I could tell for certain was that he was shocked. "You set out to break in to a major Intergang lab in the middle of the night, after their security has already been increased, and you think..." He stopped, shaking his head. "You are a singularly bold woman."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
He smiled at that, but said nothing.
My turn, then. I was almost out of questions, we were getting close to my Jeep, and he was in as good a mood as he was probably going to get. "Well, then, if I may be so bold, I've got something else I wanted to ask you about..."
He smiled again at my phrasing. "Yes?"
"Do you know anything about Superman? What happened to him, where he is, anything?"
His smile vanished. His face was a closed book as he said, "Superman? I've heard a few rumors, but no more than that. Some of those rumors say Intergang has him, but that's only natural, considering that the people spreading those rumors are within Intergang itself. Not a single one of them has admitted to knowing where he is, either. You'd think they'd be bragging about it, at least to other Intergang members, if they did know."
He was hiding something. I could feel it. But I could also tell that I wasn't going to get it out of him with any kind of direct approach. Better not to push him. Come to that, it was probably better to downplay just how important Superman was to me. Showing that attachment would only antagonize my source, and there was also a small chance it could endanger Clark's identity. "Hmm. Well, thanks. Getting him back would make going after the Dealer a lot easier..."
"I'm sure you'll manage," he said, his expression clearing a bit. "You're quite capable without him. Just try to be careful. The Dealer is a very dangerous individual."
"I will. Thanks."
He nodded.
I looked around. The Jeep was half a block away. Amazingly, it was still intact, despite the rough neighborhood. I wasn't sure if it was luck, the proximity to a major Intergang installation, the recent police activity in the area, or a combination of factors which had kept the thieves and vandals away, but I wasn't about to complain. "Robert," I said as we got closer, "thank you. You saved my life."
"A life well worth the saving. I'm just glad I was able to get there in time."
"Me too. So, uh, is there anything I can do to thank you?" I wasn't exactly happy to make the offer, but I felt compelled, given the circumstances. I just hoped he wasn't going to ask for more than I was ready to give. That could make for an awkward situation.
"Well, I would like to ask if you'd be willing to spend some more time with me, now that you have that time to live. Dinner, perhaps. Sadly, though, I don't think you'd be very comfortable with that at this point. So, for now, all I'll ask is that you take care of yourself. If, sometime down the road, you think you would be up for dinner, well, you know how to contact me."
I smiled at him, relieved. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks again."
"You are most certainly welcome. Take care."
"Thanks, you too."
I got into the Jeep. He waved. I waved back, then drove off.
I was back at the Planet in half an hour. Walking into the newsroom had never felt better. I was free, I was safe, and I was home. Now, I just had to find a way to get all that for Clark.
Jimmy ran over to me before I'd made it half way to my desk. "Lois, you're back! You're okay! Hey, everyone, Lois is here!" Soon the whole newsroom was buzzing as people greeted me, applauded, or exchanged comments with each other. I did my best to ignore it all. Jimmy, meanwhile, was peppering me with questions. "Where were you? How'd you get here? Are you okay?"
"They caught me, but I got out." I decided to leave out the help I'd gotten. It was more complicated than I felt like explaining at that point. "I'm fine, Jimmy. Thanks."
"Oh man, Lois. I was so worried! When you didn't come back out, I called that number you gave me, like you asked. Officer Sawyer came right over with a whole bunch of cops. Since I'd heard that gunshot, they said it counted as 'probable cause,' or close enough, anyway. They raided the lab, got everything. Then they said that they couldn't find any trace of you. Then you didn't show up this morning... Oh man. I'm just glad you're okay."
"You did great, Jimmy. Thanks."
He stood there and smiled for a moment, but suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh, I almost forgot! You should go talk to Myerson. He's working on the lab story."
My mouth dropped open. That was my story! I was taking a breath to start a long stream of objections when Jimmy hastily continued.
"We got the exclusive, thanks to your involvement, but we need to get it out for tonight's edition. When you didn't show up this morning..."
I sighed. He had a point. "Right. I'll go talk to Myerson. Thanks, Jimmy."
He seemed startled, then immensely relieved. "Uh, sure. I'll just get going now. Welcome back. Glad you're okay."
I grinned at his departing back, then started over towards Myerson's desk.
"Lois! My office! Now!"
Still grinning, I turned and headed over to Perry's office, as requested. "You wanted to see me?"
"You bet I did! Great shades of Elvis, I thought we'd lost you for sure this time!"
"Well, you're stuck with me for a little longer, Perry."
"Yeah, well, you ever pull anything like that again, I'll have you doing state fairs and dog shows for the rest of your life! I may have ink my veins, but I still need the old ticker to move it around. I don't know if it can take another ride like that."
"What were you worried about? The way I hear it, we got the story, even without my showing up this morning."
"Yeah, and if I sent you to a dog show, you'd come back with a page one story about diamonds being smuggled in the collars. Aww, it's good to have you back, Darlin'." He pulled me into a hug, and it was a long moment before either of us was ready to let go.
I stayed in his office after that, going back over everything that had happened. He listened through it all, not interrupting with anything more than the occasional Elvis-related exclamation. It was good to get it all out, and to go over it again, out loud. Still, by the time I was done, I felt exhausted. I hadn't exactly had the best night's rest, and I was still emotionally rung out. I knew I had to talk to Myerson, and Sawyer would probably want a statement, but I found myself ready to collapse.
I curled up on Perry's couch, and told myself I'd take care of everything else soon enough. I needed to rest for a while. Then I could get going again, try to find Clark. He was out there, somewhere, needing someone to rescue him, just as I'd been rescued that morning, just as he'd rescued me so many times before. I'd find him, I told myself. Somehow, I'd find him. I just needed to rest a bit first. Dimly, I heard Perry get up to leave, but I was sound asleep before he got to the door.
******
Clark's POV
When I woke up again, I was weak and sore. Despite that, I was feeling pretty good. Lois was okay. I didn't know how I knew, but I felt it strongly enough that there wasn't room for doubt. She'd survived, she'd escaped, and she was going to help me. If only I knew where I was! I thought back over what I knew, but it still felt like I was missing something. I was still thinking things through when exhaustion overcame me, and I fell back asleep.
******
Lois's POV
When I woke up, I felt energized. Clark was still alive, I could feel it. Somehow, I had an impression of where he was, too. No solid images or anything, but solid feel, none the less. Concrete, underground. Like a bunker, but bigger. Controlled by someone else, a man. Not Intergang. I thought that over. If not Intergang, then who else could it be? The answer came to me in a flash. Lex. Somehow, he was masquerading as Robert Maxwell. He was the one who had Clark. He'd been hired by Intergang the day after Clark had disappeared. No doubt, he'd used that as a bargaining chip to get himself included.
What did he want? Revenge? He'd said they'd taken something from him. What could... No matter. I could worry about that later. First I needed to get Clark. A large bunker, owned by Lex, far underground... his old shelter! The one he'd prepared in case the Nightfall asteroid had hit! Hardly anyone alive knew about that place, and the few who did would never think to go there. There was no reason to, not with Lex supposedly dead (how had he managed that, anyway? Something else to worry about later...). That was it. That was where Clark was. It had to be.
I jumped up and ran to my desk. I grabbed the phone and hastily started punching in numbers. I waited impatiently while it rang. What was taking so long? Had they suddenly decided to make the rings longer? Why couldn't the woman --
"Sawyer here."
"This is Lois Lane --"
"Lois! You're alive! Where are you? Can you come down here? We need --"
"Never mind that now! I need a S.W.A.T. team! I know where Superman is!"
"What?! How? Where?"
"Just get a team together and meet me at the Lexcorp tower. I'll explain what I can when you get there."
"The Lexcorp tower? But --"
"There's a secret elevator in the basement."
"You mean the wine cellar?"
"No, that one goes up. The one in the basement goes down. Go into the lobby, down one flight of stairs, then past the pump room. There's a small room between that and the furnace. The elevator is in there."
"Okay, I'll get a team together. I hope you're right about this."
"I am. I have to be. I'm heading over now. See you there."
"Lois, you will wait for --"
I hung up before she could finish the question, pretending not to have heard her start it. I'd done my part keeping the MPD informed. Not something I'd normally have done, but with Superman missing, it had only seemed reasonable. Now I was going to get him. I'd wait for a while, because I really did want backup, just in case, but I wasn't feeling patient enough to make any promises.
I raced out of the newsroom and made it crosstown in record time. Unfortunately, Sawyer did not. I waited around for half an hour or so... Okay, twenty minutes. ... Fine, fine. Maybe it was more like fifteen. Well, fifteen-ish. The point is that I waited, and they didn't show up. They knew where to go. They'd be along soon enough. Clark was waiting down there, somewhere, and I knew that time could well be crucial. I headed down.
Once I was in the shelter, though, I had to stop and think. The place was practically a small city unto itself. Where would Clark be? The was a map down the hall. I stared at it. Suddenly, something clicked. There was a replica of my apartment was down here. Lex wouldn't keep Clark there -- it would be too recognizable -- but there was another room, right next to it...
I started down the hall, but then I remembered Sawyer. She'd be even more lost down here than me. I grabbed a pen out of my purse and marked the map. She'd see it. I knew she would. It was obvious. The map was right there, and my mark was the only one. The diamond around the "S" was a little smudged, but it was clear enough. It would be fine. Clark was waiting for me. I ran for it.
******
Clark's POV
I woke up to the sound of footsteps. Something was different this time, though. They were moving faster. Running. And there was only one set. One set that seemed oddly familiar. It couldn't be... could it? I tried to focus, but I was still weak from the Kryptonite. My head still hurt, and my hearing wasn't nearly as sharp as I was used to. Certainly nowhere near sharp enough to listen for that familiar heartbeat, that steady, fluttering beat, with the cute little premature contraction every twenty beats or so. Nothing dangerous, just a slight tendency to get ahead of itself.
I realized I was drifting. I forced myself to focus on the sounds. It *was* Lois! I could feel it. Not in the sounds, but just... a feeling. What was she doing here? How had she found me? Time to wonder about that later. She'd tell me when we were clear. The footsteps got closer. The door opened, almost hesitantly.
The next thing I knew, she was there. She couldn't move at super speed, could she? There was a tugging on the ropes that were holding me.
"It's okay, Clark. I'm here. I'll have you free in a second."
"Oh, Lois." I slumped in relief. The blindfold came off. I blinked, unaccustomed to the light, little as there was. The ropes started to come undone.
"What are you doing here? How did you...?"
I looked up at the voice, my heart falling. It was the first time I'd seen my captor. Why had he had to come in at just that moment? A few more minutes, and we would have been free and clear. Well, no use wasting energy on that thought. I looked at him, seeing for the first time the face that went with the voice. It wasn't at all familiar. What had I done that had made this man so angry at me? Why had he done all this? Who was he?
Behind me, Lois had stiffened. Slowly, she stood up. "Lex."
Her tone startled me. I'd never heard so much acid in her voice. Then the name registered. Lex? The man in front of me looked nothing like Luthor. Besides, he was dead, wasn't he?
"Ah, you do know me, despite the... differences. You'd know me anywhere, wouldn't you? You see, Lois? We were meant to be together."
"Yes, I recognized you, Lex. A snake who sheds his skin is still a snake."
"A snake? No! He's poisoned your mind! Don't worry, my dear. I'll help you. Look! I'm young and strong. Soon, I'll have wealth and power once again. You turned away from me in my absence. I can forgive you that. But now I'm back. We can be together again. We can pick up where we left off..."
"Where we left off? Sure, Lex. Why don't we do that?"
"You mean it? You're not saying it to protect this... alien, are you?"
"Oh, I mean it. Let's see. Where did we leave off? Oh, right. I was telling you that I wasn't going to marry you, and you were jumping off the top of the top of a very tall building. Why don't we just get back to that?"
I was still a little out of it from the Kryptonite. I'd been having trouble following the conversation, but one thing stood out in the rapid exchange. "Luthor. It really is you, but... how?"
"An old associate of mine. A mystic by the name of Asabi. He possesses a certain stone which allows him to transfer souls from one body to another. Very useful little trick. He wasn't sure it would work on you, but I didn't mind. You have your strengths, but you also have your... vulnerabilities."
"Flannegan," Lois said, suddenly. "That was you." I wished I had some idea of what she was talking about.
"Yes, a little test run. I took over his body, brought myself the Kryptonite, switched back, and shot him. It worked so neatly, and the police were completely baffled. Lovely."
"So then you took over Maxwell..."
"For a fresh start, of course. Tied him up, until I was sure, and then got rid of him."
"Why Bob?"
"Why not? Young enough to have a full life ahead of him, old enough to be mature. Just a little older than you, so we'd make a fitting couple. Reasonably handsome, if I must say so myself. No one to miss him if he suddenly went away. Why, he even has an 'x' in his name. What more could I want?"
"So you just... murdered him? That's... That's..." Lois seemed to be at a loss for words. It was a rare moment. Not that I could blame her. What *could* you say to something like that?
"Well, I couldn't very well walk around as myself. There were too many people out looking for me, your over-muscled boyfriend here not least among them. How was I supposed to get close to you with him always there in one suit or another?"
"One suit... what are you saying?"
"Oh, I think you know what I mean. Nigel, traitor though he turned out to be, kept such an *interesting* diary..."
"You... know."
"Oh yes. It made trapping him so much easier."
"But, if you know, then why hasn't...?"
"You didn't think I'd share a secret like that, did you? Even with him in my power, that little bit of information still has potential use. I wasn't about to give that up without good reason."
A distant sound distracted me from the conversation. Footsteps. There were people coming this way, slowly. So that's why Lois was asking all those questions! She'd brought backup, and now she was stalling for time! Luthor seemed to think himself secure. He was comfortable enough to answer those questions. Probably still hoping to somehow win Lois over.
Best to make sure he didn't hear anything before it was too late. He might still panic and kill us both. I searched around. I needed something that could make a lot of noise. The ventilation system? But I had no way to activate it from here. The TV? I couldn't possibly reach it without being noticed. It did have a remote control somewhere. A remote that acted on the infrared band. Maybe, if I could control my heat vision tightly enough...
Oh, that was ridiculous! I'd have to get the code exactly right, which meant split-second timing, and I didn't even know the code I needed! On the other hand, I realized, looking around, the TV wasn't the only thing in the room activated by heat. There was a fire alarm on the ceiling. Weakened by the Kryptonite, I wasn't sure if I could trip it, but it was my best chance. I had had some rest since the last "dose." All I needed to do was to heat that one little area just enough... I focused on it with everything I had.
A minute later, I was ready to give up. I had nothing to show for my efforts but a massive headache. Still, I persisted. I just... needed to... get it... a little... warmer... I slumped back, exhausted. It was no use. I'd given it everything I had, and -- Suddenly, my headache got a lot worse as my efforts were rewarded with an annoying buzzing sound. Nothing deafeningly loud, but certainly enough to cover the sounds of any footsteps, or at least distract from them.
"What is going on?" Luthor demanded, angrily. Water gushing from the ceiling answered him. "Oh, the fire alarm." He laughed. "Nice thought, but it won't do you any good. This is a fallout shelter. That alarm isn't connected to the surface. It only serves as a warning to anyone else in the compound, and, at the moment, that would be precisely... no one."
I ignored him, once again feigning utter exhaustion with hardly any real strain on my acting abilities. The water from the sprinklers washed over me, a long overdue shower. I drank some in. It was cool and refreshing.
"Well then," Lois said, "as long as we're alone, would you mind explaining one more thing to me? I haven't quite been able to make sense of it."
"Certainly, my dear. I'll be happy to satisfy that curiosity of yours any way I can."
"Why have you been sending me information about Intergang operations? If you want power, why sabotage the organization? Surely not just to get in my good graces."
"So I could take over, of course. With my help, you shut down two of Mindy's projects and have been poking at a third. The board was already nervous from that whole fiasco with Bill and his son. Some of them weren't too happy about their new leader, either, the circumstances of her ascent aside. With her careful plans falling around her faster than she could possibly hope to pick them up, it's only a matter of time before they decide to -- How shall I put this...? -- /fire/ her. That will throw the entire organization into utter chaos. Chaos which offers unparallelled opportunities to someone who has already earned a reputation for handling certain... difficult individuals."
That last phrase referred to me, obviously. Although he had said "individuals," plural. Did I count twice? Once as Superman and once as Clark? Or was he talking about someone else? Mindy? Luthor himself, perhaps? Given that everyone thought him dead, it seemed possible, if more than a little strange. I just hoped he didn't mean Lois.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. I looked up, startled. I'd almost forgotten about the approaching footsteps.
"I don't like traitors," Mindy said, pouting at the still form of Luthor's stolen body. "Oh, don't put that away yet," she added, turning to her bodyguard. "We have a couple more little... inconveniences. Be a dear and take care of them both for me, will you?"
Well, I thought, so much for Lois's backup, and my little fire alarm trick. I'd helped Mindy get the drop on Lex, but it hadn't done me any good.
"Freeze, MPD!"
Okay, maybe I was wrong, I decided, grinning.
Mindy and her bodyguard hesitated, but soon realized they were trapped. Reluctantly, they surrendered.
I blew out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Behind me, Lois started working on the ropes again. Soon, I was free. I stood up, shakily. After having been tied down so long, I wasn't quite steady. Lois rushed forward to support me. I leaned into her, grateful. Everything was going to be all right.
"Well," she whispered to me, "now that that's all taken care of, there's only one crisis left."
Something else? I froze. "What?"
"The caterer called. He says that with all the trouble in and around the docks this week, he won't be able to do the fish..."
I stared at her. She grinned. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.
On the other side of the small room, the cops looked up. One of them, the one who'd been reading Mindy her rights, lifted a questioning eyebrow in my direction.
She looked familiar. Officer... Sawyer. Maggie Sawyer. From the 68th. I'd worked with her more than once. I liked her. She was a good cop. "Just glad to be free again," I explained, smiling. It wasn't a lie, not really. Under any other circumstances, I wouldn't have found the latest glitch in our wedding plans nearly so amusing.
She smiled back, just as widely. "Glad to have you back, Blue."
A few short minutes and one elevator ride later, we were on the street. Mindy and her bodyguard were being guided into the back of a police car. I was sopping wet from the sprinklers, not to mention weak, exhausted, and pained from the repeated Kryptonite exposures. But I was also free, and I was with the woman I loved. The woman who, in just over a week, would be my wife. I didn't think I'd ever been happier.
******
Epilogue
Lois's POV
Everything went smoothly from there. The Kryptonite was taken to STAR Labs and safely stored away for future study. Doctor Klein had hopes that he could someday find a way to counter its effects. Mindy was in police custody, with a mountain of evidence against her, including eyewitness testimony from a respected reporter, half a dozen cops, and Superman that she had had someone killed and had ordered the deaths of two others. Intergang itself was yet again under investigation, with the help of the information from the lab and the base where I'd been held prisoner.
My fiance spent the weekend sunbathing, while I put my time into the not unpleasant task of nursing him back to health. Superman was back not long after that. With his help, the Dealer was quickly located and taken into custody.
The president came to town later that week. Some lunatic tried to get control of the government by implanting hypnotic suggestions in the president's mind. Apparently, it had been a hastily thrown-together plan. The original idea had been to replace the president with a clone, but that had fallen through when the cloning experiments had failed. The scientist in charge had complained of a lack of funding. Doctors Mamba, Deter, and Mendenhall, along with their co-conspirators, were all handed over to the FBI. Clark and I got the exclusive, as well as a promise of a lengthy personal interview with the president, to be scheduled at our convenience. All in a day's work for Lane and Kent.
In the meantime, the mayor announced the creation of a new police branch. He said that the chaos resulting from Superman's disappearance had shown him just how much the city had been relying on the hero. While always grateful for the help, the mayor felt that the city should be better equipped to handle crises on its own. To that end, he was creating the new Special Crimes Unit, a team of elite officers trained to deal with the type of large-scale emergencies which, in the past few years, had been left solely to Superman. They would even be equipped to deal with criminals who had "unique abilities."
Clark and I, along with the rest of the city (or its law-abiding population, anyway), heartily applauded the move. The two of us were especially glad to hear that one of the officers chosen for the new unit would be Maggie Sawyer, who had been honored for her dedication during the crisis, above and beyond the call of duty.
After that, the week rolled by without any more difficult surprises. Clark and I split our time between a series of front-page articles (follow-ups on the major stories of the past couple weeks) and wedding preparations.
Finally, Sunday came. St. Valentine's day. The wedding went off without a hitch (well, except for the one that was supposed to happen...). The ceremony was beautiful, the way I'd always dreamed. My family even managed to behave themselves. The reception was a blur of greetings, dances, and occasional bites of food. It was fun, but, to tell the truth, we enjoyed it more when we had the luxury of watching it at our own pace, on video.
After the wedding, of course, came the honeymoon. Clark left every once in a while to fly a patrol around the city, but he always came back quickly. Everything there seemed quiet, for a change. So, we actually got to enjoy a nice long vacation on the lush tropical volcanic islands of Hawaii. It was amazing. Gorgeous sights, stunning views of nature in all its splendor. There were breathtaking peaks, formed by pressures great enough to move the earth, fueled by fires hot enough to melt solid rock... Oh, yes, and sometimes we left the hotel room to go sightseeing. That was good, too.
