Live Another Day
Part 9:
Lois woke up a couple of hours later. Her eyelids were still heavy from sleep. She tried to pry them open, but they instantly drifted shut again. She wasn’t in her bed and she wasn’t in the old hotel, either. It took her a moment to remember that she was safe now. Henderson had taken her to his apartment and she had been sleeping on his couch.
The room was buzzing with voices, though the people around her did their best to speak as quietly as they could. Beside Scardino, Lois recognized the voices of Jimmy and of Perry. So he had already arrived at Bill’s place. And finally, Lois heard Bill as well, who had obviously returned from work.
Lois made another attempt at opening her eyes and was more successful this time. A clock next to Henderson’s TV told Lois that it was late in the afternoon. With a start, Lois sat up and looked at the four men who were sitting around a Bill’s table. They returned her gaze with mild curiosity.
She got up to join them and felt herself blush a little. “I’m sorry that I fell asleep on your sofa, Bill.”
Henderson smiled at her. “Don’t be. You had a rough night. It’s perfectly understandable. Your boss was just telling us what he found out.”
Perry got up from his chair. “It’s good to see you Lois. Bill just told me what you’ve been through. Are you okay?”
Lois nodded. “Just a little shaken.”
His eyebrows climbed toward his hairline. “You sure? I could ask Alice to take care of you. She’d love to help out. And-“
“Thanks , Perry, “ she cut him off. “But that won’t be necessary. I’m okay.”
Henderson got up as well, offering Lois his place to sit. “I think I have another chair somewhere.”
Lois flashed him a smile as she sat down at the table. Perry joined her. The worry he felt was evident in his gaze and Lois tried her best to put on her bravest face. She didn’t want to be sent away. This story was hers and she wouldn’t let others do the job that she should have been doing all along. It still irked her that she hadn’t picked up on Luthor’s true character.
Henderson briefly vanished into an adjoining room and returned with a folding chair. As soon as they all had taken their places around the table, the conversation resumed.
“Luthor told me that he can’t save the Daily Planet.” Perry’s jaw worked as he said that. “According to him, it was underinsured.”
Lois heart sank. “Do you believe him?”
Perry threw up his hands. “I don’t know. Every member of the Daily Planet’s old Board of Director’s is ducking me.” He set a black case on the table that was bulging with its contents. “I did get hold of the transcript of the session where they decided to sell to Luthor.” Perry tapped his nose. “Instinct tells me they’re hiding something. What I need is leverage.”
Scardino grinned. “Perhaps Jimmy and I can help with that.”
“Uh huh,” Jimmy said excitedly. “Rumor has it that at least one or two of the board members have a thing for blondes who are barely out of high school. Cat Grant once said something along those lines. I even remember which kind of bars she saw them in. All we need is keep an eye on those members.”
Henderson pulled a face. “You do know that if someone sees Jimmy outside our whole pretense is blown to pieces!”
“Don’t worry, Bill.” Scardino patted his shoulder. “We’ll disguise him so well that not even his mother would recognize him.”
Perry was rubbing his hands. “Meanwhile, I’ll look into the Planet’s finances. Maybe I can find out something useful.”
“And what about me?” Lois felt a bit like the third wheel. She wasn’t used to be sitting around while others were chasing the story.
“You should rest, Lois,” Henderson said. Concern was written over his face. It was hard to say if he was worried about her well-being or that she might do something reckless and stupid.
“But I can’t just lay low and do nothing to stop Luthor.” Lois jumped up from her chair, trying to stare Henderson down. “That’s just not in my nature. You of all people should know that, Bill.”
“Unfortunately, I do know that,” he rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. “Okay. Why don’t you let Dan bring you up to speed what we know about Luthor? Then we figure something out.”
Lois felt her stomach churn with anger. She still felt like Henderson was just trying to sideline her. But before she could say anything, he lifted his hands in a pacifying gesture.
“Look, Lois. I simply don’t know what our next step will be. Much as I hate it, but we’ve got to let Luthor set the pace here.”
Lois anger subsided. “Okay.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “Show me the evidence Clark has gathered.”
Scardino, who had been standing next to them, took a bow. “It’ll be my pleasure.”
“Ah, will you shut up?” Henderson grunted. “Does anyone else want something to eat?”
Lois felt her own stomach growl and apparently, the same was true for everyone else. They quickly agreed that everyone was hungry and Henderson promised to get some take-out. Perry decided to head home to his wife, while Jimmy wanted to take a shower. Soon, Lois and Scardino were alone in the room.
Scardino wiggled his brows. “I’m apologizing for Henderson. He’s a bit grumpy lately.”
“You never fail to have a smart remark on your lips, don’t you?” Lois was slightly unnerved. “Come on Scardino. Show me what you’ve got.”
“Call me Dan.” He took her hand and guided her back towards the table.
Then he fetched a large box full of photos and papers filled with a neat hand-writing. The photos and papers were organized in files. One was marked with the label ‘Messenger,’ another one was labeled ‘Smart Kids.’ But there were more, many more. Lois opened the first one and started to flip through the pages. Lois found a photo of Luthor kissing Antoinette Baines’ hand in his penthouse. The moment that was captured on the photo looked quite intimate. The next page was the transcript of a conversation between Luthor and Baines.
DR. BAINES: It’s done. The Messenger’s at the hangar.
A tattooed man comes in.
LUTHOR: I knew I could leave everything in your capable hands. What’s he doing here?
DR. BAINES: I have an errand for him to run. Platt has to be… silenced. And this reporter Lois Lane is also becoming a problem. She was there this morning. She took pictures of the Messenger, followed the truck to the hangar.
LUTHOR: Do what you want with Platt. But leave the reporters to me.
Lois drew in a sharp breath. So Luthor had been present when Antoinette Baines had ordered Platt’s death! He’d fully supported the murder.
DR. CARLTON: We’ve got to get them back.
LUTHOR: Why so nervous, Dr. Carlton?
CARLTON: You told me there was no risk of exposure. I have a reputation in the scientific community. I can’t afford--
Luthor slaps Carlton across the cheek.
LUTHOR : Better? This is no time for panic. We’ll have our rug rats back in the lab soon enough.
There was more evidence of things Luthor had done that hadn’t happened in Metropolis. More transcripts and sometimes even tapes that showed he would stop at nothing to increase both his wealth and his influence. It seemed there was no crime he hadn’t committed. Bribery and blackmail were only the more harmless offences. He’d practically ordered the murder of Samuel Platt and had hired a bomb planter to kill Antoinette Baines.
Lois leaned back and dropped the paper she was just holding. “How did Clark find all this? How did he even manage to take the photos?” She held up the photo that showed Luthor kissing Baines’ palm. “His pent-house is on the top of Lex Tower! How did he even get up there?”
Scardino shrugged. “I can’t tell you that. But before you ask, I’m absolutely certain that every bit of it is legit.”
Lois lifted her brows. “You can’t tell me or you won’t?”
A lopsided grin appeared on his face and Scardino raked a hand through his hair. “You got me there.” He started putting the photos and papers back into their respective files. “Look, there are a lot of things I could tell you about Clark. But he made it pretty clear to me that if I told you any of the things I know about him, I’d be a dead man. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to stay alive.”
At first Lois thought that Scardino was joking again. But then she saw the serious expression on his face and couldn’t stifle a gasp. “But Clark… Do you really think he would…?” Her voice trailed off, because she didn’t dare say the words that were on her mind.
The strange thing was that just a few hours ago she’d have believed that Clark was capable of everything. But then he’d saved her from being raped. He’d fought for her, had even been injured because of her. He’d rescued her and Jimmy from certain death during the explosion. She didn’t know how, only that without him, she’d have died there. He’d listened to her babbling about her love life and had seemed to genuinely care about her well-being. Even though she knew next to nothing about Clark Kent, she felt in some respect she knew him better than the man who had proposed to her. She couldn’t believe that he’d be capable of killing someone.
“I don’t know,” Scardino said quietly. “He said that he’s never killed anyone. But when he threatened me, I could tell that he was serious.”
For a while, Lois sat there in silence while Scardino continued to clear the table. She tried to sort her feelings concerning Luthor and Clark. Lois found it disconcerting how little she had known about Luthor, how easily he’d led her on. And she wondered what it was that Clark Kent was hiding. What kind of secret was he protecting that he was willing to kill for it? And would he actually go that far or had it been just a throw-away remark? But somehow she had trouble imagining that Clark would just casually talk about taking a life.
“How do you know him? Can you tell me that?” Lois asked.
“I guess that’s not part of the secret.” Scardino put the last paper in its folder and sat down on a chair next to Lois. “Several years ago I was working for the DEA in Panama. My division was looking for the evidence that finally led to the arrest of Manuel Noriega. I was young and inexperienced and got into trouble with the local drug lords. They abducted me, figuring they could use me to blackmail the USA. Clark worked for a friend of my father, then and was sent to rescue me. I thought we wouldn’t get out in one piece, but somehow, he managed to walk us out of the jungle unscathed.”
Lois nodded. That sounded like the Clark she’d met, though he wasn’t exactly unscathed. A lump settled in her throat as she’d remembered how he’d clutched against the wall for support when she’d last seen him. She could only hope that he was doing okay.
“And why is the DEA involved in bringing Luthor to justice?” Lois asked.
“They aren’t,” Scardino replied quietly. “My partner Jenna died in a gunfight when we were trying to bust a drug ring here in Metropolis. We’d found someone who was willing to reveal the Svengali behind the operation. I took a sabbatical to find out who was responsible for her death.” He swallowed hard and averted his gaze, obviously trying to collect himself.
Lois laid her hand on his and squeezed it lightly. “I’m sorry, Dan.”
He looked back at her. His smile seemed a little forced. “It’s okay. She was a great partner, the toughest guy in the DEA.” He laughed softly. “She was able to drink most of my colleagues under the table. Somehow she managed to be your best buddy and your bad conscience all at the same time.”
“You loved her,” Lois concluded.
Scardino’s cheeks turned crimson. “I guess I did. But when I realized that, it was already too late. Now bringing the man to justice who cut her life short is the only thing that I can do for her.” His expression turned wistful. “I wish I had kissed her when I still had the time.”
For some reason, Clark’s smiling face appeared before her mind’s eye. Lois suddenly remembered his embrace and how safe she’d felt in his arms. That was downright insane, given the fact that a few minutes earlier he’d pointed a gun at her and pulled the trigger. For a moment there, her entire world had shattered to pieces. She’d been scared despite his reassurance, scared that she’d once again misjudged a man that she…
Lois’ thoughts trailed off as she frantically searched for the right term to name her feelings for Clark. It was an impossible jumble of emotions, including fear, curiosity, gratitude, awe, worry and a strange feeling of security. But there was also something else. She felt drawn to him in a way that was simply inexplicable. Could she really be suffering from Stockholm’s syndrome? How else could she explain that her heart started beating faster when she thought of him? The way she worried about his safety?
Lois shook her head to clear her mind of these unwanted thoughts. After what she’d gone through in the past hours, it was no wonder she was losing it.
Henderson returned with several containers of Chinese food and sat it down on the table. They had just started eating, when the telephone rang.
Henderson picked up. “Henderson.” For a while he just listened. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
He hung up the phone and looked at the others. A rare smile played around his lips. “Apparently, Luthor has turned up at the precinct and is making a fuss. He’s asking for the list of people who have been accounted for. Seems like he’s already missing you, Lois.”
Scardino rubbed his hands with glee. “I’m coming with you. Perhaps I get a chance to plant a bug on him. That way, we can find out what he’s up to.”
“I’m coming, too.” Lois said decisively.
Henderson tried to stare her down. “No, you’re not.”
Lois folded her arms in front of her chest, not ready to give in. “Yes I am. I have a pair of sunglasses and a scarf in my handbag. Nobody is going to recognize me.”
For a while they just looked at each other relentlessly until Henderson finally threw up his hands in resignation. “Okay. Okay. But you’re not going to be wearing just a scarf and sunglasses. I’ll get you a change of clothing and a wig.”
With a grunt, he turned around and hurried into his bedroom. Lois looked after him, puzzled. A couple of minutes later he returned with a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a flannel shirt, a blond wig and a baseball cap from the Metropolis Meteors. Henderson handed her the items.
“That should sufficiently disguise you,” he said quietly.
Lois was surprised. “You have a set of woman’s clothing and a wig at your apartment?”
Henderson cleared his throat. “They belonged to my wife. She died from cancer five years ago. I didn’t get around to throwing them away yet.”
Though he did his best to sound casual, there was a quivering in his voice that told Lois that he had kept his wife’s things for sentimental reasons.
“Are you sure you’re okay with me wearing this? Lois asked concerned.
Henderson shrugged. “It’s been five years. Besides, Jill had a stubborn streak quite like your own. She would have liked you.”
Lois didn’t know what to say, so she settled for the obvious. “Thank you, Henderson.”
Henderson gave her a quick nod and grabbed his coat. “I’ll hurry to the precinct. You take Scardino’s car.”
***
As Clark listened to the dial tone, he wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing. Calling his parents had seemed like a good idea just a few moments ago. Now he dreaded what would happen if they picked up the phone. But before he could talk himself into hanging up again, he heard his mother’s voice.
“Kent residence.”
Clark felt like a fool. He didn’t even know what he was supposed to say to her. But it was so good to just hear her voice.
“Who is there? Clark, is that you?”
He didn’t know how she did this. “Yes, Mom. It’s me.”
She sounded thrilled. “Jonathan, pick up the extension. It’s Clark. Are you all right? We haven’t heard from you for a couple of days. Why don’t you come over? I made an apple pie. Should be ready in twenty minutes.”
Clark’s heart was heavy. He longed to see his parents again, embrace them. “Sounds delicious, Mom. But I’m afraid I can’t make it.”
“Are you still busy in Metropolis?” his dad asked.
Clark bit his lip, feeling like a liar as he continued. “Yeah. But I think we’re close.”
He couldn’t fool his mother. “You don’t sound too good, Clark. What’s the matter?”
Clark still tried it. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”
“Nonsense,” his mother replied. “Clark Jerome Kent, will you tell me what’s going on with you, or do I have to come all the way to Metropolis to find out?”
Clark let out a sigh. “It’s true that I’m busy. But right now, I’m not exactly my normal self either. That’s the reason why I can’t come over.”
The line went silent. Clark only heard his parents breathing on the other end. They didn’t know about the green crystal. He hadn’t wanted to worry them.
“What do you mean, not your normal self?” Jonathan asked, his voice trembling.
Clark hung his head and cursed himself. He hadn’t called them to tell his parents about the loss of his powers. There had been something else, or rather someone else he’d wanted to talk about. But obviously that had to wait. He should have known that his mother would notice something wasn’t right with him. She always did, even after he’d been gone for more than ten years. Even after all the time he’d spent working for Bureau 39.
Clark braced himself for the following conversation. It wasn’t something he should be telling them over the phone. He didn’t even know how to phrase this. “Right now, I’m more or less Joe Regular.”
Martha gasped. “But how?”
Clark rubbed the bridge of his nose and leaned against the wall of the phone booth. “There’s a substance that can hurt me.”
Jonathan sounded alarmed. “Was it someone from your past, who hurt you? Do you need help?”
Clark shook his head, even though he knew that his parents couldn’t see him. “It has nothing to do with them. They don’t know where I am. I exposed myself. I still have a sample of that substance. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. And that’s not the reason I called.”
Jonathan didn’t sound the least bit reassured. “But Clark, why would you do such a thing? That sounds dangerous.”
Clark tried to brush off his concern. “I know what I’m doing, Dad. I’ve been using this substance for years.”
He didn’t mention that he might have overdone it this time. Though he was pretty sure he could use some of his powers if need be, he felt that they were still unreliable. Clark wasn’t going to check, because he couldn’t afford to waste one ounce of strength. Saving Lois and Olsen in the Daily Planet had drained almost all his reserves, and using his powers again to escape Ray and Joe had left him so seriously exhausted that even the light of the afternoon sun didn’t do much to refuel him. What he really needed now was sleep.
“Please be careful, son. What…” Jonathan seemed to have more questions, but Martha silenced him.
“What did you want to talk about?” she asked.
Clark’s tongue suddenly was awfully tied. He just wanted this conversation to end. “It’s nothing really. Forget I called.”
Martha sounded quite desperate. “No, Clark, I won’t. Please don’t shut us out. We’ve been missing out on so much. I want to be there for you.”
Though he wanted to, Clark couldn’t bring himself to hang up the phone. He imagined his mother’s face, her warm smile and the disappointment that was going to crumble that smile if he turned his back on her now. He knew he needed his parents if he wanted to find his place in this world. But for the life of him, he had no idea how to talk to them now. Maybe he should try again when he could fly the distance and look them in the eyes. But the problem he was facing was more immediate. So Clark continued to listen to the silent line while his mother patiently waited for him to say something.
After long moments the words came. “How do you stop thinking about a woman?”
Martha’s voice was cautious. “You’ve met someone?”
He laughed bitterly. “I guess you could say that.” Clark squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t explain the details. They wouldn’t understand. “I ran into her when I was undercover. I made her believe I was one of the bad guys. She’s seen me at my worst. I’m not sure I can ever face her again. But I can’t stop thinking about her either. She’s like no one I’ve ever met. She’s stubborn and brave and brilliant and beautiful and I feel there’s a connection between her and me that I just can’t explain.”
His mother let out an audible breath. “Does she know your behavior was just part of being undercover?”
Clark ran a hand through his hair. “Yes.”
He could almost hear his mother’s warm smile. “Then you should try talking to her again. Maybe she can forgive you. Don’t give up hope just yet.”
“But even if she would forgive me, what difference does it make?” Clark’s heart clenched painfully. “I could never ask her to love someone like me.”
“Love?” His mother echoed. “Do you really feel that strongly for her?”
Clark shook his head. “No…yes… I don’t know. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. But that’s beside the point. I cannot love her.” He felt a lump in his throat.
His mother’s voice was gentle. “And why would that be?”
Clark blinked back tears. “You know, why, Mom. Because I’m me.”
His mother sounded almost angry. “You’re entitled to the same feelings as everyone else. And don’t you think you should let her decide whom she can or cannot love?”
“Not in this case. I’m not human, Mom,” he grunted between clenched teeth. “I’m not even from this solar system.” In his frustration, he bumped his fist against the glass of the phone booth. It was testament to his failing powers that the glass didn’t shatter. “How could I ever expect a human to love me? It wouldn’t be fair.”
For a while it was silent on the other side of the line. He only heard his mother’s breathing. “Clark, you never told us-“
“Because I didn’t want you to hate me, too!” His voice sounded angry and defiant.
But the tears were already flowing freely. His throat felt so tight that he wasn’t sure he could say another word. All of a sudden he wanted nothing more than to hang up. He didn’t know how he’d survive if his parents didn’t love and accept him the way he was.
“We could never hate you, son,” his mother said quietly.
He really wanted to say something, but his emotions were a raging beast and his voice hardly worked.
“Bye Mom,” was all he managed to say. Then he hung up.
To be continued
Last edited by bakasi; 08/17/21 06:39 AM.
