Previously, on Part 1:
When he saw Lois go out of the elevator, he mentally hit himself. He had to act as his normal self or Lois will guess something was wrong, and Henderson was very precise about that. Lois can’t know a thing.
Still, he was on alert the entire time, ready to protect her if there was trouble. But the workday spent pretty well. Nothing happened, and Clark was beginning to become crazy. He was wary of everything, since he didn’t know what the danger was. And still, there must be a danger. When Lois and he were going out of the office of the mayor, after the interview the mayor gave them, he noticed two other men who were following them.
He knew them too. They were still men of Henderson. He saw them many times when he was dealing with emergencies as Superman.
Just… What was going on?
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And now:
PART 2: SUPERMAN’S GIRLFRIEND
Clark paced in his appartment, thinking again and again about the phone conversation he had with Henderson the night before. The detective didn’t say much, but the few he said were making Clark crazy. He felt useless. He knew something was seriously wrong. Something that concerned Lois. Something that required Superman. If the past year was a clue, she was in danger again.
And that danger must be very real. Henderson never tried to contact Superman using Clark before. He never phoned to Clark in the middle of the night either. And, most of all, he never used policemen to follow Lois all day and watch her building.
So Lois was more than likely in serious danger. He had to do something to help her! He couldn’t stay in his appartment, worrying. But he didn’t even had a clue of what happened. He needed to talk to Henderson.
Changing in his Superman suit at super speed, he decided to go to the police station talk with the detective. And then, he realised that it was only 6:27 PM. Henderson wanted to talk to him at 8:00. He said he needed to do things first. Maybe that was important to let him finish what he had to do… so, still one hour and half to wait.
Changing back in Clark’s clothes, he sat before the TV screen and tried to focus on the basketball game that was replaying, but he couldn’t think about anything else. He needed to help Lois. He checked the clock one more time. 6:33 PM.
“Oh god, not later?” He grunted.
He couldn’t stand it anymore. He made his decision and spun into the Superman’s suit once more. Even if he had to wait to speak to Henderson, he still could check on Lois. He needed that. He needed to see her safe and sound.
From his balcony, he launched himself towards the sky of Metropolis, and towards his partner’s building.
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Sat on the roof of the building next of Lois’s, Superman looked through the walls of Lois’s appartment. When he first arrived, she was sitting on her couch, working on her laptop. Probably making some research about their next story. And then, when she put off her laptop, he saw her watching TV. Some insipide soap opera called The Ivory Tower.
That made him smile. But he felt shame to spy on her like that. She probably don’t want anyone to know that she was watching something like this. So, he stopped watching through her walls and noticed that the couple of policemen were still in their car in the street. Losing the visual contact with Lois, added to the reminder of the presence of the policemen made him nervous again.
To reassure himself one more time, he looked again into Lois’s appartment. She was still okay. To see her fine calmed him down a little, but he couldn’t help but to feel anxious.
He checked the hour one more time. 7:51 PM. Soon. Soon, he will know. He watched Lois again, still quietly sitting in front of TV, anaware of his troubled mind, and of the danger that was threatening her. 7:52 PM. Maybe to be eight minutes early was acceptable. Henderson had probably finished to do what he needed anyway.
Impatient to talk to the detective, Superman fly away of Lois, towards the central police station.
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Superman landed near the police station, and entered the building, eager to listen to what Henderson had to say.
The policeman at the reception desk lifted his eyes from the crosswords he made in the newspaper open in front of him, and almost jolted when he saw Superman standing here But before he could say anything, the superhero was talking.
“Good evening. May I see Inspector William Henderson please? I guess he’s waiting for me.”
The young man quickly regained his composure.
“Really? I don’t know about that. He hadn’t say a thing. But I’m sure he will be okay to see you. Actually, he’s still in his office. I tell him you’re here. Please, wait.”
“Thank You.”
He watched the young policeman go away, and waited for him to return. He didn’t take long. Henderson accompanied him, and, after greeting Superman, asked him to follow him in his office.
When Superman entered the office, he saw a young woman sat on a chair, waiting. He was surprised. Henderson asked for discretion, and a woman was here, probably knowng much than himself about what was going on. He knew her. He saw her at many rescue yet. She was a police officer who worked with Henderson. Another one.
The sound of the lock made him turn round towards henderson who entered the office behinf him and bolted the door. The inspector sat on the chair of his desk, face to the woman, and showed the other seat with his hand to Superman, inviting him to seat down.
He did, and the policeman make the introductions.
“Superman, Andrea Flynn…”
He greeted her with a move of the head, but Superman’s impatience became too strong, and he interrumped him.
“What’s going on, Inspector? Why your men are following miss Lane all day, and watching her building?”
“You saw them?” asked Henderson.
“Of course, Inspector. What’s going on? Is she in trouble?”
“Yes, and no. She’s not in trouble in the sense ‘suspect of a crime’, I can reassure you on that. But she’s in trouble. She is in danger. My men follows her to protect her. That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Did you ever heard of Intergang, Superman?”
Now, the conversation was interesting, and the policeman had the entire attention of Superman. The superhero frowned and replied:
“No, never. Who are they?”
“That’s the problem. We don’t know. No one knows who is behind Intergang. That’s a powerful criminal organisation with illegal affairs all around the world. Interpol and all the polices of the world are working on them, but with no results whatsoever so far.”
“And… you want my help. What’s the link with miss Lane?”
“Intergang was miraculously absent from Metropolis until recently. Of course, now we know that that was Luthor who was preventing them to do their business here, but since he died five months ago, they are trying to install themselves here. The problem for them was you, Superman. Even without knowing it, you stopped some of the criminal activities they were trying to develop. That’s where Lois take place.”
The police inspector made a break in his explanations to think of a way to say to the superhero what was coming next, but Superman was really impatient to know what Intergang wanted to do to Lois.
“Inspector?”, prompted Superman, eagerly.
“Yes, Superman, I come to the point. Agent Flynn had a source, a very reliable one, who contacted her last night and told her that Intergang was fed up with your interventions, and wanted to prevent them.”
At that, Superman couldn’t help but chuckle. The old inspector as well as the young policewoman looked at him, surprised.
“Sorry. But I guess that’s the wish of all the criminals of Metropolis, as well as some from other countries.” replied Superman.
“Yes, but Intergang had a plan to act on it,” cut off Henderson.
Immediately, Superman became serious again. Slowly, he spoke.
“A plan… involving Miss Lane. They are thinking to put her in danger everytime they don’t want me around or something like that? Inspector, some criminals tried that yet. I’ve always been able to stop them. Why do you think that will be different this time?”
“Because that’s not excatly what they want to do. They want to kidnap Lane, and hold her somewhere forever. And they don’t want you to fade into the background and let them do what they want. They want you to work for them. And so, against the city, the USA, and the whole world. That’s the way Intergang work. They are powerful because they always find a way to compel powerful people to work for them. You’re their new target.”
All the time Henderson explained the plan of Intergang, Superman was thinking about the situation. He’d never agree to work for a criminal organisation, at what cost. The fact that Intergang could even think about the possibility made him doubt their efficacity. And the fact that the police seriously considered the possibility made him slightly angry. He proved yet what he thought about the criminal’s blackmail.
And then, in the silence following the end of the explanation, Superman thought again about the situation. If Lois was into their hands, and if he couldn’t do a thing to find her and save her, and they will probably make sure that he don’t, he knew he’ll do anything to keep her well and alive. Sure, he’d try anything to find and save her, until he succeed, but in the meantime, he knew that he’d do what they wanted him to.
<But that’s because it’s Lois! I’m nothing without her!> he argumented with his conscience.
Finally, resigned, Superman break the silence.
“Why had it always to be Lois?”
The question was totally rethoretical, but Henderson looked almost embarassed to have heard it. After a few seconds, Andrea took the parole for the first time since the beginning of the conversation. Softly, she answered the question as if she was expounding an evidence.
“Because she’s your girlfriend.”
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