Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic Welcome To The Tundra

Lois slowly drifted awake, unsure at first of where she was. Well, she knew where she wasn't: she wasn't in her own home and bed. Nor, despite the vividness of her recent dreams, was she in Superman's.

The dream had started out so wonderfully, with the caped Hero flying her off to his secret castle in the Arctic. But then, just when things were starting to get interesting, a frigid breeze came along and cooled the mood. It turned out that Superman had left all of his windows open, so he left her sitting alone in her underwear while he flew off to close them.

Well, Superman wasn't really here, but the cold breeze certainly was. The memories of the day before coalesced in Lois's groggy brain as she shifted uncomfortably in the thermal blanket that the LexLabs scientists had scrounged up for her. Despite being completely wrapped in it, she could still feel the hard, frozen ground beneath the floor of the tent.

“Luthortopia”, as Lex had so proudly christened it, was a prehistoric alternate Earth that would solve the over-population problem by giving humans a new place to settle. Unfortunately, the grand tour he'd given the Daily Planet's top reporters had gone somewhat awry. They now faced up to six months trapped in an ice age, and based on how things were going so far, it was going to be a very long six months.

The tent's zipper slid open and Dr. Plummer crawled in, smiling when she saw Lois. “Oh good, you're up!” She lifted a thermos. “Want some coffee?”

“Yes, please!” Lois scrambled into a sitting position, adjusting the blanket around her and taking care not to dislodge the jacket Clark had relinquished to her upon their arrival. Every scrap of covering was precious.

The lid doubled as a cup, and Dr. Plummer poured her some of the beautifully steaming liquid.

Lois reveled in the warmth of it before even bothering to note the taste. “Thanks. And...thanks for sharing a tent with me. I hate to come between you and Dr. Diggory.”

“Oh, don't worry about that.” Dr. Plummer fished a paper cup out of one of the pockets of her parka and poured herself a helping from the thermos. “Eustace and I can handle some time apart, so to speak. Although, I'm surprised you didn't want to bunk up with your own boyfriend.”

She smiled into the cup. “Clark isn't my boyfriend. We're just really good friends.”

“Um, I meant Mr. Luthor.”

“...Oh.” Lois blinked. Right. Lex. They had certainly gone on quite a few dates, so of course people would assume... She took another sip of the coffee, not looking anywhere near Dr. Plummer. Was Lex her boyfriend? Did he think of himself as such? As for the thought of sharing a tent with him... Well...

Lois shook her head. None of this mattered right now, anyway; their survival was more important than her love life, and having a tent just for women was a perfectly sensible arrangement.

“Pete and Ed are taking inventory of the supplies,” Dr. Plummer continued, apparently unaware of the awkward silence. “We're going to have a meeting soon. Are you up for it?”

Lois gave a defiant snort. “I'm up for anything.”

**********

She buttoned Clark's Jacket over her clothes and wrapped the blanket around herself like a cloak before exiting the tent. It wasn't exactly the best winter-wear, but being out in the morning sun was already making her feel much warmer! She turned around and caught Clark staring in her direction. He sheepishly fiddled with his glasses and jogged up to her, somehow managing not to slip on the ice.

“Hey. Um, did you sleep okay?”

The wind stirred the blanket, and she pulled it tighter. “Fine. Just fine. Well, considering that the ground is solid ice, I didn't bring a sleeping bag or pajamas, and we're so far from home that not even Superman can rescue us. What about you?”

“Uh, same.” Clark scratched at the stubble on his jaw, looking suddenly uncomfortable. Maybe their predicament was getting to him. Or just as likely, it was the cold: his long-sleeved office shirt offered nothing against these temperatures!

She reached out to run a warming hand over his arm. “Clark, you have got to be freezing! Do you want your jacket back?”

“NO!” he said quickly, then smiled at her. “No, you keep it. I...tend to run hot.”

Lois rolled her eyes at his pitiful attempt at deception. “Oh, please. With how long it took you to break a sweat during the heat-wave, you're probably colder than I am! Let me...” She reached for the buttons of the jacket, but he grabbed her elbow through the blanket.

“Lois, no! Uh...I'm a farm kid, remember? We're pretty sturdy.” He smiled at her. As she stared at him, his gaze softened. “Just...keep it. Okay?”

She huffed. “Fine. But at least take a corner of the blanket.” She partially unwrapped it, bringing one end up to his shoulder. When he took it from her, her arm fell to wrap around his side, pulling him close. Even through the jacket and the rest of their clothing, she could feel the heat from his body. Which was the point. Heat, of course. Nothing more. Lois turned to look at their surroundings as Clark brought the edge of the blanket back over to enclose them both.

The large pillars they'd passed through yesterday still looked the same. There had never been any flashing lights or sciencey glowing back when they had been working, so nothing seemed different now that they'd stopped. No trace of hoof-prints or paw-prints could be seen on the hard ground, so the only remaining evidence of yesterday's disaster was the wreckage of the computer that the pillars had been attached to.

One of the equipment tents had been emptied in order to accommodate the extra personnel. Computers and expensive-looking machines that she didn't recognize were piled up next to it, now covered in ice and frost. Dr. Carroll had explained that the items wouldn't be much use while they waited for rescue and could always be replaced after. The tent itself didn't look quite as weather-tight as the one she shared with Dr. Plummer, or the one that Lex had opted to share with Jimmy and Dr. Diggory when she'd made her sleeping preferences known. Lois leaned against her partner, hoping he'd been at least somewhat warm.

A sound of angry shouting drew her attention to the other tent. The flap ripped open and Lex stormed out, looking decidedly more disheveled than Lois had ever seen him. “—end to that atrocious snoring, or I will—” He broke off when he saw her. “Lois.” Something flashed in his eyes briefly before his features schooled back into his usual calm demeanor. “Kent. Anything I need to know?”

“Dr. Plummer said there's going to be a meeting soon,” Lois replied as Clark's arm around her tightened slightly.

Lex nodded. “Of course. We will definitely want to strategize; maybe even find a way to hasten our return to LexLabs.” The open flap shifted behind him, and his tent-mates cautiously emerged. Lex stared at them for a moment, then shook his head and wordlessly marched off towards the large shelter that apparently held all of their supplies.

Jimmy scurried up to them, shivering despite the thermal blanket wrapped around his own shoulders. “Hey, CK, any chance you guys can fit four in your tent?” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Dr. Diggory has some...breathing issues.”

Clark looked towards the former equipment tent. “We can ask the others. It'll be a tight fit, but they might still say yes.”

Jimmy breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment, he seemed to notice that the two of them were huddled together under the same blanket. “Wait a second...you guys are brilliant!” He tossed the edge of his own blanket over Lois, wriggling in between her and Clark. “This is so much better!”

Lois felt inclined to disagree, though she couldn't articulate why.

**********

With everyone awake and as freshened up as possible given the circumstances, it was time to discuss what exactly those circumstances were. The Daily Planet's three-headed reporter shuffled to the middle of the camp to stand in a circle with Lex and the four scientists.

Dr. Lewis spoke first. “Well, Ed and I went through all the supplies, and it looks like we're meant to have enough of the basics to last the team for three months in the event of an emergency.”

“Three months?” Clark echoed. At Dr. Lewis's nod, he frowned. “Even though Dr. Diggory's reports all said you could be stranded for up to six?” He narrowed his eyes at Lex, clearly blaming the owner of the lab directly for this oversight.

“We're going to die,” Jimmy mumbled.

Lois decided to be optimistic. “Maybe there's a way to stretch things a little,” she suggested.

The scientists all looked at each other, shuffling uncomfortably. Dr. Carroll coughed. “The, uh, three-month reserves were calculated for, um, a team of four people.”

Four sets of eyes all turned to stare at the three journalists and one billionaire.

“Now, we're not entirely out of options,” Dr. Carroll announced, drawing everyone's attention again, “I would just like to point out that cannibalism—” Dr. Lewis elbowed him in the side. “—is not something we have to bring up yet,” he finished.

“We're going to die,” Jimmy repeated.

Clark pulled Lois closer, squeezing Jimmy between the two of them, and Lois wondered if the gesture was meant for her, Jimmy, or both. “What about fishing?” he asked. “There might be some decent fish to catch in Hobb's Bay.”

Dr. Diggory pushed his glasses further up his nose. “While that may be a possibility, it won't be as easy as you might expect. For one thing, the sea levels are lower, which puts the water much further away from us.”

“There's also the matter of fishing equipment,” Dr. Plummer added, raising the hood of her parka as the wind picked up. “We would have to make some, though it could be done.”

“Having a fish fry every day doesn't sound too bad,” Jimmy chimed in with an awkward chuckle.

Dr. Lewis suddenly went pale, his eyes growing wide. “Fuel!”

The others gasped, and Lois quickly realized why. “Let me guess: three months worth of heating and cooking?”

The scientists nodded grimly. “And that's if we're frugal with it,” Dr. Lewis added.

The biting wind continued to blow.

Dr. Diggory gulped and turned to the woman beside him. “Jill, did you ever find any indications of where the tree line might begin?”

She shook her head. “If we go south, I suspect we might eventually find the end of the ice sheet, but I can't be entirely sure. Even if this world doesn't suddenly have an extra ocean where Gotham should be, we could still be looking at tens or even hundreds of miles.”

“I can scout ahead.”

Lois double-taked, realizing that Clark had spoken. His voice had taken on a serious edge that reminded her of...something. She couldn't quite put a finger on what.

Clark slipped out of their blankets, letting them fall around Jimmy's shoulder. “I'll head south and look for trees. If I find any, I'll come back with as much firewood as I can carry.”

“Good man,” said Lex.

Dr. Lewis shook his head. “You can't go off into the wilderness alone. That would be suicide!”

“I'll go with him,” Lois offered.

Everyone stared at her.

“Lois...” Clark began.

Lex's eyes flashed. “Lois, don't be insane! You would die out there!”

She met the philanthropist's gaze. “If I'm going to die in a frozen wasteland, I'd rather die while out there, trying to help everyone, than while cowering here with a half-eaten piece of Jimmy's leg!”

Jimmy whimpered.

“You're not going to die,” Clark promised. “And nobody is going to eat Jimmy.”

“Well, don't think I'm first,” muttered Dr. Carroll.

“We should all go,” suggested Dr. Plummer. “It makes more sense to try to relocate to a place with resources than it does to stay here.”

Lex's eyes narrowed. “Ah, are you forgetting something, Dr. Plummer?” He motioned to the pillars at the edge of the camp. “What happens when the rescue team comes and finds this place abandoned?”

Dr. Lewis snorted. “What happens when the rescue team comes and finds us dead?”

“We can leave a message somehow,” Dr. Diggory offered, “maybe set up markers as we travel. But, I agree with Jill. There's little reason to stay.”

“We'd better get moving, then,” said Dr. Carroll. “We'll need all the daylight we can get.”

Lex looked like he still wanted to argue, but he said nothing.

The matter was decided. Everyone got their instructions. The council broke and, then, so did the camp.

At least the hard work of packing made Lois feel warmer. She looked up to find Clark staring at her again but quickly ignored him, refocusing on the task at hand.

It was going to be a long six months.

FDK can go right down here! I hope y'all enjoy.

Love this continuation. I bet Clark had something else in mind when he offered to scout ahead. It's not so easy for him to play the Superman card, when everyone is trudging along.

A long six months indeed. Food, fuel and the battle for leadership between Clark and Lex. The fight for survival is a very humbling experience. As Clark mentioned earlier, he is a farm kid and learned about working with a team (his parents) early in life. Lex's self-centered personality might not be the best in this high-stress situation. Sounds like they could use someone of Shackleton's expertise.

It should be a fascinating contest.

This is shaping up to be quite the adventure. I look forward to reading more.

Oooh! I remember the discussions around this. So glad to read it!

I loved this:


I almost snorted tea.

Looking forward to more!

Hi Mary!
Given the title, I’m assuming we’re getting a sequel to Lex Dancing with Wolves

An igloo. /points at practices of the Inuit regarding hospitality/ Let’s hope she will be hospitable to her Clark.

Superman doesn’t have a bed. He hangs from the ceiling.
BATMAN: Prior Art violation!
SELINA: Come back to bed, Bruce.

That would certainly be cooling her ardor.
SUPERMAN: I did leave some clothes on the clothes line and a flatiron standing in the corner.
LOIS: Aaaaand…?
H.G.WELLS: And this is where the next words out of the hero’s mouth will determine the future existence of Utopia.

CLARK: /pulls out deck of cards/ Old Maid?

She really should consider sleeping with Clark.

Jimmy? Perry? Lex?
CLARK:
LOIS:

And he’s a boy. So, by transitive property…



There’s that nice kitty cat from the last part who might be willing to share a tent…

Yes. Means Clark gets to bunk with Lex. I’m sure he’s loving that.

Like she’s getting bathed in heat vision?

Now, isn’t that funny a coincidink?

He’s so cute!

Which is why he would prefer to sleep with Lois in his arms.

Yes, all he needs to do is imagine Lois wearing his clothes…

Oh, look, there’s a geyser breaking through the surface right there.

Yes, he can be quite a donkey.

Yes, sharing heat. Sharing heated bodies. Yes, sharing bodies.

Not used to sharing a bedding accommodation, huh?

Only that Lois has the hots for him.

Possessive Clark’s cute. Actually, Clark’s the possessive form of the ‘Superman’ pronoun.

He’s just screaming for Dr. Plummer.

Jimmy inter-ice-us!

Nobody likes to have a Jimmy between the sheets.



The Donner Party found a way.

So, they will starve in 1.5 months instead of 3 months out of their 6 months waiting period.





Yes, Jimmy’s going to die first.
TANK: /likes this/

They could hunt a whale?

He got really good prescription for this glasses.

Which brings up Clark meeting a wolve.

Maybe if she put him in a blue jumper?

I’m sure Lex wouldn’t mind.
LOIS: I’ll come with you!

See? Also, I’m starting to sound like GPT4.

And here, we zee how the bulioneer izz setting hizz prioritiezz.

That’s cute!



You could set up a stone arrow?

They can have frozen billionaire on a stick?

Oh so cute! She’s always feeling warm when she sees Clark looking at her

Juuuust as long as you don’t take six months with the next part! I want to meet

Michael

Great to see this universe continued!
The "Super" dream...rotfl.
Chronology: We get a more concrete time-limit. Apparently this is set post SteelBars, but probably pre-Nightfall (since Lex would have brought up Luthortopia as a solution if it existed...) That's a rather short time. Oh, and it means there probably hadn't been PML yet. Hmm...
Isn't it interesting that when asked about her boyfriend, Lois' initial thought is about Clark? Hrm, what could THAT possibly mean...
Also, Lois and Lex in the same tent...cough...
So Clark secretly ues his heat vision to warm up Lois (and probably the others too)? Aww...
Oh Lex, you are not used to not being in control of things huh? Actually, you are pretty useless, (probably th emost useless in the group along with Jimmy), and your money is not worth anything there. New reality for you. HArd to act as a leader in such a situaiton where you have neither the survival skills nor the scientific knowledge...
Yeah, even without powers, Clark probably knows the most about surviving in a rough environment, both due to his farm upbrinigng and his world-tour surely covering some uncomfortable places...
Well, nice try Clark. Unfortunately, everyone is paying attention and so you can't just go alone...
Well, LEx says Lois shouldn't go but has no problem with Clark ging ahead. Now, that shows where his priorities are...
...These scientists really didn't prepare the emergency situation well, did they?
Poor Jimmy. And is Clark sure about this getting eaten? /points ar wild animals.../ (Ah, cave-Kal can rescue him...or try tome fried Jimmy on his own...)
Hrm, why could Lois not be excited about Jimmy joining the warmth-sharing club? One wonders...
OK, so the group is moving through the tundra. Hrm...wonders how long it will take until they meet a certain fruit-seeking someone...and for hwom they'll see them: ice age Superman...o rClark? That should be a lot of fun...

Intriguing start.

scifiJoan, this is actually a sequel to Mary's An Icy Reception which is a crossover with her Mad-Wolf ficlets (The Name of the Wolf and The Gift of Language)

Michael

I'll have to check those out.

Please do!

And thanks for all the enthusiasm, guys! I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can

:rotfl: That's an amazing opener!

"Somewhat"

Aaaawwwwww. Yeah, best hold onto that!

So convenient to put the ladies together here! Because who knows where she'd have ended up. But now we get to see her make *choices!*\\

Well, that's deliciously awkward!

...."Somehow."

I'm excited to see if this is true or not!

This whole section is really sweet and living on that line between good friends and more than good friends. Fun!

I just love this juxtaposition partly because it feels so deeply unusual and partly because it feels like Lex accidentally walked them into a dystopia nightmare where nature is winning.

Ugh, I hate your Lex so much - and you're writing him so well. The characterization of his temper/abuse is spot on.

OK, I'm dying over Jimmy insinuating himself and also cackling at the light touch of this last line!

lol - If this were the comics, you'd already be gone, my guy. (Please don't kill Jimmy.)

Fun drop-in!!!

I love these little hints!

Holy spumoni this is just the BEST running gag!!

Imma like Dr. Lewis a whole lot.

I literally cannot wait.


I feel like I need to pace myself on this story to make it last, before I just inhale the next chapter! Such a fun premise and great development!!