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**Chapter 15**

**Daily Planet**

Jimmy rushed into Perry’s office, a card in hand and out of breath.

- "Chief, I found it!" – he exclaimed, his face beaming with satisfaction. – "There’s a house north of the city that could belong to Intergang. It’s isolated, less than two hours from Metropolis, and it’s registered under Mindy Church’s mother’s name."

Perry furrowed his brows in concentration and abruptly stood up.

- "Good job, Jimmy! Call Henderson right away. We’re going to catch them!"

Jimmy hesitated for a second before suggesting:

- "Don’t you want me to call Clark too? The poor guy must be devastated… especially with those images of Lois and Superman circulating."

Perry turned to Jimmy, his face stern but fair.

- "Jimmy, don’t tell me you believe that nonsense."

- "No, Chief. But Clark… he must be worried anyway…"

- "Clark trusts Lois and Superman. He knows this is just an Intergang ploy to discredit them. Do your job and let us handle the rest."

Jimmy nodded and picked up the phone, calling Inspector Henderson to alert him to the situation.

---

**Isolated House**

Lois straightened with determination and whispered to Clark:

- "We can’t just rush into the bathroom. We’ll have to be clever. I’m going to ask to use the restroom and take the opportunity to see if the guards let their guard down."

Clark nodded weakly, still drained but ready to play along. Lois stood up and walked to the door, knocking lightly to get their captors’ attention.

- "Excuse me!" – she called with urgency in her voice.

A guard appeared after a few seconds, looking suspicious, his eyes narrowing.

- "What do you want?" – he asked sharply.

- "I need to use the restroom. Or would you rather I do it right here?" – she retorted dryly, crossing her arms to show she wasn’t joking.

The guard frowned, then sighed. Lois noted that, despite his annoyance, he didn’t seem overly concerned about leaving her alone for a few minutes.

- "Fine. Follow me, but no tricks, got it?" – he said, giving her a threatening look.

Lois nodded and followed the guard, throwing a quick glance at Clark, who watched her go with a hint of hope in his eyes. Once inside the restroom, she closed the door behind her and quickly inspected the room.

The guard was waiting just outside, but she knew she only had a few minutes to act.

Back in their "room," Clark had to play his part too. He called out weakly to the captors.

- "I need some water…" – he murmured, collapsing onto the bed, hoping to distract the guards for as long as possible.

When Lois returned, she exchanged a brief glance with Clark, who signaled that the guards hadn’t discovered their plan yet.

Lois pretended to sit back down calmly.

- "Not yet…" – she murmured to Clark.

They knew they had to ask to take a shower or find another excuse to return to the restroom and set their escape in motion. Every second counted, but the slightest mistake could doom them.

Lois gave Clark a knowing look. They both knew their best chance lay in the bathroom.

She stood up, approaching the camera with a resigned posture, her shoulders slightly slumped to sell the act.

- "Alright, Mindy," – she said in a calm but determined voice, – "we’ll play by your rules. After all, you want a show for your audience, don’t you?"

She paused before adding:

- "But if that’s what you want, we need to be a bit more… presentable. We can’t appear in front of millions of viewers like this. So, I propose a deal. Let us freshen up. A shower, some clean clothes… and you’ll have your perfect scene."

Clark added, playing his role as the weakened but cooperative superhero:

- "What Lois is saying is true. If you want this to look credible, we need to be at our best."

They waited a few seconds, watching the screen for Mindy’s reaction.

Mindy’s image reappeared, her eyes narrowing with suspicion but also curiosity.

- "You want to be presentable, huh?" – She chuckled softly. – "Alright, that could add a touch of credibility to my little show. You’re right, after all, a spectacle should be polished in every detail."

She paused, assessing the situation. Her smile widened.

- "Alright, you can take your shower, but know that I’m keeping an eye on you. Don’t even think about trying anything stupid. My men will be watching, and the room will be locked from the outside. If you try to escape… let’s just say you wouldn’t want me to be forced to punish you, would you?"

Lois and Clark exchanged a glance. Their chance had just presented itself, but they had to play it carefully.

- "We won’t try anything," – Lois replied, perfectly controlling her tone. – "We know how powerful you are, Mindy."

Mindy nodded, satisfied.

- "Very well. You have 20 minutes. Don’t make me regret this generosity."

The screen went dark, leaving the couple alone with their plan in mind.

Once Mindy’s image disappeared, Lois turned to Clark, her expression resolute.

- "This is our chance," – she whispered. – "We have to take it."

Clark nodded. They knew every minute counted. They waited for a moment before two of Mindy’s henchmen came to fetch them, smug smiles on their faces.

- "You asked for a shower, you’ll get one," – one of the men said, opening the door and escorting them under close watch.

The couple was led into a dimly lit bathroom with a small window above the sink. As Lois had noticed, there were no visible cameras. The men shot them a suspicious look.

- "You’ve got 20 minutes. We’ll lock the door behind you. No funny business, or we’ll pump in another cloud of gas," – one of them said, waving the trigger for the system with a smirk.

They shut the door behind them, the sound of locks clicking into place echoing from the other side. Lois waited a few seconds, listening to the noises outside. Once convinced the guards had stepped away, she turned on the shower to cover any potential sounds and make their request seem legitimate.

The small window led outside, but it was high up, and Lois wasn’t sure she could reach it on her own. She quickly assessed the situation and then turned to Clark.

- "The window is higher than I thought… I’m going to need you."

Clark, still weak, approached cautiously.

- "We’ll manage," – he whispered, gently squeezing her hand. – "Climb onto my shoulders," – he said in a low voice.

Lois, hesitant to put him through more pain, took a deep breath and carefully climbed onto Clark. Her hands gripped the window’s edge as she pulled with all her might. The rusty latch resisted, but she persisted until, finally, the window creaked open slightly.

- "Got it!" – she whispered excitedly.

Lois peeked through the opening to evaluate the situation outside. The window led to a small, abandoned garden. Thick bushes obscured part of the view. No one was in sight. The ground wasn’t too far, but a fall could still be risky.

- "I’ll go first and see if I can help you from the outside," – she said.

Clark nodded. He knew he couldn’t help much in his current state. Lois gripped the window frame, her legs trembling slightly with the effort. She carefully maneuvered through the opening, landing in an awkward but safe roll.

She quickly stood up and hurried back to the window.

- "Now, I need to get you out."

Clark, exhausted, knew the hardest part was yet to come.

Lois took a deep breath and encouraged Clark.

- "You can do this. Pull yourself up onto the sink, and you’ll be able to reach the window. I know you’re hurting, but this is our only chance!"

He placed his hand on the frame and slowly pulled himself up, trying not to collapse.

Lois kept encouraging him:
— Come on, just a little more!

Finally, with one last push from his wife, Clark managed to get his head and shoulders through the window.

At that moment, the door behind him opened. Their captors were coming to check on their prisoners.
— Stop! Don’t move! Bryan! They’re escaping—quick, get out there and catch them!

Fueled by adrenaline, Clark made one final effort, slipping outside, his fall softened by the grassy ground.

Lois helped him up. Their escape was underway, but they knew time was against them.

Clark and Lois ran across the garden, hearing the shouts and footsteps of their pursuers behind them. Suddenly, police sirens blared, and patrol cars appeared in the distance, heading toward the isolated house. Lois felt immense relief wash over her.

— It’s the police! — Clark exclaimed, reassured.

They sprinted toward the vehicles as the first officers emerged from their cars. When they saw Superman in his iconic suit, the officers immediately lowered their weapons. The sergeant in charge quickly approached them.

— Superman! Are you alright? — he asked. — Where is Mindy Church?

Clark shook his head.
— Mindy isn’t here. But her men are still inside, and they’re armed. Be careful.

The sergeant nodded and turned to his team.
— Alright, let’s move in and secure the premises. Stay alert, they’re dangerous.

The officers spread out around the house, preparing to move in. Lois, still by Clark’s side, let out a relieved sigh.

Another officer approached them.
— Ms. Lane, Superman… Are you both alright? We feared the worst. We got a call from the *Daily Planet* saying you had been taken hostage.

Lois nodded, still feeling the rush of adrenaline.
— Yes, we barely escaped. Mindy Church orchestrated everything, but she wasn’t here. She’s trying to spread chaos in Metropolis.

Clark added gravely:
— You have to find Mindy before she puts another plan in motion. She’ll stop at nothing to take control.

The sergeant nodded again.
— We’ll make sure her men are arrested. We’ll get you both somewhere safe.

As the police continued securing the house, Clark and Lois knew that, while this nightmare was over, Mindy Church’s threat still loomed over Metropolis.

Clark had held on as long as he could, but the repeated exposure to Kryptonite and their harrowing escape had finally taken their toll. His legs buckled, and with a faint gasp, he collapsed heavily to the ground.

— Superman! — Lois cried, rushing to his side. — Stay with me!

A nearby officer stepped forward, panic rising as they realized the severity of the situation.

— Call an ambulance! — he shouted into his radio. — We have an injured man, and it’s urgent!

Lois, kneeling beside Clark, desperately tried to rouse him, but despite her efforts, he remained unconscious. Her face betrayed her growing fear. The situation was slipping out of her control, and the thought of seeing Clark in this state terrified her.

Minutes later, an ambulance screeched onto the scene, and the paramedics carefully took charge of Superman, fully aware of the importance of their patient.

— Take him to *Star Labs*, — Lois insisted, her voice authoritative. — That’s where he needs to go.

One of the paramedics nodded, accustomed to such directives in extraordinary situations.

Before getting into the ambulance, Lois turned to a police officer.

— Can someone lend me a phone? — she asked, her voice a mix of urgency and controlled calm. — I need to call my husband. He needs to know I’m alright.

A police officer quickly handed her his phone. Lois swiftly dialed their home number and waited for the answering machine to pick up. Taking a deep breath, she began a fake conversation.

— Clark? — she said, trying to sound casual. — It’s me. Listen, everything’s fine now. The police are here, and I’m going with Superman to *Star Labs*. I just wanted to reassure you… I’ll be home as soon as I can. Don’t worry, everything’s under control.

She slowly hung up, her face hardening as she masked her emotions. The ambulance’s sirens wailed again, and Lois climbed aboard, ready to accompany her husband incognito to *Star Labs*.