Thanks everyone for such immediate and interested feedback. It really means alot- especially to a newbie! Hope I keep you guessing with this latest installment; and don't worry yet...the fire that's alluded to at the end of this part isn't the WHAM that's coming.
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With a satisfied smile, Perry White was enjoying one of his few moments of "down time," content to just enjoy the sight of his newsroom in its early Monday morning tranquility. It was just past eight, but the Daily Planet was already alive with activity. On any given morning, the newsroom took on a life of it's own. The walls seemed to always be ready to burst from all the excitement and activities that it's inhabitants went through on a daily basis.
"Olsen! Where are those pictures of that warehouse fire over on 27th?"
"Already put 'em on your desk, chief."
"Oh..." The kid was getting better, no doubt. Few more years, and he'd be sharing bylines with the best of them. But for now...
This week held an extra bit of anticipation. It came as a surprise, however, that the sources of this anticipation were directly in the editor's line of sight as his gaze fell upon the conference room.
"Lois! Clark!" his booming voice bounced off of the glass as he closed the door behind him. "What the sam hill are you two doing in today? I thought I gave you the week off."
"As much as we appreciate the gesture, chief," Clark began, "with all the commotion going on at Star Labs-"
"-how could we not come in?" Lois finished for her husband. "I mean, first this Braden guy, then the break-in last night."
"Do we know what was taken?"
"As far as the police can tell, just some programming discs from their archives. Dr. Klein said he'd have something for us on the robbery and this Braden guy sometime this morning."
"Alright- what do we know about him?"
"Let's just say his connections to LexCorp haven't endeared him to anyone," Clark shifted uncomfortably. How long was Luthor going to cast his shadow over their lives? "Before he joined LexCorp he was being investigated by the FBI for his possible involvement in the murders of his wife and 16-year old son. The police could never prove anything."
"Braden's son had a rare condition..." Lois pulled a folder from her bag, thumbing through its contents. "Persistent generalized lymph...lympha-."
"Lymphadenopathy," Clark finished for her. "It's a connective tissue disease. More fatal than lupus. After meeting with so many of his colleagues, Braden decided to take matters into his own hands. He began experimenting to develop a treatment to reverse his son's organ damage."
"He began experimenting on live subjects...including his son."
"Good lord," Perry met Lois' grimace with one of his own.
"By the time his son passed away after three months of Braden's 'treatments', his wife had already been set to turn him over to the board. The police found her dead two days later," she sighed, sliding a few sheets over to Perry. "Apparent suicide. Braden could never be called in for questioning until he returned to the states years later-"
"-when Lex had acquired him to oversee one of his genetic research branches," Clark explained. "He'd developed a whole slew of new techniques and experimental designs. There was even talk that he had some kind of genetic thermal weapon in the making."
Pausing to flip through one of the other folders he'd been carrying, Clark finally took a seat next to Lois at the conference table. "Problem is, all of the specifications were lost in the fire."
"Fire?" Perry's eyes darted up.
"Broke out during a routine test-run. Along with the weapon and data, only one death was reported. Dr. Rayne Evans, one of Luthor's genetic engineers."
"Now hold on-" Perry raised an eyebrow, a sudden thought stopping him. "That fire that Superman put out last night, it was a former LexCorp building. See if there's any connection."
"Hey guys!" Jimmy's shout entered the room long before his legs caught up. "Check out the scene at Star Labs." Reaching up to turn on the corner TV, the young photographer crossed his arms in front of him as the mob scene image came into view.
Lois slid a hand underneath Clark's jacket, snuggling closer to him. His arm went around her, hugging her close out of habit. His attention, however, was focused on the sight on the TV: footage of Star Labs' new employee making a speedy entrance into the building, brushing past the news cameras that were broadcasting his arrival. As she placed her head on his chest, immediately relaxing as she heard and felt his steady heartbeat, Lois glanced up at him, sensing he was a little preoccupied. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Letting go of the strange feeling he'd been fighting all night, he offered a warm hand to her, pulling her to his side as they stood.
"This Braden guy is supposed to be holding a press conference at noon," Jimmy announced.
"Alright," Perry said, "I want the two of you down at Star Labs. Olsen, grab your camera and bring me back something good. I wanna know why one of the world's leading research labs has just hired one of the FBI's most wanted and unattainable fugitives."
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<Someone is watching me. I can feel their eyes. Curious. Penetrating...> For many minutes, Dr. Lucas Braden resisted the urge to wipe his forehead, beaded ever so lightly with sweat. <Just like on the courthouse steps those years ago...all those camera lenses pointing...reporters barking questions...Are they thinking the same thing as the people in that courthouse crowd, the ones who pointed and whispered, "That's him. That's the one. Braden, that doctor who murdered his wife and child.">
Looking out into the crowd, his eyes fell upon the Daily Planet's top investigative team. Braden sensed intense curiosity behind the man's stare, but no recognition or accusation in his female companion's. <That's them...just like Evans said. They're both here.>
"Are you ready, Lucas?" With an uneasy smile, Dr. Klein placed a hand on his new colleague's shoulder. At his nod, Dr. Klein approached the podium to make his introductions.
"As a researcher, and an esteemed member of the academic community both here in Metropolis and around the world, Dr. Lucas Braden is perhaps best known for his scientific breakthroughs and contributions to LexCorp. But Dr. Braden refused to allow his accomplishments end with LexCorp's demise. He has returned to our lab to outline a series of new techniques and technologies in the field of genetic engineering and DNA mapping. It is my privilege and pleasure to introduce to you, Dr. Lucas B. Braden."
Braden rose, nodding at the warm applause, then, standing before an audience comprised of specialists, his new colleagues, and various reporters, he presented his theories and plans for his new base of operations. When he ended, the female reporter he'd carefully observed from afar was the first he called upon for a question. "Ms. Lane, is it?"
"Yes," Lois replied with a proud smile. "Dr. Braden, I can't help but to question whether you are an optimum candidate for such a critical position here at Star Labs." Shooting her an apprehensive glance from the side, Clark could only stand back in awe of his wife's tenacity as she continued her tangent. "In the past, you've demonstrated a disturbing propensity for independent thinking as your reported crimes would suggest. And with the unusual circumstances surrounding your wife and son's death, surely you can understand-"
"I understand the limitless potential of my research, Ms. Lane." With a deliberate pause, and fierce glare, he continued. "I fully intend to begin my work as soon as possible."
"On *live* human subjects again?" She couldn't help it. One thing of many to be said about Mad Dog Lane, she was persistent in all that she did.
"Actually, I'm not sure I'm ready for clinical *human* trials quiet yet. I have hopes to extend my testing to a more advanced being...Superman."
A sudden and complete silence greeted this announcement, followed shortly by a buzz of murmurs and outbursts. "With all due respect, Dr. Braden," Dr. Klein began, joining Lucas at the podium, "we must concur with the rest of Star Lab's staff before we even consider undertaking such a request." Braden's cool gaze fell upon the audience, zooming in directly on Clark as he spoke again. "Of course."
At her side, Lois felt her husband tense. She squeezed his hand, and turned to him to meet his eyes, to reassure him. "Clark...I know what you're thinking."
"If he worked for Lex, we don't know how much he knows or was told. We don't know what other connections he has."
"You really think he knows." Her words came out as more of a statement than a question upon seeing the worried look in Clark's eyes.
"Good God," a reporter from the Star grimaced, brushing past the couple, "just who is that ridiculous man? What makes him think he can just yank Superman onto his chopping block?" Tugging Clark to her side, Lois guided him away from the crowd, heading towards their jeep.
"That's what we're going to find out, partner."
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"Good afternoon, Rayne. Are we set to begin?"
His attention now drawn, Dr. Evans turned to where Lucas had pulled up a chair, apparently eager to see the progress he had made in perfecting the device they'd "stolen" from him the previous night. "Good morning, Lucas," he managed a wane smile. "I believe Leviathan and I have everything in order."
Lucas remained still, emotionless and unreadable, his hands clutched on the table before him. "And the kryptonite probes are ready for injection?"
Rayne directed Dr. Braden's attention to the nearby lab table. "Right there...inside that silver container." He pointed to a metal cylinder roughly the size of an average household aerosol can. It was situated inside the barrel of an awkward, cannon shaped weapon. "The probes will be injected directly into the bloodstream upon impact, dispersing throughout the body quickly, reducing his body and mind to a state of consciousness stripped of memory and emotion. No pain, and no remorse. The only question now is when to initiate his exposure, and how long afterwards will his system take to-"
"I don't care how or when you do it- just get it done! Tonight!"
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By the time Lois and Clark had met up with their family at Fontana's for dinner,
two more fires had broken out during the day. Between his usual patrolling, these non-stop fires, and the uneasy, restless feelings that he just hadn't been able to shake lately, Clark was running on five hours of sleep in two nights. He and Lois still didn't have any names connected to the arsonist, and weren't fairing much better with their investigation into Lucas Braden. On a week they were supposed to have off, relaxing and celebrating, they were quickly finding themselves doing anything but.
From across the table, Martha assessed her son's sullen look. She stared him straight in the eye, and smiled. "You look tired, honey," she observed, her face careworn and concerned.
"A little."
"The police still don't have any leads on who's setting all these fires?" Jonathan asked. "Is that what's been troubling you, son?"
"I guess it's just the fires themselves," Clark shrugged. "I mean, how does somebody grow up thinking it's okay to set fire to a building with people inside, some with whole families in them, homes and lives? How does that happen?" The elder Kent chewed his lip, all trace of his smile gone. "I wish I knew," he said sadly.
"And now with the possibility that this doctor Braden knows about," his hand shot up in the familiar flying gesture, "...I guess everything's just kinda getting to me."
Clark soon felt his wife's warm arm wrap around his waist, wrapping him up into a tight hug from the side. His hand moved to her back, gently letting his fingers trace random patterns through the thin fabric of her shirt, eliciting soft strings of laughter from her. "Ticklish?"
She leaned further against him in response, turning her head slightly to smile against his neck. Clark bent ever so slowly to kiss her, gently, reminiscent of their first kiss. He slowly pulled away, content to hold her for a moment more of total peace before leaning his head on her shoulder. "There isn't a better feeling in the world than watching you smile," he whispered.
"Ya know if they’re this bad now-" Lois could pick up on her sister’s voice, "just imagine what they’ll be like after they’ve been married for 20 years." The two pulled out of their embrace, a shy smile upon their faces as they turned to a grinning Lucy. "Wait till you see what I got you for your anniversary- you'll love it! The minute I saw it, it just cried out to me."
"And that's a good thing...how exactly?" Ellen smiled from her seat, earning an unamused glare from her daughter. The family ate their meal over happy chatter, the kind of talk that Lois, Clark, Martha and Jonathan had long before enjoyed and were thankful to begin sharing with Lois' reconciling family.
For Clark though, the constant threat of the arsonist was there with them at their table. It taunted him, pulling him inexorably into the suit and back into the sky on alert.
But not yet. He just wanted to carve out a few more minutes for himself with his loved ones. He deserved that much, at least.
Then he smelled the smoke.
"What do you hear?" Recognizing his attuned stance, Lois stood with him as he backed away from his seat.
"Smell," he answered, his gaze shifting to the others as a swift hand was at the ready, tugging at his tie. "There's another fire. All of you go- get back to the house."
