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Part 18/20
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Clark walked away from the ferry terminal with the words of their fight ringing in his ears.
"You were wrong to blindly run into Bad Brain's trap and look what happened!"
He really hadn't meant that the way she took it - had he? It wasn't her fault, not really. She had given voice to that thought first, he told himself. He was the one who had turned it into an accusation.
"Do you think I went there, knowing that something would happen? Do you think I unconsciously wanted something to happen?"
"Did you?" he asked cautiously.
"No. I didn't want the baby. But I didn't want this either."
How many times had he awoken in a cold sweat since she lost the baby? He couldn't sleep anymore because his unconscious mind seemed to revel in reliving those awful moments when he found her. Every time he closed his eyes he could see her lying crumpled on the floor, her body wracked with sobs and pain. He could still feel and smell all the blood that had pooled beneath her and then stained his hands and clothes. He could hear her choked cries as she called out for him and tried to explain.
"I need to tell him, he has to know. It's my fault. This was all my fault…"
What had happened before he got there? He could remember with perfect clarity when Bad Brain had shot him with the ESW gun. It had been excruciatingly painful. Hours later he had still been sore and weak. How much worse must it have been for her, considering the chain reaction the shockwave had started? How long had she laid there on that cold, unyielding floor blaming herself before he arrived? Why had he picked those words, out of everything else he could have said? Because, he told himself, you wanted to hurt her back. Unlike the bruises he had left on her hips, those words were never going to heal.
Clark looked over his shoulder towards the river and found her still sitting on the bench. She looked so small, so alone, and his conscience was screaming at him that he had been too harsh with her. She was right - he was arrogant. He should never have started out by telling her that he was right and she was wrong. She had been through so much and she was exhausted. And, instead of being supportive, he had lashed out at her when she needed a friend the most.
He turned around and took a few steps back towards the ferry and then stopped short.
"Don't follow me."
"Where are you going to go?"
"I don't know. But I'd better not see you there."
Even if he did go to her now, what was he going to say? 'I'm sorry' just wasn't going to be enough. The last thing in the world she wanted right now was to see him or be reminded of him. Give her some time to cool off first, he told himself. She still cared enough to warn you about Bad Brain this morning, so there's still some hope there.
Of course, her warning had come before he went and accused her of callous indifference. Right now she probably wished she had never met him.
Clark turned away and headed into a nearby alley to change into the suit. He flew to her apartment, landing on the sidewalk outside and looking up at the apartment across the street. No one was there. He left the suit on, hoping Mike or Bad Brain might show up and he could draw them out.
When he got to her apartment he found the door was unlocked. He let himself in and looked around, taking note of the open curtains. He went into her bedroom and a tic jumped in his jaw at the sight of the neat circle of glass missing from her bedroom window. He scanned the apartment across the street again. There was still no one there. So where were they? Had they gone back in the tunnels again?
Her pajamas were lying on the floor. Had she done that? Or had Bad Brain thrown them there? Her bed was still unmade. It looked as though she had left in a hurry yesterday. Clark picked up the pajamas and folded them, setting them on the end of her bed before pulling the covers up tidily. His hand caressed over her pillow and then he shut the curtains on her bedroom window. The hole bothered him, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. It was too large for him to try and melt the glass to fill it. He went into her living room, checking the locks on her windows before pulling the curtains closed.
Clark changed into his regular clothes and headed towards Henderson's precinct. When he got there he was asked to wait in the lobby since Henderson had not yet arrived. Clark paced in the lobby for a few minutes, feeling a sense of urgency. He went to the pay phone on the wall and called WMET, asking to be connected with Personnel.
No one was answering in Personnel so he dialed again, this time asking for the newsroom. He asked the assistant who answered if she could tell him anything about Ken Randall's cameraman, Mike.
"Mike Crow? He doesn't work here anymore," the girl said, already sounding impatient with their conversation.
"I know. I'm wondering when he was hired."
"Oh, he was hired about two months ago because Ken knew him. The guy never did jack and he wouldn't work with anyone else. I think they were going to fire him if he hadn't left."
"Thanks," Clark told her. "You've been a huge help." As he was hanging up the phone he caught sight of Henderson coming down the hall. "Inspector Henderson!" he called out.
Henderson didn't even pause in his walking; instead he jerked his head indicating that Clark should follow him to his office. Once inside Henderson paced the floor while Clark told him about the apartment across the street from Lois, the room they had found in the tunnels and the connection between Bad Brain, Mike Crowley and Ken Randall.
Henderson stopped pacing and went to the white board on his wall, erasing the writing on it with his sleeve as he started talking. "So Ken's cameraman was actually Bad Brain's boss at Lex Labs?"
"Right," Clark nodded.
"Okay, help me piece it together, what happened first?" Henderson waited, marker at the ready, to write on the board.
"First, STAR Labs was asked to develop the ESW weapon."
Henderson wrote "ESW" on the board.
"Then STAR Labs was asked to turn all of their research over to Lex Labs. Rufus Johnson - Bad Brain - came and picked up the prototype from STAR Labs. This was all just a few days before Lex Luthor died."
Henderson continued to write, drawing an arrow from "ESW" to "Bad Brain" and then writing "Luthor".
"Right after Luthor died, Crowley took a leave of absence from Lex Labs and Johnson disappeared with the prototype. Two months went by and then Johnson showed up again as Bad Brain, electrocuting people. But he was only using the gun to stun them, not to kill them."
"Why?" Henderson asked.
"I don't know." Clark shook his head and blew out a frustrated sigh. "But, at the same time Bad Brain started electrocuting people, Crowley showed up again. Only he didn't go back to his former job, he became Ken Randall's cameraman."
Henderson looks reflective. "So where was he for two months?" He opened the door and snapped his fingers at a passing cop. "Wylie! Pull the credit card records for Dr. Michael Crowley for the past six months. I want to know where he's been and what he's been doing."
"Did you hear that Crowley's office was torched last night?" Clark asked.
Henderson's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You don't say? How would you like to take a field trip, Kent?"
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They had only taken a few steps before Lois resisted and tried to pull her arm away.
"Let me go." Her voice was pitched low.
"No," Bad Brain said pleasantly. "Why don't you make some noise? You disappoint me, I really thought you would have screamed for help by now."
Lois pressed her lips together. She might be mad as hell at Clark, but if anyone was going to kill him they'd have to get in line behind her. Not that she wanted him to die; she just wanted him to hurt a little. She leaned back as Bad Brain tried to propel her forward. Passive resistance seemed to be the only avenue left to her.
Bad Brain had been keeping one hand inside his jacket and he pulled it away now to show her the ESW gun. "You remember this, don't you, Lois? Either you walk or I carry you, but we're going for a little ride."
She brought her elbow up, catching Bad Brain in the stomach. He let out an "oof" and his grip loosened on her arm. Lois started to run towards the building; hoping against hope that it was open this early and that she'd find help. And then the world went white-hot and she let out a muffled moan as all her limbs spasmed into stiffness. Her last thought was that she couldn't believe she had forgotten how much this hurt.
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Henderson and Clark stood in the scorched remains of Mike Crowley's office at Variant Technologies along with David Morris, the president and CEO of Variant.
"Funny how the worst damage is confined to his filing cabinet and computer," Henderson commented dryly.
"Yeah," Clark said grimly. "Superman said he could smell an accelerant."
"Was the ESW gun officially turned over to Lex Labs?" Henderson asked Morris.
"According to STAR Labs it was, but we have no records here. Crowley told me that, because of the lawsuit, Gatenby had refused to hand anything over. Crowley left on sabbatical and the suit was dropped a few weeks later." Morris looked at the mess in the office and shook his head. "You're saying Rufus Johnson stole the prototype?"
"Rufus Johnson is Bad Brain," Henderson told him.
"And they were working together? But why? Why would they kill random strangers and Dr. Gatenby? What could they possibly have hoped to gain from it?" Morris gestured helplessly.
"Didn't you write an article about Superman meeting with Dr. Gatenby just before he died?" Henderson looked thoughtfully at the blackened remains of Crowley's desktop computer. "What did Gatenby have to say about the prototype contract being awarded to Lex Labs?"
"He made it sound like it was no big deal. By the time I learned about the lawsuit, Gatenby was dead. He said it wasn't fully functional yet, the ESW gun, when they turned it over. It was still in the experimental stages."
"Are you sure he's using the gun?" Henderson asked.
"Yes," Clark said grimly. "I saw him use it on a city worker just before he shot me with it. And…" Clark felt a shiver of pain at the memory of the gun's effect on him and the mental image of Lois lying on the floor of the abandoned plant. "And he used it on Lois."
"I heard she was in the hospital." Henderson frowned and nudged some debris on the floor with the toe of his shoe. "Is she okay now?"
Clark managed the barest of nods. "Yeah, she's doing okay."
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As Lois woke up she was first aware of the vibrations of an engine idling. She opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on the floor of a service van. Two men were sitting in the front seats. Her wrists were bound painfully behind her back and she was lying on her side. She tried to push herself up but her body was still aching from the jolt of electricity Bad Brain had stunned her with and she slumped back to the floor.
"Look, she's awake." Mike Crowley turned in his seat and gave her a saccharine smile. "How are you?"
"How did you find me?" she asked, trying to keep the waver out of her voice.
"Your shoes," Mike grinned. "We put a little transponder in the heel of your shoes. We had one in almost every pair you own – isn’t that great? We've been able to track you both for a couple of weeks now. Every time you went down in the tunnels, we were watching. You and your… what do you call him? He's certainly more than just a co-worker, isn't he? We've got him too." He held up a small device and she caught a glimpse of a street grid and a flashing green light. "Looks like Clark has gone to the police, I'm sure he's telling Henderson everything he thinks he knows right now. Face it, neither of you knows anything."
"Why me? Why Clark?"
"Because if it weren't for you two, and your little flying buddy, we'd be very rich men right now!" Bad Brain erupted from the driver's seat as he turned to seethe at her.
"What?"
"Keep your eyes on the road!" Mike yelled and then turned back to Lois. "Lex Luthor had spies everywhere and when he heard about the ESW weapon he started taking measures to have it developed through Lex Labs instead of STAR Labs. He pulled some very large strings to get the contract awarded to his group."
"But why? Lex already had several contracts with the government for projects that were a lot less speculative."
"It occurs to me that you didn't really know your fiancé, Lois. He didn't just have contracts with our government, you know. Luthor took a more pragmatic approach to world peace. He didn't think it was fair that only one government should possess so much power. Checks and balances, you know?" Mike shrugged.
A horn blared behind them and Bad Brain swore, stomping his foot on the accelerator so that the van lurched forward. He stopped just as abruptly and swore again. "I hate traffic!"
Mike glared at her with pure malevolence in his eyes. "It was all going so well. Until your partner," the word dripped in disdain, "just couldn't let you go so easily and he started investigating Lex. It was Clark Kent, and your damn newspaper, that drove Lex to suicide. They hounded him to his death, you know. Over you!" Crowley sneered at her, making it plain that he didn't think she was worth much.
Bad Brain half-turned in his seat to look back at her. "And then Superman, who saves everyone, just let Lex fall to his death. After Luthor took his dive we had to scramble to keep our potential business partners happy. We're talking millions of dollars that we stand to lose. Hundreds of millions! Between the three of you, you have RUINED my life!" His last few words were screamed at her and she flinched. She tried to move her wrists but they were tied fast. She used her shoulder to push herself into a sitting position.
"So now what?" she asked, dreading the answer.
"Now we see if all our hard work pays off."
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"He shot you with the weapon?" David Morris asked.
"Yes, he said it was on low power. They're planning to use it to try and hurt Superman. It has a special lens in it that they think will affect him."
Both Henderson and Morris looked surprised. "Can it?" Henderson asked.
"Yeah," Clark said quietly. "I think it can."
A secretary came to the doorway and cleared her throat to catch their attention. "Inspector Henderson? There's a phone call for you."
Henderson left and Morris sighed, looking around the damaged office. "So when he shot you was it an actual pulse of electricity? I'm sorry if you don't want to talk about it, I'm just curious how they got it to work. Is it grounded in any way?"
"Grounded?" Clark shook his head slowly. "I don't think it was."
"But he was using it on low, correct?"
"That's what he said."
Henderson came back with a smug little grin on his face. He looked at both of them and then asked, "Can you think of a reason for Crowley to visit Podansk two days after Luthor died?"
"Vacation?" Morris suggested.
"How many people take vacations to a country on the verge of civil war?" Henderson added, his smile growing larger.
"Someone who had recently come across a fancy new weapon and was looking to make a fortune on the black market?" Clark ventured.
Henderson nodded and continued, "Three days after Crowley returned, Dr. Gatenby dropped the lawsuit. What does that make you think?"
"That Gatenby was in on it, too. Or thought he was." Morris looked horrified. "My god, they were going to sell the weapon to Podansk?"
"I don't think 'were' is the right word to use. I think they still plan to sell the weapon on the black market," Henderson said.
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Bad Brain put the van in park and shut off the engine. "Now, Lois," he said as Mike got out of the van. "Let's not make things harder than they have to be. Feel free to scream your guts out, but if you hurt either of us trying to get away we're going to make you pay for it. Do you understand?"
Lois said nothing but her entire body tensed. Should she try to get away? Her limbs were still aching from being shot by the ESW earlier. She could accomplish nothing so long as they still had the weapon. She was still too weak to fight as Mike pulled her from the van. Even if she did try to struggle, she realized it wouldn't have been effective.
She looked around her in horror. They had brought her back to the abandoned nuclear plant. Her legs, already uncooperative, seemed to just give out beneath her. Lois' fear increased as Mike dragged her inside and she saw the table that Bad Brain had used to kill the man the night Ken had locked her in the tunnels. She could almost hear the man's agonized screams in her head which only increased her rising panic.
Bad Brain, seeing where her attention was, let out a low chuckle. "That's right, you've seen this table before, haven't you, Lois?"
Mike let her drop to the floor and she had a moment of vertigo as she saw that she was on top of a dark-colored stain. Was it blood? Was it hers, from the baby? Was it from Gatenby or one of the homeless men they had killed here? Lois felt ill and she struggled weakly against the bonds still holding her hands behind her back. Unable to free her hands, she wiggled until she was clear of the stain on the floor.
"Why didn't you just kill me when you had the chance?" she asked.
"Kill you? Nah, that'd be too quick. You don't deserve it. Besides we needed you to lure Superman here." Bad Brain hefted the ESW gun and she shivered involuntarily.
"I won't do it."
"No kidding." Bad Brain tsked at her. "That's why we created the voice modulator. You and Ken were both gracious enough to help us test it out. Alas, Ken had outlived his usefulness. You’re lucky we still need you."
"Why do you still need me if you have the voice modulator?"
"We could have called Superman any old time, but he's got that x-ray vision. He's not going to show up unless he can actually see you're here," Bad Brain told her.
"He won't show up. He knows what you're planning." Her arms had gone numb behind her and she had to struggle to get onto her knees.
"He'll show up for you," Mike told her.
"No, he won't."
"Oh sweetheart, trust me. I stuck around and saw him find you. I couldn't hear what he was saying but the look on his face was unmistakable." Mike grinned. "You've been sleeping with Clark Kent, but you could have done better. Trust me, Superman is in love with you."
"Why Superman?" she asked.
"What story is guaranteed to make international headlines? What better proof could we give that our weapon works?"
"So why is the table here?" Lois asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.
"That's just in case hitting Superman at full power only stuns him."
"You killed all those men just to test something you might not even use?"
"If you're going to make an omelet, you have to break some eggs, Lois."
"Where did you get the Kryptonite from?"
"From Lex, of course. He had us working on a little project for your wedding. An electromagnetic cage charged with Kryptonite. We kept a little in reserve, just in case."
Mike came over and cuts the rope binding her wrists. She rubbed them, trying to restore feeling to her hands.
"Call for help." Mike held a cell phone out to her.
Lois didn’t take it from him. "Call who? The police? You couldn't zap all of them before someone could get a shot off."
"Don’t be cute, you know what I mean. Call your boyfriend and tell him I'll kill you unless he can produce Superman in ten minutes."
Lois swallowed down her panic. Who did they think they were kidding? They were going to kill her anyway. "No."
Bad Brain snatched the phone away from Mike. "Then I'll call him."
He had started to dial when Mike pulled the tracking device from his pocket. "He's on the move. You'll have to leave a message for him."
Bad Brain frowned, hung up and then started dialing again. He lifted the modulator and said, "I guess we can have him paged."
Lois gasped - it was her voice coming from Bad Brain. Crowley stepped behind her, roughly covering her mouth with one hand while the other rose to place the blade of a knife to her throat. "No talking now, Lois. We don't want to ruin the surprise.
"Jimmy? It's Lois…" Bad Brain paused and rolled his eyes at her. "No, I'm not working! I'm being held prisoner. You have to find Clark and tell him that I need Superman to come to the nuclear plant right away…" He paused again and then lowered the voice modulator, using his real voice. "Tell him Bad Brain has her." He laughed at whatever Jimmy said next and disconnected the phone.
Crowley took his hand away from her mouth, but still held the knife to her throat.
"Clark won't bring him. He'll know it's a trap."
At least she hoped so. Surely Clark wouldn't be that stupid?
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Clark's pager began to beep. He checked the display and saw Jimmy's extension. He excused himself from Henderson and Morris and asked to borrow the secretary's phone. When Jimmy answered he sounded frantic.
"Bad Brain has got Lois and she said you had to find Superman and have him come to the nuclear plant right away."
"You talked to Lois?"
He should never have left her alone this morning. He should have gone back. He should have stayed with her.
"Yes."
"How did she sound?"
"Scared."
Should never have left her…
"What were her exact words?"
"Her exact words?"
"Jimmy, it's important. Bad Brain can make himself sound like anyone."
Jimmy took a deep breath as he tried to remember. "She called and when I told her that she wasn't supposed to be working she said she was being held prisoner and that I had to find you and have you tell Superman to come to the nuclear plant right away. When I asked why a man spoke into the phone and said that Bad Brain had her. He can make his voice sound like anyone? So it might not have been Lois?"
Was he willing to take that risk? Clark closed his eyes. Maybe she was so angry with him that she didn't mind putting him in danger?
"I hope it wasn't her," he said to Jimmy. "I have to go now." Clark hung up the phone and went back to Crowley's office.
"I have to go find Superman," he said to Henderson. "How quickly can you get a SWAT team to the nuclear plant? It sounds like Bad Brain is there and he's requesting a meeting with Superman."
"You go find Superman and tell him I'll meet him there."
Clark started to leave and David Morris called out to him. "Mr. Kent! Wait!"
Clark turned, impatience obvious in his features.
"Tell Superman that if the ESW gun isn't grounded and he can reflect the energy back, he might be able to create an arc between Bad Brain and his target. If he could do that, he might be able to destroy the weapon."
Clark nodded at him. "Thanks."
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Lois eyed the ESW gun. Bad Brain had been tinkering with it and it was humming louder than before.
"Like fish in a barrel," Bad Brain said with a grin. "I'd go for three out of three but I can't afford to be caught without a little juice left in this thing."
He had already used it once today, to zap her in the plaza. How many uses were in it? What if she made a break for it now and forced him to use it again? Could she get him to wear it down enough that Clark might survive a direct hit at full power?
"Clark"? She stroked his cheek, her heart squeezing painfully. "Clark, can you hear me?"
She placed her other hand over his heart, relieved to feel it beating beneath her fingers. "Clark, please, talk to me!"
His lips moved but he didn't make a sound. She leaned closer to his mouth. "What? I can't hear you."
"That really hurt," he whispered.
He had to know this was a trap, she told herself. He won't come. Or he'll wait and get backup. But what if he didn't? Clark, she thought. Do it for Clark. Do it for Superman. The world can get by without you, but they need him.
Crowley had relaxed a little but she couldn't make her legs cooperate. If she could just duck, really fast, she might be able to slip free of the arm he had around her. She didn't have to get far - she knew she wouldn't get far. She just had to get Bad Brain to use the gun again. Every amp that he used now was one less to kill Clark with later. They were going to kill her anyway. She had nothing left to lose. Her heart ached as she thought of Clark, Superman, the baby… they were all lost to her. There was nothing she could do to make it up to Clark now. Nothing except spare him.
Lois turned her head so that her chin could slide beneath Crowley's arm and then she ducked, wrenching herself free and taking only one step before Crowley grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked her to her knees.
"Ow," she moaned as he pulled her back up against him.
"That wasn't very bright. You try that again and you'll be sorry," Mike growled in her ear.
"You're going to kill me anyway." She tried not to cry from sheer frustration.
"True, but if you do anything foolish I'll make sure it takes you hours to die instead of seconds. Wouldn't you rather have a quick and painless death?" The knife felt warm against her throat but the threat of what they might do to her sent chills through her.
Bad Brain shook his head at her. "Did you know that pansy Randall begged for his life? Don't you want to do the same?"
"No." The word came out far more defiant than she felt.
Don't call him, Jimmy. Don't come, Clark. Stay away.
"… Superman is in love with you."
He was, she thought miserably. Or he had been until she told him he was a smug lying bastard and he blamed her for the loss of their child.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that… Not like it sounded."
But why else would he say that? How else could he have meant those words to sound?
"I won't let him hurt you again," he said quietly.
Lois reached for his hand and he took hold of her, squeezing her fingers gently. "I don't mean for this to sound ungrateful, Clark, but he can hurt you, too, you know."
"I don't care about me."
"But I do," she whispered. "I care very much what happens to you."
He was going to come. In spite of what he said to her earlier that morning - or maybe even because of what he said - she knew he was going to come.
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Clark flew over the plant and his heart sank when he saw her. It may not have been Lois on the phone with Jimmy, but that was definitely her being held by Crowley with a knife to her throat. She looked pale and tired and he could see a new bruise starting on her cheek. Had they hit her? If he knew Lois she would have fought back when they tried to take her. What had they done to subdue her? Bad Brain was pacing back and forth in front of them, the ESW gun at the ready. Lois' eyes followed the weapon, her expression quietly terrified.
"That's what happens when the gun is set on low. You tell Superman that I'm going to crank this thing up to full power and I'll shoot first and ask questions later."
The urge to fly in there and free her was overwhelming. He fought it, watching to see if they had a routine, anything to help him judge what to do next. He couldn't chance them hurting Lois with either the ESW weapon or the knife that Crowley was carrying. There was no doubt in his mind that the ESW was fully charged and lethally ready for him.
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Inside the plant they could hear the distant wail of sirens coming closer. Bad Brain ran to one of the windows and stood against the wall, looking out the window over his shoulder.
"The police?" Mike asked.
"Yep," Bad Brain nodded. "And I can see a news van pulling into the lot."
Crowley smiled. "Perfect."
"How are you ever going to get out of here? They're going to surround the place," Lois asked.
"There are more ways out of here than just the door, Lois."
Crowley began to edge her backwards with him, moving them so that they were closer to Bad Brain's torture table. Bad Brain followed them slowly, more concerned with watching the windows and door.
Clark stood in the next room, watching them through the wall and looking for something that he could use to reflect the ESW's pulse back on it. His gaze lingered on the table near Crowley and Lois. That might work. He took a deep breath and stepped into the room.
"Let her go." His voice echoed in the large room, making the command sound even more authoritative.
For the first time since she had met Superman there was absolutely no joy or relief in seeing him show up to rescue her. In fact, she couldn't even see him as Superman. All she could see was Clark standing there knowing full well that they had not only the means but also the intent to kill him. He had accused her of blindly running into Bad Brain's trap and yet here he stood, deliberately doing exactly that. Lois closed her eyes, deeply frightened for him.
"Aren't you going to add that we don't need her?" Bad Brain taunted.
"You don't," Clark said.
"But you do," Crowley smiled, pressing the knife close enough that he drew a little blood.
Clark took another step forward, his gaze lifting from the knife to Lois' face. Her eyes opened and she silently pleaded for him to leave.
Clark took a few steps closer. He just had to get to the table. And he had to get that knife away from Crowley.
Bad Brain moved backwards, keeping the gun trained on Superman.
Lois cast her eyes down, looking around frantically as she tried to figure out what was going to happen next. It was obvious that Bad Brain was headed somewhere, that he wanted to be right next to his exit before he shot Clark. There had to be a trap door or something. She just had to get away from Crowley - she realized Clark was holding back because he didn't think he could stop both Crowley and Bad Brain at the same time.
"Forget about me," she whispered. "Just take him out."
"Shut up!" Crowley shuffled further away from the table, dragging her along with him. She looked Clark in the eye and tipped her head back slightly to indicate that she was going to try and distract Crowley. Clark seemed to consider for a moment and then he gave her the faintest of nods.
Lois took a deep breath to steady herself first. She let the air out slowly and tipped her head forward, letting her whole body relax. Crowley was distracted enough that he took it as a gesture of defeat and loosened his hold just the tiniest bit. Lois brought her head back up, driving it into Crowley's nose as hard as she could.
Clark launched himself towards Lois and Crowley as Crowley brought the knife back up towards Lois’ neck. Bad Brain fired and the beam connected with Clark as he flew past. Clark dropped towards the floor, knocking over the table as he began to fall. The force of the beam propelled him forward into Lois and Crowley. Crowley dropped the knife on impact and rolled away from them. Clark tucked Lois against him as they continued to fall. The ESW’s beam followed him down and struck the table as they fell behind it. Bad Brain found he couldn't release the trigger and the gun shook in his hands. For a moment a green arc was visible between the table and the weapon before the gun exploded. Bad Brain was sent flying several feet backwards. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.
As soon as Clark touched her Lois felt a ripple run through her. It seemed to her that the world had fallen away as a thousand images burst into her mind. Random moments flew by - the first one she could recognize was a tackle in football. It was more than a memory, it was the actual experience. She heard the dull crunch of her helmet meeting pads and the grunt from the opponent she had tackled. She felt the jarring impact of the ground as they hit and then heard the shrill whistle of the referee.
When had she ever played football?
And then she saw herself. She felt a welling of heat and desire as she watched herself perching on the edge of a desk and deliberately cross her legs so that the hem of her skirt rose to reveal the lacy tops of the thigh-high stockings she was wearing.
I'm Clark, she thought as the memories rushed past her.
He was sitting on the chair in his living room, watching her sleep and listening to two heartbeats. Hers and the baby's. The most intense feeling of love and loss flowed through her.
He loved her. He loved her so much that it was almost a physical pain. He had loved her from almost the moment she walked into Perry's office, full of confidence and impatience and had barely acknowledged him. He loved her for the moments she was vulnerable and the times when she was strong. She was so strong - did she know that? Did she realize how much of Superman's strength came from having her to believe in him?
He wished he could hold her. He wished he could tell her just how much he loved her and needed her. He wasn't lying when he said he didn't have a favorite time with her. Every single touch, kiss and smile she had given to him were forever imprinted on him. He wished he could tell her how much awe he had for her.
Ours, he thought. That's our baby. Me and Lois. Would the baby be like her? Headstrong and intelligent? Would the baby have his powers? Their baby. It was surreal - the knowledge that he and Lois had created a tiny new life.
He had to tell her. He had to give her that measure of trust and be vulnerable for her. He could only hope that she would understand and that, somehow, they could build a stronger relationship from there. Would she be angry? He flinched, of course she would be. But, after she'd had time to cool off, she would… what? Want him? Love him?
Never speak to him again?
Clark frowned, not wanting to believe that he had ruined things so completely. No, not just completely - utterly and for all time. It was bad enough that he had made her pregnant. She would never forgive him for lying to her. He was living in a dream world if he thought she would just accept his deception and still want him in her life. Not just her life, he corrected himself, her life and the baby's life.
He rose from the chair with a heavy heart and went back to bed.
"Clark," she whispered and it sounded like stereo as she heard it simultaneously in her ears and in her head. In response she felt a surge of fearful emotion as she saw herself lying on the floor of the nuclear plant.
…Too late. Someday you're going to be too late. What if today is that day?
Apprehension, fear, regret, love and pain rolled through her as he lifted her limp body and tears blurred his vision.
"I'm here. I'm right here," he murmured into her hair as he wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently. "It's me. I'm here. I'm so sorry..."
Then she saw herself from far away. She was sitting on a bench, her face tipped up into the sunlight.
She looked so small, so alone, and his conscience was screaming at him that he had been too harsh with her. She was right - he was arrogant. He should never have started out by telling her that he was right and she was wrong. She had been through so much and she was exhausted. And, instead of being supportive, he had lashed out at her when she needed a friend the most.
He turned around and took a few steps back towards the ferry and then stopped short. Even if he did go to her now, what was he going to say? 'I'm sorry' just wasn't going to be enough. The last thing in the world she wanted right now was to see him or be reminded of him. Give her some time to cool off first, he told himself. She still cared enough to warn you about Bad Brain this morning, so there's still some hope there.
Then everything went black.
Lois opened her eyes, disoriented for a moment as to where – or even who – she was. Clark was lying across her chest, his weight pinning her so she couldn't move. Or was her inability to move because of the shockwave? Men in dark uniforms were pouring into the room, their guns drawn and pointed.
"Cla…" she started and then realized that two of the officers were moving closer towards them. "Su… Superman," she managed to stammer and then her mind reeled - he wasn't moving. Why wasn't he moving? Dead weight, her mind whispered.
"No," she said out loud, struggling to move from beneath him but finding it difficult. His body was so slack and heavy…
…dead weight…
… and her arms were still weak from the shockwave. One of the SWAT officers had reached them and he dragged Clark away from her. Clark's limbs were lifeless and unresisting as the man released him to the floor. He landed with a dull thud.
…dead weight…
The officer stepped back, shock apparent in his features as he, too, realized what had happened. Lois looked at Clark, recognizing with dawning horror that he was gone. She scrambled closer to him, her hands trembling as she reached out to touch him. His face was as ashen and still as the cold concrete floor beneath him. There was no rise and fall to his chest, no stirring of life beneath her frantic fingers as she felt for a pulse.
"Oh my god," the officer said in disbelief. "Superman's dead."
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End 18/20
