By the time she arrived to where the sirens were blaring, it was all over, and there was Clark, now dressed in street clothes. “Lois, you should have seen it! Superman caught that woman in mid-air.” Was he bragging?! He continued, “She’s okay. She left in the ambulance a minute ago. You should have been here.”
“That’s great, Clark, really great.”
“I’d better phone it in.” Clark began to flip open his cell phone.
“No!” Lois laid her hands on his stopping his actions. Clark couldn’t report on his own activities! Someone was bound to realize Clark Kent wasn’t actually there and put two and two together. “Clark, if you phone it in, they’ll just re-write you. Best thing to do is get to the Planet as fast as possible and start typing. Hey, take my cab. Go on.”
“Lois, I appreciate it. I owe you one.” Yes he did, and he didn’t even know it. The second Clark was out of sight, Lois pulled her cell phone from her purse, speed dialed the Planet, and quickly filled Doris in on the story. She was saving Clark. So why did she feel so guilty? She tossed and turned all night.
*****
His eyes accused her as he threw the paper on her desk. “Superman Averts Double Suicide- by Lois Lane-Kent? First of all-”
“Clark, don’t even start. You got what you deserved. I know it’s tough, but one day you’ll thank me.”
“Thank you?”
“See? You’re welcome. Never, never let go of a story. Trust no one. Period.”
“But, Lois, you’re my family! Of course I trusted you!” But he didn’t really, did he? How could he believe that she had stolen his story out of spite?
“This is Metropolis, Clark, not Smallville. Consider this a life lesson.” She patted his chest. “No charge.”
Clark looked furious, but he couldn’t seem to find the words to say. He walked away. Her heart broke. Had her motives been entirely altruistic? He was in her house. He was in her head- all the time. And he was at her work. She could not get away from the sight and thought of him. She just needed some time alone, to get way from him. And he was everywhere. Superman memorabilia was beginning to pop up, constantly reminding her of him. She headed towards the ladies room. He couldn’t follow her in there.
While she was gone, Perry had taken a call about a bomb in the Carlin Building- and Perry sent Clark! She hailed a cab and headed over there as fast as she could harass the taxi driver to do so. She arrived in time to see Superman enter the building before it exploded. Clark! But there he was, his cape singed, but obviously all right. Ow! Her head ached. The explosion had popped her ear drums. Well, she was here. She might as well look around. She talked to a few people trying to find out if anyone had seen anything, whether it was something to do with the explosion or with Superman. No one had seen any more than she did. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she caught sight of Clark talking to one of the inspectors. She made her way over to them. “What have we got?”
Clark retorted, “What do you mean “we”?” He started to look at her with scornful eyes, but then his expression changed. “Lois, you have a cut on your forehead!” That would be why her head was pounding.
“It’s nothing. If it was serious, I would have noticed it by now.”
“Do you guys want to hear this or not?” the inspector addressed the arguing couple.
Lois turned to him, “Yes.”
“Off the record, I believe the explosion was radio controlled. Also, we found video cameras mounted in the lobby that were not part of the security system. The managers have both denied having additional cameras installed. We think the two are connected.”
“So, you’re saying that someone placed the bomb, watched Superman enter the building, then detonated the explosives?”
“That’s my theory, but it’s too early to confirm that.” The inspector turned away from them.
Someone wanted Clark dead. No, someone wanted Superman dead.
“I can’t believe it. That poor man.”
“What man?” asked Clark.
“Superman.” She saw surprise in Clark’s eyes. “He comes here to help, and now this. Can you imagine how he must feel, Clark?”
Clark let out a huge sigh, “I think so.”
“It doesn’t make any sense. Who would want to kill Superman?” Who would gain from Clark’s death? Of course, they thought they were gunning for Superman. They didn’t know that he had a family and people who loved him. She had to find out who was behind this and keep Clark and the Kents safe from them.
*****
Clark was checking on the jumpers’ backgrounds when he received a phone call from the ER doctor who had treated both jumpers.
“So, what have we got?” she asked taking a seat on his desk.
He looked at her with accusation in his eyes. “Trust no one, Lois. I’m quoting directly here.”
“And I told you not to quote me to myself. Spill it.”
He did. She would have to cure him of that- with any one but her of course- or he would get stories stolen on a regular basis. “Both jumpers have been released. Jules Johnson almost immediately. They don’t think he ever meant to jump. He was just trying to attract attention. Monique Kahn, on the other hand, was hysterical. It turns out, she’s afraid of heights.”
“Pretty strange phobia for someone who jumped from a thirty story building.”
“I thought so. While she was sedated she kept mumbling something about a test.”
“A test? What kind of test? A test of courage? Anything else?”
“No, that’s it.” A test. Was someone trying to test Superman?
One of the couriers arrived with a print out for Clark. It was the background on Jules Johnson and Monique Kahn. “They both worked at Lex Corp,” she noted.
“Them and about another million people in Metropolis. Don’t turn this into your expose on Lex Luthor.”
Could Lex be testing Superman to find out how much of a threat he was to Luthor’s empire? Would he be satisfied now, or would the tests continue?
*****
Perry was still growling about the Superman story. Lois had noted a drop in the number of Superman sightings the last three days. While Clark refused to listen to her explain her theory of who was behind the tests, maybe he did believe that someone was testing him and was making himself scarce.
“Jimmy? Didn’t you say the other day that you had an idea about finding Superman?” They were sitting in the lunch room. She and Clark were enjoying her famous tuna salad.
“Well, I figured that if Superman really is an alien, he had to travel here in some type of ship. Track down the ship and find Superman.”
“Oh.” Well that was out since Trask’s bunch had Clark’s ship. Still, she wanted Perry to believe that she was actively trying to track down the story. She headed to her desk and picked up the phone. “Operator, get me the EPRAD Tracking Station in Fairbanks, Alaska.”
*****
Clark was out again that evening. Maybe he was out being Superman. Maybe he was just trying to give her some space. She wasn’t sure if he had forgiven her for “stealing” his story yet. The doorbell rang. It was a courier from the Planet. “This arrived for you. Perry said to bring it over.”
It was a roughly drawn map, with an X marking a spot labeled “Superman’s Spaceship”. Her heart raced with excitement. Since everything was gone when they had returned to the Bessolo Boulevard warehouse, she had no idea what had happened to Clark’s ship. Could someone in Jason Trask’s command be giving her a clue? Her first impulse was to call Clark, but if it turned out to be a false lead, it would crush him. She thought again of his face as he had run his hands reverently over the ship. Maybe if she found Clark’s ship for him, he would look differently at her. Or it could be a trap. . .? Lois shook her head to clear the warning from her thoughts. She had to check on this for Clark. She rushed to change into some old clothes. She was not going to wear her best clothes to go trudging through the sewage reclamation plant.
*****
Lois approached Clark’s desk. Noses wrinkled as she passed, but she didn’t care. Cat and Jimmy stood by Clark. Jimmy turned as she approached, “What happened to you?”
“Oh, you’re referring to the odor? Or perhaps the matter on my clothes that I don’t even want to know what it is? Well you know what? After hours of trudging through the frogs, and the mud, and the. . . things, I think I have a perfect right to be a little disheveled. Do did you know that it is possible to get completely turned around in the Metropolis Waste Reclamation Facility? And did you know that there are billions of mosquitoes there? I do! Because I met them! But I suppose my little trip wasn’t a complete waste of time. I did find this!” She pulled the Godzilla doll with the “S” on his chest out of the garbage bag she was carrying. Cat and Jimmy snickered. Clark had the grace to look ashamed. “I’m going home. Don’t expect to see me before tomorrow. Any of you,” she emphasized with a glare at Clark.
*****
After a shower to get rid of the grime, Lois tried to relax in her bubble bath. She couldn’t stop crying. Why had Clark done this? She loved him and she was trying to help him. She had hidden what she knew from everyone, and respected his right to hide the truth of his identity even from her. Why did love have to hurt so badly?
After she refreshed the cold water with warm for the second time and her tears had subsided to sniffles, she realized that Clark had had to do this. She had embarrassed him in front of the whole newsroom by stealing his story. And whatever her motives, she had stolen it. Clark needed to prove to her and to them that he would not be made a fool of. She certainly wasn’t enjoying the consequences. Even the oatmeal bath soap she had used had not completely taken the sting from the many mosquito bites. But Clark had no way of knowing that she had taken the story from him to protect him. In retrospect, she knew that her motives weren’t completely unselfish, but they hadn’t been completely selfish either.
*****
She sat on the loveseat flipping through channels, dressed in her Smallville High sweatshirt and flannel pajama bottoms. A knock came from her front door and the locks turned. Clark. She turned towards the door. “I made it clear I didn’t want to see you, Clark.”
Clark looked at her sheepishly. “I got the message.”
“So did I,” she whispered, her voice thick with tears.
Clark was instantly at her side wrapping his strong arms around her. “I’m sorry, Lois.”
“No, it’s okay, Clark. I was mad at first, but after I thought about it. I understand. I stole your story. You had to be sure that I, and the other Planet employees, knew that you wouldn’t let me get away with it.”
“Why did you?” she could hear the hurt in his voice. She had never intended to hurt him.
She gave a wail and cried, “I stole it. I have never stolen a story before in my life! How could I do that?” She turned to look up into his face. “It’s him. It’s Superman. Ever since he held me in his arms, I knew there was this connection between us. I felt like he belonged to me.”
Clark smiled fondly at her. Did her words not sink in at all? “Lois, will you let me show you something?”
“Like what?”
He shook his head, standing up from the loveseat. “Ah, ah, ah. My secret. I’ll tell you when we get there.”
“Do I have to change? I was getting really comfortable.”
“What you’re wearing is fine. You won’t be gone long.”
“Okay.” She took his hand. “Lay on, Macduff.” Clark squeezed her fingers and she knew that he had forgiven her, as she had forgiven him.
*****
Clark covered her eyes as he led her from the taxi. “No peeking, Lois.” Lois pretended to pout.
“Clark, you know I hate surprises.”
“I think you’ll like this one.” She heard a key turn in a lock and Clark took her hand again. “Watch your step,” he cautioned.
“That would be easier to do if I could see.” Then Clark removed his hand.
“Open your eyes, Lois.”
What was this place? Everything was covered in an inch of dust. In the fading light, she finally made out a staircase that she would be hesitant to put her full weight upon going down to an open room. She saw some cabinets overhanging a sink, and the doors appeared to be falling off their hinges. She could hear the ancient refrigerator that stood in the corner humming loudly. An old electrical wire spool was tipped on its side, serving as a table for the stacks of newspapers and tiles that littered the entire room. Some of the walls were flaking white paint. Other were a drab grey and showed signs of badly patched cracks. “Where am I?”
“My new apartment.”
Lois was appalled. “Clark, it’s a mess! It’s horrible. You can’t stay here. You can stay at my place as long as it takes to find something.”
“Lois, when I first came to Metropolis, I told you that I didn’t want to cramp your style. Not in your personal life, and not at the Planet either. Spending so much time together has put a strain on our relationship, and I hate it.”
“I do too.”
“Besides, it really won’t take me that long to fix this up. Think how much fun you had decorating your own apartment. This will be my first time. It’ll be fun. And I work fast.” That was true. It might take him a few hours to do what would take any other person days or weeks to accomplish. She nodded, looking around the room.
“Okay. But if you need any help, or any ideas of where to shop for furniture. . .”
“I promise, you’ll be the first person I call. Are we okay now, Lois?”
“We were never really not okay, Clark, but yeah, we’re okay. I’m going to miss waking up to a hot breakfast though.”
“Well, I’ll just have to stop by some morning and surprise- oops, I forgot. You hate surprises.”
“You’re not wiggling out of it that easy, Kent.”
*****
“I’m really glad that Helene and Alan got back together. I know that forty to fifty percent all marriages end in divorce, but they really seem to love each other,” Clark commented as they were driving home from their final interview with the Morrises.
“Your mom and dad are still together. That gives us hope. But I did worry there that he had just run off and left Helene.”
“It’s so sad that Alan felt like he had to become invisible to be visible again.”
“I’m glad that he finally realized that Helene loved the man under the suit.” Would he catch her double meaning? “I guess, in a way, we all wear disguises.”
“Well, uh-”
“I mean, don’t you? In order to get to really know someone, you have to let them see you for what you really are. And that’s very scary.” So scary that she “disguised” her feelings for Clark by openly chasing Superman, because she was afraid that if Clark knew how he felt about her he would tell her that he didn’t feel the same way.
“I guess. Where are we going?”
“Well, I’m going home. I have to get dressed.”
“Oh? Hot date?”
“Uh-huh.”
“With who? Do I know him?”
“Superman.” Clark eyebrows raised above his glasses. Okay, so he didn’t know that he was taking her out, but she had her savings. Hopefully it would be enough to win the bid for a date with Superman at the charity event to support the Metropolis School for the Blind.
*****
Even Cat was there. It looked like there would be a lot of competitive bidding. The chairwoman called the meeting to order and began the biding with Lex Luthor. “Here he is ladies, the man voted world’s most eligible bachelor, and he is the fourth richest man in the world.”
“Third,” Luthor interjected.
“Excuse me, the third richest man in the world.”
I wonder who he killed to pull that off, thought Lois. She was going to bid on Lex as well as Superman, but she hoped she didn’t win. She just wanted to get a chance to interview Lex, and since she had cancelled their lunch date when she was fighting with Clark last week, she needed to get back into Lex’s good graces if that were ever going to happen. “One thousand,” she called out. She found herself standing next to Cat Grant. “Couldn’t you afford a whole dress?” she scoffed.
“Less is more, Lois.” She looked disdainfully at Lois’ modest black dress. “Well, sometimes.” Good. The bidding had gone way past her limit while she exchanged insults with Cat. There he was! Clark in his Superman suit entered the room. Poor Clark, he looked so uncomfortable. She knew that the notoriety that he had gained with his Superman persona was not something that he had been prepared to deal with. At the Metropolis Man of the Year ceremony, he had held his stomach, almost as if her were physically sick from nervousness. She had wanted so badly to hug him. But he had been improving lately. The bidding began.
“Fifteen hundred,” she bid.
“Two thousand,” called Cat.
“Twenty-five hundred,” she parried.
“Five thousand,” came the bid from across the room.
“Six,” bid Cat confidently. That put him out of her league.
“Okay, Cat, you made your point. Now butt out!”
“What’s wrong, Lois? Too rich for your blood?” While they were fussing, the bidding had gone even higher.
“Nine thousand,” Cat called.
“Nine thousand going once, nine thousand going twice-” It wasn’t fair! Cat already had been where Lois only dreamed with Clark and now she wanted to sink her claws into Superman. Somebody, anybody bid! She mentally pleaded to the room.
“Fifty thousand dollars.” Lois stiffened as she heard the voice. It couldn’t be. When she had wished anybody else to bid, she hadn’t meant this. The only thing worse than Cat getting the date with Superman would be-
“Sold! To Miss. . .” the auctioneer checked the list, “Lana Lang.” Yep. It was her.
Well, Clark had to walk right past her to get to Lana. Surely he would at least acknowledge her presence! He didn’t. He walked past, drawn to Lana like a moth to flame. Just like he always had. And Lana kissed him!
Lois headed across the room and poured herself a glass of wine. Lex followed her. “Good evening, Lois.”
Well, maybe the night wouldn’t be a complete loss. “I’m sorry I had to cancel our lunch, Lex. Something came up.”
“I thought you might like to reschedule.” It was a statement, not a question. Lex Luthor couldn’t imagine any woman not wanting to be with him.
Lois looked across the room at Superman. Lana was laughing up at him.
“Yes, Lex. I would like that very much.”
“So would I. Call my assistant tomorrow and she’ll set something up.”
*****
She was on her fourth glass when Clark arrived. “Date with Superman, huh?”
She glared at him. “What are you doing here?”
“I filed the Morris story. You are very welcome.”
“Mmmn,” was her only comment as she took another sip. She set her glass down. “I was saving for Tahiti. But a date with Superman. That would have been a real adventure. Oh, Clark,” she moaned. “He doesn’t even know I’m alive. Maybe it was stupid of me to think that he cared.”
“It’s not so stupid, Lois. Come on, I’m taking you home.”
*****
Clark fixed her some strong, hot coffee, while she dressed for bed. He placed two aspirin and some water on the bed table. “For when you wake up tomorrow,” he explained. “You going to be okay?
“Don’t worry, Clark. I’m not turning into my mother. I rarely drink at all. Tonight was. . . extenuating circumstances.”
He nodded. “Well, call me if you need anything.”
*****
He tapped on her window the next evening right before she started to get ready for bed. She hurried to the window to let him in. “Superman!”
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted to say, wanted to tell you. . .” he paused awkwardly. “Lois,” he began again. “you don’t have to bid for my attention.”
“Oh, you saw me there. I didn’t think that you noticed. I thought that I was just another face in the crowd.”
“You will always be special to me, Lois.” Her eyes flew to his face. Could he be realizing that he had feelings for her too? When Henry Barnes, the gold bandit, had locked her in at Fort Metropolis, Superman had carried her when she was perfectly capable of walking, holding her like he would never let her go.
“I will?” she asked hopefully
“Yes. You’re the first person that ever interviewed me. Um, will you let me show you something?” His words echoed those of just a few weeks ago when he had showed her his new apartment.
“Sure.”
“Then close your eyes and hold on tight.” He picked her up as if she weighed nothing, and then they were airborne. Her eyes flew open.
“Superman!”
“Close your eyes, Lois. We’re not there yet.” She left her eyes open just a slit and watched as Metropolis fell away and they rose above the clouds.
“Okay, now open your eyes. The rest of the way, I mean.” She should have known that he would know she was cheating. She opened her eyes wide and looked around. Fluffy white clouds as far as she could see and Clark’s strong arms holding her. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect moment.
“I remembered. . . I thought that you would like to fly.” Tears stung her eyes. “Invisible or fly?” she had asked Clark, and she had told him that she wanted to fly with Superman. Maybe he didn’t love her like she loved him, but he did love her and was showing her by granting her wish.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Thank you for the most beautiful experience of her life.
*****
Perry liked their conjoined writing so much he announced that he would be making them partners.
“Full time?” queried Lois.
“No, no,” Perry assured. “You don’t want too much of a good thing. Only when the time is right, and only on special stories.” He walked off, whistling to himself.
“So, partner, which sounds better? Lane-Kent and Kent or Kent and Lane-Kent?”
“Too many Kents,” she grumbled. “I should have never changed my name.”
Clark laughed.
“When we are partnered,” she emphasized ‘when’, “Lane-Kent and Kent sounds the best.”
“Are you sure that is not just because that puts your name first?”
“I was here first, Clark.”
“Well, fortunately for you, I agree. Lane-Kent and Kent sounds the best.”
*****
The West River area was ablaze. Buildings seemed to be spontaneously combusting every few hours. Of course, arson was suspected, but the police had no leads. Clark called in sick- big surprise- and Superman had been busy all day helping the Metropolis Fire Department keep the hungry flames under control. This was a job for. . . Lois Lane-Kent. The Metro Gang controlled the West River and Bobby Bigmouth indicated that they ran the gang out of their legitimate business, an exclusive club, also located in the West River.
Lois pretended to be bored as she looked around the club. Johnny Taylor’s voice broke into her perusal. “Hey, you! With the legs. The long legs.” Lois came forward with a sultry walk. “Babycakes, you’re in.” Well, now she was the new chorus girl at the Metro Club.
*****
Clark vehemently protested her research methods. Fortunately Perry backed her up, but he did caution her to be careful. Meanwhile, she had another story to cover, one of Lex Luthor’s press conferences. Her sources claimed that coercion was used to pressure the city counsel to approve his latest project.
“The West River area has been a blight on our fair city for too long,” Lex spoke eloquently. “Schools, shops, restaurants, theaters, offices, apartments. A self-contained community. A bright new jewel in Metropolis’ crown.”
“Mr. Luthor,” asked on the Star’s reporters, “Aren’t you worried about making such a large investment in the West River area at this time, with the fires?”
“With Lex Harbor, I believe that we can take the West River back from the gangs and the criminal element who are not being controlled by the Metropolis Police Department, even with the help of Superman. Good day.” And he exited the room.
He was so dirty! Lois just knew it. The fires, which were being attributed to a gang called “The Toasters”, were making people eager to see change. And who better than the third richest man in the world to step in and bring about that change? Of course, he was going to make a tidy profit.
*****
Lois had finished dressing herself in the most embarrassing costume, although it fit her mood. She was certainly feeling chicken! She peered out at the audience of the Metro club. What was Clark doing here? And why was he wearing a mustache and goatee? He passed the curtain she was standing behind and she grabbed him and pulled him next to her.
“What are you doing here, Clark? This is my story.”
“I’m here to back you up.”
“I don’t need back up. I’ve been doing this job for years before you showed up.”
“What, this job?” He fluffed the feathers on her chicken costume and barely controlled his laughter.
“Oh, stick around, Clark. You might be surprised. I’m good at this.”
“I just might at that.”
Someone pounded on the door.
“Get out of here,” Lois hissed. “I’ve got to go.”
“No problem. I think I’ll go see if they serve chicken in this joint,” he teased with a cheeky grin.
*****
The Toasters ruined her debut, not that she really cared. Clark saved Toni Taylor from the fire, and as a reward, she gave him a job. The main singer refused to come back because she was afraid of the Toasters and Lois volunteered to take her place. At least maybe then she could avoid anymore farm animal costumes. As she came out on to stage singing, she looked towards Clark at the bar. He had a look of surprise on his face. If only he knew that the emotion she put into the words came from her feelings for him. She forced herself to break eye contact and look around the room. Lex Luthor! She almost lost her place in the song. What if he exposed her cover? And why was he sitting with Toni Taylor? But he smiled widely and threw a rose on stage as she finished the song.
*****
Lois took the first opportunity she had to pull Clark into the storage closet. “Did you see him?”
“Luthor?”
“No, the Easter Bunny! Yes, Luthor. Maybe he’s involved with the Toasters.”
“Lois, that’s crazy. Why would he be involved with a gang?”
“He could get West River property at a bargain if people feel compelled to sell.”
“Luthor has more money than he knows what to do with. He makes like five thousand dollars a minute. He could buy the West River ten times over before he felt the hurt of it. He wouldn’t waste his time.”
“Well, what is he doing here?”
“The Metro Club is just the kind of place that attracts clientele of Luthor’s ilk. You don’t suspect all the other patrons of wrongdoing, I hope.”
“I have to get ready for my next song.” She pulled open the door to find Toni Taylor standing there.
“Interesting place for a bartender. Run out of olives?” the blonde asked.
Clark grabbed Lois’ arms. It looked rougher than it actually was.
“Here she is. This is your leak. She’s a reporter at the Daily Planet.”
“Good work. Why don’t you throw her out with the rest of the trash?”
Clark lifted her over his shoulder, carrying her fireman style. This did give her another perspective on those “buns of steel”. Once they exited the building, she said. “You can put me down now, Clark.”
“No, they’re still watching.”
“You could have pretended that we were sharing some fleeting moment of passion, but you didn’t think of that did you?”
“You and me?” the incredulous look on his face pierced her heart.
“They wouldn’t know we are. . . friends.”
“Well, then I’ll remember it the next time. I’m going to throw you in this garbage bin.”
“What! No, you’re not. Just put me down. I’ll leave.”
He heaved her over his shoulder and into the rotting vegetables. “Sorry, got to make this look good, or we’ll both get thrown out.” He gave her a regretful look. “And stay out!” he said loudly. Infuriating!
*****
Lois stomped into Clark’s apartment. “I can’t believe you threw me in the trash!”
“I had to Lois. I’m sorry.”
“You did not have to!”
“Look, now that your cover is blown, Toni will stop looking for a leak. My cover is intact, which means that we may both still get the story. Sometimes on a team, a person carrying the ball may get hemmed in and she has to pass the ball to another member of the team who is in a better position to score.” A knock came from his door. “You have to go. She’s here?”
“She who?”
“Toni. She wanted to come by and I said she could.”
“Because you’re in a better position to score. I get it.”
“It’s for the story, Lois. Now hide! I’ll find someway to distract her so that you can sneak out.”
*****
Lois sat on her couch in her favorite sweatshirt and flannel pants replaying the events in Clark’s apartment. Why did he have to kiss her? Pull Toni Taylor into his arms and kiss her? It had taken Lois a few seconds to realize that Clark was motioning Lois to leave. She had turned to look one more time and Clark’s hand movement had grown more insistent. She went to her freezer and grabbed the ice cream. She needed some chocolate comfort. There was a knock at her door. Who could that be? She opened her door and saw Lex Luthor standing there, still clothed in the tuxedo he had worn earlier at the club.
“Let’s do it.” He sang snapping his fingers. It! What was he talking about?
“Excuse me?”
“Let’s do it, let’s fall in love. My song request for the evening.”
“Oh. I think my singing career is over.”
“It was passionate, sultry, and seductive. Exactly as I imagined you would be.” He eyed the tub of ice cream still in her arms. “Got an extra spoon?”
“Oh, sure. Come in.” Why did Lex Luthor want to come to her small apartment and eat ice cream out of the tub? “By the way, thanks for not blowing my cover.”
“No problem.”
She couldn’t resist, “Lex, what were you doing at the Metro Club?”
“I was meeting with the new leader of the Metro Gang. She suggested a partnership of sorts. I refused, of course. But I wanted to warn you that I think she’s hiding something. If anyone had something to gain from the Toaster’s razing of the West River, it’s her.”
“Thanks, Lex. I’ll look into it.” She walked towards the door effectively closing her meeting with him. He took the hint and gracefully exited her apartment.
Was he for real? Or just trying to take the heat off himself? Well, if Toni was behind the Toasters, there was only one way to find out. She put her clothes back on and headed over to Clark’s. She would follow Toni when she left and see for herself what Ms. Taylor was up to.
*****
Unfortunately, the Toasters turned the tables on Toni, and tied her up in a clothes warehouse. It was morning before they left and Lois was able to escape. She could not reach the police on her cell phone so she hurried to Clark’s to tell him about the situation. “I’m headed to the police station. They need to know what they are up against. You cover the fires and. . . be careful out there, Clark. I’ll meet you back at the Planet.” She knew that the moment she left, he would be donning the cape and heading out to help with the blazing West River.
Superman blew in a nearby thunderstorm to put out the fires. Lois could hardly grasp the fact. She knew Clark was strong, but controlling the weather? Was there any limit to what he was capable of?
*****
“So- did Mom tell you that Lana Lang is living in Metropolis?” They had decided to catch some lunch at a local deli near the Planet.
“No. Why?”
“Well, I read Cat’s write up of Superman’s date for that charity auction and saw that Lana had won the bid.”
“You never mentioned it.”
“Well, I’m mentioning it now. I looked her up.”
“You did.”
“For old times sake. She hasn’t been in Metropolis very long-”
“Neither have you,” she interrupted.
“But I thought I could show her around a little. Make her feel welcome.”
“I’ll never understand what you see in her Clark. How many times has she dumped you?”
“We were just kids, Lois. It wasn’t a ‘together forever’ kind of a relationship.”
“So, you’re what? Friends? Dating?”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s really nice to be with someone from Smallville. I am really enjoying my life and job here, but I’ve been away from home and it’s just nice to have someone to talk to about it.”
What about me, Clark? You could have talked to me. She knew that he sometimes got lonely, and she made an effort to spend time with him, even outside of work. Apparently, it was just another area in which she wasn’t enough for him.
*****
“Clark, I just talked to Martha-”
“I just got off the phone with Dad. They seem pretty upset.”
“Why would the EPA be interested in Wayne?”
“The government should not be able to just come in and start tearing up people’s private property without proven facts.”
“Is this Clark Kent the lawyer talking? I don’t get to see him very often.”
“No, this is just Clark Kent, Smallville farm boy, but what they are doing does sound fishy to me.”
“Fishy? Now there’s some legalese.”
“We should write a story about this. Not necessarily about Wayne, but about government agencies flexing their muscles just because they can.”
“That’s a great idea, Clark. Let’s run it by Perry.”
*****
But Perry thought that they should go to Smallville and investigate. “Sounds like a story to me. I’m seeing a Daily Planet special feature ‘The Poisoning of America’s Heartland’. Private property rights versus the public good.”
“But this is Smallville! Nothing happens in Smallville. That’s what makes it. . . Smallville,” Lois protested.
“That’s probably what that first reporter at Love Canal said too, and didn’t he win a Pulitzer Prize for that story?”
“Well, if I get to visit family and Smallville on the Planet’s dollar it’s your loss, I guess. Come on Clark. We’re going home for the weekend.”
*****
They stopped at Wayne’s before going to the Kents. Lois was aghast at the destruction. While manicured lawns weren’t common in Smallville, Wayne had always tended his flowerbeds with great care in memory of his wife. Now there were tire tracks running through them, with crushed blossoms strewn around. Even if there was some sort of problem, they had no right to just trample on a man’s memories like this.
“Sorry, off limits to the public,” called a woman as she hurried up to them.
“We’re not the public, we’re the press,” retorted Lois.
“The EPA has already issued a statement to the local paper.”
“We’re from the Daily Planet,” explained Clark.
She looked surprised, “Why is a paper like yours interested in Smallville?”
“Why is the EPA? It’s called the Daily Planet because we cover the world,” Lois answered.
“Well, I’m Carol Sherman. What you’re seeing is an ecological risk assessment. The owner has used a lot of pesticides, and we’re trying to determine the risk to the community. There’s possible seepage into the local groundwater. Public safety. There’s no big story here.”
“We’ll need to talk to the owner,” countered Lois.
“Mr. Irig? He’s been given relocation money. I’m not sure where he went,” Ms. Sherman answered.
“Well, I’m sure if you look hard enough, you’ll find that information somewhere. We’ll check back.”
She and Clark headed back to the rental car. “So what do you think?” Clark asked.
“Clark, is my memory faulty, or has Wayne always been a big supporter of sustainable farming? He went out of his way to avoid using chemicals.”
“That’s the way I remember it too. I don’t think both our memories could be faulty.”
*****
Jonathan and Martha greeted them with hugs. “We’re so happy to see you both! It’s almost like old times.”
“It is so great to see you too. Phone calls just aren’t the same. And Clark reminded me on the way down that it’s the Corn Festival this weekend,” Lois said as she hugged them back.
“That’s right! There’ll be the corn pageant, corn husking, corn-o-rama, canned corn, creamed corn, corn-on-the-cob-” Jonathan began.
“Enough with the corn, “Lois groaned. “I’m anxious to get to town and see everyone. Besides, Clark and I need to ask around and see if anyone knows where Wayne went when they kicked- of course I mean ‘relocated’- him off his farm.”
*****
The town was buzzing with activity, balloons and streamers everywhere, and the band playing. The carnival was busy, as were the booths where Smallville citizens were selling their homemade goods. Lois had turned to look at one of the booths when she heard Clark call, “Rachel?” and turned to see Rachel Harris throwing herself into Clark’s arms.
“Clark!” Clark swung her around. “Hey, don’t let this uniform fool you. I can still tush-push and two-step better than anyone in this town.”
“I’m sure you can,” Clark laughed.
“I’ll show you tomorrow night- old times’ sake. Lois! You’re here too. It’s great to see you again.”
Lois moved forward for a hug as well. “Rachel! Or, I guess its Sheriff Harris now.”
Rachel blushed. “Yep. Hey, I was just reminding Clark about the dance tomorrow night. You coming?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. I’d forgotten that the Corn Festival was this weekend, so I didn’t pack anything to wear.”
“Not a problem,” Martha said as she met up with them. “You still have a few clothes at the house, including the dress you wore for the dancing at Alisha’s wedding.
“I doubt it would still fit, Martha,” Lois laughed.
“Lois, you haven’t gained an ounce since high school,” Rachel assured her.
Lois blushed, but she was proud of the way she had maintained her weight, “No, but the pounds have moved around a little.”
“I bet it will just look even better on you. You can borrow my boots,” offered Martha.
“See, Lois, it’s settled. I’ll see you and Clark tomorrow night. Ah, there’s my radio,” Rachel said looking down at her hip. “Duty calls. I’ll see you later. We need to catch up, Lois.”
*****
“Ooh!” moaned Lois. “I should not have eaten three hotdogs, but they’re just so good. Why do hot dogs taste so much better at fairs and carnivals than when you make them yourself? Oh! I almost forgot. Martha, we’re expecting a fax.”
“You should probably check the paper then.”
“Uh, I’m gonna take Clark out to the barn. There’s. . . something I need some help with,” said Jonathan,
“Fine, Jonathan. I’ll just help Lois get settled in.”
*****
Martha sat on the bed while Lois began to unpack her things and hang them in the closet.
“So, how’s Metropolis, Lois?”
“I’ll always love Smallville, Martha, but Metropolis is just home to me.”
“Nothing wrong with that. How do you think Clark is doing?”
“Okay. I know he misses you guys, and Smallville. Martha, did you know Clark is dating Lana again?”
“He mentioned it. Why?”
“I just can’t understand what he sees in her. She’s always just used him until something better, at least something she thought was better, came along. Why can’t he see that?”
“That was so long ago, Lois. People do change.”
“And people stay the same. I just don’t want to see Clark get hurt.”
“He’s a man now, honey, and neither one of us can control his actions.”
“You don’t like her either!”
“I didn’t say-”
A shout from the barn interrupted them. “Martha!”
Martha stood. “I’d better go see what Jonathan wants.”
*****
Lois stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Martha and Jonathan all but carrying Clark back to the farmhouse. What in the world! Nothing could hurt Superman. What was going on? She snuck out to the top of the stairs, listening. She heard Clark protest that he was fine, then a pop and Martha’s exclamation. She had to see for herself that he was all right. She made sure that she made some noise as she came down the stairs. “I, uh, thought that I heard the fax,” she used as an excuse and headed towards the machine, all the while trying to keep an eye on Clark. She picked the fax up from the machine. Jimmy had sent them a list of all the EPA clean up sites. She took the fax into the kitchen. “It came in, Clark, the EPA list, and guess what? Smallville isn’t on it.” Clark nodded weakly. He was so white! “Clark, you look horrible.”
“It’s my allergies.” Clark did not have allergies!
“I didn’t remember-”
“Adult onset,” Martha rushed in with an excuse.
Lois rubbed Clark’s shoulder. “Well, I’m going to get right on this. You get better.”
There was no point in her staying, she thought, as she returned to her bedroom. It had always been like this. They called her family, but she wasn’t really. She wasn’t “in” on the secret. At least now she knew what the secret was.
*****
She and Clark returned to the Irig’s the next morning. Clark drove, but he still looked horrible. Lois felt his forehead. It was cool to the touch. “You feel normal to me, Clark.”
“I am normal,” he protested turning from her hand.
“So everything’s okay?”
“Everything’s okay.”
He obviously didn’t intend to talk so she said, “Then let’s go.”
*****
Ms. Sherman was good. She was ready with permits and authorizations, and even a list she claimed was an updated version of the one that Jimmy had sent.
“We still need to talk to Mr. Irig,” stated Lois.
“I don’t know where he is. He probably went to a hotel,” Ms. Sherman said.
“Well, you obviously failed to notice that Smallville’s Corn Festival is going on. The hotels have been booked for months,” Lois said.
“The government has pull.” Yes, Ms. Sherman was quite good.
*****
They decided to eat lunch at Maisie’s.
“So in twenty years there have been no permits and no citations issued on the Irig property. Ouch!”
“Clark, are you okay?”
“I’m bleeding!” His eyes were panicked. She felt a little panic as well. Not only was Clark sick, he was vulnerable.
“Haven’t you ever had a paper cut before? Put it in your mouth and suck on it.” She was interrupted by her ringing cell phone. “Hello?”
“This is Wayne Irig.”
“Wayne!” How did he get this number?
“I just wanted to call and let you know that I’m somewhere outside of Salt Lake City.”
“Salt Lake City?”
“I just got in my Winnebago and decided to visit my sister. I’ve been [on] the road so long, I hardly know where I’m at.” He sounded different, wrong.
“Wayne, I’m going to put you on with Clark.” She handed Clark her phone.
“Hello, Wayne. Can I have a number that I can call you back at?” He paused while Wayne answered.
“Wayne, are you okay? Wait, Wayne-” Clark returned the phone to her. “He hung up!”
“Salt Lake City? Doesn’t Wayne’s sister live in Tennessee?”
Clark nodded, “And as far as I know, he has only one sister.”
*****
Yep, the dress still fit, and, as Martha predicted, it was snug in all the right places.
“Wow, Lois, you look great.” She smiled widely at Clark. He didn’t mean it the way she wanted him to, but it was still nice to hear. He held out his arm to her, “Shall we?”
After they danced for a few minutes, Clark commented, “You’re better at this than I remember.”
“I took lessons. Some friends of mine convinced me it was a great way to meet guys.”
“Was it?”
“Define guys.” Clark laughed. At least he seemed to be feeling better.
They had the greatest time wandering around the carnival. She ate fresh cotton candy and her favorite, a caramel apple. As they walked past the high-striker where the barker calling “Ring the bell, win a prize.” she said, “Let’s make this a night to remember,” and handed the man a ticket. She had seen Clark’s disappointment earlier in the day when the indicator had only gone to “Wimpy.”
“Aw, no,” he protested.
“Come on, Clark! Win me a prize.” Clark took the mallet and swung. The indicator went up to “Hercules”.
“Can I try that again?” he asked digging in his own pocket for a ticket. This time the indicator went all the way to “Atlas.”
Lois handed him another ticket. “Here you go, try again. Third time’s a charm.”
It was, and the look of triumph on Clark’s face when the bell run for “Superman”, was worth any price.
She gave him a big hug. “You did it!”
The vendor shoved a stuffed bear and Superman doll in her face. “Your choice.”
She almost reached for the Superman, but then decided that was exactly what Clark expected her to do. She chose the bear instead.
*****
She had to update Perry on the story.
“Lois, is that you?”
“Something tells me we have a big one here, Chief. There is definitely something not right.”
“Uh, Lois, hold on a minute.” She hated to be put on hold.
“Lois, you and Kent, you discussed this and he’s with you?”
“Actually, Clark’s allergies are acting up. They’re real bad this time of year, you know.” She wandered into the kitchen.
“I see. Uh, Lois, let me get back to you on this.” She ended the call, and then noticed Clark sitting at the kitchen table with the phone to his ear. “Who were you-”
“Talking to.” She finished for him. He hung up with a very guilty expression on his face. Lois sat down across from him. “Clark, I think we need to talk.”
“Lois, I-” Clark began to protest.
“Clark, you are my partner, and more importantly, my friend. If there is a good reason that we need to kill this story, I’ll back you up one hundred percent. Is there a reason?”
Clark sighed. “No, Lois, no reason.” Obviously, he wasn’t going to tell her. Well, she would just have to find out on her own.
“Let’s go check out Wayne’s place again.”
*****
A great plan, up until they were captured and escorted to the military type tent that seemed to be the headquarters of the operation. As they were hauled unceremoniously from the van, she began to protest and struggle. Then she saw him.
“Trask. What are you doing in Smallville?”
“Now here I was, wondering the same thing about you,” he answered.
“Our newspaper sent us here about an EPA clean up,” Clark was quick to explain.
“You’re not here about the environment any more than I am. You know it and I know it,” Trask said.
“What have you done with Wayne Irig?” Lois asked.
“Let him go. You see, small town ties mean a lot. Any other man would have given up his contact in a minute, but this man took sodium pentothal, a couple of broken fingers and would not talk. Then it came to me. Let him go.” Ms. Sherman was approaching.
“You’re not as smart as you think you are. I knew she was a fake all along,” Lois mocked, nodding at Ms. Sherman.
“Really? How?” questioned Trask.
“To competent for the government. How’d you get into this, Sherman? Did they recruit you? Did they tell you you’d be working for the government?”
“Get her out of my sight!” commanded Trask and his goons began to drag her away.
No! Lois mind screamed. They were separating her from Clark. Clark needed her to protect him. He wasn’t invulnerable right now. How much had Trask figured out? If he was in Smallville, he had to be close.
“Lois!” she heard Clark cry, just before she was dragged into another tent.
*****
She heard the sound of doors slamming and a vehicle driving away. Had Trask taken Clark somewhere?
Ms. Sherman entered the tent. “He wants you to help with the equipment,” she excused the guard.
She began to gather files and stuff them in a briefcase.
“You know Trask is going to kill me, right? That will make you an accessory to murder.” Ms. Sherman stopped stuffing. “Please, you have to let me go. Can’t you see Trask is using you? He’s going to disappear and leave you holding the bag. A bag with two dead reporters in it.”
“If I let you go, will you keep me out of the story?”
“As long as you tell me what you know.”
“He has your friend’s parents. He’s going to make it look like a fire.” She cut the restraints from Lois hands.
“And Clark?”
“He thinks Kent can contact Superman.” Good, that meant that Trask still hadn’t figured it out. She needed to make sure it stayed that way. Ms. Sherman continued. “He found this rock that he thinks can kill him.”
“Can it?” Lois asked in panic.
“I doubt it, but Trask seems very sure that it can.”
Lois spotted a phone. “Is this still connected?” Ms. Sherman nodded.
Lois dialed the Smallville Police Station. “This is Lois Lane-Kent. Put me through to Sheriff Harris. Now!” After she argued for a few minutes with the operator, she finally was patched through to Rachel. “Rachel! It’s Lois. There’s this guy named Trask and he has the Kents. He’s going to try to kill them.”
“We were headed to Irig's.”
“No! That’s where I am and everyone’s gone. They’re headed to the Kents.”
She begged and pleaded until one of Rachel’s officers agreed to pick her up at the Irig's and take her to the Kents. Rachel was right in front of them. She arrived to see Clark in the lake standing over Trask with his fist drawn back. But it wasn’t in Clark to kill, and he dropped his fist and began to walk away. “Clark!” she screamed when she saw Trask bring up a gun to bear on Clark’s back. She cried out when the blast came. But the shirt with the spreading blood red stain did not belong to Clark. Trask’s face had a look of surprise on it as his body sank into the lake. Lois flung herself at Clark and hugged him as if she would never let go. When she finally released him, she saw Rachel’s pinched face as she leaned against her car. Lois had to go to her. “Rachel, will you be okay?”
Rachel looked up at her. “They never tell you that it’s like this. What it feels like when you kill someone.”
Lois decided to forget that Rachel’s men were standing around them and she pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry.”
Rachel shook her head. “I’m glad I could do it. I’m glad that my training made me shoot before I could even think about the consequences. I would have never forgiven myself if Clark had been killed.”
Lois squeezed her tighter and said in a whisper. “Thank you, Rachel. If you ever breathe a word of this to anyone, especially the Kents, I’ll deny it, but Clark, he’s the one, Rachel. He may never look at me, but his face is the face I want in my head.” Rachel’s arms tightened around her in acknowledgement, and they stood there together, tears running down their faces as they watched Clark hug his parents over and over.
*****
“And in the end, Jason Trask’s obsession with a mystical rock caused him to confuse one reporter with the object of his fixation, Superman. He came to see this strange visitor from another planet where he was not, and to see adversaries where there were none. It was a mistake that for Jason Trask would prove fatal.”
Perry laid her story down. “I’ve been in the newspaper business for thirty-five years and this is the damndest thing I ever heard.”
“You should have been there, Perry. This guy was so far around the bend that he started beating on Clark to get to Superman!” She had to remove any doubts from Perry’s mind. He *had* been in the newspaper business for thirty-five years and he was sharp as a tack.
“Well, I’m sure glad you came out on top, Clark.” He believed her. Lois let out the breath she had been holding. “Now this rock, the one that Trask thought could hurt Superman, what’s it called?”
“Called? You want a name? No one can even find it. Even the sample that Wayne sent to the lab is missing.” She wished she had killed the story! “I don’t think it ever existed anywhere but in Trask’s mind.”
“Even so, this story would sing a lot sweeter if it had a name.”
“Well, Trask thought it came from the same planet as Superman. What about Kryptonium?”
“Sounds good to me,” agreed Perry.
“Wait,” protested Clark. “It’s supposed to be a meteorite, right? That would make it Kryptonite?”
Well, she supposed that Clark had the right to call it anything he wanted, but for Perry’s sake she still argued, “You are always editing my copy!”
Clark grinned, “Okay, Lois, next time you fight the bad guys, and I’ll write the story.”
She laughed, the asked seriously, “Clark, now that you’re away from those allergens and recovered from your fight with Trask, how are you feeling?”
“I feel. . . super.” He grinned happily at her.
*****
She was getting ready for bed that night when it hit her. She had been trying so hard to protect Clark, to protect his identity. Now Superman needed her protection as well. The fact that Kryptonite really existed had to remain a secret at all costs.
*****
