Hi, everyone!
I'm posting this a day early because I might be leaving town tomorrow on vacation. The next part probably won't be posted until Tuesday.
Thanks for all the fdk, guys! The muse is starting to show signs of life again.
I hope you all enjoy!
TOC for Exposure From Part 5:
“But after thinking about it, I realized that there’s no going back. I didn’t need to worry about hoping again—I’d never stopped, Lois. Just as I know that I won’t ever stop loving you. And I know that you love me, too. I believe you. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t,” he commanded.
Her eyes met his and for a moment he saw so much in them. Sadness, love, fear—he could see it all so clearly. He stepped even closer, so close that he could feel her breath on his face. “Tell me you don’t feel anything when I do this,” he whispered before covering her mouth with his own.
********************
Part 6:
The fight went out of Lois at the first touch of his lips on hers. His kiss was passionate, yet tender. It was terrifying, yet calming. She sighed as she wound her arms around his neck, silently encouraging him. She was kissing Clark—really kissing him. And it amazed her.
Clark encircled her waist with his arms, pulling her closer. Lois groaned in pleasure as his tongue sought contact with hers. As he deepened the kiss, all conscious thought fled her mind. She was totally and completely lost. The only thing that penetrated her passion-induced thoughts was the fact that she was finally kissing the man she loved. After fighting her attraction to Clark for so long, after finding out that Clark was Superman, after realizing that she’d made such a mess of their friendship, she had finally found home in his arms. Nothing else mattered. Not the Daily Planet’s demise, not the multitude of reporters still littering the sidewalk outside Clark’s apartment, and certainly not Lex Luthor.
Lex Luthor!
Oh god! How could she forget? Lois broke the kiss with a small cry. She pushed Clark away, ignoring the hurt and confused expression on his face. Lex Luthor was listening to their every word. It made her sick to realize that he had heard everything that Clark had just said to her, heard such a private and beautiful declaration meant only for her. Suddenly, her purse felt heavy, the knowledge of the listening device hidden inside weighing it down. Lex was listening, no doubt clenching his fists in anger as he waited for her to drive the steamroller over Clark’s heart.
Instead, she had been kissing him, her groan of pleasure at being in Clark’s arms audible. If she didn’t convince Clark that there was no hope for the two of them, if she didn’t convince him that she didn’t love him, Lex would kill him. The thought made her ill, and she swallowed hard, trying to keep the fear at bay. She knew what she had to do.
Lois looked into Clark’s dark, expressive eyes, ignoring the pang in her heart upon seeing the naked desire and love that lay in them. His eyes hid nothing, a fact that made it even more difficult to say the words that she knew would shatter his heart.
“Clark, I can’t do this. I can’t pretend with you. I thought I could, but it’s impossible.”
“What are you talking about, Lois? If you’re trying to tell me that you were only pretending to kiss me, well, you’re going to have to do better then that.”
Lois closed her eyes briefly, hating herself for what she was about to do. “I’ve always been attracted to Superman. You know that, Clark. But now that I know he’s only you…” Lois turned away from him. She knew that if she saw the pain that was undoubtedly in his eyes now, she would fall apart. “I can’t pretend to love you, Clark. I thought that I could do it if it meant that I could be with Superman, but now I know that Superman’s not real.”
Lois winced as Clark’s gasp reached her ears. “You don’t mean that, Lois,” he begged, his voice broken.
“I’m sorry, but I do. I don’t love you. I love Lex and I’m going to marry him.”
“Lois…”
“I have to go.” She glanced at him once more, and the look in his eyes was almost her undoing. “Goodbye, Clark,” she whispered, afraid her voice would break at higher volumes, before making a hasty escape from his apartment.
*****
Lex watched from his limo as Lois exited Clark’s apartment, grinning in satisfaction. He had to give her credit; she was quite the actress. Even though she’d been weak and had responded when Kent had kissed her—a fact that still angered him beyond words—she had done a marvelous job of breaking the super hero’s heart.
Lex knew what it meant to behold true power. Some would say he’d become addicted to the feeling of exhilaration that came with having ultimate control over people. Money could buy a person a lot of things—but true power couldn’t be bought. It was earned through hard work. Because of his brilliance and persistence, he now had all the power he needed to bring down Superman. Kryptonite wasn’t the only thing in his possession that gave him the power to ruin Superman; Lois Lane was an impressive weapon as well.
However, he would have to keep her on a short leash. She was too spontaneous and independent—traits that he would have to do something about once they were married. He watched as his fiancee walked toward her silver Jeep Cherokee. It had just started to rain, and Lex couldn’t discern whether the wetness on her face was from her tears or from the storm brewing overhead.
“Follow her,” he instructed his driver once she’d entered the Jeep.
As the limo pulled forward, Lex dialed a number on his cell phone. “Dr. Samson, what is the status of our project?”
“It’s in the final stages, Mr. Luthor. The cage should be ready sometime tomorrow.”
“That’s good news. However, my plans have changed. I want you to devise a way to control the kryptonite’s radiation.”
“Mr. Luthor, how would you suggest that I do that?”
“Lead, Dr. Samson. Lead protects against harmful radiation, so it’s logical to assume that Superman would not be affected by kryptonite if a lead barrier was placed between him and the deadly substance. But I trust that you will test this theory properly.”
“Well, yes, I’ll do a thorough test. Though I’m a little confused, Mr. Luthor. I thought that you wanted to kill Superman?”
“Eventually, yes, but at this time I need him alive and under my control. I’ll have a messenger bring you a report with the details. I expect this project to be completed by Monday morning.”
“That’s impossible! I’m going to need more time than that.”
Lex’s eyes narrowed at the scientist’s words. “You have until Monday morning; that gives you thirty-six hours, Dr. Samson. I expect results, not incompetence.”
“If I’m to do this in thirty-six hours I’ll need a team.”
“I don’t care how much it costs. I want a way to control the intensity of the kryptonite’s radiation, and I want it by Monday morning. Hire all the help you need, Dr. Samson. Money is not an issue.”
“I understand, Mr. Luthor. I’ll have it ready by then.”
“Very good,” Lex said curtly before hanging up the phone. A few minutes later the limousine came to a stop and Lex got out. He quickly caught up to Lois and caught her by the elbow as she was about to enter her apartment complex.
“Hello, my dear. Get in the limo; we need to talk,” he ordered as he ushered her to the shiny black car. As soon as they were situated in the back of the limo, Lex stared at her, his anger turning to rage. The thought of her in another man’s arms sent Lex over the edge and he struck her across the cheek.
Lex grabbed her jaw with his hand, forcing her to look him in the eyes. When she tried to pull away, his grip became more forceful. “Look at me,” he ordered, his voice low and filled with anger. Lois’s eyes met his and it pleased him to see the look of fear in them. A good dose of fear would do Lois Lane some good. She’d think twice before crossing him. “If you *ever* let another man touch you again, you’ll live to regret it, as will he.”
“Is that understood?” he asked when she didn’t say anything.
She nodded, and he let go of her jaw. “I will be the only man to ever touch you again,” he promised as his hand found her upper thigh.
“Lex, please,” she pleaded, jumping at the touch of his hand. She pushed his hand away, making it clear that she was uncomfortable with his touch.
“You can relax, my love. I have no plans to consummate our relationship tonight. But I’m not a very patient man. Soon I will get what I want. And in the meantime, I expect you to stay in a guest room at the penthouse. We will be seeing a lot of each other in the week to come. With a little time I expect that you’ll be more…comfortable with me.”
“Is that really necessary, Lex?” Lois asked, and Lex could see that she was unhappy at the thought. He’d bet his billions that she’d had plans to get off a warning to that over-grown boy scout. She would find that there was no way out of this marriage, though.
“It’s very necessary. I was overconfident in my endeavor to have you accept me willingly—I won’t make the same mistake twice. Having you reside under my roof will make it easier for my men to watch your every move.”
Lois looked away, defeat in her brown eyes. Lex smiled, knowing that he had won. “Now go pack what you will need for tonight and tomorrow. My personal assistant will make arrangements to have a wardrobe brought in for you first thing in the morning.”
*****
She only wanted Superman.
As Clark flew through the rain it was his only thought. The rain came down in buckets, drenching him from head to toe, but Clark felt nothing. He was completely numb. He urged himself to fly faster, and soon the world flew by in a blur. As he started to gain altitude it occurred to him that he wasn’t a part of the earth or the stars. He was drifting somewhere in between, one with nothingness.
As Clark flew higher, his view of the earth gave way to the storm. He could no longer see the land below him. Instead, a sea of dark storm clouds, churning and tumbling through the darkness, covered the world in a roiling showcase of Nature’s awesome power. The occasional streak of lightening lit up the sky, the storm below matching the one in his heart.
Lois didn’t love him.
His mind went from one torturous thought to another. She’d been pretending. All the intimate words they’d spoken to each other, the heated glances they’d exchanged—it had all meant nothing to her. It was funny how those same moments of stolen glances and softly-spoken words had meant everything to him. *She* meant everything to him.
Clark was unable to hold back the tears any longer. They flowed freely, mixing with the raindrops as they pooled down his cheeks. How could he have misjudged her so? After a year of working by her side he thought that he would have known her better than that. But she had completely blind-sided him with her declaration of love for Luthor. Even when she had been considering Luthor’s proposal, he’d somehow known that she wasn’t in love with the billionaire. Or so he’d believed.
Clark slowed down as the clouds below him started to disappear. He had obviously left the area of the storm. A few minutes later, he spotted the Golden Gate Bridge below him. The last remnants of the sunset could be seen to his left as he headed north.
Clark flew aimlessly, not really knowing where he was going. The landscape of northern California soon turned into the green valleys of Oregon as he started to pick up speed again. Maybe if he flew faster he could outrun his despair.
A couple of minutes went by and Clark soon saw the Space Needle standing ahead of him. He stopped abruptly, lowering himself until his feet touched the top. What was the use in flying? He could find no comfort in anything.
Clark sat down and wrapped his cape around his shoulders. As he watched the ferry make its way across Elliot Bay, its bright lights illuminating the water as night began to settle in, his thoughts drifted to earlier that evening. He’d been an idiot for believing that she could love him. She’d only ever had eyes for Superman.
<I’ve always been attracted to Superman. You know that, Clark. But now that I know he’s only you…>
Clark felt the knife in his heart twist before it plunged deeper. His greatest fear had always been that she wouldn’t be able to accept him for who he really was if she ever found out that he was Superman. The question that had plagued him his entire life had finally been answered. He wasn’t meant to have a wife—a family. He wasn’t human. His place of belonging had exploded thirty years ago—he belonged no where. Earth was just a vessel on which he was forced to live a sad and lonely life.
He couldn’t even find comfort in his identity as Clark Kent anymore. His life as Clark was over. The person who had exposed him had made sure of that. Just in the past week, he’d lost his identity, his job, and the woman he loved. The fates must really have it in for him, he thought bitterly.
Clark grabbed hold of the bitterness and refused to let go. He couldn’t allow himself to feel the pain of all he’d lost any longer. It would eat him alive if he let it. There was a void in him that wouldn’t be filled. Maybe it was where his heart had once been.
Clark got to his feet. The city of Seattle was alive beneath him. He watched as people went about, content in their everyday lives. He stretched his hearing to its limits, hoping to hear a cry for help and feeling guilty at the realization that he would rather distract himself at someone else’s expense than think about Lois’s betrayal.
His guilt grew ten-fold when he actually heard someone in trouble. Clark swooped down in the blink of an eye, saving a young woman from a mugger.
“Are you okay?” he asked in concern.
Clearly shaken, the woman looked at him in wonder, her eyes wide in surprise at being rescued by Superman. “Yes, thank you, Superman.”
Clark grabbed her would-be mugger. “I’ll just drop him off at the police station now. I’m sure they’ll want you to come down and give a statement.”
“I understand. Thanks again, Superman.”
Clark took off a moment later. He dropped the perpetrator off at the nearest police precinct, staying a few moments to give the officer his statement. By the time he exited through the front doors of the police station, the media had already heard that Superman was in Seattle.
“Superman! What brought you to Seattle? You don’t normally help with petty crime outside of Metropolis.”
“What do you have to say regarding the evidence that you’re really Clark Kent?”
“Sources say that Lex Luthor will be formally announcing his engagement to Lois Lane soon. How do you feel about your ex-partner marrying the billionaire?”
Clark’s face went ashen at the last reporter’s words. Only news about Lex Luthor could travel that fast. He did *not* want to talk about Lois—especially to a bunch of nosy reporters. They surrounded him, crowding him, their microphones sticking in his face.
“I don’t have a comment at this time,” Clark said, somewhat weakly. Eventually, the “no comment” approach would no longer work. Having been a reporter not too long ago, he knew how it made him look. His continued silence would hurt his case in the end. Then again, what did it really matter? Did he really have a life to go back to anyway?
“Superman, are you denying that you’re Clark Kent?”
<Clark Kent is dead.>
The thought came into his mind, unbidden, and Clark knew that it was only his despair talking. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel that Superman was all that was left for him. Maybe that was all he was meant to be.
Before he could say something that he’d regret, Clark shot into the sky. How could he be Clark Kent now, after everything that had happened? That depressing thought stayed with him as he headed back to Metropolis.
*****
“Clark! We saw on the news that you stopped a mugging in Seattle. What in the world were you doing on the west coast?” His mother bombarded him the moment he came in through his balcony.
“I was out flying,” he replied as he sat down on his couch, feeling emotionally drained.
“Flying?” his father asked, his tone one of curiosity.
Clark sighed, knowing that he never had been able to hide his emotions from his parents. They could read him like an open book. “Yeah, I needed time to think.”
“Honey, where is Lois? She looked upset when she came by earlier,” his mom said as she sat down next to him on the couch. His father took a seat on his other side.
Clark shook his head, trying to keep his emotions in check. He’d shed enough tears for one night. “I don’t think she’ll be coming back. She told me that she’s going to marry Lex Luthor next Saturday.” Clark felt his mother put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She said that she loves him,” he said quietly, his heart breaking all over again as the words left his mouth.
“Oh, Honey, are you sure it wasn’t a misunderstanding? Lois knows what kind of person Lex Luthor is,” Martha told her son. “It was just yesterday that she promised to help you, Perry, and Jimmy expose him for the criminal he is.”
“Your mother’s right, Clark. This doesn’t make any sense,” Jonathan added.
“I don’t know what happened!” Clark cried. He looked at his mother with tears in his eyes. “She changed her mind—about me. It was Superman that she wanted all along. Finding out that he’s only me…” Clark got up from the couch and turned his back to his parents. He shouldn’t have come home yet. He really didn’t want to be around anyone just yet, not even his parents.
“Lois loves you; I’m sure of it. Something isn’t right, Clark,” Martha said.
Clark shook his head, unwilling to listen past the pain in his heart. He couldn’t get her words out of his head.
<I can’t pretend to love you, Clark. I thought that I could do it if it meant that I could be with Superman, but now I know that Superman’s not real.>
He wasn’t real. He wasn’t human.
<I love Lex and I’m going to marry him.>
She was going to marry another man—she was in love with another man.
<Goodbye, Clark.>
How could he let her go? How could he go on without her?
“Clark, I know that you’re hurting right now. But regardless of what was said or done, you can’t let her marry Luthor. He’s a monster. Your mother’s right, something is terribly wrong.” His father’s voice broke into his thoughts.
Clark turned and faced his parents, and something that had been in the back of his mind, quietly begging to be heard, finally came forward. He’d been so caught up in his grief, unable to listen to reason, that he’d ignored it.
It was the way she’d kissed him back. There was no way that a person could pretend that kind of passion. In fact, he’d even called her on it, before her words had shaken him to the core. And before that, he remembered thinking that she had acted as if she’d been coerced into agreeing to marry Luthor.
How could he have forgotten that?
“I’m an idiot,” Clark said, mentally giving himself a good kick in the rear.
“Why do you say that, Son?” Jonathan asked.
“When Lois first arrived here earlier she acted very strangely. And when she told me that she was going to marry Luthor she used the word ‘agreed.’ She said, ‘I’ve agreed to marry Lex.’ Doesn’t sound like something that somebody who was happy about getting married would say, does it?”
“No, it doesn’t,” Martha agreed, jumping as someone knocked on the door. “It’s a little late for those reporters to be knocking,” she commented as Clark went to the front door.
“You’d be surprised, Mom,” he said dryly, pulling his glasses down so he could x-ray through. If it was a die-hard reporter after the ultimate Superman interview, then they would be sorely disappointed. He had no intention of coming into contact with any more reporters for the rest of the night. Clark’s eyes widened as surprise settled in. “My god, what in the world is he doing here?” Clark asked no one in particular as he opened the door.
“Hi, Clark. Can I come in?”
“Jack, what are you doing here? Did they let you out?” Clark asked, ushering in his young friend before shutting and locking the door behind him.
“Not exactly,” Jack said, and the hesitancy in his voice was not lost on Clark.
“You broke out? You have to go back! Jack, why would you do something like that?” Clark asked in alarm. The last thing Jack needed on top of everything else was a charge for escaping.
“Clark, they were going to kill me—I overheard them!”
“Oh my!” Martha murmured, her eyes wide in concern.
“Whoa, slow down. Now tell me what happened from the beginning,” Clark urged, a sick feeling settling in his gut. Jack never should have been involved in this whole mess. Luthor was taking down too many innocent people in his vendetta against Superman. And it was really starting to make him angry. Luthor had to be stopped before he could hurt anyone else—before he could hurt Lois.
“The guy’s name was Pete, Pete Black and his brother John. Pete was talking to another guy—I don’t know his name—but I overheard Pete as he hired this guy to ‘take care of this kid for him.’”
“How do you know that they were talking about you?” Clark asked.
“Because they mentioned that the kid needed to disappear before someone figured out that he was set up for the job at the Planet. And they mentioned Lois,” Jack told Clark.
“What did they say about Lois?”
“Just that the guy who hired them to kill me was planning to marry Lois Lane next Saturday. They’re in a hurry to get me out of the way before then,” Jack explained.
“So Luthor hired them to tie up his loose ends,” Clark concluded angrily. Jack was just a kid; he didn’t deserve this.
“That’s what I guessed too. Except Pete called him ‘The Boss.’”
Clark raised his eyebrows at that. “That’s not the first time I’ve heard of The Boss. Lois and I suspected that he was really Luthor.”
Silence fell upon the room for a few moments. They had a week to find the evidence needed to put Luthor away, a week to save Lois. It wasn’t much time, and there was a lot of work to do. And this time they’d have to do it without the resources of a newspaper.
“What are you going to do about Lois, Son?” Jonathan spoke up, breaking the silence.
“I’m going to try and talk to her.”
“Do you think she’ll listen?” Martha asked.
Clark grimaced. “Listening isn’t one of Lois’s strong suits.”
“Would she listen to someone else? Perry, maybe?” Jonathan asked.
“I don’t know, but I should call him and let him know what’s going on. Jimmy too.” Clark picked up his phone and dialed Perry’s number. After a brief conversation, Clark hung up and turned back to his parents and Jack.
“Perry said he’d be by first thing in the morning. He’s going to call Jimmy and relay the message,” Clark explained.
“It’s getting late. I’m going to head to bed, Clark,” his mother told him on a yawn.
“Me too,” Jonathan added before giving his son a warm hug. “Hang in there, Clark. You guys will get him,” he assured.
“We have to. If we don’t…” Clark couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence. He had to stop Lois from marrying that monster. He watched as his parents made their way into his bedroom. After they left his sight he turned to Jack.
“I’m not going back, Clark,” Jack said, not giving him a chance to speak.
“I wasn’t going to suggest that you should. You’re right. If someone’s out to kill you, then you aren’t safe there. You can stay here,” Clark offered.
“Thanks, I knew I could count on you.”
TBC...
