Sorry I didn't get around to detailed thanks from last chapter. I read everything and I really appreciate the comments.
They help a ton.
Part 13
“I can fly.”
No! No! No! Clark wanted to scream. He hadn’t meant it to sound so… freakish. Apparently his conscious took spitting out the thought on his mind a little too literally.
“Excuse me?” Now Lois was looking decidedly amused.
Clark wanted to throw himself out the window.
“Lois,” he forced himself to calm down. “There are things I can do, as I said. Things beyond human capabilities. I’ve spent my life covering them up, but I hope you can appreciate what it took to tell you this. I’m trusting you with everything.”
Now Lois had a full out laugh building. “Oh Clark, I thought you were going to tell me you’ve murdered a man or something,” she pulled his stunned self into a hug. Her giggle was bubbly champagne spilling down over them. “If you’re going to all of this trouble, well, I mean… I’ll stay.” Her eyes suddenly grew a little worried as she released him. “It’s okay, if I stay, right? I mean I know you said it was, and you obviously were at the edge of lunacy if you were expecting me to believe you can fly, but…”
Clark was staring at her in disbelief. She had agreed to stay! He was rejoicing inwardly. He could simply go along with her explanation that his passion had driven him to lunacy. Yes, and his secret would remain that way and Lois would stay and… His wild thoughts drifted off as a new ache settled in his heart. He wanted to tell her, though. And although she was giving him an out, could he really do that to her? To not explain what she was getting into if she tried a relationship with him? He owed the truth to her and nothing less. Clark gently tugged away from her.
“Lois, I was serious,” he said.
And then he stepped back across the room and floated three feet off the ground.
Part 14Lois really, really wished she was the fainting type.
Wasn’t that how it happened? Exhibit A: influx of surprising information, Exhibit B: helpless female in dead faint, Exhibit C: Female is nursed back to health by the indecently good looking EMT. End of story; case closed.
Now she had always been a staunch and loyal advocate for women’s rights, but right now she was prepared to take her values and chuck them all out the window. Fainting and swirling blackness sounded really good right about now.
She wasn’t quite sure what emotions her face was displaying, but in all honesty she couldn’t remember if she screamed or not. She might have just made a vague choking sound because Clark began looking at her like he might need to phone a doctor.
And he was still… defying gravity! No, no. It had to be some kind of prank. She would debate whether she wanted to be with someone prone to constructing elaborate jokes with sweeping lies later, after she figured out the mechanism. Lois hesitantly approached him, and knelt on the carpet. She swung her hand in a wide arc under his feet, expecting to feel… well… something.
Not the rush of cool air as her hand sliced through absolutely nothing.
She rocked back on her heels, gawking up at Clark. Their eyes met and he wordlessly floated back down. His mouth tilted up in a wry, hesitant smile. “Um… surprised?”
Shell shocked was more like it. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to scramble away and check herself into an insane asylum or ask him if he’d be adverse to letting her float with him.
“You,” Lois fought fiercely for control of her breath. “You were… in the air.”
Clark nodded once.
“You,” She looked at him askance. “You… you don’t just jump really, really high?”
He shook his head, his eyes a little wary.
“Oh my God.” Lois sat down hard on the carpet, ignoring the chairs and other surfaces to sit in the bedroom.
Clark immediately knelt down next to her, taking her hands in his as she looked at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Please, Lois. Listen to me. I… yes, I can do this and a few other things.”
Lois cut him off. “Other things? Like what?”
This interruption in his spur of the moment speech threw him. “Well, um, well wait, let me finish. Then I’ll tell you.”
Lois rolled her eyes and looked at him pointedly. “Okay, fine, continue.”
Simultaneously bewildered and hopeful that she hadn’t run screaming away from his touch, Clark tried to put his feelings into words. It was much more difficult than anticipated. He wasn’t sure there were words in any of the hundreds of languages he knew adequate to describe the feelings bubbling in his chest.
“My parents found me in some kind of craft in a field. They guessed that I was some Russian experiment or some other scientific test. They were horrified at the thought, and desperate for a child of their own, so they adopted me,” he shifted so he was sitting cross legged across from her. Lois was still eyeing him slightly cagily, but she kept her hands in his, which he took to be a good sign. “And my childhood was really normal. I love my parents. No matter the origins of my birth, they always counted me as their flesh and blood son. But when I was about ten or eleven things started to change.”
As Clark paused, Lois took a hard look at him. He looked, well, he looked genuinely frightened. Of her? The thought was ridiculous, but she couldn’t help but notice the way he flinched whenever she moved. His story was incredible and she desperately wished for him to continue. She squeezed his hand to get him speaking again and he seemed to take great comfort from the small contact.
“How so?” she prompted gently, after the silence stretched. Clark cleared his throat and continued.
“Sorry. Well, things being… I guess this ties in with your earlier question about what else I can do. I found that I could run great distances and never get tired. I was fast—faster than cars and trains, faster than anything I could race against.”
Lois gasped at the news, but then leaned forward in a subconscious movement for him to continue. Clark edged closer as well, intent on his story now that he was finally able to tell it.
“I discovered that as I grew older, I got hurt less and less. One day I fell out of a tree, and the resulting fall should have broken my neck. I didn’t even have a scratch. Pretty soon I realized that nothing could pierce my skin.”
“Invulnerable,” Lois breathed.
Clark paused in his narrative, squinting at her a little. “Not to sound paranoid, and I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but doesn’t this, well, to quote some of the kids at school, freak you out?”
“No” she said bluntly. “Keep talking.”
Clark had to force the smile from his mouth at the direct order. “Yes, ma’am. Well, when I was fourteen, I got in a terrible fight with my dad. I was blisteringly angry and I stomped out into the barn to cool off. I sat on one of the hay bales and glared at the machinery and loose hay on the floor. After I looked unseeingly around the barn for a moment, there was this spiraling curl of smoke and then everything I had looked at was in flames. It was terrifying.”
In the cool wash of daylight streaming in from the window, it was difficult for Lois to imagine the feel of fire springing up around her, pressing in on each side. Clark gripped her hands a little more tightly as the memories flooded him.
“The fire just grew more and more fierce and I couldn’t move. I didn’t know what to do. Eventually, I shook myself into movement. There was a small gap in the flames and I thought if I could run fast enough, they wouldn’t touch me.
“But didn’t you know you were invulnerable then?” Lois asked softly, watching the long stifled fear shift uneasily in his eyes.
Clark brushed at his hair with his hand as he thought back. “I did. But it didn’t really prepare me for anything. I had always been taught to never play with fire and to fear burns. It never even occurred to me not to be frightened.”
Lois nodded at the reason in this and ran her thumb over his knuckles. The man beneath her fingertips could fly. She inhaled sharply as the thought impacted. Clark was still speaking, explaining, but her breathing was coming more quickly and she tuned him out.
Oh my God. He flew. After several stunned moments, the notion of speaking to the press flitted briefly across her mind. Disgusted with herself for even thinking it, Lois shook her head. It would make a great story, that much was true.
Who was she kidding? She’d be a shoo-in for a Pulitzer.
But at what cost? She peeked up at the man who was still rambling on about strength, freezing breath and responsibility. Strength? Hmm… That was interesting. Her mind drifted back to her imaginary Pulitzer. For a moment the no-nonsense Mad Dog Lane was back. The story was there, everything, the proverbial “give a dog a bone.” And after how badly she had botched her undercover assignment at the high school, it was tempting.
But the thoughts only occupied a dark corner of her brain and she sent them back as soon as she could tear herself away from her indulgent daydreaming.
She could no sooner expose this gentle man’s secret than she could leave him. And what a secret it was. Lois recognized that she had to be in some sort of shock. She’d usually have a lot more questions than this. Like what his true history was. And did his powers have any extents and limits? Was he, for example, more powerful than a locomotive? Faster than a speeding bullet? Somehow she doubted it. After all, he was just a flesh and blood man. But he had done so much for her; it made her heart ache. Gradually Lois became aware that Clark had been trying to get her attention.
“I’m sorry, what Clark?”
He stared at her in hurt incredulity. “Did you hear a word I said?”
“Yes of course,” Lois replied easily. She had long honed the ability to listen and ramble internally simultaneously. “Flying, invulnerability, vision gizmos—hot and cold, strength and speed. Am I warm?”
Clark’s eyes widened a fraction. “Does nothing faze you?”
Lois finally pulled herself away from her spiraling thoughts and back to the conversation. She sighed and leaned back against the side of the bed. “I’m fazed. Trust me. I don’t think things have sunk in quite yet.”
The smile that had been gradually building on Clark’s face fell a little. He looked at her earnestly. “I meant what I said, Lois. If you want to leave and never look back, you can do that. I won’t stop you.”
The backs of her fingers brushed up against his jaw line. Clark reached a hand up and caught them, trapping them there. “Is that what you want, Clark?” Lois asked softly. Her fingers continued to roam, brushing over his temple and stroking his hair.
“Of course not,” he whispered. He could barely think clearly enough to get out the words. Her fingers seemed to be smoothing the thoughts and worries straight out of his head. “I don’t want you to go, but I know what it would be like to be… involved with me. I’m different, and therefore you needed to know the truth before you got in too deep.”
“Sorry Clark,” she said, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. “I’m already there.”
They looked at each other for a long moment, mutual affection clear between them.
“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” he finally said softly, a cheerless expression filling his eyes.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Being different isn’t something to fear,” Lois’ heart ached a little at the look on his face. “ Who put these silly thoughts in your mind? Surely not your parents?”
Clark was silent and sharp understanding flooded Lois a second later.
“Lana?”
Clark sucked in a breath. “She didn’t fear me. She just wished I could be normal. I wanted to do it for her, Lois. You have to believe me, I tried. I stopped flying at night, I did the dishes by hand, I…” Clark drifted off. “I tried to change for her.”
“You shouldn’t have had to change for anyone, Clark,” Lois stifled a wave of fury at the woman for instilling these fears and doubts. “You’re perfect the way you are. The flying thing is just a part of you. It’s what you can do, but Clark is who you are inside.”
Without speaking another word, Clark moved closer and Lois snuggled into his shoulder. He dropped a kiss on her hair. “Would you like me to take you flying sometime?”
Lois nodded and her eyelids fluttered as she struggled to keep awake in the quiet, early morning hour. In a few hours she would have to go to the police station and sort out the accusations thrown at Clark and Lexy’s attempt at murder. There was also the question of who had phoned the police about Clark in the first place. And why Claude was poking around in water towers. Lois groaned a little. Had he called the police on Clark? She would bet her half finished romance novel manuscript that he had. It brought on a whole new slew of problems. But not right now. At that current moment, she yawned, she didn’t really care about Lexy or Claude or any other person hell bent on ruining her life.
She hadn’t ever imagined that sitting on the floor while leaning against a bed could be so utterly comfortable. Of course, it probably had to do with the warm body she was curled up against. Clark appeared content to simply sit there and doze, true confessions over, and in all honesty, she wasn’t complaining. It was while she was sitting there in an odd sort of half sleep that something Clark had mentioned filtered across the haze of her mind.
“Clark?” She mumbled against his shoulder. He let out a soft rumble that she took as a sign that he was listening. “Was I dreaming or did you really say that you can x-ray things?”
“Nope,” he replied just as dreamily. “You didn’t imagine it. I can do that.”
“Oh,” Lois paused. “Oh!” She sat up a little straighter, the fog clearing a little from her mind as his words sunk in.
“Hmm…?”
“I can’t believe you can x-ray through clothing!”
Clark kept his head lolled against the bed as he looked down at her indignant eyes. “I tell you I can fly and yet this is what angers you?”
“Yes!”
“You worried about your honor?” he asked with a spreading grin on his face. His hair was tousled and his dark eyes finally lacked the sad cast that had been apparent all morning. “Don’t be. I haven’t looked.”
Contrarily, though his admission should have had her limp with relief, she leaned huffily back against him.
“Well, you know, if I had x-ray vision, I wouldn’t look at you either!”
With a raised eyebrow, Clark looked down at her face, rigidly staring at the wall. “You wouldn’t be tempted?”
“Not in the slightest.” Lois shook her head to emphasize the point and Clark nodded gravely.
“I see. Well that’s quite a problem then, because it appears our attraction for each other is entirely one sided.”
Lois glanced up at him warily. “Why’s that?”
His expression was teasing, but his eyes looked quite serious.
“Because I’ve been tempted many more times than I can count, Lois. But though I may not be much, I am a man of honor.”
Suddenly feeling foolish for her petulance, Lois groaned and buried her face against his T-shirt. “You’re something, all right.”
He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and vibrating against her cheek. They relaxed back into the back of the couch and each other’s arms. As the sun rose and burned off the clouds, Lois leaned her head against Clark’s shoulder and slipped into a sweet sleep.
_________________
Perry White waited at the street vendor, checking his watch every few minutes as the man at the hot dog cart loaded up a dog with Perry’s usual. He tried not to salivate too much as Gus-the-vendor piled on sauerkraut and mustard. Mmm… After sneaking a quick, guilty look around to be sure his wife wasn’t in the immediate area, he reached out to snatch the hot dog while simultaneously reaching into his pocket for a few stray bills.
That was when the newspapers stacked neatly in rows by the man’s feet caught his eye. There was The Planet, looking dignified next to the trash magazine, The Star, but that was nothing new. No, what caught his eye had been the huge headline. It had taken up a fair amount of the front page, leaving little room for the text of the story.
“Drugs, Murder, Scandal at Metropolis High”
Eyes widening at Lois Lane’s duplicity, he grabbed the paper and shoved a five at the vendor. “Keep the change,” Perry mumbled as he zeroed in on a nearby bench, relish spilling over his fingers.
He held the paper close to his face and squinted at the byline.
Claude Malfois.
No! With shaking hands, Perry skimmed the article. He had only seen a few of Lois’ preliminary notes, but there was no doubt that she had been scooped. And by one of his own reporters! With a frustrated growl, Perry bunched the paper and threw it into a nearby trashcan as he headed back to the office. There had to have been a breach of contract somewhere. He could fight this. There was no way he would let that disloyal traitor scoop his newspaper. Perry had walked five steps before he turned and grabbed the paper out of the trash. He couldn’t let his anger get the better of him; he needed to study the story much more closely.
As soon as Perry pulled open the gleaming brass doors to the lobby, he headed for the elevator. A few interns skittered out of his way as he shouldered past them. The young man in the elevator looked at him with an undisguised fear as Perry tornadoed into the elevator and jabbed the floor for the Planet. The scrawny young man looked as if he might press a button for his own floor but quickly rethought the idea as Perry gave him a baleful stare.
When the doors glided open onto his floor, Perry stomped in. He grabbed Jimmy Olsen by the tie and yanked sharply. “Get in my office, Olsen.”
Gasping for breath, Jimmy quickly loosened his tie as he trotted at his editor’s heels. Jimmy pulled the door to the Chief’s office shut behind him and stood a little nervously. He hadn’t seen the Chief this angry in… well… perhaps ever. He mentally ran down a list of his past indiscretions. Aww man, he wasn’t about to get busted for the whole “intra-office” dating thing again, was he?
“Olsen! Has Malfois been in today?”
Without waiting for an answer, Perry was on his phone, dialing the human resources department. He gestured for Jimmy to talk while the phone rang.
“Well you see--”
“Quiet!” Perry interrupted as someone picked up. Jimmy obligingly fell silent, his curiosity skyrocketing.
“Yes. Would you send me a copy of all the information we have on Claude Malfois?” Perry paused as the woman at the other end of the phone spoke. “Yes, you can fax it. I have a machine right here.”
Perry listened again, his face slowly growing a blistering red.
“What do you mean he
quit?”
With gritted teeth, Perry nodded. “Just fax me up his file, Dolores. Thank you.”
Perry rounded on a fidgeting Jimmy. “What were you going to say?”
“That he quit, Chief. Apparently he sent out his two weeks notice, well, two weeks ago. Didn’t anyone tell you that?”
Heaving a sigh and forcing back a growl, Perry snatched the papers that had just printed from his fax machine. There it was, a note of two weeks notice dated, Perry paused to check his watch for the day, fifteen days ago.
“That scheming worm,” he breathed softly. Frantically, Perry flipped through the contract Malfois had signed when he had been hired at the Planet, already knowing what it would say.
“The Daily Planet has the right to all stories, interviews and drafts assigned to the prospective employee for his entire vocation at this newspaper. This agreement remains in place until after a two weeks notice has been stated.”
And there, at the bottom of the contract, Claude Malfois had signed.
Jimmy Olsen shifted awkwardly, still not knowing why Perry was so upset. It wasn’t like Claude had been such a great guy, he thought bitterly. It still galled Jimmy that Claude had slept with one of the young interns and then spread water cooler gossip. He had tried not to pay attention to the gossip, but he couldn’t help noticing the quiet girl’s pain.
The man was a snake as far as he was concerned. He mentioned so to Perry and his editor just nodded wearily.
“I know, Jimmy,” Perry shook his head sadly as he looked down at paper. “He’s the worst kind of man.”
_______
Hmm... Not sure how much I like this chapter. As soon as I finish this story, I'm going to give it a big edit before I send it off to the archive. So that should help clear up any confusing bits/blatant disregards for the laws of the United States.
But regardless, please let me know what you think.
