Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in getting this part out to you. I've been a busy little girl. That said, part nine might take just as long. It's written... err... in my head <snort> but I still have to get it down on paper. It's only in sketch form right now (sorry Woody). But anyway, here's part 8 to tide you over until the conclusion. Enjoy!
***Many thanks to Sue and Lara - you ladies are awesome!***
Here's the
Table of Contents in case any of you need a refresher...
From Part 7:
**********
Clark touched down on the soft, powdery snow of an iceberg.
What was he doing here?
He had taken off from his apartment, trying to get away from Lois before she convinced him to stay. He hadn’t known where he was going and hadn’t cared. Before he realized it, he had found himself in the Arctic, of all places.
Maybe his subconscious was trying to tell him something. Maybe he needed to cool off a bit. At least he knew Lois would be safe from him if he was here.
Clark shook his head at himself. He had argued that Kansas was too far for him to go, and then he had flown to the Arctic. But Lois would be safe from Luthor at his apartment. Besides, the real reason he hadn’t wanted to go to Kansas was because he couldn’t face his parents right now. How could he look them in the eyes and tell them what he had done? What he was running from? Hiding from? They still thought there was a clone...
But there wasn’t. Clark had done those horrible things. The most horrible being what he had almost done to Lois.
How could she come to his apartment like that, pretending like nothing was wrong? He knew that’s all it was – a pretense. She was holding it together until she could get her hero cleared. Then she’d probably never want to speak to him again.
She might feel that she owed him for the times he had saved her... but he didn’t deserve her. He certainly didn’t deserve her friendship, or anything else, after what had happened.
Maybe once this was over, he should talk to Perry about a transfer, at least to another department. How could Lois face working with him every day after what he’d almost done?
The frustration built inside of him until it exploded in a wail of utter pain. Why? Why did it have to be like this? All he had wanted was a life. All he had wished for was someone to love. And he had found her - Lois.
And he had ruined it.
Clark dropped down to his knees in the snow and put his head in his hands.
He thought it had been bad when she had only loved Superman. Now he had even lost that.
She would never trust him again.
**********
PART EIGHT
**********
Lex gave Lois a puzzled look and shifted the phone receiver he was holding. “I’m going to have to call you back. Thank you.” He hung up the phone and gave Lois an indulgent smile. “I’m sorry, would you repeat the question?”
Lois forced herself not to grimace and gave him a pretty blush. “I asked if I could see my ring.” She made sure to put just the right emphasis on the word ‘my’.
“Of course, my dear,” Lex said, pulling the ring box from his jacket pocket. Lois concealed the need to roll her eyes – of course he’d carry the thing around with him. She had counted on it. “Can I hope this means you’ve made a decision?” he continued as he opened the box and held it out to her.
Lois took a slow even breath and nodded shyly. “Yes. Yes, Lex, I will marry you.” Those words had been even harder to say than she had imagined. But she kept the fake smile plastered on her face.
Lex took her hand gently and slid the monstrosity onto her finger. “I won’t pretend to hide how happy you’ve made me,” he said with a silky voice. “However, I can’t help but wonder what effected this decision.” He raised a questioning eyebrow at her and Lois suddenly wondered why it felt so hot in the conference room. “You said that your decision had something to do with Superman,” he continued. “Did you speak with him?”
Bile threatened to rise in her throat and she swallowed. Lex really was a monster. But she couldn’t call him on it right now. She had to hold herself together, so she pushed her feelings down and maintained her façade.
“Yes. He wasn’t the man I thought he was.” She gave a convincing choke at the end of her words and Lex stepped behind her, sliding one arm around her waist and taking hold of her left hand with his other hand.
He caressed the ring softly with his thumb and then gave her hand a tender squeeze. “Lois, I’m so sorry.” His voice was marked with condescension and Lois bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a retort. “I tried to warn you,” he continued smugly. “To tell you that no man is *that* good... not even Superman.”
She wanted to retch. She wanted to turn around and punch him in the face... no, that wouldn’t hurt bad enough – knee him in the groin. It was all she could do to control herself, to bite her tongue.
Lex tapped the ring with his thumb. “Unlike this ring, Superman *is* flawed.” His breath was hot in her ear and it inflamed her righteous indignation even further. “He has weaknesses,” he continued, brashly. “Just like any other man... needs... like any other man.”
God. If she didn’t leave now, she was going to lose it. She couldn’t take much more of this. It was time to wrap this up and get to Henderson – the sooner, the better.
“Yes, I can see that now. But you, Lex, you’ve made me so happy,” she told him, trying not to choke on the words. Yeah, she was happy – happy to have the evidence she’d come for. She discreetly worked herself free from his arms and gave him a sweet smile. “I have to go call my... mother... and tell her the good news.” She had to get out of here... now.
“Your mother can wait,” Lex said smoothly, reaching out to catch her hand and pulling her back towards him. “We need to celebrate.”
“Celebrate?” she asked with a grin, frantically trying to think of a plausible reason to leave the room. “Okay, but at least let me show Perry and Jimmy,” she requested firmly as she backed towards the door, trying to slide her hand from his.
“Lois, Lois,” Lex said with a shake of his head and a disappointed sigh. “When will you ever learn that you can’t hide from me?”
Lois stopped cold in her tracks. “Hide from you? What do you mean?”
“My dear, do you honestly think I’ve risen to my station in life without a knack for reading people, hmmm?” Lex let go of her hand, gesturing at something behind her, and Lois turned to see Mrs. Cox standing in the doorway to the conference room, blocking Lois’s retreat. The woman’s eyes were cold as she shut the door.
Lex smiled congenially at Lois. “Now, why don’t you tell me where you were really going?”
**********
There wasn’t any reason to land. Clark could tell that Lois wasn’t inside his apartment – there was no sign of her familiar heartbeat – and a quick scan confirmed what he already knew.
Where had she gone? He had asked her not to go home. Had she gone there anyway? Turning in mid air, he headed back towards her apartment building. He began scanning for her as soon as he could make out the building, but she wasn’t there.
Clark really couldn’t afford to continue scouring the city for her, dressed in the red and blue. He didn’t want Lex to know that he was in the vicinity. Thankfully, it had been a foggy morning and he’d been able to keep out of sight for the most part. But as the sun rose higher into the sky, it would burn off his precious cover.
It was time to assume his true identity; time for Clark Kent to do his part. After all, it was more than likely that Lois had simply already gone into work by now. Clark just needed to show up for work himself, and then they could formulate a plan.
But... he had promised Lois that he wouldn’t go in to work, he reminded himself. His jaw tightened, causing a muscle to twitch in his cheek. He had to be cautious, but he had to find Lois too. And it would be safer for him to do that as Clark than as Superman. Not wanting to press his luck any further, he found the first suitable location he could to make a quick change – a darkened alley down a quiet side street. Then he flagged down the first taxi he could find.
“Daily Planet, please,” he instructed the cabbie.
**********
Lois woke up to unfamiliar surroundings. There were wine kegs stacked high around her. She was sitting in a chair with her ankles tied to its legs and her hands bound behind her back. She blinked a few times groggily and the room began to come into focus.
She didn’t know what had happened. The last thing she could remember, clearly, was Lex asking where she was really going. She had been frantically searching for a good explanation and then... nothing, and she had woken up here.
Wherever ‘here’ was.
She turned her head slowly to take in her surroundings. A set of stairs caught her attention. They led up to a large wooden door... a door that was opening.
A familiar face entered the room. “Ms. Lane,” Mrs. Cox spoke her name with an edge of contempt. “It’s nice to see you awake. I’ll...”
“You can’t keep me here!” Lois shouted at her.
“Of course we can,” Mrs. Cox stated simply. “Not that we need to,” she continued as she walked down the stairs towards Lois. “You aren’t going to give us any trouble.”
“Oh, really?” Lois spat. “Why not?”
Mrs. Cox smiled snidely. “For one thing, you seem to have lost your evidence,” she said, pulling a chain up from around her neck. At the bottom the diamond from the engagement ring sparkled.
Lois wriggled her ring finger, feeling of it with another finger – yep, the ring was gone and was now in the possession of Mrs. Cox. Damn. She was going to have to figure out a way to get it back. “So?” she replied tartly. “I have other evidence. People who are willing to testif...”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t be bluffed, Ms. Lane.” Her eyes flashed dangerously. “And besides, you’ll sit here and be quiet and do what we tell you because of Superman.”
“Superman?”
Mrs. Cox nodded. “It would be a shame to add *murder* to the list of crimes he’s committed.”
Lois felt a wave of nausea overtake her and she weakly ground out, “Superman would never hurt me.”
“You?” she asked with an amused grin. “No, I wasn’t talking about you. But perhaps your dear old uncle would have to be silenced?” Lois gasped in shock and Mrs. Cox continued, still smiling, “Too much to comprehend? Then how about the Inspector? Henderson is it?”
Lois was reeling but quickly recovered and regained control of herself. “Superman wouldn’t kill anyone.”
“Wouldn’t he?” she asked coolly. She retrieved a newspaper that was lying on top of one of the nearby wine kegs. “Lex is really growing fond of owning a newspaper, Ms. Lane. Especially when he’s able to contribute to the headlines.” She held up the newspaper for Lois to inspect. It was dated with today’s date and the headline read:
‘Magician’s Assistant Does Final Disappearing Act.’
Lois scanned through the article, the words ‘escaped prison’, ‘murder’, ‘dragged river’, and ‘body found’, catching her attention. Her face paled. That’s how Lex had been controlling Clark. He had used Constance and her mind control over Superman. The words ‘moon and stars’ sprung to her mind. But the last she had known, Constance was in prison, serving a life sentence.
“Did Lex break her out of jail?” Lois asked, her curiosity piqued.
“No. She took care of that on her own with a little ‘mind over men,’” she answered, her eyes sparkling in amusement. “All Lex did was offer her protection once she managed to get out of prison... provided, of course, that she help him out with a little something.”
Lois snorted. “Some protection! Superman didn’t kill her – Lex did. You and I both know that.”
“Possibly,” Mrs. Cox conceded. “But the police might receive a tip that says otherwise.” She smiled confidently. “You are a smart woman, Ms. Lane, but Lex has outsmarted even you.”
“Maybe. But he’s also outsmarted himself.” At Mrs. Cox’s confused expression, Lois continued. “He wanted me. Lex always gets what he wants, but not this time. He’s going to have to kill me now. I’ll never let him get away with this. I won’t rest until he’s behind bars.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. As far as your accusations against him, well, he’s certainly not going to let you print them under the Daily Planet banner,” Mrs. Cox replied with a smirk. “And even if you manage to print something, somewhere, who’s going to believe you? The police? You have no proof.” Mrs. Cox tugged on the necklace she was wearing as a reminder. “Not enough for a warrant, anyway.”
“We’ll see,” Lois bit out.
“Yes, we will,” Mrs. Cox agreed easily. “And we’ll see if your interpretation of Lex doesn’t mysteriously change before this is all over.”
Lois frowned at her. Did she honestly think Lois could get over something like this so easily?
“Poor Lois. Have you forgotten?” Her smile flashed into a spiteful sneer. “Moon and stars?”
The room tilted at an odd angle and Lois fought to retain consciousness. “No,” she spat at the overconfident woman. “I remember...” The room swayed violently and Lois leaned back firmly against her chair for stability. “I remember moon and stars.” She took a deep, clearing breath and continued, “And I remember that it has no hold over me. I can fight it.”
“Mmm, perhaps. But can you fight this?” Mrs. Cox took out a powder compact and blew a bit of dust into Lois’s face. Lois began to cough raggedly and Mrs. Cox smiled wickedly. “Let’s try that again... Moon and stars.”
**********
Clark walked past his desk, headed towards his editor’s office. Perry was inside, frowning down at the newspaper he held in his hands. Clark opened the door to his editor’s office and cleared his throat softly.
Perry looked up at him. “Oh, Clark, come on in.”
“Hi, Chief.” Out of habit, Clark glanced down at the newspaper Perry had been looking at.
The headline almost made his knees go weak.
‘Magician’s Assistant Does Final Disappearing Act.’
“Is that today’s paper, Perry?” Clark asked, tipping his glasses down a bit on his nose.
Perry nodded and began to prattle on about something that had to do with today’s headline being empty – Clark didn’t know what he was saying for sure. He was too busy surreptitiously scanning the article. Then, as Perry finished his tirade, Clark finally succumbed to the desire to sit down... before he fell down.
Constance.
That was how Lex had been controlling him. But how? Clark had been able to fight off her mind control, at the end. Of course, he had actually known what she was trying to do. How had Lex been doing it? At a distance somehow? Is that why the limo had been...
“Clark? Are you okay?” Perry asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“Huh? Uh, yeah, Chief. I’m fine. I just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Truth be told, he hadn’t gotten any sleep last night. He had just kept mulling over and over in his mind what he had almost done to Lois... and wondering what she thought of him now.
“You look paler than a whitewashed picket fence in a Mississippi sunset.”
Clark frowned. *That* was a new one. He didn’t think he’d ever heard that one before. He cleared his throat before he responded, “No, I’m fine, really. Have you seen Lois?”
Perry shook his head and scowled. “No. I was hoping you had. She left here earlier this morning with Lex and I haven’t seen her since.”
“Lex?” Clark repeated the name, his voice breaking.
“Uh, yeah,” Perry said with a nod. “And it’s not like I can say anything since he’s the owner of the paper now, but I really need my top reporter here and not off gallivanting on the... Clark? Are you sure you’re okay?”
Clark nodded. “I think I just need some fresh air, Chief. I’ll be right back.”
As Clark ran out of the office, he could hear Perry mumbling to himself in the background, “What a way to run a railroad.”
Clark was headed for the stairwell when Jimmy’s voice brought him to a halt. “Hey, CK. Do you know where Lois is?”
“No, Jimmy. I was just about to go look for her, myself,” he explained, turning towards the stairwell once again.
“Oh. Well, I’ve got her uncle on line one. He said she was supposed to check in with him this morning, something about a ring, but he hasn’t heard from her.”
Clark turned back to see Jimmy looking at him imploringly, the mouth of the receiver covered and held out to him in invitation. He sighed inwardly. He really didn’t have time for this, but maybe her uncle knew what was going on. Grabbing the phone from Jimmy, he gave him a quick pat on the shoulder.
“Thanks, Jimmy.”
“No problem, CK.” Jimmy walked off, happily, unaware of the trouble that was brewing. Clark had a bad feeling about what Mike Lane was going to tell him.
“Clark Kent.”
“Clark? This is Mike Lane, Lois’s uncle.”
“Hi, Mike,” Clark said conversationally and then lowered his voice, “What has happened to Lois?”
There was a sigh on the other end and then, “I was hoping you could tell me. Lois had this convoluted plan that she was gonna get that engagement ring from Lex Luthor and take it to some inspector.”
“Henderson?”
“Yeah, Henderson. She said that the ring was the evidence you needed to clear Superman.” There was a deeper sigh and he continued. “Between you and me, I think she’s in over her head on this one, Clark. I told her not to do it. I told her to go to the police and let them handle it. But you know how she is.”
Clark nodded. “Yeah, I do. Listen, can you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“I’m going to go see if I can find Lois. She’s not here and Perry said she left with Luthor earlier this morning. I think there’s more than a good chance that she’s in way over her head. Call Henderson and tell him what you told me and tell him that I’m headed to LexCorp to see if I can find her.”
“Clark, are you sure that’s wise? Maybe you should wait for Henders...”
“No. It can’t wait.” Clark paused and let out a frustrated breath. He wasn’t sure it was the smart thing for him to do – going after Lois. If Lex had her, and Lex could control him... No. He wouldn’t allow Lex to control him. He would fight it. After all, he had fought it off before when Constance had used mind control on him – he could fight it this time. Especially now that he knew what was happening. “Lois can’t wait. She’s in trouble. I don’t even know what Henderson would be able to do at this point. I just wanted him to know what was going on.”
“Okay, Clark, I’ll tell him.”
“Thanks.”
Clark hung up the phone and once again headed for the stairwell.
**********
Clark was flying high over the city of Metropolis, headed towards the uppermost balcony of the LexCorp building, when he heard it.
A voice was calling out to him.
“Looking for me, Superman?”
It was Luthor’s voice. Clark shook his head as if to try and clear it. How was he hearing Luthor’s voice way up here and so far from LexCorp? Was he projecting it somehow?
“Yes, I’m sure you are,” Luthor continued. “Are you surprised at how I’m communicating with you? This ultra high frequency is for your ears only.” There was a quiet chuckle and then, “Oh, and Superman, I know you know where to find me – ‘just look up.’”
Clark flew faster. He was almost there.
As the balcony approached, he slowed his speed and touched down, only enough to hit the floor at a brisk stride. He pushed the doors open without a thought as to whether they were locked or not.
Luthor was waiting inside, a small, pleased smile on his lips. “Ah, Superman,” he greeted him, setting down a small microphone. He gestured to it. “Handy little device.”
“Where’s Lois?” Clark demanded.
Luthor’s smile widened into a smirk. “Getting right to the chase, I see. My *fiancée* is...”
Clark advanced on him threateningly causing Luthor to halt mid-sentence. “I don’t know what you’ve done to her,” Clark told him, his voice low and menacing. “But she would never agree to marry you.”
Luthor took two steps back and brushed some imaginary lint from his suit coat. “Tsk, tsk, Superman. Envy is such a... *becoming* quality on you,” he said with a sneer. “Especially when I didn’t even have to evoke that particular evil.” He grinned sadistically. “I can *provoke* it from you instead. I love it.”
“Where is Lois?” Clark asked again, advancing on him once more.
Luthor frowned. “Has anyone ever told you that you are very single minded?” He shook his head deprecatingly at him. “Why do you think she even wants to see you after what you tried to do to her last night?” Luthor smiled viciously at him. “Why if I...”
Clark had found his limit. He’d had enough and, throwing caution to the wind, he took the lapels of Luthor’s suit coat in his hands and hoisted him up off the floor. “Tell me where she is! Now!”
“Of course, of course,” Luthor said calmly without concern. “Lower me down and I’ll take you to her.”
Clark raised an eyebrow suspiciously at him as he lowered him and Luthor held up his hands defensively. “No tricks, I assure you. I will do nothing to stop you from getting to her – you have my word.”
His word. That wasn’t worth much to Clark, but Lois was. Lois was worth everything. Clark had scanned the LexCorp building before he got there and there had been no sign of Lois anywhere. So if she was here, then she was being shielded by some form of lead.
She was worth everything. And Clark was willing to follow Luthor wherever he was taking him, if it got him closer to her.
**********
Luthor held out a hand towards the wooden door in front of him. “She’s inside.”
Clark couldn’t see what was behind the door. It was definitely shielded by lead somehow. He swallowed the fear that was building inside of him. He knew it couldn’t be this easy. Luthor wasn’t going to let him just waltz in and take Lois away.
What was his game? Lex wasn’t aware that Superman knew about Constance, so maybe he was banking on being able to control him?
Could Lex control him? Or would Clark be able to fight his hold over him?
The rational part of Clark’s mind was begging him not to open the door. He needed help. Maybe Henderson, or Mike Lane could...?
No. No, he couldn’t risk involving anyone else. Besides, Henderson would more likely arrest Superman if he saw him, and he wasn’t likely to follow Clark to LexCorp on a raid – not without any evidence.
And he couldn’t risk Luthor doing anything to Lois. He claimed to love her, and maybe he thought he did... Maybe he wouldn’t really hurt her. But he could certainly ferry her off to some place where Clark would never find her.
Clark couldn’t risk that.
He had to open that door – and pray that he was mentally strong enough to fight. He reached for the doorknob, expecting some kind of resistance or trick... something. He glanced back but Luthor was just standing patiently behind him, an unreadable smirk on his face.
Clark pressed forward, opening the door and walking inside... into a... wine cellar? What in the world? Could it get any more bizarre? He looked down into the room to find Lois dressed in a bright red party dress, holding a glass of wine.
Yes, it could definitely get more bizarre.
“Lois?”
“Hi, Superman,” she said casually, almost distantly. “Care to join me for a drink? To celebrate my marriage to Lex?”
Clark had started walking down the stairs. Her announcement brought him to a halt. “Lois? What are you talking about?”
She smiled up at him. “My engagement. Lex and I were just about to toast to it.”
“Hello, my dear,” Luthor said, coming through the door behind Clark. “Do you have our gift for Superman?”
Lois’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes. Yes, I do.” She came walking towards Clark as he began descending the stairs once more.
The pain hit Clark in a searing wave. His legs gave out beneath him and he stumbled down the last few stairs, sinking to his knees at the bottom.
Kryptonite.
**********
To be concluded...
