Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Lois & Clark Fanfic FDK: Master of Disguise - Part 18/18

And here's where I get to acknowledge the brilliance of the people that actually created and/or own these characters, as well as the wonderful people that helped me to write this story.

As any FoLC can tell, I borrowed heavily from of the show, especially dialogue from “Strange Visitor” and “The Green, Green Glow of Home” written by Bryce Zabel, as well as “Requiem for a Superhero” by Dusty Kay. I also stole many ideas and dialogue snippets from the other season one episodes while manipulating them to my heart’s desire. So my thanks go to every contributing writer and the actors, as well as the show’s creators and producers. Please try to remember that this is only a work of fan fiction and that mimicry is the highest form of flattery.

Credit for the plot bunny goes to Patrick (aka Framework) for putting up a challenge to write a story about Lois as Mrs. Luthor. For some reason I couldn’t devise, his challenge stuck in my brain and started to grow. It took me a while, but I hope the end product was worth the wait.

As always, I’d like to thank my beta readers – all four of them. I don’t know what I did to run them off, but I kept losing beta’s to real life. I just hope it wasn’t the story. <bg>

A big, squishy hug goes to Kathy Brown for her irreplaceable insight and help. She can brainstorm a plot bunny like no other and her beta comments aren’t bad either. Thanks for all the encouragement, Kathy, and for taking the time when you were so wickedly busy.

Also, big thanks to Kevin (aka Kermitzu), who’s comments and enthusiasm for this story kept me writing when I hit several brick walls … hard. Thanks, Kevin.

To Alcyone goes my love and dedication for her beta comments, which always made the story better and usually made me laugh. Writing in first person is tricky and she was excellent at making me show what was happening. Thanks for your help, Alcyone.

Lastly, I’d like to express my undying devotion to ML Thompson for her story-telling abilities and thanks for taking the time to help me out. Her questions about Lois’ kidnapping, her comments about characterization and her suggestions about pacing were invaluable. Thank you, ML!

Oh, and the haircut in the epilogue is dedicated to Tank – see what leaving feedback can do to a story?

Knowing how much Lex likes the play, _King Richard the III_ by William Shakespeare, it seemed apropos for the situation. Thanks and credit goes to the Bard himself (our boy Bill can write a villain like no other) and to Wikiquote for the following lines of dialog:

“Was ever woman in this humour woo'd?&#8232; Was ever woman in this humour won? &#8232;I'll have her; — but I will not keep her long.” (Richard III, Act I, Scene II)
“And thus I clothe my naked villainy/ With odd old ends stol'n out of holy writ,/&#8232;And seem a saint, when most I play the devil. (Richard III, Act I, Scene III)
“So wise so young, they say, do never live long.” (Richard III, Act III, Scene I)

Also briefly mentioned is Cato, a character from various “Pink Panther” movies (1964 – 1993), staring Peter Sellers and directed by Blake Edwards. My apologies to fans – I just couldn’t resist the comparison between Asabi’s tests on Lex (i.e., the creepy cobra scene in the pilot) and Cato Fong’s attacks on Inspector Clouseau.

Lastly, to all the FoLCs, both present and past, that make this fandom so satisfying. The quality of writing and the people that frequent these boards are amazing and I'm happy to be a part of it.

BJ

Now that's an ending!

Congratulations, BJ. You did it.

This is an outstanding story. The ending hits just the right tones, balancing the outcome of the trials of Lex's cronies against the rebirth of the Daily Planet, the establishment of the Superman Foundation, and the teasers about Clark's relationship with Lois and their probable future. I'm glad they didn't just jump into an engagement or a relationship of some kind right away. Lois needed that time away from Clark to center herself and deal with the Lex fallout, although I suspect that you could, without straining too much, build a number of stories in this universe just on the bad stuff Lex did which pops up in the future to bedevil our favorite couple.

And I really liked the flushing of Lex's ashes! Therapeutic, indeed. And this means no Lex clones or reconstituted bodies in years to come.

Or does it?

Anyway, this a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it with us. You rock, lady!

Excellant, Lois got her haircut.

What? There was more to this epilogue?

Tank (who will admit that this story was very well done even if Lois hadn't gotten her hair cut... but not publicly)

That was awesome! Very nicely tied up! This was a wonderful story and there were days that I rushed home to read it--never disappointed. Thank you for sharing.

~Sheila

I am very sad to this end, but what a way to go. It was a great story!! I loved every twist and turn and was always anticipating the next hurdle you were going to put in our heroes path.

Again awesome job!!

so, ummm....is there a sequel?

ok, ok, i'm pushy sometimes, but this story was great, magnificent, awesome, wonderful!

A wonderful story, a brilliant mix of characterization, plot, description, pacing and action! Loose ends nicely tied up and Lex is finis. And Lois got her hair cut, and the reason seemed very plausible!

My only complaint: the story was too short.

Well done and definitely deserves a Kerth nomination for next year's awards!

Oh, that was the best story! Just insert a lot of gushing. Lois is my favorite character, and you just nailed her inner thought process for me the whole way. The ending was a smash hit. Loose ends are dealt with, but also left open to grin at promising things to come for the Planet, for Lois' inheritance, and for our favorite couple-to-be.

Great story,
JD

What a perfect way to end this story! (Though I'm sad it had to end...any chance for more stories from this universe?)

This part was so well-written. It was very vivid; everything Lois was thinking and experiencing was so clear.

Thank you for tying up all the loose ends so nicely and believably! And this
was hilarious! My kids look at me funny when I laugh at the computer screen...

Thank you for such a great story!
Amber

I love this story! That is saying a lot since I usually dislike intensely stories where Lois marries Lex. It was wonderfully written and the only thing I do not like is that it ended :-) So many people have quoted my favorite parts I will not repeat.

Ah, that was just lovely!

I don't like villains when they are alive and it doesn't do much for me to watch them die, but I have to admit... the flushing of Lex's ashes down the toilet felt therapeutic for me, too! (Good thing this isn't the comics, though. In the comics, a mad scientist - Gretchen Kelly? - would have managed to make Lex's ashes combine with the sewage water of Metropolis until the sewage water became one huge manifestion of Lex!!!! Yeoouch!!!!)

I liked this!

And I couldn't help giggling when I saw that Lois had had a haircut! I giggled even more when I read this:



I was impressed with this:

Hey! A Shakespearian LnC fanfic!!!!

And the ending was adorable:

Aawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!

Ann

Nice wind-up! All the loose ends are addressed without it feeling like an info-dump, which isn't easy. Thanks for not letting Gretchen steal Lex's body; the flushing of the ashes was inspired. I also like how Lois let people assume that she was on to Lex from the start, although it's an interesting choice she had to make -- let people know she'd been duped, or let them think she'd go to the extremes of marrying and sleeping with the bad guy in order to get her story. I'm not sure which public image I'd prefer, really, though I can see how Lois would prefer the second. And it's not like she's going to be seducing any crime lords in the future, anyway

Speaking of which... it's really sweet to show Clark working there, and that smile is killer... but I had been hoping for a little bit more WAFFs and smoochies. Epilogue, maybe?

PJ

This was a wonderful ending to a truly exceptional work. A few notes:

Your portrayal of Lois was top notch. Not just in that you did her character well, but I was particularly impressed how her character evolved from part 1 through the end. She was truly a person that was lost in the life decision that she had made and through this experience, found herself again.

This phrase: Rang particularly true. At the beginning, Lois was lost and in her place was a simulacrum.

Of course, I love the “flushed down the toilet” ending for Lex. If EVER there was an appropriate and fitting end to Lex, that is it.

I also liked the echo of the Lucky Leon first date in Lois’s description of the date with Clark. Of course it “just …worked”.

And finally: You may have achieved a “Perfect 10” ending!
Well done!

Bob

Nice. Very nice. The cremation bit cracked me up and I liked the way you handled Lois getting rid of Lex's money. I guess Franklin Stern must have made very good deal on buying Lois out. 500 mil to 1 bil for an empire that's worth 10-20 times as much? The one bit that surprised me was that Lois chose to have people believe she sold her herself for a story instead of having been fooled. But it's probably a crummy choice either way

Michael

Bravo!!!

Wonderful piece.

It would be nice to see more of this universe.

James

A very nice ending as the others have said. I too would like some more smoochies. Maybe a vignette?

Artemis

Oh, I've looked forward to and dreaded this part. Looked forward because I knew it was going to be awesome (and you certainly delivered the awesome). Dreaded because that was it, no more constantly refreshing the boards while I waited for my next MoD hit.

That was a great conclusion to a wonderful story.

It's the sort of story that I know will stand up to a second, and probably a third read. And each time, the reader will notice something more.

Well done!

I like that you allowed time to pass between parts seventeen and eighteen. It allowed time for loose ends to be tied up, but more importantly it allowed time for healing and closure.


Elisabeth

Late as ever.

Aww, nice ending, BJ. And they lived happily ever after.

Nan