And the Truth Will Set You…
Part 7
As Lois started to get ready for bed Monday night, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was being watched. Sure, Clark had said that he’d keep an eye on her place and warn her if any more surveillance equipment showed up, but with the day he’d had it was possible that he’d forgotten.
By all accounts, the day had been even worse than Sunday. Lois had heard several reports of incidents where Superman had showed up to help and things had gone poorly. As had been the case on Sunday, in several of these encounters the public had subjected Superman to verbal abuse. It hadn’t happened every time. In fact, in some cases people went out of their way to show their appreciation. However, there were several negative incidents. It had to be tearing Clark apart.
She was about to change for bed when she heard a tapping on her window. She went over to the source of the sound and, sure enough, it was Clark.
“Come in,” she offered. Once he was inside, she opened with the greeting that they’d agreed on. “Superman, what a surprise. What can I do for you?”
He looked almost embarrassed. “It’s okay, Lois. Your apartment is clear tonight. However, there is a man down the street who looks like he might be watching your place. From where he’s sitting, I’m sure he would have seen me come in. I should probably keep this short.”
“Nonsense,” she replied with an air of irritation. “Lex, or whoever is behind all this, knows we’ve been meeting.” She moved over to the sofa. “Would you like to sit?”
Clark immediately sat down in the chair she’d indicated. It was only after he sat that Lois realized that her invitation was surprisingly similar to the one she’d made when they met in this room exactly one week earlier. That time, Clark’s refusal to sit had foretold so much of what was to come. The seemingly minor fact that tonight he accepted her invitation signified so much about the changes of this past week.
“What brings you by tonight?” she asked.
Clark blushed slightly. “Mostly I just wanted to talk,” he said sheepishly. “The way people have reacted since I’ve come back has me shaken.”
He sounded tired. That reaction was exactly what she’d have expected from Clark when facing a situation like today. He’d never let her – or anyone else for that matter – see that side of his personality before when he was dressed as Superman. “Clark, try not to let it get to you. Emily and I spent most of the day today researching the anti-Superman media. It appears that Lex has thrown all the resources of LNN behind this smear campaign.”
“I know,” Clark replied tiredly. “I just wasn’t ready for anything like this.” He paused for a second, and then looked up at her. “You don’t know how much it means to me to have your support.”
There it was again, that warm, fluttery feeling in her stomach. Superman talking with Clark’s voice was a devastating combination. There was no denying the attraction she felt for this man. Also, Superman or not, he was vulnerable. He needed her, and that made him even more attractive. Who else could be there to give Superman a hug when he was down? “You’ll always have my support, Clark, no matter how you’re dressed,” she offered.
He looked like he was struggling for a reply. After a second, he stuttered, “I…” but whatever he planned to say died on his lips. After another second he said simply, “Thank you, Lois.” But his expression said much more. The look in his eyes took her back to the park bench last Monday.
Unfortunately, there was another emotion there as well. His eyes reflected stress and fatigue. She’d seen that look before also. Several times over the past year, Clark had come into the office looking like he was carrying the weight of the world. Now she knew why. Tonight that burden was extra heavy. Clark needed her.
Her mind suddenly flashed back to some of the times over the past year when he’d needed her support. Then she remembered the Trask incident in Smallville. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” he answered. “I don’t want to have secrets from you anymore.”
“After you left last Monday I got thinking about some of the time we’ve spent together. With what I know now, many of the incidents make a lot more sense, but one doesn’t. What happened with Trask in Smallville?”
Clark was quiet for a moment. “What are you wondering about? A lot happened that week in Smallville.”
“For tonight how about just filling me in on the parts I don’t know. I remember the parts I saw very well.”
“Okay. That green crystal stuff Trask was after…”
“Green crystal? You mean the rock we called Kryptonite?” Lois asked.
“Yeah. It really could hurt me. When I got close to it, the pain was indescribable. It also made me sick and took away my powers.”
“So when you weren’t feeling good that first night… that wasn’t allergies?”
Clark flashed a smile in her direction. “You do remember that trip well. Anyway, I don’t have any allergies. That was my reaction to that stuff.”
“So at the end, when Trask was about to shoot you…?”
“I didn’t have my powers,” Clark supplied. “Trask knew that I was helpless and was going to kill me.”
“So, at the end, none of that was an act?”
“No, Lois. Why?”
“I was remembering when we held each other after Rachael shot Trask. Somehow, I’d managed to forget that moment until after you left the other night. You’d seemed so… scared.”
“I was. I don’t think Trask would have stopped with killing me. I was afraid that he would have killed you and my family for having supported me. I was scared for all of us.”
Lois thought back to that moment. When they’d held each other, it had been…. There had been emotions at play in that moment other than fear, but that was for another time. “So Kryptonite can harm you?”
“Yes. I just hope there isn’t any more out there.” Clark paused for a moment in thought. “But it looks like Luthor has found something just as effective.”
“You mean the way people are reacting?”
Clark nodded. “I can only help as Superman as long as people accept what I do. I’ve never wanted the adoration that some….”
As he stopped short, Lois remembered Emily’s reaction yesterday and her own reaction from months ago. She decided to reply only to the first part of his comment. “We’re going to get your public image problem fixed. I spoke with Petersen today and he’s going to fight on your side just like Perry used to do.”
He smiled a little at this. “Have you seen Perry?”
“Not this past week,” Lois replied. “Alice got him to take a cruise off the Florida coast. They’re in a ship touring the Caribbean. I think they’ll be back in another week or so.”
Clark looked melancholy again. “I miss him. I can’t believe how much we’ve all lost. I wish there was some way to undo all that happened.”
“Clark, I’m sorry. I know it’s all my fault…”
Clark cut her off with a plea. “No, that’s not what I meant. Lois, please, for me, don’t beat yourself up over what’s happened. Luthor is almost unbelievably good at the deceptions he practices. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. I could have told you what I knew a lot earlier.”
Lois shook her head. “I’m not sure it would have done any good. I had it in my head that I wasn’t going to believe you about Lex.”
“I should have told you as Superman.”
Lois considered that for a moment. “Okay, I’ll give you that one,” she offered. She crossed the room and sat beside him. “We are where we are. I’ll tell you what: I’ll stop blaming myself if you promise to do the same. Deal?”
“Deal,” he replied almost reluctantly. Then he glanced up at the clock. “I should be going.” They both stood and headed toward the window. As he neared the opening he turned to Lois. “Thanks for letting me bend your ear tonight.”
The vulnerability behind those words tore at her heart. Some had called Superman the “Man of Steel.” Whatever powers he might have, now that she was getting to know the whole person, that description couldn’t be further from the truth. Almost without thinking Lois flowed over to him and gave him the strongest hug she could muster. “Anytime,” she replied softly.
After a few seconds, something about his posture caused Lois to pull her head back and look up. She found herself only inches from Clark’s face as he gazed down on her. For once in her life she didn’t think as she brought her lips to his.
At first, Clark seemed startled. Then she felt his arms pulling her even closer, and the nature of the kiss changed. She’d kissed Clark before. She’d also kissed Superman. Those had been nice, but they hadn’t been like this. This was so much… more. Clark was kissing her. For real. No hiding… No holding back… No pretending… And it was unbelievable. It was as if her whole being was involved. His taste… His scent… The way his arms tightened around her in those seconds… And finally, the exquisite feel of his lips. All of her senses were saturated and all of the sensations were wonderful.
Lois had no idea how long it continued. Time seemed to have lost all meaning. However, at some point they separated. She looked up and could see that he felt the same sense of wonder that she was feeling.
“Wow,” Clark whispered. “I really need to get back to Metropolis as Clark so we can have that date.”
To Lois, that idea sounded better every second. “I’ll be here. And in the mean time, I promise that I won’t be going out with anyone else.”
Clark smiled brightly and stepped toward the window. “Good night, Lois.”
“Good night,” she replied as he cleared the window and disappeared to the sky.
~~~***~~~
When Lex Luthor arrived at his office each morning, his usual first order of business was to go to his desk and review his schedule for the day. He was always amused by the fact that his schedule was an inversion of his life. He generally kept about 20% of his day free for contingencies. Of the time he allotted for business, he spent two-thirds on his legitimate operations while one-third was spent on his more… covert endeavors. It was a fascinating mix because the income structure of his empire was the inverse of the time he spent. His underworld operations accounted for 70% of his income while the legitimate business, which consumed nearly 70% of his day, accounted for only 30% of his income. Lex had worked the distribution out long ago. This was the maximum ratio that could be sustained while still maintaining the appearance of being a legitimate businessman.
This morning he didn’t go immediately to his desk. This was going to be a special day and as such it should be recognized. Lex first walked to the balcony and looked out over Metropolis. Today the city would become his again. After a few minutes he walked to his desk, signaled for his assistant, and turned back to the view. A few seconds later he heard the door, then a few footsteps, then silence.
“Report,” he said without turning away from the view.
Ms. Cox’s voice answered immediately. “Superman has called a press conference for 10:00 a.m. on the steps of city hall. The size of the crowd should be more than adequate for our team to go unnoticed.”
“You’ve removed the individuals that Superman has encountered so far?”
“Yes, sir. We are fortunate that he decided to take this step so quickly. He has only encountered 34 of our people in the three days since his return. We will have 32 of the remaining team members at the press conference.”
“We started with 97 operatives. Based on your report, we have 63 people that he hasn’t seen. Why are we only using 32?” Lex asked.
“Because of the sensitive nature of this phase,” Ms. Cox answered confidently. “The 32 that I have instructed to attend the press conference are known to be reliable and have deep ties to the organization. I felt that we would be better served to hold those that are less proven in reserve.”
“Very well. Please continue.”
“All other aspects of the plan are in place,” Mrs. Cox replied.
“There will be crowd control police at the event?”
“Yes. We made sure that the police learned that an anti-Superman faction plans to throw rocks and other debris at Superman during the event. Through other channels we have encouraged just such acts. I believe it is highly probable that Superman will be hit with everything from rocks to eggs before he gets half-way through his announcement. Of course, our people have been instructed to take no action other than verbal attacks.”
He turned to face Ms. Cox. “Do I need to reiterate how important it is that today go perfectly?”
“No, sir. I have done everything in my power to assure the success of the plan. I’ve overseen many of the aspects personally.”
“Good. You may go.” As the door closed behind her, he turned back to the window. This should be a very interesting day.
~~~***~~~
Lois could hardly believe the size of the crowd. In her experience, only the press attended this kind of announcement. A few people might stop and listen as they happened to be passing by, but there were never very many. Today there looked to be well over a hundred people gathered in front of city hall. Since she was there as a reporter for the Star, she made a point to get some opinions from the people that had come. She also tried to get a feel for why all these people were here.
It was obvious from the first that the mood of almost all the non-press in attendance was decidedly negative. That fit with the idea that there was more in play than just interested citizens. Sure, some people would be swayed by the slanted rhetoric coming from LNN, but to have so many people seemingly accepting those lies just didn’t fit. If many of the people were plants, it would explain a lot.
When several uniformed police officers showed up only a few minutes before Clark was scheduled to arrive, Lois wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. Their presence should help with crowd control, but the very fact that the police thought extra officers would be necessary didn’t bode well for Clark and his speech. This set off more alarms for Lois. The presence of the police suggested that somehow they knew there would be a crowd. In light of what Lois had learned from talking to people this morning, and her growing suspicions that there was organization behind the scenes, the presence of police was especially disturbing.
Right at 10:00, Clark, dressed as Superman, dropped out of the sky. She smiled as it occurred to her that Clark was usually prompt, whatever he was wearing. He stepped right up to the cluster of microphones and began to speak. “Good, morning. Thank you for coming. I want to thank the city of Metropolis for allowing me to address you in this way today.”
Lois could see that he was very nervous. She glanced around at the crowd. So far, so good. Everyone seemed to be listening. She turned back as Clark continued. “As many of you know, a close personal friend of mine in China died early last week. I spent several days with the family to help them past the crisis. During that time, I was out of touch with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, while I was gone, there was a fire here in Metropolis that resulted in the deaths of several people. I am truly sorry for their deaths.”
Suddenly there was a shout from behind Lois. “Liar!” Then from another direction. “Go back to your Chinese friends!” Lois was about to turn to see who was yelling when an egg came flying at Clark. In a leisurely-looking motion, he caught it and set it on the podium in front of him. In rapid succession, there were a series of other objects thrown. He caught all but two, resulting in a rapidly growing pile of unbroken eggs, ripe tomatoes and even a few rocks. The other two objects, one egg and one tomato, had broken in flight and Clark used super-speed to avoid them. After a few seconds the bombardment stopped. It appeared that even these people could see the futility of throwing things at Superman. It probably also helped that the police were moving to arrest the individuals who were throwing objects.
Clark gathered himself and continued. “Please understand that I’m only here to help. Remember that I get nothing for what I do. I help because I can. I care about people,” Clark pleaded. “I value all life. I’ve always done my best to serve as many as I can. I’ve never…”
A movement to Lois’s left took her attention from Clark. There was an MPD officer just in front of her. She was surprised to see him standing there, since most of the police had gone after the people that had been throwing things at Superman. He was staring intently at something off to Lois’s right. She was about to see if she could make out what had caught his attention, when she realized he was slowly, but quite deliberately, beginning to ease his gun out of its holster.
Lois looked frantically along the path of the officer’s gaze. At first she saw nothing, then she saw a man reach inside his coat and pull out a gun. The officer must have noticed a suspicious movement. Lois expected a shout from the policeman at any moment. It didn’t come. The man wearing the coat lifted the gun and, very professionally, took aim at the podium. Lois couldn’t wait for the officer to act. She launched herself at the man just as he fired his first shot. The world seemed to slow down as she jerked her eyes to see what Clark would do.
At the instant of the shot, Clark’s hand shot up in a move similar to, but much faster than, what he’d done when catching the objects that were thrown earlier. Lois thought her heart would stop when Clark’s hand seemed to explode in a cloud of red blood. She was almost at the shooter, but before she could get to him, he fired again and again. She finally reached the shooter. He was about to fire a fourth shot when she knocked his arm down. Then she felt an intense stabbing pain in her right shoulder as, at the same instant, she heard what sounded like a shot from behind her.
She suddenly felt very weak. As everything started going dark, she heard another shot from behind. She could feel herself falling but didn’t seem to have the strength to do anything about it. Her last sight was of Clark on the podium. The entire left side of his chest was awash in blood and he was collapsing to the ground. With a profound sense of loss and missed opportunity, she surrendered to the blackness.
TBC
Bob
