“Clark, I need to get back to Metropolis,” I say a few hours later, after having helped Mrs. Kent tidy up the fabric-strewn living room.
Clark sighs and gazes contemplatively at his new suit slung over the sofa. “And you really think people will buy into Superman?” he asks warily. “You don’t think people will be afraid of me?”
I step over to him, and lay my hand comfortingly on his chest. “Clark, I have no doubt that Superman will be the greatest hero Metropolis has ever seen—the world has ever seen! And we’ll make sure that people understand you’re here to help. Especially with this reporter writing your story,” I add playfully, trying to lighten his spirits. He’s obviously already feeling the responsibility of what it will mean to live a double life, and I don’t want him to fear it—but embrace it. I glance up at him, meeting him in the eye. “Clark, it will be okay. You’re not doing this alone. You’re parents are wonderfully supportive—and I’m here.”
“I know, Lois,” he says softly, cupping my cheek in the way that sends shivers down my spine. “It’s just, when you’ve hidden so long like I have, it takes a lot to believe that people will accept you.”
“Clark, they will. Trust me. The world needs more heroes these days… But we must find a moment that’s good enough for your debut. Either a big rescue or a good PR moment... I don’t know, but we must be on the lookout for it. Which is another reason to get back to Metropolis,” I start pacing, beginning to check off a mental to-do list. “But I don’t want to step a toe into the Daily Planet until I have a top story---which will either be you or Luthor, frankly…”
In my maelstrom of plans, I happen to glance back at Clark, who still looks decidedly worried. “What is it, Clark? I told you, we’ll write your story together, when the time is right—“
“No, Lois. It’s Lex Luthor. Do you really have to pursue that right now? He’s dangerous. As soon as he learns you are back in Metropolis--”
I interrupt him, seeing where he’s going. “What’s dangerous is letting him get away with whatever scheme he’s planning, Clark. Anyway, he’s back in the city, and I know guys who know guys who can figure out what he’s up to without me getting directly involved.”
He eyes me with uncertainty, no doubt seeing danger in my methods-- but then he lets out a light laugh of exasperation. “Lois… are you always like this?”
I simply grin at him in return. “You’ll get used to it!”
*L**L*
Clark drops me off at my apartment a short time later. On the way to Metropolis, he complained that his costume was too tight under his regular clothes, but honestly, it only made me giggle. I still can’t wipe the delectable image from my mind of him stepping out of the bathroom in just the blue suit. Darn right it’s tight! And in all the right places too!
As we start to fly over the city, I get a little misty-eyed. It’s so beautiful up here… I snuggle a little deeper in his arms, my heart full of emotion as I think of how distraught I was when I left this city. And now, here I am in the arms of the most amazing man. Almost unconsciously I cling tighter to him. I worry what will happen if I can’t convince Perry to hire him. Or worse, if the whole Superman thing doesn’t go over as well as I hope it will. I’d never admit it to Clark, because I believe in him, but it will take some very good PR on my part and support from the Planet to really sell the idea. Clark has to sell it too… But I worry that if it doesn’t go just right, he’ll leave…
I get pulled out of my musings as Clark asks for directions to my apartment. I navigate him to it, slightly amused at looking for my apartment from a bird’s eye view. Never thought I’d be coming in for a landing on my back doorstep before! At last, he sets me on my balcony, and I’m quite happy to be home again. “You know, it doesn’t matter how far I travel, I’m always happy to come back to Metropolis.”
“I feel that way about Smallville. But I will admit, there is something that calls to me here in the big city,” he says, gazing out across the Metropolis skyline with a look I thoroughly recognize as a burgeoning love for this great city.
“Mmmm… I know what you mean,” I say, taking in the distant noises of cars and life and the buildings that surround my neighborhood.
Clark tears his gaze from the skyline, and suddenly pulls his glasses down and looks intently at my apartment wall. “Whatever are you doing, Clark? My apartment is perfectly safe, I’m sure,” I say with some amusement.
“Well, Luthor may not know you’re in town just yet—but it doesn’t mean I put it past him to spy on you… But everything looks fine from here.”
“And what are you going to do now?” I ask, fumbling through my keychain for the key I never use, the one to my back door balcony.
His eyes come to rest on mine, and then slightly lower, and I thrill to realize he’s thinking of kissing me. I step up to him, turning my face up to his. “Well, I need to look for an apartment,” he begins, but I think he’s beginning to be distracted by other thoughts.
I give him a little smile that I hope appears sexy. “You could always stay here with me, Clark,” I suggest, but as I expect, his farm boy sensibilities are a little offended at the idea and I almost laugh.
“Lois, I’m happy to date you—but we’re still getting to know each other,” he starts, but I hush him up quickly by placing my finger on his lips.
“We can keep getting to know each other… especially in one of my favorite ways,” I whisper, leaning up to kiss him. His arm comes around my back, pulling me to him, and my hands find their way to his hair. His tongue explores mine, sending a delicious shiver down my spine. All too quickly, he pulls away.
“Maybe we can meet for dinner later?” he suggests, and by his breathless tone, I surmise that he is more affected by our kiss than he lets on.
“Here in Metropolis or further afield?” I tease, imagining flying in Clark’s arms again across the Atlantic… or to Hawaii…
“Well, it will be too late to eat dinner in Europe… so how about we stay in Metropolis tonight? I’ll be back to pick you up around eight?”
“I can’t wait,” I smile.
He reluctantly steps away from me, squeezing my hand gently as he lets me go.
“See you then, Lois.”
“Meanwhile, don’t try saving the city without me!” I chide lightly, as he starts to lift away.
“Don’t worry, Lois. When it’s time for me to make my appearance on the world’s stage, you’ll be the first to know.”
*L**L*
It’s nice to be home after all of my adventures. My fish have been taken care of by my neighbor, and seemed to have survived the experience. I have a stack of mail to sort through, but I don’t mind.
I think about the torrent of emotions I was going through in those days before I left for Europe. Evidence of it is still in my apartment: a few dishes left in the sink, my untidy bed, and my closet and dresser drawers slightly over spilling in disorder. I had been hurt, humiliated, and completely lost. Now, even though I am uncertain exactly what my future with Clark will hold, I believe there can be one. I’m hopeful that we’ll manage to get him a job working with me at the Planet, and I plan on helping him manage his second job moonlighting in tights as much as he’ll let me.
I check my messages, including the remote ones that I would have been alerted to if I hadn’t lost my beeper. A disconcerted Perry is on one of them, asking about a follow-up to the Luthor story. I really have nothing to give Perry, which isn’t good at all. The longer I wait to chase down Luthor, the more time he’ll have to wriggle his way out of whatever he’s planning. I think of calling a few of my contacts, like Bobby Bigmouth, but honestly, I don’t want anyone to know I’m back yet. I don’t want Luthor to get wind of it, and I don’t want Perry to know until I have my big story lined up.
I sigh, looking at the clock. It’s only just after three. I have plenty of time before my date with Clark. I know Clark would worry if he knew what I was thinking, but I don’t want him anywhere near that green rock stuff, which we might encounter again if he went with me to investigate Luthor. I need to find out what that sneaky magnate is up to, and I’m going to have to do it on my own.
*L**L*
I swing open my closet door, searching for a viable disguise to sneak into LexCorp. I smirk a little as I eye my quirky wardrobe. Is it any wonder that I had thought of putting Clark in a disguise? I’ve been dressing up since I was three!
I snatch my long red wig and a generic overalls work suit, hoping to blend in with the maintenance crew. If I plant myself as one of the lowest on the totem pole, it should be doubtful anyone would recognize me. As an afterthought, I grab a black baseball cap.
I stuff my disguise in a black duffle bag and head out of my apartment. I think briefly of calling Clark to tell him what I’m up to, just in case it all goes wrong. But just thinking of him facing that green rock again makes me nauseous with worry. Besides, I’m not going to confront Luthor. I merely want to have a look around and see what I can see.
I leave my things in a locker at a nearby train station, and I slip into the ladies room to change into my disguise. I take one last look at myself in the mirror, pleased by the transformation.
A while back, before I left for Europe, I had a guy dig me up a work badge for LexCorp Towers. I had no intention of using it then, but I’m sure glad that I have it now. I easily sneak in at the basement employee entrance. But finding my way to Luthor’s penthouse will be another matter altogether. At least I know the general direction. Up.
I take a few wrong turns, oddly ending up in a wine cellar. I guess when you’re a billionaire you need a cache of wine even at the office!
At last, I find an elevator and take it up as far as it will go. It stops on the 60th floor, as the last ten are evidently for privileged personnel only. “Drats,” I mutter, stepping off the elevator to look for a stairway entrance.
I walk down a few innocuous hallways, uncertain how I’ll get off this floor besides taking the elevator back down. But having come this far, I’m not going to back out now.
I see a tall beautiful black woman approach a different elevator that has a key swipe pad next to it. This has to be the elevator that leads to Luthor’s suites. I remember seeing a cleaning crew cart down another hallway, and I quickly double back to see if it is still there. Luckily it is, and I quickly run to grab it.
I race back to the elevator just as the woman steps in.
“Wait! Please!” I cry in a faux French accent.
The woman doesn’t even glance at me, but luckily the cart jams the door open so I can get in.
I almost offer an explanation, but the woman is either preoccupied with something, or I am totally below her radar.
“Mr. Luthor does not like his employees taking the main elevator,” she addresses me coolly, still not looking at me, but burying her nose in a day planner. “If he sees you, he’ll fire you. Better get off before I do if you want to keep your job.”
She pushes a button, and shortly the elevator stops at the 64th floor. “Merci,” I say and quickly exit.
This floor looks like a hotel, with lots of doors leading to who knows where. But I need to get up to the penthouse. I watch the elevator floor indicator and see that the woman gets off at the top floor. I try calling it back down, but notice there is another card swipe pad. The elevator won’t come back down to this floor without the key card.
I start wandering the hallways, looking for another way up, slowly pushing my cart. I notice security cameras above me, and my heart is pounding with worry that any moment I’ll be discovered. At last, I come to a stairwell.
I abandon my cart and begin to climb. Two flights up, I try a door, and as I feared, it is locked. I have a feeling they will all be locked, but I continue climbing. At the 70th floor, I’m a bit out of breath, but try one more time. Nothing. I rest against the door a moment, thinking I was foolish to have come here, especially without my handy superpowered boyfriend…
There is at least one more level of stairs to go, and because I’ve made it this far and I’m curious as to what can be on the next level, I continue to climb. This door has a long push handle across it, but doesn’t seem attached to any alarms, so I go through it.
I’m on the roof. I step outside, and I’m immediately three feet from the edge of the tallest building in Metropolis. I can’t even see the street from up this high. Feeling a moment of vertigo, I quickly step back so I’m pressed against the entrance to the roof. I hear a loud noise from behind me and I realize it’s a helicopter. I edge my way around the roof entrance structure , and see Lex Luthor himself heading to the helipad carrying the box I had seen in Venice. I move closer, sticking to the edge of the building, and a gust of wind suddenly snatches my cap and skews my wig. Before I can right it, Luthor sees me!
“Grab her!” he shouts to one of his goons.
I yelp and spin around, heading back the way I came. Only the door is locked shut! I slam at it helplessly, and then feel two strong men grab me on each side. “Let go of me!” I cry angrily. They drag me over to where Luthor is next to the helicopter. He pulls my wig off and grins wickedly at me.
“You do love disguises, don’t you, Miss Lane?” Then he looks to his goons and gestures to the helicopter. “She's coming with us. I don’t have time to deal with her here. But I want to keep an eye on her.”
I protest, realizing how stupid it was to come here all alone, without even telling Clark what I was up to. But before I can even kick again at the goons holding me, a handkerchief comes to my mouth and I’m suddenly very sleepy…
*L**L*
I wake up in the luxury helicopter, tied into a plush leather seat, with my feet and hands bound. I’m facing away from Luthor and his copilot, so they can’t know I’m awake. I glance around me and see the box of green rock is strapped into the seat next to me.
I lay my head back, straining to hear what they are talking about over the muffled noise of the chopper. I close my eyes, in case anyone decides to check on me, and let my head slip down. It’s best to appear as innocuous as impossible, at least until we land.
“We’re about 35 miles out of Smallville, Mr. Luthor. But I just heard a tornado warning come through the wire. We should head back to Metropolis and try another day…”
“No, we’ll make it. I’ve been searching for this rock too long… If there’s a depository as large as my men say there, then I want to see it. I’m the only one who can confirm it is the same type of mineral from my sample. We’ll be fine. Continue the course.”
“But Mr. Luthor—“ the pilot protests, and I silently agree.
“I don’t pay you to second guess me, Captain. Now, stay the course!” Luthor answers in a tone that brooks no argument.
I begin to worry in earnest. Luthor is sending us into a death trap!
As we near Smallville, winds are obviously starting to pick up. The helicopter is still on course, but it feels like we’re being tossed around a bit. The box with Luthor’s rock in it tumbles to the floor, tossing the green mineral into a corner.
“Sir, we need to turn back! Now!” the captain cries, his voice filled with anxiety.
“No! No twisters have been sighted yet, Captain. We’ll make it. We’re almost there!”
We continue a little ways further, and I watch the storm brewing outside my window. Thunder and lightning abound, and I suddenly see a terrifying sight as a twister starts forming out of the clouds.
I can keep silent no longer, and I cry, “A tornado! There! It’s forming!”
Luthor peeks behind the seat at me, but notices his precious rock on the ground. He crawls over the seat to pick it up, but as he bends to get it, I kick him in the rear with my bound feet, knocking his head on the door. I struggle to unbuckle my seatbelt, as I cry over my shoulder, “Turn this thing around, Captain!”
“I can’t! The winds are driving it now!” he screams in return.
My seatbelt is a latch belt, and I manage to get my forearm under the clip and scoot forward in my seat to loosen its length. I crawl out from underneath it and land with a thud on the floor of the helicopter. We’re starting to fishtail a bit, but I have to give credit to the captain for keeping us as steady as he has.
I know our only real chance is Clark—if he even knows I’m up here! But he can’t come anywhere near the chopper with that green rock!
I scoot towards it, debating how I can get rid of it. Luthor suddenly stirs awake, though he seems a bit out of it. He reaches upwards to lift himself up, though his hand grabs for the door handle!
“Mr. Luthor!” I cry, but it’s too late. The door swings open, just as we dip sideways. He manages to pull himself up, but the rock slips to the edge, about to teeter out of the chopper. I realize this could be my chance to get rid of the thing once and for all and I slither a bit further on the floor and kick it out.
I glance up at Luthor, who looks at me with hateful anger. “You—what have you done?!”
Furiously, he pushes on my shoulder, sending me almost out of the chopper entirely! I can feel the winds licking at my heels, and the chopper dips sideways. I slip out further, and I grab onto the side of the door with both of my tied hands. I can hear the winds whistling fiercely around us. I glance up and see Luthor looming over me. The winds begin to howl and I realize we’re about to be sucked up into a funnel!
“Help!” I cry, wanting desperately to call for Clark. “Help, please!”
Luthor gets knocked to his feet by the shifting chopper, and my grip is slipping from the rail, when suddenly, I feel arms wrap around me. It’s him. He came!
“I’ve got you, Lois,” he says in my ear, as he tucks me into his arms. I see they are wrapped in the blue spandex, and even in my distress, I can’t help but smile. His moment to become Superman has finally come.
Suddenly we’re pulled away from the winds, and before I can blink Clark sets me down by the storm cellar on his farm. Mr. and Mrs. Kent are there, and they quickly take me inside. The winds are less here than they were in the air, but the storm is rapidly increasing. I glance at Clark, new in his suit, his cape fluttering behind him.
“I have to go, Lois. You’ll be safe here,” he says, taking off into the air.
I climb down the stairs of the cellar, and we pull the doors closed above us. I watch through the slats, unable to keep my gaze from the sky as Clark---no, Superman—flies back up to rescue the helicopter.
Soon, the winds become too great and I can’t see anything further, so I step back into the cellar with the Kents.
I glance at them and smile. “This is it. This is his moment. The moment heroes are made.”
