Bailiff Alphonse Deaton stood to his full five feet seven inches of height and bellowed, “Hear ye, hear ye, court is now in session, Judge Robert B. Parker presiding. All rise!”
Everyone in the packed room rose to his or her feet as His Honor Judge Parker strode to the bench. He paused a moment to gaze out over the crowd, just as he had the previous three sessions, then gathered his robes and sat.
“Be seated, everyone,” Deaton commanded. He waited until everyone else was seated, then he moved to his place beside the bench, ready to do whatever the judge required of him.
“We are now adjudicating the case of the People vs. Lois Lane.” Parker picked up the sheet of paper in front of him. “Will the defendant please rise?”
Lois and Rhonda Albright, her attorney, both stood. “Ms. Albright,” said the judge, “this piece of paper states that you and your client have arrived at a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s office. Is that correct?”
“Yes it is, Your Honor.”
“Hmm. Assistant District Attorney Drake, do you concur with Ms. Albright’s statement?”
Mayson rose and nodded sharply. “The People agree, Your Honor.”
“Very well. This agreement states that Lois Lane, defendant in this trial, has agreed to testify in regard to what she learned last April and May about the criminal activities of a number of people, including one Lex Luthor. In return, the defendant has agreed to a probationary period of three years, less time already served, for one count of grand theft auto and two counts of endangering the public by discharging a firearm within the city limits. She will remain within this jurisdiction unless granted permission by either this court of the District Attorney’s office, and will keep said authorities apprised of her living address at all times. She is also required to remain gainfully employed for the duration of her probation.” Parker shook his head and sighed. “Should she complete this probation as indicated, the defendant’s record will be expunged.” He lowered the sheet and glared at Mayson. “Is this accurate?”
Mayson ground her teeth. “It is accurate, Your Honor.”
“Has your boss signed off on this deal? If the defendant completes her probation, her record will contain nothing of her recent activities.”
“My boss and I are fully aware of this, Your Honor.”
Parker sat back and entwined his fingers across his ample stomach. “Counselor, this is a most generous plea deal on the part of the State of New Troy and the city of Metropolis, especially since Ms. Lane stands accused of shooting at least four people, shooting directly at another, and threatening to shoot at least two more. There are also possible kidnapping and forcible detainment charges involved in this case. Not to mention things like trespassing, illegal entry of private property, carrying an unlicensed firearm within the city limits, and destruction of personal property. Can you give me some of the reasons why you would even consider making this offer?”
Mayson hesitated, then straightened even more. “Your Honor, the people whom the defendant is accused of actually shooting either can’t be located within our jurisdiction or have declined to offer testimony in this case on advice of counsel. Neither we nor the police have located any corroborating witnesses to the other shootings or threatened shootings. The two victims of her – I’m sorry, the alleged victims of her alleged threats to allegedly shoot them also refuse to testify, both on medical grounds and on advice of counsel.”
“Medical grounds?”
“The alleged victims of the alleged threats can’t remember clearly what happened. Apparently – I’m sorry, allegedly – they were given a sedative which interfered with their short-term memories. The two alleged victims cannot – or will not – corroborate each other’s stories.”
Parker sighed deeply. “So, Ms. Drake, you’re left with a defendant against whom almost no one will testify, but who is willing to offer her testimony in turn against a number of alleged criminals? And this is why you’ve given up on this case?”
Mayson closed her eyes and paused for a moment as her lips moved. The bailiff thought she was counting to ten, but he didn’t know why.
She opened her eyes and exhaled. “Your Honor, there are extenuating circumstances. The defendant is an investigative reporter for the Daily Planet, and this kind of case would fall under her purview at work. She was also operating under the incorrect belief that she was suffering from a late-stage fatal cancer, one from which she would have died within a few short weeks. The District Attorney’s office is also of the definite opinion that Ms. Lane is most unlikely to repeat her actions for any reason.”
“I see. And why, Ms. Drake, would your boss make that assumption?”
Mayson turned her head and glared at the defendant. “Aside from the facts that the defendant has no prior criminal record, has freely confessed to all of her illegal activities, and has in the past garnered numerous awards for bringing other criminals to justice – the legal way – she plans to get married as soon as she can.”
Parker’s eyebrows rose. Bailiff Deaton’s eyebrows also rose. He’d never before heard that particular piece of information included in a plea bargain review.
The judge leaned forward and spoke sharply. “Ms. Lane?”
“Yes, Your Honor?”
“What would you do if I declined to accept this plea bargain agreement? You do understand that I can do that if I see fit, don’t you?”
“I do understand that, Your Honor. I guess I’d go through a trial on some or all of the charges you mentioned earlier.”
Parker nodded. “And what about your testimony against these other defendants? What would happen to that?”
“I would still testify, Your Honor.”
Parker’s voice showed his surprise. “You would?”
“Yes, sir.” Lois’ voice rose and carried through the room. “Because I believe that justice is more important than my own comfort. I believe that our city deserves to be free of the criminal organization and the corruption that has been choking it for so many years. I want to see Metropolis free, even if I’m not.”
Deaton looked at the defendant with new respect. He’d heard all kinds of excuses, rationalizations, explanations, justifications, and the occasional confession from many on trial for their freedom in the last dozen years, but he’d never heard this before. His opinion wouldn’t make any difference to the judge, he knew, but Alphonse Deaton believed this woman. He believed that she’d do what she thought was right, irrespective of the judge’s decision.
He glanced at Judge Parker, who had sat back in his chair, his mouth open slightly and his eyes wide. Apparently this was something new to him also.
After a long moment, Parker grasped his gavel and raised it, then hesitated. “Ms. Lane, is the man who is willing to marry you in the courtroom today?”
Behind Lois, a broad-shouldered man wearing a conservative suit and a tie with an Escher design on it stood and raised his hand. “I’m here, Your Honor.”
“And what is your name?”
“Clark Kent, sir. I also work for the Daily Planet.”
“I see. And you believe that you can keep this young woman out of trouble for the next three years?”
Kent smiled and his gaze slipped to Lois for a moment. “I sure hope so.”
Deaton could see a tiny smile trying to work its way onto the judge’s mouth. “Young man, do you understand what you’re letting yourself in for? I have a hunch this woman would be very difficult to break to harness.”
Kent smiled wider. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I plan to marry her instead of throwing a saddle and bridle on her, isn’t it, sir?”
Deaton almost smothered his laugh, and he was more successful than the judge was. Parker let the chuckling go on for several seconds, then he banged his gavel once. “Okay, folks, quiet down. That one’s on me for laughing. Just don’t push your luck.”
Parker held the gavel horizontally, the handle in one hand and the hammer end in the other. “Ms. Drake, I am going to sign off on this deal.”
“Thank you, Your Honor,” Mayson said.
“Just a minute. Ms. Lane, do you understand that you will be on probation for – let’s see – two years, eight months, and about twenty days? That you can’t leave the state without permission from this court, that you can’t afford so much as a parking ticket in that time, that you can’t cross the line into anything which is the least little bit illegal without being immediately incarcerated?”
“I do, Your Honor.”
“I certainly hope so, both for your sake and the sake of that brave young man behind you.” Parker lifted the gavel and whacked the wooden block on his bench. “So ordered. Ms. Drake, you will see that Ms. Lane is – hey!” He smacked the gavel down twice more as the crowd noise grew. “I’m not finished, people! Quiet down!”
As the noise level retreated to an anticipatory buzz, Parker continued. “Ms. Drake, you will make sure that Ms. Lane is introduced to her parole officer, that she is made aware of her reporting schedule, and that she signs all the necessary paperwork.”
“I’ll make sure of it, Your Honor.”
“I mean you will personally accomplish all these tasks, Ms. Drake.”
Mayson’s expression of horror almost made Deaton laugh again. “B-b-but – Your Honor, that’s not my—”
“Don’t tell me that’s not your job, Ms. Drake! For this defendant, it is your job. You submitted this plea deal, got it approved and talked me into it, so you get to walk it all the way through to the end, and you’ll have to make sure every ‘I’ is dotted, every ‘T’ is crossed, and every tiny detail is seen to with the utmost alacrity and precision. Do you understand?”
Mayson’s teeth ground together again, but she answered, “Yes, Your Honor, I understand.”
“Good,” intoned Parker. “And don’t make a habit of putting deals like this in front of me. You’ll ruin my reputation as a fierce defender of Lady Justice.”
“Of course, Your Honor.”
Parker slammed down his gavel once more. “Court is adjourned.”
Deaton immediately stepped forward and called out, “All rise!” When the judge was out the door, Deaton walked to the defendant’s table and gestured with his hand. “You’ll need to accompany ADA Drake, ma’am, to get the process started.”
“Oh.” The woman looked startled. “Do I – will they take me to another cell somewhere?”
“No, ma’am, just to the DA’s office for some paperwork. As long as you keep your nose clean, you won’t see the inside of a cell again unless you bring it on yourself.”
“Thank you. I promise not to do that.”
Deaton lifted one eyebrow. “Don’t give me that promise, Ms. Lane. Give it to the tall bright-eyed and handsome man standing behind you.”
Her eyes brightened and she smiled slightly. “You mean Clark?”
“No, I was talking about Denzel Washington. Of course I mean Clark! Me, personally, I hope I never see you sitting or standing at this table again.”
The defendant smiled at him – another first, he mused. “Thank you, sir,” she said. “I promise you that I’ll promise him.”
Lane’s attorney leaned in and touched her arm. “You’ll be fine now, Lois. Call me in the morning so we can meet and go over everything once more. And bring Clark with you if you can. This will concern him too.”
Lane nodded. “Is ten o’clock too early, Rhonda?”
Albright shook her head and grinned. “Not for me. Just don’t keep your handsome young man out too late.”
*****
Mayson all but snarled at Lois as they strode down the hallway. “You do know what a pain in the butt you are, don’t you?”
Lois didn’t look at Mayson. “I’m sorry. I didn’t do all this just to irritate you.”
Mayson grabbed Lois’ elbow and yanked her to a halt. “You might just as well have done – never mind.”
Lois was surprised at the quick move but didn’t react. “May I have my arm back, please?”
Mayson huffed at the wall and released Lois’ arm. “You know, you’re almost as bad as Superman.”
Lois’ eyebrows rose. “Almost as bad as Superman? What does that mean?”
Mayson spun and pointed her index finger at Lois’ face, then lowered it and stepped closer. “No. You are worse than Superman. You’re both vigilantes, you both think you’re doing such very good things for the city, you both think you’re helping the police, but at least when he brings them in they aren’t bleeding all over the place!”
“I’m not going to do anything like this again. Not ever. Not even if I get a real terminal diagnosis in the future.”
Mayson crossed her arms and stepped back. After a long moment, she said softly, “I know. If I thought you might, I wouldn’t have pushed for this deal.”
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t do it for you.” Mayson’s face changed as if she’d said more than she’d intended, then she touched Lois’ elbow and took a step down the hall. “Come on. That paperwork won’t sign itself.”
“Wait, please.” Lois stopped them in the hall, looked both ways to see if anyone was watching them closely, then moved closer to her companion. “What did you mean, you pushed for this deal? I thought it was the DA’s idea all along.”
ADA Drake’s eyes narrowed. “My reasons are my own. You have no right to question me about them.”
“Rights? No, I don’t. But this feels – it’s personal, isn’t it?” Lois’ felt her eyes widen as she realized something. “You don’t like me, not one bit. And it isn’t just me, is it?”
“Look, Lane, if you want to serve your time behind bars, I can go back to the judge and make sure you—”
“It’s Clark.” The words popped out without deliberate intent, but when Mayson’s face shifted and her eyes softened, Lois knew she was right. “You want Clark! Or at least you want a chance with him. Right?”
“You don’t get to—”
“I’m right, aren’t I? You’re in love with Clark. And I’d bet he doesn’t have the first clue how you feel about him.”
Mayson’s face suddenly fell and she turned away with her hand beside her mouth. Lois reached out but at the last moment decided not to touch her. “Mayson, I’m sorry. If it were any other man, I’d tell you to open up to him. But this is the man I love, the man I want to marry as soon as I can. And you know that. I’ve told you, he’s told you, your boss has probably told you, so why would you let me out of jail? Why would you make it easy for me?”
Mayson sniffed hard. “B-because if you – if you went to prison he’d wait for you. He wouldn’t look at another woman. He’d visit you every chance he got and encourage you and promise to wait for you and – and I couldn’t compete with that. No one could. But if you were free, maybe – just maybe – he’d get tired of you and your danger-magnet ways before you could put a ring through his nose. And – and I’d be there for him to talk to, get closer to, be friends with, and maybe even fall in love with.”
Lois waited a moment, then said, “You know that’s not going to happen.”
Mayson dashed at her eyes with a vicious swipe. “Long shot, yeah, but those were the only odds I could get. And don’t get cocky! If I thought for one second that you were a danger to the public you’d be on bread and water and in solitary for the duration of your sentence. Everything the judge said in there was the truth.” She turned to Lois with dry but reddened eyes. “I refuse to allow anyone to be a danger to public safety. I don’t believe you’re a danger, except for your habit of jumping in with both feet before you know if you’re headed toward water or acid.”
Lois almost smiled. “I hope I’ve learned my lesson in that regard.”
“You’d better have. Or I just might join you in the prison exercise yard. I doubt the judge would be so accommodating to either of us next time.”
“How about we get that paperwork done instead? That way neither of us has to be introduced to the joy of busting rocks.”
Mayson gave her a look that was half-way between irritated and amused. “You know we don’t do that anymore.”
Lois shrugged as she fell into step beside the attorney. “Just as well. I sunburn easily.”
This time Mayson actually smiled without meeting Lois’ gaze. But Lois didn’t care. She was marrying Clark Kent, the man who on occasion disguised himself as Superman to save lives and help people, the best man on two planets, and not even a confession from a potential competitor for his affections could dampen her day. In a matter of days, if not hours, she and Clark would be exchanging vows, rings, and promises for their joined futures.
On top of that, Lex’ empire had all but disintegrated. Even if Lois had chosen not to testify against him, the number of witnesses and victims who had come forward after his arrest had astounded even Clark. It seemed that nearly every person of influence in Metropolis had accused Luthor of wrongdoing, and his chances of ever being free were so close to nothing that they weren’t worth computing.
And that didn’t take into account what he’d tried to do to her personally. She would have testified against the lying snake even if he hadn’t tried to seduce her into marrying him. And the overpowering urge to gargle her tongue out at the slightest hint of any memory of his kisses was finally starting to wane.
The two women stopped in front of a door labeled Asst. DA’s Office. Mayson touched the doorknob, then looked at Lois. “One more thing, Lois. Clark doesn’t get to hear any of what I told you. Agreed?”
Lois tilted her head and asked, “Hear what? I don’t remember you telling me anything.”
Mayson’s expression softened. “Thanks. I owe you one.”
Lois waltzed through the door as Mayson opened it. “And I plan on collecting as soon as I get back to my desk at work. There are a couple of stories I’ll need information about, and I’m sure we can work something out.”
“Be careful about promising something you can’t deliver. You’re on probation, remember?”
“I don’t think my parole officer would object to you and me sharing the occasional lunch.”
“Gaahhh!” grunted Mayson. “Please let’s not end up friends.”
A crooked smile surfaced on Lois’ mouth. “That works for me, too. Now where are those papers? I still have to call my mother and tell her I’m getting married without her input on the wedding plans.”
Mayson’s grin turned evil as she indicated a stack of papers written in legalese. “Really? In that case, maybe you need more sympathy than I can give you. I know how my mother would have reacted.”
Lois picked up a loose pen and leaned down to sign the top page where Mayson was pointing. “If I need police protection, I’ll give you a call.”
“Have Clark call me.”
Lois stopped writing but didn’t look up. “My memory would have to improve first.”
“Ugh. I’d rather owe you one.”
“Done. Next page?”
“Slow down, Lois, you’ve got quite a few pages to go.”
“No problem. I’ll just pretend I’m signing the marriage license.”
Mayson didn’t answer, but Lois knew it wasn’t over between them. It was going to be an interesting competition between them as they both worked for truth and justice. They’d never be close friends, but Lois was sure she could work with Mayson to put the bad guys behind bars where they belonged.
As long as Clark wasn’t around Mayson too much.
And as long as Lois was around Clark a lot.
# # #
