Fic: Man of Steel: A Risk Worth Taking (9/?)
Title: Man of Steel: A Risk Worth Taking (9/?)
Author: Babette babettew54
Canon: Superman (MOS)
Pairings; Characters: Clark/Lois, Martha Kent, Sam Lane, Lucy Lane, Lex Luthor
Rating: M
Word Count: 3,900
Summary: Lois couldn’t decide whether to ask him out or bombard him with questions hopefully to secure the ‘Story of the Century.’
Spoilers: None. It’s just speculation about hand touching in the trailer and what it could mean for Clois.
Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment owns these characters. This is strictly for my own amusement.
Author's Notes: In this next chapter, after what happened at LexCorp, Lois and Clark have a heart to heart talk, Lex makes a stunning announcement, Lois hopes to turn things around for Superman, and later Clark travels back to New York for answers. This chapter is decidedly plot-driven, and I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review. Thank you! :D
x-posted: (FFN); (A03)
Previously:
( Chapter 1)( Chapter 2)( Chapter 3) ( Chapter 4) ( Chapter 5)
( Chapter 6)( Chapter 7)( Chapter 8)
Chapter 9: Mountains in Our Way
Lex's penthouse apartment at LexCorp:
After his meeting with Lane and Kent, Lex had a lot of thinking to do. His ultimate plan to silence the Contessa and keep her hidden hadn't worked, and if she did resurface, it could ruin all his plans to make his final bid for the presidency. He'd been thinking about it since he was a young man and now the time seemed to be right. It represented ultimate power and achievement, and with Superman tittering on the brink of will he stay or will he go, he had made up his mind. There could be only one savior of Metropolis, and it was him. He picked up his cellphone made a few inquiries to his personal assistant. Silence at the end of the phone for a moment.
"Did you hear me, Janet? I want to move on this as quickly as possible. No delays, nothing and tomorrow morning would be the perfect time."
"But Sir, the presidency, I mean, why not Congress, or City Council, even?" Janet was dumbstruck. This is the first time she'd heard of his plans.
"Just set it up and don't ask questions." Lex was not in the mood for this. He hung up. The rubbed his hands together. Metropolis would get the money they needed to rebuild and then he would put his plans into motion. No one would be above him, especially not Superman. He walked over to the terrace and looked up at the sky.
Move over Superman, the election will be mine.
~o~o~
Lois's apartment, a little while later:
Lois was getting worried and upset. Clark hadn't spoken one word since leaving LexCorp. She watched him closely as he sat down on the sofa seemingly deep in thought. "Are you hungry? It's nearly dinnertime."
He shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry." Then he raised his sad eyes to her face. "He's right, you know."
Lois was stunned as she sat down next to him. "Right about what, nothing he said made any sense? It's obvious to me that he's totally insane."
"But more of them could come. I have no way of knowing. Zod and my Father said …"
Lois frowned. "Do you mean Jor-El or Jonathan Kent?"
He had forgotten that she has spent time with his biological father. "I meant Jor-El. Anyway, a long time ago, centuries even, Kryptonians sent out scout ships into the galaxy, so I have no way of knowing if there are more of them out there." He sighed. "It's probably best that I leave, leave Earth to protect everyone."
Lois could not believe he was serious about this. "You don't mean that. What would happen to us if they came here, threatened us and you were gone? We wouldn't survive it." She paused to gather her composure. "I wouldn't survive." Her eyes watered, devastated by even the thought of him leaving.
He closed his eyes, stood up from the sofa and walked over to the window. Lois followed him. She put her arms around him from behind. "Clark, this is your home. You can't leave." Tears threatened, then she closed her eyes to stem the flow. "My heart would break if you left and I know yours would too. You can't leave me, you can't." She hated making this about her, about them, but it was true. They both would wither and die if he left.
"Lois," he whispered understanding how she felt. He turned around and pulled her close, but then her tears became heartbreaking sobs. He picked her up, and Lois clung to him as if her life depended upon it. "Don't cry, please don't cry."
He took her to her bedroom, laid down with her clinging to him. He reached up and handed her a tissue from the nightstand. "Here, blow your nose." She did as he said.
Clark was silent for a few minutes, but Lois did not know what to think. Begging and pleading was not the answer. They had to come up a way to stop Lex and then maybe after that, they could find a way of locating those ships and to see if they were still alive or not. After all, they had found one. Lois couldn't stand the silence any more. She had to know. "What are you thinking?" She held her breath and waited.
He turned his head to look at her then he stroked her cheek and wiped away her tears. "I'm not leaving."
Lois was so relieved that she threw her arms around his neck and then she kissed him hard. He kissed her back. She clung to him tightly, and soon one thing led to another, then they were both naked and in each other's arms. Clark kissed her as if he were a drowning man and she was his life breath. How could I possibly even consider for one second of leaving her? She's a part of me, plus she was right, my heart would break and hers, as well. I know that to be true.
Clark pulled her closer and drank deeply of her desire filling his soul with hope, and maybe the promise of a home and a family and a love, a truly remarkable love. She made him feel as if he deserved all of that and more.
He pulled back after a moment. They were both breathing heavily, but he had to tell her what was in his heart. He smoothed her hair away from her forehead. "No matter where I go, no matter what happens, I will always be with you and I will come back to you, Lois, don't ever doubt it."
Her eyes watered. It was exactly what she needed to hear. "I won't, I promise." She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled her to him and kissed him again. He proceeded to kiss her senseless. All too soon, kisses were not enough, and her perfect breasts gleamed from the moonlight seeping through the window. He managed to pull away from her sweet kisses and made his way down to her breasts, he suckled her nipples, loving how she cried out and gave herself fully to his desire.
Of all the women in the world, he had chosen her. Lois would make sure he would never regret that decision. He savored every inch of her until she wanted to scream for him to take her. She parted her thighs invitingly brushing against his. He sunk into her then he was in heaven. He was in heaven again. Soon though and with a cry of surrender, he took her to that alternate place of mystery where lovers became one, two souls joined, and life was formed.
A little while later, Clark heard a cry for help, so he had to leave. He kissed her temple, but Lois had already fallen asleep. He watched her for a moment then quietly left the bed and then he was gone in a matter of only a few moments.
~o~o~
The next morning, Lois awoke, and Clark was gone. She took a quick shower and headed into the office. Once there, she realized that Clark was not there either. She knocked on Perry's door hoping he knew where he was.
"Morning, Perry," Lois said, with a slight grin on her face.
Perry was immediately suspicious. "What's got you in such a happy mood? Haven't you seen the latest news?"
Lois frowned, thinking the worst. "What news?"
He shook his head at her. "Superman has been commanded to turn himself in again for questioning about any future invasions, and if he knows anything. Plus there's more. Lex Luthor will be making a statement in a few hours."
"When did all of this happen?" Lois was shocked. Hasn't Clark been through enough? Lois thought, getting angry. "Lex Luthor is making a statement?" She shook her head. Lois was beginning to worry now. What if he brings up his crazy plan to destroy Clark, what then?
"I know that look. You're on his side aren't you?"
"It has nothing to do with sides. He saved us, for goodness sake. Why can't everyone just leave him alone and let him do what he was born to do?" Lois began to pace, hating this new turn of events, not to mention Lex Luthor and his insane schemes.
Perry slowly stood up and came over to her. "Sit down, Lois." She kept pacing. "Sit down, NOW!" He commanded.
Lois sat down. Perry closed the door. "I know you denied it, but it is true isn't it?" He paused. "You love him." It was a statement.
Lois closed her eyes and sighed. "Perry, please don't ask me that again. I care about him, just like a lot of people." Her voice turned wistful, she couldn't help it. "When I think of that last battle with Zod, he could have easily died, but he didn't. He didn't die, and now, it's like everyone has just forgotten what he went through to save us. Well, I haven't forgotten, and I never will." She tried to compose herself then raised her shining eyes to his face. "We have to do something to help him. Do a poll or write an editorial or something?"
Perry turned from her and went back to his desk. He stood there for a moment and watched the play of emotions on her face. "You write it, and I'll approve it." Then Perry did something he hadn't done in a while. He wanted to encourage her, so he smiled at her.
Lois was delighted. If she didn't think he would bite her head off if she hugged him, but she didn't care at the moment. She ran to him and gave him a warm hug. "Thanks, Chief."
"Go on, now. You have until midday to make the early morning edition."
'I'm on it, Chief."
"And stop calling me Chief." He grinned at her look.
Lois gave him a dazzling smile as she opened the door, went to her desk, sat down and wrote a piece that would draw the attention of not only the citizens of Metropolis but the President of the United States actually mentioned her editorial in one of his speeches to Congress the following day.
Everyone was talking about it. The poll that Perry had set up received overwhelming support for Superman and what he was trying to do to keep them safe.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, later that same morning, at LexCorp:
Lex Luthor held up his hands as he tried to quiet the multitude of reporters. "I'll make my statement then you can ask questions. First of all, let me say how sad I am to see my city in ruins with no hope of recovery. Reconstruction will be slow. Congress is wringing its hands and even though the President has walked through here, his hands are tied. An alien invasion was clearly not in the budget and of course, it's not a natural disaster, so monies are tied up and it will be months or even years before we see a dime of it." Lex let that sink in, then, "I have a plan that will help rebuild this city. I have the funds and the means to help. I want my city back to the way it was. Superman can't rebuild this city. He's only one man. I can help, because I will be there every day to see that it gets done. Now, once we begin reconstruction, we can look to the future. In one year, we will be headed to the polls to elect a new president. I, Alexander Luthor, am officially putting my hat in the ring."
Stunned silence followed for a moment, and then frantic questions followed. "Mr. Luthor are you serious about this? When did you make this decision? Is this because of Superman and what happened here? Why are you doing this now, Mr. Luthor?"
Lex held up his hands to quiet the crowd again. "I will answer your questions in a moment." He took a deep breath as he watched the crowd. He didn't see either Lois Lane or Clark Kent. He was surprised and thoughtful, but then he continued. "My plan is to prevent this from happening again, meaning Superman needs to leave."
Stunned silence again then, "What exactly do you mean by leaving? Superman was there for us. He got rid of the Kryptonians. Without him, we would all be dead." That was Steve Lombard of the Daily Planet.
"What I meant was that he needs to leave this Planet. None of this would have happened if he hadn't been here. The Kryptonians would have continued their search leaving us in peace." Lex knew he had stirred up a can of worms, but it needed to be said.
"That doesn't make any sense. They knew he was here. Superman had already turned himself into the authorities and besides those machines came after he surrendered, so your 'plan' makes no sense. We need him here." Steve knew that to be true.
The crowd was murmuring and nodding their heads as if they agreed with Lombard.
Lex tried another tactic. "Calm down everyone. Superman can stay. The point I'm trying to make is that we don't need him anymore. We can take care of ourselves. I will make it my mission to have monies put aside for these types of disasters. Believe me when I say that you can count on me."
"And why should we believe you?" Steve wanted to know. "You haven't been exactly helpful in the past." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Answer the question, Luthor," Steve prompted when he just stood there.
Lex knew the tide was not in his favor, so he pulled out the humble card. "The point is I'm here now. Someone had to step up and take charge. Nothing was getting done. I want to help my city return to the way it was." He paused for effect. "Please let me help. That's all I want."
Everyone glanced at each other then finally, Steve spoke up again, "Alright, I admit the city could use your help, but you do realize that you can't buy votes, Mr. Luthor. It's true what they say … actions speak a hell of a lot louder than words and money for that matter." Steve made his point.
Lex had won the first battle. "I agree Mr. Lombard, and thank you all for coming this morning. I will prove to you that I want the best for this city and this country."
Janet came forward. "Please take this written statement. Thank you again." She handed them out then the conference ended.
~o~o~
Meanwhile on the outskirts of New York City:
Clark was on the way to New York again to speak with the Contessa. Every now and then, he would glance at the sky, but no drones had shown up. He hoped to find the answers to all of his questions about Lex. Why did he force her into a mental hospital, drug her within an inch of her life, and then leave her there to rot with no hope of ever seeing her daughter again, or to live out her life in peace?
Just before he had taken to the skies he had read Lois's article, and he was positively impressed. Her writing style would convince anyone to jump off a bridge, that's how commanding and determined it was. He was so proud of her, and what she was trying to do, but it may not do any good. At this point, the military had stepped back, and the command had been rescinded, but they could change their minds about that. He hoped that they wouldn't.
After changing into his work clothes a few miles down the road, he approached the Contessa's home. After he had rescued her, taken her to a safe house and then brought her to her family's estate, it had been a miracle that she had survived. Her doctors were terribly concerned once they had first examined her. She had apparently been brainwashed into believing that she was dying and that there was no hope for her recovery.
As he was walking down the road toward the home, he heard a strange and familiar noise. It reminded him of the missiles that the Army had tried to destroy him as well as the other Kryptonians. He twirled back into the suit and looked up and there it was. He launched himself into the sky and just before it could make contact and blow up the Contessa's home, he managed to get in front of it and punched the top and it went flying upward. He shot after it, and it forced it into the sea.
A disaster had been averted. Once it had exploded, he headed back to her house, but questions bombarded his brain, but then the answers came, and without a doubt, he knew that Lex was behind this, but what had she done to him to want her dead? He had to find the answers and with those answers, Lex would be stopped.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, inside the del Portenza estate:
"Did you hear that, Mommy?" Lena Luthor asked her Mother. "It sounded like an explosion."
Erica opened her eyes and tried to think clearly. "I did not hear it. Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mommy, I'm sure."
"Go get your Grandpapa, and tell him to come to see me. Go on, now."
"Alright, Mommy." Lena did as she asked. Erica managed to leave her bed and look up into the sky, and she caught a glimpse of Superman. Then suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Her Grandpapa opened the door, just as Lena was coming down the stairs.
"Mr. Kent, its nice see you again. Come in, please."
"Thank you, Sir. Hello Lena how's your Mother doing today?" Clark asked the adorable little girl. Her hair was blonde, and she had the sweetest disposition, always smiling and upbeat and according to her Grandpapa, even more so since her Mother had come home.
"Hello, Mr. Kent. She's feeling a bit sad today, but I heard an explosion, but she did not hear it. Is she going to be Ok?"
Clark glanced at her Grandpapa. "We'll do everything we can to help her Ok," Clark replied hoping to reassure her.
"Thank you, Mr. Kent." Lena believed him.
He turned to the older gentleman. "Is she up for visitors? I should have called first, but it's urgent that speak with her."
"Of course, she's getting stronger every day, thanks to you," the older gentleman said and led the way up the stairs. He called for the maid, and she took Lena to her playroom.
He knocked on the door and asked for admittance. "Come in," Erica answered the knock.
"Mr. Kent is here to see you honey. Are you up for it?"
"I'm alright, Father. Please come in, Mr. Kent."
Her Father left them alone. "Please take a seat." She watched him for a moment. "Did you see him?"
Clark frowned. "See whom?"
"Superman was just outside my window only a few minutes ago."
"No, I didn't see him," Clark replied.
"Oh, maybe I imagined it." She shook her head and rubbed her temples. "I hate this. I can't believe I've been out of it for so long … ten years, ten long years of my life gone and for what?"
"That's why I'm here. You need answers, and so do I. Lex Luthor needs to be stopped, so he can't hurt you or your daughter ever again."
She watched him for a moment. "You're here to stop him? Why should I believe you? I know you saved my life but why did you? Are you going to kill me now and go back to him and tell him that you succeeded?"
Clark wasn't surprised she would feel this way considering the circumstances. "No, that's not why I'm here. I too understand what you're feeling. You see, he wants me dead as well."
She frowned. "But you're a reporter, why would he want you dead?"
"I know some things that he'd rather not became public knowledge."
She huffed. "I'm not surprised. Lex has so many skeletons in his closet that I'm surprised he has room for his fancy suits."
"I see, but can any of it be proven?"
"I'm a witness and that why he kidnapped me. He didn't care about his unborn child or me for that matter. Once I delivered my daughter in a mental hospital, I bribed a nurse to see my child to safety, but I never heard from her or my daughter again. I didn't know whether Lena was alive until the other day." She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.
Clark felt horrible for her. "Do you want to tell me what happened between you and Lex?"
She took a deep breath. "I'll tell you." And so she began her story.
Just as she was about to begin, Clark's cellphone beeped. "Excuse me for a moment, I have to take this." Once out in the hall, he called Lois back. "Lois, what is it?"
"Clark, where are you?" Lois was worried.
"I'm in New York speaking with the Contessa," he replied. "What's happened? You sound upset."
She took a deep breath. "I hope you're sitting down. Lex just announced that he's putting his hat in the ring to … get this … become the President of the United States."
"What?" Clark was truly shocked.
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: (Love Lifts Us) Up Where We Belong, Joe Cocker.
A/N: Sorry to end it there. Oh, man, hugs my beautiful Clois. I so enjoyed writing their love scene. *sniffles* They will stop Lex, find out the Contessa's secrets, and find the missing spaceships. Don't worry; it's Clois, everything will work out. That's my muse, Laney, speaking to me as I give her side-eye glance. Please tell me your thoughts. Reviews are love and thank you for reading.
Author: Babette babettew54
Canon: Superman (MOS)
Pairings; Characters: Clark/Lois, Martha Kent, Sam Lane, Lucy Lane, Lex Luthor
Rating: M
Word Count: 3,900
Summary: Lois couldn’t decide whether to ask him out or bombard him with questions hopefully to secure the ‘Story of the Century.’
Spoilers: None. It’s just speculation about hand touching in the trailer and what it could mean for Clois.
Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment owns these characters. This is strictly for my own amusement.
Author's Notes: In this next chapter, after what happened at LexCorp, Lois and Clark have a heart to heart talk, Lex makes a stunning announcement, Lois hopes to turn things around for Superman, and later Clark travels back to New York for answers. This chapter is decidedly plot-driven, and I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review. Thank you! :D
x-posted: (FFN); (A03)
Previously:
( Chapter 1)( Chapter 2)( Chapter 3) ( Chapter 4) ( Chapter 5)
( Chapter 6)( Chapter 7)( Chapter 8)
Chapter 9: Mountains in Our Way
Lex's penthouse apartment at LexCorp:
After his meeting with Lane and Kent, Lex had a lot of thinking to do. His ultimate plan to silence the Contessa and keep her hidden hadn't worked, and if she did resurface, it could ruin all his plans to make his final bid for the presidency. He'd been thinking about it since he was a young man and now the time seemed to be right. It represented ultimate power and achievement, and with Superman tittering on the brink of will he stay or will he go, he had made up his mind. There could be only one savior of Metropolis, and it was him. He picked up his cellphone made a few inquiries to his personal assistant. Silence at the end of the phone for a moment.
"Did you hear me, Janet? I want to move on this as quickly as possible. No delays, nothing and tomorrow morning would be the perfect time."
"But Sir, the presidency, I mean, why not Congress, or City Council, even?" Janet was dumbstruck. This is the first time she'd heard of his plans.
"Just set it up and don't ask questions." Lex was not in the mood for this. He hung up. The rubbed his hands together. Metropolis would get the money they needed to rebuild and then he would put his plans into motion. No one would be above him, especially not Superman. He walked over to the terrace and looked up at the sky.
Move over Superman, the election will be mine.
~o~o~
Lois's apartment, a little while later:
Lois was getting worried and upset. Clark hadn't spoken one word since leaving LexCorp. She watched him closely as he sat down on the sofa seemingly deep in thought. "Are you hungry? It's nearly dinnertime."
He shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry." Then he raised his sad eyes to her face. "He's right, you know."
Lois was stunned as she sat down next to him. "Right about what, nothing he said made any sense? It's obvious to me that he's totally insane."
"But more of them could come. I have no way of knowing. Zod and my Father said …"
Lois frowned. "Do you mean Jor-El or Jonathan Kent?"
He had forgotten that she has spent time with his biological father. "I meant Jor-El. Anyway, a long time ago, centuries even, Kryptonians sent out scout ships into the galaxy, so I have no way of knowing if there are more of them out there." He sighed. "It's probably best that I leave, leave Earth to protect everyone."
Lois could not believe he was serious about this. "You don't mean that. What would happen to us if they came here, threatened us and you were gone? We wouldn't survive it." She paused to gather her composure. "I wouldn't survive." Her eyes watered, devastated by even the thought of him leaving.
He closed his eyes, stood up from the sofa and walked over to the window. Lois followed him. She put her arms around him from behind. "Clark, this is your home. You can't leave." Tears threatened, then she closed her eyes to stem the flow. "My heart would break if you left and I know yours would too. You can't leave me, you can't." She hated making this about her, about them, but it was true. They both would wither and die if he left.
"Lois," he whispered understanding how she felt. He turned around and pulled her close, but then her tears became heartbreaking sobs. He picked her up, and Lois clung to him as if her life depended upon it. "Don't cry, please don't cry."
He took her to her bedroom, laid down with her clinging to him. He reached up and handed her a tissue from the nightstand. "Here, blow your nose." She did as he said.
Clark was silent for a few minutes, but Lois did not know what to think. Begging and pleading was not the answer. They had to come up a way to stop Lex and then maybe after that, they could find a way of locating those ships and to see if they were still alive or not. After all, they had found one. Lois couldn't stand the silence any more. She had to know. "What are you thinking?" She held her breath and waited.
He turned his head to look at her then he stroked her cheek and wiped away her tears. "I'm not leaving."
Lois was so relieved that she threw her arms around his neck and then she kissed him hard. He kissed her back. She clung to him tightly, and soon one thing led to another, then they were both naked and in each other's arms. Clark kissed her as if he were a drowning man and she was his life breath. How could I possibly even consider for one second of leaving her? She's a part of me, plus she was right, my heart would break and hers, as well. I know that to be true.
Clark pulled her closer and drank deeply of her desire filling his soul with hope, and maybe the promise of a home and a family and a love, a truly remarkable love. She made him feel as if he deserved all of that and more.
He pulled back after a moment. They were both breathing heavily, but he had to tell her what was in his heart. He smoothed her hair away from her forehead. "No matter where I go, no matter what happens, I will always be with you and I will come back to you, Lois, don't ever doubt it."
Her eyes watered. It was exactly what she needed to hear. "I won't, I promise." She placed her hands on either side of his face and pulled her to him and kissed him again. He proceeded to kiss her senseless. All too soon, kisses were not enough, and her perfect breasts gleamed from the moonlight seeping through the window. He managed to pull away from her sweet kisses and made his way down to her breasts, he suckled her nipples, loving how she cried out and gave herself fully to his desire.
Of all the women in the world, he had chosen her. Lois would make sure he would never regret that decision. He savored every inch of her until she wanted to scream for him to take her. She parted her thighs invitingly brushing against his. He sunk into her then he was in heaven. He was in heaven again. Soon though and with a cry of surrender, he took her to that alternate place of mystery where lovers became one, two souls joined, and life was formed.
A little while later, Clark heard a cry for help, so he had to leave. He kissed her temple, but Lois had already fallen asleep. He watched her for a moment then quietly left the bed and then he was gone in a matter of only a few moments.
~o~o~
The next morning, Lois awoke, and Clark was gone. She took a quick shower and headed into the office. Once there, she realized that Clark was not there either. She knocked on Perry's door hoping he knew where he was.
"Morning, Perry," Lois said, with a slight grin on her face.
Perry was immediately suspicious. "What's got you in such a happy mood? Haven't you seen the latest news?"
Lois frowned, thinking the worst. "What news?"
He shook his head at her. "Superman has been commanded to turn himself in again for questioning about any future invasions, and if he knows anything. Plus there's more. Lex Luthor will be making a statement in a few hours."
"When did all of this happen?" Lois was shocked. Hasn't Clark been through enough? Lois thought, getting angry. "Lex Luthor is making a statement?" She shook her head. Lois was beginning to worry now. What if he brings up his crazy plan to destroy Clark, what then?
"I know that look. You're on his side aren't you?"
"It has nothing to do with sides. He saved us, for goodness sake. Why can't everyone just leave him alone and let him do what he was born to do?" Lois began to pace, hating this new turn of events, not to mention Lex Luthor and his insane schemes.
Perry slowly stood up and came over to her. "Sit down, Lois." She kept pacing. "Sit down, NOW!" He commanded.
Lois sat down. Perry closed the door. "I know you denied it, but it is true isn't it?" He paused. "You love him." It was a statement.
Lois closed her eyes and sighed. "Perry, please don't ask me that again. I care about him, just like a lot of people." Her voice turned wistful, she couldn't help it. "When I think of that last battle with Zod, he could have easily died, but he didn't. He didn't die, and now, it's like everyone has just forgotten what he went through to save us. Well, I haven't forgotten, and I never will." She tried to compose herself then raised her shining eyes to his face. "We have to do something to help him. Do a poll or write an editorial or something?"
Perry turned from her and went back to his desk. He stood there for a moment and watched the play of emotions on her face. "You write it, and I'll approve it." Then Perry did something he hadn't done in a while. He wanted to encourage her, so he smiled at her.
Lois was delighted. If she didn't think he would bite her head off if she hugged him, but she didn't care at the moment. She ran to him and gave him a warm hug. "Thanks, Chief."
"Go on, now. You have until midday to make the early morning edition."
'I'm on it, Chief."
"And stop calling me Chief." He grinned at her look.
Lois gave him a dazzling smile as she opened the door, went to her desk, sat down and wrote a piece that would draw the attention of not only the citizens of Metropolis but the President of the United States actually mentioned her editorial in one of his speeches to Congress the following day.
Everyone was talking about it. The poll that Perry had set up received overwhelming support for Superman and what he was trying to do to keep them safe.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, later that same morning, at LexCorp:
Lex Luthor held up his hands as he tried to quiet the multitude of reporters. "I'll make my statement then you can ask questions. First of all, let me say how sad I am to see my city in ruins with no hope of recovery. Reconstruction will be slow. Congress is wringing its hands and even though the President has walked through here, his hands are tied. An alien invasion was clearly not in the budget and of course, it's not a natural disaster, so monies are tied up and it will be months or even years before we see a dime of it." Lex let that sink in, then, "I have a plan that will help rebuild this city. I have the funds and the means to help. I want my city back to the way it was. Superman can't rebuild this city. He's only one man. I can help, because I will be there every day to see that it gets done. Now, once we begin reconstruction, we can look to the future. In one year, we will be headed to the polls to elect a new president. I, Alexander Luthor, am officially putting my hat in the ring."
Stunned silence followed for a moment, and then frantic questions followed. "Mr. Luthor are you serious about this? When did you make this decision? Is this because of Superman and what happened here? Why are you doing this now, Mr. Luthor?"
Lex held up his hands to quiet the crowd again. "I will answer your questions in a moment." He took a deep breath as he watched the crowd. He didn't see either Lois Lane or Clark Kent. He was surprised and thoughtful, but then he continued. "My plan is to prevent this from happening again, meaning Superman needs to leave."
Stunned silence again then, "What exactly do you mean by leaving? Superman was there for us. He got rid of the Kryptonians. Without him, we would all be dead." That was Steve Lombard of the Daily Planet.
"What I meant was that he needs to leave this Planet. None of this would have happened if he hadn't been here. The Kryptonians would have continued their search leaving us in peace." Lex knew he had stirred up a can of worms, but it needed to be said.
"That doesn't make any sense. They knew he was here. Superman had already turned himself into the authorities and besides those machines came after he surrendered, so your 'plan' makes no sense. We need him here." Steve knew that to be true.
The crowd was murmuring and nodding their heads as if they agreed with Lombard.
Lex tried another tactic. "Calm down everyone. Superman can stay. The point I'm trying to make is that we don't need him anymore. We can take care of ourselves. I will make it my mission to have monies put aside for these types of disasters. Believe me when I say that you can count on me."
"And why should we believe you?" Steve wanted to know. "You haven't been exactly helpful in the past." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Answer the question, Luthor," Steve prompted when he just stood there.
Lex knew the tide was not in his favor, so he pulled out the humble card. "The point is I'm here now. Someone had to step up and take charge. Nothing was getting done. I want to help my city return to the way it was." He paused for effect. "Please let me help. That's all I want."
Everyone glanced at each other then finally, Steve spoke up again, "Alright, I admit the city could use your help, but you do realize that you can't buy votes, Mr. Luthor. It's true what they say … actions speak a hell of a lot louder than words and money for that matter." Steve made his point.
Lex had won the first battle. "I agree Mr. Lombard, and thank you all for coming this morning. I will prove to you that I want the best for this city and this country."
Janet came forward. "Please take this written statement. Thank you again." She handed them out then the conference ended.
~o~o~
Meanwhile on the outskirts of New York City:
Clark was on the way to New York again to speak with the Contessa. Every now and then, he would glance at the sky, but no drones had shown up. He hoped to find the answers to all of his questions about Lex. Why did he force her into a mental hospital, drug her within an inch of her life, and then leave her there to rot with no hope of ever seeing her daughter again, or to live out her life in peace?
Just before he had taken to the skies he had read Lois's article, and he was positively impressed. Her writing style would convince anyone to jump off a bridge, that's how commanding and determined it was. He was so proud of her, and what she was trying to do, but it may not do any good. At this point, the military had stepped back, and the command had been rescinded, but they could change their minds about that. He hoped that they wouldn't.
After changing into his work clothes a few miles down the road, he approached the Contessa's home. After he had rescued her, taken her to a safe house and then brought her to her family's estate, it had been a miracle that she had survived. Her doctors were terribly concerned once they had first examined her. She had apparently been brainwashed into believing that she was dying and that there was no hope for her recovery.
As he was walking down the road toward the home, he heard a strange and familiar noise. It reminded him of the missiles that the Army had tried to destroy him as well as the other Kryptonians. He twirled back into the suit and looked up and there it was. He launched himself into the sky and just before it could make contact and blow up the Contessa's home, he managed to get in front of it and punched the top and it went flying upward. He shot after it, and it forced it into the sea.
A disaster had been averted. Once it had exploded, he headed back to her house, but questions bombarded his brain, but then the answers came, and without a doubt, he knew that Lex was behind this, but what had she done to him to want her dead? He had to find the answers and with those answers, Lex would be stopped.
~o~o~
Meanwhile, inside the del Portenza estate:
"Did you hear that, Mommy?" Lena Luthor asked her Mother. "It sounded like an explosion."
Erica opened her eyes and tried to think clearly. "I did not hear it. Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mommy, I'm sure."
"Go get your Grandpapa, and tell him to come to see me. Go on, now."
"Alright, Mommy." Lena did as she asked. Erica managed to leave her bed and look up into the sky, and she caught a glimpse of Superman. Then suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Her Grandpapa opened the door, just as Lena was coming down the stairs.
"Mr. Kent, its nice see you again. Come in, please."
"Thank you, Sir. Hello Lena how's your Mother doing today?" Clark asked the adorable little girl. Her hair was blonde, and she had the sweetest disposition, always smiling and upbeat and according to her Grandpapa, even more so since her Mother had come home.
"Hello, Mr. Kent. She's feeling a bit sad today, but I heard an explosion, but she did not hear it. Is she going to be Ok?"
Clark glanced at her Grandpapa. "We'll do everything we can to help her Ok," Clark replied hoping to reassure her.
"Thank you, Mr. Kent." Lena believed him.
He turned to the older gentleman. "Is she up for visitors? I should have called first, but it's urgent that speak with her."
"Of course, she's getting stronger every day, thanks to you," the older gentleman said and led the way up the stairs. He called for the maid, and she took Lena to her playroom.
He knocked on the door and asked for admittance. "Come in," Erica answered the knock.
"Mr. Kent is here to see you honey. Are you up for it?"
"I'm alright, Father. Please come in, Mr. Kent."
Her Father left them alone. "Please take a seat." She watched him for a moment. "Did you see him?"
Clark frowned. "See whom?"
"Superman was just outside my window only a few minutes ago."
"No, I didn't see him," Clark replied.
"Oh, maybe I imagined it." She shook her head and rubbed her temples. "I hate this. I can't believe I've been out of it for so long … ten years, ten long years of my life gone and for what?"
"That's why I'm here. You need answers, and so do I. Lex Luthor needs to be stopped, so he can't hurt you or your daughter ever again."
She watched him for a moment. "You're here to stop him? Why should I believe you? I know you saved my life but why did you? Are you going to kill me now and go back to him and tell him that you succeeded?"
Clark wasn't surprised she would feel this way considering the circumstances. "No, that's not why I'm here. I too understand what you're feeling. You see, he wants me dead as well."
She frowned. "But you're a reporter, why would he want you dead?"
"I know some things that he'd rather not became public knowledge."
She huffed. "I'm not surprised. Lex has so many skeletons in his closet that I'm surprised he has room for his fancy suits."
"I see, but can any of it be proven?"
"I'm a witness and that why he kidnapped me. He didn't care about his unborn child or me for that matter. Once I delivered my daughter in a mental hospital, I bribed a nurse to see my child to safety, but I never heard from her or my daughter again. I didn't know whether Lena was alive until the other day." She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.
Clark felt horrible for her. "Do you want to tell me what happened between you and Lex?"
She took a deep breath. "I'll tell you." And so she began her story.
Just as she was about to begin, Clark's cellphone beeped. "Excuse me for a moment, I have to take this." Once out in the hall, he called Lois back. "Lois, what is it?"
"Clark, where are you?" Lois was worried.
"I'm in New York speaking with the Contessa," he replied. "What's happened? You sound upset."
She took a deep breath. "I hope you're sitting down. Lex just announced that he's putting his hat in the ring to … get this … become the President of the United States."
"What?" Clark was truly shocked.
TBC!
~o~o~
Song Inspiration: (Love Lifts Us) Up Where We Belong, Joe Cocker.
A/N: Sorry to end it there. Oh, man, hugs my beautiful Clois. I so enjoyed writing their love scene. *sniffles* They will stop Lex, find out the Contessa's secrets, and find the missing spaceships. Don't worry; it's Clois, everything will work out. That's my muse, Laney, speaking to me as I give her side-eye glance. Please tell me your thoughts. Reviews are love and thank you for reading.