CHAPTER 1 "MAKES ME SHAKE"

DISCLAIMER: not mine, as if we didn't know already.

NOTES: Back to the present: 14th July, 2020. Night.

***

Chris was back.

As much as her mind struggled with fear of that reality escaping her life like sand grains through her fingers, the overwhelming array of sensations inside her told Lois it was real. But she knew the tension would not go away until she saw him with her very eyes.

Clark, anything but oblivious to her distress, had tried to calm her with reassuring words of their kid safely kept at the Watchtower, under the best of cares. Fine, she had said. He would be brought back to Earth as soon as it was safe, he had replied. And before he even dared to suggest the possibility of her waiting until then to see him, Lois had told Clark that she would go with him to the JLA's lunar quarters. It had not been a request. Neither Clark nor Ollie had dared to digress, and immediately after calling them, the head strategist of the League had set in motion the visiting protocol; only League members knowing Superman's human identity would have access to Medical Bay, and Lois would be allowed clearance only in certain areas.

Chris was back, and for all she cared, the rest of the world could go to shit. With Lex Luthor at the head of the herd.

Not even the dizziness after the travel to the Watchtower shook away her determination. She was angry with Lex, angry with herself for having let that happen, and nervous and eager to see her foster son after four years of absence. Her racing mind was flooded with past warm memories and with the knowledge that once she made sure the kid was alright, she would put all her personal resources into hunting and trapping, once and for all, Lex. God damned her if she didn't. The bastard would know how implacable Lois Lane could also be.

***

Clark hadn't said a word, knowing Lois' mind was probably enough agitated to add anything to it. Silently, he walked with her through the corridor leading to Chris' room. Approaching the widened space designed as a waiting room, where Ollie, Diana and Emil were waiting, he took Lois' hand in his, receiving a reassuring squeeze that calmed a little the fast beating of his heart.

Emil was the first to approach the couple, arm extended to greet them. "Lois, Clark, welcome," he said giving Clark a quick handshake.

"Can we see him?," asked Lois disregarding any formality with the people gathered there.

Ollie was the one to answer. "Of course," he said. "Dinah's in the room with him waiting for you both."

"Lois, hon, why don't you go there while I ask them what happened?" Lois nodded. "Diana, would you...?," he started saying.

The amazon smiled. "Of course, Kal. This way, Lois," she said indicating with her extended arm the way to the room.

Lois gave Clark a kiss. "I'll see you inside." And she walked away with Diana.

Once she turned left to the corridor leading her to the room and Clark could not follow them any longer with his normal vision, he turned his attention back to the two men standing in front of him.

"What happened?," he simply asked.

"We don't know the details yet, Clark," said Ollie. "I just took him out of there as fast and safely as I could"

"Whatever they did to him, he was taken good care of, Clark," said Emil. "I've just run some preliminary tests and it's too soon to tell anything, but I can safely say he's healthy and strong. I don't know how long he's been in that pod, but all the wires attached to his body kept him not only nurtured but also with his muscles active and in shape. We've started to revert the induced coma he was put in, but when he wakes up he will feel like he went to bed yesterday night."

***

Diana placed a hand on Lois' shoulder while they silently walked towards Chris' room. "Are you all right, Lois?"

Lois didn't turn her head, and her tone was as serious as her face looked to Diana's eyes. "No," she said. "I'm light years far from being all right, Diana. I'm pissed, I'm furious, I'm worried and happy at the same time. But all right? A snowball in a bonfire has a better chance of being all right in this moment, believe me."

Diana tried to reason in order to keep her calm. She felt an amount of tension boiling inside that she knew the reporter didn't deserve. "He's alive and with you, isn't that the most important thing?"

"I still have to go through a lot of anger before I get there, Diana. Lex had him wired to some machine for who knows what and for who knows how long. He was a twelve-year-old kid, for God's sake! The sweetest boy you could imagine. He didn't deserve it."

The corridor towards the room suddenly seemed ridiculously long. Diana knew Lois enough to try mere comfort words; it would be like trying to make a dent on a diamond using a pencil. But she was also convinced that Lois would leave all her rage behind her eyes as soon as she entered the room. While she typed the entrance code she heard her taking a deep breath before stepping inside.

Yes, Lois would now focus on Chris, and the rest of the world would have to wait. Closing the door back, Diana turned and left to the main hall.

***

The sounds of the machines to which Chris was attached produced each a particular yet constant sound, a rhythm proving his stable condition. Knowing that, Dinah found them relaxing rather than annoying.

She had met the boy four years before, when Clark found him on the ship and took care of him together with Lois as his legal guardians, granting him a human identity as Chris Kent-Sullivan.

No longer living in Smallville and using Bruce's help, it hadn't been too difficult to make him Chloe Sullivan's son and build up a story about deceased legal guardians. The mother was dead, so no questions were asked regarding that front, and the only indiscretions, dwelled on the couple's obvious problems of infertility, because no one could believe that such a pair would not have a baby of their own. Knowing about those assumptions had pissed Dinah off; couldn't people simply think of adoption as a voluntary choice? Granted this case was different, but hell, it would put a whole lotta pressure off Lois' shoulders. She'd seen her face when she was asked about when they were planning to have kids, and as good as Lois was concealing emotions, she always failed at that one.

Lois' and Dinah's mutual relationship had improved exponentially since those rough beginnings, and Dinah had to admit to herself that the only reason preventing her from being jealous of Lois Lane, one of her husband's past lover, had been the profound love the reporter felt for Clark; there was nobody else in the universe, literally, than Clark for her, and it worked both ways. Lois was the kind of woman you wouldn't want near your beau. Ever. Not because of her doing anything. Just because of her being who she was. And Ollie had not always been the loving and caring and faithful husband he was now. So once she got passed that rivalry, she let her defenses down, and she never regretted it. It wasn't the same kind of friendship as with Babs, they didn't have that level of confidence, but it was good enough to feel very protective of her and hating seeing her hurt. So yes, it bugged her that people could hurt Lois, even if unbeknownst to them, by asking silly questions about babies. Even more when she had seen that glee in her eyes when Chris was with them. Then, as if cued by her thoughts, the reporter entered the room.

Dinah immediately stood up to receive her. She was already staring at Chris. "He's ok, he's sleeping."

"He's in a coma, Dinah," said Lois with her eyes fixed on her foster son.

"Induced," insisted Dinah, "and he's already been taken out of the medics, so he'll wake up any moment now."

"He...he's grown up, you know? He's older," said Lois.

Uneasiness or anger, Dinah was not very sure. "Not older than he should be," she said reassuringly.

"He should be around sixteen years."

Lois' emotions were struggling to come out through her eyes, and Dinah knew that she wasn't a big fan of displays of deep feelings with anybody but Clark. As friendly as their relationship was, this was clearly a moment for her alone or with family. She turned to leave.

"I'll go get Clark."

"Thank you," said Lois absentmindedly.

Once Dinah left, she approached his bed and kneeled by his side, caressing the boy's features. Dinah was right, he looked as if he was just sleeping, ready to open his eyes any moment. "Chris," she whispered. "Sweetie, I've missed you so much. Whatever happened I'm sorry, honey, I just wish Clark and I could've done something to prevent this. I'm so sorry, Chris."

Suddenly she caught a slight movement from his left leg. Then he slowly began to stir.

"Chris?"

***

Lex's chief of security paced nervously around the room. The high ceiling, the wooden stairs, the Victorian furniture didn't make the coldness he was feeling go away. Quite the contrary, indeed. He had been summoned by Lex, but his boss wasn't there. He wondered if that was another strategy to make him more nervous than he already was. Another way to control him, as if the head of former LuthorCorp, didn't already. Lex Luthor was all about control, and he exerted it with brilliancy. And he was also a man who never took a step without knowing the direction his feet were taking.

Suddenly the doors opened and Lex entered accompanied by a man Marcus hadn't seen before.

"How long have you been working for me, Marcus?," asked Lex.

"Fourteen years, sir," responded the man.

"Your loyalty has transcended all imaginable barriers. There is not even a family of your own. Dead parents, no siblings, no wife, no kids."

"No sir." This didn't look good.

"And fourteen years at my service," repeated Lex acknowledging the other. "In that span of time you've committed murder, extortion and kidnapping, among other crimes, never questioning my orders."

"Yes, sir." Definitely not good.

"You carried all your tasks so well that you never left a trace. I've studied your profile thoroughly. There is no way LexCorp or myself for that matter, can be linked to any of them."

"That was part of my job, sir."

"And that is what makes this all the easier for me. I cannot thank you enough, Marcus," said Lex coolly.

Before Marcus could react, the bullet had already penetrated his skull. Within seconds he was dead on the floor.

"Dispose of the body, Mr. Daniel. And welcome to the team."

Lex turned and left the room. He had a busy day ahead, and there was a certain doctor he wanted to talk to.

***

The boy slowly opened his eyes, squinting them at the sudden burst of light. But he had them open enough to see a familiar face filled with a mixture of pain and happiness, looking at him.

Chris smiled. "Mom."

Lois didn't know if laughing or crying, so she did both. "Hey, kiddo."

"You...you've changed your hair. It's longer. And lighter now."

A chuckle. Relief. "It is, isn't it?"

"You look beautiful."

Lois hugged him as tight as she could trying not to melt on her son. "I've missed you so much, Chris."

As he let himself be caught in Lois' embrace he noticed a weird sensation. As if she had gotten smaller. Then he saw his hands. It wasn't Lois the one changed. It was him. "I...I'm bigger," he said.

Lois broke the hug and merely nodded.

"How...how long has it been?," he finally asked.

Lois looked at him trying to have a very reassuring smile on her face. Chris had passed from his childhood to his teens away from her, and she wasn't very sure of how to approach him, no matter how good he was, and she didn't want to scare him. "Let's not worry about that, sweetie, all that matters is that you're back and safe."

"I guess I am, right? Back, I mean."

"You better be sure of that, kid."

His smile turned into a grin, widening when the door opened and he saw the only man he had ever considered as a real father entering the room.

For a few seconds they just shared a look. Chris and Clark had a bond, due to their kryptonian nature, that he didn't share with Lois. That didn't make him love her less. It was just different. And Clark spoke through his eyes. So he silently fixed his pupils on the cerulean corneas. He saw happiness; he saw joy. And he saw the determination of finding whoever had kept him away from him and Lois. Chris felt that whatever was going on in their lives, they were just getting started.

****

AUTHOR'S NOTES: My first obvious choice as the League's doctor was Pieter Cross, but following Smallville and ignoring Comic canon (see the Ruin saga), I decided Emil suited perfectly, with no further explanation needed as to why the closeness to the rest and why does he know their IDs (although his coming in Smallville was never explained).

Chris' remarks on Lois' hairstyle do come from comic canon though: those who have read the issues presenting Chris will remember a Lois Lane with short, dark hair.

I figured that changing the name of his corporation into LexCorp rather than keeping Smallville's LuthorCorp was the natural evolution from Lex and his ego. And after all, he did kill his father, so why keep the name? LexCorp it is.

****