I KNOW! I KNOW! Don't think I've neglected you all, it's just been hectic and I haven't been able to write so in a rush I wrote this out to appease you all...hopefully. No worries about "Once More With Feeling", that is going to be updated soon. SOON. Really soon.
Reviews make me happy and happy writers get happy reviews...so make me happy.
Chloe shoved through into Watchtower, her phone held tightly in her hand as she gazed around for Oliver.
"Oliver!"
"Over here." His brisk voice was a path for her to follow through the maze of computers and wires. She found hunched over a computer, a thousand papers scattered everywhere.
"Nice mess. You're cleaning that up." She pointed out. "What's the big emergency?"
Oliver drew his face up slowly from the papers, his eyes the last to land on Chloe's face. "Where's Lois and Clark?"
"I couldn't leave Lois by herself so I left her with Clark." She gazed up at the computer screen where felon profiles whizzed by faster then she could react. "What are you doing?"
He looked back to the screen, "I did a little research to find out who Sack's cell buddy was and came back with something." He handed her the envelope. She took it, hesitating for moment before bringing it to her nose and sniffing it.
"It smells like vodka?" She crinkled her nose.
Oliver shrugged. "That's Barney for you. Just look inside." He want back to typing out something as Chloe pulled the papers out.
"Todd "The Toad" Weatherby?" Her forehead crinkled in confusion, "Who's 'The Toad'?"
"Remember when Lois created Stiletto to investigate Bruno Manheim," He started and Chloe finished.
"Who was there when Clark got shot. I still don't understand though."
"Todd 'The Toad' was. From interrogations with the police, he was there when it all happened. He saw Lois as Stiletto. He saw Clark get shot but he also Clark break the lock off the door he used to get in."
"Well that's not good." She stood beside him, her hands replacing his as they flew over the keyboard.
"So, you think he told this to Sacks who just happened to put two and two together and came up with Clark is The Blur as his answer. Don't you think that seems a bit far-fetched even for Sacks?"
Oliver leaned against the desk, his arms crossed in thought. "Sacks may have been stupid throwing Lois of a roof but he isn't dumb. "
"So, what does this mean?"
"Well, hopefully this means it's over and all we have to deal with is Lois." Oliver turned back to the screen where a blown-up picture of The Toad's face filled the screen. Oliver took in the smashed in forehead and over-lapping front lip.
"Guy really does look like a toad." Chloe commented.
Oliver smiled back at her, "Ribbit."
"And this is your desk." Lois followed Clark's eyes to rather messy desk centered in the middle of the bustling news room. She had grown fidgety in the small apartment so Clark had led her outside, like a dog and kept a close eye as she wandered around the Talon. Yet, she had grown tired of even that and after 5 minutes, she rushed out the door followed by a rather frantic Clark.
"Lois, you can't just run around like that!" He had scolded.
"Please, you practically have me on a leash. Come on. I need to leave. All this home town lovin' has got my head spinning so could we just go somewhere...else?"
Clark had refused but after Lois had pouted then yelled, he relented and now here they were at The Daily Planet.
Lois walked over to the desk, picking up her engraved name plaque.
"My desk." She let it roll over her tongue as she fingered the 'L' in her name. "I have desk." She turned back to Clark, placing the plaque down on her desk. "Where's your desk?"
Clark motioned behind her and she turned to another desk right across from hers, clean and matriculate compared to her train wreck.
"Of course." She nodded back to Clark.
"KENT! LANE?!"
Clark stood up straighter. "Oh no."
Lois turned back around around to see a tall but slightly potbellied man coming towards them. He must have held some importance since people parted a path for him like he was Moses and they were the Red Sea.
"Who's that?" Lois called back to Clark.
Clark tried to wave Perry off but it was too late.
"Where in the hells bells have you two been?"
Lois stood before him, a bemused smile on her face as she watched this man wave his hands around in the air.
"I...uh..." She turned back to Clark who had his head down. "A little help please!" She snapped and he came back to full alert.
"Perry, I got to talk you." Clark pulled up in front of Lois, blocking her from Perry's questioning gaze.
"No time!" He barked. "I just got a new photographer and I need my two best reporters here to show him the ropes."
Clark paused for a moment, "What happened to Earl?"
Perry waved him off. "Eh, He was as useful as a leaking gas tank in a Zippo factory. No, this one's good. His brother use to work here. Now, where did I leave him...Oh there he is! JIMMY!"
"What?" Clark's mouth hung open as his past seemed to come into the present.
He looked just like him. To his short brownish blonde hair to the same sea blue eyes to the same cheeky smile. Clark couldn't breath. It felt like years of guilt were pressing down on his chest in this one moment.
"Jimmy?" He breathed. The boy glanced up at him sheepishly. Clark recognized the camera that hung around his neck. It was the same one. The very same.
"Yup. This here is Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy, this is Clark Kent and Lois Lane." Perry was all smiles as Jimmy lifted his hand out to Clark.
"It's actually James but I like Jimmy."
Clark stared at the hand. Jimmy stretched his hand out a bit further. He glanced back at Perry then back to Clark, the smile slipping a bit.
"I mean you could call me James if you want? I mean, Jimmy is just a nickname. James is good though...I could be James." He looked at Perry to see if he was doing something wrong.
"Clark, what is the matter with you? Can't you see he want's to shake your hand?!"
Lois glanced at Clark. "It's okay. I'm Lois Lane...or so they tell me?" She shrugged, giving him her best smile and taking the hand he had offered to Clark.
Jimmy gazed back in confusion but continued to have the same silly smile on his face.
"Now will someone please tell me what the hell is going on." Perry gazed between Clark and Lois.
Lois decided to take the initiative on this one since Clark was still standing still with a rather stoic look on his face.
"Well, I don't know anything about this...Well, actually I don't know anything at all because I have amnesia after getting hit in the head with an iron rod by some thug named Sacks."
Perry's mouth dropped a bit and Jimmy seemed eager.
"Well, don't look so happy." She snapped at Jimmy, who immediately dropped the smile.
"I'm just...It's just...This is really what I expected the news world to be like. Now all we need is some hero in tights and we're good to go." He rolled back on the his heels.
"You're Jimmy's younger brother?" Clark finally spoke but his voice was so emotionless it was flat.
"Yeah. Yeah...Did you know him?" Jimmy asked, hope filling his eyes.
"He was married to my best friend." Clark stated as if it was a simple fact like milk came from cows.
"Chloe was married?" Lois turned back in surprise. "Really?! So, where is this fine fellow?"
Jimmy's eye's fell to the ground and he touched his camera protectively. He didn't speak up but he didn't have to because Clark answered it.
"He died, Lois." He stated simply.
Lois looked at Clark then back at Jimmy with shame, "Oh god...I didn't know."
Perry looked at the trio, his eyes going from one to the other. He wanted to speak up, he even opened his mouth but nothing seemed right so he stood there, his mouth in the shape of an 'O'. Lois slowly stepped back until she was next to Clark. She turned her head slightly to his and before she could think of what she was doing, she slid her hand into his. At first he didn't respond but after a few seconds, he felt the heat from her hand tingle it's way up his arm. Clark glanced down at her before moving his gaze down to the soft hand that was inside of his. Hesitating, he slowly closed his fingers around hers. She smiled back at him, one of encouragement which was what Clark needed.
"He was good man, your brother. He took amazing pictures and was dedicated to his job. But most importantly, he made Chloe very happy. It'd be an honor to work with you...Jimmy." The name felt different in his mouth but different in a good way. Clark's heart still broke a bit as he stared at this younger version of the friend he had lost but maybe this was a way to make up for the loss that had hit them all. Maybe Clark could finally put away that chapter of his life and move on to this one. Yes, it would still hurt and the blame would linger but Jimmy, this Jimmy, would be what Clark needed to move on.
Jimmy smile brightly at Clark's comment. "Thanks. That means a lot, Mr. Kent."
Clark winced. "We're going to have to work on a better nickname. Mr. Kent was my father."
"Well, now since that's been settled could someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"
"Like Lois said." Clark pointed to Lois. "She has amnesia."
Perry seemed upset, "How come I wasn't told of this?" He glared hard at Clark, who was slightly abashed.
"We didn't want to worry anyone."
"I'm not anyone, Kent. I'm your boss and I should know when one of my best reporters is out with amnesia!" He huffed. "Are you going to get better, Lane?"
Lois had stood with a composed smile, watching the two but her smile slid a bit as Perry looked at her through his glasses.
"It's really not up to me...White."
He slid out a breath, "Well, here take Olsen here to Metropolis Bank. Some baboon tried stealing out of the vault and got himself locked in. I want you two," He pointed hard to Lois and Clark, "To cover it while Olsen here practices his field work." Perry gave Jimmy a playful shove over to Clark and Lois.
"Perry, I don't think that's such a great idea given Lois' condition" Clark argued tenderly.
Lois turned her head to Clark, determination etched hard on her face. "Amnesia or not, once an investigative journalist, always an investigative journalist." She turned to her desk and grabbed the discarded pad off of it. "I'm all over it." She said to Perry.
"I didn't mean to offend you, Lois..." Clark explained even though he was rather taken to the old Lois that seemed to emerge.
"Please, don't think so highly of yourself." She scoffed, turning to him with a cheeky smile that made his heart jump into his throat.
Perry glanced at the two of them, "Are you sure she has amnesia?"
Clark nodded.
"Whatever. Just get to that bank and get me my story!" He ordered. Jimmy nodded excitedly while Lois gave a chuckle at his eagerness. She felt oddly comfortable in this setting, the bustle of the newspaper a calming blanket over her confusion.
"Come on. Maybe you can show me around." She grabbed his arm, twirling him around. As they walked away, Clark could hear Jimmy's nervous voice, "But I just got here..."
Clark turned to see Perry gazing at him hard. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
Perry let his face fall and for once Clark got a glimpse of the man behind The Daily Planet. The true man who had come far from the drunk who saw flying monkeys.
"Kent, I look at you and Lois like the kids I never wanted so it upsets me when you don't tell me when one of you gets into trouble or worse, ends up in the hospital."
Clark nodded his head slowly, unsure of how to answer Perry. It was odd of Perry to show any kind of affection towards...people. Perry clapped a hand on Clark's shoulder, which wasn't a small feat because Perry had to stand on his tiptoes just to reach his shoulder.
"Go get me my story, Kent!" He turned to the onlookers who had paused from their work to stare at the exchange. "What are you all looking at?! Get back to work!" He shouted and like that they dispersed. Clark smiled softly before heading over to elevator where Lois and Jimmy stood waiting.
"If I could just get a good angle..." Jimmy squinted into the lens, shifting his position to better view the vault.
"Any position would be fine, really. We've been standing here for a good hour now finding a position...the guy's probably dead." Lois said with a heavy sigh. She stood behind Jimmy, snapping her pen.
Jimmy turned to her, his face thoughtful. "Think it'd make for a better story?"
Clark scowled behind Lois, "Jimmy."
"I was kidding!" He stammered unconvincingly before turning back to his camera. "I wonder if The Blur locked him in. You know, to give him a lesson." He added with a satisfied sigh. Lois peered down at him, flash of the camera outlining the curiosity in her face.
"The Blur?" She titled her head to the side. Clark shifted his gaze uneasily. He had completely forgotten about The Blur and his effect on Lois. Would the outcome still be the same with the amnesia?
Jimmy stilled peered in the camera as he turned to answer her. "Yeah. The Blur. Metropolis' very own superhero though no one has seen 'him' since he's just...a blur. You and him talk."
"Excuse me?" Lois asked. Clark winced.
"Yeah, you are like his PR. He tells you stuff and you write it out." Jimmy turned back to the vault were they finally got the door opened. It slammed down with a heavy thud that made the crowd jump. The air inside expelled out in a wave that brought the strong smell of money and the trio gazed on as the police filed in.
"Finally." Clark breathed, grateful for the distraction.
"Took them long enough. These heels are killing me!" Lois struggled to take off her shoes when there was a loud explosion. Clark, in an instant threw himself over Lois, who gasped as the heat from the blast hit the crowd.
"JIMMY!" Clark called and was rewarded with a slight "meep" from shaking lump on the ground. Clark's super hearing went into overdrive as the cries and shouts of the crowd filtered in. He turned to check out Lois, who laid in a daze.
"What the hell happened?!" She asked, wincing as she lifted herself up in a sitting position.
"I don't know." Clark gazed around him, checking the masses to see if anyone was deeply hurt. Finding no one in critical condition, he pulled Lois to her feet.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly, holding her against him as he checked her face.
"Yeah." She breathed. She looked up at him, a small smile playing at her lips. "Are all outings like this?"
Clark was about to answer when a faint ticking came through. He turned to the burning building, the flames small but the damage big. Squinting his eyes, he x-rayed the vault where another bomb laid hidden inside an air vent. Clark didn't know much about bombs but he did know enough that this one...was big.
"I...uhhh...I have to go...call Perry. Tell him the story." He said distracted. He pulled himself away from Lois, who started to argue but he was gone in an instant.
"I'm starting to get the impression he does that enough..." She said to Jimmy, who finally stood up from his fetal position.
"Well, hello Miss. Lane." Lois turned to the sickly voice behind her. "Remember me?" He leered at her with a perverted smile. His teeth with were long and yellow and he hunched over, a mass of white hair falling over his face.
"Buddy, I don't even remember my birthday."
He hobbled to her, his arm outstretched. "You wouldn't...you were too young but I remember you."
She back away in disgust. "Listen, whoever you are and whatever issues you have, I am in no way a walking soup kitchen!"
"You're father hurt me bad. Real bad." He muttered, his hand reaching out farther.
"Excuse me, sir!" Jimmy called from behind. He placed a small hand on the man shoulders. "I suggest you leave before I call the police."
"And now you're going to pay, Lois Lane." He swung around, hitting Jimmy hard in the face. The boy crumpled to the ground, his camera hitting the pavement with a hard clank.
"Jimmy!" Lois cried.
The man turned, pulling a gun from inside his jacket. "FOR THE SINS OF THE FATHER YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!"