CHAPTER THREE - PLASTIQUE PLANNED
Metropolis, July 7, 2008
Lois grabbed Tommy's arm and practically pulled him up and over the fence as a blast of fire came within inches of incinerating them both.
Damn. She hated heat vision. Her first run-in with the meteor infected since coming back from the future and, of course, it had to involve heat vision.
When she landed on the other side, she surveyed her surroundings. This was the industrial park. Flat, poured concrete was everywhere; that's why the kids liked this area. It made for a great amateur skate park. Unfortunately, it didn't provide for a lot of hiding places.
Lois spotted some industrial buildings to her left. She pulled Tommy with her.
"This way!" She shouted. Tommy looked panicked.
Another blast of heat struck right before they made it to the first building. Lois tried the set of heavy metal doors but they were locked. She didn't stop. There was another building next door. Lois kept running with Tommy in tow. She heard Bette behind them.
"You sold me out Tommy," she yelled. "I trusted you and you told those bastards where to find me."
Tommy whimpered as Lois practically dragged him to the second building. One of the double metal doors was unlocked. Lois looked behind her as she pushed Tommy inside and followed, closing the door. She felt the blast of heat near her ankle and winced. That one was close.
The lock on the door was broken. She looked around for something to jam it with and found a metal pipe that looked like it was being used as a make shift lock. Lois put the pipe in place, sliding it between the two door handles, and then turned to check her surroundings.
She almost crumpled in relief. The building was concrete, the only door was metal and the windows were at least fifteen feet high. The place must have been used as a warehouse, but only a few crates remained, all positioned close to the center of the storage area.
"We should be safe in here for a while," she told Tommy, who had collapsed on the floor and was lying on his back with his arms covering his face, breathing heavily.
"I didn't think they'd go after her like that, you know," he told her quietly in between breaths. "They said they just wanted to talk to her."
"I know," Lois said, responding to the sincerity in his voice. She turned away as her conditioning kicked in and did a quick recon of the room looking for something that could be used as a weapon. The place was empty but at least it was secure.
She leaned up against one of the crates and prayed that maybe Clark or Chloe had followed Bette. Of course, she could have called for help if she hadn't left her phone in the car. How could she have been so stupid?
Lois slid down to the floor to wait, wondering if she and Tommy would both be killed this time around. Amazing how changing just a few things throughout the day had completely unraveled the past.
Lois watched Clark walk down the stairs on his first day of work, wearing his plaid shirt un-tucked and carrying his red backpack. She had to roll her eyes. He looked like the eighteen-year-old boy whose room she had taken over almost four years ago, or seven in Lois years. She waited until he got to her desk before she spoke. "I'll give you points for punctuality, Smallville, but what's with the wardrobe malfunction?" Lois said, looking him up and down and snorting. She may not like repeating herself, but that didn't mean she was going to mess with a classic line. "What do you mean?" Clark asked her, looking down at his clothes. "This is a nice shirt." "Human Resources is going to be down here any minute and you do not want to meet them looking like Brawny Lumberjack," Lois told him, shuddering a little. "Good thing for you I thought to bring a spare." Lois walked over to Jerry's extra clothes rack and picked up the blue shirt and dark blue pants that were duplicates of the ones she'd "borrowed" from Jerry three years ago. Just yesterday, she'd decided to purchase the outfit remembering how Clark had dressed on his first day in the past. "That better not be mine, Lane," Jerry said looking up. "Never fear, I bought GQ over here his own spare," Lois said, taking the clothes off the rack and walking over to where Clark stood, looking bewildered. If she hadn't been avoiding all but phone contact, she would have taken him shopping with her, but after that kiss she didn't dare risk it. Some recovery time was needed. She was pretty sure the Legion wasn't talking about At least she already knew his size, and the clothes could qualify as a gift for his first day. "Come on," Lois said, grabbing his arm and leading him out. "You bought me clothes?" Clark asked. "Don't tell me I have to wear a tie-" "Always dress for success. Consider it a welcome to the Planet gift," Lois responded. "No time for the men's room, you can change in here." "Lois, a phone booth is not exactly private-" Lois pushed the hanging clothes into Clark's chest and then pushed Clark into the phone booth, turning her back as she closed the door. "Just be glad it was a slow news day and I was at my desk; otherwise, you could have spent your entire career being nicknamed Flannel Man," Lois told Clark, knowing that she would never let that happen; nicknames were her prerogative. She'd stepped away for a minute to check her desk, when she heard him behind her. "How do I look?" Clark asked. Lois took a deep breath before turning, knowing what to expect. After all, she'd seen it all before. It didn't matter, he was still breathtaking. Against the blue of the shirt his eyes were like the sky, and his athletic build was emphasized by the cut of the shirt and slacks. He looked more mature, more like a man than the boy who had come down those stairs just minutes ago. No wonder she'd fallen for him in the past. When she stepped closer, her body started tingling in response. The kiss the other night affected her awareness, made her even more sensitive to his presence, if that was possible. The need to touch him was strong, and so she reached out to adjust his collar and smooth his shirt. "You look good," Lois told him, as she resisted the urge to burrow into the warmth that seemed to keep her firmly grounded to him in this time. Somehow she managed to resist kissing him as well, but then her body was forced against his when an explosion rocked the building. The minute she was pushed into him, arms on his chest, face inches from his, she felt her body burn. She looked at his mouth and then into his eyes. He was puzzled, by her reaction or his, she couldn't tell. As close as their bodies were, she leaned in slightly, needing to feel a little of what she felt the other night. He stepped back. In her head, Lois knew that a purely physical relationship was not what either of them needed, but she still felt the ache when Clark distanced himself. Somehow it felt like a rejection. What was she doing anyway? This was work. Lois set her expression and turned around to look into the Bullpen. "So much for a slow news day," she said. The minute her back was turned, Clark was gone.
Leaning her head forward, Lois opened her eyes and checked her watch. They'd been sitting in the warehouse for about fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours.
She pushed herself up and walked the perimeter of the concrete structure trying to stretch out her legs, which felt tight from all the running in heels. Under the windows and near the doors, she stopped, listening for any sound outside. The building felt secure but they were sitting ducks if Bette found a way in.
How had she ended up in this situation anyway? Which thread had she pulled that had unraveled these events? Clark's arrival to the Daily Planet for his first day re-played exactly as it had in the past, for the most part. Maybe it was her decision to follow Clark to the explosion site. The most significant change at the site had been her observations of Clark. Seeing him in action had been an eye-opener.
Lois stopped at the crates and leaned forward against one, resting her head on her folded arms. No wonder Rokk had told her to keep her focus. She had only tried to lend a hand and look where it got her.
Just down the street from the paper, everything was in chaos. People were screaming, some were running, smoke and debris filled the street. Everywhere she looked reminded her of the Darkness and she felt the panic kick in. Rubbing her throat, she took deep, calming breaths while she analyzed the situation. This was not the invasion and she needed to calm down if she was going to help. Directly in front of her, she watched as Clark emerged from the smoke carrying a woman. Lois was struck by his confidence and strength, even when he was covered in soot. Just this vision of him took her breath away; he looked heroic. Was this side of Clark always there? Probably, but Lois knew that she often wore blinders when it came to him, so sure that she knew what he was all about. Watching him now, she could see what the Future Kids had seen. "Clark," Lois shouted, directing his attention to one of the medics. "Over here." As Clark came closer, Lois was surprised when she recognized the woman in Clark's arms as Tess Mercer. How had she ended up in a bus explosion? Clark sat Tess on one of the stretchers and turned to Lois. "What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding surprised. "It's a public place," Lois replied, sarcasm coming naturally when she was nervous and, for some reason, seeing Clark so strong and confident made her nervous. She turned away from his exasperated look to examine Tess, who was watching them with a speculative gaze. Seeing Tess' reaction, and being aware of Tess' position at the Planet, Lois decided to give a more professional response. "I followed you to help you get some information for the story," Lois told him, still watching Tess. "Have you had a chance to talk to anyone about what happened?" "Not yet, Lois," Clark responded, the exasperation coming through in his voice. "I've been helping people." "Right," Lois said, quickly changing the subject. "By the way, why is the new head of Luthorcorp riding the bus?" "Not that it's any of your business …" Tess answered calmly, apparently unruffled by the change in topic, "I'm going green; you know, doing my part to save the planet. Of course, that's off the record, Ms. Lane." "Of course, Ms. Mercer," Lois said, pulling out her small notebook and getting her pen ready "Did you see anything unusual before the explosion?" "No," Tess responded firmly, "and the only thing I remember after the explosion is being carried out by my rescuer … and you are?" Tess ended her question by extending her hand towards Clark and raising her brows. "Clark Kent," he responded, taking Tess' hand in his for a brief handshake. "Mr. Kent, I'm Tess Mercer, head of Luthorcorp and new manager of the Daily Planet," Tess said, her eyes lighting with recognition. "You should stop by my office later; I believe I have you on my to-do list today." Lois felt herself blink at the innuendo and even Clark looked taken aback. "Come on, Clark," Lois tugged lightly. "Ms. Mercer doesn't know anything and we need to get some work done." Clark followed Lois, glancing back at Tess when they were out of ear shot. "That's our new boss?" Clark asked her, raising his eyebrows. "Oh, please, don't go all cave man on me now, Smallville," Lois said, smirking at Clark's expression. "Wonder what she wants with you?" "Why, worried she's going to boss me around more than you do?" Clark asked, smirking back. "Ha, ha, very funny," Lois responded. She made a waving motion with her hand toward the bus while she headed toward an older couple who looked like they needed some help. "Speaking of which, why don't you go do your thing, and I'll go do mine." As Lois continued to work, separately from Clark in case he had to use her powers, she wondered what Clark would do if he knew she knew. She shook her head as she helped one of the elderly ladies on the bus over to a paramedic. He would probably freak out. He wasn't ready to trust her with that yet. She needed to earn that this time around. As Lois started looking for damage farther from the wreckage she heard Chloe's voice. What was Chloe doing here? Looking around, she spotted her with a younger girl, somewhat punk in appearance, who was struggling to breathe. Just then, someone brushed past Lois and she was relieved to see that it was one of the medical technicians. "Excuse me," he said, running over to Chloe and the girl and, for the first time, Lois caught a glimpse of his face. She stood frozen in shock. The medic was Davis Bloome, someone she had blocked from her memory, not that she had known him well. Even now, she only knew that he had stalked Chloe and eventually killed Jimmy. What was she supposed to do about him? For a minute the weight of knowing closed in around her. One person could not change everything for the better and, yet, that's what she wanted to do. Helping Clark alone would not fix everything. There were others to consider, like Chloe and Jimmy, and no instructions-.
A noise interrupted her recollections of the morning and Lois jumped. Was Bette still outside the warehouse? Tommy sat up.
"Did you hear something?" he asked her.
Lois nodded, putting her finger to her lips. She looked up to the windows and saw movement. How had Bette managed to get up that high? There must have been more crates stacked up outside or the girl had discovered a ladder.
"Stay there," Lois told Tommy, trying to maneuver to a better location to look through the window. After only a few steps the crate beside her erupted into flames. The heat was immediate and incredible.
"Get down!" Lois shouted to Tommy, falling on her stomach and crawling over to him.
Whatever was in the crates must have been flammable because the smoke was already starting to fill the building.
"Stay low," Lois told Tommy, as she continued to crawl to the far corner of the building closest to the door. Tommy followed and they stayed in the corner with their faces on the concrete until they were both coughing and fighting for air.
Just as Lois was thinking about grabbing Tommy and making a break for it, the door opened and a tall figure stepped inside.
Clark.
"What took you so long?" Lois's quipped, anything else she might have said turning into a cough as she felt her eyes grow heavy and her memories pull her back down.
Lois and Clark went looking for Chloe at the hospital and spotted her in the waiting room standing next to Davis, who was talking to the same girl from the explosion site. Lois wondered if this was the girl who had gone home with Chloe first time around. If so, they were in trouble. When Chloe looked up, Lois waved her over, while Clark explained their theory about the lack of explosives on the bus. Of course, Lois knew it was more than a theory this time. She'd watched Clark and realized he must be using his enhanced hearing to listen in on the squad's conversation. He'd probably done that the first time, too. Clever boy. "Do you think the girl might have seen something?" Clark asked, pointing toward Davis and the girl. "I don't know; Bette was pretty shaken up," Chloe told him. "Do you need to talk to her right now? I just found out she's homeless and we're trying to find her a place at a girl's home." "I'm sure Clark can help Davis convince her to try the girls' home thing and still find out if she saw something," Lois suggested. "Smallville is pretty good with the kiddies." Lois ignored Clark's surprised expression and, instead, gave him a small push toward the girl and Davis. "Go ahead and earn your rookie stripes, Clark, I need to speak to Chloe," Lois said, stepping back while Clark walked over toward Bette and the medic. Lois stood quiet for a moment, torn between talking to Chloe and listening to Clark's conversation with Bette. That was a name she remembered, the girl who was responsible for the first explosion and the death of a young man. Clark had written the obituary for the kid, Tommy was his name. "Lois," Chloe said, bringing Lois out of her thoughts, "what did you need to talk to me about?" Lois turned. Chloe came first. "So, what's with the EMT over there?" Lois said, deciding to try a direct but non-confrontational approach. "Davis?" Chloe asked. "Nothing, he's just a really nice guy who's trying to help out a young homeless girl." "It looked to me like he was coming on to you this morning at the explosion site, Chloe," Lois pointed out, thinking of the compliment she'd overheard earlier. "Are you interested?" Chloe's look of surprise turned to irritation. "Lois, I know you're not happy with Jimmy right now, but he's my guy," Chloe said. "I'm not looking." "Okay," Lois responded, nodding her head at Chloe and then looking toward Davis. "Then you should tell him that, not me. I get the impression he's interested in more than friendship, and I don't want you to get hurt." Chloe looked skeptical, but at Lois' serious expression, she nodded. "I can't help looking out for you, Cuz," Lois smiled, putting her arm around Chloe, as she started walking over toward Clark and the girl. Now that she'd at least opened Chloe's eyes, she needed to stop anyone else from getting hurt today.
Her eyelids felt heavy and so Lois slowly opened them, a pounding headache revealing itself as she did. She groaned. It felt like she'd smoked ten packs of cigarettes in a single sitting. Thank goodness she'd given up that habit.
"Lois, Lois, are you okay?" She heard Chloe ask, then to someone else, "Is she all right?"
"She'll be fine, just a little smoke inhalation," Lois heard a male voice say, one that sounded familiar but that she couldn't place.
When Lois tried opening her eyes again she wished she hadn't. The blinding sun was shining directly into them.
"Ow," she said, putting her hand over her eyes. "What the hell," she added trying to sit up. Her head was pounding even harder now.
"Lois, I need you to lie back; I'm going to give you some oxygen. It should help." Whose voice was that?
Lois felt a mask touch her nose and mouth, so she breathed deeply. The pure oxygen was exhilarating after taking in the smoky, contaminated air. Then a shadow crossed in front of her and she opened her eyes to see Clark standing there.
"Are you all right?" he asked, looking troubled.
Lois pulled the oxygen away from her face.
"Where's Tommy; is he okay?" Lois asked, trying to sit up. "Did you find Bette …Wait, Bette didn't get you did she?" Lois started touching Clark's arms, neck and face, looking behind Clark at where Chloe stood with a resigned look on her face.
"Chloe, are you okay?" She asked Chloe.
Clark pushed Lois back gently onto to the gurney.
"Everyone is fine," he said, looking at Lois curiously. "Are you okay?"
Lois shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to say thanks to you but couldn't. There were a lot of things she wanted to say.
She heard the familiar voice again, "Let's take a look, shall we?"
That's when Lois saw that her paramedic was Davis Bloome. In a bit of a panic, she grabbed Clark's arm when Davis closed in with his equipment. After all, the man was a killer. Her anxiety must have shown because Clark took her hand and placed it in his own, rubbing light circles in her palm with his thumb. She could feel the warmth and, like the other night, everything seemed to focus on where Clark touched her. She was only vaguely aware of Davis checking her eyes, nose, ears and throat as her palm began to tingle under Clark's ministrations.
Because Clark was watching Davis, Lois took the opportunity to watch Clark. He was back in his plaid shirt now, having covered his new shirt in soot, but there was no sign of stress or injury. He had saved any number of people this morning and three more this afternoon, yet he looked like he'd just finished milking the cows or something. It was that crazy calm that Lois liked to challenge all the time but that she depended on at times like this.
"Everything looks good," she heard Davis tell Clark, "but she should probably go to the hospital to get checked out."
"What?" Lois asked, watching Clark nod at Davis. "No, I don't need the hospital," she said, trying to sit up and coughing as her lungs tightened with the deep breath.
"Lois, you passed out from the smoke," Chloe told her, while Clark's thumb moved to Lois' wrist and continued rubbing those light, soft circles. Her entire arm started tingling, and then he leaned forward to whisper something in her ear. With his breath so hot and tantalizing against her skin, she didn't hear a word.
"Okay," she said, a little breathlessly, too embarrassed to ask him to repeat whatever he'd said. When he gave her a Cheshire grin, she knew she was in trouble, and it was confirmed by Chloe's surprised expression.
Uh, oh, what did I say? Oh, crap.
"I mean I don't need the hospital," Lois said pulling her arm away from Clark's hand, wondering when her body had suddenly turned traitor. The fact that her physical responses were now affecting her brain was not a good sign.
"No backing out now," Clark said, still smiling, "some of the victims from the explosion will still be there, and I'm betting you can get some more quotes while you get checked out."
Lois was still in a bewildered state when they placed her in the ambulance. At Metropolis General, she started worrying about what she had agreed to when Clark whispered in her ear. By the time she returned to the Planet, she was certain that she needed to keep Clark from touching her if she wanted to keep her sanity.
Daily Planet, next day
The next morning, Lois was still irritated at her own behavior with Clark. It didn't make her feel any better that he was right about the additional quotes from victims at the hospital. With the eyewitness statements, their story made it above the fold this time, but privately Lois wasn't about to give Clark any of the credit, not after his little stunt outside the warehouse.
She had to admit that he had good instincts, even if his writing was a little rough. Until now, she hadn't realized how threatened she had been by Clark when he started at the paper three years ago. Everything for her was a competition back then, as she tried to prove herself and to best him. This time around, Lois was comfortable with her own skills, which meant she didn't feel the need to compete. She was a news veteran now, with three years experience under her belt, comfortable with sharing the byline, despite the way Clark tricked her into going to the hospital.
Not that Clark appreciated being included as co-writer. He was still complaining about the risks involved during the investigation.
"The story took a few more twists than I would have liked," he repeated for the second time that morning, looking pointedly at Lois. "What were you thinking, going off to find Tommy by yourself? What if he'd been the meteor freak all along?"
Clark slapped his copy of the latest edition on the desk and sat down in his chair, leaning back as Lois leaned her hip against his desk.
"Oh, please, I could tell Bette was lying," Lois told him, raising her eyebrows. "I didn't just fall off the farm truck, you know."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Clark asked, managing to look little hurt and frustrated at the same time. "I thought we were working together."
"We were, and you were supposed to be keeping an eye on Bette, just in case," Lois told Clark. "Rule number six - always cover your bases."
Clark sighed, his frustrated expression turning to one of guilt. "She convinced me and Chloe that she wanted to go to the girls' home; then jumped out of the truck at the red light closest to the industrial park."
Despite her vow not to let Clark touch her, Lois couldn't resist putting her hand on his arm. She hadn't meant to make him feel guilty.
"It all turned out okay, Clark. Tommy's alive. Bette's going to get some help. No one was killed and you helped a lot of people at the explosion site," Lois told him sincerely. "It's not just about the story."
She saw the doubt in his expression and continued, "Okay, well maybe it's a little bit about the story … still, I happen to think saving people and getting to the truth is a good day's work."
Lois kept her eyes on Clark's until he nodded; at least he was considering her words.
"Just keep it up and you could have a long career ahead of you at the Daily Planet," Lois finished, removing her hand and moving around to sit at her desk, smiling at him from the other side.
Finally, Clark smiled back and she saw him pick up the paper to take a look at their story.
Lois wished she could feel as confident as she sounded. Yesterday had taken more than a few unexpected turns for her and, while she never wanted to repeat the past, she felt inundated with the number of things that needed to change. The priority was Clark, but there were others she couldn't ignore like Chloe, Jimmy, Davis, and even Oliver. How was she going to keep everything straight?
She looked over at Clark with empathy. How did he do it? Every time he decided to help he was changing someone's future, yet she knew he made those choices all the time. Her heart beat a little faster as she remembered her own save from the warehouse. She peeked through her lashes and watched as Clark read the paper, looking mature and professional in his new white dress shirt. He was definitely starting to look the part of a hero.
Daily Planet July 11, 2008
"Come on, Chloe, can you please just think about it?" Lois begged as they headed into the Bullpen after having dinner together.
"Why do you care whether I have a fall or spring wedding? You've haven't exactly been shy about expressing your objections to Jimmy since I called you about the engagement three days ago," Chloe responded, letting her irritation show.
"Hey, I know at first that I wasn't very receptive, but I was surprised by your engagement, that's all. I promise if you just give me some more time to get used to the idea, I'll help you plan the wedding of the century," Lois urged, stopping to face Chloe, ready to plaster fake enthusiasm all over her face if necessary.
"I was really thinking about an outdoor wedding, maybe in the Kent barn, and we'd need warmer weather for that," Chloe said, smiling as she looked off into the distance, dreamy expression on her face.
Lois looked over Chloe's shoulder. She could picture it as well, only she saw chaos and destruction, not the beautiful event that Chloe was probably imagining.
"Oh, no, not there," Lois exclaimed. "Don't you remember the last get-together we had in the barn? It was your birthday party, and it turned into a disaster."
"I seriously doubt that you, Lana and I are going to be possessed by sixteenth century witches at my wedding, Lois," Chloe said sarcastically.
"Well, in Smallville you never know," Lois half-smiled, walking toward her desk. "I'm sure there are other places, much less smelly places, which have some special meaning for you and Jimmy."
"A couple of other locations do come to mind," Chloe said slowly.
"Great," Lois said, sitting on the edge of her desk while keeping direct eye contact with her cousin. "Like I said, just give me some more time and I'll make this wedding spectacular." Lois kept looking at Chloe, who was giving in. Lois could feel it.
"I'll talk to Jimmy about it and get back to you," Chloe told her. "No promises, though, and I still expect you to be my merry maid of honor."
"Cross my heart, Chloe," Lois said, giving her cousin a hug, "I won't let you down."
Lois let out the breath she was holding as Chloe left the Bullpen. While she was happy about spending more time with her cousin, it was tricky and exhausting trying to persuade her to change her mind. In fact, Chloe was often just as stubborn as Lois herself.
After an hour of using her best begging techniques, Lois needed an outlet, so she sat down to work on her latest story. Banging on the computer keys was always cathartic.
About an hour later, she was stuck on a particular phrase.
"Hey, Clark, what do you think …" Lois began, looking around her monitor at the empty desk.
What the …?
Lois looked around the Bullpen. She'd forgotten how late it was. Still, she knew Clark wasn't there and she was talking to his empty seat. Settling into the Daily Planet without Clark as a co-worker had been easy enough but now, after only four days, the place seemed empty without him. She peered around her monitor again.
Where was squeak of the chair, the loud bang of his fingers on the keyboard, or the frustrated sigh when he was stuck on a word or phrase?
She rubbed her neck. It was just too quiet, that was all. Surely, she wasn't missing him.
The sharp, stabbing pain at her temple came as a surprise.
No, not again.
One of the side effects of time travel was frequent headaches. She rubbed the spot on her temple and took deep breaths, relaxing as the pain subsided. It was when she turned back to her computer that she was hit with a future memory as real as if she'd been transported to that evening.
"Lane, get out of here," Hank Monroe, her editor, said as he stuck his dark, bearded face just inside her office door. "Otherwise, you'll never make it home before eight o'clock." "On it, boss," Lois said, not looking up from her keyboard. "I just want to get these notes down about Night." "If you're out after curfew, no one will get a chance to read those notes," he responded. Lois looked up. Hank had never sounded so concerned. She gave him her biggest smile- he was a sucker for it and had made the mistake of telling her she reminded him of his daughter when she smiled like that. "I'm right behind you," she said, waving him away with her hand while she turned back to her computer. "Just let me shut down." Hank walked away, and she could hear him grumbling all the way down the hall about stubborn reporters and … how was he expected to run a paper on a curfew, anyway, and …no one paid him enough for this. She was chuckling as she finished shutting down her computer, rose from her desk and froze. Standing across from her was Clark Kent, dressed head to toe in black, wearing a completely blank expression. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought that he had amnesia for the third or fourth time. Her stomach dropped and her heart constricted. God, he was Night. Everything fit – the dark clothes, the blank expression. He'd injured Oliver and collected others for the Darkness. Lois couldn't take it in. What was he doing here? Oliver had said he would come for her, but she hadn't believed him. This was crazy; just because she hadn't given in to the first wave, neither had Hank. God, Hank! Lois bolted for the door; she had to help Hank! Night was standing in front of her before she could reach it. She tried a roundhouse kick to the stomach, but he grabbed her ankle and held it. She tried kicking him with the other foot, and felt herself fall. He was fast and caught her, one arm under her shoulders, the other hand on her arm. Where he touched was cold, bitter cold. Lois shivered. His face was so close that she couldn't avoid looking into his eyes. She wished she hadn't; they were blank, empty, cold and gray. She shivered again. "What happened to you?" She croaked, as he stood her on her feet. He didn't answer, or even blink, to acknowledge her question. "Hey, I asked you a question," Lois shouted, getting irritated with his lack of response. She looked at his face. There was something in his eyes, just a flash - of recognition or emotion? It was gone; maybe she imagined it. Only he could make her this frightened and this irritated at the same time! She needed to get away. She looked around, but the door was blocked and the window too high. She started muttering to herself in frustration, and almost missed the sound of the curfew alarm. At the loud, high-pitched ringing, Night put his hands over his ears and closed his eyes with a grunt of pain. Lois didn't question her luck; she ran past him to the elevator.
Unfortunately, the memory came with emotions attached. Even after it faded, Lois felt her heart racing, heard her own short gasps of air, and felt the tightness around her heart.
Under the influence of the memory, she didn't even grab her purse before rushing to the elevator. As she hit the button, her panic eased. Reality returned slowly and she began to distinguish her surroundings from those in her memory. This was not the Chronicle but the Daily Planet. What was she running from?
Lois looked around again … no Darkness, no Night. What had brought on that memory? She didn't need to re-live her future. Clark was living in this time and he was not a threat.
With a new question came a new sense of panic. When had Clark started to succumb to the Darkness? Was his vulnerability something that happened after she left or was it happening now? Needing some answers, she pulled out her phone and hit the speed dial, holding her breath while she waited.
"Hello," she heard a sleepy voice.
"Hey, Smallville," Lois replied, feeling her panic ease at the sound of normal, if sleepy response.
"Lois, is something wrong?" He asked, sounding a little more awake. "Is Chloe okay?"
"She's fine; we just finished dinner," Lois added, starting to walk back to her desk. "I was wondering how you're doing?"
"I was doing fine before you woke me," Clark replied grumpily.
"Okay, then," Lois said brightly, her panic seeming silly now.
"Is there something troubling you, Lois?" Clark sighed.
"Uh, no; I just had a feeling, that's all," she finished lamely.
"A feeling that made you call me at ten at night?" Clark asked.
"Well, yeah; sorry." Lois replied vaguely, walking back to her desk to check her computer. She couldn't remember what she was doing before the crazy memory dream hit.
"Well, if your feeling is gone, can I go back to sleep now?" Clark asked, and Lois could hear the humor in his voice this time.
"Actually, while I have you on the line," Lois said, looking at her screen, "what do you think of this paragraph?"
For the next half hour, Lois talked to Clark about her story. When she was finished, it was late, but she felt better about the story and about her chances for getting a good night's sleep. The waking memory, or whatever it was, had spooked her. Even though the Rokk had warned her about memories and nightmares, who had memories like that? The one she'd experienced earlier was too realistic to be normal.
This time Lois packed up her things before leaving the Bullpen, throwing her purse over her shoulder as she headed for the elevator. Once she was in the parking lot, she was unlocking her the door of her red compact when the phone rang. She got behind the wheel first, then answered assuming it was Clark.
"I thought you were going back to sleep," she said.
"Uh, no, I'm losing sleep wondering what it means when your ex leaves you the message that she 'wants to kick your ass,'" a different, more sarcastic, male voice responded.
"Oliver, I'm sorry you're losing sleep," Lois laughed. "I think it means she wants to meet at the gym this weekend for a little sparring," she told him.
"Well, that's one I haven't heard before," Oliver answered, and she could hear the speculation in his voice.
"Look, Oliver, I don't want to let my defensive skills get rusty, but if you're not comfortable with this …"
"No, Lois, it's okay; I'll have the equipment up and ready."
"Great, I'll see you then," Lois disconnected while backing out of her parking place, smiling in the rearview mirror. Everything was in place and coming together, everyone important was covered, and things were going according to plan.
Now if she could get rid of those crazy memories.