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Act Five: Time's up.

Friday, 4:59 p.m.

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"They must really want to make sure we don't get out alive," Clark answered as a bullet grazed Lois's temple before getting embedded in the wall just behind her head.

"That was close." Lois turned her head in the direction of the bullet with wide eyes; her hand came up to lightly touch the singed trail left by the bullet. "How are we going to get out of here?"

Clark glanced down while the shrouded gunmen continue their assault, and then up to the top of the stairwell. There was a roof access door up there. "Up," he answered. They joined hands and began racing back up the stairs as fast as they could. Bullets continued flying past, and Clark did his best to keep his body between hers and the torrent of bullets.

"Clark, if we don't make it," Lois began as she took the steps two at a time in their furious climb, "I want you to know—"

"We're going to make it," Clark said, cutting her off.

"But if we don't," she tried again, only to be cut off once more by Clark.

"We will."

"Dammit Clark, would you just let me finish?" Lois huffed. "I'm trying to tell you I love you!"

"I know," Clark answered. "I just wish it didn't have to take a near-death experience to drag the words out of you."

"You know I suck at all that touchy-feely-share-your-feelings crap!" Her words were coming more and more haltingly as their desperate ascent took its physical toll.

"Yeah, I know," Clark answered as good-naturedly as the circumstances would allow. "And just for the record, I love you, too."

They had two flights of stairs to go. Just twenty-four steps remained between them and the roof access door when the explosion at the bottom of the stairwell nearly knocked them off their feet. The power of the roaring shockwave ripped through them seconds ahead of the rising fireball that engulfed every inch of the corridor in its path.

"Come on!" Clark screamed over the blast. As they continued their desperate climb, he pulled Lois up in his arms and took the last few steps three at a time. They burst through the door and had just enough time to duck behind a large ventilation port as the flames erupted from the stairwell.

As the fireball tapered back, they rose from behind their shelter and scanned the rooftop. Flames from the floors beneath them were shooting high into the night sky around the entire building; gossamer tendrils of flame curled up around the ledges as if the inferno was cradling the rooftop.

"We're trapped!" Lois's eyes were bulging with fear and panic. Then the entire building began to tremble beneath their feet.

Clark held his hand out to Lois. "Do you trust me?"

She took his hand in hers and stepped closer. "It isn't my trust that's been in question."

The building's trembling intensified with every passing second. "It's time I answered your question, then." As her eyes grew impossibly wider, Clark dipped his head down to capture her lips in a firm kiss. The building suddenly began to quake violently; it was collapsing under them. He wrapped his arms tightly around Lois as he broke off the kiss.

"Hope you're not afraid of heights," Clark quipped with a wink. And then they shot straight up into the air as the roof crumbled beneath, releasing a super-sized fireball that missed them by microseconds.

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{Fade to Black}

{End Season Nine}

{To Be Concluded… In Season Ten!}

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