A/N: Just two more chapters to go after this and an epilogue tag-on. Thank you everyone who's been reading and those of you who've left reviews. Gear up for this next bit of excitement in the continuing saga of Clark Lane and Lois Kent. Enjoy!
Chapter 10
No More Mr. Nice Evil Man
"Clark? What are you doing here?"
Lois had sped back to the farm on her way to the fortress in order to grab the octagonal key to her ship. She knew it wouldn't be long before Luthor or someone working for him tried to take her ship. And she wasn't wrong. Sitting in a large blue pick-up truck was one Sergeant Clark Lane; a man she knew was linked to Luthor – though she still hoped it wasn't true. It was better though, since she was dealing with a man hell-bent on getting his hands on alien samples, that she be on the defensive – it was the safest bet.
"Lois! What are you – I mean, shouldn't you be in school?" Clark asked as he climbed out of the truck.
"You're right I should be. Shouldn't you be on a military base somewhere?"
Clark ignored her query and launched into what he hoped would be a coherent explanation, "Look Lois I'm glad you're here. I need to talk to you."
"Don't bother Clark, I know all about Luthor."
"You do?"
"I also know that you're involved with him. Now since, you've been nothing but nice to me since we've known each other, I'm going to give you twenty seconds to explain yourself," she told him in a menacing tone.
"Twenty?"
"Eighteen. Start talking Lane. Trust me you don't want to get on my bad side."
""Ok. Uh, well I was placed in Smallville to recover a spacecraft that supposedly landed here in the meteor shower. I stumbled upon it by accident in your storm cellar. And I just found out Luthor was calling the shots."
"What were you doing in the storm cellar anyway?" her eyes locked in a steely glare with his.
"Luthor gave me this sensor…and I guess it let him know I found it and now he wants me to bring it to him."
"So, I suppose you're going to turn me over too. Is that why you were at the school earlier? To coerce me into becoming Luthor's prisoner? Or make me go by force?" she asked her brown eyes taking on a slight red tinge.
"No, no I came to explain myself Lois. But when you and Chloe looked at me like I was some sort of, I don't know, three-headed monster, I kind of lost my nerve. I promise, I'm not the villain of this story. I'm naïve yes, but I was just following orders."
"And now?"
"Now…well now I just want to protect my…friend…who's given me more in a week than anyone else has in a lifetime."
"Really? Lois asked skepticism apparent in her tone.
"Yes. I know you said we could only be friends. I know you probably pushed me away because I seem like some robotic soldier with no emotions. I am still sorry about Whitney, although he did deserve what was coming to him," Clark added under his breath before continuing, "But if there was a way… a way that I could make it up to you…"
"No."
"No?" Clark repeated, crestfallen.
"No, Clark I meant 'No, that's not why I pushed you away.' I pushed you away because…I couldn't see you become one more on the growing list of people who've gotten hurt for being too close to me. I can't risk your life, especially with the way I feel."
"Do I get a say in the matter?"
"I've thought about this a lot. It was a hard decision I made outside of the hospital and I'd love to stick by it."
"But now?"
"While I don't want to deliberately place you in the line of fire with a big red target painted on your back, I have to admit that I care about you in a way I've never cared about anyone else. Sure, I was infatuated with Whitney for awhile but that pales in comparison to what I feel for you. I feel this connection, this force that's stronger than me pulling me toward you. I thought it would be best if I tried to keep you as far from me as possible. But the truth of the matter is: I'm scared. I'm scared for you and I'm scared for my heart – because if anything ever happened to –"
Clark cut her off by capturing her lips in a kiss. Gently coaxing her to relax and to let the kiss happen. Lois submitted, her legs turning almost to jelly as she let her lips explore his. All the feelings that she had been talking about remained at the surface and poured themselves into the kiss. Clark could feel the magnitude of her ardent kiss begin to affect him and he deepened the kiss. It was moments later before the emerged both gasping for air, a dazed look in the pair of brown eyes and a smitten look in the blue ones that resided on the face of one happy soldier. But the momentary bliss subsided when the air began to reek of danger and was laced with concern.
"Lois, nothing will happen to me. And nothing, will happen to you, I promise. But we've got you safe from Luthor. I don't know what exactly his end-game is but I'm not willing to wait around to find out if it has you in store."
"I'm already ahead of you on that Clark. I just came back to the farm to get something important and then I'm going under the radar – to a place no one can find me."
"Is there anything I can do to help? Let me do something."
Lois pondered his request for a moment. There was one idea brewing in her head but she didn't like it – it was almost guaranteed to be dangerous. But what other options did they have. Luthor would probably do worse to Clark if he didn't get what he wanted. It was the only option, she sighed inwardly before asking,
"You said you came for the ship, right?"
Clark nodded.
"Then take it to him."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. There's nothing in there that he could possibly use."
"So, it is yours?"
"Yeah, it is. You didn't thinks it was just a little keepsake that we kept hidden down there, did you?"
"Well…" Clark began.
"I tell you the whole story later, okay? How about I go get it for you?"
Lois sped away only to return seconds later balancing the ship on one hand.
"Wow."
"If you like that, you should see what else I can do," she said with a smile as she placed the ship in the bed of the truck. She turned towards him, the light dancing in her eyes as she approached. Leaning up on her tip-toes, she gave him a short sweet kiss, said "stay safe," flashed one more smile and then sped away.
Clark looked at the empty space that Lois had just vacated hoping he could do just what she asked and stay safe. Just then, he heard the familiar ring of his cell phone. Knowing who was on the other line, Clark reluctantly answered.
"Hello?"
"Well, done Sergeant Lane. Now bring my ship to the empty Luthorcorp factory in town. Warehouse number 3."
The call ended there. Clark couldn't help but feel this wasn't one of the best strategies he had been a part of but he was determined to keep Lois out of Luthor's hands. And to do that he needed to have an ace up his sleeve.
***
Thirty minutes later, Clark arrived outside of the gates to the old Luthorcorp factory. According to public records it had closed down years ago, causing thousands of Smallville's citizens to lose their jobs. It was strange, Clark thought, that no one thought anything of the fact that someone named Luthor was teaching at the high school and that a multi-billion dollar corporation that once employed citizens had a similar name. But maybe Luthor was a common name. Clark turned right into the compound, looking for the warehouse labeled 3. When his truck approached it, the large metal door in front of him began to open; Luthor and team of scientists were waiting for him.
Clark put the truck in park and climbed out.
"Alright Luthor, here's your spaceship," Clark stated, jabbing his finger at the covered ship behind him. "Now leave Lois alone. Like you promised."
Lex looked away from the military man in front of him in an attempt to keep up pretenses. Some people could be so naïve, especially if they let their emotions get the best of them. It was a shame; the merciless, ruthless soldier he recruited had fallen in love with a strange visitor from another planet. While at first this seemed like a deterrent in his plan, the cogs whirring in his expansive brain began to form a new plan that would result in the same endgame, only sooner. Luthor signaled for his team to analyze to authenticity of the craft. When they gave him the thumbs up, his eyes returned to the Sergeant standing in front of him, his face blank of emotions.
"I'm afraid Sergeant Lane that plans have changed. Leaving Ms. Kent alone is no longer an option.
"You are not going to hurt her," Clark growled.
"You're right, I'm not. But I am going to lure her here. With your cooperation of course."
"No, I'm through helping you, I'm –"
Before Clark could finish his sentence or move a muscle, consciousness and the images in front of him began to slip away until all he could see was darkness.