Chapter 28
Artem gripped the wheel of the now stolen black sedan. His knuckles were white with fury as he fumed over the events of the day.
-----------
Standing before Lex, he had watched the madman's face contort with glee as he explained the effects of the Kryptonite alloy. Lex had clapped his hand on his back, praising him hollowly for his efforts. You are a genius Artem! And geniuses deserve praised for their work." His eyes had grown cold with menace. /i"Recognition."/i Lex had paused, letting the meaning of his words sink in.
What are you saying? Artem asked, his blood turning to ice at the man's expression.
Luthor chuckled, circling Artem like a shark who had tricked its prey into its lair. "Sooner or later Superman may figure out what has been done. In that event, I find myself in possession of a loose end. Doubtless, my form of persuasion has not earned your loyalty. And I must admit I was at a loss as to how to rid myself of the worry of your possible betrayal." Lex's smile spread obscenely over his face. i"But now that you placed the alloy boy's room, you've made it so much easier to shift the blame and the ensuing manhunt. Your face will be recognized. Your hair, your DNA will be on the scene…" Lex clicked his tongue. "I can't imagine Superman will be looking for me when you are the one who placed the compound yes? His blindness won't last forever, but his hunt for you will. The man who killed his son. Oh Artem." Luthor put his hand on his shoulder in mock pity. "Do you think his unshakeable code of ethics will hold up under such an offence?
Before Artem had had a chance to speak, Luthor had ordered his thugs to cast him out into the street. Artem was thrown into a puddle of muddy water in the alley behind the factory…The blows and kicks had descended on him without mercy. The amused look of Lex's face as he slammed the alley door closed gave Artem strength. He had fought back with everything he had, calling on his military training to protect him.
He had laid a punch to Mick's jaw and the bigger man had fallen like a sack of potatoes. Artem had landed a few good kicks to the two remaining men, and as they regrouped, he grabbed the keys to the sedan from Mick's coat pocket and pulled away from the clothing factory, tires squealing loudly behind him.
-----------
Artem blinked painfully, his vision in his left eye all but gone as it began to swell shut. Lucky punch. He silently cursed himself. He would not be a pawn any longer. He would be free again of Luthor's suffocating grip one way or another. The cops thought he was dead and Luthor had jeopardized his future by forcing his hand in this newest plot and now his life with his betrayal. The ordeal was all but over if Superman thought he was the one responsible for his son's death. But if he could prevent it…
He parked the car in the alley behind the Daily Planet. The sun was just beginning to light the sky over the horizon. He pulled out his phone.
Kitty sat at the dresser of her sparsely decorated small room. She closed the newspaper in her hands and threw it on the floor. There was still no news of Superman. No news if he had been hurt or killed in the explosion. She chewed her finger nail nervously. Superman was her last chance for freedom, for redemption. Kitty glared at her reflection pity aside, she hated herself a bit for where her choices had brought her. Behind her there was movement in the mirror. She wiped away a bitter tear.
"Don't worry Kitty." An oily voice poured in from the door. "The hero doesn't die in the middle of the story." Lex crossed the room, picking up the newspaper. "It wouldn't be fair to have such a quick and painless ending with all he has forced me to endure." He threw the newspaper in her face and hissed through clenched teeth. "But I don't see you shedding tears for me."
Kitty winced at the venom in his voice, preparing once again for whatever violence that would beset her. Her eyes flashed in defiance, her glare tearing him down and cursing him, even if she lacked the courage to speak.
"Don't worry for him too long. While he may be 'super' he is not immortal. He is more a man every moment he spends on this planet, and a man can be killed. If not in body, then in spirit. He'll soon pray to shuffle off this mortal coil." Lex's eyes blazed with lunacy as he continued. "His skin may be steel, but his heart my dear Kitty, his heart, I will crush it like spun glass."
"You don't even know where he is." Kitty spat. "Your threats mean nothing if you can't find him." Her anger gave her bravery.
Lex's head snapped in her direction as his reprehensible day dream faded. He stalked slowly toward Kitty, filling her consciousness with dread.
"I won't have to. He'll come to me." Luthor patted a small bulge in the breast pocket of his suit coat. "Those high and mighty hero types are so predictable. Superman's world is about to crumble. And when it does, he'll sacrifice himself for the causes of "truth and justice." Lex's lips curled up in a sneer. "He'll do what is right. And this time it will kill him."
Suddenly, Mack stood in the doorway, once again an unwitting rescuer. "Mr. Luthor. You were right. Artem is on his way there right now." The man was nursing a split lip.
Luthor smiled cruelly, his eyes cold and flat. "You know what to do."
Lois stepped into the dimly lit bullpen of the Planet. The deserted room was uncharacteristically peaceful. In an hour or two it would erupt once again into busy chaos. In the distance she could hear the typing of the diligent who had either beat her there, or had never left in an attempt to meet the morning deadline. Beyond the glass of the main room she could hear the faint sounds of the morning traffic beginning to buzz with life.
Lois crossed the room, opening the closet door, inside she reached for the light as the dim bulb rose to life she couldn't prevent herself from jumping as she came face to face with the cardboard standee of Perry that the guys down in marketing had made as a gag. To this day it was living out a lonely existence as guardian of the supply closet.
She scanned the room until her eyes fell on a large brown suitcase. Lois grabbed the handle and slid it from beneath the table, grunting at the weight of it. I suppose one doesn't think about travel weight when they can juggle anvils in one hand. she thought, a smile spreading across her face. Lois frowned at the small lock on the handle. Pulling a pin from her hair she made short work of it, smirking at the irony of breaking into Superman's suitcase with a hairpin.
Clark's disguise extended beyond his glasses as Lois carefully peeled through the neatly folded layers of tweed. Each belonging was secured in meticulous order, not an item out of place, and nothing revealed the unique nature of their owner. It felt strangely intimate to be going through these things despite the mask they represented.
Below the layers of ridiculously formal work suits, Lois found a few out of place pairs of jeans and white t-shirts. She smiled, never having seen Clark in anything even remotely that casual. Neatly folded to one side, a flannel shirt caught her eye. She lifted it from its place, running her hand over the material. Lois couldn't resist burying her face in the softness, breathing in the smell of the plains of Kansas and detergent.
His familiar scent brought new tears to her eyes, she blinked them away impatiently as she gathered up a few other items she thought he might need. She noticed an extra pair of glasses in the polyester lined pocked, as an after thought, she grabbed them. Lois grabbed a linen paper route bag and gently placed each item into the bag. She heaved the suitcase back into place. Grabbing a piece of copy paper she scribbled a note for Perry explaining Clark and her absence.
The phone at her desk rang, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. She lifted the receiver from it's cradle. "Lois Lane?" she answered in surprise.
"Hi Lois. Polly from switchboard, I thought I'd get your voicemail. I have a man on the line who says he urgently needs to talk to you."
Who would call her this early? "Hi Polly. Did he give his name?"
"No. He said he would only talk to you. Should I put him through?" Polly sounded unsure.
"Of course. Thanks Polly….Lois Lane." Lois sat down in her desk chair.
"Miss Lane?" The Russian accented voice lilted.
"You got her."
"Miss Lane. This is Artem Kulich." Lois stopped in her tracks as he continued. "I require a meeting with you as soon as possible. There is an urgent matter we must discuss."
"Mr. Kulich, what is this in regards to?"
"I would rather speak to you in private Miss Lane. You will forgive me if I do not trust the security of a newspaper phone line.
"Tell me where."
"I am downstairs, in the alley behind your building. Look for the black sedan. Come alone."
The line went dead.
Lois grabbed Clark's bag and her purse and headed toward the elevator.
