Part 1
Lois Lane craned her neck and spotted her partner chatting amicable with the Rosses. Clark had introduced her to Pete and Lana when they were out in Smallville a few months ago. It seemed that the Rosses were celebrating their wedding anniversary here in Metropolis. When Clark saw them, a passing look of hurt crossed his eyes. And then he excused himself to say hello.
Her cellphone rang shrilly, and the people in the restaurant glanced at her before dismissing her presence totally. "Hello." The words from the other end of the line gave her that definite twinkle in her eye. "Are you sure he's going to be there?" she demanded. Lois nodded and wrote down the information. "He agreed?" she repeated in disbelief. Lex Luthor never agreed to be interviewed. "Oh okay." Her eyes flickered over at Clark. "I won't take him with me. Yes. Great! Thanks a lot!"
She picked up her purse and dropped a few bills on the table. This was a chance that she wasn't going to let pass. Lois walked over to Clark. "Hi." She extended her hand to Pete and Lana. "It's great to see you both again."
"Hey Lois. I was just going back to the table."
She shook her head. "I gotta run, Clark," she told him. "I'm going to see you back at the Planet." And then she sped away.
"Tough to handle?" Lana piped up, still looking gorgeous if not a little bit older. Clark was captivated.
"Reminds me of Chloe," Pete commented to his wife. "She has the scoop insanity down to boot."
Clark followed Lois with his gaze until she vanished. "Oh she's a little easier to manage than Chloe. Chloe Sullivan had to be the worst when it came to letting something big pass." How long had it been anyway? Two years. And he still felt that paralyzing way his heart clenched.
He was jarred out of his thoughts by the soft hand that wrapped around his. "Clark." He focused in on Lana's concerned face. "Clark, it's okay."
He patted Lana's hand, assuring her that he was with them still.
Meanwhile, Lois sat in Lex Luthor's intimidating office, feeling small against the amazing furnishings. She had taken down all the answers that Lex offered. Now it was time for the kill. "Why does it seem like you know Superman so well?"
Instead of the effect that she expected, that of Lex being shocked at Lois' knowledge, he merely sat back in his chair and tossed a pen on the desk. "I'm surprised your journalistic skills hasn't gotten you that far yet," he said. "Superman saved my life," he told her. "And took it away the very same night."
Lois was at a loss for words. "Curious," was the only one that came to mind, so she used it.
His eyes flashed. "It's not curious, Ms Lane. It's tragic."
"But you're here, alive and kicking," she said lightly.
"I can kick, yes. Alive? That's still on deliberation."
"I'm only after the truth."
There was a subtle beep from the wall, and Lex pushed the remote. "I have a call."
"I'll give you a few minutes," she said, standing up.
"No, Ms Lane. Please. You want a story on me. Stay and absorb." Lois reluctantly sat back down and saw the suit that appeared on the screen. "What seems to be the problem now?"
"We couldn't extract, sir. The owners of the property wouldn't sell."
"Up the offer," he told them. "If they still won't, then destroy them." Lex pushed the off button and the screen went dark. "We're all after the truth, Ms Lane," Lex picked up on their previous conversation as though they had never been interrupted. "This is the truth you found out about me now." He made a motion to the screen. "We all have a capacity for evil. And I've reached mine long ago."
"How long?" she said softly, knowing it didn't matter, but also aware that she had to say something.
His mouth curved into a humorless smile. "Say... two years?"
Lois Lane craned her neck and spotted her partner chatting amicable with the Rosses. Clark had introduced her to Pete and Lana when they were out in Smallville a few months ago. It seemed that the Rosses were celebrating their wedding anniversary here in Metropolis. When Clark saw them, a passing look of hurt crossed his eyes. And then he excused himself to say hello.
Her cellphone rang shrilly, and the people in the restaurant glanced at her before dismissing her presence totally. "Hello." The words from the other end of the line gave her that definite twinkle in her eye. "Are you sure he's going to be there?" she demanded. Lois nodded and wrote down the information. "He agreed?" she repeated in disbelief. Lex Luthor never agreed to be interviewed. "Oh okay." Her eyes flickered over at Clark. "I won't take him with me. Yes. Great! Thanks a lot!"
She picked up her purse and dropped a few bills on the table. This was a chance that she wasn't going to let pass. Lois walked over to Clark. "Hi." She extended her hand to Pete and Lana. "It's great to see you both again."
"Hey Lois. I was just going back to the table."
She shook her head. "I gotta run, Clark," she told him. "I'm going to see you back at the Planet." And then she sped away.
"Tough to handle?" Lana piped up, still looking gorgeous if not a little bit older. Clark was captivated.
"Reminds me of Chloe," Pete commented to his wife. "She has the scoop insanity down to boot."
Clark followed Lois with his gaze until she vanished. "Oh she's a little easier to manage than Chloe. Chloe Sullivan had to be the worst when it came to letting something big pass." How long had it been anyway? Two years. And he still felt that paralyzing way his heart clenched.
He was jarred out of his thoughts by the soft hand that wrapped around his. "Clark." He focused in on Lana's concerned face. "Clark, it's okay."
He patted Lana's hand, assuring her that he was with them still.
Meanwhile, Lois sat in Lex Luthor's intimidating office, feeling small against the amazing furnishings. She had taken down all the answers that Lex offered. Now it was time for the kill. "Why does it seem like you know Superman so well?"
Instead of the effect that she expected, that of Lex being shocked at Lois' knowledge, he merely sat back in his chair and tossed a pen on the desk. "I'm surprised your journalistic skills hasn't gotten you that far yet," he said. "Superman saved my life," he told her. "And took it away the very same night."
Lois was at a loss for words. "Curious," was the only one that came to mind, so she used it.
His eyes flashed. "It's not curious, Ms Lane. It's tragic."
"But you're here, alive and kicking," she said lightly.
"I can kick, yes. Alive? That's still on deliberation."
"I'm only after the truth."
There was a subtle beep from the wall, and Lex pushed the remote. "I have a call."
"I'll give you a few minutes," she said, standing up.
"No, Ms Lane. Please. You want a story on me. Stay and absorb." Lois reluctantly sat back down and saw the suit that appeared on the screen. "What seems to be the problem now?"
"We couldn't extract, sir. The owners of the property wouldn't sell."
"Up the offer," he told them. "If they still won't, then destroy them." Lex pushed the off button and the screen went dark. "We're all after the truth, Ms Lane," Lex picked up on their previous conversation as though they had never been interrupted. "This is the truth you found out about me now." He made a motion to the screen. "We all have a capacity for evil. And I've reached mine long ago."
"How long?" she said softly, knowing it didn't matter, but also aware that she had to say something.
His mouth curved into a humorless smile. "Say... two years?"