CHAPTER 8
"'You're not paid to think'" Lois replied a couple of blocks away with crossed arms against her chest. "Who did he think I was?"
"The Duchess" Clark said.
Lois smiled. That was funny coming from Clark.
"When we come back, we have to discover who wants to kill Bruce Wayne" she said.
"Do you know him?" Clark asked, curious. "I mean, you recognized him from the photo, so--"
"Yes. I know him" she answered, thoughtful.
Surprised, Clark wrinkled his forehead, and before he could ask something else, she said:
"At least, we know Vito Lucchesi is involved. Through him, we can discover who's at the top"
"Why do you think there's someone above him who would want to kill Bruce Wayne?" he asked, confused.
"Because Bruce Wayne is the only heir of an empire" Lois explained. "Wayne Enterprises is a conglomerate that generates billions of investments around the world"
"Like Luthorcorp?"
"More than Luthorcorp" she said.
"Um. You're saying that because you know this Bruce Wayne?" he asked, a little jealous.
"Exactly" she answered with conviction.
Confused with Lois' answer, Clark turned his head toward the sound of some music a few blocks away.
"What's that noise?" he asked.
"Do you have super-hearing or what? I don't hear anything!" she replied.
Suddenly, Lois heard the noise too.
"Well, we're still in Suicide Slum, so, if it's not a shoot out, it sounds like a party" she said.
And it was. They crossed the street and saw that there was a party on the 6th floor of an old building with loud music and lots of people. Some of them were walking around the street, carrying bottles of beer and smoking cigarettes.
"Our problems are over, Smallville!" Lois said, approaching them.
"Hey, Lois! I don't think it's time for partying!" he replied in vain.
Lois just smiled and walked away.
"Lois!" he tried again.
She didn't listen to him, so he decided to follow her.
"Hey, gorgeous" a guy said to her, next to the door of the building where the party was happening. But Lois ignored him and entered the building.
"Wow, I'm sorry!" the guy added when he saw Clark walked past him after Lois, looking him straight in the eye.
"Lois!" he called her again, while they quickly passed several people drinking and smoking in the stairs.
Suddenly, a girl spilled beer on Clark's T-shirt.
"Hey, be careful!" she yelled, completely tipsy, and after looking at him again, added: "Handsome"
Clark just took a deep breath, closed his jacket and looked all around to see where Lois was. But he had lost her. Worried, he went up the stairs until he got to the floor where the party was. He needed to find her as soon as he could and get out of there.
At last, he saw the party was happening in a small apartment where lots of young people were talking loudly over noisy music.
Clark looked all around, but there was no sign of Lois. So, he used his super-hearing to locate her.
Suddenly, he heard her voice next to the window.
"I'll be so glad if you could do that for me" she was saying to a guy who seemed very interested in her, judging by the way he examined her form with a bottle of beer in his hands. When it seemed the guy was leaning toward her for a kiss, Clark approached them as quickly as he could.
"Hey Smallville!" Lois said when she saw him.
The guy who was with her went away.
"Hi. Are you having enough fun?" he scoffed.
Lois smiled.
"Well, this is not my kind of party" she explained.
"Yeah right" he replied, not believing her.
But she smiled.
"Lois?" he asked, serious.
"What?" she replied.
"We have to leave!" he said.
"Sorry Smallville, you have to speak a little louder," she said, having fun with the situation.
Suddenly, the guy who was with Lois before approached them, bringing a telephone, which he gave it to her.
"Thank you, Bob!" she said, facing Clark, and then turning around to use the telephone next to the window, where there wasn't much noise.
Surprised, Clark just smiled. He didn't know Lois as much as he imagined.
"Chlo? Finally!" she said on the phone.
"Oh my God, Lois! Where are you?" Chloe asked. "Did Clark find you?"
"Oh yes, I don't know how, but he's just right here" she answered looking at him.
"What is that noise?"
"The only place where we found a telephone. Where are you?"
"In front of the Police Station! You simply disappeared!" Chloe explained.
"Chlo, you have to get us out of here. We're still in Suicide Slum"
"What about your car?" Chloe asked.
"Long story" Lois said.
"Ok. Tell me exactly where you are" Chloe asked.
"Um. Let me see--" Lois said, leaning her head away from the window to see the sign at the next corner. But it was too far from them to be able to read.
"West State Street" Clark said, next to her, after reading the sign.
"West State Street" Chloe memorized.
"Wow, good eyes, Smallville!" Lois said, impressed. "There's a party here. Not difficult to find it"
"Ok. So, be alert, 'cause I don't want to park there and then have to look for you" Chloe said.
"See you later, Chlo"
Then, Lois looked at Clark, and said:
"She's on her way"
Clark let out a deep breath. The nightmare was ending.
TBC