Clark's Apartment: Three Days Later

Clark sat alone on his couch, thinking. "Ever since I met her I can't get her out of my head… the saddest thing is, we only talked for maybe five minutes before we went our separate ways… He began to think about everyone back at home. I wonder how everyone in Smallville is doing… Mom, Dad, Chloe, Pete, and Lana… now there's a name I haven't heard or thought of in a while. Could it be I've replaced my obsession with Lana Lang with another equally weird obsession with Lois Lane…? Lana Lang… Lois Lane… ugh, I need to get out more… He looks up and it's dark outside, he glances at his clock, 11:34 PM… He smirks, "Atlantis, here I come." He gets up and puts on a clean pair of pants and a clean shirt, black of course.

Clark walked down the streets of Metropolis, completely carefree, not because he could take anyone who attacked him, but because he had created a reputation for having a short fuse.

Flashback

Clark walked back to his apartment after having an exceptionally bad day, he was angry… very angry. The ring's lingering effects were in full force tonight, and he was not in the mood to be messed with. But of course, that's the type of days muggers pick to attack.

A mugger jumped out of the shadows and pulled a gun on Clark, who just sighed in annoyance. "Give me your wallet." Clark looked at him like he was kidding, and chuckled. "Sure… now why don't you get out of my way, or I'll make you get out of my way." The mugger looked at him like he had a second head sprouting from his shoulder and held his guy up to meet Clark's face. Clark sighed heavily and began to walk forward, when the mugger hit him in the side of his face with the barrel incredibly hard, a blow that would knock any normal person out… but Clark is not normal, so it just made him angry… very angry.

Clark turned his head back to the man slowly, a snarl upon his lips, his eyes glowing red, the man's eyes widened in horror and surprise, and he started to back away with his hands up. "Look man… I'm sorry…" Clark didn't hear a word, unbridled rage was muting everything, he didn't even see the people who began to flock around, his sight was focused on the man in front of him. He slowly stalked forward after the guy, who was still slowly retreating. When the mugger noticed that Clark was following he turned to run, but ran right into Clark's large chest. His eyes wandered up to meet Clark's snarling face… he froze in place when he noticed the evil glint in Clark's eyes. Clark's large hand snapped up in a blur and grabbed the man's shirt, lifting him easily off the ground. "Look man… I've got a wife and kids…" Clark's eyes softened as the man spoke, but soon they were hardened once more by the ring's effects. "Well, you should of thought of that before…" Clark gripped the man tighter and threw him into a dark alley, where he crash landed into a dumpster. Clark then walked away from the scene, and he thought to himself that if one more person interrupted him he would kill them… all he wanted to do was get back to his apartment and go to sleep.

End of Flashback

Now no one would step up against Clark, but that didn't stop them from hurting other people. Clark walked towards the club when he heard a girl's scream; he turned quickly and located the source in a dark alley a few dozen feet away.He quickly made his way to the alley to see a familiar young woman getting mugged, Clark sighed. Today is not going to be a good day. Lois turned her eyes and glanced at him as he stood there his arms crossed over his chest, behind the mugger. The mugger was holding a gun to her, but for some reason her fear was gone now that she saw Clark. The mugger grabbed her purse and smiled and turned around to leave… as soon as he did the smile on his face disappeared and was replaced by an expression of terror. Clark looked the man in the face, his eyes widening with surprise and anger, "You again…" "Kal…" He squeaked. Clark looked at him his eyes narrowed and his jaw tight, "Remember what happened last time?" The man nodded quickly… "Is it going to happen again?" He asked frightened, and Clark just smirked at him and nodded. The mugger whimpered and turned around and gave Lois her purse, before sighing heavily and turning around to meet Clark. Clark's large hand picked the man up and flung him to the back of the alley.

Clark walked away as Lois looked on in amazement; she hesitated before running after him. "Hey!" Clark stopped and sighed. She caught up to him and ran in front of him, "How'd you do that?" Clark sighed, "Do what?" He avoided eye contact, he shoulders dropped in disbelief, "Throw a two-hundred pound man over 20 feet." She looked at him her eye brow raised in curiosity. "Um… uh… he wasn't two-hundred… I'd say more like one-eighty." He smiled sheepishly before looking around for something or someone to help him out, and he found it in the night club. He looked at her and smiled honestly, "You wanna get something to drink?" She looked at him incredulously for a moment before shrugging and smiling, "Sure." They walked towards Atlantis together, her hand unconsciously grabbed his, and his eyes widened in surprise before he settle down, realizing it was one of the most normal and comfortable things he's ever felt, it was like her hands were made for his to hold.

They spent the next two hours talking and laughing… and drinking. By the end of the night, Lois was incredibly drunk, while Clark… wasn't. He asked her where she lived, but it was halfway across town, while his apartment was only a few blocks away, he decided she could spend the night there, she got the bed he got the couch. Before they even got halfway she passed out, and Clark was forced to carry her the rest of the way. Normally he'd find this task quite annoying, but for some reason he didn't mind it.

They arrived at his apartment a few seconds later, because he used his super speed, figuring she was out cold, and there was no one around, so it was safe. But what he didn't know was she wasn't as drunk as she led him to believe and she saw everything…