NOTE: Hey everyone! Here's the resolution to the kidnappings and this chapter is a bit shorter, I think. But the rest will be plenty long :). Plenty of action in this here chap. Enjoy!
Mr. Firenze: Thank you very much, I was a little tired of angry reactions too. If you really love someone you probably wouldn't be really angry for long. And I am very sorry the scene with Richard was not up to par. I suppose I was getting a bit tired of all Richard's scenes being depressing, so I slipped...:). I also forget that people don't know what the characters are thinking or feeling every moment, so I forget to write some stuff in. I hope you can still enjoy the story though :)
skinnyrita: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! Well, he pretty much does that this chapter :). It's awesome. Of course I would say that though: it's my story, lol...Hope it's cool enough.
malfoysvixen: Lol! Yeah, these guys aren't very smart...at all...He sure shows them though.
The Kiss of Death: Ah, yes, the evil cliffie; lol. I can't exactly tell you whether Richard finds out about Clark or not. That would spoil it (actually I haven't decided yet :D)! Thanks a bunch for the review!
1eclecticreader: I hope this was quick ;). Thanks, I'm glad!
Nightcrawler8: Yes, it's nice to get that pink elephant out of the room. Thank you!
And thanks also to Sunny2006, red lighting, Jedi X-man Serena Kenobi, and Maddi-B. You guys are all great!
Lois squinted at the rundown structure and turned off the car. She looked around before getting out and walking into the cover of the trees in case someone was around. She had pulled the car up off the driveway and behind some tall bushes.
She crept closer, listening carefully and watching warily. Nothing seemed out of place yet.
When she came around to the side, she saw a hole in the wooden planks, an unnaturally round hole a few feet from ground level.
Ah, so he's here already. She checked to the left and right before going forward. When she reached the hole, she could see in all the way to the room where a stand off was taking place. It seemed Superman had just burst in. Oh no…
Her heart leaped into her throat and she tried to cry out when rough hands clamped around her mouth and body. The guard jerked her backward and dragged her away from the hole in the wall.
She struggled and made noise against his hand but it was completely muffled. The man was heading towards the back doors, her heels scraping over the hard ground. Her shoes were coming off. She took the opportunity when he stopped to unlatch the door to elbow his stomach as hard as she could and tear away.
Her freedom was momentary. She made a sound of frustration when those coarse hands got ahold of her arms again.
"Let me go!"
"Sorry, lady. You came to the wrong place," he muttered in a gravelly voice. "Three's the charm."
Well, at least I know I'm at the right place.
Superman stiffened as he heard muffled cries of a woman behind him outside. He had been about to take down the armed gunmen in a flash, but now he had someone else to worry about. Another man entered the swiftly-shrinking room. He was hauling a woman inside. It was Lois.
"Found a snoop," said the guard. He pulled Lois's head back to reveal her face. "Got ourselves another one."
"Release her now," said Superman. The power of his voice rang through the building. "Release them all or you will find yourselves inconvenienced."
"Was that a threat? Ha!"
Superman's anger rippled across the room seeing Lois struggling against her captors. Instead of fear there was anger etched in her face. She jerked her head away and kicked at his knee. He barely evaded it and got part of her heel in the side of his leg.
"Stupid girl!" he spat and swung a hand at her cheek.
But his hand hit something much more solid.
He began cursing and nursing his fingers but only for a moment before he was thrust far, far away. His head banged the wall, and he was knocked out.
Lois stayed behind Superman feeling as safe as if she were in a walled fortress. She pushed her hair away from her face and stood up.
Her savior was again watching the two men with guns aimed at the women's heads. He seemed so cool and collected in such a harrowing situation with even a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Was he taunting them? What was he waiting for?
"Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Oh…that…"Yeah. Thanks." She straightened her coat.
"You may want to stand back."
As soon as she took a step back, a ray of heat melted the weapons into a charred mess, and he became a blur. He was suddenly behind the kidnappers and grabbed them in a mighty grip off the ground. They dangled helplessly as he handled them like mere toys.
"Does 'faster than a speeding bullet' have no meaning whatsoever to any of you?" he taunted in good humor. "Now, I believe the police are looking for you…"
Lois rushed to the women and gently removed the tape from their mouths and untied the ropes that bound them.
"There you go. You're safe now," she said.
The first woman—Miss Johnson—was blonde and pale. Her sharp blue eyes were filled with tears. "Thank you so much. I thought…I thought we were going to die. They threatened us so often."
Miss Emmerson massaged the rope burns on her wrists. She was also blonde but bronzed by the sun and with green eyes. She stared into the distance. "They said Superman wouldn't save us…but he did."
Lois smiled. "He tends to do that. Comes when you least expect him. But he always comes."
"Who are you? I'd like to thank you properly."
She reached out a hand and shook each of theirs. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet reporter."
"Ohh, I see," said Miss Johnson. "Lois Lane. Aren't you and Superman…you know…"
Heat crept into Lois's cheeks, and she looked away. "Well, we have our history." She quickly changed the subject. "Where did he go anyway?"
Almost as if he heard her, he flew in again with all four men bound tightly together with metal pipes. He dropped them on the ground and left them to check on the women.
His blue eyes blazed. "Are you all right, both of you?"
They nodded and thanked him graciously. Miss Emmerson was trying hard not to stare at the magnificent being standing before them, invincible and untouchable.
He looked at Lois. "I'm glad you're safe but you shouldn't have come."
She gave him a look of amused exasperation. "But don't you know? I'm a magnet for trouble." She felt the others observing them with studious gazes, waiting for a hint of what they heard was true.
"Do you have your car close?" he asked.
"Yeah, I hid it…sort of."
"Could you take Miss Johnson and Emmerson away from this place? I'm sure they would like to get home."
"Sure thing." Lois was somewhat disappointed to leave him. "Are you…?"
He stopped her with a raised hand. He was listening. His jaw tensed.
"What?"
"Someone else is here. Stay here where it's safe."
"But…" She sighed as he disappeared. "I'm going to see who it is."
"It's probably not safe," said Miss Emmerson. Her eyes were genuinely frightened. "These men are capable of terrible things."
Lois bit her lip and gave in in an unusual reprieve from her normal methods. "I just want to get you two out of here. Come on."
Mr. Johnson straightened his suit jacket after stepping out of the car. His old building served as a perfect place for his dirty work, and he stood admiring it. But he began to scowl when there was no sign of his paid men.
"They're supposed to be guarding this place, not traipsing around like clueless idiots," he muttered as he walked towards the decaying structure. His hand rested lightly on the gun at his waist.
A sound like rushing wind caused him to halt abruptly. "Who's there?"
"So it really was you."
He whirled around and yanked the gun out of its holster, pointing it at the Man of Steel. He knew it was useless, yet he did it anyway. That intimidating sapphire gaze made his hands start to shake.
"How did you find me? What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to find anything!"
"Sorry to disappoint," said Superman. He stepped forward, towering over the short businessman. "But you have some explaining to do for the police."
He chambered a round and released it into Superman's chest. They bounced off harmlessly. He threw the gun down to the ground and raised his hands in surrender.
"Fine! You cursed heroes are such a nuisance. I wasn't going to hurt anyone."
"You kidnapped your own daughter! I say you've hurt them enough." Superman uncrossed his arms and caught Mr. Johnson in a firm grip. "You're coming with me and your cronies."
James Johnson was suddenly looking over Superman's shoulder with a ray of hope shining in his eyes. Superman turned with him still in his grasp and saw two large men step out of the car.
Without another moment's pause, he tossed Mr. Johnson into the two men. The force knocked them all to the ground. He sped over to their sprawled forms in the next second before they could react and lifted the burly men up into the air. They struggled but to no avail. Superman let them drop from a few feet onto the car, bending its roof and immobilizing Johnson's thugs.
Lois came bursting out with the two women. She smirked at the man who had started it all when she spotted him on the ground. "Well, I guess trying to outsmart Superman doesn't work."
The two women were staring in shock; especially Miss Johnson. "Daddy? How could you do this?" Tears rolled down her dirty cheeks as she turned away from him. He said nothing and had no hint of remorse in his expression. "Can we go as soon as possible? I don't want to see this."
"Sure," said Lois, knowing full well how she felt. "Let's go. My car's over here." She shot one last look to Superman. He nodded to her, and she smiled.
When they were all in her car, she glanced back at the other women. "No matter how hard they try to get away from Superman, he always shows up at their back door. We're all safe now that he's back."
