Chapter 5:
That day was going to be decisive: in a matter of hours, Lex Luthor, the president of United States of America was about to make a public speech for the entire nation: the subject wasn't clear but everyone knew it was too important for Lex Luthor to give a public statement.
He was still in Smallville while Lois had departed for Metropolis, for the Daily Planet to get some new information about Luthor's sudden press conference.
Driving through three hours, she arrived at the Planet in the middle of morning: the usual confusion was installed in the main room. At the heart of the chaotic room, there was Jimmy updating the website of the Daily Planet.
"Jimmy…"
"You're back…" – he replied slightly annoyed. Immediately Lois noticed Jimmy's annoyance but she chose to ignore.
"Has there been any new news about Luthor's press conference?" – Lois inquired.
"Nothing that you don't know already…" – Lois look at the editor's office where Karen Castle was yelling, as usually…
Resolute, she walked to the editor's office but suddenly she heard a huge explosion and the windows' glass of the floor shattered in thousands of pieces. She fell, covered by some debris from the glass. A little shaken, she got up and headed for what was left of the window: Dumbfounded, she saw flames and smoke coming from the building right in front of her, the LexCorp tower.
Instantly, her reporter instincts kicked and she turned around and began running.
"Jimmy! Bring a Camera!" – She shouted as she headed straight to the elevator: Jimmy grabbed his camera and followed her.
"I hope you heard it, Clark." – She thought while she and Jimmy entered the elevator.
While her concern for the welfare of the people she thought about this sudden attack.
"Who would want to attack LexCorp?"- She inquired, expectant, looking at Jimmy, waiting for some suggestion. Jimmy raised an eyebrow, almost incredulous about Lois's question.
"Ok…" – she shook her head, understanding Jimmy's disbelieving expression. – "Let me rephrase it…Who is crazy enough to do it?" – There wasn't time for an answer as the elevator opened its doors and Lois and Jimmy ran to the exit, heading for LexCorp.
In the street, chaos was dominant; people were coming out of building, scared, some in panic and there was only one car of the Metropolis P.D which was there usually, during its patrol, with two police officers giving orders to evacuate the tower while they waited for back-up.
Lois looked at the sky, hopeful, waiting for his presence but he was already there, picking up people, evacuating all of those who were stuck in the floors above the ones where the explosion occurred.
As he was picking up people and putting them in safety in the same area, she headed there to speak with him, hoping to gather some information about the disaster.
"How bad is it?" – She inquired in one of those times he left some people in safety but he didn't reply: the look in his eyes said it all and he flew again to bring more people into safety.
Seeing him saving all those people, it remembered her why she loved him so much and inspired her to do the right thing: from that moment, Lois Lane stopped being the reporter and instead she became a volunteer, helping those who needed help, supporting police and fire-fighters. Minutes later, Jimmy who she lost contact, showed up next to her, helping anyone who needed assistance.
Fortunately, it lasted no more than an hour: he was quickly enough to evacuate everyone alive stuck in the building lead them into safety for medical attention.
After the intense hour he searched for Lois and found her sat on the floor in the middle of the street, resting next to Jimmy.
"Are you two ok?" – He asked, concerned.
"We're fine…" – Jimmy answered while Lois remained silent. He noticed it and somehow it surprised him. In spite of the loud noise surrounding those three, there was a kind of silence between them until Jimmy got up.
"Well, I'm going now." – Jimmy looked at Lois. – "Are you coming?"
"Go on…I'll meet you there." – Jimmy nodded to Superman and he headed back to the Planet.
"Act like I'm interviewing you…" – she whispered, extending her old tape recorder. – "I don't like this…" – she confessed.
"Neither do I…"- he looked at the sight. – "Lex has a press conference today and all of a sudden, a blast at his former company, LexCorp."
"Can it all be connected?" – She asked, guessing Superman's rail of thoughts.
"I don't know: Lex has many enemies…" – For a few seconds his attention was in her. – "How are you holding up?"- He asked, looking again at her, concerned about her safety. – "I've noticed you're not talking…much." – He emphasized the last word, catching her full attention on that detail.
"Don't worry…" – she assured. – "I'll live but watching this, it feels I'm in a war zone."
"I know what you mean…" – Again he looked at LexCorp Tower. – "I'm going up there to see if there is any lead which can give an idea about who's done this." - For a second time, he looked at her. – "Take care…" - and he flew to the floor where the blast had happened.
Floating around the floor to avoid any contamination of possible evidence, he began searching for proof: he began using his super-breath smoothly to clear the continuous smoke coming from the remaining fire. He couldn't detect anything unusual besides the smell of the explosives: sensing the heat, he floated to the location where the explosion occurred. The massive hole created by the blast didn't leave any doubt in his mind. Curious, he began sweeping the entire area with his vision through the entire spectre of radiation and suddenly he detected a strange, bizarre heat signature coming from outside of the building. Floating, he followed the signature, which was slowly fading away but still perceptible, until its point of origin.
From its point of origin, he looked again to the LexCorp. Tower and the heat's signature drawn a straight line, directed to the LexCorp Tower, to its point of explosion. Then he began x-raying his surroundings, searching for anything unusual, suspicious but he encountered nothing.
"What's going on?" – He thought.
She arrived at the Planet, to her desk where to next it, Jimmy was printing his photos to send along with Lois's report.
"Any fresh news?" – She inquired.
"Metropolis P.D is about to release a statement in two hours and the President has cancelled his press conference and he's coming to Metropolis to visit LexCorp."
Lois ignored the fact of the President coming to Metropolis, concentrating solely on the terrorist attack. – "Can you get a list of the companies involved with LexCorp over this last year?" – She addressed to Jimmy.
"For when?"- Jimmy asked.
"For Yesterday." – She answered, categorically. The expression Jimmy saw on Lois's face was an indication of the "mad dog" phase Lois Lane was into: the wide open eyes, the serious expression and a little sarcasm to add to the mix.
He got up, heading to the archive section while Lois began transferring some of her data to her computer: her day had started badly with a blast occurring right at the centre of Metropolis, killing people, leaving others wounded. Lex Luthor, a man she considered to be a devil in disguise was coming to Metropolis for the first time since the election but her day was about to get worse.
Suddenly someone come near her. – "You're going to follow Lex Luthor's visit here in Metropolis." – Lois looked at her: Karen Castle, the editor of Daily Planet, courtesy of Lex Luthor.
"You're throwing me into a social visit…" – Lois eyed the chief editor suspiciously.
"I'm giving you the story any reporter would want."
"The real story is to find out who's behind this terrorist attack, not following social visits." – The tone of the discussion began rising.
"This isn't a democracy: Do as I tell you." – Karen stated, flatly leaving Lois in her desk.
Lois's anger exploded because of Karen's affirmation. – "Really? Tell me something I don't know…Why you don't throw me into the devil's lair… the white House!"
Karen ignored her and went back to her office as Lois threw a bunch of papers, furiously grabbing everyone's attention.
"What? WHAT?" – she shouted at everyone who were dumbfounded looking at her eventually, after some time Lois's rage faded as she resumed her work and in the meantime Jimmy came up with the list Lois requested. She began analysing it but shortly after, she went to the Metropolis P.D Headquarters to get the statement but only hours after the explosion, Metropolis P.D was clueless about the one who was behind the attack in spite of the usual worldwide suspects.
She came back to the Planet where she continued her research: Coffee became her companion and minutes became hours. As the night came in, Lois was lonelier, seeing her colleagues leaving the Planet and her desk was full of papers with possible suspects who had more than one reason to try to blow up LexCorp H.D, leaving just a small space for her coffee cup and her keyboard.
She met a dead end: so many suspects, too many. Powerful men made many and powerful enemies. She searched for a possible and unique clue which could make her go into the right direction but nothing.
"You look awfully tired." - A voice behind her spoke, interrupting her thoughts.
Distressed, she turned around. – "Jeesh…Jimmy, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Sorry… my bad." – Jimmy apologized.
She took her cup of coffee and swallowed the rest that still remained at the bottom. – "I'm trying to find something which can make me see the light at the end of tunnel but nothing, nought, zero…" – she confessed, disappointed.
"Get some rest. Maybe tomorrow you'll find the answers you need." – He advised.
"Thanks…"- she smiled at her friend's worry. – "I'll stick around in a few more minutes."
"Ok…see you tomorrow." – And he left the floor leaving Lois completely alone. Looking at her empty cup, she headed to the room where the coffee machine was still active, ready to give her, "her special drug".
Following the routine, she began inserting coins in the coffee machine and suddenly there was power failure.
"Now…isn't this great?" - She stated, resigned: she punched the machine, angered somehow assuming the machine had all the blame. She went back to her desk but she stopped: something caught her attention, a shadow. The shadow revealed a human present that was walking in her direction.
Frightened, she grabbed the first thing she could find, preparing her defence.
"Don't worry miss Lane. I mean no harm". - A male voice spoke.
"So tell me...Why do I have a hard time believing in you?" - She remarked sarcastically while she looked in every direction to see if he was really alone.
"My name is Thadeus Killgrave. I'm a geneticist and I've been working for the President for the last two years." - He declared.
Slowly but still suspicious, Lois put on her desk the object she had on her hand. The Luthor's mention intrigued her. -" Well Mr. Killgrave, you've got my full attention."
"There is a conspiracy to bring down Superman..."
"Tell me something that I don't already know, Mr. Killgrave." - She interrupted him, crossing her arms, sceptical.
"What you know is merely the top of the iceberg. All is connected." - He stepped forward, anxious.
Lois observed him: the anxiety revealed by his constant hands rubbing and looking to every direction to see if there was anyone else let transpire to her that he knew something.
From one his jacket pockets, he grabbed a paper. – "This is the address of a small apartment outside Metropolis: there's where you will find the proof to everything what I'm about to say…"- He took another step forward and the moonlight exposed him and suddenly a silent bullet passed through his head leaving instantly a corpse in the ground.
Instinctively, Lois lay down: protected by one of two columns the office had, she managed to stay intact but she knew she hadn't much time left. Still lay down, she began crawling but she stopped, noticing the small paper which contained the address Dr. Killgrave spoke moments before his death. Thankfully, the paper was in the shadow, in a position she could catch in relative security. She crawled again towards the emergence exit but she heard footsteps once she opened the door carefully. She closed it: she felt trapped and looked at the archive room and ran into it. She closed the door and looked into the entire room: there wasn't any corner or space where she could hide.
Desperate, she ran back to open the door but once she saw several men entering the floor, she changed her mind: nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
She came close to the window and then she had a crazy idea: she opened the window and climbed it. A leap of faith: she closed her eyes and jumped screaming immediately, with all of her strength.
"SUPERMAN! SUPERMAN!..." – she continued screaming even harder until she sensed of pair of strong arms catching her and then she knew she was protected. She only opened her eyes when his feet met the ground.
"You're safe." – He whispered in her ear.
"Thank you." – And she kissed him. After the long and passionate kiss, he looked at her and concerned, He asked.
"What happened?"
"There's a lead."- She declared. – "A man, Thaddeus KillGrave, came to me with information about Luthor but he ended up killed right in front of me."
"And?" – He asked expectant.
"Nothing except an address I have with supposed proof of his claims."
"Is it the paper you have under your bra?"- He asked leaving Lois completely baffled by his statement.
"No peeking Smallville!" – She removed the paper form her bra.
"I've never thought you're the pink type." – Again he whispered in her ear.
"You like pink, don't you?" – She teased.
He put his cape around her and embraced her. – "You already know the answer."
Another kiss, another unforgettable moment: those were rare moments and they cherished every single one of them because they both knew, difficult times were coming.
"I have to go."- He took the paper from her hand.
"I want to go too." – She declared.
"I'll have to check this address and besides it's too dangerous." – He affirmed and Lois was about to reply but he knew her too well and continued.
"Check Thaddeus Killgrave, who he was, what he was doing…" – Initially she was reluctant but since it was becoming a team work, she shook her head, agreeing with his idea.
He stepped back. – "Get outside the city for tonight. Your house isn't safe." - He was about to fly but at very last moment, he stopped.
He pulled a watch from a pocket in his belt and gave to Lois. – "Use it whenever you need help." – She put the watch on her pulse and he continued his explanation. – "It emits a low frequency only I can hear. Don't hesitate." – He emphasized his last words.
"Thank you."- She smiled at his concern.
"Be careful."- He advised.
"I will." – She replied and she watched flying away, leaving her alone.
Flying to the location the paper indicate, he saw a column of smoke coming to the same location where he was heading. As he approached the location, he saw a fire and several firemen along with several vehicles.
He put aside his thoughts for any proof of Thaddeus Killgrave and decided to assist the firemen. Once he arrived, he came close to a fireman and asked.
"How bad is it?"
The fireman who was occupied in his task, replied with some difficult. – "Gas explosion, several wounded, a house burned and the next ones are burning as you can see it."
Using his x-ray vision, he scanned the houses which were burning and fortunately no one was stuck at any debris or was fainted. He used his artic-breath to erase the fire which he did successfully in a couple of minutes.
Once the job was done he was about to leave but he remembered he was already in the area to search for the proof of Thaddeus Killgrave.
He came up to another fireman and showed him the address.
"Do you know where it is?" – He asked.
"That's the house that blew up." - The sudden revelation made by the fireman made him realised how someone wanted everything to be quiet.
He went back to the Fortress where he had some evidence from the terrorist attack provided by Lt. Sawyer of the Metropolis P.D: video surveillance of the Lexcorp Tower.
He put the DVD recording in the console of the Fortress where it began analysing it and displaying a 3-D image.
"Switch the image into infrared." – Swiftly he could see the heat signature he saw earlier.
"Rotate 50º" – he began tracking the origin: then a small detail caught his attention that a human eye couldn't detect.
"Magnify cell H12" - The new image was very blurry and still small.
"Amplify again and focus for better resolution." – Now the image was clear as crystal and showed him a shocking sight.
"Who is this?... What is this?" – He asked, stunned.
To be continued…