Chapter 16:

What the cameras had shown, had horrified her and her friends: she couldn't believe what had just happen and so, Lois left running, heading for the elevator.

"Let her go!" – The General ordered as the soldiers were ready to stop Lois.

"I'm the commander-in-chief…" – Lex didn't finish his sentence as the general used the back of his gun to knock out Lex who fell unconscious. The General had realized the serious mistake he made, by trusting Lex.

Meanwhile, inside the elevator, Lois pressed all the buttons frantically until the elevator reached her floor: she entered and pressed level 0 and the elevator began its ascent. The time of the ascent felt like an eternity: the tears were already scrolling down her cheeks and as she reached the surface, she ran to outside and continued running as fast as she could as if her life depended on it until she reached a higher point where she could the horizon.

In the far horizon, she could see the deadly mushroom, filling the skies and then she had the terrible conformation: the last time she had seen him, he had been in a fight with a league of super-heroes trying to arrest him and he wasn't at full strength. He had left her in the Kent farm trying for block an attack upon his Fortress of Solitude but he had failed and then he suffered from a nuclear attack, blowing up partially a city.

She was witnessing it right then, on her knees: the suffering was so huge she felt the world spinning around her and she fainted, blacking out.

Three weeks had passed since the tragedy: more than one million people dead from the explosion occurred in Houston, Texas and besides the city's ruins, thousands were dying from the radiation poisoning. Among those victims from the blast, one was the man she loved, a man who sacrificed himself to prevent even more deaths.

She still had hope he would show up but the searches within 50 miles carried by the recently made Justice League showed no results. The Justice League was the tribute, the other super-heroes had made, to perverse the ideal Superman fought for: Truth and Justice.

As a pesky consolation prize, Lex Luthor was imprisoned due to the facts showed in a Daily Planet story by Lois Lane and Chloe Sullivan: Mercy Graves was the main witness and the facts gathered by Lois and Chloe, the Daily Planet printed the story from which the sales went sky high with the headline Lois insisted: "What is the American Way? The Luthorgate. By Chloe Sullivan and Lois Lane."

In spite of such professional success, she was dying inside: it didn't matter if she was going to win a Pulitzer if she hadn't the man she loved by her side, celebrating.

Currently, she was on a parking lot, a prison parking lot: the image of that vivid mushroom was always on her mind, chasing her, reminding her of the new reality she was living, contradicting her hopes of Clark being alive. She shook her head and exited the car: she came to that place for a reason: she came to see the man responsible for such villainous acts behind bars. In fact, she thought prison was too kind for someone like Lex Luthor: perhaps an electric chair would be more suitable.

She arrived at the main hall where others had the same idea as she had but no one was allowed to see him, at least for the meantime: it was a media circus in there with photographers and reporters who were like hyenas circulating and waiting for something fresh, something new. Like everyone else, she wanted access to Luthor however, she had no luck.

Fortunately for her, there was a window opportunity.

"Lois! Lois!" – Her father, General Lane, shouted and she turned around ready to exit the hall but quickly the general stood in front of her.

"Lois? Come with me: I can get you access to Luthor." – His affirmation and the words "access" and "Luthor" being on the same affirmation were the only thing which compelled her to stay otherwise she would have left. She followed her father, always silent as he conducted her to a small room where they could both be together and alone.

Soon Lois realized she wasn't going to see Luthor, at least right away: impatience took over her judgment. - "Where is he?"

"Listen Lois, we haven't talked since…" – he hesitated bringing the sensitive and delicate matter but after a few moments of hesitation he continued. – "…since the explosion and I want to say I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and I…"

"Where is he?" – She interrupted her father, indifferently, asking once again, with a more aggravated tone.

"Lois…" – the General pleaded but Lois was resolute.

"Listen General, my father died in that explosion, three weeks ago." - She stated, as coldly as she could. – "So General, stop wasting my time: either you grant me access to Luthor or you're done here and I'm leaving."

Sam Lane was surprised to see her daughter so distant and cold: it surpassed anything he could ever imagine. Realizing he wasn't getting any pardon from her daughter, he picked his gun and put it on the table next to him.

"I wasn't there for you when Luthor detonated the bomb, I didn't stop him: Perhaps this time I can at least give you a chance to make things right. I'm going now: leave this room, turn left and you will find Luthor's cell at end of the hall." – Sam tried to approach Lois but she stepped aside. He was frustrated but accepted her daughter's decision and he exited the room leaving Lois alone, looking at the table, looking at the gun. She walked to the table and took the gun.

Hiding the gun, she left the room and headed to Lex's cell: by each step, she was becoming more and more nervous until she stopped right at Lex's cell. He didn't notice right away her presence as she could see him so relaxed, sat in his bed: it was enervating to see him like that, apparently with no remorse whatsoever.

"I've heard room service sucks around here but seeing you there, it makes wonder if I'm mistaken…"

Finally Lex noticed her presence and got up. – "Lane…Why the honor of such visit?"

"Why don't you try guessing?" – Her question was challenging him which he immediately accepted by approaching the cell's bars.

"Ah…you have come to kill me…"- Lex looked at Lois carefully but slightly curious. – "I know that look…your eyes…your mind, your judgment clouded by anger, by the very sense of revenge and yet you hesitate…" – He could see her sensing a roller coaster of emotions but she was hesitating. He could read her mind like a book.

"Doubts? The alien didn't take any prisoners, didn't he?"

"Clark is a fine man: he makes a difference in the world…"- declared a disturbed Lois but quickly Lex interrupted her.

"You're using the present sentence when you should use the past sentence. Still have hope?" – Lex asked Lois, standing right in front of her.

"Always." – She replied flatly.

"Hope is the illusion of fools. Get over it. He's dead." – At the word dead, Lois strength almost vanished and tears began scrolling down her cheeks as she saw the amusement all over Lex.

"Why are you so amused when you all brought death and destruction?" – Lois inquired, somewhat disgusted at Lex's delight.

"My mission is complete. The alien is dead and even now, when I'm at this prison, I know, I will get out someday and I'll crush everyone who stood against me, like you." – As he was smiling at her, a sudden urge of revenge clouded her mind and she picked up the gun her father left on the table: there were a lot of people who wanted to see Lex Luthor dead and Lois was voicing those people.

Lex took a few steps behind; he was somehow surprised by her reaction but soon he approached her once again, only bars separating them.

"Do it…I did what I had to do and I don't regret it. I'm not asking for your forgiveness. The menace is killed. You can kill me, My destiny is fulfilled." – Lex became silent, looking at Lois, both staring at each other.

A debate was in Lois's mind whether she would kill him or not: the sense of revenge versus the true justice that Clark always stood for but there was no time for a decision because the guards appeared and pointed their guns to Lois.

"PUT THE GUN DOWN!" – One of the guards screamed at her but she didn't even listen to them: her mind was entirely focused on Lex and the decision whether to kill him or not.

"PUT THE GUN DOWN OR WE'LL SHOOT YOU!" – The second shout was even louder and finally Lois realized they were talking to her: the logic and the love she had for the man she recently lost made her to unload the gun and let it fell: immediately the guards approached Lois and quickly they immobilized her.

As she was being dragged out of the hallway by the guards, she declared loudly. – "I believe in him: I choose not kill you."

"Your mistake, Lane!" – Lois was no longer in his sight and so he began yelling furiously. – "DO YOUR HEAR ME? DON'T WOUND WHAT I CAN'T KILL!"

Outside, Lois could hear him yelling, swearing, and cursing her and her friends.

"I'll be ready for you, Lex." – She declared remembering Clark's way of life.

She was detained and was being held in a detention cell but she was released shortly after because no one really care about someone who tried to kill the most hated man in the world: later some would even blame her that she hadn't the guts to kill Lex.

After being released, she went to the Daily Planet where things were already starting to change: Karen Castle asked her resignation and the rumors of Perry's White return were stronger by each day.

The good old days were returning with Chloe's return to the Planet staff and the return of the Sullivan-Lane team but as she sat at her desk and looking at the entire floor, she felt something was missing in her life and she knew what or better yet, who was missing in her life.

She left her purse and grabbed a cup of coffee and headed for the Daily Planet rooftop. Once she got there, she looked at the sky and there, she stayed for minutes while drinking her cup of coffee.

Minutes passed and someone joined her. – "The view is fantastic, isn't it? I missed this place." – Lois turned around to see her cousin smiling at her.

"Chloe…yeah, it's great."

Chloe walked until she was at Lois's side and took a deep breath. – "For almost two years, I lived the hide and seek game, waiting for the day I would be here again, working with you Lois. I'm really glad I'm here with you again, cousin." – They face each other and Chloe saw Lois already crying silently.

"Lois…" – Chloe hugged her cousin. – "I'm so sorry…" – For moments they shared their pain, their sorrow until Chloe who was more calmly, asked Lois. – "Any news about Clark?"

"No…" – Lois replied between the cries. – "The Justice League is still looking for him but I don't know…" – slowly Lois was beginning to lose hope about Clark's survival.

"Don't lose hope!" – Chloe tried to bring some hope to Lois knowing it was the best way to give her cousin some strength.

"Have you talked to the Kents?"- Lois hadn't talked to the Kents since the day of the explosion but she assumed it was as hard for them as it was for her.

"We're a wreck…" – Chloe confessed but she regretted her choice of words: quickly she had to chance subject. – "Let's go downstairs? We've still got a lot to catch up." – Lois smiled weakly: both exited the Planet's rooftop and went downstairs and continued their work and by the end of the day she and Chloe ended in Lois's home where they were living together, at least temporally. Chloe's apartment had been sold during her "death" but for the last few days, Chloe was living with her.

They had dinner together and watched a movie together and after the movie, Chloe said goodbye to Lois.

"I'm off to bed. It's been a long day. Good night." – declared an exhausted Chloe.

"Bye…Sleep well." – Lois stayed in the living room alone as the night and the moon became her companion and the TV was the only thing illuminating the entire room. She began cleaning up her sofa and the table when suddenly a window opened and a soft breeze entered her apartment. She walked towards the window and closed it. As she turned around she noticed someone else was at her apartment, someone who wasn't Chloe.

"Who's there?" – She tried to see anyone but she wasn't able to see who was until the person stepped out of the shadow.

"Batman?!" – She was both confused and perplexed: she wasn't used to someone to sneak up like that. It didn't matter to him that Lois wasn't accustomed to his sneak habits: it was his way and he didn't care if others approve it or not.

"Any News?" – Somewhat still baffled how he got inside her apartment, Lois stepped forward, hopeful.

"Two days ago, you asked Barbara Gordon to talk to her father to contact me in case if there was any news about Superman."

"Right…" – She remembered about the phone call she had made earlier in order to be updated as soon as possible: her hope of Superman's survival was almost everything to her. –"So, are there any good news?"

He didn't reply right away and she noticed it: it wasn't good news and immediately she expected the worst.

"We didn't find him." – Batman finally admitted. – "The detonation was too powerful and it wiped out most of the satellites covering that area at the time due to the EMP: all search was manual and The Flash ran thousands of square miles of area which weren't affected by the radiation."

"What about the affected area?"

"We launched probes and Cyborg was there personally to find him but nothing. He was no nowhere to find…" – She didn't listen anymore: she had to sit down and she did so in her couch. The pain of her loss was almost unbearable: she grabbed the pillow standing next to her and she squeezed it as hard as she could.

"Thank you…" – she mumbled between the cries but as she looked to find Batman, he wasn't there anymore: she was all alone again.

It was the second time she was experienced such pain, such loss and it was for the same person but in the first time, he was actually alive: perhaps that was the reason why she hoped he was alive, that somehow he survived the explosion and at any minute he would appear in front of her window or when she would wake up, he was there, standing next to her.

She lay down on her couch and waited for his return but as time passed, Batman's words grew on her and she lost all hope.

Tired and hopeless, she didn't want to give up, becoming desperate: she left her apartment and headed back to the Daily Planet. She sat on the chair in front of her desk and turned on the computer and slowly she came up with the chronicle which would win the Pulitzer a few months later, the prize she was eager to win since the beginning of the career.

"Does the world need Superman?

My answer is obvious…YES.

I thought over and over again and saw the world around me: it was ugly to see people indifferent to the world around them, ignoring the problems as if we didn't look at them long enough they would simply vanish. We were lost in our own vanity, horrified with our little problems when out there, millions were dying everyday with no water or food supply but it just took a man in a red cape to shout out: "Hey, they need us!". He extended his hand to help those you needed help.

I remember the first time I saw Superman: at first I thought he was a miracle, a guardian angel sent to us, to protect and deliver us from evil. It was actually too good to be true.

As time passed by, He was there for us always in a never-ending battle for Truth, Justice and the American Way as he kept saying to me several times and I always thought: "Good luck, you're going to need it." But slowly my natural skepticism turned into faith, faith in that man who had the same faith in us just as well.

It took a man from another world to show us the true meaning of the American way: Truth, Justice and Hope. Truth, to show us a way of life; Justice to protect and serve the people; Hope for a better tomorrow.

Ironically an alien from another world proved us he was more human than anyone I've ever known: his kindness, his selfness taught me, taught the world the true meaning of the words Kindness and selfness and challenged us, The Mankind, to follow his example but instead, lost in our fear, we grabbed pitchforks and in a true witch hunt, we chased him with no mercy until he died in the skies of Texas.

As I saw the mushroom of death in the skies of Texas, I was horrified to see how badly we, the mankind, had stabbed in his back even when at his last breath, he tried to save us from a horrible holocaust. We became Judas, selling ourselves into our fears instead of thirty silver coins.

On the April 24th1964, Martin Luther King said and I quote: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed."

I say it too: I have a dream. I have a dream where we can face our problems and solve them without giving in to our fears. We don't need superpowers to conquer our fears and achieve greatness. Superman was our beacon to achieve greatness: we lost our beacon but we can build a new one if we want to.

A perfect world doesn't need a Superman but our world is far from perfect. We can't lose any more time. It's time for us to be Superman. Let's become Superman.

By Lois Lane."

To be concluded…

Next

Epilogue