Disclaimer: Remember, I don't own any of these characters.

"No, Clark," said Martha Kent firmly. "Absolutely not."

"But Mom, if I don't go, they're going to kill Lois," Clark Kent told his mother as he pulled on his Superman suit. Due to his lack of strength, he couldn't exactly change into it in the blink of an eye. "I'm sick, I know, but I can't sit back and do nothing."

"Clark, honey, this isn't like me trying to keep you home from school when you have a cold," Martha said calmly. "You're very seriously ill, and you almost died. You have Kryptonite running through your system. If you leave this apartment and try to interact in your regular way, you're going to make yourself very sick and weak. You'll die."

"But Mom, there's always a chance I'll live," Clark reasoned with his mother. "Lois has no chances. If I don't show up with that ransom money, she dies. Period. I can't do that to poor Lois." He paused. "She's probably starving, sick, or even being tortured. She needs Superman's help, even if he's ill."

"Martha, let him go," Jonathan reasoned with his wife. "Hopefully, he'll be okay. Trust your son's judgment."

Martha sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better, because it seems as if you've already made up your mind, Clark." Clark nodded.

"Okay," Martha said finally. "Let's call a taxi for you. There's no way you're flying in your condition. I don't even think you can."

Lois Lane had never felt worse in her life. She still hadn't been fed anything, and she had given up trying to hold in her bathroom urges. What I wouldn't give for a blanket, a cup of tea, a few thick biscuits, and a toilet, she thought miserably, trembling in the corner of the dark room in the abandoned building on the edge of town. If I get out of here, I'm going to take a week off of work to just shut myself up in my apartment and rest.

Lois had been transported from LexCorp to what seemed like an abandoned power plant, but she was still under heavy guard, her wrists and ankles tightly tied, and her mouth gagged. Every so often, a guard with a weapon came into the room, made sure she hadn't moved, and then left again.

Lois couldn't help but wonder if Superman was on his way. I know he's saved hundreds of lives, and he's sick, but am I worth anything to him? she wondered. If he knew my life was in danger, would he come to help?

She figured she'd find out soon enough. If she didn't die of hunger first.

Superman arrived at the Daily Planet building that evening around nine o' clock looking very pale and weak. He collapsed into a chair in Perry White's office and accepted a cup of coffee from Jimmy Olsen.

"We're very sorry about rousing you from bed, Superman," Perry apologized quickly. "But one of our reporters' lives is in danger, and we can't take any chances."

Superman nodded weakly. "I understand. I want to save Lois as much as you do. But I'm afraid I can't fly, and I don't have any strength."

"Hopefully, you won't need any," White told him. "All you need to do is to take this check to an old abandoned building at the age of town." He reached across his desk and handed Superman a yellow envelope. Superman opened it carefully; inside was a check for $500 million.

"Wow," Superman remarked quietly.

"Our publisher rounded the money up from investors," White remarked. "Hopefully, that check won't ever be cashed. But we can't take the chance."

Superman nodded. "When do I go?"

"Well, it's already dark out, so you could probably go right now. Just rest for a few minutes, try to get some strength, and then we'll call you a taxicab."

Superman laughed weakly. "It's probably the only way I have of getting over there."

Superman took a few sips of coffee—hopefully, he'd be able to keep it down—and followed up with several deep breaths. Even if this kills me, I have to save Lois, he thought to himself. Just don't think about the pain. Focus on saving Lois.

Superman continued to take deep breaths as he walked slowly out of the Daily Planet building and into the waiting taxi. As he told the cab driver where to go, his entire body began to shake. He felt numbness first in his legs, and then in his chest…he had had this feeling before. He was about to get physically sick.

Please, not now, he begged weakly to himself, and twisted his body in the backseat of the cab so that he was lying down and looking up at the ceiling. He clutched his stomach painfully, as if cradling his stomachache would make the pain go away. Lois, he thought to himself, panting. Think of Lois.

A flash of fever began to run through his body, and he felt lumps rise up in his throat. I'm just nervous, he thought. That's all. I'm just nervous because I don't have my strength. But Lois is going to be all right; she has to be. Lois is a strong woman.

The cab ride lasted nearly an eternity. When the cab finally pulled to a slow halt, Superman gulped down the vomit rising in his throat, paid the cab driver, and took the envelope in his sweaty hand as he left the cab. He threw his shoulders back as powerfully as he could and entered the dark, two-story brick building that used to be some kind of power plant.

All he had to do was tape the ransom on the building's front door. But he couldn't just tape the ransom on the door and go; if Lois was there, he had to save her. He had to find her. And he had a feeling that she was there.

Working quietly, Superman attached the ransom envelope to the front door of the building, then used every ounce of strength in his body to push the door open. Miraculously, it slid open, and Superman slipped inside.

Looking first to the right and then to the left, Superman saw a dim light coming from the end of the left-side corridor. Instantly, the feeling of warmth in his body grew, but he knew why—he was pretty sure that Lois was down there. He had to find her.

Superman slid carefully down the dank corridor. The walls were made of brick, the floor was made out of dirt, and moss grew on the walls. "Lois?" he called out, his voice growing stronger and stronger as he moved towards the light at the end of the hallway. "Lois?"

"She's right here, Superman," came a distinctly familiar voice from down the hall, bellowing in an evil tone.

The ache in his stomach growing more and more profound, Superman sped up and forgot all about his illness as he rushed to the end of the corridor. The light was coming from a dirt-floored, brick-walled room: Lois was tied up in one of the back corners, thrown on the floor like a piece of cargo.

Standing in the center of the room was Lex Luthor.