CHAPTER 8
Later that night, after thinking about everything that had happened that day, especially discovering his feelings for Lois, Clark decided to get some rest. But as he went up the stairs where Alfred had said his bedroom was, he heard a noise coming from the other site of the corridor.
Slowly, he approached the door where the noise came from and used his x-ray vision to see Bruce opening a suitcase which had clothes in it. He then took a gun out from between the shirts and pants.
Surprised, Clark wrinkled his forehead. Then, he saw the young Wayne examining the weapon for a while and then putting it in the pocket of a coat that was on a nearby chair.
He was right, he thought. His thoughts about Bruce had been correct. The mysterious young man was planning something bad... And Clark had to do something about it.
The next morning, Clark stood a few steps from the bed where Lois slept deeply, and watched her for a while until the sunlight illuminated part of the bedroom.
He hadn't slept that night. After what he saw the night before, he was convinced that another cinereous day was beginning in Gotham and something had to be done.
Clark had to admit that he was jealous over Lois and Bruce's relationship, but he was still worried about her. He didn't want to know the truth about what her friend was planning to do. She didn't deserve to be hurt like that. Strangely, though, he didn't want to see Bruce get in trouble either. Because, Lois loved him. Clark took a deep breath while he remembered the way she had looked at Bruce... in a way she'd never look at him.
While he watched Lois sleeping, Clark knew his mind and his heart were in the right place. It was like he wasn't lost anymore. He knew exactly what to do. Not only about Lois. He finally understood what was happening to him... and why he felt himself so helpless around her. Now, everything made sense.
Suddenly, with his super-hearing, Clark heard a noise. It was Bruce Wayne's car leaving the mansion. He walked over to the window and saw that he was going to the hearing. He had lied, and even Lois knew that. And Clark knew his intentions.
He turned around and looked at her once more.
He wouldn't let Bruce get into trouble, if only because he didn't want Lois to get hurt.
"Dammit!" Lois said after she picked up her cell phone next to the bed to see the time, only to discover it was off because the battery had run down.
She jumped out of the bed and dressed as fast as she could, pulling on her clothes over the blouse she was wearing, wondering if the hearing had already begun.
Lois opened the bedroom door, clumsily putting on her boots while she walked to the top of the stairs. Fortunately, the majestical pendulum clock was one of the few objects in the mansion that wasn't covered by a white sheet. It was already past eleven o'clock.
"I can't believe this!" she said, infuriated, coming back toward the corridors of the second floor. "Oh... 'I'm really tired'. 'What do you think about going out tomorrow morning and doing something different like play tennis'?" she repeated Bruce's words with cynicism. "Yeah! Right!"
Stopping in front of Bruce's bedroom, Lois took a deep breath, hoping to find him there, and called him, beating on the door: "Bruce! Are you awake?"
But there was no answer.
"Bruce? C'mon! I thought we were going to play tennis!" she insisted.
Unsatisfied, Lois opened the door, and saw that the bedroom was not only empty, but his bed was also at least unmade. Then, she saw some newspapers on the floor. Confused, she approached to look at them. Picking up one of them, she saw it was a news article about Bruce's parents' death. She took another one and it was about Joe Chill's hearing.
"Oh no, Bruce... What are you planning to do?" she asked to herself, worried.
Then, Lois ran until the bedroom where Clark had spent the night:
"Hey, Smallville, wake up! We have to hurry!" she called, beating on the door, insistently. "Smallville? C'mon, I'm coming in..." she threatened, when she realized that there was no answer. "Too bad for you if you're not dressed" she added, opening the door.
Shocked, Lois discovered Clark wasn't there either, and his bed was also untouched.
"It can't be..." she said, wondering why Clark had left without call her. "All the men in my life are liars" she added, irritated, as she left the room, thinking that perhaps she had to catch one of Bruce's cars to go to the hearing by herself.
"Miss Lane?"
Lois turned around and saw Alfred holding a stack of folded clothes, which he was probably going to take to Bruce's bedroom.
"Alfred!" she said.
"Something wrong?" the butler asked, intrigued.
"I though you had gone to the hearing" she said.
"Actually, Master Bruce asked me to stay and prepare your breakfast" he simply said.
Lois smiled, confused and nervous.
"Alfred, we need to get to the Court" she finally said.
The butler faced her with concern, certain that Bruce was in danger.
To be continued...
