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Act Two: Missed It By *THAT* Much!
Friday, 2:40 p.m.
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"It's a good thing I busted myself out of there before you could storm the castle, Sir Galahad." The words came from Lois haltingly; she hadn't begun to recover from their mad race to escape after their interception attempt failed spectacularly. "The only reason they took me was to bait the Blur."
Clark winced hard. "This is exactly why it took me so long to tell you everything. The last thing I want is to make you a target."
"I've done just fine making myself a target, thank you very much." Lois's eyes flared with indignation. "And this latest escapade should prove that I'm equally adept at getting myself out of trouble. We've been convicted of guilt by association for long time, in spite of your painstaking efforts to keep me out of the loop. So forgive me if I call BS on that excuse."
His eyes contorted in pain as he formulated a response. "We were convicted when you ambushed that press conference a few months ago to tell the world you know the Blur."
"Someone had to stand up for him," she retorted hotly. "I didn't think there was anyone else in this world who understands who he is, and what he means to the world he has so unconditionally protected. And if there's anyone else who knows all that, they obviously weren't stepping up to the plate to go to bat for him."
"But in doing so," Clark replied forebodingly, "you made yourself a target for anyone and everyone intent on eliminating the Blur."
"*I* made myself a target. And if they'd caught you running here to my rescue, their plan would have at the very least confirmed that associative theory," Lois countered. "If you can't learn to let go of that little phobia of yours, you're just setting yourself up for a disastrous self-fulfilling prophecy."
His eyes narrowed. "Am I supposed to do nothing when I know you're in mortal peril?"
"That not what I'm saying, and you know it," Lois huffed. "All I'm saying is you might want to be a little more careful running to the rescue. We just have to avoid presenting to the world a connection between Lois Lane and the Blur. Or else, this is just going to keep happening." Lois broke off abruptly. "We don't have time to deal with this right now." Her tone had suddenly become icy cold as she resumed her role as the consummately cool professional. "Those creeps got away, and if we have to find that device and destroy it before they finish assembling all those components and hit the kill switch."
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