Chapter 20
Several years ago...
Lois was sitting on the grass of the backyard of the Sullivan's house with her knees together, her arms hugging them close to her chest. She'd been crying. It'd been over a month since her mother died and her father had just returned to the base, leaving her and her sister to the care of her aunt and uncle.
"Your sister and cousin are asleep. You should go to bed too, sweetie," Moira, Chloe's mother and Lois's aunt, said. She was a tall, black-haired woman in her forties.
"I am not sleepy," Lois said, wiping the tears from her face with the back of both her hands.
Moira watched her with a sad look. "Your father had to get back to work eventually, Lois." Lois kept moping. Moira then sat next to her on the grass. "Sam considered your mother his family's strength. He's trying to learn to live without her, to be strong for both of you."
"He doesn't care about me or Lucy," Lois said, bitterness in her voice.
"Don't say that. Your daddy loves you two more than anything."
"I miss mom." Lois started to cry again.
Moira hugged her, tightly. "I know, sweetie. We all do," she said, teary-eyed. She kissed the top of Lois's head and rubbed her back. "Just try to remember, your mother will always be with you."
-º-
Clark and Lois were sleeping on the bed of his bedroom, cuddling. Lois moaned as she rubbed her face on Clark's bare chest. Lois started to open her eyes slowly, reaching the nightstand with one of her hands. She grabbed her cell phone and brought it close to her face.
Lois squinted to see the clock. She gave an exasperated sigh. She pulled away from Clark and sat up on the edge of the bed.
When she was about to stand up, she felt a gentle grip on her arm. "Where are you going?" Clark's husky voice asked.
Lois turned her head to look at him, the loving smile on his face causing tingles in her body. Every. Damn. Time. "Work," she replied, a lack of enthusiasm in her tone.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Clark sat up. "Do you at least have time to eat breakfast?"
"I have to go to my apartment and change clothes. I kinda hadn't planned to sleepover, you know."
He smiled. "I'll go with you, then. I had promised Chloe we'd take a coffee this morning, anyway. Just let me take a quick shower." Clark gave her a long single-lip kiss and then headed to bathroom, comfortable enough to take his pants off in front of her and to leave the door opened.
Lois bit her lip, resisting the urge to go there and join him. There's no way it'd be quick if she went there. She shook her head and took off the flannel shirt she had borrowed from him to sleep in and went to put on her own clothes.
-º-
"I'm just saying, instead of having to come back here to change your clothes, you could leave a few in my closet in case you spent the night there, which has happened a lot lately," Clark said to Lois. They were climbing the stairs to her apartment.
"That sounds awfully official."
"I'm not asking you to moving in with me. It's just… Um, we could use of more time post sleepover. Morning talk, breakfast…"
Lois turned around to look at him. "Fun in the shower?" She asked, raising her eyebrow and showing a playful smile on her face.
"Among other things." He then cornered her against the door.
"Mmm. I'll think about it," she told him, grinning. When Clark leaned in to kiss her, though, she cleared her throat. "Work," she gave him an apologetic look.
Clark stepped back and groaned playfully. Lois giggled and then finally entered the apartment, followed by Clark. As they walked in, they saw Chloe sitting on her feet, looking at muddy boot.
"Hey, cuz," Lois greeted.
"Chloe," Clark greeted with a nod of his head. "Ready for that coffee?"
"Wha… Coffee. Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry, I almost forgot. I, um… I slept in," Chloe said, dazed, her eyes lost in thought about the muddy boots and the footprints of it between the hall outside the apartment and the spot they were placed at.
Lois frowned. "What's up with the dirty boots?"
"Yeah, did you forget to wipe your feet after a run in the mud?" Clark asked.
Chloe stood up and started to approach the kitchen. "All I remember is I was doing my dishes here at the apartment and then I'm waking up in bed."
"Maybe you're sleepwalking," Clark said.
"Last night, possibly, but this isn't the first time this has happened. Two days ago, I was typing on my computer at the Daily Planet, and then, boom, I'm waking up at home the next morning." Chloe looked at them, confused. Lois and Clark exchanged worried looks. "Do you guys think maybe something's starting to happen to me, like in a krypto-freak kind of way?" Chloe asked, concerned.
"Hey, don't reporters usually deal in facts, not jumping to conclusions?" Clark said.
"Yeah, I know. It's just that ever since I found out that I'm a member of the meteor-infected masses, I've been seriously and secretly freaking out."
"I totally get you, Chlo. When I found out about my powers, all I wanted to do was to run away and just ignore everything that was happening to me," Lois told her.
"You don't have to go through this alone, all right? We're here for you." Clark put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on, I'll give you a ride to work."
"Okay." Chloe then went to the bathroom to get dressed.
Both Clark and Lois's expression changed to worried. She looked at him. "What you think?" She asked, in a low tone.
"I don't know. But we'll find out."
-º-
Clark was driving Chloe and Lois to work with his truck. Lois was sitting on the passenger seat and Chloe on the back one. The confused atmosphere was still around them.
"Chloe, when you blacked out at the Planet, do you remember what you were working on?" Clark asked.
"Just a story about tree planting in Circle Park. I mean, nothing controversial," Chloe replied. As they drove by a field, Chloe leaned forward and frowned when she saw a Mercedes in the middle of the mud, surrounded by police. "Is that Lex's car out there?"
Lois followed Chloe's stare. "It is?"
"Let's go see what's going on," Chloe said.
Clark made a U-turn and pulled to a stop next to Lex's car. The three of them got out of the car. In front of them, there were a LuthorCorp security guard and a police officer talking. "Looks like the police got here before Lex's cleanup crew could mop up," Clark said.
The LuthorCorp guard then stepped away and turned around to make a phone call.
"Time to get our first lead of the day," Lois spoke. She and Clark then used their super hearing to hear the conversation.
"Jackson, what have you got?" Lex asked through the phone.
"I searched the car and surrounding areas. The flash drive is gone, Mr. Luthor. Whoever ran you off the road must have taken it," the man replied.
"What is it?" Chloe asked.
"Lex didn't crash by himself. He had a little help. And whoever it is stole his flash drive," Clark said.
"Do we know who Racer 'X' is?"
"No, but their vision's only 20/20." Clark then scanned the car with his x-ray vision. "What's that?" Clark said to himself, looking puzzled.
"What's what? Did you find Lex's flash drive?" As Chloe spoke, Clark superspeeded to the car and came back even before she could finish what she was saying. "Did you just...?" Chloe asked, impressed.
"He did," Lois grinned.
"I found something. It's a button," Clark said, raising his hand to show the object.
Chloe took it, showing the sleeve of her jacket with a missing one. "That's my button."
Lois was concerned for her cousin. "Chloe…"
"Either this is some bizarre coincidence, or you..." Clark started.
"I was here last night," Chloe finished the sentence.
-º-
"Do the math, guys. The muddy boots, the missing button. It's me. I'm the road warrior," Chloe said as he entered her apartment, striding. She started to look into the clothes she wore yesterday.
Clark and Lois followed her. "Chloe, before you throw the book at yourself, there's probably another explanation," Clark told her.
Lois closed the door. "Yeah, maybe, I don't know, you and Lana went somewhere with that car."
"No, we didn't." Chloe then took a flash drive out of the pocket of the jeans on the floor. "Besides, can you explain this?"
Clark and Lois gulped.
"Let's face it. I'm guilty as charged." Chloe then headed to the living room.
"Chloe, whatever you did, you clearly weren't yourself," Clark said, receiving a nod from Lois.
Chloe ignored them. She sat on the couch, as did Clark and Lois, and plugged in the flash drive into her laptop and brought up the list of files. "There's only one document on here, and it's a krypto-freak's case file."
"Is there a name?" Clark asked.
"No, it just lists an I.D. Number."
"With a serious ability. They're suspected of being able to control meteor freaks," Clark read.
"Typical, Lex. Control as much people as he can," Lois said.
"Look, whoever this is, I think they controlled me."
"Chloe, of all the people in the world, why would they choose you to run Lex off the road?" Clark said.
Lois looked at him and then at Chloe. "Maybe this person knows you and your meteor-infection."
"But I hadn't told anyone about this."
Clark kept reading the file. "Here says date of birth... September 20, 1960."
Chloe looked back at the screen and read it, too. "Born in Granville, Kansas." She then clicked on the link of the photo of the patient. "Oh my, god," she said, shocked.
Lois wore the same expression. "Is that…?"
Clark looked between them, puzzled.
Chloe nodded. "That's my mom."
-º-
The trio went to the mental institution Chloe's mother was receiving care to look for some answers. "Chloe, wasn't your mom catatonic the last time you saw her?" Clark asked.
"Look, I don't often play late-night bumper cars. She was obviously controlling me. The question is why."
"We don't know anything for sure yet."
"C'mon, Smallville. Lex Luthor, taking advantage, meteor-infected family, fighting back. It's pretty clear what's going on here. Now, let's show him he messed with the wrong family," Lois said as they approached the reception.
"Hi. Chloe Sullivan. I'm here to see my mother, Moira Sullivan,"Chloe told the receptionist as she started to sign for her visit.
"Did you not understand us the first time? You were asked never to come back here," the man said.
Chloe frowned.
"I'm sorry. There must be some sort of mistake. She hasn't been here for months," Clark intervened.
"Your friend created a huge scene yesterday. We don't want a repeat performance."
"Well, there's no matinee scheduled. I just want to see my mom," Chloe argued.
The man pressed a button, calling the security. "Security's on its way. I suggest you leave before they have to escort you out."
"My mother is here."
"What you're doing isn't legal," Lois said.
"You can't prevent her from seeing her own mom," Clark added.
Two security men started to walk their way.
Lois gritted her teeth and glared at the receptionist. "Listen here, buddy, her mother, my aunt, has been in this place for years. You better let us in…"
Clark looked up and saw the security camera, realizing something. He looked at his friend. "Chloe, come here."
"I'm gonna call the police and, oh boy, you're –" Clark held Lois's arm and pulled her and Chloe aside. "What… What are you doing?" She asked Clark, confused.
"Just wait for me outside. Trust me," he said to both of them.
Lois frowned. "What are you gonna do?"
His eyes directed hers to the sign next to the reception, the security office.
Lois nodded and she and Chloe left the building, leaving the task to Clark.
-º-
The three of them were at Chloe's desk at the Daily Planet watching a security tape from her visit to the institution the previous day.
"I already told him. I'm here to pick up my mother," Chloe said on the video.
"Apparently, per her doctor's orders, Moira Sullivan's been transferred," a woman, another doctor of the institution, told her.
"Without notifying me?"
"You'll have to ask her psychiatrist."
"Fine. Where is he?"
"I'm afraid he's out of town at a conference."
"You're lying," Chloe tried to push her way through the doctor, but the woman grabbed her arm.
"You can't go in there."
Chloe then turned around and punched the woman in the face, sending her to the ground.
"Security!" The receptionist called.
Chloe looked perplexed. "I can't believe I did that."
"Your mom must have sent you to the sanitarium for help. She didn't know she had already been transferred," Clark said.
"Probably to a new 33.1 facility," Lois added.
"So, she had me steal Lex's flash drive so I could find out where she really was. Well, either way, she's sending out an S.O.S."
"We got it loud and clear. Let's go talk to Lex," Clark said.
The trio started to leave, but a voice stopped Lois. "Lane!" She turned around to face her supervisor looking pissed off at her. "Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be here in the morning."
"I'm sorry, Jason, something came up…"
"You're here, so obviously it isn't something that's stopping from working." Jason approached her and handed her a series of papers. "Make those phone calls and I won't report it."
"I can't, I…"
Lois felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Clark standing behind her. "Lois, you should stay. It's your job."
"That's my cousin," she said, pointing to Chloe. "What's your point?"
Clark gave an exasperated sigh. "We're just gonna confront Lex, okay? We'll call you if we find out anything. There's no need to risk your job."
Lois pondered it and after a few seconds, she nodded, sighing.
Clark gave her a reassuring smile and then left with Chloe.
-º-
Clark and Chloe arrived at the Luthor mansion just in time to see a meteor-infected man attacking Lana, leaving her unconscious. Clark took Lana to the hospital, while Chloe held the man at gunpoint. She find out he was another prisoner of the place her mother was being held at, who escaped the facility the previous night and then was sent by Moira to kill Lex.
At the Smallville Medical Center, Clark watched worried as the doctor talked to her. He entered the room after the doctor left it. "Lana? I heard what happened. Are you okay?"
"I guess that depends on your definition," she said, trying to control her emotions.
Clark realized something was off. "Is the baby all right?"
She looked at him uneasy, fighting back the tears. "I lost it a few days after the wedding. You're the first person I've told."
"I'm so sorry."
"I feel like I've lost so much..." She looked at him, despair in her eyes. The meaning behind her words made Clark feel guilty. "I thought having this baby would change things, but... Now that it's gone... This isn't the life that I wanted," she said, a hint of anger in her voice.
Clark breathed hard. "You still have a long life ahead of you. You don't have to give up."
"That's what you did?" She asked, although it was more of an affirmation.
He took a deep breath. As he saw the hurt in her eyes, he realized a change of subject was in order. "Lana... Despite everything that happened between us, I want you to know you can count on me as your friend. I can help you. Whatever you need..."
"Clark, I need you to stop worrying about me. It's okay, really. I'm going to get through this like I always do," Lana told him, firmly.
Clark nodded, shyly. He wished he could do more for her, but it was up to her to decide what she'd do with her life.
-º-
"Clark? Chloe?" Lois called as she entered the Kent house. "Sorry I took so long, my supervisor just wouldn't leave me a -" Lois stopped as she saw Clark lying on the floor, unconscious. "Clark!" Lois shouted, concern all over her face.
She tried to approach him, but the kryptonite on the pocket of his jacket stopped her from getting closer. She looked around for something to use to help her throw away the rock, until she saw the lead box where it was being hidden. She took it and slowly stepped closer to Clark.
She fell on her knees, the pain from the kryptonite getting stronger. Even holding the box was becoming more difficulty. But as soon as her hand with the lead box got closer to the rock, the kryptonite effects were getting weaker. Regaining strength enough to act quicker, she then put the meteor rock back inside the lead box and closed it.
Lois placed the box on the floor, and held her boyfriend's head. "Clark? Clark?"
Clark opened his eyes slowly. "Lois," he said, feeling dizzy and exhausted.
"What happened?"
"Chloe… She found out the place where her mother was being held at, and we… We were supposed to go there. But then her mother started to control her and told Chloe to leave town."
"Why?"
Feeling better, Clark sat up and rubbed his face. "Moira tried to kill Lex, but her plan backfired when Lana got hurt instead. Lex probably wanted to get back at her through Chloe."
Lois looked worried. "Do you think Chloe managed to leave in time?"
"I don't know. But we need to save her mom and I know where she is. If they took Chloe, they probably took her there, too, especially knowing about her meteor-infection."
-º-
Chloe was taken by Lex's men to the same room her mother was. After a heartfelt and longing reunion, they started to form a plan to escape from the facility.
"Help! I need help in here, please! Help!" Chloe called the guards that were passing by with another prisoner, tapping the bulletproof glass with her closed fists. One of them went to open the door of the room with his car. "My mom... She's sick. She needs a doctor."
"What's wrong?" The man asked.
"I don't know, but you have to help her."
As the guard went to check on Moira, Chloe ran out of the room.
"Hey! Hey!" The guard went after her. "What the hell?" Both Clark tried to stop Chloe, but she managed to grab the prisoner's skull cap. Her mother's ability only allows her to control meteor-infected people through some personal belonging.
"Mom! Mom!" Chloe then threw it to Moira.
Moira held the cap and start to use her power to control the meteor-infected man. "Protect me and my daughter. Set us free," the man heard Moira's voice in his head.
The prisoner then grabbed both guards and threw them down the hall. The two of them, with the prisoner as their bodyguard, run to find an escape, but were met by two more guards coming in their way.
One of the guards shot the prisoner with a tranquilizer dart, knocking him out. Chloe and Moira turned around and ran the way back. One of the guards managed to grab Moira.
"Chloe!"
Chloe turned around. "Mom!"
"Go! Get out of here!"
"Take her back –" Suddenly, the guard holding Moira was thrown against the wall, falling unconscious. Then, the same thing happened to the one holding Chloe.
Lois appeared behind Chloe. "Hey, guys," she gave them a smile.
Moira frowned.
Chloe turned around and hugged her cousin. "Lois! I'm so glad to see you."
"Lois?" Realization dawned on Moira. "Oh my, God."
Lois nodded, happily. "It's me, aunt Moira."
Moira smiled and moved closer, hugging her. "You grew up so much. You look so beautiful."
Lois looked at her with a warm smile. The moment, though, was interrupted by voices coming their way. "Chloe, take aunt Moira and go. Clark is waiting for you two."
Chloe nodded.
"Wait, aren't you coming with us?" Moira asked, puzzled.
"Don't worry, I'll be with you guys in a matter of seconds," Lois winked at her aunt.
Moira nodded, uncertain.
"Come, mom," Chloe grabbed her mother's arm and led her away. As they ran toward the entrance, they ran into Lex.
"Lex, get out of our way," Chloe stared angrily at Lex.
"I'm sorry. I can't do that." Lex started to reach for his phone, but was suddenly thrown against the wall by Clark.
Clark then whooshed out of the facility with Moira and Chloe.
Lex looked up and saw the hall empty.
-º-
The next morning, they all were in Oliver's penthouse. Chloe had left to buy some food for them. Moira was sitting on the couch, looking fascinated at the bright day.
Lois sat next to her. "It's a beautiful view, isn't it?"
Moira nodded and looked at Lois, raising her hand to her face. "You're so strong now. No sign of that little girl feeling abandoned."
"She's definitely the toughest person I know," Clark spoke, approaching them.
Lois smiled at him.
Moira saw the dreamy look on her face. "And with a very handsome boyfriend."
"Oh, believe me, it isn't even in his top three qualities."
Clark blushed.
Moira cleared her throat. "The powers you two have… Are you meteor-infected, too?"
"It's a little more complicated than that, and our time would be better spent talking about other things," Lois said.
"I just want to thank you, both of you, for protecting and taking care of Chloe when I couldn't."
"She takes care of us, too," Clark told her. "We all take care of each other, like a family."
"Plus, there's Jimmy, her boyfriend," Lois said.
"What's he like?"
"He's a little goofy, don't know how to dress –"
"Lois!" Clark hissed.
"You don't how to dress either, Smallville," she gave him a wink, letting him know she was teasing him. Clark sighed. "Jimmy's also not the prince type you'd picture Chloe with. But he's also a good person, the biggest heart I know next to the big guy here, and – I'm capable of killing if this leaves this room – he's sort of cute."
"He makes Chloe happy," Clark added, with a smile on his face.
Moira's smile grew wider. "How's she being a reporter?"
"Smart, curious, determined," Clark replied.
"She didn't reach the star status she deserves yet, but I can tell you she let her mark as a reporter at the high school's paper," Lois added.
"How so?"
"She created the Wall of Weird for the Smallville Torch back at the Smallville High School, your ultimate guide to everything strange, bizarre, and unexplained that happened in Smallville since the meteor shower," Lois told her, impersonating Chloe's mannerisms in the last part. "That was her baby."
"I'm happy to…" Suddenly, Moira's eyes squinted, she was feeling dizzy.
Lois put a hand on her back, the expression of worry on her face. "Aunt Moira, what's happening?"
"My head… It's hurting. The effect of the drug that man gave me is wearing off. He told me it only lasts twenty four hours."
"We have to grab more, then." Lois got up to leave, but Moira grabbed her hand.
"No…"
Lois frowned. "What?"
"I can't take it anymore."
"Why?"
Before Moira could answer it, Chloe entered the penthouse with a bag of food. "Hey! I brought sandwiches. And I realized I don't know which ones you like, mom, so I just bought one of each," Chloe chatted happily, placing the bag on the desk.
"Chloe, I don't think your mom's hungry," Clark said as he approached her, his tone cautious.
Chloe turned around to look at him. "Hey, Clark, have you talked to Oliver? He said that he would set up a safe place for her to stay in Star City."
"Chloe, we have a problem," he told her.
Chloe looked over at a worried Lois standing up next to her mother, who was staring out the window. She walked slowly over her mother, while Lois went to stand next to Clark, his hand rubbing her left shoulder. Both of them had a sad look on their faces.
Chloe moved closer to Moira. "Mom? Mom?"
Moira took some time to focus on Chloe. She took Chloe's hand in hers. "I'm sorry, sweetheart... I'm slipping back."
Chloe frowned.
"The drug that Lex used on your mom... It only lasts twenty four hours, or else she won't stay lucid. Chloe, she doesn't have much time left," Clark said.
"Well, I'll go talk to Lex. I'll make a deal with him."
"No. No deals with that man. I can't allow it," Moira said.
"Mom, I already lost you once. I'm not gonna do it again. If this drug is out there, I can get it, trust me. I have some pretty amazing resources at my disposal." She looked at Clark and Lois for reassurance, but they looked downcast.
"Being with you, again... It's the greatest gift I could have ever been given. But I'm dangerous, Chloe," Moira said, teary-eyed.
"No, mom. That's not true."
"My ability to control people with powers, it's like I'm a human weapon. And I-I can't... I can't allow it."
Chloe sat on her knees and moved closer to her. "But, mom, it doesn't have to be like this."
Moira gave a small smile and placed her hand on Chloe's face, caressing it lightly. "My little cub reporter. This... This belongs... To you." Chloe joined her open hands side by side to receive a necklace Moira used to control Chloe until now.
"No, mom. Please. Please don't go, mom... Not yet, not again," Chloe begged, starting to cry.
Lois buried her face on Clark's chest as they hugged tightly and he rubbed her back.
Moira closed her eyes, feeling her lucidity fading away. "I... Love you... Chlo... Chloe." She opened her eyes again, a blank stare in it.
"I love you, too, mom," Chloe said, resting her head on her mother's leg and letting all the tears fall from her eyes.
-º-
Later that day, Chloe entered the farmhouse through the kitchen door. "Hey," she greeted Clark.
He approached her. "Hey."
She looked around. "Where's Lois?"
"She left. She said she had a work to do. By the way, she was feeling really frustrated she didn't find any file or proof about the 33.1 in that facility yesterday to help you with your article." He then realized the disappointment on her face. "You okay? How you doing?"
"Um... It's just so unfair," she sighed. "I mean, she's never gonna be able to read any of the articles I've written, you know, or meet Jimmy. She's never gonna get to know the person that I've become," Chloe said, fighting back the tears.
"It's a good thing Lois and I told her.
Chloe looked surprised. "You did?"
Clark smiled. "While you were buying some food, Lois and I gave her the complete Chloe Sullivan bio." It made Chloe chuckled, shyly. "She was so proud. That's something no one can ever take away."
Chloe nodded, uncertain. "Lex came to talk to me, Clark. Basically, he said it's either kill or be killed. The story or me."
"He threatened you?"
"I'm in his cross hairs."
Clark angered. "Yeah, well, now he's in mine."
"Think about Lana. We can't do anything to him until we know she's safe," Chloe argued.
"You're right. He'd feed her to the lions just to spite us. But it's inevitable. The war's about to begin."
-º-
Lex was sitting on his desk in the main room of Luthor mansion. Lana had to stay in the hospital for observation. Suddenly, the lights of the place went out, leaving only the fireplace to illuminate the place. Lex tried to call the security, but no one was answering.
"It must feel good to sit there and pretend you did nothing wrong," a woman voice spoke.
Lex grabbed a gun under the table and jerked up, pointing it at her. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'd like to say Angel of Vengeance, but I believe this name have trademark already." The woman stepped forward, revealing a black leather costume. Part of her face was covered by the shadow, but Lex could see that she wearing an eye mask.
"Stop or I'll shoot you!" Lex shouted.
The woman stepped closer, revealing the Stiletto costume. "Shoot," Lois smiled cockily. She borrowed a voice changer from Oliver so Lex wouldn't recognize her voice.
Lex fired the gun. Three times. Lois, however, caught all the bullets.
She opened her hand and showed it to him. She then smashed it in her hand. Lex stared at her shocked. "You're rich. You might as well use all your bullets and buy new ones."
The bald man shot again, this time Lois diverted from the bullets. She laughed, enjoying the frightened look on his face. She then used her superspeed and showed up in front of him, grabbing him by the neck and pressing him against the wall. "How does it feel not to have the control of the situation now, Luthor?"
Lex was having difficulty to breath.
"Now listen up, your time is up. If I hear one more case about the 33.1, you can expect another visit from me, and next time it'll be a lot more hard to breath. Maybe not breathing at all."
Lois released Lex. He coughed, trying to regain his breath. He looked at her. "You're with them, aren't you? You're the woman I heard was with Green Arrow and his Merry Men."
"I am. And until now I preferred to stay in the shadows, but I think it's time to claim my rightful place in your nightmares. It's not a goodbye, Luthor, because I'm sure I'm going to see you again."
Lex gulped.
Lois gave one last devilish smile and without ceremony threw a blow right into Lex's face, using only the necessary strength to knock him out. She then used her heat vision to leave a message on the wall.
Lois started to walk away, leaving behind the unconscious Lex and the message for when he wakes up.
"I AM WATCHING YOU"