PLASTIQUE PLANNED
Metropolis, July, 2008
Lois grabbed Tommy's arm and practically pulled him up and over the fence as a blast of fire came within inches of incinerating them both.
God, she hated heat vision. Her first run-in with the meteor infected since coming back from the future and, of course, it had to involve heat vision.
When she landed on the other side, she surveyed her surroundings. This was the industrial park, flat, poured concrete was everywhere; that's why the kids liked this area. It made for a great amateur skate park. Unfortunately, it didn't provide for a lot of hiding places.
Lois spotted some industrial buildings to her left. She pulled Tommy with her. "This way!" She shouted, dragging the panicked boy behind her.
Another blast of heat struck right before they made it to the first building. Lois tried the first set of heavy metal doors but they were locked. That didn't stop her. Still running, she tried the building next door.
Before she reached them, she could hear Bette behind her. "You sold me out Tommy," she yelled. "I trusted you and you told those bastards where to find me."
Tommy whimpered as Lois practically dragged him to the next building. One of the double metal doors was unlocked. Lois looked behind her as she pushed Tommy inside and followed, closing the door. She felt the blast of heat near her ankle and winced. That one was close.
Then, she spotted the broken lock. Frantically looking for anything that would help, she found a metal pipe on the floor. It looked like something that had been used as a make-shift lock. Lois put the pipe in place, sliding it between the two door handles, and then turned to check her surroundings.
She almost crumpled in relief. The building was concrete, the only door was metal and the windows were at least fifteen feet high. The place must have been used as a warehouse, but only a few crates remained, all positioned close to the center of the storage area.
"We should be safe in here," she told Tommy, who had collapsed on the floor and was lying on his back with his arms covering his face, breathing heavily.
"I didn't think they'd go after her like that, you know," he told her quietly in between breaths. "They said they just wanted to talk to her."
"I know," said Lois, responding to the sincerity in his voice. When he didn't respond, she turned away and did a quick recon of the room looking for something that could be used as a weapon. Other than the pipe holding the door closed, there was nothing. At least the place was secure.
She leaned up against one of the crates and prayed that maybe Clark or Chloe had followed Bette. Of course, she could have called for help if she hadn't left her phone in the car. How could she have been so stupid?
Lois slid down to the floor, wondering if she and Tommy would both be killed this time around. Amazing how changing a few things had completely unraveled the past.
It all started with Clark's first day at work. Even now, Lois could feel the sense of deja-vu that came from watching the farm boy walk down the stairs, wearing his un-tucked flannel shirt and carrying his school backpack. He'd looked just like the eighteen-year-old boy whose room she'd taken over so long ago.
She'd waited until he got to her desk before she pounced.
"I'll give you points for punctuality, Smallville, but what's with the wardrobe malfunction?" She couldn't resist snorting while she made a point of studying his clothes. While she might not like repeating herself, Lois wasn't going to mess with a classic line.
"What do you mean?" Clark asked her, looking down at his clothes. "This is a nice shirt."
"Human Resources is going to be down here any minute and you do not want to meet them looking like 'Brawny Lumberjack'," Lois told him, shuddering a little. "Good thing for you I thought to bring a spare."
Lois walked over to Jerry's extra clothes rack and picked up the blue shirt and dark blue pants that were duplicates of the ones she'd "borrowed" from Jerry three years ago. Just yesterday, she'd decided to purchase the outfit remembering how Clark had dressed on his first day in the past.
"That better not be mine, Lane," Jerry said looking up.
"Never fear, I bought GQ over here his own spare," Lois said, taking the clothes off the rack and walking over to where Clark stood, looking bewildered. If she hadn't been avoiding all but phone contact, she would have taken him with her. After that kiss she didn't dare risk it. Some recovery time was needed. She was pretty sure the Legion wasn't talking about that when they told her to "support and challenge" him.
At least she already knew his size, and the clothes could qualify as a gift for his first day.
"Come on," Lois said, grabbing his arm and leading him out.
"You bought me clothes?" Clark asked. "Don't tell me I have to wear a tie-"
"Always dress for success. Consider it a welcome to the Planet gift," Lois responded. "No time for the men's room, you can change in here."
"Lois, a phone booth is not exactly private-"
Lois pushed the hanging clothes into Clark's chest and then pushed Clark into the phone booth, turning her back as she closed the door.
"Just be glad it was a slow news day and I was at my desk; otherwise, you could have spent your entire career being nicknamed Flannel Man," Lois told Clark, knowing that she would never let that happen; nicknames were her prerogative.
She'd stepped away for a minute to check her desk, when she heard him behind her.
"How do I look?" Clark asked.
Lois took a deep breath before turning, knowing what to expect. It didn't matter, he was still breathtaking. Against the blue of the shirt his eyes were like the sky, and his athletic build was emphasized by the cut of the shirt and slacks. He looked more mature, more like a man than the boy who had come down those stairs just minutes ago.
No wonder she'd fallen for him in the past.
When she stepped closer, her body started tingling in response. The kiss the other night affected her awareness, made her even more sensitive to his presence, if that was possible. The need to touch him was strong, and so she reached out to adjust his collar and smooth his shirt.
"You look good," Lois told him, as she resisted the urge to burrow into that warmth that seemed to keep her firmly grounded to him in this time. Somehow, she managed to resist kissing him, but then her body was forced against his when an explosion rocked the building.
The minute she was pushed into him, arms on his chest, face inches from his, she felt her body burn. She looked at his mouth and then into his eyes. He was puzzled, by her reaction or his, she couldn't tell. As close as their bodies were, she leaned in slightly, needing to feel a little of what she felt the other night.
He stepped back.
In her head, Lois knew that a purely physical relationship was not what either of them needed, but she still felt the ache when Clark distanced himself. Somehow it felt like a rejection.
What was she doing anyway? This was work. Lois set her expression and turned around to look into the Bullpen. "So much for a slow news day," she said.
Of course, the minute her back was turned, Clark was gone.
Leaning her head forward, Lois opened her eyes and checked her watch. They'd been sitting in the warehouse for about fifteen minutes, but it felt like hours.
How had she ended up in this situation? Had the thread she managed to pull completely unravel the past or just these events? Did it matter?
Lois pushed herself up and walked the perimeter of the concrete structure trying to stretch out her legs, which felt tight from all the running in heels. Under the windows and near the doors, she stopped, listening for any sound outside. The building felt secure but they were sitting ducks if Bette found a way in.
Had she made a mistake when she followed Clark to the explosion site? She'd gone out of her way to not interfere. Mostly, she'd kept an eye on Clark. Seeing him in action had been inspiring.
Lois stopped at the crates and leaned forward against one, resting her head on her folded arms, still trying to catch her breath. They needed to get out of here eventually but for now, she couldn't help but remember.
Just down the street from the paper, everything was in chaos. People were screaming, some were running, smoke and debris filled the street. Everywhere she looked reminded her of the Darkness and she felt the panic kick in. Rubbing her throat, she took deep, calming breaths while she analyzed the situation. This was not the invasion and she needed to calm down if she was going to help.
Directly in front of her, she watched as Clark emerged from the smoke carrying a woman. Lois was struck by his confidence and strength, even when he was covered in soot. Just this vision of him took her breath away; he looked heroic. Was this side of Clark always there? Probably, but Lois knew that she often wore blinders when it came to him, so sure that she knew what he was all about. Watching him now, she could see why the Legion thought he was so important.
"Clark," Lois shouted, directing his attention to one of the medics. "Over here." As Clark came closer, Lois was surprised when she recognized the woman in Clark's arms as Tess Mercer. How had she ended up in a bus explosion?
Clark sat Tess on one of the stretchers and turned to Lois.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding surprised.
"It's a public place," Lois replied, sarcasm coming naturally when she was nervous and, for some reason, seeing Clark so strong and confident made her nervous. She turned away from his exasperated look to examine Tess, who was watching them with a speculative gaze.
"I followed you to help you get some information for the story," Lois told him, keeping an eye on her former boss. "Have you had a chance to talk to anyone about what happened?"
"Not yet, Lois," Clark responded, the exasperation coming through in his voice. "I've been helping people."
"Right," Lois said, turning her attention to Tess. "By the way, why is the new head of Luthorcorp riding the bus?"
"Not that it's any of your business …" Tess answered calmly, unruffled by the change in topic. "I'm going green; you know, doing my part to save the planet. Of course, that's off the record, Ms. Lane."
"Of course, Ms. Mercer," Lois said, pulling out her small notebook and getting her pen ready "Did you see anything unusual before the explosion?"
"No," Tess responded firmly, "and the only thing I remember after the explosion is being carried out by my rescuer…," Tess extended her hand towards Clark. "And you are?"
"Clark Kent," he responded, taking Tess' hand in his for a brief handshake.
Her eyebrows raised in response. "Mr. Kent, I'm Tess Mercer, head of Luthorcorp and new manager of the Daily Planet. You should stop by my office later." Her smile turned slightly predatory. "I believe I have you on my to-do list today."
Lois felt herself blink at the innuendo and even Clark looked taken aback.
"Come on, Clark," Lois tugged lightly. "We need to get some work done." He followed more quickly than usual, glancing back at Tess when they were out of ear shot.
"That's our new boss?" Clark asked her, raising his eyebrows.
"Oh, please, don't go all cave man on me now, Smallville," Lois said, smirking at Clark's expression. "Wonder what she wants with you?"
"Why, worried she's going to boss me around more than you do?" Clark asked, smirking back.
"Ha, ha, very funny," Lois responded. She made a waving motion with her hand toward the bus while she headed toward an older couple who looked like they needed some help. "Speaking of which, why don't you go do your thing, and I'll go do mine."
As Lois continued to work, keeping some separation from Clark in case he had to use his powers, she wondered what Clark would do if he knew she knew. Would he freak out? Probably;he wasn't ready to trust her with that yet. She shook her head as she helped one of the elderly ladies on the bus over to a paramedic.
She'd need to earn his trust.
It was when she started looking for people father from the wreckage that she heard Chloe's voice. Confused, she looked around, spotting her cousin with a younger girl who was struggling to breathe. Just then, someone brushed past Lois and she was relieved to see that it was one of the medical technicians.
"Excuse me," he said, running over to Chloe and the girl and, for the first time, Lois caught a glimpse of his face. She froze. The medic was Davis Bloome, someone she had blocked from her memory, not that she had known him well. Even now, she only knew that he had stalked Chloe and eventually killed Jimmy.
What was she supposed to do about him?
A noise interrupted her musings and Lois jumped. Was Bette still outside the warehouse? Tommy sat up.
"Did you hear something?" he asked her.
Lois nodded, putting her finger to her lips. She looked up to the windows and saw movement. How had Bette managed to get up that high? There must have been more crates stacked up outside or the girl had discovered a ladder.
"Stay there," Lois told Tommy, trying to maneuver to a better location to look through the window. After only a few steps the crate beside her erupted into flames, creating a heat that was immediate and incredible. Whatever was in the crates must have been flammable because the smoke was already starting to fill the building.
"Get down!" Lois shouted to Tommy, falling on her stomach and crawling over to him. "Stay low," she told him, leading him to the far corner of the building closest to the door. They stayed down trying to breathe the bit of air coming in around the door. Soon, they were coughing and fighting for air.
Just as Lois was thinking about grabbing Tommy and making a break for it, the door opened and a tall figure stepped inside.
Clark.
"What took you so long?" Lois's choked out, anything else she might have said turning into a cough as she felt her eyes grow heavy.
After that, her memories faded in and out.
She and Clark had gone looking for Chloe, who had followed the girl from the explosion to the hospital. They found her in the lounge with Davis and the girl.
"Do you think she might have seen something?" Clark asked Chloe, after she'd walked over to speak with them. They shared a look and Lois tried not to let her frustrations show. Either she'd never noticed how often they did that or it had simply never bothered her before.
It bothered her now.
"I don't know; Bette was pretty shaken up," Chloe told him. "Do you need to talk to her right now? I just found out she's homeless and we're trying to find her a place to stay- at one of the local girl's homes."
"Clark… is that Lois?" Chloe's voice seemed to reverberate in her brain. Lois tried to answer but one breath sent her into a coughing fit. Everything faded out.
She tried not to become involved with things that she had nothing to do with in the past.
It was just so hard, especially when a story was involved.
"Maybe Clark can help convince to stay at the home," she managed to choke out before turning her attention to Clark. "Find out if she saw something," She ordered, smirking at the expression of surprise on Clark and Chloe's faces.
"What?" She said, giving Clark a shove toward the girl. "You're better with the kiddos, Smallville." She turned to her cousin. "Besides, I need to speak to Chloe."
Lois waited for Clark to move away before she spoke. "What's with tall, dark and mysterious over there?"
"Davis?" Chloe asked. "Nothing, he's just a really nice guy who's trying to help out a young, homeless girl."
"Really, because he didn't seem to be focused on the girl this morning. It looked to me like he was coming on to you," Lois pointed out. "Are you interested?"
Chloe's look of surprise turned to irritation.
"Lois, I know you're not happy with Jimmy right exactly, but he's my guy," Chloe said. "I'm not looking."
"Okay," Lois decided to accept that answer for now. "I think you should tell him, Chloe. I get the impression he's really interested in more than friendship." Lois narrowed her eyes in the man's direction, wondering why he didn't look like a killer. Shouldn't there be a sign?
Chloe looked like she wanted to scoff but, before she could say anything, Lois remembered where she'd heard the name Bette before. She was the girl who was responsible for the first explosion and the death of a young man, named Tommy.
Clark had written the obituary.
"No…"
Lois needed to warn Chloe and Clark?
Where were they?
Where was she?
Her eyelids felt so heavy that it took tremendous effort just to lift them, groaning at the pounding headache she could feel. It was like that time she'd chained smoked her first pack of cigarettes. Thank goodness she'd given up that habit.
"Lois, Lois, are you okay?" She heard Chloe ask, then to someone else, "Is she all right?"
"She'll be fine, just a little smoke inhalation," said a familiar voice.
When Lois finally got her eyes opened, she wished she hadn't. The blinding sun was shining directly into them.
"Ow," she said, putting her hand over her eyes. "What the hell." Her head was pounding even harder now. Still, she needed to sit up.
"Lois, I need you to lie back; I'm going to give you some oxygen. It should help." Whose voice was that?
Lois felt a mask touch her nose and mouth, so she breathed deeply. The pure oxygen was exhilarating after taking in the smoky, contaminated air. Then a shadow crossed in front of her and she opened her eyes to see Clark standing there.
"Are you all right?" he asked, looking troubled.
Lois pulled the oxygen away from her face.
"Where's Tommy; is he okay?" Lois asked, fighting to sit up. "Did you find Bette …Wait, Bette didn't get you did she?" Lois started touching Clark's arms and chest; finding no wounds, she looked behind Clark to Chloe. Her cousin looked resigned.
"Chloe, are you okay?"
Before Chloe could answer, Clark pushed Lois back gently onto to the gurney. "Everyone is fine," he said, looking at Lois curiously. "Are you okay?"
Lois shrugged her shoulders. She wanted to say thanks to you but couldn't. Suddenly, her eyes started to tear; she turned her head away and pressed her lips together. Her emotions seemed to be all over the place.
"Let's take a look, shall we?" The familiar voice was Davis Bloome.
In a panic, Lois grabbed Clark's arm, pushing herself back against the gurney when Davis closed in with his equipment. She really didn't want this killer from the past/future working on her. Something must have shown on her face because Clark took her hand and placed it in his own, rubbing light circles in her palm with his thumb.
She could feel the warmth and, like the other night, everything in Lois seemed to focus on his heat. For that reason, she was only vaguely aware of Davis checking her eyes, nose, ears and throat as her palm began to tingle under Clark's ministrations.
She could see that he was back in his plaid shirt now, having covered his new shirt in soot, but there was no sign of stress or injury. He'd saved any number of people yesterday, and she and Tommy this afternoon, yet he looked like he'd just finished milking the cows.
How did he do it?
Underlying all of his emotions, Clark exuded a quiet sense of calm. It was what Lois liked to challenge in him most of time, but she reveled in it now.
"Everything looks good," she heard Davis tell Clark. "Still, she should go to the hospital to get checked out."
"What?" Lois tried to sit up and coughed as her lungs tightened. "I don't need a hospital."
"Lois, you passed out from the smoke!" Chloe had that stubborn expression on her face.
Lois sighed, preparing to argue with her cousin, but Clark distracted her. His thumb started rubbing those light, soft circles on her wrist until it seemed like her entire arm was tingling. She turned to tell him to quit it but he leaned forward to whisper something in her ear. His breath was so hot and tantalizing against her skin that she didn't hear a word.
Next thing she knew she was saying, "Okay," in a breathless voice that didn't sound like hers.
When she looked at Clark's face she knew she was in trouble. He had a Cheshire grin on his face.
Uh, oh, what did I say? Oh, crap.
"I mean I don't need the hospital," Lois backpedaled, pulling her arm away from Clark's hand, secretly cursing her traitorous body.
"No backing out now," Clark said, still smiling. "Besides, some of the victims from the explosion will are there, and I'm betting you can get some more quotes for our story while you get checked out."
Lois was too busy worrying about her body's reactions to challenge him on the "our" story comment. Instead, she let them load her in the ambulance, convinced that she needed to keep Clark from touching her if she was going to manage this rewrite of the past.
Daily Planet, next day
Lois was still irritated at her own behavior with Clark. It didn't make her feel any better that he was right about the additional quotes from victims at the hospital. With the eyewitness statements, their story made it above the fold this time, not that Lois was going to give Clark any of the credit, especially after that little stunt he'd pulled to get her to the hospital.
Still, she had to admit that Smallville had good instincts, even if his writing was a little rough. Until now, she hadn't realized how threatened she had been by Clark when he started at the paper three years ago. Everything for her was a competition back then, as she tried to prove herself.
This time around, Lois was comfortable with her own skills, which meant she didn't feel the need to compete. She was a more experienced reporter, comfortable with sharing the byline.
Not that Clark appreciated being included. He was still complaining about the risks involved during the investigation.
"The story took a few more twists than I would have liked," he repeated for the second time that morning, looking pointedly at Lois. "What were you thinking, going off to find Tommy by yourself? What if he'd been the meteor freak all along?"
Clark slapped his copy of the latest edition on the desk and sat down in his chair, leaning back as Lois leaned her hip against his desk.
"Oh, please, I could tell Bette was lying," Lois told him, raising her eyebrows. "I didn't just fall off some farm truck, you know."
Clark ignored the farm reference. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, managing to look hurt and frustrated at the same time. "I thought we were working together."
"We were, and you were supposed to be keeping an eye on Bette, just in case," Lois shook her finger at the man. "Rule number six- always cover your bases."
Clark sighed, his frustrated expression turning to one of guilt. "She convinced me and Chloe that she wanted to go to the girls' home; then jumped out of the truck at the red light."
Despite her vow not to let Clark touch her, Lois couldn't resist putting her hand on his arm. The last thing she wanted was for Clark to feel guilty. "It all turned out okay, Clark. Tommy's alive. Bette's going to get some help. No one was killed and you helped a lot of people at the explosion site," Lois told him sincerely. "It's not just about the story."
She saw the doubt in his expression and continued, "Okay, well maybe it's a little bit about the story. … Still, I happen to think saving people and getting to the truth is a good day's work."
Lois kept her eyes on Clark's until he nodded; at least he was considering her words. "Just keep it up and you could have a long career ahead of you, Smallville," Lois finished, removing her hand with a flourish.
Finally, a few minutes later Clark smiled back at her and picked up the paper to admire their story.
Lois looked back down at her desk, wishing she could feel as confident as she sounded. Yesterday had taken more than a few unexpected turns for her and, while she never wanted to repeat the past, she felt inundated with the number of things that needed to change. The priority was Clark, but there were others she couldn't ignore- Chloe, Jimmy, Davis, and even Oliver. How was she going to keep everything straight?
Her eyes raised to study Clark. How did he do it? Every time he decided to help he was essentially changing someone's future. Her heart beat a little faster as she remembered her own rescue. She peeked through her lashes and watched as Clark studied the paper, looking mature and professional in his new white dress shirt.
He was certainly starting to look the part of a hero.
Daily Planet July 11, 2008
"Come on, Chloe, can you please just think about it?" Lois begged as they headed into the Bullpen after having dinner together.
"Why do you care about whether I have a fall or spring wedding? You've haven't exactly been shy about expressing your objections to Jimmy," Chloe responded, letting her irritation show.
"Hey, I know I wasn't very receptive but I was surprised by your engagement, that's all. I promise if you just give me some more time to get used to the idea, I'll help you plan the wedding of the century," Lois urged, stopping to face her cousin, ready to plaster fake enthusiasm all over her face if necessary.
"I was really thinking about an outdoor wedding, maybe in the Kent barn, and we'd need warmer weather for that," Chloe said, smiling as she looked off into the distance, dreamy expression on her face.
"Oh, no, not there," Lois exclaimed, picturing the chaos and destruction of the last wedding.
She fought for an excuse that wouldn't reveal her knowledge of the future. "Don't you remember the last get-together we had in the barn? It was your birthday party, and it turned into a disaster."
"I seriously doubt that you, Lana and I are going to be possessed by sixteenth century witches at my wedding, Lois," Chloe said sarcastically.
"Well, in Smallville you never know," Lois half-smiled, trying to push aside the horror of the first wedding in her mind. She walked toward her desk. "I'm sure there are other places- much less smelly places- that have a special meaning for you and Jimmy."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "The farm is not smelly…" Her nose wrinkled. "Although, a couple of other places do come to mind."
"Great," Lois said, sitting on the edge of her desk. "Like I said, just give me some more time and I'll make this wedding spectacular." Lois purposefully maintained eye contact with her cousin. She was starting to cave; Lois could feel it.
"I'll talk to Jimmy about it and get back to you," Chloe told her, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. "No promises, though, and I still expect you to be my merry maid of honor."
"Cross my heart, Chloe," Lois said, giving her cousin a hug, "I won't let you down."
When Chloe left the Bullpen, Lois let out the breath she was holding. She was thrilled about spending this time with her cousin, but it was often tricky and exhausting. Chloe was both stubborn and inquisitive. Lois had to keep on her toes to try to change things without revealing anything about her time traveler status.
With a sigh, Lois sat down to work on her latest story. Banging on the computer keys was always cathartic.
Soon, she was immersed. "Hey, Clark, what do you think …" Lois began, looking around her monitor at the empty desk.
She'd forgotten how late it was. Lois reached up to rub her neck, noticing the quiet of the bullpen.
The sudden sharp, stabbing pain at her temple came as a surprise.
No, not again.
One of the side effects of time travel seemed to be frequent headaches. Lois rubbed the spot on her temple and took deep breaths, relaxing as the pain subsided. It was when she turned back to her computer that she was hit with a memory as real as if she'd been transported to the future.
"Lane, get out of here," Hank Monroe, her editor, yelled at her just before he stuck his dark, bearded face inside her office door. "Otherwise, you'll never make it home before curfew."
"On it, boss," Lois said, not looking up from her keyboard. "I just want to get these notes down about Night."
"If you're out after eight o'clock, no one will get a chance to read those notes… or anything else," he responded.
Lois looked up. Hank had never sounded so concerned before. She gave him her biggest smile- he was a sucker for it and had made the mistake of telling her she reminded him of his daughter when she smiled like that.
"I'm right behind you," she said, waving him away with her hand while she turned back to her computer. "Just let me shut down."
Hank walked away, but she could hear him grumbling all the way down the hall about stubborn reporters and … how was he expected to run a paper on a curfew, anyway, and …no one paid him enough for this.
She was chuckling as she finished shutting down her computer, rose from her desk and froze. Standing across from her was Clark Kent, dressed head to toe in black, wearing a completely blank expression. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought that he had amnesia… again.
Her stomach dropped and her heart constricted. God, he was Night. She didn't want to believe it but everything fit– the dark clothes, the blank expression, and the power that seemed to radiate from him. Her former 'partner' had injured Oliver and collected others for the Darkness.
She didn't understand.
What was he doing here? Oliver had said he would come for her, but she hadn't believed him. This was crazy; just because she hadn't given in to the first wave, neither had Hank.
God, Hank!
Lois bolted for the door; she had to help Hank!
Night was standing in front of her before she could reach it. She tried a roundhouse kick to the stomach, but he grabbed her ankle and held it. She tried kicking him with the other foot, and felt herself fall. He was fast and caught her, one arm under her shoulders, the other hand on her arm. Where he touched was cold, bitter cold. Lois shivered.
His face was so close that she couldn't avoid looking into his eyes. She wished she hadn't; they were blank, empty, cold and gray. She shivered again.
"What happened to you?" She croaked, as he stood her on her feet.
He didn't answer, or even blink, to acknowledge her question.
"Hey, I asked you a question!" Lois shouted, getting irritated with his lack of response.
She looked at his face. Was that a flash of something- recognition or emotion? It was gone; maybe she imagined it. Only Clark could make her this frightened and this irritated at the same time.
Except, this wasn't Clark.
She needed to get away. Lois looked around, but the door was blocked and the window too high.
She started muttering to herself in frustration, jumping at the sound of the curfew alarm. The loud, high-pitched ringing affected Night even more; he put his hands over his ears and almost doubled over.
Lois didn't question her luck; she just ran as fast as she could to the elevator…
With a gasp, Lois came back to herself, heart racing. She could hear her own gasps of air as her emotions overwhelmed her. Still reeling from the memory, she took off for the elevator.
She'd hit the button and was waiting before her panic started to ease. Reality returned slowly as she began to distinguish her surroundings from those in her memory. This elevator was old-fashioned gold, not modern black. There was noise in the background from the janitor. There was no curfew alarm.
This was the Daily Planet, not the Chronicle.
Lois looked around… no Darkness, no Night.
What had brought that on? She didn't need to re-live her future. Living in the past was hard enough. Still, it made her wonder…. When had Clark started to succumb to the Darkness? Was his vulnerability something that happened after she left or was it happening now?
Still somewhat panicked, she pulled out her phone and hit the speed dial, holding her breath.
"Hello," a sleepy voice answered.
Lois released the breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Hey, Smallville," she replied, feeling her panic ease at the sound of his voice.
"Lois, is something wrong?" He asked, sounding a little more awake. "Is Chloe okay?"
"She's fine; we just finished dinner," Still feeling a little paranoid, Lois studied the Bullpen before walking back to her desk. "I was wondering how you're doing?"
She heard a huff. "I was fine before you woke me."
"Oh, well… okay then," Lois said brightly, the release of adrenalin making her almost light-headed.
"Is there something troubling you, Lois?" Clark sighed.
"Uh, no; I just had a feeling, that's all," she finished lamely.
"A feeling that made you callme at ten o'clock at night?"
"Well, yeah." Lois replied vaguely, walking back to her desk to check her computer. She couldn't remember what she was doing before the crazy memory vision hit.
"Well, if your feeling is gone, can I go back to sleep now?" Clark asked, and Lois could hear the humor in his voice this time.
"Actually, while I have you on the line," Lois said, looking at her screen, "what do you think of this paragraph?"
For the next half hour, Lois talked to Clark about her story. When she was finished, it was late, but she felt better about the story and about her chances for getting a good night's sleep. The waking memory, or whatever it was, had spooked her.
Rokkhad warned her about memories and nightmares, but who had memories like that? The one she'd experienced earlier was too realistic to be normal.
She was unlocking her car when her phone rang. Getting behind the wheel, she answered assuming it was Clark. "I thought you were going back to sleep."
"Uh, no, I'm losing sleep wondering what it means when your ex leaves you a message that she 'wants to kick your ass,'" a different, and more sarcastic, male voice responded.
Lois snorted. "I'm sorry you're losing sleep, Oliver, but I think it means she wants to meet at the gym this weekend for a little sparring."
"Well, that's one I haven't heard before…" Lois could hear the speculation in his voice.
"Look, Oliver, I don't want to let my defensive skills get rusty after what happened at Black Creek, but if you're not comfortable with this-"
"No, Lois, it's okay; I'll have the equipment up and ready."
"Great, I'll see you then," Lois disconnected while backing out of her parking place, smiling in the rearview mirror. Things were starting to fit into place and the important people were in play.
Now, if she could just keep her "memories" of the future at bay.