Chapter 8

The bullpen was buzzing like a beehive in spring. Constantly people were in and out of the bullpen, out of their seats and in their seats, on the phone and on their keyboards. It was a symphony of voices, footsteps, and keys clacking. The persistent multi-directional activity would have distracted most, but to Lois, it was white noise. Lost in organizing quotes and scheduling meetings, Lois barely registered Kassandra's presence if only due to the smell of a caffeinated beverage.

"Hi! Pumpkin spice latte?"

Lois smiled. "No thanks. The only way I eat pumpkin is in pie form."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself. How was your visit to Smallville?"

"Enlightening. How was your studying?"

"Exhausting. My headache will last for a week." She swiped a hair out of her face dramatically causing Lois to chuckle a little. Her laughter trailed off when out of the corner of her eye she saw Clark's head rise slowly. His jaw tensed as he turned one ear toward whatever sound he was focusing on. His eyes took a distant look. Immediately he stood and unbuttoned his coat with one hand.

"Lois, I think I'm going to interview some police officers," he said not looking at her. She could tell he was scanning for the quickest and least conspicuous route to wherever he needed to be.

"Okay. That's a good idea," she said barely looking at him.

He walked with a practiced calm as he passed the elevator headed directly for the stairwell. Confident that no one had noticed his departure, Lois went back to her computer. But inside she prayed to whatever deity existed that it wasn't a major emergency. Although invulnerable to physical damage, he was not to emotional pain. Many a night she had cradled him while he mourned the lives lost in many natural disasters, which thanks to climate change were happening more often. Always blaming himself, he felt the weight of the lives of all the people he couldn't save. It was his burden and passion to protect the world and it was her burden and passion to protect his heart.

"He does that a lot," Kassandra said, staring at his vacant seat.

"What?"

"He leaves a lot."

"Yeah, I guess he does." Lois shrugged easily, but she raised her defenses.

"It's weird though, right?"

"Journalists are busy. You know that," Lois said trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yeah, but it's like he'll be in the middle of a thought and then it's interrupted by something only he can hear."

Her heart was beating a little faster. From the beginning Clark had been suspicious of Kassandra. Lois' background check turned out nothing unusual, but there was no reason to not be careful. A perceptive mind was an asset in a journalist, but a vexation for Lois' and Clark's personal lives and unfortunately Kassandra possessed one. They had been successfully dodging suspicions for months leading to none being wiser about Clark's alter-ego. However, Kassandra was new and was around them constantly due to professional necessity. Although Clark had made the right first impression, it was obvious the ridiculous nature of his behavior had yet to dispel the mysteries surrounding him. Lois had to spur the belief in Clark's conventional life.

She smiled brightly.

"Clark is a talented person, but easily distracted. He'll be working on something then have an epiphany that he feels he needs to act on immediately. Luckily they're usually good epiphanies."

Kassandra raised an eyebrow. "I see." She didn't look completely convinced and stared in the direction Clark had left. A perceptive mind indeed.

"We should probably get back to work," Lois said.

Focused back on Lois, she nodded. "Right. Email me a time when it would be more convenient for both of you. We should compare notes."

After she agreed that she would contact Kassandra, she left and Lois felt free to release the breath she had held. Kassandra was too observant. The irony of it was the best and worst place for her to be was near Clark regularly; the better to watch him, but also the better to watch her.

Lois shook her head. There was no point in worrying. This was what she had signed up for and she never regretted that choice. She had faced the military and an alien force to protect Clark's secret. She could handle an astute lawyer. When she finally turned back to her computer to her surprise she saw a manila envelope on her keyboard. Curious, she supposed the mail carrier must have dropped it off while she was talking to Kassandra.

It was a nondescript manila envelope. It had no marks except a printed sticker addressing the letter to her. She opened it slowly. As a reporter, she was accustomed to odd mail about alien abductions (especially after the arrival of Superman), bigfoot, conspiracy theories, but she had never received anything like this.

The paper was as remarkable as the envelope. It was plain white with a single sentence typed in the center of the page.

He has a weakness.

As a writer, Lois understood and wielded the power of words. A single sentence can carry great weight. It can induce joy and dread, exaltation and fear, celebration and melancholy. Lois felt none of these. Instead, she was numb. Until suddenly she was inundated with several emotions at once: fear, stress, worry, anger, and curiosity. She had been in war zones, kidnapped, and stolen away more times than she cared to remember but none of them were as sickening and violating as that moment. She had survived and even thrived in stress filled areas, but so many other lives were at stake. Clark, Mrs. Kent, the world. She had to do something.

"Who sent this?" Lois asked out loud.

She looked around scanning for the mail carrier. Slumped over his cart as he sifted through the mail he stood by Lombard's desk. He was a very young man with gelled spiky hair. She had never seen that man before. She replaced the letter in the envelope and rushed up to his side.

"Hey!"

Obviously a noob and not accustomed to Lois' volume, he jumped out of skin and looked at her in blatant fear as he shakily readjusted his glasses on his thin nose.

"M-Ms. Lane?" he stammered.

"What is this?" she demanded as she shoved the envelope into his face.

"What?" he asked a little dumbly staring at the folder and then at her.

"This." She shook the envelope in front of him.

"An envelope," he deadpanned.

"Don't get smart. Who sent this?"

He adjusted his glasses again and examined the envelope. "There's no return address. It's completely unmarked. There's no way to know."

"Why would you put an unmarked letter on my desk?"

"I didn't put this on your desk," he said a little nervously.

"What? Then who did?"

"I don't know," he said with a little shrug.

Lois narrowed her eyes. He lifted up his hands defensively.

"I don't know! I just deliver the mail, I don't ask questions."

She practically growled. "And that's why you just deliver the mail."

He handed it back to her and escaped quickly. No one dealt with Lois Lane when she was angry. A hard line crossed her face as she ignored the fleeing man and continued to scan the area for anyone out-of-place. Except there was no one out of the ordinary in the office. Although seemingly comforting, it rode her nerves. She slumped into her chair and reread the message maybe a dozen times.

He has a weakness.

So many questions swirled in her weakness? Who would know this? Why would this person warn them? Or was it to scare them?

"What is it? What's wrong?" She jumped at Clark's voice. And she quickly stashed the envelope and letter away. He looked confused and concerned.

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

"Your heart is beating a mile a minute."

She sighed.

"Not here." She looked around him and all around the office again. The messenger could still be there. "Not now."

The Planet was no longer safe.

"Lois-"

"Just wait, Clark. Please," she practically pleaded with him.

Though he still looked concerned, he nodded and sat at his desk. The rest of the day was tense and awkward between them. Lois kept looking around nervously until finally she gave up and took the rest of the day off. Clark followed suit. Safely at home, Lois finally showed Clark the reason for her distress earlier in the day. His heart dropped into his stomach.

"Who sent this?" he croaked.

"I don't know. I turned away for one second and when I looked back there was this envelope on my desk."

"You got this at the Planet?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Was there anyone unusual?"

"There wasn't anyone there who wasn't supposed to be."

Clark slumped into a seat in their kitchen.

"I don't understand. What weakness? Who-Why?"

"I don't know." Lois sighed as she slipped into a chair opposite him.

The power of words was astounding. It could create leaders or destroy them. It could halt a speeding avalanche of hate. It could spur people to action. And it could invoke fear in even the strongest of men. This message led to one dread-inducing conclusion.

"Someone is watching us," he said. "And they're at the Planet."