Chapter 13
Smallville
January 28, 2021
Clark landed gently on the porch shortly before 7 PM and knocked on the door before entering. "We're here!" he announced.
Martha came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel. Jonathan was right behind her. She gave Clark a hug and kiss and then hugged Lois. Holding her at arm's length, Lois had a grin on her face but was shaking her head in amazement. "I know," Martha said. "It's a lot to take in and Clark thought it would be best if we were here to help. I hope that's okay?"
Lois was momentarily overcome, her eyes filled with tears, and she hugged Martha again before Jonathan stepped in. "Hey, what about me?" he said, and she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.
"Thank you," she said, wiping her eyes. "Thank you both. I…I don't know what to say."
"Well, that's a first," Clark quipped. "Too bad I only have one big secret to tell her."
She swatted him on the arm and then hip-checked him.
"Come in, you two. Sit down. We're going to eat in the kitchen and give you two some privacy so you can have a chance to talk."
She looked at Clark. "The heck you are!" Lois said. "I want you to join us. Clark and I have plenty of time to talk. Besides, how can you help if you're sitting in the kitchen?"
Martha looked at Jonatha and he shrugged with a smirk. "I guess we'll all eat in the dining room."
"I told them I was going to tell you tonight and mom insisted that I bring you here. She thought it would be better surroundings to answer your questions."
Martha had just enough time to roast a turkey and make all the fixings to go with it before they arrived. Jonathan helped where he could and cleaned behind her as she went. They gave thanks for the meal and for Lois's presence at the dinner table. Reminiscent of the famous Norman Rockwell painting, Martha set the turkey on the table and Jonathan stood at the head, ready to carve it.
Martha began the conversation about Clark arriving on Earth. Lois had very few questions until Jonathan mentioned Clark developing his powers. "Wait, hold it!" she said. She looked at Clark. "You can fly, and you can move faster than the eye can see. And there is more?" She looked back at Jonathan.
"A whole lot more. Strap yourself in, Lois. This ride is about to get bumpy," he said with a smile.
They ate and talked and drank a pot of coffee before they finished dessert. It was nearly 9:30 and Lois mentioned Jenny would be arriving at the apartment soon and they better get back.
"Write a note," Clark said. "I'll take it to your apartment and leave it before she gets there. Just tell her you'll be out late tonight, to not wait up, and you'll see her in the morning." She wrote it and handed it to Clark.
He left through the front door and Lois looked back at the Kents. "Mrs. Kent, that meal was amazing. Thank you both for your kindness and helping to walk me through all of this. It's obvious why Clark is the good man that he is.
"I know you are probably wondering what I think about all of this." She paused. "I have to be honest; I don't know what to think. I've never been so excited to know what it means that someone like Clark really exists, but it's a little scary at the same time. Mrs. Kent, I know you told me that you worry about him having someone in his life so he's not isolated. You don't have to worry about that anymore. I've got this. I want to be that someone.
"The way I see it, in the last two hours, my life changed forever. And even though Clark may be invulnerable, he's going to need protection against mankind's darkest nature. If he's going to continue helping people, I can cover for him and help him lead as normal a life as possible. And he'll need advice from a different perspective whether he thinks he needs it or not. That's what I think at this point.
She paused. "So, since we'll have a little time before Clark's gets back, I thought that if you have anything you want to ask me about, if you have any concerns about me that you didn't want to say with Clark here, maybe we can use this time to get those cards out on the table."
Jonathan looked at Martha, smiled, and looked down at his empty dessert plate. Martha smiled and said, "It's never as much time as you think, Dear," she said.
Clark came back through the front door. "Did you forget something?" she asked.
He smiled and handed her the keys to her apartment. "No, why?"
Lois's mouth dropped open, and she frowned. "No way," she said, and Clark just shook his head and shrugged. She looked at the Kents. "Way?"
Jonathan nodded and Martha chuckled. "As I said, it's never as much time as you think, Lois."
"Holy cow!"
Lois insisted on the two of them doing the dishes. Clark sped through the process and piled the clean dishes up faster than Lois could put them away. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" she quipped.
It was nearly 11 PM when they hugged the elder Kents and Lois promised to come visit soon. Martha whispered to her, "Take care of him, Lois, and we want to see you soon. He's crazy about you, you're all he ever talks about. But he's not the only Kent who feels that way."
He flew at a leisurely pace back to Metropolis. The sky was beautiful, full of stars and a sliver of moon gave the ground below a faint glow. "Thank you for not saying anything about what happened to me today. Until I know what that was, I don't want them to worry about me."
"You're welcome. But don't forget, I'm worried about you too. They don't know about it, I do. I want to know as badly as you do what happened and what I should do if it happens again. So, no keeping things from me, got it Farmer John?"
"I promise, no secrets, Lois. Never again."
"What now?" she asked. "What's the next step, Clark?"
"I think I know what you're asking Lois, but that's a question you need to be asking yourself." He paused and she frowned. "You know, are you okay making love to someone who isn't human?"
She giggled and Clark frowned. "What? Isn't that what you meant?"
"No," she said, and started laughing. "We haven't even reached the exit for that bridge yet, Magellan," she said and began laughing again.
"Are you laughing at the one thing that's between you and a 1,200-foot fall?" Clark asked.
"Yes," she said confidently. "And I know you'll always be there. Like you were at the 80's Hair Band Concert when I went off the back of the stadium. Like you were at Centennial Park when a shotgun blast could have killed me. Like you were when I was about to get beaten and raped by a bunch of low-life thugs. Like you were when half a ton of scaffolding was flying directly at me."
He smiled. "I won't let anything happen to you; you know that, right? I think ever since I first saw you at the Daily Planet Christmas party, somewhere deep down, I knew I had to find a way to protect you."
He said nothing more and she hugged his neck harder, planting a kiss on his cheek. "It was that feeling wasn't it? The special connection? It's what drove me to find you and do whatever I could to keep you in my world." He slowed to a stop. "Whoa, hold on. What are we doing?"
Clark smiled. Floating in mid-air and he held her in his arms, standing on clouds, and kissed her, deeply, sensuously, lovingly. He continued, dipping her backwards as if she was laying on cloud and kissed her like she had never been kissed before. "There," he said. "You can put away the picture, Lana has nothing on you, now!"
He shifted her back to a cradled position, and he picked up speed as they continued to Metropolis. "There is so much more to experience, Lois. There is so much more that I want to do. I told you on the phone that I needed you and I meant it. And I need your help to find a way that I can use my abilities and powers to help people all the time, not just in the darkness and still live a normal life if that's possible."
"Clark, that's going to be a challenge. Have you considered a mask or something that hides your face. The Batman hides his."
"But that's just it. Look at how he's regarded. Criminals fear him but even good people are wary of him. He operates mostly in the shadows, and it makes people afraid on some level. I don't want to scare people, not even criminals. I want to inspire them and others simply to be better, and I can't do it wearing a mask. That's why mom suggested the glasses. Being an example for mankind is why my birth parents sent me here, but they didn't account for living as part of and among the human race. I guess they thought I'd live apart. I want the human experience, Lois. But I'm convinced that I can't do it alone because even though I was raised by humans, I'm not human. Otherwise, I'll end up the way my birth parents expected, living a separate existence, isolated from humans. You can understand that I want to live a human existence when I'm not using my abilities to save or protect others, right?"
She could tell that this matter had plagued Clark for years. He had an enduring longing for a human life beyond his abilities. Lois decided then and there that she could be that connection to a normal life he needed. "Of course, I do, Clark. But we have our work cut out for us to figure that out. Looks like this is going to be a weekend project," she said and chuckled. "With Jenny there, we'll have to work from your place. I've never seen it, but I hear the pipes are noisy," she said, arching one eyebrow.
"I thought we'd work at my place but not my apartment. I have another place in mind," he said.
"What other place?"
The following afternoon, they took a late lunch and found a quiet spot to eat in the fourth-floor break room. Lois asked Clark to tell Jenny that he had invited her to go with him to the farm the upcoming weekend to see his parents.
"Does that mean you plan on staying there all weekend?" he asked.
"Well, yeah," Lois replied. "We have a lot of things to figure out. First of all, we need to figure out what happened to you yesterday and what you need when it happens. I hated seeing you like that and feeling so helpless.' She leaned forward and spoke more softly. "And we also need to work on what needs to happen before 'the big reveal'.
"This 'other place' of yours, it does have…um…facilities, right?" Lois asked.
"Of course. To include mirrors if you need to powder your nose," he said, and Lois laughed.
"You know, you're even quicker than I thought. You don't forget a thing, do you?
"You said it's way up North. Does that mean I should pack heavy or is there heat there?"
"Pack normally," he said then remembered her Christmas weekend getaway luggage. "Forget that. Pack light with heavy clothing. There's heat. There's hot water, heated rooms, but it's still in the Arctic. Its structure is created with crystals made of minerals, not ice. They transfer light and heat very well, just like glass does. It stays in the low to mid-70 degrees all the time."
"I'll have to pack a onesie to sleep in!"
"Speaking of that, you should know that there's only one bed there, Lois. We don't have to share it if you'd prefer not to. We can take turns if it makes you more comfortable that way."
"Is the bed comfortable?"
"Very," Clark replied.
She leaned forward and spoke softly. "Some type of exotic space age extraterrestrial grade materials I'm guessing, right?"
"No, it's just a really, really good mattress," he replied and winked. "And it's huge."
"It is? Well, the thought of that makes me really happy and I'd expect nothing less given your size." She paused. "But let's get back to talking about the mattress," she asked, smirking and a raised eyebrow.
He looked confused, then exasperated, and Lois laughed. "Can I ask a serious question though? It's pretty personal."
"Sure."
"When you and Lori Lemaris were together, did you two make love?"
"All the time. We were almost non-stop sometimes, to be honest. I suppose we were making up for lost time. She had never made love to anyone before me, either."
"Aw, that's sweet. And she knew everything about you, right?"
"Absolutely. I wouldn't ever consider doing that without the other person knowing first. It's why I never pushed the issue at times that I thought it could have happened between us."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to appear nosey. I was wondering because you said everything worked the same, but I didn't know if it was something you had ever done. I know you said that you and Lana never did it. I presumed you and Lori had but I've kind of learned that presuming anything with you can be a recipe for failure." She paused and then muttered, "I kind of hoped that I was going to be your first."
He shrugged. "So, you didn't really say whether we'll share the bed at the same time or take turns. Lois, I understand completely if you want to take turns."
"Nah, we'll share it at the same time. Clark, we're both adults. I think we can lie together in the same bed without ripping each other's clothes off and acting like rabbits in heat," she said. She fiddled with her sandwich and mumbled absently, "Not saying I won't do that though..." She trailed off and finished the final two bites of her sandwich and washed it down with iced tea. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and wadded it up with the sandwich wrapper. "You finished?" she asked Clark.
"Yes."
"I have an idea." She looked at her watch. "Before we go down to the bullpen, how about taking a ride with me up to the top floor to check out the broken furniture for a couple of minutes?"
They arrived at the Fortress just as dawn broke the next morning. The vast barren land with surprisingly jagged peaks and bowls was dead silent in the early morning hours. The landscape was uniquely harsh and alien in its appearance. Clark flew into what appeared to be a shallow cleft in a small mountain under what appeared to be hundreds of feet of snow pack, and flat or pointed crystalline forms jutting from its top just above the snow line, barely visible at ground level and virtually invisible above it. Inside it was very different. It was a crystalline cathedral, a palace of unique pillars forming rooms, halls, hallways, and alcoves. Light was channeled through the huge pillars of clear crystal reaching above the layers of snow to illuminate and heat the interior of the hidden structure.
"I have no words! This place is beyond incredible. It's so beautiful but so different from anything I've ever seen in my life," Lois said. "How did you build this?"
Clark smiled. "It came in a single crystal."
She cocked her head and frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I was led here by some strange force when I left Smallville after dad recovered from his heart attack," he began. "Dad gave me a crystal that was packed beside me on my trip to Earth. He had hidden it for 18 years. When I got close to this spot, something told me I should throw it. When I did, the structure began to appear and when it was finished expanding, I went inside and what you see here is where I lived for the 2-plus years I was gone."
"But what is it, like your home?"
"More than that, Lois. Watch!" He took a crystal from a console and slid it into a receptacle. The light dimmed and the image of his birth father appeared in a recorded message. "That is my biological father. His name is Jor-El and my original name is Kal-El. This is where I learned about my heritage, my abilities, and why I was sent here."
"But don't they want you back, Clark?"
"My birth parents sent me here just before the planet they we lived on was destroyed by a supernova of its sun. The planet was named Krypton. Both of my parents were preeminent scientists there and understood the sun was about to explode but no one believed them for some reason. They sent me to Earth just before it happened.
"Every living thing on the planet was dead in an instant. The planet blew into trillions of pieces and as far as I know, I'm the only thing that survived from it." He looked at her. "I have no home or birth parents left to go to, even if I wanted to."
The rest of the morning, Clark showed Lois around and dropped a few crystals in the console to show her some of the lessons he learned over his two years at the Fortress.
"So, what do you think?" he asked.
"Food?" she said after he retrieved the recently deposited crystal from the console's receptacle.
"What do you feel like?" he asked.
"Well, we missed breakfast and if my watch is any indication, it's lunchtime now. Maybe something more than soup and sandwiches?"
"How about some Thai food?" he asked.
"Well that sounds absolutely amazing. Do they deliver or do we have to find a restaurant?" she quipped.
"I'll tell you what. Go to the bedroom, unpack, and I'll be back before you know it." With that, he dashed off.
Lois had worn most of the heavy clothes she would need, packing a backpack with a change of undergarments, heavy socks, long underwear style pajamas, and toiletries for an overnight stay. The bedroom was remarkably human in its appointments including lockers and bins that Clark had obviously brought from civilization to the structure. The bathroom was normally appointed but it had no bathtub. She wondered if Clark could find a way to install one if she was going to spend much time there. She turned on the hot water to check its temperature and gauged that it was at least 125 degrees. She flushed the toilet and chuckled. There was even a mirror.
When she emerged, Clark had returned with a plethora of Thai food tied with twine in round bamboo boxes. There were eight containers.
"Geez, Clark! How much do you think I'm going to eat?"
"A good thing about being up here is that food doesn't spoil quickly. We can have leftovers if need be."
"That makes sense. So, where's the microwave or oven to reheat it?"
He led her to an area where they would eat and, on the way, he stopped at what appeared to be something like a kitchen. "Here's where I reheat food," and shot a burst of heat vision onto a flat, crystalline surface that heated quickly.
"Oh yeah," she snorted. "I forgot about that."
She peeled off her light sweater and remained in a thick long sleeve shirt she used for jogging in the winter months. "You're right about the temperature. It really feels comfortable in here."
They ate and Lois could not get over the food. She ate far more than she thought she would and there were not as many boxes of leftovers as she thought there would be. "Oh wow! I can't believe I ate that much. It was so incredibly good. I've never had Thai food that good. Where did you get it?"
"Thailand."
"No, really?"
Clark shrugged and cocked his head.
"Oh my God, pinch me because I can't believe everything I'm learning about you." She grabbed the front of his flannel shirt and pulled him closer. "Clark, every other man on the face of this planet just lost out to you. If I'm being honest, they were all in second place before I knew all of this about you, but now, I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else but you."
"Really? Because I was hoping I was just somewhere among the front of the pack. You didn't give me much of a clue how you felt."
"Of course, I did," she said. "You were just a little slow on the uptake there, Farmer John. Maybe this will convince you." Lois leaned in and kissed him, and he returned it, sweetly, passionately. When the kiss ended, she fought a yawn. "Wow! I think I feel a food coma coming on."
"Do you need to take a nap?" he said, collecting up the boxes of food and storing the leftovers.
"I could use a nap," she said. "But I there's something I need first. And guess what?" she asked, "We can take care of both in the same place." She took his hand and led him back to the bedroom. Pulling him down as she flopped back onto the bed, she whispered. "Make love to me, Clark."
Over the next hour and a half, they made love. The first round of lovemaking was heated, raw and primal, bringing them both to ecstasy quickly. The next was slower, gentler as they explored one another's intimate areas, appreciating the feel, taste, and the beauty they each possessed. Their third time was passionate, exploring new positions and different methods to bring the other to climax. The final lovemaking session saw Lois making love to Clark as he hovered two feet above the bed and undulated like the sea rises and falls sending wave after wave of shivers through Lois's thighs as she reached climax twice.
When finished, she felt completely drained of strength and pleasantly aching. They kissed passionately and Lois lay against him, her hair damp with perspiration, and completely exhausted. He was warm, radiating a gentle heat that, combined with her complete but pleasant exhaustion, put her to sleep in under twenty seconds.
He lay there, listening to the melodic drumming of her heart, slowing, softening, as she drifted to sleep. Her breathing slowed and Clark felt a sense of peace he had never known before, and he knew without question that he had found his soulmate. The rhythmic beat of her heart was a lullaby the lulled him to a deep sleep.
She awoke first, four hours later, and was in his arms in the same position in which she lay after their last round of lovemaking. She had not moved. She felt safe, fulfilled like never before, and valued as an equal partner in their relationship. Lois felt the pang of passion for him wash over her and she knew that with Clark, she had a love that would endure the rigors of life together. Whether or not he felt that way, she did not know for certain but thought he might. His mom said he talked about her all the time. But he had never said the words and until then, she had to be careful. Lois felt an intense love for him but until he said it, she would withhold her expression of love.
She gently lifted his arm and kissed his hand. He stirred and she wriggled out from beneath his arm and raced to the bathroom and back. Crawling in next to him, he awoke.
"Lois?" he said softly, disoriented. His eyes opened and he saw her leaning over him, smiling.
"Welcome back, Rip Van Winkle," she said and kissed him. "I would love nothing more than to stay with you like this for the rest of the weekend, but we have some work to do."
"I know," he said, with an almost sorrowful tone.
"But first, I need to shower." She rolled out of the bed, scurried to the bathroom and turned on the shower. It steamed and she stepped in enjoying the moist heat and feeling it wash away the residue of their exhaustive lovemaking. Head under the falling water, she closed her eyes and imagined that she was living a dream. Then Lois tilted her head back to let the shower rinse her face and she smiled. She lathered the soap she had brought, soothing and fragrant.
"I'm behind you," Clark said but it did not startle her.
He wrapped his huge arms around her and took the soap from her hands and washed every inch of her body, front first, and then her back. He lingered between her legs and she moaned and turned him to him and hopped into his arms, straddling his waist and lowering herself onto him. They made love under the steaming shower until both climaxed once more and she held on, tightly as he softened, until he slipped out of her and she could slide off of him.
"That was nice," he half-whispered. "You're amazing, Lois."
"It was better than nice," she said. "I've never done that before but I'm going to insist that it become a special staple in our repertoire." She leaned forward and kissed him.
"Our repertoire," he said. "I like the sound of that. There's an air of permanency to it." He smiled. "I could stay like this for the rest of the weekend, but I remember someone reminding me that we have work to do," he said.
Freshly scrubbed and fragrant, they dressed and went back to the theater-like grand chamber where the console was. Clark extracted a crystal from among a large number of them. He slid it into the receptacle and a voice gently boomed instructing him to speak.
Clark asked about the possible causes of his malady. After several questions posed by the artificial intelligence system, he was instructed to leave the crystal in place while possible causes were researched and evaluated, and he would be presented with a response the following morning.
"So, that leaves us with the really difficult question. How do you present yourself to the human race without destroying the chance for a normal life?" Lois said. "This is where I'm going to out-think Jor-El because it matters so much to you and to me. And you're not going to wear a mask or helmet so that means Clark has to look different."
"That's why I wore those horrible glasses."
"I get it now. It makes sense and even Mayson Drake said that she wouldn't have recognized you from your picture if you hadn't been introduced." She examined his look. "She's right."
"Lana suggested that I not stand so tall and erect. She said to stoop a little," Clark told her.
She exhaled. "I hate to suggest that you take any advice from my competitor but she's right."
"But you're not," Clark interjected.
"Why?" Lois asked, surprised by his objection.
"Because you have no competition. You've won that race, Lois. Everyone else is a very, very distant second." He pulled her to him and kissed her.
"Clark!" she said, frowning and pushing back. "Not in front of your father!"
He looked at her, trying to gauge if she was serious or not. Then she grinned and pulled him right back.
"Okay, where were we?" she started. "Oh yeah, Lana," she groaned and rolled her eyes. "Truth is, Smallville, I really thought that she was sweet, but there were times I would have dropped her off in the middle of nowhere if I had had the chance. But after this afternoon," she shrugged a bit, "I really do kind of feel sorry for her knowing now what she missed out on." She paused. "Okay, so stoop a little bit. That's good advice."
"She gave me that hat for Christmas because it helps keep my face partly hidden from security cameras that are everywhere now. She said facial recognition programs would be less effective."
Lois leaned her head to the side. "I've got to give her credit, she had some pretty good ideas. That makes a hell of a lot of sense. She was looking out for you, Clark." She paused and thought. "The problem though, is that you work at the Daily Planet. You are surrounded by people who make a living analyzing newsworthy things, seeking out the truth, and broadcasting it to the public. Those are the people we're going to need to fool most once you go public."
He nodded. "I thought that being in a newsroom was a good way to be around the action, to know when I was needed. But you've got a point, Lois. I didn't think that through."
"Here's the thing. People get an image of a person they see over time fixed in their mind and it's hard to change that image."
"That's why I had those terrible glasses. They changed the shape of my face and eyes."
"They also made you stand out like a sore thumb. No way you go back to those. But, if you could find a way to put lenses that altered the shape of your face a little bit in those titanium frames you have, that would help a lot. Not Coke bottle lenses but something else. I don't know, maybe those gradient glasses that get darker in the daylight. Something like that." He nodded.
She thought for a moment. "You're indestructible, right? Once you come out into the open, we'll make that known. And this past week, everyone in the newsroom saw you crumpled onto the floor in agony. So, let's stay with that for a second. What if occasionally you show up with your arm in a sling or a wrist wrap or something. Put band aids on your hand. Do it occasionally and it would plant the idea that you work with your hands and like any normal human, you get everyday injuries. Everyone knows your family owns a farm and you work with your hands. Come in limping a little saying you sprained your ankle or jolted your knee jumping down from a tractor over the weekend. Something minor like that. I think that would work, wouldn't you?"
He thought about that, and it sounded like a feasible plan. Clark nodded. "My mom also thought if I act like a clod, no one will associate me with some being that was super powerful and all of that."
"What do you mean?"
"Just do silly things that made me look like a buffoon. But I didn't like that idea and, once again, Lana dissuaded me from doing it."
"She's right again. Act like a clown and everyone looks at you, Clark. That's not what you want. But, that doesn't mean you can't occasionally trip going up the stairs, spill something, but not on me, or slip. Everyone does that from time to time. It's normal and that's what you want planted in people's minds. You're just like everyone else. Don't stand out one way or the other."
"So, what else?"
"Let me think. Hair!" she exclaimed. You need to think about wearing it differently when you come out in public. Slick it back. Or, slick it back at work and comb it to the side when doing your thing!"
"Okay. Anything else?"
"You sure you don't want a mask or something?" She paused. "What do you intend to wear? You can't wear business clothes or jeans and a polo shirt if you're going to be saving people in the middle of the day."
"I have a suit. In fact, you can help me pick out the one you like best. I have about three or four variations and a bunch of each." He paused. "I forgot that you've never seen me in one."
"Where?"
"Here at the Fortress. You want to see them?"
"Hell, yes! I want to see you in them, too. That might make a big difference as well."
Clark took her to the part of the Fortress that contained the different variations of the suit. They were displayed on crystal headless mannequins.
"My God, I want to see you in one of these. Um…" she said, picking one out, "this one!" She pointed to the black suit with the silver S on the chest. He dashed out and came back in under two seconds, completely changed into the black suit. "Holy shit, Clark," she said, fanning herself. "You look amazing. This sounds stupid but you're so friggin' hot looking. I want to jump your bones just seeing in that."
"It doesn't look too, I don't know…angry?"
"Angry? No. The only thing angry right now is this," she said, and pointed down to her groin with each hand, "because I'm looking at you in that suit and now it's begging for your attention. Good God!"
He smirked and thought, I would rather be spending our time making 'that' happy instead of modeling these suits.
"Let's see some more," Lois said. "Hurry," she added.
He tried on all the variations and when finished, Lois selected the suit that was deep blue top and bottom with deep red belt and red and deep yellow insignia on his chest. The suit was completed with deep red boots made of a leather-like material and cape of thinner but similar material.
"So, this is it?" he asked. "The Blur makes his first appearance in this? Not the black one?"
"Nope, this one! But don't start talking about yourself in the third person. You sound like a Hollywood celebrity or rapper."
"I really thought it would be the black one."
"Save that for me. I'm pretty partial to that for different reasons," she said with a wink. Lois traced the shape of the 'S' on his chest. "And what does the 'S' stand for?"
"It's not really an S. It's the Kryptonian symbol my family used, sort of like a coat of arms. The symbol stands for hope."
"Well, let's just say it's an 'S' and it's used for a name. Can you think of a name you could go by that starts with an S?"
"You mean like, Steve or S…Sherman or something?"
Lois rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like Sherman. 'Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's Sherman!' Geez, Clark. S stands for splendor, safety, super…hold it. That's it! Superman! Because in the simplest terms, it's exactly what you are, Smallville." She paused, grinned, and said, "Unless you prefer 'Smallvilleman'?" she chuffed and nudged him with her shoulder.
He thought about it for a moment. "See, that works better than 'The Blur' because if someone came up to me while I'm in this suit, it would be awkward for them, right? I mean, it would be like, 'Hello, the Blur' or, 'Hello, Blur'. This way, people wouldn't have to think what to call me. It would be Superman. 'Hello Superman', right?"
She stared at him, looking at the details of his face.
"What?"
"You know, it's funny the way you think, Clark, but you're right," Lois said. "And you know what else? The big S draws people's attention to it and away from your face." She paused. "So, with you stooping, different glasses, occasional injuries and foibles on display, a different way of wearing your hair as Superman, and this suit, I think you could pull it off. But I'll be there too to cover your tracks and watch your back for those who might be curious why Superman resembles that hot nerd in the basement bullpen."
"What hot nerd?" She didn't answer and he shrugged. "So, when do you think I should make my grand entrance?" he asked.
"That's easy. The next major disaster or emergency that happens, you show up in this to save the day." She came closer to him. "Just don't hang around afterwards to answer questions. I'll take care of that."
She put her arms around his waist and pulled him close. "You know what I want now?" she asked, smiling.
"I'm pretty sure I know," he replied. "Let me get out of this suit."
"And back into street clothes. I want a New York style thin crust pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. Come back with that and we'll eat and then I'll take charge of getting you out of your clothes."
"And me, yours," Clark said.
They ate and had one long slow, gentle lovemaking session before falling asleep in each other's arms. They fell into a deep peaceful sleep, both exhausted but feeling a level of contentment that they had never felt before, and each drifting off thinking of the prospects of their lives ahead. And though neither one said the word, they were both undeniably and unquestionably in love with the other.
Clark awoke the following morning and lay there, looking at Lois sleeping. Without makeup and at the time when most people looked their worst, she looked angelic to him. She breathed slowly and deeply, and he watched her breast rise and fall. Ever so lightly, Clark pulled strands of hair from her face, slowly leaned over and kissed her lips. She stirred, made a sound, and a brief smile came to those lips.
He floated up and off the bed so as not to awaken her, gently pulled the covers up over her shoulders, and crept out of the room. He dressed and went to the chamber where the control console stood.
"Kal-El. The result of the research was inconclusive but there are several probabilities that exist. The one with the highest probability of being correct is that trace amounts of a radioactive material called kryptonite followed your craft through what people on Earth call black holes in the universe and impacted around the same time your craft did. There are various forms of this radioactive material that could have varying effects on you; some extremely dangerous and others that may affect your behavior and thought process.
A green crystal called kryptonite is most dangerous and can lead to death if exposed for a long period of time. It causes extreme pain, weakness, and sickness.
Blue colored kryptonite will nullify your powers if in close proximity but once it is at a distance, it should not be anything to be concerned with.
Red colored kryptonite will alter your sense of propriety, sense of urgency, and inhibitions that make a civilized society co-exist peacefully. Those symptoms, though, are temporary and will not permanently affect you.
Red colored kryptonite was most prevalent on Krypton and it had no effects under our red sun but it will on Earth under the yellow sun.
Given your explanation, it is most likely that you came into contact or close proximity to green colored kryptonite. You must avoid it at all costs. However, lead is a dense Earth mineral that can prevent the radiation from any form of kryptonite passing through it.
"Does it pose danger to humans?" Clark asked.
It does not. The radiation from kryptonite passes through humans harmlessly. Because of your dense molecular structure, it will not pass through you. Use caution and be careful, my son.
"Well, that's not good news!" Lois said from behind him.
He spun around and she stood there in one of his old Met U jerseys. "Good morning," he said. "I think the riddle is solved except for who had green kryptonite in the bullpen?"
She walked to him, kissed him, and put her arms around his waist. "We'll figure it out. Since it doesn't affect humans, I'll take care of that stuff. Leave it to me, Smallville. Like I said, I have your back."
He brought three spare blue suits and one black one from the Fortress to his apartment. "This place is okay," Lois said, looking around. "It's cleaner than I expected but I guess after watching you with the dishes, I shouldn't be surprised." They talked for a short while and Clark suggested that he take her back in his truck.
On the short drive to her apartment, Clark asked Lois how she thought they should act toward each other at work. She grimaced and shook her head. "I say we play it by ear. I don't think we should make any noticeable changes, but you can resume bringing me coffee and donuts on the way to work. I'll still call you names and act like you're making rookie mistakes from time to time."
"So, the status quo. That's the way we act," Clark confirmed. "That's how we handle it?"
"I think so. Unless we're on the top floor," she added.
He walked her to the door, and he heard voices inside. "I think your roommate has a guest."
Lois made a face. "Really? One of those type of guests?" She shook her head. "I've heard there's a lid for every pot but…"
"Should I look?"
"You can see that?" He nodded. "I guess. That way, no one is surprised or embarrassed."
Clark quickly looked and saw the back of a man on the couch with Jenny. Both were dressed but she was half reclined, and he was on top and they were kissing. "They're making out in your living room but they're both dressed."
"Then let's go in." She rattled the keys in the lock and opened the door. She took two steps inside and Clark almost ran into her because she stopped dead in her tracks. "Olsen?" she said.
"Lois!" Jenny said. "Sorry, I didn't expect you home so early. You must have left before lunch from Smallville." She looked oddly at Clark. "Oh! Hi, Clark," she said, sheepishly and then smiled.
Jimmy was red-faced and did not say a word. "So, Jimbo, what are you doing here?" Lois said pointedly. "Giving a few photography tips, I'm guessing?" She took a few more steps inside and put her backpack on the dinette table. "Clark, would you like a cup of coffee after that long drive?"
At first, Clark thought that he would leave to spare Jimmy and Jenny some embarrassment, but he could tell that Jenny was not at all embarrassed. Jimmy on the other hand looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him where he stood. So, he decided to stick around and watch the fun. "Yes, I'd like that. Thank you, Lois," he said.
After about thirty minutes, Clark stepped in to throw Jimmy a lifeline. "Hey Jimmy, it's getting on to three and I think since Lois is home, it's time you and I head home and leave the ladies alone. What do you say?" He nodded furiously. "Why don't you head out and I'll be along in a few minutes."
"Sure, CK," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jenny," he said, and she smiled. He looked at Lois. "Miss Lane," he nodded and scurried out the door.
"Wow! And I thought the Blur was fast," Lois quipped, and Jenny laughed.
"I'm sorry, Lois. I should have asked you before inviting anyone over. I truly didn't expect you for another couple of hours. Jimmy called and asked me to lunch. We went to lunch together and then came back here about forty minutes ago."
"It's okay, Jenny," Lois replied. "Feel free to have someone over. And Jimmy's a good kid, but isn't he a little young for you?"
"He just seems young because he's naïve and inexperienced. Age-wise, the difference is the same between you and Clark. He worries a lot about making you mad, Lois." She chuckled. "It's funny in a sweet way. He never wants to disappoint you and I think you scare him a bit."
"She can be a scary person," Clark interjected. "I know that firsthand."
"Clark can be naïve and inexperienced too," Lois quipped. "It's not an entirely bad thing but it has it's challenges." She paused and looked at him. "But Smallville here never seems worried about disappointing me. He's not a constant disappointment but, well, you know."
"I'm standing right here," he said, shrugging and looking from side-to-side. "I guess on that note, I'll head home too. Lois, thank you for coming to the farm with me. It does make the drive a little less boring when there's no decent radio stations to listen to." He raised an eyebrow. "Goodbye, Jenny."
"Let me walk you to the elevator," Lois said and followed him out the door. They stood just outside the door and shared a long, passionate kiss. "Ah…now I wish I lived alone," she said and dug her hips into him and kissed him again. She let go and pushed back, almost out of breath. "I've got to stop or I won't be able to." She kissed him once more, chastely. "I'll see you in the morning," she said.
Lois returned to the apartment and Jenny was waiting on the couch. "How was your weekend?" she asked but it seemed less a question and more an affirmation that she recognized a change in their relationship.
"Fine. The Kents are such nice people, it's hard not to have a nice time when you're there. And Clark's mom could put any of those TV chefs out of business."
"You seem different, Lois. Even more relaxed and less stressed than last week. You seem like you have a new lease on life or something. Like someone who finally has cast out all of their demons." She paused and cocked her head. "Am I wrong?"
Lois exhaled loudly. "No, you're not wrong." She plopped on the couch next to Jenny and pulled her legs beneath her. "Clark and I had sort of a real breakthrough this weekend. As you know, we've been bickering and sniping a lot ever since New Years and we cleared the air last week, then we kissed. But you know all that. Going to his parents' farm just really relaxed us both. We talked a lot more, kissed a lot more, and now we're really on the same page and there'll be no more drama in the bullpen."
"Well, that's going to make a lot of people on the fourth floor unhappy because they get a kick out of you two. You, especially, Lois. They're always laughing about the things you say and do down there." She paused and then added. "But I'm glad for you. It's miserable going through life like that, always feeling off-balance."
Lois cocked her head. "What about Clark? Don't they say anything about him? Is it always about me?"
"They don't seem to say much about him other than he seems like a meek guy that you enjoy beating up on. To be honest, many of them don't remember his name, but they say he likes being your doormat because he enjoys your attention." She looked out through the big sliding glass doors that led to a very small balcony. "I think he's a really nice guy and I tell people that, but they don't pay much attention to me."
"They say that about him; that he's a doormat?" The term troubled Lois. She had varying opinions of Clark over the years, but she never felt that way about him. Knowing what she knew about him now, the notion made her regret some of the things she had done.
"In so many words," Jenny said. "I've heard one guy call him that, but others echo that sentiment." She saw the look on Lois's face. "That bothers you, doesn't it?" she asked. Lois nodded.
Jenny's eyes narrowed and Lois caught her looking at her like that. "Does it bother you more today than it would have last Sunday?" she asked with an impish grin.
"What do you mean?" Lois replied, knowing what Jenny meant. "Why do you think it would bother me less last week than it does today?"
"Because you two interacted differently when you walked in here. I could see the way you looked at each other and I sense you are a lot more relaxed than I've ever seen you, Lois. Just your body language broadcasts that you both connected on a really deep level." She waited and then asked, "So what changed, if you don't mind me asking?"
She thought a moment. "I guess we just really connected this weekend and we both know what we want, and I don't think we're going to be thrown off track again."
"Again?"
"Yeah, it wasn't just after New Years that we've been sniping. We've had some misfires over the past few months before you got here. Mostly it was because we misinterpreted each other's actions, but we talked it out over the weekend." Lois paused. "Clark's home in Smallville is a really good retreat to clear your head. Life's slower there and, I don't know, more honest. We both needed that."
Jenny stared at her for a moment and then smiled. "Well, you really seem different, like more at ease or at peace with your surroundings, less tense or anxious. And I'm really happy that the weekend was so good for you, Lois. When you walked through the door, I thought sure you were going to kick me out! But two seconds after you came in, I knew I was okay."
Lois chucked. "If you knew the number of times that I've been embarrassed by someone walking in or tapping on a car window, you wouldn't be worried about something like that. Besides, I love Jimmy Olsen to death. I just love rattling his cage but he's really a sweet kid."
Monday, February 1, 2021
"Good morning, Pumpkin. What is it that I can help you with?" It was 9:02 AM and General Sam Lane had already been at work for four hours.
"Good morning, Dad. I hoped you could give me some information on a government project involving collecting minerals or something. LexCorp has the contract."
"Where did you hear about that?" he demanded.
Lois clenched her jaw. "One of my sources told me about it, Dad. I'm trying to figure out what it's about."
"It's a black project, Lo. It's not something I have a lot of information about. But, I'd be interested to know who your source is because that project's off the books."
"And I'd like to know what it's about. If it was a DoD project, I'm pretty sure you'd know what it's about. The fact that you don't tells me it's not one so even though it's off the books, it's not a national defense project." She wondered if he now regretted ever leaving her so much responsibility when she was growing up. Dumping all that on her made her very self-sufficient but also made her absorb a lot of information kids her age never should have paid attention to.
"So maybe if you could do some checking and let me know, I can give you a hint about from whom I learned that name."
"I'll see what I can find out." He hung up the phone and Lois sensed that her father did not like being squeezed for information, with her leveraging her source as the incentive. She did not mind giving up the Batman because no one knew who he was in the first place.
"Did your father tell you anything?" Clark asked Lois.
"No, he just confirmed that it's a black project and it isn't a military project. He thinks it's a Homeland Security project."
"Homeland Security?" Clark rubbed his chin. "I wonder why?"
"Probably to cover for the DoD," Lois replied. "All those big departments have begun to merge into one big department. The only thing keeping them from just doing it is the egos of the appointees running them. Someone would have to be perched at the top and each of them think it should be them." She paused. "But we'll wait and see what my dad comes back with if anything. He wanted to know where I got that project's name and I told him unless I knew more, I wouldn't share it with him." She wrinkled her nose. "He didn't like that."
"Will you give up your source like that?"
"The source is Batman. It's like giving up the Lucky Charms leprechaun. No one knows who he is, and they can't catch him anyway."
Clark went out and got sandwiches at lunch time and met Lois at the fourth-floor break room to eat them. "So which place did you like better, the farm or the Fortress?" Clark asked.
"I know what you're thinking, and I loved our time together this past weekend. In fact, I still can't quit thinking about it and it's making me so crazy. But honestly, what I love most is being in Smallville with your folks around. I missed that growing up, Clark, and having a mom and dad who care about you and love you is what I want as often as you think we should go there."
"Well, that's easy to do. If it was up to them, we'd go there every night. I know they enjoy seeing us, too. I don't know who enjoys it most though, mom or dad and it's dad who really surprises me. I guess he always wanted a little girl, too."
Jenny and Jimmy walked in, not knowing Clark and Lois were there. Jimmy was less embarrassed than he was at Lois's apartment, but he was still expecting to be needled by Lois. But that did not happen and the two sat at the table next to them and chatted for a while before Lois told Clark that they still needed to check on that furniture issue upstairs.
He looked at his watch. "Oh, right! We better be going." They said their goodbyes and went up to the top floor.
The following day, Sam Lane called his daughter with some information. "Lo, the project is a Department of Energy project that is being black booked not because of the national security interest but the value of it. There are mineral deposits that were discovered by accident in the Midwest about nine years ago. That's about all I could get. I hope that helps." He paused. "So, who gave you the name of that project, Lois?"
She knew her dad knew more about that project than he was telling her. "A source in Washington, Dad. He works in the Pentagon, actually, but without more details, I can't tell you more than that." She heard her father make a noise, "Thanks anyway," she said and hung up.
Later the same day, Pete called Clark and provided information that he had uncovered. "The project was not a national defense issue to begin with," Pete said, "but was under wraps because initially, it was thought the mineral being uncovered posed a risk to humans. But studies over the last nine or ten years had proven that it was harmless to humans, but it could be a huge power source, even in very small amounts," Pete said. "My friend at the Energy Department said that very small quantities of it could power large devices. Trucks, trains, and other forms of transportation could be powered with it."
"Why all the cloak and daggers then, Pete?" Clark asked.
"The problem is that it is so hard to find and recover that it had been black booked to keep prospectors and investors from trying to scrounge it. Only after it was black booked was it given the name Project Emerald Tablet. That's why I didn't recognize it at first."
He concluded by telling Clark that LexCorp had won the contract and had several facilities in the Midwest to recover and process the minerals.
"Thanks, Pete," Clark said. "I think that's all I needed to hear. I owe you, buddy!"
Clark shared the information with Lois, and they compared notes.
She nodded. "Do you get why they're calling this, Project Emerald Tablet?"
"I get the reference," he said.
"You do?" Lois asked, frowning. "Of course, you do. What am I saying?" She rolled her eyes. "How many galaxies do you have information from?"
"Twenty-seven."
"So, what does it mean, 'Emerald Tablet'?" she asked.
It was the term for a manuscript that alchemists used in the third or fourth century and was credited with the creation of the philosopher's stone."
"The Harry Potter story?" Lois asked, confused.
Clark chuffed. "No. The Philosopher's stone was a mythical mineral that would interact with common metal and turn it into gold and silver. Alchemists used the Emerald Tablet as a guide to early alchemy."
"Do you think that's what they're doing? That they've located some mysterious rare mineral that turns lead or other metal into gold or silver? You think they've found the philosopher's stone?" she asked.
"That was all myth," he said. "Or supposedly. Unless they're really doing a good job of keeping it secret, these minerals are supposed to provide exceptional power with no danger to people. That would make them extremely valuable. The government's keeping it secret until they can collect as much of these minerals as possible."
"So that jives with what Batman said," Lois concluded. "There's enough consistency in the information that I'd consider it to be validated." Lois said that she owed it to Batman to provide him with the information. "Would you like to come along?"
"I'd feel better about you meeting with him if I was there," Clark replied.
"Okay. Let's do it." Lois dug out the fob-like device Batman had given her and pressed it for at least 20 seconds and then released it. Less than five minutes later, Lois received a text instructing her to meet at the same location at 9 PM the following day.
"It looks like we have a date with the Batman!" she said, smiling. "I'll drive."