Chapter 16
Metropolis
Monday, February 8, 2021
As Perry White was commending Lois and Clark for their amazing work on the story about the break-in at LexCorp, Winslow Schott seethed at the reruns of the late-night report about the security breach at LexCorp research and development wing. He seethed at the image of Lex Luthor being interviewed, seethed at Luthor thanking The Blur for stopping the theft of proprietary technology, and seethed at the airtime given to a thief for a self-promoting proclamation about The Blur. And he seethed at the thought of The Blur destroying two of his best robots in seconds.
Schott huddled at his darkened table, sipping a cup of hot tea and rewatching the video captured through the eyes of his robots as they quickly disabled the three security guards, then ripped the locked double doors from their hinges to enter the LexCorp research facility.
The strange, but brilliant little man had directed the activities of his creations, rummaging through the lab until they came upon the pieces of technology that he knew Luthor had stolen from him. He did not need LexCorp tech, he just wanted to retrieve the designs, software, and technology hardware he had worked on for years while employed by Luthorcorp. His robots were doing that until The Blur intervened. He knew that by taking those materials, LexCorp engineers would never be able to replicate his work and Lex would have to come crawling back to him.
Before they could secure the pieces, the lights went out in the facility and his creations were destroyed and crumpled in seconds by The Blur. The second humanoid robot caught what appeared to be a glimpse of The Blur's face an instant before the video feed was cut. Schott saved that image and was attempting to enhance it in hopes of getting a face to put with a name.
He opened a second tab on his computer. It contained the image of Lois Lane, Daily Planet's award-winning and most recognized reporter. In Winslow Schott's mind, she was an irritating apologist for the thieving scumbag, Lex Luthor, as well as the newspaper's biggest fool. Lane was a dolt, a raving cheerleader for something she believed was real and that she called 'The Blur'.
But Schott knew the truth. The Blur was actually his technology that Luthor had bastardized and turned into a super fighting machine to become richer than he already was. It was a machine with no feelings, a mechanical prototype soldier made from Schott's technology that was stolen from him when he was fired by Lex Luthor years before.
Schott knew for certain that a robot with no feelings could not do something on its own volition. Artificial intelligence was gaining steam, but 'the singularity' was still a long way off. Robots, no matter how realistic they looked or sounded, had to be programmed or remotely controlled to do things and even the most sophisticated creations did not possess the means to act independently. He would prove to the world that The Blur was not a human, not an alien, nor anything with a beating heart. He would prove The Blur was merely an ultra-sophisticated piece of Schott technology that had been hijacked by Luthor and repurposed to do things that soldiers could not do in a bid to sell them to the Pentagon. And once he revealed that truth to Metropolis, he would reclaim his stolen technology that Luthor was scheming to turn into gold.
He was not sure how he would expose The Blur as a robotic creation, but Schott knew that he had to expose it publicly. If it was done any other way, it would be covered up and he would lose the chance to reveal the truth to the world and reclaim his intellectual property.
Exposing The Blur for what it was would also have the ancillary benefit of forever ending Lois Lane's vapid articles about it in the Daily Planet. Her sophomoric missives fawning over what she thought was a sentient being instead of something built in a robotics lab would never grace another Daily Planet front page. He would be spared from reading the nauseating praise she heaped upon a mechanical device as though it could act heroically or with an altruistic purpose. Once exposed, the praise would be heaped where it belonged: on Winslow Schott and his brilliance. But not by Lois Lane.
Friday, February 12, 2021
Lois had met with Maggie Sawyer the day before and asked if she had spoken with the DA yet and what the verdict was. Maggie had told Lois that she had briefly spoken to the DA about the notarized letter from Sal D'Amato, the certificate, and photos of the sculpture and how they seemed to tie LexCorp to the knowledge and consent of plundering antiquities and surreptitiously selling them on the black market. A forensic examination of LexCorp bank accounts would conclusively link Lex Luthor's company and perhaps his tacit approval and knowledge of the illegal activities.
Through his lawyer, Jerome Flint had again offered testimony concerning the person who solicited the murder contract on Mickler and likely D'Amato in exchange for taking the death penalty off the table during sentencing. The problem, the DA told Maggie, was that the deals were transacted over the internet through the dark web and virtually impossible to trace, leaving the word of Flint against whomever he fingered as the one who took out the contract on Mickler and likely D'Amato.
Further complicating matters was the new DA, Jamal Tippin, was under tremendous pressure from the mayor and others to tread lightly on the case. Tippin was pressing the police department to step up the investigation into Mayson Drake's murder, but the police had no leads to go on. Maggie had made the mistake of mentioning a classified government project that had been uttered by Drake as she died and Tippin seized on it that bit of information to try to tie that to Drake's murder.
Before finishing their lunch, Maggie admitted that she could not see where project Emerald Tablet fit into anything she was looking at regarding the murder of Mickler or D'Amato. The only connective tissue between the two was LexCorp but one had to do with a secret project and the other had to do with murders. There did not seem to be much connective tissue and the limited connection could easily be discounted given the size and scope of LexCorp holdings and interests.
Lois offered no opinion other than the fact that Mayson had been leaning toward accepting the Flint proffer, but that she was being pressured to tread lightly and was urged not to accept Flint's proffer. Maggie countered by saying LexCorp, or Lex Luthor specifically, was Metropolis' Golden Goose and no one in the upper echelons of local government wanted to see that goose cooked.
Because she had to cut their lunch short the day before, Maggie had asked Lois to come by her office the next day around lunchtime when most of her detectives would be out so they could try to brainstorm any connection between Mayson Drake's murder, her last words, the classified project that Lois had told her about, Jerome Flint, and the testimonial that Sal D'Amato had left. Lois was flattered that Maggie would ask that of her and when she told Perry about it, he encouraged her to do that. "It will put you in the middle of the investigation, Darlin'," Perry said. "You'll have an inside view of this and if it turns into anything bigger than just a story about a hitman and plundered antiquities, you'll have knowledge no one outside of the police has."
"Do you see a multipage story for me, Chief?" Lois asked.
He nodded. "I see the potential for a multi-edition story that could laid out over a couple weeks in the Sunday edition." He exhaled. "That would be huge, like stories from journalists who were embedded with special operations forces during classified operations. The public eats that type of story up!"
While Lois brainstormed with Maggie, Clark ate a sandwich at his desk and was perusing the website for the Metropolis Valentine's Day extravaganza at the Metropolis Convention Center near Centennial Park. The event schedule was posted and a partial list of vendors that were exhibiting their goods, including a florist offering a rose for ladies, bakers and chocolatiers handing out free samples of cupcakes, chocolates, and candies. Even silly love potions and wine tasting booths were advertised.
There were hourly fifteen-minute sample dance lessons being given by ballroom dancing companies, couples games to win romantic dinners for two at the city's best restaurants, palm readers, fortune tellers, free compatibility tests, the chance to win a free romantic weekend getaway, and even sample hot air balloon rides for couples to experience while seeing Metropolis at three hundred feet.
He heard her approaching and was certain she was alone as she walked up behind him. "What are you looking at, Big Guy?" Cat Grant asked.
Clark jolted as though she had surprised him, nearly knocking over a Styrofoam cup of Coke Zero and sending a bag of potato chips sliding on to the floor. "Whoa! You startled me, Cat," Clark said, after picking up the unopened bag of chips.
She leaned over his shoulder to look at his monitor. "I heard Perry scheduled you to cover that along with Lois. Too bad you had to be saddled with her on Valentine's day," Cat purred. "But I'm going to be there too, and I'm sure we could have found more fun things to do than you will find to do with Lois!" She grinned and then moved around him and sat on the corner of his desk. "Will Lana Lang come up here instead of you flying down there for Valentine's Day?"
Clark swiveled back around. "No. She has to work on Sunday during the day. It's why I had planned on going down there," he added, remembering the earlier conversation about Valentine's Day plans. "We'll just reschedule for another weekend. Won't Jose be joining you on Sunday?"
"Not at this event," she said. "I'm afraid he's got another event he has committed to attend. I won't be seeing him until after I'm done at the convention center." She sounded genuinely dismayed.
"Well, maybe you can win one of the prizes, a dinner or the weekend getaway," Clark replied, smiling.
"That would be lovely," she said. "Jose and I going away for a romantic weekend getaway would be a game-changer for our relationship. We could really use that," she admitted, and Clark detected a bit of frustration in the tone of her voice.
Clark leaned forward and lowered his voice a bit. "Cat, is everything okay?"
In a rare moment of authenticity, Cat replied that things were not going all that well. She said they started out great but since recovering from his surgery, he had been throwing himself headlong into his anti-gang role and that was taking up a lot of the time they could be spending together.
"It seems like every time we have plans, something derails them. I end up sitting at home and by the time Jose returns, he's worn out and just wants to clean up and get some rest." She paused for a moment. "It's great that he's so committed to busting gangs and trying to redirect kids to other activities, but he needs to realize he can't do this forever. He needs to have someone to live out the rest of his life with. But, at the rate he's going, he's going to end up all alone because no partner wants to feel left out of the partnership." She sighed. "Does that make sense?"
Clark nodded. "It absolutely does, Cat. I have thought…," he started and then caught himself. "Well, I mean, I have often wondered about people who do heroic things and the time they spend doing it and how their wives, husbands, their families handle that. You know, police, firefighters, doctors and nurses, military members; it seems like they all face that dilemma."
For the first time, Cat seemed vulnerable, and Clark saw her eyes glisten. "You know, it's hard when you admire and truly care for someone that does so much good, but also feel frustrated with being left behind, playing second fiddle to their heroics. It sounds incredibly selfish but also seems so incredibly unfair."
"No, Cat, it doesn't seem selfish. No one wants to feel like an afterthought of someone you care about." He paused. "Have you said anything to Jose about it?"
She shook her head.
"You should," Clark said. "Don't give up on him or the chance at happiness with him, if that's what you want."
She cleared her throat. "So anyway," she said, redirecting the conversation back to the original topic, "I'll be there and hope to see you. Perry wants me to scout out and interview any local or regional celebrities that might be there, and I'll want Jimmy with me to catch some pictures." She snuffed. "If you need him, just text me where you are, and I'll send him your way." She paused. "And Clark, thanks," she added, reaching out and touching the top of his hand.
He smiled and Cat stood up. "You're welcome. And that plan for Jimmy sounds fine to me," he said, knowing that he preferred to spend time just with Lois anyway.
Cat quickly wiped moisture from the corner of her eye. "Looks like it will be a lot of fun for people. It probably could be for you, if you weren't stuck with that stick in the mud," she said, winking and walking away. "See ya Sunday, Clark," she called as she left the bullpen.
Clark thought about the conversation he just had with Cat and wondered if Lois would ever feel that way. Cat never said that she was in love with Jose or that he ever told her he loved her. But from the conversation, it was clear that she was weighing the idea of spending her life with him in it as a husband or partner, at least.
Maybe it's an unspoken understanding between them, he thought. Do Lois and I have that same understanding?
Maybe Cat doesn't want to make the idea of her settling down with one man public, he thought, although keeping any aspect of her relationship private seemed out of character for Cat Grant. She had enjoyed parading Jose around in the past and had not kept their relationship quiet, even boasting about some intimate aspects of it.
He wanted Lois to be his wife, but they had never specifically discussed it. And while she had said that she would always be there for him, that was not a declaration of love or a commitment to be by his side for the rest of his life. He felt that their last conversation on the top floor hinted at that intention, but maybe his desire to be with her colored his perception of what Lois wanted from their relationship. Maybe Lois wanted to support him, but did that mean she wanted to be his wife? Does she even want to be married? They enjoyed very intense lovemaking and there is something almost sacred about it to him, but even words spoken in the throes of lovemaking are not wedding vows. After all, Lois has never even said she loved him.
Maybe saying it so soon after they were together as partners felt rushed or premature, Clark thought. He wondered if maybe Lois feared that saying it prematurely might push him away.
Have you ever told her that you love her? Have you actually ever said those words? He knew the answer to that question.
He suspected that once the world met Superman, the demand for him would increase exponentially and he never wanted Lois to feel left out, the way Cat seemed to feel. He could not afford to make her feel less important and did not want to. After considering it, Clark decided that before he revealed himself as Superman publicly, Lois and he needed to discuss the issue bothering Cat and how it could relate to them.
That discussion should evolve from Cat's lamentations into actually cementing our expectations, too. I will let her know what my hopes are and hopefully, she'll be willing to tell me what her hopes are too. We'll have dinner right after the Valentine's Day extravaganza at my place and we'll talk then.
It was perfect, he thought, since they would have spent most of the day at an event that celebrated love and commitment. And if all went well, once the night was over, they will have expressed their love for one another and committed to a life together as more than just Daily Planet partners.
Sunday, February 14, 2021
The phone rang and it was Lois.
"Are you going to pick me up or what?" she asked. "I'm ready whenever you are."
"I'm on my way," he said and before she could disconnect, Clark was in his truck. The traffic was light between their apartment buildings, and he arrived about fifteen minutes later. He sped to her apartment and knocked on the door.
She opened it and welcomed Clark inside. Lois was wearing a casual sweater and jeans outfit with a puffy jacket and mittens. Around her neck was a lanyard with a plastic pouch that her Daily Planet press credentials were placed in. She lifted it up. "I assume you have yours?"
"Mine are in the truck," he replied. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a scrunchie that was white with red hearts on it. When she wore her hair like that, she reminded Clark of the cheerleaders at Smallville High and Met U except that Lois was prettier, in his judgment. The only time she wore it that way was when they were at the farm. "Wow! You look really cute, Lois."
"Cute?" she said, cocking her head to one side, smiling. "I don't think you've ever said that to me, Smallville." Her eyes twinkled and Clark thought he detected a slight blush.
"Well, you do. You look like a much prettier version of the Met U cheerleaders when I played there."
"You know, I could stand here all day listening to this, but we have work to do!" She playfully hip checked him as she passed him.
"Good morning, Clark," Jenny said as she entered the living room. Jenny had a knit cap pulled down over her head and was wearing a sweater and jeans as well. She angled toward Clark.
"She's got a study session at the university this afternoon," Lois said. "I told her we'd drop her off on the way to the convention center."
"Sure," Clark replied. "Spending Valentine's day at school, Jenny?"
"I'm meeting someone once he gets off work," she said.
"That's too bad that he has to work today. At least you'll see him later." He looked at Lois. "I thought we were the only people working today!" he said in jest. "It seems like someone else has a tough boss."
"Good lord, Clark. It's Jimmy she's meeting after work," Lois said, rolling her eyes. She looked at Jenny and shook her head. "Don't mind him. He misses a lot of things that go on around him," she sniped.
"Oh, I think he knows more than he lets on, Lois," Jenny said, smiling at Clark as she passed him.
"Thank you, Jenny," Clark replied, and then stopped for a moment. There was something in the way she smiled at him that seemed familiar and he stood in place, trying to put his finger on it.
"Hello? Clark?" Lois said, waving her hand in front of his face. "I know you're not accustomed to hearing compliments from girls, but I was only half kidding about standing here all day. We have to go before it gets too busy there."
Clark was jolted out of his daze and hustled through the doorway and waited as Lois locked up. They rode the elevator down and Jenny climbed in the back seat and Lois sat up front with Clark.
The traffic got heavier as they traveled toward the convention center. About five blocks from the convention center, Clark swung his truck into a student parking area at the Metropolis University campus to drop Jenny off.
"Where were you going to meet Jimmy?" Lois asked.
"He'll meet me here. He's supposed to let me know when he's done and text me when he gets here. I'll go and meet him."
"And he's bringing you back to the apartment, right?" Lois reaffirmed.
"Yes. We're going to dinner afterwards and he'll bring me home." She looked at Clark. "Thanks for the ride, Clark."
"You're welcome, Jenny. Happy Valentine's day," he replied as she climbed out of the truck.
"We'll probably bump into Jimmy at some point today," Lois said as Jenny disappeared into the building. She looked at Clark. "Cat will be there, too. If Jose is with her, you'll have to duck into the crowd and get away from them."
"He won't be with her," Clark replied. "I talked with Cat on Friday afternoon, and she told he that Jose had another engagement today." He paused. "I wanted to talk to you about that conversation."
They headed back toward the convention center. With his press credentials, Clark was directed into a press parking area. They got out and headed directly to the press entrance door.
"Okay," Lois said, and they flashed their credentials and were let in. "What about it?"
Clark shook his head. "Not right now. I'll tell you later but there may be implications for us, too."
She frowned. "Well, now you have to tell me."
"And I will, but it will be a long conversation and I don't think we should be talking here, if you know what I mean," he darted his eyes around at the crowd to emphasize the secretive nature of their impending discussion.
"Ah, okay. Maybe over dinner tonight?" she posed as they made their way through the main doors and into the exhibition center.
"You read my mind! It's exactly what I was going to suggest to you." He wanted to put his arm around her and even wanted to kiss her at that very moment. But because of the crowd and the fact that they were supposed to be working, he resisted doing it.
They looked at the displays in the booths as they passed by. Lois made little verbal notes in the digital recorder she carried. She also used it to capture names and their quotes if they said anything quotable.
The crowd swelled and although it was February and the ventilation system was working, it seemed warm. "Aren't you hot in that jacket?" Clark asked.
"Yes, I am. I wore it because of the hot air balloon rides they are giving. Perry texted me that he received notification that the press was being offered special sample rides. I've never been in one and I thought I'd like to try it. Of course, it won't compare to what I've experienced lately," she said, and gave him a wink. She peeled her jacket off. "Would you mind carrying it, Clark? I need to have my hands free with the recorder."
He took it from her and carried it as they wandered through the crowd. Lois spotted Cat Grant ahead and hooked Clark's arm and did a U-turn before she spotted them. The majority of the foot traffic was heading in the direction of Cat, so they felt a little like salmon swimming upstream until they reached an aisle they turned down. "It's a lot more crowded here than I expected. How about you?"
Clark nodded. "I agree. I would never have imagined that there would be so many people here. When Perry assigned this to us, I thought it was going to be a quick 60 to 90-minute assignment. This is going to take a while." He looked at people crowding around the exhibits, listening to pitches, grabbing brochures, and signing up for drawings.
"I guess it's all the giveaways and free samples that are attracting people to this." Clark took out an event map he picked up on the way into the center and looked at it. "Look, they actually have a couple different themes set up in the exhibit halls. One hall has virtual and augmented reality demonstrations of romantic mood setting programs."
Lois made a face. "That sounds like R-rated stuff."
"Another hall has the participating local restaurants set up to do food and wine tastings promoting romantic dinners. They have drawings and coupons for special dinners for couples. Maybe we should take a look at those," Clark suggested.
"Okay, but there's something else I want to see first," Lois interjected. "I want to take one of those special hot air balloon rides before the lines get too long." She looked around. "They must be set up in the outdoor gardens area. You wouldn't be able to get very far inside," she added with a chuff.
"All right. We can check out the romantic dinner offerings afterwards."
"And the samples, too," Lois added.
Clark looked at his map and found the spot where the balloon rides were offered. They made their way there and ran into Jimmy on the way. "Jimmy!" Lois exclaimed, looking around for Cat. "Where's Cat?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. We were walking around for about thirty minutes before we split up. She said she would call or text me if she needed me." He looked around. "This place is crazy, isn't it?"
"We're heading to the balloon rides. Lois wanted to get in line before it got too long."
"What about you, CK?"
He looked at Jimmy. "I'm going to stay on the ground myself." He looked at Lois and smirked, "I'm not much into flying. You know the saying Jimmy, 'If God intended man to fly, he would have given him wings'."
"Which is why the female half of this reporting team will take the balloon flight, Jimmy!" Lois snarked, as they moved toward the large set of doors that led to the outdoor gardens.
The convention center was built as a hollow square with a large amphitheater at one end and an atrium garden in the center. It had a retractable roof that was opened whenever events were held at the convention center. It was normally closed during the winter or if a severe storm was forecast for Metropolis, but today it was open for the balloon exhibit.
Lois grabbed her coat from Clark, found the line, and quickly got into it. She told Clark and Jimmy to wait for her inside if they wanted to but that she wanted Jimmy to take a few shots of her in the balloon.
A coffee kiosk with café tables and portable outdoor heaters had been set up in the garden and Clark bought Jimmy a hot chocolate and a coffee for himself. As Lois waited in line, they wandered around the open gardens and saw Cindy Miles, a young, blonde TV reporter for WGBS TV news in Metropolis, recording a segment for the evening news. When she finished, Clark approached her.
"Hello, Cindy. I'm Clark Kent from the Daily Planet and this is Jimmy Olsen, our intrepid photographer at the Planet." Clark extended his hand and Cindy shook it.
"I remember you from last year's Emjay awards. It's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said. She shook Jimmy's hand and she smiled politely at Clark. "Are you here by yourself today?"
"Yes, I'm here on assignment today. Unfortunately, because of that, my Valentine's day plans were shot. I was supposed to be spending it with Lana Lang. You know her, right?"
"Of course, I know Lana. She was such a joy to work with. What a lovely lady," Cindy replied. "What I didn't know is that you two were an item."
"Well, we go back a long way. We were next door neighbors growing up, and I had a crush on her since I was 13 years old," Clark replied with a sheepish smile.
"What a shame she wasn't here. Being a member of the media, she would have loved this and probably loved a balloon ride! They're supposed to be giving the media special rides. Did you hear about it?" Cindy asked.
"Yes. We got word from Perry White, our Editor in Chief, this morning."
"Well, it will be something different to do, that's for sure. It's been pretty dull around Metropolis these days. I'm just bored with the uninteresting stories I'm stuck telling," she said, admittingly. "The Blur has ruined all the good ones!" Cindy said and then nudged Clark. "I'm just kidding, guys. I guess the quiet is good for everyone but us!"
"How long have you been here?" Clark asked. "What did you find most interesting or enjoyable?"
"Are you quoting me?" Cindy asked, and then reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm just joking," she said. She looked around. "I've been here about two hours. I think the virtual and augmented reality romantic event stuff is pretty popular and very cutting edge if you're into that sort of thing. I don't enjoy it because the virtual reality stuff tends to make my stomach do back flips. But if you're interested in being served dinner by scantily clad Miss Universe or some shirtless Hollywood hunk, then that AR stuff is probably right up your alley. But I think the old school dinner date isn't in danger of going away just yet.
"There's an exhibition hall where all local restaurants and clubs are selling discount tickets or have drawings for romantic meals. They even have some free samples to nibble on. So, I guess my favorite is the old fashion romantic dinner exhibitions but really, I think the virtual and augmented reality event kiosks will be most visited just for the novelty of them," she said, paused and then added, "and this hot air balloon ride as well."
"Are you done here, now? I don't want to hold you up," Clark said.
"I wish! No, I'm here until the 3 PM news break comes on and I'll do a series of live 15-second promo spots about every half hour from now until then." She rolled her eyes and Clark grinned. "Hey, would you mind being in one of them? They are broadcast live on our channel and on the big screens inside the main hall and out here," she said, pointing to large monitors beneath the overhang that circled the outdoor gardens.
She was polite and as a fellow journalist, Clark felt compelled to oblige her. "Sure, Cindy, I'd be happy to help," he replied.
"Excellent. I have a live shot coming up in about two minutes."
Cindy informed Clark that she would simply ask him what he was doing there and if he found it as impressive and exciting as she did. When given the warning and then the cue by the camera man, Cindy said, "This is Cindy Miles, WGBS-TV, coming to you live from the Valentine's day extravaganza at the Metropolis Convention Center where all things pertaining to love are all on display. With me is Clark Kent, a reporter from the Daily Planet.
"Clark, what are you doing here today?" she asked,
"I am here with my colleagues, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, Cindy," he began. "Like you, we're covering the event for the Daily Planet readers."
"What is your impression of the expo, Clark?"
"It's impressive, actually, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I never imagined that there could be so many things related to love here in the city. There is so much to see and do here. It's far bigger than I ever expected it would be."
"Thank you, Clark," Cindy replied. "Come down to the Convention Center and experience this year's Valentine's day extravaganza. We'll be broadcasting live for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. This is Cindy Miles, WGBS-TV news."
Once the spot was done, she turned to Clark and said, "Did you say Lois Lane was here? I would love to meet her in person. I'm a big fan of hers. I love reading her stories."
"Yes, she's here." He craned his neck and saw Lois in line. "In fact, she's just about next in line for the balloon ride. Once she's done, I'll bring her over to meet you. We're going to move to get in a better position to get some pictures of Lois on her balloon ride," Clark said. He directed Jimmy to get a few outdoor shots before moving closer to the base where the rides were taking off and landing. "It was nice meeting you, Cindy."
"You, too, Clark," she said. "Nice meeting you, Jimmy. I hope to see you in a little bit."
They parted ways and moved on to the area where the balloon rides were operated. The balloon was smaller than ones normally seen and was operated by one pilot. It could carry a maximum of two passengers per trip. The balloon was tethered by a cable connected to a winch. The hot air balloon would rise to an altitude of approximately 250 feet, high enough to easily crest the top of the convention center and give a view of Metropolis without fear of impeding low flying aircraft. After reaching its maximum altitude, it would hover for approximately two minutes and then be winched down for the next couple.
Lois climbed into the balloon and was handed a harness that went over her shoulders, around her waist, and between her legs, latching in the center of her body. A large steel ring was affixed to the harness. She showed her press credentials to the balloon pilot who studied it, nodded, and instructed her to select one of the two tethers connected to the balloon gondola and snap the carabiner at the end of the tether to the steel ring on her harness.
"The special ride for members of the press includes an augmented reality experience," Walt, the balloon pilot said. "Please put these on." He opened a small chest in the gondola and retrieved a pair of goggles that were not like virtual reality goggles but more like the large sunglass visors that completely cover prescription glasses. But they were slightly heavier, and the temples were more substantial than sunglass visors but not at all bulky like virtual reality goggles were. He handed her the lightweight goggles and told her to put them on. "Hold on, now," he instructed and pulled a steel handle connected to a chain, releasing a blast of flame and the balloon rose gently from the pad it rested on. It swayed lightly and Lois grasped the thick gondola rim to stabilize herself as it moved. A small altimeter mounted on the upper ring above the gondola rim reported the altitude.
From small speakers in the temples of the goggles, soaring instrumental music began to play and fascinating augmented visual images began to appear. She could see the world around her, augmented by images and sounds and colors that were produced by the goggles. A life-like pair of eagles circled the balloon as it drifted upwards, and one landed on the gondola's rim a mere foot from Lois's hand. Instinctively, Lois recoiled before a narrator told her that it was merely an illusion. She lifted the glasses slightly and the great bird vanished from view. She could see the ground below, having risen nearly 90 feet so far.
As the roof of the convention center appeared, a virtual soccer game was being played on the roof and an errant kick by one of the players sent the soccer ball whizzing past Lois's head, causing her to shriek, duck slightly, and then giggle. She watched as the ball struck the opposite side of the convention center roof and burst into floating hearts.
A flock of scarlet macaws appeared over her left shoulder, accompanied by guitar and steel drum music. Squawking as they flew past, the beautiful birds descended and then disappeared down into a massive canopy of giant tropical mahogany trees just below. From the opposite direction, an old biplane flew a banner past the balloon wishing the guests a Happy Valentine's Day.
"Oh, this is so cool!" she muttered.
As the balloon continued to drift upwards, parade music began to play and moments later, Lois found herself amongst a barrage of fireworks.
"This is simply incredible," Lois said to the balloon pilot. "I cannot imagine anyone not wanting to try this!"
The pilot nodded but said nothing, and Lois continued to look for more augmented visuals.
Once the fireworks ended, from behind the LexCorp Towers, a dark large swarm appeared. As they grew closer, Lois could see a squadron of flying monkeys like those from The Wizard of Oz approaching the balloon. They came closer and closer, until the flapping of their leathery wings drowned out the music as they began circling the balloon.
Lois began feeling uneasy at the visual display as the monkeys circled faster and closer, almost close enough to reach out and touch if they had been real. She could hear the sound of grunts, cries, and their leathery wings flapping furiously as they rushed past.
"This might be a little too much for small children. You guys may want to re-think this part of the program," she said loudly.
The number of flying monkeys and their velocity was so great that they became a semi-solid ring around the gondola and eventually grew bright yellow and burst into a ring a of tiny stars that fell like glittering confetti to the ground below.
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed and looked over the side to watch the confetti float toward the atrium. She looked at Walt. "That was nothing short of phenomenal."
Once the glittering confetti vanished, a voice came on with a promotional offer for a one-year pass for one monthly augmented reality balloon event for up to two, courtesy of J. Nimball's Magical Balloon Rides with new programs introduced each month.
"Well, that sounds like something I'd love to win," Lois said to the pilot. "What's the catch, Walt?"
"The pilot can't answer you right now, Miss Lane," the voice said.
"CK," Jimmy said. "I'm going to snap a few shots, but I don't know how great they'll be with Lois this far above us. Unless she leans over the side of the gondola, I won't be able to catch any pictures with her in it." Clark looked at Jimmy waiting for whatever he was going to suggest. "Can you call her cell and ask her to do that? Pretty soon she'll be out of range of my lens."
"Sure," Clark replied and pulled out his phone. He dialed Lois's number but got an instant busy signal. He tried again and a tone and an automated voice told him the number he had dialed was not in service at the time. "That's odd," he mumbled, frowned, and looked at Jimmy. "There's no service with her phone."
"Maybe it's all the electronic signals going on with the virtual and alternate reality displays," Jimmy offered.
He thought about it for a moment. "I suppose that's possible, blocking cell signals in the building to prevent their virtual displays from being interfered with makes sense," he paused, looked back up at the balloon Lois was in, and then added, "Particularly out here with the AR demonstration in the balloon."
"Plus, I just got a text from Cat," Jimmy said. "She's apparently needs me to snap some celebrity photos." He looked up at the balloon, now several hundred feet in the air he estimated.
"It's okay, Jimmy," he replied. "I'll go inside with you. I imagine Lois will be up there for a bit longer. I'll come back out for her as she begins to land."
"What do you mean he can't answer me?" Lois demanded. She lifted her AR glasses the pilot stood staring at her, motionless. "Say something!"
"Miss Lane, I will give you an exclusive on everything, but I must first insist that your AR glasses remain on at all times. How else would I be able to communicate with you?"
Lois lowered her glasses back down. "Okay, whoever this is, what is going on here?"
"Hmm. Where do I start?" the somewhat high-pitched voice began. "I suppose letting you know who you're speaking with would be the most proper first step.
"My name is Winslow Schott, and I am the world's most gifted and talented integrated digital-mechanical engineer. I design and create the most amazing devices the world will ever experience or witness. Everything you see around you through the glasses has been designed and created by me. But my creations aren't just digital, they are mechanical as well. My mechanical creations include Walt, which is why he cannot independently answer your questions."
Lois felt uneasy. She realized that she was tethered to a hot air balloon and was nearing 400 feet in the air. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Walt is not what you think he is," the voice said. "I created Walt!" Schott paused. "Very lifelike, isn't he? At least he is right now, but what if I tell Walt to remove his face? Well, just watch, Miss Lane."
She watched as Walt crouched slightly, reached up and removed his hat, the wig beneath, and uncoupled the latex skin stretched over the mechanical device beneath the lifelike skin.
"My God, that's incredible," Lois said. "I don't think I would have ever expected that Walt was a robot operating this ride. Unbelievable!"
"You know what else is unbelievable, Miss Lane? The existence of a being so fast and strong that it can destroy my creations in a matter of seconds. My creations, simply retrieving my work from the LexCorp research wing a week ago and were destroyed by a mechanical device Lex Luthor's engineers built for military applications using my technology, but that you constantly report as being a living, breathing being."
"Huh? Are you talking about The Blur, Mr. Schott? If so, I can tell you that he is real. I've spoken to him over the phone, and he spoke to Iris Madden on the phone during a radio show."
"And Walt spoke to you when you boarded this balloon, didn't he? Or was it me that was speaking to you through Walt? Miss Lane, you are either being scammed by Lex Luthor or a party to the scam being perpetrated on the citizens of Metropolis."
"Lex Luthor? You have to be kidding me. What in the world does Lex Luthor have to do with this?"
"Luthor stole my technology and has perverted it to create a super robot that is so fast it can avoid projectiles fired at it and so strong that it can completely destroy an enemy unit in a matter of seconds. All that with no loss to human life from the side that employs them. They don't have to eat. They don't have to sleep. And they have no emotions or a moral compass to be concerned about. What do you think your father would say about a weapon system like that, Miss Lane?"
"He'd say I watched too many Terminator movies, and please leave my family out of this discussion, Mr. Schott. In fact, I'm ready to return to the expo below. Please return me to the convention center immediately." She glanced at the altimeter.
466 feet.
"As you wish, Miss Lane."
Without warning, the floor of the gondola began to open from the center, like a clam opening its shell. Lois began to slip toward the opening and the floor opened downward. She shrieked and the floor stopped opening. It began closing and within a few seconds, was back in its original position.
"Do you still want to return to the convention center immediately, Miss Lane? Or would you prefer a more controlled descent?" Schott asked and chuckled. He then grew serious. "I will not be ordered, Miss Lane. Not by you, not by anyone. You may be returned safely do the ground once I am finished."
"Finished what?"
"Exposing The Blur for what it is as opposed to what you've led people to believe it is, Miss Lane. Metropolis and then the world will see that The Blur is not some marvelous being but instead, they will see it for what it is; an extraordinary creation that was built using technology stolen from me to enrich Lex Luthor. When I'm finished, so will your little fantasy stories be. The proof will be indisputable, uncontestable, and undeniable that it's technology behind the thing you call The Blur, and that technology was created by me. The Blur is Schott tech and I, Winslow Schott, am the person whose brilliance and stolen glory built these super robots. But because you, Miss Lane, have sold people on the ridiculous notion that The Blur is a living entity, I must publicly expose it for what it is and how it came to be so that I can reclaim my technology from Lex Luthor and my reputation among the leaders of technology today."
"Reclaim it and use it in what way?"
"In any way that I see fit," he snarled.
The man at the other end of the conversation seemed to be getting agitated and Lois thought that, given her situation, it would be best to engage him rather than confront him. She looked at the altimeter.
473 feet. She was still rising. Slowly, but still rising, nonetheless.
"Mr. Schott, if you believe that Lex Luthor stole your technology and used it to build The Blur, how would you be able to prove that it's not a robot of Luthor's making? Wouldn't it be under Lex Luthor's control?"
"Well, it's nice to finally hear that you're paying attention, Miss Lane. That is a very good question, and the answer forms the basis of how I will prove not only that The Blur is a machine but also that it is my technology that was used to create it. I have the master code that is embedded in the circuit boards and chips that allow me to take control over any creation made from my technology." He giggled. "It's my patent, so to speak." He squeaked again before catching his breath. "The code is written in such a way that the technology cannot work if it was ever discovered and removed by someone. It is a dormant code that appears benign and programmers and digital engineers would never bother with it, even if they recognized it as being practically useless in their eyes."
"So it's like a digital fingerprint of sorts. Well, that's very clever, Mr. Schott. It seems to me that you've protected your work exceptionally well. Is there any way it can be overwritten or overridden by additional code?"
"I could overwrite it but me alone!" Schott replied, "And thank you for recognizing that failsafe. But any attempt by a third party would likely have very unpleasant consequences." He paused. "Any final questions before I begin?"
"A couple that I can think of. You're clearly a very talented man, Mr. Schott, and I'm not saying that because I feel a bit threatened right now. What you've built and put on display for me is nothing short of brilliant and breathtaking. How long have you been working on this technology is my first question?"
"For over twelve years, Miss Lane. I began working on it when I was employed at the Luthorcorp research and development department before Lex took over, rebranded the company, and then terminated my employment after I demonstrated my tech design for him. I created the technology through highly advanced microchip development, miniaturization, artificial intelligence program coding, and working with exotic materials and minerals to create these lifelike vessels."
"This one was truly impressive," Lois replied. "How are they powered? Lithium batteries? Do they produce enough power to allow these humanoids to do the things they are capable of?"
"Hmm. Miss Lane, you're extremely surprising. I am quite impressed with quality of your questions and the intelligence behind them," Schott answered. "Which is why I'm surprised that you did not realize The Blur could not be a living being. But to your question, no, lithium batteries are sorely inadequate as a power source for these robots. These are powered by an extremely rare mineral that LexCorp has been recovering for years and is using as a power source for these and other mechanical devices."
Rare minerals LexCorp is recovering? Project Emerald Tablet, Lois guessed. "Well, that's very interesting Mr. Schott and I…"
"I'm sorry, Miss Lane. I am truly limited on time and what a shame! Just as our conversation was getting interesting." She detected a sigh. "Perhaps some other time."
"Perhaps," she replied.
"But not likely. You see, unfortunately, you are the bait, Miss Lane. So, unless Lex Luthor finally reveals The Blur in daylight, it will not be able to save you. If it is revealed, then it may save you, but I will be able to control it and it will land at the base of the balloon pad. And when that happens, I will demonstrate live on TV that it is not a sentient being but a cleverly constructed humanoid robot with near limitless applications. My control of it will prove it to be Schott tech, not LexCorp technology."
"What makes you believe that it will be broadcast on TV?" Lois blurted.
"I'm making sure of it. So farewell, Miss Lane. I may speak to you again another day if you make it past this day."
The peaceful music resumed, and Lois pulled her glasses off. Walt the robot stood nearly motionless, the mechanisms that made his expressions and speech so convincing were now fully visible and the latex skin that was his face remained clenched in his hand.
She glanced at the altimeter. 477 feet.
Lois dug in her jacket and pulled out her cell phone. "This will be simple enough," she thought and dialed Clark's cell. Her attempt concluded with a recorded message that her call could not be completed as dialed. She disconnected and tried again but received the same message.
Cindy Miles was preparing for her next live promotional broadcast when her cell phone rang. She looked at it and the caller ID showed the call was coming from the WGBS-TV control room.
"Hello?"
"Cindy, this is Larry Donohue at the control room. We have a caller on the line here that I'm going to put on as a live broadcast message. But before I do, can you tell me if Lois Lane happens to be anywhere near you or even at the event today?"
Cindy looked at her cameraman and frowned at the call. "That's an odd question, Larry, but yes, she's here. I was just talking to her colleagues about twenty minutes ago. Why?"
"Do you know where she might be right now?"
"Yes. She's about three hundred feet above me. There are hot air balloon test rides being given and for members of the media, the company putting them on has a special alternate reality-enhanced ride." She paused and then asked, "Again. Why?"
"There's a kook on the line and we thought he was just full of shit, but apparently not. He suggested we call you to confirm that she's in the balloon right now. He claims he's controlling the ride and that if his message isn't broadcast live or anyone tries to intervene ahead of time, then he's going to drop Lois Lane out of the balloon."
The blood drained from Cindy's face. "Are you seriously going to put him on live TV? Have you called MPD?"
"Yes, for both. I'm calling to give you a heads up because we'll be cutting to you in about 90 seconds and this guy who calls himself 'Toy Man' will be speaking via phone while you broadcast live with a live shot of the balloon until this thing gets resolved."
"Jesus!"
"Yeah, no shit. We'll be tape delaying by about eight seconds so if the worst happens, we can cut away. We'll do a break in, then throw it to you, and you just set the stage. This freak will broadcast his message while you shoot the sight. About 75 seconds from now, okay?"
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" she replied. "Yes, I'll be ready, Larry."
"Okay, stand by."
The call ended, and Cindy hurried her cameraman into position to better cover the visual view of the balloon. She quickly explained to him what was going on and what he needed to focus on.
Just inside the convention center, Clark was sipping his coffee, seated at an indoor café table. He was relaxed and listening to Lois's heartbeat. He had been listening since Jimmy left to join Cat. He smiled as he heard its calm rhythm quicken as Lois was experiencing something exciting, then slow into a calm, steady pace. It changed that way on several occasions while he was sitting there and wondered what she was experiencing.
"Well, hello, handsome," Cat called from behind him. "I see you had the good sense to ditch Lois. Feel like walking with me for a while?"
"Um, hello Cat! Okay, I guess I can walk with you for a little while. I'll have to leave you once Lois is back on the ground though."
"So, she's got her head in the clouds right now? Hard to tell when it isn't, really," Cat said, grinning. "I'm just kidding, of course. Are you guys enjoying yourselves here?"
Clark shrugged. "I guess. It's pretty commercialized but we were going to check out the restaurant exhibits. I hear they have pretty good samples."
They made small talk as they walked, and Clark thought back to the conversation they had in the bullpen a few days ago. He did not know exactly what to say to her about it or if he even should, but he could not help but feel bad for her.
"Isn't Jimmy with you?"
"He was," Cat replied. "I had him snap a few pictures of the mayor, the lieutenant governor, and their wives when I spoke with them about ten minutes ago. I let him go at that point and he said he was coming to find you. I'm surprised you didn't see him go by."
They had reached the centrum of the convention center and Clark was about to excuse himself and return to the atrium when Cat said, "You know, I can tell you see Lois as more than just a Planet colleague. You have a thing for her, don't you?"
Clark feigned confusion. "I don't know what you mean, Cat."
"You like her. You enjoy being her doormat, don't you? I mean, it's endearing in a way, Clark. You're a sweet guy and I know probably a hundred girls who would love to know you better, but you seem to like being bossed around and treated like…well…a doormat by Lois." She paused. "It's not that I'm judging you, Clark. I'm not even saying anything bad about Lois. But you are a good-looking guy and just the nicest man I think I've ever known. I know you didn't ask and it's really none of my business, but I think you could be so much happier with a girl who respected you more than Lois does, you know?"
Clark smiled. "Thanks for looking out for me, Cat. But Lois is helping me learn the ropes and I appreciate it. I think her military upbringing is reflected in the way she interacts with me, and it causes people to think she's treating me badly. But I know she doesn't view me that way and relies on me, at times, as we work a story."
A wry smile crossed Cat's face. "Okay, Clark, if you say so," she said as she turned to look at some gaudy handmade jewelry on display at one of the kiosks. "I just hope…"
A sudden rapid change in Lois's heartbeat drowned out Cat's voice. This was not a heartbeat that was associated with excitement or a thrill, it was fear.
She's in danger. Instinctively, Clark looked up and using x-ray vision, saw the balloon. It appeared normal but he knew something was frightening Lois.
At that very moment, the jumbotron in the centrum came alive. What had been the static image of the Valentine's Day Expo logo suddenly showed Cindy Miles and her voice was tinged with fear as well.
"This is Cindy Miles reporting from the Metropolis convention center where a threat has just been issued against one of my colleagues, Lois Lane from the Daily Planet, by a man who has called in to our WGBS-TV broadcast control room. We're switching to a live conversation with this caller who refers to himself as 'Toy Man'. Sir, please go ahead with your statement." The live video stream cut away from Cindy and focused on the balloon Lois was in.
Cat spun around and riveted her eyes on the jumbotron. "What in the hell?" she muttered.
"This is Toyman speaking. Greetings Metropolis. What you see is an attraction of my design and it's being tested by none other than the Daily Planet's Lois Lane. What Miss Lane has just learned is that when the balloon reaches a height of 500 feet, the bottom will drop out of it and unfortunately, so will Miss Lane, I'm afraid.
"However, to avoid a rather messy and unpleasant tragedy, this entity that she calls The Blur must publicly appear today at the Valentine's Day Expo in Metropolis and publicly save his biggest fangirl, the aforementioned Miss Lois Lane, before she suffers what could only be described as a quite nasty and career-ending story.
"You may be wondering why I am doing this. Am I just some madman killing a poor, innocent reporter for my own tortured notoriety? No. Let me explain why I'm doing this.
"I once worked for LexCorp when it was called Luthorcorp. I was a chief member of the research and development department, specializing in integrated advanced project engineering. I developed high tech items for Luthorcorp and my designs for miniaturization of components that were powered by exotic power sources allowed me to design a prototype humanoid capable to perform a limitless number of functions to augment, support, and improve mankind's existence.
"But, when Luthorcorp was taken over by Lex Luthor, more than just the name on the stationery was changed. I was terminated and my years of work designing, creating, testing, and refining humanoid support system was hijacked by Lex Luthor and has been carefully reengineered over the years. And what Miss Lane believes is a sentient being she refers to as The Blur is not a sentient being at all. It is the result of my work at Luthorcorp and Lex Luthor now has a perfected working prototype robot that is capable of moving faster than a speeding bullet and is more powerful than any mechanized weapons systems the US military has. Lex Luthor has been deploying it all over Metropolis to act as a sentinel in a guardian role that is equally profitable. But make no mistake, this is designed to be a super weapons platform.
"I am going to prove that with this exhibition today. If Miss Lane is rescued by this humanoid device, I will take control of it and make it safely land in the atrium of the convention center with her so that all of Metropolis can finally get a look at this device Miss Lane believes is a sentient being.
"And why pick on poor Miss Lane, you might wonder? Two reasons. As we all know, she is Lex Luthor's girlfriend and writes glowing articles about him in the Daily Planet. Since she is one of the very few people who can stand this arrogant thief, he's more likely to employ 'The Blur' to save her. And secondly, she must be convinced without a doubt that this superhuman being is actually an exceptionally well-developed device that is controlled by an operator, not governed by its own emotions, values, and beliefs. This will put an end to her articles fawning over a mysterious being for good, one way or another.
"We hope you're listening, Mr. Luthor, and send your device to rescue your girlfriend before she falls to her death.
"And let me warn anyone who believes they can outmaneuver me. Any attempt to rescue Lois Lane by anyone or anything other than The Blur will result in the bottom of the balloon being detonated. If that happens, you won't see Miss Lane fall to the ground, only tiny pieces of her.
"I will call back once the matter has concluded one way or another. But for now, get your popcorn ready citizens of Metropolis because the balloon is about to go up, so to speak. Stay tuned, Metropolis. This is Toyman, signing off for now."
Confused by the long-winded diatribe, Cindy Miles attempted to make sense of the pending tragedy. "Is The Blur really a humanoid robot? Does Lex Luthor really control The Blur and will he meet Toyman's demands or is The Blur a living, thinking being? Either way, the biggest question right now is, do Mr. Luthor or The Blur even know what is happening at this moment and is there enough time to react to save Lois Lane?" Cindy reported as the camera crew the shot of the balloon with Lois in it, floating hundreds of feet above Metropolis.
Lois tried to stay calm, believing Clark would save her if he knew she was in danger. The question on her mind was not if he would save her but if he even knew that she needed to be saved. If the TV station refused to put him on air, what would he do? Re-group or just drop her?
If Schott was being honest, he would have called the WGBS station and issued his manifesto by now, but she had no way to be certain that anyone at the station would even believe him or take his call, let alone take it seriously enough to put it on the air.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of police and EMT sirens being activated across the city, and she knew something was happening. That gave her a bit of hope.
489 feet.
C'mon, Clark, she thought.
"Oh my God, Cat! That's Miss Lane!" Jimmy shouted from behind her.
Cat swiveled around upon hearing her name being called and saw that Clark had vanished. She saw Jimmy but could not find Clark anywhere in the crowd. "Did you see Clark, Jimmy? He was here just two seconds ago."
"No, Miss Grant. I saw the broadcast and was going out to the atrium to find Clark when I saw you."
"He must have headed out to the atrium. C'mon Jimmy, let's go see if we can find him," Cat said.
The two began making their way through the crowd that was now standing almost stationary watching the drama unfold on the jumbotron or the smaller screens surrounding the center. They pushed through until they reached the outdoor garden and atrium area, which had become packed with gawkers wanting to see firsthand how this drama would play out and if all went well, get a glimpse of The Blur in person if he showed up.
Meanwhile, Clark had raced to his apartment and the sound of Lois's heartbeat became a jackhammer. She was certainly in danger, and he had to get to her. He had never moved quicker than he was moving at this moment and in seconds, had donned his red and blue suit, sped to the roof, and launched himself from the rooftop of his apartment building that was surrounded by empty offices or windowless buildings, all within a blink of eye.
494 feet above, a thought crossed Lois's mind. Emerald Tablet. Green kryptonite. What if Walt the pilot is powered by green kryptonite? Clark won't be able to get close to me without feeling the effects. Please come, Clark!
Her heart leapt when she saw a blue figure streak by and then suddenly stop, suspended in mid-air.
"Lois, are you okay?" he called out to her.
"Yes! I'm harnessed and hooked in," she replied. "So, I'm safe…sorta, I guess."
"Let me take a look," he said and began to move closer. "There's supposed to be a bomb mounted beneath the gondola. Let me…"
"No, wait!" she shouted. "Stay back. I think the robot is powered by green kryptonite. You can't come any closer or it's going to hurt you!"
He froze and drifted backwards. "Okay. How do you know that?"
"It's something that Winslow Schott said to me while I was up here. He's the guy behind all of this."
Clark frowned for a second. "I have an idea, Lois. You have to trust me."
"Ohhh, I don't like the sound of that, but you know that I trust you; just hurry."
498 feet.
"Then unhook your harness."
The blood drained from her face. "What? Wait…why?"
"Unhook and either climb out or wait to drop. Either way, I'll just catch you and take you back to the ground safely."
His idea made perfect sense and she had no doubt that he would be able to catch her safely. But the idea of purposely falling from 500 feet above the ground without a parachute still caused her to balk. "Ya knowwww…" she began.
Suddenly, the clamshell bottom of the gondola creaked, Lois looked up at the altimeter as it hit 500.
"Do it now, Lois!" Clark shouted.
She fumbled to unhook the carabiner from the metal ring as the bottom opened and Lois found herself suddenly dangling a few feet from below the gondola, held by a nylon strap attached to the upper rim of the gondola. She windmilled her arms, frantically trying to find something to grasp to stabilize herself.
Clark called out, "Lois, relax. I'm here."
"You're not here," she screamed, panicked. "You're over there."
He smiled. "And I'm not going away. I have to do something about the robot up there before I can come closer if there's kryptonite involved. So just stay calm and I'll have you in my arms in just a moment."
Clark x-rayed the bottom of the gondola for a bomb. He found what appeared to be combustible materials surrounding the base of the gondola but there did not seem to be enough to cause any significant damage to the gondola.
"I looked at the gondola and there are some flammable materials packed around the bottom rim that I don't want to detonate," he told her. "I'm going to disable the robot and drop him first, then I'll come free you. Okay?"
She nodded, more calmly than before, having grabbed the tether to stop the see-saw effect caused by dangling from her midsection. Clark heard her heart still pounding, but its pace was slowing.
He focused his heat vision on the tether that held Walt the robot pilot in place and an instant later, it plummeted. He heard the screams from below as the onlookers saw a figure dropping and assumed it was Lois. Clark flew quickly past it and blew a blast of air that sent Walt flying sideways to change its trajectory so its impact point was the convention center roof where it would not injure anyone instead of into the crowd below.
He then returned to Lois and cradled her in his arms. Tears pooled in her eyes. "I knew you wouldn't let anything happen to me," she said. "But this scared the hell out of me anyway." She pulled herself close to him and kissed him deeply.
When she finished the kiss, Clark burned through the tether and Lois was free from the balloon. "What do you think? Do you want to land in the gardens, or shall I whisk you away somewhere else?" he said with a slight smile.
"How about Antigua?" she said, smirking with tracks of tears racing from the corners of her eyes to her temples. "It's probably far more peaceful there right now."
"I could do that anytime you'd like. Maybe we should think about a getaway to a warmer place instead of up north sometime." He paused. "I wasn't planning on making a grand appearance right now, but what do you think? Is now as good a time as any?"
"Is there a news team other than Lois and Clark covering it?"
"Oh yeah," Clark replied. "In fact, I could tell something was frightening you, but I wasn't sure what it was. I was straining to hear but before I could figure it out, Cindy Miles came onto the jumbotron in the convention center and started a live broadcast. When I learned what was happening, I was off in a flash."
"I say let's go for it. You're certainly dressed for the occasion." She kissed him again, this time it was sweet but quick. "Let's do it."
Clark flew off from the balloon that remained tethered to the ground and as he flew off, fireworks shot out from around the bottom rim of the balloon, drawing attention to the two as he lazily soared in wide circles, slowly dropping toward the landing spot in the garden.
"This is far better than that damn balloon," she remarked, "and the scenery is better too!"
They neared the ground, Lois could begin to hear gasps, squeals of delight, thunderous applause, shouts, and cheers.
"Hey, we need to have a conversation about things I learned when this is over. I need to get my thoughts together, but he said something that made a connection in all that we've been following."
"Okay, after I fly off and return as Clark, we'll go to dinner."
"One more thing. How could you tell I was frightened?" she asked.
Clark looked at her and smiled. "I'll tell you over dinner, okay?"