The phone call had been from Richard who was worried she Lois had "snuck out" yet again. Lois returned to her desk in the newsroom, wondering what Superman had been about to show her. He was watching her and Jason from "the inside?" Inside the building? Is that what he meant? Lois looked around, not sure what exactly she was looking for. She noted Clark was not at his desk.
Clark was hovering above the city not too from the Planet. His mother had called him at almost the same exact moment Richard had called Lois.
Emil had specially modified Clark's phone so could keep it with him wherever he was and whatever he was doing. He didn't have to worry someone or some organization could use its location data or other unusual activity that might tie the phone to Superman. The phone also used crystal oscillations in place of audio, visual, or vibrating notifications. Finally, it had a special type of dual SIM functionality. One phone number was Clark's regular persistent number, and the other was specially encrypted and was switched out on a regular basis and as needed. The second number was only known by his mother, Emil, and a few other people. They had to be regularly updated when the number changed. It was reserved for emergencies and for discussing Superman... stuff.
His mother had used a two-ring-signal to let him know she wanted to talk to him on his secure line, but that it was not an emergency. Clark called her back on his secure line. Martha had been incommunicado for the last several days, on a fishing trip out in the middle of nowhere with Ben. Now that she had returned to civilization and heard the recent news, she was sick with worry over her son. Clark spoke with her for a few minutes, filling her in on some of the details, and assuring her he was OK. He told her about Linda.
"So, there is a Last Daughter," Martha mused.
"No!" Clark replied sharply. "There is no Last Daughter, and I'm not the Last Son! I already told you this was all nonsense!"
Martha was taken aback by the way Clark had just spoken to her. Normally, she would have reprimanded him, but she held back. The anguish in her son's voice cut through her like a knife into her heart. She stayed silent.
"I'm sorry, Ma. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."
"Oh, Clark," Marth's voice quivered with sadness. "I'm so sorry about what you're going through. I feel so helpless. I wish I could give you a hug and a kiss and make it all better like when you were a little boy."
Clark couldn't help but smile a little. Ma said that to him at least a few times a month.
"I really mean it this time. I always mean it, but this time is different."
After the phone call, Clark returned to the newsroom. He sat down at his desk, pretending to be busy with something or other. He watched Lois out of the corner of his eye. She was no longer obsessed with ispottedsuperman, but she seemed just as agitated, hardly even pretending to be busy with work. She kept looking out over the newsroom, out the windows, and over at Richard's office. Every few minutes, she would get up and walk around aimlessly only to return to her desk with a 'humph."
"Roses are red. Violets are blue. Let's finish this poem together over dinner. Tonight? Call me, James." Yolanda stared at the notecard she had removed from the bouquet of roses she found on her desk upon arriving that morning. She rubbed it between her fingers, and read it for the fifteenth time, hardly believing it was real. She was on cloud nine!
Yolanda sat down and tried to concentrate on her work. She paid little attention to the hunched-over elderly janitor who paused to empty her wastebasket into the large can on his cart. The janitor then turned his attention to her desk, fluttering his duster back and forth over her computer, her papers, her picture frames, and then over her.
"Hey!" Yolanda cried out in protest.
The janitor grabbed a few food wrappers and the vase of roses and dumped them into his can.
"Hey! What the fuck!" Yolanda jumped up and around her desk and retrieved the bouquet.
"Oh, did you still want that?" The janitor didn't apologize, but moved onto a neighboring desk.
"Yeah, watch what you're doing," Yolanda called after him. "Jeez…" She tried to rearrange the roses back to how they were before.
The janitor was just as disruptive at all the subsequent desks he visited, knocking things off desks with his duster, spraying cleaning solution everywhere, including peoples' faces, and leaving wastebaskets overturned on the floor.
Then he came to Lois's desk, who barely took note of him as she was busy typing away. She had finally settled down and made up her mind to write another article about what had happened in Midvale and was busy typing away. The janitor stood at her desk silently and still for a few moments. His presence started getting on Lois's nerves. She reached over to pick up her wastebasket and held it out to him. Instead of taking it, he dropped something into it, startling her. She looked into the wastebasket and gasped at the sight of the straggly wig on top of the heap of crumpled paper. Lois looked up, then jumped out of her chair.
"Lex Luthor!"
Lois had yelled loudly enough that half the newsroom, including Clark, looked her way.
"Hiya!" Lex smiled at Lois.
Mummers rose within the newsroom. People started gathering around.
Clark had also jumped out of his seat. Lex was close enough for Clark to kick him. And, boy did he want to kick him. Hard. But he wisely resisted the urge. He had to somehow figure out a way to make a discreet exit. That was less and less likely as more and more people gathered around.
Richard noticed the goings on. He told Jason firmly to stay put, and then left his office and quickly made his way over to Lois's desk.
Perry White was also alerted and rushed to the scene.
Lex and Lois stared down each other for a few moments.
"Aren't you gonna say 'hi?'" Lex smirked.
"What do you want?" Lois asked through gritted teeth.
"Superman," he replied simply.
"Well," Lois gestured to the newsroom, "as you can see, he's not here."
"I'm sure he'll be by soon, what with you and your little mutt being here and mean 'ole Lex Luthor shows up." Lex waved his arms around threateningly. He chuckled and pulled up a nearby chair. "It's OK, I'll wait." Lex looked at his watch. "He's got two minutes."
It being a newsroom, news cameras and reporters gathered about, broadcasting LIVE. Lex looked around and smiled, reveling in the attention. "Ah! Free publicity. Wonderful. Saves me the trouble of using up another burner phone." He turned to one of the cameras and looked square into it. "This message is for my associates. Jiggy, if Superman isn't here in two minutes, kill Linda." He was about to sit down in the chair when he looked back into the camera and added, "…in the most horrific and painful way possible."
Lex sat down and made himself comfortable. He looked up at Lois and smiled that infuriatingly wicked smile of his. "That ought to do it, don't you think?"
"You are so…" Lois began, but she didn't have the words.
"I know, my charm is indescribable."
Perry pushed his way through the crowd. "You've got some nerve, coming here. I called security and 911," he announced.
"That's unfortunate. Superman's now gotta outrace the clock, and the police. My associates already have orders to kill Linda if anyone lays a hand on me."
Richard also pushed his way though and stood next to Clark. He had intended to deck Lex, but decided against it after hearing that last bit of information. Instead, he turned to Clark. "Clark, let's go intercept security."
Lex overheard that. He turned to Clark and said in a mocking tone. "Yes, Clark, let's do that." He let out a chuckle that turned into a growl when he caught sight of Jason, who had of course come over to see what was going on, push his way through to his mother.
"Well, if it isn't the little mongrel," Lex snickered.
Clark resisted the urge to snatch Jason and Lois and swoop them to safety. Lex wanted Superman. Anything else might get Linda killed. Richard was giving him an out, and he took it.
They pushed their way through the crowd and to the empty elevator lobby. Clark was trying to think of a way to lose Richard so he could change into Superman in private. But it turned out he didn't have to.
Richard looked around them frantically. "Quick! No one's watching. Do whatever 'presto chango…' He waved his arms around.
"Huh?"
"I know you're Superman! Just do it!"
There was no time to ask questions or hesitate. Clark yanked off his glasses and his street clothes just as the elevator 'dinged" and security came rushing out.
Richard tried to blocked their path into the newsroom. "Superman's got everything under control," Richard told them. He tried to herd them back into the elevator without much success as Superman walked quickly into the newsroom and made a beeline straight to Lex.
"Superman!" people called out, announcing his arrival.
Lois let out a pent-up sob of relief and bent down to hug Jason.
Superman walked straight up to Lex and stood there, seething.
Lex stood up and offered his hand to Superman. "Supes, my old friend. It's so good to see you!"
Superman ignored his hand and didn't take his eyes off of Lex's face. "What do you want, Luthor?"
Lex withdrew his hand, gave Superman one of his famous fake smiles, and sat back down. He reached up, locked his fingers together, and leaned his head back into his hands.
"I wanted to see you," Lex tried to put on an innocent air. "Your little girlfriend sends regards, by the way."
"Let her go." Superman tried to keep his tone steady and strong, but no one in the room or watching on TV could miss the anguish in his voice. "It's me you want."
"True. And I've got you, don't I?"
"She's just a little girl!"
"That's where you're wrong," Lex sneered. "There is no little girl. There's only you. When I look at her, I see you. When she bleeds, it's your blood, your tears, your screams! When she cries, it's your voice that I hear! Or is that the sound of a heart of steel breaking?"
Superman tried his best to keep his composure, but his voice faltered anyway. "You'll have plenty of time to listen to the sound of steel where you're going." Superman took a step toward him, but hesitated.
"Uh uh uh," Luthor wagged his finger and shook his head.
Superman tried to will his arm to extend toward Lex, and to force his hand to grab him. But he just couldn't. His jaw tightened, every fiber of his being screaming at him to act, but he found himself frozen, the weight of the potential consequences anchoring him in place. "What do you want?" he asked again.
Lex leaned back again, taking his time answering. "I want to make a deal with you."
"I don't make deals with insane, diabolical, sadistic…."
"What about with me, then." Lex chuckled.
"No deals," Superman said firmly.
Lex casually drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Do you know why the dodo is extinct? It was too stupid to make the right choices to save itself. Kind of like Krpytonians. If you refuse my deal, I promise you'll quickly be one third closer to extinction than you already are."
Superman was heavily aware of the millions of eyes that were upon them in those moments. He knew he couldn't yield, even if Linda had to pay the price. "You know I can't make any deals. I can't ever open myself up to extortion or blackmail. I can't be bought. Not for any price."
"Awe, what a noble speech," Lex mocked him. But you haven't even heard me out. I think you'll like this deal. You see, I'm prepared to let Linda go. I'll deliver her straight to you, alive and well… pretty well anyway. You just have to do one simple itty bitty thing. Something I'm sure you want to do anyway."
"What's that?" Superman was curious.
"Kill me."
Superman stood there, still frozen in place, furrowed his brow and stared incredulously at Lex.
"I'm serious," Lex insisted. He turned toward one of the cameras again. "Jiggy, if Superman kills me right here, right now… you deliver Linda to him, alive and well." Lex turned back to Superman, held up his hands, empty palms facing outward, and cocked his head to the side. "Well?"
Superman didn't move, except for further tightening his jaw.
"You can't do it, can you?" Lex laughed tauntingly. "You wish you could, don't you? But you can't!"
"Just do it," someone in the crowd murmured. Several others added their agreement.
"I'll do it," Steve Lombard pushed his way forward and started rolling up his sleeves.
Lex jumped out of the chair and away from the oncoming Steve until Superman was between them. "Uh uh. No. It's gotta be him." He pointed at Superman.
Superman briefly glanced around at Clark's coworkers. There probably wasn't one of them that didn't wish he would kill Lex, except maybe Lois, and only because Jason was there. He held up his hand in Steve's direction, staying him. "Let's continue this in private," he told Lex.
"No, I don't think so. I kinda like this… exposing you for the wuss you really are. Superman! Can't even do what the lowliest hoodlum can. Tell us, is this flaw in you physical or psychological?"
Superman didn't answer.
"Alright, you've got another ten seconds and I withdraw the offer. Ten, nine, eight…" Luthor tilted his head up and too the side, exposing his neck to Superman. "Are you sure? Come on, it'd be so easy. Just grab and squeeze a little. No? Seven, six, five. This wouldn't just be justice for all the crimes I've committed… all the people I've killed. Think of all the mischief and murder I'll commit in the future." Luthor unbuttoned his jacket and puffed out his chest at Superman. "You can prevent all that. Right here, right now. How can I make this easier for you? Here, just land one on my chest. Think of all the lives you'll save by killing me now. All the destruction and misery you can prevent. Four, three, two, one…" Lex paused a few moments. "Zero. Oh well, Jiggy," he called to the cameras again. "I guess you guys can enjoy Linda's company for a little while longer."
Superman grimaced. Luthor chuckled, sat back down and relaxed again.
"OK, I've got one more offer for you."
"I said, no deals!"
"Oh really?" Luthor leaned forward to taunt him further. "So take me to jail already. Or let them at me." He gestured to the police that were just arriving. "What are you waiting for if not for a better deal? But you're not going to get a better deal. You're going to hate this deal, but I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."
"No deals!" Superman repeated.
Lex stood up again and held out his wrists. "So do it already!" he demanded, shouting. "Take me to jail!"
Superman didn't move.
"You can't, because you know that's the moment Linda dies. So… we're at an impasse. The only way to move forward is to make a deal. You get Linda, and I get what I want."
"And what is that?"
"I want full pardons for me and my associates, in the US and around the world."
"I don't have that authority anywhere."
"No, but you can persuade. World leaders will do your bidding."
Superman shook his head. "I can't do that. I won't."
"Come on Supes! I'll become a respectable citizen. Think of it! No more criminal stuff, I promise. You'll be able to trust me as far as you can throw me, which is probably pretty far."
"No." Superman felt his body start to thaw. Now that he knew what Lex wanted from him, and knew he couldn't possibly deliver, there was no saving Linda now. He slowly moved his hand closer to Lex.
"How long will they be able to keep me in prison this time? A month? A year? Two? And I promise you I will redouble, I will retriple, my efforts to reign down suffering on this planet both while I'm in prison, and when I inevitably get out. But you can prevent that now, with just one word. Deal!"
"I told you, I can't." He took a step toward Lex and continued to reach out slowly as if he was moving through kryptonite-laced molasses. He couldn't bring himself to do it fast enough before Lex made his next move….
"Jiggy! Execute plan 'B.'"
Superman paused. "What's plan B?"
"A sweetener. In two minutes, a mega cruise ship, packed with explosives, with forty five hundred people and 26 emotional support animals will be blown into oblivion."
"What! No! Luthor, this is between you and me!"
"Say 'deal!'"
"No! No deals!"
"Plan C! Execute!" Lex shouted. "In three minutes it's a skyscraper. I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."
"Luthor, stop!"
"Jiggy! Plan…"
"Shut up, Luthor!"
"Make me! Plan D! A bridge in four minutes!"
"Stop! Enough!" Superman was practically sobbing.
"Say 'deal!' Say it!"
"Deal! Deal!" Now he was sobbing. He fell down onto one knee and buried his face in his hands.
In front of the whole world, Lex Luthor had brought Superman to his knees.
"I knew you'd see it my way." Lex stared down at the vanquished superhero and smiled in satisfaction.
Superman looked up at Lex with desperation in his eyes. "Call it off!" he shouted. "Call off the bombs!"
"I can't," Lex shrugged.
"Where are they!"
"Well," Lex took his time, thinking. "The Bosphorus bridge. That's one of them… it's rush hour there so you'd better get there in time."
"And! The other two!"
"Uh, let me see…. the Columbia Center, I think it was…" Lex paused. "No, actually I think we finally settled on the Panorama tower. You know, if you don't find explosives in one, you should check the other."
"And the ship?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure exactly where that one is. It's mobile, you know."
"Luthor!"
"Probably somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Check near the island of Mauritius."
"And what about Linda?"
"I'll release her to you. We can work out the details later, after the pardons are issued."
Superman looked over at the group of police officers ready to pounce. He furrowed his brow and looked back at Lex. "I know you're in kind of a rush," Lex told him. "I'll let them arrest me, but you got to spring me within the hour."
"Fine." Superman disappeared in a WOOSH!