Chapter 15
Lois’s first instinct on leaving the conference room was to go and tell Lex what he’d been accused of. A cavalcade of negative emotions drove her onwards. Blind rage, mortification at being ordered out of the conference room like a misbehaving child, the humiliation of having worked side by side with Superman for a year and not known it- which was made worse by that upstart petty criminal, Jack…
She threw the Jeep around the corners even more aggressively than usual, not caring that she may well end up with another ticket.
She was halfway to LexTower before more rational thoughts intruded. Clark was Superman, she’d begrudgingly had to admit. Even without a demonstration of his powers, his explanations had made too much sense to be anything but the truth. And yet, right now, he was clearly injured. Someone, somewhere, had had to do that to him. While she didn’t want to believe it was Lex- didn’t want to believe that the charming, urbane man who had so recently proposed to her could be capable of what Clark was accusing him of- Clark clearly believed it was.
If he was right…
If everything that he’d told them was true, by going to Lex she could be signing Clark’s death warrant.
Could she really risk that?
Regardless of what she thought of him personally right now, Superman was a positive force for good, a bright spark in an often-dark world. The world needed Superman.
Could she really risk handing him over to be murdered?
Abruptly, she pulled the Jeep over to the kerb, resting her head on the steering wheel. It felt like her entire world was suddenly tilting on its axis. Lex’s proposal, Clark’s revelations… it was all too much. Everything was spinning out of control, and she didn’t know which way to turn.
Forcing herself to sit up, she put the Jeep into gear and pulled soberly back into the traffic.
***
“Anyone want to join her?” Clark ground out, looking at the three people that remained in the conference room. There was a chorus of muted denials and shaken heads before a heavy silence fell over the room.
Jimmy broke the tension.
“CK, if he’s blackmailing you, why haven’t you gone to the police?”
“I haven’t got any real proof, Jimmy. Everything he’s said to me… it’s my word against his. And who do you think they’ll believe? Billionaire philanthropist… or an alien from another planet?” Clark questioned bitterly.
“But- you’re Superman!”
“And the world only tolerates me, Jimmy! Look how little it took for Metropolis to turn on me during the heatwave. Look at what’s happening right now. I’ve been booed at every rescue this past week.”
Of all of the things that had happened in the past few months, it was the booing that hurt the most. It reminded him of those dreadful few days before he was cast out of Metropolis during the heat wave; but this time, there was a reason for the people’s rejection of him. While he knew that it hadn’t been his fault, all that the people of Metropolis had seen was Superman’s failure to show up at the worst disasters the city had seen in decades- and hundreds of lives had been lost as a result.
Perry frowned at Jimmy, effectively silencing him.
“I do have some evidence about Luthor’s other activities, but it’s all circumstantial. I doubt we’ll get any more than that. He’s too good at covering his tracks. And then there are the diversions…”
“Diversions?” Perry asked.
“The hospital fire, the crane collapse, the subway crash… All the disasters where Superman didn’t show up. They were all cover for something else.”
“Why didn’t you show up?” It was Jack’s turn to question, his tone accusing. “People were depending on you and you weren’t there.”
“Because of this.” Clark gestured to his broken collarbone. “Because Luthor has Kryptonite. When that subway train crashed, when that crane fell across the street, when the children’s wing of Metropolis General burnt down, I was like this.” His tone was biting, angry and bitter. “I heard the sirens go past to the hospital fire while I lay on the floor with a broken leg. Do you really think I would have let all those people suffer just to protect myself?”
Chastened, Jack sunk down in his chair, muttering an apology.
“Every time Luthor stages one of his disasters, a LexMarine ship docks in the harbour. I don’t know what they’re carrying, I can’t get close enough. I tipped Henderson off last night, and Luthor’s thugs picked me up less than an hour later. Luthor must have someone in Henderson’s department, so I don’t think Henderson will find anything. But I know they’re linked.” He laid the timetable he’d worked out on the table. “There’s another ship due into port in a week. Somehow we’ve got to find out what’s on that ship.”
He let his words sink in. “All the evidence I have is in a safety deposit box at the First Bank on Ordway.”
Perry stood. “All right then. Clark, authorise Jimmy to pick up that box.”
“Already done, Chief.”
Jimmy paused halfway to his feet. “CK… you trust me that much?” The younger man sounded almost overcome with awe. Clark grinned at him.
“Of course.”
Covering the awkward moment, Clark clapped the aspiring photographer on the shoulder. “Come on. I’ll get you that key.”
“Take Jack with you,” Perry waved a dismissive hand. “And be careful.”
Clark led the two younger men to his desk and removed the key from its hiding place. He held it out for Jimmy to take but pulled it away at the last second. “The chief is right, Jimmy. You need to be careful. Assume you’re being watched.” He held the key out again, letting Jimmy take it this time. “And Jimmy, Jack- not a word about any of this. Not even between yourselves. Are we clear?” He let a hint of steel creep into his voice.
“You got it, CK. C’mon Jack.”
***
Clark watched Jimmy and Jack board the elevator before letting out a worried sigh. He needed them to know the truth, but was he doing the right thing, bringing them into the investigation? If Luthor found out what they were doing, their lives were surely forfeit. He still wasn’t sure why Luthor hadn’t just killed him, Clark, when he had the chance. He’d certainly killed plenty of other people; and Clark didn’t think Luthor would bat an eye at removing two low-level members of the Daily Planet’s staff. He just had to hope that Luthor would consider the movements of a copyboy and the Planet’s newest gopher beneath his notice.
He slammed his desk drawer closed and locked it, before rethinking and opening it again to remove an envelope, slipping it into his pocket before going to tap on Perry’s door.
***
Jimmy walked down the street towards the First Bank of Metropolis, barely aware of Jack beside him. It had been a very bizarre morning. Clark was Superman, Lex Luthor was evil… what else was going to change today?
He’d never seen CK like that. He was always so upbeat and optimistic, Jimmy had never imagined he could get as furious as he had with Lois. The look on his face… Jimmy gulped at the memory. He’d seen that look directed at criminals before, but never from Clark, and never at a friend. For a moment, he’d almost thought that Clark hated her. He shivered, pushing the memory aside.
Luthor.
Unlike Lois, he believed everything CK had told them that morning. Someone had clearly injured him, and what reason would he have to lie about who was behind it? Which meant… they could be being watched right now.
Jimmy felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle and spun, trying to see if he could spot anyone suspicious.
Beside him, Jack snorted.
“Will you calm down? No one is watching.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because I checked. Besides, do you really think anyone is going to care what we’re doing?”
“But CK said-“
“Clark is too cautious. I bet I could shout ‘Clark Kent is-’”
Jimmy crammed a hand over the younger man’s mouth before he could complete the sentence.
“Shut up and listen to me. This is big. Bigger than anything you’ve dealt with even when you were living on the streets. If Clark says we shut up, we shut up. You hear me?”
At Jack’s nod, Jimmy let his hand drop, surprised at the shaft of anger that had filled him. Not knowing what to say, he turned and continued on his way to the bank.
***
“Chief?”
Clark pushed the door open a little. Perry was leaning back in his desk chair, apparently lost in thought.
“Oh, come in, Clark.”
Clark eased his aching body through the door and settled into the chair across from Perry.
“There are a few things we need to discuss.”
“Such as?”
“Well, for starters…how long have you known?”
Perry chuckled. “You picked up on that, huh?”
“You weren’t surprised when I told you.” Clark allowed himself a small smile. He’d expected that reaction from Jack, but not from the Chief.
“Well, uh, I suspected for a while. Your excuses might work on Lois; she’s a bit more single-minded. But they were too flimsy to fool an old newspaperman like me for long. And then the heat wave happened…” He chuckled again. “Your timing was too much of a coincidence, son.”
Clark nodded. Suddenly Perry providing him with an excuse for leaving made sense in a way it never had before. He just wished he’d known earlier… he could’ve used the support and advice from the editor, especially since he’d sent his parents away.
But there was no time for regrets. The only thing he could do now was push forward with the investigation into Luthor… and try to weather the coming storm.
“Chief? When the story breaks, I’ll give the Planet an exclusive.”
“That’s mighty kind of you son, but I can’t publish it. You work here.”
Clark smiled sadly. “I thought of that, Chief.” He handed Perry the envelope he’d picked up from his desk earlier. “This is my letter of resignation, effectively immediately. I- doubt the publishers would want to keep me on, anyway. I’ve breached too many ethics rules.”
Perry ran a hand over the front of the envelope. “I’m sorry to see this, son.”
“Thanks, Chief. And- can you tell Lois for me? I don’t think she’s speaking to me at the moment.”
Perry nodded. “She’ll come around, Clark.”
“I hope so. We need her. I- need her.”
