What a yucky chapter! Sorry for all those who found it intensely thrilling, but I saw it as pretty yucky. Not yucky enough to quit reading, mind you, but yucky enough to call it yucky just the same.
In your previous chapters I always assumed that the red Kryptonite was causing Clark to do randomly immoral things. It never occured to me that Superman had essentially become the puppet of Lex.
Isn't it gross that Lex would want someone to rape his fiancee? I know he wants Lois broken; I know he wants Superman out of the picture, but this is beyond the pale. What a sicko, psycho...
In the aftermath I can imagine that Clark will be more than just a bit shaken. He doesn't know where he can go where he will be safe--where those he love will be safe from him.
Likewise, things progressed in such a way that I doubt Lois will be able to simply shrug it off. A near-rape is almost as violating as a rape. Her best friend and the one she has been pursuing have both been brought to the level of untrustworthy, criminal scum. And her fiancee--actually I can't remember if he proposed in your story, yet, DJ--is part of the whole confusing mess.
When you decide to torment characters, DJ, you don't go halfway!
Please, don't leave us with a broken mess of broken people and broken relationships thrown together in the Fibber McGee's closet of life. You've got to come back and fix all of this--although I'm not sure all of it can be fixed. Perhaps it would be best if said heal all of this.
Elisabeth
