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No. Thinking like that was a bad idea. Yes, the power of positive thinking. Norman Vincent Peale  Why hadn’t that occurred to him sooner? Yes, why? What a name! No, Luthor was really worried. If you think I'm going to start feeling soft about Luthor here, you are SO not right. Still, he wasn’t about to be friendly. Not with this man - this murdering gangster masquerading as a philanthropist businessman. Yeah, Superman!  He’d never understand Lex Luthor. Hence the reason people keep using him in their fics... I second that question! No. As much as he didn’t want to believe it, Luthor was being sincere. For once in his life. What? You mean I have to actually WANT Luthor to succeed in helping? Anything that had a chance of saving Lois’s life was worth doing. Even joining forces with Luthor. I hear creepy music here. What we've got here is an example of human evolution: before and after. Clark is the before. Superman is the after. Make that way, way after. Like this! And then she was safe, lying in strong, reassuring arms with Clark’s voice resounding in her head. I can't handle the drama! Waaaaay up.
**~~**
Swoosh --->
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Excellent installment, Wendy! The tension's definitely mounting.
I have no idea how you're going to solve this conundrum. Looking forward to more,
Irene
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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I'm still biting my nails over here. I have no clue how you're going to fix this. But I'm glad that Lex isn't behind it (and yeah, I know you've been insisting it wasn't him, but now Clark's convinced, and so am I  ) Can't wait to see the rest of this!
"You need me. You wouldn't be much of a hero without a villain. And you do love being the hero, don't you. The cheering children, the swooning women, you love it so much, it's made you my most reliable accomplice." -- Lex Luthor to Superman, Question Authority, Justice League Unlimited
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Okay, how are you going to fix this Wendy???  I'm really getting worried now!  Can't wait for more .... you've definitely got me hooked. I'm holding my breath for part 8 .... 
"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." Chris Reeve
"Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. It's the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what's right." Peter Parker
DON'T DOUBT THE ROUTH
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Oh my! Lois is getting worse, Clark and Lex are agreeing on something, and the revelation is in the middle of things!!! What else can stir the pot!!? There's got to be a break soon!!! Go Lex!! Go Clark! Go anybody who can help out!!! More soon!! This is great!! Missy ![[Linked Image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/BlownAwayByClay/gifs/f616589.gif)
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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I think Lex is behind this ordeal ultimately and I think that he will use blackmail against Lois and Clark. I stll don't trust him or his motives. However, this is getting good. But you're killing me with this posting schedule! 
I'm a firm believer in the fact that God doesn't put any more on us than we can bear. He does however make us come to Jesus every so often.
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Pulitzer
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Yikes Clark and Lex in agreement. Thant can't be good can it? More soon. LAura
Clark: “If we can be born in an instant, and die in an instant, why can’t we fall in love in an instant?”
Caroline's "Stardust"
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Merriwether
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I find it hard to believe that if this is only part seven, and half of Lois' time is up, we are going to make it to part 19 plus. To me that says a lot of drawn out angst. Something which I know Wendy would have no part of. Unless... several of the latter parts revolve around a... funeral. Tank (who wonders if that fact that Fabian Leek was the doctor behind the Superman clone will have any bearing on things )
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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This continues to be nail-biting, Wendy! But, remembering the laws of drama, they're not going to get this fixed (if they do?) until the last minute... so it's way too early to be cured. Go, Lois! Fake a few more dizzy spells, so Clark carries you around everywhere...  PJ who doesn't think Fabian Leek did a very good job on the Superman clone, and just hopes he doesn't kill Lois early or something...
"You told me you weren't like other men," she said, shaking her head at him when the storm of laughter had passed.
He grinned at her - a goofy, Clark Kent kind of a grin. "I have a gift for understatement."
"You can say that again," she told him.
"I have a...."
"Oh, shut up."
--Stardust, Caroline K
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Now Lex is really in the mix! I am LOVING this! (am I the only one out there who actually LIKED his character? Sure, he was evil incarnate, but he was SUPPOSED to be!) I thought he was fantastic at being the smarmy rich guy you loved to despise...and you're using him beautifully here! Clark having to work with his greatest enemy in order to save Lois' life is genius. You can also literally FEEL the clock ticking away Lois' last hours which works great tension-wise. Keep it up! This story is great!
Spike: "There's a hole in the world...feels like we ought to have known."
-Angel
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
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I'm still really loving this story!
I'm with tvnerdgirl, I've always really loved Lex. He's a very intriguing supervillain. And I do believe that he really loved Lois and would do... well, a great deal for her. I'm not surprised that he would try to help during her last hours, although one must consider that it's beneficial to him. If she dies, the obituary/article on it will probably mention Lex Luther doing everything in his power to save her. If she lives, maybe she'll be grateful enough to date him, or at least think well of him. And even if he was responsible for the injection (which I'm thinking less and less likely as we read on), he can make them think he's doing useful stuff while really keeping them from finding answers. Good deal for him.
I agree that Lois just needs to keep having fainting fits so that she can get carried about by Clark all day. But, I suppose she does have more important things to do.
Now let's get some investigating done! I'm really curious what poison this will end up being.
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And how could he possibly have sat there next to her, reading files at the snail’s pace of human capacity, knowing how important every second was? Oooh, love that he thought of that! That was a novelty: he’d actually rendered Lois Lane speechless! Nice little injection of humour to lighten the atmosphere. <g> Yet the billionaire looked less urbane, less arrogantly in control of his universe, than usual. He actually looked... concerned. Oh... wow, Wendy! See? See? I knew Luthor always cared about Lois - he was just off the deep end, that's all. <g> Damn, Wendy. Fantastic!  Oh, sweet... “Superman, let us be frank. We don’t like each other, you and I, but that’s irrelevant here. What matters is saving Lois’s life.” I'm *loving* this exchange! Absolutely loving it! Two men, mortal enemies, acting civil towards each other in the hour of need of the woman they both love. Oh... “With respect, Superman, the kind of people who might know about this won’t talk to the police. Or a reporter. Let’s just say that I have... leverage... Lois and Henderson don’t.”
Oh, he’d just bet. “I hope you’re successful.” And that was honest, even if it was the first time he’d ever wanted Luthor to succeed at something. Oh... I'm just... *loving* this. There's no other way to say it. I *love* this scene. Anything that had a chance of saving Lois’s life was worth doing. Even joining forces with Luthor. Fantastic. It crumpled in her hands. She didn’t care.
Clark was Superman. Okay. I love that too. At the rate this is going... this may be my favourite chapter to date. <g> You know... 7 always was my favourite number. Oooh, I love how she keeps coming back to the thought that he's Superman! And this: All the times she’d seen him as Superman, the things he’d said to her... Telling her that she was special. Making her fall in love with him! I especially love! She could feel herself swaying, losing all sense of balance, falling, the floor rising up to meet her...
And then she was safe, lying in strong, reassuring arms with Clark’s voice resounding in her head. Absolutely adore that! Not only the fantastic way you've written it, and... oh, that description, but mostly... the double meaning of the 'safe in Clark's arms'. <g> “Oh.” He’d just been standing there, his hand on the door, not moving. “Someone calling for Superman.” I was wondering when this would come up, and... I'm relieved he didn't leave her. Of course, knowing Wendy, she'll come up with some earthquake in Turkey or a flood in India and it'll kill Clark, but... <g> He'll just have to remember how not to listen, like he did before he became Superman. So much for her determination to save her own life. Right now she couldn’t even keep herself upright. She was useless. Ooooh, Wendy. That's fantastic! And so... wrenching! Useless. Powerless. We've all felt that way before, and... you make it so possible for us to relate. It's fantastic, Wendy. When she was better. Yeah, right. But he’d even managed to sound as if he meant it, too. Okay, not a cliffhanger - we've already got a big enough cliff hanging over our heads, but still, an excellent place to end. Dismal, and yet hopeful. Dave
'I just kind of died for you;
You just kind of stared at me'
- Aurora, Foo Fighters
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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Really, really great! The pacing is wonderful. Accelerating bit by bit, with the occasional thoughtful moment to give us a chance to catch our breath.  Originally posted by Meerkat:
I'm really curious what poison this will end up being. I have a theory . . . but I'm not sure I should mention it, just in case I am right. 
Do you know the most surprising thing about divorce? It doesn't actually kill you, like a bullet to the heart or a head-on car wreck. It should. When someone you've promised to cherish till death do you part says, "I never loved you," it should kill you instantly.
- Under the Tuscan Sun
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Oh my God! What a great part! The tension become unbearable. You referreed to the clock many times in that part, and it's just built up the tension even more, as if we can see the countdown. No, Luthor was really worried.
“Yes?” Still, he wasn’t about to be friendly. Not with this man - this murdering gangster masquerading as a philanthropist businessman.
“How is Lois? You’ve seen her?” Yes, there was definite anxiety there.
Clark schooled his features. “She’s coping. As you’d expect from a strong, determined woman like Lois Lane. She’s not letting this get her down.”
“I’m not surprised. Lois is... extraordinary.” Luthor sighed. “I want to help, Superman. I’ll do anything I can. All my resources - my entire fortune is at her disposal. Please tell her that.”
The man actually meant it. This was a person who could callously, brutally end the life of a former lover, just because she’d outlived her usefulness to him. Oh, he had no proof that Luthor had killed Antoinette Baines, but he’d bet anything on it. And yet Luthor was willing to use everything he owned to save Lois’s life.
Clark shook his head. He’d never understand Lex Luthor. What a great scene. The face to face of the two motal enemies, who are both worried for Lois. That scene made me think about the one, in the third season, when Lex talk with Clark in his apartment, just after he had lost Lois, to tell him that the clone want to kill her. They are united in their love for Lois. Clark pulled his jaw back into place. Luthor admitting to having criminal contacts? Yes! Luthor is a bad guy, and we love hate him, but he's not a devil, he's human and he can love. The fact that he was willing to admit to Superman he had criminal contacts, even if he take precautions to be sure Superman can't do anything with what he said, is just a proof of how much he loves Lois. What's better than a bad guy with real love in his heart? Wendy, you're great. You transposed so well the Luthor's feelings, and only on a short scene of discussion with Superman. Powerful! At least they were united in that. Though the thought that he and Luthor shared any kind of common aim at all made acid roil in his chest. Yet, much as he hated it, for the moment they were allies of a kind. Oh! I really love that. Kemp. Definitely a possibility. She stared at the passport-sized photo clipped to the front of the file. Close-cropped hair. Thin, weasely face. Too thin to be the face behind the mask? Hard to tell. Besides, wasn’t he still in prison? She made a note to have Jimmy, or Henderson’s men, check on that.
Or she could just ask Clark to fly over the prison. A semi-hysterical giggle escaped her.
Clark was Superman.
Why hadn’t he told her? That was killing me. The lack of concentration from Lois is very well written. That's exactly how the mind works. You try to focus, but everything you thought made you go back to your previous thoughts. And I like the fact that, even if her life is at stake, she can't help her to think about the revelation. It's so realistic! When you have a shock, it doesn't matter the urgency of the situation you are into, you ARE shocked! Very well done. What we've got here is an example of human evolution: before and after. Clark is the before. Superman is the after. Make that way, way after.
No wonder he hadn’t told her.
He’d said she could yell at him later. By rights, he should be the one yelling at her. I love that Lois is thinking that way. And that scene is for me a real breathe take in all the tension of the story, and I really needed one. Immediately, the room spun around her. Her legs felt wobbly and her head woozy. Everything went out of focus. She flung her arms out, but had no idea where to reach for. She could feel herself swaying, losing all sense of balance, falling, the floor rising up to meet her...
And then she was safe, lying in strong, reassuring arms with Clark’s voice resounding in her head. I love that! When all her world is shattering, she still can be safe in Clark's arms. the image is so sweet. “Clark? What is it?” Lois was watching him, looking puzzled.
“Oh.” He’d just been standing there, his hand on the door, not moving. “Someone calling for Superman.”
“You have to go, then, don’t you?” She sounded alarmed.
He shook his head instantly. “Not today. I promised you I wouldn’t leave you, and I meant it.” But he could hear the sound of shouts, and frightened protests. Someone was being attacked.
“But that was before I knew... Clark, you have to go!” Now there was guilt in her voice.
“No.” He said it firmly, insistently. “Nothing today is as important as saving your life, Lois!” Yeah! It's not a declaration of love, but the emotional impact is the same. So much for her determination to save her own life. Right now she couldn’t even keep herself upright. She was useless. And Clark had to think so, too - of course, he was far too kind to say so, but he wasn’t stupid. oh. I feel so bad for her. You write so well her despair: you don't say she is desperate but you describe the feeling she has because of this despair. She feels useless. She's dying, and she feels useless. I'm almost in tears, here. “Later,” he said. “When you’re better, I promise, okay? And I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me too.
When she was better. Yeah, right. But he’d even managed to sound as if he meant it, too. Where would she be without Clark today?” Good. I want her to survive, and I want him to say everything he knows about Luthor. And I want them together, happily in love... ( sigh ) Very good part for an awesome story. I'm waiting for more.
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Kerth
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Kerth
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Superman making pacts with the Devil?  Jose 
"Practice up your shielding spells...and remember to duck if you see green light coming your way." Harry Potter to Wizengamot in OotP trial A Bad Week in the Wizengamot
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Hi, Great part. She stirred in his arms. “I’m okay, Clark. You can put me down now.”
He lifted his head and looked at her. Her gaze was clear and she’d stopped shaking. “Okay.” He lowered her into the chair she’d vacated. “What just happened? Dizzy spell?”
“Yeah.” She grimaced. “Dr Sutton did warn me.”
“Yeah. I didn’t think it’d happen so soon.”
She seemed to hesitated, then said, “Actually, I had an... episode... earlier, too. Blurry double vision.” Starting already! “What?” She remembered that. Superman had actually disappeared for a couple of days... and, now that she thought about it, Clark had seemed quite down at the time too. Tests... Yes, there’d been some weird incidents - attempted suicides, but the victims had seemed perfectly okay afterwards. And a bomb with no apparent motive.
That had been Lex?
That was certainly food for thought. She rubbed her eyes; she really was too tired to think about all this right now. “If we didn’t have so much else to do, I’d want you to tell me more about that, Clark.”
“Later,” he said. “When you’re better, I promise, okay? And I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me too.” That's a number one conversation for later. More ASAP, please. MAF
Maria D. Ferdez.
---
Don't like Luthor, unfinished, untitled and crossover story, and people that promises and don't deliver. I'm getting choosy with age.
MAF
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This is torture! And another 12 or so parts! I am just not sure I can take this much longer! I mean, Clark's all in bed with the devil (so to say ), and I can't help but think this will lead to his own demise or is possibly one of the signs of the apocalypse or something (which Lois just does not need right now), and I can actually feel Lois's frustration! As they pull out files and stack on more possibilities and as they slowly eliminate possiblities for poisons, it seems more and more unlikely they'll get ANYWHERE in just a day. There are just too many poisons in the world and too many people that hate her! I feel myself giving up when she gets discouraged. So put in another way, great job, Wendy, since I am sure that is the point! So much to comment on here! Some of these lines have been quoted/commented on already, but I just couldn't help it!  He’d said she could yell at him later. By rights, he should be the one yelling at her. A totally different revelation aftermath here, and I really enjoy it! It also makes me wonder how sick she is now, that she's thinking like that!!! He looked just like... Clark. I love this. He walks in the conference room, and that is totally normal for her, for them, yet she is now studying him. Thinking he looks like Clark, like he might not, now that she knows the truth. And then she was safe, lying in strong, reassuring arms with Clark’s voice resounding in her head. I just love the image here. Lois is falling apart and it's heartbreaking, and Clark really is the only solid thing for her to grab onto right now, to draw strength from. He's her biggest source of comfort, and this moment here just brings all of that to the surface for me! It's a beautiful moment. Small nitpick - She seemed to hesitate? He could tell that she was amazed that he’d do that for her. Didn’t she know how much he cared for her? That he’d give his own life if it would cure her? This grabbed my attention big time! I could be totally off, but it felt so... foreshadowing to me! And that would be FINE by me! Although then it'd be a second story altogether w/ saving him! Ha! And the final bundle, with forty files, contained strong possibilities, all criminals who had made threats of some sort against Lois or who had a scientific background of some sort. I hope if she survives this, she at least changes her tactics when on a story in the future... maybe the stack might be smaller? Although, she's got 3 Kerths... I am assuming she wouldn't do that, since it's those tactics that make her the reporter she is! Anyway, Wendy, this is, again, complete torture. But it's wonderful, beautiful, fantastic torture and I willingly endure it! You write with such a sense of urgency and intensity that adds layers of meaning to the story just through style, and there is so much riding on every word that pours out of you! A tortured reader has no choice but to read each and every word and go where you take us! I love this! Can't wait for more! ~NICOLE
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Y'know what? I gave up biting my nails when I was twelve or so. I'd just started playing piano and my teacher used to tell me off when she saw them, so I weaned myself off the habit. And you know what they've become over the ten minutes or so it took me to read this? Bloody stubs. At this rate I'll be lucky if my knuckles escape unscathed. Wendy, Wendy, Wendy... you have Lex in this story.  Eagerly awaiting part eight!!! [don't you love my diplomatic use of subtlety there? ] Sara
Death: Easy, Bill. You'll give yourself a heart attack and ruin my vacation.
Meet Joe Black
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Top Banana
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Okay, here's come belated FDK (even though you know I love this story ). She wasn’t going to die. He was going to do everything in his power to ensure that didn’t happen.  Poor L&C. You're really torturing them!!! Back in the air again, and now to LexLabs. Bah!!! Not Lex. :p Although I like how you use him for once, not as a villain, but to help. (Unless it turns out he was your villain all along... <g>) The dizzy spells... Poor Lois. I didn't think you'd let her go on without the antidote for this long!! But then, I should've known. I love Clark taking a "day off" for her. I hate it whenever he leaves her because someone needs help... and I love it that he could ignore stuff today. Wait, I mean, bad Superman!!! Go save the world!! <g> When she was better. Yeah, right. But he’d even managed to sound as if he meant it, too. Where would she be without Clark today? Aawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!! I love this line. What a perfect line to end on. Julie
Mulder: Imagine if you could come back and take out five people who had caused you to suffer. Who would they be?
Scully: I only get five?
Mulder: I remembered your birthday this year, didn't I, Scully?
(The X-Files)
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Wendy WOW!  Tricia 
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