Clark was on the ground. The three men towered over him. As she watched, one of them swung back with his leg and landed a brutal blow to Clark's ribs.
"Clark!"
She started towards them, but was stopped by a steel-like grip clamped around her wrist.
She swung around. The man restraining her was tall and broad, dressed in a black suit with his eyes hidden behind dark glasses. "Let go of me!" she screamed, yanking her arm away.
He didn't let go. He stared at her with chilling blankness and then nodded behind her with the slightest tilt of his head.
A sleek black car inched forward to draw level with them.
The rear door opened.
"Get in, Lois," Lex said from inside the car. "It's time for you to come home now."
Part 3
"Lex!" Lois shouted, gesturing wildly towards the three men standing over Clark. "That's Clark. We have to -"
"Get into the car, Lois."
"I'm not leaving him with -"
Lex held a small black device to his cheek as if it were a phone. "Again," he directed.
One of the thugs landed a vicious kick into Clark's hip, and he flinched in response.
"No!" Lois screamed. She wheeled around, but the body of the large man in the dark suit was blocking her passage to Clark. She spun back to the vehicle. "Stop them, Lex! You have to stop them."
"Get into the car, Lois."
She glared at Lex Luthor through hot, angry tears. "You did this? You ordered those thugs to find Clark and attack him?"
The sting of her accusation had no effect on his calm indifference. "Get into the car."
"Why, Lex? Why are you doing this to Clark?"
He didn't answer. His body didn't move, his face didn't twitch, his gaze didn't waver.
Lois straightened and leaned around the figure of the man. Clark was lying on his side, his knees curled up and his arms crossed over his chest, helpless against his three assailants.
"This is your last chance, Lois," Lex said from the car. "Either you get in now or I will leave you here to watch your friend die."
Die?
Luthor was threatening to have Clark killed?
Every instinct urged her to run to his aid, but a moment of chilling clarity brought the appalling realisation that she and Clark had little chance of prevailing against three thugs and a large unmoving barricade in a black suit. Lois slid into the back seat and scowled at Lex Luthor. "What are you doing?" she demanded.
"I could ask you exactly the same question," he replied.
"I wasn't doing anything." But as Lois spoke, thoughts slithered into her mind like toxic waste. Clark's bashing couldn't be the consequence of her visit to the Star offices, could it? Had Clark known this would happen? Had it happened before? "I was having coffee at a café," she said, trying to strike a balance somewhere between casual and defiant.
The car eased forward, manoeuvring a few degrees at a time to turn in the narrow alley. Lois peered out of the window. Clark was still curled on the ground. A glimpse between the thugs revealed a stream of blood across his cheek. Lois swallowed down a sob, hating that she was abandoning her friend.
"I got into the car," she said to Lex Luthor. "Tell them to leave him alone."
"Your concern for Kent is touching," Luthor responded, his tone prickly with warning.
"Clark and I were friends for a long time," Lois countered.
"That time is over," Luthor declared.
Clearly. And Lois wanted it back. She'd been in this strange new world for little more than an hour and more than anything, she wanted to leave.
To return to her world.
To her friends.
To Cl-
"How did you get out?" Lex asked in a conversational tone.
Lois swung around to face him. "Excuse me?"
"This morning. How did you get out of the penthouse?"
She wasn't free to leave? He kept her a prisoner? "I walked out," Lois informed him.
"That isn't possible."
"You keep your wife locked up?" Lois asked, scorn singeing her question.
Lex Luthor sighed. "We've discussed this, Lois," he said, his words thickly layered with boredom. "We've discussed it multiple times. We have agreed that you can't leave your rooms unless I accompany you."
"And why would I agree to that?" Lois snapped.
He eyed her more closely. "You didn't take your medication this morning, did you?"
Medication? Lois's stomach churned. She was kept a prisoner in her home? She was forced to take medication? She'd triggered the brutal attack on Clark simply by going to the offices of the Metropolis Star?
Luthor was speaking into the small communication device that was probably one of those cell phones Lois had read about back in 1994. "Mrs Cox?" he said. "It appears that Mrs Luthor did not take her medication this morning. Inform the nurse that her services are no longer required and she is to be off the premises within the hour."
Lex closed off his phone and turned to Lois with a smile that felt like a ball of rancid grease rolling through her stomach. "You have a full day of appointments," he said. "You don't have the time to be wandering the streets."
Appointments? Such as stories? Leads? Interviews?
What was her job? Did she write from the room that apparently doubled as a prison cell?
"Where is your ring?" Luthor asked.
Lois glanced at her unadorned left hand. "I'm not wearing it," she said, which was the full extent of her knowledge.
"You can't be anonymous, Lois," he said. "Even without your ring, everyone knows you are Mrs Luthor. Everyone knows you belong with me."
With him? Or to him?
Lois sank into the softness of the leather seat.
She had married Lex Luthor.
She had accepted his proposal, allowed a wedding to be arranged, turned up at the appointed time … and promised her life to a handsome, cold-blooded tyrant.
Lois shuffled, trying to edge away from him. If he noticed, he didn't comment. She stared out of the window at Metropolis, 1996.
But she wasn't looking for the differences wrought by the passing of two years. She needed to think. If her 'husband' intended to drug her when they arrived 'home', she had to plan now.
But formulating any sort of strategy was difficult with so little information. Her pile of questions was growing exponentially with every moment she spent in 1996, and answers were scarce.
Why was Lex so against her seeing Clark? Had she been unfaithful? With Clark?
No. Clark would never do that. Clark had said that he loved her, but he would never do anything untoward with another man's wife.
He would never do anything untoward with any woman.
Not Clark.
So the problem had to be Luthor's jealousy.
Or perhaps his obsessive need to control.
Or his willingness to use any method to achieve his desired outcome.
Lois sighed grimly, scouring her mind for exactly why she had thought marriage to Lex Luthor would be a good idea.
For once, it seemed desolately empty.
How could she have been so stupid?
Sure, she couldn't have predicted this scenario exactly, but all the clues had been there.
Lex Luthor was domineering. He was ruthless. His moral compass was non-existent.
It wasn't surprising that Clark had never liked him.
Never trusted him.
Looking up from the small gadget in his hand, Luthor spoke. "You have a nail appointment and then a break to allow you to shower. Your hair appointment is at five o'clock and then there is a skin and make-up appointment. Mrs Anders will arrive at seven o'clock to help you dress. We will get into the car at precisely seven-fifty."
Lois cast a quick glance to her watch. It was just after midday.
This was her life?
Lex? Luxurious cars?
Living as a prisoner who was forced to endure a parade of appointments that served no real purpose?
No job?
No Clark?
No Superman?
What had she done?
Lois closed her eyes, and the image of Clark lying on the pavement billowed through her mind. Had Luthor called off his thugs? She glanced sideways. Luthor was staring ahead, his expression unreadable. She wanted to ask. She wanted assurance that Clark would be all right. But she turned away, saying nothing; it seemed as if the best thing she could do for Clark was to pretend she didn't care.
Which wasn't easy. Because she did care. She cared a lot.
Lois stifled a rising sob, and in response, Luthor spoke. "We'll get you home and settled, and you will be recovered enough to attend the Luthor Charities Dinner Dance this evening as planned."
A dinner dance? Her initial reaction - dismay at going anywhere with Luthor - was quickly overshadowed by the realisation that being in a public place would give her the best chance to escape.
Wells had said she would be here for two days, but Lois had no intention of spending that long with Lex Luthor.
She had to get away from him. She had to find Clark. She had to know how badly he'd been hurt. She had to tell him how sorry she was that he had suffered because of her. She had to convince him that they must work together to bring down Luthor.
For now, compliance seemed her best option. She gave Luthor a wavering smile and said, "Yes, Lex."
He didn't seem surprised by her sudden shift of attitude, making Lois wonder if her other self - the one foolish enough to have married Lex Luthor - regularly yielded to his orders.
Anger crawled up her throat, but drawing on her iron will, Lois continued to smile at her 'husband'.
He must not guess her intention. He must not know that she wasn't the woman he had married nearly two years ago … the woman he had seemingly tamed through drugs, unconscionable blackmail, and malicious misuse of his considerable power.
He must not guess that she was going to expose his real character.
Now.
And in 1994, when she got back home.
~^~^~
The car arrived at Lex Towers, the security gate lifted, and they entered an underground car park. When they stopped, a uniformed man appeared and opened Lex's door. Lois reached for her own door handle and discovered it was locked.
Her aggravation increased another notch. As did her determination to leave at the first opportunity.
She slid across the wide seat. When she reached the open door, Lex offered his hand. Refusing it, she scrambled out of the car.
He clasped her elbow. His grip tightened, his fingers burrowing into her flesh.
"Ouch," Lois said. "Let go of me. You're hurting."
"Don't be silly," he said in a low voice against her ear. "You don't seem quite yourself this morning. I'm ensuring your safe return to your room."
Luthor's grip didn't release her, although it loosened enough to be uncomfortable rather than painful as he steered her towards an elevator. He tapped in a code on the number pad, and the elevator doors opened.
Once inside, Lois figured this was her best opportunity to glean needed information about the day ahead. "You said I have a nail appointment," she said.
"Mrs Carroll will be here at one-thirty sharp," Luthor replied. "I expect you to be ready; do not keep her waiting."
"She'll come here?" Lois asked, disappointed.
Lex turned to her, genuine surprise puckering his face. "Of course, she'll come here," he said. "We agreed months ago that it's better for services to come to you, rather than you having the inconvenience of traipsing around the city."
Lois had traipsed around the city for years - chasing stories, hunting down bad guys, investigating crime.
It seemed her life had diminished to being moulded into Lex's distorted vision of a perfect wife.
That thought made her want to vomit.
The elevator stopped, and the doors eased open. His hand still grasping her elbow, Luthor directed her to a doorway, deftly punched in another security code, and thrust her into the room when the door opened.
"Ah, Mrs Cox," Lex said, greeting a tall woman who had been waiting for them. "I assume you have adequately dealt with the matter of the nurse?"
"Of course, Mr Luthor."
"Do you have Mrs Luthor's medication?"
Mrs Cox handed Luthor a small box and a glass of water. Luthor moved closer to Lois. "Take these. They will help you feel better."
Lois paused, averse to accepting anything from him.
He noticed her small hesitation and said nothing, instead coolly placing the glass on the table and taking his phone from the inner pocket of his jacket. He began pushing buttons.
"Who are you calling?" Lois asked as trepidation crawled through her insides.
"Repeat the dose," Luthor said into the phone. "Give Kent another reminder of why he is to stay away from my wife."
"No!" Lois screamed, lurching to snatch at his phone.
"You want to hear the results?" Luthor taunted, waving his phone just out of her reach. "You want to hear what happens when you disobey my orders?"
"I can't believe you're doing this," Lois said in a low hard voice. "I can't believe you think this is how any man treats his wife."
"We both know it is the only way," Luthor said. "Without Kent feeling some pain, you are uncontrollable." He picked up the glass of water and held both it and the phone towards her. "Your choice; either you take your medication or you listen while Kent suffers the consequences of your insolence."
Lois wanted to snatch the phone and demand that she speak to Clark, but as much as she needed to connect with him - to hear his voice - she had to accept the unpalatable truth that the only thing she could do for him was to take the drugs as Luthor was insisting.
With a look that probably did nothing to hide her contempt, Lois took the two small white pills and put them in her mouth.
"Swallow," Luthor ordered.
She did … after having worked the pills under her tongue.
"Open your mouth and lift your tongue," Luthor said.
"What am I?" she spat. "A trained dog?"
Luthor put the phone to his ear and spoke again. "Continue with the lesson."
Lois wriggled the pills out from under her tongue and swallowed.
"Let me see," Luthor said.
Lois did as he instructed, swallowing down the surge of revulsion bubbling inside her.
Luthor inspected her as one inspects property. "Good," he said, looking satisfied. "You will rest until your appointments."
Without waiting for her reply, he exited through the door, followed by Mrs Cox.
The lock clicked into place.
Lois glanced around, moving a few steps to open the only other door. As she had expected, it led to a bathroom. Should she force herself to bring back the medication?
She closed the door, feeling despair well inside her.
If she did … and if Luthor suspected … Clark would pay.
Lois dropped onto the huge bed.
She had to stay focussed.
She had to be at the dinner dance tonight.
Once there, she had to escape.
She had to get away from Luthor.
And, most of all, she had to find Clark.
To achieve any of that, she needed a plan.
She fixed her mind on the task of generating various strategies for analysis and refinement, but her focus dwindled quickly. Her thoughts just kept taking her back to Centennial Park, 1994.
And Clark.
Lois closed her eyes, expecting a flood of self-condemnation.
But instead, she saw her partner. Her best friend.
I have been in love with you for a long time.
She'd hurt him.
It was there … in his eyes, on his face, in the gesture as he'd stood and dragged his hand through his hair.
She'd trampled all over his heart.
He didn't deserve that.
He was the best friend she'd ever had.
The door opened - apparently, it wasn't locked from that side - and a woman entered, bearing a tray with a small meal of grilled fish and sparse salad. Obviously, it wasn't Luthor's intention that his wife become fat. Or perhaps, he just liked to keep her hungry and in need of his provision.
The woman put the tray on the table, gave Lois a timid smile, and left without speaking.
Although wary of trusting Luthor, Lois decided she should eat some of the food - not because she was particularly hungry, but because it was imperative she do nothing to appear different from the woman he had married.
As she nibbled at the lettuce leaves, she couldn't get the image of Clark out of her mind. Was he still being held? Was Luthor still exacting revenge for each of her 'misdemeanours'.
She finished the meal, frustrated that her plan hadn't developed beyond 'get away from Luthor'. Yawning, she rose from the table and wandered over to the window.
You must have known.
Had she? Had she known?
She'd admitted that Clark being attracted to her wasn't a complete surprise.
But had she known his feelings went so much deeper than that?
Of course, she'd known. On a subconscious level, perhaps, but she'd known.
He was Clark Kent. Boy Scout. The man who behaved with impeccable decency whether he was chasing a story or falling in love.
He loved her.
And the only way Clark Kent could love was whole-heartedly. Selflessly. Honourably. Steadfastly.
Why hadn't he left Metropolis? Why stay here when the Daily Planet had gone, Perry and Jimmy had gone, and the woman he loved was married to a man Clark despised?
Even Superman had gone.
Below her, Metropolis continued its daily busyness, probably neither knowing nor caring that Lois Lane, once the city's top reporter, was being kept a prisoner by her husband.
"I'm here to do your nails, Mrs Luthor."
Lois turned, annoyed that the disruption had come before she'd settled on the best way to take advantage of these appointments. Should she chat away? Or say nothing? Would the meds make it difficult to control her tongue? She had no doubt that the woman's loyalties would be with Luthor. If she said anything, did anything to arouse suspicion …
She sat down, deciding that, with her mind full of Clark, it would be safer to say nothing.
Nail-Woman said nothing either, so perhaps being treated like an object rather than a human being was standard for Lex Luthor's wife. When the task was complete, the woman packed away her tools and entered a code into the number pad to open the door.
How many people knew she was being kept here? Had she ever spoken to any of them? How much did Luthor pay them to keep his shameful secret? What stories had he told - stories of his wife's downward spiral into instability - in order to elicit their silence?
How had their marriage deteriorated to this state? Had it been his intention from the start? Had he always planned to use her friendship with Clark as the lever to seize control? Or had that evolved when he'd discovered that Lois Lane wasn't easily subdued?
Yawning again, Lois looked longingly at the bed. Perhaps some rest would help rejuvenate her imagination. She needed a plan.
As she pulled back the covers, she forcibly turned her mind to the evening ahead. She should have asked the venue for the dance.
If she'd been there before … perhaps for one of the Kerth ceremonies … if she knew something of the layout of the building … As she climbed between the sheets, she took a last glance out across the cityscape, trying to guess the most likely location for a Luthor charity ball.
She had to get to Clark.
She had to make sure he was safe. She had to determine the extent of his injuries. She had to …
She had to be with him.
She couldn't work without her partner.
I have been in love with you for a long time.
You must have known.
I have been in love with you …
The door opened, and the woman who had delivered the meal entered. She gave Lois that shy smile again and said, "You need to shower and wash your hair, Mrs Luthor. Your appointment is in half an hour, and you know Mr Luthor will be upset if you're not ready."
Lois rose to a sitting position and stretched. "I have ages yet," she said. "The hair appointment isn't until late this afternoon."
"It's after four now, Ma'am."
Lois checked the clock on the wall and saw that the woman was right. She rose from the bed, groaning as the dull ache just behind her eyes radiated across her skull. "Thank you," she said, going close enough to the woman to read the name tag pinned to her apron. "Thank you, Susan."
"I heard what happened with the nurse this morning. I know it's hard for you to remember things after you've taken your tablets."
Lois nodded, figuring that saying anything more would jeopardise Susan's job. "Thank you," she repeated.
Susan slipped away, and Lois moved into the lavish bathroom to do as she had been ordered.
~^~^~
When Hair-Woman arrived, Lois was showered and ready, but more importantly, her brain was beginning to feel less like a fur ball. Wanting to test herself, she made a few remarks about the weather, but the hairdresser responded with meaningless monosyllables.
Either she was patently unfriendly or she had her orders.
Lois suspected the latter.
She couldn't help but feel as if she were an inanimate object on a conveyor belt, being prinked and preened to produce a final result exactly as prescribed by her husband.
HG Wells had been right - one glimpse into her future life as Mrs Lex Luthor was enough to make Lois very certain that she would not be accepting his proposal of marriage.
Clark had known the truth about Luthor.
Clark had done everything he could - right from the time she had starting seeing Luthor - to convince her that marrying him would be a mistake.
She had dismissed it as petty jealousy.
I have been in love with you for a long time.
Had he been speaking the truth?
Or had it been his last desperate effort to stop her making the biggest mistake of her life?
Did Clark love her?
Just having 'Clark' and 'love' in the same sentence filled her with warmth. And hope. And renewed her fears for his safety.
She had to get to him and make sure he was OK.
Her hair done - piled on top of her head in a grandiose concoction of ribbons and lace - she was left alone again.
This morning - two years in the past - she had summed up marriage to Lex as a beautiful mansion, pampering, servants to cater for my every whim. Now, she had it - and it tasted like bile.
Lois groaned. How could she have been so blind?
OK, she'd gotten the message. She went to the window and pulled back the thick velvet drape. The window was locked. There was no key.
"Hey," Lois called softly. "Mr Wells. I get it. I'm ready to go back now."
There was no response.
"I want my old life back," she murmured.
Two days.
Wells had said 'two days'. Did that mean forty-eight hours exactly? Or would he be here early on the second day?
She looked around the room, searching for cameras. Finding nothing obvious, she turned towards the window and whispered, "Superman! Help, Superman!"
But there was no swish of air, no sudden appearance of the man in blue, no cape flapping majestically behind him.
It seemed he really had gone.
Why?
Had Luthor found a way to banish Superman from Metropolis?
Clark had been worried that Lex Luthor would hurt her.
Is that how Luthor had gained control over Superman? By threatening her safety?
Or did Luthor have kryptonite?
A new thought snaked through her stomach, leaving trails of dread.
What if Wells didn't return?
What if he'd never intended to return? What if this were retribution for being coldly unresponsive to a pure heart?
"He'll come back," Lois muttered to herself. "He has to come back. He said he would. He said he could move through time, and he did. He'll be back. He'll be back. He has to take me back to 1994."
But even if the circumstances of this world ceased to exist in two days, Lois couldn't deliberately cause Clark any more pain.
She'd already hurt him … this morning in 1994 … and she didn't even want to think about how much pain she had caused him the past two years.
For now, she would play the compliant wife - the beautiful partner at the exclusive ball. As much as everything within her was repelled by the idea, she would do it - not for Luthor, but for Clark.
