TOC ~
Part 5
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Alt-Metropolis – August 1982
“Lab Rats”
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The door to the room opened, but Lois had no intention of moving from her place on her bed. She was lying on her back, her head hanging over the edge, her feet crossed at the ankle and resting against the wall. She bounced a racquetball against the wall in time to ‘Tainted Love’ and blew another large, pink bubble. She knew without looking that it was her father in the doorway, and she made a point of ignoring the intrusion by turning up the volume of her Walkman.
Uncharacteristically, Sam Lane didn’t try to speak with her, yell at her for insubordination, or drag her off for more testing. Instead, after a short pause, her door shut again and she felt his presence recede back down the sterile hallway. Lois closed her eyes in relief before tossing the ball against the cinderblock wall again.
It had been several years since her mother and sister had died in a car accident and her father had come to claim her. Since then, the pain of losing her family had dimmed to a persistent, but manageable ache behind the horror of living as a human lab rat in her father’s unit.
She preferred isolation, actually. She shuddered. *Anything* was better than spending time with Mensa. And alone, she could focus on loving memories of her mother, her sister, or share silent strength with Clark. Even at a distance, her connection to Clark made the burden of her life bearable.
It wasn’t until she saw movement from the corner of her eye that she turned her head to look toward the door. There was a girl standing there clutching a knapsack and holding a small potted plant. Her brown eyes were watching her stonily, the dark skin of her cheeks stained with tears. Astonished, Lois scrambled up from her bed and pulled the headphones off.
To say she was surprised was an understatement. No one had ever been able to sneak up on her. She always sensed them long before she could see them, but this girl wasn’t ‘sending’ anything. Lois took in the girl’s off-the-shoulder t-shirt and bright skirt before focusing on her unusual hairdo. The girl’s head was covered in tinfoil, except where two frizzy piggy tails poked through on the sides of her head. She gaped at her visitor for another long moment until the girl sniffled. Although she couldn’t sense what she was feeling, the look on her face was familiar. Lois took a hesitant step forward and held out her hand.
“Um, hi. I’m Lois.”
The girl looked down at Lois’s hand and then back at her face, scowling. Lois lifted her eyebrows and then glanced at the empty bunk. “Are you supposed to stay here?”
The girl shrugged and Lois’s eyes gravitated back to her unusual helmet. “Um…”
The girl grimaced and pushed past Lois to set her plant on the desk next to the empty bed. She threw her pack down on the mattress and then turned to face Lois with her arms crossed defensively. “Fine. Let’s lay it all out right now. I’m Star. I’m almost fourteen and an orphan since last Thursday. I don’t want to be here and I don’t trust anyone. People are dishonest pigs that only want something from me. Get used to the tinfoil, honey, because I’m not going to take it off. I’m not a freak, I’m psychic.”
Star sat down and glared at Lois whose mouth dropped open at her diatribe.
“That is so … cool! It really works, too, because I can’t sense you at all. That’s never happened before. How long have you been hearing people? Can you receive thoughts or just feelings? And how did you figure out how to block it with foil? Does it only block thoughts going out or does it keep things from coming in? Do you need to use a certain material or will any type of foil work?”
Star’s eyes widened as Lois ran out of breath. Lois realized she was hyper, but she couldn’t help herself. Star was like her – alone, bitter, and psychic. Well, maybe not the bitter part, but she could see that they were going to get along fine. Star’s ‘I-knew-it-look’ prompted Lois to explain things a little better.
Lois pulled the desk chair in front of Star’s bed and straddled the back of it. “Okay, let me back up a little. My name is Lois Lane and I’m practically an orphan, too. I’ll be fifteen soon, have been here, like forever, and I actually know a few people who aren’t self-centered pigs.” She smiled at the warm feeling she got from the memory of her mother, sister, Clark, and his parents.
Star tipped her head slightly as if to say, ‘so what’ and Lois smirked. “I’m also a psychic, but you’re good. I’ve never been able to figure out how to block people before.”
That got Star’s attention. “Really?”
“Yeah. Drove me crazy as a kid, but that was when I got all the vivid details. I’ve outgrown the ‘hearing voices’ and TV-like images, though. Now I sense people’s emotions, but can block everything except really strong feelings and a few random images and thoughts.”
Star’s face finally lost some of her defiance at that. “Wow, you’re serious.” Star bit her lip. “That must have been bad. I have to think hard to make any sense of the stuff I get. Mostly, they are just random ideas about people. Sometimes it makes me want to puke.”
Lois laughed at the image of Star throwing up on her father’s shiny dress shoes.
Star smiled at her response and then frowned. “So, what am I doing here?”
That stopped Lois’s laughter at once. She grimaced and put a consoling hand on Star’s arm. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’ve been recruited into the U.S. Army’s division of Mental Espionage and Psychic Warfare, or MEPWar.”
“They’re going to study me?”
“I won’t lie, the tests are a pain in the butt. They’re usually strange, most are boring, and some are little scary, but none have been too painful. Besides, there are some advantages to living on base.”
“What advantages?”
“Black-ops Squad K. Ten of the best looking men in the U.S. Army.”
Star’s giggle matched Lois’s own as she hauled her new friend to her feet. “Come on, they exercise in the yard in about ten minutes. We have just enough time to grab some foil from the mess hall before the show begins.”
~ - ~
Alt-Metropolis – July 3, 1997
~ - ~
Lois stood fidgeting next to Perry White’s large, mahogany desk. It had been a long time since Lois Lane had cared about what members of the press thought of her, but standing here in awkward silence next to Clark while waiting for Perry to arrive, every one of her jealous peers’ clichéd jibes kept repeating in her mind. Well, she certainly felt like she’d been ‘taken down a peg’, ‘called on the carpet’, and ‘sent to the principals’ office’ all at once. And while she could care less what her actual father thought of her, Perry was different. Perry was one of the few people that saw her for herself and loved her no matter what.
Other than Clark, it had been Perry that she’d longed most to see while in hiding. So many times she had picked up the phone to call him, or staked out his office just to get a glimpse, but in his new role as Mayor, Perry’s personnel had surrounded him practically around the clock and there was no way she could contact him without risking a leak to Luthor. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered arriving at Perry’s office after Lex’s arrest. After assuring himself that she was the real Lois Lane, Perry had held her and cried for a solid five minutes before he’d demanded to hear the whole story. That was when she felt like she’d come home. Perry was the last person she wanted to disappoint.
Lois snuck a glance at Clark and felt even worse. What had gotten into her? It’s like his presence turned her upside down. She hadn’t been able to control her ability at their first meeting and then she hadn’t been able to control her mouth later. One minute she felt like a dewy-eyed groupie and the next she felt so angry she wanted to rip out his spleen. She recalled some of her nastier comments and wanted to crawl into a hole.
When Clark had arrived at the press conference, Lois had still been smarting from their meeting at the Daily Planet. She’d been feeling a complicated, yet familiar cocktail of emotions; humiliation, anger and sadness rolled into one. It was something she’d felt many times from her father, a man who had kept her and others as human lab rats. However, it was a feeling she never expected to come from someone she considered a cherished friend. Lois’s impulse before the press conference had ben to start over and try again in hopes that he would somehow recognize her, but her ire had returned full-force when he had edged away, pretending that she wasn’t there.
It was obvious that Clark didn’t feel a special connection with her, but that was no reason to attack him, especially not in front of their peers. Not only had she questioned his motives, which she believed were pure, she’d damaged his relationship with the press and the public, people he desperately needed to trust and support him in order to be Superman. A wave of shame rolled over her as she realized she had a lot of work to do to make up for her lack of decorum and professionalism.
Lois had goaded him into an argument, one that Clark had steadfastly tried to avoid. She watched him shift nervously and adjust his glasses, but even to a moderately observant person, the pinched line of worry between his eyebrows would give his feelings away. Lois suspected that Clark felt the same way about Perry that she did. Perry had been one constant in Clark’s life since his debut. Even if she hadn’t investigated his life, she would know that those who could see Clark for himself were few and far between. She knew better than most what that meant.
~
Clark glanced at Lois briefly to find her looking at him with such understanding that it made his heart ache. He schooled his features into his grim-faced Superman façade and tried to bury his anxiety. Yes, he and Lois had behaved childishly in front of Perry, leading members of the city, the Metropolis news corps and, he swallowed, millions of TV viewers, but when she had provoked him and blatantly disregarded his request to call him Clark, he hadn’t been able to control his emotions. He shook his head in frustration. No one had ever gotten to him like that, not Lana, not even the other Lois.
Still, he’d said some pretty insensitive things to her. She had told him that she’d been recovering from injuries at a mission in the Congo. The fact that she’d been missing for four years indicated that it had been serious. There had been no excuse for his jab at her human frailties. He squared his shoulders and turned to face her. He owed her an apology.
“Ms. Lane, I want to apologize for my behavior earlier. It was insensitive to make light of your injuries.”
“Oh, my god! It’s *not* you that should apologize. You were right. I acted unprofessionally. I attacked you, pushed you to defend your actions, and give an account of your time, but I had no right.” Lois swallowed the ache in her throat and blinked away tears that sprang to her eyes. "I know that you don’t know me, but I am very sorry. I’m not sure how I can make it up to you, but I promise I will.”
Clark was surprised and strangely touched at her apology. His research into her life over the past year had given him the image of an unyielding person that never apologized. It didn’t change what had happened, but it made all the difference that she felt sorry for her actions. Still, it takes two to tango and their argument wouldn’t have spiraled out of control had he chosen not to participate.
Clark opened his mouth, but his response was cut off by the arrival of Perry White and his entourage. The Mayor’s press secretary, a short, squirrelly man wearing a bow tie and suspenders, spared them a curious glance, but the two of them were otherwise ignored as Perry began barking out orders to the members of his group. It was a scene so reminiscent of Perry in the newsroom that Clark watched wistfully as individuals hastily scurried out of the room to complete their assigned tasks.
As Perry’s personal aide finally took her leave, she closed the door behind her and left the two reporters alone with their friend and former boss. Clark watched as Perry finished perusing the file in his hand. An endless moment later, Perry closed the file, set it on the corner of his desk, and then shed both his suit coat and tie. He turned and carefully rolled up his shirtsleeves, all the while not looking at either of them.
~
Lois shook back her hair and stiffened her back against whatever would come next. From the corner of her eye, Lois saw Clark shift and raise his hand to adjust his glasses again. When she saw Perry stand near his desk with his arms folded across his chest, she cleared her throat and started to explain.
“Chief, I just want to say…”
Lois’s slightly desperate apology cut off abruptly at one stern look and an upraised finger. Next to her, she saw Clark glance at her, but he remained silent and still as Perry shifted the steely look to him. Perry left them to stew under his reproachful gaze for another minute, and then nodded.
“That’s better,” Perry said. “Now, I don’t know what could have possibly gotten you madder than two wet cats in a burlap sack, but I don’t ever want that kind of ruckus at a press conference again, you hear?”
At their twin nods, he focused his attention on Lois. “From now on, I expect that you’ll defer to Clark’s request to be addressed appropriately and respect his right to a private life. You of all people should know the importance of being acknowledged for who you are, not what you can do.”
Lois felt the heat of shame creep up her neck and stain her cheeks at the reprimand. Yes, she knew how essential it was to Clark to be seen for himself; she’d felt the same way most of her life. She knew how hard Clark had to fight for acceptance and legitimacy as a journalist after his exposure and her remarks were an unforgivable reminder of his differences. She had treated him hostilely as a dubious subject, not as a person worthy of trust and admiration.
Lois could feel Clark’s speculation at Perry’s words and she tried to will her heartbeat to normal. It would be due payment for Clark to find out about her special abilities this way, but she wanted desperately to keep them a secret now. Hardly two hours ago, she’d been eager for Clark to know everything about her, now she could think of nothing worse. Perry turned to address Clark.
“Clark. I’m going to assume that your part in this was a one-off. I’ve never heard you make light of someone else’s suffering,” Perry glanced at Lois and shook his head, “but even the angels in heaven above have limits.”
Clark mumbled a “yes, sir,” and almost smiled at Perry’s addendum. He saw Lois grimace at Perry, but she held her tongue.
Satisfied that they both understood, Perry unfolded his arms and gestured for them to sit in the two chairs opposite his desk. He watched them with an unreadable expression as they carefully avoided each other to settle uncomfortably into their seats.
“Well, now. You bury whatever happened between you two since Clark’s return this morning because we need your help. *Both* of you,” he emphasized when Lois opened her mouth. “I know you can be professional, even in extremely difficult circumstances, and I’m expecting your best behavior from now on. Got it?”
Perry nodded in satisfaction at the chorus of affirmative responses and then leaned against the corner of his desk. He turned again to Clark.
“It’s good to see you back, Clark. Your adventure in that other place took a mite longer than you anticipated. Everything turn out okay?”
“Yes, sir. After I found …” he glanced askance at Lois, “uh, completed my mission, I stayed a while with family. I hope things weren’t too bad in my absence.”
“Nothin’ we couldn’t handle, son.”
Lois sniffed audibly, but before Perry could do more than raise and eyebrow in her direction, there was a sharp rap at the door and Police Chief Sorenson entered the room, followed closely by Inspector Henderson.
“Ah, good. They’re here,” Sorenson pronounced as he strode across the room. “Do they know why they’re here yet, Mr. Mayor?”
Perry indicated the two armchairs across a coffee table from Lois and Clark and motioned for the two men to sit. “Not yet, Clifford. We were just, uh, taking care of some other business first.”
Lois scowled at Chief Sorenson’s thinly disguised smirk and Henderson’s snort. “Don’t talk about me as if I’m not sitting right here, Chief. If you’ve got something for me, then let’s get to it.”
Sorenson made a permissive gesture toward Henderson, who immediately felt the file in his hand disappear when Lois reached across the coffee table to snatch it out of his hands. Of the four men in the room, only Clark seemed bemused by Lois’s audacious behavior. Lois ignored them all and settled back into her chair, already engrossed in the contents of the file. Clark raised his eyebrows in question, but before he could ask for an explanation, Lois tossed the file onto the table toward him and scowled at Henderson again.
“That’s the file I gave you yesterday. Does this mean that you’ve decided not to follow-up on my lead?”
Perry chuckled with fatherly affection and then looked to Sorenson to answer the question.
“As I mentioned to Perry before the press conference, Henderson brought me your file yesterday regarding the bride’s disappearance and filled me in on your theory.”
“Ms. Lolita Dolcheck, the fashion model?” Clark asked, holding up a picture from the file. “Wasn’t she engaged to be married to the Metropolis Metros’ running back, Brian Costello?” Clark asked.
“They married a week ago. Unfortunately, Mr. Costello died in a car accident the day after the wedding and Ms. Dolchek has disappeared.”
“That’s strange. Didn’t something similar happen to that TV host and his new bride in February?”
“Except for the manner of death for the groom, yes. He was a chef and the case cited carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty grill in their home. Based on Lois’s file, it also bears similarities to a musician newly married to his agent from the South Side in May. The only difference was the manner of death; in that case the groom died falling down a flight of stairs at their honeymoon retreat.”
“You found something,” Lois stated confidently.
Henderson nodded. “Based on your theory, the forensic team reexamined the possibility of forced entry and found gouges on both the pins and the face of the plugs at each location. Someone picked the locks.”
“I knew they weren’t accidental.” Lois pounded her fist on the arm of her chair. “They’re connected.”
Henderson ceded the possibility with a nod and tapped the file on the table between them. “They also found an incision in Mr. Costello’s brake line and unusual blockage and abnormal wiring in Mr. Paget’s stove. It seems we have a serial killer targeting famous, newly married couples.”
“Any leads on the missing spouses?” Clark asked.
Henderson shook his head. “Nothing. No ransom notes have been received by any family members, no trace of travel by plane, bus, train, or car rental. By all accounts, they’ve vanished into thin air.”
“So you agree with my plan?” Lois asked eagerly.
Sorenson grimaced. “I’d rather it be trained officers from my force to pose as newlyweds, but I doubt we have anyone with the star-power to attract our killer. Henderson vouched for you, so you’re on, Lane.”
Clark looked up from the file in alarm. “Wait a minute. Are you seriously considering letting Lois go undercover to catch a serial killer? Are you nuts?”
“Hey! No one is *letting* me do anything. This is my story.”
“Perry?”
“That was her condition for sharing the information, Clark. Plus, I know that Lois can handle it, especially with her famous fiancé looking out for her.”
Lois scowled. “I told you I’d pick my partner myself. I can’t have some amateur around to mess this up.”
Sorenson and the Mayor shared a look before Perry answered. “Don’t worry, Lois,” he assured her. “The man we have in mind is capable and is a perfectly believable cover.”
~
Clark tried to protest twice more as Lois started to negotiate with Henderson about her ‘alleged’ fiancé. His apprehension grew as his protests were countered or, in Lois’s case, ignored completely. Didn’t they see how dangerous this could be? Lois was going undercover to participate in a sham wedding in order to attract a killer. The scenario bothered him tremendously, but the idea of her playacting an engagement with some rich or famous man twisted Clark’s insides. How could anyone possibly protect her? And which half of the team would be targeted? Would the murderer try to kidnap Lois or kill her? Worse yet, there was no trace of the other three women. Where were they taken? Would the murderer kidnap, torture, and then kill Lois? All in all, he couldn’t see the merit in this plan.
And what was his role in this? Was he supposed to be her bodyguard? What if he was called away on an emergency? Maybe they wanted him to research and find the killer before her supposed ‘wedding’ was to take place. His spirits lifted at the thought that he might be able to track down this serial killer on his own before Lois put herself in harm’s way.
“Excuse me, Chief. If Lois and her mystery fiancé are acting as bait, then what is it you want me to do?”
“Well, this would have been easier before press conference today, but we could always leak the ‘lover’s spat’ angle to the tabloids…”
Sorenson tilted his head toward the reporters and Henderson pulled a couple of objects from his pocket. He placed them in Clark’s open hand and saw two golden rings glitter in his palm.
“Congratulations, Lois and Clark. You’re getting married.”
~ - ~
TBC
