Good morning everyone! Well morning for me! Here's part 23 of 23. Can you believe it's finally here?
Sue and I hope you enjoy!
Table of Contents ********************
From Part Twenty-Two
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“Did that call have something to do with Lois?” When Dan hesitated, Clark continued, “I can see the fear in your eyes. Tell me what’s going on.”
Clark knew very well what was going on but he couldn’t rush off to save Lois as Superman. Knox obviously had some kind of surveillance around the CostMart building. If Clark went as Superman, he’d get Lois killed for sure. But he could go as Clark and try to find a way to get to her. He was pretty certain he knew where they were holding her – the same bunker that Bill Jr. had held Perry in when he kidnapped him.
But Clark wouldn’t be able to explain how he had found Lois – unless Dan told him. So Dan was going to have to tell him.
Clark tightened his grip on Dan’s arm until he flinched a little. “Let me go, Kent. It’s Lois. Charles Knox has her. I’m supposed to meet him at the CostMart building.” Clark loosened his grip and Dan jerked his arm away. “I know how you feel about Lois and I know what you think of me. But you can trust me. I don’t want to see anything happen to Lois. Don’t say anything to Henderson. Knox said if he sees any cops, Lois is dead.”
Dan started to walk away but hesitated. “And if you see Superman, tell him to stay close, but not to interfere.” He sighed heavily and his eyes darkened. “Knox will kill her if he sees Superman anywhere near them.”
Then, before Clark could respond, Dan was running full tilt and disappeared around the corner of the building.
Clark headed for the closest alley. Knox had said Superman couldn’t be seen – but Superman could at least get Clark close.
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PART TWENTY-THREE
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Lois was flying. The houses and buildings below her looked so small. The city of Metropolis seemed like such a peaceful place from way up here.
Is that why Clark loved to fly? Yes, probably part of it, anyway. She imagined that he felt the same exhilarating freeness that she did, up here soaring among the clouds. She had always wanted to fly – and not just in an airplane. Lois had flown in airplanes many times.
There was nothing to compare to this.
Lois had flown with Clark – Superman - many times since she had met him. Usually it was because he had just rescued her from some horrifying situation. But since they had started dating, sometimes he brought her up here just to fly with her.
And sometimes... she would ask him to.
Lois felt Clark’s arms wrap around her more protectively, shielding her from the cold dampness of the wind around them. Part of her wished that she could stay like this forever, safely cocooned within the gentle strength of his body, flying free – high above her cares, her worries, her problems.
She closed her eyes for a second so as not to be distracted by what she was seeing and she just allowed herself to feel. She could feel the moisture in the air, the warmth of the sun on her face... Clark’s hands where they rested against her body.
Hands that seemed to be losing their grip.
Hands that were suddenly gone and she was falling - flailing blindly in the dark. She opened her eyes but there was nothing to see. She wanted to scream for Clark. Didn’t he realize that she needed him? That she needed help?
But her voice wouldn’t work.
And then there was pain. So much pain. It threatened to consume her. And she at once realized that this must be what it felt like to die.
She had fallen to her death.
But then there was a voice. It was calling to her. It needed her help. What was it saying? She tried to concentrate on it.
“...tell me where they are,” a man’s voice instructed her.
What? She shook her head in confusion. Why didn’t her eyes want to open? There was a strange buzzing in her ears – her body didn’t seem to want to cooperate with her. Had she been paralyzed? “What?” she asked through a choked voice that she barely recognized as her own. “Please, I need help. Can you help me?”
“Yes. I can help you, Ms. Lane. You tell me where the Nirvana notes are and I will get you some help,” the voice assured her.
Oh, the Nirvana notes. Yes, that was easy. Those were in her apartment under the cushion of her loveseat. “Yes. I can tell you.”
“Good. I’m listening. Go on.”
“They’re...” Lois paused. This wasn’t right. Something... she couldn’t explain it, but something inside her told her that this was all wrong. She tried to reach up with her hands to rub her eyes, but met with resistance. But her hands weren’t paralyzed, they were being restrained. They were tied down.
What?
How could her hands be tied down if she had been flying only a second ago?
Because you weren’t flying a second ago, her mind clarified.
And then it all came back to her. She was being held underground by Charles Knox. He wanted her Nirvana notes. He had stolen her memories from her. He had tortured her.
He was probably going to kill her.
The numbness in her body gave itself over to the pain and a million little shards of fire sliced through her as she remembered being electrocuted.
Her eyes flew open as she cried out, “No! No, I won’t tell you.”
Knox was standing in front of her with an eager look in his eyes. He blinked once and then the look faded into one of impatience. “Why are you fighting me? You know I have the power to hurt you again. That was merely a taste of what I can do. It can last much longer.” His eyes narrowed. “I can make you talk. I *will* make you talk.”
“You’ll kill me,” she stated flatly. “And then you’ll have to answer to Mindy Church, won’t you? I bet Mrs. Church wouldn’t be too happy about that, would she?”
“Mrs. Church?” Knox gave her a puzzled look. “Now why would you think she’s involved in this?”
“I heard you talking to Dr. Peterson about answering to *her*. I know your boss is a woman. And I know you used to be partners with Intergang on Nirvana. I’m willing to bet you still are.” It was such an effort to talk, but she clung to the thought that Dan was probably on his way and he might be able to help her. And there was still a chance that Clark might find her - she had to give him time. “I think a woman has taken over Intergang, and I think that woman is Mindy Church.”
Knox was silent. His silence was proof enough for her.
She had to keep him talking. Besides the pain involved with being electrocuted and the fear of not knowing what damage it was capable of causing, she wasn't sure her resolve could survive another round of it. She had almost given him exactly the information he had wanted... and on accident. She hadn’t been able to think clearly.
Keep him talking. “But what I really want to know is how you got to Dr. Klein? How did you get him to work for you? He is an upstanding scientist in his field, devoted to his work. How could you have possibly...” Lois paused for a moment when she realized the answer. They had drugged him too.
Knox saw the realization on her face. “Yes. That’s right. We used Klein to get the drug... him and that little assistant of his – Mandy. You’d be surprised what an otherwise loyal employee will do when you threaten to kill her family.”
Lois blanched. Poor Dr. Klein. All this time he had been innocent. Well, as soon as she found a way out of this mess, she would get him cleared.
*If* she found a way out.
“So you had Dr. Klein’s assistant slip him some of the very drug he was working on?” she guessed.
Knox didn’t say anything.
“What is Mrs. Church planning to use the drug for?” She shifted against her bonds, hating that she was trapped by this man. She had to keep him talking.
“I think that’s just about enough,” Knox said, crossing his arms in front of him. “I’m the one doing the interrogating, not the other way around. Now, do you have anything you want to tell me? Or do you require further persuasion?” He uncrossed his arms and held the remote up in front of him.
Her palms began to sweat and her teeth were threatening to chatter. Clark would come. He would find her. She just had to last until then.
She just had to keep her mouth shut a little while longer.
**********
Clark rode the private elevator down into the bunker below Costmart, silently seething that he couldn’t go to Lois as Superman. He couldn’t take the risk, though. Knox had threatened to kill Lois if he saw Superman anywhere close by and Clark couldn’t even count the number of security cameras he had already seen thus far. He didn’t think he could find them all or take them all out in time.
But ‘Clark’... Knox wouldn’t kill Lois if he saw just ‘Clark’ coming. He might actually even view it as an advantage. Knox might think he could use Clark, threaten him, to get whatever it was that he wanted.
Let him think that.
It hadn’t taken much to get past the two men guarding the entrance to the elevator. Clark had tried to slip past them, but because he couldn’t move at super speed, he had been caught. He knew he didn’t have any time to spare, so he had fought back.
He had tried to be careful, but his mind had been on Lois. Clark winced as he remembered the sound of the bones shattering in the one guard’s hand as Clark had sidestepped him and the man had punched the concrete wall behind Clark.
Better the concrete wall than Clark’s body... well, maybe.
Clark had been afraid that the commotion they were causing was going to draw some unwanted attention, so he had knocked them out. His stomach churned a little at the thought. It came awfully close to crossing a line that he didn’t want to think about – purposely hurting someone.
But he hadn’t been left with many options. Lois had to be saved at all costs... Even if that meant Clark had to reveal his secret. He already knew that once he found her, if push came to shove, he would just change into Superman right then if he needed to - to save her.
Clark pressed the button on the panel of the elevator again – as if that would hurry it along. He was about to go insane waiting for the elevator to reach the bunker’s level. When it finally did and the doors opened, he headed out of them at a run.
But then a sound brought him to an immediate halt, stealing his breath from his lungs. It was Lois.
She let out an angry sounding scream.
And then she was shouting, “No! I won’t tell you!”
“Then I will kill you,” the voice he recognized as Knox bit out.
“You’ll kill me anyway – even if I tell you!”
Clark listened to her voice, following it to locate which room she was in. He could tell she was trying to be brave but he could hear the tremor in her voice and it made him ache. What was Knox doing to her?
“No. If you cooperate, I won’t kill you,” Clark heard Knox assure her. “I’ll take your memories from you, but I won’t kill you. You have my word.”
“I’d rather die!” Clark heard her spat. He had located the room and he violently shoved the double doors open.
“Let her go, Knox!” he shouted as he entered through the doors.
“Clark!” Lois whimpered, her body slumping against the ropes holding her in place. Clark winced and turned on Knox, his eyes flashing dangerously.
“Mr. Kent,” Knox addressed him coolly, apparently unfazed by the vehemence in Clark’s glare. “I don’t believe I invited you to this little party. Where’s Agent Scardino?”
“He’s on his way, but I was faster,” Clark answered him, moving towards Lois. She was tied down in a chair and appeared to be hooked up to some kind of battery. Clark felt the color drain from his face. “Just what do you want?” he ground out between clenched teeth.
“For starters I want you to move back.”
“And if I don’t?” Clark challenged.
“Then Ms. Lane, here, is going to suffer a whole lot because of you.” He held up some kind of remote in his hand and gestured with it. “If you push me, I just might have to kill her.”
Clark wasn’t sure if that battery had enough juice to actually kill Lois, but he wasn’t taking any chances - he obediently backed up a few paces. “Okay, all right. I’m backing up.” He looked into Lois’s eyes and saw her determination. She had been resisting Knox. Her face was pale and drawn up from pain, but the fire still burned in her eyes. It threatened to overwhelm him.
He looked back at Knox and the device he held in his hand. Clark was sure if he moved at super speed that he could get to Knox and get that remote out of his hands before Knox had time to activate it again.
Clark would have to reveal himself in order to do it. But if that was the only way, he had to do it. He had no choice.
Knox was watching his eyes and he gave Clark the slightest of smirks. “Don’t even think that you could get to me first. It only takes one push to activate the charge – it takes another push to deactivate it. And it’s keyed to my thumbprint. I think you can imagine what would happen if I managed to press it only once... Are you in the mood for a barbeque?”
Lois pushed the remaining haze from her mind. Clark was here. He had come. She knew he would. But he hadn’t come as Superman. She frowned – why had he come as Clark?
She watched him survey their situation, noticing the way he seemed to be calculating something. He was trying to make a decision. She felt her stomach flip-flop. He was considering doing something “super” to save her. She knew that’s what he must be thinking.
She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t just come as Superman to begin with, but she had to stop him. Knox couldn’t find out that he was Superman. If Knox found out that he was Superman...
Lois didn’t even want to think about it.
“Knox. I’ll give you what you want. Just let Clark go,” she said, her tongue feeling thick. Her mouth felt like cotton had been stuffed in inside of it. “Please. I’ll give it to you.”
Knox was backing away from Clark, unintentionally moving closer to Lois. She tried to gauge how close he would have to be before she could attempt to kick the remote out of his hand. Please, Clark, she thought, please don’t do anything stupid. Give me some time.
Clark watched Lois carefully. She seemed to be begging him with her eyes, but oddly enough it didn’t seem like she was begging him to help her. Had she guessed that he was thinking of revealing himself? He frowned, probably. But how did she expect him to help her otherwise? What was it that Knox wanted? What was she willing to give him to spare Clark? “What do you want from her, Knox?”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Maybe I could get it for you.” Clark was desperate. He would do anything to get Lois out of here, to get her safe. Maybe he could convince Knox to take him captive instead – let Lois go.
Knox looked like he was considering Clark’s proposal. “Besides using Lois to draw Agent Scardino here, I want Dr. Klein’s formula for Nirvana. Do you know where his notes are?”
Clark fidgeted. He didn’t know where they were. But if the thief who had broken into Lois’s apartment hadn’t found them, then that meant they had to still be there. “Yes, I can get them for you.” All Clark had to do was give Lois’s place a quick x-ray and he would find them.
Lois was fixed intently on Knox as he came closer – almost within striking distance. Keep him talking, Clark. Give me a chance...
“And you would get it for me in exchange for Lois Lane’s life?” Knox asked, one eyebrow raising ever so slightly. “You realize that I’ll still have to erase her memory... and I’m not willing to let both of you go. You know too much. Are you willing to trade your life for hers?
“Yes. Please, just let her go,” Clark pleaded. Knox wasn’t willing to let any of them go alive – no matter what he said. But if Clark could just get Knox away from here, away from Lois... away from that remote...
Knox seemed to consider his request. But Lois was having none of it. She knew Knox couldn’t kill Clark, not literally, and that Clark was doing what he could to get her out of here safely. But her mind raced with all the things that could go wrong - Clark could end up having to do something “super” and give himself away... or Knox could end up trying to shoot Clark and find out that way... “No. Clark! Don’t do it.”
“Shut up! Both of you,” Knox snapped. He was just barely within her reach. Just a little more... “It’s irrelevant who gives me what I want. If I kill you, Mr. Kent, I can torture what I need from Ms. Lane – once I’ve taken care of Agent Scardino.”
There was no time left. Lois braced herself and kicked out at the remote Knox held in his hand. She connected with it and it popped up out of his hand... only to be caught by the other one.
“You’ll be sorry you did that, Ms. Lane.” Knox drew his sidearm from his jacket with his other hand and pointed it at Clark.
“No!” Lois shouted, kicking out at him again. He rolled his eyes and snorted contemptuously at her before pressing the button on the remote.
Lois screamed – bucking against the restraints that held her in firmly in place and then welcoming the placid blackness of unconsciousness that was threatening to overtake her. Clark, I’m sorry, she thought as the dark overtook her. I love you.
Clark watched in horror as Lois collapsed, her body convulsing against the current. Time seemed to stand still for just a moment and, before he could react, the doors to the room were thrown open.
Knox shot reflexively at the opening doors, hitting Dan Scardino in the left shoulder as he came barreling through them. A groan of pain came from Dan and he dropped to the ground, rolling and drawing his sidearm as he fell. He fired one shot.
Knox was tracking Scardino with his gun and was about to pull the trigger when the bullet from Scardino’s gun caught him neatly in the forehead.
Clark was already running towards Knox and he caught his body as it fell. He pulled Knox’s hand down to the remote that had fallen to the floor beneath them and pressed his unresisting thumb against the button.
Lois’s body slumped limply against her restraints.
“Lois!” both men shouted into the silence of the room. Dan struggled to get up from the floor but collapsed with a groan. His eyes rolled back in his head as his arms became slack. A pool of blood was forming under his shoulder.
Dan needed help, but Lois was first.
Clark ran over to her chair and ripped away the ropes that were holding her. He checked her neck for a pulse and his knees almost buckled when he didn’t find one.
In one fluid motion he scooped her up out of the chair and laid her down on the floor. He tipped her head back and pressed his mouth to hers, forcing air into her lungs. His mind flitted back to a night not so long ago, when he had been trying to revive her.
Clark put his hands to her chest and did compressions. He found himself saying words similar to the ones he had uttered that night, “Fight, Lois, come on, fight... Don’t give up.” Another breath into her mouth. “Please don’t give up. I need you.” More compressions.
He kept waiting for that moment, like the time before, where she would suck in a shaky breath... and everything would be okay.
But she wasn’t breathing.
And everything wasn’t okay.
“No, Lois!” His voice trembled and he almost choked on her name. “Don’t do this.” He took her gently by the shoulders and shook her. “Come back to me. Breathe, Lois.” He put his lips back to her mouth and blew another breath into her lungs. “Breathe, dammit!”
This couldn’t be it. It couldn’t end like this. Not like this.
Clark looked around and spotted the battery that was strapped to the bottom of her chair. He pulled the electrodes from Lois’s forehead and let them fall to the floor before running over to Knox’s body. He pressed Knox’s thumb to the remote and then picked up the thrumming electrodes – he could feel the energy coursing through them. Holding them in one hand, he held his other hand above Lois’s heart.
“Please, live...”
**********
Clark had nodded off and he shook himself lightly to wake up, sitting up a little straighter in his chair as he did. He looked over and winced to see Lois lying so still in her hospital bed. An oxygen cannula lay beneath her nose and a bewildering array of monitors, wires, and IV’s were attached to her body.
This confirmation of her mortality made Clark weak and he tipped his head back against the wall behind him.
She’s okay now, he told himself. She’s here, she’s safe – everything’s gonna be all right.
He had lost count of the number of times he had told himself that in the past few hours. But it wouldn’t hurt to tell himself again.
It was over. She was okay now.
Clark frowned as he lowered his head back down. She wasn’t all right. She was trembling. The motion was shaking the blanket covering her. Every so often her head jerked from one side to the other and it seemed as if she was having a dream – maybe a nightmare. Clark got up and walked over to her, laying his hand gently on her forehead to reassure her.
“Shhhh. It’s okay. I’m here,” he soothed.
“No,” she murmured. “No, stop!”
“Lois, honey, it’s just a bad dream,” he whispered gently. “Go back to sleep, you’ll be okay.” He stroked her forehead softly and pulled her covers up around her a little more snugly.
“Don’t!” she cried. “Get away!”
Clark knew she wasn’t talking to him, but it still caused a knee-jerk reaction and he backed up just a little bit. “Lois?” he said her name softly. “You’re safe now. It’s okay.”
He started to move towards her again when her eyes flew open and she sat up in bed, sucking in a shaky breath.
“Wait, Lois. You’re gonna pull something loose...”
Lois looked up at him and her eyes widened. She jerked her covers up around her and snaked further down under them. “Who? Who are you?” She squinted through the darkness at Clark. “Where am I?” She searched the room, her head turning in jerky movements.
“It’s Clark. You’re okay. You’re at the hospital and...”
“Clark?”
“Yes.” Clark stepped in closer to her, ready to hold her in his arms.
“Clark who?”
Her words stopped him dead in his tracks. No. No her memory was just hazy. “You remember, Lois. Clark. We work together at the Daily Planet.”
“No,” she snorted. “I don’t work with anyone and I don’t know a ‘Clark’.”
Clark felt himself beginning to panic. She didn’t remember him? At all? “Lois...”
“Stop saying my name. You don’t know me. I haven’t seen you before in my life.”
Clark swallowed convulsively. Now he knew how Dan Scardino had felt. Maybe things would just be a little hazy at first. “Lo...” Clark swallowed again, and could feel the lump forming in his throat, “Ms. Lane, it’s all right. I know you don’t remember me, but trust me, you do know me. I’m a very good friend. I’m here to help...” He took a step closer to her and her eyes widened.
“Stop!” She held up one hand in front of her. “Stop right there. Don’t move!” Her hand fumbled to get the covers off of her and she climbed weakly out of bed away from him, causing a couple of monitor leads to be pulled from her body.
His heart was breaking inside him. The doctor had told him that he didn’t know how extensive the damage would be, that they wouldn’t know for sure until she woke up. But he had warned Clark that it was very possible there could be permanent brain damage – permanent memory loss.
Besides the pain in his chest that was cutting off the air to his lungs, Clark was numb. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. He had saved her. She was supposed to be okay.
Lois continued backing away from him, pulling wires and machines with her, until her back was against the wall. Alarms were now blaring in the stark silence of the room. She yelped when one of the monitors tipped over and crashed to the floor beside her.
Clark reached out for her instinctively. “Wait! Don’t. You’re going to hurt yourself. Please.”
Lois looked like a cornered animal and her hand came out to slap his away. “Get back! Don’t touch me! Help! Someone help me!”
Clark reeled and closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. But he found that he couldn’t. Lois was gone. Everything was gone.
**********
The End.....NOT!
