Another Friday, another bit of Magic
Hidden Magic
"Lois?"
The voice was muffled and so hoarse that she didn't recognize it. There was a rebuff already on her lips when Lois looked up, ready to put down whoever was addressing her so casually. But as she spotted Clark in front of her desk, she caught herself. His shoulders were slumped. It was baffling to her how such a tall man could look so small. He fidgeted with his hands, his gaze continually drifting down to Houdini, as if he wanted to check on the dog. The setter stood beside his master, his stance relaxed but guarded.
"Can I talk to you?" Clark shifted on his feet.
Lois raised her brows, curious what had him so on edge. "Of course, Clark. What's the matter?"
"Would you…" he looked around nervously. "Would you mind if we went somewhere else?"
Now, her curiosity was definitely piqued. She felt a strange rush of excitement. Maybe he had some lead that he needed her help with? Lois had never felt like she needed a partner, but there was something about Clark Kent she didn't know how to describe.
"I believe the conference room is free," she offered.
He looked down at his dog. For some reason Clark seemed even more agitated than before. Then he shook his head. "I'd prefer if we talked outside. Centennial Park is close."
Lois furrowed her brows. She wasn't keen on leaving the Planet right now because she was still wrapping up her latest story on the series of arsons. The police had no leads, but she felt there was some connection to a criminal organization that controlled the Southside.
Clark seemed to sense her reluctance. "I can wait until you head for your lunch break," he offered. "I'll buy."
Lois nodded. "Okay, I think I should be out of here by noon. Meet you at the main entrance."
Clark relaxed somewhat. "I'll see you there."
He hurried out of the newsroom, heading straight for the staircase. Lois shook her head as she watched them. Most people preferred the elevator. But this was the second time already that she saw Clark use the stairs. Though it wasn't a big deal, somehow it added to the mystery that was Clark Kent.
***
Lois was surprised to realize that she'd actually hurried to make the meeting with Clark. When she approached the main entrance of Centennial Park she was fifteen minutes early. Clark Kent wasn't there, yet.
Her gaze drifted up into the air while she waited for him and she wished that MagiKal would choose this moment for one of his performances. But she had little hope it was going to happen. No one had seen him since his rescue at the fire. That only fueled the speculation about his involvement.
Lois didn't believe he was responsible, but his absence gave her pause. It was odd that he still hadn't given any statement. It wasn’t only the press who failed to contact him. Murray Brown's ads in various papers hadn't escaped her notice. That even his agent had no way of contacting him was probably the strangest thing of all.
Lois heard a dog whimpering in the distance. There was a male voice grunting and uttering a string of curses. Lois craned her neck to see where the noises were coming from. Could it be Clark? Was he having another bout of migraine?
Lois followed the sounds and spotted Clark hunched on the ground burying his face in his hands. His moans of pain sent shivers down her spine.
Houdini was sitting by his side but got up as soon as he spotted her. Once again, he bared his teeth as he approached her.
"Clark?" she asked, scared. "Are you all right?"
"Lois?" He sounded alarmed.
She heard him mutter something under his breath that sounded like an expletive. Then he shook his head as if to clear it and relaxed. Quickly, Clark scrambled to his feet. A deep blush tinted his cheeks. Lois realized with a start that he wasn't wearing his coat though the wind was icy. As he wrapped it around himself, Lois thought she saw angry red blisters covering his forearms and hands.
Clark stared at her like a deer in headlights. "We wanted to meet at the entrance, why didn't you wait for me there?"
"I…" Lois took a step back, eyeing Houdini who, with his teeth bared, was still blocking her way to Clark.
"Sorry about him," Clark muttered. "Down, Houdini. Come back to me."
The setter instantly relaxed and rushed back to Clark's side.
"What's with your hands?" Lois asked worriedly.
"My hands?" He looked at them. The skin was completely smooth. "What do you mean?"
Lois blinked. Had she imagined the scorch marks? This got more and more confusing.
"Strange, I could have sworn your hands looked burnt."
"Well, as you can see, they're not," Clark replied tightly.
He looked even more uncomfortable than he had earlier in the newsroom. Was he just nervous about talking to her or was there something else going on? Her reporter's instincts were screaming at her to dig deeper. But she suspected that he'd clam up, especially if there was really something he was trying to hide. That way, she wouldn't learn more about what he wanted to tell her. Lois took a deep breath, making a conscious decision to let the matter drop for the time being.
"What did you want to talk about?" she asked instead.
He cleared his throat and looked down at Houdini who was licking his hand. It seemed as if there was some sort of quiet exchange between the two of them. Lois watched it, feeling slightly irritated.
"I know MagiKal wasn't responsible for the fire," Clark said, eventually. "I could use your help to prove it."
Lois took in a sharp breath. "You know? Have… have you spoken to him?"
He couldn't really meet her gaze. "I… no…I," he stuttered.
Lois couldn't help but feel he was lying. Her excitement spiked. She was hard pressed not to call him out on it. Could the new guy at the paper, who refused to secure his position for reasons only known to him, actually have the inside track?
He clenched his hands into fists. "There is a group called “ The Toasters.” I believe they are involved with the Metro Gang. But I can't prove it."
Lois stared at him, taken aback. She'd been so caught up with MagiKal that it took her a moment to process what Clark had said.
"I've been hearing rumors about the Metros as well," she conceded.
She couldn't help but feel disappointed, because his lead wasn't an exclusive interview with MagiKal after all. But for the sake of the story she'd have to suck it up.
"This is something we should follow up on," Lois suggested. "Why don't we go undercover at the Metro Club and see what we can find out?"
"We?" Clark asked, surprised.
"Of course, we. It's your lead." Lois replied.
Her heart fluttered with excitement at the prospect of working with Clark. What was happening here? She didn't need a partner, never had. It would allow her to keep an eye on the strange newbie, she tried to rationalize the feeling. Maybe she'd find out what he was hiding. But a quiet voice in the back of her mind insisted it wasn't the only reason.
"Too bad you didn't talk to MagiKal," Lois added.
Clark raised his brows. "Why is that?"
Lois noticed that once again he exchanged glances with his dog. These two really were the strangest pair.
"We need to convince him to give me that interview," she replied. "He should tell the people his version of what happened at the fire."
Clark shifted his position and dragged his fingers deep into Houdini's fur. "Maybe he is shy and doesn't want the publicity?"
Lois laughed. "It's a bit late for that, don't you think?"
A faint blush appeared on Clark’s cheeks. “You’re probably right,” he conceded. “We should try and talk to MagiKal the next time we see him.”
Houdini started to nudge Clark’s side, pushing him forward. Clark gave a small sigh and shook his head almost imperceptibly. But the dog didn’t stop, wagged his tail and barked as if he was trying to tell his master something. It was an odd sight.
Finally, Clark shook his head and smiled. “I guess Houdini is trying to remind me that I promised you lunch. Do you like Chinese?” When she nodded he smiled at her. “I know just the place. Houdini will keep you company for a moment, I’ll be right back.”
Houdini gave a small whimper as Clark darted off. Then he slowly approached Lois and pressed his nose into her hand, his eyes begging her to stroke him. He wagged his tail happily when she scratched him behind his ear. It was hard to believe the setter had threatened her just moments ago.
It really didn’t take Clark long to return. And he brought the best Chinese food Lois had ever tasted. As they ate in companionable silence, Lois studied Clark thoughtfully. She was strangely excited at the prospect of working with him. The man was full of surprises.
What was going to be the next one?
Last edited by bakasi; 02/03/23 08:40 AM.
