Suits
A What if...? For Strange Visitor
< > = Lois attempting telepathy
+++
“Superman… Superman… Superman… Ahhh!” Lois chanted as she plummeted towards the earth. “Superman, help!”
She closed her eyes and concentrated. <
Oh god, oh god, Superman, please!> She begged inwardly, hoping for the first time that Superman was indeed telepathic and could hear her silent cries for help.
Her eyes opened again and her stomach sank with the realization that she could see land beneath her and that she would be dead within minutes. Perhaps seconds!
“Oh god…” she closed her eyes again, not wanting to see anymore.
At least it will be quick, she mused.
“Superman, please…” she whispered one last time. <
Please, Superman!>
She felt herself fall forward, her eyes shut tight, her teeth gritted, and she prepared for death.
Then her body collided with something solid.
++++
Clark leaped from the aircraft, instantly tuning into Lois’ cries for help. It took him a moment to get his bearings before he straightened his body out and quickly flew toward her screams.
And wow, could she scream! He almost grinned to himself as he sped up. I’m coming Lois, he thought.
“Superman! Help!”
He paused mid-air for a moment to get his bearings again, using his enhanced vision to locate her, his heart skipping a beat as he saw how dangerously close to the ground she was.
Time to speed up again, he thought. He gritted his teeth and became a blur rushing towards her.
++++
She must have passed out for a moment because when she came to, she felt a little winded but otherwise alright.
Lois opened her eyes to find herself staring into the concerned face of Clark Kent, who had his arms tight around her waist.
“Clark?” She croaked out his name.
“Lois, are you alright?” Clark reached up with one hand and brushed her unruly hair from her face, his other hand still holding her tight around her middle, his body against hers as the wind whipped sharply around them.
She tried to concentrate on catching her breath. Her arms came up to wrap around his neck tightly, and she looked around as she tried to get her bearings.
They were still in the sky! How was this possible? She looked down past their dangling legs and breathed a sigh of relief that she was no longer hurtling toward the earth below.
How the hell was Clark doing this? Why wasn’t she… splattered on a pavement somewhere?
“Lois?”
Her head snapped up to look at him. “What’s happening?” she asked him. “How are you doing this? We’re… floating.”
“We’re flying,” Clark corrected her with a chuckle.
Her breath hitched. “How?”
“I forgot to change into my suit,” he mumbled, shaking his head and giving her a dopey smile.
“S... suit?” she stammered. What was wrong with her brain? Had the high altitude left her oxygen deprived? She was so disorientated. Clark could fly? “You’re wearing your suit,” she stated the obvious.
“My other suit,” Clark clarified with a smile, holding her body even tighter.
“Come on.” He started shifting her in his arms.
“But… Clark, I don’t understand.” She was so confused.
++++
“Here, let me just...” Clark managed to scoop Lois into his arms, cradling her against him, her arms still wrapped around his neck, clinging to him. He picked up his speed, flying them towards the city, scanning for a safe spot to set her down that wouldn’t expose him.
“Clark, what happened up there?” she asked. “In the plane?”
“I jumped out after you,” he said simply with a light chuckle.
“I knew you weren’t too bright.” Lois huffed. “But thank you.” Her hand touched his face, tilting his head towards hers. “You saved my life.”
He swallowed nervously, looking away from her to the city below. “I’m going to set you down.”
She nodded dumbly as he lowered her to the ground in an alley a couple of streets away from The Daily Planet building.
“You’ll be alright?” Clark watched as she steadied her feet on the ground, still looking like she was in shock.
“Uh, huh...” Lois took a deep breath. “Clark…” She stared at him for a moment, then her eyes widened, and she looked above him, one hand coming up and pointing toward the sky.
Clark turned his head and looked up to see a missile hurtling towards The Daily Planet.
He grimaced. “I’ve got to take care of this.” He turned back to her and removed his glasses, tucking them into his suit pocket. He stepped back slightly and reached for his shirt, tugging it open to reveal the Superman suit below.
Lois stared at him, her mouth wide open, as he removed the rest of his clothing until he stood before her as Superman.
“I’ll be right back,” he assured her, his palm came up to lightly graze her cheek, then he turned, gritted his teeth and took off into the sky.
A moment later, an explosion in the sky rattled the city.
++++
Lois stumbled back to The Daily Planet in a daze.
Clark was Superman.
Superman was Clark.
He saved her life, and now he could be dead.
He couldn’t have survived that explosion, could he? Nobody could. Well, nobody human.
But Superman— Clark — would he survive?
She hoped.
Oh god, he had to be okay!
The ding of the elevator alerted her that she had arrived in the bullpen. She limped into the office, realizing for the first time she was missing one of her heels.
“Lois, what happened?” Perry appeared before her, looking concerned.
“Before or after we were thrown out of the plane?” Lois mumbled.
“Airplane?” Perry raised his eyebrows at her.
“Superman!” Lois gasped as she felt herself snap back to reality, noticing the chaos of the newsroom around her for the first time. “Is he alright? Clark? Is Clark okay?”
Perry shrugged, gesturing to the reporters running around the newsroom. “We’re trying to find some witnesses.” He stepped closer to her, tilting his head. “Lois, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I just need to find...” She snapped her head around as the elevator dinged again.
There he was!
“Clark!” She ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck, her feet lifting off the ground as he returned her hug. “Hey, everybody, Clark’s alive!” She squealed into his neck. “If Clark’s alive, that means Superman’s alive! This story’s getting bigger every day! What are we waiting for?” She linked her arm with Clark and dragged him towards the conference room.
“Lois!” Perry called after her.
“Not now, Perry!” Lois shoved Clark into the conference room and slammed the door behind them, locking it. She rushed around the room, closed all the blinds, then turned to her partner.
They had
a lot to talk about.
The end
