Part 8

Clark put his trench coat and gray boots on and ruffled his hair while waiting for Doc Klein to change his clothes. He had stored his Superman outfit in Dr. Klein's drug vault and had borrowed a pair of surgical scrubs to wear under his coat. He was still clinging to the hope that obtaining some of the Kryptonite would help his condition, but he didn't see how the substance that had caused his 'normality' could possibly help him. Nevertheless, that was Dr. Klein's department...

Anything was worth a try.

Doc Klein returned and Clark blinked hard. The scientist had changed into a black leather outfit and was holding two motorcycle helmets in his hands.

"Are you ready, Superman?" He held a helmet out to him. "I suppose you've never needed to wear one of these."

Clark tucked it under his arm and replied, "I think I wore one once when I was a kid, then never needed to after that, only for appearances."

"It'll probably make a good disguise, that is if you still don't want anyone to recognize you."

"Not yet, Doc. Can't have anyone knowing who I am - not until we locate the cage..."

"And figure out if it's possible to get your powers back or not." Dr. Klein finished Clark's sentence. "Ready, Superman?"

"Let's go," Clark replied, putting on the headgear. "Oh, doctor? I wonder if it would be a better idea to call me something else besides Superman. Someone might overhear."

"Brilliant idea! Any suggestions?"

Clark thought a moment, then answered, "Kal will work. Kal El is my given name by my birth parents."

"Ooo! Birth parents? Are you part of an alien society? Maybe they would have some suggestions about your condition."

"No, Bernie. I'm the last Kryptonian. I'm here alone. Maybe one day I'll tell you the whole story, but I'd rather get this over with, if you don't mind."

"Fascinating... I'd love to hear your story, but you're right. We need to get down to the business at hand." With a serious look on his face, he pulled the helmet on with a flourish, and then nodded his plastic-encased head at Clark.

Klein led him back through the same route that they had taken the night before, but this time a motorcycle was waiting in the back alley. He pointed up to the security cameras that were still on. "Stay here for a second until I can get the bike started. Then come quickly."

For a couple of moments, Clark regretted not calling his mom, but hoped this would be over quickly. They had agreed beforehand that he shouldn't call his apartment, unless absolutely necessary, for security reasons. But it was probably better that she didn't know the danger that he was putting himself into; she didn't need to worry.

Dr. Klein wheeled the motorcycle out into an open area, started the bike with a loud roar, then motioned for Clark to get on.

Clark hopped onto the back of the bike and in seconds they were speeding out into the traffic, weaving expertly around cars. He felt a bit of fear at Dr. Klein's wild driving, but didn't quite feel that the doctor was breaking the law – yet, anyway.

Under the streetlights, Clark was able to make out the emblem on the back of Dr. Klein's bike jacket. It was a comical picture of a comical rat surrounded by a white circle with the words, 'The Lab Rats M.C.'

The rat's beady little eyes and broad grin brought a strange sense of comfort to Clark, giving a bit of confidence that he was in the right hands. Anyone who belonged to a motorcycle club should know what they were doing, right?

He tightened his grip and grinned at the rat, then set his mind to thinking how he was going to get into the LexCorp building's cellar without getting caught.

*****

The sun had just gone down, yet it was quite late by business standards - the early summer days were stretching until almost nine p.m. They pulled into an alley about a block away from the LexCorp building and hid the motorcycle behind a dumpster. Clark had wondered if they should have waited until it was later in the evening to try to investigate the cellar, but after discussing it with Dr. Klein, they decided their best chance of getting into the building was when the lobby was still open.

The building was still unlocked, only a doorman and a couple of employees walking through the lobby. They weren't exactly being inconspicuous, Clark thought, in what they were wearing – a trench coat and a biker's outfit, respectively, but luckily, they were able to get to the stairwell without rousing anyone's suspicion.

Clark motioned towards the elevators, remembering that he was able to access the cellar through them when he had escaped. Once inside the elevator, he punched the button marked 'basement' and the words 'Access Denied' lit up next to the button. But to his surprise, the elevator began moving downward.

Fear began to seize Clark's heart, he wondered if he was being foolish to try to get to the cellar this way - or if he was heading towards another trap.

But the elevator stopped and the door opened once again to the dusty, short hallway that led to the wine cellar. Sweat broke out on his forehead and he could hear Dr. Klein speaking but couldn't register the words. He had to get through this – had to see if there was evidence to bring to the police. Or clues to get his powers back...

His hand froze on the doorknob and he forced himself to turn it. Locked!!

He had forgotten that he had used keys to get out. What had he done with the keys? They were either lost or hidden in his suit. Taking a closer look at the doorknob, it appeared to have been changed recently. Keys wouldn't have worked anyway.

Then Dr. Klein's hands were pushing his aside and he was asking, "Allow me?"

Through the blood pounding in his head and the terror that was gripping his heart, he watched as Dr. Klein produced a credit card and pushed it in the crack in the door, sliding it quickly. After a couple of tries, the lock clicked and the door swung open - a break-in Lois would have been proud of.

Dr. Klein blocked Clark's way, then he asked, "Kal, do you want me to go in first, just in case there is more of... that stuff?"

Clark nodded, not willing to face Kryptonite again if he could help it. All he needed to know was if there was enough evidence to hang Luthor and if there was a chance to pick up a sample of the Kryptonite. He was almost sure that he wasn't feeling any effects from the element yet. Hard to tell from this distance...

Dr. Klein was only in the cellar a moment before he called out. "Kal, I think you'd better get in here."

Clark took a deep breath, then stepped through the doorway to revisit his worse nightmare.

At first, he wasn't certain if he was in the right cellar. The racks had been rearranged, probably back to their original positions before Luthor had made room for the cage. The space where the cage had been had a couple of wine barrels over it now. Everything was in its place, evenly spaced out and looking as though it had had some care recently.

But the cage was gone.

All the evidence had been taken away, along with the hope of obtaining a sample of the Kryptonite. He closed his eyes and dropped his head to his chest in defeat.

******

Lex watched the monitors with great satisfaction. Superman had returned to the scene of the crime, just like he had hoped - and it appeared that he was without his powers. His men had done their finest work to date. The altered Kryptonite appeared to have rendered the superhero useless, yet it angered him that Superman was still alive.

Lex brightened a bit - alive to be captured another day. In disguise, and looking rather worse for wear, he wondered what the neutered superhero hoped to accomplish by coming back to the scene of his incarceration.

The anguished look on Superman's face would sustain him for at least another week. Perhaps this wasn't that bad after all. Superman was alive and would be a formidable foe, even without his super powers.

At last, he had brought down the superhero to the earth. No doubt that Superman would refuse to lie down and give up. He, Lex, had merely evened the odds, handicapped the physically superior, and now it would be a game of mind and wit.

When making sure that Superman would have easy access to the cellar, he had set up a surveillance camera in the only elevator servicing it. Although he had been surprised at first when he saw Superman, it had taken him a few seconds to see through his disguise and send the elevator down to the basement.

He looked at an armoire and smiled. Unable to resist, he walked over to it and punched a code into a hidden panel inside the doors.

A large door swung open and Lex stepped into a large room filled with artwork, memorabilia and priceless artifacts. But in the center of the room on display was a somewhat dull-looking cage.

Not satisfied in seeing it rather lifeless, Lex pressed a button on the wall and soon it began to glow a sickly green.

"When I tire of playing cat and mouse, there will be Superman, my finest conquest – stuffed, if I must - to complete my collection."

He pressed the button again and left the room, the fading glow from the cage casting a ghostly light on the rest of the priceless collection.

*****

Clark walked the streets for a couple of hours, trying to come to grips with being without his powers – forever. He had called his mother from a phone booth to let her know that he was all right, with the promise to fill her in when he got home.

After their easy return from the wine cellar - almost too easy - he had sent Dr. Klein home; the scientist had finally reached his limit of exhaustion after being up for well over twenty-four hours. He'd promised to stay in touch and they had tentatively scheduled weekly check-ups to monitor Clark's health.

He was living his so-called dream now - life as an ordinary man.

He'd yet to see Lois since his ordeal – at least fully awake. His first instinct when he was finally able to get out had been to run to her and let her know what Luthor had done. He was scared that Luthor had pulled out all the stops while he was still in the cage, but his fears were eased slightly by the fact that Lois had come to visit him while he was sick. He had staked out LNN the other morning before his examination with Dr. Klein and had seen that she was indeed all right and had returned to his apartment slightly encouraged. There was no ring on her finger and that was all that mattered.

He knew that he had been avoiding her, but without having solid proof of Luthor's foul play and criminal activities, how could he face her? She hadn't believed him before; why should she believe him now?

There was not much time left. Luthor was getting desperate and so was he. Still there was a slight hope knowing that she hadn't accepted the billionaire's marriage proposal. What could be holding her back? Did he dare cross his fingers in hope that she was finally coming to her senses?

Now that he'd lost his powers, he couldn't watch her like he could before and that scared him. He'd always had a sixth sense when Lois was in danger... he could always pick up on her heartbeat or listen for her cries for help. Now that he couldn't do that any longer, he was a nervous wreck.

He'd have to figure out a new way to keep an eye on her – but stalking wasn't the answer. Maybe he just had to face the fact that he had lost her. Or find the proof he needed to put Luthor away...

Just maybe she would listen to reason and help him... they were a great team not too long ago.

But first he had to grieve over the loss of Superman. Clark Kent might still be alive, but Superman was dead.

He turned the corner onto Carter Street and found himself in front of Lois' apartment building. Staring up at her window, he saw that her light was on. Her window was open and her curtains were fluttering in the slight summer breeze.

Probably waiting for Superman.

He closed his eyes and tried to fly, trying to will himself into the air. But sheer willpower didn't matter too much to the laws of gravity. His feet stayed firmly on the ground, only his heart was able to soar up to the window, land inside Lois' apartment and take her in his arms...

But that was not to be. Instead, he sat on the front stoop and guarded her the best he could – a vigil for the one he loved.

*****

Lois walked up the steps to Clark's apartment and hoped that he would be well enough for a visit. If not, she would personally take him to the hospital and bully her way into getting him better. There was no sense in him falling asleep on her while she was in process of grilling him. She could not believe how fast the days had gone by since she had visited him last.

She looked at herself in her compact and hoped that Clark wouldn't notice the dark circles under her eyes, nor the few pounds that she had lost during the time that Superman had been declared missing.

There was simply nothing to eat that appealed to her lately. Even her Double Fudge Crunch bars had lost their charm. When they worked at the Daily Planet, Clark had gone out to get them on several occasions in order to indulge her cravings and she didn't feel right eating the candy bars - not if he wasn't getting them for her anymore. The candy reminded her too much of their friendship.

She knocked on the door, and after waiting a couple of minutes was about to turn around when the door opened a crack.

Clark's mom was on the phone and was motioning her into the apartment. Martha mouthed, 'Clark's out', and pointed towards the sofa for her to sit.

Lois felt relieved. If Clark was feeling healthy enough to be out running errands today, then that meant he was well. Well enough to answer her questions.

As Lois sat on Clark's comforting sofa, she came to the conclusion that Martha was talking to her husband. The older woman's face was aglow with an expression that was unfamiliar to Lois. Her parents always had a scowl on their faces whenever they talked to each other; the tension was always there as far back as she could remember. It was plain and simple: her parents hadn't painted a very favorable picture of marriage. It was an institution that hadn't appealed to her... until just recently. It was hard to put her finger on exactly why she felt the urge to marry – her first-hand example was hardly any inspiration.

But the contented look on Clark's mother's face was rousing her curiosity. What was it about her marriage that kept the look of love on her face year after year? Was it an element that had been present for thirty-something years or was it something that had grown over time?

At last, Martha hung up the phone and turned to Lois.

"Sorry, dear. I was talking to Clark's father."

"I kind of gathered that. I mean, I wasn't eavesdropping or anything; I just guessed it."

"Honey, I hate to tell you this, but you look terrible." Martha sat down next to her and covered her hands with her own.

"I know, I know..." She shrugged her shoulders and looked apologetic. "Martha? What's held your marriage together all these years? If it were legal, my parents would have killed each other years ago; I just don't know what keeps couples together for so long."

Martha smiled and answered, "Believe me, dear, I've wanted to skin Jonathan alive a few times... All couples fight, but you have to ask yourself this: is this the person who you want to see first thing in the morning and last thing at night? Can you not bear the thought of being without him and would your life be so much poorer without him? In short, Lois, I married my best friend."

Lois was taken aback, but pushed Martha's answer to the back of her mind – not wanting to think of Clark in that manner – as best friend and marriage partner. Instead she thought of someone else - Superman could be almost as good a friend as Clark, that was, if he'd let her... and was still alive. She didn't think Lex could ever be her best friend, a pleasant companion maybe... perhaps that was Martha was talking about.

She spoke blindly without thinking. "I'm trying to reach an important decision, but I need to speak to Clark first. Superman is gone and I was wondering if Clark knew anything about his disappearance. They ended the search last night."

"Clark has been sick... hasn't been up for any visitors for quite a while," Martha replied, a bit surprised at the quick change of subject.

"That's true, but I had been hoping he knew something now that he's better."

"We're all worried about Superman too."

Lois looked up at the older woman and her expression was full of pain. "I think he's really gone."

Martha mentally kicked Clark's butt for putting Lois through the wringer, but immediately took it back, knowing that it wasn't Clark's fault, then Martha sat down next to her. "Oh, honey! You can't give up hope. They haven't found anything."

"That's the point! If Superman were alive, he would have found a way to let the world know he was okay, or he should have known that I..." Lois sighed, chastising herself for threatening to get emotional again. She thought that she was past the crying stage. Besides, she needed a level head around Clark if she expected him to give her any answers.

"You think Superman would have contacted you if he were alive," Martha simply stated.

"I don't know. I'd like to think he'd have known that I'd be out of my mind over his disappearance, but he did..." She paused for a second, briefly remembering that wonderful, bittersweet kiss. "...say goodbye to me the last time I saw him. Maybe he planted his cape in the bay to make his escape from the planet... Oh, my gosh! I shouldn't be telling you all this! You're Clark's mom!"

"Easy, Lois. Just because Clark is my son doesn't mean I'm going to spill your beans next chance I get. If you need to talk, I'm here for you too."

Lois scrubbed at her eyes, not knowing when the random tears had started. "I've been over and over this in my mind and have concluded that we may never find out what happened to Superman - and that I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and do what I'm good at – investigating. That's why I'm here, to see if Clark wants to help me."

"Guess that's something you're going to have to ask him... when he gets home."

"Is that what Clark is doing, trying to find something out about Superman? Did he start an investigation without me?"

At Martha's closed expression, she decided she was on the right track. "Has he found any information? Has Superman been in touch with Clark?" She suddenly felt mortified. It would be the ultimate insult if Clark found out something about Superman before she did, especially if Clark had known what had happened to him the whole time she had been sick with worry.

"I think Clark is doing all he can to try to figure out what has happened to Superman."

Lois' eyes widened as hope sprang forth in her heart. Where would Clark look? Who would he suspect of committing an act of foul play? If Superman were a regular human, then she'd guess that Lex would be the first person that Clark would point his finger at, but it just didn't make sense. Lex was trying to find Superman...

Just then the door opened, and Clark, looking rather haggard and tired, walked into the apartment.

He blinked confusedly, then asked, "Lois? What are you doing here?"

Suddenly a whirlwind was in his arms, her quick attack causing him to step backwards.

Clark's arms automatically closed around Lois – how could he not embrace her when it had been all he'd been dreaming of the past few weeks? He buried his face in the tumbled mass of hair, taking in the feel of her in his arms and essence that was purely Lois.

"Clark! You've found out something about Superman, haven't you?"

*****