Gaaahh!!! I have to tell you, DJ, that I would never allow Lois to use kryptonite on Clark, just because an enemy of theirs was trying to control her. Subliminator or no subliminator, I would never let her be sufficiently controlled to do that.

However, seeing that you decided to do it, I admire the emotion you filled the scene with. Clark's horror at being completely unable to reach Lois was heartrending and almost unbearable. Something I appreciate even more is the way you used Clark's horrible nightmare to foreshadow Lois's rejection of him and her taking Laura away from him. I found that nightmare so memorable in itself, and now that I can see that you used it to foreshadow the plot, I appreciate it even more.

It was wonderful to see Clark's love for Lois in this story, so that he worried more about how much Lois would blame herself if he died than he worried about himself dying.

Another thing I really liked about your story is that you had Clark use his ice-cold super-breath to destroy the subliminator. As a long-time comic book fan, I have seen Superman's powers come and go. When I started reading the comics in the 1960s, Superman had an assortment of odd powers that you never see (or hear) today, such as super-ventriloquism! I don't miss those oddest powers of his, but I was rather sad when his ice-cold super-breath disappeared from the comics in 1987. It's really good to see you bring it back!

Looking forward to the happy ending that I feel confident you will give us!

Ann

Thanks Ann. I knew I was walking on shaky ground when the muse lead me into that territory - of using Lois against Clark. But I knew it was going to be such a powerful scene full of emotion that I chose to pursue it.

I'm glad you liked it...even though you wouldn't have gone there yourself.

There were several reasons why I chose to use the super cold breath. I didn't realize it had been taken out of the comics like that - that's a shame. I'm glad you liked it.

I'll be posting the conclusion soon...

Very nice! Using Lois against Clark is an evil plot twist, one that indeed requires a lot of determination and courage. And it's feasible, given that you've already shown mothers giving up their children and children doing things they'd never do under normal circumstances.

I think using the super-cold breath is brilliant. Superman is using to save Lois this time instead of his parents, and don't you know Lois is going to clobber Aaron as soon as she gets her bearings? I also wonder how long Laura will be freaked out by Superman. You've already stated that the sublimator's effects aren't permanent, but still...

The Great Leader won't be pleased, either. Even if Lois doesn't terminate Aaron's miserable existence (which I'm pretty certain she almost surely might not actually do, despite her natural parental response to some sicko threatening her child), I'm sure the Leader will take some steps to make sure the guy doesn't ever betray him again. And, like Ann, I'm waiting eagerly for the final chapter. I'm sure it'll be a wonderful climax to this very intersting story.

Hi,

I've been away on a couple of trips, and so have just caught up with this story.

I've found this a very interesting and compelling story, and like the others, I do find using Lois against Clark was a brave thing to do, but you made it very believable and intense.

That said, I hope she has come to her senses in time to save Superman, because I don't think Lois would ever forgive herself for being instrumental in his death.

She might accept that she wasn't in total control, but Lois was a very independent woman, and she'd be devastated to discover her mind and her love for Clark wasn't able to surmount the effect of the subliminator. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a happy ending.

Hope the last chapter is posted soon.

Yours Jenni

Terry/Jenni - Thanks so much for the fdk! I really appreciate it. I had wondered how everyone would react to Lois being used against Superman. I hoped it would be received well.

Terry - you may be surprised by the ending. I hope you enjoy it though, nonetheless. Yes can't you just see Lois wanting to beat him to a bloody pulp when she realizes what he almost made her do?

Jenni - I hope you enjoyed your trips...now continue keeping those fingers crossed.