By Natalie Fox <scribe1984@yahoo.com>
Rated PG
Submitted January 2000
Summary: Clark is shot when he and Lois investigate an old warehouse. But is he really dead?
Except for the story, none of this belongs to me. While you're reading, please keep in mind that this is my first fanfic. Thank you.
***
12:45 a.m. Hobbs Bay
Lois' silver Jeep pulled up to an abandoned factory warehouse.
"Lois, are you sure this is it?" Clark asked tiredly. He had been up all night saving China from a tidal wave and getting trapped people out of a mudslide in Peru.
"Yes, Clark, this is definitely it!" she replied, annoyed. *Why is he so tired? It's not like he did any work today!*
"Okay, okay. Let's just get this over with."
They were going to stake out the warehouse to see what was up. Bobby Bigmouth had said something big was going on, but he wasn't quite sure if it was something to do with Intergang or about one of the gangs in town. Either way, it was a great story.
About an hour later, a black van stopped in front of them. Two men jumped out and ran into the building. Clark tried to use his x-ray vision, but was sad to find out that everything was lead-lined.
"Okay, Clark. That's the kind of clue that says it's time to go in and snoop around."
They very carefully picked the lock and went inside. What they were not expecting was a video camera watching their every move. Clark tried x-raying the rooms again, but everything was covered in lead paint. Thay checked every room, but there was nothing there.
"Where could they have gone to?" they both asked in unison.
"Let's split up, we can cover more ground," said Lois in her "you better go with me on this one" voice.
"Nice try, Lois, but if they catch one of us…"
"They won't, Clark. We already checked everywhere. Maybe there is a secret compartment somewhere."
"What is this…Clue? Come on, I'll check the last room, and you go start the car."
"Alright, there can't be much in a bathroom anyway."
A half hour later, Lois couldn't stand it. She had been waiting forever.
*Where is he?! How long does it take to check out a bathroom!!! UH, that's it! I'm going back in!*
When she got there, she wasn't expecting what she saw at all…Clark's lifeless body in the middle of the hall, with a Kryptonite bullet through his chest. Blood was everywhere.
"Claaaaaaaaaaaark!" Lois screamed as she ran to him. She checked for a pulse, but it was too late. He was dead. Crying like crazy, she called 911.
***
A week later was Clark's funeral. Lois, Martha, Jonathan, Perry, Jimmy, and the rest of the Daily Planet staff were crying uncontrollably. Everyone was giving Martha and Jonathan their condolences. Everybody went to the casket to say their last good-byes to Clark.
When the funeral was over, Lois went back to her apartment with Martha and Jon.
They didn't talk much on the way there, but when Lois closed her door, they all went into talking and thinking mode.
"Why Clark? It's all my fault…if I hadn't left him alone…"
"It was NOT your fault Lois. You have to understand that," Martha said as soothingly as she could. "He would rather have wanted you to live and be happy, than for the situation to be the other way around."
"Why a KRYPTONITE bullet? Do you think they were expecting Superman?"
"They must have been, but they saw Clark, and used whatever they had."
"Oh, Martha," Lois said as she began to cry.
"I know, Lois, I know." And she and Jon started crying too.
"I'm gonna get whoever did this, Martha, I swear I will!" Lois screamed. "And that's a promise!"
***
At a secret compartment in the warehouse:
"Has the Lane and Kent problem been taken care of, Jason?" asked the cigar smoking man.
"Yeah, Doc. They aint snoopin' around here no more."
***
"Please! Please, Inspector! It might help us figure out who killed Clark," said Lois enthusiastically, but inside she was really hurting. If anyone ever said anything about Clark, she would break down and cry.
"Fine, but I'm tellin' ya, he probably ain't there still."
"Well, you might as well try!!!"
"Okay. Tomorrow morning a few of my men and I will go and look."
"I'm going too!"
"Whatever. As long as it gets you to believe my story."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
"Clark was shot because they were expecting Superman when he opened the door, and when they found out it wasn't him, they ran off and are never coming back…but before you say anything, I'm still doing all I can to find them."
"Thank you, Inspector, thank you so much," Lois whispered while thinking of Clark.
***
8:00 a.m.: Cigar smoking man walked into a room where Jason was sleeping.
"Hey, Jason. It's not that I don't trust you, but well…I DON'T trust you. How did take care of the problem? You did it the way I told you, right?"
"Yeah, Doc. Except for one LITTLE thing."
"Oh, and what would that be?" said the doctor sarcastically.
"Well," said Jason squirmishly, "let me explain."
As he explained his story, the doctor's eyes got wider and wider.
"What! We have to get out of here! Didn't you think Superman would come and check out the place?!"
"But, should we leave…"
"Yes, let's just save ourselves from jail right now!" said the doctor. *If I was a violent man, I would kill him right now!*
Right then the cops burst threw the doors with Inspector Henderson and Lois trailing right behind.
"Thanks for explaining your plans about the guns and all the crimes you committed. Now all you have to do is tell us about Kent and Superman and this is an open and shut case," said one of the policemen.
"We aren't telling you anything!" snapped the doctor.
"Fine. Then we will be just happy putting you away for murder," exclaimed Henderson.
Jason looked at the doctor and said, "Sorry Doc, but I gotta tell 'em. I ain't bein' put on death row for somethin' I didn't do!"
"Do, and I will hunt you down for an eternity!"
"I don't care!" He then turned to Lois and said, "Kent ain't dead!"
"Then why did I find him on the floor with a bullet in his chest?" cried Lois.
"It was a quick clone. They only take ten minutes to make."
Then Lois lunged forward and said with all her hope back, "WHERE IS CLARK!?!"
"He's in the doc's cage, down the hall and to the left. But I should warn you that it has little tiny pieces of Kryptonite particles in there. Breath it in, and you can't go near Superman for a while."
After they all walked to the room, they saw Clark in the cage holding a cloth over his mouth, and just barely conscious to whisper, "Lois."
Lois ran to his side and said, "Oh, Clark, haven't they fed you? You look so famished! Oh who cares…you're alive!"
~~~
The Police station took a few hours, and after a few calls to Perry, Jimmy, and his parents, Clark was free to go with Lois.
"You want to take a walk in the park, Lois? It will make me feel better."
"Okay, but you have to tell me the whole story."
"Ha…sure. Well, how can I start?"
"How about from the BEGINNING."
"Funny, Lois, ha-ha. Well, it all started after I checked the bathroom out. I started feeling funny and then Jason grabbed me from behind. I couldn't fight him because I was too weak. Then Jason put me on a table and quick cloned me, then shot it with the first bullet he could find."
"Why was it Kryptonite, and why were you weak?"
"I'll explain that when I'm finished…they had a plan for Superman, not me. See, they were gonna get Superman and put a chip in his head so that they could have him under his control."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute. A Kryptonite bullet, Kryptonite particles, and you get weak? Man! I MUST be galactically stupid. You ARE Superman!" screamed Lois.
"Sheesh, Lois, want to scream it any louder? I don't think California heard you!" said Clark.
"Clark! You lied to me!"
"Want me to finish the story or not?"
"Go on, but you're gonna have to answer some major questions later, buddy!"
"Well, anyway, after he cloned me, he threw me into that cell and with the rest of my strength, I put the cloth over my mouth so I wouldn't breathe any Kryptonite in. He fed me a little, but if you didn't come when you did, I would have died. Thanks so much for saving my life!"
With tears in her eyes, Lois said, "You're safe now, and you have to answer some questions."
They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, and then they kissed with all the passion that they had been holding back all those months they had known each other.
When they broke apart, Lois said a little huskily, "Maybe you can answer those questions back at my apartment, and then maybe we could do a little something else." And she pulled at his earlobe with her lips.
Clark let out a small groan and said, "Oh yes, definitely."
THE END
You know the rest. Comments good or bad are welcome.
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