Chapter Text
Disclaimer: Only any original ideas in here are mine. All characters belong to the respective copyright holders, including DC comics, Warner Bros., December 3rd Productions and anyone else with a stake in the Superman franchise. Certainly not me, unfortunately.
Jimmy could only stare at the sight in front of them. A huge cage met Jimmy’s confused eyes; its bars lit up with green light. A man was lying motionless on the cage floor. Adding to his confusion, Jimmy noted the man was wearing a suit similar to the one Clark had been wearing that morning.
In the moment it took them to take in the sight, the man turned his head with a faint moan. Lois gasped as the familiar features of their co-worker and friend became visible. She ran to the cage, nearly dropping her lockpick in her haste. Her hands trembled slightly as she attempted to open the cage. Jimmy rushed to Clark’s head to see what he could ascertain.
Lois got the cage open and rushed in. “Jimmy, forget what you’re doing. Come help me get Clark out of here.”
“But what’s the cage made of? It looks like kryptonite, but why would Clark be affected by kryptonite?” Jimmy asked.
Lois simply pressed her lips together as she looked Clark over from head to foot to assess for any apparent external injuries. “I don’t know. Let’s not attempt to think that through here. We gotta get out of here.”
Jimmy was concerned with how pale Clark was. As he gripped Clark under his arm in order to bring him to his feet, Jimmy was surprised to find Clark’s shirt completely damp. He felt heat radiating from Clark’s body and he realized that Clark was running a fever.
They made it to the door with Clark, even though they had to half-drag him over. Jimmy was surprised that Clark weighed so much. Almost as much as someone muscle-bound like Superman.
Just as Lois was trying to open the door, Jimmy stopped her by covering her hand with his. He gently removed her hand from the doorknob. He opened the door slightly and motioned Lois to look out into the hallway while he hung onto Clark. Lois gave a small gasp and shut the door.
“Someone's coming down.” Lois turned the lock as they heard the elevator door open.
Jimmy looked around the room. There wasn’t much place to hide in the immediate area. They simply held their breaths while they heard the jiggling of keys get closer to the door. The doorknob jangled as someone apparently checked it. Then the keys jiggled again as the person apparently walked away. They heard a sound which Jimmy took as the elevator doors opening. They both breathed a sigh of relief as they heard the elevator leave.
Jimmy indicated with a nod of his head they’ll repeat the procedure. He opened the door slowly while holding onto Clark and Lois looked out into the hallway through the crack in the door. She met Jimmy’s eyes and nodded. They moved out into the hallway while trying not to jar Clark too much, for he was beginning to moan louder as he began to regain consciousness.
Luckily, they got to the truck without meeting anyone. And within the time limit he’d set for them, Jimmy noted in relief. They carefully laid Clark out in the back seat, Lois jumped into the driver’s seat and commanded Jimmy to hurry up. She was already pulling away from the curb before Jimmy could close his door. Jimmy wasn’t sure whether he should keep an eye out for oncoming traffic or to look behind them for any possible pursuers. He said a quick prayer and decided to keep his eyes out for possible pursuers, as well as keeping an eye on Clark.
“I suppose we’ll head for Clark’s apartment,” Jimmy said.
“No, we better not.” Jimmy was happy to hear Clark’s voice getting a little stronger.
“Seriously, Clark, where should we go where Lex wouldn’t look for you?” Lois asked, a slight irritation in her voice. “If he doesn’t find you at your place, he’ll look at mine or Jimmy’s.”
“Perhaps the Chief’s?” Jimmy offered.
“No, I don’t want to involve Mrs. White,” Clark said, his voice getting weaker. He coughed weakly as he tried to clear his throat.
“Should...should I head for your parents’?”
Jimmy glanced back at Clark and watched as Clark pursed his lips. Jimmy could practically feel the tension radiating from the man. He waited to hear Clark’s answer.
"No, no matter where we go, I'm sure Lex would find us eventually." A look of pain crossed his face, but his voice remained steady. "I actually think Lex doesn't have much proof I'm Superman. If we could come up with some way to dispute it -- "
“I’ll head to your place then. That way it would lend to the belief that nothing is wrong. Because we’re not hiding out.”
Clark met Lois’ eyes in the rearview mirror and nodded. She turned to head for his apartment. By the time they had reached it, Clark was feeling a little stronger, but he knew it would take days, if not weeks, to get back all of his powers.
Once his coworkers helped him into his apartment, they brought him over to his couch. Lois fixed it comfortably, with the TV remote handy. However, instead of going to the door as Jimmy had expected, Lois sat down in the armchair.
“If you think we’re simply leaving you here, you're so wrong, Buster.” Jimmy watched the looks fly between the two. He wasn’t sure whether Lois would ever forgive Clark for lying to them. He himself wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about it. Just the thought that Lex Luthor tried to kill the savior of the city blew his mind. Despite everything they had found out so far.
“Lois, I can explain --”
“Can you, Clark? Can you? Because the way I see it, you’ve been lying to us from the moment we met.”
“Surely you can understand why I needed to keep my abilities secret. If anything, Lex’s recent actions against me should prove that to you.”
“Lois.” She looked at Jimmy, who had actually managed to interrupt the two.
“What, Jimmy?” If looks could generate heat, Jimmy knew he’d be fried to a crisp
“I think we should discuss what we’re going to do when, not if, but when Lex shows up, instead of asking why Clark kept secrets from us.”
“Jimmy’s right, Lois. I understand your anger, and your hurt, but we don’t have time to discuss it all. Right now. Believe me, I do want to tell you everything." He added softly, "I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time now.”
Lois was about to protest when Jimmy cleared his throat. Instead, she took a pen and a legal pad sitting on Clark’s coffee table and sat down, fixing Clark a cool, detached look. “So, let’s brainstorm.”
~~LL~~CK~~LL~~CK~~
They didn’t get as far in their planning as Clark would’ve liked before his apartment door was kicked open. Jimmy jumped as the other two turned to watch Lex enter followed by two very large, very threatening men. Clark, however, quickly caught Jimmy’s eyes and with a slight movement of his eyes reminded Jimmy to remain calm.
“What do you think you’re doing, Lex, by barging into Clark’s apartment like Neanderthals? Don’t you think you should’ve knocked? I thought you were more civilized than that?”
“Well, hello Lois. I’m surprised to find you here with him. I wonder if you’d still feel the same if you knew his secret?”
“What are you babbling about, Lex? That crazy notion that Clark is, that Clark could be, Superman?” Lois laughed very convincingly, Clark thought. “I mean, really, Lex? I knew you were obsessed with Superman, but to really think that bumbling, wet-behind-the-ears Clark could be the world’s superhero? How ridiculous.”
Lex walked up to Lois and stared down at her. Lois stood her ground, staring right back into the billionaire’s eyes. “You actually think you can carry out this charade that Kent really isn’t Superman?”
Clark felt it wise to draw Lex' attention away from Lois. “Thank you for your concern, Lex, but I'm feeling better. I don’t know what you have in that paint you covered those bars with, but I had the weirdest allergic reaction. That was what caused me to collapse and basically black out.”
Turning sharply on his heels, Lex walked over to the couch and looked down at Clark as if he were a rotting piece of garbage. “Really, Clark? That is your explanation? So you’re denying you’re Superman.”
“Of course I am, because I am not Superman. Like Lois said, the thought is totally ridiculous. I mean, I hate flying. I... I’m actually quite afraid to fly. That’s why Lois has taken our overseas assignments this year.”
“Ah ha. And the fact you’re wearing Superman’s suit under your clothes?”
“It’s not Superman’s outfit. I hate to admit this, but…" Clark stopped to catch his breath after a muscle spasm. "They're actually a pair of long underwear I wear when I’m cold…" Clark stopped to catch his breath. "Or everything else is in the laundry. Lois gave them to me as a joke.”
Lex pursed his lips and nodded his head slowly. “Mm-mm. Quite interesting.” Walking towards the door, Lex turned around again. “You surprise me, Kent. You're not simply the country bumpkin I imagined. Or the muscle-bound but intellectually deficit alien I thought you were.”
Clark shrugged. “As I told you earlier, Lex, it's simply an old Indian cure. Nothing else.”
Nodding to his two henchmen, who left the apartment without a word, Lex said, “Well, I don’t have any proof at this time. As well you know. Your explanations, even though weak, are plausible. But only because I don’t have the evidence I need to refute them. Yet.” Walking back to Clark lying on the couch, he bent over and stage-whispered into Clark’s ear. “I will be back.”
Clark found it difficult to ignore the cold chill down his back as he watched Lex leave.