Now You're Gone

3

Lois paid the taxi driver and slid out of the cab, Clark following closely behind her. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, but his touch did nothing to quiet her nerves. They could be walking into a trap. The soft prattle of rain turned the pavement into silver. The sight filled her with a sense of foreboding. Lois opened her umbrella and braved the winter storm.

"You could have said no," Clark said.

Nobody would blame Lois. Luminus tried to kill her twice. I still have nightmares about the Sword of Truth nearly impaling Lois on the stage.

Luminus tried to kill Superman too and nearly succeeded with his solar suit. Clark was in as much danger as her, maybe more. Somehow Luminus managed to turn Earth's sun red and Superman was as powerless as a newborn babe. As long as she lived she would never forget Superman's split lip. It was the first time she ever saw Superman bleed. She had been surprised his blood was red like hers. Lois scanned the murky sky above and let out a sigh of relief when she saw it was gray and not red.

"Perry said Lytener would only talk to me," Lois reminded Clark. "This story could win me a Pulitzer."

Lois already had three trophies collecting dust in the closet. A full pardon was hardly newsworthy. It was no mystery. Luminus had made a deal with President Luthor. She could be walking into a trap.

"You think I haven't considered that?" Lois arched an eyebrow at her husband. "I know it could be a trap, Clark," Lois pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. "But what other choice do we have?"

She could care less about a Pulitzer. So long as Lytener was a free man, Superman was in danger. They needed to keep ahead of this . . . whatever this was. Luthor must have had a reason for pardoning Edward Lytener; whatever his reasoning, it spelled trouble for the Man of Steel.

"Let's get cannolis," Clark begged. "I'll even fly us to Italy," he whispered against her ear. Lois's breath hitched and she started to feel warm all over. "Let another reporter interview him."

"As tempting as flying to the city of love sounds, we have a job to do." Her words had the desired effect. Clark's bushy brows crunched together in albeit concern and he eyed her as if her IQ had lowered by ten points.

Somebody needs to retake Geography 101. The city of love is Paris, not Italy.

Lois smirked. It was too easy to distract her husband. But sadly the Kryptonian had a one-track mind. "Don't you find it a bit suspicious he singled you out?" "No," Lois answered honestly. "He's as predictable as a bumblebee in a garden of flowers."

That would make Lois the flower. I do not like this analogy.

Lois shook her head. She was getting tired of hearing Clark whine in her head. She let out a grunt of disapproval and stumbled across the rickety cobblestones that led to a sophisticated, cream-colored house. The structure reminded Lois of the Victorian era. A quaint white fence wrapped around the entire house, twin flower pots standing guard on each side of the door. It was exactly the sort of house Lois had dreamed of living in one day. The backyard would have been the perfect place to put a playground for any future baby supers. Lois reared back at the sudden turn her thoughts took, bumping into Clark. Reflexively he caught her. She stared up into his deep, cerulean eyes. She could stay there all day swimming in those baby blues and never get bored, but there was work to be done.

"Technically speaking, you shouldn't even be here." she pushed away from Clark, her body aching in protest.

"If you thought for one second I would let you be alone with that pervert, you have another thing coming."