Chapter Sixteen: Damage Control

Clark’s first impulse after telling Oliver what had happened was to return to Lois’ side but the truth was, there was little they could do at the hospital until she was out of surgery. Telling himself that Chloe would alert him the moment that changed, Clark and Oliver embarked on a break neck course of damage control.

While most of Clark’s turn as Kal had taken place at the Luthor mansion, Zod had traveled extensively across the country. The destruction of the three nuclear power plants however, ensured that there was no one left to identify Oliver although this did not make the archer any happier. Still, as both Zod and Kal, they had both been seen at the Luther Corp building displaying some extraordinary powers. Neither felt too comfortable with that situation and thus decided that while Metropolis was still in a state of confusion, this was the best time to do something about it.

”We should have taken the truck,” Oliver grumbled as he tried not to look down. God only knows how fast they were moving. This should have been an exhilarating experience but all Oliver could feel was terrified. Beneath them was a view he had only ever seen through the window of a plane. What was even more astonishing was the fact that he was seeing this thanks to Clark carrying him through the air.

“No time,” Clark said over the sound of rushing wind. “We need to get there fast, before the power returns to the building. Half of Metropolis is blacked out. If we go in now and destroy those security tapes while their system is down, they won’t even know we were there.”

“Lex knows,” Oliver pointed out, closing his eyes and trying not to get sick. It would be most undignified if he threw up from this height, not to mention severely traumatize whomever was down there to experience its landing.

“Yeah but Lex didn’t remember a thing when Zod took over his body,” Clark explained. “He knew that Fine had to prepare him to accept Zod’s essence. If we tell him that’s what Fine did to both of us, there’s a good chance he’ll believe it.”

“I guess you’re right,” Oliver found he could not refute that statement since he had hired a mercenary to try and get the truth out of Lex shortly after Dark Thursday. Lex had remembered nothing either so it could very well go down as Clark described it. “Its not like I have super powers now to prove it anyway.”

“Exactly,” Clark nodded. “Once we get the security footage, there won’t be any evidence either other than Lex’s word.”

“Yeah because we both know that Lex is one to let things go, ” Oliver snorted sarcastically. “And what about Lana?”

Clark bristled at that, recalling all too well what he had said and done to Lana while Lex and Zod had been in Metropolis. His words to her had been particularly sharp and Clark knew that despite how he felt about Lois, there was still apart of him that had difficulty dealing with Lana being with Lex. If she had gone to anyone else after their break up, Clark might have handed it better but her choice of Lex, who had not only been a trusted friend but was also showing his dark side rather prolifically, still made Clark sick to his stomach.

Still, no matter how angry he was with Lana, he could not deny that where she was now had a lot to do with how he had treated her. He had never been able to trust Lana and considering how easy it was to be with Lois, how well she taken the truth, Clark wondered if he had done Lana a disservice by underestimating her so much.

For the first time in too long, Clark finally made up his mind about what to do with Lana Lang.

“Let me deal with Lana,” Clark said quietly as the roof of the Luthor building came into sight. “I think its overdue.”

**************

As expected, the Luthor Corp building was empty.

When the seismic disturbances had started shaking the city apart, the entirety of Luthor Corp’s staff would have been evacuated from the building as per standard emergency procedures. Walking through the empty hallways, Clark couldn’t help finding eerie that the place he had was so accustomed to see bustling with activity, looked like a ghost town. This was the central hub of the Luthor Empire and seeing it like this was unsettling.

Still, there was no denying that this building like so many others through Metropolis had become death traps during the tremors. Fissures ran through the walls, with broken glass, mortar and gyprock fragment sprayed across the carpeted floors. Some rooms were soaking wet, no doubt a result of the automated sprinkler systems that activated when the sudden blackouts caused power surges that resulted in small electrical fires.

Clark scanned the rooms as they made their way through the empty corridors, heading towards the security station where all the security footage for the last 24 hours was kept. From previous visits, Clark knew roughly where it was but another quick scan with his x-ray vision pinpointed the location exactly.

“It’s at the room at the far end of the hall,” Clark announced after reaching the appropriate floor.

“How can you tell?” Oliver inquired, surveying the damage with morbid fascination.

“Oh I’ve got x-ray vision,” Clark explained.

“X-ray vision too?” Oliver growled and paused, staring at him. “Clark, what other powers do you have?”

Clark supposed that there was no harm in telling him since Oliver knew just about everything, his alien origins, Zod and the fortress after all this. Besides, it was nice to not hide the truth from his friends. Clark could get used to it. Reciting the laundry list of abilities as they reached the security room and entered, Clark was grateful that all electronic devices in the place were fried beyond repair. Lex would have a field day with this particular conversation.

“Talk about being outclassed,” Oliver muttered with a frown as they stepped inside the central hub of Luthor Corp’s security after Clark twisted the lock open to gain entry into the room.

Clark chuckled, “hey you wear green leather well.” He gave the man a smirk.

“I hate you,” Oliver snorted before taking a look inside the room. It was more or less what they expected, with wall to wall monitor screens, sophisticated listening equipment, computer panels and servers containing all the video and audio footage recorded on a day to day basis.

“This is it Clark,” Oliver looked around. “We’ve got to destroy all of it.”

“Right,” Clark nodded and concentrated. Using his heat vision, the red beams of energy moved through every piece of equipment, causing it to burn. Oliver stepped out of the room as it began to fill with noxious smoke and wondered if the sprinklers would kick in this time. Somehow, he doubted it with power extinguished throughout the building. In any case, it was a moot point as Clark put out the flames a short time later with his super breath.

“Nice job,” Oliver remarked as he returned and saw that every piece of electrical equipment, even the screens, had been turned into a charred mess of a fused metal, plastic and glass. There was no way that any footage of either him or Clark would survive this treatment. “Clark, if you weren’t such a boy scout, I suggest a career in Industrial espionage.”

“Very funny,” Clark gave him a look. “We better get out of here. I want to get back to Smallville. We should check out the Luthor Mansion too, just in case. Lex will probably be on his way back to town now that everything has settled down.”

“I’ll hire a car and drive back,” Oliver suggested, not looking forward to flying again or worse yet, being carried.

“Don’t be such a wuss,” Clark grinned. “My way is faster.”

“Your way doesn’t have airsick bags,” he returned.

Whatever response Clark was going to make was silenced by the sound of his cell phone playing the first few bars from ‘Star Wars’.

“You’re kidding me….” Oliver sniggered.

“I’ll drop you,” Clark warned and reached into his coat to answer the call. He recognized the number immediately, “Chloe?”

**************

Both Clark and Oliver entered the doors of the Smallville Medical Centre and were greeted by the same chaos that Clark had seen when he had brought Lois here earlier. The number of sick and injured had not thinned out and though it appeared some services had been restored, the after effects of the seismic disturbances continued to send ripples across the community of Smallville and throughout the globe.

Flying back to the farm, Clark took the truck to the hospital instead of risking another flight. Oliver spent much of the drive on his cell phone, speaking to his staff at Queen Industries who had feared that their employer had been harmed in the disasters that had affected Star City as well as the rest of the globe. Oliver supposed it was a justifiable concern considering that he had been missing for almost two days. It was still difficult for the emerald archer to comprehend that two days of his life was unaccounted for and that someone else had occupied his body during that time.

“I don’t care what it costs,” Oliver declared over the phone as they entered the crowded hallways. “Use whatever resources we have to aid the disaster relief. This mess isn’t going to clean up after itself and we’ve seen just how effective FEMA was after Katrina. We do not want a repeat of that. Get a hold of Lucius Fox at Wayne Enterprises, that kid who’s running Kord Industries and Simon Stagg. Yes, I know Stagg’s not particularly civic minded but tell the old coot disaster relief should be tax deductible. The others will know we need to pull together at a time like this. I’m switching off my cell now, I’ll check in with you in an hour.”

Clark was barely listening to Oliver and knew that part of the man’s determination to mount disaster relief was to assuage his own guilt at what Zod had done using him. Clark supposed that Oliver found it no easier to forgive himself than Clark did because of red kryptonite. Whether or not it was their doing to begin with, the end results around them could not be denied. Scanning through the walls of the hospital floor, he located Chloe inside a private room with Lois. Whether or not it was because Lois was a senator’s aide or simply because her injuries were severe enough to warrant a room of her own, Clark couldn’t tell but the fact that Lois was out of surgery had to be a good sign.

“She’s this way,” Clark looked over his shoulder to tell Oliver, resisting the urge to use his super speed to cover the distance to Lois in a blink of an eye. He was worried enough about her to not really care.

“Lead on,” Oliver snapped the cell shut and slid it into his jacket.

Clark did answer, thinking only of Lois. Even from where he was he could see how pale she was. Seeing her weak was not something Clark Kent was accustomed to and it didn’t take him long to realize he didn’t much like it either. He was used to seeing Lois strong, fierce, almost preternatural in her passion. Her fearlessness left him in awe and since they had been together, Lois had a way of making him feel as invincible in spirit as he was in the flesh.

“Clark,” Chloe greeted as the two men stepped into the room, rising from the chair she had parked herself in since Lois had come out of surgery. “I tried to call you back to tell you what room…”

“Its okay,” Clark replied dismissively and went to Lois’ side. She was still unconscious and a fresh surge of panic tightened his chest at the sight of her. Leaning over her, Clark brushed her cheek with his fingers tenderly. “What did the doctor say?”

“Well,” Chloe let out a deep breath, collating the doctor’s diagnosis and his prognosis in her head to recite for Clark’s benefit. “That piece of wood punctured her right lung and ruptured her spleen. The head trauma isn’t too bad, she’s got a nasty concussion but she’ll be okay Clark,” Chloe came to his side and squeezed his arm with reassurance. “She’ll be okay.”

Clark released a held breath and reached for Lois’ hand. “Thank God,” he whispered under his breath.

Oliver stood at minimum safe distance, remembering nothing but feeling sick nonetheless that he had been the one who did this to Lois. However, the feeling was almost as awful as seeing Clark clutching her hand and knowing that not only had he almost killed Lois but it seemed he had lost her well and truly before that.

“You and Lois?” Oliver found himself asking before he could stop himself.

Clark froze and looked over his shoulder. Hell. Hell. Hell.

Clark cursed himself for being a fool. That wasn’t Oliver who had said he was perfectly alright with their relationship that had been the Brainiac construct. Of course the Construct would know about Lois. Undoubtedly it had watched Clark weeks before hand, waiting for the opportune moment to approach the Kryptonian, disguised as Oliver, saying all the right things.

“I’m sorry,” Clark stammered. “It just kind of happened…”

“Guys,” Chloe rolled her eyes in exasperation. “I think this is a discussion that can wait until later.”

“Hey look it’s fine,” Oliver recovered his composure and his surprise. “Its not like I expected her not to move on…” however, he couldn’t deny that it hurt to know she was truly lost to him now. He still cared about Lois and suspected he always would.

Lois Lane would be one of the losses in his life that Oliver Queen would always regret.

“Oliver…” Clark tried to explain, his fingers still intertwined in Lois’ own. “I’m sorry; I should have told you before this. With everything that happened, it just slipped my mind.”

“Clark you don’t have to explain anything,” Oliver swallowed away his hurt and reinforced his composure with his usual flippant bravado. “We broke up and you got around to making your move. I don’t blame you for that.”

“You gotta be kidding me,” a weakened yet irate voice interrupted. “You guys are NOT a having a pissing contest over me next to my hospital bed.”

Clark’s head snapped around and he found his hand being squeezed back weakly.

“Lois!” He burst out, lifting her hand to his lips. “You’re awake.”

“How you doing Smallville?” Lois stared at him through droopy eyelids, a small smile of affection crossing her face as she held his gaze for a few seconds. In that few seconds, volumes were exchanged as she saw how happy and relieved he was to see her and she showed him how happy she was to wake up to his hand in hers.

“Miss me?” She asked cockily but her voice small and fragile like the rest of her.

“Lois,” Clark blinked to contain the emotions churning inside him at knowing she was alright and everything was going to be okay after that. “Oh God I thought I lost you.”

“Never happen Smallville,” she uttered a small laugh before surveying the room through her rather hazy vision. “Everybody’s kind of blurry so I’m guessing I’m on some serious drugs.”

“Only the good stuff for you,” Chloe said happily as she stood on the other side of the bed, reaching for Lois with a careful squeeze of her shoulder. “We were so worried.”

“Hey,” Lois blinked a few times, trying to focus. Her voice was not much more than a whisper and was getting slurred the more she spoke. Licking her dry lips, she regarded those around her, “Takes more than an intergalactic general from a phantom dimension to do me in.”

“Lois,” Oliver stepped forward reluctantly, uncertain whether or not she would want to see him since he was the one who did this to her. “Lois I am so sorry…”

“Ollie,” Lois stopped him before he could say anything further, knowing him well enough to see through the façade he was projecting for the benefit of the others in the room. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m myself,” Oliver answered unable to meet her eyes, especially after hearing Chloe’s recital of all of Lois’ injuries. “The jury is still out on okay.”

Lois wished she could say more to take away the hurt she saw in his eyes. Even though she didn’t love Ollie, it was not easy to forget that she could have. Had it not been for one kiss, she would be with Ollie, not Clark right now. Lois opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t think of anything to say that would make this easier on him. Like Clark, he would have to deal with what had happened on his own. She only wished he had someone at his side to make it easier since it wasn’t going to be her.

”I think we need to let Lois get some rest,” Chloe spoke, ending the moment between the former lovers. “Let’s give these two a moment,” she looked up at Oliver sympathetically, seeing a mixture of guilt and jealousy in his eyes.

“Yeah,” he nodded, stepping away and throwing a glance of acknowledgment at Clark, “let’s do that.”

Allowing Chloe to lead him, Oliver left the room without further word.

Clark watched him go briefly and turned back to Lois once they were alone. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” he said basking in the sight of. “I’m not strong enough to lose you.”

“Sure you are,” she smiled at him, getting drowsier by the moment as fatigue and drugs created a potent siren song of sleep. “You saved the world Clark.”

“We saved the world,” Clark returned automatically. “Lois, without you and Chloe I wouldn’t have been able to send Zod back to the Zone and I’m not strong enough to lose you.” He reaffirmed. “When I thought that you could be dead…” his voice shook and he had to drop his eyes to the floor to compose himself. “I just started to shut down, I couldn’t think…”

“Hey it’s okay,” she made herself say to stop the emotional rollercoaster he was on. Ill or not, Lois couldn’t bear to see him like this. “I’m not ready to leave you just yet.” Lois assured him. “Got to win that Pulitzer, read the Joy Luck Club and drive you crazy the first time we take a trip together. Can’t go before all that’s done can I?”

Clark uttered a small laugh, “I guess not,” he gave her a little smile. “God, you make me feel good.” He stared at her with wonder. Even like this, she could lift his spirits up and Clark became more certain than ever before of how he felt. It was time he told her.

“Lois,” Clark stared into her eyes, “I love you.”

Lois strength returned long enough for her to react to that statement and when she did; she rewarded him with another radiant smile. However, she was Lois and being Lois, she simply could not allow herself to react the way most girls did when presented with such news.

“Well duh Smallville,” she met his gaze with a gleam of mischief. “Not telling me anything new here. How can you not love me? I’m pretty amazing.”

“Right,” Clark laughed a little more, knowing it when his girl was trying to make him feel better. “I forgot.”

“You so need me around to keep you on your toes,” Lois reminded and started to feel the last of her energy reserves draining. “Clark, I hate to do this but I think I’m not going to be able to stay awake much longer…” her voice was fading fast.

“Then don’t,” he retorted and leaned over her and planted a soft kiss against her lips and then her forehead. “You rest, Chloe will be here. Oliver and I need to deal with a couple more things and then I’ll be back.”

“Clark,” Lois’ eyes caught his again at the mention of Oliver’s name. “Take it easy on Ollie, okay? He’s dealing with being used to destroy the world and you and me being a thing, all at once. That’s a lot to take in.”

“I know,” Clark appreciated all too well what the man was going through. “You get some rest.” He kissed her again on the forehead and released her hand, somewhat reluctantly. “I won’t be long.”

Lois nodded, watching Clark draw away towards the door. Letting her exhaustion catch up to her, she added finally before she closed her eyes, “Hey Smallville,” she uttered softly, halting him in mid-step.

“Yeah Lois?” Clark looked over his shoulder at her.

“I love you too,” she smiled before closing her eyes and letting sleep take her.

PART SEVENTEEN