Lois walked all over Metropolis hoping to run into this mysterious hero. It was now late in the afternoon and her feet ached with the sensation of pins and needles. She dropped on one of the steps to Metropolitan Savings and Loans. Lois grabbed her heels one at a time and began to rub the soles of each foot. Shortly after removing her shoes, she heard a repeated ringing sound followed by multiple pops.
She witnessed a masked gun man run down the steps in her direction. Out of complete fear she stood up and realized her shoes were in her hands. By the time she got both shoes on it was too late. Lois Lane was now a hostage.
One of the other bank robbers joined up with them and jumped in the getaway car as they forced Lois inside. They waited a few seconds for the other robber when they noticed him standing inches away from the car and looking up in the air. With confusion they screamed for him to get in. They soon witnessed a crowd of people across the street pointing towards the sky. One of the robbers looked at the other. “What is it Bobby? Is it a bird? A plane?”
Lois looked out the window from the back seat and shouted, “No, it’s Superman!”
Bobby yelled to the driver, “Move Joe, get the hell outta here!”
“What about Vinny? We just gonna leave him?” Joe asked.
“There’s no time. Step on it or we’ll all be in a cell tonight.”
Joe took hold of the stick shift, and he looked down to find the ‘D’ to move the little red line in front of it. As his eyes went back to the road, he saw a man in a blue suit and his red cape lightly blowing in the wind standing directly in front of the car. Joe’s foot hit the gas pedal, but the car went nowhere. Joe looked to find that the man was bent forward and had only one finger pressed against the hood of the car.
Confused, Bobby said, “Go man, go. Run him over!”
“I got the pedal to the floor. We just ain’t movin’,” said Joe.
Clark saw the panic occurring inside the car along with smoke building up from the tires that were spinning on the ground. He then saw a lonely girl struggling with the men in the back seat. He realized this was now serious. With his left index finger still on the hood of the car, he lifted up his right hand and made a fist. His fist came down like a sledge hammer on the hood of the car. He ripped the engine from the car and bolts and screws went everywhere. The tires stopped spinning, but smoke was all around them as well as the smell of burning rubber.
Clark went to the rear driver side door and tore it off. Without any resistance from the men, he reached in and took hold of the girl. He carefully lifted her and placed her on her feet by the steps of the bank. “Are you alright, miss?”
Taking a minute to check herself over she said, “I think so.”
“You should get yourself looked at just to be sure. But if you’ll excuse me,” said Clark. Clark went back to the car and removed the three individuals. By this time, there were plenty of officers on the scene just waiting with their cuffs in hands. After all the news about this Superman, they knew there was no need to draw their weapons. Vinny was already in custody, and the police threw the other three in a different squad car.
“Thanks a lot Superman,” said one of the officers.
“Think nothing of it, officer. You’re the one who does the hard work.”
Clark turned to leave the area so the officers could close off the crime scene. “Hey, wait, you leaving so soon?”
At six inches off the ground, Clark answered the girl he saved, “Was there anything else I can do for you, miss?”
“It’s Miss Lane, and I was wondering if we could talk for a little.”
Looking at her business attire, Clark thought she might be a reporter. “Sorry Miss Lane, but I don’t give…wait, you’re not Lois Lane are you?”
Caught off guard she asked, “Yes, but…do I know you?”
Clark didn’t realized that this Lois Lane that John Henry Irons was talking about would be so stunning. His feet touched the ground, and he asked, “Would you like to go somewhere private?”
“Where’d you have in mind?”
Without an answer, Clark took Lois’ hand and brought her close to him. With her hand in his, Lois stepped with both feet onto his boots. He looked into her eyes then up toward the sky. Slowly they went up higher and higher leaving the police and onlookers below them. He then flew her to a remote area of Metro-Park. There he set her down once more and they began to talk. She asked again how he knew her. Clark said that they had a friend in common who goes by the name of Steele who wanted him to look after her.
Clark then asked Lois what it was that she wanted to talk about. So, Lois explained about the news article that the Daily Planet put out about learning who he is. She cried as she mentioned the loss of her sister and that Lex Luthor was responsible. Lois told Clark that working for the paper would be a good way to reveal to the world the criminal Lex Luthor really is.
Sharing the common bond that is the hatred of Lex Luthor, Clark spoke on the record about who Kal-El was and where he came from. In return, he gave her the means to bring Luthor down by trading one story for another.
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There were signs posted everywhere that read ‘keep off-private property’ in big red letters. Wooden walls were put up along the outskirts of the unused fields to prevent others from seeing what was going on if they should drive by. The farmlands now echoed with machinery noise.
“I want these trucks to dig all day long. The dump trucks should be unloading the haul on the other side of the field.”
“Yes, but Mr. Luthor, these trucks aren’t meant for deep underground digging.”
I yelled, “Well, then you find me the trucks that can do it. I want to be able to reach the center of the Earth if I want to, am I clear Mr. Otis?”
Nervously he said, “Yes, Mr. Luthor. I’ll make the calls now.”
I watched the bumbling idiot leave and couldn’t believe that he was the owner of a trucking company. I’d thought I would give him until tomorrow to make good on what he said he could do. If he can’t then I’ll have to bring in extra manpower from Metropolis to get the job done.
“Funny, the guy reminds me of an overweight man-child.”
“Well, Mercy, that’s what happens with poor upbringing and when the boy fails to mature yet still inherits his father’s company.”
“Well, Lex, look at me. Poor upbringing helped me land a job with one of the riches persons in the world.”
“Yes, but with proper instruction and better parental guidance you could’ve been one of the richest persons in the world. You see, people aspire to become one thing, yet settle on something else. I wonder what you once aspired to be, surely not a bodyguard.”
“With little choices I had and where I came from, most kids like me just aspired to stay alive.”
I didn’t reply back. I was just tired of hearing all the excuses people made for themselves for failing in life. I saw what I wanted and went after it. Some people have me misunderstood and call me a criminal. But people say ‘all’s fair in love and war.’ Well, I say ‘all’s fair in obtaining what you want.’ There’s no one in this life that will just hand you your heart’s desire. And I desire a lot, so I’m not going to just sit around and do nothing because there might be a barrier in my way. One could either talk to the barrier until their face turns blue, or they could knock it down. Only the smart ones get someone to knock it down for them.
“Mercy, get the car. I wish to go back to the hotel.”
“Lex, did you forget? They said they had no rooms available. Something about a crop festival, remember?”
“Of course I remember. Hold on.” I took my cell phone out and placed a call. I was on the phone for about five minutes. “It’s done. Now we can go to the hotel.”
Mercy raised an eyebrow. “Lex, what did you do? These towns’ people want to kill you as it is. I’m good, but I can’t protect you from the children of the corn they got out here.”
I snickered and said, “It’s perfectly fine. All I did was purchase the hotel. I’m simply going to kick everyone out and get a decent night sleep.” I started heading towards my limo and felt that I was the only one walking. “Mercy, are you coming?” I asked as I turned around and saw her just standing there.
“Just watchin your back, Lex.” Mercy said sarcastically as she started to walk behind me.
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The moon was full and the stars lit up the night sky; however, the lights from the streets and buildings dimmed the brightness of the natural illumination. There was no longer a red blue blurr, but what seemed to be the image of a silver bullet that flew through the sky. It was framed by the body of the moon for less than a second.
The “bullet” landed on a roof top and revealed a clearer human figure. After landing unnoticed, Clark removed the helmet of the Anti-K suit. Staring intently throughout the many floors using his x-ray vision, he attempted to find the green glowing specs. Once located, he took out a bag from his helmet and unfolded it. He placed the helmet back over his head and went over to the locked door that leads to the top floor of LuthorCorp. With a slight turn of the knob, the lock broke from within its latches. He knew he only had minutes before security and police arrived, but his super speed only required him to be there for a few seconds.
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Waking from a deep sleep by the ringing of a bell, Frederick sat up from his bed to shut the alarm clock off. But oddly enough, it wasn’t his clock that was ringing. He then came to recognize this familiar sound. He stood up and went to his bedroom window and listened inventively. Frederick then located the origin of the alarm and looked in the sounds direction. From his bedroom window he was now staring at the top of the LuthorCorp sky scraper.
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Clark placed the last piece of Kryptonite in his bag then turned to leave. Clark looked at the clock on the wall to see how much time he had. He then noticed that the second hand was not moving, but he wondered why he was hearing footsteps approach from the hallway. He thought everything and everyone should be at a standstill. He looked through the wall to see who it was, and it was his old formidable encounter from last time.
“I know you see me, brother Kryptonian. But, who are you?”
“I am the son of Jor-El, I was told I was the only survivor of Krypton. Who are you?”
Laughing, Frederick said, “Who told you that? If they said you were the only survivor how would they know?” Without getting an answer, Frederick concluded, “I am the brother of Jor-El, and soon to be the only survivor of Krypton.”
Clark thought for a moment and said, “Zor-El!”
Frederick looked amazed, “Oh, so you heard of me?”
“I heard all you did and what you stood for back on our home world.”
“So, do you intend to kill me as my brother and the courts tried to do?”
“No, Zor-El, my father told me how to handle you.” Clark reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of Kryptonite.
Astounded, Frederick took notice of Clark’s apparel and asked, “How are you able to get close to that?”
“My protective suit keeps me safe from the radiation poisoning that makes us vulnerable.” Clark ran over to his helpless uncle and brought him to his knees. While Frederick was getting every bit closer to unconsciousness, Clark again went into his bag. But Clark didn’t pull out another rock. Instead, what he held was a box that contained one of the crystals that went into his ship’s console along with a vile of his own blood. He broke the vile and let one drop of blood land on his uncle’s forehead. Clark then took the crystal out of the box and pressed it against the drop of blood. Without warning came a bright flash of white light that blinded the both of them. When Clark could see again, Zor-El was gone. Clark then realized the amount of power that was given to him, and how his blood was the key for the entrance of the phantom zone.
Clark picked up the piece of Kryptonite he used against Zor-El and placed it back in his lead lined bag along with the crystal and the vile of blood. He then looked at the clock again and saw that only a second had gone by since his last check. He closed the bag and headed for New Troy Island.
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I walked into the Sullivan and headed straight for the lobby desk. I asked the employee to get the manager. She looked up at me and gave me a dirty look, for she knew I was upset when I was here this morning looking for a room. I assumed she thought it was needless of me to ask for a manager since all the rooms had been occupied and that there was nothing anyone can do for me.
“Yes, Mr. Luthor, I was told you wanted to speak with me.”
I looked at the manager’s name tag and said, “Well, Alex, it is about my room…”
“Mr. Luthor, I believe Tina here already explained that all of our rooms are booked.”
“Alex, there are two things you need to know. One, don’t ever interrupt me while I’m speaking. And two, this is now my hotel.”
Alex raised an eyebrow, “Mr. Luthor, this hotel has been owned by the Sullivan’s since the establishment of the town.”
“What can I say? I made the current owner an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
The manager went back to the desk and made a phone call. He addressed himself as Mr. Doogan, the hotel manager, and wanted to know the full scope of things. It was fully explained to him that the hotel had been sold. Mr. Doogan soon had the look of nausea all over his face. He hung up the phone and adjusted his neck tie. A bit nervously he said, “Mr. Luthor, my deepest apologies. You must understand that I wasn’t notified of the sale of the hotel.”
This is the very situation that drives me to operate the way that I do. This is the situation where a person or people become surprised and now have to kiss your ass. I figured I will let this Alex sweat it out a bit. “I’m still waiting for my room, Mr. Doogan.”
“Mr. Luthor, what would you like me to do? Which guest shall I remove at 8 o’clock in the evening?”
“All of them!”
With a blank look on his face he asked, “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. I want everybody out, now!”
Confused, he asked, “But where shall they go? The crop festival begins tomorrow. That’s why they all came down here for.”
I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “I don’t care for crops, Mr. Doogan. Everyone’s bags are to be packed and out the door within the hour.” I turned and looked at Tina and said, “Oh, and by the way, you’re fired.”
Mr. Doogan said, “Sir, this is Tina Sullivan.”
“I don’t care if she was Tina Doogan. She was rude to me when I tried to be a patron, and she continued being rude when I asked to speak with you. She is fired for insubordination.”
Mr. Doogan observed Tina leave her post and walk out the hotel. He also happened to notice her crying as she did so. “Mr. Luthor, I am sorry. But I cannot, I will not ask these people to leave. You are just going to have to do it yourself.”
I wanted to slap this little toad for his treachery. No one speaks to me in such a manner. “Mr. Doogan, you are an employee, and like you I have many other employees who quite enjoy the work I assign.” Without hesitation, I yelled her name slowly, “Mercy.”
She walked through the doors leading a team of five other armed guards. They all stood behind me. I proceeded to shout in the lobby so that everyone in ear shot could hear me. “Earlier at 4 o’clock this afternoon the Sullivan took on new ownership and had a name change. You are now all standing in the Luthorton. The Luthorton will be going under much needed cosmetic surgery, tonight! You all have twenty minutes to get out or you will be escorted out.” I looked toward Mercy and gave her a nod.
Mercy took her cue. “Alright, everybody out now! I’m not as nice as Mr. Luthor,” she shouted. Mercy took her men and not so politely helped the guests out of the hotel. Afterwards, they went from room to room evicting the guests until it was completely empty.
The lobby was left with me and my guards on one side and Mr. Doogan and the hotel staff on the other. Shortly after, Mr. Doogan relieved the night crew and said to me, “Well, I see there’s nothing left for me to do here tonight.”
He was about to walk away when I said, “I can trust I’ll see you here first thing?”
Mr. Doogan turned around and asked sarcastically, “Here, meaning Luthorton or here, meaning Luthorville?”
I permitted him to get away unscathed with that remark. I had him leave the keys behind, and I locked up the hotel. I picked a room on the top floor, up a whopping five stories. Mercy took a key as well and had the guards rotate a watch to patrol the Luthorton.
ns 18.68.41.175da2
