Clark Luthor: Redemption Chapter 2

Okay guys, here is the long awaited second post of my Fan Fiction Fridays!

Lois Queen sits across from Malcolm Malone in his office at Galaxy Communications.

“I’m sure all of the information you need is in the press kit that was sent over to The Daily Planet.”

“A press kit was just a little too impersonal for me.  I need for you to look me in the eye and tell me exactly what type of man you are.”

“Excuse me?”

“Morgan Edge was a giant in the media industry.  He would never just step aside without a fight.  So I want to know what type of man could come in here and takeover his company so effortlessly that is done before anyone knew a change was on the horizon.”

“Well, Morgan had been thinking of leaving for some time now.”

“Really?  I interviewed him two weeks ago and he told me of his five year plan for Galaxy Communications.  He never mentioned stepping down as a part of that plan.”

“He didn’t want to effect the stock.”

“Right.  So where is he?”

“Morgan?  I suspect he’s at home preparing for the next phase of his life.”

“I went to his house.  He wasn’t there and his staff hasn’t seen him since he last left home to come here.”

“Maybe he’s still out celebrating.”

“On foot?  His car never left the parking lot.”

“I thought you were here to ask about me not Morgan Edge.”

“Okay, where were you before you came to Galaxy Communications?”

“That is the type of information that is included in the press kit.”

“I only ask because all of the media outlets and stations you worked at before are no longer around.  Some were bought out by larger companies and dismantled and others just plain burned to the ground.  I wanted to know if this was a pattern that Metropolis should be worried about?”

The smile on Malcolm Malone’s face slips.

“Just like I can’t answer for Morgan Edge, I can’t answer for what has happened after I left a station.”

“Convenient.”

“I would love to stay here and go over my credits with you point by point, but I have another meeting.”

Lois stands up.  “Thank you for time.”

Lois leaves Malone’s office had walks past reception and heads towards the elevators.  She looks back to see if the receptionist is looking then ducks into a nearby office.  Lois looks around and sees that she is in the office of the assistant to the CFO. 

“You must know where the bodies are buried.”

Lois looks through file folders on the desk and finds a list of industrial real estate properties that Malone has bought recently.

“Why does a communications company need industrial real estate?”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Jonathan and Clark walk down a street in a seedy part of town.  Clark looks at Jonathan.

“Why are we here?”

“You need a place to stay, somewhere where you won’t stand out.”

Clark looks around.  His options are limited, he can’t use the Luthor money and getting a job will to be difficult to say the least, since he has the most recognizable face in Metropolis.

“There isn’t a nicer part of town for me to blend in to?”

Jonathan walks into a rundown bar and walks up to the bartender.  She looks at Clark then at Jonathan.

“Haven’t seen you around lately, Kent.  I thought you gave up drinking.”

“Actually I was wondering if you still had that room for rent.”

She looks Clark up and down.

“You can’t afford anything better?”

“I’m between jobs right now.”

She stares at Clark for a long moment.  Then she puts down the rag she was using to wipe off the bar the walks around it.  She motions for Jonathan and Clark to follow her.  They go upstairs and she opens the only door at the top.  They walk into a room that looks like it comes from a post apocalyptic era.  And I guess for Clark it’s true.

“You’re in luck.  The room is available and I need bouncer.  I’ll take rent out of your paycheck.”

Clark looks around horrified.  Jonathan smiles at the bartender and shakes her hand.

“Thanks, he’ll take it.”  Jonathan turns to Clark once more.  “It’s a start, we’ll work making you less conspicuous later.”

Jonathan waves goodbye to the bartender and leaves.  She crosses her arms at looks at Clark.

“Why is Kent helping you?  Shouldn’t he hate you like everyone else?”

“He thinks I’m someone else.”

“There is another person who looks exactly like Clark Luthor?”

“Yes, he’s from another world, so to speak.”

“Uh huh.  Why don’t you just tell him you’re not who thinks you are?”

“He saved my life because he thought I was someone else, I can’t exactly tell him the truth now.  Why are you helping me?”

“You were always a great tipper.  A girl remembers that.”

“I wish everyone else could forget about me, or at least what I looked like.”

She pulls some sunglasses out of her pocket and plants them on his face.

“There, now no one will ever recognize you.”

“At least when I’m wearing these I can barely see this disaster of a room.”

“Get used to it rich boy.  This is your life now.”

                                   

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Tess leaves a coffee shop and heads towards her limo.  She isn’t looking where she is going and almost runs into Malcolm Malone.

“Tess Luthor.  I was hoping I’d run into you, just not quite so literally.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t see you there!”

“Don’t worry, it wouldn’t be the first time today I was nearly run down by a lady from The Daily Planet.”

“The interview went that well?”

“I interviewed a dictator once that was less hostile than Lois Queen.”

“She does have the charm of a bulldog, but she is my best reporter.”

“How about you make up for siccing your bulldog on me and nearly running me down by letting me take you out to dinner.”

“I think I already apologized for both.”

“No, you only apologized for the latter.  Come on, I’m new to Metropolis, I need to make new friends.”

“I guess there’s no harm in dinner.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

The shadowy figure walks into a room and pulls out the package he took from the dead thug.  He opens it and pulls out a relic with Kryptonian writing on it.  He takes the relic and inserts it into a machine that glows green and whirs for a few seconds before powering back down.

“Three more stones and you’ll be ready.”