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“Help!” Lois cried out, hoping anybody would hear her. A few minutes earlier, she’d been leaving the Daily Planet, having stayed late working on a story. Now, she was running for her life, two hooded thugs with guns on her tail. Luckily, they weren’t skilled in hitting a moving target; but she wasn’t moving much longer. She stopped in her tracks at a dead end. A fence she didn’t have time to climb. She turned around, ready to start defending herself when a familiar voice rang from above her.
“Leave her alone!” Clark yelled as he landed, donned in his Superman suit. He took one look at the offenders. Hoods and darkness couldn’t hide them from his perfect vision. He immediately scooped up Lois, flying her away from the scene, setting her down in the middle of a forest.
“Smallville, what the hell?”
“Remember that mob boss you helped take down last month? Those were his men.” Clark explained.
“I thought they got the whole operation.”
“There were two at the bottom of the pyramid that never got caught.”
“Ok well I appreciate you saving me, but couldn’t you have just taken me home?”
Clark sighed. “You’re right. But look. It’ll take me all of two minutes to get those guys down to the station. Just stay here.”
“Do you even know where here is?” She scoffed.
“We’re in state.” Clark replied.
“Somewhere in Kansas, that really narrows it down Clark.”
“Lois, I could find you anywhere. But I am sorry I wasn’t thinking there for a second, I just want you to be safe. Which you will be, I promise.”
Lois gave him a small smile and a kiss. “Go get ‘em, Superman.”
Clark beamed and flew off, just as Lois felt the first drop of rain.
Clark rushed back to the scene, immediately throwing one into a wall, bullet ricocheting off his chest. He spun, ready to throw the second man, but this time the bullet pierced his skin, lodging into the centre of his chest. He immediately weakened, falling to the ground.
“I came prepared, just in case.” The shooter grinned, running over to save his partner. But they weren’t free just yet. A woman with short dark hair appeared in front of him, knocking them both unconscious. She called it in, immediately tending to Clark, already unconscious himself. She held a hand over his chest, hoping she could absorb the kryptonite in the bullet. But her touch only worsened his poisoned body. She knew she should back off, call Lois. But there was no time. She had to take him home. She had to take him anywhere. Clark Kent had to live.
It had been five minutes. Which wouldn’t concern Lois if it was anybody else. But this was Clark. It didn’t help that she was drenched, the downpour coming out of nowhere. She was cold, wet, alone, stranded. But most of all, scared.
“Clark? Did you forget which section of the Hundred Acre Woods you dropped me off in?” She called out, hearing nothing but pouring rain. She grabbed her phone, but she couldn’t get service.
She felt her eyes start to well up, tears slowly falling down between the water dripping down her face. Determined to find a signal, she began walking. She had no clue where the closest exit would be, but she had to do something, anything. She had to find Clark.
Lana ran Clark to the farm, finding only Krypto, who whimpered at the sight of Clark’s rapidly declining health, declining faster because he was in Lana’s arms. She knew that. But she knew he’d be perfectly fine as soon as she found someone who could help him.
She briefly laid him on his couch, trying to reach Lois for what felt like the hundredth time. Still no answer. She resisted the urge to throw the phone. She sat at the kitchen table, giving Clark a chance to regain some stability from her exposure. She wasn't sure it was even possible in his state, but it seemed he was going to be stuck with her for a while, she figured it was worth a shot.
Lois almost screamed in delight when she found a clearing. Her phone still didn’t want to work, but in classic Lois Lane fashion, she kept moving, kept fighting. In a few minutes she found something she thought was impossible. It seemed to be a shelter. She beamed, running down the stairs towards the door, finding it locked. Determined, she pulled out her lock picking kit, a gift Sam had given her the last time she saw him six months prior, able to pick any lock she ever came across. And this one was no exception. She opened the door, planning to quietly shut it behind her. Unfortunately, not much of this night was going according to her plan, and she slammed the door when she was startled by thunder.
A small woman about her age jumped from a table on the floor below her, immediately pulling a knife when she didn’t recognize the face.
“Who are you?” She demanded. Lois initially froze at the landing, but she was determined to gain the girl’s trust. Maybe she could help her contact Clark. She jogged down the stairs, hands by her head.
“My name is Lois. Listen. I’m sorry. I thought this place was abandoned. I don’t mean to intrude, but my husband is missing.” She rambled.
Eileen took a swing, knocking Lois backward.
“Why should I believe you?”
Lois put a hand out to stop her, easing her own tone. “You’re the one holding the knife, I have no reason to lie to you. I just need to get a hold of my husband, maybe a towel, then I’ll be out of here, I promise.”
Eileen held the knife against Lois’ wrist, eliciting no reaction. But she did notice a phone sticking out of her coat pocket. And the screen brightened with a silent notification.
“I don’t think you do.” Eileen scolded, knocking the taller woman back again with a punch. Lois looked up, holding her lip.
“Ok.” She muttered. “We’ll do it your way.” She landed a punch of her own, sending the knife sliding across the bunker floor. Lois was a good fighter, especially when she was fighting for Clark. Unfortunately she had met her match with this one. When she hit the floor again, she knew she had to find another way.
“Alright.” She stood, backing towards the stairs. “You win. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
She slowly sidestepped up the stairs, making sure not to turn her back to warrant an unwanted attack. But even Lois Lane wasn’t prepared for what hit her next. At the landing appeared a man a little taller than her, donned in a beige trenchcoat.
“Who are you?” He demanded, voice deep.
“Not important. I was just leaving.” She tried to walk around, but he stepped in front of her once more.
“Ok pal. I don’t want to hurt you or that girl down there. So you should let me leave.” She tried to shove past him, but this time he grabbed her, a grip on her wrist she fought but couldn’t shake.
“Please let me go!” She shouted. “I need to find my husband!”
“Nobody can enter this building without the special key.” The man responded. “So I think you’ll have to answer our questions first.”
Lois felt a tap on her forehead, then her world went black.
“Are you alright?” He asked Eileen as he carried Lois down the steps.
“Never better.”
“Good. I will take her to the dungeon, then fix the damage to the lock.”
Eileen nodded. “I’ll watch her.”
Lana returned to Clark after more unsuccessful calls to Lois and Chloe, leaving only Lois a message. His body immediately tensed further at her touch. With a shuddering breath, she held him in her arms, sprinting off to watchtower.
“Is anybody here?” She asked. “It’s Lana Lang. I have Clark. Or, Superman. I don’t know if you’re all on a first name basis. He needs help.” She laid him on a nearby couch, running up the stairs, finding the building empty. She did see what appeared to be a medical area, but no doctor. She clenched a fist, nodding to herself, she retrieved Clark, bringing him to the operating table.
“I’m gonna get you back to Lois, Clark.” She whispered, carefully stripping the suit off his chest, the removed armour allowing blood to flow freely from the bullet hole. His veins appeared a dark shade of green, she could practically see the blood boiling under his skin. The poison was coursing through him, just as it had during their last kiss years ago. She was poisoning at double speed, but at the moment she was the only one to help him. All she had to do was get the bullet out, then get it and herself out of reach. She used a scalpel to cut the hole a little more, then she grabbed a pair of forceps, beginning to dive into the cavity. Even her super strength and dexterity was useless to stop her shaking limbs. Not to mention Clark was stiffening by the second from her proximity. She was running out of time. She threw her tools at the wall, leaving them lodged in the wood. Leaning against the railing, she sank to the floor, trying Lois’ phone again.
“Eileen, we’re back.” Sam called as he entered the bunker, Dean not far behind. “I know we’re a bit late, but it’s a hell of a storm out there.”
“Welcome back.” Cas replied, coming into the war room.
“Cas.” Sam smiled slightly. “Didn’t know you were going to be by.”
“We have a problem. Someone managed to break into the bunker.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Dean asked.
“I knocked her unconscious, we have her in the dungeon until she wakes up. Eileen is watching her. We have her phone. Someone named Lana has tried to call her several times.”
Sam took the phone, turning it on, his heart immediately jumping.
“Cas, wake her up.” Sam demanded, a tone Dean didn’t ignore, peering at the phone, seeing the lock screen of Clark and Lois.
“I can wait until you’re ready to interrogate.”
“We’re not interrogating her.” He scolded.
“She’s awake.” Eileen rushed in. “She’s still in her restraints. What do you want me to do?”
Sam took a deep breath. “Untie her. Lois is not an enemy, I promise.”
Eileen’s face sank. “That’s the Lois? I’m sorry Sam. She was talking so fast, I didn’t even think about it being her.”
Sam smiled. “She’s good at that. And she’ll forgive you eventually. Just go. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Eileen nodded, Cas following her back towards the cell just as the phone rang again. Sam weighed his options, deciding to take it.
“Lana.”
There was silence on the other end for a moment as Lana processed the voice.
“Sam?” She finally returned.
“That’s me. Lois is here, she’s just asleep.”
“Well I have an emergency. It’s Clark. I found him not far from the Planet with a Kryptonite bullet wound.” Sam’s face darkened, Dean watching with concern. Lana’s voice shuddered. “I tried to get it out, but with my presence making him worse, it’s making it that much harder. He’s fading fast.”
“You still have your power suit.” Sam acknowledged. “Can you get him here if I send you some coordinates?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. See you in a few.” He hung up, immediately sending them from Lois’ phone.
“What’s wrong?” Dean asked, taking in his brother’s shaken expression, one he knew all too well.
“One of us is taking a bullet out of Clark Kent.”
“I’m sorry, Lois .” Eileen signed her words as Cas broke the restraints “This was all a misunderstanding.”
“I’d say.” Lois scoffed, shooting up from the chair, rushing through the door.
“Wait.” Cas called as they chased her out, not stopping. “We can help you find your husband.”
Lois stopped halfway down the hall, angrily turning back. “Nice try. Not after you knocked me out and tied me up in your creepy little torture dungeon. I will find him myself, and then I have some friends who specialise in hunting animals like you.”
“They know.” A voice came up behind her. She turned back in her original direction, wide eyes gazing up to meet his.
“Sam.” She muttered. She cleared her throat, composing herself. “You know them?”
“Eileen, Castiel.” He replied. “Fellow hunters.”
Lois gave a single slow nod before pointing to Cas. “What’s up with him?”
“I am an angel of the Lord.” Cas stated. Lois stared in awe after Sam silently assured her it was the truth.
“Wow. Well that explains knocking me out with a small tap. I thought Clark was the only one that could do that.”
“He… is not an angel I know.” Cas concluded. “Unless he is using an alias to blend in.”
Sam smirked. “He’s not an angel, Cas.”
“He’s not.” Lois echoed. “He’s Superman, and I haven’t heard from him in…” She checked her watch. “90 minutes now. Which isn’t necessarily unusual, but it is when he said he’d be back in two.” She caught her breath, facing Cas. “Could you fly me back to Metropolis?”
Sam shook his head. “He doesn’t have to, Lois. Clark’s coming here.”
Her face lit up, visible relief washing over her features. “You talked to him?”
Sam took a breath. “Not exactly. It was-”
A loud knock at the door halted his thought. Lois bolted past, Sam failing to grab her arm as the group followed her into the war room, where Dean was opening the door. Lois fell silent as Clark’s head came through the door, soon before she saw who was carrying his body.
“Lana?” She spoke. “What are you doing?” She tried to hide the irritation in her tone, but nobody missed it.
“Lois, I know how much of a danger I am to Clark, I’ve been looking for help since I found him. Paying close attention to my affect on him. Sam finally answered your phone, told me to come here.” Dean followed her down the stairs, Lois finally getting a look at the hole in the Superman armour.
“Clark.” She cried, running a hand through his hair, slick with sweat.
Dean led Lana down the hall. Lois fell into Sam’s arms, tears further soaking his still damp jacket.
“We’re gonna get him back, Lo.” Sam said softly, resting his chin over her head.
Lana stood outside the door of the infirmary as the group approached, Eileen and Cas entering to help Dean prepare for the surgery.
“I should get going. I don’t want to risk him anymore than I already have.”
Lois pulled her into a long, tight hug. “Thank you.”
Lana smiled with a small nod. “Let me know when he’s back.”
“We will.” Lois smiled as Sam approached, handing Lois a dry flannel as Lana hurried off.
Clark laid on the middle bed while Dean stood, sterilizing his tools.
“Are you sure you want to be here for this, Lo?” He asked as she entered with Sam.
Lois nodded while shakily replacing her jacket with the flannel. “I’ve pulled a Kryptonite blade out of him. I’ll be okay.”
“Alright. Who’s helping me?”
“I got it.” Sam replied. Eileen pulled two chairs over, giving Lois the one closest to Clark. She sat down, immediately holding his hand between hers.
“You’re gonna be fine, baby.” She whispered, squeezing tight.
Eileen took a seat beside Lois, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“I should have believed you.”
“It’s not your fault. I would’ve done the same thing. In fact, I have.” Lois responded with a smile. “Besides, I know a thing or two about wanting to protect that big guy.” She nodded to Sam, making him blush a little. Eileen grinned, signing a thank you.
“Sammy, I’m ready.” Dean announced, handing Sam a cloth. Sam nodded, pulling back the suit. Lois winced at the blood underneath, accepting Eileen’s support. Sam towelled off some of the blood, holding the already gaping wound open for Dean to begin the retrieval. Lois grabbed another cloth, wiping Clark’s glistening forehead as Dean dug. He steeled his focus on the wound, digging deeper before a small victorious smile crept on his face. He slowly pulled the tweezers out, a shiny green bullet held between them.
“Cas.” He held the bullet up to the angel who had been watching dutifully. “Destroy this.”
“Of course.” The angel replied, promptly turning the bullet into harmless dust.
The effect was immediate, the green tint fading from Clark’s veins. The wound began to close naturally, the group watching in awe.
“That’s incredible.” Eileen gasped.
Lois beamed. “Yeah. He is.”
Clark slowly opened his eyes, immediately seeing Lois.
“Hi.” He smiled softly.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been worse.” He replied. “Where are we?”
“Lebanon. A place called the Men of Letters Bunker. It’s a long story. But it’s not too far from where you dropped me off.”
“I’m sorry about that, Lois.”
“Don’t be. I don’t think I would’ve got that bullet out of you myself. Are you sure you didn’t know this place was here?”
“Lois, I just took you to a random spot. I’ve never heard of these men.”
“One of them was Sam and Dean’s grandfather.” She explained. Clark’s eyes lit up in surprise. “Yeah. Turns out they’ve been calling this place home for a few months now. Grandpa Winchester travelled through time, gave them the key.”
Clark smiled. “Talk about fate.”
Lois kissed him softly. “Like I’ve said, I believe in any fate that involves you.”
Clark shifted up in his bed. “What about the guys that shot me?”
Lois placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Relax. They’re taken care of.”
“Oliver? Bart?”
Lois gave a small smile. “Lana, actually. She found you in the alley, did everything she could to save you, eventually she got through to my phone and brought you here. It’s an even longer story. We let her know you’re alright, she said she’d stop by and safely say hi when we were back at the farm.”
Clark nodded. “I didn’t even know she was back in Metropolis.”
“Fates were in our favour tonight.” Lois smiled, squeezing Clark’s hand. “Now how about we go get some food. There’s more people you have to meet.”
Clark nodded, disappearing in a blur, returning before Lois could blink, dressed in his grey t-shirt and jeans.
“Did you just run home for those?” Lois giggled.
Clark shrugged playfully.
Lois grinned, pulling him into a kiss. “Welcome back, babe.”
Eileen stood over a stove full of grilled cheese sandwiches while Cas set plates out on the table, his attention diverted at the arrival of Clark and Lois.
“Hello, Clark. It is good to see you have recovered. I am sorry we held your wife hostage.”
Clark raised an eyebrow, glaring at the angel.
Lois chuckled awkwardly. “That’s part of the long story. Simple misunderstanding. They’re both forgiven. This is Castiel, he’s an angel. Hence the lack of tact.” Cas shot a small glare in her direction. “He did destroy the krypto bullet, though.”
Clark lightened. “You saved my life.”
Cas shook him off. “Sam and Dean did the work. I mostly observed.”
“Well, thanks for doing your part.”
“You’re welcome. A friend of the Winchesters is a friend of mine.”
“And don’t worry Clark.” Eileen smiled, dishing out the sandwiches. “Your secret is safe with us.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Miss.” Clark replied, confusion evident.
“This is Eileen.” Lois smiled as they all sat. “She’s a hunter. Part of the team.”
“The hostage thing was my fault, really.” Eileen said. “I didn’t really register that she could be the Lois Sam has told me about.”
“Like I said, it’s water under the bridge.” Lois replied. “I’m just happy for him. He deserves someone like you.”
Eileen beamed proudly. “I didn’t know I needed him. He made me realize it’s not better to be alone in this life.”
Clark squeezed Lois’ shoulder. “Sounds familiar.”
“Found him.” Dean chimed as he stepped into the kitchen, Sam followed closely behind.
“We noticed you weren’t in the infirmary anymore.” Sam added.
Dean studied Clark’s outfit. “Those weren’t under your suit.”
“And they aren’t the ones I left in there for you.” Sam noted.
Dean laughed. “You ran home.”
Clark shrugged. “It’s only a couple hours to drive.”
“Which translated is a three second run.” Dean quipped.
“So that’s it then?” Sam asked. “You’re back?”
“Thanks to you.”
“Dean’s the one that got the bullet out.”
“Hey, it never would’ve happened without Lana.” Dean replied.
“You heroes are all so bad at taking credit where it’s due.” Lois teased through her sandwich.
“I’ll talk to Lana when I go home.” Clark smiled. “Though yours is pretty cool.”
“Yeah, we just found it not too long ago.” Sam responded.
“Lois gave me the short version. Your grandfather, time travel.”
Sam nodded. “Turns out the men of letters collected information on all different types of supernatural beings.”
“And the building is warded against virtually all of them, except of course the unstoppable force of Lois Lane with magic lockpicks.” Dean added.
“Hey I didn’t know about this place when I gave her those.” Sam replied. “And I definitely didn’t expect them to take down even that lock.”
“Well, I’m glad they did.” Lois grinned. “Was there any information on aliens?”
“None of Clark’s kind, but some about life from Mars.”
Clark smiled slightly. “We know him. Works with us. Disguises himself as a homicide detective in Metropolis. He’s the last Martian left.”
“Your lives are weird.” Dean remarked.
“Look who’s talking.”
“Hey, eating grilled cheese at three in the morning is normal to me.”
“And nobody else.” Lois grinned. “I’d normally be in bed right now.”
“We can go home.” Clark said, hugging her shoulder.
“It’s alright, we haven’t seen them in a while.”
“It’s no problem. We could use the sleep too to be honest.” Sam replied.
“Rough hunt?”
“They’re never easy.”
“Well, in that case. Home sounds pretty good.”
“We’ll talk to you soon.” Dean got up with Sam to offer hugs. “You're welcome back anytime. Especially if Smallville’s ever getting dangerous.”
“Thanks. It was a hell of a night. Wish I could say it was fun.” Lois smiled. “But at least we know where you live now.”