Author: Athena
Title: Humility

Series: Lois and Clark
Pairing: Lois/Clark
Rating: NC-17
Beta: Uris
Summary/challenge:  Clark is raped
Part of the Cliché Fuh-Q-Fest at http://www.kardasi.com/Cliched/index.htm
Feedback address:  Athena@fateordestiny.com

Humility

Superman felt a hand on him.  He had just rescued a girl from a burning building then put out the flames with his breath.  Someone must have been patting him on the shoulder to congratulate him.  It was strange that when he turned around to see who it was, he felt weak in the knees.

Superman woke to find himself in a barren room on a cot.  Lex Luthor was sitting on a plain metal chair.  The room had cinderblock walls, only one door and a small window with metal bars.  His head could move, but his body seemed pinned to the cot.

"Superman, don't try to move," said Lex.  "The drug has paralyzed your voluntary muscles from your neck down.  I want you to be awake and aware."

Superman opened his mouth to talk.  "Wh-wh-wh."  Superman could breath, but he didn't seem able to form words.  Why didn't Lex kill him?  What was he doing in this room?  No lab equipment meant Lex wasn't planning on doing vivisection on him, at least, not until he brought in the equipment necessary.  Also Lex would need scientists to do the work.  Lex wasn't one to get his hands messy.  He would need Superman to talk if he was going to interrogate him.  None of this made sense.

"What are you doing here?  You, my friend, will soon learn.  I could have killed you, but I think it would be better if I gave you a lesson in humility.  You are too valuable a tool to kill.  You need to be humbled.  Humility, that's the ticket."

"Huh," Superman managed to say.

"Humility," said Lex.  "It would be better if you didn't try to talk.  You will learn that Lex Luthor is your lord and master."  Lex took off Superman's red boots.  "Let's see what you are hiding under that costume."

“N-no,” said Superman.  His voice was breathy. 

After removing Superman’s red boots, Lex found the hidden waistband under the red shorts on Superman’s tights.  Lex slowly rolled the tights down over Superman’s muscular legs.  “I prefer the fairer sex, but I will make an exception since you need me to teach you personally.” 

---

By the time the drug wore off, Lex Luthor was long gone and the small room was empty, expect for the chair and cot.   Superman walked home because he didn't feel up to flying.  He made it to his apartment feeling a bit less wobbly.  The needle or whatever pierced his skin must have been coated with Kryptonite.  However, Kryptonite didn't paralyze him.  Someone in Star Labs must have been paid off regarding Superman's biology.  Then Lex Luthor had deep pockets. 

After locking the apartment door, Clark changed out of his costume and into jeans and tee shirt.  Then he supersped through a half dozen boxes of Twinkies.  Lex wanted him to feel alone and scared.  Clark wanted to call his mother, but he couldn't cry to his mother that he had been raped.  His mom and dad would take the next flight out or drive their truck through the night to get to Metropolis.   No, they couldn't be neglecting their farm for him.

Clark sat on the sofa all night.  Sleep overtook him a few times, but never for long.  He needed to call his parents or fly out to see them.  Mom's hot cocoa would seem good about now.  He didn't feel like he had the strength to fly anywhere.  It seemed like an effort to turn on the remote.  Mr. White would be expecting him at work.  Clark would have to call him sick, but he had to get up to use the kitchen phone.  He couldn't even bring himself to toss out the empty Twinkie boxes.  He hated that Lex Luthor had won.  Superman trapped behind a locked door.

Clark was snoozing when the doorbell rang.  He slowly got up, well slow for him and looked through the peephole to see whom it was.  "Hello, Lois," he said as he opened the front door.

Lois was in her perfectly tailored business clothes, a silver blouse with an off-white jacket and skirt.  Everything about her looked perfect.  "Clark, you look like shit," she said.

"And you look well, too," Clark said to her high heel shoes.

Lois pushed aside the empty Twinkie boxes to make room for herself on the sofa.  "God, Clark.  What happened?"

Clark didn't want to go into the details or get into a long discussion, so he figured he better get it out in as few words as possible.  "I was raped."

"When did this happen?" asked Lois.

"Last night," said Clark.  "I haven't been out since."

"You should call the police."

"I'm a big guy.  I workout.  I can't tell the police."  He wasn't going to tell the police that Superman was raped.  He would have to handle this on his own.

"How did it happen?"

"I was drugged when I woke he was on me."  Clark couldn't tell Lois it was Lex Luthor.  She was engaged to the man.  Every time Clark said anything bad about Lex, Lois dismissed it as jealousy.  Besides she wouldn't believe that Lex Luthor was capable of raping a man, then again, it wasn't any man.  He had raped Superman.

"Anyone can get drugged."  Lois cleared room for Clark to sit beside her on the sofa.  "He's counting on your silence.  You're a reporter.  You know your silence is giving him license to do this, again.  You say nothing and more people will get hurt by this scumbag."

"I don't know if I can come forward."

"You were slipped a Mickey.  Rape is an act of violence.  You did nothing wrong."  Lois put the empty boxes in the trashcan under the sink.  She pushed them down until they all fit.  "You need to tell the police.  You can't let this scumbag walk."

"It's complicated," Clark said.

"Did he wear a mask?  You don't know what he looked like because he was wearing a mask and your memory isn't so good because you were drugged," said Lois.  "You're a reporter, a darn good report, not as good as me, but good. I'm certain whatever you can remember will help the police track this scumbag down." 

"I can't tell the police," said Clark.

Lois opened then slammed shut the empty cabinets.   "I eat when I'm upset, too.  I'm a Rocky Road type of girl.  You shower and I'll return with Haagen-Daz."

"Haagen-Daz," repeated Clark.  "You don't have to bother."

"It's no bother," said Lois.  "You freshen up and I won't be long.  Haagen-Daz straight out of the pint is just what the doctor ordered."

"Good-bye, Lois," Clark waved when Lois left.  All her friendly chitchat was getting on his nerves.  Lois was only trying to be nice and he appreciated the company.  He used his superspeed to clean the apartment.  Then he showered and dressed in clean clothes.  He put on his glasses and combed his hair.

Still envisioning Lex's hands on him, Clark felt dirty, the kind of dirty that doesn't come off with soap.  Lex had used him for his pleasure and to show that Superman wasn’t the one in power.  It wasn't Clark’s fault.  Clark knew that mentally, but emotionally was another story.  Clark turned on the television to LNN.  Lois wasn't back with the Haagen-Daz.  Lois’s innate chatter was better than listening to his own thoughts.  He hated listening to the news and hearing about the latest crime Superman didn't stop because Superman was too busy feeling sorry for himself.

"Rum Raisin," Lois said after Clark let her into the apartment.  "I figured you could use the decadence."

"I wanted my first time to be special," said Clark.  "I was waiting for my wedding night."

Lois gave him the pint and a spoon.  "That is so sweet.  Your first time will be special.  You will be giving yourself to some special lady.  What that villain did was take."

"When I'm on my honeymoon, it would be my first time.  He took that from me."

"It is so sweet that someone wants to wait till his wedding night in this day and age."  Lois put an arm around him.  "Do you mind if I share?"

"Go ahead," said Clark.

Lois got a spoon from the kitchen.  "Clark, not that I would blame the victim, you’re much too trusting."

Clark opened the pint and dug in.  "I have to believe people are basically good."

"It's the ones that aren't good that ruin it for the rest of us."  Lois cuddled close to Clark and took a big spoonful of ice cream.

Clark put an arm around Lois.  "The ice cream is helping.  I feel a bit better."

"See.  Ice cream always works."

"Thanks.  Ice cream is almost as good as my mom's hot chocolate."

Lois licked her spoon.  "Nothing is as good as your mom's hot chocolate.  I'd like to borrow her sometime."

"She's my mom.  You have your own."

Lois took another spoonful.  "Clark, are you up to talking to the police?"

"I can't."  Clark took another spoonful of ice cream.

"Did he threaten you?  Did you tell Superman?"

"Superman knows," whispered Clark.

"That's good.  He can handle it."

Clark couldn't tell her that Superman was scared about being drugged, again.  Lex Luthor had to have inside information from Star Labs.  None of Superman's secrets were safe.  Lois needed to believe in Superman.  Clark wished he had an all-powerful hero he could believe in.  Clark, letting her hog most of the ice cream hugged Lois.   Sitting on the sofa, sharing ice cream, she was his hero.

End