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Lois Lane; Intrepid Reporter (thatlanewit) wrote in wariscoming,
@ 2013-03-01 23:26:00

Entry tags:

clark kent/superman, lois lane

WHO: Lois and Clark
WHAT: Stakeouts
WHEN: Tonight!
WHERE: around Lawrence
RATING: PG-13ish for probably violence because stakeouts never go smoothly for the two of them.

After months of looking into the mayor of Lawrence and his multiple shady business practices, Lois was certain that they would finally have the evidence to nail his ass to the ground. Or at least they would if they could manage to keep up with the henchman carrying the mayor’s briefcase and whatever was inside of it. She had her hunches--ranging from illegal funds to substances--but unless they got a decent photograph of the man and what was inside the damn case, all of the running around she’d been doing would be for nought. And like hell was she going to let news this juicy escape from her--their (she really needed to get better about including Clark)--clutches just because the street was full of people and maneuvering through the crowds was a headache.

Her partner had to give her some added advantages, right? Even if technically he probably shouldn’t use any of those senses of his out and about where anyone could see them. That only really mattered with the flying and strength though, right? No one should be able to notice heightened sight or hearing.

She cursed as the light changed to green, cars speeding by creating another obstacle to following the man for a few moments. She weaved through the crowd, forgetting for a moment that she wasn’t tracking the man on her own as she tried to glimpse the man’s back over the sea of bodies and the moving cars. Lois didn’t doubt that Clark would be able to keep up with her and if for some reason they were separated she didn’t doubt for a moment that he’d be able to pinpoint her location within seconds of realizing she wasn’t next to him anymore.

When she had first agreed to partner up with him it had been to get their editor off her back and finally allow her back out on the streets again to investigate real stories, but even Lois had to acknowledge that a small part of her had agreed in order to alleviate a little of the guilt she had been feeling over having been shot all those months ago. How many times had Clark brought it up that she needed to be careful, that she needed to find that line she wouldn’t cross and stick to it? And how many times had she ignored his advice and barreled onwards without any regard to her own life before that fateful afternoon? Maybe she wasn’t ready to find that line yet or even certain how far she would push herself in order to get the latest scoop, but she did feel like she’d marked off at least one point for herself in the careful column by agreeing to Clark working with her. Or maybe it would only make her more reckless. Only time would tell.

“Tell me we didn’t lose him because someone can’t leap tall buildings right now,” she grumbled, watching the cars zip by and hoping for a break in the traffic so she could dash across the street before the man was completely lost in the crowd.

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ex_savior698
2013-03-02 09:09 pm UTC (link)

"We didn't lose him because someone can't leap tall buildings right now," Clark replied casually. The every day city chaos had yet to find a way under his bullet proof skin. People milling from one street to another, rushing to tend to their errands, homes, and jobs alike were surprisingly comforting to him. It reminded him of Metropolis. Except it was smaller and filled with demons and fictional characters alike.

Clark put a hand on Lois' shoulder, gently directing her out of the path of a kid who had jumped up onto the sidewalk with a bicycle. With a shake of his head, Clark kept walking, knowing that nothing was going to get between Lois and her shady link to the mayor. She wasn't wrong. As soon as Lois had reeled Clark into her case, he could tell that she had definitely picked up on something that the mayor was trying to keep out of the public eye. Typically, when someone in a power position like that was doing something that they didn't want other people to know about, they were cautious enough to prepare for something that might complicate things. And at this particular moment? Lois Lane was exactly the type of complication the mayor would have been afraid of. Fortunately, with their new-found partnership agreement, Clark was going to make sure that Lois got her story and lived to tell the tale.

Starting with traffic. Clark grabbed at her shoulder again, tugging Lois back before she could go barreling into the street before looking both ways. What? Boy Scout wasn't a title that came lightly. "Easy. I've got eyes on him - don't worry." No, he wasn't bounding over buildings to keep tabs on their target, but that didn't mean that Clark wasn't using any of his abilities. His heightened senses had made it easy enough for Clark to pick the man out of a crowd, even from a long distance. "He's still walking." The street was clear. Clark tilted his head to the side and hit the crosswalk. "C'mon."

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thatlanewit
2013-03-02 10:38 pm UTC (link)

Lois hurried across the street, thankful that she hadn’t worn the heels she’d been debating putting on that morning. Not that her dress flats were all that better for sprinting in, but at least she didn’t have the added worry of breaking a heel or twisting her ankle if her shoe was caught in some random street crack. Getting across the street only meant more crowds though and this time it seemed they were moving against the pedestrian traffic pattern so Lois kept toward the curb, paying no mind to stepping off of it in order to speed up the following process. The cars could just look the hell out for her.

“Hey lady, watch the hell out,” shouted a man riding a bike as he tried to speed past her.

“I’m walking here!” she shouted back, glaring at the offending man as she grabbed onto Clark’s arm to help her get back onto the sidewalk without getting lost in the crowd. “People are so damn rude.” She caught a glimpse of their target’s jacket and tugged on Clark, trying to adjust their direction as a group of people pushing oversized strollers stepped into their path.

Really? What was the point of those things? All they ever managed to do was take up space and run over other peoples’ feet in the process. Did kids even like being inside of them? Lois remembered how she’d hated being belted down in place, preferring to be walking along or carried if her legs were finally too tired to continue.

Craning her neck again, she tried to determine which way the man had gone and cursed aloud as she realized she had no idea where he was anymore. One of the parents glared her way and Lois rolled her eyes. “Oh like they’ve never hear it before!”

She whirled around, sighing frustratedly at Clark, and hoping he hadn’t been teasing when he’d said he’d had his eyes on their prize. “Tell me you know which way we’re supposed to turn.”

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ex_savior698
2013-03-03 01:42 am UTC (link)

Most people would have had a hard time keeping up with Lois when she was in full on investigative reporter mode. Luckily, Clark had long legs and plenty of experience at having to keep up with her, otherwise they would both be lost on this particular stakeout. With a quiet sigh, Clark quickly moved behind her, shooting apologetic smiles at the folks in passing that Lois had managed to irritate. "Really? People in this city? Rude?" Clark shook his head. "I hadn't noticed."

When Lois suddenly turned around, Clark nearly bowled her over out of his determination to keep up with her. Which would have been great. All this time of avoiding incoming traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian alike, and at the end it would have been him that did Lois in. He'd never live to tell the tale. "Left," Clark answered, "he went left." Clark looked ahead, attention focused on the corner of a building in their path. To anyone else, it would have looked like he was just distantly staring off into space. Really, though, Clark was looking through the walls, watching as their target sauntered toward one of the buildings on the opposite street. He was slowing down, but he seemed to be a lot more tense than before. They were definitely getting close.

"I think we're almost there," he told her. If they were smart about this, they'd be able to get every detail they needed without being seen at all. Lois could get her pictures and Clark could pick up on any important pieces of conversation they might need for further evidence. If the mayor really was up to something shady, they'd get their story, stay out of harms way, and expose him all at once. That was definitely a win in Clark's book.

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thatlanewit
2013-03-03 02:05 am UTC (link)

Lois glanced in the direction he was focused on, noting the building blocking her from seeing anything, and added another point to the ‘Keep Clark as a partner’ column she was constantly tallying in her head. She quickly changed direction, slipping through the crowd and toward the alley. While it was a good thing that there wasn’t as much traffic heading in that direction, it also meant the chances of the two of them being spotted rose exponentially. She glanced around at the various shops, trying to pinpoint exactly where they had traveled to in Lawrence to try and deduce where their target was headed.

From the array of food dives, bars, and random stores selling a variety of the latest trends, she had a feeling they were near the university. Which meant that most likely down the alley was the entrance to one of the small clubs. “We need a wardrobe adjustment,” Lois informed Clark, stopping just before reaching the alley and thrusting her purse at him. If he knew what was good for him he would hold it while she fixed her outfit.

She pulled off her blazer and quickly unbuttoned her shirt, not caring about any of the glances directed their way. She had a purple shell underneath which would work better than the button down top and blazer ensemble.

“You need to lose the tie and the jacket,” she continued, before working to tear a slit in the side of her pencil skirt. “This is why I don’t let you wear plaid to work.” God, she’d really liked that skirt. Maybe heels would’ve been a good idea today…

“Did he go into the last entrance on the right?”

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ex_savior698
2013-03-05 03:06 pm UTC (link)

"A wardro - what? Right now?" His question answered itself as Lois started going to town on her own outfit. Hands gripping at the purse that she had shoved into his arms, Clark glanced over his shoulder, half wondering if anyone was fortunate enough to be paying witness to the sight of a woman who was literally ripping her own skirt apart. If they did, Clark didn't search long enough to find out. Instead, he focused back onto the path of their target, eyes never really leaving him for more than a few moments so that they didn't lose him.

"Lois Lane, you are the strangest person I have ever met," Clark commented, looking back to her with a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Have I mentioned that I like that about you?" Because he did. Out of all the regular doses of crazy that Superman ran into, it was Lois that always managed to surprise him the most with the most simple of things. Like random wardrobe adjustments in the middle of an alleyway while they were trying to catch one of the mayor's lackeys in the middle of a crime. With a fond grin, Clark handed her purse back and reached up to tug his tie loose. "And here I was thinking that you didn't let me wear plaid to work because you didn't like plaid," he teased, bundling the tie into his pocket before he stripped off his jacket.

Clark pinned his focus on the target again. Good. He hadn't gone far. "Yeah, door to the right. How'd you know?"

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thatlanewit
2013-03-05 10:29 pm UTC (link)

His amusement was contagious and she couldn't help but smile at what between them was definitely a compliment. Who else could get away with calling her strange and making it sound like a good quality to have? "Maybe I'm coming around to the side of plaid," she told him, unbuttoning a few of his buttons to complete the changeover that she wanted. "Or no, not for everyday wear because it really doesn't belong outside of a farm and the country. But as pajamas it serves its purpose." And maybe she just liked stealing his shirts. It was pretty much fact that she looked better than him in them anyway.

She glanced back down the alley, dropping her own jacket and blouse behind the dumpster. Maybe if she was lucky they'd still be there when they were finished with this task, but if not, well then that just meant another shopping trip, right? "That door leads to one of the local clubs," Lois informed him, mulling over the next piece that went along with that. She could always keep the important part to herself, but Clark deserved to know everything. That's what partners were for, wasn't it? Plus, if he didn't know then they could be in more danger than they probably already were and they hadn't even walked inside yet.

"Back door actually and we'll have to swing around to the other side of the building, but you should probably know that this particular club is owned by the Mayor's brother-in-law. And he just so happens to have been tied to some of Moriarty's people." She tried to be nonchalant as she told him. This wasn't a big deal--or no, it was because all of those people were bad news--but she could deal with that particular group again just fine. If her nightmares sparked up again later that night so be it. Like hell was she letting them scare her into inaction. They were fools if they thought a little trip to the hospital was going to put a stop to Lois Lane.

"I've an in with the bouncer though so getting inside won't be a problem."

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ex_savior698
2013-03-06 06:24 am UTC (link)

The smile he lured out of her brought on another of his own. "Do my ears deceive me? Lois Lane is coming around to plaid? Do you think you could say that again when this is all over in front of a camera? I feel like this might need to be recorded for future reference." He was in no way acknowledging the rest of her statement. It was much more satisfying to focus on the part where victory seemed like it was actually within his reach.

Though their jokes were lighthearted, Clark knew that they were going to have to focus up if they were going to nail this guy without being detected. He shot Lois a final smug grin, then folded his jacket over and tucked it away alongside her abandoned clothing.

As Clark listened to Lois explain how she knew where they were, his expression slowly shifted from curiosity to distaste. Moriarty's people. The last time that Lois had gotten tangled with them, she had been shot. If they were walking into their territory, not only was the risk increasing, but the chances of them crossing paths with the same people that had been there the night that Lois had been attacked...

Clark reached up to tug at his tie, fingers pausing halfway when he remembered that he wasn't wearing it anymore. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea," he started, knowing as soon as he opened his mouth that Lois was never going to back down. She had gone all this way. Furthermore, this was far too juicy a story for her to pass up. As much as Clark loathed the idea of her walking into that club, he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop her.

Which was why he was so glad that he'd talked her into partnering up with him. Lois was safe. He wouldn't let anyone touch her.

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thatlanewit
2013-03-06 01:52 pm UTC (link)

Lois had rolled her eyes at all of the plaid jabs. She'd known as soon as she opened her mouth about it that she would never hear the end of it. He'd practically won and he was going to be incorrigible. Somehow, some way, she'd get a shoe rack in that damn Fortress of his just so he'd shut up about his little victory.

She watched as his expression changed and it was as though she could almost hear the troubling thoughts he was having about her going anywhere near this particular club now. What came out of his mouth only confirmed Lois' suspicions. "Good thing you don't get to decide which stories we do and don't cover then, hmm?" she pointed out, unwilling to back down despite her own trepidation. She caught the hand he'd been reaching up with and squeezed it for a brief moment before letting him go.

Without another word, she started walking toward the main entrance, bypassing the ever growing line of hopefuls wanting to get into the place. "Hey Charley," she greeted the over muscled bouncer at the door who was already routinely turning people away. "How's your Gram doing?"

"Good as new ever since you broke the news on that damn Social Security savings scheme," Charley replied, already moving aside to let her in. "You let Carla at the bar know your drinks are on me, babe."

Lois grinned, reaching back to clasp Clark's hand in hers. "And this one's with me." She tugged at him to follow her inside, unable to help herself from moving slightly to the beat of the music as they entered. She hadn't been out dancing in ages. "You got a lock on our friend?"

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ex_savior698
2013-03-07 05:02 am UTC (link)

It was probably lucky for both if them that Clark didn't choose what stories they pursued. If he had it his way, they'd be aiming for the simple, easy, uncomplicated fluffy bunny pieces that had absolutely no chance at them ever getting caught up in the kind of activity that ended with Lois walking into any sort of crossfire. It didn't take a genius to figure that Clark was protective of Lois - overprotective, in fact - which was why biting his tongue and letting her follow through with her stakeout was...well. Lois was lucky that he hadn't snatched her up and super sped them away from this club by now.

Reluctantly, Clark followed Lois inside. He let her handle the bouncer (who appeared to enjoy the sight of Lois a lot more than Clark was sure he was comfortable with) while he searched for their lead. The mayor's buddy had taken up a spot at a corner table. He wasn't drinking, which was highly unusual for someone who intentionally went walking into a place like this. Mentally, Clark struck down another mark on his list of reasons on why this whole thing screamed suspicious.

Not that he needed much more reason now that he knew that Moriarty's old crew frequented the area.

Before Clark could relay any info regarding their target back to Lois, he felt her hand slip into his own. Clark gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, then tipped his head to the side to indicate that he still had sights on their target. "Look. He's definitely waiting for someone," Clark commented, letting Lois take the lead as she pulled at his arm. Unlike her, he was moving a lot more stiffly. The music didn't phase him. Nothing but the idea of someone spotting Lois and recognizing her from her scuffle with Moriarty's people before did. All he could really do was hope that all of this happened quickly, that way they could get what they needed and slip out the door without any trouble. That was awfully optimistic thinking for someone who was working alongside Lois Lane, but Clark kept at it anyway. He didn't want to expect the worst. If he did, he really wouldn't have been able to handle being in here with Lois right now.

Attention shifting away from the man in the corner, Clark switched gears and started scanning the crowd instead. "If one person so much as looks at us funny, we're out of here." Which, in Clark speak, really meant that if anyone looked at Lois funny, he was going to drag her out the door whether she wanted to leave or not.

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thatlanewit
2013-03-07 05:39 am UTC (link)

She glanced over her shoulder at him, taking note of his expression and the seriousness of his stance. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to lighten the hell up, but now wasn’t the time for their characteristic banter sessions. She knew why he was being as cautious as he was and considering who they were definitely up against Lois couldn’t blame Clark one bit for his behavior. If he thought she’d quietly let him drag her out of this club even at the tiniest bit of trouble he had another thing coming. She didn’t go quietly in the best of circumstances, even when it was in her best interest to do so, therefore any bets on her doing so in this instance were pretty damn slim.

But now wasn’t the time to contemplate that and Lois shifted her attention to their target, taking in the rest of what Clark had said and scanning the room for where would be their best vantage point to capture everything on camera. Heightened senses or not, it wouldn’t do them any good if only Clark was able to see what went down. They needed proof and like hell Lois was leaving tonight without something.

“People look at me funny nearly every day and you run around in your underwear so we’re not basing our means of escape based on that, Clark,” she told him, unable to help herself and let go of his hand so she could maneuver through the crowd and head toward the bar. If she was right, the furthest away stools should have a pretty decent view of the man.

She slipped in and out of sight, finding the path of least resistance and hunkered down on one of the stools, tapping the bar to let the bartender know she wanted a drink. Even if the man in question was going to let himself stick out like a sore thumb, Lois preferred at least trying to blend in. “There are probably close to a hundred people in here. We’ll be fine.”

It wasn’t as though anyone was purposefully looking out for the two of them, right? Nothing suspicious about the two bartenders glancing at the two of them and quietly conversing before one of them headed into the back room. The bartender appeared again a moment later carrying some bottles of liquor. “I swear you make me paranoid.”

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