Time's up.

“KICK YOU IN THE ASS!”

Kicking and screaming while two bouncers easily dragged him away from the wet bar, Mr. Myxlplyx continued to threaten and rant while flailing his stubby legs off the ground, being led out the door while two other bouncers held it wide open.

“DO YOU BOZZOS KNOW WHO I AM?! I’M MR. MYXLPLYX! I’M THE GUY THAT DECIDED YOU DESERVE ONE MOON WHEN IT CRASHED INTO THIS DIRT BALL! I’M THE GUY THAT KILLED OFF THE DINOSAURS! I’M THE GUY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CARBON THAT BECAME YER MOTHA’S OVARIES AND CRAPPED OUT YOU BUNCH OF MEATHEAD LOSERS!”

“Yeah, yeah pall, and we’z the Beatles. This here’s Ringo, that’s John and I’m Paul and that’s George… Buzz off you drunk little dwarf, you’z been warned after feelin up the waitresses.”

Flinging the imp like a foot ball out the double doors of the club, Mr. Myx stopped mid flight to float in mid air and wriggle his feet to keep aloft. Straightening his bow tie and tilting his hat forward, the fifth dimension being rolled up his sleeves and gestured to throw down for a fight.

“You think this imp is a push-over? You’z bozos got a LOT of trouble comin yer way if you think that…”

A light beeping nearby tore Mr. Myx’s attention from the four bouncers to a digital watch on his arm, letting him know his 90 days were almost at an end. Slumping his shoulders and slowly hovering to the ground with a wriggle of his shoes, the fifth dimensional imp snorted and undid his sleeves.

“Ah nuts, has it been 3 months already? Geez, time flies when you’z been drinkin it away around the world.” Straightening his tie again and floating back up in the air to cross his legs under him and lean forward on his knees, Mr. Myxlplyx scratched at his chin in thought before shrugging with his hands up in the air. “Well, time to give the News lady of Steel a visit, heh, bet she’s tickled pink with keeping her hubby safe for once.”

He was about to leave when he quickly remembered about the four bouncers at the door still watching him. Snapping his fingers, the imp spun around and smirked back at them.

“So you’z the Beatles huh? Well GOO GOO G’JOOB TO YOU TOO!”

Striking the four with lightning and disappearing with a puff of smoke, the four men stood and looked around, waving the smoke out of their faces to get an idea of where they were. Wearing the costumes they did for their Sgt. Peppers album, the Beatles looked across the street and back to the club they were standing in front of.

“Hmm, seems we’re at a concert lads.” Pointed out John as he read the sign overhead.

“Gear!”

Gathering into the club and prepping their instruments, the music quickly changed followed by a chorus of screaming and cheering women when they started to play.

*

Reappearing in the grand halls of the Fortress of Solitude, Mr. Myx announced his arrival with streamers, confetti, and fireworks along with a mariachi band behind him playing celebratory music when he popped into existence with his bowler hat in hand for all to see.

“TA DA!”

He had hoped to find a very pleased woman snuggling up her husband in a bear hug and a grin that threatened to split ear to ear. Instead, what he found was Superman staring down at him angrily with his fists at his sides… With a 16-foot-tall woman behind him with black reptilian scales across her entire nude body draping her arms and clawed hands over his chest protectively and glaring down at the imp from over her pumpkin sized breasts with glowing green eyes. A look of pure contempt in her eyes as they both made eye contact and the imp gulped.

Seeing where he was and the proverbial and literal cold reception he got in the fortress, Mr. Myx looked over his shoulder to the band and made a ‘cut it out’ gesture with his gloved hand that made them all disappear. Wringing his hat between his hands, Mr. Myx chuckled nervously as he looked up at the towering reptilian woman glaring back at him, her tail swishing back and forth behind her and sounding heavy and powerful enough to knock over a car if one was nearby.

“H-hey there Lois… Looking good. Been taking your vitamins? Or is that from that new Kryptonite diet?”

A deep low growl like that of a crocodile filled the hall, just as Lois gripped at her husband’s shoulders more tightly and her green glowing eyes narrowed. “You tiny little sonofabitch! YOU did this to me!”

Waving his hands in front of him defensively, the fifth dimensional imp floated up into the air to see the towering woman at eye level, hiding behind his hat like it were a tiny shield.

“Hey! Whoa! Hold on there. I just granted yer wish, how was I supposed to know that a human eating ten times their body weight in radioactive material would turn them into a Queenzilla? Most just die of radiation poisoning!”

“You know you aren’t helping to calm my wife, right?” Smirked the Man of Steel, patting his hand over Lois’s claw affectionately just as she separated from her man and stood in front of the imp with her arms hugged under her bust. “It’s a very simple request Myxlplyx, can you return Lois to normal?”

“Uhm…” Scratching his head with his gloved hand and dripping so much sweat it formed a freezing puddle on the cold floor, the imp tried and failed to meet Lois’s green eyes before he whispered a “No…?”

“WhAt WaS ThAt ImP?!” Growled Lois, quickly snatching the being up between her two outstretched clawed fingers to the collar of his jacket and pulling him close until their noses were touching, her lips pulled back in a sneer that exposed all her fanged teeth and a sickly green glow coming from the back of her throat that was too ominous for the tiny man not to notice. By now Mr. Myxylplyx had **** but to stare into the black pools of Lois’s eyes and focus on the twin pair of green irises staring into his soul.

“ThIs Is HoW ThIs Is GoInG tO gO iMp! YoU ArE GoInG To FiX ThIs Or I GeT tO FiNd OuT iF fIfTh DiMeNsIoNaL wEiRdO TaStEs LiKe KrYpToNiTe!!!”

“I’ve been told we taste like roasted peanuts…”

Raising the imp over her horned head, Lois opened her mouth wide, letting Mr. Myxlplyx see for himself her toothy maw and the green abyss they led to. Flailing and squirming on the spot to get free and failing miserably under the towering woman’s inhuman strength, the imp screamed and panicked.

“I CAN’T DO IT! I CAN’T DO IT! THE WISH I GRANTED JUST MADE IT WHERE YOU COULD GET RID OF THE KRYPONITE! YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF DOLL! JUST… PLEASE LET ME GO…”

Slowly closing her mouth and lowering the imp down to the floor, Lois dropped him unceremoniously at her feet where he scrambled and ran to hide behind Superman’s red boots for safety. Feeling safer behind the man of steel, Mr. Myx explained himself. Turning to look down at him, the blind rage on her face had fallen to whimpering and tear-filled eyes.

“You said if things went south, you’d undo the wish!”

“Hey. The rules are pretty clear doll face, I just grant the wish, if you do something in between then and now, well, that’s on you.”

Looking down at the imp hiding behind his boots and cape, Clark frowned down at the tiny man while he heard Lois wipe at her eyes, holding back crying.

“What exactly were you running from that warranted you hiding on Earth for 3 months?”

Fidgeting and still wringing his hat in his hands, Mr. Myxlplyx looked sheepish as he answered the man of steel.

“Well… You know, there’s this OTHER imp who’s been pesterin me to commit and I gots cold feet and…”

“MYXLPLYX!!!!”

A plume of black smoke erupted in the heart of the fortress’s hall, clearing instantly to reveal a gorgeous woman with long legs, ample chest, luxurious red hair and wearing a wedding dress that looked so exquisite and expensive it could have been sold off to pay for a house. The woman was in every way stunning, except for streaks of spoiled makeup dripping down her eyes from hot tears. Throwing her platinum flower bouquet to the cold floor and stamping her glass heeled foot, Miss Gsptlsnz pointed an accusing finger at the frightened imp.

“THREE MONTHS! YOU LEFT ME AT THE ALTER FOR THREE MONTHS YOU INSUFFERABLE LITTLE…”

Stopping in her tirade to look around, the gorgeous woman looked down at Mr. Myx hiding behind Superman and the towering reptilian giantess nearby.

“The FUCK is going on here?!”

“Uhm… Hello Miss, we’re in the middle of a complicated…”

“Oh, I get it alright!” She glowered, lifting the front of her wedding dress to stomp her way towards the man of steel. At first it looked like she was going to hurt him when she immediately crouched to glare down at her fiancé. “YOU ran off and offered a wish to these two as collateral to keep their mouths shut! And… ‘sniff’, ‘sniff sniff’, did you…?” Getting up and approaching Lois, the human deathclaw brought her hands up and stood with some confusion and insecurity. “And you LIED to her?!!!!”

“I didn’t mean to…”

Breathing in sharply, Miss Gsptlsnz snapped her fingers and Mr. Myxlplyx disappeared and the woman took the time to clear her make-up and comb her hair with her fingers to clean her appearance. Pretending to wear a sweet smile as she snapped her fingers and the bouquet returned to her hands.

“I’m sorry for all of this, my future husband-to-be had cold feet and took it out on you both, and I’m sorry for that, it WON’T happen again, I promise.”

Slowly falling to her knees to see the woman face to face, Lois gave the woman a sullen look as she folded her clawed hands in her lap.

“Can you… Can you return me to normal?”

Slowly losing her smile, the woman shook her head.

“I take it he cast the ‘heart’s desire’ wish on you?” Seeing Lois slowly nod, Miss Gsptlsnz made a face of sympathy for the taller woman. “Sorry sister, my fiancé is a liar, but he wasn’t lying about that. If you ended up a big ol scary monster, its because you did it to yourself. The wish only helped.”

“So, there’s no help for her?”

Slowly shaking her head, the red-haired beauty snapped her fingers and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Looking up to his wife, the woman was beside herself until she felt Clark’s hand over hers.

“Don’t worry Lois, we can get through this together.”

Not saying a word, Lois slowly nodded her horned head and tried to calm herself, wiping her tears from her eyes with her thumb. As far as she was concerned, her life was over. She’d never be able to get back to what she used to have; her lifestyle, her career, her love life, it was all gone now. No! This was NOT going to be the end of her. She was Lois Lane, and nothing kept her from being the best. Closing her hands into fists, she looked down at her husband and gave the man a reassuringly warm smile, until her attention was diverted to a drone tending to another outcrop of crystal to be removed.

Seeing the spindly looking robot gather its equipment and pluck the crystal off the ground, the woman scratched her chin in thought, an idea making her lip curl into a smile.

*

One week later…

Sitting up in bed and looking over the empty spot where his wife would have slept, Clark frowned and sat up, scratching his fingers through his hair in frustration. Going through his morning ritual of getting himself coffee, cleaned up and dressed, Clark had his drink and left for work to start off the day. It had been a week since the matter with Mr. Myxlplyx and he had spent every day with his wife at the Fortress of Solitude to keep her company and help her through the transition living at the icy sanctuary. He found she would eat the scraps from the fortress maintenance drones, eating raw chunks of crystal. He was concerned but after a week, she didn’t seem to be having the same delirious episodes as before when she ate kryptonite. He also noticed she was being secretive with him, spending time in the drone maintenance bay where the robots who maintain the fortress go for repairs.

He figured she was trying to keep herself busy with something new, since she couldn’t go back to being a reporter.

Heading out of his apartment and taking the subway to work, Clark arrived at the Daily Planet on time to head to his desk while Perry was barking orders to cover the latest. Something about the Beatles being back? Clark couldn’t bring himself to listen as he took his seat at his repaired desk and opened his laptop to check his notes.

“Hey Mr. Kent, need another coffee?”

Looking up, Clark smiled to find Jimmy juggling two trays of coffee in his shaking hands, helping the man set them on his desk to give the man some time to regain the use of his fingers

“No Jimmy, I’m good, had coffee at home.”

“Any word from Mrs. Lane?”

Making a face and looking away briefly, Clark was running out of excuses to give Perry and the others about Lois’s absence. He couldn’t come clean… But he couldn’t hold off telling them something sooner or later. Slumping his shoulders, Clark looked up to the attentive Jimmy and nodded to give him an answer.

“Well Jimmy, its like this. Lois is…”

“Hey SMALLVILLE! What are you doing holding up Jimmy during a coffee run?” Blinking in surprise and looking up, Clark found Lois walking to her desk and checking her own notes to her laptop, smiling at the two men as she sat and tossed her black hair over her shoulder. “You KNOW Kat is just going to chew him out for making her wait.”

“Hi Lois, we’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too Jimmy, been feeling sick the last few days, stomach problems from my husband’s cooking back home.” Lois winked back at Clark, making the man smile.

“R-right, on my way. KAT? I have your double-double large coffee.” The young man called out, grabbing the two trays of coffee in his hands, and darting his way through the aisle to Kat Grant’s desk.

Surprised to find Lois human and back to normal, Clark narrowed his eyes and found himself surprised to find that it wasn’t her, but one of the maintenance drones from the Fortress of Solitude remodelled and dressed to look like a perfect imitation of her.

“Lois?”

Crossing her arms and giving a smug grin to her husband as she leaned back in her chair, Lois crossed her leg over the other and ate up the look of surprise he gave her.

“You like it? I made her during the week with a little help from the maintenance drones.” Lois explained, checking her laptop. “I’m still at the Fortress chewing on a snack while I work this proxy with VR gear over my horned head.”

Smiling back at the woman’s ingenuity, Clark sat up and moved around the shared desk to hug his wife, getting a few cat calls from the staff but quickly ignoring them when he broke off the hug. “So, what do you have planned Lois? Now that you can have your cake and eat it too.”

Taping her chin with her pen and looking up in thought, the woman grinned back at him.

“Well… First off, I’m going to catch up on the last two weeks of work I missed and see if I can negotiate with Perry to find some stories to chase. After that…? I was thinking of spending a night with my darling husband and snuggle in for the night.”

“Heh, well, I don’t think the androids are designed for…”

“I’m not talking back at the apartment Clark.” She purred, raising her eyebrows to give him a hint. The moment he did, his own eyes went wide at the prospect. “I was thinking back at our new WINTER home… Up North.”

“Oh…” Feelings anxious, Clark subconscious rubbed at his shoulder, where she had bitten him two weeks ago. “Can’t we just cuddle? Maybe enjoy a good movie and have a bite to eat? I’ve checked and the drones managed to get you quiet a surplus of crystal to eat tonight.”

“It’s been a couple of weeks ‘sweetheart’, and I’ve got other appetites than eating in mind. Don’t worry, I think you can take it. They don’t call you the man of steel for nothing.”

Slowly raising his hands up over his head and smiling back at the sultry grin of his wife, the man looked like he was going to surrender.

“Can we call a truce?”

The end.