This source can't be Clark. Whoever this is has a subtle cruelty to him, making Lois feel worthless and responsible for things out of her control. Clark wouldn't stand there and watch her cry.
I absolutely love your comparison of this source to how Lois felt with her father.
Whoever this is knows exactly where to push Lois's buttons. I do get the impression that he has some hidden resentment or agenda for her, since he puts her down more than a generous amount of times. His hesitation is incredibly intriguing-clearly he isn't all bad.
In that case, what's he going to do with her when all is said and done?
Why is Lois so afraid of him, if he's only trying to push her for the good of the world? Why doesn't she just go to Clark for help, both to let him decide his actions and to find a third option?
I still get the sense that Luthor isn't a part of this plan. I think Lois has been trying to keep him from harming Clark/herself by letting him in on a small bit of her deception.
Why is Lois's source so sure that whatever she does will cause Clark to give up Clark? It's true that he has an idealistic naïveté, and that this kind of deception might change some of his positive outlook on life. But to convince him Clark isn't worth it by breaking his heart? I don't know if I believe that; Clark's strong, and he has so many other things that make Clark worth being. In time, he would find contentment and some sort of happiness, even if the damage did scar.
Of course, if Lois's plan involves something more drastic, like outing him, then that's a different story entirely.
In NB Lois told Clark that whatever Superman could do was enough. I think, in that statement, she made it fairly clear that Superman wasn't responsible for the world's problems, and that they were grateful for whatever good he could do. In that case, I hope you'll understand if I don't take her insistence that Superman *has* to give up everything for the world too well. Shouldn't giving up Clark for the sake of the world's problems be his decision? What stopped Lois from giving Clark the info and letting him make it? Why doesn't she go to him and ask him to help her find a third option? He would want everything she does, which is their relationship and the world's safety. I would think that in those circumstances he is her best chance at finding one.
At the same time, you make it very clear that Lois wouldn't be doing any of this if she didn't feel that it was both the only way and the right thing to do. The situation feels incredibly heartbreaking.
You've created an incredibly complex and manipulative source for Lois. I'm excited to see how it all goes down. Lois's actions do bother me, but since we still don't know what it was Lois saw, I'm just going to hold on for the ride and hope for the best.
