A/N: Okay, cards on the table: There isn't much of a buffer, so posting will be slow. I'm actually hoping that FDK will help my muse along. There is a basic outline; unfortunately, it somewhat resembles the Underpants Gnomes' business model. Nevertheless, I hope you still enjoy. 
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Part OneLois fought to keep standing as a wave of dizziness swept over her. Once it passed, she looked around. Surprisingly, she seemed to be...still in the newsroom. However, it had changed dramatically. The desks and anachronistic telephones were gone; instead, several sleek terminals dotted the room, hooked up to strange machines that Lois couldn't even try to identify. The strange phrase “DP – INS – LV 2” floated in the air above her, projected from an invisible source.
“You can't be in here.”
Lois turned to see a man standing at the top of the ramp.
“This floor is closed to tourists,” he explained, frowning at her. “We can't run a news-feed if we have to deal with all of you gawkers getting underfoot! Now go on; I think the rest of your group is downstairs.”
“Of—of course,” said Lois, heading toward the elevator. She flashed him a winning smile as she passed him on the ramp. “Thank you.”
The man grunted and headed toward one of the terminals.
When she was certain that he wasn't looking her way, Lois changed direction and hurried into the stairwell. Once inside, she paused for a moment, glancing at the steps below her. A tour might be an interesting source of information, especially given that she was in the future... She snorted. No, tours never gave the right kind of information, and they certainly weren't all that interesting. Lois knew a better way to find out what she needed. She took a deep breath and started climbing up.
**********
She was a little bit winded when she reached the roof-access, but she pushed the feeling aside. She went to the edge and leaned against the railing, looking out over the city. It didn't *look* like a horrible dystopia; if anything, Metropolis seemed to gleam a bit. Well, that was a good sign, right? Now, for the important test: Lois stepped back, took a deep breath, and shouted, “Help, Superman!”
Nothing happened.
Lois began to worry. Why hadn't a man in brightly colored tights shown up to assist her? What was wrong? Had something terrible happened? Was it her fault? It was, wasn't it! She'd carelessly given away Clark's secret, and now she was in a horrible future where her descendants had all been taken away and—no. No, it couldn't be! She shouted again, her heart pounding. “Superman!”
There was a soft 'thud' behind her, as of boots landing on concrete. She turned around and saw a man in that unique and wonderful costume, gaping at her. Lois breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness, you exist! I was afraid I'd erased you all!” She realized that probably didn't sound very sane to him, so she cleared her throat and started again. “I mean, hi, Superman. This is probably going to sound weird, but I'm—”
“Gorhennain!” he suddenly shouted, picking her up and twirling with her into the air. “I can't believe it; it's really you!” Lois wasn't sure which was more odd: hearing Superman speak with a British accent, or seeing him act like an excited five-year-old. She staggered a little when he finally set her back down on her feet, but his hands on her shoulders kept her upright. He pulled back to look at her again. “When did you arrive, Gorhennain? I had no idea you were even in town!”
“Um, you must have mistaken me for someone else,” said Lois. “My name isn't—um—I'm Lois.”
“Right,” said Superman, nodding enthusiastically. “Lois Lane. I heard all the stories about you when I was growing up, but I never thought I'd get to meet you myself! I'm Owen. This is so amazing; you look even more wonderful in person!” His face split into a wide grin that almost seemed to shine.
Lois found herself blushing. “Oh, um, thank you!”
“So how long have you been here?” Owen pressed.
“Actually,” said Lois, “I only just now arrived.”
“Do tell!” Owen said, his eyes widening. He grinned again. “So am I the first one to meet you, then?” At her nod, he grinned even wider. “Too amazing! So, are you all right, Gorhennain? I heard you shout...”
“Well, yes, I'm fine,” Lois admitted. “It's just that I suddenly disappeared out of one future and into another, and when I left, we were in the middle of making Superman's identity public by putting it in a movie that was being written by an idiot. When I got here, I wasn't sure what I'd find.”
Owen laughed. “Well, if it makes you feel better, that movie you're talking about got an award for Best Screenplay.”
“That—doesn't actually make me feel much better, no,” Lois admitted. “But anyway, I was worried about what happened once the secret got out. I mean, it *needed* to get out,” she assured herself, “but people can be vicious, and I wasn't completely sure what would happen to everyone.” She looked him over. “You seem to be okay,” she noted.
“Well,” said Owen, still beaming at her, “I know there was a big stir after the movie came out, but nobody—” He broke off, suddenly, his eyes widening as something seemed to occur to him.
“What is it?” Lois pressed, beginning to worry.
“Bobby Clark!” Owen shouted, grinning at her again. He stepped closer and grabbed her hand. “Gorhennain, come with me! You *have* to see Bobby Clark!”
“Who?” Lois asked, mystified.
Owen scooped her up into his arms. “I'll explain when we—wait, no; Jordan should explain!” He grinned even wider. “I know he's always wanted to see you again. Come on, Gorhennain, we're going to see Cousin Jordan!”
To Be Continued
