Previously...
A low rumble got their attention. Clark looked at the sky, trying to judge how long they had before the storm would reach them. The weather system seemed to be moving slowly, but Clark didn't want to risk it.
"I can fly you back," he offered.
The mayor nodded. "I think that's for the best. Take my mother first. I'll wait here with Katie."
Clark nodded and moved toward the older woman. Gently, he took her in his arms. She smiled weakly and coughed as she automatically put her arms around his neck. Clark rose into the air and swiftly ferried her to the rest of the search party.
"Thank you, young man. It's been a long time since anyone's swept me off my feet," she mused as he set her down on solid ground again.
He smiled at her. "It was my pleasure," he assured her.
Then he was off again, making three more trips - once with Katie, once with the dog, and finally bringing the mayor to the waiting group of people. He noted with relief that paramedics were checking over Lena and Katie, and that someone had given them sandwiches to eat, hot chocolate to drink, and warm blankets to wear draped over their shoulders.
He noted too, how everyone stared at him. He couldn't blame them. Between the eye-catching, distracting costume he wore, and the fact that he could fly, he was something the world had never seen before. Some feigned common politeness and tried not to stare openly. Most didn't bother with the courtesy and openly ogled at him. While it made him self-conscious and be fearful that he'd be recognized, he didn't mind the staring much. He'd learned something important that morning.
He loved being the caped hero.
This trial run of publicly using his abilities in full view of other people had gone exceedingly well. He loved being able to swoop in and help. He loved not having to hide his powers. He loved the feeling that he got inside from knowing that he helped save lives and reunite a family. There was no doubt in his mind. Showing up as the unnamed hero was not a one-time event. This new alter-ego was now an indelible part of what made up Clark Kent.
Questions flew at him as the little girl and her grandmother were carefully checked over. He tried to answer them as best he could, but the impromptu press conference soon became an overwhelming assault of questions.
"Who are you?"
"Where are you from?"
"What does the S mean?"
"How can you fly?"
"How'd you find the missing people?"
Clark did his best, though he was always aware of what Lois and Jimmy were doing. He knew that, at any moment, they could realize that Clark was missing. A sense of urgency filled him, and he apologized to the crowd as he retreated from the scene, flying up into the heavy clouds and speeding away, just enough to cause a sonic boom. Then he circled back, a bit more slowly, and came into a landing behind three maple trees growing cheek-by-jowl. Most people had their backs to the trees, still looking up into the sky where the benevolent stranger had risen into the heavens.
"Clark? Where have you been?" Lois asked, as he approached her.
"What do you mean?" he asked innocently. "I've been here." Technically speaking, he wasn't lying.
"No, you weren't. I was just looking for you," she argued.
"Lois, relax," Jimmy interjected. "Maybe nature gave CK a call that he just couldn't put off."
"Oh, gross," Lois complained. "Men!" She began to stalk off. "Get some reactions from the people about that flying guy, would you?" she called over her shoulder. "I want to be out of here before it starts raining."
As Jimmy moved off to snap a few final photographs of the scene, Clark grinned to himself. Oh yes, this new hero was here to stay.
***
"Listen up, folks!" Perry commanded as he paced the conference room. The idle chatter died immediately. "That's better. Okay, let's get straight to it, shall we? Two weeks ago, a man flew around the woods outside of Metropolis and found the mayor's missing daughter and mother. Two whole weeks ago. Two full weeks without us getting one, single interview or even a measly quote. Two entire weeks where that same man has made multiple other rescues around Metropolis, let alone the world. Does anyone else see the problem here?"
"It's not like we haven't been trying," Lois protested. "Superman's not exactly easy to track down."
Superman.
The name still felt weird to Clark. It seemed somehow pompous, to think of himself as a "super" anything, even if his powers did fit the word. Granted, it had been Lois who'd been the one to brand the mysterious rescuer as "Superman," but it was still unsettling to hear the name on a daily basis. Although, he had to admit, the world's reaction to Superman had been nothing short of welcoming and loving. Oh, sure, there were small pockets of people who were fearful of the alien amongst them. Clark couldn't blame them for their worry in the least. He supposed he might be uneasy too, if he'd seen someone with such outrageous abilities. To be honest, he'd been afraid of himself back when his powers had first manifested.
"Oh, well now, that should sell lots of papers," Perry said. He spread his hands as if displaying the paper's headlines. "Daily Planet tries to track down Superman. Superman remains elusive. Read the exclusive here! Blank pages inside where Superman's interview ought to be."
"Maybe he's shy," Jimmy suggested.
"Shy? And wearing that outfit?" Cat Grant purred dreamily. "Not a chance."
"Maybe he's afraid of being found," Clark offered. "Maybe all of this is a bit...I don't know...overwhelming."
"Please," Lois said, giving him a patented eye-roll. "He had to have known what a sensation his appearance would be."
"I'd hate to agree," Cat said, "but I agree. They don't call them tights for nothing."
"All I know is, I want to track him down for my own reasons," Betty said with a smirk. Laughter rippled through the rest of the conference room.
"Not if I find him first," Cat swore.
"Please," Clark heard Lois mutter under her breath.
"Okay, okay, let's get back on track," Perry ordered. "We need to get to work. What would draw Superman out, so that we have a chance to talk to him?"
"A rescue," Allison offered.
"Yeah, great, only he's made a few other rescues since he first appeared and still hasn't stuck around long enough to talk to the press," Marco countered.
"Well, what do you suggest?" Allison retorted. "Shining a big light into the sky to signal him?"
Marco just huffed, but didn't otherwise respond.
"Maybe we ought to dangle Lois out a window or something," Jeff teased. "It seems like this Superman guy is constantly showing up on stories she's reporting on."
"That's not funny, Jeff," Lois growled before Clark could. "Maybe I ought to bloody your nose enough to require Superman to come whisk you off to the hospital."
"Enough!" Perry roared. When the room settled back down a bit, he nodded. "Better. Now, I want everyone on this, day and night, until Superman and the Daily Planet are synonymous, got it?"
"Perry!" Lois cried out. "That's not fair! I found him, he should be mine to follow up with. That's always been the rule."
"Uh, I was there too," Clark gently reminded her.
She waved him off - Mad Dog Lane on the scent of a big story. "Yeah, sure, whatever. The point is, no one else should be on this one."
Perry shook his head. "A story like this is too huge and important. The typical rules don't apply. Someone get out there and get me Superman! Meeting adjourned."
"Ugh, I can't believe this!" Lois muttered angrily as the conference room emptied. "Superman should be mine."
"Ours," Clark reflexively corrected.
Lois sighed. "I guess. It's just...this is the kind of story I've waited my entire life for. Something so huge, so important that I'll finally have a shot at the Pulitzer." She sighed again. "I guess...ugh!" she growled. "I'm being selfish. You've probably dreamed about the Pulitzer too."
Clark shrugged as he stood. "It would be nice," he admitted, "but it's never really been a priority for me. What we do everyday - helping people, putting bad people in prison - this is what my dream has always been."
Being Superman helps too, his mind whispered.
Lois rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Goody two-shoes," she joked.
"Blame my parents," he retorted with a smile as they left the conference room.
***
"Ready to leave?" Clark asked, stretching and trying to suppress a yawn. A few joints in his back and shoulders popped, bringing a sense of relief.
Lois shook her head. "I've got to stay and finish this article," she said, gesturing to her computer monitor. Though they were partners, they did still have their own occasional solo articles.
"I can stay, if you'd like," he offered.
She shook her head again. "Go home. There's no reason why we both need to hang around here. I'll call you later tonight, okay?"
"Okay," he hesitantly agreed. "Can I at least bring you back some dinner or something?"
"No, but thanks. I'll probably just over some take out in a bit."
"Are you sure?" he pressed.
"Yeah. I'm good. I've done the same thing a hundred times before."
"Okay. I'll talk to you later." He crossed the aisle and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.
She smiled as she pulled out of the kiss. "Goodnight, Clark."
"Night, Lois."
He hated leaving her like that, but he always knew enough not to press the issue. Lois was used to doing things her way. And, though they were dating now, he knew that she still needed time to adjust to having someone there who cared so much about her that he'd willingly sacrifice his entire night just to sit next to her while she worked. A call for help caught his attention, however, making it much easier for him to leave the bullpen.
It wound up being a short rescue - just putting a stop to a mugging a few blocks over from the Planet. He took the young victim to the hospital to have a gash on his arm stitched closed - a gift from the mugger just as Clark made his appearance - and dropped the mugger off at the local police station. Three more rescues kept him busy for the next hour, all of them thankfully devoid of fatalities. Then, while still in the suit, he flew back to the Planet to check on Lois with his x-ray vision. She was still there, typing away, an open carton of Chinese food sitting next to her. He watched as she grabbed her chopsticks, pulled out a few lo mein noodles, ate them, then stuck the chopsticks upright in the container.
Clark took a deep breath, trying to make up his mind. Two days had passed since Perry had tasked everyone with snagging the Superman exclusive. Two days of an internal debate. Should he take the leap and break his silence to the press? Or should he keep his silence in order to try and protect his true identity? Ultimately, his father had persuaded him to give an interview.
"It's safer, Clark," Jonathan had told him the night before, when Clark had flown home for dinner. "The longer you refuse to speak, the more people are going to speculate. And the longer they do that, the more misinformation about you will circulate. Misinformation can lead to a lot of fear that make take you years to overcome. If you want the public's trust, you have to be transparent with them. Or, well, as transparent as possible."
The talk with his father had reinforced everything that Clark had already known on a deeper level. Still, it had been good to have his instincts reaffirmed. Of course, it hadn't even been a question who would be the one to get the interview. Lois was the only person he trusted with Superman's press debut.
He flew down and let himself in through the large window of the bullpen, so quietly that no one noticed. Not that many people were left at this time of the night. Just Lois, Perry - engrossed in singing along with WLEX-radio's "Non-Stop Elvis Hour," and a few members of the janitorial staff. He landed next to Lois' desk with a whoosh, startling her out of whatever she was writing on her computer.
"Hello, Lois," he greeted her with a smile.
"Superman!" she gasped, hastily trying to swallow down a bite of the rice she'd just put into her mouth when he'd arrived.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner," he apologized. It was true enough. He'd known she was eating, but he also hadn't wanted her to be left waiting, even if she didn't know he was en route to give her the interview she sought. "I can come back, if you'd like."
"Oh, no, please stay," she said quickly, as though in a rush to convince him to stay before he could fly off. "I was just picking, really."
Clark gave her an encouraging smile. "Well, if you're sure..."
"Oh, I am," she rushed to assure him. "Egg roll?" she offered.
Clark chuckled. "Thank you, no."
"Oh...do you not, uh, eat?" she asked with a blush.
"I don't need to, but I like to," he clarified. "In fact, I enjoy most foods. But, uh, not egg rolls." He smiled.
Lois smiled shyly. "So, uh, what can I do for you?" she asked, tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her right ear.
"Well," Clark said, fighting down his nervousness, "I was thinking...people are going to want to know about me - who I am, what I stand for. I've just been sort of...wrapped up...in rescues lately that I haven't really thought about speaking to the press. But I need to. I want you to tell the world about me, Lois."
"You...you know my name?" she asked, star-struck incredulity in her voice and shining in her eyes.
Clark smiled again. He'd used her name in greeting her, but he guessed it hadn't registered with her until now that he knew who she was. "Of course I do, Lois. I've been following your work for a very long time now. That's why I trust you to tell my story."
"You...read my work?"
"All the time. I've always been very impressed with your ability to get to the truth."
"Really?" Clark could tell she was working overtime to keep the appearance of calmness.
"Really," he assured her. "It's why I know you'll do my interview justice."
"You have my word on that," she swore. "So, uh, would you like to take a seat?"
He nodded once. "That would be good."
He turned and took the seat from his own desk, realizing belatedly what he'd done. But Lois didn't seem to notice. Feeling even more uneasy, he sat, mindful not to look like his normal self at all. Lois, in the meantime, had pulled up a blank document on her computer.
"Mind if I take notes?" she asked.
He gestured to the computer. "Be my guest."
"Okay." She smiled - that brilliant, completely disarming smile that Clark had no defense at all against. "Before we start, I just want to say thank you for trusting me with your story."
He smiled. "So, what is it that you want to know?"
"Everything."
***
When the interview hit the newsstands the next morning, Lois was hailed as a hero. Even Cat had to give her some respect. Lois had managed to do what every other reporter in the world had failed to do - she'd broken Superman's media silence and presented to the world exactly who the mysterious new hero was. Everyone wanted to know how she'd managed to score the biggest story of the decade, and Clark had to give her credit when she'd admitted - well, maybe boasted a little - that Superman had specifically sought her out for his formal introduction.
Watching her chatting with a few of their co-workers that morning, smiling from ear to ear, Clark felt good. He'd managed to give Lois such great joy. That was what mattered most to him. Lois' happiness. He just wished he could tell Lois about himself. Having to hide who he was from the world was easy. Hiding from Lois was excruciating.
Not now, he reminded himself.
Lois had been practically salivating over Superman the night before. He didn't think he'd endangered his relationship with Lois as Clark, but tiny seeds of doubt had taken root anyway. If she knew that he pretended to be Superman in his spare time, would she love him for his powers? Or would she be able to see past that to the man he truly was? The man he was working hard to show her that she was. He couldn't risk wrecking the only good relationship he'd ever had in his life.
You'll wreck it eventually. You can't keep her in the dark forever. And, let's face it, it'll be better if you tell her and she doesn't have to figure it out on her own.
He sighed.
"Everything okay, Clark?"
"Huh? Oh," Clark said, coming out of his thoughts. "I'm fine, Chief. Just got a little lost in thought."
"You know something, son? I've known Lois since she was a college kid looking for an internship. I don't think I've ever seen her this happy before," Perry said, never taking his eyes off Lois.
"This Superman thing sure has her excited, huh?" Clark replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Oh, yeah, sure. But that wasn't what I was talking about. I had my reservations about having two of my reporters dating. But I have to admit, you've done her a world of good in the short time you two have been together."
"You think so?" he asked, brightening a bit. "I mean, I haven't done anything...I don't know...special or anything."
"Trust me," Perry said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Oh, uh, by the way, nice work on cracking the rash of car thefts. I just finished going over your article."
"Thanks, Chief. It feels good to have those suspected Intergang members behind bars. I just wish I could figure out who the head of the organization is, so Lois and I could make sure he or she goes to jail too."
"Knowing you two? You'll figure it out sooner or later," Perry assured him. "I know you haven't been here all that long, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that you two are the best damn reporters I've ever seen."
"That means a lot to me, Perry."
Perry nodded and wandered off toward the break area, making a beeline for the bagels and coffeemaker. Lois approached, filling the space Perry had just vacated.
"Incredible article," Clark praised her.
"Oh, thanks," she replied, grinning. "I can't believe you missed it. It was amazing. It was like he knew that Perry was on our cases to get the interview. I'm still kind of in shock that, out of all the reporters in the world, he picked me to be the one to tell his story."
"I don't find it hard to believe at all," Clark said, leading the way back to her desk.
"Really?"
"Lois, why would he go to anyone else? You're the best, right? Why would he want the second best to, well, introduce him to the world?"
She grinned. "You know what? You're absolutely right," she said with a laugh.
"Of course I am," he shot back playfully. "In all seriousness, Lois, Superman would have been an idiot to ask anyone else to handle the interview. I know that, if I were relying on someone else to tell the world about me, you'd be the only one I'd want to do it."
"You're just saying that because I'm going out with you," she teased.
"No," he said with a serious shake of his head. "It's not. Lois, I've been following your career since probably when you first started as a full reporter. No matter where in the world I've been - and you know I've traveled a lot since college graduation - I've always been able to find a copy of the Planet and read your work."
"You know, Superman said he follows my work too," Lois mused.
"Then he's a smart man," Clark replied.
"Maybe," she answered with a shrug. "So, what's on your agenda for the day?" She sat down at her desk and moved her mouse just a bit to get out of screensaver mode.
"A few smaller articles that Perry asked me to crank out. The MPD's graduation ceremony, a birthday party for Ester Williams, Metropolis' oldest resident, and a piece about adopted men and woman meeting their birth parents."
She nodded dismissively. "I did that one four years ago. High expectations, crushing disappointment, resentment, the whole nine yards." Boredom rang in her voice.
"Not always," Clark countered. "Sometimes they turn out well, these meetings."
"I don't know. If I'd been adopted, I don't think I'd want to meet my birth parents. I mean, if they didn't want me in their life, why should I want them in mine?"
"What if they had a really good reason for giving you up?" Clark asked. "Like a debilitating illness or they were living in poverty and couldn't provide for you or maybe they were just so young that there was no way they were ready to raise a child?"
The hurt in his voice must have broken through his efforts to bury it. Lois' look softened.
"Hey, did I say something wrong?" she asked, reaching for him.
"It's nothing," he said.
She lifted his chin to force him to look at her. "It's not nothing, Clark. Tell me."
He sighed. "Okay. It's not a big deal, okay, but, well, I'm adopted. And I wish I had the option to decide if I wanted to try to find my birth parents."
"Why don't you?" she asked, genuine curiosity in her voice. "I could help you. I know a guy who has connections..."
"No, Lois," he interrupted her. "Thanks, but no."
"Why not?"
"I wasn't adopted through the system. No one contacted my parents and said 'hey, want to adopt my baby?' I was a foundling, left on my parents' doorstep. We have good reason to believe that my birth parents are both dead."
"Oh, God, Clark! I'm so sorry," she gasped.
He shook his head. "I'm not. I have the greatest parents I could hope for. I've long since come to terms with the fact that my parents will forever be a mystery. Anyway, I was thinking we could go for Mexican food tonight."
"Nice topic switch, Farm Boy," Lois grinned. "But I'd only go for it if it's Aztec Temple."
"You've got yourself a deal," Clark said, his grin broadening.
***
Two months passed from Superman's initial debut, when he'd brought home the mayor's lost mother and daughter. The world embraced their hero. Even those who'd initially been wary of the super-powered being had come around. Most people loved the man in blue. Oh, sure, there were still those who fretted about the alien in their midst and those whose criminal activities made them outright hate him. But they were now few and far between.
Clark felt fantastic about his alter ego.
It was like a natural high, each time he made an otherwise impossible rescue.
He worried only about how his role as Superman was affecting his relationship with Lois. Too often, he had to dash out on her with a flimsy excuse or none at all, when someone called for his aid. And Lois, for her part, though Clark could tell that she still liked him, became more and more intrigued with the Man of Steel. Clark couldn't blame her for that. He supposed Superman would be attractive - who wouldn't be drawn to a man who could make your every whim a reality? Especially when that man befriended her while her boyfriend often appeared to run away, even in the midst of a serious conversation.
He had also belatedly realized that he'd allowed Superman to become too close a friend to Lois. He was cordial to all members of the press of course, but Lois was different. She alone was allowed into Superman's inner circle. She alone was allowed to be a true friend. And Clark knew, without a doubt, that she prided herself on that status and that it only fanned the flames of the crush she had on him.
When he let himself think about the fact that he'd complicated his relationship with Lois, even inadvertently, it made him feel sick to his stomach. But telling her his secret so early on in their friendship and relationship terrified him even more.
Superman and the Daily Planet became synonymous, just as Perry had wanted. It wasn't even a conscious effort on Clark's part. It had everything to do with the exclusives Lois and Clark snagged, thanks to Clark's inside information, and how close he'd allowed Lois and the superhero to become. Of course, it only made Perry expect even better articles from all of the Planet's staff. They had a reputation to maintain, after all. Clark didn't mind in the least. He loved the challenge and appreciated that Perry trusted him on the important stories - something no other editor had ever done before.
Clark loved the new routine of his life. Solving cases at work with Lois. Saving lives as often as he could as Superman. Taking Lois out on dates and learning all there was about her. It seemed like nothing could break the perfection he'd finally achieved.
He should have known it was too good to last.
"Everyone, stop what you're doing!" a strange man declared one afternoon, just as Lois and Clark were settling back down at their desks after a lovely lunch date.
Clark looked up from his computer monitor to see armed men in military fatigues taking up positions around the newsroom. His heart leapt up into his throat and his stomach tightened into knots. He swiftly scanned the room.
No escape, he thought. No way to get Superman in here.
"What in the name of Sam Hill is going on here?" Perry roared as he stormed out of his office. "Who the hell do you think you are, disrupting my newsroom?" he demanded.
"Jason Trask," a man said, stepping forward. It was the man who'd ordered the bullpen to a halt. "Bureau Thirty-Nine. I have a warrant issued by Federal Court." He raised his voice. "Everyone back away from your desks, hands where I can see them."
"Now wait just a cotton-picking minute," Perry demanded. "You can't just barge in here and disrupt my entire newsroom like this." He stabbed his finger violently in the direction of the bullpen.
"If you have a problem, you can take it up with Washington," Trask said dismissively. With a sharp hand signal, he sent several of his men to secure the room. "Moore, Schwartz, the computers," he ordered.
"I'm not following," Perry continued. "What, exactly, are you here for?"
"Superman."
To Be Continued...
