This was such a very good, intense chapter. It was riveting to see Lois develop her vision powers, being unable to control them, and trying to hide what was going on from Martha.
I loved how Clark helped her. I certainly loved this:
So she opened her eyes again, slowly, ready to snap them shut if the world suddenly turned crazy again.
It hadn't. She sobbed with relief. Clark gripped her shoulders and rubbed them gently but thoroughly. “I know, Lois, I know. It'll be all right, I promise.”
Clark's voice had a calming effect, and his hands made the tension in her neck and shoulders melt away like ice in an oven. How was it that this super man who could bend steel bars with his hands, could fly, could survive horrific explosions, and could command such respect and fear from the bad guys, could also soothe her with his voice and with his touch?
He was such a wonderful friend.
I'm sure we are all waiting for him to become more than a friend.
“Lois? Is something wrong?”
She sighed. “Have you noticed anything about your powers that might be odd? Like, today you have half the strength or speed or flying ability that you had yesterday?”
He frowned for a moment. “No. My powers are at full strength.”
“That's what I thought. So why do I have these powers too? They weren't split from you. It's almost as if they were copied somehow.”
Good observation. I've wondered about that myself every time I see Superman's powers transferred to another person, and yet they are still all there in himself.
“I see what you mean. I'm still the same, so what happened to change you?”
“That's the sixty-four thousand dollar super-question, isn't it? And if we don't know what happened to cause it, how can we undo it?”
She hates her powers. Of course, such a totally radical change would most certainly be scary. How can she fit in now? How can she be normal?
He paused. With his voice at its lowest volume, he asked, “Is it so terrible to be like me, Lois?”
Now
that is the sixty-four thousand dollar super-question. And there is another, hidden question there someplace: Am
I terrible, Lois?
“That's not what I meant. You – you're Superman! You know what to do when the bad guys do bad guy stuff! You know how to rescue mugging victims and stop burglars and catch bullets and – “
“Lois, you – “
“A-a-and I don't have any idea how to do any of that and people look up to you and you have a charitable foundation, which, by the way, does lots of good things, but who'd buy an action figure of me – “
Excellent writing and characterization.
“You're right, as usual.” He palmed the panel and the door began to open.
“Don't patronize me, Kent.”
Her prickly attitude finally got to him. “And you shouldn't be so fiddle-winking sensitive, Lane.”
She stood still, watching his face for a moment. He could tell that she was listening to the link. Finally she exhaled noisily. “I'm sorry, Clark. You're right. I'm on edge, but I shouldn't take it out on you.”
“No. You shouldn't.”
But this is one thing that I don't really like about the Clark that I associate with "your Clark", Terry. That Clark can be fiddle-winking sensitive, to say the least. When Lois blew her top and said something admittedly extremely hurtful because he had lied to her about his feelings for her, he nursed his anger at her for what seemed like years, even though she had forgiven him for his lies long ago. And when Tempus killed Lois and Clark's children, Clark could
never forgive Lois for being unable to save the kids, even though she had most certainly done her very best to save her family. I think Clark should follow his own advice: don't take his anger and bitterness out on Lois. I'm very glad he hasn't taken his grief over Lana's death out on Lois.
This is certainly getting more and more interesting!
Ann
