Thanks, everyone, for continuing to give this story a chance despite its divisive premise! I knew not everyone would like it, but I hope that those of you who keep reading will not be disappointed!
RJS, thanks for reading thus far -- I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. One of the best things about both Superman in general and Lois & Clark in particular is the multiplicity of things to love about him/them. What I love most about Superman/Clark is his capacity for empathy and compassion. Being an alien, even one raised here, there should be plenty about humanity that confuses him or is outright incomprehensible to him. But his incredible empathy allows him to understand and to value the things around him, even those things we see as flawed. As for Lois, I've always loved that she is not afraid to risk, and sometimes those risks lead her to mistakes, but she owns up to them and moves on, rather like humanity at its best (which, coincidentally, is pretty much what Lois embodies for Clark; his love for her is a symbol of his love for humanity). But we all enjoy different facets of the story and characters, and I hope to see you on future stories!
Glad you're enjoying, KathyM! This story probably has required the most thought and planning for its plot (more even than And Then There Was Light, which I thought was impossible!
), so it's encouraging to hear that it's believable. Clark does love Lois, in every universe, but you can love someone and still disagree with them, or not like choices they've made, so we'll see what happens for the ending!
Inescapable scenarios, VirginiaR?
This one is the very closest to inescapable I've ever come up with -- right now, HG Wells WOULD be very welcome!
Those clues...yes, my beta readers have ensured that I don't forget that! And yeah, it's hard for us to let Lois off because we all know Clark didn't deserve what happened to him at all! Sorry for all the tears, though -- it's just not too happy of a story!
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Morgana! I'll get the next chapter to you soon!
Wonderful to hear your thoughts, Lynn! I particularly loved the line about Clark obeying and enforcing the law but showing mercy on a personal level -- that's something I think we should all strive for! In fact, the unbelievable factor of Superman IS about his personality rather than his strength or the fact that he can fly. He's the hero we all look to, because he's what we all secretly wish could exist and wish that we could be. He made the cynical Lois believe in goodness and integrity, just like he makes US believe in those things. And yet, even though he seems so perfect, he is fallible, just like us, which makes it so much easier to relate to him! I appreciate your faith in how I see the characters -- they're what I love most about the show, so I do try to do them justice (which doesn't, apparently, involve me showing THEM any mercy in the situations I put them into :D).
Thanks, KenJ! It's great to have you as a beta!
Wow, thank you, LWhite! I admit, it's a bit scary to post this chapter and wait to hear what people have to say about it, but it's all worth it to read comments like yours! The writing style isn't one I've done much of outside a couple stories here and there, so I'm glad it's working out. Love your thoughts about him knowing just how much pain people are in and not being able to live with himself if he doesn't do anything about it! Their first meeting IS coming, just...we build up to it.
Great story summary, Christina! I can neither confirm not deny...
Very succinctly put, groobie -- see, this is why you can write shorter stories than me! I need WAY more pages to say what you just did in a paragraph! Thanks for all your help on this one!
Interesting thoughts, There Is No Spoon. Actually, in the comics, Lana does far more than publish a story about his true identity; she actually seeds all of Earth's atmosphere with Kryptonite, making it (temporarily) impossible for Superman/Clark to stay on Earth. Clark's not in love with Lana, but he does defend her actions to Batman, and though he draws a line and ceases his (metaphorical) cease-fire on LexCorp which she's running, he does understand and eventually forgive her. And he's not in love with her like he is Lois. So, maybe as a reader, we wouldn't expect him to forgive, but canonically, Clark has always forgiven anyone who has shown the least interest in obtaining it. Jack stole his only link to his beginnings, and he gave him the coat off his back. Villains routinely try to kill him and Lois; Clark will always attempt to save their lives when their schemes lead to them putting themselves into danger. Clark definitely has a backbone, but he exerts it in different ways then we would simply because he knows just how much damage he could cause with the least wrong movement or action -- like with his spasms in this chapter. Clark isn't a doormat; he's just so much more aware of how dangerous it would be for him to ever let loose of his own temper. Anyway, I hope that the story does surprise you, but if not, thanks for the interesting discussions!
Thanks, Katie123, glad you're enjoying. It is hard to sympathize with Lois, but I think we can probably all relate to doing something extremely damaging to someone else and regretting it later. It is hard to write/read about her committing such a major betrayal of Clark, seeing as how we know how interconnected they are, but like you said, she's often very impulsive. Hopefully, Clark isn't the only one who will be able to forgive Lois!
Thanks, Lynn! Very insightful comments about forgiving and rebuilding trust!
You're very right, Deadly Chakram - Clark's symptoms are not really related to physical damage. I've always wondered what it would be like if Superman had a nervous breakdown, or just broke under the stress, period, and here I had a chance to explore it a bit in a believable way. Cliff-hangers are kind of a way of life, didn't you know?
And I hope you can be patient for just a bit longer!
Again, thank you to everyone who's following along and leaving feedback! I hope that even if we don't all agree, we can at least enjoy the thinking we have to do for our discussions!
