Hi Terry,
You know why I dug up this old one. Let’s see…
Please, please don’t let this stop you from helping people. Please don’t – don’t stop being Superman! We need you.”
So, he should not switch to pitch-black, non-glossy spandex, a black on anthracite emblem and move to Gotham to…help out the local knightlife that dwells there in the dark? Can you imagine the not-fun a certain Cat would have with that new addition? It would be worse than when the Imposter showed up.
“I hope it works. I mean, I hope it worked.” She tried to smile. “Stupid verb tenses.”
Oooh! Wait, shouldn’t H.G. Wells show up to fix things?
She bit back a sob. “I’m sorry I won’t give you children.
Wow, facing death most definitely changed her outlook, considering how much she dragged this question out during their marriage.
“Thank you.” Paula stood. “Speaking for the city of Metropolis, I seriously doubt that any charges will be filed against anyone, except against Jason Mazik for instigating this situation.”
Ellen Lane looked up. “So you’re not going to arrest Superman?”
Paula shook her head. “The fact that Jason Mazik is in custody and in good health argues strongly against any culpable behavior on Superman’s part, aside from this very persuasive video. If Superman had intended any harm to Lois Lane, it’s doubtful that he’d have brought in a live suspect who could accuse him.”
Good thing it’s not yet election time or D.A. Clemmons would be there and Superman on trial.
Henderson sighed. “I know you don’t. But sometimes a police inspector needs to speak to an assistant district attorney off the record.”
“Ah. I’m sorry, yes, I appreciate the offer. Let me pick up that package and I’ll be ready to go.
Discussing the use of green crystals to bring in a dangerous alien after all? Either that or Henderson’s not married and the ADA fits his dating profile.
Clark hoped Paula Dolan was worth it to somebody. Or, at least, he hoped someone thought she was worth it.
/points at the earlier Henderson bit/
Jimmy nodded. “Okay, Chief.” He followed Perry out the door. “Do you mind if I give Penny a call when we get back to the newsroom?”
Umm…you moved her forward in time, didn’t you? So, there *is* hope for H.G. Wells showing up!
H.G.Wells: I already ensured a happy future for Mr. Olson. My work here is done.
Lucy stood and stepped closer to the attorney. “Mr. McAlister, can we get a copy of the video too?”
Isn’t it sad that it’s still several years before DVDs become en vogue and the marvel’s of lossless video preservation?
“I don’t care!” she shouted. She took a deep breath and continued, “I don’t know if I could have controlled myself if he’d come here today. I’m sorry they’re not going to file charges against him. I’m sorry that my sister is dead and it’s his fault.”
Hmm…so, we have a woman whom Clark already almost mistook for Lois. We already have a well established concept of people who have a grudge against Superman using fake Loises and Kryptonite bullets. This has all the markings of a criminal mastermind in the making.
Lois would never call him again. She’d never again drop in with a pizza and a Mel Gibson video or suddenly appear at his door with the next step in the investigation finished or make him nervous as she broke into a building or an office –
Wait, they do have Ghosts in the LnC universe. And Lois most definitely has open issues left to deal with.
He was reliable, he was effective, but he was just going through the motions. The once white-hot fire in his belly was cold ash.
So, this is like when in a twin star system, the red super giant collapses into a black hole and then starts shredding the hull of the second star, until only a naked, shriveled core remains, the new binary system giving off regular radio pulses but being generally a less-than-hospital place to be around?
On the few occasions when he considered his condition, it reminded him of what he’d lost when Lois had died, and it pushed him even deeper into his castle keep.
When Lois had died, Clark had died too.
This sounds like a more than a couple of months or even just a couple of years have passed. Did maybe pass closer to decade, maybe even two decades?
She’d been gone almost a year. Three hundred-forty-six days without Lois.
Ah, okay, so it’s not *that* kind of situation. Okay. Okay.
He looked inside himself for the answer once again.
It was still ‘no.’
It would always be ‘no.’
Very sad. I did read the comments thread but I’m not going to touch the (no longer?) hot topics (well, the thread’s gone cold, I’m sure the topic can quickly heat up again). The story was certainly a very introspective piece on what could have happened. I believe you handled it very well, Terry!
Michael
