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The newsroom hummed with familiar sounds—the steady clacking of keyboards, the low murmur of conversations, the occasional ring of a desk phone cutting through the noise.

So interesting that you bring us right back to the beginning with this description; it's like you're really insisting that the trip to Metropolis changes absolutely nothing, which has got to be how it feels to Clark. Smart story architecture!

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a breakdown of flood mitigation efforts in rural Oklahoma

I like that even if Superman can't stop disasters anymore, in his story choice, Kal still tries to make a difference tracking and raising awareness.

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He should have said something. He should have found the words, stopped her from walking out, told her that he—

Ooof!

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“You good, Ellis?” Anderson finally asked, his voice laced with mild suspicion.

Aw, I knew I liked him.

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No matter how much he tried to live as Kal Ellis, some part of him—something deeper, older, truer—kept whispering beneath the surface. A presence that didn’t fade just because he refused to name it.

Love this description of that makes Clark Clark at a fundamental level.

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It was strange how easily it came back to him, as if no time had passed.
That should have made him uneasy. It didn’t.

devil I like where this is going!

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Authorities have not confirmed the intended target of the attack, but sources say Lane was near the blast site at the time of detonation.

Oh, no! But of course she was!

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His instincts fired on reflex—heat blooming in his chest, power stirring beneath his skin like a muscle too long ignored.
For a split second, he felt it all—the pressure shift that came just before takeoff, the wind curling around his frame, the impossible ache to rise.

So poignant!

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And yet… here he was, ready to break all of it in an instant.

Awww.

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He stood frozen in the kitchen, pulse racing. The old way—the fast way—flared up like muscle memory.
But he couldn’t. Not like this.
Not blind.

I reeeealllly want him to do it anyway though! But I know that he probably won't, because that doesn't feel like where you're taking us. Delicious tension in creating this!


Looking forward to this summer's Location Challenge! Looks like stories are due around August 1st, and then polls open for voting!

And don't forget about the 2026 fundraiser! Head over to the Fundraising page to donate or consider adding a story to the Keepsake Collection fundraising drive!