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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77
Columnist
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Columnist
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77 |
TOCStoryFeed the author here!
Last edited by PuffyTiger; 08/15/25 03:38 PM.
Come hang out in the Discord server! Just make a Discord account and click this https://discord.gg/fv2bAVVUBQ to join. Discord can be a little intimidating, but we keep our server simple and are always happy to help people learn their way around!
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 308
Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 308 |
You know, when I first started reading, I wasn’t quite sure I was going to like it, but I kept going. And I wasn’t sure what to expect, but once I got a bit further, I just couldn’t stop! I needed to know what was going to happen next! And a satisfying end awaited! Excellently done!
"Oh my gosh! Authors really do use particular words on purpose!" ~Me, when I started writing a book. 
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Posts: 38 Likes: 1
Blogger
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Blogger
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Cue the fan girl squealing!!! I love Batman and Zatanna! This is probably my favorite story in the ficsthon so far and there were a ton of good ones! But Clark and Bruce are two of my favorite characters!
CalliopeWayne
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,015 Likes: 98 |
What an intense ride. Poor Clark! Having him think that he lost Lois was so heart-wrenching. Good thing he found her and they worked together on unraveling what was going on.
Last edited by bakasi; 07/31/25 03:16 PM.
It's never too dark to be cool. 
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Features Writer
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Features Writer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 844 Likes: 17 |
Ooof that was intense! The WHAM at the beginning and the way he kept thinking he was seeing her and refused to believe she was dead. WOW. And the fact that she was undercover and had to "sell it" by making him believe it felt a bit like "TOGOM" in reverse! I am glad she wasn't dead, but the poor guy! Such a WHUMP for Clark. Loved it.
I am going to guess KSarasara or JadedEvie
Spike: "There's a hole in the world...feels like we ought to have known."
-Angel
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Blogger
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Blogger
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Loved this. Lois being so Lois and downplaying the severity of her injury was perfect.
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 209 Likes: 32 |
But she was shot in an alley a few blocks from that club where you all wrote that story about the Toasters. Henderson got the call, found her early this morning, called me after talking to her parents.” I’m concerned, but I have faith the author will fix this……….right? It struck him that losing Lois Lane might not be something that he was capable of getting past. This fic is really heart breaking! She gasped.
“Lois,” he breathed PHEWWWWWWWWWW “A job, huh? What do you do?”
Clark nodded to the wall behind the stove. “I can fix that up for you, to start.” I love how he just jumps right in. The man pointed at Lois, “Anita, you’re dishwasher now.” AHAHAHAHAH! “Of course, Perry knows. I wouldn’t do something like this without telling Perry.”
He flinched. “You didn’t want to tell me?” WHAT! I actually feel betrayed by her. “The guy who decided to quit his job and move home because he couldn’t stand the idea of having let his partner down so badly that she didn’t trust him enough to call him when she got a tip and THEN SHE WAS MURDERED.” Yikes! But I’m kinda on his side here. But Gotham’s resident vigilante showing up in Metropolis complicated things. Batman! Batman must have moved while he was looking at Lois, because the dark man was suddenly standing directly in front of her, holding a thick gauze pad. From his utility belt? A little too well! “Actually, Charlie and I have decided to run away together. We fell passionately in love over a cannoli. We’re leaving the restaurant business behind and starting a new life.” I LOLED After all, how much trouble could Lois Lane get into in Smallville? Welllll……. This was very angsty but also had a nice balance with some lighter and funnier moments. I was super concerned at the beginning but I am glad I kept reading. Batman was a surprise and I wonder if he and Clark will work together in the future. I liked that Lois slowly came to realize the extent of Clark's feelings and her under the influence of the sleeping pills. I was kinda concerned throughout that she would end up drugged at some point but I am happy that did not happen! I was going to say maybe for probably the 5th time because of the Batman stuff, but I haven't guessed yet (er, or have I? I forget lol) so maybe her.
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Hack from Nowheresville
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Hack from Nowheresville
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 274 Likes: 46 |
This is my favorite ficathon story.
The beginning was heartwrenching. I was pretty sure she was faking it for a story but Clark's pain was so well written and went on for long enough that I was starting to wonder.
And then she's okay and he's so relieved. I loved how he just hugged her.
The kitchen mayhem was a lot of fun and a great way to lighten the mood for a bit. I like how Clark almost told her he was Superman but she slipped out the door before he could.
Batman and Zatanna showing up was such a surprise and absolutely perfect.
And that kiss! That is definitely in the running for the Best Kiss Kerth.
Loved Batman showing up at the last possible moment even though he was "there the whole time". Was he in the club as Bruce? And I like how he might know Clark is Superman but we're not really sure.
The ending was so nice - a little of Lois’s perspective and such a sweet moment between them. Plus a nice lead in the GGGOH. Will we get a sequel exploring how that goes now that they are more open to thier feelings.
No idea who wrote it but I absolutely love it!
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Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 569 Likes: 88
Columnist
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Columnist
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 569 Likes: 88 |
The title of this is cute, and I like that it came around a few times. The other was unconscious, with blood oozing disturbingly from his eyes. That's traumatic! The elevator creaked to a stop and he instinctively released the breath he’d been unconsciously holding in the space between his two personas. This is nice. You have a great way of phrasing things! He breathed in the thought of her like he was soaking in the sun. I like the way this equates Lois with his vital life force and healing mechanism. Clark cringed, his ears nearly ringing from Perry’s shout just behind him, when he’d been dialed into the sounds of the city for blocks outward. Ouch! Clark’s stomach turned over as he calculated the one person who was missing from the bullpen this morning. Oh, no! I called it that this was for a story! Which was probably intentional, lol. It hadn’t taken long for him to get the idea that the kid would walk across fire if Lois asked him. This is probably a bigger feat for Clark's feet in Perry's POV than it would be in his own, lol I just talked to her yesterday. This kind of comment always kills me. “Where was Superman?” he spat, suddenly furious. Oof. In a blur, he’d raced straight to her apartment. This feels very predictably Clark. Right now, he couldn’t possibly go out there and—
Help!
But he had to. Oh, yeah, yep, Superman can't ignore a call for help. But her hair was a glossy brown bob. Ooof, that reminder right out the gate. And he knew that his traitorous brain would try to fill her image in, no matter where he looked, constantly seeking her out since it would never find her again. This feels like such an intimate depiction of grief to me. But he’d been distracted. That's dangerous, for Superman to be distracted. Yikes. “It’s a little early, but if you want to stay for lunch, I bet we can get this chili into shape in no time! Especially with a little help,” she hinted. I love that Martha jumps into mom mode. It's really sweet that he goes home enough that she can just pick up as if he's come home from school or something. It really adds a little bit of wholesome innocence to their relationship, somehow. For three days, he’d sulked around the farm, inadequately helping with chores, zoning out mid conversation, and trying to tame his heart into believing a truth that was forcing it to break. Poor Clark. Choosing a random direction, he began a methodical stroll down one of Metropolis’ darkest and now most dangerous alleys. It feels like he's going into Lois Lane mode here, investigating instead of grieving. It struck him that losing Lois Lane might not be something that he was capable of getting past. I feel like it wouldn't be for him. Maybe he should leave Metropolis. I feel like anytime anything goes really wrong, he starts packing up his apartment, lol. It WAS for a story! and trying to herd him closer to the door. I feel like I saw this in an episode, lol. “Charlie King,” Clark said back, shaking his new manager’s hand. I love when Charlie King enters the building! He dropped the handshake with Aldo just in time to catch the coat before it pelted him in the face, Part of me sort of wishes that it hit him, lol. I feel like he's happy enough that she's alive that he could have just taken it to the face. because she hadn’t seen or spoken to anyone she knew in days and his familiarity was an unexpected balm. It's just this. Nothing to do with him. Could be anyone she knew, and it would be the same reaction, right? I wouldn’t do something like this without telling Perry. That would really sting if someone pulled this on me. She’d just decided to sacrifice his feelings for the story. Classic Lois Lane. “You can have the bed; I’ll take the sofa.” I know that they do eventually do this in canon, but it's SO close to the one-bed trope! SO close! “I thought someone called for help.” He shrugged. Carefulllll... “You’re not actually showing up tomorrow.” I feel like Charlie is really making a habit of this!  “The point is to track it,” he corrected her. Is he editing her copy in real time??? “Why didn’t you call Superman?”
“Because there wasn’t a crime to stop!” Ok, while I sort of feel like I can't argue with the Lane logic at work here, if it were me, I DEFINITELY would have called! Gotta admire her gumption!! “Perry, Henderson, the doctor who took bullet out, and my parents.”
His heart stuttered. “The doctor who took the bullet out?’ Ooops! The harsh metal angles of the surgical staples looked discordant against her smooth skin. Owwww! “I only told my parents because Perry insisted. If anyone—“ I feel like this theme of her not getting along with her parents has been running through this fic-a-ton a bit. After he left her, he’d tuned into Lois’ heartbeat and its steady rhythm had lulled him into a light doze. Ugh, I'm such a sucker for this trope. It was just that she managed to combine a particularly large knowledge gap with a laissez-faire attitude for kitchen safety and a virtuosity of unrivaled timing. The golden trio of kitchen chaos!  The kitchen was finally still after the tornado of chaos that had somehow blown through. Aww, he means Lois here, lol. His little tornado. Don’t look up, Clark prayed, making a mental note to patch the cleaver-sized ceiling hole when he got in tomorrow. This is particularly fun since the new Superman's tagline is 'Look up.' Lois’ apron was covered in blood. Gasp! “You take a deep breath, Clark! I’m not bleeding out for the likes of a thug like Johnny Taylor!’’ “I’m going to take them all the way out for now so that we can stop the bleeding, ok?” OW! “Bite down if it hurts, ok?” I would absolutely kill him for this stunt. Mere seconds later, he slid the veal onto the plate and started to spoon the sauce over just as Aldo opened the doors to the kitchen. Thank goodness he can cook with those powers! Johnny Taylor had arrived.  It's like he knows what she's thinking. He opened his mouth to tell her that he was Superman. But it was the right reason. Aw. “She’s a good partner,” he said honestly. Nice one, Clark. And Aldo was staring right at her, about to draw his boss’ attention. Ope! But he could hear the fatigue in her voice. Oh, no! That meant Lois could nap on a stack of enormous flour sacks in the pantry unobserved. This is a great use of the pantry. “If this is what the kitchen looks like when I stay out of it, maybe I’ll spend more time out front,” Aldo snickered. Great planning on Clark's end! Clark paused, instinctively putting himself slightly in front of Lois. Awww. He naturally does this on the show sometimes, and it's really sweet. At this distance, the cowl was unmistakable. That's a twist! “We’re chasing down the drops.” Ooooooohhhhhh. This explains the bloody eyes. EYE drops. The woman flared her hands out, as if presenting herself. “Zee,” she said with a grin. I had only heard of Zatanna once before this story. But its fun to see her and Batman catch Clark unawares! I bet Bats won't be able to do that for long. Zee walked up and offered an arm to Lois, “Lean on me.” Aw, I love a girl's girl. She must have pocketed them, because when he looked at her again a moment later, they seemed to have disappeared entirely. OMG, please tell me that the magician hide them UP HER SLEEVE. “The money isn’t a priority,” said Batman. I don't know that much about Batman, but I think it's funny that the millionaire is like, 'eh, burn the money, it's fine!' “Just a little sleight of hand,” Zee said with a grin. Hey! The title! Batman’s eyes were narrowed again, looking at Clark in a way that made him wary.
“Unless you have another way of getting her there.”
Clark kept his gaze steady.
“A cab would be great.” Is this is the most polite showdown ever? It had been a smooth ride, just like he’d asked for when he’d settled Lois into the cab. That's so thoughtful! Because she always complains about the crazy Metropolis cab drivers. Instead, he handed her over to Perry. Booooo. He rang the doorbell four times in a row. I think it's so cute that they have a little code. Perry is really old school. Oof, I bet! He shoots me, but you never come. I bet that's going to stick with him. Yikes “I’ll be around,” he promised. Aw, I love that he repeats this promise to her from the first time they meet. “Of course I care, Lois,” he said, carefully holding onto his voice. Caaaaaarefulllll! Yikes! Wednesday was half-off pasta night at the restaurant Oh, I wish I could find a place that still did this on weekdays. “Not any good ones without my being able to run. Or fight. Or basically move at all.” I love that her instincts here are literally flight and fight. It's so funny to imagine her absolutely decimating two big hulking dudes. I know we see some of this in the series, but not exactly to this scale. She didn’t look as annoyed or begrudging as he’d expected. An admission of true love, Lois Lane style, lol. But his emotions were spilling over into the kiss. He couldn’t help it. Oh, poor Clark. But I love that part of their charm is that she's the exception to his every rule. Tipping his glasses down, he took a look inside the club as they moved quietly down the alley. It's got to be a huge advantage that they've worked this place before. “There’s a tear in the curtain,” he said. Technically not a lie! Nice work here, Clark. Eyes still on the trio, he watched as Zee held out her hand for Maroni to shake, using the action to cover her motion of sliding her own backpack across the floor to land next to his. Ooo, she's setting this up for an exchange! “…family doesn’t do business with women.” Ok, well, this guy needs to go down. “Sorry, sweetheart,” he threw to Zee. Ok, he needs to go down, too. But she’d just gotten him to confess it in a room full of witnesses. I have to admit that when I read the prompts, I had definitely been assuming that the public confession would somehow be a romantic one! The gangster saw Clark coming and raised his gun up to meet the new threat. Oh, no, I'm having TOGOM flashbacks. —and a bat-shaped metal disk clanged against the pistol’s barrel, knocking Johnny’s hand sideways and sending the shot wide! Wow, in the nick of time here! “Almost like magic, isn’t it?” Zee asked, a wide grin pulling at her mouth. Batman’s eyes narrowed at him again, and the feeling that he was being deeply scrutinized returned. Does he know? With a wave, she disappeared out the back door. Wait... literally disappeared? “I’ll bet I can find one,” he said with an easy smile. I bet he can! They hadn’t even needed to call in Superman for this one! Oh, the dramatic irony! A cup of coffee appeared in front of her, and she looked up to find a soft smile. Ugh, I love this trope. This is such a satisfying way to drop us back into the newsroom. “Admiring a job well done,” she said, leaving just the smallest opening for him to have some credit, too. Awww, she's growing a little! “Actually, Charlie and I have decided to run away together. We fell passionately in love over a cannoli. We’re leaving the restaurant business behind and starting a new life.” I don't know if the mischeif was more for Aldo or for Clark! “Wayne was over last night, and then this morning all these people from the EPA showed up and now we can’t find him. He’s not picking up his phone, and they’ve blocked off most of his farm.” Oh, wow, we're headed straight for Kansas! After all, how much trouble could Lois Lane get into in Smallville? I'd really like to see how she does with a bullet would and way more developed feelings for him in Green, Green Glow of Home!
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!
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Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77
Columnist
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Columnist
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 568 Likes: 77 |
This is a great story! I love how the author took one of the 'don't wants' and turned the whole thing around it, lol.
Beautiful phrasing, characterization.
So season 1 Lois to not really consider how her newbie partner might react to her 'death'. And Clark is so relieved she's not, he doesn't even really get mad. The reunion scene was so sweet, and really breaks through Lois' tough shell.
I'd love to see a sequel too! Because we all know just how much trouble Lois could get into in Smallville, lol.
Come hang out in the Discord server! Just make a Discord account and click this https://discord.gg/fv2bAVVUBQ to join. Discord can be a little intimidating, but we keep our server simple and are always happy to help people learn their way around!
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45
Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45 |
I like that Batman showed up to help Superman (without first needing to fight him or something) . The part where Lois and Clark got jobs in a kitchen of all things made me feel downright gleeful. The part where Clark thought Lois was dead was heartbreaking . Hmm, are there any clues on this that will help me guess...? Don't Want:
- A downer ending
- Either Lois or Clark to be married to other people besides each other
- Magic (Real magic; illusions don't count) Hmm.... “Almost like magic, isn’t it?” Zee asked, a wide grin pulling at her mouth.
“Zee,” Batman said her name as if he were warning her.
She chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Not real magic, obviously.” HMMM.... *Waves wand* "LAEVER ROHTUA ENIL-YB!" Sleight of Hand
By Darth Michael
A/N: This story references I’ve Got A Crush On You, but takes place immediately before The Green, Green Glow of Home. Ah-ha.
~•~
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Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 427 Likes: 9
Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 427 Likes: 9 |
Did not get around to read this one before taking off for vacation, sorry. Considering what I heard about the story topic on Discord (Shot Lois and all that), the length, and who remains of the list, I'll pick, as a remote gues for the time being
JadedEvie
Will be back later.
Up, up and away - to the next fanfic.
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,399 Likes: 76
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,399 Likes: 76 |
Hi Author, I promise I will return with FDK later, but for now I only skimmed for formatting and other hints. There's Mary's way of doing ellipses. There's Batman. There's also heart skipping which indicates Sara. And most damning of all... Mary tagged me in her FDK as the author! Thus making sure I would not consider this story to be hers even if I know that it's not mine, either. That is, unless I'm gaslighting right now... So, my best guess for now is Funnily enough, I would have picked for the prompt giver, too   Michael
Last edited by Darth Michael; 08/10/25 06:44 AM. Reason: Author guess
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Joined: May 2025
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Freelance Reporter
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Freelance Reporter
Joined: May 2025
Posts: 72 Likes: 12 |
I am guessing CaliopeWayne!
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Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 569 Likes: 88
Columnist
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Columnist
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 569 Likes: 88 |
Thanks so much to everyone who read through this long entry! And thanks, too, to all the other authors who joined in to write, so that my summer had a delightful influx of new fic to enjoy! Verity, these are such a highlight of my experience on the boards - thanks for running this! Also, I feel like this was one of the fics with the most correctly guessed author. How did you all know? It's making me self-conscious, lol.  JellyS2, thanks so much for sticking with this one! I know starting with a wham isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I really try to balance it out to make it worth the angst. Thanks so much for reading, and for the kind words. I'm glad that the ending was worth the read! CalliopeWayne, I'm so glad you liked the little DC expansion that happened here. I had never written Batman or Zatanna before -- and admittedly don't know them terribly well -- so I'm very glad that this turned out well enough to be enjoyable! Because it felt like a big risk as I was writing! But fan girl squealing is a huge compliment!  bakasi, thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate your taking the time to comment. And I appreciate that you thought it was intense - I always try so hard to nail suspense correctly (and its so hard!). You'd guessed correctly on so many of these stories! Can I ask you how you guessed this one was mine? lovetvfan, thaaaank you! I really appreciate you being kind enough to point out the whammy angst in the beginning - I find it tricky to balance whether it's too maudlin, or whether I'm taking it to far. So its gratifying to hear the end product wasn't too far off. 'TOGOM is reverse' is an awesome comparison! I never write this early in the series, so an intentionally callous Lois was a TON of fun to use. And thank you for guessing that this could be Sara - I love her writing, so that was a nice compliment, too! Idon'tknowwhatthatmeans5678, thank you so much! I'm so glad Lois worked for you here! I definitely owe Toomi a big thank you here - bleeding through Lois' bandage was something she'd thrown into the plot bunny sanctuary and I gave it a home here. Thanks for reading! 90stvfangirl, great guessing! How did you know? Thank you so much for the kind comments about the balance. I was also super concerned at the begining, lol, and I tried to make the rest of it fluffy enough to earn the early angst. I think I'm more likely to write Zatanna again before Batman, but you never know! It actually never occurred to me to drug Lois (somehow, even with so much of the story being a little dark, my brain thought that would be going too far!), but now that you said it, I sort of wish I'd done it! What a good idea! I'm so glad you liked Lois' progression, too. And I really appreciate the commentary! It's so much fun to see what makes an impact!  I’m concerned, but I have faith the author will fix this……….right? I can't seem to not put the toys back where I found them. I desperately tried to leave Clark at loose ends in a story this spring and failed miserably. This fic is really heart breaking! Aw, thank you! I love how he just jumps right in. I figured the farm boy could patch a wall pretty easily, especially after we saw his redo his apartment. Plus, he's not going to just leave Lois there, so whatever needed to be done, I figured he'd be right on it! WHAT! I actually feel betrayed by her. Good! Thank you! She was not behaving well here! Yes. Maybe this wasn't clear in the writing. I don't know much about Batman, but I know he has a utility belt, so I just made a lighter connection here, assuming everyone would guess. I'll take a look to see if I can say it outright. Yay! My thoughts exacltly, lol! AmandaK, thank you SO much for being so vocal about how much you liked this one. <3 I always think my writing is sort of mid, so I'm super stoked that this worked for you. In the beginning, I was trying to figure out how to write... romanticized pain? pain from an unrequited perspective? something like that?... which is why that exercise of him seeing her in the victims went on so long. But I'm glad it worked, and it sounds like it had the added benefit of creating some tension about whether Lois had actually died, which is also probably good for the story. I was SO worried about using Bats and Zee, so I'm so happy that it seemed to work, too! And thank you for the kindest words about the kiss. Tbh, I always think that's the weakest part of my writing, so I guess I'm learning. Was Batman in the club as Bruce? That's probably much more clever than I was, really. But no, I don't think so. There are a lot of comic panels out there where Superman just... inexplicably... doesn't... see Batman? Because he's... mysterious? Because he is the night? Because he figured out how to use science and gadgets to hide from a yellow-sun-infused Kryptonian eye? I dunno. But it's enough of a popular and widely accepted trope that I figured a Batman who thinks he knows who Superman is would be able to test this skill with a young Superman who hasn't seen this particular trick before. So Batman is in the club, he just isn't seen. He's probably high up, in the shadows, impersonating the night. But if it helps, an old theatrical space like that would certainly have a couple of coats of old, cheap paint on the interior walls, set pieces and props (even on parts of the dang piano), which means lead paint.  I'm not flat out opposed to a sequel, but I don't know if I have anything interesting to say about GGGOH that wouldn't be just an episode re-write, and I like to venture farther away from the original script than that. (Plus I doubt I could get Bats and Zee to Smallville.) I was really just thinking of this as a standalone piece. But that's what I said about Undercover Reporter, and that sequel doubled the length of the original, so anything is possible? PuffyTiger aw, thank you so, so much. I had a loooot of fun using a 'don't want' as a major story point, so thank you for calling that out! It was a lot of fun to write a particularly callous Lois, since I usually don't write early season 1. I had a good time with it, so I may have to find another early season 1 story to play with! I didn't even realize that his focus on her being alright over everything else cracked her shell, but you're right - that's exactly what happened there. Well articulated! And thank you, again, for beta-ing this one and working with my imploding timeline! I'm not sure if I'd actually write a sequel to this, because I don't know if I have anything interesting to say about GGGOH that wouldn't just be an episode re-write... Well, I guess I do have one idea about a power transfer, which would mess with Trask's ability to identify Superman... but the story between L&C in that episode is satisfying enough that I don't feel like I can add much to it. The travel episode would be kind of a mess, too, with Lois injured so severely (though now that I think about it, a little brush with her own Kryptonian powers would surely resolve that... maybe they dig up some red K at Irig's along with the green). ...hmm. Well, now I guess I'm thinking about it. But I've got a few other things in the queue (and they're all so unbelievably long - send help!), so I'm not sure if this will ever see the light of day, lol. But... maybe. Queen of the Capes, thank you so much! I have to say that I love your writing, so getting your prompts was Very Intimidating. I thought I'd remembered you mentioning Zatanna at one point, so I thought you might enjoy seeing her show up here (and hopefully this met the surprise you were hoping for!), and Bats just made sense as a combo platter. Plus, Clark mentions Gotham a couple of times in the series, so as far as I'm concerned, I'm still in TNAOS canon, lol. Do you have any idea if I managed to get Zee's voice anywhere near right? The comic panels I used for research were all over the place. And since we were in the illusion-only-zone, no backwards speaking allowed! But I do feel rather successful in general after seeing you associate the word 'gleeful' with the kitchen scene, so thank you for that! Thanks for great prompts! BlindPassenger, great guess! Am I the author that's known to kill Lois? Enjoy your vacation! Darth Michael, as you know, I intentionally changed the formatting on quite a bit of this, just for your confusion. Mary was the prompter, so I did try to add in a few things I thought she'd like - Bats and Zee and the zany, farcical kitchen antics - so you were close? I look forward to trying to stump you again next year! blg1987, this was a good guess! Batman and Zatanna were definitely red herrings here! Thanks, again, everyone!
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!
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1 member likes this:
Verity |
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45
Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,209 Likes: 45 |
EVIE?! That cheeky, fourth-wall winking Batman fun was you?! I knew your writing could be pretty epic, but I was so used to associating mischief (and Batman) with Darth, that I didn't even think of alternatives. This fic was brilliant, and I loved every inch of it! The way you went from heart-wrenching pathos to zany humor to edge-of-seat A-plot is just fantastic! Thank you so much for writing this!
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JadedEvie |
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,399 Likes: 76
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,399 Likes: 76 |
Hi Evie! Big thanks to the plot bunny sanctuary, particularly from Toomi and Darth Michael, which provided some of the pieces for this to come together.
I did? It had gone on and on like that, with more trips to Metro General than to all the precincts in the city put together.
You’re weaving a grisly tale here. I admit, I would not have pegged you as the author during the ficathon. In a room full of reporters, he couldn’t risk being lost in Superman’s memories.
He needed to be Clark Kent now.
And as tough and defeating as Superman’s morning had been, Clark Kent was just seconds away from the best part of his day.
Lois Lane.
Great work how you structured this. First it was just being resilient and circumspect. But then it turns to Clark deciding to shift his focus and be happy with Lois  He’d just begun settling into the fact that his feelings for her were intense, instinctive and as indestructible as the rest of him.
Even the blonde Kryptonite is only painful for a short time before he can regain his strength when the brunette sunshine washes over him again. felt disappointment mixed with a slight relief that at least she might not notice his tardiness this morning.
Meanwhile Lois is alternating between calling for and cursing Superman for his tardiness in rescuing her. Or, as Lois would tell it, render assistance in transporting the criminals to the next police station while she concentrates on writing the story in her head. He had no idea what had gotten into Metropolis today, but he sincerely hoped that it would calm down.
So, apparently today’s chaos is part of the sinister a-plot. “Uh, gather round, people. I, uh, well, I have to make an announcement this morning.”
He doesn’t sound confident. He’s not telling them Lois had quote, is he? Perry sounded nervous. Clark turned toward his editor, seeing the crestfallen expression painted across his features. The newsroom around him slowed and paused.
“It’s a solemn day for the Planet,” he started,
I still don’t think he’s telling them they’ll be printing a dead-Lois headline. Maybe the Planet’s broke? “Last night, one of our reporters was out on a story on the west side.
And, well, it looks like things went south. They aren’t coming back.”
Hey! Also, why is he not first telling Clark, instead sticking with ‘they’? /clings to the fact that Lois investigated the West Side, got an offer, and headed south to work at the Metropolis Star. “It was Lois.”
Clark felt his heart drop out.
And his world went white.
Hey! Also, will Lois quit the Star when their editing owner “invites her to his hotel room” or only when Linda shows up? Perry watched Clark stagger to his feet suddenly, his face ashen.
To be honest, while I think I got a-plot notes on the list, I don’t think I would have guessed “Evie” at this point. The junior reporter had obviously fallen off the precipice into deep shock.
When is this? Junior sounds like before Crush. But really, they cracked several big cases by that time. hadn’t taken long for him to get the idea that the kid would walk across fire if Lois asked him.
He’d prefer to put it out first. But she was shot in an alley a few blocks from that club where you all wrote that story about the Toasters. Henderson got the call, found her early this morning, called me after talking to her parents.”
It’s after Crush. This makes it likely that they found a dead clone. It looked like he’d just been told he’d never see the sun again.
Yes and it’s not even that impotent red sun but the yellow one that makes him soar through the air. Then again, thinking back to how Clark looked at Lois, maybe that wasn’t far off.
See? He’d answered a call for help at just past four that morning, to aid two teenagers in trouble on the west side.
[…]
“Where was Superman?” he spat, suddenly furious. “It can’t have been Lois, Perry. Superman would have heard her. She would have called for help and he would have been there,” he insisted.
Nicely set up. Leave your Kansas number with Jimmy and I’ll give you a call in a couple of days. Things will look a lot better then.”
So, will Clark call the nice men in the white coats to help Perry move a facility suited for people who have totally and utterly lost touch with reality? This couldn’t happen to Lois.
It’s why we use frogs and Jimmys. Unless it had happened in the few hours he’d been sleeping.
Wonderful. Now we get a deadly exhausted Superman. But her apartment told a different story. Her purse was gone. Her keys weren’t on their usual table. The clothes she’d worn yesterday weren’t in her closet. No evidence of take-out from the night before, either. There was a barely there layer of dust on the floor that hadn’t been disturbed yet today.
Is it just me or does he give a slightly stalkers vibe, knowing these things? Right now, he couldn’t possibly go out there and—
Help!
But he had to.
Someone was in trouble.
Poor guy Help!
From the air, he could see the young man pointing a gun at a woman. He dove down, intending to intervene.
Because we may assume there’s a happy ending out there, even without Superman visiting a massage parlor operated by the Metro Gang, I’m going to assume this is Lois, there is a timey-whimey thing going on, and he’s only now experiencing last night. As he drew nearer, he glanced at the woman. Approaching from behind her, he couldn’t see her face.
But her hair was a glossy brown bob.
See? Only why didn’t he recognize her voice and heartbeat? Is it due to the temporal phase shift distorting her frequencies? He landed hard enough to crack the sidewalk beneath him, hand coming up to crush the barrel of the gun.
The attempted mugger froze, looking stunned to see the hero materialize in front of him.
Mugger probably having a brown pants incident right about now. Green eyes, his brain registered first, his shoulders dropping.
Why is Lois wearing contacts? “Thank you, Superman,” she said in a voice that was too high for the one he was hoping it would be.
Okay, that means she’s moving faster through time. That doesn’t track with it being later for her. And the green eyes also mean she’s reflecting the shorter wave lengths. Hmmm… /sticks to the no-body-no-death rule/ Lois’ eyes stared back at him.
His heart stalled.
No, No!, not Lois’ eyes.
Brown eyes.
Rounded eyes.
Eyes that were the same shape as hers.
But not hers, he told himself, willing himself to keep it together and focus on this woman, who he could still save, and not on Lois, who he hadn’t sav—
Isn’t this how serial killers get started? He realizes if he takes the hair from one woman he saved and the eyes from another, he could rebuild Lois. BATMAN: It’s why I keep kryptonite in a safe. And a cloning facility in the third subbasement of the bat cave. Still in the ambulance bay of Metro General, he smelled smoke on the wind. He felt his feet lift off the asphalt as he headed toward the smoke and screams.
~~~ \S/ ~~~
this is all very evil! And he wasn’t even sure she was really gone.
It’s been over 12 hours now. Lois is already in Lex’s Alpine Fortress by now. How could he not have had the chance to save her?
Because the fates are cruel and the muses are wicked. What good was it being Superman if he couldn’t save Lois Lane?
It’s still a valuable job position. Dearly needed to entertain wicked muses as they torture their writers. He glanced down at the center of the city below, nearly expecting her to be storming up to the Planet’s main doors, cursing the wild cab ride that had made her so late today and insulting Henderson for misidentifying her as the Jane Doe.
Very cute. And you’d be surprised what you can pull off these days with a bit of hair dye and some facial reconstructive surgery. Or frog DNA. All morning, he’d thought Perry had to have gotten it wrong. But there wasn’t any mistake. Perry didn’t publish without incontrovertible facts. Perry wouldn’t have published this…
Unless it were true.
What if Perry is in on it? They had to make Lois disappear so she wouldn’t get killed by some aspiring mob boss unafraid of the Wrath of Superman. The best explanation for how Perry could get the obituary written so quickly. Everyone in Metropolis knew that Superman went where Lois Lane went. Now she’d gone where he couldn’t follow. “And my condolences.”
National Whisper is probably going to organize a Metropolis’ Next Superman’s Girlfriend competition. Skills include jumping into danger (and surviving it), not getting naked with Superman, and making wild guesses about who’s a criminal while marrying the biggest one without realizing it. Because the west side had gone absolutely feral with violent crime. It seemed like you couldn’t walk through the district adjacent to the docks without the threat being mugged.
Maybe if he started to dress in black? Speak less. Just carry the bad guy to the next precinct and drop him onto the front steps. He might get copyright notices from some big shot lawyer, but the criminals would soon learn to be scared out of their minds. He’d just have to take care to not vat(sic) the Prankster. He’d walked around back, nearly grinning upon seeing the dumpster he’d unceremoniously dumped Lois into after he’d gotten her caught by Toni Taylor.
His smile had evaporated in a heartbeat.
Isn’t that fun how we both had a happy memory overshadowed by a death in our ficathon stories? Would it take a few months for him to stop missing her? Twice that long? A hundred times that long? Longer?
Only until he either gets a pet frog or meets a time traveler. He tugged on it until the lock gave way, and let himself into a haphazard commercial kitchen. The trouble was immediately apparent. He moved toward the grease fire on the stove
Awwww….sweet memory! consumed by thoughts of Lois, he hadn’t changed into his spandex suit.
Oops? The third mugging victim yesterday had mannerisms just like hers,
Meaning he had to render first aid to the mugger and then take him to emergency care? Instead, when he turned around, he looked into a pair of endless chestnut eyes that he’d been longing for for days. He barely even noticed the auburn wig or the caked make-up that gave the effect of aging her.
She gasped.
“Lois,” he breathed.
Evil author, confusing us! “A job, huh? What do you do?”
Putting out fires. He glanced over at Lois, who not-so-subtly shook her head.
I’m still not convinced. Why would this Anita woman actually be Lois? And why would she hire on as a cook? There’s got to be safer routes, like waitress, dancer, bouncer, hitwoman, cage fighter. Anything but someone dealing with uncooked food. “I’m looking for a new line cook,” he said.
“Hey!” Lois complained at once, all outrage.
Oops? “Oh, be quiet! You and I both know you haven’t cooked a day in your life before. That resume was a pack of lies!”
“I’ve cooked plenty!”
“You ever eat it after you cooked it?” he scoffed.
“What makes you think this guy can cook any better?!”
This is great fun! Also, he can’t do any worse? At least he knows how to put out the fire when he starts one. “But I’m pretty good with pasta.”
True. But then none of the dancer girls will be safe from him. “Fine. Can you start tomorrow?”
Clark didn’t hesitate. “Yes!” He cast a glance at Lois’ furious face. “But I could use a dishwasher in here.”
Remember the dumpster? You *really* want a ticked off partner with a wet sponge? In Oscar, “Aldo” was a henchman. So, does this mean “Aldo” is connected? He’d never felt happier in his life.
So, it really is Lois. And it’s all very unspectacular. Just why the charade? She’s only investigating some low-level mob-trattoria, isn’t she? her face gently pressed into what felt like cloth over steel.
Awwwwwww starting to struggle out of what was becoming an intimate-feeling embrace.
Very nice progression from the nano to milli to second to them being intimate. She refused to let herself sink into him just because he’d shown up as she was on her last nerve with this assignment,
Oh boy. Perry’s gonna get it. She’d forgotten that Clark gave the best hugs.
Hugs! Hugs! Get your hugs here! Only 29,99 a hug! Or 279,99 for ten! Hugs! Hugs! Get your hugs here! “Of course, Perry knows. I wouldn’t do something like this without telling Perry.”
But she’d do it to her doormat, wouldn’t she? Clark looked rough all over. His suit was crumpled enough that she guessed he’d slept in it.
Come to think of it, Clark instead of Superman rescuing Lois does have a certain nice flavor to it! She’d just decided to sacrifice his feelings for the story.
Also, that way she’d not have to share the byline. But something about his manner now made her wonder if he ever intended to leave her side again.
For propriety’s sake, he might be willing to sleep on her love seat. And if she asks nicely, let her go to the bathroom alone and take showers unsupervised. But cooking is definitely out. Or taking the elevator. Now, she wasn’t sure he’d listened.
Oh, he had listened. He’d simply ignored her. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about his selective hearing.
To be fair, he tells her to not put herself into undue danger all the time. LOIS: We...may have different standards of what constitutes “undue” danger. Lois watched a piece of grey thread fall from the doorjamb
Awww “Oh no,” she said in a threatening way, “You’re not actually showing up tomorrow.”
Isn’t that adorable. She sounds like she actually believes this herself. “Right,” he placated. “The manager is obviously underwhelmed with your skills in the kitchen.
/Points at Sue’s Faustian Bargain – The Kitchen Interlude/ Then again, we probably don’t want Lois to show her *manager* how good she is in in the kitchen. She rolled her eyes at him. “The point is to get as close as I can to it, Clark.”
It seems very likely that Lois will accidentally get drugged. He pulled my press pass out of my bag. Let’s just say he put two and two together.”
Doesn’t like little reporter ladies sniffing around his dirty underwear? “Were you shot?”
“It’s no big deal.”
“You were shot!?”
Just a little bit. “Keep it down!” she shushed him. “Superman would have insisted on taking me to a hospital.”
“Please tell me someone looked at the bullet wound.”
Ooooh! She could have called her father! “Or do they make you go out back and pick your own corn in the restaurants in Kansas?”
Yes. You usually bring it with you from your field and the restaurant will throw it into the deep fryer and then serve it with butter. “I didn’t realize you cared so much,” she said in a small voice.
 “Is there any way I can talk you out of this?”
*why*, pray, is he asking such a question? It’s like asking if the sky is blue. His heart stuttered. “The doctor who took the bullet out?’ That doesn’t sound like ‘just a graze.’”
 Also, if she told her *parents* (but not her sister?) then why call a doctor instead of use her surgeon father? (oops, I hope you don’t mind that question?) Indeed. She’s moving about pain-free and stuff. Just a flesh wound. Something to walk off. “Where did it hit you?”
“What does it matter? It’s fine.”
“Show me.”
“No.”
That’s how things started in Leathal Weapon three between Rick and whatwashername? “Does it hurt?” he asked gently.
“Only when I move,” she joked, her voice a bit breathless.
See? Just a flesh wound. That lying motionless probably wasn’t even a knocked-out-cold-from-the-shock-and-pain situation. See? Oh, right, Lucy’s probably dating one of Johnny’s henchmen these days. “She doesn’t read national news,” Lois shrugged.
“Because they were worried about you.”
“They don’t even know me.”
Ah, but they know about the 10ft statue in their backyard... He wondered how Lois had managed three days here on her own, before his eyes strayed to the newly painted backsplash behind the oven. Remembering Aldo’s frustration when he’d come back to the kitchen last night, it must not have been the first accident she’d instigated.
ANITA: I *have* a kitchen at home. And I *do* use the oven. It’s great for storing shoes. Clark felt better returning to his watchtower position above Lois’ place rather than to Kansas,
But won’t a hovering Superman attract unwanted attention? It wasn’t that she was accident prone, exactly. It was just that she managed to combine a particularly large knowledge gap with a laissez-faire attitude for kitchen safety and a virtuosity of unrivaled timing.
Also, what if Johnny wants to meet the man who can cook better than his grandmother back in Sicily? She’d let a pot of neglected boiling water evaporate as she snooped through paperwork, hoping to find something linked to the sale of the new drug.
Wait, was *that* the plot bunny I inspired? and run the risk of the kitchen falling behind, or put her to work.
Nurse! Sponge my forehead, please. He found 3 kitchen timers and taped notes to them with the amount of time each would need to cook.
There’s so many things wrong with that. /author points at Lois/ Okay, still… and given that there’s just been a Chernobyl documentary on TV, yes, leaving Lois with three timers and three pots of boiling water is like letting an RBMK reactor heat up to the point of producing water vapor. Then he cut and shaped oven mitts to the handles, taping them on.
For good measure, he turned on the large fan in the hood above the stove, wiped away any excess grease that had splattered, and removed every other kitchen tool within reach.
Standing back, he admired his Lois-Lane-proofed kitchen set-up.
What can go wrong? BATMAN: /produces loooong list of contingency items/ What could go wrong?
~~~ \S/ ~~~
This has to be a record, Clark thought in amazement, absentmindedly catching the cleaver that chose that exact moment to dislodge from its temporary hold in the ceiling.
Stepping in front of a flour-covered Lois,
Most hilarious! The kitchen door slammed open, starting them both, and they flew apart like shrapnel.
Romance in the kitchen! “One osso buco and two bolognese,” called out Aldo.
Ignoring the chaos? “We talked about this! Dishes! You do dishes! You don’t ever touch food again!
“See?” he asked. “No actual cooking involved.”
“Get a new apron out of the back. Yours is covered in bolognese.”
Unless... Lois looked down, her face immediately paling.
She looked up and met Clark’s eyes, fear pooling in her own.
Lois’ apron was covered in blood.
Oops? Lois was distinctly not looking at the open wound, hands both still clutching the hem of her shirt, her face pale. A sheen of sweat had appeared on her brow.
It’s just a scratch! “Open your mouth.”
“Wha—Mmf! Lrk!”
“It’s ok,” he told her. “This one is going to hurt a little, but we’re almost done.”
Yikes! just how many sympathetic winces did you get here? But she obviously wasn’t going to let him take her to a hospital, and she’d already said he couldn’t talk her out of this story.
Just read this as “take her out of this story” LOIS: The *author* wouldn’t dare. I would haunt her *dreams*! Dumping garlic, seasoning and a handful of Parmesan into the cream saucepan to finish off the alfredo, he boiled a pot of water with his heat vision.
You’re much better in the kitchen than Lois is. “You have to see a doctor tonight,” he said.
“Will this hold until then?”
He *could* cauterize it with lemon juice. And then he realized that he’d gone still staring into her eyes, his arms wrapped around her.
I may repeat myself here but … awwww... “Two more chicken parms, and make sure you get these two right.”
I did mention the “Johnny wanting to meet the chef” option, didn’t he? “But Clark! He said a new business partner! The drugs are new! This could be it!”
Yes, but she can’t possibly be thinking about entertaining the business partner while she’s bleeding. “Clark, they’re at the table next to the bar! If I crouch behind it, I’ll be able to hear them!”
And if they ask what she’s doing on the floor, she can claim she’s having cramps. He’d rather have her know than have the man that had shot her catch her and hurt her again.
She threw him an icy look, forestalling his declaration. “It’s a chance I’ll have to take.”
She’d probably not take it well. Did we ever have a story where Lois takes Clark’s declaration of being Superman and thus should be the one to do a dangerous job as the strong man taking over her story? So they could stop the new drugs from corrupting their city.
Wouldn’t it be awkward if the new business associate were Lex Luthor? To his surprise, the business associate was a woman. With long raven hair and violet eyes, she wore a crisp white button-up shirt and a tailored black coat.
Thalia Head? No...I remember seeing a notion somewhere about Zatanna. Clark grinned, “I agree with you completely. Now let’s get you to that doctor.”
“I’m not arguing,”
 The figure took a few steps toward them, and slanted light from the moon illuminated her face.
And since Mary mentioned Batman, I’m guessing Zatanna is working for with the Black Knight. “She’s with me,” came a gritty voice from above him.
Look, it’s Bruce Wayne! “You’ll have to come back tomorrow if you’re looking for dessert.”
Umm…/points at Lois/ “I’m working this case,” the shadowed man said tersely.
Wrong city. “We’re going to break this story,” Lois informed him.
“Not this time. I can’t risk you jeopardizing my investigation.”
Oh boy. Lois vs Batman on the same story. This is gonna get ugly. “Even if they did, there’s probably not a safer alley in Metropolis tonight,” Batman said, his eyes narrowing on Clark, who was nudging his glasses back up his nose.
Cute! Although if you play an adventure card came, you got the Dark Knight, the Man of Steel and some girl magician on one side and the Magnet of Danger on the other. I’m not sure if Batman’s actually correct in his deduction this time around. She rolled her eyes but didn’t put up more of a fight.
Her willingness to give in pricked his worry. He subtly tried to take more of her weight, since she was still leaning against him.
Awwww Why was it important for Clark to know what drops looked like? Presumably so he could report on it?
Duh! Clark dipped his glasses again and looked at her wound. It was bleeding again. He had to get her help, and soon.
Maybe he could borrow some batages? Batman had a belt. And there was gauze in one of the pouches.
See? Batman lifted the hem of Lois’ shirt, and she thrust it down again, “Excuse me!”
“Just a little sleight of hand,” Zee said with a grin.
Fun title reference! Only, won’t they notice the bat-symbol on the swapped black bag? At just that moment, Lois sagged limply against Clark.
Oops? “Zee, go to the end of the block and hail a cab,” said their masked associate.
Awww Batman’s protecting his partner in crime fighting. The city rushed past them in a blur of light as they headed uptown toward Perry’s.
I wonder if Clark’s going to ignore Perry’s knowing or gaslight him. I guess ignore since he’s already busy with worrying over Lois. leaned his head against Lois, inhaling the scent of her hair.
Cooking grease, soot, and sweat Maybe more help than Batman could give them on his own.
Nah, give them a day or two with Batman instead of Superman and they’ll go back to vandalizing the lawn with their jaywalking in the park again. “She’s ok, Perry. Two of her staples came out, and she lost a lot of blood. She needs some rest.”
“I’ll call the Doctor back,” Perry said
Will they get the work redone at no cost since it was obviously shoddy work the first time? She was animated enough that he assumed the doctor had come and gone.
LOIS: No, I can go back to work in the morning. It’s just a flesh wound. The bullet barely even grazed me. If it hadn’t been for that pot of water catching fire, I would have been totally fine! But Clark already knew how this would end.
Most likely with Lois crawling out the window once Perry and Alice had gone back to sleep.
But the fresh stitches! And she’d be behaving like a teenager! LOIS: Your point being? “Nothing hurts,” she said lightly.
She was drifting off so quickly that he wondered if the doctor had given her something to make her like this.
Hmm...can’t be anything strong, since she’s not been so agreeable with Perry. “They wake me up. Why don’t you ever come?”
“What?”
“Back in the alley. He shoots me, but you never come.”
Oh dear! Just when you think it’s getting fun, you pull such a wallop on us!   “Always. But then he gets shot. S’worse.”
Boy, TOGoM is gonna be *fun*! Did she always leave it open for him?
Isn’t that kind of unsafe? Thank you, Perry, he thought, before pressing, “But why did you keep it?”
“Reminded me to ‘pologize.”
Awwwwwww... “I think he took it worse than you. Need to apologize to him, too. Eventually.” Her face scrunched up. “I just hate it. Just doing my job.”
He should be ashamed of himself. Interrogating a Lois hopped on painkillers like a spy on phenobarbital. “Nuh-uh,” she disagreed. “I think I broke him.”
But it had always been Lois’ grudging idea to try this gambit.
“Oh, go ahead,” he heard her say.
Very cute! And then Lois leaned into it.
Awwwwwww… LOIS: What? It’s easier than saying “I’m sorry”! “I think you’d better keep watch,” she said, pressing her palm against her bandage.
That wound is definitely hampering her endurance. This doesn’t bode well for the fade-to-black part. “…family doesn’t do business with women.”
Plot twist! “They made the exchange! Johnny’s got the backpack, not Zee,” Clark filled Lois in.
“Nice doing business with you,” Johnny said to the man. “Sorry, sweetheart,” he threw to Zee.
So, Batman knew that Maroni would flake on Zatanna and that Johnny would take the deal over. Which is why Zatanna switched the back bags first. Now, Johnny got fake product, will blame the Maroni gang and this will permanently poison their dealings. But since they’re from different cities, it’s unlikely a turf war will break out. “You!” Johnny gasped out in surprise. “That’s not possible!”
She’s a banshee. A ghost of vengeance. Yeah, yeah, I’m the Ghost of Christmas past,” Looks said dryly. “Now hand over that backpack.”
“Yes, you did,” Lois said with venom. “But even a gunshot won’t stop the power of the press.”
Indeed. You’d need a bomb at least. —and a bat-shaped metal disk clanged against the pistol’s barrel, knocking Johnny’s hand sideways and sending the shot wide!
BATMAN: It’s why I hate working with amateurs. “The bag you’re holding contains the cash.”
Though after that kiss in the alley, he dared to allow himself to hope that she’d kept it a secret how she felt about him. Was her blush now a sign that maybe she had?
Aren’t they cute? The most adorable couple of innocent little bundles of energy! “You know, if you, uh, need any help investigating,” he stumbled lamely.
Batman titled his head, as if considering his words.
He might help distract Catwoman for a bit. The unresolved tension from their fake-almost-becoming-real kiss hung between them.
Still wounded. Needs bed rest. Real bed rest. But she hadn’t even had time to think of shouting for Superman.
Because it had been Clark who had come to her rescue.
Now, don’t form any hasty conclusions. This deliverance of a worthwhile partner, whose looks were apparently deceiving, seemed like some kind of cosmic sleight of hand. But it wasn’t just a cheap stage trick, as Clark had proven. And that was magical.
Smartly tying things together “Actually, Charlie and I have decided to run away together. We fell passionately in love over a cannoli.
Yes, play “hide the cannoli” Maybe they should talk about what had happened during that toe-curling kiss in the alleyway, instead of ignoring it, as she’d originally planned.
Did I already mention “cute”? Because this is most cute! She stirred herself at his glance and went back to admiring her front page.
Nice touch! “Clark, I think something’s going wrong over at the Irig place.”
Ooooooh! After all, how much trouble could Lois Lane get into in Smallville?
I really enjoyed how you toyed with us in this story! There’s been several unexpected shifts in theme and plot, clever references to the title, play with the prompts, and a very nice bow at the end. Most adroitly done! Michael Edit: After all, how much trouble could Lois Lane get into in Smallville?
I'd really like to see how she does with a bullet would and way more developed feelings for him in Green, Green Glow of Home!
Which brings up an interesting point there!
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