Welcome to the 2026 Kerth Quiz: Best Revelation Story 
SPIFFY DISCLAIMER THINGY!: All the stories featured in this quiz qualify for the Best Revelation story, but this quiz is not a stamp of recommendation for nomination. There are more fantastic stories which qualify for this category, but this quiz only covers 6 randomly chosen ones.
(Instructions are blatantly copied/linked from previous Kerth Quizzes.)CATEGORY: Keep in mind that this quiz highlights a specific category to help remind us of which stories had kisses, revelations, new characters, etc. They help when voting since sometimes categories (like kiss and waffy and even dramatic) can start to feel like they overlap, but they do all have specific distinctions! And you’ll want to nomination and vote based on what best matches each category!
- This quiz is Best Revelation story: “Clark Kent is…Superman?! No matter how many revelations we read, the readers always want more unmaskings (un-glasses-ings?). This fan-favorite category honors the best of them – whether that means a revelation that is shocking, hilarious, or tear-jerking. Although Lois is most often the one to discover Clark’s secret, any fic that reveals Clark’s secret to any character is eligible in this category.
RECOMMENDATIONS: Don't forget that recommendations for other favorite eligible stories are *very* welcome and encouraged! So don't forget to add these in a section after your guesses!
QUIZ RULES: One point each for getting the story and author from the quote. Plus, shiny gold stars for those who recognize their own stories. Please don't forget to mention which number you're answering. Rule recap: Open hard drive and open boards (+AO3!), *don't* forget to snip out the excerpts in your replies, and don't forget the spoiler tag when you post in the replies thread.
The DEADLINE for entries for this quiz is SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2026, by 11:59 p.m (Eastern Time Zone), which is when the next quiz will be posted.
Here’s the full list of
Eligible Stories.
Here are the full quiz instructions:
Countdown to Kerth Quizzes Extended Instructions and Disclaimers.
Please post your answers
HERE.
Good luck!
Evie
__________________________
EXCERPT #1:“Oh, for god’s sake, just say it!” Ellen bursts out. “You’re getting a divorce, aren’t you?”
“Now, Ellen…” Sam reaches over and gently covers her hand.
Lois laughs, and shakes her head. “No, Mother.”
“No, Ellen, we’re not getting a divorce,” Clark says, handing her a glass. “But we do have something to tell you. Something important.” He takes the seat beside his wife.
“Another baby?” Ellen asks, her expression changing, her face lighting up and eyes full of hope.
“No, Mom…” Lois groans, rubbing her temples. She shoots Clark a pleading look that clearly says help me.
Clark takes one of her hands in his. He clears his throat and turns to address his in-laws.
“Actually, what we want to tell you is about me. About my… my heritage. And how it’s going to affect Jon. How it’s already affecting him.”
Ellen’s expression shifts to concern and she sits up straighter. “What’s wrong with my grandson?”
“Nothing, Mom, it’s just—”
“Is he sick? He’s always been a little scrawny. But you were a skinny kid, Lois. He’ll fill out, won’t he? I will say he could do with a healthier diet. I know you’ve got a sweet tooth, Clark, but that’s no reason to pass on your bad habits to your children—”
“We can feed our son however we please, Mother,” Lois snaps. “Now let Clark finish!”
Clark exhales slowly. Lois’s tension is starting to rub off on him.
“Okay, look. Jon is fine. In fact, he’s better than fine. He’s… well, he’s super.” He laughs lightly at his own joke, even as he hears Lois’s heart rate spike beside him.
“Well, good!” Ellen says, popping an hors d’oeuvre into her mouth. “So what are we talking about, then?”
“Just say it, Clark,” Lois says quietly.
Clark takes a breath as Lois tightens her grip on his hand.
“All right. The thing is… what we want to tell you is that I’m—”
“You’re Superman,” Sam says. He reaches for his glass and downs it in one motion. He sets it down, looking pleasantly surprised. “Huh. This swill isn’t half bad.” He pours himself another glass.
Ellen bursts into hysterical laughter. “Oh, Sam, you do say the most absurd things! My daughter’s married to Superman? Okay then, Sam.” She gulps her own glass down and makes a face of clear distaste.
Clark’s gaze shifts toward his wife. Lois looks like her head might explode, and he’s sure he has the exact same expression on his face. Sam knows? That’s an interesting turn of events.
“Daddy, you know?” Lois echoes his thoughts.
“Yes, princess. I know. I’ve known for…” Sam scratches his head. “Well, a couple of years now. Around the same time you two fostered that baby for a couple of weeks. It’s a bit fuzzy, but I found some notes I’d made and a file from Dr. Bernard Klein at STAR Labs. It seems we were testing Superman’s fertility. Somehow I put two and two together.”
Sam shrugs nonchalantly, his head tilting toward the staircase as a pajama-clad Jon appears at the bottom. “I have no idea how I got the file and I couldn’t find anything wrong with the doc’s findings, but…” He trails off, offering Jon a wave and a smile.
Clark squeezes Lois’s hand again and she smiles at him in response. He waves and gestures for Jon to join them at the table.
“Okay, come on, joke’s over, you three.” Ellen huffs and crosses her arms. “I have half a mind to call Martha and tell her you’re all trying to play me for a fool again!”
“Mom, when have we ever—”
“Grandpa? Grandma?”
“Nobody say anything!” Lois hisses across the table to her parents. “He doesn’t know anything yet!”
EXCERPT #2:"Wait, Lois, no- no hosspiddal," he mumbles into her vague direction.
"Clark, this is not the time to be stubborn. You're clearly not well, and whatever that machine did completely messed you up!"
That's...not wrong. Damn it. He knows Lois. She's stubborn when she wants to be. He won't be able to easily dissuade her, and then—
("They'll dissect you like a frog") he can hear his father's voice warning in his head.
He needs a convincing reason. But his brain is still mush from the kryptonite exposure. He can't come up with any creative excuses. He's too tired.
He can tell her and risk it going wrong - or he can get himself taken to the hospital and risk it going wrong.
Then his foggy mind realizes something.
Lois stood between him and Lex.
She had the choice to either help him or continue to make herself popular with Lex.
She completely dumped Lex for him and risked completely ruining their good working relationship without batting an eyelid.
Yep, that makes the difference.
"No, it doesn't work. ‚cause I..."
(why is speaking so tiring? want to sleep)
"-I_m Sooberman."
Oh. That was...much easier to say than he expected?
Lois opens her eyes wide in disbelief.
He sees how she is willing to protest, trying to make fun of him.
But then the gears in Lois's attractive reporter brain start to rattle.
She has that "puzzling things together" look that Clark loves so much.
She begins to mutter incoherently to herself.
"Wait—that green glow from Lex's stupid machine—that looked a bit like...—and then the time we were in Smallville—you were kind of sick and pale, too—and then Trask—no, yes—that's..."
Clark loves the noise of Lois babbling. It's the perfect sound to fall asleep to.
EXCERPT #3:A news flash came on the television just then, showing Superman at a derailed train. Jon squirmed and reached towards the screen, his little hands grabbing. "Da da!"
Lois stilled. Jimmy stared at Jon, wide-eyed, and parts of the newsroom had gone ominously quiet. Lois chuckled and tried to turn him away from the television. "Ah, no, Sweetie, that's not Dada, that's--"
"DA DA!" Jon screamed loud enough to be heard down in the presses. He wriggled and reached again for the television, which Perry was now standing in front of.
"Lois, Darlin', what did I tell you about working so much?"
Lois blinked. "What?"
Her boss casually turned off the television. "You shouldn't be here so much that your kid thinks I'm Dada!"
A chuckle ran through the newsroom as Perry approached them. He picked up Jon and tossed him lightly in the air, making him laugh. "If anything, Son, it's Grampaw." He smiled at Lois. "Now, how about we take this little hound-dog into my office, and I show him the difference between 'Dada' and 'Grampaw' by stuffing him full of sugar?"
Lois followed him into the office, stunned, with Jimmy close behind. Once the door was closed behind them, Perry made good on his promise by giving Jon one of the chocolates he now kept in a dish on his desk. He then turned to Lois and Jimmy, looking up at them very seriously. "A couple of things I hope we all remember about the Planet," he announced. "One is that we do not hang someone's laundry out for all to see unless it's for the public good. And two: we don't consider babies to be reliable sources for our stories." He handed Jon back to Lois and shot Jimmy a hard look.
Jimmy held up his hands. "Hey, Lois and Clark are my friends!" He turned to Lois. "Your laundry is safe with me. Uh, I mean your secret is safe with me."
Lois sighed with relief while Jon continued to smear his face with chocolate, some of it finding his mouth. "Thank you, both of you."
There was a knock at the office door, and Perry beckoned for Clark to enter.
Clark adjusted his glasses. "Sorry, I had just realized I forgot to pick up the dry-cleaning."
"Dada!" Jon squealed and reached for his father.
"Hey!" Clark took Jon from Lois's arms, his eyes wide with wonder. He turned to Lois. "Did you hear that?"
Lois nodded. "Yes, I did. In fact, we all did." She reached into Clark's pocket, took out his handkerchief, and began an effort to clean their son's face. "It turns out that Jon has a bright future as a reporter."
"Oh?" Clark titled his head.
"Yes." Lois added a little more spit to the handkerchief and scrubbed at the stubborn chocolate. "While you were on TV, helping out at that train accident, Jon tried to get his first front-page scoop."
Clark stilled. He looked at Perry. He looked at Jimmy. Both men were grinning at him. He looked at Jon.
"Dada," Jon repeated.
EXCERPT #4:“Are you a fairy?”
I freeze in mid-air. Someone has seen me! What now? Fly off as fast as I can until the windows rattle and alert every single person in the neighborhood?
Before I can make up my mind, the girl continues. “Mommy said that they only live in fairy tales.”
Despite myself curiosity wins over and I turn my head. The girl is small, maybe four or five years old. Her hair is tangled from sleep and her dark chocolate brown eyes are sparkling with mischief as she stands behind the open window of her dark bedroom. How did I not spot her before?
“Shouldn't you be in bed?” I ask.
She shakes her head and suddenly her eyes cloud over with sadness.
“Can't sleep,” she mumbles. “My baby sister Lucy is crying all night.”
As if on cue, the loud wail of a baby disrupts the quiet. The girl winces and tears fill her eyes. She blinks them back.
“Usually, Mommy would read me a story,” she whispers. “But she's busy. And Daddy's working.”
My heart goes out to the little girl that is clad in her pajamas and staring into the sky. I should leave. Tomorrow she'll think she's been dreaming. My secret would be safe, no harm done.
But I can't drag myself away from this girl with such huge brown eyes that reflect a loneliness I know all too well. My gut clenches as I remember their faces, Martha and Jonathan Kent, my parents, the kindest people I’ve ever known. I miss them more than words could ever express.
A frown suddenly creases the girl’s forehead as she studies me intently.
“You're a man,” she says. “Can men also be fairies?”
My dark thoughts are suddenly gone. Laughter bubbles up in my chest. I can’t help myself, though I know she’s being serious.
I shake my head. “I'm not a fairy.”
Her frown deepens. “Are you Peter Pan?”
What am I even doing here, talking to this little girl, while I’m still hanging suspended in mid-air? Every second that ticks by is one second more I’m risking exposure. If a five year old girl says she’s seen a flying man, people will think she’s making it up. But the city doesn’t consist of five year olds.
Yet, I stay - mesmerized by this little girl and her huge brown eyes.
“My name is Clark,” I hear myself say.
She smiles at me. “I'm Lois. Nice to meet you.”
I know this is a mistake. “Hello, Lois. It's nice to meet you, too.”
I should leave now before anyone else will see me here. I shouldn't have come to Metropolis in the first place. But I couldn’t ignore the cry for help that I heard on my way to… I don’t even know where I was going. Just flying, I guess. Above the clouds is the only place where I feel like I could even grasp the concept of belonging anywhere.
“So, you're not a fairy and you're not Peter Pan,” Lois muses. “But you can fly.”
EXCERPT #5:Rolling over on her side, she willed her brain to be quiet. Her thoughts drifted back to Superman’s touch just before he left. She was sure that he had touched her that way before, but she couldn’t for the life of her remember when. It had to be one of her lost memories.
Earlier that night, she’d been ready to give up on all of those memories. Now she wanted to try harder than ever to get them back if only to help her understand why she simultaneously felt so close to Superman and yet almost like a stranger.
His touch had felt… intimate – a thousand thoughts and words in a single touch.
Clark touched me the same way, her mind whispered as she finally drifted to sleep.
********
She was flying, soaring high above treetops through the night sky. The view was spectacular but not nearly so wonderful as the feeling of his arms around her. They were going fast but she couldn’t feel it. Something about him protected her from the forces which would normally be too much for a human to withstand.
The prom had been nice, but flying with Superman was even better. She looked up at him and he smiled at her.
Except it wasn’t Superman.
It was Clark.
Clark was flying her home. He was wearing a tux.
“Do you want to go home yet?” he asked.
She shook her head and snuggled closer to him. “No. Can we go to Smallville?”
“How would I explain that to my parents? They just found out I can fly – and I didn’t even give them a chance to let that sink in before I took off to be here with you. Not sure now’s the right time to tell them you know my secret.”
“We should have already told them.”
“You want to listen to my dad wax hyperbolic about dissecting frogs? Be my guest.”
“Hmm… I’ll pass.” She gazed up into his eyes and sighed contentedly. She could hardly believe he was here. And he could fly again – that meant they could see each other whenever they wanted. No more waiting long months to convince their parents to let them visit. No more phone calls which were never quite enough. Now, all she had to do was call and he would be there.
“Thank you for taking me to the prom. It really was a night to remember.”
********
Lois sat up in bed, the dream already slipping away like so much sand in an hour glass. But there was one fact which lingered long enough for her to grab ahold of it and recognize it for the truth.
“Clark is Superman.”
EXCERPT #6:Superman took another step closer, only mere inches away now. Lois was trembling as Superman reached up to cup her cheek in his hand. God, it felt so warm and magical.
His solid frame seemed to block more of the wind than she’d thought possible, and despite the warmth of his nearness, she still shivered. The look in his eyes was filled with so many different emotions, all vying to be the most prominent. Affection and concern seemed to be winning, though.
Superman just searched her eyes for a long moment, stroking his thumb gently across her cheek. “It terrifies me seeing you in danger so often.”
Lois inhaled sharply, her mind reeling with the truth just out of grasp. Only a sense of it was there, but none of the pieces had had time to slot into place. As she took in his expression, that affection and tenderness and something else that reminded her so strongly of her best friend, suddenly all she could see was Clark.
Her eyes widened, and she dared to lift her hand and place her flattened palm against the S on his chest. "You're . . . really not as recognizable out of your suit," she said softly, a mixture of awe and fondness in her voice.
“It’s the glasses.” He let out a nervous huff of laughter.
She chuckled too, smiling and catching his gaze. “You don’t think it’s the flying? Maybe?”
Superman’s face broke into a wide, unfettered grin that was all Clark.
“I’m sorry for all the falling this week,” she said softly.
“No, it’s okay.” He shook his head gently and leaned in almost hesitantly, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll always catch you.”
“Clark?”
“Yeah, Lois?”
“Even if I fell one more time this week?”
“Lois?” he asked, his brow furrowing.
“Because I think I’m falling for you.”
Good luck, everyone!
________________________________________________
Have a question? Ask it here! Or you can PM any of the K-Com members or reach out on Discord too! You can also send an email to us here: Kcom@kerthawards.com
In order t
o help you find all things Kerth for this year, we’ve created a TOC for all the
🏆TOC for Kerth Awards 2026 Posts🏆.
The Kerth Committee
(KSaraSara, Michael, lovetvfan, and Evie)
