Edit: Not a new part - just had the wrong part #... This is really part 10

Sorry it took so long... The end of summer was very busy : cool

Kids are back in school and I'll be back to posting at least once a week. Both nfic and gfic boards are caught up with each other now...

Part 9

About an hour later, there was a knock on Constance Hunter's office door. Doctor Klein poked his head in the office, glanced around quickly, and seeing Kal, greeted him.

"Hi, Superman, um... I mean Kal." Quickly turning to the lawyer behind the desk, the doctor tried to cover up his mistake. "It's something he does at parties – look like Superman. But then again, anyone can look like Superman. Take me for example..." Klein puffed out his chest and placed his hands on his hips, doing his best to imitate the Man of Steel.

"It's okay, Doc. She's on our side." Clark stood up and waved his hand towards the lawyer. "Doctor Klein, this is my new lawyer, Constance Hunter."

She rose in her seat and stretched her hand out toward the doctor as he entered the room. "Nice to meet you."

Clark thought he saw the faintest hesitation and a slight blush on the doctor's face as he looked fully at the woman's face for the first time. His suspicions that Bernie was flustered were further strengthened when he didn't release Constance's hand right away.

Constance was patiently waiting for Bernie to let go of her hand, so Clark decided to help her a bit before the doctor embarrassed himself.

"Doctor Klein, thanks for bringing the suit and medical information. Ms. Hunter just needs verification of who I am. I think she believes me."

Constance retrieved her hand from Doctor Klein's, smiling politely. Turning to Clark, she replied to his comment. "I'm usually a good judge of character, Superman. You have given me no reason to doubt you. Doctor Klein will just provide the backup for your identity when Luthor's lawyers come sniffing around with their fur standing on end. Just show me the suit and the records later so I can honestly say that I've confirmed your identity."

"I guess everyone will find out that my demise was premature..."

"Yes, and we need to decide if you want to make a public statement or to allow Luthor's press dogs to cover it. There's bound to be an ugly spin on things if we let them go first. Give me a few moments and let me see who I can call on this."

Clark sighed. Yeah, Luthor was certain to turn this to his own advantage if he didn't announce to the world first that Superman was alive. Possibly by playing the hurt party, claiming his only purpose in setting up the Superman Foundation was for the good of the people, or even more disgusting, in honor of Superman. No, he could never allow this monster even an inch of leeway.

How much was he willing to reveal to the world? Would he be willing to admit that Luthor had rendered him powerless? Would that kill any investigation that he was planning? It would allow Luthor to remain on the offense, even more than if he still believed Superman to be dead. No, he had to let Luthor think that he'd won, at least until the time that he could gather enough solid evidence to prove that the billionaire was behind so much more than the de-powering of Superman.

It would also give the criminal element proof that Superman could be defeated should he ever get his powers back. It was better to let the criminal population think that Superman was lurking in background, just out of contact. Uncertainty was better than having all the crooks and thugs thinking that he was totally out of commission.

And then there was Lois. He felt a stab of pain in his heart as he remembered what had transpired between them earlier in the day. She was still so infatuated with his alter ego and blind to Luthor. Sometimes, he thought it might be easier to walk away and start a new life without her. As soon as he got rid of Luthor and saw him behind bars, there would be nothing tying him to Metropolis.

But who was he kidding? He could no sooner walk away from Lois than he could quit breathing. Oh, he was furious and frustrated at her refusal to see what was so plain to him. In a couple of days, he'd be calm enough to try to face her – at least after Luthor had been taken care of for the time being. If he could only get her to see Luthor for what he was.

"How soon can we serve Luthor with the papers?" he asked, impulsively as soon as Ms. Hunter hung up the phone. "I think we need to move as quickly as possible."

"You're in luck, Superman," she said as she leaned back into her chair. "An old friend of mine was recently elected as a judge as few months ago. He owes me a couple of favors."

Dr. Klein looked up with interest. He'd been staring blankly into his lap, stealing a glance now and then at Ms. Hunter as she made her calls. "An old friend?"

She smiled at Dr. Klein, and said matter-of-factly, "A former beau. He still owes me for bailing out on our relationship."

Bernie looked serious as he pondered her response. "Was that a lawyer joke? Bailingo out on you?"

Constance rolled her eyes. "Your puns are practically lawsuit material, Doctor."

She stuffed a piece of letterhead into her typewriter and began to type furiously. "Just how involved do you want to be in this, Doctor Klein? We can certainly use another person if you're willing to help."

"Help? Oh, sure. Superman and I have already been through a couple of adventures together. What's a few more?"

Clark turned and smiled at his doctor. Bernard Klein was a borderline eccentric scientist, but he was proving to be a great friend.

"That's the spirit, Doctor Klein. I need you to go to this agent, Murray Brown, and pick up all of Superman's documentation. We will call and let them know you're coming and that we need this information immediately. I'm working on getting a court order, so stay there as long as it takes." She handed Clark the piece of paper that she had typed. "Sign here, Superman. This is a release for information."

Clark signed the quickly written document and handed it back to Constance, who stuffed it in the envelope and promptly passed it to Doctor Klein. "If they refuse to hand over the files, give me a call on my cell phone and I will get a court order for the release of the material signed."

She handed him a business card and grinned apologetically at the leather-clad doctor. "I'm sorry to have you run around like this but we don't have the time to call a courier. I think Superman would like to keep this low key if at all possible."

Bernie stumbled getting out of his chair in his haste to get started. Clark smiled sincerely at him and said, "Thanks, Bernie!"

Constance then turned to Clark and said, "Superman, I think you should stay here until we see if all our ducks fall in line. If things go according to plan, then we should be presenting Luthor with an injunction later this afternoon." She rose from her chair and walked around her desk. "In the meantime, you should decide how and if you're going to tell the world you're still alive."

"Sounds like a plan, Ms. Hunter."

As soon she left the office, Clark's jaw set firmly in determination as he thought about the next step in his plan.

******

Lois stared at her computer screen blankly. After searching for Clark the rest of the morning until well after lunch, she had given up and decided to try to get some work done at LNN.

She was not accomplishing much; she was way too restless. Ever since Clark had walked out on her in such an uncharacteristic rage, she had felt like she was in some kind of hypersensitive overload. Every move and sound and image seemed to be automatically scrutinized as a lost piece of the puzzle.

She felt that she had missed something... that she still was missing something - a clue that would let everything fall back into place.

Snorting to herself in disgust, maybe what was out of place was her. She did not belong at a TV station; she belonged in a newsroom! Ever since the Daily Planet had been bombed she had been living in a fog - her head had been in the clouds, firmly separated from any version of reality. All of a sudden it hit her - she had lost her reporter's edge! She couldn't find her erstwhile partner in her home city and probably, at the rate she was going, couldn't even find her way out of a paper bag.

She had to get back that old journalistic edge that had propelled her to earn her Kerth awards. There was no way she was going to roll over and play dead now.

There was a shout and she noticed a few people hurrying towards the newsroom. A story was breaking and from the sounds of it, it was a big one!

Deciding to see what story had slipped by her fingers again, she joined the people gathered around the monitors. From the distance, it looked like some sort of news conference was about to be given. Boring, was her first reaction, but then disgust as she realized that she had missed out on yet another breaking news story. How did all those reporters get the scoop and why didn't she hear anything about it? Just further proof that she was becoming a slacker and journalistic has-been.

As she drew closer to the long line of television monitors on the wall, the picture became clearer; she saw the slightest resemblance to a Superman emblem in the upper corner of the screen.

Superman? Was there actually news of him? Pushing people out of the way, she drew closer to the screen. All blood drained from her face as she realized the implications. There had been no sign of the superhero in weeks, his torn-up bloody cape had been found in the bay and now there was an official announcement coming up in a few minutes. That could only mean one thing... Superman was about to be declared dead. They had found his body and were making it official.

Bodies jostled her in anticipation, and it had no affect on her as she gave way to the bumps and nudges of the anxious people around her.

It was about to be over. The greatest love of her lifetime was about to end in some senseless tragedy. One-sided love... Superman had pretended to love her and now he had gotten himself killed or something equally tragic....

Instead of a city official, or a police officer, a woman with an ill-fitting suit walked up to a podium inside an unidentifiable building. She looked over the many microphones set up in front of her and spoke to the crowd of reporters.

"Hello, my name is Constance Hunter and I represent Superman. He has asked me to make an announcement on his behalf."

A flurry of reporters began to ask questions all at once. Constance held up her hands and it took a few moments to silence them.

"I think Superman's statement will answer some of your questions." The lawyer looked over the crowd and waited for them to become completely silent.

"Dear citizens of Metropolis:"

"This is to inform you that I am alive and well. Due to some personal circumstances beyond my control, I need to take a leave of absence. My return to Metropolis is questionable at this point and time, so I am saying my good-byes.

"Try to believe that if circumstances allowed, I would still be protecting the people and streets of Metropolis. This city will always be in my heart, and I hope someday to be able to return.

"Take care and remember that I've come as a friend and left as a friend.

"Please also remember that inside each of you, there is a hero. Try to be kind to each other, take care of your neighbors, and above all, think of the greater good in all of us.

"Kindest regards, Superman."

Pausing for a moment, she added, "That's all the information that Superman wants to reveal at this time. At a later date, there will be more information available. Thank you for your time."

Constance Hunter stepped back from the podium as she refolded the paper that she had been reading from. An absolute torrent of questions flew from the mass of reporters gathered at the base of the podium.

Lois stood shell-shocked for a few seconds, so many conflicting emotions running through her head. Superman was alive! He was not dead like much of the world believed, like shehad believed, yet he was still so far away. There was no explanation about the bloodied cape found in the bay, no reason for him staying away for so long... The circumstances were mysterious, however, and his announcement seemed rather final.

He had said his goodbyes to the world. Oh, it was wonderful that he was alive, that was if this person representing Superman were telling the truth.

She eyed the retreating lawyer on the television screen suspiciously. This woman was risking everything if she weren't telling the truth. No one in his or her right mind would tell a grieving world that Superman was alive if it weren't true. She would personally hunt down and kill this Constance Hunter if it were found that she was lying.

Out of the corner of her eye she spied Lex staring at the screen, his mouth slightly ajar in surprise as he watched the news report. She hadn't noticed he had entered the room. Heck, she wouldn't have noticed if the building blew up around her – Superman was alive!

A tiny red flag flashed in front of her mind's eye, and Lois decided to catch Lex as he processed this new information. He stood stone-faced now as she tried to analyze his reaction. Stone-faced... hardly the expression of a celebrated philanthropist.

Suddenly, he turned towards her and a triumphant expression came over his face. He lifted his chin and slightly motioned that she should join him. Intrigued at what he would say about Superman's return, she made her way to his side.

"Ah, justice prevails," Lex crooned as he grinned smugly at the television screen.

"Justice?" Lois stared at Lex blankly. "What does justice have to do with Superman leaving?"

After regarding her for a moment, he answered carefully. "He's alive, my dear. Isn't that what we've all been hoping for all along? I would think you would see this as a happy occasion. It's better to view this turn of events as the glass being half-full instead of half-empty."

"Of course, I'm happy that he's alive, but there are so many unanswered questions – like what happened to him... And where has Superman been all these weeks?"

"Ah, good point, but..."

"Excuse me. Are you Lex Luthor?" asked a strange man dressed in a suit. He held a brown envelope out to the billionaire, along with a clipboard for him to sign.

"What is this?" Luthor queried, while not reaching for either the clipboard or the envelope.

"I wouldn't know, Mr. Luthor. I'm only required to make sure that you have received this. Please sign your name by the 'x'."

A bit frustrated and curious, Lex signed the document and took the envelope. Once the deliveryman had turned and left, he opened it and pulled out the document.

"What is it, Lex?" Lois tried to peer at the contents, but after scanning it briefly, Lex folded it up before she could read a word.

His expression then hardened and his eyes had a faraway look in them. "Excuse me, Lois. I need to call my lawyers. Oh... by the way, the Daily Planet is reopening Monday. I'm probably going to be busy sorting this misunderstanding out, so if I don't see you, I expect you to be there first thing Monday morning."

Feeling as though she'd been dismissed abruptly, Lois watched him walk away briskly and enter his office.

She couldn't believe it! In the span of ten minutes, she had been shocked three times. Superman, who was alive, was not returning, and the Daily Planet was opening in a few short days!

The non-descript man returned, this time to her desk, and handed her a large envelope. "No need to sign for this one, Ms. Lane."

"What is this?" She eyed the manila envelope curiously, resisting the urge to tear into it right away.

"Wouldn't know, ma'am. I just deliver, but was requested to give this to you when you were alone." He rasped the edge of her desk lightly and nodded politely just before turning away.

Lois flipped the envelope over in her hands, then opened it carefully. A photo slid out along with a folded note and some other papers. She turned the photo over and gasped. It was a picture of Superman standing besides a held-up Metropolis Star newspaper and the headlines were this morning's edition. It was proof that Superman was really alive!

Her breath caught as she viewed his image. Superman was staring at the camera in his usual no nonsense pose, his hands crossed firmly on his chest. To the world, his appearance would be the same, but to her, she could see the strain of the past couple weeks in his eyes and posture. It was obvious to her that he had been through a great deal.

Allowing herself a bit of indulgence, she gazed at his likeness, filling her mind with the familiar features of the man she adored.

Unfolding the note slowly, she was greeted with Superman's masculine scrawl.

Dear Lois,

As you can tell by the contents of this envelope, I'm sending you the proof that I am truly alive. One last story – if you are willing to do this for me. Take your time with the article – I'm positive you can submit it to any newspaper as a freelance reporter. I know there is going to be much speculation about the truth of the press conference this afternoon. As a reporter who has supported me throughout my public life as Superman, I know you will write the finest article I could ever hope for.

By the time you will have received this envelope, papers will have been served to Lex Luthor on my behalf. The Superman Foundation that he has created violates the Intellectual Property laws and will affect official Superman charities that I've granted permission to exist. There are other reasons for serving this injunction that I'm not willing to go into at this time.

Please know that this is nothing against you. If for some reason, personal or profession, that you cannot write this article, turn the materials over to Clark Kent.

Thank you for being, without a doubt, my fellow champion in seeking truth and justice. Lois, don't ever lose sight of who you are – the best reporter and finest woman I've ever met. Whatever path you choose, I'll be rooting for you wherever I am.

Please be happy... that's all I've ever wanted for you.

Superman

Lois closed the letter and stared into the distance, not seeing, for her mind was a whir of emotions. Superman was suing Lex! Lois thought incredulously. That had to have been the official document Lex had received a few minutes ago.

Frowning, she thought, Lex shouldn't have brushed her off so callously. He wanted to marry her – why would he want to keep something of that magnitude to himself? Surely he understood that it was all a misunderstanding... or was it? The Superman Foundation had seemed like a wonderful idea when Lex suggested it, but his lawyers should have researched to see if they were violating any laws before putting it into place.

There was a definite finality to Superman's written words. She was assured that he was alive, yet she felt her heart closing on all hope of a future with the superhero. Superman had been telling the truth that night in her apartment a couple weeks ago, standing firm in his belief that they had no future together. He had made his choice, and it was obvious that he had not chosen her.

He had been alive this whole time and had not sought her out, instead seeking to confide in someone else or to go it alone.

Be happy, he had written... She would be. Somehow her spirit had woken up in the last few hours, the stirring in her heart signaled that there had to be a way for her to sort out the knotted mess that was her life.

She was a reporter – Superman had shown great confidence to her by turning this information over, and it was time she got out of her plush and sterile surroundings of a television station and dive back into the life of a newspaper journalist. The Daily Planet was reopening up in a few days and she would welcome it back with a bang – with the proof that Metropolis' beloved superhero was alive.

Deciding that she wasn't going to be able to concentrate, Lois packed up a couple items she had brought from home, shut her computer down, and left LNN, probably forever, as an employee.

*****