Chapter One

An Accidental Encounter

Eight-year-old Caleb Manning smiled as he flipped through the latest issue of Superman as he walked towards the checkout counter of the convenience store. "Will that be all for you, Caleb," Frank Carter, the owner of the convenience store, smiled as Caleb put the Superman issue on the checkout counter.

"I'll take one of these," Caleb smiled as he grabbed an apple from the apple basket next to the checkout counter.

"That will be $1.50," Frank smiled as he excluded the price of the apple. Ever since Caleb first came to the store to buy a Superman issue, Frank would always cover the price of the apple for Caleb.

"You excluded the price of the apple, didn't you," Caleb smiled as he gave money to Frank.

"Like you mind," Frank smiled.

"I guess I don't," Caleb smiled and shrugged as he took a bite of the apple.

"You just figured it out, huh," Frank smiled.

"Nonsense," Caleb smiled. "I figured it out three years ago. I'll see you later, Frank," he smiled as he left.

"Mr. Barron," Lex Luthor sighed in frustration as he drove and talked to a fellow business associate through his headset. "If this merger does not go through…" Suddenly, someone opened the door of his parked car. Lex quickly swerved to avoid an accident, causing him to hit a traffic barrier with full force. The impact made Lex faint and the ground and barrier started to crumble.

"That sounds like something Lois Lane would do," Clark Kent, laughed as he talked to his best friend, Chloe Sullivan, over the phone. Suddenly, he noticed Lex's car. "I'll talk to you later," Clark hurriedly said as he hung up the phone. He raced over to the car, hurriedly opened the driver door and carried Lex to safety just as the car was going over the edge. Lex slowly started to wake up as Clark set him gently down on the pavement.

"You…" Lex weakly looked up at him. "You saved my life."

"Nonsense," Clark smiled. "I was in the right place at the right time."

"Clark's Superman," Caleb said to himself in amazement as he watched.

"Do you really want to hear what I think of you," Lois Lane angrily yelled as she walked away from the football field. Lois had long and brown hair and she was wearing a short-sleeve blue shirt with beige pants.

"Hello," Chloe Sullivan said to a football player as she walked towards him. Chloe had chin-length blonde hair and she was wearing a short-sleeve purple shirt with green pants. "I'm looking for my cousin… Lois Lane…"

"You're related to her," the football player angrily asked, to which Chloe just nodded. Suddenly, he threw a football towards her face, which Chloe quickly caught.

"Great reflexes," Chloe smiled nervously as the angry football player walked away. "And I'm related to the famous Richardson-Sullivan-Lane line…"

"Cuz," Lois smiled as she hugged Chloe.

"I'm here to rescue you," Chloe sarcastically said.

"It's a little late for that one," Lois smiled as she left with her.

"On the Thompson deal…" Lionel Luthor, father of Lex, frowned as he talked on the phone. Lionel was a busy bank owner with ambiguous features. No one was able to know what he was thinking.

"Dad," Lex determinedly said as he walked into the bank with Clark.

"Hold on," Lionel quickly said as he put the phone down. He walked towards them. "Lex," he smiled. "Who is your friend?"

"This is Clark Kent," Lex smiled as he patted Clark on the back. "He saved my life."

"Well, I would not go that far," Clark, laughed.

"Saved your life," Lionel asked in concern. "Son, what happened?"

"I was in a bit of a fender bender," Lex sheepishly said.

"Are you okay," Lionel quickly said.

"Yes, dad," Lex frowned. "I'm fine."

"Well…" Lionel looked at Clark. "Clark, it was nice to meet you. Unfortunately, I have a conference call to attend to…"

"Well," Clark awkwardly said to Lex. "If you're okay, then…"

"I could really go for some coffee, actually," Lex smiled.

"Chloe," someone said, making Chloe stop walking through the office of The Daily Planet. "I would like you to meet someone…" He smiled. "Chloe Sullivan, this is Jimmy Olsen. Jimmy Olsen, this is Chloe Sullivan…"

"Chloe," Jimmy smiled awkwardly.

"We met before," Chloe frowned as she clutched her journal. "You need to get to work, Mr. Olsen. I need to make sure that you're the right fit at The Daily Planet…" She walked away from them.

"She's a piece of work, isn't she," the introducer nervously laughed.

"She's worth anything," Jimmy smiled.

Lana Lang nervously frowned as she tried to carry a tray of coffees through the crowded coffee shop. She had long and dark hair and she was wearing a short-sleeve white shirt with blue jeans. Suddenly, she slipped on a coffee stain, causing her to stumble onto Lex and Clark's table.

"Are you okay," Clark asked in concern.

"Nothing hurt but my pride," Lana smiled as she stood up. "Let's just say that I am not the best barista in the history of baristas…" She smiled as she walked away.

Lois rolled her eyes as someone knocked on the door of Chloe's apartment. "What now," she groaned to herself as she answered the door to a smiling, young and blonde-haired man wearing a suit. "Listen," Lois determinedly said. "I do not want to join your cult, I do not want your product and I have a strong dislike for telemarketers. In other words, go away." She quickly shut the door.

Later that day, a blue riding suit wearing Lana smiled as she got on her horse. "Lana Lang," Lex smiled as he walked towards the horse.

"Lex Luthor," Lana said in confusion. "I know you because of your fame…"

"Rather infamy," Lex shrugged and smiled.

"But how do you know me," she asked in confusion.

"I was at the coffee shop with Clark Kent," he smiled.

"Fair enough, but why are you here," she asked in confusion.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me sometime," he smiled and shrugged.

"Clark is my fiancé, actually," Lana determinedly said.

"How do you know that he is the right guy," Lex smiled and shrugged.

"Even if I did not have a fiancé," Lana angrily said. "We barely know each other. You have a reputation with women and frankly, I am not interested. Good day, Mr. Luthor." She rode away from him.

"What a day," Chloe rolled her eyes as she walked into her apartment. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Nothing but an annoying interruption by a telemarketer," Lois said as she read the newspaper.

"Telemarketer," Chloe worriedly asked. "Was he young and did he have blond hair?"

"Yes," Lois said in confusion as she looked up at her. "Why?"

"Lois," Chloe angrily said. "That was Oliver Queen… the richest person in town… even richer than the Luthors… he and I were going to work on an exposé about the corruption in the Luthor family…. and you scared him away." Chloe walked out of her apartment angrily.

"Okay, Caleb," Clark smiled as he walked towards Caleb, who was swinging on a park swing. Clark sat down on a swing next to him. "Why did you want to meet me here?"

"This may sound crazy, but…" Clark paused as he showed him the comic book. "I believe that you are Superman…"

"I'll take that as a compliment," Clark smiled sarcastically.

"I'm being serious, Clark," Caleb insisted. "You look exactly like him and the Superman revealed his true identity to be Clark Kent…" He flipped through the pages, showing Clark his evidence. "And you saved Lex Luthor… that has to count for something…"

"Superman," Clark said to himself and he smiled. He knew that what Caleb was suggesting was impossible; however, he wanted to humor him. "So, what else happened," Clark smiled and asked. He and Caleb spent the rest of the afternoon swinging and reading comic books.