The Price
By LO
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - J F Kennedy
When the first plane hit the Twin Towers in New York, Clark Kent was eating dinner, struggling manfully against chronic boredom. More specifically, he was attending a formal dinner for an Asian Economic Trade Forum at the Port Douglas Resort in Far North Queensland, Australia. Former US President, William Jeffers, was the keynote speaker. Clark, in his capacity as overseas roving reporter for Metropolis' newspaper, The Daily Planet, was covering the event. Jeffers had given his speech to much applause, but had really said nothing new or world shattering. The dinner was not yet finished and Clark was stuck making small talk until it did. He was counting the minutes until he could justifiably take his leave for the night and get some fresh air.
When the first plane hit the Twin Towers in New York, Clark Kent did not hear about it immediately. There was no reason why he should have. New York was not his city and he was too far away to be monitoring direct US news broadcasts. It took time for the world news organisations to filter the information through to Australia, and the media present at the Forum were focused on reporting that event, rather than other overseas news. That was the responsibility of other colleagues.
When the first plane hit the Twin Towers in New York, Clark Kent was not notified of that fact by the monitors in the JLA Watchtower, although the event was noted. At that stage it was thought to be an accident; the Big Apple's fire and police departments were responding. There was little for costumed heroes to do, even ones with super powers, except get in the way of the professional rescue teams. The Tower was being evacuated in an orderly fashion. There was no need to disturb the JLA membership, or even call out the local JLAer, Green Lantern, for what was essentially a mopping up operation.
When the second plane hit the Twin Towers in New York, Clark Kent was observed doubled over in pain, complaining of severe stomach cramps. He excused himself hurriedly from dinner, and was last seen heading for his hotel room.
That was the last that anyone, including Clark's editor, Perry White or his wife, Lois, heard from Clark Kent for over a week. He simply disappeared from his hotel room, leaving his belongings to be collected by an Australian-based staffer from a Planet affiliate after the Resort had made several concerned phone calls querying why Mr Kent had not checked out.
That was not to say that Perry did not attempt to locate his missing reporter. The events of September 11 caused a media frenzy on a scale previously unknown, and he wanted all his reporters on the job. In particular, he wanted reaction from the recently retired President, who was stranded in Australia until secure air travel could be resumed. Jeffers was visibly desperate to get home to the States. With the current President and administration on a war footing, which meant controlled media statements, Jeffers was the face of America overseas. His comments were highly newsworthy.
It infuriated Perry that the experienced journalist he had sent to cover Jeffers, who could report on events from the perspective of distance and experience, was nowhere to be found. It put White in a difficult position, and he was not pleased that he had to rely on a junior affiliated reporter for the story that should have been obtained directly by a seasoned newsman.
Although he would not admit it, Perry was very fond of Clark Kent and was personally worried at the reporter's absence. As time went on, when he was not distracted by the events unfolding around them, that concern turned to anger. Clark still did not surface and it was clear that Lois, although obviously concerned with her husband's wellbeing, was not concerned that he was severely injured or missing. Yet, she could not come up with a plausible explanation as to her husband's whereabouts.
No stories were filed by email; no telephone calls were received. Clark had gone AWOL in the tropical paradise of Queensland, at a time when Perry most needed him. If it had been anyone else, his letter of dismissal would have been already written. In Clark's case, his previous reporting credentials and Perry's affection for him bought a stay of execution and the benefit of the doubt, but Perry's patience was wearing thin.
When Clark did appear in the newsroom over a week later, he had a haunted look about his eyes, he had obviously lost weight, and he appeared exhausted. Of course, this also described the majority of people in the building. Everyone had been running on a combination of adrenaline, caffeine and nervous energy in the wake of the terrorist attack and their ongoing threats. Emotions were high, patience was stretched thin and tempers were taut. There was more than one member of the Planet staff who harboured resentment towards the absentee reporter.
They felt they had been let down by Clark. In his absence they had been forced to shoulder his workload as well as their own. This was not the first time Clark had left them in the lurch either. He had disappeared for extended periods before without much explanation, but he always came back with a page one story as justification. The staffers reluctantly accepted that Kent might deserve special treatment for bringing in so many scoops; the stories were usually of such high calibre that they would tolerate Clark's 'eccentricities.' But this time there did not seem to have been an email or copy produced, and from the look of the reporter as he entered the newsroom, there was unlikely to be.
In any event, there was no bigger story than the events of September 11, and, unless Kent had a one on one interview with the terrorist mastermind admitting all, they were not prepared to forgive what they saw as dereliction of duty. Even the ebullient Jimmy Olsen, one of Clark's staunchest friends, was looking at him in with a mixture of disappointment, confusion and disillusionment.
Clark was exhausted, traumatised, guilt ridden and emotionally distraught at the feelings of helplessness he was experiencing. Of course, most of the world's population was feeling that in varying degrees. In Clark's case, though, there was an additional dimension. He felt this trauma as only one at the frontlines of the disaster could. In addition, he had to adjust to the realization that sometimes even extraordinary men are helpless against evil. He was accustomed to always being in control, always being able to save the day. He was usually invulnerable to defeat but never had he felt so impotent.
In failing to do his job as a reporter, and by disappearing at the most crucial moment, he knew that he would be viewed by some of his workmates as a coward, a shirker, and, in some eyes, a traitor. He had to deal with his colleagues' scorn as well as coping with a major trauma in his life, processing what he had seen over the last week. His 'secret identity', years in the making - its purpose to give him a so-called 'normal life' - was rebounding on him. The price of being a hero _and_ an ordinary guy was extremely high.
Taking a deep breath, Clark walked off the elevator into the bullpen, squared his shoulders and headed straight for the editor's office. A hush descended on the newsroom. A question was whispered around the room in his wake. Was Kent going to get what was coming to him?
By LO
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - J F Kennedy
When the first plane hit the Twin Towers in New York, Clark Kent was eating dinner, struggling manfully against chronic boredom. More specifically, he was attending a formal dinner for an Asian Economic Trade Forum at the Port Douglas Resort in Far North Queensland, Australia. Former US President, William Jeffers, was the keynote speaker. Clark, in his capacity as overseas roving reporter for Metropolis' newspaper, The Daily Planet, was covering the event. Jeffers had given his speech to much applause, but had really said nothing new or world shattering. The dinner was not yet finished and Clark was stuck making small talk until it did. He was counting the minutes until he could justifiably take his leave for the night and get some fresh air.
When the first plane hit the Twin Towers in New York, Clark Kent did not hear about it immediately. There was no reason why he should have. New York was not his city and he was too far away to be monitoring direct US news broadcasts. It took time for the world news organisations to filter the information through to Australia, and the media present at the Forum were focused on reporting that event, rather than other overseas news. That was the responsibility of other colleagues.
When the first plane hit the Twin Towers in New York, Clark Kent was not notified of that fact by the monitors in the JLA Watchtower, although the event was noted. At that stage it was thought to be an accident; the Big Apple's fire and police departments were responding. There was little for costumed heroes to do, even ones with super powers, except get in the way of the professional rescue teams. The Tower was being evacuated in an orderly fashion. There was no need to disturb the JLA membership, or even call out the local JLAer, Green Lantern, for what was essentially a mopping up operation.
When the second plane hit the Twin Towers in New York, Clark Kent was observed doubled over in pain, complaining of severe stomach cramps. He excused himself hurriedly from dinner, and was last seen heading for his hotel room.
That was the last that anyone, including Clark's editor, Perry White or his wife, Lois, heard from Clark Kent for over a week. He simply disappeared from his hotel room, leaving his belongings to be collected by an Australian-based staffer from a Planet affiliate after the Resort had made several concerned phone calls querying why Mr Kent had not checked out.
That was not to say that Perry did not attempt to locate his missing reporter. The events of September 11 caused a media frenzy on a scale previously unknown, and he wanted all his reporters on the job. In particular, he wanted reaction from the recently retired President, who was stranded in Australia until secure air travel could be resumed. Jeffers was visibly desperate to get home to the States. With the current President and administration on a war footing, which meant controlled media statements, Jeffers was the face of America overseas. His comments were highly newsworthy.
It infuriated Perry that the experienced journalist he had sent to cover Jeffers, who could report on events from the perspective of distance and experience, was nowhere to be found. It put White in a difficult position, and he was not pleased that he had to rely on a junior affiliated reporter for the story that should have been obtained directly by a seasoned newsman.
Although he would not admit it, Perry was very fond of Clark Kent and was personally worried at the reporter's absence. As time went on, when he was not distracted by the events unfolding around them, that concern turned to anger. Clark still did not surface and it was clear that Lois, although obviously concerned with her husband's wellbeing, was not concerned that he was severely injured or missing. Yet, she could not come up with a plausible explanation as to her husband's whereabouts.
No stories were filed by email; no telephone calls were received. Clark had gone AWOL in the tropical paradise of Queensland, at a time when Perry most needed him. If it had been anyone else, his letter of dismissal would have been already written. In Clark's case, his previous reporting credentials and Perry's affection for him bought a stay of execution and the benefit of the doubt, but Perry's patience was wearing thin.
When Clark did appear in the newsroom over a week later, he had a haunted look about his eyes, he had obviously lost weight, and he appeared exhausted. Of course, this also described the majority of people in the building. Everyone had been running on a combination of adrenaline, caffeine and nervous energy in the wake of the terrorist attack and their ongoing threats. Emotions were high, patience was stretched thin and tempers were taut. There was more than one member of the Planet staff who harboured resentment towards the absentee reporter.
They felt they had been let down by Clark. In his absence they had been forced to shoulder his workload as well as their own. This was not the first time Clark had left them in the lurch either. He had disappeared for extended periods before without much explanation, but he always came back with a page one story as justification. The staffers reluctantly accepted that Kent might deserve special treatment for bringing in so many scoops; the stories were usually of such high calibre that they would tolerate Clark's 'eccentricities.' But this time there did not seem to have been an email or copy produced, and from the look of the reporter as he entered the newsroom, there was unlikely to be.
In any event, there was no bigger story than the events of September 11, and, unless Kent had a one on one interview with the terrorist mastermind admitting all, they were not prepared to forgive what they saw as dereliction of duty. Even the ebullient Jimmy Olsen, one of Clark's staunchest friends, was looking at him in with a mixture of disappointment, confusion and disillusionment.
Clark was exhausted, traumatised, guilt ridden and emotionally distraught at the feelings of helplessness he was experiencing. Of course, most of the world's population was feeling that in varying degrees. In Clark's case, though, there was an additional dimension. He felt this trauma as only one at the frontlines of the disaster could. In addition, he had to adjust to the realization that sometimes even extraordinary men are helpless against evil. He was accustomed to always being in control, always being able to save the day. He was usually invulnerable to defeat but never had he felt so impotent.
In failing to do his job as a reporter, and by disappearing at the most crucial moment, he knew that he would be viewed by some of his workmates as a coward, a shirker, and, in some eyes, a traitor. He had to deal with his colleagues' scorn as well as coping with a major trauma in his life, processing what he had seen over the last week. His 'secret identity', years in the making - its purpose to give him a so-called 'normal life' - was rebounding on him. The price of being a hero _and_ an ordinary guy was extremely high.
Taking a deep breath, Clark walked off the elevator into the bullpen, squared his shoulders and headed straight for the editor's office. A hush descended on the newsroom. A question was whispered around the room in his wake. Was Kent going to get what was coming to him?
