Review Comments:
C.A.M.S 22 - I'm glad that you liked it, she'll get some time to shine very soon.
tua33915 - I'm generally pretty proud of my dialogue more than the reset, so that's definitely appreciated to hear! Well, it's hard to put a word on ole Lois because she's definitely one of a kind, haha. Tess and Lois will have a very unusual relationship that I'm excited to write, but you're right, there's only one Clois.
LoisNClark4Ever - It's going to be an interesting dynamic with Tess, and we'll see her relationship with her brother very soon that I'm hoping will give her a very interesting dynamic between Clois and Lex. I was talking about Tess, but there are going to be plenty of new faces coming up. Things are doing to start churning pretty quick here.
Lilbit4 - I'm glad you liked them!
cathy03 - She's going to be a little different this time around, but that won't change that she is a tough cookie to crack. She has her own agenda, and it won't always be what Lois and Clark would agree with.
Tomarisun - I think Tess always had a thing for Clark, which it'd be hard not to, let's face it, haha. She isn't the kind of character that pulls her punches or that is scared to say what she's thinking, haha.
Author: CaptainTightPants12
Rating: K
Disclaimer: If I owned Superman, his story lines, or any related characters, you'd be seeing this story in the pages of the this month's issue of Superman and not for free on FanFiction. Ditto any DC Comics characters or storylines.
Summary: After Barry Allen changes history to save the world, Clark Kent faces an uncertain destiny in a new world.
Chapter: #10, the Fortress of Solitude
Author's Note: Here we go! And those watching the Super Bowl, good luck with your respective teams!
"I don't know why you are whining so much."
He sighed with exasperation, "Maybe because I was just held up at gun-point, Lane."
Lois rolled her eyes, "You're such a drama queen, Smallville. Tess is harmless. The only person I've actually been worried she might shoot is her brother. She's a little bitter that her father left everything to Lex."
"You mean, Lionel Luthor left everything to Lex?"
She frowned, "Is that not what I just said?"
"No, well, yes, but it's just that... they never seemed all that close to me," offered Clark.
Lois tilted her head, "Wait, you knew Lionel Luthor too?"
He gulped a bit. This was one of those times that he wasn't sure how much he should tell Lois. Quite frankly, he would have liked it if she didn't know about his relationship to the Luthors at all. "We had a friendship."
"You get more and more interesting by the minute, you know that?" she shook her head in surprise.
Clark fidgeted a bit.
"I'll buy you a hot dog and you can tell me just how friendly you were with ole Lionel."
He smirked, "I appreciate you asking me out, Lane. I really do. But I have already have a lunch plans with a relative."
For almost anyone else, this blistering cold would have brought them to their knees. But Clark wasn't just anyone else, and as he threw a tennis ball down the armory hall for his flying dog, he found the whole thing kind of whimsical.
He proceeded to the center of his Fortress of Solitude, where the crystal console was positioned.
Clark coughed nervously, "Father?"
He still hadn't gotten used to the booming voice. He had trained for years here, trying to hone his abilities to their maximum capabilities, but speaking to the father he never knew in the middle of the arctic? It was a little bit awkward. The place was more like a museum and work space than a home away for home for Clark.
"Kal-El, you have returned, my son," boomed the voice.
Truth be told, he hadn't been to the Fortress in quite a while. Clark had journeyed the world for the last year. Trying to help where he could in the places that people tended to forget about. "I have, Jor-El. I'm sorry for my absence."
"When you began your training, you began a path to become Earth's greatest savior," echoed Jor-El. "You presence is meant to protect the people of this planet, Kal-El. An apology is unnecessary."
Clark smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Father. I've come to ask for help in that path."
"How may I assist you, my son?"
Reaching into his messenger bag and pulling out his cape, Clark held it into the air. "I wish to live two lives. One amongst the people, and one as a symbol. I've established a mask that will allow me to blend into the crowd, and now I need to create a symbol that will stand out from the shadows to help the people that need it."
"A wise decision, Kal-El."
"I tried to create a uniform, using the blanket from my ship in part, but only the kryptonian threads survived. I wanted to ask if there was a way to duplicate the threads. To make a uniform as indestructible as my own flesh."
Silence set across the Fortress. Clark was unsure if Jor-El was thinking, or if he didn't have an answer.
As he was about to speak out again, he noticed that the crystal console was shifting. Clark stepped forward and watched as one of the crystals started to raise from the console, almost as if to lift it out.
"This crystal, should you choose to use it, should facilitate what you require, Kal-El. It is created from the same technology that the Brain Interactive Construct was created from. It can break down into particles that even the naked eye of a kryptonian like yourself cannot detect, and yet expand and replicate to create a suit that you can don as a symbol for the people of this planet. Their configuration will respond directly to your mind, my son," explained Jor-El.
Clark reached out with a hint of awe in his eyes.
As his fingers touched the crystal, it broke down into millions of tiny pieces and raced across his body. At first, they seemed to disappear on his flesh, but upon inspection, the nanites actually disappeared into his flesh. He stood straight and with a mere thought, they erupted onto his skin and formed the same pattern as his mother's design.
"This is going to make changing into my suit a lot easier," he murmured under his breath.
He flexed, watching the suit respond in stride. It felt weightless on his body. With his thoughts, he made adjustments. The collar rose around his neck, the piping around his wrists turned red to contrast the blue. With a smirk, the trunks disappeared as he whispered to himself, "Sorry, mom. Time for a big boy suit."
"You will find that the nanites will be stronger than any element found on this planet, Kal-El."
Clark grinned, "What about kryptonite? Will it affect them at all?"
"Kryptonite's effect remains only on you, Kal-El. The suit will help shield you from the radiation, but they will not make you immune. You must still exercise extreme caution when near fragments of our home world," explained Jor-El.
"This is exactly what I needed, Father," grinned Clark. "Thank you."
In a flash, Clark was out of the Fortress and soaring through the sky. The suit felt great on his skin because, well, it was like a second layer of skin over his own flesh. He tested out the flexibility and it's resistance to the cold as he flew higher. His old suit didn't react well to the cold, but this was perfect. He couldn't wait to unveil it to the world.
The World.
He had narrowly avoided being seen with the airplane in Centennial Park. It was only a matter of time before there was another emergency and this time, he was sure that the media wouldn't be far behind. That was a thought for another time as he made his way back down to Earth. He had work to do or Perry was going to kill him in his sleep.
Tonight was the opening of the Project: Metallo, and it was time to get a big scoop.
Author's Note: Well, what did ya think? For those that are a bit more curious about the look of the suit, I imagine it a lot like the Season 11 suit with the New 52 collar and look of the wrists. The idea that it's actually able to disappear on Clark's body is actually the new status quo of the New 52 Superman, an idea that I think it brilliant and makes the whole armor look actually worth it for that one idea. We can play crazy reasoning game forever, but it's kind of crazy to think Clark is wearing the boots and the cape and the whole get-up under his Daily Planet clothes.
Anyways, shoot me some reviews and let me know what you thought!