Review Comments:
Mr. Wartburg - That was definitely part of the goal. Clark isn't alone. That's going to be a big factor moving forward.
Katlynne - You're way too sweet to me. Like seriously.
LoisNClark4Ever - Well, you know it's not the Flash now, haha. And I'll go ahead and say, the universe isn't going back, not in anyway that I can imagine, haha. This is just the new normal in this on-going, haha. Lex definitely has a way of showing the other side of the coin and I definitely want to keep that dynamic alive because that's the cruel truth about Lex. He isn't wrong thinking the way that he does. If Superman or Batman or Wonder Woman went bad? We'd be in big trouble.
Lois and Sam definitely don't have the loving relationship they had on Smallville, haha. If you could call that relationship all that loving in the first place, haha. John is in for a rude awakening, as all great villains tend to be, haha. I think she would have been more excited if it was only about the story for Lois, but what she really wanted was to see the Blur again, so that is why I had her downplayed, haha. But that's ok, because she's about to get her pick-me-up, haha.
blaker316 - I'm glad that you're liking it thus far!
SmallvilleAU52 - Not a problem, I know first hand how hectic real life can be, so no worries. I'm glad that you liked the Clark/Lois talk about Lex. It was one of those moments where I could get across that there's some very conflicted feelings about what their relationship has become. I want to make it clear they were very close, and Clark hates what has happened.
Making characters like Metallo more grey area is definitely going to be a theme. I love complicated villains that are harder to pinpoint than the usual "want money" or "out to rule the world" themes. You look at Metallo, and you get it from both sides of the coin. Less human soldier deaths is something everyone can get on board with, so that's definitely the angle I wanted to play. And I'm really glad you liked the action. It can be hard to put into words, so I'm glad it comes across well!
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: #25, the Interview
Author's Note: And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, haha.
She peeked her head out, just barely past the door to the roof. "Hello?
Nothing. There was nothing out there. She stepped out into the landing, peering around. Looking for any trace of red or blue that she could find. She smacked herself on the forehead, "Because I'd be the reporter he'd pick? Come on, Lane..."
"Well, I wanted to go to the best."
Lois turned around slowly to see the man who saved her floating down onto the roof, "Oh... Hi..."
He smiled. "Sorry I'm late. There was a car jacking on fifth."
"I think I can let it fly, this time," Lois smirked as she felt her nerves of steel coming back. "No pun intended."
As he touched down gracefully, she couldn't help but take in just how tall he was. Nor how in an otherwise perfect head of hair, a couple strands just couldn't be tamed as they fell down across his forehead. "I understand there are a lot of questions about me. It's been brought to my attention that you've been traveling, looking for me."
"Well, I'm not a stalker, if that's what you're asking," she narrowed her eyes.
He help up his hand, "No, it's not that. It's just that, Metropolis needs Lois Lane here at home. Defending her."
She quirked an eyebrow, "I'm not made of steel and I can't catch helicopters with my bare hands."
"But you're made out of courage, and you fight for what's right," he said in a firm tone that took her by surprise. "I'd take that over a hundred heroes with powers. You do what you can. That's a hero in my book."
"Oh."
He nodded, "And people need to know that I do what I do because people like you have inspired me."
Lois swallowed deeply. "Then I guess we better get started on that story then."
It wasn't a long one and it didn't take very long for her to see that even with a tragic past, he had incredible strength inside of him. And not just his biceps. He took in all the bad, and he bent it into submission to be fuel for good. They were all just trials in his eyes. They didn't hold him back. They were steps forward. He was incredible like that.
"So you're from Cal-L from the planet Cripten, the only surviving member of your race, parents sent you away to save you, and now you've lived on Earth for almost your entire life?" Lois asked.
Clark leaned over her notepad, "It's K-a-l-E-l and K-r-y-p-t-o-n, but yes. I grew up here. This is my home, Miss Lane."
She scribbled down the correct spelling, "Moving on. Impervious to pain, you eat when you're hungry and you're over 21, big help that will be with the Chief tomorrow. You can fly, super strong and fast, laser eyes, and you've got x-ray vision, right?"
"You're not going to ask me to tell you the color of your underwear are you, Miss Lane?" smirked Clark.
Lois smirked right back, "Who says I'm wearing underwear?" Clark gulped before turning away and starting to clear his throat. Lois snickered to herself for a moment. "So, what's the 'S' stand for?"
Clark glanced down at his chest. "It's raw form, in the original kryptonian scripture, it's my family crest."
Lois tilted her head with a smirk, "Your family crest is a 'S'? Don't those usually come with a flag or a sword?"
"In it's raw form, it's my family crest," Clark chuckled. "This is a more stylized symbol. On Krypton, my father was a scientist and he used the knowledge of the universe to help people. He grew crops, he built shelters, he helped people with science rather than with fists or words. He invested in the people and they prospered for it. The stylized version of my family crest became the kryptonian symbol of Hope. I thought it suited what I wanted to do here."
She nodded slowly, jotting it all down in her trust notepad with her lip pinned between her teeth. "And you want to..."
"I want to help people, Ms. Lane," he smiled. "And not just stopping robberies and plucking cats out of trees. I want to show people that the old ideas still work. I want to give people hope, show them that good can still win. And when they truly let goodness into their hearts, they can fix all the wrongs in this world from the inside out."
"And why exactly is it that you want to do that? I mean, you could be making a zillion dollars catching footballs or zooming up buildings for Lex Luthor or something," Lois asked. "People are going to think you've got ulterior motives."
It wouldn't be Lois if she didn't ask the hard questions.
"When I was younger, a tornado tore through my hometown, and I've always felt like I didn't do enough. I was scared to let people see what I could do, so instead of helping, I hid. I was scared they wouldn't accept me. But if I would have been brave and chose helping people over myself, I could have done so much to help. My father has always told me that we all do what we can, but sometimes God has plans, and there isn't anything any man could do change them."
Lois grinned to herself, she knew were this was going. "But if there was?"
Clark smiled softly. "He told me that to make me feel better, but the truth is, it's like my mother always says: Life asks us what it thinks we can handle. I could have done more, I could have handled it, but I didn't. My kryptonian parents sent me here because they knew I'd be strong enough to protect myself, but they didn't just send me somewhere I'd be strong, they sent me to a place where I can hear people calling out for help everyday. Calling out for a hero."
"And you can be that hero."
He shook his head. "That's the thing, Miss Lane, I don't see it like that. We are all heroes when we do what we can. Some can do less, some can do more. I look at you and I see a real hero. I see the police officers and fire fighters who risk their lives everyday, and I see real heroes. I'm just trying to do what my parents taught me to do. What I can."
"That's a pretty good line," she smirked.
Clark tried not to blush, "I never lie, Miss Lane."
She bit her lip, trying like hell not to give him the smile she just knew would be ear-to-ear. "So, this whole thing is a kind of 'With great power, comes great responsibility' Peter Parker type thing?"
"Minus the tights, I hope," he grinned.
Lois gave him the up-and-down glance, "I don't know, they're pretty form fitting..."
He blushed. 'He actually blushed,' Lois smirked to herself.
"Hardly more form fitting than anything I've seen you wear, Miss Lane," he said with a coy little smile.
Her eyebrows shot up, and what could only be described as a minx-y smirk danced across her features. Clark could tell by the sparkle in her eye and the way her tongue danced across her K9 tooth, he had said the right thing.
"So you have been checking me out?" she said in a fiery tone.
She expected him to blush this time but instead, he met her with the same fiery eyes. But not the fiery, going to meltdown a building laser eyes. These were the kind of fiery eyes that could make even Lois Lane blush.
"You know, people have been calling you the Red-Blue Blur, but that's kind of a mouthful on my end."
Clark tried not to chuckle, nodding, "There's probably a better name out there, and Kal-El seems very... alien."
Lois looked him up and down for a moment, and her mouth did the Lois Lane Shuffle from side-to-side before settling on one side with a sharp look. He knew that meant she was thinking about something that she was a little proud of.
"You know, my... partner, he gave me this whole spiel about how real heroes are the ones that charge into dangerous situations to do what they can to make their world a better place," she recited.
"He sounds like a smart guy," Clark tried not to smirk.
She rolled her eyes, "Thank god he isn't here to hear that. Anyways, there was this guy my old archeologist friend told me about way back when, there was a lot of mumbo-jumbo, but the point was the dude believed in this ideal hero who embraced the cards he got dealt and made the world better. Called him an uber-mench."
"I really hope that's not what you're planning on calling me, Ms. Lane," chuckled a nervous Clark.
Lois tilted her head, "I like the english translation better. A Superman."
Author's Note: Well, I really hope you guys could hear the Krypton Theme playing in your heads during that last bit, because that's what I could hear as I wrote it, haha. So, what did you think? haha. And that tornado bit? That's from Superman For All Seasons, and I really hope everyone checks it out. One of my all-time favorites.
Anyways, shoot me some reviews and let me know what you thought!