A/N: Some lines are lifted from Before Truth (I forgot which Action Comics issue). Also HORDR and this explanation of what really happened comes from the comics with some events altered.

13:

Daily Planet

9:45 AM

Friday

When I enter the office, I glance to Jimmy's desk three desks from mine. He's still not here? I set my bag down on my desk and found Jenny typing across from me. "Jen, Jen."

She looks around and sees me.

"Jimmy's gone since last night."

Jen shakes her head and returns back to typing. "He's not answering anything. Not his cellphone, not his landline. MPD says they'll start looking once 24 hours is up."

I frown. "I don't get it why they stick to that when there are aliensand supervillainsin the city."

"You tell me," Jen sighs.

I sit back down on my chair and get my pad in my inside bag pocket before sauntering to Perry's office. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jon Carroll walking out of the bullpen. I turn my head back to knock on the glass door. Perry opens it and ushers me inside immediately.

"How's the cartel last night?"

I shake my head. "Whoever tipped you wasted my time. There's no drugs or contraband." Just a clown…and possibly, a bomb. I hesitate. Should I tell Perry? If we do publish it, not only will the Joker have zero second thoughts about killing Lucy, but it would spread unnecessary panic.

The word unnecessary is debatable, I digress.

Perry frowns and stands behind his desk. He shakes his head and places his hands on his hips. "They told me, if you're available they want you. It's from the city hall. And that's odd…" I didn't answer. Perry shoots his gaze at me. "But you're okay?"

I nod.

"I can't let another one disappear like Olsen," Perry says with a huff, "Kid vanished in thin air. I don't know what stone to turn anymore."

"What story was he on?"

"Superman sightings in Canada. Of all places." He strides out to sit on his desk and take a cigarette from his front pocket. "I figured…this morning. Maybe he did find Kent."

"And Jimmy's talking him through?"

"But why wouldn't Olsen call us?" Perry says with a huff. "What do you think?"

I look out the window. "Maybe they got into trouble." I turn to him and offer, "You said something last night about bringing him back, did you send Jimmy for that?"

"No. I wanted to verify the sightings…and get nice pictures," Perry crosses his arms over his chest. He's not great at lying. "I wasn't thinking about it. Not until we talked did the idea come to me. I know you don't like getting this assignment after everything." He stares at me. "But you need to sort it out with him, Lane."

I shake my head. "I tried. He wants nothing to do with me, Perry." I can't go close to him. I don't have a foolproof plan against the Joker…yet. Clown's got me in his strings. No. Not yet. Can't get close to Clark when I'm emitting deadly radiation…

But Jimmy. Someone has to look out for that kid.

Perry continues, "You…can talk some sense to him."

"Superman as we know him is gone," I stand up and gaze away to the stack of books on the side. "I killed two people that day."

"You're not telling me that you're giving up, aren't you?" Perry quips. I turn to my boss. He has raised an eyebrow at me. Where exactly is he going with this? I can't tell Perry what happened at the docks…But I can't exactly obey him either. "Look, I don't know what got in your head that moment you tweeted the whole thing but you can still turn that narrative you started around." He frowns and gets a file on his desk. "Don't play the victim here, Lane, it's unlike you."

I cross my arms over my chest. I'm not. Fate likes placing me in these situations. I'd give it to Perry, since he has a point. But it's already what I'm tryingto do, actually. "I'm only saying-"

"You do me a favor," Perry starts, his voice suddenly turning cold and sharp, "Go on a leave and finish this story."

"You're sending me on a wild goose chase," I huff, walking up to him, "Perry, there are more important things right here. I'm needed here." Until I can get a cure and make a plan, I have to stay away. Or enemies can use it to their advantage. The Joker evidently wants to. Besides, Clark doesn't want to see me. He can save Jimmy.

Right?

"I see where you're going, downplaying the situation. It sucks to face consequences, I know. Well, I've turned a blind eye on what happened for the past weeks, Lane, and I can't bear seeing the world going up in flames if we don't fix this."

And at that moment, my mouth just blurts in itself what my head had been ruminating these past weeks since then. "Earth thrived without Superman."

"Are you this heartless?" Perry White scoffs. "Since when?"

"We don't apologize for the truths we announce to the world, Perry. You told me that. Not even at the expense of personal matters." I'm detached – objective - when it comes to my job. I have to. In order for me to give the big picture to everyone, I have to remain that way.

Dad's proud of me for that. I'm happy you let go of your childish admiration for that alien, Lois. But his approval weighed nothing. Nothing. Not when Clark had to go to hiding. To have the whole damn world turning against him.

The alien world he swore to protect.

And I never forgave myself for it.

Even if what I did, was the only choice I had at the time.

I clip my pad close. Perry's right. And I hate it that he has to be right. He's only looking at me in silence, assessing if I'm in my right mind. The way he's pushing me though, is like he's sending me out to do what he himself wants to. Apologize. Clark's not forgiving us now. I've felt that much when I visited him in the motel…heck, even after I outed him at HORDR's wrecked mountain base.

It's better when you didn't know both halves of my life, Lois.

He's not ready yet. I'm not ready to face him too, not when I'm toxic and being manipulated by the Joker.

"He needs time," I try to comfort Perry. It's the least I can do.

"You see how people had been unforgiving." Perry speaks, with the tone of the father that he is. He loves Clark. Loved him so much that when I returned to the Planet the morning after, Perry only locked himself inside his office the whole day - still screaming at all of us. He felt betrayed. But he still held on to him. Not firing him, even if authorities are already questioning the Planet's integrity. Right now, he looks at me with valiant determination. Liability. People could be selfless and selfish at the same time for their loved ones…their friends. "It's our duty, as the press, to get both sides of the story… And tell the truth."

I stare at him, my breath held in my lungs. The truth. Of both sides. Questions I can ask already whirl in my mind. Questions I don't know if Clark will answer if he'll even see me again after everything…and after what I'm currently doing letting myself be dangled by the Joker like this. Perry shakes his head and looks away. He wants to save Clark.

Maybe I can turn my narrative unorthodoxly.

"I'll see what I can do."

He turns to me. Perry nods curtly. "I'll tell HR you're out for a few months."

"You keep tabs on Jimmy. I'll try to bring them both back," I mutter, before walking out of the office door, "And Mr. White?"

He looks back at me.

"It's not your fault the world is burning. If there's anyone who should be blamed, it's me. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Perry waves me off and shakes his head. "We're a team, Lane." Then he adds with a raised eyebrow, "I should say the same to you." I nod and leave.

The world needs more people like Perry White.

Outskirts of Metropolis

Three weeks ago

It all started pretty simple.

Me, Clark, and Jimmy were walking along an off road to find the secluded plant of this cybercrime group, naming itself HORDR. What a pun, really, considering they like terrorizing influential people like celebs and businessmen by blackmailing them. And it's not just flashy pics. Oh no. They hacked into these people's lives, hoarding their big, dark secrets that HORDR is threatening to reveal unless the victims give in.

Money's not just what we're talking about here. There have been reports of unusual weapon transfers, land deals, password leaks. In the age of computers, it's the worst thing to explode.

Not if we can stop it.

A tip came to the Planet in the form of a girl named Condessa, who went up to Clark and mine's cubicles, saying she's got some information on HORDR. We shuffled her in the pantry. She's a former employee. Okay. Fine. Whatever. I don't buy it, not one second. She might be working for HORDR still. She gave us this address in the middle of somewhere near Metropolis. Condessa also left her number and email…Then disappeared before we got to ask if she could come with us.

The sun's shining so damn bright and we're walking down some woodsy part of upstate Metropolis. Clark and I had been walking side by side, and Jimmy was a few steps ahead of us. Good thing Clark's like a tall building. He's offering some good shade right now, in addition to the trees. "What do you think we'll find?" I asked, looking up at him.

He kept his gaze straight ahead. "Empty warehouse." Clark frowned. "No one gives away information that easily."

"Could be a trap?"

Jimmy stopped. "Uh, guys? Did you see that?"

We turned around to see what Jimmy is pointing at and found huge, ninja-like shadow people heading our way. "Use your signal watch!" I turned to Jimmy…But he only remained transfixed at his place. Those creatures are diving for us, in full force, about ten of them!

"No time, get behind me!" Clark shouted. Clark Kent? Wow. But I've got no time to ponder his newfound bravery because, well, we're surrounded! But Clark. Clark Kent. He swung his fist high and knocked them into smokes!

From then, there's no stopping Clark. Jimmy pulled my arm and dragged me to hide in the bushes. They're ganging up on him, brandishing claw-like long blades. "Wait!" I said, tugging Jimmy. "He needs help!"

"We'd be sushi, Miss Lane!"

"But Clark…" I saw it. Then felt it - how much Jimmy's so uncharacteristically cool. Clark has punched nearly all of them out of existence, but one escapes his fiery punches and darted for Jimmy and me. Clark saw this and leaped on the shadow ninja, giving it another punch. He leaves us to finish another one coming up behind him.

Clark can handle himself.

More than handle himself.

"You…" I muttered, watching the remaining injured shadow ninjas on the dirt dissolve away. I walked slowly to suddenly-prizefighter-Clark-Kent. "You beat the living daylights out of them." I looked back at him - from his face, his hands, his legs. "Without any scratch." His clothes are mere tattered rags hanging on his body but there's another suit peeking from those rags.

A blue one.

Woah. Woah. Wait what the f-

Clark looked at me, fear written in his blue eyes. "Lo…I-I can explain."

I frowned. "Explain?" I reached out and take the rags in my hands, pulling it away with much force. "When I did my analysis I thought it was mere coincidence. But then you had the same injury. And now, shadow ninjas ambushed us and you beat them up?" I grabbed his suit and pulled him closer. "I'm done being fooled, Clark!"

"Lois! Stop!"

That 'S' was there alright.

Jimmy ran to us, brushing dirt off his pants. "CK! Wow, that's some punching-" He looked up and saw us. "Oh. Shit." Jimmy's eyes widened and he muttered, "I gave him that Superman shirt for Christmas!"

"I'm not stupid, Jimmy," I turned to the kid. "I guess you knew this, huh? Huh?"

"Hey!"

Clark held my shoulder. "I told him."

"And you didn't tell me?" I lashed, yanking my shoulder away. "I thought-" We were friends? But I didn't say it. It's what Robbie told me once in college. Friendship is something you cannot put a label on, unless you want to get hurt. "Never mind!" I raised my hands in defeat and rubbed my forehead.

"Lois," Clark started, "I…It's complicated."

"You don't trust me?" I frowned. "For all the times you went to save my life, and I covered up for you, you can't trust me?" I huffed. "So Jimmy gets the truth while I get the lie?"

Jimmy backed away and looked to Clark. Clark stared at me. He shook his head. "Not like that, Lo. Believe me."

I just looked at him. Clark is Superman. Superman is Clark. Clark Kent is an alien. So that means, this guy… his girlfriend, that bespectacled, fashion-forward Diana Prince was Wonder Woman? And him…he's been acting like a coward oaf all the time? "I don't think I know you anymore."

"Lo, it's still me," Clark pleaded, reaching out to me.

I frowned. "Yeah, right. And I'm the Queen of Sheba."

"Okay, guys, I don't think this is the right time to argue," Jimmy butted in between Clark and me, holding his arms out to keep us away from each other. "Look, we're friends, right?"

"We're not arguing," I retorted back to him. "Fine. We'll talk about this later, Smallville." I turned around, placing my hands on my hips. "Clearly, this is a trap….What for you?" I frowned. "Wait…do they know?" I faced them both again. "Does Condessa know? HORDR?"

Clark's face was drawn into a solemn expression. "HORDR's been texting with me these past days…so I won't be surprised if she knows."

"And leads us here. Wait. HORDR's texting you?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "Those weird incidents Superman - you…"

"Yes. And they've yet to give me an ultimatum."

Jimmy looked at me. "Condessa's the only link we got."

"Walk right into their base now knowing that they have Clark's big secret?" I recapped for him. "No way. You want to get blackmailed at the point of no return?"

Jimmy shook his head. "But how do we take HORDR down if we'll keep them at arm's length?"

Clark took a step forward. "I think we have to face them head on now, Lo." He looked in my eyes, assured and confident. "Who knows what they'd bargain next."

"And if they give you the ultimatum then and there?" I clapped back. "What's your plan?"

"I…" Clark wavered. He doesn't have any. "I'm thinking about that."

Jimmy frowned. "I still don't get it why'd they send these shadow ninjas when CK could beat 'em just like that? If they want to trap us, I mean." He cocked his head to the side and added, "It just looks very counter-productive."

"Exactly." I sighed and take my phone out. "Maybe they want us running back to Condessa."

Jimmy's eyes lit up. "She left her number, right?"

I nodded. "But if they already know your secret, Clark," I said, turning to him, "Why send someone like her?"

"I think they want to finally meet me face-to-face," Clark replied, looking far away. "Trust her to get us into their secret."

"Then we shouldn't play by their rules," I argued.

"What if she really wants to help?" Clark retorted.

"Help?" I adjusted my bag on my shoulder. "Clark-"

"We've no other way to infiltrate HORDR," Clark said.

"We could. I can get through my connections. We swoop in and get evidence, expose them to the world like we've always done..." I said, "Partners."

Jimmy looked at my way and then to Clark. "I think Miss Lane's right. It's dangerous if you face this alone, CK."

"Exactly."

Clark sighed and looked at both of us. "What's our plan?"