[Wichita, Kansas]
"This is KTAC, Talk Radio 800. We're back to take your calls. I'm your host, Pete Ross. The topic today: Is Luthor Corp. getting away with breaking environmental regulations? Remember, he ponied up millions in the last gubernatorial race. Your thoughts, Wichita ..."
Wichita. What ever happened to Metropolis? Chloe, Clark and I were going to be the Three Musketeers of the j-school. We were going to take the city by storm. All for one ... and one for all.
Bull.
I remember standing in line – the first week – with Chloe. Waiting to get our photos taken for the student ID cards.
"That new Tom Clancy thriller, Without Remorse, is out this Friday. I was wondering if you, me and Clark could check it out?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check," she had said. "The Quill is having a recruiting meeting ... they're looking for new writers!"
That was when we started to drift apart. Clark and I would make plans to go for coffee, or a study session, or something ... we'd ask Chloe. "I can't, maybe later." That was her answer. We'd joke about it.
But she kept turning us down. Then Clark met Lois Lane. I figured, hey, he's looking for a Chloe-clone.
I was wrong. He was looking for a new friend. One who shared his passion for writing. I was more into broadcasting. When I picked the tv/radio stream in my sophomore year, Chloe, Clark and Lois no longer shared the same courses with me. "Hey, we still have English Lit classes together? We'll still hang out!" Chloe offered half-heartedly.
Clark and I traded knowing glances. Yeah, right. I expected that Chloe would get engrossed in establishing her career – at the expense of her friendship with me and Clark.
Clark and I struggled to keep our own friendship alive. But Lex Luthor's offers to see the Sharks in the corporate box, his offers to spend spring break at his villa in Tuscany ... they were much more appealing than just 'hanging out' with me and my part-time-job-at-JC-Penneys wages.
I took the step no one expected. I quit the j-school.
"Why? I thought you LOVED it here?" Clark had asked.
"This school is not for me. This city just doesn't jive with me," I told him, "I'm going to transfer to Kansas State."
"Why do you want to go there?" Chloe inquired. 'There'. I ignored her remark. She's from Kansas, too. Metropolis was not the centre of the universe. Not to me.
"Kansas is home. I'd be more comfortable there."
"And not here?" Clark asked. I know you wanted to have things like the way they were, Clark. You wanted your best buddy to stay by your side – even as you spent more time going to art galleries and museums with Lois.
Your best buddy grew up.
I left Metropolis U. that summer, never to return. Clark visited me once at Kansas State, but my roommate told him I was covering an NCAA quarterfinal basketball game out of state. He didn't try to visit again.
Mr. and Mrs. Kent sent me a card congratulating me on my graduation. They didn't have to. 'We're so proud of you. With love, Jonathan and Martha.' That was nice. I always liked them. The sky was bright. Blue sky for miles ... the day of the funeral for Jonathan Kent. I visited Mr. Kent on his deathbed only weeks before. "Clark and you have always been friends. I'm glad he still values you as a friend."
I did value him as a friend. He valued Lex Luthor's friendship more. Mr. Kent's words haunted me that day. Seeing Lex's expressionless face. His words. "Mr. Kent was a great man," Lex declared.
I let it all out. I shouldn't have, but I wasn't going to listen to Luthor's hollow platitudes.
"Your friend owns HyperChem! The plant ... it ruined Mr. Kent's crops, the crops of other families. And the aluminum ... that's why he got cancer. You stand here pretending to mourn for a man you never really knew. Or cared about!"
"Pete!" Clark intervened, and glanced apologetically at Lex. "He was close to my dad. Pete's just upset."
"We all miss Mr. Kent," Lex tried to pat me on the shoulder.
"Don't you touch me!" I shrugged him away. "Don't you ever put your hands on me, Luthor!" Mrs. Kent consoled me. After all these years, I realize that I had lost my best friend that day. Without Mr. Kent's steadying hand and crystal-clear advice about the dangers of the Luthor family, Clark placed his faith squarely in the one man I could never trust.
Clark knew how much I cared about his family. About him. I saw you, Clark, as you tried to make Lex feel better about my verbal attack, one that he so richly deserved. The death of Jonathan Kent was a turning point. No longer would I hide my hatred of Lex Luthor out of deference to my buddy, Clark. He chose Lex's friendship over mine. That's his right to choose. And his mistake.
He did try to patch things up. He met me down in the lobby of KTAC after my shift, about three years ago.
"Clark Kent? Oh my God, how are you?" I gave him a hug. Still a friend.
We stopped at some Starbucks a few blocks away. It was like old times. Almost.
"Lois, I think she's being tapped for the Urban Affairs beat," Clark mentioned.
"That's great. And Chloe?"
"She's still with Jimmy Olsen, but he's not in the country. Again."
"I told her the long-distance thing wouldn't work," I reminded him.
As it turned out, Clark wasn't there just to see me. "KTAC has been a bit hard lately on Lex, the stuff you're reporting about him ... it's pretty rough ..."
"So that's it. You want me to lay off on your rich buddy. I have my sources ... like you. And they tell me he's nothing but a snake oil salesman with expensive suits. Luthor is trouble. I see it, your dad saw it."
Clark snapped. "Don't bring my father into this. Lex forgave you for your outburst at the funeral, did you know that?! He won't be so kind if you keep barraging his company with your commentaries!"
"He's forgiven me? I don't give a damn if he holds a grudge against me or not! You should have listened to your father about the Luthors. Well, have a nice life, Clark." I left him behind and walked out into the storm.
I haven't spoken to Clark since that night.
"Lex Luthor cares nothing about the people of Kansas! He's building his petrochemical plants, backing politicians who subscribe to his pro-business platform ... he's no good for Kansas ... and no good for America!!" one irate caller screamed.
I nod in agreement. "I hear ya. We've got to go to a break. Next, we'll piece together this unholy alliance of Luthor's: from the petrochemical companies, to city hall, all the way up to the governor's mansion. This week's edition of LuthorWatch in 60 seconds."
I remember how Enron, the energy giant, crumbled under its own greediness. Lex Luthor, that's going to happen to you.
When it does, I want to be the guy to break the news to the world. I'll scream it -- so loud that Jonathan Kent can hear it. You were right about him, Mr. Kent, since Lex first arrived in Smallville all those years ago.
Someday, Clark will see it.
[Near Metropolis City Hall]
Clark looked at the imposing civic building down the block. Councillor Maria von Hutton's office is there somewhere.
He passed an alleyway. I'll shave off five minutes from my trip. He was about to super-sprint through the deserted lane when something swooped down before him.
"Rupert Thorne's in town. I'm giving you a heads-up," the figure mumbled in a grinding, gravel-toned voice.
"The racketeering kingpin from Gotham?! He's a mid-level goon – not exactly La Cosa Nostra," Clark scoffed.
The imposing figure jabbed a finger into Clark's chest. "Rupert Thorne is more than that. He has his paws into the drug trade from Jersey to Seattle, gun-running in South America, prostitution rings, illegal immigrants ... I've spent the past five years trying to keep one step ahead of him. Now he's expanding ... into the mid-west. That means Metropolis. The hit on your D.A.? Thorne ordered it."
"Chloe says the evidence points to some biker gangs," Clark replied.
"She should check into her facts more," the figure stated. "Here." He handed Clark a file. 'Classified: GCPD report'. "The hitman is a low-life by the name of Mackenzie, one of Thorne's enforcers."
"How did you --?" Clark began, but he knew better. This friend from the shadows operated on the fringes of the law. He had heard the rumours. Some sort of masked vigilante. Only he knew that the rumours were indeed fact.
"Tell Chloe to watch her step. Rupert won't hesitate to harm people, if it serves his purposes." The figure soared again, to the top of the building ... and disappeared.
Damn, Clark thought as he skimmed through the report. He won't let up on me. Dragging me into his holy crusade against evil. If Bruce isn't careful, he'll get himself killed.
"This is KTAC, Talk Radio 800. We're back to take your calls. I'm your host, Pete Ross. The topic today: Is Luthor Corp. getting away with breaking environmental regulations? Remember, he ponied up millions in the last gubernatorial race. Your thoughts, Wichita ..."
Wichita. What ever happened to Metropolis? Chloe, Clark and I were going to be the Three Musketeers of the j-school. We were going to take the city by storm. All for one ... and one for all.
Bull.
I remember standing in line – the first week – with Chloe. Waiting to get our photos taken for the student ID cards.
"That new Tom Clancy thriller, Without Remorse, is out this Friday. I was wondering if you, me and Clark could check it out?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check," she had said. "The Quill is having a recruiting meeting ... they're looking for new writers!"
That was when we started to drift apart. Clark and I would make plans to go for coffee, or a study session, or something ... we'd ask Chloe. "I can't, maybe later." That was her answer. We'd joke about it.
But she kept turning us down. Then Clark met Lois Lane. I figured, hey, he's looking for a Chloe-clone.
I was wrong. He was looking for a new friend. One who shared his passion for writing. I was more into broadcasting. When I picked the tv/radio stream in my sophomore year, Chloe, Clark and Lois no longer shared the same courses with me. "Hey, we still have English Lit classes together? We'll still hang out!" Chloe offered half-heartedly.
Clark and I traded knowing glances. Yeah, right. I expected that Chloe would get engrossed in establishing her career – at the expense of her friendship with me and Clark.
Clark and I struggled to keep our own friendship alive. But Lex Luthor's offers to see the Sharks in the corporate box, his offers to spend spring break at his villa in Tuscany ... they were much more appealing than just 'hanging out' with me and my part-time-job-at-JC-Penneys wages.
I took the step no one expected. I quit the j-school.
"Why? I thought you LOVED it here?" Clark had asked.
"This school is not for me. This city just doesn't jive with me," I told him, "I'm going to transfer to Kansas State."
"Why do you want to go there?" Chloe inquired. 'There'. I ignored her remark. She's from Kansas, too. Metropolis was not the centre of the universe. Not to me.
"Kansas is home. I'd be more comfortable there."
"And not here?" Clark asked. I know you wanted to have things like the way they were, Clark. You wanted your best buddy to stay by your side – even as you spent more time going to art galleries and museums with Lois.
Your best buddy grew up.
I left Metropolis U. that summer, never to return. Clark visited me once at Kansas State, but my roommate told him I was covering an NCAA quarterfinal basketball game out of state. He didn't try to visit again.
Mr. and Mrs. Kent sent me a card congratulating me on my graduation. They didn't have to. 'We're so proud of you. With love, Jonathan and Martha.' That was nice. I always liked them. The sky was bright. Blue sky for miles ... the day of the funeral for Jonathan Kent. I visited Mr. Kent on his deathbed only weeks before. "Clark and you have always been friends. I'm glad he still values you as a friend."
I did value him as a friend. He valued Lex Luthor's friendship more. Mr. Kent's words haunted me that day. Seeing Lex's expressionless face. His words. "Mr. Kent was a great man," Lex declared.
I let it all out. I shouldn't have, but I wasn't going to listen to Luthor's hollow platitudes.
"Your friend owns HyperChem! The plant ... it ruined Mr. Kent's crops, the crops of other families. And the aluminum ... that's why he got cancer. You stand here pretending to mourn for a man you never really knew. Or cared about!"
"Pete!" Clark intervened, and glanced apologetically at Lex. "He was close to my dad. Pete's just upset."
"We all miss Mr. Kent," Lex tried to pat me on the shoulder.
"Don't you touch me!" I shrugged him away. "Don't you ever put your hands on me, Luthor!" Mrs. Kent consoled me. After all these years, I realize that I had lost my best friend that day. Without Mr. Kent's steadying hand and crystal-clear advice about the dangers of the Luthor family, Clark placed his faith squarely in the one man I could never trust.
Clark knew how much I cared about his family. About him. I saw you, Clark, as you tried to make Lex feel better about my verbal attack, one that he so richly deserved. The death of Jonathan Kent was a turning point. No longer would I hide my hatred of Lex Luthor out of deference to my buddy, Clark. He chose Lex's friendship over mine. That's his right to choose. And his mistake.
He did try to patch things up. He met me down in the lobby of KTAC after my shift, about three years ago.
"Clark Kent? Oh my God, how are you?" I gave him a hug. Still a friend.
We stopped at some Starbucks a few blocks away. It was like old times. Almost.
"Lois, I think she's being tapped for the Urban Affairs beat," Clark mentioned.
"That's great. And Chloe?"
"She's still with Jimmy Olsen, but he's not in the country. Again."
"I told her the long-distance thing wouldn't work," I reminded him.
As it turned out, Clark wasn't there just to see me. "KTAC has been a bit hard lately on Lex, the stuff you're reporting about him ... it's pretty rough ..."
"So that's it. You want me to lay off on your rich buddy. I have my sources ... like you. And they tell me he's nothing but a snake oil salesman with expensive suits. Luthor is trouble. I see it, your dad saw it."
Clark snapped. "Don't bring my father into this. Lex forgave you for your outburst at the funeral, did you know that?! He won't be so kind if you keep barraging his company with your commentaries!"
"He's forgiven me? I don't give a damn if he holds a grudge against me or not! You should have listened to your father about the Luthors. Well, have a nice life, Clark." I left him behind and walked out into the storm.
I haven't spoken to Clark since that night.
"Lex Luthor cares nothing about the people of Kansas! He's building his petrochemical plants, backing politicians who subscribe to his pro-business platform ... he's no good for Kansas ... and no good for America!!" one irate caller screamed.
I nod in agreement. "I hear ya. We've got to go to a break. Next, we'll piece together this unholy alliance of Luthor's: from the petrochemical companies, to city hall, all the way up to the governor's mansion. This week's edition of LuthorWatch in 60 seconds."
I remember how Enron, the energy giant, crumbled under its own greediness. Lex Luthor, that's going to happen to you.
When it does, I want to be the guy to break the news to the world. I'll scream it -- so loud that Jonathan Kent can hear it. You were right about him, Mr. Kent, since Lex first arrived in Smallville all those years ago.
Someday, Clark will see it.
[Near Metropolis City Hall]
Clark looked at the imposing civic building down the block. Councillor Maria von Hutton's office is there somewhere.
He passed an alleyway. I'll shave off five minutes from my trip. He was about to super-sprint through the deserted lane when something swooped down before him.
"Rupert Thorne's in town. I'm giving you a heads-up," the figure mumbled in a grinding, gravel-toned voice.
"The racketeering kingpin from Gotham?! He's a mid-level goon – not exactly La Cosa Nostra," Clark scoffed.
The imposing figure jabbed a finger into Clark's chest. "Rupert Thorne is more than that. He has his paws into the drug trade from Jersey to Seattle, gun-running in South America, prostitution rings, illegal immigrants ... I've spent the past five years trying to keep one step ahead of him. Now he's expanding ... into the mid-west. That means Metropolis. The hit on your D.A.? Thorne ordered it."
"Chloe says the evidence points to some biker gangs," Clark replied.
"She should check into her facts more," the figure stated. "Here." He handed Clark a file. 'Classified: GCPD report'. "The hitman is a low-life by the name of Mackenzie, one of Thorne's enforcers."
"How did you --?" Clark began, but he knew better. This friend from the shadows operated on the fringes of the law. He had heard the rumours. Some sort of masked vigilante. Only he knew that the rumours were indeed fact.
"Tell Chloe to watch her step. Rupert won't hesitate to harm people, if it serves his purposes." The figure soared again, to the top of the building ... and disappeared.
Damn, Clark thought as he skimmed through the report. He won't let up on me. Dragging me into his holy crusade against evil. If Bruce isn't careful, he'll get himself killed.