A/N: The juices were flowing, so I decided to crank out another chapter.
Keep up the reviewing . . . thanks you guys!
ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Chloe plopped down on her luxurious bed. Being on a top-secret mission from Daniel Radcliffe himself had its perks. She was situated in the Remington of Metropolis hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in Metropolis. Her trip was all paid for by the newspaper, and it even included a few days for sightseeing and vacationing. Chloe had no idea what she would do in those free days; there wasn't much to see in Metropolis.
Chloe switched on the TV, and was shocked to see Clark, only as Superman. She hadn't seen Superman ever in person. Superman had only made a few appearances in Chicago, but Chloe had followed his stories through the newspaper stories written about him in the Daily Planet. The funny thing was, she had never noticed Clark's name in the byline. Chloe had tried to turn that chapter of her life off, yet couldn't resist watching Superman.
She wondered how all the rest of Metropolis was fooled. Taking off the pair of glasses only made a vague difference in Clark's appearance. Chloe sat back on the bed, thinking, already making connections and forming ideas.
The reason people were fooled is because Clark's whole persona changed when becoming Superman.
Even though she had only talked to him for a few moments back at the newsroom, she could tell that he gave off the impression of a very serious guy. As Superman, however, he seemed to unleash his confidence and became a completely different man, personality wise.
Clark Kent seemed to carry all the burdens, while Superman portrayed the figure of fantasies. Clark Kent didn't have a person that absolutely adored him, worshipped the ground he stood on, except for his parents.
Chloe had asked Jimmy about any potential girlfriends of Clark's, and Jimmy had vehemently denied it. Chloe knew that Jimmy had no reason to lie. Clark had always held Lana on a pedestal; could it be that no one else could measure up?
Chloe wrote down 'SUPERMAN' in bold letters, and underlined it twice.
Superman, on the other hand, was adored by so many. He was the ultimate image of perfection.
Chloe still didn't know where she was going with this, she only knew that it would help in the final goal: to get Clark Kent at the Chicago Sun- Times.
She rubbed her temples, then settled against the bed. Chloe glanced at the clock, and realized it was only 10:30. She could squeeze in an hour and a half power nap before she had to meet Clark and Lana for lunch. Chloe looked at the clock, praying it had an alarm, and was thankful when it did. If she didn't have an alarm, she would sleep all the way into next week. Chloe made sure to set it for 12:00, and turned the volume to 'Loud.' Two minutes later, she was snoring softly.
***********
Lana sat down in the Conference Room and tried her best to concentrate on the sketches that Mr. Sommerlan had presented her. Some of them were very good; if Mr. Sommerlan wasn't working at the Daily Planet, Frost Advertisements would snap him up in a second.
Lana made a few minimal changes to sketches, only making the overall effect clearer. Looking at her watch, she realized that time had flown by, and it was 12:00. She should really start packing up for her lunch with Clark and Chloe. Clark . . . how many times had she thought about him in the last eight years? Too many times to count. And now, seeing him in person, after dealing with the dream Clark Kent, she was surprised about how little he had changed.
His boyish looks were still there, but slowly fading into that of a very handsome man. Lana had seen him smile only once, when he had talked to Mr. Sommerlan. And that smile had brought tears to her eyes. Eight years lost. Eight years of not seeing that smile everyday. How could anyone live without it?
Lana looked at her watch once more, shocked when it read 12:27. She shoved all of the sketches into her large briefcase, and rushed to the elevators, only to be stopped by Ethan Sommerlan.
"Ms. Lang? What did you think of the sketches?"
Lana glanced at her watch, praying the elevator doors would open soon. It's not like Mr. Sommerlan wasn't nice; he was. It was just that she was in a hurry. What a great impression she would make if she was late to lunch!
Lana sent a hurried smile to Mr. Sommerlan, and thanked God when the elevators slid open. Now that she was in the elevator, she could relax. "Actually, Mr. Sommerlan . . ."
He flashed a brilliant smile. "Call me Ethan."
She took a deep breath. Now would not be the best time to get Mr. Sommerlan mad at her, but she just wasn't interested in him in the way he was clearly indicating. "Ok, Ethan. The sketches were great. I made some tiny corrections, but I made sure not to detract from the big picture. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said as the elevator reached its destination, "I have a lunch to get to."
Lana saw Clark and Chloe talking to a dark-haired woman. She turned, and it was like looking at a model; the woman was beautiful! Clark waved his hand at Lana, trying to catch her attention. She strode over to where they stood. The woman stuck her hand out companionably to Lana.
"Hi, I'm Lois Lane, reporter here at the Planet. You are . .?"
Lana felt intimidated by this woman, and said, "Lana Lang. A friend of Clark's. I'm from Frost Advertisements, currently working on some publicity for the Daily Planet."
Lois smiled, showing white, even teeth. "Well, if Clark gives you any trouble, you just let me know." She elbowed Clark gently in the ribs, and he smiled warmly. Lana felt a flicker of jealousy for the woman she had just met. Lois's cell phone went off, and she seemed to go into reporter mode. "Lois Lane here."
After listening for a few seconds, she nodded. "Ok, I'll be right there."
Snapping the phone closed, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I've got a great tip from one of my sources. It could be the next Pulitzer." She patted Clark absently on the cheek. "I'll call you when I get any details."
Lois rushed off, and Lana felt like she had been caught in a whirlwind.
Chloe laughed. "I admire her stamina."
The three stood awkwardly in the lobby, each waiting for the other to talk.
Chloe finally said, "Well, I'm starving! Should we go get some lunch?"
Lana and Clark nodded. Clark said, "I know a great Italian place just around the corner. We can go there."
Lana replied, "That's fine by me."
Chloe added, "I love Italian! Let's go!"
Lana followed Clark and Chloe out of the Daily Planet uneasily, not sure what this lunch would bring.
ON WITH THE STORY!!!
Chloe plopped down on her luxurious bed. Being on a top-secret mission from Daniel Radcliffe himself had its perks. She was situated in the Remington of Metropolis hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in Metropolis. Her trip was all paid for by the newspaper, and it even included a few days for sightseeing and vacationing. Chloe had no idea what she would do in those free days; there wasn't much to see in Metropolis.
Chloe switched on the TV, and was shocked to see Clark, only as Superman. She hadn't seen Superman ever in person. Superman had only made a few appearances in Chicago, but Chloe had followed his stories through the newspaper stories written about him in the Daily Planet. The funny thing was, she had never noticed Clark's name in the byline. Chloe had tried to turn that chapter of her life off, yet couldn't resist watching Superman.
She wondered how all the rest of Metropolis was fooled. Taking off the pair of glasses only made a vague difference in Clark's appearance. Chloe sat back on the bed, thinking, already making connections and forming ideas.
The reason people were fooled is because Clark's whole persona changed when becoming Superman.
Even though she had only talked to him for a few moments back at the newsroom, she could tell that he gave off the impression of a very serious guy. As Superman, however, he seemed to unleash his confidence and became a completely different man, personality wise.
Clark Kent seemed to carry all the burdens, while Superman portrayed the figure of fantasies. Clark Kent didn't have a person that absolutely adored him, worshipped the ground he stood on, except for his parents.
Chloe had asked Jimmy about any potential girlfriends of Clark's, and Jimmy had vehemently denied it. Chloe knew that Jimmy had no reason to lie. Clark had always held Lana on a pedestal; could it be that no one else could measure up?
Chloe wrote down 'SUPERMAN' in bold letters, and underlined it twice.
Superman, on the other hand, was adored by so many. He was the ultimate image of perfection.
Chloe still didn't know where she was going with this, she only knew that it would help in the final goal: to get Clark Kent at the Chicago Sun- Times.
She rubbed her temples, then settled against the bed. Chloe glanced at the clock, and realized it was only 10:30. She could squeeze in an hour and a half power nap before she had to meet Clark and Lana for lunch. Chloe looked at the clock, praying it had an alarm, and was thankful when it did. If she didn't have an alarm, she would sleep all the way into next week. Chloe made sure to set it for 12:00, and turned the volume to 'Loud.' Two minutes later, she was snoring softly.
***********
Lana sat down in the Conference Room and tried her best to concentrate on the sketches that Mr. Sommerlan had presented her. Some of them were very good; if Mr. Sommerlan wasn't working at the Daily Planet, Frost Advertisements would snap him up in a second.
Lana made a few minimal changes to sketches, only making the overall effect clearer. Looking at her watch, she realized that time had flown by, and it was 12:00. She should really start packing up for her lunch with Clark and Chloe. Clark . . . how many times had she thought about him in the last eight years? Too many times to count. And now, seeing him in person, after dealing with the dream Clark Kent, she was surprised about how little he had changed.
His boyish looks were still there, but slowly fading into that of a very handsome man. Lana had seen him smile only once, when he had talked to Mr. Sommerlan. And that smile had brought tears to her eyes. Eight years lost. Eight years of not seeing that smile everyday. How could anyone live without it?
Lana looked at her watch once more, shocked when it read 12:27. She shoved all of the sketches into her large briefcase, and rushed to the elevators, only to be stopped by Ethan Sommerlan.
"Ms. Lang? What did you think of the sketches?"
Lana glanced at her watch, praying the elevator doors would open soon. It's not like Mr. Sommerlan wasn't nice; he was. It was just that she was in a hurry. What a great impression she would make if she was late to lunch!
Lana sent a hurried smile to Mr. Sommerlan, and thanked God when the elevators slid open. Now that she was in the elevator, she could relax. "Actually, Mr. Sommerlan . . ."
He flashed a brilliant smile. "Call me Ethan."
She took a deep breath. Now would not be the best time to get Mr. Sommerlan mad at her, but she just wasn't interested in him in the way he was clearly indicating. "Ok, Ethan. The sketches were great. I made some tiny corrections, but I made sure not to detract from the big picture. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said as the elevator reached its destination, "I have a lunch to get to."
Lana saw Clark and Chloe talking to a dark-haired woman. She turned, and it was like looking at a model; the woman was beautiful! Clark waved his hand at Lana, trying to catch her attention. She strode over to where they stood. The woman stuck her hand out companionably to Lana.
"Hi, I'm Lois Lane, reporter here at the Planet. You are . .?"
Lana felt intimidated by this woman, and said, "Lana Lang. A friend of Clark's. I'm from Frost Advertisements, currently working on some publicity for the Daily Planet."
Lois smiled, showing white, even teeth. "Well, if Clark gives you any trouble, you just let me know." She elbowed Clark gently in the ribs, and he smiled warmly. Lana felt a flicker of jealousy for the woman she had just met. Lois's cell phone went off, and she seemed to go into reporter mode. "Lois Lane here."
After listening for a few seconds, she nodded. "Ok, I'll be right there."
Snapping the phone closed, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I've got a great tip from one of my sources. It could be the next Pulitzer." She patted Clark absently on the cheek. "I'll call you when I get any details."
Lois rushed off, and Lana felt like she had been caught in a whirlwind.
Chloe laughed. "I admire her stamina."
The three stood awkwardly in the lobby, each waiting for the other to talk.
Chloe finally said, "Well, I'm starving! Should we go get some lunch?"
Lana and Clark nodded. Clark said, "I know a great Italian place just around the corner. We can go there."
Lana replied, "That's fine by me."
Chloe added, "I love Italian! Let's go!"
Lana followed Clark and Chloe out of the Daily Planet uneasily, not sure what this lunch would bring.