Lois's jaw drops.
"Are you serious?" Lois asks.
Clark shakes his head.
"How did you find this out?" Lois asks.
"Well I was at my karate lesson in Gotham last Tuesday. Then I went to Bruce's speech, then there was a car chase that Superman helped stop, and as I x-rayed Batman's cowl, I saw Bruce." Clark says.
"This- This is unbelievable. We have to run with this." Lois says.
"Lois wait." Clark says.
"Come on Clark, this is the story of the century. Batman unmasked." Lois says.
"I don't think this is a good idea." Clark says.
"What, are the two of you friends?" Lois asks.
"Well no-
"Then what?" Lois asks.
"It's just, I don't think Batman's mission is a bad one." Clark says.
"But you've been a critic of his before." Lois says.
"I've criticized his methods yes, but not his mission. I mean is it really different than what I do?" Clark asks.
"It's way different. You fight in the light, alongside law enforcement. The Batman takes the law into his own hands." Lois says.
"Just, think about this one. Okay?" Clark asks.
"For anyone else I wouldn't, but for you I'll consider what you're saying." Lois says with a sigh.
The next day at work Lois sits at her desk. She is doing her own research on Bruce Wayne. What she finds is tragic.
Bruce's parents were murdered in ally, right in front of him when he was eight years old. He left his home city of Gotham at age eight-teen and there doesn't seem to be too much information for the next seven years of his life. He returned to Gotham at age twenty-five and took over his family's business Wayne-Enterprises. That was ten years ago, right around the first confirmed sightings of the Batman. At age twenty-eight he adopted an orphaned circus boy named Dick Grayson. His public image has always been that of a playboy spending his family money on lavish things not for sale and women. Lots and lots of women.
It's such a perfect cover, Lois thinks to herself.
"Lois, have you seen Clark?" Cat asks as she comes up behind Lois.
Clark's desk sat empty at work today.
"No, um, no I haven't." Lois says.
"Are you two officially over?" Cat asks.
Lois pauses for a moment.
"I don't know." She says.
"He really cares about you." Cat says.
"I know." Lois says.
"Hey Lois, that was a great game yesterday. And even better, if the Sharks win this Sunday, they'll clinch the play-offs." Steve Lombard says as he joins this little meeting at Lois's desk.
"That's great Steve." Lois says.
"I got another box, if you want to come." Steve says.
"I don't think so." Lois says.
"What's with all this standing around? You people working for the government?" Perry asks as he comes bursting through the new room.
Everyone scatters from Lois's desk.
"Lois, where's Clark? It's not like him to not show up." Perry says.
"I don't know. Okay Perry. I'm not his keeper and I have a lot of work to get done." Lois snaps.
Perry was met with surprise by Lois's outburst and continued on his way.
Clark entered the grounds of Wayne Manor. It was a stately manor on the outskirts of Gotham. It seemed rather run down. Not in terrible condition, but worse condition than someone like Bruce Wayne could afford to keep it in.
Clark knocked on the front door. An older British gentleman opened the door.
"Hello, may I help you?" He asks.
"I'm here to speak with Bruce Wayne." Clark says
"What is this concerning?" The man asks.
"I'm Clark Kent, a reporter for the Daily Planet." Clark says.
"Ah yes well I'm afraid Master Wayne doesn't take house calls from reporters." The man says.
"Tell him that a journalist at the Daily Planet is working on a piece on the Batman." Clark says.
With that statement, Clark is granted access into Wayne Manor.
"Master Wayne, Clark Kent to see you. Did we get todays copy of the Planet?" Bruce's butler asks.
"Right here." Bruce says handing over the paper.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to go clean out the bird cage." Bruce's butler says as he walks off.
"I see you've met Alfred." Bruce says.
"Charming." Clark says.
"You took longer to come here than I expected." Bruce says, his tone shifting to more serious.
"I've had a lot to consider." Clark says.
"So you've decided to go forward with your article on the identity of the Batman?" Bruce asks.
"Not me, it's Lois." Clark says.
"I figured you'd tell her." Bruce says.
"After she saw you at my apartment, she kind of… squeezed it out of me." Clark confesses.
"A good woman will do that." Bruce says.
Just then a young boy walks into the room.
"Aren't you supposed to be studying?" Bruce asks.
"Well, I had a question." The boy says.
"Who's this?" The boy abrasively asks.
"Jason Todd, this is Clark Kent." Bruce says.
Jason takes a hard look at Clark.
"This is Superman?" Jason blurts out.
Clark takes a sharp stare at Bruce.
"I see you can't keep secrets either." Clark says.
"Jason doesn't have the same platform as Lois Lane." Bruce says.
"I didn't recognize you with your glasses." Jason says.
"Yeah, that's the idea." Clark says.
"Jason, leave us." Bruce says.
"Fine." Jason says as he heads out.
"And where's Dick Grayson?" Clark asks.
"Someone can do an internet search." Bruce says, unwavering.
"Is this what you do? You have kids fight your battles." Clark asks.
"They need to learn to bring criminals to justice." Bruce says.
"Why, so that they'll end up like you?" Clark asks.
Bruce pauses for a moment.
"So that they won't." He says.
Clark gets ready to leave.
"I have one more thing I can offer you." Bruce says.
Later that evening Clark heads to Lois's apartment.
"Hi." He says softly.
"Hello." Lois responds, somewhat coldly.
"Did you finish your article?" Clark asks.
"I did." Lois says.
"And did you turn it in." Clark continues.
"Not yet." Lois says.
"Why not?" Clark asks.
"I wanted you to be the first to read it." Lois says.
"I still think this is a mistake." Clark says.
"I know you do. But I have to do this." Lois responds.
"I worked on an article of my own." Clark says, hand Lois a few sheets of paper.
Lois takes the paper and looks at it.
"Superman behind the sheild? What is this?" Lois asks.
"If you're going to come forward with the identity of the Batman then I'm going to come forward with the identity of the Superman." Clark says.
"Are you out of your mind? Why are you doing this?" Lois says, getting angry.
"I have no choice." Clark says.
"Yes you do. Have you thought about how this will affect people close to you? Your mother, Jimmy, Cat, me?" Lois asks.
"Bruce has people close to him too." Clark says.
That statement gave Lois pause.
"I read up on him today. He adopted a boy that lost his family in a circus accident." Lois says.
"He's taken in another boy since. It seems the Batman's crusade is more than one mere man." Clark says.
"This suck. I've never had to ignore my reporter's intuition before. Why are things getting so much harder?" Lois asks.
"Life always gets more complicated Lois. Believe me, I've had differing opinions on the Batman over the years too." Clark says.
"You must really trust him." Lois says.
"Actually, I do. He seems misguided, but his intentions seem right." Clark says.
"I read that his parents were murdered in front of him. What does that do to a little boy?" Lois asks.
"It creates Batman." Clark says.
"Well now this leaves me with nothing to turn in tomorrow." Lois says.
"I might have something." Clark says.
"Oh?!" Lois says, intrigued.
"Garfield Lynns." Clark says.
"Who?" Lois asks.
"Better known as the Firefly. He's an arsonist. One that Lex Luthor hired to burn down that apartment building a few years ago." Clark says.
"I thought that fire was an accident." Lois says.
"That's how it was supposed to look. But Bruce has evidence of his guilt. Which could trace back to Lex." Clark says.
"So what, are you two going to start a club now?" Lois asks.
"Not likely." Clark says with a smirk.
"You know, sometimes you can be a real ass." Lois says.
"But this once I will give up the story of the Batman, for you." She continues.
Clark thanks her as he leaves. He feels relieved and yet uneasy about his relationship with Lois. At the end of today, he's uncertain where the two stand.