"Good morning and welcome to Just the Facts. I am your host G Gordan Godfrey, and do we ever have a lot to talk about today. Exactly what I feared would happen happened. I don't like to say I told you so, but I did tell you so. Now there's another being out there with powers similar to Superman. And this one doesn't seem to know their boundaries. This Shazam, Captain Marvel, or whatever their name is, is dangerous. Just last night he crossed boarders into Bialya and had an altercation with their "hero" Black Adam. Supposedly Superman stepped in to deescalate things, but that's not good enough. What's to stop Bialya from retaliation here in the States? This unlicensed "hero" is now taking international law into his own hand. And yet what do my associates in the media do? Lois Lane of the Daily Planet not only gets an interview with him, but praises him in his fight for good. Well, I ask this. When are you people going to wake up? Luckily people actually in charge with real power are discussing this. There are talks on Capitol Hill right now about requiring "enhanced" individuals to register their powers and abilities with the government. I say push it through, pronto!"
Clark throws the paper down on Lois's desk at work. Earth's Mightiest Mortal, the headline reads.
"Good work Lois." Clark says.
"Only because you gave me the article. No reason Clark Kent couldn't have handled it." Lois says.
"You know, a while back you'd have killed Clark if he got this story." Clark says.
"What can I say, he's grown on me." Lois says with a smile.
"Alright you love birds, back to work." Perry says as he comes rushing though the office.
Clark heads back to his desk and begins going through his emails. Just then, someone puts their hands over his eyes.
"Guess who!" The voice exclaims.
Clark recognizes the voice instantly. But it can't be, can it?
"Lana?!" Clark says, flustered.
Clark turns around and there she is, Lana Lang. Clark Kent's high school sweet heart. He hadn't seen her in nearly fifteen years. Then she was a girl, now she was a woman. And yet Clark still saw and heard his old best friend.
"What are you doing here?" Clark asks.
"It's my first time in Metropolis, I had to see you." Lana says.
Lois notices what is going on, and heads in that direction. Lois and Lana stand at the edge of Clark's desk.
"Lana, this is my coworker, Lois Lane." Clark says.
"Coworker?" Lois says aloud.
"And friend, actually my girlfriend, this is my girlfriend Lana Lang. LOIS LANE." Clark says correcting himself.
"Nice to meet you." Lana says.
"You too." Lois says through squinted eyes and a dead fish handshake.
"Well Clark, I'm in town for the rest of the week. I figured you and I could catch up." Lana says.
"Well I-" Clark begins as he looks over at Lois.
"Why not Clark?" Lois says.
"Sure." Clark says to Lana.
"Great, we can get dinner tonight." Lana says.
"I'm sure you know some great local places." She continues.
"We can go to Bibbo's diner." Clark suggests. Lois notices the enthusiasm in his voice.
"We can meet outside my hotel." Lana says as she hands Clark a piece of paper with an address on it.
"I know where this is. I'll be there after work." Clark says.
"I'm sure you can get there quickly." Lana says with a wink.
Lana then heads off.
Clark looks over at Lois. He can just feel the anger exuding from her body.
"Please don't be mad." Clark says.
"I'm not mad. Why should I be mad? I'm just your coworker." Lois says calmly, as she heads back to her desk.
Cat Grant watches on from her own desk.
"Who'd have thought my next big story would be in the office?" She asks to Ron Troupe.
Ron shrugs and continues on with his work.
After work, Clark heads to Lana's hotel. Clark stands out front, hesitating before he heads in.
"Hey Clark!" He hears Lana yell.
Clark looks over and sees Lana coming down the street. To Clark, she looks stunning. He takes a moment to catch his breath.
"Sorry Clark, I was running a little late." Lana says.
"That's okay." Clark says.
"So, shall we?" Lana asks.
"Sure, let's go see Bibbo." Clark says.
"Actually, before we go there, I was hoping to head down Fifth street." Lana says.
"Why?" Clark asks.
"Come on Clark, it's world famous, I wanted my first time there to be special." Lana says.
"Well um, okay." Clark says.
Lana and Clark head down Fifth street. Lana was in awe of the old-style architecture that you didn't see anywhere else. She made Clark take her picture inside the phone booth. Lana window shopped the jewelry at Tiffany's as well. Clark was having a good time, but he didn't want to admit it. His thoughts dwelled on Lois. He wondered what she was up to right now.
After their trip down Fifth, Lana and Clark headed to dinner.
Bibbo handed the two of them menus.
"I'll give you a few minutes." Bibbo said as he walked off.
Here they were. Lana and Clark sitting together getting ready to really talk for the first time in nearly fifteen years.
"So, Clark." Lana begins, as Clark sits there, holding his breath.
"How are you?" Lana asks.
"I'm uh, I'm fine." Clark says.
"Just working away at the Planet." He continues.
"I've seen your articles. You're doing great." Lana says.
"Thanks." Clark says.
"And what about you, what have you been up to?" Clark asks.
"You know, still in Smallville. I work at the bank." Lana says.
"That's great!" Clark says with enthusiasm.
"How is Smallville? I haven't been home since Christmas time." Clark says.
"Oh you know, it's Smallville. What's there to say really." Lana says.
"Is Pete still there?" Clark asks.
"Pete Ross? Oh yeah he actually recently took over his farm from his father." Lana says.
"It's been a while since I've talked to him." Clark says.
"You two were pretty thick back in the day." Lana says.
"I know." Clark says.
Clark thinks back to his earlier days in Smallville. Pete was one of his first friends. They stayed close all the way through high school, until Clark left.
"We all miss you Clark." Lana says.
"Smallville will always be a part of me." Clark says.
"I'd assume you could just fly down whenever you want." Lana says, with another wink.
Clark hesitates for a moment.
"Come on Clark, don't act like I don't know." Lana says.
"Know what?" Clark asks.
Lana gives him a face. She then points to her chest a draws an "S" with her finger.
"What?!" Clark asks.
"Don't pretend Clark. You remember the last time I saw you. What you showed me." Lana says.
"I-" Clark starts.
"I'm not that dumb." Lana says.
"O- Okay." Clark concedes.
"It took me a long time to process that, Clark. I know I hurt you. But now you inspire me." Lana says.
"I do?" Clark asks in shock.
"Clark, you're amazing. All the things you can do, and you choose to help out wherever you can." Lana says.
"I thought I was freaky." Clark says, recalling their last meeting.
"I'm sorry for what I said in the past. I just needed time." Lana says.
"Ready to order?" Bibbo says as he approaches their table.
Just then two police cars speed down the road.
"I uh, I better go see what that's all about." Clark says as he heads off.
"Poor Mr. Kent. Always putting work ahead of quality time." Bibbo says to Lana.
After Superman stops a high-speed chase, Clark heads home to his apartment. His phone rings. He's expecting it to either be Lois or Lana. To his surprise, it's neither. It's his mother, Martha.
"Hello." Clarks says as he answers it.
"Hi honey." Martha says.
"How are you?" She asks.
"Oh, it's been a day." Clark says.
"Superman keeping busy?" Martha asks.
"It's not Superman, it's Clark." Clark says.
"What's wrong dear?" Martha asks.
"Well, Lana Lang came into town." Clark says.
"I know, she told me she was heading up there." Martha says.
"What do you mean she told you?" Clark asks, unsure why his mother would be speaking with his high school ex.
"We talked over tea downtown last week." Martha says.
"Since when have you been in contact with Lana?" Clark asks, getting agitated.
"Clark, it's called Smallville for a reason. We've been in contact for years." Martha says.
"What?!" Clark exclaims at what he feels is a huge betrayal.
"How could you do this. Talking to my ex behind my back." Clark yells.
"Clark, please." Martha pleads.
Clark hangs up his phone. He puts on his Superman outfit and flies out of his apartment. Clark flies high above the city. He flies out of the city. Clark just keeps going, flying away. He flies to the top of the Himalayan Mountains. He looks out. Superman just stands there.
"AHHHHHHHH!" He yells out into the abyss.
He's angry at his mother. He had never been angry at his mother before and didn't know how to process it. There wasn't a way for him to punch his way out of this battle. After standing up there for a while, Superman heads to his fortress where he is greeted by Brainiac.
"Kal-El, hello." Brainiac says.
"Hi Brainy." Superman says in a huff.
"Your demeanor suggests that you are angry." Brainiac says.
"I am." Superman says.
"What is the problem?" Brainiac asks.
"I just found out my mother has been speaking to my high school girlfriend." Superman says.
Brainiac's skeletal face shows no emotion.
"Human relationships such as this continue to elude me." Brainiac says after a moment of silence.
"I knew you wouldn't understand." Superman says.
"I am sorry Kal-El." Brainiac says.
"Forget it." Superman says.
"Is there a problem with a human talking to another human?" Brainiac asks.
"Sometimes Brainiac, there is." Superman says.
"And how do you feel about this high school ex, as you call her?" Brainiac asks.
"Actually, she's still really nice. She seems like she's matured a lot." Superman says.
"And what of the other one you are romantically linked with, Lois Lane?" Brainiac ask.
"Lois is my everything, I love her." Superman says.
"What does she think about all of this?" Brainiac asks.
Superman pauses for a moment. He doesn't know what Lois thinks. He assumes, but doesn't actually know. Since Lana showed up, he's spent his time avoiding Lois, and what he figured was an unnecessary fight.
"I- I don't know." Superman says.
"Would it not be smart to talk to her about this situation?" Brainiac asks.
"Yeah, yes it would Brainiac." Superman says.
Superman speeds off.
"And he's gone again." Brainiac says.
Clark heads to Lois's apartment. It's late, three A.M. in Metropolis. He hesitates for a moment, then he knocks on her door.
Lois opens immediately. She had been waiting for him.
"What took you?" Lois asks.
"I've had a rough night." Clark says.
"You're not the only one." Lois says.
"Can I come in?" Clark asks.
Lois opens her door and lets him in. Clark spots two empty containers of ice cream on the counter.
"Lois, you have to believe me, I had no idea Lana was coming into town." Clark says.
"Clark, I do believe, I trust you even." Lois says.
"You do?" Clark asks.
"Yes, you told me about Lana. I'm used to being in triangles Clark. Though I will admit in the past, it was usually two guys fighting over me. But this time, I was the one on the outside." Lois says.
Clark looks down.
"Clark, it's okay that you spoke with Lana, I just wish you would have talked to me to, to know how I feel." Lois says.
"I know, I'm sorry Lois." Clark says.
"So, what did Lana want anyway?" Lois asks.
"Actually, I don't know. Superman got called away before we could really talk." Clark says.
"I know the feeling." Lois says.
"Lois, she knows about me, about Superman." Clark says.
"Well that's not surprise." Lois says.
"Why not?" Clark asks.
"Clark, think of what you showed he back in high school. You think a girl is going to forget something like that?" Lois asks.
"Well I-
"I just can't believe it took me so long to figure it out." Lois says.
Clark smiles
"I love you Lois Lane." He says.
"I love you too." Lois says.
"I have to go see my mother in the morning. Can you get my story to Perry?" Clark asks.
"I can get it to him, but I can't guarantee your name will be on the byline." Lois says with a smirk.
The next morning Clark heads to Smallville to see his mother. He sees her out working in the field. Clark heads out to help her.
"Clark?!" She says in shock as she didn't expect to see him.
"I'm sorry ma." Clark says.
"I am too, I should have told you about Lana." Martha says.
"It's just, you were a very special boy Clark, and growing up I had your father to help me. But after I lost him I didn't have anyone to talk about you with, the real you." Martha says.
"So you two have been in contact for a while?" Clark asks.
"Honestly ever since you went away to college. I've told her so much; it was just nice having someone to talk to." Martha says.
"I understand ma." Clark says.
"She really is a nice girl." Martha says.
"I know." Clark says.
Clark spends the day helping his mother around the farm. After that, its time to head back to Metropolis and face Lana.
Clark had asked Lana to meet him at his apartment at six. The clock ticked as that time came. There was a knock at Clark's door, he opened it and there stood Lana. She looked beautiful. But Clark knew this was going to be a tuff conversation.
"Hi Clark." Lana says with excitement.
"Come on in." Clark says.
"I read Lois's article in the Planet today. Good job stopping that chase last night.
"Lois's article?" Clark questions.
"Lana, how long have you known everything?" Clark asks, getting straight to business.
"Since right after high school, I guess. It took me a while to really comprehend it though." Lana says.
"And I've got to ask, why have you decided to return now?" Clark questions.
Lana's face turns red.
"I just needed to see if there's still a spark between us. You were my first crush Clark. Ever since I saw you in that cowboy outfit as a child. Before I knew who or what you really were." Lana says.
"Lana, I really cared for you too. But I'm with Lois now." Clark says.
"You love her, don't you?" Lana asks.
"Yes, I do." Clark says.
"You know what the worst part of this is?" Lana asks.
"What?" Clark asks, looking down and fearing the answer.
"I can't even hate you, because all I really want is for you to be happy." Lana says.
Lana gets up to leave, just like she did in that barn all those years ago.
"Lana wait!" Clark calls out, stopping her unlike he did before.
"What?" Lana asks, fighting back tears.
"Please take care of my mother." Clark pleads.
"Clark, I adore your mother." Lana says as she heads off.
Clark stands there, knowing he made the choice he had to make. As bad as he feels for Lana, there isn't a doubt in his mind he made the right decision.
He picks up the copy of the Daily Planet to read Lois's article. He flips the page to see an ad from Tiffany's on engagement rings.