Chapter 11: A Night Away From The Crowds And Capes
Lois Lane's Apartment Living Room
"For Christ's sake, Clark, pick up already", Lois mutters to herself, pacing nervously. "C'mon cmon cmon cmon! The one time a Terminator from space wants to personally kill you, and shoots lasers at everyone, you decide to leave your phone on silent!", she shout-whispers, twisting her skirt with her left pointer finger and throwing her phone on the couch.
As a technicolor WHOOSH abruptly stops at the corner across her star lit building, a nervous, spectacled man and an enthusiastic younger man check their surroundings. "Well, finely dressed citizen, glad I could help you with my smooth tricks in the art of female seduction", Wally gloats in a mockingly old-fashioned, stuffy elder voice. "Is that why the flowers are stems now, Flash?", Clark asks, slyly pointing at the ground. Blushing, a red blur pops in and out of the street, with Flash returning with a fresh batch of flowers inside a glass container.
"Yes. That was 100% apart of the patented plan in every sense of the phrase, Mr Suit and Glasses Man. Absolutely was." "Hopefully, this will help out with my problems; right, Flash?", Clark asks, curious about the young man's possible response. "…Well, kinda. It's just nice to have. You'll be fine if you tell her the truth and treat her like the human being she is. That's the sauce for your love dish." "Wow! That was pretty mature for a young man your age to say that."
"When you become the one guy with this suit and power, you grow up a little bit inside." "You do, but remember, you inspire people. Keep that up more than anything with everyone you interact with." "Man, that's your job! I'm the fastest man alive, all I gotta do is run and punch everything. Real talk, though, good luck with Lois, man." "Thank you, Wally. I'll see you around sometime", Clark says in an encouraging manner. "See ya in a flash!", Wally replies as he's already halfway to Central City, with Clark chuckling and coughing in his dust cloud.
As the slightly disheveled reporter wobbles up to her front door, bouquet shaking in his right hand, he anxiously knocks on her door. "Who is it?", she asks cautiously. "It's Clark. Clark Kent", he says, unbuttoning a bit of his shirt to reveal his S shield. "… what's your favorite—" "Vanilla, Wizard of Oz and pink is your best color. I, uh… I brought flowers from that Mushnik shop you like", he states, bashfully raising them up a bit while waiting for the door to open.
"Buns of Steel?", Lois gasps, slowly opening the door. "Clark, it is you! Get in here, it's supposed to be raining tonight", she claims, dragging him in her warm home. "Thank God you're alive and ok, I think", Lois exclaims, putting the flowers in a coffee mug for now. "I know you can fly anywhere, but you iron your suits every morning! Explain them wrinkles, big boy." "Flash brought me here after the fight where the Fortress blew up—" It what?" "It's all gone. The trophies, the galactic library, Father. They're gone." "Jesus. Are you sure all of it's gone?" "All of it's under ice. Brainiac made sure that they wouldn't be fixed easily or at all."
"So the robot really is trying to kill you dead?" "A bit harsh to say it that way, but yes. Right now, that can be dug up. Are you ok, Lois?" "I am now. You got me scared, scared in a way I never was. You never disappear longer than maybe an hour without someone knowing where you are, Clark." "An hour max?" "I know when my boyfriend has to visit his dead dad, or his Kansas dad, or his costumed friends from this one look on your face. It's not the same as your 'Here I come to save the day, random civilian' face", she adds, sticking out her chest and imitating him in a pompous manner.
"What face is it again?", Clark chuckles, smirking at her impressions. "Why hello there, fellow barrel chested man, allow me to SAVE THE DAY", Lois bellows, jumping onto the couch. "But, Clark, let's be real here. What happened to your snowy man cave?" "… I went to talk with Father. He always used to tell me as a teen how wonderful Brainiac was, and now that he's here harming everyone, I wanted to understand why he thought a killer was better than me to this day." "And what did he say?" "He,.. he just told me it was a great weapon and thing the Council used to make their empire. He didn't mind if it hurt anyone, as long as Krypton lived on."
"Ouch. Clark, I'm no therapist, but I know old fashioned government dad mentality when I see it. Sometimes, those types of dads are stuck in their ways about things, no matter how questionable or outdated their words are. That's just all they know." "But why? Why would he allow his work to be used for something so wrong and against everything he believes?" "It's likely the same reason you were sent here, big boy. He loved his home and his family, right?" "Y-yes." "So, he's going to do whatever he can to protect both, right?" "…yes." "Sometimes, you have to juggle what's the most important, and I can only guess as a former army daughter that you have to crack other people's skulls so you can crack eggs for your family's Sunday breakfast."
"Maybe, but I still don't get it. I don't get why he loves— ahem, why he loved it more than me. Why is a killer better than a savior?", Clark rebuts, pacing around the couch rather quickly. "Clark, you're speed pacing again. Just take a deep breath, in and out. Think of the corn fields back home; think of the first day we met; think of something peaceful." Realizing the situation he's in, Clark calms down and sits down once again.
"Lois, I'm sorry I scared you twice today. I couldn't control it the first time, but I can here. I'm glad you're safe more than anything, and I'll do my best to make sure this never happens again." "I know you'll do your best, Clark. That's why you wear a big red S everywhere and made basically the first superhero union! Just don't make grand 'I won't scare you again' promises if you're gonna break them unintentionally." "But those are the best kind of promises. Well, after the promise of a night away from the crowds and capes, I suppose", Clark replies, snuggling up onto Lois. "Did you leave your game buried in Antarctica?", Lois replies sarcastically, embracing her more than super friend on the couch together. "I have A game right here, it's called Scrabble. Do you want to set it up while I make us some steaks just the way you like it?" "Do I want god tier farmhand steaks and an easy win BOTH in one night? Triple check if there's still some A1 sauce in the fridge."
"Ah, the traitor hides himself with a human woman, pretending to be one of them. He is not just a traitor, he is ashamed of his heritage", Brainiac contemplates and judges, three hundred feet above Lois' building. "He would be lesser than bilge rats on his proper home, romantically engaging with species beyond our bountiful bachelorettes. It is a shame he does not accept and uphold Krypton as it rightfully deserves to be treated. But if he wants to be treated as a rebellious colonized organism refusing to accept his status, so be it. The Superman will no longer be a threat if I kill him by his human name, Clark Kent", Brainiac plots in a menacingly cold mindset.
"Engaging political revolutionary/domestic threat to galactic society elimination protocol PARENTS BRING OUT THE BEST IN THEIR CHILDREN", the mechanical monster proclaims, flying off west towards a rather small farming town in Kansas.
END OF CHAPTER 11