Chapter Three: Not In Smallville Anymore

Metropolis, 2016

The bustling streets of Metropolis almost caused Clark sensory overload. The sound of everyone on the streets talking, their footsteps on the concrete, the sound of their breaths, every tiny sound resonated to him like a scream. Luckily, the last ten years had been preparing him for this. Clark took a breath, and the sound of everything else drowned out. There was a method to the madness. He could control his powers. Now, everything was quiet.

Clark had been dreaming of this day. His first day in Metropolis. There were so many possibilities. Smallville was great, but there was only so much you could do before you got bored. Metropolis was different. The buildings pierced the skies. Giant billboards advertised award-winning musicals. The possibilities were endless. The city was fantastical. Still, he didn't know where his place was in it. Not yet. But he'd find it. Just as Ma said he would.

A man with Clark's abilities could do anything. He could play for the Metropolis Meteors. Lord knows they could use a man with Clark's strength. He would be an unstoppable force and an immovable object all in one. Or he could become a renowned scientist. His brain's processing speed was faster, more precise, and better controlled than probably everyone else on the planet. There was no telling what progress he could make if he put his mind to it. But both of those things would make him use his powers. Clark Kent was more than that. He was more than a Petri Dish of powers. He may not have been born on Earth, but it was his home. He was the son of Jonathan and Martha Kent, and that's all he wanted to be.

But there was one job that stood out from the rest. One that really peaked Clark's interest. One that, if he got it, wouldn't require him to be super. He had seen an ad in the paper as soon as he stepped foot in Metropolis. The Daily Planet. Clark didn't know much about it, put the ad in the paper talked about the business looking for a new reporter. It was perfect. Clark could finally see the world. Really see what it was like. Plus, the pay looked like enough for him to be able to live off of, while still having a little bet left over to send to his parents. Clark didn't need much. The money he earned would go to rent and food. And lucky for him, the apartment that he found in the city was cheap. Cheap for a city, at least. Sure, it wasn't in the best part of town. And sure, the furniture they provided looked like it could fall apart if Clark breathed on it too hard. But it was humble. Just the way he liked it.

Clark made his way to the Daily Planet wearing his mom's favorite suit. He sported a blue blazer with matching pants over a white shirt. The tie is what really brought it together, though. The tie was bright red, and made the outfit look complete. Red and blue. Pa's favorite colors. He opened the door to the Planet and was surprised by what he saw inside.

Truly, Clark didn't know what to expect. The only experience Clark really had with journalism was reporting the school news for Smallville High. The stories weren't always super interesting; mostly talking about announcements from the principal, declaring homecoming court, or talking about football. But he loved it. He loved it so much. His parents had kept him safe his entire life but with that came a certain level of being sheltered. He always had to make sure that he never hurt anyone. That no-one knew his secret. But now that he could control his abilities, he didn't have to worry about that anymore. He could leave all that behind. He could just be Clark Kent. Still, he thought that the city's "great metropolitan newspaper" would be crowded, chaotic even. What he saw was the complete opposite.

The Daily Planet was nearly empty. Instead of employees running around in a panic, with a cacophony of yelling talking about the city's latest events, he found empty desks. Some of which hadn't been cleaned in, from what Clark could tell, months. The place looked like it was shutting down. They didn't just need a new reporter; they needed a new everything.

"This isn't going to sell, Lane." A voice emerged from the silence. The man was tall, with greying brown hair that looked more like it had come from stress, not age. The wrinkles had most likely been caused by the same thing. He wore an off-white shirt with a blue tie, and looked fairly put together amongst the ramshackle office. The person he was addressing, Lane, caught Clark by surprise. Black hair that ran past her shoulders with blue eyes that made his look pale, all wrapped delicately in a beige suit. She was the most beautiful thing Clark had ever seen.

"Perry, why do you insist on printing what every other paper is already talking about?" She asked. Clark thought she had a point. But he quickly reminded himself that he had no idea what he was talking about. This wasn't the school news. This was real life.

"If the people want to read about football, then give them football." Perry paused. "And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Mr. White?"

"Mr. White." She sighed. "There is something going on at LuthorCorp. I don't know what, but my gut's telling me that it's big."

"Lois, listen. You want to chase a big story, I get it. But we need stories that we know are going to keep us afloat. The Planet is-" Perry White looked to his right, seeing a blue suited man standing there with an awkward forced grin. His eyes went wide.

"Uh, can I help you?"

Clark cleared his throat. He tried to sound like he was a professional. As if this wasn't his first real professional interview. He wasn't sure if they bought it.

"I'm here about the reporter position?"

Everyone looked on with their eyes wide. The only other person in the office at the time looked to be the group's photographer. Clark's assumption wasn't from nothing, the boy did have a camera around his neck. He was thin, looked no more than 20, and had very noticeable red hair. Still, the nervous smile on his face told Clark that he meant well.

"You're hired!" The boy exclaimed.

"I- I am?" Clark questioned. That was easier than he expected. I mean, the office had a noticeable lack of staff, and the place looked like it had been abandoned on the outside for months, but even so. He wasn't expecting an on-the-spot offer. Part of him didn't expect an offer at all. Wait. Did the boy have the authority to hire people? Clark had figured the older man to be the boss, as that was the one Lois was asking for story approval from. But maybe they worked as a democracy? There was only three of them after all.

"No, you're not."

Clark's hyper-quick thoughts finally stopped at the sound of this. That made more sense. He was using too much of his super brain trying to justify why he would've been hired instantly. Besides, he wanted to work for it. He didn't like just being handed things. Or things coming easy to him because of his powers. Sure, he was different, but he didn't want to be. His abilities were apart of him. They helped make him the man he is today. They caused him to be careful. Caused him to be gentle. But he also wondered what his life would've been like if he never had them at all.

"Where ya from, kid?" Lois asked.

For a second, Clark thought Lois was talking to the photographer. He wasn't.

"Uh, Smallville."

Lois chuckled. "Yeah? Alright, Smallville. What do you have for reporting experience?"

Clark tried to hide his panic. The looks on everyone else's faces said that he didn't hide it very well.

"School news, mostly." He chuckled, then a light bulb went off. "Oh! I guess you could say I did some investigative journalism when I figured out why new farming equipment wasn't being delivered to Smallville farms!"

Lois' eyes narrowed. "And why weren't they?"

Clark could swear even his eyes were shaking. "They…were…backordered?"

Perry didn't even try to cover up the scoff that echoed through the empty office, and Lois didn't hold herself back from laughing. She wasn't making fun of him; it was just clear that what Clark had described was very far from actual investigative journalism.

"You got a name, kid?" Perry said. The bags under his eyes made him look like he might fall asleep at any second.

"Clark Kent."

"Alright, Kent. I can't just hire someone with no experience. So, if you want the gig, you gotta get some."

Barely a second passed by before Lois interjected. "Done! I'll get him some. Smallville, we're going on a trip. Jimmy, you're coming too."

The boy didn't argue. "A-Alright!"

Clark didn't know who to look at. Jimmy was packing his things, Lois was grabbing a file off the one occupied desk, which was clearly hers, and Perry stood like a statue, absolutely in shock at what Lois was saying.

"What is your angle, Lane?" He scowled.

"My angle is that we need new employees, and Lionel Luthor is making a big announcement tonight. Something about a new discovery."

Perry rolled his eyes. "LuthorCorp again? I told you to drop that."

Lois motioned to Clark. "Smallville over here isn't going to get any new experience reporting on a football game! Clark and I will go see Luthor's speech and report back, Jimmy will get photos of the entire thing."

Perry paused for a second. Lois looked at him with a serious expression, while Jimmy wore puppy dog eyes behind her. "Fine. I'll trust your gut this time. But don't scare the kid away. If he has some potential, we really could use some more help around here."

"I'll do my best." Clark said. Perry's eyes drifted to the floor as he walked away to his office, shutting the door behind him. Clark was flabbergasted. Jimmy took a photo of his hilariously confused expression.

The flash from the camera was the last thing he saw before being dragged out the door by Lois.