At last! An update! My sincerest apologies to everyone who was following this story for my lack of speed in updating. Life and education are the main culprits in the delay of my writing. However, I don't want to use these as a scapegoat for my laziness in finishing the project I have set out upon. So, without anything else to say here it is… chapter four!
Saga One
Episode I
Chapter Four:
He could hear the sounds of morning before he was fully awake; the singing of bird, rustling and shuffling about their nests as they began their daybreak routine. BANG! A car backfired from six blocks away, disrupting the peaceful slumber of Clark's unconscious mind, stirring now with the sounds of aircraft three miles away and the blaring heavy metal of an all-night party in a CBD penthouse. Willing his senses to dull, Clark muted the pervasive audial bombardment allowing himself to bask in a momentary silence. Opening his eyes Clark turned his head to glance at the empty space beside him. He could almost see Lana's curly auburn hair on the bare pillow next to his head, hair that he watched grow grey and then white. If only he could have grown old with her, had children with her, grandchildren. But instead here he was in the 21st century starting yet another counterfeit life with people who would slowly age before his eyes. Clark allowed the tumultuous sounds of Metropolis life to rush back into his head, willing them to chase out his painful thoughts and memories. With ease Clark half floated out of bed and onto his feet stepping forward to the bedroom window to open the curtains. His gaze was met by downtown Metropolis, and in the distance Clark could easily focus his far seeing eyes on Suicide Slum, the poorest district of Metropolis.
"Something has to change in this city." Clark thought to himself. "Suicide Slum has done nothing but grow since I first moved here in '28." "If I can get a larger media awareness of the situation there, get people thinking, acting, helping out, maybe we can start to do some good in this city."
Returning to his morning routine from his musings, Clark switched on his laptop and clicked on the Daily Planet app, navigating his way towards the Metropolis section and clicking on the early morning live pod feed. "Buenos Dias Metropolis, this is Lois Lane coming to you from the beautiful White Shore beach this Monday morning…" Clark turned up the volume on his laptop as he munched on his cereal, a morning show in Spanish? Relevant, he thought to himself, considering Metropolis' large Latin American population. A blaring car horn outside of his one bedroom rental interrupted Lois Lane's Podcast, "Who could that be?" Clark wondered to himself, peeling away the physical restrictions of the kitchen walls with his x-ray vision. A young red headed twenty something stood leaning against a metallic red sports car, its hood down so that he could easily access the horn he was so eagerly pumping.
Clark sighed aloud, what is it with these sorts of people that think that their own time is so important? "I'll let him steam for a bit" Clark thought to himself "If it's so important he'll have to have the terrible inconvenience of walking to the front door." An impatient knock on the door half a minute later brought a justified grin to Clark's face, "now, was that so hard?"
Clark opened the door and scanned his impetuous guest from head to foot. "What is up my man? Name's Jimmy Olsen the THIRD! Here to rock your world and make some mullah in this beautiful experience I call life." "Excuse me, what?" Clark replied, still not believing the introduction he had just witnessed. "I'm supposed to show you the ropes man, you dig? I've been sent from upstairs, the boss man, Mr. White himself." "Wait, Perry White sent you?" "Yeah, well…uh…in a way he did, yeah. So, shall we get started?" Clark raised a questioning eyebrow. "Started on what?" "Making news my friend, making news. That's what it's all about in this business, what's new, what's trending. We need to be there at the beating heart of the great beast that is current events." Clark raised his hands to stop Jimmy's speech "Let's just slow things down a bit. You work for the Daily Planet?" Jimmy threw up his hands and shrugged, "Guilty as charged." Clark nodded, "And you've been given my address in order to pick me up and … 'show me the ropes'?" "So he isn't as dumb as he looks!" Jimmy exclaimed, slapping Clark's arm "jump in the Olsen mobile and let's get started breaking all kinds of headlines and hearts in Metropolis." Clark just shook his head, what in earth had he gotten himself into?