Issue #21 – REVEALED
"Houston this is Krypton, thrusters alignment is go…approaching angle for re-entry…"
"Roger that Krypton…the weather over Metropolis is fine and clear…you are clear to approach."
"Copy that Houston…radio blackout in 5 seconds…see you on the other side…"
"Roger Krypton…come on home…"
It was the first advance prototype shuttle in existence – The Space Shuttle Krypton, named after the home world of the Earth's greatest hero – Superman. It's first mission into space had involved repairing one of Lex Luthor's grid-tracking satellites before docking with the International Space Station and now, 16 days after it's first launch, the shuttle was coming home.
Metropolis:
Clark Kent and Lois Lane walked the streets of Metropolis, hand-in-hand. Their relationship had been the worst kept secret at the Daily Planet since the mystery of who had let the air out of Perry White's car, something that happened during one of Lois' early career tantrums.
"You know Lois, we really should be getting to the landing site. Mr. White is gonna be real mad if we're not there to cover it."
"Relax Clark, it's just a shuttle landing…hardly front page news. Besides Jimmy is there…he'll take the photos, we'll write the article based on that…shuttle lands…yaddy yaddy yadda…etc etc and then we can get back to covering the real stories, like Lex Luthor."
"But we're gonna need interviews with the astronauts and mission commanders…"
"Look, the astronauts are gonna have to be debriefed…it's gonna be hours before we can get anywhere near them. So just calm down ok, we'll get there…"
As they walked past an electronics shop, Lois stopped, noticing a stack of TVs in the window, all tuned into various channels that were covering the shuttle re-entry.
"See…we can watch it here…not a problem…"
Shuttle Krypton:
"All systems are go, heat-shield, holding steady…"
Inside the shuttle, the astronauts were secured in their seats as the shuttle began its re-entry, tilting upwards to protect itself from the intense heat as it passed through the upper atmosphere. It had been an uneventful mission for the most part. The only real friction came when a LexCorp employee, assigned to the shuttle, spent more time outside the shuttle, fixing the satellite, than he was allocated.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly…or as smoothly as it gets when you're trying to land a flying brick, the heat-shield was working fine and the shuttle was on course to land at an airfield just outside Metropolis. But in Metropolis, when things seem perfect, they're usually too good to be true. Suddenly, the shuttle began to rotate in an uncontrolled spin as something large impacted against the right wing.
"What the hell was that?"
"Never mind that, you gotta get control before we burn up…"
"The stick is jammed…I can't get us out of the spin."
"Can we abort…?"
"We're caught in the Earth's gravitational pull…we're going down…unless we blow up first."
Mission Control, Houston:
Although they were in the middle of a radio blackout due to the hazards of attempting re-entry, the commanders at NASA knew that something was wrong. Just seconds after going into the blackout, several objects had appeared on high-altitude radar, and one of them had crashed into the shuttle, sending it off course and into a spin.
"…What are those things? Bring up satellite tracking on sector 2-2-4…"
"What are we looking at…?"
"Meteors…it's a damn meteor shower…"
"Why didn't it show up before?"
"Space is big Jim…issue a general alert for Metropolis…those things are gonna hit."
"What about the shuttle?
"It's in God's hands now…or maybe…"
"Do you think he'll come?"
"He always does. I just hope he isn't on the other side of the world…cuz this definitely looks like a job for Superman."
Metropolis:
Lois and Clark watched a TV through the window of the electronics store, waiting to hear about the shuttle landing. They were anxious moments, NASA had cut the feed a few minutes ago, and now as a reporter came on, Lois could sense a story.
"Something bad is going on Clark…"
"…Ladies and gentlemen we apologise for the loss of picture. A few minutes ago, we received word from officials at NASA that the shuttle had been struck by a meteor. We have no word as to the condition of the shuttle or the astronauts yet but we do know that the meteor was one of many. NASA have issued a general alert to the city of Metropolis. They ask that you clear the streets, if you are in a high-rise building, evacuate the upper levels and make your way down to the basement, or underground car park…anything below street level. Residents should remain in their homes…"
As the reporter continued, Lois was making her way towards a taxi, dragging Clark with her, determined to cover the story. By the time she reached the nearest taxi and opened the door however, she noticed that Clark was backing away.
"Clark come on…where are you going?"
"To find a payphone. Someone needs to tell Jimmy to get to safety."
"It's ok I have a cell phone…"
But Clark was already gone, lost in the crowd of people rushing to safety. Once again, Clark was missing out on the story. Lois wondered for a moment whether she should wait for him, but she knew all too well that once Clark disappeared, that was it…she wouldn't see him again, sometimes for hours. Shrugging her shoulders, Lois climbed into the cab, thinking about another Pulitzer, or possibly a Nobel Prize.
"Hey, I wanna go to Langford Airfield…"
"Are you crazy? Didn't you hear, there's a meteor shower coming, and even if I was insane enough to drive, look around, the whole place is grid locked…this cab ain't going nowhere lady…"
Frustrated, Lois climbed out, watching as every cab on the block switched off their lights, signalling that they were off duty. Her only option was to walk, a thought that made Lois complain to herself that she had worn heels.
Superman flew up from the city, scanning the skies and noticing a meteor making its way towards the city. Rushing after it, Superman slammed through the falling rock before turning and incinerating it. He searched the skies again, this time noticing the shuttle spinning out of control. With a burst of speed, Superman was after it immediately, flying up and away from Metropolis, crashing through falling meteors as he flew.
Upon reaching the shuttle, he peered through the hull, checking that everyone was alright before flying around it, sending gusts of icy cold wind from his lungs to cool down the overheating metal. It was then that he noticed a large piece of rock embedded in the right wing.
Moving swiftly, Superman grabbed on to the wing, pulling the piece of meteorite from the wing, leaving a small hole that threatened to get larger and break the shuttle apart as it spread through the atmosphere. Superman knew he had to think quickly. He stared at the meteorite in his hands, using his x-ray vision to peer through, finding iron in the core. He began breaking through the rock to reach the centre, using his heat vision to start melting the iron, reshaping it and using it to cover the hole in the wing before welding it into place and cooling it swiftly with his breath.
As the shuttle plummeted through the sky at an alarming rate, Superman grabbed on to the tail, slowly steadying the shuttle and bringing it out of its spin before flying ahead and grabbing on to the nose cone, tilting it upwards, knowing that the shuttles descent was too steep and too fast.
Inside, the astronauts could only watch their instruments and look out at Superman as they waited and hoped that Superman would be able to re-align their trajectory. Finally, the captain of the shuttle gave Superman a thumbs up and reached for the controls, lining up with the runway.
"Houston, this is Krypton, do you read?"
"Loud and clear Krypton…what happened?"
"Superman…"
"Copy that…is there anything that guy can't do…"
Lois stood in the streets of Metropolis, the only one not running for cover. Looking up for a moment, she could see Superman chasing after a meteor. She smiled for a moment, taking out her cell phone and taking a picture of him grabbing onto the large rock before it could crash into any buildings in the area. She watched as the Man of Steel threw the meteor out to sea before flying after another. Looking at the picture, Lois had to grin.
"Jimmy Olsen eat your heart out…"
Her smile faded though as she suddenly found herself being dragged backwards, the heels on her shoes breaking as she stumbled, before being thrown against a wall. Recovering, she stood up and found herself looking straight down the barrel of a gun.
"Well, well, well…if it isn't Lois Lane…wow this really is my lucky day."
"Do I know you?"
Holding the gun, a man in tattered clothing that smelled of alcohol smiled back viciously as he aimed the gun at her head.
"No, but I know you…the famous Lois Lane…the woman who writes all the articles about Superman."
"A lot of journalists have written articles about Superman…"
"Ahh but you're the one who gets the exclusives…Lois Lane…Superman's girlfriend."
"First of all, I'm not his girlfriend…"
"Maybe not but everybody knows that you and him have a thing going on."
"I dunno what you're talking about…but if I was his girlfriend…do you really think he would let you hurt me? In fact I bet he's on his way here right now."
"Oh really? Look around you Miss Lane…Metropolis is going to hell. I think he's a little busy right now…"
Superman was indeed busy. One of the larger meteors had crashed into the ocean a few miles off the coast, causing a massive tidal wave to rise up and threaten the city. Wasting no time, Superman rushed ahead of the giant wave, taking a deep breath and blowing fiercely, turning it into a huge wall of ice.
Taking great care, Superman began to lift the ice wall out to sea, melting it gradually before diving underwater, creating a trench for it to flow into to prevent any flooding. As he rose to the surface, he thought he could hear Lois speaking in the distance, but his attention was drawn towards the airfield, where the shuttle had just landed. Another meteor was plummeting through the atmosphere, threatening to crush everyone at the airfield.
He was flying again, having no time to rest as he charged through the sky towards the outskirts of the city, catching the falling ball of rock and fire. Kal-El looked down at the crowd of people, who were cheering and calling his name. He noticed Jimmy Olsen taking a photograph, so he paused, smiling for a moment as he let his friend take his picture before flying away with the meteor, crushing it and breaking into small pieces.
Lois was trying to remain calm, trying to keep the thug talking until she could figure out what to do. She began asking him questions, although she wasn't sure that she really wanted the answers. Every so often she would glance skywards, hoping to see Superman coming to rescue her.
"…Always the reporter right Miss Lane? You want my story? Wanna know what makes me tick? I'm not an idiot…stall the villain until the guy in the cape comes to rescue you...right? Too bad, he ain't coming."
"Uh…no…seriously, it would make a good article…what drives people to such extremes?"
"Nice try Miss Lane…but false sympathy won't get you anywhere, and you're not gonna have the chance to write any more articles…but seeing as you'll be dead soon anyway, I'll humour you. Look at me…do I look like a well respected member of society?"
"Well, maybe if you shaved and bought some new clothes…maybe had a bath…"
"Shut up…I'm sure you remember the first night that freak showed up…it was also the same night I got fired from my job at LexCorp. I'll admit, I wasn't very happy that night, but things were looking up when I found myself a nice piece of tail. She acted like she didn't want it, but I could tell she did. But then that damn Boy Scout showed up and ruined everything…. attempted rape…that's what they locked me up for."
"Sounds like you deserved worse…"
"You know it's not wise anger someone when he has a gun to your face. Of course with our great justice system I was out of jail halfway through my sentence…but I was labelled a sex offender…couldn't get a job, my family wouldn't speak to me…"
"Oh I feel so sorry for you…"
"Spare me the sarcasm Miss Lane…Superman ruined my life…and now I'm gonna ruin his."
Lois backed up against the wall, finding nowhere to run to, she froze as the thug aimed the gun at her, preparing to fire. Her first thought was about Superman, wondering why he wasn't showing up to save the day. But as she tried to talk her way out of the situation, he thoughts turned to Clark, hoping that he was ok, wishing that she could see him.
Superman ignited his heat vision, burning through the last meteor and destroying it, searching the skies to make sure that there weren't anymore. His eyes closed as he listened to voices all over the city, filtering out the sounds of Metropolis, hoping to find Lois.
Finally, he managed to sort through the noise and hear her. She sounded scared though. Superman was unsure what was happening until he heard a sound that was very familiar to him. It was the sound of a bullet being locked into a chamber. He sprang into action immediately, fling across the city, going faster and faster.
Everything seemed to slow down around him as he broke through the sound barrier, still speeding up, not stopping even as he heard the familiar bang of a trigger being pulled and a bullet being sent through the barrel of a gun. He kept going, the world slowing to a standstill as he swooped into the area that Lois was in.
Then he stopped…
Superman had arrived at the alley just in time to see a bullet breaking through her skull and crashing into her brain. He couldn't think as he watched her collapse on the ground. He saw the brief puff of smoke rising from the gun as the thug turned to look at him, laughing.
"Sorry Superman…you're too late…"
Anger threatened to overcome Clark as he flew down, igniting his heat vision and aiming it at the thug's hand, forcing him to drop the gun. The thug tried to run, but Superman was there, catching him and lifting him up, slamming him against the wall.
Superman balled his right hand into a fist, ready to punch straight through the thug, but as he heard footsteps approaching and the sound of police radios, he thought better of it, instead throwing the thug into a nearby dumpster as two police officers ran into the alley.
As one of them ran to the dumpster to arrest the thug, the other approached Superman who was now standing over Lois Lane, scanning her body with his x-ray vision as he tried to hold back his tears.
"Superman…we heard a gunshot…is she…"
"No…I don't know how, but she's alive…barely…"
"I'll call for an ambulance…"
"There's no time…I'll take her myself. Where's the nearest hospital?"
"St. Marks…a few blocks north of here."
Superman didn't respond. Instead he bent down, being careful as he picked Lois up in his arms taking off into the air, constantly listening to Lois' heartbeat. By the time he floated down to the hospital, medical staff were waiting for him, having been alerted by the police to expect him.
After handing Lois over to the doctors, Superman flew up into the air but he didn't go far, instead landing on the roof of the hospital. He stayed there for hours, leaving briefly to stop a robbery at a jewellery store, but for the most part, the city was kept safe by Supergirl as Clark kept a silent vigil.
He stood on the roof, his eyes closed as he listened to the doctors performing surgery. Sometimes he would listen deeper and hear Lois' heartbeat. It dropped a few times, causing Superman to hold his breath, before breathing a sigh of relief as her heart rate came back up. Day turned to night, but still he didn't move. On the street below he saw Perry and Jimmy entering the hospital. He wondered about Lois' sister, her father…they weren't in Metropolis, did they even know that Lois' life was in danger?
He cried. Once the tears started to flow he couldn't seem to stop them. Each tear rolling down his cheek and falling onto the rooftop created a sound that was like a nail being hammered into his head, his sensitive hearing amplifying the sound. Clark hadn't cried this much since the death of his father, Jonathon. By the time he stopped crying, dawn was breaking, the sun was rising over the horizon, replenishing his energy. But he still felt weak.
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard someone approaching from behind him. Turning, he saw a nurse, a cigarette in her hand. She turned to leave, but Superman called after her.
"It's alright, you don't have to go."
"I don't wanna disturb you…I mean your Superman…right?"
"Yeah…really it's ok…though you know you really shouldn't smoke…"
"Yeah I know…lung cancer…"
"Well…not yet…" Superman responded following a quick scan of her lungs. The nurse looked at him for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and inhaling another puff of smoke from the cigarette.
"Does anyone know I'm here?"
"A few of the senior staff…but we're keeping quiet about it, so you needn't worry about the press."
"Thank you. Lois…Miss Lane…how is she?"
"I don't know Superman. I can try to find out if you want, though you're welcome to go see her. Visiting hours are over but I'm sure they would let you in."
"No, it's alright…but thank you."
The nurse smiled back at Superman for a moment before putting out her cigarette and heading back inside. When she was gone, Superman stepped off the roof, floating down until he was hovering outside the window of Lois' room. He stayed there for a few moments, watching her sleep, surprised how peaceful and calm she looked, before flying away into the distance.
LexCorp:
Lex Luthor sat in his office, holding a small box in his hands. Across from him, one of the astronauts from the shuttle sat, waiting impatiently as Luthor studied the device.
"This is what you wanted…right sir?"
"Yes…this is everything I've wanted and more…get it down to the lab and tell Hamilton to get the machine ready. I want to begin as soon as possible."
"Yes Mr. Luthor…uh sir…about our arrangement?"
"What about it?"
"Well you said if I did the whole astronaut thing and brought you that box that you would cancel m mothers debt."
"So I did…and I am a man of my word…Mercy, arrange for Mr. Sullivan's mother's debt to be cleared…now then Mr. Sullivan…would you kindly take this down to the lab…I want this ready by the end of the day…"
St. Marks Hospital:
When Clark returned to the hospital, he was wearing his normal clothes, complete with glasses. After being greeted by Perry and Jimmy, Clark made straight for the ward that Lois was on, searching for her room. Peering inside, he saw Lois sitting up, her head was heavily bandaged but otherwise she seemed fine as she smiled and waved at him.
Clark moved towards the door, breathing a sigh of relief as he prepared to enter the room, but he was stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw a man in a long white coat, obviously a doctor.
"Hello Doctor…uh, can I help you?"
"Perhaps, are you a relative of Ms. Lane's?"
"I'm her boyfriend, Clark…uh Clark Kent."
"Ok, is there anyone that you know of that we can contact? Family?"
"Uh…her sister is in Paris right now and her father is…well I dunno…he's in the military so he could be in Washington or Afghanistan…I'm sure Mr. White could track them down."
"Mr. White?"
"Oh sorry, uh Perry White, editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet. He's down the hall in the waiting area. Is there something wrong Doctor?"
"I'm afraid I can only discuss it with her family…"
"Doctor, please…Lois herself can vouch for me, just tell me what's going on."
"Ok Mr. Kent, but you better sit down."
Clark was getting scared now. Lois seemed to be fine, but as he sat down, he noticed that the doctor looked serious and downbeat.
"Ms. Lane was shot in the head. The fact that she is alive at all is a miracle, but not a long-lasting one. The bullet was lodged in her brain…we managed to remove it, however, the damage the impact of the bullet caused is irreversible."
"Damage? What are you talking about? She looks fine."
"She is…for now…however, due to the nature of the impact, her brain is beginning to deteriorate. Within a few days her speech patterns will begin to become erratic, her motor skills will cease to function…eventually her brain will shut down…she will feel no pain."
"There must be something you can do…"
"I'm afraid not…the best thing we can do is let her go home. Let her be around her friends and family. I'm sorry Mr. Kent."
"Does she know? She looks…well…happy."
"I informed her this morning. It's possible that she is in denial. This is why we are discharging her. It's important that she be comfortable and around the people she cares about when the truth hits her."
After thanking the doctor for being straight with him, Clark entered the room to see Lois smiling back at him. He wasn't sure what to do or what to say. Instead he just kissed her and helped her get ready to go home.
LexCorp:
Lex stood in front of a strange machine, smiling to himself. Everything he had ever desired was within his grasp. He ran his hands over the arm restraints as Dr. Emile Hamilton entered the room, obviously concerned.
"Are you sure about this Lex? The machine hasn't been tested, and the module you gave us hasn't been examined thoroughly enough…what if it's corrupted?"
"Relax Hamilton, you won't get anywhere in life without taking a few risks. I am confident in your ability to make this work…and if it doesn't you'll still be paid if I die so stop worrying."
Hamilton didn't respond, instead focussing on making the machine as safe as possible while Lex looked on, watching his destiny unfold.
Suicide Slums:
As Lois entered Clark's apartment, she was stunned that he lived in such a place. Despite the rough neighbourhood, Clark's apartment was relatively peaceful. There wasn't much there, some furniture, a TV…basic things, but nothing special. Lois had to wonder if Clark was just the type of guy who didn't spend much or whether everything had been stolen.
"Damn Smallville…when Perry told me you lived in the Slums, I thought he meant on the edge or something…not right in the middle. How do you survive here? I mean you're not exactly Mr. Muscle are you…"
"Oh I get by…uh Lois…"
"Ok I know that look…I know what you're gonna say, and I know what the doctor said…I'm not in denial Clark. I should have been dead a long time ago…if it wasn't for Superman I would have been. I just don't wanna spend my last few weeks being all sad and depressed ok…"
"But…"
"No buts Clark…I've accepted what's gonna happen. It's not as if there's anything we can do about it…"
"Well actually…there might be…"
"What?"
"Lois, I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me…and I need you to trust me."
"Alright…"
Clark paused for a moment. He had been thinking about his conversation on the ride home from the hospital, in fact he had been thinking about it since the first time he had ever laid eyes on Lois on his first day at work, when she had been dismissive of him, almost ignoring him. Times had changed though, and even though he was dreading what would happen, he knew it was now or never.
"Lois…if you had to choose between me and Superman…"
"Stop right there Clark…I can't believe you're bringing this up now. Does it even matter anymore?"
"Lois…please…"
Lois could see the sincerity in his eyes, the fear. Something was obviously troubling him and she knew that he deserved a straight answer. Maybe his timing wasn't great, but then Clark never did do things the way people expected.
"Ok Clark…back in that alley, I kept looking to the sky, expecting Superman to swoop down and save me. He's stopped me from crashing in a plane, saved me from Zod, and even stopped a roller coaster from falling on my head. But he did that for everyone. But when I was in that alley, when I knew that there was nothing to save me, everything changed. I wasn't thinking about Superman anymore, I was thinking about you Clark. Superman saved me, but you were the one who stopped me from falling every single day…you were the one who I laughed with, cried with…you were there for me always…I guess I didn't know what I had until you were gone, because when you came back there was no way I was letting you go again…"
Lois stopped, a tear falling down her cheek as she opened herself up to Clark. She wasn't entirely sure what she was saying. The words were just coming out, but Lois knew that she meant every one of them.
"…you asked who I'd choose…but that's not the real question is it…you want to know if I love you. I guess it's taken me so long to admit that I don't need a man in a red cape for me to live that I'd almost forgotten what it means to live. I love you Clark Kent. I don't choose you…there was never a choice…it's you or nobody…ok…I love you."
Lois was crying openly now as she rushed to kiss Clark, things finally catching up with her as she let her fears and doubts go and concentrated on the moment. Finally, Clark pulled away from the kiss, still troubled over something.
"Lois…there's just one more thing…and you might hate me for it…"
"Stop being so overdramatic…don't tell me…you're eyes aren't actually blue…that's why you never take off you r glasses right?"
Lois jabbed Clark playfully, forcing him to laugh as she hugged him before pulling back to look at him.
"Actually…this does have to do with my glasses…have you ever wondered where I run off to when there's trouble…why I never take off my glasses or why this is the first time you've seen where I live? We haven't even slept together. Why do I wear a suit in the middle of summer…have you never asked yourself how it's possible for me to disappear at the same tome Superman died? Or than I came back not long after he did? Why I'm never around when he is? I want you to look at me…I mean really look at me."
"Clark, what are you getting at? A lot of people aren't around when Superman is…it's a big world…just tell me…what are you trying to say?"
Clark sighed to himself, thinking of all the times he had done this in his head, had this very conversation…but this time it was real…the next words to come out of his mouth would change their lives forever. Clark wasn't sure he was ready, but he knew it was time.
"Lois…I'm…I'm Superman…"
After years of saying it to himself over and over, it was finally out, he'd finally told her. Clark watched Lois, afraid of her reaction. Would she forgive him for lying to her? Would she expose him to the world? No, Clark knew she wouldn't do that, but as he waited for Lois to respond, he got a reaction that he wasn't expecting. Lois began to laugh. She laughed harder than she had ever laughed before. Clark was stunned. The confused look on his face wasn't an act. He really didn't know what to make of her reaction.
"Ok…so you're Superman…and I'm Wonder Woman…you know I was wondering why you had never even made a move on me…but damn I didn't know Smallville guys were kinky."
Lois was still laughing as Clark sighed to himself, raising his hands and slowly removing his glasses. Lois' laugh began to fade as she looked at him. At first she couldn't see it but then it hit her as she watched Clark straighten up, standing tall in front of her.
"No…it can't be…"
She was silent now, watching in shock as Clark took off his jacket and opened his shirt, revealing the famous "Superman Shield" underneath. She watched as his clothes seemed to melt together into a cape, his shoes extending up his legs, now red boots.
"This…this is impossible…"
Soon he was standing in front of her, not just as Clark Kent, but as Superman too. Still in shock, Lois struggled to say anything. A thousand questions flashed through her mind, but only one came to the front, begging to be asked first.
"How?"
Superman wasn't sure how to respond. Did she mean how could he be Superman or how could he have lied to her? Despite his strong presence, Clark felt weaker than he had ever been.
"It's difficult to explain…a long story…"
"I'm not going anywhere Clark…Superman…tell me."
LexCorp:
"Are you absolutely sure about this Lex?"
"Yes…now stop asking if I'm sure and activate the damn thing."
Luthor was strapped into the machine and a strange device was placed on his head as Dr. Hamilton injected him with an anaesthetic.
"Just relax Lex, it will be a while before the process is complete. When you wake up, things will feel a lot different."
Clark's Apartment:
They had talked for an hour but Lois still had hundreds of questions. Even as she learned about Jor-El, Clark's life in Smallville and his time as Superman, she struggled to accept it.
"…and that's it Lois. I knew that I had to do something. I had these amazing powers and I knew I had to use them to help the world."
"Ok I understand that, but something doesn't make sense…you died…but you were in Japan…there are medical records...Clark…what do I call you? Clark…Superman…Kal-El?"
"My name is Clark…it really is…just not in public…although you did call me Clerk once…" Clark responded with a soft laugh.
"Ok…Clark…it makes no sense…I mean you can't fake medical records…I went there remember? Bruce Wayne owns that facility…for you to fake being there, he would have to be involved which would mean…. why are you looking at me like that…Bruce Wayne knows?"
"Uh…yeah…"
"But how…you've only met him once…right? I mean the only time you were in Gotham was with me when we interviewed him about Luthor and Batman…wait a sec…I remember…Superman showed up in Gotham that night, in fact you…he…whatever…was seen with Batman…but if you were working with Batman, and Brice Wayne knows who you are then that means that Batman either knows Bruce or…no…Bruce Wayne is Batman?"
"Great…all this time you don't know who I am but you figure out who Batman is in a few seconds…although you weren't exactly supposed to find out…don't tell Bruce ok."
"Sure…secret is safe…but if I find out that Ollie Queen is the Flash I'm gonna kill you…"
They laughed together. Lois still wasn't sure how to handle all the information that had been thrown in her direction. Part of her was glad to be finding out the mysteries behind the glasses of Clark Kent but at the same time she had to wonder…why now? Why did he tell her when she knew she didn't have long to live? Why couldn't he have done it sooner?
"Lois…I'm sorry…I'm sorry for lying to you…can you forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive…I understand why you did it, but anyway…technically you didn't lie…I mean I never actually asked you if you were Superman…"
"Hey…that's my line."
"Funny…but I have to know Clark…why now?"
"As Superman, I can't interfere in human progression…I can't give the world technology or power…the human race has to advance on it's own…but at the same time, I can't lose you Lois…I won't."
"What do you mean? You can't stop the inevitable Clark."
"If I had been there just one second sooner...just one second…I could have stopped the bullet…it's my fault."
"If you had gotten there sooner, you would have never told me who you really are. I would rather spend a week with all of you, than a lifetime with just a part of you."
"But that doesn't have to be the case…I can help you Lois…I can save you…there is a place…it's up north, under the ice…a Fortress of Solitude…the technology exists there to help you."
"But you just said you can't interfere…you can't share technology."
"Superman…Kal-El can't interfere…but I'm also Clark Kent. My body may not be human but my heart is."
"But you can't choose me over the rest of the world Clark."
"No, Superman can't…but I can…Clark can…"
"But you are Superman…"
"Not today…"
LexCorp:
Lights flashed as surges of energy flowed through Lex Luthor's body, focussing around his head as information form the memory module was downloaded into his brain. As the final bit of data entered his brain, the machine shut down and soon Lex's eyes were opening. Looking around he saw Dr. Hamilton standing next to him.
"Did it work?"
"Well you're still alive, so that's a plus. It will take time for your mind to process and store everything. Relax…the anaesthetic hasn't worn off yet so I suggest you get some rest."
Luthor didn't bother replying, his eyes already closing as he drifted off into a deep sleep. Soon he was dreaming of a thousand different worlds, all focussed on one thing…power.
Fortress of Solitude:
Lois stared in awe at the magnificent structure under the ice. She had never seen anything like it before. As Clark worked on setting up a medical unit, Lois stood at a control panel with Supergirl, learning a little bit about Kryptonian technology.
"This control panel is used for maintaining the Fortress itself. For example, this crystal here activates a radiation filter, while that one can be used to raise the Fortress to the surface in an emergency."
"Wow…this is really…over m head."
"Not surprising…the human brain hasn't advanced enough to understand the depths of our technology."
"Kara…don't insult our guest." Superman called out as he overheard their conversation. Lois couldn't help but laugh, while Supergirl tried to apologise.
"I am sorry…sometimes I focus on the human race having much to learn but forget that you have great potential though I am still uncertain as to how Kal-El can stand a lot of your customs…they seem strange to me."
"It's alright…Clark told me that you're cousins…you're from Krypton?"
"No, I was born on a space colony called Argo…it was destroyed by an entity called Brainiac though. Kal-El and I are the last of our race…excluding Zod."
"Yeah, he said the whole Green Lantern lightshow was Brainiac too…I notice that you don't call him Clark."
"I have tried…he wishes me to, but Kal-El is the name I have known since I was a child, it is what I am accustomed to."
Lois and Kara talked for a few minutes more before Clark informed them that the medical unit was ready. Lois was apprehensive at first but she trusted in Clark. Lying down on the cool, crystal surface, Lois closed her eyes as she was put to sleep by the control system around her brain. The medical unit started scanning her brain, delivering a holographic image a few feet above the medical unit.
"Kara…don't tell Mom about this ok…I think she would have a heart attack if she knew I had told someone who I am…especially a reporter. I'd like to tell her myself."
"Of course Kal-El…though I still do not understand the logic of this…she is but one human, yet you have always said we must use our powers to serve all of humanity."
"There is no logic Kara…I love her, it's as simple as that."
Kara didn't respond, instead choosing to just nod her head as she began working with her cousin to repair the damage to Lois' brain. It was a long slow process as the alien machine worked to fix each individual cell that made up the damaged areas.
When Lois opened her eyes, she felt no different. Looking around, she saw Supergirl hovering at the other end of the Fortress, practicing her powers. Clark however, was by Lois' side, holding her hand.
"How do you feel?"
"Alright…how long was I out?"
"A few hours…"
Lois put her hand to her head, checking for any scars…the bandages that had been put on by the doctor had been removed, but she couldn't feel any scarring or bruising.
"Did it work?"
"Yes…you may feel a little dizzy when you stand at first but that will wear off in moments."
"So I guess you're stuck with me then." Lois joked.
"I wouldn't have it any other way Lois."
LexCorp:
Violent images flashed in front of him, a world exploding…billions of strange beings screaming in terror…suns collapsing. Lex Luthor awoke suddenly, memories of his dream still vivid in his mind. He was in a hospital bed. He recognised it immediately as the medical facility at LexCorp.
Dr. Hamilton was there, going over some notes and checking Luthor's vital signs. He approached Luthor slowly, shining a small light in his eyes, apparently checking his vision.
"Well?"
"You tell me Lex…is there anything new? Can you remember anything? What do you know?
Lex closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Visions, memories…data flashing in front of him as he recalled events from across the galaxy, technologies that were alien to him, races that were beyond exotic. Lex stared at Dr. Hamilton and smiled.
I know…everything…"
As Lois and Clark began again with newfound honesty and openness, Lex Luthor began his learning about his own change, combining the knowledge he had gained with his lust for power. He sat in his office, reading the paper. There were three stories on the front page. The first was about the meteor shower, the second about a woman named Eileen Sullivan who had apparently been killed by her son, an astronaut, who in turned killed himself and the third was about the shooting of Lois Lane. Allowing himself to smile for a moment, Lex focussed on the second and third stories. It may have seemed like just another day but Lex knew that he was ready to proceed with the final stage of his plan...