Lois Lane was known to be a workaholic. Stubborn, relentless, strong-willed…
But there were things that made her upset. Like writing about things, she actually doesn't want to. And today was such a day.
The morning sun was shining in through the big windows of the office. People rushed around to finish their assignments. A terrible stench of cigarette-smoke was in the air, even if smoking in the office was strictly prohibited.
Lois stared with tired eyes on the empty Word-document on her screen and looked on the blinking cursor. Every third or fourth blink seemed shorter. And anyway, it felt as if this cursor is showing her the middle-finger. She purposefully was an investigative journalist. No gossip-columnist, no celebrity-writer and no lifestyle. But Perry wanted her to be one today…
"Good morning, Lois!"
Lois shrieked up and tipped over a pen holder with pencils that spilled over the desk. When she looked up, she saw Clark Kent standing next to her desk and she had to smile.
Clark was, to the outside, a dorky and naïve Midwestern small-town-boy who was quiet, but friendly and hard working. Even when he was mainly absent and not as often in the office than others, she knew Clark was a hard-working guy who also helped her a lot for her Henry Miller research. More than he should have. Without his help, she would have come that far.
"Good morning, Clark!" Lois smiled innocently while collecting the pencils again.
"Are you okay? You look so frustrated!" he asked.
One more thing Lois liked about Clark. He was empathic…
"Aww… just this piece, Perry demands me to write… I have no idea how to do that!"
"About Henry Miller's attack last week?"
"No! Superman!"
Clark made big eyes now.
"Superman?"
"Yes… ever since that guy got this title, Perry can't stop talking about him. And because I met Superman in person when he saved me from Henry Miller's blast, Perry demands me to write a personal statement about it. How he is, how I saw him, what I think about him… a brutally honest review of him. Aww… nothing against Superman! What he does with his powers for the people is great! And I will be forever grateful that he saved my life… but…"
"But you want to write about the crimes he prevented, because that's what you want the people to talk about instead of the size of Superman's muscles, right?"
"Exactly!" Lois wailed and closed her eyes. Clark was such a good listener. And he knew her well enough, thanks to all the work they made together already. "I became a journalist to make a change. But sometimes it feels as if people are more interested in unimportant things than in those that really matter. What is more important: How safety it is to walk around in this city, or what shampoo Superman uses?"
"Oh… I know what you mean! There is so much bad in the world! And people care more about the latest fashion-trends or celebrity-scandals instead of the important things." Clark said. "Anyway, where should you know what shampoo Superman uses? Lois, why you don't tell Perry that you don't want to write this because… let's say you fear someone could stalk you for that?"
"I've tried! But you know Perry! He gave me a long speech about that ever mayor newspaper in this country has a handsome, female reporter set on Superman to find, interview, and seduce him!"
"But unlike them, you have the story in sight, because you are a pro! And they only think about other 'parts' of Superman!" Clark said.
"Oh, thank you, Clark! I really needed to hear that!" Lois blushed. "But what about this piece?"
"Hmm… do what you always do!"
"What?"
"Write the truth!"
"The truth?"
"Yes, Lois! Just write the truth about what you were thinking when Superman stood in front of you! Who knows maybe you'll even enjoy it!" Clark shrugged before he got a bit closer to talk with a lower voice. "And if you don't like it, you can still change it! Give Perry what he wants. After all the positive response on your Henry Miller stories, he wouldn't dare to scare you off! Even if you write it in…"
"KENT!" a familiar male voice yelled from the distance.
"Coming!" Clark yelled back before turning back to Lois. "Need to leave! Good luck, Lois!"
"Thank you, Clark!" Lois smiled back to him while he left and then looked on the screen again.
This blinking cursor in the empty Word-document was still mocking her…
"The truth?" Lois murmured, while thinking about Clark's words again.
His words made sense… there was a lot she thought about that encounter with Superman last week… without really thinking about it, she decided to write everything she thought… uncensored… she could edit it later…
And so, she began to write…
'Monday, September 17th was promising to be a warm, sunny, and normal day in Metropolis. At least until the arsonist Henry Miller, also known under his alias 'Atom Man' once again attacked shops, owned by immigrants. People who fled from war, terror or suppression suddenly faced terror and life-threatening danger when a racist, who was not able to get his own life on track, attacked them with a flamethrower to punish them for his own mistakes.'
Lois read these start again. If Perry cuts that out, she will quit…
'Henry Miller and his unjustified motives to hurt others led a certain man to interfere and stop his rampage. A man we know pretty less about. He is tall, in his twenties, muscular, handsome…'
Lois stopped typing. She was thinking about the last sentence and deleted 'muscular' and 'handsome' again to don't let it sound like an ode of a fangirl who has a crush on him.
'… who wears a skin-tight suit with a cape and boots and has been spotted in Metropolis for months. Since that day, he caught a car that was falling from a bridge to save a child from being crushed by it and the four passengers in the car. A man whose powers and abilities go far behind everything people could imagine. He can lift objects that weight tons. He can fly like a bird or a plane and is faster than a speeding bullet. Is he a visitor from another world? A super soldier created by the army in secret governmental experiments? This man, everyone knows as Superman!'
Lois looked out of the window and wondered where he was now and if he knows that she was forced to write about him. Now followed the exciting part…
'Who is Superman? What does he want here in Metropolis? What are his motives? We don't know it! At least for now! But what I know, is that he selflessly jumped in to help people in need and people in danger over the past few months. He takes no money. He doesn't do it for fame. He doesn't ask for anything in return. That's at least what everyone, who has met him in person till now has told. He only does it because he can. Just like at this certain day in this crowded street full of shops and people during the attack. One of these people was me…'
Lois moaned and leaned back in her chair before looking out of the window again. She could see the crossroad in the distance where everything happened. This day burned itself into her memory. She will always remember it. For the rest of her life. One day, if she ever has kids, or grandchildren, she will tell them about this day. Lois turned with her chair around to look at her colleagues. Clark was standing in the distance at the file-cabinets and looking through them. She had to smile.
She liked Clark. He was kind, polite and helpful. Without his help, she would have never discovered Henry Miller's identity and his motives that fast. His advice was great. And so, she decided to follow his latest advice, too and just write the truth! She turned back to her computer and continued typing…
'I just discovered the criminal's identity and went to that place to expose him. When the racist arsonist fired with his flamethrower on me I knew my life is over. But then he appeared in the line of fire. The adrenaline inside of me was so high, I had the feeling to see everything in time-lapse. Unimpressed by the flames, Superman stands there. The fire and the intense heat don't bother him. Not even his suit lights up in flames. And that's when I saw his face for the first time live.'
Lois closed her eyes and thought about that moment again.
'He is tall, has black hair, blue eyes that are bluer than any other, his skin-tight suit filled by his muscular body, that looks like he spends a lot of time in the gym. But a man who can lift locomotives, has actually no need for a gym.'
Lois read the last part again and wondered if it sounds not too starstruck… she would edit it later…
'I've seen him only from the distance so far. Or on blurred images of photographers, tourists and onlookers with phone-cameras. It is a totally different feeling when you see him life and in flesh. My sight was automatically fixed on him. Searching his body for burns or any other injuries. But there is nothing. As if the thousands of degrees of heat are nothing for him.'
Lois indeed wondered how Superman was able to survive this. Every normal human would have crumbled to ash within seconds…
'Superman was calm and his face was full of confidence. No trace of fear, or doubt in it. While the flames surround him, I get a close look at his body and his skin-tight suit. I see details on his suit that I haven't noticed before. Like the fact that his suit looks like it is made of normal cotton. Or polyester maybe? Noting extraordinary or any known fire-proof material. I know from the statement of the boy, he saved from the crashing car on his first public appearance, that he told him that his mother made the suit for him. And indeed, it looks like it is made of stuff that can be found in every fabric store. I can't resist but imagine a woman sitting at a sewing machine, putting this suit together.'
Lois stopped typing and wondered why she wrote that. She guessed Perry will delete that part…
'And looking at his confident face, gave me this safe feeling. This feeling of trust and awareness. It was a look that tells me that he comes in peace and that I have no reason to fear him, his powers, or the arsonist that was still running havoc. I look at Superman and have this feeling of just being safe…'
Lois took a deep breath and realized that she repeated herself. She deleted the last sentence again…
'Thousands of questions burn on my tongue after watching him defeating Henry Miller and stopping his attack on the people. Questions I have, but also questions probably everyone has. Like his name, the origin of his powers, his motives, his phone-number and his address…'
Lois shacked her head and deleted 'phone-number and his address' again…
'…why he was wearing his underpants over his suit…'
Lois let out a frustrated moan and deleted that embarrassing sentence, too…
'…or what he was thinking about the attack. Superman smiles at me and ask me if I am okay. I was not harmed. I had not a single scratch. All thanks to him. I thank him for saving me and he flies away like a rocket.'
Lois looked out of the window again. This time up into the sky. Wondering how the city must look from up there. From the 'Superman-perspective'. Or how it must feel to fly. A really incredible ability.
'I am astonished. Not only about his powers, but also about his bravery and his selflessness. He is doing so much good for people and never asks for anything in return. A real super man. That's when the name "Superman" slipped out of my mouth when a man next to me asked me about him. Because he is a Superman. Not because of his powers, but because of what he is doing to make our world a safer place. And for the good things he stands for and the good influence he has on people to overthink their own behavior and their worldview.'
Lois read the last part again and smiled for the first time since she began typing this piece…
'I hope Superman, or whatever his name is, or however he wants to get called, will one day come forward and tell us all a little bit more about himself. Because we all want and need to know more about him. From my site I can say that he is someone we can fully trust. A man with a big heart and with an empathy that should be a example for all of us!'
Lois took a deep breath and leaned back. That was it… she realized that Clark was right: She felt a lot better, now that everything was out.
"Nice!" Clark said from behind her.
Lois was so shocked about the voice coming from right behind her, that she shied backwards and hit with her chair against Clark, who was holding a cup with coffee in his hand, that slipped out and spilled the hot liquid over his shirt and his trousers…
"AGHH… LOIS… watch out…" Clark shrieked.
"OH, I am so sorry!" Lois wailed loudly.
Many colleagues already turned to them to watch them. Lois grabbed a tissue from a box on her desk to use it to at least try to clean the coffee of her colleague's trousers.
"HOT… Aghh… that was hot!" Clark wailed a bit later. That it sounds a bit artificially, she didn't hear because she was so upset.
"Aww… I swear that was not on purpose!" Lois said. "Does it hurt?"
"Aghhh…" Clark wailed as if he just remembered that it was hot. "I am okay… I just… need another pair of trousers."
"Awww… why you had to sneak up behind me?" Lois asked while grabbing the next tissues to hand them to Clark.
"You were so sunken in writing it, and you had your writing-face on! So, I knew it was going to be something good and I was interested."
"Wait… I have a writing-face?" Lois asked.
"Yes, you make it when you are focused on something you urgently want printed." Clark explained while taking the tissue out of Lois hand to rub over his trousers by himself.
Lois' face blushed. Does she really want this to be published?
"Aghh… Clark, tell me why you had to sneak up now?"
"I actually wanted to ask you if you want a coffee, too. For your nerves! But I think you don't need any coffee. Me either!" Clark said and looked down. He looked as if he wet himself in.
"Oh my god… I am so sorry!" Lois wailed again, searching her purse for anything she could use to clean Clark's trousers. But stain remover or bleach was not something a woman (especially a workaholic) was always carrying around. "But… what do you think about it!"
"I already said, it's nice! I think you can send it to Perry like this!"
"Seriously! What if he demands me to change it into something more… you know… fan-girl-dream, or pornographic-fantasy…"
"Then you should do what you did to get the Henry Miller story! Threaten him that you quit! Last time it worked!"
"Where did you get that wisdom from, Kent?" Lois asked with a smile. "Is that a small-town-thing?"
"It is a small-town-wisdom!" Clark smiled and walked away again.
Lois smiled on him, too before looking on her screen and reading everything again. With a trembling hand, she clicked on the 'send' button to send it to Perry…
And indeed, it was printed the next day. And much to Lois' shock, it was the unedited version, including everything she deleted…
Embarrassed, Lois stormed into Perry's office while he was in a phone conference with their office in Tokyo. Demanding to know where he knew about the deleted parts and how he could dare to expose these private thoughts to the world. Perry dismissed her quickly.
Without any answer, Lois stormed out of the office. Everyone looked at her. Of course everyone read it. And Lois could feel them talking about he and her supposed 'crush' on the flying hero.
"Are you okay, Lois?" Clark asked when she passed him.
"No, I am not!" Lois moaned loudly before she stopped and moaned. "Sorry, Clark! I didn't meant to let it out on you!"
"Go and get some air! You look like you need that!" Clark advised before he whispered. "I heard the door is unlocked, today!"
'The door' was the roof-access. Usually it was prohibited to go up to the roof. Only janitors and building-technicians were allowed to go up there. But it was a popular spot for the people in this office to get some silence and some fresh air without going all the way down to the crowded plaza and hope to find a free bench.
Lois nodded to Clark, thanking him for his advice and rushed to the stairway, walked up till she reached the unlocked door and stepped out…
It was a beautiful day. Sunny, no wind, a cloudless blue sky, and from up here, the city looked so peaceful and clean. The famous Daily-Planet-globe was slowly rotating just a few feet over her. Lois walked around till she found the spot, she knew was not covered by security cameras and grabbed into her purse to look for her cigarettes.
Smoking was unhealthy, expensive and a bad example. She knew she shouldn't do that, but sometimes, when she was really upset (and after smelling it down in the office all day) she couldn't resist the urge for one.
Lois put a cigarette between her lips, before taking the lighter. But the moment the small flame appeared, a weak gust of wind blew over her and extinguished it before she was able to start…
"Smoking is unhealthy, Miss Lane!"
Lois almost screamed when she heard this deep, self-confident voice and turned around to see Superman floating about 10 feet away from her.
Lois got flashbacks on the day again. So he blew out her lighter now? Embarrassed Lois put the cigarette away while watching Superman floating closer slowly. His cape flattering. His strong body seemed to shine in the morning sun. It was early and still cold. But the cold gust of wind that came didn't seem to bother him. Lois wondered how this man was not freezing in this thin cotton-suit.
"Good morning, Miss Lane! Sorry, if I scared you!" Superman said politely as always.
"Oh… ehm… good morning!" Lois sound embarrassed.
Superman floated closer and landed softly right in front of her. Lois watched it closely. She carefully investigated his suit, his cape and his boots again. Wondering if there were any mini-jet-engines hidden somewhere. Or if she sees something else that would explain how he was able to fly. Maybe the cape was not for the optic but to hide somethings. Wings? Or maybe a zipper?
Lois eyes wandered up to Superman's face now. This encouraging and friendly face that let her immediately forget her fear and her shame again. At least for a moment.
"I can imagine why you are here!" Lois said.
Just a few seconds have passed since the man touched down silently. But for Lois they felt like an eternity.
"Indeed, I am here because of that article that was published today." Superman confessed.
"To my defense, my editor in chief changed it a lot. Of course, I am not asking you for your phone-number or your address. Or… anything else you don't want to answer!"
"Don't worry… I know you have nothing to do with it!"
"Where?" Lois was confused now.
"I heard you yelling to your editor!" the man said before pointing on his ear. "I can hear very good, too, you know!"
Lois looked up and down on Superman again. Wondering what else this man was hiding.
"Are you only here to tell me that, or is there any other reason you decided to land here? Well… expect from preventing me to smoke?"
"I wanted to thank your for your help last week. Everything went so fast, I had no time to tell you how much your work helped me to stop Henry Miller! I was able to save all evidence in his hideout before his accomplices could destroy everything." Superman told, which let Lois become curious. "I read newspapers, too, Miss Lane! While everyone was curious about me, you focused on the really important things! I don't do what I do to get on the front-pages. I do it to help and to give back something to the world for saving me and giving me a home!"
"Ehm… that you need to explain!"
"It's true! I am not from here, Miss Lane." Superman told and looked up to the sky. "I grew up on this planet since I was a baby. But I was born on a planet, in another galaxy. Far away from here."
"So… you say you are really an alien?"
"Yes!" the man confessed and looked on Lois again. "Let me guess, you imagined aliens with big heads, black eyes and green skin, right?"
"No… I mean… I thought it was science fiction? Sorry…"
"Don't worry… I saw the movies, too!" Superman smiled.
"Do your people know that you are here?" Lois asked perplexed and pointed with her finger up into the sky unconsciously.
"I am the only survivor of my planet!" Superman told, Lois put her hand behind her back immediately to hide it. "It got destroyed when I was still a baby. My parents sent me to Earth to save me! I have no memories on Krypton!"
"Krypton?"
"That was the name of the planet where I was born!"
"Is that the real name or a translation?" Lois asked perplexed before shaking her head. It was no time to beat around the bush.
"The real name!" Superman smiled. "But I live on Earth so long, I see this planet more as my home than it!"
"Why you are telling me all this?" Lois asked now louder and went a step closer. "Why you suddenly show up here and talk to me? Out of all the millions of reporters out there, you come to me? Why?"
"It's about the last part in your article!" Superman said and pulled out a folded newspaper page out from somewhere. Lois wondered if this was the purpose of the red underwear? That it was actually a pocket? "You wrote that you hope that I will come forward and answer the world some questions. I am in public for months now and I think you are right. I know your work and I know that I can trust you, Miss Lane. So, if there is no problem for you…"
"OF COURSE!" Lois shrieked and grabbed into her purse to search for her recorder. "Where is it…?"
"Oh… I fear we have to postpone it…" Superman said and turned around. "Sorry, but there is someone coming up the stairs now and I don't want to cause an uproar with my presence. Let's say, here tonight! At eight?"
"Okay…" Lois murmured.
Superman nodded and left in a blur and was out of sight within a second. Lois ran over to the edge to see if there was any sight of him. But the man was gone.
Lois had no time to think about it before suddenly the door to the stairway got opened behind her…
"LOIS?" Clark yelled with worry in his voice.
"CLARK!" Lois yelled back and began to run over to her colleague.
"Lois, you've been so long up here! Are you okay?" Clark asked before he saw the lighter in her hand. "Did you smoke again?"
"What… No!" Lois yelled and threw the lighter away. "Clark you won't believe what just happened! I…"
Suddenly Lois wondered if it was not better to keep it for herself. At least until she really has the interview…
"Lois, you look as if you saw a ghost! Is really everything okay?"
"Yes, Clark… I just… well… let's get inside again!" Lois said and together they left the roof again. But once the door was closed, she couldn't hold it back. "I just met Superman again, Clark!"
"Really? Wow, you are so lucky! I didn't see him live so far!" Clark blushed. "How is he?"
"He is… friendly! He said some… nice words about my article and… thanked me for discovering Henry Miller's identity!"
"That was nice!" Clark said. "So… and what do you think about him?"
"Oh… That there is a lot we need to prepare if we ever manage him to agree for an interview…" Lois smiled.
And so they went downstairs again…
The whole day, Lois prepared questions, but hid what she was doing from her colleagues. Only Clark she told the truth later. She didn't know why, but he gave her the same safe and cared feeling like Superman did.
And indeed, Superman appeared on time on the roof. Answering all her questions. Giving her the answers the world wanted. Brutally honest. Well… expect his name. But Lois didn't guess to find someone with the odd name Kal El in the phonebook…
The next day, the interview was indeed printed on the front page of the evening-issue. This time word-by-word like Lois typed it. But for that Perry changed the title again…
Instead of 'Brutally honest: Superman finally gives answers' Perry changed it to: 'I spend the night with Superman: An exclusive interview by Lois Lane.'
And once again, Lois had a reason to yell on Perry…