Band of Blue TOCChapter 11Clark was stood in Perry’s office along with over twenty other assorted reporters. Perry was raging on about the mysterious flying man.
“I want the real story. I want the inside dope on this guy.”
Clark wasn’t listening. He was staring at Lois on the other side of the room.
I have this strange feeling I dreamt about her last night. He focussed his mind and tried to recall the dream.
The best ones always start that way. Huh! Where had that thought come from.
“Has he got a family? Where does he live? Tony, who is he?” Perry was wandering around the room and firing out questions. “Mike, what’s his name? What’s he got hidden under that cape of his, batteries? Why did he show up last night? Where does he come from? Does he have a girlfriend?” Perry stood in front of Clark, turned and pointed at him. “What’s his favourite ball team, Kent?” Clark took a breath and raised his hand. Perry wandered off. “Now listen to me. I tell you boys and girls, whichever one of you gets it out of him is going to wind up with the single most important interview since ... God talked to Moses.”
Clark dropped his hand and frowned. He was now in the spotlight, or rather, Superman was. People would have questions and if he didn’t answer them carefully and soon then certain types of journalist would start making it all up. That could be disastrous.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chloe woke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed.
Whoa, what a strange dream. Ever since the disturbing events of last Friday night Chloe had dreamt of green meteor rocks and Clark every night. Last night was no exception. Someone had put Lana’s necklace around Clark’s neck and left him unconscious. Chloe had desperately tried to remove it, wanting to protect him, but her fingers wouldn’t work.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and wandered through the apartment to the kitchen. Switching on the kettle to boil water for a morning coffee she wandered down to the mail box and picked up the pile. Back at the kitchen table she perched on a stool and sipped the hot coffee while idly glancing through her mail. At the bottom of the pile she came across today’s edition of the Daily Planet. Opening it out to the full front page she stared in absolute shock at the headline.
Saved by a Superman Reading through the story, by her own cousin no less, she learnt about the new costumed superhero who had turned up in Metropolis saving Lois from a roof-top dive along with a public rescue of a bus load of trapped passengers. After gobbling up each carefully crafted sentence, probably re-written by copy, Chloe adjusted her vision to look at the full body shot of the man in question.
‘He flies,’ was the caption with the photo but Chloe hardly noticed. She was staring at the face on the red and blue Superman. She knew that face. She had spent all last Monday night with it after he’d argued with his parents ... and left his glasses at home.
Clark.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Well, what else could the satellite possibly be being used for,” Lois queried down the phone. “Hello,” she called after she heard the dial tone. “Hello!” She slammed down the phone and stared at it.
It wasn’t an unreasonable request, she thought, trying to convince herself.
I have to get something. This should have been my exclusive yesterday. Instead I’m just one of a hundred front pages all running Superman stories. I have to win this one back. Lois started to become aware of her surroundings and she felt that someone was staring at her. Glancing up she met an intense stare coming from the farm boy sat across. “What?” she asked defensively.
“Lois, don’t you think you’re taking this a bit too far? You’re going to develop an obsession with,” he gulped, “Superman.”
Now why did Clark struggle to say Superman? “Obsessed, I am not obsessed. He’s just a story.” She sighed quietly and softened her voice slightly, losing the hard edge. “The biggest story to ever land in my lap.” Lois looked down and imagined it literally landing in her lap. She felt her cheeks getting hot. Reaching for her coffee she took a quick swig.
Clark’s mind also imagined something landing literally in his lap. He squirmed in his chair and took his eyes off Lois.
I definitely dreamt something about her. What was it? Look at his face. Clark frowned. That sentence was a strange memory. What did it mean? He looked back up at Lois. Since last night his relationship with Lois had changed, at least from his point of view. He just felt like he’d known her for years, rather than one week and he wasn’t sure that he’d describe his feeling as a “crush” any longer. He needed to explore this, figure out what exactly was going on in his heart when it come to this bossy, stuck-up lady sat across from him.
She's bossy. She's stuck-up, she's rude - I can't stand her.
The best ones always start that way. He pressed his fingers to his temple. More flashes of dream he presumed.
“Lois, why don’t we try and work on this Superman story together?” he casually asked. He needed to spend time with her.
“No way, Smallville,” she replied. “I don’t do partners.”
Clark leant forwards. “You did yesterday. I even remember a particular comment you made.” He raised his eyebrow at her. He didn’t want to fully embarrass her by saying it out loud but he played it in his head.
Clark’s all mine. You can’t have him. Lois glared at him. “Yesterday,” she punctuated, “was a one-off ... and only because Perry ordered it. I’m going after Superman by myself and I’m gonna get him.”
“Sounds rather personal, Lois.” Clark decided to tease her. “Did something happen on that roof you didn’t put in your article?”
Lois looked directly into Clark’s eyes. “Jealous?” she asked.
“Me, jealous of Superman?” Clark replied. The teasing banter seemed to come easily to him now. He stood up and walked round to Lois. “That would imply that I liked you.” He paused. “And also imply that you liked Superman.” Clark was finding it easier to use the name now. In fact it helped to separate his two sides. It was fun to talk about his superhero half in the third person. “And the fact that you are making a point of the jealousy implies that you like me.” He grinned at her.
“In your dreams, Smallville,” she replied.
That’s exactly the point, he thought.
In my dreams you do like me. In my dreams I think I’ve kissed you. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that afternoon Lois found herself staring across at an empty desk. Clark had run off, suddenly. She couldn’t even remember what excuse he’d given now.
Obsessed with Superman. That’s ridiculous, she thought. Snatches of conversation played round and round in her head.
Clark’s all mine, you can’t have him.
Don’t worry, I’ve got you.
Lois, I didn’t know you cared.
I’m a friend.
... I like you ... you like Superman ... you like me ... Lois flicked between Clark and Superman. Why? And
did she like them both? How was that possible? She didn’t know Superman at all and she’d only known Clark for a week. He was annoying, he was normal, he gave as good as he got in the teasing, he was ... quite sexy, she had to admit.
Okay, maybe I do like him. But then there’s Superman. He so ... out of this world ... larger than life ... super. I know a lot of guys who want to own the world. I haven’t met very many who actually want to save it. Superman is special. She looked across as Clark’s desk. She’d read some of his articles from his time as Editor of The Torch after Perry had raved about him. It seemed like Clark wanted to save it too, but with different skills.
Lois calmly considered her options. In front of her was a handsome, strong, sexy, nice man who she suspected liked her. On the other hand there was a gorgeous superhero god out there somewhere ... who probably didn’t even remember that he’d saved her. She sighed.
Why am I even considering this? I don’t need a guy. Lois Lane has always been independent. Lois Lane can look out for herself. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Clark super-sped through the door to the kitchen just as his phone started ringing.
“Hi Mom,” he said as he walked past her pulling the phone out of his pocket. Looking at the caller display he smiled. “Chloe, how’s it going?” he asked casually.
“I’m fine Clark.” She sounded serious. “I’m just wondering how you are. You left so abruptly last Friday after the ... er ... incident.” She paused. Clark didn’t know how to respond and the airwaves were quiet. “Clark?” she queried.
“Yeah, Chloe, I’m here.” His heart was pounding in his chest. What to say. “I’m fine, thanks for thinking of me. I guess I should have called you to let you know that there’s no problem.”
“No, problem,” Chloe almost shouted down the phone. “You fell unconscious from a small piece of meteor rock. After all the articles you wrote in high school you know what those meteor rocks can do to people.”
Clark detected a strange tone in Chloe’s voice. “Chloe, I’m fine,” he reassured her. “The meteor rocks haven’t done anything to me.” It was the truth ... in a way. Although the rocks did
affect him they hadn’t actually
changed him.
“Clark, are you sure because you’ve been ... different.” Clark swallowed.
“Different?” he asked with a little squeak in his voice.
“Yeah, since you had that bust-up with your parents. By the way, I’m glad you sorted that you. Your parents are the best.”
“Well, maybe I have been different since then.” Clark thought that if he gave Chloe a reasonable explanation then she’d be satisfied. He didn’t want to rekindle her journalistic instincts. “My parents told me something about ... my adoption. Something they’d kept hidden, and it upset me. It’s also made me rethink the kind of person I am. I really don’t want to say any more than that Chloe.”
“Clark,” Chloe paused. He heard a sigh. “If there was anything truly bothering you ... problems ... changes,” she seemed to emphasize that word, “you’d tell me wouldn’t you. You know you can trust me. BFF’s and all?”
I figured if you wanted to tell me you were part of the superpower persuasion you would when you were ready. Clark shook his head to clear it. “Chloe, you know you’re my BFF, and I’m fine. Why don’t I drop by and see you soon?”
“Sure Clark, you know you can visit whenever you like. It’s super when you visit.”
Clark hung up after he heard Chloe’s goodbye.
Super. Now what a strange word for Chloe to use. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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