This story was inspired by my new addictions The Flash and Gotham tv shows, even though the characters aren't based on those depicted on those shows.
I apologize for an errors. Grammatically this story is confusing even to me with all the back and forth about talking about possibly living or dead characters in the present or past tense (as the case applies). Please feel free to let me know where I should have a different tense. My beta was my 10 y.o. daughter and while she did catch a few things, verb tenses isn't her strong suit, especially in a grammatically messy story as this.
I hope you all enjoyed this story and didn't find it TOO confusing. Happy Halloween!
Last edited by VirginiaR; 10/31/1507:44 PM. Reason: Added Link
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
Confusing, yes, but interesting. Well done weaving together all those bits and pieces of the various heroes' stories. (Or should I say, "the hero's various stories," since they are all one hero in yours? Ugh -- I don't think I could write that last sentence again if I tried.)
And Halloween was indeed the perfect time to share this. Thank you.
But still, a fun read. It's interesting to think that there's one conspiracy theory that turns out to be true, even if it's so convoluted that it makes the Kennedy assassination theories seem as simple as making peanut butter sandwiches. (Please don't get me started on the Kennedy theories - some of those people think that there were a dozen or more people involved who were really just innocent bystanders.)
It just seems as if Lois/Iris/Vicki has crammed a whole lot of living into her less-than-thirty-closer-to-twenty-five years. She was twenty-six when L&C started. And what about Lucy? Was one of them adopted? Maybe that's part of the reason Lois/Iris/Vicki was always so mature.
Your mind works in mysterious and strange ways, Virginia. Interesting ways, mind you, but still strange. Please keep it up.
Iris leaned back against a pillar, watching as Barry collected his tools from the latest theft to plague Central City.
Looky there! I see you’ve started Netflixing The Flash. LOIS: What’s this with another female investigative reporter and another STAR Labs. Something’s fishy!
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“I’m tired, Barry,” she said before heaving a heavy sigh. “Don’t you get tired of running all the time?”
“Um…” he stumbled to find an answer. “No?”
Where are you in the season?
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“Iris, you know that Superman’s dead.”
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I wonder how Lex Luthor would’ve faired flying thousands of miles in space to tackle a meteor the size of Metropolis.”
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“It’s only a coincidence,” she went on, drawing his full attention again. “That some eight months after Superman never returned from saving us from Nightfall that suddenly the Flash appears in town.”
“Iris,” he said sternly. “The Flash…” He paused before amending his statement. “Superman isn’t the Flash.”
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“Batman wasn’t Superman either, I suppose?” Iris retorted.
:
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She waved her hand as if the Prometheus Space Station’s name hardly mattered.
She’s a reporter and those are just facts, not pictures?
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“Batman didn’t disappear,” Barry corrected. “He blew up while saving Gotham from a nuclear explosion.”
Wait, what’s the name of that super hero who got his powers from an atomic blast. Aside from that, we have Batman and Vicki Vale, Superman and Lois Lane, and The Flash and Iris West. It sure is a pattern of trying to score with the hot reporter in town. Must be the same dude!
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Iris pointed at him. “Yet, nobody found his body!”
Yes. Not even a shadow of a body!
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I’ve heard reports of Batman sightings in what’s left of Gotham lately.”
A giant bat flying around between the twisted towers of a radioactive wasteland?
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Hadn’t she heard of the Justice League? How could there be a league with only a handful of members?
If he’s superfast? Plus, it helps with keeping a honey in every city. Imagine if they found out they’re all dating the same guy!
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“I did meet him, this second Batman. Well, not me per se, but I threw on a long blonde wig and went undercover. My alias met him.
So, you’re not going with the dark-skinned Wests? IRIS: No, I went by Ororo Munroe.
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There was no way he could’ve been Batman for ten years already.
Good skin care? Regular exercise?
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“I heard rumors that Batman had survived the blast and ended up running away to Paris… or was it Italy… with some cat burglar,” Barry said casually.
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My Batman had more sense than to run around with a skank like that.
Rrrrrrrright.
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“No, I was an idiot because I told him how much I respected him being a man of the people, not some rich guy throwing his money around. How was I supposed to know that he really was a rich guy literally throwing his money around in the form of Bat-er-rangs? I made it sound like a deal breaker, but it wasn’t.”
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By making the two personas polar opposites, he knew nobody would tie the two men together as being the same man.”
You mean, like Harvey Dent and Two Face?
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“It was!” Iris enthusiastically agreed. “Dick is no more Superman than he is Batman.
No, sounds to me like he’s a bit of a…well…if the name fits
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I mean, I had never seen my Batman without his mask, so how in the world was I supposed to recognize him.
By his smile….Oh, right. Duh!
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Iris placed a hand to her chest. “Not this me, mind you, but the me I was before I reinvented myself and moved to Central City.”
Well…duh! But she does sound like maybe she needs a date with Maxwell.
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The only reason I dated Lex Luthor is because I thought he was Dick.”
But Lex is *ooooold*!
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“He was a dick,” Barry mumbled under his breath.
See! /points to above note/
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Iris frowned. “Well, how was I supposed to know shape shifting wasn’t one of Superman’s abilities? It’s not something he was likely to advertise!”
He can adapt his body, make bits and pieces grow larger and smaller as need be?
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“Yeah, well, I know that now! Nobody knew it back then. He was a philanthropist, just like Wayne.
But Bruce Wayne could also be a crime boss. Just like Bill Church!
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“Wait, Iris,” Barry said, leaning up against a wall as his knees gave out on him. “Are you saying that you’re really Lois Lane?”
Yep. She’s totally cuckoo.
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“If you like.” She shrugged. “A name is merely a label that can be peeled away. What matters is the person underneath.”
CANON LOIS: See! What I’m saying all the time! CANON CLARK:
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About three years later, he was adopted by Bruce Wayne after Jason Trask and Bureau 39 killed the ‘Flying Graysons’ family thinking the whole bunch of them were aliens.
TRASK: In my defense, they were *flying*!
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So, he created a new super identity and a fresh start in Central City as the Flash.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” he asked.
Wait. What? No way!
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Iris looked up into the starry night again. “Aren’t you tired of running, Barry?” she asked, taking his tool kit out of his hand and setting it on the ground. “I am.”
See! No way! BARRY: Good thing is, I can run away very fast!
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“The costumes keep getting in the way.”
“Uniforms,” he corrected as she pressed her lips to his, taking away his breath.
No way!
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“Finally,” she murmured, running her fingers through a passing cloud.
I think you just re-invented Soul Mates! HGWells: I claim copyright infringement!
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“What took you so long to find me, Lois?” Clark asked.
“I had a few hiccups along the way,” Lois murmured, kissing down his cheek to his lips again. “I should have realized sooner that you’d never have chosen the color green. Oh, and if you bump into Green Arrow, Green Lantern, or Martian Manhunter, apologize again for me.”
But I bet her martial arts and her vocal skills came in handy as Black Canary. But let’s see, that’s six different superheroes, at least. She sure is the ultimate Super Groupie!
Michael
Originally Posted by Terry Leatherwood
My head hurts. It just seems as if Lois/Iris/Vicki has crammed a whole lot of living into her less-than-thirty-closer-to-twenty-five years. She was twenty-six when L&C started. And what about Lucy? Was one of them adopted? Maybe that's part of the reason Lois/Iris/Vicki was always so mature.
I wonder if maybe they both also did some time travel?
Join us on the #loisclark Discord server! We talk about fanfic, our favorite show, life, and more! (It’s almost like the IRC days of old again!)
Wow, yeah that was kinda confusing but really interesting. I didn't think at first you'll go this far with superheroes and secret identities! But that was excellent. I only understood the characters were not from the current flash when Iris told she made herself look like a blonde.
That must have been really tricky to write, so congrats because even if it was a bit hard to keep up, it made sense in the end and you proposed an interesting twist by suggesting only one man was behind all these superheroes/secret identities.
Wow, thank you all for all the wonderful feedback!
Lynn: Yes, sorry about the headache. I meant to include a warning for my story. My apologies. I'm glad you enjoyed this confusing story about re-inventing oneself numerous times.
Terry: Thank you for reading. Sorry about the headache. The convolution of the theory was Clark's saving grace. Who, other than Lois, would believe such a crazy story?!
Originally Posted by Terry
It just seems as if Lois/Iris/Vicki has crammed a whole lot of living into her less-than-thirty-closer-to-twenty-five years. She was twenty-six when L&C started. And what about Lucy? Was one of them adopted? Maybe that's part of the reason Lois/Iris/Vicki was always so mature.
In this story, the woman is now closer to 30 than 25 (which is what the man assumed her age was, or as she had implied it was). Ten years earlier, Lois went undercover as Vicki when she was 20ish. (Perhaps she heard that Batman was partial to blondes.) Then, she returned to Metropolis where she became the famous Lois Lane (her true self). She met Clark when she was 26 (per canon), but then he left town after a year, disillusioned with her (since she seemed so willing to marry Lex). When she realized her mistake, she hunted him down, knowing that Superman couldn't be dead if Clark was still alive. So, it took her 3 years before she finally tracked him down in Central City. Lucy is Lucy and doesn't play into Lois's romantic life with any of these men.
I hope that clarifies things. Perhaps I made an error with my dates, but thinking about such things was making my eyes cross so I failed whenever I tried to double check them. I'll do so again before sending it in to the archives.
HappyGirl: So glad you're back on the boards. Sad it's because of your sick family. Hope they are better soon. Thank you for reading my confusing story. I'm glad you enjoyed my "uniforms" joke. I can't see Clark ever seeing his outfit as a "costume".
Michael: My, that's a lot of comments! I'll have to respond in a separate reply.
Annalina19: Thanks for reading. Sorry about confusing you. No, the characters may have the same names as the current Flash show and this story was inspired by my new-found addiction to that show, but it's not actually based on those characters (and their backstories). Actually, Vicki is blonde and Iris has auburn hair in this story.
Originally Posted by Annalina19
That must have been really tricky to write, so congrats because even if it was a bit hard to keep up, it made sense in the end and you proposed an interesting twist by suggesting only one man was behind all these superheroes/secret identities.
I was going to add in the Arrow or Green Lantern in Clark's disguise repertoire but it was getting bad enough already with him as Robin, Batman, Superman, and Flash. That's why I had Lois accidentally assume those green men were the man she was looking for before she found the real one (hence Clark's need to apologize to them AGAIN for Lois's actions).
Marcus: Thanks! I'm glad it worked.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
Yep. This is my Epic squeezed into a one-parter. Take your Tylonal first.
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Looky there! I see you’ve started Netflixing The Flash.
That I have. It's what has distracted me from WC... well, it and Gotham.
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LOIS: What’s this with another female investigative reporter and another STAR Labs. Something’s fishy!
It's almost as bad as stealing all the characters from another superhero's life and using them for your show. Oh, wait. That one won't be on Netflix for another year.
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Where are you in the season?
My kids have insisted on watching The Flash with me, so we're somewhere between 8-10 episodes into S1. Flash just lost his powers and got them back again and Iris is starting to channel her inner Lois Lane while drooling over the Flash.
Originally Posted by Michael
Originally Posted by CT
“Iris, you know that Superman’s dead.”
/EW did WHAT?!/
Originally Posted by Michael
Originally Posted by CT
I wonder how Lex Luthor would’ve faired flying thousands of miles in space to tackle a meteor the size of Metropolis.”
ER: /Guesses as well as that bug in MIB/
Yep. About like that.
Originally Posted by ER
Originally Posted by CT
“Iris,” he said sternly. “The Flash…” He paused before amending his statement. “Superman isn’t the Flash.”
ER: /thinks the whole premise of this theory is hilarious/
Um... okay.
Originally Posted by Michael
Originally Posted by CT
“Batman wasn’t Superman either, I suppose?” Iris retorted.
ER: /realizes that EW did actually go THERE/ BATMAN: /Iris has lost her brains/
Well, technically, she was right... about her Batman not being the real one.
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She’s a reporter and those are just facts, not pictures?
It's part of her disguise. As Iris, she shouldn't recall the exact name of the Prometheus. Barry... er... Clark would know the exact name.
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Wait, what’s the name of that super hero who got his powers from an atomic blast.
Was that Atom? Or Captain Atom?
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Aside from that, we have Batman and Vicki Vale, Superman and Lois Lane, and The Flash and Iris West. It sure is a pattern of trying to score with the hot reporter in town. Must be the same dude!
That was my theory.
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Yes. Not even a shadow of a body!
Details. Details.
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A giant bat flying around between the twisted towers of a radioactive wasteland?
JOKER: We just call it 'home'.
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If he’s superfast? Plus, it helps with keeping a honey in every city. Imagine if they found out they’re all dating the same guy!
Why it's good that he can fly too.
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So, you’re not going with the dark-skinned Wests?
Nope. Vicki was blonde. Iris has auburn hair in this story.
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IRIS: No, I went by Ororo Munroe.
Wrong league.
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Good skin care? Regular exercise?
Robins?
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ER: /Likes my reference to the Black Knight films/
I much prefer Gotham and the original (Michael Keaton) versions.
Originally Posted by Michael
Originally Posted by CT
My Batman had more sense than to run around with a skank like that.
Rrrrrrrright.
What Cat Grant could never have been a cat burglar on the side?
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You mean, like Harvey Dent and Two Face?
I don't think that Harvey can continue being Harvey after he becomes Two Face, can he?
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No, sounds to me like he’s a bit of a…well…if the name fits
Confused young orphan? Strange. His name isn't Cyo.
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By his smile….Oh, right. Duh!
She does mention getting her Batman to smile (another reason she knew he couldn't be the real one.)
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Well…duh! But she does sound like maybe she needs a date with Maxwell.
She's trying to have less dates with psychos, but it's a fine line to walk on when searching for one's soul mate.
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But Lex is *ooooold*!
Maybe he wasn't in this universe.
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See! /points to above note/
Great minds walk in the same gutter.
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He can adapt his body, make bits and pieces grow larger and smaller as need be?
She was talking about his face.
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But Bruce Wayne could also be a crime boss. Just like Bill Church!
Explains his adoption of a young circus performer.
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Yep. She’s totally cuckoo.
Barry reads superhero girlfriend checklist, makes a check mark next to "cuckoo".
Originally Posted by Michael
Originally Posted by CT
“If you like.” She shrugged. “A name is merely a label that can be peeled away. What matters is the person underneath.”
CANON LOIS: See! What I’m saying all the time! CANON CLARK: /help/
I'm guessing she's still mad that he didn't tell her.
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TRASK: In my defense, they were *flying*!
Exactly! Well, at least one of them was. Kind of. Hovering for a long time.
Originally Posted by Michael
Originally Posted by CT
So, he created a new super identity and a fresh start in Central City as the Flash.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” he asked.
Wait. What? No way! /help/
What? Iris/Lois/Vicki couldn't be right?
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See! No way! BARRY: Good thing is, I can run away very fast!
But she doesn't want him to run. She wants him to fly.
Originally Posted by Michael
Originally Posted by CT
“The costumes keep getting in the way.”
“Uniforms,” he corrected as she pressed her lips to his, taking away his breath.
No way! /shock/
Yep. She's THAT good.
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I think you just re-invented Soul Mates!
But technically, Batman (#2) and Superman didn't actually die.
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HGWells: I claim copyright infringement!
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But I bet her martial arts and her vocal skills came in handy as Black Canary.
No, she didn't go that way.
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But let’s see, that’s six different superheroes, at least. She sure is the ultimate Super Groupie!
You did see Lois on Smallville, right? I think she dated the entire League before settling on Clark.
Originally Posted by Michael
Originally Posted by Terry Leatherwood
My head hurts. It just seems as if Lois/Iris/Vicki has crammed a whole lot of living into her less-than-thirty-closer-to-twenty-five years. She was twenty-six when L&C started. And what about Lucy? Was one of them adopted? Maybe that's part of the reason Lois/Iris/Vicki was always so mature.
I wonder if maybe they both also did some time travel?
Only to another dimension where Clark's folks died when he was ten. So, an alt-alt-dimension. Well, actually, they were born there, so no real travel involved.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Last edited by VirginiaR; 11/02/1502:07 AM. Reason: typo
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
That was awesome! Brain-bending, but awesome! Mad respect for however you were able to keep all those thoughts straight in your head while writing it.
Fantastic theory. I kinda wish there was more of it... like did Barry/Clark/Dick know that Lois was Lois the whole time? Why did he run from her in the first place? How did she track him down again? And exactly what did she do with the Martain Manhunter et al? Crazy! I'm all in on this Super-conspiracy! Wonderful job!
(This is my brain on your story: And I thank you for that.)
Nothing spoils a good story like the arrival of an eye witness. --Mark Twain
That was awesome! Brain-bending, but awesome! Mad respect for however you were able to keep all those thoughts straight in your head while writing it.
Just don't ask me what I did two days ago in RL. Those kind of details aren't important enough for my brain to keep track of.
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Fantastic theory. I kinda wish there was more of it... like did Barry/Clark/Dick know that Lois was Lois the whole time?
Dick / Clark (OMG! That's why that man never aged! ) thought Vicki was Vicki until she disappeared from Gotham and then went to track her down. He discovered that she was Lois Lane, hence his move to Metropolis (as Clark Kent).
Clark knew (or thought he knew) that Vicki and Lois were the same person. He thought he was moving on with Iris until she admitted that she was Vicki (and then also Lois). So, he didn't know it was Lois in disguise until she made him see her (being that she's the master of disguise and all. )
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Why did he run from her in the first place?
After she became engaged to Luthor, he lost hope and left town (he's good at running away). Anyway, he had already 'killed' off Superman, but still wanted to help people so he wanted to make a clean break from Metropolis. This time Lois had to track him down... after a few mistakes (i.e. those green superheros) she finally realized he was Flash and then had to find his alter ego.
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How did she track him down again?
With lots of trial and error.
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And exactly what did she do with the Martain Manhunter et al?
Let's just say, I'll leave that up to your imagination. I doubt any of them are stupid enough to admit the truth within Superman's hearing range.
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I'm all in on this Super-conspiracy! Wonderful job!
(This is my brain on your story: jump And I thank you for that.)
You're welcome. I'm glad you got a kick out of this mind-bending story.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
Well done! I really admire the extreme creativity it took to #1--come up with this story...and #2--write it, keeping up with all the twists and turns. Awesome job!
I have a bit of a headache, but I gotta confess--it was there prior to reading (up to my usual late hour last night, then couldn't get to sleep...then, of course, my luck, a crazy-busy morning ensues ). But--even while being a bit in a self-induced mind-fog, I was still able to follow along, really enjoy where you took us, and love the ending. Great job!!!
Laura (who thinks your daughter did a super job editing )
Laura: Thanks for taking a ride on my short story roller coaster!
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I have a bit of a headache, but I gotta confess--it was there prior to reading (up to my usual late hour last night, then couldn't get to sleep...then, of course, my luck, a crazy-busy morning ensues wink ).
Yea! A headache not induced by my story. But I'm sure it didn't help it any. I hope you're feeling better today. Both my husband and I had post-Halloween headaches too. Perhaps it had something to do with 2 kids bouncing off the walls with sugar highs for two days.
I'll let my daughter know that you thought she did a good job. She'll be thrilled! She loved that I asked her to correct my writing for a change (instead of vice versa).
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
You did see Lois on Smallville, right? I think she dated the entire League before settling on Clark.
I think Lois skipped the Flash and Black Canary, didn't she? And Smallville kind of skipped Wonder Woman, too. :p
Well, technically, Lois BECAME Wonder Woman for one part. Flash was there (once or twice), but it was so long ago I can't recall it clearly. Maybe Lois didn't date him because he was even younger than Clark.
Thank you for reading.
Last edited by VirginiaR; 11/28/1507:28 PM. Reason: Too many quote marks
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
What a fun fic! Tell your daughter she did a great beta job!
I suspected from the start that Iris and Barry were Lois and Clark. Although, I did wonder mid-way through if Barry was the lookalike from the talent agency in TOGoM. (Hey, with Superman "dead" there wouldn't be much need for a lookalike.)
I love the whole long convoluted string of identities/hero identities that Clark's blown through. Very creative!
Battle On, Deadly Chakram
"Being with you is stronger than me alone." ~ Clark Kent
"One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation." ~ Figment the Dragon
Twisty story! Amazing that your daughter could follow along well enough to give you a good beta review - props to her! I had to read it twice, but the logic is definitely there. I love conspiracy theories.
You can find my stories as Groobie on the nfic archives and Susan Young on the gfic archives. In other words, you know me as Groobie.
Deadly Chakram: I'll be sure to tell my daughter that she's earning fans for her beta-work. I'm glad you found my dizzifying story fun.
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I suspected from the start that Iris and Barry were Lois and Clark.
I did wonder if I needed to post it in the Superman in Other Canon fanfic section due to bringing in so many other DC characters, but the heart of the main characters was firmly lodged in LnC canon.
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Although, I did wonder mid-way through if Barry was the lookalike from the talent agency in TOGoM. (Hey, with Superman "dead" there wouldn't be much need for a lookalike.)
What a great twist! Sometimes, though, the biggest twist is the lack-thereof.
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I love the whole long convoluted string of identities/hero identities that Clark's blown through. Very creative!
Thank you!
groobie: Thanks for reading!
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Twisty story! Amazing that your daughter could follow along well enough to give you a good beta review - props to her!
Truth be told, since she hasn't seen the show since I first started writing Missing Lois (can't count back that many years this late at night), she did get lost in many places. What I loved best from her beta was her comments: "Is superman dead ?!?", "Iris saw Superman?" (apparently, she forgot TV exists in stories. ), "Who’s Nightfall?", and "Iris dated Lex Luthor!?!" In the end, I had to sit her down and explain what happened on the show and then what was going on in my story before I saw the light come on. For a 10 y.o., though, she had some great beta notes, "You don't need this" and "I had to read this twice to understand this." I may have to call upon her services again... the next time I write PG.
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I had to read it twice, but the logic is definitely there. I love conspiracy theories.
Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction and that's what makes a good conspiracy theory.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
Shallowford: Thanks. I figured Lois wouldn't give up until she had this puzzle solved.
VirginiaR. "On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling" --- "clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.