... I Knew The Truth
Part 16
The newsroom had never been busier in the entire time Lois had been working there. It was as if someone had let a tornado loose to wrack havoc. Hardly anybody was sitting at their desks. Her fellow co-workers were scattered across the whole newsroom, some of them staring at the various TV screens that showed news reports from all over the world. Others were hastily chatting on the phone, either trying to confirm sightings of the superhero or simply to talk about the fantastic events of the previous night. Nobody seemed to care for Perry’s occasional bark as he was trying to call his reporters to order.
‘Superman’ was the name people whispered on the streets, looking up to the sky each time he was mentioned as if by some twist of fate he would magically appear. Where the name had come from exactly was anybody’s guess. Someone must have started it and everybody else had quickly adopted it until it seemed so natural that it would be literally impossible to introduce another.
On their flight back to Metropolis Clark had complained about how presumptuous it sounded. Lois found that it was just right. Truth be told, she was a little jealous that someone else had gotten to name the hero. By all means, that should have been her privilege. But seeing how happy Clark was to be finally able to help more than made up for this inconvenience.
After he had dropped Lois off at her apartment he had gone for another patrol, this time throughout Metropolis. During a quick breakfast and her ride to the Daily Planet, Lois had heard several reports about Superman on the radio. Clark was still busy when Lois entered the newsroom, or maybe he was waiting if the people he knew would guess he was the superhero. Judging from the fact that no one seemed to notice Clark’s absence, Lois hoped that nobody had drawn the connection.
“All right, kids. Conference room. Staff meeting in five,” Perry yelled above the newsroom, this time loud enough for everyone to flinch.
For a brief moment, the constant buzz of the various conversations died down and several pairs of eyes turned towards their editor-in-chief.
“Great shades of Elvis! Don’t look at me like I’ve grown a second head,” he barked. “We’ve still got a newspaper to print. No time for idle chit-chat.” Storming back into his office, he closed the door with a loud thud behind him.
Taking the hint, the various groups quickly dissolved and people rushed back to their desks. Lois went to drape her coat over her chair and started to gather her notes on past stories, just like all the others. Nobody dared to incur Perry’s wrath, because that could very well be the last thing you did in your working life as a reporter.
The five minutes passed quickly and soon Lois and her colleagues were sitting in the conference room. Clark slipped in a moment after Perry entered the room and straightened his tie. Besides Lois, no one even looked at him, causing her to let out a small sigh of relief. All eyes rested on their editor-in-chief, eagerly waiting what he was going to say about the story of the century.
Perry was unfazed by the undivided attention everyone paid him. Quite the opposite, he thoroughly enjoyed it. His gaze wandered across the room in silence while the tension gradually became palpable. Lois felt herself shrink a little under his scrutiny and she was not the only one. There was a fine sheen of sweat on every forehead Lois could see in her immediate vicinity. Perry’s eyes conveyed an unspoken accusation, demanding why there was no even a single article on the previous night’s events.
Leaving his reporters dangling for a while, Perry finally harrumphed. “Good morning everyone,” he said with a false smile. A chorus of ‘Good morning’ resounded, causing Perry’s smile to crumble. His brows narrowed. “Well, I don’t think this is a good morning,” he told them off. “Personally, I wonder why there even is anyone here to hold this conference with after the biggest story ever literally dropped into our laps.” He cast another intense look across his reporters, causing them to shrink even more. “Granted, we’re not LNN, we can’t broadcast events as they happen. But did you happen to read what the sign on the front door says, when you entered the building this morning? We’re called the ‘Daily Planet’ - not the ‘Weekly Planet’,” he barked.
Jumping up from his chair he started to pace through the conference room, eying each and every reporter on his way. “What I mean is – go out there and get me some stories on this ‘Superman’. What did he do? Where did he come from? How long has he been here? What’s his agenda? Can he actually fly or is this just some elaborate trick? I want pictures, quotes… There’s got to be more for this evening’s edition than this…” He held up the morning edition. The front page article had obviously been switched at the last possible moment. Now it consisted of a blurred picture that might have shown anything between the superhero and a plane and a small article underneath the headline ‘Mysterious flying man aides with landslide’.
Perry took a deep breath, clearly heading for the climax of his speech. “Think. What could draw him out? Use your instincts. Beat the bushes. Turn the stones. Get me Superman!”
* * *
* * * Flashback * * *
Lois looked at her watch, finding that it was already past time to call it a day. She had worked on the Messenger story, sorting her notes and thinking about how she was going to approach the investigation. Clark had helped her, but after Cat had dropped the bomb their conversation had been reduced to a minimum.
She was just wondering how to come clean with Clark without needing to grovel, when her telephone rang.
"Lois Lane, Daily Planet," she said.
"Hi Lois," Mitchell replied, sounding miserable. "I'm terribly sorry, but I have to cancel our date. I have a bad cold." He sneezed as if to prove his point. "I hope you're not mad at me."
Lois rolled her eyes. Just when she had thought that the day could not get any worse. "No, Mitchell, I'm not mad," she said into the phone.
"It's just that I think I should better stay in bed," he elaborated.
Lois sighed quietly, thinking that Mitchell did not sound as if he had a stuffy nose. "If you've got the sniffles, you've got the sniffles."
"After all it is better to be safe than sorry. You know how it is - you start out thinking it is just a cold ..." he went on.
"Yes, that could lead to complications," Lois interrupted him with all the patience she could muster.
"I'll call you as soon as I'm feeling better," he promised eagerly.
"No, don't call me. I'll call you," Lois replied sweetly only to slam down the phone. Mitchell, the hypochondriac, his was only one more name that she could wipe off her list. Honestly, it had not been all that unexpected. He had never been a serious candidate anyway. Still, it stung to be stood up because of a mere cold, if he even had one that was.
Snorting in disgust, Lois would have liked to simply forget about Mitchell. He was not worth wasting another thought on. Only, this had not been just any date. He was supposed to have been her escort to the White Orchid Ball. Of course, she could go alone. Why would a woman need an escort anyway? Wasn't that awfully outdated? Still, she could not help but feel like a failure, if she went alone, announcing to the whole world that she was not even able to find a date for one evening.
Looking around, Lois spotted Clark, who was still sitting at his desk. He had been watching her, but now quickly averted his eyes. Everyone else had already left the newsroom, returning home to their families or empty apartments, respectively. After today, Clark was probably the last person she should ask. But there was nobody else left, and truth to be told, she wouldn't know who else she could ask if the bullpen was still crowded. Why did she keep driving people away?
Sighing inwardly, Lois got up from her chair and walked over to Clark.
"I don't suppose you own a tuxedo?" she asked tentatively.
Clark looked up from his work, mildly curious. "I can get one," he said. "Why?"
"Oh," she did her best to sound casual instead of begging. "Well, the man I was going to Lex Luthor's ball with has the flu, and ..."
"Yes?" Clark prodded.
"... well, I was wondering if you'd like to ..." Lois hedged but then decided it was better to just spit it out. "Look, do you want to take his place or not?"
"I'd rather not," Clark said bluntly, focusing back on his work.
Lois could not believe her ears. "Are you crazy? This is the social event of the season. Everyone who's anyone will be there and you’re just lucky that I'm being stood up - and you don't want to go?" she started her usual rant, almost going into full Mad Dog Lane mode until she noticed his look. Pausing, she took a moment to think about what she had just said and felt a blush creep up on her cheeks. “Oh my gosh, I just did it again, didn’t I?” she muttered self-consciously.
“If you mean that you were treating me like a hick – then yeah, you did it again,” he replied sourly.
“I’m sorry, Clark. I know we didn’t start on the best of terms …” Lois backpedaled.
“That’s one way to put it,” he interrupted her curtly.
“When Jimmy introduced us and you told me that you were from Smallville, Kansas, how was I to know that you were already a seasoned reporter with a Kerth under your belt?” Lois desperately tried to explain herself, completely failing to keep the contempt from her voice as she mentioned the town.
“Snob,” Clark muttered and turned his attention back to clearing his desk.
“Come again?” Lois asked, taken aback.
“I said you’re a snob, Lois.” Clark repeated unfazed. “You didn’t even stop to read my work before you formed your opinion of me.”
“I already apologized,” Lois said, realizing with shock that she was fighting a losing battle. This was not what she had imagined asking him out would be like. “Look, like it or not … we’re partners now …”
“Oh, are we?” Clark threw in acerbically.
Lois bit her lip, feeling that she probably deserved this reaction. However, she pretended to ignore his remark. Why did she not just tell him to suit himself? She could very well go alone. Still, Lois heard herself continue. “… and Lex Luthor is a story. I …” she stopped herself, amending “we’re going to land Luthor’s first one-on-one interview if it kills me … eh … I mean us. And I will not walk into his party unescorted. This is …”
“Then find someone else, because I’m not going.” Clark cut her off, snatched his coat and started for the elevators.
“Clark, please …” Lois stepped in his way, flashing him a sweet smile. “This could be my only chance at getting this interview,” she all but begged. “I’ve been trying for months to get hold of Luthor. This could be another Kerth … a Pulitzer even. Of course, we would share the by-line,” she added as a peace offering.
“O… kay,” Clark said grudgingly.
Not quite able to believe she had actually won, Lois grinned. “Then, it’s a date. Meet me in front of LexTower. Nine,” she said gladly.
“Make no mistake, Lois. This is not a date – it’s business,” he snapped.
* * * End Flashback * * *
