Chapter 8
Intergang Headquarters

Mindy Church watched the surveillance footage from the Club of the Black Stars, her eyes narrowed in disdain. On the screen, she saw Lois Lane snapping photos of confidential documents before slipping into a closet, narrowly avoiding Carl Bowers and his men. Mindy clenched her fists, furious.

"What a bunch of idiots!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "Outsmarted by a journalist!"

Her anger surged as her sharp gaze fixed on the screen. Every failure from her subordinates only strengthened her resolve to take control herself.

"Once again, I’ll have to handle this myself!" she barked. "Find me some green Kryptonite, and do it quickly!" Then, with venom in her tone, she added, "I never want to hear Bowers’ name again. Make sure he spends the next 40 years in a high-security prison… if he survives that long."

A heavy silence filled the room, her henchmen nodding wordlessly, terrified by their boss’s icy tone. Mindy Church had proven time and again that incompetence would not be tolerated.

She rose from her leather chair and walked toward the large window of her office, overlooking the city of Metropolis stretched out below.

"Superman…" she murmured. "Soon, I’ll no longer be in the shadows. And you won’t be here to stop me."


---

Daily Planet - Conference Room

In the Daily Planet’s conference room, Lois and Clark had spread out all the photos Lois had taken at the Club of the Black Stars. Dozens of documents covered the large table: schematics, schedules, phone numbers, and most notably, reports on explosive materials.

Lois, focused, examined the documents in detail while Clark, standing beside her, scanned the information at super speed.

"Mindy Church is far more involved than we thought," Lois said, her face tense. "She’s not just running Intergang from behind the scenes. She’s planning something big."

Clark nodded, his brow furrowed.

"These explosives... They’re not here by chance. They’re preparing an attack."

Lois pointed to a series of numbers that matched dates and times.
"Look at this. These are appointments, likely to coordinate operations. These dates are in the coming days."

Clark quickly analyzed the data.
"It matches several major public events in Metropolis. An attack could be imminent."

Lois crossed her arms, determination flashing in her eyes.
"We need to stop this before anyone gets hurt. We need to expose Mindy and prevent her from executing her plan."

Just then, Perry entered the room, closing the door behind him.
"Great job last night, Lois. You stole the show."

Lois blushed slightly at the compliment.
"No, Perry, you’re exaggerating!"

Clark, with a mischievous smile, added:
"I have to agree with Perry. You were by far the most beautiful, the most fabulous, and the most stunning person in the club."

Perry chuckled, amused by the couple’s chemistry, but quickly turned serious.
"That aside, I need an article to counter the slander against Superman. Have you decided what I should print?"

Clark turned to the computer, typed at super speed, and handed Perry a printed article.
"Here’s what we’ve prepared."

Perry, momentarily stunned by Clark’s quick typing, grabbed the paper and said,
"Now I see why I never have deadline issues with you."

Lois and Clark shared a laugh.


---

Is Superman Still a Symbol of Morality?
By Clark Kent

In recent days, numerous reports have questioned the morality of our local superhero. Has Superman, who has always embodied integrity and justice, become just another flawed individual?

Two days ago, an Associated Press (AP) distress call reported a young woman trapped in a well in Johnston. As usual, Superman responded. However, upon arrival, he found no victim in need. Instead, he was ambushed by a room full of scantily clad women who threw themselves at him. Though he quickly escaped, compromising photographs taken out of context were released without his knowledge, exposing the trap. AP later confirmed the distress call was fabricated via a system hack.

Yesterday morning, another distress call led Superman to the Metropolis Bridge, where a similar scene awaited. Once again, women put themselves in danger to gain his attention. During this distraction, a family tragically lost their lives. Explosives were later found at the scene, evidence of a carefully planned attack. The Metropolis Police Department has launched an investigation to identify those behind this heinous crime.

Deeply affected by these events, Superman expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing those responsible. Addressing the rumors about his morality, he stated:
"I place human life above all else. I would never allow lives to be endangered by my actions or inactions. My role as a symbol demands a high level of morality, and I strive every day to uphold the trust you place in me."

Superman continues to fight not only crime and injustice but also attacks on his reputation. Yet, he remains steadfast in his mission: protecting the citizens of Metropolis, even at the cost of his own image.

The Daily Planet invites anyone with information to help uncover the truth about Superman’s character.


---

Perry nodded in approval.
"A factual article that leaves room for public input… another excellent piece. Lois, you’re not co-signing this one?"

"No, Perry, you said it yourself—I shouldn’t overprotect Superman. Clark is paradoxically better suited for this."

"Fair enough," Perry agreed. "Now, what do we have from all the material Lois collected last night?"

Clark spoke up:
"We’ve found dates linked to event schedules and orders for explosive materials. We believe they’re planning an attack on an upcoming public event. It could be either the upcoming waterfront carnival or the flower parade. Their aim seems to be destroying what makes Metropolis a city of light."

Perry, visibly troubled by the gravity of the revelations, nodded solemnly.
"If what you’re saying is true, we need to involve the authorities immediately. We can’t take this kind of risk lightly."

Clark nodded in agreement.
"That was our next step. Once we’ve gathered all the evidence, we’ll take it to Henderson," Lois confirmed.

"But we’ll need to stay cautious. If they’re really planning to target a public event, they could strike anywhere at any time. The waterfront carnival and the flower parade are the most likely targets. It fits their previous pattern of attacking symbolic locations to instill fear in Metropolis," Clark added.

Lois straightened, standing beside Clark.
"Intergang is trying to destroy everything that represents life and joy in Metropolis. By targeting these events, they want to break the city’s spirit. We need to stop them before that happens."

Perry sighed deeply, taking a moment to process everything.
"Alright. Keep working on this, but be careful."

As he headed for the door, Perry turned back one last time.
"Be quick. And remember: Metropolis is counting on you."

Lois and Clark dove back into their work, but Clark quickly paused, alerted by a cry for help.

"Oh no, don’t tell me it’s more women in distress?" Lois quipped.

"No, don’t worry—it’s just a highway accident. I’ll be back soon," Clark said, kissing her before loosening his tie and heading out.