You're the Devil in Disguise
CalliopeWayne
Summary:
Perry White stumbles on Clark Kent in the storage room and assumes the worst.
Notes:
Takes place during the Pilot. In this AU Jimmy Olsen is Jack's kid brother. I might change it down the line, but for now I like Jimmy being younger like in TASS.
“Okay, sorry about the late hour folks,” Perry entered the conference room. “There just doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day. “Where are Lois and Jack?” Perry asked, looking each of his reporters in the eye.
Lombard snored by the window. Ron Troupe twiddled his thumbs, routinely fiddling with his tie, which was askew. Cat ignored them all, playing games on her iPhone. Angela Chen stirred a fresh mug of coffee, glaring reproachfully at Clark Kent. Clark lounged on the farthest side of the table with his feet propped on the table, expertly flicking rubber bands into the trashcan across the room. Perry raised an eyebrow as his newest recruit shot a third and fourth rubber band into the trashcan without missing a shot; a trashcan that was twenty feet away easily.
“Clark?” Perry frowned at him.
Clark immediately straightened and kicked over Angela’s mug. “Not again,” Angela whined. “Clark, I swear you should come with a warning label.”
“I assumed they’d be here,” Clark said in a rush.
“Did Lois say where she was going?” Ron asked.
“She never tells me anything,” Clark said. “How should I know?”
"She's your call girl,” Cat said. “You should know where she is.”
“It was one date,” Clark protested. “And she slammed the door in my face. Trust me that ship has sailed."
"Sailed to the Tunnel of Love," a devious smile cut across her face, and she brushed her blonde hair behind her ear. "When you get bored with Lois, you can fly into my bed, Smallville."
"Are you implying what I think you're implying?" Clark's voice rose an alcove higher, paling. "You couldn't be farther from the truth."
Ron ignored them and started taking notes furiously.
“Trouble in paradise?” Cat quirked up one eyebrow suggestively. “Did you dump soy sauce in her lap?”
Clark visibly relaxed. “How do you know we went out for Chinese food?” Clark bit his lip nervously. “I didn’t even tell Lois where we were going.”
“I have eyes and ears everywhere,” Cat smirked. “Nothing happens without me knowing. You should be more careful if you want to keep it secret.”
“Alright, settle down,” Perry restrained an eye roll. He was going to have a long talk with Lois about proper etiquette in the newsroom. Losing your clothes was no excuse to miss a meeting. “We can just start without them,” Perry sat at the head of the table and looked into the trashcan. He counted ten rubber bands. If Clark’s career tanked, he could fall back on basketball. Lois would love that.
“Okay, now,” he eased into the comfortable chair, reserved for the editor. “The piece on the recent sex change in the royal family, he said. “Now, I kinda have mixed feelings about this . . .”
Clark stood without warning and headed for the exit. “I Kent . . .” Perry frowned. “Meetings not over, son.”
Clark bounced on the balls of his feet, restless. It almost looked like he was floating. In the dimly lit room with his unusually windswept black hair, Perry noted there was something familiar about that silhouette. The seed of an idea was planted. But it was silly. Clark wouldn’t be caught dead in that clown suit. Though, if you squinted The Flying Man sometimes looked like Elvis. And Clark looked nothing like the King.
“It’s not like Lois or Jack to miss a staff meeting,” Clark said. “I thought I’d go call around if that’s okay?” he stumbled over his words with a nervous stutter. Why did it feel like he was being lied to?
“Hell of a way to run a railroad,” he looked down at his notes and then back at the door. Clark was no longer there. Outside the conference room, a storm of papers scattered about; poor Jimmy fell backward as if a strong wind had blown him over.
“Alright, let’s see where was I, oh yeah?” Perry shifted gears. “Cat how goes the human interest piece on The Flying Man?”
If anyone could find dirt on the guy it was Cat. Lois was too close to the story to see objectively. Only four days since he made his big debut saving the Prometheus Space Shuttle and Lois had been saved by him three times. His reporter instincts told him there was something between those two. He had never seen Lois so smitten with a guy before, not even when she went on a date with Bruce Wayne. He couldn't believe Lois would choose Clark over the superhero. Maybe Cat had her wires crossed.
“Zippity squat,” Cat said. “He’s impossible to tail. I followed The Flying Man to a fire in Suicide Slums, by the time I got there the fire was already out.”
“Not acceptable,” Perry said. “We’re sitting on top of the story of the century here,” he said, growing impatient. “I want the name of this watchamecallit to go with the Daily Planet like bacon and eggs,” Perry said. “Franks and beans, death and taxes, politics and corruption,” he said. “I want the inside scoop on this guy,” he said. “Where does he sleep, does he have a family, a girlfriend . . . what does the ‘S’ stand for?”
Ron Troupe raised his hand like he was in class. “He’s faster than a jet plane,” Ron said. “His flight pattern might leave disturbances we could track.”
Genius. “Excellent. Ring up your contact at S.T.A.R labs. We’re going to nail this guy,” Perry said.
“But what about the royal family?” Angela asked.
“It’s just another Caitlyn Jenner,” Perry said. “They’d be tons more stories just like it. I want everybody on the Flying Man. And Cat?” Perry prompted. “I want you to tail Lois.”
“But she’s so . . . Lois.” Wherever Lois was the Flying Man was sure to follow.
There was a crash from next door. Angela swore. “Clark must have broken the door again.”
“He broke the door?” Perry asked.
“Yeah, his coat got caught in the revolving door,” Angela rolled his eyes. “And when he pulled it out, he took part of the door with him.”
And she didn’t think that was worth investigating? He would love to hear Kent’s excuse for the broken door. Silence fell and they all traded nervous smiles. “Nah,” Cat and Angela said at once. “He can’t even dress himself without Lois’ help,” Cat said. “And besides, Clark has shorter hair than the Flying Man,” Cat said with a dreamy smile. “Those curls do things to me.”
First day on the job he wore a flannel shirt and jean jacket. “Meeting dismissed.”
The reporters scurried out of the conference room. Perry walked past Jack Olsen’s desk. His kid brother, Jimmy was playing Pac-Man on his brother’s computer. “Olsen, this is not an arcade. Make yourself useful,” he told the teen. “Where is Clark?”
“He’s in the storage room,” Jimmy said. “Said something about calling Lois.”
“In the closet?” he said incredulously. “And you didn’t think that was odd?”
The kid shrugged. “He spends most of the day in there.”
“I bet he does,” Perry marched to the storage room and opened the door. “Kent?” he looked beyond the shelves and found Clark sitting by an open window, his shirt untucked. The dorky tie lay at his feet. But there was no sight of Lois.
“Oh, Kent, there you are,” he smiled at the young reporter. He sat there awkwardly, hands shoved in his pocket.
“Yes, sir,” Clark answered obediently.
“Jimmy told me you were in here,” Perry approached him and Clark’s hands flew to his shirt, eyes widening. He had put it on backward and his coat was wrinkled. Perry suppressed a chuckle, eyes twinkling as he saw unmistakable red panties hidden under Clark’s foot. Those probably belonged to Lois. He was positive if he investigated further he would find Lois Lane hiding behind one of the shelves. Good. He was rooting for Lois and Clark. This secrecy they insisted on was laughable. Everybody knew Clark Kent was in love with Lois Lane.
“Yes, sir,” Clark nodded.
“So,” Perry crossed his arms, viewing the young lad in a new light. “Did you make your call?”
“I was just about to, sir,” Clark said. Perry thought he heard a giggle and looked sideways, but it was just the wind blowing through the open window. Say, why was the window open? Everybody would hear them!
“So, are you looking for something?” Perry returned his gaze to Clark. A siren blared in the distance.
“No sir, not really.”
“Um . . .” he surveyed the cluttered shelf and boxes. There was a woman’s black pump on one of the boxes. He found the other shoe on the bottom shelf. He saw Lois wear a pair like that not too long ago.
“Well, I guess I better be getting back,” Perry said.
“Yes, sir,” Clark nodded.
“When are you coming—- out of the closet?” he asked.
Clark stood. “Soon, sir, very soon.”
Perry suppressed another chuckle. Should he mention his shirt was on backward? Honestly, how stupid did he think he was? It was insulting. He was happy for them, his little girl deserved all the happiness in the world. And Clark was such a catch. But they couldn’t have waited till they were at Clark’s apartment? He was surprised at Clark. He pegged him to be a more traditional man. The poor kid, Lois Lane had destroyed his innocence.
Perry nodded,took one last look at the glimmering black pump, and closed the closet.
