A-ha! I knew it. Clark really is a Kryptonian. And he really would make his very first appearance as Superman when he turned up to save Lois and the Prometheus.
I've said it before, but I absolutely love the way you make us feel that just because a person has amazing powers, it's certainly not self-evident that he or she would easily understand how to use them:
A bomb! It wouldn’t hurt her – probably. She’d never actually tested that out. Did ‘invulnerable’ really include things like bombs? She’d been in some… mildly dangerous situations during her time with the Planet, but she’d never encountered a bomb before. How did she stop it?
Could she… crush it? Right there on the wall? Or remove it and throw it… where? The shuttle’s windows didn’t open, did they? There were no windows in here, anyway. She doubted she could pull it off the wall and make it to a window before the thing detonated. Even assuming the windows on a shuttle actually opened.
Why hadn’t she studied bombs? Well, it was too late to worry about that now. How much time did she – they - have? Enough time to call the police? Or would that take too long? Somehow, she had to raise the alarm…
I can so easily sympathize with Lois's frozen indecision. What *do* you do when you find that a bomb is a few feet from your face, inside a space shuttle full of people? I've always taken it for granted that Clark would more or less understand what he would have to do whenever he faced critical situations. I've taken it for granted because he always seemed to know what to do in the comics, and he ususally seemed to know what to do in LNC:TNAOS. Thank you for showing us the blood-curdling horror of suddenly finding yourself obliged to use your super-powers to stop an unspeakable catastrophe, but you don't know how to do it.
Then a hero in red and blue appears on the scene:
Suddenly, the emergency door to her right was wrenched open with enough force to almost tear it from its hinges. In the opening was possibly the most incredible sight she’d ever seen – a man, *hovering*, apparently unsupported, outside the craft. A man… dressed in a brilliant blue, form fitting suit, and a… a red cape. And red boots. His arms were crossed almost regally across his chest. Her gaze traveled to his face, then back to his… attire.
She noted in a detached way that he was devastatingly good-looking – that made two gorgeous men within the last month - but what absolutely flabbergasted her was the fact that he even existed. He was… The costume he was wearing – it had to be a costume, right? It was certainly distracting, but… He could… How could there be someone *else* who could do the things she could do?
I loved Lois's awe at seeing this flying man, but at the same time, I was a little disappointed that she didn't recognize him as Clark. Somehow, I thought she would. The main reason why canon Lois can't see that Superman is Clark Kent is because she so utterly dismisses Clark Kent, at least initially. He is so totally unimpressive to her that he just *can't* be Superman. But this Lois doesn't regard Clark Kent with contempt. On the contrary, he is a very important person to her. I thought she would recognize him.
(Somehow Lois and Clark reminds me of the story of Sleeping Beauty, where the entire court falls asleep in sympathy when Sleeping Beauty pricks her finger on the distaff. Similarly, in Lois and Clark, *everybody* fails to see that Clark Kent is Superman, and you get the feeling that this "selective blindness" that affects everybody somehow emanates from Lois Lane.)
But if Lois doesn't recognize Clark's face, she sure recognizes things about his costume:
And the colors he wore – they were brilliant, vibrant hues, yes, but… they were *her* colors… She backed away from him as he stepped into the ship and moved toward her. And… without his arms across his chest, she could see that he was… He was wearing the ‘S’… *Her* ‘S’. The ‘S’ Mama had saved with the things from her ship.
This man's costume is so much like her own, the one she's never used yet. His powers are much the same as hers, his costume is much the same as hers. What a totally amazing discovery.
And then the bomb threat becomes foremost in her mind again, but the flying wonder deals with it:
She watched in amazement as he glanced around, then… *swallowed* it. As she stood there gaping, once again rendered absolutely speechless, there was a muffled explosion.
And then he burped.
“Excuse me,” he said softly.
He.
Had.
*Swallowed* the bomb.
It would never… *had* never… *ever* occurred to her that she could… stomach a bomb
It had never occurred to her that she could *stomach* a bomb. This is simply wonderful.
Lois isn't quite sure she isn't imagining things, so she reaches out to touch the miraculous man:
She tentatively reached out and touched his arm. And felt the familiar electric sensation.
And the pieces fell into place.
Still, she couldn’t stop staring at him – he looked so… *different*. Her voice was a mere whisper. “Clark?”
This is wonderful. Completely, simply wonderful. Lois couldn't *see* that the man with the 'S' shield was Clark Kent, but when she touched him, she could *feel* it. What is this incredible connection that they have got?
Then Mad Dog Lane takes over and takes charge. She organizes things, deals with officials and bureaucrats and names Clark Superman.
And she starts comparing herself with Clark, now that she knows they are the same in many ways:
Maybe he was actually stronger than her. It was possible. After all, what about the classic physical differences in strength between men and women? And there might be some things she was better at than him. Or… Were there no differences at all in their abilities?
And she remembers that horrible fire, where she blamed herself for not saving the victims:
His voice echoed in her mind. <Lois, I covered that fire this morning.>
How had he been there to cover that fire? Had he heard the sirens? Gone, like her, to see if he could help?
<There was nothing *anyone* could have done to help.> Not even her – or him.
So had *he* been there, too? And had he failed to help the victims just like her?
Was that why he was an investigative reporter? For the times he couldn’t help someone? To right wrongs he couldn’t fix by sheer strength or speed?
Her partner - Clark – was the same as her.
Lois and Clark are both fighting the dragons, with their powers and with their reporter's skills.
And what will it mean that Clark is the same as her?
She felt a lightness she normally only got from flying. At last, she could let herself… She could admit to herself how… *attracted* to him she was.
And if he was the same… he obviously understood the need for secrecy. If he was the same… she wouldn’t have to worry about whether or not she could actually… have a relationship with him. A… real relationship…
So lonely, lonely Lois could finally have a relationship with somebody. It's amazing how this chapter is so extremely similar to the LnC pilot, yet so completely, completely different.
I love the way you are using lines from the real LnC show, but now they mean something quite different:
As they descended the ramp, he glanced at her. “And don’t think you’ll get away with fooling me again. That’s the last time I believe you when you meekly give in during an argument.”
She gave him her best innocent look. “Why, Clark, I don’t know what you mean.”
He laughed. “*You* are high maintenance, Lois.”
She shot a cheeky grin at him. “But I’m worth it.”
And now, the million dollar question is, where is Lois and Clark's relationship going? And how soon is it going where Lois probably wants it to go?
She took a deep breath. “Clark?”
He looked over at her and smiled, and she felt the familiar tug of attraction. “I…” She stood up, and he immediately rose to his own feet. She could feel her heart start to pound. This was ridiculous! It was just Clark, her partner! Her friend.
But just maybe… Maybe something more?
“Lois? What is it? He was looking at her with warm concern, and she took courage from his expression.
“Clark, can you… Will you come over to my place tonight? I need to talk to you.”
“About the interview.” He spoke softly.
She hadn’t been thinking of the Superman interview at all. “Oh, well… Yes, I guess we need to hash that out too, don’t we? But I also need to… to tell you something –“
Lois certainly has a few things to tell Clark. For example, she hasn't told him about her own powers yet. Does he know about them already? Has he guessed?
Lois is still so vulnerable, so fragile. What if this Clark does something to break her heart?
Like Simona, I'm intrigued by the possibility that Lois might perhaps be Clark's birth-wife, Lady Zara. That might explain why she reacts so strongly when she touches him.
I'm so very much looking forward to the rest of this, Janet.
Ann
Their talk should be too interesting. 
And the prospect is promising. 
