This is set at the end of the first season, during the episode Vatman. It may also expand to cover subsequent episodes as well. But I’d like to know what everyone else thinks before I do so. This is my first attempt writing fanfic. So critique away!
Edit: I hope the changes I made make the story flow better.
~=*_Part One_*=~
Superman marched up to Clark. They were inches away from each another. Lois tightened her grip on Clark’s arm, feeling intimidated. Superman raised his fist, but found his arm caught in mid air by Clark. Lois’s eyes widened as she saw Superman fail to yank his arm away. Superman stared at Clark, a slow smile breaking over his face as Clark lowered his arm. Lois stopped staring at Clark, and turned to Superman in puzzlement. Superman smiled at Lois. “I have to go now.” Lois gave him a weak half smile. Then he turned back to Clark. “I’ll be seeing *you* again.” The look on Clark’s face showed he was clearly looking forward to it. Superman turned back to Lois, who was still feeling dazed, and laughed, before jumping out the window.
Lois turned to Clark, bewildered. His answering look said he was just as befuddled as she was. “He was unbelievable.” Lois sat down, still overwhelmed. She turned to scrutinise Clark. “And *you*!” Clark turned from looking out the window. “You actually *faced* him! You *challenged* him!” Clark came over to Lois. “You must be out of your mind.”
Clark crouched down next to her. “Are you all right? Did he *hurt* you?”
“Not exactly. He *kissed* me.”
“*Superman* kissed you?”
“Listen, Clark. I’ve kissed Superman. I know what it feels like. I don’t know who just flew out that window, but I’ll tell you one thing: That was definitely *not* Superman.”
Clark sighed in agreement. Lois looked at Clark, curiously. “What?”
“You don’t seem surprised. Did you *know* there was some guy masquerading as Superman?”
“Yes...”
“And you didn’t *tell* me?”
“Well...”
“Clark!” Lois shot off the couch.
“I couldn’t tell you without *proof*. You would’ve thought I was *crazy*...”
“I still do. Why on *earth* did you grab his arm like that?”
“I don’t know! It was a reflex action.”
“You know how strong he is! He would’ve cheerfully beaten you to a pulp! What did you think you were *doing*?”
“*Stopping* him from hurting *you*!”
Lois flashed back to Clark grabbing the impostor’s arm. “How did you *do* that anyway? I mean, the guy might not be Superman, but he’s certainly close...”
“So you’re worried that I might’ve been hurt?”
Lois rolled her eyes. “Don’t change the subject. Tell me how you *did* that!”
“Uh...” Under Lois’s intense stare, Clark began to look panicky.
“Well?” Lois knew she’d seen that look before. Clark took a deep breath. He raked his fingers through his hair. Lois found a vague memory bubbling rapidly to the surface of her mind. She’d been looking at Clark through a blue veil, drinking in every nuance of his face, gradually moving closer until they were practically touching. Clark had been saying something about how he couldn’t take advantage of her like that. Lois’s pheromone influenced mind had been screaming “Yes you can! Yes you can!” at him. It was then that she’d noticed the similarity. Lois suddenly couldn’t take her eyes off him.
“Lois?” Lois realised that she had been staring at Clark. She slapped his face as hard as she could.
“And don’t pretend that hurt, *Superman*.” Clark sighed. And by the look on his face, no matter what she said, that slap *had* hurt him. Maybe not physical pain, but pain nonetheless. “Why didn’t you *tell* me?!”
“I didn’t tell *anyone*, Lois!”
“So... explain.” Lois sat down again.
“Lois, I have *hated* not being able to tell you this. I mean, you think it was easy for me sitting there watch you *swoon* over Superman, at the same time ignoring me?”
“That’s ridiculous! You *are* Superman!”
“No. Lois, Superman is what I can *do*. *Clark* is who I am. And the closer we’ve gotten, the more I wanted to explain this to you but, it just kept getting so complicated.”
“Well, you’ve obviously had more time to think about this than I have. So why don’t you answer one question for me: How can I ever *trust* you again?” Lois turned away from Clark.
“Glasses. Secret identity. Seemed like a good idea at the time.” Lois barely heard Clark before she heard the door slam. She whipped around. Clark was gone.
~=*_*=~
The next morning, Lois was at Clark’s desk, having spent hours on research before he arrived. Part of her had been afraid that Clark might not come at all. So she had breathed a sigh of relief when he showed. She had decided to act like it was business as usual. And thankfully Clark was going along.
“A clone?!”
“Yes! It’s so *obvious*. There’s no technology in the world that can produce a robot like that. We *know* that Superman doesn’t have a twin.” Lois gave Clark a pointed look, which Clark returned with a pained smile. “So, there’s only one possibility. Someone has *cloned* Superman. Made an exact genetic copy.”
“Well, how? They can’t do that yet. We’re not that advanced.”
“Maybe we are.” Lois picked up Clark’s phone and started dialling. “I was reading this article in the Metropolis Science Magazine...” Lois was interrupted by the operator. “Yes. I’d like the number for a Dr Fabian Leek.”
~=*_*=~
In the car on the way over to Dr Leek’s office, Lois was barely listening to Clark as he once again tried to explain himself. But at the last sentence she pricked up her ears. “And it was partly for your protection.”
“Don’t *patronise me*.”
“I’m not *patronising* you. If you knew, and somebody *found out* that you knew, you’d have been a target.”
“What do you think I am, *galactically stupid*?”
Clark pulled the car sharply into the parking space. “You are the *smartest* woman that I know. And I never wanted to hurt you in any way. Now, if what I did was wrong, then I apologise. But I can’t change what I’ve done.” Lois didn’t answer and kept looking out the window. Clark sighed. “Well, we’re here.” He got out of the car, and Lois followed.
~=*_*=~
As Lois and Clark were leaving Dr Leek’s office, Lois was feeling disgusted. “Boy, that guy’s a piece of work. A *lying*, *sleazy* piece of work. He *completely* backtracked on all his recent research.”
“Still, to even *begin* to make a clone of Superman, they would’ve *had* to use some cell from his body. The man’s invulnerable. So, how?”
“I don’t know, Clark. But someone figured it out. And we’re gonna figure out who.” Clark’s face suddenly lit with inspiration and he stopped walking. “Where’re you going?”
“To find someone that might be able to help.” Of course, Lois thought, the clone. “I’ll meet you back at the Planet.” It was said decidedly, but Clark’s eyes were asking permission. And then he didn’t leave until after she’d nodded approval. He obviously knew he was still on thin ice.
~=*_*=~
When Clark came back to the Daily Planet after his meeting with the clone, Lois ran over to him brandishing a back issue of the newspaper. “Found it! ‘Superman Donates Lock of Hair to Charity Auction’!”
“Of course! I remember this!” Clark took the paper and started to read. “Does it say who bought it?”
“I’m way ahead of you. Mrs Doyle Alexander. I called her. She said she had a break in the day after the auction. The lock of hair was stolen. Never found out who took it. Never got it back.”
“Okay, so now we know *how* they did it. We just don’t know *who* did it.”
“Well, has the clone said anything?”
“According to his *father*, I am his *enemy*, he is the *strongest man in the universe*, and I have *outlived my usefulness*.”
“So, we have to find out who the father is. Would the clone...”
“He *promised never to tell*.”
“Hmm, well I have an idea...”
~=*_*=~
Lois sat tied to a pillar on the western set of the Metro Bros studios. She watched with wide eyes as the branding iron came closer and closer. “No. No.”
“Let her go.” To Lois’s relief, Superman had flown to her rescue. Again. The clone immediately pulled the branding iron away.
“I never would have hurt you, Lois. But the only way I could guarantee Superman would fight me was to make him think your life was in danger.” Oh god, Lois thought. This is exactly what Clark feared would happen. “See you later.” The clone threw the branding iron in a bucket of sand and entered the closest saloon. Clark came over and untied Lois at super speed. He looked around as though looking for the clone. His attention must have been entirely on her, Lois mused. Which wasn’t entirely a bad thing. Clark turned back to her.
“Stay here.” Lois watched him enter the saloon and then slowly followed. Come on, Clark, she thought. You think I want to miss this? Suddenly she saw... one of them... thrown out the window, glass breaking everywhere. He got up and jumped straight back in the saloon. Clark, she thought. Lois tried to sneak in the door, which wasn’t easy with saloon half-doors. But Clark was looking at her as she came in. How could he possibly hear her coming? Oh yeah, Lois remembered. Super hearing. Clark turned around to the clone. “Let’s take this fight outside.” Then he turned back to Lois. “Stay here!” When pigs fly, Kent.
Lois came outside to witness Clark and the clone facing off at each end of the street, like two gunfighters. Then a tour bus came by. “The old west town was built in... Apparently I was mistaken. They must be shooting something.” Yeah, Lois thought. Each other. The tour guide stopped the bus to give the passengers a look. The clone glared at Clark, and Clark glared back. Suddenly a ball of flame erupted between them. The tour guide immediately started the bus again. “We’re leaving. We’re leaving.” Good idea, Lois thought, as the flame zoomed at the sign directly above her head, causing one end to fall dangerously low.
“Don’t you understand? This is a fight neither one of us can win!” The clone immediately retaliated with what Lois now knew was heat vision. Clark blocked the beam again with his own heat vision, causing an explosion that knocked the clone to the ground.
“Go ahead! Finish me off! Might is right! Only the strong survive!”
“I don’t want to hurt you. You and I, we have so much in common. We’re linked. We’re... we’re brothers.” Jeez, Clark was such a sentimental softy.
“Why don’t you want to rule alone?” Lois felt safe enough to start coming closer. The fight appeared to be over. And if it had been up to Clark, she would’ve bet the fight would never have started.
“I don’t want to rule! I want respect, yes, but you earn that respect by caring for others, not overpowering them.” The clone tried to get up, but groaned in pain. Clark helped him up. “Are you all right?”
The clone was breathing like simply standing had taken all his wind. “I’m dying.” Clark immediately looked concerned. “Maybe it’s for the best. I was created just to do my father’s bidding. To kill you. And there’s nothing left to live for anyway. I have something to do. Will you wait here for me?” Clark nodded and the clone flew off just as Lois got close.
“Where’s he going?”
“I don’t know. But when you get back to the Planet you can find out.”
“You tagged him?”
“On the cape when we were wrestling in the saloon. You were right. He didn’t notice it at all.” Lois grinned. “Come on, I better get you to the Planet while he’s still... wherever he is.”
~=*_*=~
Lois looked up when Clark came back to the Planet. He looked so depressed. “The clone?”
Clark sighed. “Gone.” Lois stood up and immediately offered a comforting hug. “Thanks, Lois.” He sounded genuinely surprised.
“Look, I’m sorry I was so hard on you before about... you know. Must’ve been really hard all those years having to hide and pretend. Not being able to share. I’m sorry you had to go through that alone.”
“I wasn’t alone, Lois. I always had my parents. And you.” Lois pulled back and looked at Clark in surprise. “Maybe there was a lot of things that I couldn’t say, but there was nothing I couldn’t feel.” Lois felt herself melting into Clark’s chocolate eyes.
“Where’s Perry?” Jimmy came running over, completely breaking the mood.
“He left about fifteen minutes ago.” And I thought you had too, Lois thought.
“Oh no.” Jimmy was practically moaning.
“What’s going on?” Come on, Clark, Lois thought. We don’t want to know. We want him to go away.
“I promised I wouldn’t say anything, but I found out that the chief got bad news from his physical last week. I think he’s planning on doing away with himself.”
“Jimmy, that’s absurd.” Like Perry would ever do something like that, Lois thought.
“No, I’m serious. There was an entry in his calendar for tonight that said he was going to the Metropolis Bridge. I think he’s gonna jump.” Jimmy rushed to the elevators. Lois went to follow, but Clark stopped her.
“I have a better idea.”
Lois suddenly found herself airborne, and it wasn’t long before they were hovering over the Metropolis Bridge. Clark suddenly started laughing. “What do you see?”
“Would you believe the chief is bungy jumping?”
“What?!”
