I don't know if I will have time to post more this weekend, so I am posting another part today. Hope you enjoy it!
*********************************************
“Good night, Clark.” She smiled as she hung up the phone. No, the weekend hadn’t gone entirely as she had planned. And it had not been relaxing by any means. But she had enjoyed spending time with Clark, playing games with him, talking, and remembering all the reasons why her foolish heart had chosen to love him.
*****
But of course, her feeling of contentment couldn’t last long. Just this morning, she had been bewailing the lack of news to report on. Now the news had come that an asteroid seventeen miles across was barreling towards them- and only Superman had any hope of stopping it. Why hadn’t she held her tongue? Lois sighed. She knew it was not her complaining that had brought this new trial, but she might not be quite so quick to wish for the next big story next time. If there was a next time. She had no idea how Clark expected to stop the asteroid. It was traveling thirty thousand miles per hour. *Could* Clark stop something that big travelling that fast? She was very frightened for him. Her mind wandered to thoughts of soldiers who were leaving for war and how they often seduced their honeys by telling them that they might never return. For a long minute, she was tempted to go to Clark and tell him of her feelings and beg him not to leave without showing her how it really felt to love someone, and to let her love him too. Then she realized he had Lana for that. She was just his. . . partner.
*****
Why they let her through the barricade she didn’t know. The rest of the press stood several feet from Superman taking their pictures and hoping to catch a statement for their readers and viewers. Maybe it was because of the number of stories that she and Clark had given on Superman. She didn’t care. She couldn’t be there for Clark last night, but she would be there for Superman this morning. She had to be strong, had to show him that she believed in him. . . and not let him see her doubts and fear.
“How are you feeling?” she asked him.
“This *will* work, Lois.”
“Why are you so sure?”
Superman shrugged his shoulders, but she heard the strain in his voice as he said, “Because it has to.”
She squared her shoulders. He was trying to be so brave. She would show him that she was brave too.
“Power of positive thinking, huh?”
“Lois, how are you feeling?”
She looked deep into his worried eyes. “I’m fine,” she said firmly. “I believe in you. I know that you can do this.” Superman touched his hand to her cheek and returned her searing look.
“I'll be back. We'll go flying together.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
She didn’t care. She didn’t care who was watching or if Clark would take offense. If the love of her life was going off to save the world and might possibly never return, she was going to at least give him one last kiss. She took his face between her hands, raised her lips to his, and invoked the memory of every great kiss that she ever had into caressing Clark’s lips. “For luck,” she whispered in explanation when she ran out of air and broke the kiss. Hey, it worked for Leia in Star Wars. Wait. . . very bad parallel. Didn’t Leia end up being Luke Skywalker’s sister? At least Clark had not pulled away. Superman touched her cheek in a goodbye and walked towards the officials waiting with air tanks and last minute instructions. She thought he gave some sort of statement to the press just before he lifted off. She didn’t know. To her, it wasn’t invulnerable Superman that was flying off to save the world, it was Clark Kent, the man she loved—and might never see again.
*****
Somehow, she ended up back at the Planet watching the TV coverage. She hardly kept herself from crying out when Superman impacted with the asteroid. She finally allowed herself to cry when the reporter announced that communication was lost. Other people in the newsroom were also crying, so she felt safe that no one would think anything unusual about it, if they even noticed. If they expected some brave, emphatic statement from her that Superman was fine, they would be sadly disappointed.
*****
All day and into the night the news was filled with the fact that there had been no communication from Superman. Lois didn’t know when she finally fell asleep, but she awakened to the insistent ringing of her phone.
“Hello?” Her voice cracked as she answered.
“Lois Lane-Kent? Did I wake you up?” came an amused voice over the line.
She was awake now, “Who is this?” she demanded.
“Ah, now that’s the Lois I know. This is your friendly Metropolis Police Department calling. I think I have something- or should I say someone- that would interest you.” She recognized the voice now. It was Inspector Henderson.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your partner is in the Lost and Found. Perhaps you would like to come and claim him?”
“What? What do you mean Lost and Found?”
“He showed up this morning at the Fifth Street Mission and seems to have no clue who he is. Of course, we recognized him, so we figured the best thing to do would be to call you or somebody else from the Planet to come and pick him up. The boys and I decided it should be you.”
“I’m on my way.” She slammed the phone down almost before Henderson finished his amused explanation.
Clark was okay. She sobbed in relief. All right, he wasn’t okay, okay, but he was alive. How could Superman not know who he was? Did he not want to admit he was Superman or did Clark really not remember who he was?
*****
He was in one of the interrogation rooms talking to a Dr. McCorkle when Lois arrived. Henderson let Dr. McCorkle know that Lois was there. The doctor exited the room and came to speak with Lois. She extended her hand.
“Doctor Jerri McCorkle.” Lois shook the proffered hand.
“Henderson told me that Clark doesn’t know who he is. What could have caused this?”
“Several possibilities. I'd guess anxiety caused by this asteroid could be a factor. On the other hand, these cases are often triggered by some kind of physical trauma.”
“He did get hit by a car two days ago.” Lois knew very well that the car had not actually hit Clark, but she didn’t want people to think that Clark’s amnesia was caused by anxiety- that was just so unlike Clark- and she certainly didn’t want them to know that the physical trauma was an asteroid the size of Metropolis!
“I’m pretty sure he hit his head. I told him he should go to the emergency room, but he insisted he was okay. He seemed okay to me, so I let it go. Next time, I’m not taking ‘No’ for an answer.”
“It could be a delayed reaction from the car accident. Physically, he's fine. Whether he's going to regain his memory immediately, I don't know. Based on the battery of questions we ask, it seems Clark suffers from what we call the 'Superman Complex’.”
“What?” Had he said something about being Superman? Maybe he had forgotten he was Clark, and thought he was only Superman. At least it didn’t look like anyone believed him, if that was what had happened.
“What do you mean?”
“What I mean is that he's a chronic do-gooder who thinks he can handle anything. This kind of setback can be very frustrating.”
“What should I do for him?”
“Clark needs to be surrounded by familiar people, and do familiar things. It will come back to him in time. Be patient with him.”
“I can take Clark to the Planet where he can talk to his friends, and I’ll call his parents so that they can come. I know they’ll be here just as soon as they can. I should have called them already, but I was just trying to get here as fast as possible.”
*****
Lois tried to reach the Kents, but the phone just rang and rang. Maybe they had seen the asteroid coverage and were already on their way. The news was still reporting that Superman was missing in action. She decided to take Clark to the Planet. She showed him his desk and suggested that he try a donut. Then she dug around in his desk for a pair of his glasses. The ones he had on would protect his secret identity, but he would look more like Clark with his own glasses on.
“So. . .we work together?”
“Yes. I’ve worked at the Planet for several years. You started last year. Perry teams us together on big stories.”
“So, we’re partners?”
“Sometimes. Actually, we’ve known each other for a long time. Your parents took me in when my mother couldn’t take care of us.”
“Us?”
“Me and my sister, Lucy.”
Perry with Jimmy in tow came to Clark’s desk, “Perry White, son. Sorry to hear about what happened. This is Jimmy Olsen.”
Jimmy waved his hand in greeting, “Hi, Clark. Actually, I always call you 'C.K.'.”
“Now, how are you feeling? Up to going to a news conference?” asked Perry.
“I think so. I’m fine, except my memory is like a blank slate.”
“Well, something's cooking at EPRAD. I need you to go check it out, Lois, and take Clark with you. Maybe some reporting work will jog his memory. Clark, why don't you go check out your locker, see if you got a change of clothes? Jimmy will show you.”
*****
Jimmy brought Clark back to Lois’ desk. Jimmy shook his head chuckling. “I just rescued him from the Cat. She was telling him that they have something going. Now I know they had that one wild night, but she was really putting the moves on him. You might want to straighten him out.” Lois nodded and turned to Clark.
“There’s nothing going on between you and Cat Grant, except in her head. Actually, you have a girlfriend, Lana. I don’t know her number, but when I get you back to your place, I’ll look around and see if I can find it. Otherwise, I’ll call Smallville and get the number from the Langs. I’m sure Lana must be wondering where you are.”
*****
The news from EPRAD was not good. There was still a large portion of the asteroid on a collision course with earth. They were all waiting and hoping to hear from Superman. Lois sighed. Could Clark even be Superman? Would he remember how? He couldn’t be too “super” right now. He had sneezed on the way here. She couldn’t remember ever hearing him sneeze before, even after he had got the soaking of his life in the pond when he fought with Trask while exposed to the Kryptonite. Should she tell him, revealing that she knew? If it came down to it, she would tell him. But they still had a little time. It would better if it came back to him on his own. She should take him to his apartment. And she needed to get in touch with Lana. Lana deserved to know what was going on. Did Lana know that Clark was Superman? If so, she had to be going crazy with worry.
*****
“Go ahead. It's your place.” Lois ushered Clark into his own apartment. Clark looked around. “Does this look familiar?”
“No, maybe-- I don't know.” Clark began to wander around the apartment. He picked up his old football.
“You played in high school. You were the star quarterback your senior year.”
Clark picked up a picture of Jonathan and Martha. “My parents?”
Lois nodded. “Yes. I tried to get in touch with them but they didn't answer. Phones are overloaded all over the country. Or maybe they just weren’t home.”
“It’s so weird. The world may be coming to an end, and I don’t even know what I missed.” He looked so forlorn that Lois threw caution aside and put her arms around him and squeezed tight.
“You've been around the world. You have a family who loves you. You haven't missed anything important.”
“And we are friends, right?”
“The very best.”
“Are we... more than friends?”
She would have given anything to be able to say yes. Or to push her conscience aside and say yes, even knowing it wasn’t true. If the world was ending, would it matter that she had lied to him if it gave them time to be together? Rather than affirm or deny, she sidestepped the question. “We're partners. We work closely together.”
“How close?”
Please stop, Clark! She wouldn’t be able to do the right thing for much longer. “We’re practically family.”
“I bet you're a great reporter.”
Lois smiled. “See? Your memory's already starting to come back. Look, your machine’s flashing. Someone called. Maybe it’s your mom and dad.” Clark just looked at the flashing light.
“Clark?”
“It just seems weird. Someone left me a message. Maybe they wanted to let me know they were okay. Maybe they were worried about me. And I don’t even remember them.”
“Do you want me to-?” Clark nodded.
Lois hit “play” and Lana’s nauseatingly nasal voice came from the machine. “Clark? I’ve been trying to reach you, but I haven’t caught you. Since I can’t seem to get a hold of you, I wanted to let you know I’m going home. If this is it, I want to be with my family. I hope I see you again, Clark, but if I don’t, well, it’s been fun. I love you. Bye.” That coward! Clark needed her, and where was she? If she really loved Clark, why hadn’t she come to the apartment and waited for him to come back so that they could be there together? Or driven home to Smallville together, if she wanted to see her parents. Lois could almost see red. If Clark belonged to her, she would take better care of him. Still, the last thing Clark needed right now was to see that anger. He might not remember Lana, but he surely knew someone who claimed they loved him had just abandoned him.
“I’m sorry, Clark. I guess everyone wants to be close to family right now.”
“Even you? You’re stuck here with me.”
“Clark, I am exactly where I want to be. And I’m sure we’ll locate your parents soon. Look, I have a spare room. You’ve stayed there before. Let’s go to my house, snuggle up with a good movie and see what tomorrow brings.”
“I don’t want to intrude. I can stay here.”
“Clark, just because you can’t remember your friends doesn’t mean that you have to be alone right now. Unless you particularly want to stay here, I’d rather we just went to my place.”
Clark looked around the room, and shrugged. “I don’t remember this place. A movie sounds like fun. I hope you have popcorn.”
*****
When they got to work the next morning, everyone was talking about Jimmy finding a piece of Superman’s uniform. Lois was very upset with herself for not finding the information about the meteor coming down in Metropolis, but she had been so wrapped up in Clark’s problems that she had not had time to focus on Superman’s problems. She should have found the pieces of his uniform and gotten rid of them before anyone else found them. Now they knew that Superman was back on earth and it looked like he was ignoring their need for his help. Perry was counting on her to track Superman down. Well, she would just have to pretend, just like always, that she did not know that Clark was Superman and follow leads just like it was any other investigation. She just had to make sure that she got there first so she could cover up anything that would reveal Superman’s identity.
Today was a day that called for coffee, real coffee, not decaf and why not go all out and have sugar and whole cream as well? She stood at the coffee machine, slowly stirring the contents of her cup when she noticed that Clark was watching her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Clark smiled. “I was just wondering how we met. Did we like each other right away?”
Lois smiled back, remembering. “Yes, I think we did. I was only thirteen and I was mad at the world. You were fifteen, and so self-assured. You had the most wonderful parents and I was jealous.”
“I hope I’ll get to meet them.”
“We’ll find them, Clark.”
“And Superman? Will we find him as well?”
“Yes. I promise you, Clark, we will find Superman. And in plenty of time. Superman has never let me down before, and he won’t fail me now.”
“Hey, I think I remember something!”
“Really? What?”
“You don't usually drink real coffee with real milk with real sugar.”
“See! Your memory will be back in no time.”
Jimmy came running up to them. “Lois! Perry says since my first long-shot paid off, I can try another one. He said to take Clark with me.”
“Really? I-” her phone rang. “Just a second, Jimmy. Hello, Lois Lane-Kent.”
“Hello, my love.”
“Lex! How are you?” She really should have called him. “I’m sorry, I haven’t called. I’ve been busy-”
“Looking after Clark, I know.” Yes, he would know. “I really need to see you, though, my dear.”
“Well, I- you know what? Jimmy is going to take Clark on a story, so I do have a few minutes. I’ll be right there.”
“Mrs. Cox will let you in.”
“Bye, Lex.” She cradled the phone. “Jimmy, make sure you bring Clark back here when you’re done. I’m going to see Lex. I’ll be back.” She grabbed her satchel and headed towards the elevator.
Lois did not like Mrs. Cox. The reason was that the feeling was very obviously mutual. Mrs. Cox treated Lois like it was nauseating for her to be in the same room with Lois. Looking down her surgically perfect nose, she said, “Ms. Lane-Kent, if you will follow me. Mr. Luthor wishes to show you something.” Something that Mrs. Cox did not approve of her viewing, apparently. Mrs. Cox showed her to an elevator. She pulled a key from the ring at her waist, and inserted it into a lock. A panel opened and Mrs. Cox moved to block Lois’ view as she punched in a series of numbers. She closed the panel and removed her key. The elevator began to move downward. The indicator stopped at the “B” for basement, but the elevator continued to slide downward. It finally stopped, and the doors opened.
“Ah, there she is.” Lex came forward and kissed Lois’ cheek. “My day is so much brighter already.”
“Lex, where are we?”
“You are standing precisely five hundred meters below Metropolis street level. Surrounded by sixteen inch reinforced concrete walls. I originally designed it to survive a nuclear attack.”
“A bunker?” Lois looked around. Its white walls and fluorescent lighting made it seem sterile and cold. On the walls were schematic drawings of a complete underground city. She shivered.
“I prefer to think of it as an 'Ark.' I have room for two hundred people. Supplies to last three years and tools and implements for farming and manufacture when we re-emerge.”
“Re-emerge?”
“After the asteroid.”
“So. . . you want me to write about this place to let people know about its existence?”
“The survival of a species does not depend on the survival of all its members. I have room for only two hundred and each have been carefully chosen to provide a genetically superior ‘stock’, as it were, for the human race to continue from.”
“Like breeding cattle?”
“That’s a very crude way of putting it, my dear, but yes, in a way.”
“Why am I here?”
Luthor stopped outside a door, punched a code into the key pad on the wall, and then pushed the door open. He motioned for Lois to enter before him. She stepped inside and stopped in shock. It was her apartment, down to the minutest detail. Even the windows were there. She walked forward and raised the curtain. The scene was exactly what she would see from her own window, lit by the glow of back lighting.
“The computer is even programmed to simulate rain on some days, so your view will change slightly from day to day.”
“Lex, I’m confused. What is this?”
“I'm offering you a chance, Lois, to be a passenger on this ark, to be my special guest on mankind's next great adventure.”
“I’m on your list of. . . stock?” She was feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
“You are the most important part. You are my love. And, I must admit, three years will be a long time without 'companionship'. A ruler needs a queen by his side, to be his support, to. . . bear his children[.]” She felt like she was going to throw up. She looked swiftly around. Yep, her bathroom was there too. This was the closest Lex had ever come to pressuring her to make their relationship sexual. For the first time she was thankful that Miranda had sprayed Lex with the hundred percent solution. The new Lex wanted only to love her, and was willing to wait in hopes that she would one day return his love. The old, ruthless Lex. . . she shuddered. He might not have asked. He might have trapped her here and not even Superman would have been able to rescue her.
“Think about it. I'll await your decision.” He turned and left her standing there in her “apartment”. She was tempted. For a teeny-tiny moment. She didn’t want to die. But she wasn’t going to die. Clark was going to come through for them. And if she did die, she wanted to be with Clark, not trapped in this humongous concrete casket with the genetic elite.
She hurried down the hall after Lex. He turned when he heard her footsteps.
“Would you like me to send someone to pack your personal belongings? We can go to my suite and have a drink.”
“No. I've got a partner who needs me. There’s the Kents and my mom and sister. And I'm not giving up on Superman either. I can't stay here.”
“Lois, mass panic is not a pretty sight. Even if you survived the asteroid, you might not survive the ‘activities’ that would follow. Rioting and looting. I don’t want you to suffer through that, my love.”
“You’re very sweet, Lex, and I appreciate your. . . thinking of me. If what the asteroid does is destroy the world as we know it, I have to be there to see what takes its place. It may be the best comeback in history. Either way, I want to see it happen. The not knowing would kill me.”
“I’ll be waiting in hopes that you will change your mind.” He motioned toward the elevator. “I have things to see to. Mrs. Cox will see you up.” Mrs. Cox emerged out of nowhere. She and Lois entered the elevator. It began to rise upward. Suddenly Mrs. Cox punched the “stop” button with great force.
“I can’t stand you. You’ve ruined him,” she hissed. “I can’t believe that you just rejected his offer.”
“I-I-,” Lois stammered.
“He loves you, he’s a great man. Was a great man, but you’ve made him weak. I promise you this, Ms. Lane-Kent, if we get out of this, you will pay for what you’ve done to him.” She pushed the “up” button again. When the elevator reached the main floor, she said, “I trust that you can see yourself out.”
*****
Lois went back to the Planet. Clark had returned with Jimmy.
“A psychic?” she questioned. “You thought a psychic might know where Superman was?”
“She seemed convinced he was very close,” said Clark. Lois smiled to her self. That psychic didn’t know how right she was. The elevator dinged and she looked up. “Martha! Jonathan!” she cried, rushing forward to hug them. “I tried and tried to reach you.”
“It took us two days to get here. Then we had to walk from the train station. We figured that it would be easier to get directions to the Planet than to Clark Kent’s apartment.”
“These city people,” Jonathan said shaking his head, “don’t know how to keep their head in a crisis.”
“Speaking of crisis, I need to talk to you guys. Let’s go into the conference room.” She ushered them forward and shut the door. “I’m sure you’re wondering why Clark didn’t greet you. Clark has amnesia. He doesn’t remember anything,” she paused meaningfully, “anything at all.”
“Oh,” said Martha, wide-eyed.
“That’s. . . real bad news, Lois,” said Jonathan sadly.
A knock came from the door and Clark stuck his head in. “Um, Perry said my parents were here?”
Lois went to him and took his hand. “Clark, these are you parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent.”
“Hello, I’m. . . sorry I don’t remember you.”
“Oh, honey,” Martha was teary-eyed, “that’s all right. We are just so relieved that you’re okay.”
Considering he had amnesia, most people would find that statement unusual, but Lois knew that Martha was just grateful that Clark had survived his encounter with Nightfall. She needed to provide an opportunity for Clark’s parents to tell him about Superman without her there.
“Jonathan, why don’t you and Martha take Clark back to his place. You remember where it is, Clark?”
“I think so.”
“Good. Perry wants me to help Jimmy on his Superman story.”
Lois sat at her desk looking at the front page of what could be the final edition of the Daily Planet. The title read “Superman Came Home: Where is he now?” by Lois Lane-Kent and James Olson. Perry came up to her desk. She looked up at him, “It just doesn't look right without Clark's name next to mine.”
“Jimmy's a good kid, Lois. Thanks for sharing your by-line.”
“He earned it. I should have checked out that meteorite. And as long as we know Superman got back to Earth, there's still hope.”
“You don't have to be here now. It's your choice. Go be with him.”
“Him?”
Perry looked at her reproachfully. “I’m not blind, Lois. Go spend some time with Clark and his parents.”
“I should protest and claim that I’m a reporter and I should stay until the last hurrah, but I do want to check on them. I’ll be back Perry.”
“Maybe he's the lucky one. If he doesn't remember the way it was, maybe he won't miss it.”
“I doubt it Perry. If you never got to experience. . . anything, you would still miss it.”
“Maybe you’re right. We’ll we’ve still got a paper to run. Go check on the Kents and then get out there. Man on the street interviews and all that.”
*****
As Lois approached Clark’s apartment, she heard Clark cry out and then a big thud. As she passed the alley, Clark came crawling out of the pile of black trash bags. She hid a smile. Martha did tend to get right to the point.
“Clark, what are you doing here?”
“I live here.”
“I meant in the alley.”
“Taking out the trash. Any news on Superman yet?”
“Not yet.”
“What if he's confused like me, and he wants to help, but he can't? Maybe he’s. . . afraid.”
“Clark, Superman wants to help and he will.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Clark, I know Superman.”
“I want to know him, too. So I could believe that. Tell me about him.”
“Superman is the kind of man who makes things happen. Sure, he's great looking and he's good, but what you notice most about him is how you can count on him. He’s a lot like you, Clark. I remember the first time. . .” she started to tell him about some of her encounters with Superman, but she had lost him.
“Are you remembering something, Clark?”
“Yeah, I think I am.” As he pulled himself up straighter she knew Superman was back! Now she just had to leave so that he could go do his thing, but not without one last hug, just in case. She threw herself at him and squeezed. “I’m so happy for you Clark. I better go. Perry wants me to get some “man on the street” interviews.”
“I’ll see you at the Planet later.”
*****
By the time she made it back to the Planet, the TV reporters were exclaiming about how the asteroid appeared to have altered course.
“See! I told you Superman would come through for us!”
Clark rushed in after her. “Did I miss something?”
“Only Superman saving the world.” Perry and Jimmy shook his hand and slapped him on the back, glad to have their friend back. Lois couldn’t resist another hug. “I knew a bump on the head couldn't slow you down long. What was the first thing that you remembered?”
“Superman. Everything you told me made it feel like I knew him.”
“Superman. What he must have gone through, huh? I wish that he had come to me, that I could have been there for him.”
“I’m sure that if he knew that, he would be. . . touched Lois.”
*****
Lois sighed as she sank into her tub. It had been a nightmare, but it had been nice to be there for Clark when he needed her. It had felt. . . right.
It was the next evening when she heard a tap on her window. She had not seen Clark all day. Perry had urged him to take the day off and rest after the recovery of his memory. “Don’t want to do too much too soon and have a relapse.” Clark insisted that he would be fine, but Perry said, “Son, that’s what sick days are for. You earn them, whether you take them or not, and I’m telling you to take one.” Clark gave in.
Lois rushed to the window. “Superman!”
“Lois, you look surprised to see me.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No. Have you forgotten? I promised to take you flying. I’m here to fulfill that promise.”
“I hadn’t really forgotten, but I didn’t know when to expect you. Where are we going?”
“I am going to let you decide. I’ll just provide the flight.”
“And the company?”
Clark looked pleased. “Yes. If that’s what you want.”
“Then let’s go to an island, sit in the sand, watch the sun go down, and listen to the waves. Recovering from thinking that the world is coming to an end requires some relaxation, even for you.”
“You’d better wear a coat then, because I’ll be flying faster if we’re going any distance.”
Lois had no idea where he took them. She didn’t even care. They lay down beside each other on the sun-warmed sand and listened to the waves as they swept onto the shore. They could watch the gulls performing their acrobatic stunts in the sky. They didn’t speak, just let the sun and the peacefulness wash over them. The sun began to slip lower on the horizon and the sky was filled with pinks, and reds, and corals. Eventually the colors faded and the full moon shone down on the water, creating a beautiful white path stretching from the beach to it’s round, white fullness. Clark stirred and sat up. “I’d better get you home. You have to work tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she sighed.
Clark glanced out at the water. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I’m so glad that I was able to help, to keep places like this in existence.”
“Me too.”
He turned back towards her. “You never gave up on me, did you?”
“Never. I never will.”
“Why?”
“Superman is more than just a fancy suit and amazing abilities. It's the idea of Superman. Someone to believe in. Someone to build a few hopes around. Metropolis- the *world*- needs Superman. To make the world a better place. To make us a better people.”
“That’s a lot for me to live up to, Lois.”
“No, it’s a lot for us to live up to.”
He stood to his feet, held out a hand to her and pulled her up. “It’s time for all good little reporters to be in bed, not philosophizing the intricate details of life. Ready?”
She put her arms around his neck. “Ready.”
*****
