Lois had found herself glued to the screen as citizens in the affected cities sent in video footage and clips from cell phones and digital cameras and camcorders recording Clark in his journey across six cities that had been threatened by the tornadoes.
Clark, definitely going public. There's no way he can be covered up now. And doing the traditional Superman stuff!
Oh, what an excellent chapter! You show the triumph that Clark feels as he overcomes the tornadoes, and the precipitous fall soon after when he realizes that he can't save everyone.
This was the picture the world was going to see when they opened their papers in the morning, a picture of a hero who looked as though he was fighting off tears.
Beautiful line, poetic imagery.
“I’m doing the best I can,” Clark said grimly. His expression was tight and closed. “Unfortunately, today that wasn’t good enough.”
That is so sad.
But, speaking from a PR point of view (which I hate to do, feeling like the crass reporter you wrote), it will help Clark so much. He will appear to be Superman. I'm not really sure how to put this. We know he
is Superman. But our world (in your fic) doesn't, at least not yet. And now, the world will see who he is, how he feels, and how he embodies the ethics and concern of our fictional Superman. They'll see that even a superhero, who has miraculously stepped out of the pages of fiction into our real world, can't do everything. And it will make Clark more sympathetic, more accessible.
Staring at his drawn expression on the television screen, Lois felt as though her chest was actually aching. She wanted to hold and comfort him, and it took her a moment to realize that these feelings were something more intense that what she’d feel for just anyone.
He was getting under her skin, making her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time. It was just a reminder of how emotionally dangerous he could be.
Also poetic. You've drawn a wonderful picture of Lois, gradually freezing, withering, drawing away, becoming immersed in her work, finding no pleasure in the wonderful trivialities of daily life. She has no family, no friends (just business associates), her apartment is just a camping place and not a real home, (and she can't even enjoy the view from it!)
Food doesn't taste good, she hasn't had sex for a long time (probably), and all she reports on are events on blasted battlefields out in hellish heat, and on disasters and tragedies, and on people doing horrible things. No wonder she has become closed, furled, tightly bound, shut up in a defensive perimeter to protect herself.
And now, the Ice Queen is melting. She's beginning to
feel once again. It's dangerous. But it's living. She's only been existing, not really living, for a long time now. Can Clark get her to actually
live?
The sound of the wind became a deafening roar, and she tried to move faster, only to be slowed by the people ahead of her. She felt the entire structure of the stairwell begin to shake as the wind directly outside the wall rose to a deafening scream.
That is frightening. Usually hospital stairwells are built very sturdily. To have a tornado do what that one is doing....better start thinking about who you want to inherit your estate.
Anita’s hands were shaking, although she tried to calm herself. It wouldn’t do to let Jacob see that she was afraid. Children took their cues from adults, and as long as she didn’t show fear, he would be all right.
She was surprised to feel his tiny hand patting her on the arm.
“It’ll be all right,” he said into her ear. “Superman will save us.”
The innocent faith of a child. It's a tremendous responsibility for Clark.
“Can I go flying with you?”
The man smiled. “Maybe later, when you are feeling a little stronger. No promises though…I have a lot of people to save tonight. If I get a chance to come back and see you I will. What’s your name?”
“Jacob Richardson,” the boy said.
In the reflected light of the lantern, Jacob’s face almost seemed to glow.
Please, please tell me that this will give Jacob the will to live, and that Clark will come back to take him flying. (Even though you're playing the "chemo kid wants one final wish" card).
Anita heard the sounds of a door opening from above, and then she saw a sudden shining light.
A man was floating down the stairwell carrying a powerful spotlight in one hand. In the darkness she could barely make out the outline of his cape, and she was blinded as light passed over her eyes.
Out of the darkness, light. This carries so much symbolism, on so many levels. Good job.
The reporter turned and said, “According to sources, the man claiming to be Superman..."
(My italics) - As I recall, Clark hasn't really claimed to be Superman, at least in words. He's just said that people "know what the Suit means". It's his actions that have defined him as Superman.
Susan Nguyen was at the door along with several Federal agents. “I have a judge’s order for Lois Lane to be released.”
Yay! Susan comes through!
Hey, I'm wondering - with Susan's name, is she the child of Vietnamese immigrants of the 1970's? Or an immigrant herself? (I'm assuming she kept her maiden name to use professionally, but I could be wrong, of course.) I have this picture in my head of an Asian-looking woman in a sober, lawyer-type suit, with glasses and a studious, competent air about her. Someone who doesn't have to bully or threaten (unlike Agent Randal) because she can achieve her objectives in a courteous, yet decisive, manner.
Interesting if she is a child of refugees, because then both she and Clark are immigrants giving that extra spice to the Melting Pot that's America.
Already three farmers and two car owners were threatening lawsuits. Susan only sighed and muttered something about Clark coming through with treasure soon.
Guess he'd better start looking for those shipwrecks. Of course, if he has money, that'll only encourage the parasites.
You know, I can just see these lawsuits going up to the higher courts, and the justices construing a whole line of "Superman Law". You've already pointed out some of the interesting but threatening areas of concern in the Good Samaritan laws.
For example: does Clark have a duty to assist? What if he does help and does something that no one else could be expected to do? Aren't many insurance policies written with the "reasonable person" doctrine? Superman's actions certainly couldn't be considered usual or customary as defined by a reasonable person. Or, if Clark causes property damage while he's helping, is the property damage an Act of God as defined by insurance policies?
Now you've really got me wondering again, Shayne. As ever, you've made one or two little statements that set off a whole line of speculation.
“Some people in New Haven wonder why he wasn’t here for them,” the reporter was saying, “When he saved everyone else. With almost a quarter of the buildings in town devastated, they wonder why he didn’t get there any faster.”
Lois’s sudden sense of outrage surprised her. “They’re lucky he’s there at all,” she said. “Who knows how long they’d be buried under all that before people could dig them out.”
“If he does this for very long, he’s going to have to get used to people taking him for granted,” Susan said. “Not everyone is as grateful as they should be for help.”
Unfortunately, all too true. What I'd hope to see is that the common-sense average citizen will reason it out as follows:
1) Shit happens.
2) Usually we can't do anything about shit happening.
3) Superman is trying to mitigate the effects of the shit happening.
4) And someone is suing him for it? WTF? They should be down on their knees thanking God for Superman. Throw those cases out of court.
Well, I can hope, can't I?
Susan knows better. She's a lawyer.
The reporter turned and said, “According to sources, the man claiming to be Superman has helped identify survivors both living and dead.”
Lois snickered and murmured to Susan. “The dead aren’t survivors.”
I love this! Get the words right! As Mark Twain said, "The difference between the word that is right and the word that is
almost right is the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug." Lois knows that. Obviously, the newbie reporter has yet to learn.
Oh, man, what's going to happen next?
I can't wait to see Clark meeting with the government powers that be (will Lois be there? He needs her there!) What will the negotiations be like?
The government has the hostages/passengers, and of course all the powers of government and the military. More specifically, it has the ability to work with institutions such as the Large Hadron Collider - they turn it on/off, and maybe make or suppress the rifts? Clark can't get back without the government's cooperation.
On the other hand, Clark has his Superman powers, and more importantly, the power of public opinion.
As time goes by, the idea of a real Superman in our world, once crazy, becomes just smokin' cool. Don't you think that the military pilots who took the footage of him rescuing the plane, or who tried to shoot him down, are now getting beers bought for them at bars because of their stories? Heck, the fact that a flying man exists can't be covered up anymore!
Will the government try to use the planeload of passengers in some unethical way (more so than they already have done, I mean?), to control Clark's actions? I guess I'm wondering how low our government will actually go, and what kind of actions they'll stoop to. Unfortunately, based on real world events, I have a bad feeling. But (*puts on a happy face*) maybe the fact that Superman exists will be enough to raise the ethical level. Will the government feel they have to control Clark, or will there be someone at a decision-making level who'll actually have the stones to say, "Screw it. Just trust him."? (I'm betting on Agent White.) Probably not, because those government weenies can't imagine trusting anyone.
And I'm still waiting for that interview that Clark supposedly gave to Lois Lane!
I've still got a long wish list of things I want to see. Keep on writing, see if I get all my wishes fulfilled!
Go, go, go Shayne! I'm waiting for each installment with bated breath. Please, make this a long fic, because it's interesting, and well-written, and just so much darn fun!
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I don't have much to add to what everyone else has said.
