Thanks to Alisha, Beth and Nancy.
Last time:
Lois
"Your new name," I told him with a grin.
"What is it?"
I shook my head. "Not telling. Just make sure I get the first interview with you. And I'll make sure Bernie and Ashley knows what it is, too. Just in case."
"But you're not going to tell me?" he asked with a raised brow.
I shook my head. "Nope."
"So what if someone asks me?"
"Tell them to read about you in the Daily Planet. That they've shown themselves honest or whatever with your brother so they'll have your first exclusive and more information can be found there soon."
He rolled his eyes. "So I'm pulling someone out of a burning building and they say 'hey, what's your name?' and I say 'read about it in the Daily Planet'?"
I nodded. "That's about it." I stood up and headed for the bathroom, smiling to myself.
Superman.
It was perfect.
*~*11*~*
~~~~~
Clark
~~~~~
She still wouldn't tell me what my new superhero name was. I badgered her the whole way to work and... nothing.
She just had that evil little smile on her face.
Okay, it wasn't *really* evil, but she was doing a great imitation of a clam.
We got to work and the first thing she did was go to the ladies' room – where she knew I wouldn't even think about listening in – and call Ashley, who would then pass the name on to Bernie, I knew.
<Nice name,> came the voice in my head.
I groaned mentally. <What is it?> I asked.
<Sorry. I've been threatened within an inch of my life if I tell before the timing is right.>
<And when will that be?>
<I imagine right after Lois gets an interview with the new *super*hero.>
His slight emphasis on the word 'super' gave me pause. Surely not. She wouldn't, would she? Supersomething?
I sighed as Lois walked towards me, that same smirk on her face.
Yes, she would.
And I really was better off not knowing until she decided I was ready to.
She sat in her desk across from me. "So, Studmuffin Man, what's on our agenda for the day?"
I groaned. "You're going to torture me all day, aren't you?"
She smiled at me. "You love it."
"Not this kind of torture," I muttered. "Bernie already smirked at me in my head," I told her quietly – very quietly.
She grinned. "Good, SexyMan."
I just smiled at her. "I know you didn't go with that."
Her face showed wide-eyed innocence that I was sure was all an act. "Why not? You are sexy."
"But you were too concerned about my rear end being tabloid fodder to go with something like that."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll only call you SexyMan at home."
"*Kents*! My office! Now!"
We both cringed. We were early. We didn't have any stories in the works. We *shouldn't* be in trouble.
And Perry was still yelling.
I sighed. "Let's go. Duty bellows."
Perry was behind his desk when we got in there. "Have a seat."
I shut the door behind us and we both sat on the couch.
"How's that boy of yours doing?"
"Much better, thanks, Perry," Lois said. It had only been a couple weeks, but we'd seen the difference almost immediately. As he was getting better, and as he was getting the higher fat and calorie diet, he was getting bigger.
"Well, here's the deal. Lois, you got the first interview of any kind with Van-El and you've had a couple quotes since then. We want more. We need more information about him. Is he the only one? Are there others like him? Is he really the lead for an invasion like the nutcases say?" He leaned back in his chair. "He's been on the scene for a couple months now and no one has the definitive word. He hasn't done an in-depth interview with anyone and I want him to do it with us. Now, normally, I'd give this to Norcross and Judd, but they're working on something else big and you're the only one who's been able to get close to this guy. He's fair game. If someone else can get the interview, more power to them, but for the moment I want to two of you all over him like white on rice. Clark, I know you haven't had an interview or quote or anything with him yet, so you help Lois in whatever way she needs and if you can get the interview together, that's fine, too."
Lois looked at Perry. "Let me get this straight. Clark's not working with me this time around, he's working for me?"
I could hear the fake innocence in her voice.
Perry was trying not to smile. "Something like that, darlin'."
"Okay. Just making sure we're clear on that."
"Now, go get me a story. With pictures. Take Jimmy with you for that."
"Okay." She turned to look at me. "Let's go."
We headed out of the office and she grabbed her bag. "You hear that, Kent? You're not working *with* me, you're working *for* me. I call the shots. I ask the questions. You're low man. I'm top banana and that's the way I like it." We'd made it to the elevators by the end of her speech. "Comprende?"
I could barely keep a straight face. I was glad no one else was around. "You like to be on top. Got it."
She turned and raised an eyebrow at me. "Don't push me, Kent. You are *way* out of your league."
The elevator opened and we went in. "I know I am," I said softly. "You are way out of my league."
The door shut and she launched herself into my arms, trusting me to catch her. "And don't you forget it," she whispered, before she kissed me until the doors opened to the parking garage.
~~~~~
Lois
~~~~~
I almost felt guilty.
Almost.
I doubted Clark or Bernie would give *anyone* a truly definitive interview, but I had a much better chance than anyone else at getting it.
Except Clark.
I let go of him as we got to the garage.
"And don't even think about using your inside track to beat me on this one," I told him walking ahead of him towards the Jeep. "If you're good to me, I'll let you share the byline on it."
I felt him grab me around the waist. "If you don't let me share the byline, I'll go sleep in one of the other rooms," he whispered in my ear. "And then you'll have to get up in the middle of the night with the kids and have to sleep all by yourself."
I grinned to myself. "But then you'd have to sleep by yourself, too, and I know you wouldn't like that at all."
He sighed. "You're right. So you just better be nice or I'll tell Bernie not to tell you anything."
I sighed as I unlocked the Jeep. "Okay, Woodward, we have to figure out exactly how we're going to play this."
Clark held my door open for me. "What do you mean, Bernstein?"
"We could have this story wrapped up in about an hour but we can't do that." I didn't bother waiting for him to get in the other side before starting the car and trusting him to hear what I was saying. "You could track him down in about two seconds, but I think we probably need to be seen trying to track him down."
My cell phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID before picking it up. "We're on our way out of the garage now, Perry."
"Good. Head down to the Riverview area. Another four alarm fire."
"Another fire?" I asked, incredulous. "There was one there yesterday." I glanced at Clark, who looked grim. "Is Van-El there?"
"ANC shows him on the scene."
I pressed down a bit harder on the gas. "We're on our way."
"Thanks, darlin'."
I hung up and stopped at the next light, then turned into an alley. "Out."
"What?" Clark said.
"You want to go and you should. Kiss me and do that spinny thing or something and go be a superhero, SerendipitousMan."
He groaned, kissed me and got out of the Jeep. "I'll see you in a bit."
"I'll be right behind you," I promised.
He looked around carefully. Confident that no one would see, he spun into the bright suit.
"You'll have to show me how that comes off later," I mumbled, noting that he turned bright red as he took off. "And don't you dare give anyone else so much as a quote," I called after him as I put the Jeep back in gear.
I wasn't surprised when my phone rang a minute later. "Yeah, Perry?"
"There's a second one," he told me without preamble.
"A second what?" I asked, doing my best to sound bored.
"A second hero. This one's in bright blue with a red cape. I want the story on both of them, capice?"
"Got it. Jimmy's meeting me down there, right?"
"He's on his way."
"Good." I smiled. "The story's as good as got, Perry. I promise."
"Good. You're a rookie, despite the Toyman, Van-El, colonists' transport things, and this would be a great way for you to prove yourself."
"Thanks, Perry."
I pulled up as close as I could get to the barriers, watching for Clark or Bernie as I did.
There.
Van-El, in his black Suit, was carrying two people out of the building.
My breath caught as I saw Clark doing the same thing. I knew he could do the same things Bernie could.
Intellectually.
I'd flown with him a few times – not nearly as many times as Ashley had flown with Bernie – and I knew I'd get to fly with him many more.
I knew he was invulnerable and I'd seen him grab the handle of a pan or something like that a few times, but never fly into a fire.
I'd seen him start the fire in the fireplace with his eyes and chill a soda with his breath, but I'd never seen him breathing on a fire like this before.
He and Van-El worked together well and before long, the fire was out.
I could see Jimmy snapping pictures on the other side of the crowd.
"Van-El!" I called.
I could see him snap his head around and fly towards me. I'd staked out a spot away from the rest of the reporters.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked with disgusting formality.
"Lois Lane-Kent, with the Daily Planet. We've spoken before."
"Yes, Mrs. Kent. What can I do for you?"
He'd adopted the stern superhero pose Ashley and I had made fun of him for.
"You can answer a few questions for me. My boss wants me to get the first exclusive interview." I could see the pack of reporters heading towards us. I had to make this quick. "For now, can you tell me who that is with you?"
"He's going to kill you," Van-El whispered.
"I know," I whispered back.
"He's Kryptonian as well. *He* hasn't told me what name he's going to go by. I think he may think his Kryptonian name is too difficult to pronounce."
I kept my eyes on Clark as Van-El spoke.
"Well, he needs a name. What's the 'S' stand for?"
"It's a Kryptonian symbol, similar to your 'S'."
I pretended to think for a minute. "How about Superman?" I said. "That fits, doesn't it?"
Clark's head jerked up and he stared right me.
Van-El did his best to keep a straight face. "I suppose it does."
I smirked. "Thank you. Would it be possible to arrange a time for a more in depth interview?"
The rest of the reporters managed to make their way through the crowd and the firefighters and other emergency personnel and were closing in on us.
He lifted lightly into the air. "We'll be in touch."
"You better be," I muttered, looking straight at Clark as I did.
The two of them flew off together.
"Lois!"
I turned to see Clark pushing his way through the crowd.
"There you are!" I exclaimed, searching his face. There was relief and exhilaration and something else I couldn't quite define.
"CK! Lois!" Jimmy joined us. "I got some good pictures."
"Come on," I said, leading us back towards the Jeep as the crowd began to disperse.
"Check this one out." Jimmy held up the camera's screen.
There was Van-El and Superman hovering next to each other. Van-El was pointing to something and Superman was listening intently.
"We're going to Bernie's house," Clark told me quietly. "Jimmy can come, too."
I glanced at him, questions written all over my face, and he nodded slightly.
"Why are we going to Bernie's?" Jimmy asked. He'd heard about Clark's brother, but they hadn't been introduced yet.
That was about to change.
"It's a long story, Jim," Clark said. "We'll explain it all after we get there."
"What'd he say?" I asked quietly.
"He agreed," Clark said. "He trusts us about that."
"And the other?"
"He agreed to a limited one, but you have to work with me on it."
I could see the corners of his mouth twitching.
I gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine."
"Um, shouldn't I get these to Perry?" Jimmy asked from the backseat.
"You can send them from Bernie's," Clark told him. "He's got wifi and computers and all that."
"We'll file our story from there, too," I told him. "The appearance of a new superhero."
My phone rang, as though on cue.
"We got it, Perry," I said without looking at the caller ID.
"Good. What'd you get?"
"I got a couple quotes. Jimmy got pictures and we may have an interview. Not a complete in-depth one, but exclusive and more than he's ever talked about before. We're still working on the details."
"And the new guy?"
I tried not to smile too much. "Van-El said the family crest from Krypton looks like an 'S' and he thought maybe the other guy thought his Kryptonian name would be too hard to pronounce."
"So they're related? If it's a family crest thing?"
I shrugged as I pulled into a spot on Clinton. "I guess so. He didn't say, but it would make sense."
"What's Krypton? And what's the new guy's name then? If we can't pronounce his Kryptonian one?"
I took a deep breath. "I named him."
"You did?"
"Yep." I looked straight at Clark again as I did. "Superman. Goes with the 'S' and the things they can do are pretty super so..."
"Makes sense. So... Krypton..."
I gave an exasperated sigh. "At least let me get the interview first, would ya?"
"Fine. And the fire story?"
"We just pulled into Clark's brother's house. He's letting us use his computer. Jimmy's with us and we'll have copy and pictures to you before you can sing 'Blue Suede Shoes'."
"I better."
"Bye, Perry." I hung up the phone as we went up the stairs.
Clark knocked on the door and we heard Bernie call from inside.
We traipsed in and I immediately set up my laptop on the coffee table.
I had the article three-quarters written in my head before I even knew what kind of emergency Clark would first respond to and my fingers flew over the keyboard.
"Jimmy?" I held out my hand. "Pictures?"
He stuck the memory card in my hand and I quickly sent the story file along with five of the best shots to Perry's inbox with the promise of more to come.
I sat back. "Okay, that's done. Now for the rest."
Clark and Bernie had been talking quietly in the kitchen and Jimmy just looked uncomfortable.
"First things first," Clark said as Ashley walked in the door.
"What's that?" she asked.
Clark introduced Jimmy to both Bernie and Ashley then turned to look at me.
"Superman? Really? What on Earth were you thinking naming me that?"
Jimmy looked at him, eyes squinted.
"CK?" he asked, realization dawning. "Is there something I need to know here?"
Clark sighed. "Jim, I'm... Superman."
With that, both Clark and Bernie spun into their Suits.
Jimmy stared at them, his mouth wide open.
Then he passed out.
*****
TBC
