It was with an uneasy feeling that Perry had abdicated the Daily Planet to 'Lord Kal-El' for use as 'headquarters' as they planned on how to counteract the ongoing new Kryptonian Invasion.
Perry had always liked Superman, and despite the obvious fact that he had a disturbing amount of unstoppable power, his sincere manner and clear willingness to work within the boundaries of society's rules had always left Perry feeling that the young man could be trusted.
But now, he didn't feel that way. This newly forged leader was a complete stranger to him. His body language was different and his actions no longer had a benign feel to them.
Kal-El was an implacable leader. Authoritative and absolute. It seemed he was more and more the ruler every day. Despite his stated intention to stand behind earth and protect earth from the enemies that he had attracted to this fair planet, Perry wasn't so sure that the man would easily step back into the role he had once assumed. Had power corrupted Superman?
What worried Perry the most is that Kal-El would somehow convince himself that what was best for the earth was continued 'leadership' by his 'government'. And Perry didn't take too kindly to the idea.
And then there was the matter of Lois Lane. She accompanied the party of Kryptonians and she looked very frail and vulnerable in the flimsiest of clothing. What was even more terrifying was the fact that no one had seen Clark Kent in quite some time. To add to Perry's concerns were the signals that Lois Lane was transmitting loud and clear. She seemed to be extremely uneasy, unhappy and distressed. It seemed unthinkable, but had Superman somehow eliminated Clark in order to gain Lois, and if so, what was her role in his life? The way she was dressed indicated a situation that enraged Perry to the extreme.
He took in a shaky breath. He would watch and wait, but as it stood, things did not look very favorable. All indications were that Superman was no more, and that Kal-El had pretty much taken over.
Lois seemed to hang alone on the outskirts of the party that she accompanied. She felt very exposed and uneasy. This was not how she usually inhabited a room and she didn't know how to fix it. She saw Kal-El and Zara standing so close together, it seemed their heads were touching. It made her feel sick with jealousy.
What am I? Chopped liver? Just here for my good looks?
She approached the two leaders and the guards stepped around them.
“No. You shall not approach. Business is being discussed.”
They spoke to her in English to ensure she understood her place. Kal turned to face them, a vulnerable pained look on his face. That look gave Perry some hope that all might not be lost.
“She has every right to -”
“My lord,” said Zara urgently. “It's important she know her place.”
Zara had no illusions that Lois Lane was anything less than Kal-El's equal, but appearances had to be maintained. If they didn't follow protocol, the truth would come out and both Zara and Kal-El could pay with their lives. She put her hand on his arm in a way that was intended to be both intimate and proprietary, and leaned in to whisper to him - “Don't let your emotions get the better of you, Clark.”
Lois felt a burning sensation work it's way all throughout her body. Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to scream and cry at the insane reality that her life had become. Once she had been everything to this man, and now everyone was treating her like some pretty little accessory.
Furious at the proceedings, she decided to salvage her dignity – especially in the presence of Perry White. His being there gave her the strength to remember who she was. She drew herself straight and tall, as regal as any queen could be, and then she turned and stalked out the door.
Kal was highly unnerved by her actions and made to go after her when Zara stopped him again with a hand on his arm.
“No, my lord The guards can -”
“No,” he said with frightening intensity. “The guards better leave her alone.”
“You can't go after her. It's highly unseemly to let a concubine interfere in matters -”
“She's not a -” he broke off at the urgent plea in Zara's eyes. Her thoughts permeated his own.
<<My lord. You humiliate me if you go after her. And then, my place becomes very uncertain amongst our people.>>
He sighed heavily. This was the biggest nightmare imaginable. Worse than the kryptonite cage. He had no idea if he would ever successfully shake the yoke of Nor's oppression over people who were his family and friends, and he was terrified for the future. The fact that his hard won relationship with Lois was being trampled underfoot made things all the worse.
“Zara. Help me out here – please,” he begged her.
“If you want our people to stand up for you against Nor, you have to show them that you are a leader they can respect.”
He shook his head. They respected him for treating a woman like garbage? That seemed so ridiculous and yet it was true.
He reluctantly accepted that he would have to fix things with Lois later. Now, there was work to be done.
Chapter 2:
After business was concluded, the Kryptonians departed.
Clark stayed behind on the auspices of coordinating efforts with Perry. The truth is, he needed a major break from the other Kryptonians. No matter what they called him, he was Clark Kent. Farm boy and journalist, and he needed to be in the presence of his own adopted kind on occasion. He also needed to somehow fix things with Lois.
“Mr. White,” he said, succumbing to Superman's former politeness. “I was wondering if I could have a word with you?”
Perry gritted his teeth. The entire set of events with Lois had really unnerved him. He had wanted to go after her, but he was afraid somehow that by doing so, he would make things worse for her. Whatever she was going through, he didn't want
humiliate her more by noticing it too much.
“I wanted to have a word with you too,” he said with an amazing amount of false bravado.
“Oh. Okay.” Clark waited expectantly, well aware that Perry was upset about something.
“What do I call you,” he asked the younger man nervously? “Lord -”
“Just Kal-El, please,” Clark begged. “That's my Kryptonian name.”
“You don't mind me calling you that?”
“It beats all the other alternatives for now.”
For now. In the future, would Perry be expected to add on the 'Lord' bit?
“I suppose you'd want more formality when your people are around?”
“No,” shuddered Clark. “That makes it worse.”
Those words comforted Perry somewhat and he decided to go for it. He only hoped Kal-El's sincerity was truth and that he wasn't sealing his own fate.
“I want to talk to you about something,” Perry tried to fake a stern tone in the face of his growing fear. “I want to talk to you about Clark Kent.”
Kal-El turned white. A fact that Perry did not fail to notice.
“What about -”
“I haven't seen him in quite some time.”
Clark decided to play along a bit.
“Well – it's been kind of crazy. You know?”
“Kal-El. Where is he? Where is Clark? Why is Lois wearing that get-up, and why is she acting like somebody's handmaiden?”
Clark winced. “She's going to kill me,” he muttered, and Perry tensed.
“Does she have reason to want you dead,” he croaked out.
“What?”
“Kal-El. I'm sorry, but unless someone can convince me that Clark Kent is alive and well, and Lois Lane isn't being held against her will, I'm going to have to ... I'm going to have to go public with all of this.”
“Public?” He was completely confused, but Perry thought that Kal-El was taken aback by a threat he had heretofore not considered – that of Perry turning the human race against him. Perry braced himself for possible reprisal.
“It's my duty to my friends,” he said with a boldness he didn't feel. “I have no choice, and unless you're planning on stopping me...”
“You think I killed Clark,” he asked, suddenly getting it. “Oh my god. And you think I've kidnapped Lois?”
The sheer bafflement in Kal-El's voice acted like a balm against Perry's very frazzled nerves.
“I'm not accusing you of anything,” he said carefully.
“You think I ... that I've somehow done harm to Clark and Lois, and you're standing up for them, even though you know that if you're right, you're putting yourself in a great deal of danger,” he said, shocked by the fact that his mentor was willing to risk so much for him.
Perry paled at the words 'great deal of danger' and Clark put out his hand. “No. No – I didn't mean you were in danger. I just meant you thought you were. Perry, that's really incredible. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing that is. I've always known you were someone I could trust, but I was afraid to really let go and tell you my biggest secret.”
“What are you talking about.” Fear had abated a bit and was replaced by large amounts of confusion. This conversation was getting stranger by the minute.
“I'm – Ah. I'm Clark,” he said. “And I've been here all along. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. You certainly... proved to me that you're one heck of a friend.”
Perry's mouth dropped open as he contemplated what Kal-El had just told him.
“You're...”
“Yeah.” And with that, the young man did something even stranger than anything Perry had ever seen him do. He became an blur of colors and when the blur faded out of view, Clark Kent stood before him looking like a little kid who had just been caught in a major lie.
“You're Clark Kent,” he asked again, still not completely sure he was sane.
“I'm Clark... and ... I'm sorry. That must have been really terrifying,” he said.
“But you weren't ever a threat...”
“You didn't know that.”
“No. No – I didn't.”
“So. Thanks. I mean – for standing up for me like that. It means way more than you can imagine.”
“And Lois... “
“She's dressed like that because it was the only plausible way for her to be near me. She's a brilliant strategist, and when it's just me, Zara and Lois together, we plan as a group of equals. The problem is, if the elders suspect that Lois isn't what we're trying to convince them she is – they could kill all three of us. Four, if you include Ching in the mixture.”
“Oh, sh-. That isn't good.”
“No. And now she's really mad. And I have no idea how to fix this. Any – um... any tips?”
“I'd get kneepads, boy. You're going to have to grovel.”
“I – yeah – I thought as much,” he said. “Luckily I can do that without hurting myself. But you know, I don't want to belittle how she feels right now. I remember how I felt when she was engaged to Lex Luthor and he took over the Planet.”
Perry winced at the horrible pun implied in those words.
“Clark, that's terrible. “
“I know,” he said, somewhat abashed. “But it was right there for the saying. And even though i was being a little facetious there, the truth is, when Luthor bought this place, it felt ... like the rest of us, Lois not included, faded into insignificance. I realize the New Kryptonians are making everyone feel that way -”
“Not just them,son. You've been doing it too. I'm not sure how else you should be acting in order to gain support for fighting Nor's army, but I have to tell you – things are looking kind of grim and bleak.”
“I don't know what to do about that,” he groaned, accepting the truth in his friend's words.
“Well. I think you should tackle getting back in Lois's good graces first. That's always good advice when dealing with one's wife or future wife. Don't make them simmer too long with their anger, because it's like compound interest – it grows at an alarming rate and feeds back into itself.”
“And then?”
“And then – we'll figure it out. You aren't alone in this, Son. I promise you that.”
Clark smiled. Having Perry in on his secret had alleviated a huge burden for him. Perhaps it was time for him to start trusting his friends more.
“Well... then wish me luck.”
“Oh. Good luck. You'll need it,” he said with a slightly evil grin.
