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Features Writer
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Features Writer
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966 |
Thanks for your patience, everyone! I'm writing up the climax now, and then I have the last chapter to write. Sorry it's taken so long--this summer's been crazy!  I'd love to hear what you all think of this chapter!
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
 Hee-hee. I love Jimmy. Glad to hear he's ok. He's got all the answers, yet doesn't have a clue.  I loved how he solved the problem of the tail. Great! I love the convoluted route CK gave him to get to Smallville! Terrific. Nobody would ever think to look in a treehouse. (Now, CK will have to find a new finding spot because SuperClone knows about the treehouse). Let's hope Lois realizes that it isn't the sight of K that's dangerous to Clark/Superman but the actual rock. Wow, Luthor must be desperate if he's handing out K to even low-level thugs. And what is he telling them about it? That it's something CK is allergic to? Or is he actually telling them that CK used to be Superman, so if he gives you any trouble just whip out this green rock? Nah, I can't see that happening. That would undermind his clone. Can't wait for the secrets Lois and Clark will be whispering at the end of this day! 
VirginiaR.
"On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling"
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"clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Aha! I *knew* it!  I could just see that in my minds eye. All in all, a great revelation. Well done. I'd mentioned earlier about wanting Lois to realize her feelings for Clark before realizing C=S, and you made a comment that you hoped you wouldn't disappoint. Rest assured, you didn't.  I cannot wait to read more. Hey, that reminds me. Didn't you once mention something about a new and improved posting schedule? 
"Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution" - Daniel Webster
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,800 Likes: 30 |
You’re the man I admire more than anyone else in the entire world. And,” I continued, swallowing before forcing these last words out. “You’re the only person I’d be okay with losing the Pulitzer to.”
Lois Lane, willing to let someone else beat her out of the Pulitzer? That is HUGE!
This chapter had me on the edge of my seat, from the fierce emotional tension between Lois and Clark to her brusque dismissal when all the pieces come together!
However, as fantastic as it is it is nothing compared to the most hoped for confrontation between Clark, 'Superman' and Lex. Really looking forward to it! So much raw emotion from Lois. Poor Clark is in a pickle, desperately holding onto her love while trying to protect her. Yes, everything is leading the reader to the final showdown! WoW! Thanks for providing the best 'ride' this summer.
Morgana
A writer's job is to think of new plots and create characters who stay with you long after the final page has been read. If that mission is accomplished than we have done what we set out to do, which is to entertain and hopefully educate.
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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I love how Lois fought herself from believing what she was increasingly seeing must be true about Clark. "Yes." His reply was so weighted, so intent, so deliberate, that I knew he wasn't saying he wanted more tea. He was answering my question, trying to tell me that he was, despite what I was learning about him here, still Clark. Brilliant. My hand formed into a tight fist, crushing Clark's teabag within it. Not sure I like that symbolism -- I suspect that it foreshadows at bare minimum a tense time for L&C in part 19. But even so, I am definitely looking forward to reading that part. BTW, "Dr. Irons"? As in "John Henry Irons"?  at the comic book crossover. Joy, Lynn
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
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Wooooo! Finally! It is about time, Lois!! And....what's gonna happen with the clone? 
~•~
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
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Lois is getting so close to figuring it out! The answer was there, just out of sight, but reaching for it would mean endangering everything I had managed to build between myself and Clark I love this: But it was a truth so enormous, so terrible, so radical, so mind-blowing, life-altering, and heart-shattering that I could not think it, could not dwell on it, could not allow myself to connect all the pieces. Because the minute I accepted this truth--the minute I allowed that it was reality--I would also have to acknowledge that everything I knew about Superman and Clark was a lie. And that would, in turn, mean that basic facts I accepted about myself were also false. Love how Clark manipulated Superman with the Fortress of Solitude and the globe. And Lois has finally figured it out! I hope she won't be angry. Joan
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Blogger
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Blogger
Joined: Nov 2007
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So good!!! You know I have been half frustrated and half amazed by your story for 18 parts but it's been worth it. Not knowing what was inside Clark's mind was definitely frustrating but it made your story so much better!
Congratulations!
Nanou
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Just catching up--but yay! She's FINALLY put it together, even if she won't say the words yet. I thought for a moment we had a classic Jimmy interruptus and her train of thought would be derailed, but instead, Jimmy brought the proof to the table. Well done! 
Reach for the moon, for even if you fail, you'll still land among the stars... and who knows? Maybe you'll meet Superman along the way. 
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6,142 Likes: 3 |
Wahoo! I finally have the internet back so I can review this! (I was able to read it on my phone, but held off on the review so that I could do it properly.) We readied for bed silently, but I didn't think I was alone in thinking that the room seemed colder and the blankets more necessary now that we were once again in separate beds. So....keep sharing! He had wanted it dealt with and destroyed so that it couldn't harm Superman, which was proof enough that he was on the mend. . *Superman* yes. Cloneboy, not so much. My brow creased in surprise. Without being able to see both men, it was suddenly clear that their voices were almost identical. Superman's was a bit deeper, more controlled, less inflectioned, and Clark's rang with more passion, but their pitch was the same. First puzzle piece locks into place.  Carefully, almost fearfully, Clark pulled his glasses off his face and stared down at them, sheltered in his palms. Clark without his glasses looked a lot like...like Superman. I had, of course, noticed that they had several physical similarities, but it had never bothered me before. Second puzzle piece locked into place *smears glue over them so Lois can't pull them apart* "I think," I began slowly, knowing of a certainty that Clark's future would be shaped around my answer, conscious of my promise that he could depend on me for the support his parents had once given him so freely. "I think your time in the cell affected you, and we'd be stupid to try and ignore that."
His eyes--so open and exposed without the cover of clear lenses--fell closed to hide his shattered expression. "You *do* think I'm crazy." "I didn't say that!" I snapped, stepping even closer, invading his personal space, startled again--or still--by how different, how familiar, he looked without his glasses. "I said it affected you...but it didn't change you. You are who you've always been." I smiled at him, laying my hands flat against his chest. "You're the kindest man I've ever met, and you have unbelievable quiet strength and gentle grace and incredible selflessness. You're the man I admire more than anyone else in the entire world. And," I continued, swallowing before forcing these last words out. "You're the only person I'd be...okay with...losing the Pulitzer to." Love the quick move to smooth things over. And Lois actually *admitting* that she'd be okay with losing the Pulitzer to Clark? That's earth-shattering!!!!!!!! "I think I'm the luckiest man in the world to have you in my life," he answered tenderly. It was the smoothest, most beautiful evasion I'd ever heard. *melts* "That just proves that you *are* crazy. But." I smiled back at him, the warmth and gentleness of my own smile surprising even me. "It's the kind of crazy you've always been. The kind of crazy I don't want you to lose." Love this! I looked between Clark and the officer. For an instant, I wondered just how paranoid Clark was--but only for an instant. Clark was my partner; more, he knew intimately how dangerous Luthor was. And he was right--Henderson would never have sent a single officer we didn't recognize on sight. Good girl, Lois! Listen to Clark! Narrowing his eyes behind their tinted lenses, Henderson flipped the latch and folded open the lid of the box. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo! "My guess?" Henderson shook his head, his eyes locked on the alien stone. I knew what he would say even before he spoke. "Kryptonite." Does that mean that Henderson had a clue that CK=S? I suddenly felt sick--not with nausea, but with the beginnings of a foreboding understanding. *nods* Go on, Lois. "Really. I'll be okay. It was only for a second. I think I'm starting to get used to it." Getting used to it? Now *there's* a horrifying thought because it means that he's been exposed to it *htta* much. Of course, we already knew that, but still... More, it had seemed to *hurt* him. *Physically* hurt him. It had sucked the light and warmth out of his body and left behind this wan, weakened husk. *nods* Keep going, Lois! Would Clark even know if Luthor had manipulated his DNA or altered his blood chemistry? Though...how had he managed to get these pictures of Luthor with Roarke and Harrington when he had been in a different country? How had he taped a conversation between Luthor and known terrorists when he hadn't been in the city? How could he have researched the files on LexCorp so thoroughly while he traveled from continent to continent? You already know the answer to that, Lois. His eyes widened, as if he weren't sure why I was getting after him. "It was in Smallville." Somehow, I just *knew* several chapters ago that his research was in his treehouse!!! The most crucial information in a case sure to be big enough to rival Watergate, and Clark hid it in a tree-house? He was right--absolutely no one would ever have guessed it. In a way, it was almost ingenious, not that I ever, *ever*, planned on admitting that to him, secrets or no secrets. Hehehehehehe! Clark's eyes were intent on me, as if even though Jimmy was the one asking the questions, he was really giving the answers to me. And this is one of the things that I *love* about this whole next section!!!!!!!!! "I knew that was what he'd tell you," Clark said, singularly unhelpful. Yup! Knew this was coming too.  A gasp escaped me at the sight of the smile he was giving Jimmy--it was Superman's smile. Love all of these small revelations that she's having. "Yes." His reply was so weighted, so intent, so deliberate, that I knew he wasn't saying he wanted more tea. He was answering my question, trying to tell me that he was, despite what I was learning about him here, still Clark. I love how he's aware that she's put the pieces together. And how he reassures her that he's still the same guy, despite the things she's learned. Clark--Superman--could it be? I couldn't believe it. Believe it sister! Ouch! My hand formed into a tight fist, crushing Clark's teabag within it. Uh oh! I can't wait for Cloneboy to be dealt with (and Luthor too) so Lois and Clark can have a nice heart-to-heart and smooth things out once more. Superb chapter! I really love how the realizations dawn on Lois throughout it. Keep up the excellent work and I look forward to the next chapter!
Battle On,
Deadly Chakram
"Being with you is stronger than me alone." ~ Clark Kent
"One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation." ~ Figment the Dragon
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Finally she's figured it out!!! I just know the SIGHTF (did I just make that acronym up - hopefully you will know what that means ) I hope she's not too hard on him. I mean really, they hadn't known each other that long when he left Metropolis and he pretty much said that Luthor would hurt her if he told her his secret so it's not like he's not been dropping MAJOR hints Lois and give the poor guy a break - think of all he's been through the past month or so - his parents are in hiding, you've been swooning over an imposter (and kissing him on top of that), he's lost all his powers - remember how he said SM had taken it all away from him?? HAVE SOME COMPASSION!! Ugh. I'm done with my Lois rambling rant now. Excellent part AntiK. I SOOOO can't wait for the next part and maybe a little make up making out???
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always
depend on the support of Paul.
-George Bernard Shaw
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Stephnachia said: I SOOOO can't wait for the next part and maybe a little make up making out??? I like the way you think, Steph! I'm hoping Lois needs this time alone to go over everything that has happened and re-evaluate it after her MAJOR paradigm shift, but that once she does she'll feel compassion, understanding (and, is it too much to ask, love?) rather than anger. On the other hand, this *is* Lois we're talking about. :rolleyes:
"Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and to the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Constitution" - Daniel Webster
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Posts: 6,142 Likes: 3
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 6,142 Likes: 3 |
(takes a small bit of blame for pulling Anti-K out of this story to be a beta reader on my next fic)
Battle On,
Deadly Chakram
"Being with you is stronger than me alone." ~ Clark Kent
"One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation." ~ Figment the Dragon
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31 |
Whatever lies Luthor had dumped into his mind, whatever fantastical reasons for Superman's absence Clark had come up with himself, they were slowly being eclipsed by the reality he was beginning, once more, to believe in. Uh-huh... The low murmur of his voice reached my ears by way of another breeze issuing in from the open window, swirling the white curtains around Clark so that he seemed engulfed by mist. A flash of red and blue hanging just outside the window confirmed my suspicion. Oooooooo I'm guessing even Jimmy was surprised when he saw the Welcome to Smallville sign. I mean, at one point, I was actually counting my own paces--hoping that my paces were the same as Clark's--from a wagon wheel! It took me forever just to *find* that wagon wheel!" Clark looked straight at me. He said nothing.
"The Fortress of Solitude!"  Wow, you two must be really connected, one building a tree house, the other an igloo. My hand formed into a tight fist, crushing Clark's teabag within it. Uh-oh. Say, is Clark soon going to look forward to the black cell again? And regular Green-K therapy sessions? Michael, who's feeling just like that poor, poor tea bag right now.
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Joined: Jan 2011
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Features Writer
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OP
Features Writer
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966 |
Glad you enjoyed it, VirginiaR--I was a bit afraid of the reaction this chapter would get since it'd been so long in coming! In response to your question, I would think that Luthor would have only told the man to drop off a certain 'gift' to someone he wanted to send a message. Thanks, Vicki! I, too, really liked the part where Lois consciously chose to trust Clark about the supposed officer. I'm delighted this chapter was a success with you--as I said, it was a bit stressful. As to the new and improved posting schedule...well, that was when I was writing much faster than RL has allowed me to do recently. I'm still trying, I promise!  Thanks, Morgana! There is a lot of raw emotion within this story, but I seem to be drawn to that sort of thing. :rolleyes: I love how you put that, Lynn: 'fought herself from believing...' And despite the harshness of the symbolism, I hope the next chapter doesn't throw you off. Thanks, Queen of the Capes--I did enjoy putting in the reference to Steel. I've always liked him. And congratulations to you and Lynn for noticing it; I was curious if anyone would recognize it. I'm glad the pay-off with the globe and the Fortress worked--I was worried since it took several chapters to get back to you. But it seems I continually underestimate my readers!
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
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Stephnachia, I have no idea what the acronym means SIGHTF - Sh*t is gonna hit the fan. (pardon my french)
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always
depend on the support of Paul.
-George Bernard Shaw
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31 |
hope you're a bit faster-healing than the teabag, too! Umm... it's really tightly connected with the posting schedule, so it's kind of up and down  Michael
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Features Writer
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OP
Features Writer
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966 |
Getting kind of soggy, are you? Hope you like warmed milk!
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