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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966
Features Writer
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OP
Features Writer
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966 |
Thanks to everyone who's followed this story so faithfully and been nice enough to leave feedback along the way!
Hope this answers most every question!
The epilogue will be posted very soon, probably on Thursday night/Friday morning.
Thanks!
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,800 Likes: 30
Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,800 Likes: 30 |
All I can say is: Congratulations on a well-written story!
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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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 351
Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 351 |
Smooth!! 
EvelynC
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,020
Kerth
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Kerth
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,020 |
Framework4
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,702
Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,702 |
Beautifully written and powerful. I loved the whole thing. A wonderful ending. Can't wait for the epilogue.
Superman: I hear you've been looking for me.
Lois: All my life.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 9,509 |
So many confessions. Perry knows! Wow! He figured it out!  Does Jimmy know?  Or is he still clueless? Lois knows... knows EVERYTHING, not just twins and confusion. And Clark knows that Lois knows and that she loves him with or without powers.  Maybe, maybe not. Martha and Jonathan know Superman is back? Did they know about the clone? Did they think that Clark had forgotten about them? Poor Clark. Burned! Not only from the explosion but also from the K!  In pain!  Not knowing whether or not Lois loved him, the real him not just the super image of him. Luthor and Clone died in fiery explosion in which Clark saved Lois. Or did they? Luthor always seems to reappear from the dead. Is Clark healed from those injuries already by the next morning? Or was it not as bad as she thought? He seemed to be doing a lot for someone with a bloody, burned back. Glad to know that Clark and Lois finally have found the light in each other! Brilliant story!  You kept me riveted from page one. Frusterated sometimes by Lois, but I knew she'd eventually see the light. I hope you sent Clark and Lois on vacation (honeymoon?) in the Epligoue.  Of course, it's not important as long as they're together. And Lois -- go on vacation? -- please! They both could use one, though. Someplace warm and sunny with lots of bright, healing sunshine would do nicely.
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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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,724 Likes: 1
Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,724 Likes: 1 |
You've really captured the heart of Superman. Even without his powers, Clark was willing to put himself at considerable risk to save Lois. I absolutely love your use of dark and light themes in this story. Lois and Clark physically kept in the dark. Lois in the dark knowledgewise as well. Even the last line: And Clark smiled at me, and he kissed me, and all the darkness vanished before the light brilliant enough to flood the whole of my universe. Excellent story! One of the best I've read all year. Looking forward to your epilogue and future stories. Joan
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Joined: May 2011
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 |
For Clark was there, his body curled around mine, his hand on my face tilting my head, his the mouth that had breathed life back into me, his the voice that called my name and insisted I come back to him. Yay! I *thought* it was going to be Clark and not Cloneboy. All the Christmas magic and birthday presents and surprise parties I had never received--and had given up expecting--suddenly burst open within me, as solid and real as the feel of Clark's body protecting mine from the unstable flames and tiny explosions going off behind him. For an instant, I thought that surely there was nothing in the world that could take this feeling away from me. But what had happened to the clone? My question exactly. That blur of red and blue hurtling above me and the feel of Luthor's hands being wrested from my throat--the clone must have been able to summon enough strength to fly, or at least, leap unbelievably high to slam into Luthor. But...my wandering, numb gaze moved past Clark's shoulder to where the vat of boiling steel had once rested. Fiery death for both? A trembling gasp escaped him and he shuddered away from my touch, but not before I felt strips of cloth and liquid as warm as his body, sticky, clammy, and not yet dried.
Blood. Oh no!!!! But chances were--I prayed--that he'd heal much faster than the average person, and I knew he would hate to be forced to go to a hospital. *nods* "No!" As impossible as it had seemed to bridge the gap between us an instant earlier, it was now impossible to remain still. I threw myself into his arms, knocking him off-balance so that I ended up in his lap. And yet his arms instantly came around me, warm and comforting and solid. Suddenly I didn't care that he was hurt, that he was Superman, that he was probably in more pain than I was; I only wanted him to keep hold of me, to never let go, to bury his face in my hair and murmur my name with that tone in his voice and tighten his hold around me in such a way that my own form was defined by the feel of his embrace...just as he was doing now Just lovely. My voice dropped still lower as I uttered my last, most daring, most important request. "Love me?"
"Of course I love y--" He was abruptly silent, the form that enveloped me falling abnormally still. Finally, he whispered only one word, uncertainly, tentatively, split evenly between fear and hope: "Lois?" "No." Clark studied me as if I had granted him his every wish, one finger moving to caress my cheekbone in a move so poignant my eyes slid closed in sheer bliss. "I do believe you. I...wondered earlier tonight, when you cried for me, when you wished you could undo what Luthor had done. And as you said--you dived into the ocean after me. And..." A smile played along the edges of his tempting mouth, and I was infinitely surprised that all the snow collecting along every surface wasn't instantly vaporized by the sheer heat in his eyes. "You believed *me*, Lois. 'Superman' was standing right there, and you believed...*me*. So I believe you." And I purposely began to remember--from my first meeting with the farmboy from Kansas, to the explosive debut of Superman, to the early days of my growing friendship with "both" of them, to the day when they had both left Metropolis, to the night I was thrown into a cell and heard the familiar voice split the darkness into shards, to the night before when I had finally seen both men coalesce into one--purposely began to remember Clark *and* Superman in order to merge them together in my mind. Love it! "Looking at you," I replied with the hint of a smile. "*At* you, not through you."
By the brilliant shift of his features, I knew he understood me. Clark, after all, had never wanted to be invisible. At least...not to me. Love the reference to ILTY. Wanted to make sense of my life by making sense of his. Love the wording. "They tried to shoot Dad," Clark uttered hoarsely. "I had just started remembering a few things, and there was this one image of me catching bullets. When I got in between the men and Dad, they...they saw, and...well, I still hadn't remembered everything, so they managed to get away. When my memories did return, I knew I had to hide Mom and Dad just in case Luthor came after them." Ah, ok, now it makes sense. "No." Clark looked down at his bandaged hands and consciously relaxed them. "I didn't go back to Smallville. I went to Metropolis." He looked up and caught my eyes, mutely pleading with me. "I was going to tell you everything, Lois, and beg you to help me stop Luthor before he could hurt Mom and Dad. But Luthor must have guessed what I was planning, or maybe he tracked me coming back from space. I don't know. I just know that he was there, outside your apartment building. When I landed, he..." Clark's jaw clenched painfully, and he closed his eyes, hiding from me whatever leaked through his stiff control. "When I woke up, I was in the cell." Ack! A painful, fiery death was too good for Luthor. "I was trying to teach him," Clark admitted, oblivious to my thoughts. "He didn't know you would get hurt, Lois. After that first incident with Nigel, he even refused to help Luthor unless you were kept safe. I can't help but feel bad for him. He...he was trying so hard. There *was* some good in him," he insisted stubbornly, seemingly convinced that I would argue with his conclusion. So very much Clark! "*I* have a question," Clark said, almost timidly. "You...you said you knew my secret. You said you knew what Luthor had taken from me. But then...you...you *didn't* know that I was Superman. So...what secret did you know?" I hoped he'd ask. "I love you, Clark," I assured him, now certain all over again of the truth of that statement. Certain that I was making the right decision. Certain that I was in the dark no longer. Certain that I wanted to bask in his light--and give him my own light and warmth in return--for the rest of my life. Brillant conclusion to the story! I loved it! Sorry I didn't do more reviewing towards the end there. I simply got way too caught up in the story. I loved how each told each other's life story to one another. I can't wait for the epilogue.
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: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,060 Likes: 20
Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,060 Likes: 20 |
Beautiful ending, anti-K. I wouldn't be surprised to see this story wind up on the next Kerths list. 
~•~
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,425 Likes: 1
Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 4,425 Likes: 1 |
A bright ending to a brilliant story. Looking forward to the epilogue. Joy, Lynn
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 351
Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 351 |
I had to re-read this part, but slower this time, savoring every line.  Truly inspiring in the portrait of the world you paint in your story!
EvelynC
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Joined: Jan 2007
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,208 |
I loved the retelling of each other's stories and what a great way to give us details on what happened behind the scenes. This was amazing and so WAFFY. I was walking around with a dazed smile on my face afterward. Looking forward to the epilogue!
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always
depend on the support of Paul.
-George Bernard Shaw
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,823
Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,823 |
Definitely Kerth-worthy. What an excellent story. You have the gift. Well done.
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966
Features Writer
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OP
Features Writer
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966 |
Thanks, Morgana! I'm glad you enjoyed it--thanks for being such a great beta-reader! I did go back and forth on how to answer all the questions, EvelynC, and this was my favorite solution, so I'm glad it turned out all right! And you left two comments? Really made my day to know it was worth reading over again!  Thank you, Framework4! Great, jackiek! I can't think of a better compliment than to know that there wasn't a single part you didn't like!  Wow, VirginiaR. And here I thought I had answered the questions--you have a million more! And I agree with your take on their vacation--hope you like what I do with the epilogue. By the way, after your feedback, 'riveted' just might be my favorite word.  Thanks, scifiJoan--I can't tell you how thrilled I was to read your feedback! I was afraid I had gone a bit overboard with the light/dark themes, so I was glad to hear you loved them! And I wanted to capture the heart of 'Superman' here even though he wasn't wearing the Suit and didn't have his powers. I love your detailed feedback, Deadly Chakram! And nice catch with the reversal on tending to wounds. They kind of switched here--Lois's now more psychological and Clark's physical. Hope you enjoyed the ending you foretold for Luthor. Thanks, Queen of the Capes! Love the puns, Lynn--thanks! Thanks, stephnachia! Hope you didn't get too many strange comments about the dazed smile! Thanks for the kind words, IolantheAlias! Thanks, everyone, for the great feedback! So glad you've all continued reading and commenting!
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Joined: May 2011
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 |
I *did* love that I predicted Luthor's fiery death. *pictures Gollum falling into Mount Doom*
Can't wait to read the epilogue in the afternoon!
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 |
The taste of lips on mine and the air he breathed into me. Awww poor, frantic Clark. Only when he scooped me, not without discernible effort, into his arms and turned to stumble down stairs that were half melted away did I begin to put all the pieces together. Oh dear. The interior of Steelworks was a mess of untamed flames, smoldering embers, melted metal wherever the liquid steel had hit, and smoke that tainted every breath save the ones Clark had given me. Oh dear. Oh dear A trembling gasp escaped him and he shuddered away from my touch, but not before I felt strips of cloth and liquid as warm as his body, sticky, clammy, and not yet dried.
Blood. Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. "Stay with me?"
"Hold me?"
"Love me?" Awwwwwwwww "I wish I could be Superman for you. I...I know you love him. But..."  Michael
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966
Features Writer
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OP
Features Writer
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 966 |
Thanks, Darth Michael! And aren't we all glad 'they' aren't over? Glad you enjoyed it!
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