Love and Heroes

Love and Heroes


Later on Clark and Lois were inside of the crowded elevator. All, except for Clark and Lois were reading the latest addition of the Daily Planet. Lois rolled her eyes in exasperation at the sight of Superman plastered all over the front cover and the rest of the paper. And everyone seemed to be sucking it up, like a drug. She noticed the only other two people whom seemed as if they were completely unaffected, was Clark Kent and her cousin Chloe.

Little did she knew, that Clark Kent was just as exasperated by all of the attention and the sudden craze that had taken over the world, due to the reappearance of his alter ego. If the world only knew the man of steel was also mild mannered and bumbling reporter, Clark Kent.

Chloe on the other hand was far too used to knowing exactly who the man of steel truly was. She had known since she was seventeen going on eighteen. Besides Chloe had been forced to go home, on Perry’s orders earlier on that day, right after Bruce Wayne was declared dead. Chloe had been inconsolable.

Meanwhile Clark grinned goofily at Lois, his perfectly straight and white teeth on full display for all to see. Lois return the smile, but it was clearly forced and with less enthusiasm.

As they exited the elevator Clark followed her and called out. “Lois?” Lois turned around and smiled thinly, as she decided to make brief conversation with him; she figured it was harmless enough. She replied “Hey Clark.”

She continued to walk backwards, half facing Clark as she spoke. “How does it feel to be back at work?” Lois reached the evolving doors Clark was right behind her as he spoke. “Pretty good. You know, kind of like riding a bike, I guess.”

Lois pushed forwards as she and Clark ended up trapped in the revolving doors. Clark always had a problem with those doors, she silently noted. She suddenly remembered what Clark had been saying and said. “A bike?” Clark nodded and replied “Yeah, you know. Never mind.”

Lois, having finally freed them from the doors, walked down the steps leading to the main lobby of the Daily Planet. Clark continued to follow her. He added as she continued to walk a head, in order to call and flag down a taxi. “But I was wondering, since I’ve been back, we haven’t really had a chance to catch up. I thought maybe, if you’d like, we could go grab some food-“

Lois stopped walking and turned to face Clark as she cut him off mid sentence. She seemed to be doing that quite a lot today, Clark noted silently as Lois said. “Hey, can I ask you something?” Clark replied “Sure.”

Lois asked him “Have you ever met someone and it’s like you’re almost totally from different worlds, but you shared such a connection you knew you were destined to be together?” She added “Then he just takes off without explaining why or without even saying goodbye?”

She turns around as if searching for the right words, before she said dismissively. “Sounds cheesy, I know.” She sighs and walks on a head, down the rest of the steps, leaving Clark where he was standing without a backwards glance and calls out, lifting her hand up in the air and waving.

Clark says to her. “Well, maybe it was hard to say goodbye because he had to go and he wanted to say goodbye, but maybe it was too difficult for him.” Lois called out “Taxi!” Lois turned back to face Clark and asks incredulously. “Difficult? What’s so difficult about it?” She exclaims sarcastically. Goodbye. It’s easy. What’s so hard about saying goodbye?”

Clark knew who exactly she was ranting about. It was impossible not to, seeing as it was himself. So he quickly decided to play dumb, whilst all the while thinking how Chloe was right, Lois was very bitter and sounded like a woman scorned.

“Who are we talking about?” He asked innocently. Lois lifted a hand warily and covered her eyes with it and said around a sigh. “Nobody, just forget I said anything.”

Clark thought sadly as Lois called out, lifting and waving her hand once more in the air. “Taxi! Hey!” ‘Oh Lois, my love, I’m so, so sorry, but I cannot forget, knowing how much my leaving you behind as hurt you so badly’

Lois called out again, impatiently. “Taxi!” Clark decided to take pity on her, when the taxi she had been trying to flag down drove right passed her. He let out a loud and shrilly whistle, discreetly using his super breath to bring the taxi right to Lois, startling a poor brown and white bull dog in the process, causing it to let out a high pitched whine, at the sharp noise.

Lois turned to face Clark and exclaimed with slight admiration, making Clark smile bashfully. “Wow, thanks.” She then stepped towards the waiting yellow taxi. She opened the door and told the taxi driver where she was going. “312 Riverside Drive, please.”

She then turned around faced Clark smiling at him, as she lowered herself inside of the taxi. “Good night, Clark.” As soon as the taxi pulled away and drove straight on head into the early evening traffic, Clark quickly found an alley way and changed into his blue and red costume, after checking the coast was clear and he would not be discovered.

Everyone looked up and pointed above their heads, while little children exclaimed from the sidewalk as Superman flew passed them all, with a loud whooshing sound. His body was entirely horizontal, his arms stretched out right and front of him as he flew, fluently and effortlessly, his red leather cape flapping majestically behind him. Children called out “Superman!”

Clark flew level with some of the tallest buildings in Metropolis. He took in his surroundings, feeling an inner peace at the sight of the beauty of the setting sun, looking at the looming giant globe that was the Daily Planet logo. He flew passed heading straight for Lois’s home she shared with Jason and Richard.

Clark floated over the roof and floated behind at tree so he was out of sight, meaning he would be able to see inside with his X-ray vision, but they would not be able to see where he was floating above the house, obscured.

Superman proceeded to scan the house. Layer after layer disappeared revealing room after room. One room at the top half of the house was a room containing toys, obviously belonging to Jason. He continued to scan downwards until his vision settled on the living room.

He instantly took in the sight of Jason. His expression softened at the sight of the sweet looking little boy. Jason was sitting on the creamy white coloured three seat couch, in front of a coffee table, where a keyboard rested. Superman listened as the little boy played few notes to the song heart and soul, before he would repeat the same notes again. Obviously the boy was still learning the song in its full form.

Jason turned his head in a certain direction and said. “I want egg rolls.” Lois called back lightly from another room, the kitchen Superman presumed. “Nice try, kiddo. Only steamed chicken and snow peas for you.”

Superman moved his gaze over to the kitchen area, where Lois and Richard were getting ready for dinner. Lois was bent over looking for something inside of the fridge, while Richard was setting the table that was already full of different take out dishes and three white plates arranged from the rectangular table.

Superman continued to listen as Richard asked Lois. “Why do we order Chinese if he’s allergic?” Lois simply replied “Because he loves the peas and I think we all prefer egg rolls over macrobiotic shakes.” Jason pulled a face, sticking out his tongue as he made a sound of disgust. Richard walked over to Lois, who was opening a bottle of wine and said. “It’s a good point.”

Richard picks up a glass of wine, as Lois cleans her hands off with a cloth before placing something in the garbage. Richard sounds nervous and unsure how to proceed as he comments to Lois. “So I noticed you’ve been acting a little different lately.”

Lois was washing her hands as she turned to face Richard and asked. “Have I?” Richard smiles nervously as Lois turns back to the sink and continues to wash her hands. He said. “You know, Lois, that article you wrote.” Lois replied. “Why the World Doesn’t Need Superman”?

Richard shook his head, as he watched Lois drying her hands and replied. “No, no, no. No, the other one, from years ago, before we met.” Lois asked “Which article? I wrote dozens about him. I was practically his press agent.” Richard replied “I Spent the Night ‘With’ Superman.”

Lois sighed as she turned to face Richard and replied. “Richard, come on.” She turned to fully face him and held out her arms, her hands in an outward gesture and added “It was the title of an interview. Plus, it was your Uncle Perry’s idea.”

Richard quickly back peddled when he realised Lois was starting to become defensive, and Richard knew that was not good for, nor did it bode well for him. He held up the hand with the wine glass in and said “No, I know, I know. Its okay, it’s okay.”

Lois said “Richard.” Lois looked serious as she added. “It was a long time ago.” Richard nodded; he was smiling a tight lipped smile as he asked her. “Were you in love with him?” Lois sighed in disbelief as she replied. “He was Superman. Everyone was in love with him.” Richard asked her “But were you?”

Lois paused for a long moment; all was silent as she thought of what to tell Richard. She had no idea what to say, she had no idea whether she still felt like that for Superman. Christ it had been five years, without a single word or sighting of him. She only gave the answer she was currently able to give him, as she placed her hands on her hips and said. “No.”

Lois had no idea the man in question was floating outside above her house, obscured by a tree. That she had just shattered his heart. Richard quickly said. “Lois, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

The scene in the kitchen faded out, as Superman was unable to bear the sight of Lois with another man, nor hear another word being said. He lowered his head slightly and looked down at his deep red boots and closed his eyes lightly.

It felt like Lois had ripped his heart out of his chest and stomped on it, with just one little word, but one incredibly damaging word ‘No’.
He had heard and seen enough, more then enough. He raised his arms above his head and floated up higher into the night sky, his cape flapping behind him, in the night breeze.

He continued to fly faster, one of his hands held out in front of him as he flew. His hand was clenched in a fist so tightly, that his knuckles were stark white from the pressure of his grip. His eyes filled with agony as he thought of what his Kryptonian father had once said to him.

‘Jor-El: Even though you’ve been raised as a human being, you are not one of them. They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son’

He continued to fly head, passing though clouds as he proceeded to fly up into the planets orbit, near the sun, as he closed his eyes and floated, his cape flapping majestically behind him. He listened to the sounds of the rushing world below him, people rapidly speaking in different languages, the sound of heavy traffic, alarms going off and babies crying loudly.

His eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing bright deep blue irises. He continued to float before he flew a head, having heard a disturbance that required his attention.