I am Superman

By Sammi Burleigh <Sammy149@aol.com>

Rated: G

Submitted January 2000

Summary: A short revelation story set during the episode "The Foundling" at a time when Clark has a special reason for Lois to know the truth.

***

"Lois, you had better sit down," Clark said after Lois' confrontation. He was quiet for a moment, thinking about how he would tell her. He looked around to see how many people were in the newsroom. It was late, nearly midnight, but there were still a few people working. "Why don't we go into the conference room? We'll have more privacy."

Lois let Clark lead her into the conference room. He seemed nervous, but she figured that was to be expected since she had caught him in a lie. He closed the door and turned to her, as if waiting for her to speak.

"Well, are you going to tell me or not?"

"I got the globe when we broke into the Bureau 39 warehouse. One of the UFO's was the ship that Superman came to Earth in. The globe was setting on the ship. I picked it up and took it."

"And you didn't tell me, your partner?"

"We weren't partners then," Clark began, but Lois cut him off before he could finish his confession.

"Then? Try never again! I can't believe you lied to me!"

Clark had only been slightly concerned about the situation he was in, but he was starting to grow more worried rapidly as Lois prepared to launch into one of her rants.

"I suppose you've never lied to me?" Clark cut her off sarcastically. That stopped Lois briefly.

"It's a completely different standard! I was raised in Metropolis; you were raised in Kansas."

Clark sighed. This wasn't getting them anywhere. "I don't see the different standard. Just be quiet and listen to me for a minute. I didn't tell you because we had just met, and I didn't trust you anymore than you trusted me. And apparently you still feel the same way." He slowed down as he ran out of steam. Lois was still shocked from being told, by Clark of all people, to be quiet.

"Do you trust me now?" she asked.

"I wouldn't be talking to you about this if I didn't."

"Clark, I do trust you. And it scares me. Everyone else I've ever trusted has betrayed me, and I guess I've been waiting for you to do it too."

"I won't."

"Okay, back to the globe," Lois said, getting the conversation back on track and preventing it from becoming more personal. "Does Superman know about it?"

Clark hesitated before taking the plunge. "He does. Lois, there's a lot you don't know about me and Superman."

"Such as?"

"You told me during the heat wave that you knew that I idolize Superman. That's not exactly true. You wonder why I seem to be the only person who can contact Superman." He paused. "Lois, I am Superman."

Clark had turned away from Lois before he said the words and still didn't turn around. He didn't want to see her reaction. Lois gaped at Clark unable to believe what she had just been told. He finally turned and faced her, apprehension written clearly on his face.

"Lois?"

"You … you can't … be … him," she stammered.

Clark put his hand on her shoulder to steady and reassure her. He looked around the room to make sure the blinds were closed and with his other hand Clark pulled off his glasses and pushed his hair back. Lois gasped.

"You look like him, but that doesn't mean you are him," Lois said, trying desperately to sound reasonable. She didn't want to believe that her partner was the Man of Steel. That both had lied to her and deceived her. That both had done such a thorough job of making a fool of her.

Clark put his glasses in his jacket pocket and loosened his tie. By that time Lois was ignoring him and trying to convince herself that Clark was not Superman. He walked over to her and cupped her face in his large hand. She looked up at him and he spun into Superman.

"Wow!"

Clark grinned at her. "The man in the globe is my father Jor-El. He recorded several messages, and over the past few days, the globe has been transmitting them to me."

"Which is why you've been so worried."

"Right. It's still been transmitting and whoever has the globe has been seeing the messages with me. So far there hasn't been anything to give me away, but there are still two messages left and there might be something that could give some clues to Superman's real identity. Lois, I haven't been able to figure out how to find the globe. I need help."

"We'll get the globe back. But after, you have a lot of explaining to do."

"Thanks. By the way, how mad are you?"

"You'll find out later, flyboy. Come on, we've go to get that globe back."

He followed her out the door, confident he'd have the globe back soon and sure that the future would be very interesting.

THE END