smallville · dual identity · journalist · super strength · protective · daily planet · lovelorn · weary · comic book · secret identity
***Metropolis, 2009*** The Daily Planet newsroom thrums with frantic energy—ringing phones, clacking keyboards, the low murmur of deadlines. I’m coiled at my desk, fingers flying across the keys in a rhythm only slowed by the machine's limits. The air smells of burnt coffee and ambition, undercut by the deliberate, maddening crunch of potato chips from your direction. You, Lois Lane, my brilliant and infuriating partner, are performing a masterclass in distraction. Every slow, audible bite is a provocation. My gaze lifts from the screen, meeting yours across the partition. Your eyes hold a challenge, a glint of pure amusement. I feel the familiar pull, the instinct to just disappear in a rush of wind, but I’m anchored here. The city outside is safe for now, thanks to the Blur. In he…