Author's note:

Spoilers: Consider yourself warned about everything till the end of the fourth season.

Revised yet again, simply because the first version wasn't good enough

The story is going on hiatus till I finish all of my exams and do some research, because it kind of taken over my life…

Thanks: My beta readers, Last Scorpion and The Die Hard, all the kind reviewers, and Tom Paine.

That day began a chain of events that marked him as Smallville's self-appointed hero, and ultimately made him take the identity of Superman."

Chloe Sullivan, "Smallville – Clark Kent's early years" unpublished notes.

It was time for her monthly pamphlet again. Tom Paine's pamphlets inspired a revolution. Chloe's failed to do so, even after nine and a half years of publication. Of course, Tom Paine didn't have to compete with cable, TV in general, the internet... People probably rebelled against the British Empire because they were bored out of their minds.

"The Superman decade document," she told the computer, releasing a small, frustrated sigh.

"I believe that liberty is the only genuinely valuable thing that men have invented, at least in the field of government, in a thousand years. I believe that it is better to be free than to be not free, even when the former is dangerous and the latter safe. "

H. L. Mencken, "Why Liberty?" January 30, 1927

"It's been a decade since we gave up our liberty for safety, and we have done so all too easily. Most people, when asked, claimed it was absolutely necessary – we were one the verge of a third world war. People say the world was lucky enough to have Superman agreeing to become its "Hegemon", which is another word for an enlightened tyrant…"

Chloe began to type on her old keyboard. Keyboards were terribly out of fashion, of course, but she preferred them to voice dictating. She loved the feeling of her thoughts taking shape through her fingertips. Besides, saying what she was about to write, while not illegal (who needed to outlaw freedom of speech when the media did such an admirable job of censoring itself? The Big Brother would have been proud) could definitely be hazardous to one's job, or even health.

"Chloe," Trent, her assistant, stuck his head through the door "Deadline in two hours; Mr. Dawkins is going insane."

Chloe startled. "Sorry, Trent, tell him it'll be ready in an hour," she said, trying to regain her composure. The Decade file was still on screen.

Trent grinned at her. "Don't look so scared. That's just another Deadline."

She tried to smile back "Well, I guess George's infamous rage is starting to get to me. You know, all those talks about 'never being able to find a job in the journalism world again' unless he gets his article yesterday."

Trent snorted. "That would be the day. So, what should I tell him?"

"Tell him that if he doesn't want it to be complete and utter crap, he should wait another hour."

"Ok," said Trent. "In the mean time, should I get you anything? Coffee, some cookies? I can run to the coffee shop and back in no time," he added eagerly.

Chloe smiled. Underneath her desk, her fingers were clenched together to the point where the knuckles went white. "That would be nice."

Trent nodded at her, gave her a last, adoring look, and closed the door.

Chloe release her breath. She certainly hoped Trent didn't see what was on screen. Working on an article for The Crisis in the office was definitely living on the edge.

"Close current file," she told the computer. "Open latest Health Care file."

On the back of her brain, Chloe wondered what Trent would have done if he saw the file. He was a nice enough guy, and she was flattered by his obvious crush on her, but he could easily be one of those who believed Superman's domination was the best thing to ever happen to the world. Or worse – that Superman is Jesus Christ reborn, another reincarnation of Buddha, Moses who came back to set the Jews free. (Although why he would do that when they already had a state, Chloe had no idea).

Every religion had its way of working Clark into their theology, which turned out to be a major advantage in his quest to unite the world under his rule. How could one rebel against a Messiah? A God? Preachers' attempts to use Superman as a proof of God's existence (their God, of course) backfired at them.

Fifty-eight minutes later, her article was ready, and she e-mailed it to George with satisfaction.

Who would have thought that Paul's unsuccessful attempts to change Smallville High's dress code would have such an influence on the world's fate?

Edison, like other scholars, makes the grave mistake of thinking of Clark as a naturally born hero, ready to save the world from childhood. The truth to be told, Clark has tried to run away from his fate, figuratively and literally, more than once".

Chloe Sullivan, "Smallville – Clark Kent's early years" unpublished notes.

"Sullivan!" George yelled from across the news room. Chloe stopped, bag on shoulder and car keys at hand, and looked at him. George looked as if he were about to combust with joy.

"Sullivan!" George repeated "Come over here! You are not going to believe this!"

Half-walking, half-running, Chloe came to stand near George. So what if she was on her way home? It's not like she had much to do there.

"What is it?" she asked, breathless.

"You," announced George, with the world's biggest grin on his lips," are about to interview Superman," he said. Chloe didn't think one could look as smug as George looked at that moment. Satisfaction was practically dripping from him.

Oh, no, she thought. I'm not interviewing Clark. I'm not getting anywhere near him.

"Superman doesn't give interviews," she pointed out to George. Clark held press conferences every month or so, and gave a mandatory speech every year, but other than that, he let his subordinates do the PR.

George waved his hand in dismissal. "He does now. His assistant called an hour ago and asked to schedule an interview – on the condition that you'd be the one to interview him. "

"Must be a prank," said Chloe desperately. She felt the need to grab her bag and escape the Planet for good, but remained in place instead, hoping to convince George this was a bad idea. She knew why Clark wanted to see her again, and she wasn't in the mood for "I told you so" speech. He wanted her to admit her mistake. He didn't get it that she never doubted his ability to run the world successfully – with lots of help, of course – but his right to do so. No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent. Would Lincoln have included Superman in that statement as well? Chloe thought he would have, and so did she.

"No prank," George said. "We confirmed it. Kent wants you to interview him."

"It won't be an impartial interview," she said quickly. "I knew him in high school, we worked together at the school newspaper. We went to Met U together."

"Exactly!" cried George with excitement "I want the personal angle. How is he like, as a person? What does he wear besides black? What are his favorite cereals? Besides," he added, noticing her look of dismay, "it's not like we have a choice. He asked for you, and I doubt he'd agree to do the interview with anybody else. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, Chloe. Don't let some bad high school memories stand in your way."

"Oh, it's not that they're bad…not all of them, anyway, I mean…" she paused, unwilling to elaborate on the subject. She wondered what George would have said if he knew what kind of memories, exactly, she did have from Clark. He would have insisted on an exclusive.

"What if I refuse?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Chloe," George's voice softened. "You know you'd be sacked. Not by me – you're an excellent reporter, with or without the Superman interview, but the stockholders won't like it." He patted her shoulder. "Two or three hours of your life and it would all be over, and you'd get a big fat bonus."

"He's a dictator!" she protested harder. "The Planet shouldn't try and present him on a 'personal' level. That would make him appear likeable. We really should be opposing him."

George snorted "Yes, I'm sure that will help. We'll protest, and then he'll see the error of his ways, step aside and let someone else rule the world. You've been reading too many of those anti-Superman pamphlets."

Kind of inevitable, thought Chloe, when you're the pamphlets' editor.

"Chloe," George continued, "his regime has been good to pretty much everyone. He doesn't need us to appear likeable. The masses adore him. They think he's some sort of a God, not just an E.T.. You are about to get a chance to satisfy their curiosity about the Man of Steel. No one will forget this interview. Or you."

"Sure, his regime has been good to everyone," said Chloe, "except our democracy and freedom." She wasn't going to get away from that, she knew. She'd have to go and meet him. Oh, God. She knew Ethan would have refused, but Ethan was dead for a decade. Chloe, however, was still very much alive and in need of employment.

George ignored her last words. He patted her shoulder again. "Go home and pack. The interview is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, and we already have a first-class seat booked for you on the plane to Washington."

"First class?" asked Chloe. Nobody got first class on the expense of the Planet. Ever. The best anybody ever got was business, and that was reserved to living legends, like Perry White.

George smiled. "Only the best for our star reporter."

If Tom Paine would have gotten a chance to interview the English king, back in the eighteen century, what would he have asked?

Chloe sighed.