Chapter 14 – Confessions and Blowing off Steam

The rest of the day at the Daily Planet went on as usual, but with a newfound sense of urgency given the huge headline Perry had shown them earlier in the day.

But it really wasn't until Clark came in during lunch that everyone actually paused from their work and took a moment to breathe…

"CK! What are you doing back so soon?" Jimmy asked, remembering that Clark was going to be heading abroad to cover the world's reactions to Superman's death.

"Well, when I heard that Superman may have been spotted alive I took the next flight back here." Clark replied, going with the story Kara and J'onn came up with.

"That quick though?" Lois asked sardonically.

"Hey, you'd be surprised how fast flying can be." Clark said.

"Always leave it to the farmboy to be full of surprises." Cat remarked sultrily. "Well, now that you're back, do you wanna get something to…eat? I know there's still time."

"Thanks Cat, but I already had a bite to eat." Clark answered.

"Oh, that's too bad. I was hoping you'd have room for dessert." Cat said as she reached over and started fiddling with Clark's tie.

"Cat, please! Some of us are trying to keep our lunch down!" Lois said in protest.

"Okay, okay! No need to get your g-string in a twist." Cat said before going back to her desk.

"But then again, you did seem to do a pretty good job having two men twisted around your finger for a while Lois. And even when one of them had bought it you didn't cry oceans for too long." She whispered in Lois's ear.

Lois's eyes then widened in shock but then narrowed angrily. "You b-!"

"Ah-ah! Language." Cat said in a mocking tone. "But don't worry, you're secret's safe. Not that anyone would believe it."

Lois just fumed as she saw the gossip columnist sit back down at her desk like nothing had happened. But even despite her own anger and wondering just how Cat was able to find out about her and Superman and her dalliances with Richard another feeling came over her that sobered her up very quickly – guilt.

Guilt over having slept with Richard, as well as having entertained some pretty steamy flirting with him even well before Superman was shot and supposedly killed by Toyman's weapon…it was just getting too much for her to handle.

But at least Smallville was here, and if nothing else she could vent to him without having to make a scene in front of everyone else. As much as she didn't consider Kent to be dating material, Lois knew she could talk to him and not have to worry about getting judged, despite the fact that Kent could be pretty shrewd and assertive when he wanted to be.

"Hey Smallville!"

"Yes Lois?" Clark asked as he made his way to his own desk.

"I know we all have a lot of stuff to do – especially with Superman possibly being back – but…can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Okay, but let me just put my stuff on my desk first." Clark said.

"All right."

"Okay Lois, what's up?" Clark asked once he was all situated and went to the break room with Lois leading the way. Fortunately when they got there no one else was around save the two of them.

Lois then looked down at her hands for a second before sighing and speaking. "…It's funny, I'm usually good at just saying it."

"Just tell me." Clark gently insisted, yet with a sense of urgency given the workload he had to do.

Knowing there was no sense in trying to articulate the proper way to say it Lois then came right out and spill the beans.

"I've been seeing someone."

"Superman?" Clark asked, thinking it was in relation to himself, but what Lois told him next was completely and utterly unexpected.

"Well yes, but what I meant was…I slept with Richard."

At that moment, Clark's face changed to that of shock, as well as feeling every muscle in his body go tight, as if he couldn't bring himself to hear what it was Lois was telling him. However, despite his Earth upbringing his Kryptonian hearing and brain still articulated every word and tone as sincere.

"It's a big shock, I know." Lois remarked.

"Yeah. Only…a lot." Clark said, being at least grateful to have his muscle control kick in to keep his body language reined in just in time, even though inwardly it was a whole different story.

"It's just…when I thought that he was dead I was beside myself, and Richard had taken me back to my apartment. I just…needed someone at that moment, and…"

Lois couldn't finish her sentence as the guilt began to really creep in as tears threatened to seep out of her eyes.

"What makes this even worse is that I had been flirting with him well before this, but that was as far as it got, until…"

For Clark he was too shocked to know what to think. First it was just flirting, and now this…? The sheer realization of it all…it was just too much for him to take. When he came to the Planet today he had hoped to catch up on what had happened as well as get some work done, but now Clark wasn't sure if he'd be able to get anything done after this.

"Lois…I really don't know what to tell you." Clark said after being quiet for a while.

"It's okay Clark, you don't have to say anything." Lois said as she pulled out a pack of tissues to blow her nose. "I just needed to vent, and wonder how I'm going to break this to Superman when I see him tonight."

Right… Clark thought before speaking again. "Look…Lois, I know I'm probably not the person to ask, but…as your colleague and as someone who did date once, just…when you see him, make sure to get the truth out in the open…and let the chips fall where they may, for better or worse."

Lois stayed quiet for a little bit before she then sighed in resignation and then threw away her tissues before steeling herself.

"Don't you wish you weren't always right, Smallville?"

"At times." Clark admitted.

"Look, I'm sorry for dumping all this on you. I know it's all out of left field and a lot to take in, but I had to tell somebody before I went nuts." Lois apologized.

"Yeah…it's okay. We all need to…vent at times." Clark said.

"Anyway, I gotta finish up that report." Lois said as she made her way to the door of the break room.

"Thanks for listening though Clark." Lois said. "You really are a good friend."

"You're welcome." Clark said with a nod.

After Lois exited the break room Clark then let out a sigh that even he didn't realize he was holding, as well as looking at his right hand and noticing his fist was still clenched. Hard.

How Clark managed to go through the rest of the day he didn't know. But all he knew was that the sooner he got his work done the better. However, despite having a sharper focus than usual he didn't block everything or everyone else out, for Jimmy di go to him for an opinion on some journalistic things to which Clark willingly helped out with. Of course, Jimmy could tell that his friend had some things on his mind and wisely didn't ask Clark about it, only sticking to the tasks at hand.

After Clark finished work he decided to head to the Watchtower, but not before contacting his parents and Kara first so as to put their minds at ease where he was and not have them think he was a ghost still. J'onn was already up there, but because of how the League structured their shifts, and most importantly with what happened to Clark the Martian was surprised when he saw his friend show up at the station.

"So what brings you here?" Asked J'onn. "I thought you would be with your family."

"Oh, I'm going to be for the next few weeks," Clark said with a clipped tone. "But right now…I need to blow off some steam."

J'onn was wondering what his friend meant by that, but he didn't say anything else and decided to wait until his friend was ready to tell him. Remembering all too well how much help the latter was in lending a friendly ear when it came to being the last of his kind, J'onn only hoped his friend didn't shut everybody out.

"Okay J'onn, activate the red solar panels and training program ASC8-1941." Clark said once he was in the holographic training room.

"Are you certain of this?" J'onn asked from the JL communicator, "This is usually Wonder Woman's program."

"I know." Clark said. "But it's exactly what I need right now."

"Very well." J'onn reluctantly said as he entered in a series of commands, to which immediately the lights switched on with a red hue, and then the area changed from a holographic room to a tropical environment.

Feeling his senses dull down tremendously, Clark then took a deep breath as he then made his way through the area, being on his guard, to which immediately he found himself attacked by what could only be described as a harpy, flanked by other harpies as well.

Despite being outnumbered, Clark found himself surprisingly calm as he sized up his opponents as well as taking notice of his surroundings. Then when the lead harpy attacked Clark then made his move…

Two hours later…

As the Minotaur went down Clark then leaned on the makeshift bo-staff he had managed to make in-between fights to catch his breath, his entire suit drenched in sweat as well as visible bruises on his face, arms and torso. But at least now he felt a lot better than he did before.

"Okay J'onn." Clark said as he activated his headset communicator. "You can end the program." To which immediately the environment disappeared, revealing the training room as it was originally was, with the bo-staff disappearing.

With his abilities coming back Clark was able to get his breath back much easier, but he still kept his senses focused on his surroundings and not everything else.

Then the doors to the exercise room opened and Clark heard footsteps, but they weren't J'onn's but rather…someone else's. Looking up from the floor Clark saw a tall feminine figure come up to him with a look of concern on her face as she kneeled down and offered him a hand.

Slightly smiling for the first time in a while Clark then accepted Diana's hand as she helped him up.

"Not as easy as it looks, is it?" Diana asked.

"…No, not at all." Clark answered as he walked steadily out of the exercise room with Diana beside him.

"Oh yeah, before I forget – Diana?" Clark asked, not wanting to put it off any further.

"Yes Kal?"

"…We need to talk."