#fanfiction: maws

[potato-on-your-head]

Clark couldn’t move.

He lay on his side, his limbs cast uselessly in front of him.

The fall from the heavens had turned him into a living bullet, the impact driving him into the ground with crushing force. His entire body was one singular, pulsing wound.

The shadow above Clark leveled a weapon at his chest. A specialized gun, all white and hard edges. It charged with a high-pitched whine.

Sam Lane’s stoic face loomed behind it, staring him down.

“Hnnn.. ahhh…” Clark gasped.

Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even beg for his life.

The general was going to kill him.

Lois’s dad was going to kill him.

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[king-nyx]

The life of writers:

[madametamma]

The Day Jon was born (A MAWS fanfic)

“I’m so sorry, but your son likely only has a few more hours to live.”

The news made Clark’s whole world lose sound, light, and color. He was frozen to the spot. His body reacting as if he didn’t move time wouldn’t go forward.

He and Lois were so thrilled over having a baby. Clark wasn’t sure he could due to his alien DNA, until one day in the middle of stopping a bank robbery he heard a noise he had never imagined before.

Two hearts beating inside Lois as she hid behind a turned over desk to cover herself from the armed robber’s gunfire. She furiously scribbled notes into a pad of paper for the story she’d write about this. The shock at the time got Superman shot over 58 times until the robbers themselves grew confused at his motionlessness.

He suddenly snapped out of his stupor, finished rounding the robbers up as quick as a flash and carried his perplexed wife out the door up to the privacy of the sky to give her body a proper X ray vision scan, confirming that she was indeed pregnant.

They were overjoyed at the time. So happy to bring a child into the world. They imagined teaching him or her catch, bringing them to Ma and Pa’s home for holidays. They wanted every part that parenthood had to offer together.

A few weeks later the fears started taking hold. Lois was on an emotional roller coaster. With some days feeling full of energy and eager to fight against her husbands insistence that she be less reckless with claims that no one could stop her from doing what she had to do as a reporter and other days where she cried in bed feeling certain she was going to be a horrible mother.

Through every breakdown Clark was there to assure her that everything would be fine although she wasn’t the only prone to anxiety and emotional episodes. He would also have more than his fair share of nightmares of something happening to the baby. A foe discovering of his family’s existence and taking them hostage? A strange Kryptonian sickness that he would have no idea how to cure? What if their child had powers like him? What if they had to live with the isolation and loneliness he grew up with as a boy. He would never wish that on anyone let alone his own kid.

Thankfully Lois and Clark never had a breakdown at the same time. They were each other’s rock. When one was in crisis mode, the other swooped in to let them know they believed everything would be alright.

That is until last night. 25 days before her due date, as Clark was brushing his teeth getting ready for bed, he heard the sound of a crash in the kitchen where Lois was. Near instantaneously he was at her side as she lay fallen on the floor breathing ragged, holding her baby bump.

“Something’s wrong.” She managed to hiss out through clenched teeth.

Clark flew her to the local hospital as fast as he was able, The doctors declared that if they had any chance at saving the baby, they’d need to perform surgery immediately.

As Lois was going under, quickly loosing consciousness, she gave Clark the most painful, terrified expression Clark had ever seen from her, it almost stopped his heart. It didn’t look right on the face of the bravest person he’d ever known, and it made him feel almost as small and helpless as she looked.

“C-Clark, y-you’ve gotta make sure our baby’s gonna be okay. You’ve gotta bring em to me, promise?”

“I promise.” The words came out before Clark even knew what he was promising. He would have given her anything in that moment.

She muttered a few words incoherently as her eye glazed over and succumbed to the anesthesia.

The rest was a blur for Clark. Never in his life had he felt so powerless and afraid. The only thing he clung to was the sound of the two heartbeats of his wife and baby until finally a doctor delivered him those awful words.

“I’m so sorry, but your son likely only has a few more hours to live.”

Clark somehow found himself sitting in the hospital room with his sleeping wife and tiny new born son. He was hunched over, head in his hands, not sure how long he’d been there or how he got there.

He finally managed to look over at his new born son, so small, pale and struggling to breath. Clark looked at him more closely with his super vision. There was something unstable about human, kryptonian DNA mixed together. The baby’s heart was weak and struggled with all its might to keep on beating. Turns out Clark was right all those years. He couldn’t have a healthy baby with a human.

He turned his gaze to Lois. How was he going to face her? The promise he made in the heat of a heartbroken moment shattered.

The light from the rising sun in the distance illuminated her face from the window. Usually Clark’s favorite sight in the world. The sunrise lighting up his wife’s beautiful, peaceful face as she slept so close by him but at this moment…

That’s when realization struck him. He looked back at his son. He had his kryptonian DNA. And Kryptonians heal when exposed to strong sunlight.

Without wasting another moment, Clark unhooked his child from the machines keeping him alive. If he was wrong about this, their boy would die but if he did nothing, he’d die anyway in a few more hours. He cradled his child in his two hands. He was small enough that he could fit nearly all of him in them.

“Lois, I’m going to try something drastic.” He muttered to his unconscious wife before flying off.

He held his baby firm against his chest and just went strait up above the clouds where he could be close to the sun. It was almost blindingly bright but Clark kept his eyes on the boy as he held him out enough that his skin could absorb as much light as possible.

And he waited…

And waited…

No immediate change. Were seconds or minutes going by? Clark couldn’t tell. His whole universe held still.

“Jonathan?” Clark mouthed out, saying the name he and Lois had agreed upon if they had a boy.

“Jonathan.” He said again a little louder this time.

“Do you know who I am? Do you recognize my voice?” So many nights Clark curled up next to Lois’s baby bump speaking to it about anything and everything, hoping that his child would know him by the sound of his voice once he was born.

“Cry Jonathan… Please cry.” He begged. Clark had been crying nearly this whole time and a new fresh set of fat tears rolled down his face.

“If you cry now, I’ll never feel bad about you crying for the rest of our lives. I will stay up all night, every night with you if you want to cry in your cradle, When you’re older I’ll sit with you if you cry over a nightmare, or if you cry about getting dumped or bullied at school. Just cry for me, Jon.”

No change.

“There’s so many great things in this world, Jon. You’re going to have an aunt Kara who will teach you stuff and an uncle Jimmy who will make you laugh and a grandpa and grandma who will make you feel loved and special, and you’re mom and dad will always be there for whatever you need, but you’ve got to live, okay?”

Still nothing.

Clark sniffled back more tears, his voice was choked up with emotion.

Suddenly, it was as though the whole world put back into its rightful place all at once it hit him. Jon let out a loud baby wail and wiggled slightly in his father’s hands. His skin was bright and rosy and Clark could hear a heartbeat strong and steady.

For a moment all Clark could do was stare at the child illuminated by the rising sun. Almost unable to process the miracle before him. When more tears fell and finally he could smile. He brought his son close and cooed,

“Daddy’s here… Thank you Jonathan.”

Lois was beginning to come around. She looked around and found her room empty. She couldn’t help but be worried that Clark wasn’t with her and neither was their baby, when suddenly a shadow cast over her. She looked to the window to find her husband smiling down at her eyes puffy from crying with their child in his arms.

Wanting to close the distance between them, without taking her eyes off her family, Lois moved to get out of bed to reach out for them only to almost immediately fall on unsteady legs.

Clark moved to catch her with one arm and move her back to bed. Once she was okay, he handed her their crying baby. “Lois, meet Jonathan. He’s beautiful.”

And now it was Lois’s turn to cry as she held her tiny son close to her chest, thankful that her family was okay. She didn’t need to ask. She could read it on Clark’s face. She held their baby and Clark held the both of them.

The doctors were astounded. They had never examined a healthier baby.

[bruja-londra]

tbh finally the fans who were saying Lois was half white can stfu now that it’s very confirmed that both her parents are Korean. 😭

[gay-dorito-dust]

hii there is a lack of maws clark fics imo so im here asking if you could write something like waking up with him and he tries to cook breakfast but his clumsiness takes over him? anw i love your writing sm,, have a gr8 dayyy

Upon waking up to an empty, semi-cold bed that of which Clark usually occupies, followed by a series of noises coming from the kitchen, you were soon enough lured out of bed and dressed in one of Clark’s shirts and some sweats before trudging down the hallway that felt to have continuously stretched out before you and unto eternity for your poor foggy brain.

That was until you had found yourself stood at the entrance to the kitchen, where you were facing down Clark’s broad back as he threw himself headfirst into partaking in the ever so serious task everyone had to face after waking up; making breakfast. It’s cute watching Clark as he cautiously attempts to crack eggs into a pan without getting any shell remnants in the yolk, you didn’t need to get a look at his face, because you could already envision the furrow in his brows and the look of absolute concentration that would’ve been evident within his beautiful blue eyes; Hell, you wouldn’t be surprised if the tip of his tongue was absentmindedly sticking out from the corner of his mouth!

You’ve told Clark time and time again that he needn’t worry about breakfast and that you’ll make it or get something while you were out, but you happen to find that Clark is a persistent man when it comes to help making life a bit easier for you, even when you didn’t necessarily need him to. You didn’t believe yourself worthy of Clark’s golden heart but yet he was the one who gifted it to you, with nothing but the sweetest smile upon his face, speckled with the crumbs of the sweets he had prior as he asks for your permission in keeping your heart safe; In regards as to where you were now, it was obvious that you responded to his confession in kind.

‘What’s cooking, handsome?’ You said, your voice cutting through the silence.

‘Ah!’ Clark exclaimed, taken aback by your suddenness but as he jolted, the egg in his careful hand was soon crushed into of bits regarding shell, egg and yolk, whereas the handle to the pan he was once holding so steadily was now easily snapped off from the rest of it; leaving the eggs that were already in the pan to cook on the hot stove without a means of getting it off safely. Clark looked like the spitting image of an upset puppy dog upon seeing how quickly his perfect breakfast suddenly become…imperfect. He just wanted to treat you for everything you’ve done for him but with his powers, even the most minuscule task was a difficultly when having to actively make an attempt in not breaking things. However he was still coming to terms with his powers, but slowly but surly he will one day have a firmer understanding over them to the point where breaking appliances and the like will become less commonplace.

‘I am…well…was in the process of making you breakfast until…well…you know.’ Clark sighed, gesturing with an arm to pathetic attempt at breakfast, his head hung low against his chest. You smiled sympathetically. ‘Hey big guy.’ You started as you walked over to him, holding his face up by the cheeks, stroking your thumbs across the skin there reassuringly, ‘no need to go beating yourself up about these things. For all things considered, it smelt so delicious that it had me getting up out of our warm bed. Which is already a feet worth celebrating.’ Clark chuckled as he burrows his face into your hands as his own took to bringing you closer to him.

‘I guess, but still I wanted to do something nice for you.’ He utters and you couldn’t help but huff. ‘You do enough for me already, Clark. We’re a team, let me help you and do my share of the heavy lifting now and then.’ You tell him, pressing a kiss to his nose, ‘but firstly we should probably clean this up.’ You pull away to gesture to the broken pan still on the stove, alongside the countertops that were a mess with empty egg cartons from Clark’s previous attempts at cracking eggs and possible pancake batter.

Clark’s embarrassed chuckle filled your ears as he was coming to terms that maybe being in the kitchen wasn’t his strong suit to begin with. ‘Yeah. I second that idea.’

[powerosewaterpuff]

uhm. ok so uhm. ok firstly not enough sevika. secondly, vi and jinx r ur emotional core of the show and they just systemically stripped me of any potential more scenes with them as sisters and their bond and everything for things that DO NOT MATTER NARRATIVELY! you can implicate and you can dodge but you built a story where these two little girls were all each other had for most of their life excluding vander, and esp with vi being the one to protect jinx and love her—from what jinx/powder can remember honestly vi is EVERYTHING and jinx is everything to vi as well! and i’m weirdly irritated that after her LITTLE SISTER ‘DEATH’ we were not shown vi’s grieving but i was given intense fucking show and tell after her two week situationship hit her and left. and ig yeah cait was there to ease the grieving process but it should be so much graver THATS HER LITTLE SISTER. she spent years in prison wanting just to be reunited with her even when she thought she could be dead. her whole reason for working with cait was for jinx. and then i got some cobbled up shit that honestly did not do the story the writers themselves built justice. like ok. we got jayvik being ambiguous. timebomb au in the fucking show WITH VI DEAD (SO CLEARLY SOMEONE IS THE JINX HERE). the sex scene. and maddie dying thank god fuck that hoe. and mel being amazing per usual along with the black rose shit and ambessa getting curb stomped. like i’m just. i’m just ugh. maybe if the fanfics were more and stronger i’d be less iffy but ugh. just ugh. (jinx isn’t dead. there is no fucking point of the stupid blimp shit if she is so she’s not so not entertaining that one here but it doesn’t matter bc WHY PUT THAT IN IF UR NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING WITH IT). anyways ill stfu abt arcane now sorry yall! i’ll go back to my cave!

[politemagic]

wait ok so consider stalker IV following you around while you're starting a new job in a new city and he's watching and making sure no one on earth gets near you, and when some guy does... and oh okay just

****

It was cold, dark, and I was desperate for some chicken lo mein. I had found a decent place, on the edge of the city after two weeks of experiments with random takeout joints. The bag was too hot, plastic handles knotted together and I was nearly jogging back to my apartment. I could feel eyes on me. They were ever present, had been since I'd moved here. I'd grown used to the feeling of an intense gaze on the back of my neck.

But now, there were footsteps. Close. Too close. I paused, listening to see if they were still following me. They were. I began to attempt to cross the street. The footsteps followed. My palms grew slick against the steaming bag of food. I didn't dare glance backwards. I hadn't thought the eyes were a real person, just the transition from a small town to a city. Under the din, I could make it out now - there were two sets of footsteps right behind me. No, no, no, this cannot be happening to me. I slid past a dark alley and that was when I heard a new noise. Feet, dragging. Muffled yelling, as though a palm was pressed to a mouth. It sounded as though someone had grabbed someone else and shoved them into the alley or something.

I turned around. A man, broad back to me, had another man pinned against the alley wall. The pinned man was a greasy, lanky looking creep with dead eyes. Definitely someone who would follow unsuspecting people around.

"Hey, c'mon man, I didn't know she was yours," the guy wheezed out. The other guy, the attacker, jammed a brutal fist into the creep's stomach. Pain burst across the creep's features. His mouth opened, the attacker jerked his arm again, and blood trickled out of his mouth. Holy shit, he just stabbed that guy!

"You'll never make that mistake again," the guy growled, before lowering the creep to the ground. He turned, kind of awkward, on his knees and looked up at me. Dark blue eyes pinned me in place. A mask obscured most of his face. He cocked his head. I heard him swallow.

"Did I do good?"

KKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTEEEEEEEE

he’s coming home with me. we’re sharing the chicken lo mein because a good boy indeed.

@moonchild-in-blue ARE YOU SEEING THIS?????

more thoughts below because i’m feeling it today✨

he’s not wild about my sketchy apartment complex, he’s seen enough dirtbags go through that door to feel uneasy leaving me by myself. who’s to say one of them won’t get any ideas down in the laundry room?

“how are you feeling?” he asked worriedly.

“a little shaken, i won’t lie. but i’m lucky you were there,”

his chest surged with pride, the weight of his knife in his pocket a reminder of the lengths he would go to for his darling.

“i would never let anyone else hurt you.”

i wasn’t sure if it was the shock from the earlier encounter or the protective glint in his eyes, but against my better judgement…

“would you… would you stay with me? just for tonight?”

iv slept on the side of the bed closest to the door, a warm, protective arm pressing my back against his chest. i couldn’t deny that i slept easier with him beside me, living alone in the city had been a bit nerve-wracking.

maybe that was why i didn’t say anything when i saw him waiting for me after work with an outstretched hand.

“ready to go home?”

it has been a ✨day✨ and you sent this when i was on my second drink so you get tipsy em word vomit <3

[crimson-amarone]

A Millions (Knives) thank you to @joselyn565 for this SUPER fanfic cover! I was thrilled to find another fan of both series who was excited to work on this commission and bring this artwork to life. I had a great time seeing the progress and the final version is so amazing. Thank you!!!

Please check out her work. And of course, send all praise her way! ❤️💛💙

Start reading The Ticket to Tomorrow:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53029618/chapters/134161129

[owl-with-a-pen]

Weightless, Kara coasted across the stratosphere of a broken world. Static still bristled at the corners of her vision, enough that even from far above, there were pockets she wasn't able to decipher past the fog. With a gasp, she burst forward with unmitigated strength, throwing herself into orbit.

Up and up she flew until, finally, she settled somewhere that direction no longer mattered - cradled by the infinite lull of the universe.

And yet the pain still found her. The memories. Flashes of blood and death and destruction. A blaring heat at the back of her mind, ringing in her ears until the pressure was too much to bear. A blast of raw energy that had erupted from her eyes, blown to astronomical scale by the technology Father had designed just for her.

Destroyed. How could they all be… gone? How was that possible? How had she… how could she…?

Legs curled tight to her chest, Kara felt no more than a child held static by the void. The same child who had been marched up and down Kandor’s vast hallways for years on end; measuring her strength, her speed, her dexterity through rigorous training cycles led by the holographic foes that had been pasted to the indistinguishable bodies of Father’s Primus drones. Her mind, of course, had been exercised to the same extreme – a most powerful tool, Father had praised. Encouraged by his enthusiasm, she had read from data crystals at his console for hours at a time, covering endless topics in both theory and practice until he had decided she was finally ready for her most important lesson.

Of the worlds soon to be welcomed by the New Kryptonian Empire.

Kara pressed her palms against her eyes, forcing herself into those softer memories.

She’d learnt first of Thanagar – how to speak in their crude tongue, or to fly in the same undulating method as though guided along by a set of her own burly wings. It was less dignified than the freedom of movement a Kryptonian had against gravity, and yet Kara had revelled in its exciting and unpredictable nature, the way it would make her stomach flip with every sudden dive or sharp swoop. She had laughed loudly alongside other Thanagarians, joining them on migrations, watching on as they had welcomed technological advancement alongside their centuries-old traditions. She had sat down with Thanagarian elders, staring transfixed as they had whittled figures of their Wingmen from great trunks – an order held in high esteem, expected to police a world that had once prevailed without the need for such intervention.

They struggle, Father had told her, to find order. Their construct is failing, their ideals… inefficient. The Kryptonian Empire would bring them the perfect order that they crave.

Kara’s eyes widened behind her hands, that same numbness from before creeping back into her mind. Placating her. Assuring her…

Their planet had been beautiful. She had found joy there… high up in the sky along with the other children.

Children.

Kara squirmed against the void, a whimper lodging itself deep inside her throat.

Soft memory. The planet was mesmerising, with vast cities, limitless oceans and stone perches set high into the sky to witness the most tranquil sunsets. Statues stood tall out in open water, meticulously crafted by sculptors over years, their chisels held steady against the hefty beat of their wings.

And on the ground, beneath the ocean floor, caves had stretched for miles, whistling their own tunes, smelling of salt water and…

Flush with Nth metal deposits, Father had informed her once with a grounding hand. A long time ago. Going to waste on limited minds undeserving of its uses! Seize the planet for the Empire, Daughter, and strengthen our own resources in the process.

She had demolished senselessly for… for resources?

No. No. That couldn’t be it. That wasn’t true.

Soft memory. What of Euphorix? A matriarchal society, Kara remembered, one that had welcomed her with open arms. Father had not joined her there. She had been free, for a time. The Euphorians had not been in need of a new order as he had described. They’d had their own already.

And Kara… desperate for a planet to call her home, had nearly fallen for their…

False ideology.

She cringed, burying herself further away.

They will welcome you without question. The perfect unsuspecting ally. An alien with much to learn. But you will learn of them, using the powers they do not possess; study their battle strategies, their vulnerabilities. Find out everything you can about them and exploit it. Do this, Daughter, and the New Empire will be forever in your debt.

Kara shuddered. The Empire, of course, she had done it all for the…

H’lven had been next. A juvenile planet made of half-breeds, rodents who had evolved similarly to how apes had on Earth. Kara had found their easy way of life hypnotic, a simpler means to exist. She had studied their rituals as instructed, their holidays and their hibernation periods. Although, Father had been most intrigued by the latter…

Take their world while they sleep. Ensure no resistance.

Tears rolled down Kara’s cheeks and she clenched her fists harder against her face, shaking her head until her skin was raw against her knuckles. She had learnt their languages, their politics, their battles won and lost. Their tactical advantages, their disadvantages. Everything that might make them susceptible to attack.

All of it locked away behind false memories, or perhaps, distorted ones. Just like the wall on Thanagar, the glyphs carved into every planet face they had invaded. A mural immortalising the Kryptonian trickster who had lived among them before raining fire down from the sky.

Every planet, shy of one.

Kara gasped shakily, folding even tighter into herself.

Earth had been an outlier. Father had instructed her not to stray from her directive – all would come together in time. But she had been… impatient, more-so than with other planets. For this one had called to her, not to Father, to her. A message filtered through space, from one who called himself… Kal.

Hello. Uh, Kara… I don’t know if this will work, but if you’re out there and you get this message, I’m tired of being alone. I thought you might be too. Your cousin, Kal-El

The language had been strange to her ears at first, and while Father’s translation technology had made the words decipherable, she’d wanted to hear it for herself, in the language it had been intended for.

Earth. Not part of their plan – not yet - but English was one of the many languages stored in Father’s databanks. There must have been reason for that.

And so, Kara had sat with the Primus drones for days, speaking back the chaotic language that was English consonant by consonant until she had achieved fluency, the common vernacular. She’d needed to ascertain that there was no doubt for mistranslation, the message was too important to misinterpret.

Especially that word, the one this Kal-El had used as his sign-off.

And when she was certain, Kara had cried tears of joy for the first and only time that she could recall.

Cousin had meant family.

Thinking back, she wasn’t sure why she’d kept this from Father for so long. After all, would he not have been overjoyed to learn of another Kryptonian’s survival? To add to the ranks that they were sorely lacking?

He would. He will.

Then why? Why wait? Perhaps she had feared exactly what had happened. That even with the knowledge of another Kryptonian, a blood relation, he had still forbidden her from straying from their plan. The new Kryptonian was interesting, and he would prove an indisputable ally, but only when the time was right. And only when they arrived on Earth together.

You must learn from your mistakes, Daughter.

Kara nearly scoffed at the echo of Father’s words. Mistakes? How was she to know what mistakes had been made when they were locked behind a wall of static within her own mind? She had been instructed to embody the planets that they conquered, to take from them their tongue, their beliefs, their strategies, all to determine exactly how she might bring their downfall most efficiently. A Kryptonian was strong, but Father had wanted more from her. Power was not just in one’s physical traits, after all.

The perfect weapon must be astute both in mind and body. Kara, my daughter, you will be the essence of our Empire.

But how was she meant to embody a world without falling in love with it? The Thanagarians and their art, the Euphorians and their wisdom, the H’lvenites and their innocence. They were ideals she had fallen for, ideals she had been punished for daring to emulate.

A test of your loyalty, Daughter, Father had told her once, when the fog had again cleared intermittently from her mind. So that I know your will is unwavering and your allegiance to the Empire is without question. These are all… necessary extractions.

Kara’s chest caught suddenly, and the tears on her face rolled in globules out across the star-lit void.

That word. Extractions. She wondered suddenly if she was remembering it correctly.

But with everything she couldn’t grasp, the pieces she could only felt clearer for it. That memory was without fog. It was unmuted. Bold.

Father would have punished her for her keepsakes. For the recipe book she’d been gifted on Euphorix, the statue the elders on Thanagar had crafted just for her. He had believed her obsessions childish and inappropriate. Not fit for a warrior. But… Father had not been speaking of her small treasures, then. They were mere tokens, not extractions. And… if her memory was correct, he wouldn’t yet have known about them at all.

Kara wiped her eyes harshly, staring down at the broken planet beneath her, the stuttered clouds that swirled overhead, raining ash onto an empty world.

From this high up, she couldn’t see the elements of her destruction that had ravaged the planet, and yet in her heart she knew that a great deal was gone.

More than that. Because, as her eyes started to scan, slicing through the fog, she realised that it wasn’t just the city structures or coveted resources that had been eradicated.

Something else was missing.

More static. More deceptions.

Kara had knelt in the ruins of Thanalder, she had felt the rubble of the planet’s largest city beneath her knees, recognising the scorch marks on the stone as her own deadly assault. That had been real. She’d been so ashamed, so disgusted, that she’d sent herself reeling into the sky. There was only so much that could have been seen from ground level, anyway.

Now, though, she had the perfect vantage to see it all.

As much as it hurt, she forced herself to keep looking beyond the fog, to see past her soft memory. The static hadn’t yet receded completely, and there were still pieces hidden from her, obscured in pockets of lost time.

She scratched at the surface of that memory, focusing harder and harder until her skull ached with every rock upturned. No longer did she lie foetal and numb in the darkness, no longer would she allow Father to dismantle her memory for his own gain. He had taken more from her than she had ever known and… and more still from the planets they had conquered.

When the static finally cleared, a chasm opened somewhere inside of Kara’s heart, mimicking that of the city-sized craters she could now see carved from the planet’s surface, left to sully the landscape below.

A shudder passed down her spine as she kept staring, willing herself to understand.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, something Kal-El had said to her struck again so suddenly, she nearly choked.

Are all the planets in the New Kryptonian Empire like this?

He had been right to question it, Kara realised dully. Father had promised her an Empire, a new Krypton that she’d be old enough to protect this time around. But… who was left here to protect? What had Father taken?

Keepsakes. Like hers.

Just, on a much grander scale.

Fury clogged her throat, then grief, then an unbearable agony.

Hypocrite! her mind screamed.

Father had let her fall in love with planet after planet, given her that freedom, only to take it away every time he’d obscured her mind. And, when she woke, the things she had loved were gone. A token in their place.

But what of Father’s tokens, what of Father’s cities? They weren’t hidden in shame behind a wall. They were proud markers of conquest. Trophies. Displayed, somehow…

How could he have them on display?

But Kara’s memories didn’t lie, not any longer, and she remembered the spires of the lost cities of Thanagar, Euphorix’s capitol of Aesad, and the densely populated forests on H’lven. Neatly tucked together beneath ornamental glass domes…

Kara shook her head. It didn’t matter. It couldn't. They were gone because of him. They were gone because of her…

How long until Father pitted Earth just as he had the others? What city might he spare for his collection, his Empire?

Kara thought at once of Jimmy Flamebird’s face, the kindness and honesty he had offered her, and remembered the feel of his hand in her own. A frail, human hand, not even capable of bending steel, but he had extended it to her just the same.

What would happen to him now? The planet she had barely made time for in her haste to visit alone. There was still so much to learn from it, but Father’s crystals would offer her no insight now. He would only fog her mind again. If she returned to him now, if he learned of her defiance, everything she had discovered would be lost to her.

Even without a gravitational force, Kara felt something solid ball inside her stomach, pulling her down from the navel.

She couldn’t go back. She couldn’t go forward, either. She was… alone.

As she curled back in on herself, desperate to drive her demons away, she didn’t think she’d ever felt this small. “Kal-El?” she asked the void, picturing his face in the spaces between broken memory. When that failed, her voice faltered. “Clark?”

Kara didn’t expect an answer when she whispered, “What do I do now?”

[also on AO3]

[wreckrinho]

OMG I JUST REMEMBERED THE BULLY WHO MOCKED TYLOR MADE A FANFIC IN EP 9 AND I JUST READ IT....

ITS SO GOOD WTF MAN!!!!! I WANT MORREEEEE WHAAAA... AND HE DRAWS SO.FUNNY I LOVE.IT...!!!! "Monsterious planet" is a great fanfic name btw

PLEASE LETS BE MOOTS, STUPID BULLY/J

[only-lonely-stars]

The Best Gossip on the Planet!

Oneshot – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

Cat Grant had it! The best scoop she'd ever gotten, right on the roof of The Daily Planet! Or, Superman and Lois aren't the most careful when it comes to who sees them. One thing leads to another, and to another, and to an article in The Daily Planet.

This fic is inspired by artwork by @tsbdhdndj! Thanks for letting me write based on it! <3

It was undeniable! Simply preposterous to even begin to dispute this truth! This would be the story which made the fabulous Cat Grant a star journalist! 

The story began that morning, when Cat heard one of her coworkers cry out that Superman had flown up to their building’s roof. Every time Superman showed up, juicy stories followed him! Cat wasted no time as she ran to the stairs, scaled the fifteen floors above her, and then tip-toed up to the access door. She planted herself there, listening intently for her favorite kind of news: gossip.

“Come on, Superman! We both know Lex is just a spineless coward. You can take him!”

“It’s not about whether I can take him in a fight. This is a problem of reputation.”

“That doesn’t mean anything! He’s just a bully. Who listens to bullies anyway?”

Cat pushed the door open gently, just wide enough to see through a crack.

Lois Lane and Superman were standing on the roof! And by standing, of course, she meant that he was floating a few inches off the ground and she was in his arms, too close for him to have just carried her up. No, he was holding her more intimately than that.

She’d caught them red-handed!

“Lois, I can’t just punch all my problems away. Plenty of people listen to him, that’s why Lexcorp even exists. I have to handle this the hard way.”

“But–”

“No buts! That’s not how this works, and you know it.”

Lois sighed heavily, laying her head down on his shoulder in an awfully familiar manner. “I wish it wasn’t so hard…”

Cat reached for her phone and snapped a picture through the crack in the door. The shutter gave a little click.

“I know– hold on.”

Superman moved faster than Cat could blink. He pulled open the door, Lois abandoned where they’d been just prior, and he was glaring at Cat. “Cat Grant. I should have expected you to be eavesdropping.”

“Cat?!” Lois shrieked. “Cat, stop, this isn’t what it looks like!”

She jumped on the opportunity. “Superman, please, elaborate on the situation here! Are you aware Ms. Lane is currently in a romantic relationship with Clark Kent, another of our journalists? How does it feel to be the side chick? Just how long has this been going on?”

Superman backed away, wide-eyed. “Woah, hold on! That’s not– it’s not–”

“I’m not cheating on Clark!” Lois cried. “It’s– this isn’t anything, purely professional!”

“Professional?” Cat whooped with laughter. “My dear, my dear! It didn’t look that way to me!”

“You’re wrong. It’s nothing weird like that.”

“Nothing weird? Why, this is exceptional! Superman, you must let me interview you!” She gave him a sly smile, enjoying how his eyes widened in either fear or hope. “To clear the air, of course.”

Superman cleared his throat, averting his gaze for a moment before he spoke to her directly. “Ma’am, I must insist that it’s none of the public’s business.”

“Oh, but the public–” Cat pointed at herself– “already knows that something is going on! Surely you’d like to get ahead of the rumor wheel.”

He considered her argument, and Cat knew that he would agree. She always knew.

When he glanced back at Lois for confirmation, Cat was certain she had her scoop, even though Lois was frantically trying to pantomime that he should stop. “...Fine. I’ll answer your questions.”

Cat whooped in victory. “Fabulous!”

She sprang forward and grabbed Superman’s hand, pulling unsuccessfully. “Come, come, you must want privacy!” He complied and walked with her, and Cat dragged him to the corner of the rooftop near the building’s AC units.

She spun to face him and held up her recorder. “First question. What do you think of Clark Kent?”

He blinked twice. “Uh… who is that…?”

“Lois Lane’s self-proclaimed boyfriend! He’s another reporter here at the Planet, and has written several articles about you.”

“Uh– oh, yeah, Mr. Kent! Of course I know him!” He laughed awkwardly. “Um, he’s fine. Just a regular guy, a good reporter. Nothing special about him!”

“Oho, nothing special?” Cat pressed her advantage. “So you think he’s mediocre? Is he not worthy of Lois?”

“What?! I mean– no, nobody’s worthy of anybody else. Ms. Grant, I don’t think about him at all!”

Another score! She tried a new angle, “And what about Lois? What drew your eye? Didn’t you once say your ‘ideal woman’ was a ‘tall surgeon?’ We both know Lois is nothing like that.”

Superman frowned. “Ma’am, I don’t think the events of a reality show have any bearing on real life.”

“So did you lie?”

“What? No, I don’t lie to people.”

“Come now, Supes. Everyone lies. That’s why I have a gossip column in the first place.” Cat smirked. “Now. What’s so special about Lois Lane to capture the eye of Metropolis’ most eligible bachelor?”

She knew she’d struck a chord when the superhero blushed. He paused, stammering and hemming and hawing.

“Well… she already said it's nothing like that.”

“Come on, Superman! That blush says you have eyes for her. Spill.”

He sputtered and blushed a deeper pink, giving some excuse before he finally answered. “Lois is certainly a special person. She’s brave and kind, and really has a heart for Metropolis. She thinks the people should know what’s happening in their city, and I… admire that.” He shook his head, gaining some composure. “Ms. Grant, I won’t go into what is not between us. Just know that Ms. Lane is a wonderful person. Nobody needs to be extraordinary to be valuable.”

Cat nodded, mentally noting how Superman seemed to grow more confident as he spoke about her– like Lois meant more to him than he was letting on, just as she’d expected. What a twist, to have a superhero vying with an average man for a date with a journalist! This was going to be one of her best articles so far.

“Of course, of course. One last question, Superman.” She leaned forward, holding his gaze. “What would you like to say to Clark Kent? You know he’ll read this article, so give him a message!”

Superman paused, thinking hard, and placed his fists on his hips in one of his most iconic poses. “Well, Ms. Grant. If I had one thing to say to Mr. Kent, I’d tell him to keep Lois close and treat her even better than she deserves. He’s a lucky man.”

Cat snickered. “Is that really everything? You won’t try to stake your claim?”

“Stake my claim?” He considered it again, and then grinned– a mischievious expression that Cat wished she could get a photographer to capture. “Oh, I see. Yes, please put in the article that while I won’t fight him, we both know Lois gets whatever– and whoever– she wants.”

The scoop was hers! Cat whooped in victory. “Of course, Superman! I’ll make sure it’s impossible to miss!”

Superman nodded, gave her a bland goodbye, and flew away. The rooftop was suddenly quite empty and still, with Lois having somehow escaped during her conversation, but Cat was triumphant anyway.

Now, to add the pièce de résistance!

—

“Oh, Claaaark!~” Cat sang as she walked down the halls of the Daily Planet, waving a piece of paper in the air. “Claaark, where are you!”

She opened the door to the newspaper morgue without knocking, just to find the very trio she wanted to find. Jimmy and Clark were bent over the table, looking over some documents, while Lois was pinning things to their ‘murder board’ at the back of the room.

All eyes fell on Cat.

She laughed. “Oh, perfect! Just who I wanted to find!”

Lois shrieked. “Nope! Nope, nope, nope! Get out of here, Cat!”

“No can do!” Cat barged in, delighting in the boys’ shocked expressions. Lois tried to push her out of the room, but Cat managed to close the door just in time to stay inside. “Come now, Lois, there’s no need for that! I just wanted to talk to you bunch.”

“Absolutely not!” Lois was red in the face now.

“You don’t even know what I wanted to say!” 

“I have a pretty good idea! Clark, help me get her out of here!”

Clark looked between them with a bemused expression, smiling. “What’s going on here? Cat’s got just as much right as anyone to come in here, you know that Lois.”

“I swear, Smallville–”

“Clark!” Cat cheered and reached out to grab his hand. “Perfect, just the man I wanted!”

Clark blushed. “What?”

Jimmy’s jaw dropped. “What?!”

Cat laughed. “Oh stop that. Nothing of that sort, boys. I need to talk to Clark. An interview!”

Clark laughed nervously, sounding faint. “Um… you want to talk to me? Is this work-related?”

“Of course!” Cat pulled out her recorder and clicked it on. “Tell me, what do you think of Superman?”

He blinked, and blinked again. “What?”

“I said, what do you think of Superman? Come on, give me something to work with here! You know non-answers don’t work for articles!”

Clark stammered a little more, looking between all of the people in the room. He landed on Jimmy, who wiggled his eyebrows. “C’mon, buddy. Just tell her. It’s probably some human interest piece.”

He sighed. “All right. What are you looking for here, Cat?”

Here was the clincher. She leaned forward, winking. “Give me your full, honest opinion about him. Do you think he’s a good person? Is he handsome? Approachable? Honest?”

Clark laughed. “Honest? Of course he’s honest. Do you seriously think someone who spends their time helping everybody without asking a thing would be a bad person?” He rolled his eyes. “Please. I bet he’s the type to splurge on gifts for his mom, or… adopt a kitten in need of a home, just because it needs one. Metropolis is better off with him helping us.”

Cat nodded and jotted down a couple notes. He obviously thought highly of the superhero… was it highly enough to get a good reaction? 

She pulled out her piece of paper and offered it to him. “Look at this and tell me what you think about it.”

Clark stared at it, with Jimmy and Lois coming up behind him. Lois was somehow even more red, as if she was about to combust. Jimmy looked at it, then at Cat, then back and forth between the two. The paper illustrated Superman and a blue sky background, as if flying through the air, with a superimposed candid of Lois from around the office pasted into his arms. It looked a bit like a sticker on top of a poster.

Jimmy looked unimpressed. “Uh… Cat, did you Photoshop this?”

Cat rolled her eyes in frustration. “Yes, but that’s not important. Give me feedback!”

“This looks like a fan comic.” He took it and looked it over, turning it this way and that. “And a bad one. Seriously, did you even try?”

“Of course I tried!” Cat snapped, grabbing it from him. “It’s called a visual aid, darling. Now–” She looked at Clark, who was looking between everyone else with an unreadable expression. “What? What is it?”

“...Cat, why did you Photoshop Lois and Superman together?”

The scoop was hers!

“Oh, well, I just wanted to know what you had to say about Lois and Superman secretly dating!”

Jimmy gasped. “What?! No way, you’re crazy!”

Lois looked like she could melt through the floor from sheer embarrassment. “Yeah… crazy…”

Clark gaped at Lois. “Lois? You’re kidding. Please, tell me you’re kidding.”

Lois glared at him and said nothing.

“Oh… oh, boy. Oh my gosh. What? I mean– I just– what?” Clark sputtered, making some meaningless noises, ruffling his hair and knocking his glasses askew. “You said he wasn’t going to be a problem!”

“Clark–”

“No, you said he was just a friend,” Clark continued, staring at her. “You’re telling me that you said you ‘didn’t want to be official right now,’ and then went off and started going on dates with Superman? Lois, that’s just cold!”

Something undefinable crossed between them. Cat pulled out her phone to snap a subtle picture– with flash, of course– as Lois turned on him.

“Well, you know what? He’s exciting. He’s a hero. Of course I said yes to going on a date with him!”

“And I’m not exciting? I’m not good enough for you?”

“You’re not Superman,” Lois accused.

“So?! I treated you like a queen! You met my parents, Lois! I’ve never brought anyone to meet them. How about when your apartment bathroom flooded and I helped you clean it up? Or when your dad came to my parents’ for Thanksgiving? Or–”

“You think you’re such a hero?!” Lois snapped, storming over to him and pointing her finger right in his face. “Then you go and be Superman. Go ahead, just try to save Metropolis the way he does every single day. Just try and be half the man he is.”

“He’s not even a man, he’s an alien!”

“Maybe I like aliens. Ever thought of that?!”

Cat couldn’t keep down her whooping laughter. It echoed through the morgue, stopping Lois and Clark in their tracks. The two turned on her in sync with matching angry expressions.

Lois raised her finger to point at Cat. “You. Stay out of this.”

“No.” Clark stepped forward, between Lois and Cat. “You know what? No. Cat, I know you’re gonna write an article on this, so I have a message for Superman that I want you to put in, word for word.”

Cat was giddy as she got out her notebook. “Please, tell me! I want all the details.”

Clark took her recorder and brought it up to his face, speaking slowly and clearly. His voice was low, dangerously low, and filled with brimming frustration. It was enough to rival the male leads in Cat’s romance novels!

(So she liked to read trashy romance. Sue her. Romance was the world’s largest book genre for a reason.)

“Superman, this is a message from Clark Kent. You might be a hero, and might save Metropolis from whatever comes to hurt its people, but you don’t get to take everything you want just because of that. If you want someone to date, go about it the normal way.” 

His gaze slid to Lois. “If you really want to romance Lois so badly, first you have to take it up with me. I’m sure you know where I live, so… so… meet me on the roof and talk to me like a man. I won’t give up on Lois, not ever, so we’ll let Lois decide once and for all.”

Lois was watching him with wide eyes. Cat took back her recorder, smiling slyly as she put away her notebook. “Is that all?”

Clark smiled, then nodded slowly. “That’s all. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I think I need to have a little talk with Lois. Will you give us some space?”

Cat snickered. “But of course. Have fun, you two!”

She opened the door, and almost as an afterthought, grabbed Jimmy by his jacket collar. “Come along, Olson! We’ve got an article to write!”

“Hey, wait– let go of me!”

“Metropolis waits for no one!” Cat sang it out as she pulled the door closed behind her, slamming as she left. She pulled the struggling Jimmy down the hall to her cubicle, only letting him go when she dropped him at his own space. “Don’t go back in there, dear, they need their space.”

“But–”

“No, no buts! Trust me, you don’t want to see that.” She winked, enjoying how Jimmy’s jaw dropped. “They’re just fine with no one else there.”

Jimmy sputtered. “Wh– I– fine?”

“Good, good!”

Cat left him behind, sliding into her own cubicle with a sly smile. She felt like the cat that had gotten the canary!

What would it be like when they met? Oh, she could already envision it! The mental picture was delightful, she just had to laugh!

She could see it now. Superman and Clark Kent, facing off against one another. The anger, the tension, the jealousy! Superman, superior in strength, and Clark Kent, able to affect Superman’s reputation in every article he wrote. Would they fight? Would they shout?

Oh! What if Lois were there? Torn between the two men she’d been seeing, who fought over her like a prize! She would be so torn. Cat could see her faint expression now, how she would want them to settle the matter! Two men, vying for her heart, and one of them superhuman.

It was too juicy to resist! Cat logged into her computer and started writing immediately. Something this hot had to make it into tomorrow’s paper!

—

ONE LUCKY LADY! by Cat Grant

We all know that the hearts of Metropolis’ people were captured by Superman as soon as we met him. Strong, powerful, and superhuman. What’s not to love?

The Daily Planet has investigated Superman ever since breaking the news of his debut. His exploits have been nothing short of legendary. Many of our own reporters are able to tell of times when Superman personally saved them from falling buildings, rescued their pets, or helped them with whatever they needed– not to mention fending off alien invaders and strange tech weapons. He’s been a rock for our community.

So what is he up to now?

The Daily Planet is pleased to report that Superman seems to have turned his eye to the romantic side of life… and is dating our very own investigative journalist, Lois Lane!

Eagle-eyed readers may remember that Ms. Lane has been romantically involved with another of our journalists, one Clark Kent, for several months now. Lane and Kent frequently work together, and have a reputation of a loving relationship. But could something be wrong in paradise?

Superman was willing to answer a few interview questions on the matter.

CG: What do you think of Clark Kent?

S: Mr. Kent! Of course I know him. He’s fine, just a regular guy and a good reporter. Nothing special about him. I don’t think about him at all.

CG: What’s so special about Lois Lane to capture the eye of Metropolis’ most eligible bachelor?

S: Lois is certainly a special person. She’s brave and kind, and really has a heart for Metropolis. She thinks the people should know what’s happening in their city, and I admire that.

CG: One last question. What would you like to say to Clark Kent?

For this question, Superman considered his words carefully. What could he have been thinking?

S: I’d tell him to keep Lois close and treat her even better than she deserves. He’s a lucky man… While I won’t fight him, we both know Lois gets whatever, and whoever, she wants.

Talk about a challenge! Metropolis’ darling makes it sound like he’s not the slightest bit worried about who she might choose. But what would Mr. Kent think?

The story only gets better. After quite the argument with Ms. Lane, he gave the Daily Planet a message for Superman.

“Superman, this is a message from Clark Kent. You might be a hero, and might save Metropolis from whatever comes to hurt its people, but you don’t get to take everything you want just because of that. If you want someone to date, go about it the normal way.

“If you really want to romance Lois first, you have to take it up with me. I’m sure you know where I live, so meet me on the roof and talk to me like a man. I won’t give up on Lois, not ever, so we’ll let Lois decide once and for all.”

Talk about a challenge! Superman, we hope you’re ready for your most dangerous battle of all… a battle for Lois Lane’s heart. Here at the Daily Planet, we already have our favorite horse in this race, and that’s Ms. Lane. No matter who she chooses, she’s the luckiest woman in Metropolis right now!

—

Of course, Cat had no way of knowing what actually happened in the newspaper morgue that day, or how the article would be received.

She didn’t hear how Clark cracked jokes about Lois having to choose between him and himself. She didn’t see how Lois egged him on, pretending that he would hunt down Superman and give him a knuckle sandwich. She didn’t see how Lois laughed and laughed, begging him to spare himself, until finally the two ended the so-called argument with a kiss and a nice, long hug.

What she did hear was that Superman had flown around the city the day it was published, signing every copy of The Daily Planet he could find, and leaving a signed copy with a note on her desk for her to find when she arrived at work.

Dear Ms. Grant, 

The spin you put on this story was entertaining, so thank you for a good laugh. Please make no mistake that I do not date citizens– or anyone, Lois included. I wish you continued success in your writing.

-Superman

[potato-on-your-head]

Debris rained from the sky, mangled remains of the invading spaceship falling to earth.

The flashing red portal narrowed. The nose of the hulking ship cleaved cleanly off, slamming into the ground with a thunderous boom.

Silence fell.

Lois stood next to Jimmy, waiting with bated breath for something – anything – that would indicate Clark was alive.

A lull. Nothing. And then the clouds parted as a triangular object sailed downward and dug itself into the ground, carving a jagged path through the open field.

Lois’s eyes roved across the impact point. The dust began to clear. She spotted Clark lying in the center of the crater.

Her gut clenched. There was no way he could have survived that. Could he?

Lois felt her feet carry her, drifting and dreamlike, out of the rows of corn and into a clearing with a better vantage point.

Clark was bloodied, bruised, broken. His battered body lay prone, turned on his side with his limbs splayed out in front of him.

He wasn’t moving.

And then, from the left, she saw it.

Her father.

Pointing a gun.

Right at Clark.

She bolted.

Keep reading

[madametamma]

I don't think they would go this rout because it's a big jump forward into the future and I'm sure they'd rather bring General Lane back much sooner, but I would LOVE it if the next time Lois sees her dad is years into the future. She's successful and is a wife and mother,

and he discovers that she's married to Superman and their children are half human, half alien hybrids with all their father's powers.

He absolutely looses it because all the sacrifices he made, missing out on such big moment's in his daughter's life just to make sure she wouldn't get hurt by being too close to him are entirely moot.

She's married to a much bigger target than he ever was. The grandchildren he knew he loved at first sight are from the very species he wanted dead. They'll also be targets, and he'll never get a chance to get to know them. They will always be in danger and he can't protect them. She has a family and his choices have guaranteed he will have no place within it.

He heartbrakingly watches Lois turn away from him, into the arms of the alien he once kidnapped, tortured and vowed to bring down. She says "Goodbye General." In Korean and asks her husband to take her home. The family flies off together, leaving Sam alone.

[beeclops]

[strawbrrycowgrl]

out of context fboy behavior from clark in the later half of season 2🫢👀

[greatdevourer1231954]

Episode 1: The Average day of the Man of Steel

Summary: Just another normal day in Superman's life.