The Beginning

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Valery sits on the sofa with her brother watching the TV. "They say that Superman is a hero. Okay, but whose hero?" A woman says. "If Superman were here right now, what would you want to say to him?" A reporter asks the woman. "That my family, too, had dreams. To look him in his eye and ask him how he decides...which lives count. And which ones do not." The woman says. Clark looks at the TV and Valery at him. "Hey, come on we're heroes, you're a hero." Clark smiles at his sister.

The next day at the Daily Planet, "Lois! Crime lab, on three." A woman calls Lois. "This is Lane," Lois answers the phone. "Kent. You and your sister are on sports today. I want you two to go to Gotham, follow up on football. 'Underdog dreams dashed: Ten yards between Gotham and glory.' Oh, um, watch yourselves over there in Gotham. Don't let them take your lunch money." Perry White tells them. "Hey. Are you guys watching this?" A woman asks. "Emergency responders quickly created a precautionary perimeter around Heroes Park while they brought the man down from this beloved monument. The suspect has been identified as Wallace Vernon Keefe." "I work for Bruce Wayne! I work for Bruce Wayne!" "He'll be arraigned on charges of vandalism,
resisting arrest, and the felony charge of making terrorist threats. That carries up to 40 years in prison. Metropolis News 8." The news reporter says. "Jenny," Perry says. "Hmm," Jenny answers. "Headline: "End of a love affair with man in the sky, "question mark," Perry says. "Okay," Jenny says.

"Is she in?" Clark asks. "No, she's been gone." A man says. "What'd she do, officers?" "Oh, we're not cops. We are reporters. The young lady living here?" Clark asks. "She hasn't been back. If she's smart, then she's got out of this city. And you need to get out of here before dark. Unless you want to run into him," The man says. "Don't listen to that nonsense. Only people scared of him, people who got a reason to be," A woman says. "Scared of who?" Valery asks. "There's a new kind of mean in him. He is angry. And he's hunting," The man says. Clark and Valery walk out, "That was oddly strange, who do you think this man is?" Clark shrugs, "I have no idea."

At the Daily Planet Clark and Valery are with Perry. "It's like a one-man reign of terror." "This Bat vigilante has been consistently targeting the port and the adjacent projects and tenements. And, as far as I can tell, the cops are helping him," Clark says. "'Crimewave in Gotham.' Other breaking news: 'Water, wet.' Did you file the football yet?" Perry asks. "Why aren't we covering this? Poor people don't buy papers?" Clark asks. "People don't buy papers, period, Kent," Perry says. "Perry, when you assign a story, you're choosing who matters. And who's worth it," Valery says. "Good morning, Smallville. The American conscience died with Robert, Martin, and John," Perry says.

"So, why didn't you tell me? You're digging up snakes, Lo. It's kind of dangerous," Clark says to Lois. "That is why I didn't tell you," Lois says. "Lane, don't you have a plane to catch?" Perry asks. "Yes, sir," Lois says walking away.
"Benefit for the library of Metropolis.
Someone on the committee requested
that Clark and Valery Kent cover it. Probably some old charity crone who's got a thing for nerds," Perry says walking away.

"Who's that?" Clark asks. "You must be new to
the 'let them eat cake' beat. That is Bruce Wayne," A man says. Clark and Valery look at Bruce. Once inside a woman introduces a young kid under the name Alex Luthor. "Philanthropist, bibliophile...A true friend of the Library of Metropolis. Mr. Lex Luthor." A woman introduces him. "Me? Ah. Okay. Nicky. Uh...You're embarrassing me. Um...Speech, speech. Uh...Blah, blah, blah. Uh...Open bar. The end. Uh...The word "philanthropist" comes from Greek. Meaning a lover of humanity. Uh, it was coined about 2,500 years ago," Alex says. Bruce leaves the gathering on the way out Clark and Valery can hear someone talking to Bruce. "Gods and men. Prometheus went with us. And he ruined Zeus' plan to destroy mankind, and for that, he was given a thunderbolt. Hmm, that seems unfair. Um...on a serious note, the Library of Metropolis...Go to the stairs. You saw them on your way in. Down the stairs. But at one time, Dad could not buy them. No. My father could not afford books growing up. He had to root through the garbage for yesterday's newspaper," Alex says. Once again Clark and Valery see Bruce return. "Books are knowledge, and knowledge is power, and I am...No. Uh, um...No. What am I? I...What was I saying? No. The bittersweet pain
among men is knowing with no power, because...Because that is paradoxical! And, um...Thank you for coming. Please drink. Drink," Alex says and everyone applauds.

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