They went into Mr. Goldberg's office, and Clark shut the door behind them. He noted that Lauren was taking in the wall hangings and the private library.

“We may not have much time, Ms. Cooper.”

She looked nervous and uncomfortable. “Look, I think I know what you're going to say, and it's not that easy.”

Clark felt a surge of hope, but kept it from changing his expression. “Isn't it?”

“Do you know how many people control the major media in the United States? Five!”

“Yes, I noticed that in my research yesterday. Sounds like it has potential for an exposé.”

“And who's going to publish it?”

“Editors with integrity, backing up reporters with good reputations.”

“Editors with integrity get fired! This isn't your world, Superman! I don't work for the Daily Planet, and I don't have Perry White to face down the stockholders of the parent companies. Ryan's a good guy, but he's new, and if he pushes the wrong stories, he'll be fired in a hot minute. I can't do anything if they take away my keyboard, Superman!”

“So, get another one.”

“Where? Who's going to take me?”

“A Pulitzer Prize winner? Lots of places!”

“I don't have—” Lauren's mouth contorted as she tried to hide a jumble of emotions, unsuccessfully. Clark waited her out. She coughed once, then continued in a lower tone, “Okay, well, maybe I will get a Pulitzer for this story. If I get a solid second interview with you on tape, maybe,” she hinted.

Clark crossed his arms again and leaned against the office door. “We'll see.” He regarded her for a moment. “Just what exactly are you going to do with that enhanced reputation, then?”

“Well, God, there's a lot of stories out there.” Clark waited. Lauren flushed and stopped meeting his gaze. “Okay, I'll be right out there trying to top this one, okay? I'll be going after the biggest stories I can find. Stories with national impact.”

“Such as?”

Lauren looked at him suspiciously. “Why do you care?”

“I'm trying to gauge your integrity,” Clark told her honestly.

“How d—!” Lauren started, but lost her nerve and looked down at the floor.

“See what a reputation can do?” Clark gently pointed out.

“I'll never have yours, Superman.”

“For honesty? You might even surpass me. Remember, I tell fibs occasionally, to protect my double life, and people around here presumably know that. I'm not perfect.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Neither am I, Superman.” She met his gaze again, and looked miserable. “Look, I think I know what you're looking for, and I don't have it. I'm sorry. I'm not the greatest reporter on earth. I took a chance and got lucky—”

“You seized an opportunity. One that everyone in that newsroom had, I might add.”

“I don't have the guts to do what you want, Superman! I don't know how to pull it off! You never have to worry where your next meal is coming from—I might. I get fired too many times, I won't get any more job offers.”

“But you could afford to be fired once, right? With a Pulitzer?” Clark pointed out.

Lauren hesitated. “I want to stay in Chicago.”

“Family?”

“No…” She chewed her lip. “All right. It's the new Senator for Illinois. He's going to be big, Superman. He might even bring his party back from the dead. There will be stories there, and I want to cover them. That's…that's part of what I would do.”

“Is he a good man?” Clark asked.

She seemed to consider, rocking back and forth slightly, then looked up with new resolve in her eyes. “I think he is. I think he's one of the best. I think he might measure up, even by your standards. And we don't have many of those in this world, Superman. Not many at all.”

Lauren started to pace in the narrow confines. “It's going to be ugly in America for the next few years, Superman. We're back in the days of the robber barons. We've got mad cow disease making American foods unsafe, and a government hushing it up. We've got possibilities of election fraud on a scale never before seen on earth. We've got war scandals, and big business practically running the government. You'd be ashamed of us, Superman,” she added, facing him as if facing a verdict. “We've even committed torture.”

“I know.”

“You've read…?”

Clark nodded. “Lauren, tell the people the truth.”

“They don't want to hear it, Superman! They don't want to believe it! There are entire networks dedicated to round the clock propaganda! The truth is getting drowned out by the sheer volume of lies!”

“Then why did you become a reporter in the first place?” Clark shouted, silencing her. “Do you think it's supposed to be easy? Do you think the villains just go on vacation when you don't feel like fighting them? If the truth is getting drowned out, then shout louder than they do!”

“They own more TV stations!”

“Then expose the TV stations' lies.”

“The people don't know who to believe anymore. They believe who they want to believe.”

“Then teach them how to think critically! Dissect a broadcast transcript! Show the bad reasoning, the lies, the distortions. Show people how to do it for themselves!”

“They don't want to learn.”

“Then who are you writing for?” Clark demanded. That brought her up short. “Well?”

“For the people who still do want the truth,” she said quietly.

“Don't sound so ashamed of it. And don't think that those people are so scarce. Everyone hungers for the truth, somewhere in their hearts.”

“I wish that were true.”

“It is true. I know a lot of people live with self-deceptions, and rationalizations, and avoiding the truth—I'm not as naive as some of those comic books seem to think. But everyone still wants to hear the truth, even when it hurts. Whether they admit it to themselves or not, facing a truth and dealing with it is like getting rid of a poison inside.”

“You want me to be an all-in-one educator, and therapist, and journalist and crusader, don't you?”

“Yes.” Clark watched her closely. “That's exactly what I want.”

Lauren had tears in her eyes. “I'll never be able to live up to you.”

“I want something even bigger than that. I want you to live up to yourself.” A tear spilled over, and ran down her cheek, but Lauren seemed to ignore it, listening to him. “You say that this world needs me, Lauren. But it needs something more than a man with superpowers. It needs the Daily Planet. Be the Daily Planet, Lauren. Make it real. Your world needs you, desperately.

“I face the world with invulnerable skin. You don't. If you face these troubles with all your fragility…you are braver than I am. And I will admire you.”

And Lauren burst into tears, and buried her face in his chest. Clark held her gently, hoping he had done right, and chosen well. If she kept her resolve, if she carried through…then the woman he was holding might one day be Earth's greatest hero.