The Daily Planet

Summer vacation was half over, and Jay had practically been a homebody for the duration. Since the underground mall incident, there had been no mention of his extraordinary abilities and life continued as usual. His seven-day schedule was precise as if programmed—wake up, have breakfast, watch old movies or read a book, and find ways to while away the hours. The once-enticing long vacation now seemed less appealing, and Jay found himself longing for the routine of school, even if it was just to tune into high school gossip that had nothing to do with him.

He did, however, follow Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds' advice occasionally—saving people trapped in a burning building, preventing a couple of robberies. Still, he acted like a swift whirlwind at the scene, quickly resolving the situation and leaving before anyone could make sense of what transpired.

Given the current climate, he thought perhaps the world wasn't ready for a new Superman.

But emergencies didn't occur daily and didn't occupy much of his time. Video games were a decent pastime at first, but soon became tedious, too easy, as he could dominate a new online game within a day, leaving him with little sense of accomplishment—it felt like playing with cheat codes.

Mrs. Reynolds's nagging was another reason he felt he shouldn't continue to stay at home—it was incessant. Every time she passed by the bedroom or living room and saw Jay idling, she couldn't help but insist he find something meaningful to do, as if her peace of mind depended on it.

"Maybe you can come with me to the paper tomorrow," Mr. Reynolds suggested after returning home, having overheard her. "I'm pretty sure I can convince Perry to give you some sort of internship. It might be a bit early for you, but it's never a bad idea to get a sense of the work. Plus, you'll see a lot of interesting things at the paper."

"The most important thing is not having to listen to mom's lectures," Jay muttered under his breath, loudly declaring "I'd love to" when Mrs. Reynolds asked what he had said.

"It's settled then," Mrs. Reynolds agreed. "Getting to know how the world works will benefit you in the future."

With no objections, the decision was made. The next morning, Mrs. Reynolds roused Jay early and picked out the most formal attire from his wardrobe, insisting that going to work meant looking the part.

The Daily Planet, Metropolis's largest newspaper and a city landmark. The towering skyscraper stood out amongst the forest of buildings, its side gleaming in the sunlight. Atop its crown, a giant golden globe, shaped like a planet, bore the name "The Daily Planet" in bold, reflecting the blinding sun.

Mr. Reynolds talked to Perry, and the familiar editor, Perry White, eagerly issued Jay a temporary work badge and even had a desk set up for him.

Jay was assigned proofreading work in the morning, which he completed with astonishing efficiency, leaving him mostly idle. During a lull, Jimmy Olsen, a goofy redhead and the paper's photographer, stopped by for a chat. They had hit it off during Jay's first visit to the Daily Planet at fifteen, discussing video games. Today, Jimmy had just excitedly mentioned snagging pre-order rights to an unreleased game when Perry, with his uncanny hearing, scolded him, sending Jimmy back to his seat with a hangdog expression.

The rest of Jay's time was spent browsing through files. With the current situation, the content of newspapers was highly restricted, but unofficial forums and public submissions were rife with intriguing rumors.

From Coast City forum: Terrorist attack at an amusement park leaves many injured. Should we long for the days when the Green Lantern was around?

A Gotham contributor claimed: "I'm not mistaken! It was him, Batman! He descended from the skies just as the Serpent gang cornered me, and he thrashed them all! The Gotham Gazette is lying, he never left the city!"

And from a Metropolis local: "The underground mall incident was nothing like the reports. There was no leak! I was there, I saw with my own eyes! A white monster charged into the crowd, clawing and biting like a starving wolf! They forced us to keep quiet, but the truth deserves to be known! The fact is, we no longer have Superman. Who will stop such monsters next time they invade our streets?"

Such posts were numerous, suggesting not everyone agreed with Luthor's "We don't need Superman" ideology—many in Metropolis still missed the days when falling from a tall building wasn't a death sentence. Jay, feeling weary from the screen, let his attention drift from the computer, aimlessly glancing around until his gaze landed on a framed photo on the wall—a striking woman with mature, efficient beauty and eyes that radiated intelligence.

Her name was Lois Lane, an icon at the newspaper and multiple Pulitzer Prize winner. Jay, through comics, knew her as Superman's soulmate, a respected journalist who fought for truth all her life. Sadly, he had never met her. According to others at the Daily Planet, she had resigned and disappeared after the battle six years ago, and now her whereabouts were unknown.

Even Lois Lane had moments when she couldn't face the future. Perhaps Superman's absence dealt her a blow too severe to bear.

Jay's daydreaming was interrupted by Perry's voice, loud enough to echo through the Daily Planet building. Curious, Jay looked toward the editor's office just as Mr. Reynolds entered at Perry's summons.

"What's the matter, boss?"

"It's Grant. She's on her way to Metropolis," Perry grimaced as if expecting a natural disaster. "We need to send someone to pick her up at the airport."

"Grant? Of CatCo Media?" Mr. Reynolds sounded surprised. "Did she schedule a visit?"

"Of course not, that's her style—impulsive," Perry recalled without fondness. After a pause, he asked, "Reynolds, can you go to the airport for me? I'll arrange a car."

"Uh, I—"

"Decided. You're going," Perry gestured grandly. "Take Jay with you. Meeting Ms. Grant could be beneficial for his internship."

Mr. Reynolds grimaced as if tasked with the world's most lamentable chore, resigning with a nod, "Yes, boss."

Exiting the editor's office, he approached Jay's desk, tapping on the surface with his knuckles, "Let's go, kid. We have a guest to pick up."

Jay raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling this wouldn't be as straightforward as it sounded.