5088/Press The Stops!

Press The Stops!
Date of Scene:	09 February 2021
Location:	Bullpen - Daily Planet Building
Synopsis:	Terry and Lois catch up before she goes to find out if there's life on... Krypton.
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Lois Lane

---

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry hasn't been doing too badly as far as meeting his deadlines recently. In fact, somehow he has managed to have a backlog of at least twenty days in drafts for articles and features. How is this even possible?

Well, when you have a friend with a micro-lab where time runs at a /much/ faster rate of a day per real-world hour, it wasn't /that/ hard.

Especially when you had to spend long stretches of time where your boyfriend was submerged in a tank so he could regrow his arm. All of the notes, snippets and raw research that Terry had accumulated over the year about stories he thought might be interesting but for which he'd had little time due to The Threat Of The Week could be visited, worked on and expanded. So, all in all? He wasn't doing poorly!

Or, at least, that's what he hopes. He knows Lois will wield her powerful pen and point out all of the weak points in each article, things that need to be bolstered lest Jericho fall, but at least he hopes that the backlog was of good quality.

But as he comes into the Planet this morning,, there are other, more urgent issues that he needs to discuss with her. After clocking in, he doesn't go to her desk for the daily touch-base... instead he goes into the break room to prepare the coffee (after throwing out the eldritch abomination Gary tends to brew) and sends Lois a text:

<<Is it ok if we meet at the break room? Have some urgent news FYEO>>

For your ears only. That usually indicated urgent cape news... then again, what else could it be, considering this was Terry.

Lois Lane has posed:
Now that Lois' dopple ganger is not trying to work at the planet, is well out of the area, and Lois is recovered from the one attempt on her life, she's back to her normal working hours. That means she's really just now walking into the Planet, a triple red-eye in hand, smelling like her morning cigarette and trying to blink the hangover out of her eyes.

She blinks down to her phone, not even having gone to her desk yet. <<Sure.. coming now, just got in.>> Hopefully it wasn't too late compared to when he asked. Within a few minutes, she's pushing her way into the break room, still hugging her coffee like a lifeline. At least she's brushed her hair today.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
By the time Lois comes in, Terry has downed at least one cup and is starting on another. He really isn't a morning person, but he seems to drink coffee under the theory that you can jumpstart your nervous system into thinking you're one. It never really works that way.

"Lois!" the redhead looks up from his second pouring of battery acid java and he frowns for a moment. Something her Doppelganger said is still sticking to him, but he's still struggling about where the line is, exactly. Amanda had mentioned a few things about where she'd seen Lois that made him concerned... but was it really his place? He had a lot of respect and affection for Lois, but was all thumbs about how to approach the delicate subject of her health. His Cheshire side, newly restored, had the confidence to do it...

But definitely /not/ the tact.

"Sorry to rendezvous here but... I need to ask you. Have you heard anything from Superman about..." he looks around to make sure nobody is coming into the break room, and says very quietly "... a certain road trip? And by road, I mean 'space', and by trip, I mean... trip."

Lois Lane has posed:
The dark haired woman just stares at him flatly, shutting the door behind her with a firm sound that announces to anyone who MIGHT have been approaching that no, no, this is not the time. She's then staring hard at Terry, trying to figure out where this is going as she nurses her coffee but doesn't quite take another drink. She stalks to the window instead and cracks it open so she can smoke out the bottom of it.

"...Uh... yes... It just so happens that I'm going on this little trip... going on a little vacation, it seems. I have the time safed up."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry stares for a few seconds of pure silence before piping up. "Now dangit that just ain't fair. You get to go off to see the actual galaxy with the Super-fam and when /I/ go into outer space, I get sucked into a parallel dimension that is full of crazed people and sucky planets. There's no justice in this world."

He sips his coffee, "Well, don't bring anything shiny with you, Rocket has grabby paws. But the reason I wanted to talk to you is that the Titans have asked me to participate in the illusion that the Supers are still around. I'm going to be using my illusions to show them flying around and whatnot. Now, we both agree that people realizing there are no S-people on Earth is a bad, bad idea, right?"

Lois Lane has posed:
"Uh...shit. Yeah. I mean, I wasn't gonna say it, but I'm glad they are thinking ahead like that. It'll probably keep things calmer for everyone of the super villains don't realize half the powered people on the planet are gone..." Lois admits with a husky little laugh, relaxing a little as she now realizes what this is about. She sinks down onto the edge of the window sill and does light a cigarette, even if Perry would bitch, she's holding it out the window and careful to keep most the smoke that direction.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Well, what I'm getting at is that in a way I am going to be lying to the public." In a way? No, outright lying. "Before they all go, I'd love to get a quick interview with Power Girl and with Supergirl for the website. Pre-record them and then post them as live recordings a week or so apart from each other. I think that in this case, the safety of Metropolis and the world merits the deception, but what do /you/ think? If word were to get out, it'd harm the Planet..."

Lois Lane has posed:
"Well, the interview was recorded live when you were doing it, right? So. Live. Recording. Makes sense to me, and while it's splitting hairs, it's not an entire lie... and it's being done to protect everyone. You really think everything Peggy reports is total truth? How many times have the cops had us lie or shift facts a little to protect the investigation of a case? Hm? The truth is... relative. Especially in modern times..." Lois sounds rather bitter as she says that, and then takes a very long drag of her cigarette, because she doesn't like thinking about it but she knows that's the way of reality. She also doesn't appear to be judging or worried about him at all. She understands why he's doing it.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I just wanted to make sure. I know that in the larger picture, the ethics check out, even if on the micro-scale there could be objections. I'm not going to actually /report/ on anything they are doing as if they were doing it in the moment- no fake stopping of bank jobs or anything, just those two interviews and then some social media pictures of them being caught mid-flight."

He leans back and drums his fingers, "I've agonized over the whole doppelganger thing myself. On one hand, I think the public should know of the threat, but on the other... that would create an enormous amount of paranoia, even violence, with people suspecting /everyone/ of being a doppelganger. Then the thing with Gar happened and I wasn't in any shape to make a decision on that."

Terry had caught Lois up on Gar's apparent death at first, then the recovery of his injured self, and then the month it took for him to regrow his arm (in thirty hours by our world's standards). To say he had been too emotionally compromised to weigh in on the issue would have been an understatement. "Did we make the right call?"

Lois Lane has posed:
"I mean, considering mine absolutely tried to kill me, nearly killed your boyfriend, and are a great threat? We probably should blow this story wide open. I just... yeah. I guess I felt a little to close to it to really want to drown myself in the thing and do all the follow up." Lois admits with a bittersweet smirk. She's rarely unnerved about things, but this one got to her, for some reason. She drags deeper on her cigarette and leans back against the window sill, trying to let it relax her shoulders. "But...you're fine about Powergirl and Supergirl. It's a good idea. If I can help before I go, let me know."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"You don't know half of it... my own Doppelganger stole my powers. And half of my soul. I was actually starting to fade some... but I figured you've had enough to deal with. We were able to catch mine two days ago and I'm whole again. So... no intern vanishing a la Back To the Future style. Which is good, because someone has to keep an eye on Gary while you're gone."

He frowns for a moment. He needs to ask Kara how she would like to front this. He could conceivably create an illusory Kara, but that'd be risky. He has no idea who knows her identity.

"This... is going to be kind of scary, you know. Not only is Supes, Power and Supergirl going to be gone... Diana is in a coma and we have no idea when she's going to wake up. The Titans are stepping up to fill in the gap but... I mean. C'mon. Look at the size of those boots. And I'm supposedly one of the feet trying to fill them. Tell me if I've already deprived you of sleep for the next two weeks with that," he chuckles.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Shit. I didn't know yours got...that fucking bad. THat's... awful. Are you okay? Really? I mean, if you need time, just...say." Lois is very carefully not mentioning what her's did to her, almost dancing around the subject or doing her best to just redirect onto how Terry is doing. He's younger and needs her protection more after all, right? Even if he's the superhero.

"If...if you're really worried about it all, I'll stay back. Do the reporting and you can do the... super heroing, I suppose. This is more important for that team than some girlfriend hanger on to the crew trying to figure out what the hell space is about." As blazed and lazy as Lois seems many days, there are times that show her heart. Because she would stay behind for Terry.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Oh hell no, Lois!" Terry says, walking over to her and giving her a grin. "You are /not/ going to skip out on a trip across the stars with Mister Dreamy and his family just because I have the big boot jitters! I love you for it but I would hate myself just knowing that I cost you that opportunity. No- you're going to fly you to the moon and then you'll sail across the stars, and when you come back I expect a fucking vacation slide show! And Superman's autograph. I mean, Gar got to hug him, I've just waved and said 'hi' once and I think he forgot my name."

He is teasing, of course. As if Superman forgets. "You are not allowed to think about Earth while you're up there. I'll make sure Gary doesn't burn down the break room, I'll keep churning out copy and I'm sure that if I'm screwing something up, Clark will let me know."

He pauses for a second. "... I want to give you a hug, but I'm asking first just so you don't toss me out the window," he says, looking impish.

Lois Lane has posed:
"Shit, yeah, of course... THat's fine. You're like my baby brother or somethin', you're allowed a hug." Lois admits with a little wink and a half smile in his direction, but she does look a little relieved as the man quite insists that she still go on the space trip. Apparently, Lois is looking forward to it, even if she's trying to act a little too-cool for school about the whole thing.

"And...I'll take as many photos as they allow me. When we get back, Supergirl has said she wants me to do a whole expose` on Krypton and Kryptonian things, so...I might have a big, breaking story, but I want the others to agree as well. I don't want to start the whole world talking about aliens if most of them aren't on board.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"That's... going to be amazing! So, note to self: Make sure that if I have any big stories, they come out /before/ you get back," he grins, remembering all too well how his rather excellent feature on the Titans getting back together got overshadowed by the Warworld invasion the very next day.

He gives Lois a hug, and says "Better yet, I'm a baby brother you don't have to babysit." Wait. "Okay. MOST of the time. Or almost..."

He steps back and rubs the back of his neck, "I should probably get back to work and get those corrections done... oh! Do you have anyone sitting your apartment? Gar and I can if you want."

Lois Lane has posed:
The commentary about not baby sitting definitely gets a grin from her. "Yeah, thank god. I'd have probably dropped you on your head by now if I really had to take care of you." Lois does return that hug, and not in an awkward, uncertain kind of way, but with full arm strength and a gentle squeeze. If she likes you, she doesn't do things by half measures. Hugs included.

"Uh... I don't really...have anyone, but don't have cats or plants or anything. I even managed to kill my weed plant a few months back. Shit, those things are hard to grow, you know? But, if you wanna stop in...feel free to help yourself to the fridge, but there might be things growing in it. Just a warning. Otherwise... Yeah. We both got work to do... lots of catch up before I disappear. I might even have to come in...early a few days." Her nose wrinkles.