It was a strange stroke of fate to run into Lois Lane and Clark Kent in this forsaken corner of the world. After clearing customs, Adam didn't hesitate and invited them to share a meal.
Finding a proper restaurant was impossible, but when you had money to throw around, even customs officials could be motivated. In less than half an hour, the staff vacated their tiny canteen, and a handful of locals were rounded up to cook whatever they could scrounge.
The result was a simple, rough-hewn feast—grilled plantains, stringy chicken, and some sugarcane rum that could strip paint. No ice or real drinks. But Adam's enthusiasm smoothed over the lack of luxury, and Lois and Clark accepted the invitation with surprising warmth.
Perhaps this was just the way of Metropolis people. They weren't wary of strangers, unlike Gothamites. In Gotham, a free dinner invitation would've gotten you branded as a scam artistnor shot with a Springfield rifle by someone who didn't like your smile. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ ɴo(v)elFɪre.ɴet
"It's incredible running into someone from Gotham all the way out here," Lois said, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Your city is like a living museum—gothic spires, baroque palaces, even statues that look like they were pulled straight from Roman ruins. Metropolis… well, Metropolis is just glass. Functional, but cold."
She wasn't wrong. Gotham and Metropolis were sister cities in every way but temperament. Day and night, light and shadow.
Adam smirked. "True, but compared to Metropolis, Gotham's… journalism scene is embarrassing. Most of our female anchors aren't chasing stories, they're just chasing Bruce Wayne's pillow."
Clark chuckled, but Lois's lips curled into a sly grin. "Oh, I've heard about Wayne. Playboy billionaire, dates every reporter within a twenty-mile radius. I guess scandal sells as much as news in Gotham?"
Adam shrugged. "It's a full-time job covering up his nightlife. Honestly, he's done more for our tabloid industry than actual crime reports ever could."
Lois laughed, shaking her head. Even Clark couldn't hide his grin.
"I'll admit, you're not what I expected," Lois said, resting her chin on her hand. "When I think Gotham PD, I picture either out-of-shape bureaucrats buried in donuts or muscleheads who look like they moonlight as mob enforcers. But you—well, you're full of surprises."
Adam smiled, playing up the charm. "Flattery from Metropolis's star reporter? I'll take that as an honor. But I'm nothing special—my parents died young, I grew up scraping by, and everything I've learned was from surviving. Home? Family? I've been a wanderer all my life. My story's just about keeping my head above water in a world that's getting harder every day."
Lois's expression softened slightly. She hadn't expected such honesty. But Adam wasn't speaking by accident, he was weaving his narrative deliberately.
Superman, after all, was an orphan of a dead world. Adam knew that playing this card might strike a chord with the Kansas farmboy. And Lois, with her bleeding-heart ideals, wouldn't be immune to the tale either.
"Life's tough," Lois said, "but at least we live in a world with heroes now. People like Superman… they give us hope."
Adam tilted his head, his tone cooling. "See, that's where I disagree. The future of this world shouldn't hinge on aliens flying around in underwear. It should depend on us, on humanity."
The words hung in the air like a gauntlet being thrown.
Lois's smile faltered. Her polite demeanor remained, but her eyes sharpened. "Oh? You sound like a Lex Luthor fan. That's… disappointing."
Luthor's name was practically poison in Metropolis, and Lois didn't drop it casually.
Adam didn't flinch. He knew Clark wouldn't be offended—if anything, Superman liked hearing opposing views. Clark had always valued dissent as a mirror for self-reflection.
"Luthor isn't entirely wrong," Adam said coolly. "Relying too much on gods and aliens stunts human potential. What happens if one day Superman isn't here? Or worse—what if he turns against us?"
Lois's jaw tightened, but before she could respond, Clark spoke up, his voice calm but firm.
"I've heard that argument before," Clark said, his eyes on Adam. "And you're right. People should never depend on someone like him to solve everything. But he's here to help, not to take over."
Adam nodded, hiding the thrill that shot through him at having Superman's full attention.
'That's right. Look at me. Remember me.'