7.10 Darkness by MR and TW (Part II)

as retold by Maniac64

TW: We come back to the door to Martha’s office and follow her aid into the office where Martha is talking on the phone. She seems very frustrated. Annette, will you read your part.
AoT: Fine. “Yes, I’m watching it right now. No it is not great. This is not what I wanted at all! I don’t care if it’s getting me good publicity. Have you seen the reaction from the meta-human community? Those are the people I was trying to help.”
MR: She walks towards the window.
AoT: “Well of course I’ve seen the protest. It’s happening right outside my office!”
MR: Martha pulls open the curtains and looks outside the window where you can see a bunch of people walking around the building holding up signs protesting the bill.
AoT: “Yes, yes I know. Listen I have to go, I’ll talk to you later.” Martha hangs up the phone and let’s out a frustrated sigh.
TW: Martha looks up and sees her. She tries to smile. "What do you need?
TW: “Lucius Best, the lobbyist for mutant rights would like to see you?
AoT: “I’m sure he would. Tell him I’ll meet with him in an hour.”
MR: Martha sits at her desk and listens to the news coverage which is praising the bill. It talks about how it will make the streets safer and all that. Martha obviously hates listening to it.
AoT: “How did everything go so wrong?”
TW: As she says that we zoom in on the screen. Hold for a few seconds and then zoom out to find ourselves in the Daily Planet.
AoT: That’s it? That’s the whole scene?
MR: Yep. But you have the meeting with the Lucius later.
AoT: That had better be a much bigger scene.
TW: We’re sorry Annette but there is just too much stuff that we had to get into this episode. Martha had to take a backseat for this one.
AoT: Fine. I guess it’s still better than the kind of screen time I got before.
TW: I’m glad to hear you understand. We see Lois and Bittleman at their desks. Bittleman is watching the video about the Meta-human Rights Act from the previous scene . Lois is writing on a pad.
MR: “Boring political crap that Kahn already sent someone to cover. Hey, what are you working on, Mulan?"
TW: Lois is paying attention to the TV report. “What? I wasn’t listening.”
MR: Bittleman stands up and walks over to Lois’s desk. “Very funny, newbie. But Kahn wants a story for the Sunday paper, an I am tired of being idea guy." He sees Lois is still writing. “What are you – Lex Luthor?” He grabs the paper.
ED: No way Bittleman would be able to grab a pad from Lois. She would kick his ass!
TW: She would strike her superior?
ED: Lois takes crap from no one!
AM: This is what I am being replaced by. Goddamn Singer.
TW: Fine, he just reads the notes over Lois’s shoulder.
JG: And looks down her dress.
MR: That goes without saying.
TW: “Stop that – I am working on a story.”
MR: “Does this story have any proof? Evidence? Something that would separate it from your amusing-yet-fictional writings at the Inquisitor? Because, just in case you have forgotten, the sign on the door says Daily Planet, not Fun Fun Story Time.
TW: “I know Lex is doing horrible things! I saw him abduct that meteor freak who was resurrecting zombies –“
MR: Bittleman raises one finger. “No proof it happened.”
TW: “He was kidnapping meteor freaks and torturing them on his private island!”
MR: Bittleman raises a second finger. “No proof connecting it to Lex.”
TW: “Lex is – he is doing bad things!”
MR: Bittleman raises his middle finger. “Holy crap! We have a no proof hat trick! Rule one, newbie: Reporting is not about what you think. It is not about what you know. Reporting is about what you can prove."
TW: Lois looks serious. “Lex Luthor is an evil son of a bitch, and I will take him down.”
AM: (Looks depressed) That used to me my line.
TW: “Now, are you with me or against me?”
MR: “I will take any chance to send the Bald Bastard to a Pound-You-In-The-Ass prison. Now, what did you have in mind?”
AoT: I know that is not getting past the censors.
MR: None of you saw Prison Break? Or Oz?
KK: I think Lex would enjoy a Pound-You-In-The-Ass prison.
AM: Especially if Clark was the warden.
TW: “Lex’s Project Salvation is all over the news. All I’ve been seeing for weeks is interviews with happy meteor freaks who have been ‘cured’ by the drug tests. If I want to give Satan Jr. a black eye, that’s the key.”
MR: Bittleman gives a slow smile. “I like it. So, what's your angle?”
TW: Lois sounds pissed. “If I knew that, would I still be talking to you?” She throws her pencil.
ED: Lois does not lose her temper like that!
JG: Wasn’t her entire crusade against Lex started when he called her a muffin-flinging college drop-out?
AM: That or when she was motivated by Wes, or as I like to call him the martyred drunken hook-up.
ED: Allison! When did you get so angry!
AM: About the time I got fired.
MR: Bittleman squats to be at eye height with Lois. “Lois, look at me.” He waits until she makes eye contact. “You can do this.”
TW: “Damn it, what do you think I have been working on all day?”
MR: “All the media is reporting on is happy freaks from Lex’s Salvation tests, right?”
TW: Lois frowns. “So if we are seeing the successful tests,” she smiles, “then where are the unsuccessful ones?"
MR: “Exactly.”
TW: “Now we just need some names. LuthorCorp won’t give us anything, but didn’t all the networks do tons of interviews with people in line for the first round of Salvation testing? Quick, let's get on the phone to –“
MR: Bittleman smiles. “Rule two, Cinderella. Use your resources.” Bittleman raises his voice. “Interns, come!” Five frightened-looking teenagers run up to Bittleman’s desk. “I need you all to contact the networks and get me any footage they have from the first week of Operation Salvation, I need the names, addresses and phone numbers of everyone they interviews, and I need lunch. “ Pause. “Well what the hell are you waiting for? Run, my useless peons, run! The first one back here gets a recommendation letter stating you are not completely inept as a coffee-fetcher! I want my list and my food before I get bored and have you all fired!” Bittleman turns to an amazed-looking Lois. “Delegation of labor – it is fun.”
JG: I like him. A lot.
TW: “I will have to remember that."
MR: “We’ll make a real reporter out of you yet, Belle.”
TW: Lois smiles. “Big talk from a guy who had to steal his article from me.”
MR: Bittleman looks shocked, then smiles.

Continued...