Without even breaking a sweat (Supes story)

Without Even Breaking A Sweat

Written By SteeleBlazer

Under the soft studio lights, Superman sat across from Lois Lane, trying to ignore the lingering ache in his hand. He’d shaken hands with her moments ago, and if he hadn’t known better, he’d have sworn she’d nearly crushed it. But that was absurd—this was Lois, not some super-powered foe.

Tonight, though, there was something unmistakably different. She was in her usual tailored blouse, but the way her sleeves stretched tight over her arms was unsettling. Her shoulders looked broader, the fabric over her biceps taut. It couldn’t be muscle… could it? Maybe she was wearing some kind of padding, he reasoned, or it was a clever tailoring trick.

But the nagging curiosity pushed him to double-check. He focused his super vision on her sleeves, expecting the fabric to peel away in his view, revealing a typical human musculature beneath. Instead, he found something else—layers of compact, dense muscle. Stranger still, his vision couldn’t see beyond it. It was as if her muscles resisted him, too dense even for his super sight to penetrate.

“Impossible,” he muttered under his breath, feeling a flash of disbelief ripple through him. No human should be able to do this… yet here Lois was, calmly smiling as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.

“So, Superman,” she teased, leaning forward slightly, her eyes bright with mischief, “find something interesting?”

Superman’s jaw tightened as he studied Lois, his expression set but his mind whirring with disbelief. Sure, she looked… well, big. Bigger than anyone he’d seen, save for the rare Kryptonian foe. But this was Lois. She was a world-class journalist, a force of nature when it came to her pen and paper, but not… this. Not physically. The idea that her muscles might actually rival his? Unthinkable. And yet…

He cleared his throat, pulling his gaze from her biceps, which were visibly stretching the sleeves of her blouse as she leaned back, looking effortlessly confident. “That’s… something, Lois. Really, uh, impressive,” he said, voice steady but distant. “Seems like you’ve been spending a lot of time in the gym.”

Lois shrugged, the casual motion sending a ripple through her shoulders and arms. The seams of her blouse let out a faint groan under the pressure, and Superman’s eyes widened.

“Oh, just a bit,” she said, her tone light. “Although,” she added, holding up her arm, “there’s really nothing little about these anymore.” She flexed, and with a soft pop, her sleeve tore. Lois laughed, looking at him with that glint of mischief in her eyes. “Oops! Guess I’m outgrowing these clothes faster than I thought.”

Superman’s eyes were fixed on her arm, where her bicep now bulged free of the fabric. He couldn’t hide the flicker of astonishment that crossed his face. “Lois… I… I just can’t believe you’ve gotten so… big.”

She gave him a playful smirk, letting her other sleeve rip as she flexed again. “Believe it. And you know what? They’re even bigger than they look right now.”

He blinked, stunned. “Bigger?”

“Mhm. I just need to give them a little pump,” she teased. With that, she rolled her shoulders and flexed both arms, the movement sending her blouse straining until both sleeves tore open completely. The sound of ripping fabric echoed through the room as she stood, stretching her arms out, and grinned. “Now, tell me, Superman—would you believe these arms are bigger than yours?”

“If I wasn’t seeing it with my own eyes,” he admitted, still dazed, “I wouldn’t believe it.”

Superman could only stare, grappling with the image before him. This was Lois, his Lois, standing right there, but bigger and more powerful than he could ever have thought possible. Her muscles were undeniably there, stretching her blouse to its limits, and he couldn’t shake the disbelief sinking into his thoughts. Lois was bigger than him. How was that even possible? He was Superman, for crying out loud—almost no one was bigger than him, let alone… her.

Lois noticed his hesitation, her eyes flashing with a playful glint as she flexed again, sending another ripple of power through her arms. “You know,” she said casually, “these arms of mine aren’t just for show. They’re… quite big and strong.” She punctuated it with a grin that was pure challenge.

Superman cleared his throat, caught between admiration and bewilderment. “Just… just how strong, Lois?”

She shrugged with feigned innocence, the gesture sending another swell of muscle along her shoulders. “Well, I don’t know. Strong enough that I can lift all the weights in my gym… without breaking a sweat.”

He raised an eyebrow, trying to keep his voice steady. “That’s… impressive.”

Lois leaned in, her grin widening. “I mean that literally, Superman.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is that a fact?”

“It is,” she replied, a note of satisfaction in her tone. “And there’s something else too.” She let the words hang in the air, daring him to bite.

“What… what else?” He tried to keep the apprehension from his voice, but he couldn’t help himself.

“Well,” she said with a smirk, “it’s not just any gym, you know.”

“Not just any gym?” he echoed. “What kind of gym, then?”

“One designed for you,” she replied, her voice casual, though her gaze was razor-sharp.

His jaw dropped, and he let out a nervous chuckle. “Wait, my gym? Lois, that’s… that’s impossible.”

She shrugged, a glint of amusement in her eyes. “No, it’s not. And if you actually worked out there sometime—any time—you’d know it wasn’t impossible. It’s very possible.”

Superman felt his confidence wobble as he stared at her, processing her words. “No… it can’t be. Even I have trouble with some of those weights.”

“Isn’t that funny?” Lois teased, leaning back with an almost predatory smile.

“What’s funny?” he asked, still trying to keep a grip on his composure.

“I don’t have any trouble with them. At all.”

He shook his head, trying to convince himself as much as her. “You… you can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I am,” she replied smoothly, raising one arm and flexing her bicep with pride. “And why can’t I be stronger than you, Superman? After all, I’ve got bigger arms than you do.”

Superman forced a shaky laugh, desperation creeping in. “You can’t be, Lois, because I’m—”

She cut him off, voice full of conviction. “And I’m stronger than you, Superman.”

Before he could respond, Lois stood and stretched her arms out in front of him, her biceps and shoulders fully on display. “Let’s put that to the test,” she said, her eyes daring him as she offered her hands. “Just you and me. Lock hands, push, and let’s see who’s stronger.”

Superman hesitated, but Lois was already in position, her arms extended, eyes locked on his. He didn’t back down. Their fingers laced together, and he braced himself, ready to push her back, but as soon as the pressure started, he was met with a force he hadn’t anticipated. Lois’s muscles bulged, her strength unwavering as she pressed forward, driving him back inch by inch.

As their fingers laced together, Superman readied himself, confident he’d have the upper hand—but the moment Lois applied pressure, he felt an unexpected force, as though he were pressing against a steel wall. She pushed forward, her muscles visibly bulging, and to his astonishment, he found himself giving ground, step by step.

“What’s the matter, Superman?” she asked, her voice low and taunting, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Having a little trouble?”

He forced a chuckle, masking his growing strain. “Trouble? No, I… I’m just… taking it easy on you,” he stammered, fighting to regain control.

Lois laughed, her grip tightening, forcing him back even further. “Oh, really? Taking it easy? How very noble of you,” she teased, her words dripping with sarcasm. “But I think you’ll need to do better than that, Superman.”

Superman strained, managing to force out, “Oh yeah? Then why is that?”

Lois smirked, leaning in, her voice a low, teasing purr. “Because, Superman, I’m taking it easy on you too.”

The words hit him harder than he expected, sending a wave of doubt crashing over his confidence. No… it couldn’t be. This was Lois, after all. He refocused, redoubling his effort, determined and pushing harder, finally leaning into his true strength—he knew he was going to push Lois back, finally. After all, he was Superman, and as much as he loved her, her strong suit wasn’t strength but being a world-class journalist without peer. But the growing pressure from her grip told another story, and it was none other than Lois Lane herself who not only met his strength but checked it and was now driving him back. And despite him being Superman and the one with the super suit, it turns out, as tattered as her actual outfit was, strength was her strong suit.

Still… he wasn’t truly trying—at least, that’s what he was telling himself. He was the one with the peerless strength, so why was he so fearful instead of fearless right now? In what should be a friendly and easy challenge for him—actually, it shouldn’t even be a challenge at all—he couldn’t remember a time he’d ever felt so challenged.

Superman attempted to tighten his grip, his hands straining around hers, but it was Lois's grip that proved utterly unyielding—a velvet glove cast in iron. He was the Man of Steel, but under the pressure of her hands, he felt himself and his super sinews bending beneath her strength. The realization rippled through him, disconcerting and undeniable.

“Not what you expected, huh?” she teased, her grip as firm and unrelenting as her smirk. She gave his hand a quick squeeze, her fingers digging in just enough to remind him who held the upper hand—literally and figuratively, and all Superman could do was let out a weak whimper.

It slipped out, despite his best effort to keep his cool.

Lois caught the sound and giggled, tilting her head with an almost innocent smile. “I must say, Superman, you’re a bit weaker than I expected.”

Superman managed a weak chuckle, weak like his whimper and weak like him next to Lois and those big, bulging brawny muscles of hers, but there was a tremor in his voice—a hint of his strength and resolve… and possibly more than just a hint of hubris. “W-well, I… I didn’t want to go all out, you know. I d-didn’t want to, uh, h-hurt you…”

Lois’s eyes sparkled, her smirk widening. “Oh, of course, of course. Taking it easy on little old me?” She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that echoed in his ear. “But here’s the thing, Superman—I’m not taking it easy on you.”

His face flushed as he felt his heart pound with equal parts disbelief and unease. He pushed harder, but Lois responded with another surge of strength, her muscles swelling with effortless power as she drove him back another step.

“Give me a break!” he grunted in disbelief, as once again he ramped up his super strength, only to find himself still at an impasse, unable to push past Lois, and unable to comprehend how this could be possible.

“I’m am giving you a break,” she continued, her voice soft but filled with taunting satisfaction. "I’m going easy on you! Because if I were really trying, you'd already be on the ground." Her words sent a chill down his spine as he grasped, perhaps for the first time, that he might truly be outmatched.

Superman wasn’t feeling so super. He summoned every last ounce of his strength, every fiber of his being focused on overpowering her—but Lois’s hold proved unbreakable. He was the Man of Steel, yet under her grip, he felt more like the man of tin foil, crumpling in her grasp as easily as tinfoil, despite his best efforts—and he was a man who could move literal mountains with his best efforts. Now, he was really afraid, not because he was holding back to avoid hurting Lois, but because now he wasn’t holding back at all.

“Aw, Superman, you’re still holding back?” she cooed, squeezing his hands just enough that a pulse of pressure shot through his wrists. The crushing strength of her grip was like a vise tightening with every breath he took.

“L-Lois…” he managed to stammer, the slightest tremor slipping into his voice. “You… you don’t understand… I’m—”

“Struggling?” She tilted her head, feigning concern, even as a mischievous grin danced on her lips. “I’d hate for you to overdo it. After all, I don’t think you’d want to hurt yourself.”

Her words stung, each one a subtle jab at his pride. He wasn’t just Superman, he was the Superman—the Man of Steel, the mightiest being on Earth, and yet here he was, straining against the iron grip of none other than Lois Lane, a woman whom he’s rescued more times than he could count, and yet, now he needed someone to rescue him!

Superman’s face flushed as her grip tightened even further, his knuckles turning white. He strained harder, summoning every ounce of strength he possessed, but her hold remained unyielding, like an immovable wall of pure muscle. His knees wobbled as he felt his footing falter, and the ground beneath him began to creak and crack under the pressure, betraying the force he was applying—and yet, it was Lois who stood unshaken.

“Aw, are we having trouble, Superman?” she teased, her voice soft and mocking as she leaned in closer. “Not so Super are you, at least not when you’re outmatched by me and my Mighty Female Muscles!”

With one last surge of her strength, Lois pressed forward, driving him down as his knees buckled, forcing him to drop before her. Superman knelt, unable to withstand the power coursing through her arms. His mind raced with disbelief; he was Superman, and yet here he was, bowing under the overwhelming might of Lois Lane.

Superman’s gaze flickered up to meet Lois’s, disbelief mingling with shock as he knelt there unable to get up and unable to even budge Lois a single fraction of an inch, he never felt so hopeless in all his battles and yet here was hopelessly held down by her unyielding strength. Every attempt he made to push back had only ended with him further overpowered, his body and pride both bowing before her.

“And just like that, I beat the not-so-mighty Superman and his not-so-super muscles,” Lois laughed, savoring the sight of him on his knees. “Thanks to my Mighty Female Muscles. Oh, would you believe it was actually easier than I thought it would be… I mean I didn’t even break a sweat!”

With a final, decisive shove, she drove him down into the floor, her strength sending him sprawling back with a resounding crash. The impact left a crater beneath him, cracks spider-webbing through the concrete as he stared up at her, dazed and breathless.

Superman’s gaze flickered up to meet Lois’s, disbelief mingling with shock as he knelt there, unable to get up, unable to even budge Lois a single fraction of an inch. He had faced countless foes, each stronger and more dangerous than the last, yet he had never felt so completely and utterly powerless. Here he was, held down by none other than Lois Lane, her strength unyielding. Every attempt to push back only met with her overpowering force, driving him further down. His body and pride both bowed before her, pinned in place by a strength he hadn’t believed possible.

This has gone on long enough, he told himself, frustration flickering through his mind. He was done holding back—it was time to take the gloves off and show her his true strength. The gloves are off, he thought, gritting his teeth, as he prepared to unleash everything he had against her. After all, he was Superman.

But as he braced himself, ready to overpower her, Lois leaned down with a smirk and, without warning, pulled him into a headlock. Her powerful arms encircled his neck like a vise, and Superman gasped, instantly feeling the crushing strength of her grip. Her bicep, hard as iron, dug mercilessly into his throat. His muscles tensed, his vision blurred, but his resolve didn’t flag or fail... Even though he flailed like a helpless child, pushing back with every ounce of strength he had left.

“What’s the matter, Superman?” she purred, her voice dripping with mocking amusement as she tightened her hold. “Can’t break free? I thought you were stronger than this. I thought there was no way I could ever be stronger than you” She flexed harder, the hardness of her bicep pressing into the soft, vulnerable spot on his neck, her strength utterly unyielding totally and utterly devastating.

“L-Lois…” he stammered, his voice strained and cracking, devastated by her power and with desperation creeping in. “I… I didn’t want to… h-hurt you…”

“Oh, sure,” she taunted, voice dripping with mock concern. “You’re just being so careful, right?” She gave him another squeeze, her arm flexing even harder, pressing down with a force he’d never felt. “But here’s the thing, Superman: you can’t hurt me. You can’t even break free.”

Each second in her hold eroded his strength, his focus splintering as he gasped, clinging to his dwindling composure. He squirmed in her grip, fighting with strength and his belief that he was truly stronger than her, and he truly believed that he was holding back in fear of hurting her. But, the more he fought back with everything he had, he was starting to fear, that maybe Lois was stronger than he thought. That was an impossible thought, but he was in an impossible situation, that he found it impossible to get out of.  Her hold was rock-solid, his every attempt to escape was met with unbreakable resistance. Her flexed arm felt like a steel bar crushing down on his throat, his soft flesh yielding as her muscles refused to budge.

“Admit it,” she whispered, her breath warm against his ear. “Admit that I’m stronger.”

“I… I wasn’t… trying…” he managed, still clinging to his dignity. But even as he spoke, his struggles grew weaker, each attempt leaving him more drained, more breathless, and more at her mercy.

“Aww, is that your excuse?” she cooed, tightening her hold until he let out a choked gasp. “Not trying? Face it, Superman—you’re the one getting hurt here.”

And he was hurting—not just his pride, but his body—and that soft, vulnerable neck of his was particularly hurting with each brutal squeeze. This didn’t just feel painful; he felt weak. This felt worse than, “Kryptonite?!” he groaned, half in question, half in statement.

Lois just laughed and gave him another humbling, humiliating, bone-crunching, neck-squishing squeeze, then mockingly replied, “No kryptonite, just Mighty Female Muscles!”

The pressure grew unbearable. His flailing became frantic as he realized, in his hubris, he’d truly tried… He had given her his best, and she’d given him her worst. And while he had tried to take off the gloves and get rough with her, he’d forgotten he didn’t even wear gloves—just as he’d never known what it was to be manhandled, to be so utterly overpowered. Yet here he was, the most powerful man in the world and perhaps universe, powerless in the grip of none other than Lois Lane. His muffled protests turned into desperate, weak gasps, each one swallowed by her big, bruising, bicep and the crushing force of her arm.

“Come on, Superman,” she taunted, her tone soft yet filled with satisfaction. “Just admit it.”

He tried to speak, to deny it, but her bicep only pressed harder, cutting off his words, his strength slipping further with each second. His vision started to blur, darkness creeping in as he struggled, helpless against her overwhelming power. With one final, strained gasp, he slumped in her arms, unconscious—the unyielding might of her headlock his last sensation before darkness overtook him.

 “What’s was that, I couldn’t hear you, Superman?” she teased, her tone dripping with mocking amusement as she gave him another crushing squeeze, forcing a whimper from him, and forcing him to doubt that he was stronger than her.

He flailed, trying everything in his power to escape her hold, his mind racing with disbelief. He was Superman. He couldn’t… he shouldn’t be losing like this! But her hold was unbreakable, her strength relentless as she continued to squeeze. His vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges until, with one final, desperate gasp, he slumped in her arms.

Lois let out a delighted laugh, savoring her victory. As he came to moments later, he found himself dangling helplessly, held up by the scruff of his cape as Lois lifted him into the air as easily as if he were weightless. She grinned, flexing her free arm for emphasis, each muscle in her bicep swelling in a display of raw power.

“Say it, Superman,” she taunted, swinging him slightly, like a toy caught in her grip. “Or I’ll start spinning you around like a yo-yo. Say it. Admit who’s stronger.”

His head spun, and he groaned, still dazed. “Lois… you m-must be j-joking if you think I was going all out… Y-you can’t b-be… s-serious… Y-you c-can’t b-b-be s-stronger than me…”

But before he could finish, she began to twirl him, spinning him in the air with dizzying force. He was utterly at her mercy, helpless as she swung him around with ease, laughing at his plight. “Oh, I’m not just serious, I’m seriously strong, and way, way stronger than you Superman. And I’m not joking, but the jokes on you, because you’re the joke!”

Around and around in a circle he spun, his brain and thoughts spinning almost as fast as the speed in which Lois was spinning him. He’d escaped many dire and perilous situations, but he knew there was no escape for him, just as he knew there was no escaping the truth that Lois was now stronger than him…He knew that now and he knew he couldn’t take a second more of abuse from Lois.

Shame and panic surged through him, and he finally stammered, “Fine! You… you’re stronger than me!”

Lois stopped spinning him, dropping him to the ground. He landed with a heavy thud, dazed and breathless, staring up at her. She moved to stand over him, planting her foot firmly on his chest, pressing down with just enough force to keep him pinned beneath her.

“Hmm…” She tilted her head, mockingly thoughtful as she looked down at the iconic ‘S’ on his chest. “I think that ‘S’ stands for Sidekick, don’t you agree?”

With one final push, she drove her foot down, pressing him deeper into the floor until the concrete cracked and caved and crated beneath him. Superman groaned, every fiber of his being reeling from the undeniable truth. He felt himself mentally resigning, steeling himself for a new role—one he’d never anticipated, but knew now was inevitable. For next to Lois, he wasn’t the Man of Steel, but little more than tin foil. Not Superman, but her sidekick, pinned beneath her might.

Lois smiled, savoring her triumph as she gazed down at him. “Wow,” she murmured, laughing softly. “That was SUPER fun, manhandling Superman. Though maybe I think we should call it woman-handling, wouldn’t you agree?”

He groaned, both from the pressure and from the awful pun, knowing, with a humbling realization, that next to Lois, he would always be the sidekick.

“And I did I all without even breaking a sweat!” Lois said adding one last insult and even more injuries as she slammed him down, knocking him out and walking all over him, and his legacy.