Firebrand, Superman, Lois Lane, and the Avengers in... Unfortunately Lex Luthor Is An Asshole

[stands_for_hope]

That morning, there wasn't a paper that didn't have a variation of one headline:

Captain America Comes Out in Support of Superman

The quotes were all different, though: 'He's here to help, same as me.' 'I've never met a kinder, more civic-minded man.' 'I've fought beside him and I'd do it again; there's very few people I'd trust to have my back like Superman.'

The Planet was the only one who had a full interview to go along with the statement that had been distributed to the various publications, an exclusive as written by Lois Lane who was starting to get known as the woman to go to if you needed to talk to a harder-to-find superhero. Lois didn't mind that one bit, honestly, though Cat Graham had started to ask her if she knew any of their numbers to get herself a date.

Later, on another day, Clark might wonder if that had been as much of a catalyst as anything. Because that was the day that Lex Luthor decided to make his play.

The massive spider mecha seemed to appear out of nowhere, towering over parts of the downtown area that had only just begun to be rebuilt. The streets were suddenly filled with rolling war machines, filled to the brim with alien soldiers speaking a language that was unfamiliar and strange to anyone who might hear it. Strange flying ships made their way from the outskirts of the city inward, terrifying the people as they scattered them from the streets. And all of them, each and every one of them, wore red, blue, and gold... and sported the s-like curve as an emblem.

The invasion had begun.

Comments

[kolodnoykovki]

"I shouldn't have left him alive," he sighed, but shook his head. "I couldn't just kill him, though."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

Steve paused a moment, looking sideways at Jim for a moment. Then, as if he'd figured something out, he nodded.

"You made the best choice you could."

[kolodnoykovki]

"There's a difference between being a soldier and being a murderer. Until he did something, if I'd done anything, I would've been the villain. Not him."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"There's a reason I decided it all had to come down. SHIELD, HYDRA..." he said, not looking at Jim. And it wasn't Captain America talking, not at all. It was Steve, with all the wrestling he'd done on that point, including the parts that had involved Jim.

"When good people start thinking that's even an option? Something's gone bad at the core, snakes aside."

He glanced sideways at Jim then.

"Like the new title, by the way. Fits you better."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Clark's idea," he nodded, giving credit where it was due. "He remembered the story about the hydra, about how they seared the neck where the heads were chopped off with a firebrand. Kept heads from growing back."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Like I said. It fits."

A little smile actually found it's way to his lips and he was content to keep walking for a moment before--

"In your bed, huh?"

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim shrugged. "Yeah. It's a futon, that's what Clark calls it, anyway, and it's comfortable enough."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"And the reason I'm sleepin' in your bed and you're not sleepin' in your bed--"

He paused.

"Or are you sleepin' in your bed?"

It wouldn't be the first time. Not the thirty first time. But that'd been a long time ago, when they hadn't had much at all and the heat was bad and Steve'd been skin, bones, and more bruises than either of them cared to count.

[kolodnoykovki]

With a shake of his head, he answered, "Floor. I sleep there some of the time, anyway, so it's not much of a change. And it adds room for other people to sleep." Then, after a pause, with his hands in his pockets he admitted, "And I know it's not the first time we shared a room."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Sure as hell isn't," he said, and there's fondness there, something bittersweet not just because it was a memory. Those times hadn't been great for either of them. There'd been good, but they'd never had it easy or comfortable.

"Depending on how comfortable it is, I might end up on the floor on the other side. Easy living, soft beds... not something I'm used to."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Not soft enough to be too soft," Jim answered, shaking his head again. "I had that problem for a while, still do sometimes. It's mostly just... really hard for me to sleep comfortably unless I'm on my back or my stomach."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"And I always end up on my side," he admitted with a soft chuckle to himself. "Haven't gotten out of that habit."

Curled up tight, trying to hold in the warmth. Until he overheats, and then spreads out before the cycle begins again.

"How's the job going?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"Job's going okay. We're back on interiors. With all this stuff happening today, we'll probably have a few more contracts by the end of the week." But that was the side effect of living in a city with a superhero, it seemed. "It pays good, though."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"Sounds peaceful. I'll admit... time or two I've thought of going back to art school. Pick that up again."

He kept walking, following Jim.

"That never paid too well, but I could always do it."

[kolodnoykovki]

"What's stopping you? No SHIELD, Hydra's on the run. You did good on my shoulder," he said with a shrug of that particular shoulder for punctuation. "I'm sure you could get work and who wouldn't want Captain America to paint 'em something?"

The store wasn't far now, but some conversations were best held either in the anonymity of the street or private.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"HYDRAs not the only thing out there," he said with a shrug, "and I dunno. I feel like I'd spend half the time wondering if I was any good or if someone just wanted something painted up by Captain America."

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim looked over and shrugged. "So just do it for you. Then if people like it, let 'em like it before they find out who did it."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He actually seemed to consider it, the whole idea of it, but at the end, it was answered with a very similar shrug.

"Maybe once HYDRA's gone," he said at last.

[kolodnoykovki]

He gave a snort of a laugh. "Priorities, huh?" And then he pulled the store's door open, for Steve to walk in.

[justakidfrombrklyn]

He slipped in in front of Jim.

"I had to get them sometime. Figure they grew in like wisdom teeth or something."

Steve took a look around the front of the shop before heading straight for the aisle that seemed to have the frozen and refrigerated foods. He grabbed a small cart on the way.

"So Clark really doesn't eat meat?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"He does sometimes. Like, if that's all there is, he'll eat it, but if it's specifically for him, he won't. I try to make sure there's always something without meat in it for him, though." It was easy enough - it just meant making a little extra effort, and he could do that. "The leftover pasta at the apartment - there's part with chicken and part without. That kind of thing."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"So I can grab us all some bacon for breakfast. I didn't want to be rude."

He did just that, grabbing a couple of packs before adding two cartons of eggs on there as well. On a whim, he grabbed a box of little tomatoes as well.

"So does Lois live there with you two? I remember someone mentioning she had another place across town."

[kolodnoykovki]

"We've got some veggie sausage for him, too," Jim said. "And yeah, Lois mostly lives there now. She used to have a place across town, but after Hydra tried to hit her there, she didn't feel safe in it anymore, so she's moving into the other one beside us. She's mostly lived there ever since, anyway. Clint said something about me getting backpay and I've been joking around about buying the whole building, knocking a door between the two apartments..."

[justakidfrombrklyn]

"The backpay ought to cover that, given you were a sergeant and all," Steve said with a smile, "and it's not a terrible idea. You'd make a better landlord than a lot of people. Wouldn't even need a super."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Yeah, I know," he said with a faint smile. "It wouldn't be bad, but I'm enjoying the work I'm already doing. ...Kind of, anyway." Jim picked up some toaster waffles while he was thinking about it - multiple flavours.