Superman, Firebrand, and the Metropolis Gang in... the World's Mightiest Duckling

[stands_for_hope]

[continued from here]

It took a few weeks, but soon enough, the apartment had become an entirely settled little commune between the five of them. Steve's things had arrived as Clint had promised, they'd been installed in the new apartment, and the group had made the changes they'd discussed for everyone's comfort with one addition: with Steve bunking with Jim, the room he'd initially intended to take had become a general office/library/art room for everyone to use when they felt like a bit of time alone. For as silly as the concept sounded, all of them had ended up using the room a time or two and it had definitely kept things peaceful despite the addition of two new people.

Considering that the apartment was home to four superheroes and a world-famous journalist, it was amazing how easily they all fell into a routine. Jim, Lois, and Clark would usually leave for work around the same time and Steve, always an early riser, had taken to making them something to munch for breakfast on the way after he returned from his morning run. Having also gotten a position at the community center (teaching kids art and art history), Steve would leave with Diana an hour or so after that. Everyone filtered back into the apartment at different times and whoever was feeling up to cooking would usually start dinner when they got in. If no one was feeling up cooking, one of the two 'old' men would treat takeout.

Today, however, Jim's site was currently closed for due to an issue with the plumbing contractors and some unfortunate flooding that had occurred overnight. That was why Clark texted Jim and invited him to come visit he and Lois at the Daily Planet offices and go out for lunch together.

Comments

[stands_for_hope]

Clark rolled his eyes at the both of them.

"Don't act innocent, Lois. I noticed you started doing it too."

"Diana was the one who started joining in. I just... it's a bonding experience!"

Clark gave her a very flat look.

"You can't use that for everything you do with Diana."

Lois took a bite of her food.

"Yes, I can. We're sisters."

[kolodnoykovki]

With a snicker under his breath, Jim said, "If it bothers you, we'll stop - seriously. It's just meant in fun. And I'm telling you if I ever catch Diana floating, I'll do the same thing to her."

[stands_for_hope]

"If it bothered me, I'd say something," Clark assured him. "But I'm pretty content just teasing you all back about it, really."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Now I'm gonna start wondering how often you're faking being that distracted," he grinned.

[stands_for_hope]

"I never fake," he said with a waggle of one finger, "but if I meditate more often than I used to, well, it's good for the soul."

[kolodnoykovki]

Jim laughed and gave his shoulder a friendly shove. "I'll remember that."

[stands_for_hope]

Clark rocked from the shove with a grin.

"Just don't poke me out a window. That's all I ask."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Learned my lesson about sudden heights a long time ago," he promised. "I'm not gonna do that to anybody."

[stands_for_hope]

"I'd rather just not get caught on camera," he said gently.

[kolodnoykovki]

"Oh, reminds me," he said, and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. He'd managed to send the pictures to Steve and Clark, but he'd gotten distracted by the invitation before finishing his send list. It took him a minute, but then he was holding it out for Lois to look. "Here's the frickin' swimmin' pool I walked in on this mornin'. More there than I sent out, so share, kids."

[stands_for_hope]

Lois leaned over to take a look and her eyes went wide.

"Jesus! Are you going to have to redo the whole thing? I mean, that kind of water damage..."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Once the plumbing guys are done fixing it at their own expense, yeah, we're gonna have to go down to bare bones, even reconstruct the floor that fell in there, have the wiring checked thanks to all that water... It's gonna be a huge delay." He shook his head. "But the good thing is that it was still barred off, nobody was hurt. S'just gonna take some extra time and some money outta the plumbing company. But if ya do shoddy work, this is what you get."

[stands_for_hope]

She shook her head mournfully.

"It's still a shame," she said with a sigh, "since it looks like you did really nice work. I'm assuming you'll never work with that company again after that."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Unless they find it was really bad parts instead of bad labor, yeah," he agreed, offering the phone over for Clark to look. "Sometimes parts give out, but it's pretty damned rare."

[stands_for_hope]

"And all of them at once?" Clark noted with a raised eyebrow. "Besides, the building just made? Why would someone turn the water on even? Those pipes shouldn't have had anything in them."

[kolodnoykovki]

"They turn the water on to test the pipes. But it should'a been turned off after a check, that's true. Got a good point there." A very good point, honestly. "Might be somebody wanting insurance money."

[stands_for_hope]

"Let's hope not. We've had enough trouble with people using insurance money for the wrong kind of purpose," Clark sighed a little and it was the sigh of the decent at the ill-considered wickedness of the criminal. Clark was no unthinking enforcer, but crime like that just made his teeth grit.

Lois looked over at Clark.

"What're you working on, anyway?"

Clark chewed his lip a little and scrubbed at the back of his neck, which made Lois frown.

"Oh come on, I shared my idea. I'm curious what you're going to do to top the Lexcorp story."

He glanced off at nothing in particular.

"I was thinking of heading to Gotham. Maybe checking out the rumors of the 'Batman' that's been spotted around town."

The expression Lois leveled at him was searching for something.

"Is this professional curiosity or professional curiousity?"

"Not sure. I figured I'd know once I actually talked to him."

[kolodnoykovki]

"...Batman?" Jim asked, slowly raising an eyebrow. "Seriously? Are we talkin' Louisville Slugger or rabid flying rodent, here?" The phone went back in his pocket. There were better things to have in his hand - like an eggroll.

[stands_for_hope]

"Apparently more of column B. Though less with the 'rabid' and more with the kind of masked vigilante routine that was popular while you were running around New York, like the Sandman. Mr. Terrific. The Red Bee. Zatarra. The kind of thing we haven't seen since before World War II."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Batman," Jim exhaled and shook his head. "At least Sandman had somethin' behind him. I mean, Sandman, putting people to sleep, I get it. But Batman... What does he do, fly into people and get caught in their hair?"

[stands_for_hope]

"Apparently, he gives Tony Stark a run for his money in the gadget department and kicks people in the face extremely well," Clark said, obviously reserving judgement somewhat... but so far, unimpressed.

"And I've read about Wesley Dodds, the Sandman. And his wife, Dian..." he shook his head in a bit of admiration. Lois agreed with the admiration by nodding firmly.

"But I can't say much until I actually get to talk to him."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Want me to go with you?" he offered. "Just in case?" It was worth an offer, but he knew that someone Tony Stark smart would probably be able to put together a one-armed friend with a one-armed 'hero', if he could be considered a hero. He was more of a janitor, sweeping up the mess so nobody else would have to get their hands dirty. Just the way he liked it.

[stands_for_hope]

"I would appreciate if you watched your phone when I decide to go, but the first attempt should probably be solo," Clark said after a moment, obviously having considered it well before Jim had even asked.

"Despite, well, me, some people actually find me intimidating all by myself and I'd rather not double that by bringing a friend. But thank you for the offer, Jim."

[kolodnoykovki]

After giving him a look, Jim nodded. "Yeah, at first glance, most people can't tell you're a marshmallow. You are kinda bigger than Steve is now. People tend to think that bigger people are more dangerous."

[stands_for_hope]

"Something like that," Clark agreed with a bob of his head. There was also a rather popular shot of him lifting a tank and another of him throwing a helicopter like a frisbee. Things like that made people think of you as 'dangerous', though Clark was pleased with the fact that, after the Luthor debacle, most people thought of him as a hero and not a hindrance.