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]

"Ooh, I see," she said, leaning in conspiratorially, "well, if you want to bring him out in a nice suit, you want to bring him down to Pier 95. Trust me on that."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Pier 95," he echoed, nodding. "All right. Gotcha. And I mean, not like... Well, for us, it'd be a normal suit. We wore 'em all the time."

This was harder to explain than he thought.

[stands_for_hope]

"And that will look exactly right down at Pier 95."

She leaned in and gave him a little smile.

"And don't you act like you're not going to make his absolute day. Cause I can see that smile on your face. You're totally planning on making his day."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I'm gonna get him a suit," he said. "A blue one, like he never really got before. And I think a red tie. Since he can see red now."

Steve was going to look like a knockout. He'd originally planned to leave Steve stunned but now he had to wonder if he wasn't going to end up doing the same thing to himself.

"But then go down to the boardwalk, have a nice dinner together, then maybe ride some of the rides, have some peanuts and cotton candy. Just... enjoying the evening like we used to."

[stands_for_hope]

She bounced on her heels and gave his arm a squeeze.

"That sounds absolutely perfect. If you want, I can get his measurements from Pepper so you can surprise him. She had to buy him a few things for press events so she has the numbers."

[kolodnoykovki]

"That would be great," he agreed. "I'll catch the rest of you up sometime so we can go to that dance hall we talked about before, but tonight... just seems like about time to do somethin' special for him."

[stands_for_hope]

"I absolutely agree," she said with a firm nod, "and I'll make sure to text you the numbers as soon as I get back to the office. We can all go out another night."

[kolodnoykovki]

"I'll figure out something for you and Diana and Clark - for Clark I'm thinkin' black with a blue tie, though. After all, he already has a blue suit." And he tried not to laugh at his own stupid joke.

[stands_for_hope]

Lois snorted before tilting her head back to consider the idea.

"I think... if you put him in anything too pretty, I won't let him out of the apartment." Smirk. "But I can't disagree with your choice there. Diana?"

[kolodnoykovki]

"With her skin and hair, maybe ivory or red? I dunno, what do you think? I'm not the artist, and you did the great job with the paint." He shrugged. "Besides, it's harder to pick out stuff for women. For guys, it's easy. Get a suit cut just right and you're done. Girls got a thousand different styles to choose from."

[stands_for_hope]

She patted his arm.

"I'll help you pick out something. And you want to go for red for her. Ivory would work better during the summer, but since we're heading into fall? Definitely red."

[kolodnoykovki]

"And it's gotta be something loose enough to dance in - so none of those really close-fit skirts." That, he was sure, was his only requirement.

[stands_for_hope]

"Like Diana wears anything she can't move in properly," which just made Lois think of the 'pockets' discussion. The horror Diana had expressed at the fact that women were denied even the simple utility of pockets in half of the clothing they were offered...

[kolodnoykovki]

"Damn smart," Jim agreed. "I think more women should think like that. Until more guys get it through their heads to stop being jerks."

[stands_for_hope]

"There's a reason I'm particular about my clothes," she said brightly.

"And I'll admit. I'm glad Diana can punch through a truck or I'd be worried about her going around alone. There's a lot of stupid little important things girls do for safety in 'man's world' that she has no clue about."

[kolodnoykovki]

"That she doesn't have to know about. Because she's got the kind of strength to get past it. ...If you want me to teach you to fight, I will," he said, then, just as it occurred to him.

[stands_for_hope]

"Diana's been showing me a few tricks," Lois admitted, "but I wouldn't mind a few more."

[kolodnoykovki]

His brows rose and he nodded. "That's great. She probably knows better ways for women to fight than I do, but I can show you a few things. ...So can Steve, probably. Small people fight different from bigger people."

[stands_for_hope]

"Steve mentioned that a time or two. He said he mostly learned how to fight like he is now from watching the rest of the Commandos and hitting things quote 'really hard' unquote."

She gave his arm an absent squeeze as they walked.

"You know, I talked a good game while Clark was here but... it's going to be hard to go off to Bialya. For the first time, I'm not just leaving behind an empty apartment full of crap I don't really care about."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Hey..." He rubbed her hand. "I think Clark will be keeping an ear on you. I know I'll be paying attention. If anything happens, both of us will be there as soon as we can, which, knowing Clark, will be somethin' like five minutes."

[stands_for_hope]

She turned to him, looking over and up at him with a warm, sad little smile on her face.

"I'm not worried. Like I said, I've got the best people in the world looking out for me and I can handle myself. I'm just... going to miss you. That's all."

[kolodnoykovki]

"We're gonna miss you, too," he promised gently, leaning over to kiss her hair. "You're my niece. ...And pretty much my sister-in-law. And you've been one of my best friends while I've been figuring stuff out. Will you have cell phone service over there? Or internet? We can figure out a time to call."

[stands_for_hope]

She leaned into the kiss on her hair and nodded.

"My work phone's a satellite phone, so I'll have some internet and a phone line. Time to call, I'll need to work out but I'll figure out something."

She breathed out a sigh as she thought about it.

"It's dangerous and difficult, but someone's gotta do it."

And her expression turned to a bright, sharp grin.

"And I'm damn good at it."

[kolodnoykovki]

"Damn right," he grinned back at her. "You're too great for 'em. You're a daughter of the Howling Commandos. If anybody can do it, you can."

[stands_for_hope]

"And wouldn't that make the most fantastical story of all?"

It was Dum Dum's wild grin on her face, the one that said he'd done something that was fit to make the Captain go grey.

"But someone's gotta get in there. Queen Bee's dangerous, I just know it. They just got things somewhat settled over there and then the coup in Bialya... there's a reason for why now and why Bialya and I want to find out what it is."