Synopsis - Kara puts a plan in motion, while Clark's concern for Jimmy grows...
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Chapter Five
Kara felt like a fraud.
Scraps of material were thrown haphazardly around her apartment, and she sat holding a print-out from a Halloween costume website. The print-out was titled 'Hey Girls, dress like Superman this Halloween!'.
Yep, she was a fraud. What sort of superhero didn't make their own costume design?
Putting down the print-out, she stepped back to admire her handwork. She'd kept the bare midriff of the costume, but rather than the tights and red underpants she'd opted for creating a skirt. Kara never wore skirts or dresses anymore, so it might in some way help towards keeping both identities separate.
She'd made the costume, could she wear it?
She quickly got dressed, moaning at how tight the suit felt. Had she used the right amount of material? After a few seconds her aura enveloped the suit and it suddenly fit a lot better. It felt snug.
So she could physically wear the costume, but could she go through with it? Being a hero?
Kara was no hero. Not larger than life like Kal-El seemed to be. Kara was just a mild-mannered reporter. She was good at her vocation – journalism, and that gave her the confidence she needed to do her job. But could she run around wearing spandex? Saving people from car crashes, volcanoes, madmen and badly wired plugs?
I'll wear the costume tomorrow, underneath my clothes, but no promises. She told herself.
Looking at her civilian clothes and then feeling her cape, she sighed. How was the cape gonna fit in there?
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The next day, Clark sat at his desk, twiddling his thumbs. Metropolis was normally a busy, happening place, but right now, Clark had nothing to write about.
It was 9am, and normally he, Lois and the rest of the news team were already working on their stories for the lunchtime edition. He glanced over at his wife, who was cleaning her desk. Lois only cleaned her desk when it was a slow news day.
The only person on the news floor who had a story to write – apart from Dave in sports – was Jimmy, but he hadn't arrived yet, and Clark was worried.
“Speak of the devil,” Clark murmured as Jimmy exited the elevators. Uncharacteristically, Jimmy's eyes locked with Clark's almost as if he'd heard him talk. But Clark knew that was impossible.
Jimmy broke eye contact with Clark and continued down to his desk – which was occupied by Cat. Clark watched and figured he'd be better staying out of Jimmy's way. Something wasn't right.
“Cat,” Jimmy stated coldly.
“Yes Jimmy?”
“I know I let you use my iMac yesterday, but this is my desk, and I have work to do.”
“But where will I work?” Cat whined, looking put-out.
“I don't know,” Jimmy replied with a even tone, “but you're not working here.”
Cat got out of Jimmy's seat and slinked towards him, “Come on Jimmy...I'm a reporter now...I've got to have a place to work...After all, what's your job here?”
Jimmy let out a sarcastic laugh, “Hmm...Let's see now...Head photojournalist, investigative reporter and I run the Daily Planet Website. I also have my own column dedicated to all the new gadgets and gizmos out there, so I'm really far busier than some junior reporter like yourself. So let's say I take back my desk, and order you to go work someplace else.”
Jimmy's voice remained low and quiet throughout his tirade at Cat, so only she and Clark heard it.
“I uh...” Cat was a little upset by Jimmy's spiel, “I'll go.”
Quickly Cat picked up her stuff and walked away from Jimmy's desk. Clark kept his eye on her as she stopped walking, out of sight of Jimmy. There was nowhere else for her to go, and after pacing a little more, she burst into Perry's office.
Normally Clark would have listened in on Cat and Perry's conversation (With his superhearing he normally couldn't help it) but his attention was now on Jimmy. Something was most definitely wrong.
Slowly, Clark got up and approached Jimmy who'd immediately set to work, checking over the website and updating his staff blog.
“Morning,” Clark proferred.
“Morning,” was Jimmy's equally curt response.
“How are you doing? How's your dad?”
“Fine....He's fine...I've just got a bit of a headache.”
“Want an aspirin?”
Jimmy's expression grew strange, a mixture of humour and worry on his features, “I don't think that's gonna do the trick this time C.K.”
Clark knew that Jimmy wasn't telling him something.
“Jimmy...You sure you're okay? You wanna talk about it?”
Jimmy bit his lip, “No and no...Not right now...maybe another time.”
“Alright, well Lois and I are here if you need...Talk to us anytime.”
“Thanks C.K.”
Clark gave Jimmy a small smile and turned to walk back to his desk.
“I don't know how you deal with all this,” Jimmy said suddenly.
“With what?” Clark responded cautiously.
Jimmy paused and looked at the ground before meeting Clark's gaze.
“Never mind...Sorry.”
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Bright and confident. You are bright and confident. Kara told herself as she walked into the newsroom.
You are not wearing a superhero costume under your clothes. You are a reporter. You don't look like an idiot.
Upon seeing Lois looking in her direction, Kara stopped her train of thought and smiled.
“Hello Ms Lane,” she said brightly.
“Hello Kara and please, call me Lois,” Lois smiled in response.
Momentarily Clark appeared, “Good morning Ms King.”
“Hello Mr Kent.”
“Clark...Please, call him Clark,” Lois smiled again.
“Well I'm here to shadow you both so can I ask what you're both working on just now?”
“I'm afraid nothing at this moment, Kara,” sighed Clark. “The mudslide is old news already, and the only other story we have is a triple shooting, but the victims families haven't been informed yet, so we can't comment.”
Kara smiled nervously, “Okay so what do we-”
“-do?” Lois interrupted, “Right now we do nothing...That's why I'm cleaning my desk just now...I don't normally get a chance to tidy it up.”
Kara nodded, “Okay...I'll go sit at my desk...Settle in...If you get a story, I'll be right over!”
Lois and Clark smiled at her as she turned and headed for her desk.
Kara stopped at her desk and felt the soft wood. She could feel years of writing imprinted on it's surface. She couldn't help but grin. Here she was in the nerve centre of the world's best newspaper, and she more of less had her own desk - she shared it with another junior reporter. There was no name plate up yet, but she was hoping that'd change soon.
Suddenly Kara felt a pair of eyes watching her. She turned round. The eyes were brown, and belonged to the owner of the adjacent desk.
“James Olsen?” Kara inquired.
“Jimmy...Call me Jimmy,” he smiled at her extending a hand, “Ms...”
“King. Kara King,”
“Ah...I've heard of you...You're working with Lois and Clark this week, right?”
“Yeah!”
With her superhearing, Kara overheard Lois and Clark's conversation, as Clark remarked, “Jimmy's sure looking happier...There's a surprise.”
She felt a blush creep across her face, and Jimmy began blushing slightly too.
“Uhm, well, Ms King...Kara...I have a lot of work to do, but we'll talk again later?”
“Definitely.”
“We have a staff section on the website...Sort of like a Daily Planet Facebook...You should register and tell us a bit more about yourself,” Jimmy grinned.
“Sure,” Kara smiled, suddenly feeling a little worried. She couldn't fill in that profile. They might find her, “I'll do that.”
Jimmy smiled and returned to his work, and Kara tried to do the same.
No! Don't shoot me! I didn't do anything!
Kara felt ill as the call for help cut through her skull. She tried to calm herself as her breathing grew erratic.
“Lois, honey...I think I left the iron on!” Clark suddenly jumped up. He kissed Lois and then literally ran out of the newsroom.
Through the noise in her head, Kara now turned to look at Jimmy, who had an odd look on his face, almost a look of realisation. His face grew more concerned, but he focused on his computer and continued to type frantically.
Knowing her perceptions were probably off following the call for help, Kara chalked up Clark's and Jimmy's odd behaviour to her own anxiety.
Supergirl wouldn't be making an appearance just yet, she decided.
