Locked to Clark Kent and anyone else who happens to be nearby

[bun_bun_maru]

It's Aya's first day on the job! The whirlwind of frantic activity is everything she was expecting from the legendary Daily Venture. Chaos! Deadlines! Journalism!

But before she gets down to business, though, there's something she needs to take care of. For the moment, she is a girl on a mission, and that mission involves a sudden appearance at Clark Kent's desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Kent! Might I borrow a moment of your time?"

Comments

[big_blue_boyscout]

Clark's on something of a mission himself, digging for leads on Devious' announcement. It'd taken some lobbying to get the story, but investigating it as Clark Kent opens up a few sources he can't tap as Superman without potentially compromising his secret identity. Police records and accounts of Devious' earlier crimes have given him some leads to go on, but nothing especially concrete, not yet at least. He's going over Devious' heist last summer when he suddenly has company.

He blinks, looking up from the stack of papers he's been leafing through and adjusting his glasses. He recognizes her from the staff meeting earlier that morning. He'd been a little absorbed in his notes, but memory serving she was a new hire. She seemed nice enough, and more than a little energetic.

"A little busy at the moment, but I think I can spare a few minutes. What's up?" Clark replies with a pleasant smile, setting aside the papers. He knows from experience the first day on the job can be a little rough, but it doesn't seem to have put a dent in her enthusiasm. Good for her.

[bun_bun_maru]

And out comes the notepad.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you a bit about Superman. You've written about him more than once in the past - do you know the Man of Steel personally?"

[big_blue_boyscout]

So that's what this is about. It's a question he's gotten more than once. Every once in a while one of the new people or one of the interns asks it, and it may have been a little worrying at first he's gotten used to it.

"Not exactly. I've met him a few times, but we're not exactly pals." Clark begins, the smile turning apologetic. "Sorry. Still, if you really want to know more about him, try Jimmy and Lois, they've had a lot more face-to-face with him than I have."

[bun_bun_maru]

"That's Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane, right?" She's done her homework. The names are added to her notes.

"Even so, any information you have would be helpful. Do you think Superman is the sort of person who would accept an on-the-scene interview?"

[big_blue_boyscout]

She's determined, which is good. Being a reporter you tend to have more than a few doors slammed in your face in your career, and it's important not to get discouraged by that.

"Unless he has something else he needs to worry about, sure. What sort of story were you thinking about writing, by the way?"

[bun_bun_maru]

You don't know the half of it, Clark. Aya's the kind of person who, when the door slams in their face, starts picking the lock on one of the side windows.

"Oh, just various minor details. What life was like back on his home planet, or commentary on all the property damage his fights have caused, or his secret identity."

[big_blue_boyscout]

... certainly one way of doing things.

He blinks at the questions, a little surprised at how ambitious they are. Or maybe he shouldn't be, given everyone expects to find a groundbreaking story in the beginning. He can't fault her for trying for it.

"I'm pretty sure he's not going to share that last one." Ignoring the problem with the first question, the second ... well he'd like to think his stance on that is fairly obvious. Any damage he does is something he regrets, and he tries to avoid as much of it as possible, and repair what he can.

[bun_bun_maru]

"It can't be impossible to figure out, though, right? He's got to change somewhere."

[big_blue_boyscout]

"True," he admits with a shrug, "but even then I'm not so sure it'd be a good idea. Superman has enemies, and if they knew who he was, at least some would try to get to him through his friends and family."

Clark adjusts his glasses slightly, "I'd imagine being Superman is a pretty stressful job too. Even he's got to need a break sometimes, something he couldn't really do if the world knew his secret identity, provided he even has one."

[bun_bun_maru]

"No unmasking stories, then?"

[big_blue_boyscout]

"It's probably for the best." Clark smiles apologetically.

"Don't let it get you down, though. I'm sure he'd be willing to answer the other questions if you had a chance to ask him."

[bun_bun_maru]

"I will certainly take all of this under advisement!"

The Man of Steel couldn't be all sunshine and rainbows and good morals. She refused to believe it. Nobody gets that famous without a scandal or five, and SOMEONE was going to have to uncover them even if that meant manufacturing them herself.

"I'm keeping you away from your work. Thank you for your time, Mr. Kent!"

[big_blue_boyscout]

Something Clark has yet to find out, and without that knowledge, he simply nods.

"You're more than welcome, and if you ever need anything, I'm here. I know how the first couple weeks on the job can be."