SCAU-DC 13

Just so you know, I deleted the previous chap 13 on the site because it was a weird blip where I forgot I wrote the much superior chap 12 and redid it without effort. this one will replace it.

******

“Was any of that really necessary?” Superman sighed, looking at the young man with a deeply disappointed expression.

Xander actually felt a pang of guilt for making the big guy look that way until he clamped down on it and glared up at the man of steel.

“Don’t DO that,” He grumbled.

“Do what?” Superman asked, genuinely perplexed.

“That whole, I’m not angry I’m disappointed schtick,” Xander complained, “You remind me of my best friend, too damn much given she’s a short hot redhead and you’re… not.”

Superman facepalmed again, groaning, “Please tell me you had your charm going again?”

“No, why?” Xander blinked.

Superman looked down and shook his head, eyes closed, as Xander followed his gaze to see Jimmy Olsen laughing his ass off down on the street.

“Damn. Parabolic mics are getting better and better,” Xander said, honestly surprised but not sorry in the slightest.

“Don’t I know it,” Superman lamented with a rueful shake of his head before he turned back, “Please tell me you aren’t planning on being in town very long.”

“I’m hurt, Kal, honestly,” Xander said, completely insincerely, with one hand over his chest. “You want to get rid of me that badly?”

“In a word?” Superman asked archly. “Yes.”

“Oh, and after I helped you out with the Imp too,” Xander said, a little louder and intentionally putting mock shock into his tone. “That’s gratitude for ya.”

“How does Batman put up with you?” Superman asked before raising his hand, “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

“Mostly by gritting his teeth, I think,” Xander answered anyway.

“That… surprises me less than I would have expected.”

Xander grinned, “Anyway, I’m just doing the tourist thing, and I have to be back in Gotham in a few days  due to previous commitments, so I doubt I’ll be around long enough to cause you any trouble… and don’t try to blame this on me! I didn’t start none, and if the Imp hadn’t there wouldn’t have been none, and you know it.”

“Fine, fine,” Superman said, hands up, “I get it. I do owe you some thanks for dealing with Myx…”

“Ah…” Xander stopped him cold with a hand up and a sharp noise, “If we’re being listened to, don’t use true names. Especially when it comes to Imps, particularly one that’s now under my protection and responsibility.”

Superman stared for a moment before nodding slowly, “Something I should know about?”

“Ask Fate,” Xander said, “He can probably explain it better than I could anyway. I’ll keep the Imp out of your hair, but in a very real way… he’s part of my household now, and old rules apply. You don’t mess with someone under another man’s protection unless you’re ready to deal with them too.”

Superman just stared for a moment, “Seriously?”

“Magic has rules,” Xander said firmly. “Again, check with Fate. Like, seriously, Magic can affect you… why aren’t you learning about it anyway?”

“I… huh.” Superman pondered that briefly before answering, “I don’t know.”

“Consider it,” Xander said idly, as he looked around, “but up to you of course. Know any good places to eat in town, by the way?”

Superman actually paused, staring at the young man again, as he went off on a completely unexpected tangent.

“I am partial to a local burger place,” He admitted after a moment’s thought. “Best fries on the East Coast, and milkshakes so thick…”

He paused, noticing Xander suddenly tensing up.

“… that you need a spoon to eat them? Are you ok?” Superman asked, concerned.

“Yeah, sorry, thought you were going to say something else there for a minute,” Xander admitted with a low chuckle. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Alright… anyway, I’ll give you directions, if you want,” Superman said uncertainly.

“Appreciate, man, really do.” Xander grinned, looking back out over the city. “It’s so strange to be here.”

“I can’t imagine,” Superman said as he retrieved a pen and a pad from his office in-between words, quickly writing out the directions to the burger place. “Really. Can’t imagine.”

“I know, but it’s freaky I promise,” Xander said, happily accepting the note and waving it, “This goes in the souvenir folder for the people back home, just so you know.”

Superman just glared at him for a moment, “I need to get back.”

“Course. I may be seeing you around,” Xander flipped him a wave as he lifted easily off the ring of the Daily Planet’s statue.

“I think this is where I’m supposed to say not if I see you first!”

Xander almost fell out of the sky laughing as the comment startled him enough to turn back, only to find that the man of steel had vanished.

“Superman is a smartass, I love it.” He grinned before accelerating away, heading down to street level a little way from the crowd so he could get a map or something.

Unfortunately, addresses weren’t exactly intended to be found from the air.

Mapping function built into the glasses maybe? Hmm, will have to consult with Wills on that.

*****

“I don’t know who the new guy is, but that was hilarious,” Jimmy said, not for the first time, as he and Lois re-entered the Daily Planet.

“So you’ve said, Jimmy,” Lois told him, again, shaking her head as she headed across the bullpen. “Hey Smallville, you missed all the excitement.”

“Oh?” Clark asked, looking up with that perplexed expression she’d come to know all too well. “What happened?”

“Superman and that new kid from Gotham were having a chat on the planet,” She said, jerking her hand up. “Where were you anyway? I figured you had to be around here somewhere when people started yelling about it.”

“Had to visit the facilities, Lois,” He shrugged. “Just bad timing I suppose.”

“You and your timing,” She rolled her eyes, “Good and bad, you always get one or the other in the extreme.”

“What can I say? Life is strange.” Clark shrugged. “What new guy from Gotham, though?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear? Some new kid, running with the Bats,” She said. “nobody knows much about him…”

“Other than his best friend is a hot redhead who has Supes disapproving look DOWN, apparently,” Jimmy laughed from across the room.

Lois sighed, shaking her head, “Other than that.”

“Oh yeah, I remember something about him on WGBS,” Clark said thoughtfully. “bit surprised that Batman puts up with a new face in Gotham, but don’t remember much more about him than that.”

“No one knows much, and the Gotham PD are stonewalling anyone who asks,” Lois said, sounding a little petulant.

“Tried to get a statement, did we?” Clark smiled in her direction.

“Got put straight through to Gordon and was given the most mealy mouthed legalese ‘no comment’ and stop asking I’ve ever heard from anyone, including politicians and actual lawyers,” Lois complained. “Knowing Gordon’s reputation, I half expected him to burst into flames just trying to say something so meaningless.”

That startled a laugh from Clark, but he quickly looked thoughtful, “That is interesting. Gotham PD has never been ones to shy away from talking about their local heroes… or villains, for that matter.”

“Aside from the Joker,” Lois shrugged, “and not like anyone would blame them for being careful about that lunatic. You never know what will tick him off and start a massacre.”

“True.”

“Anyway, I smell a story,” Lois said, “If Gordon is taking questions about this new guy personally, something has to be up. Maybe he’s a cop who got powers on the job?”

Clark didn’t think that was likely, given the discussion he’d just had, but he wasn’t about to even try to dissuade Lois from her line of thinking… for two reasons. First, it wouldn’t work, but more importantly… he wasn’t really going to feel bad if Lois made the kid’s life a pain for a while.

Smartass little… Clark cut off the uncharitable thoughts as quickly as he could manage. He wasn’t sure if the kid deserved what Lois would do if she got it into her head that there was a real story there… but it wasn’t hisproblem, after all.

*****

Xander landed in the alley beyond Bibbo’s, the diner Superman had recommended to him, and walked out onto the street as casually as possible.

His outfit was intended to be more motorcycle armor than superhero costume, but judging from the looks he was getting… he wasn’t certain he hit the mark.

Oh well, He thought fatalistically as he walked into the diner. Not like I really care much I guess.

He wasn’t trying to maintain a secret identity or anything, after all.

“Hey kid, what can I get ya?”

“You Bibbo?” Xander asked, taking a seat at the counter.

“Nah. You looking for him?”

“Nope, just curious. Place was recommended to me, something about the best fries on the coast and a shake you need a spoon for?”

“That’s us.”

“Give me a large fries, Vanilla shake… and uh… Let’s go with a Bibbo Bacon and Cheese,” Xander said.

“One Number Nine order, coming right up.”

Xander thanked the man and spun around casually on the stool, leaning back on the counter as he took in the place. It was nice, clean, very classic… but nothing so impressive that he’d have ever thought that Superman himself ate here.

Which, honestly, was probably why the man came into the joint in the first place, Xander supposed.

“Plate of fries for the counter, incoming!”

Xander turned back just in time to see the sliding plate ease to a stop in front of his stool and nodded over to the server as he grabbed up a fry and started to chow down on the salty goodness.

“Come here often?”

Half of a half-eaten fry sprayed across the counter as Xander literally lifted off the stool and hovered in mid air for a moment before turning to the speaker who was grinning widely from right beside him.

“Wow, now that is a reaction.”

*****