Chapter Text
It really doesn’t help that your alarm hadn’t gone off this morning.
Your eyes blearily open as you grab at your phone, your brain a bit suspicious as to why it felt like you were sleeping too long. You got your answer as to why you thought such a thing when you look at the time to see that you were supposed to be at the Daily Planet an hour ago.
You hastily put on your clothes, buttoning a wrinkled blouse, almost tripping over your dress pants as you shimmy them on, gathering a sweat that you can already feel seeping into the polyester shirt. You began practicing an excuse underneath your breath as you got dressed—doctor’s appointment? No, they’d probably ask for a paper. A family death? No, because why the hell would you still show up? Also you had already used the excuse of your dog’s “death” a week ago so it wouldn’t work. Missed the bus? No, everyone knew you drove yourself.
You pop in some gum, wincing at the sugary taste this early in the morning but you really didn’t have time to brush your teeth, before tugging on your shoes. Pulling your bag over your shoulder, you bolt out the door.
And then promptly walk back in to grab your car keys.
You call Clark as soon as you push open the door leading to the stairwell. He answers on the first ring. “I was worried you had gotten sick and forgot to tell me,” He hums, a teasing lilt in his voice.
“I’m so sorry! My alarm didn’t go off and I almost ate it while getting dressed. I’m almost at my car so I’ll be at the building in like fifteen minutes? I don’t know. But please tell Chief that I’m so sorry and still want the—“
Clark says your name through a confused and concerned chuckle. “No need to get so scared, kid. I’ve been late plenty of times myself, Perry ain’t gonna get mad at you,” He says calmly and you take a breather, shoulders slumping.
You were so glad you got Clark as your mentor. Your other coworkers were great, don’t get it wrong! Especially Lois—you had a lot in common with her—but none of them had that southern charm to them that let you know everything was going to be alright.
You slam the car door behind you, gripping at the wheel before starting it. “Sorry. Sorry. …But I promise I’m on my way.”
“I hear ya. I’ll tell Perry. Drive safe, kid.”
Dodging and weaving through the crowded sidewalk in front of the Daily Planet is always a hassle. You narrowly avoid bumping into a couple people, shouting out breathless apologies. You regain your breath as soon as you walk into the revolving doors, the cool air conditioning a nice welcome after driving in your baked car and running through the hot streets of Metropolis City.
There’s a shout of your last name and Jimmy approaches you with an easy grin, draping an arm over your shoulders and leading you to the elevators. “I missed this morning’s fresh coffee from the coffee shop down the road. Had to use the office’s shared one instead,” He says.
You let out a rough sigh. Right. “Sorry Jimmy. I promise this was a one time thing.”
“That’s what you said last time.”
“…Well, I mean it this time.”
Jimmy gives your shoulder a light pat before slipping away from your side, walking to his desk. Perry walks over and you tense up, shoulders nearly reaching your earlobes as you shrink in.
“I’m very sorry, I—“
He holds up a hand. “No need. Clark already relaid the message. I’m glad you could make it. I think you would’ve been upset if you knew what you almost missed out on.”
That makes your brows furrow a little, your feet shifting slightly. “What do you have for me?”
He grins, “I want you to write a story.”
Your nervousness immediately seeps away, eyes widening. “No way,” You gasp under your breath. “Are you serious?!” You exclaim, gaining the attention of the other workers. “I get to write a story?!”
Perry laughs lightly. “Alright, alright, calm down, champ. I haven’t even told you what I got in mind.” You immediately calmed down, clasping your hands together in front of you, though your body still felt jittery. “There’s been sightings of a new vigilante in Gotham. Calls himself Red Hood. And that’s as far as anyone knows. Even Gotham Gazette. Nobody knows anything about the guy. The people in the area he usually protects are tight lipped about their hero.”
You feel a smile tug at your lips. “You want me to go to Gotham and gather reporting’s from them?”
“I want you to land an interview with him.”
“Absolutely not.”
You and Perry turned to see Clark standing up at his desk, brows furrowed as he glances between you two. “Perry, you can’t be serious. She’s a Metropolis kid, Gotham’s no place for a Metropolis kid.”
“Superboy?” You point out.
“Now don’t be a smart alec,” Clark huffs.
“She’ll be chaperoned. Wouldn’t just throw the poor kid to the Gothamite wolves.”
“I’d beg to differ that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
“Don’t I get a say?” You ask.
Perry answers with a “Yes” just as Clark answers with a harsh “No.” You huff at Clark.
Perry stars and Clark and Clark simply stares back. Your eyes flick between them as they have a silent conversation. “…Well, kid. He is your mentor. If he says no, he says no,” Perry shrugs, turning away, “I’ll find another story for you.” He pats your shoulder and goes to walk off.
Your mouth falls agape, glancing from Perry to Clark, Clark nods seeming pleased with himself before sitting back down at his desk. You storm up to him. “What the hell, man?”
“Language. And I’m looking out for you,” Clark says, not looking away from his screen.
You flap your arms at your side, roughly hitting your legs, looking around to see if anyone else disagreed.
Lois let out a soft hum from across Clark’s desk. “She’s gonna be a junior in college, Clark. And almost a grown woman. She can handle herself.”
“Thank you!” You gesture to her.
“She’s still a teenager.”
“I’m right here.”
“You’re still a teenager.”
You felt like ripping out your hair. “Clark this is a wonderful opportunity for me! I won’t have to write little snippets on your’s or Lois’ papers anymore! This could be my actual, first real story,” You beg.
“Gotham is a dangerous city,” He says firmly. “Even Batman needs help out there and he still has grounds he can’t cover in one night. It’d be better if someone like Jimmy went.”
“Ah, wha—Hey!”
“Ah, I mean, if-if—You’re a more seasoned journalist, Jimmy! You know what I mean. You’ve scooped out dangerous places before.” Clark turns to look at his friend with a sheepish smile, “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Jimmy huffs.
“Mr.White—“
“Perry.”
“Perry,” You correct yourself with a grumble, “knows what he’s doing asking me this. Please, Clark. This would be perfect to hone my skills! Interviewing, investigating, traveling—!”
“Nobody knows if that vigilante’s safe. What if he hurts you?”
Lois speaks up once again, “I don’t think Batman would let a vigilante that hurts people roam his streets.”
“…True. He wouldn’t.”
“Please.”
Clark lets out a deep sigh, running a hand down his face as you stare at him. His eyes flick to your puppy gaze and then they squeeze shut. “Fine—“ You squeal happily, “—on one condition!”
“Anything,” You agree.
“You will call me if anything bad happens. Anything. Even if it doesn’t involve the vigilante. And then you’re coming right back here, and I’ll tell Perry to give you another shot with something else. Something less dangerous.”
You open your mouth to argue but Clark pins you with his steely gaze that tells you he will not budge. You let a soft grumble. And then another that sounds mixed in with a whine.
“Okay. Okay, I’ll call you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise…”
Clark holds out a pinky finger. And you raise a brow. “You cannot be serious right now.”
“Dead serious.”
You drop your head to let out a deep sigh. You wrap your pinky around Clark’s and his curls in, flashing you a smile that almost makes you feel less insulted that he used such a childish action.
“…Go tell Perry I gave you the go ahead.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won’t regret this!”
Clark watches as you run off, nearly slipping on the still drying tiles as you bolted to Perry’s office.
“It’s Batman’s city, Clark. I’m sure as soon as he caught wind of a certain someone’s intern in his city, he’d make sure nothing bad would happen to said intern,” Lois says, walking over to lean a hip against his desk.
“That vigilante could be dangerous to her.”
Lois raises a brow, “You say that like you know who he is.”
Clark doesn’t respond to that.
Gotham’s air is damp and sticky, even well into the evening. And doesn’t mix well with the sun. But even then, seeing Gothamites wearing jeans and sweaters with their hoodies up is jarring. You shift in the parking lot, wondering if you stand out with your more appropriate summer attire.
You locked your car once. Then twice for safe measure before walking into the apartment complex.
Yesterday, Perry said that Ellen Yin was a rising Detective and someone he trusted a lot. He said being in the care of a detective meant that if you went missing, someone would immediately go looking for you. You think that was supposed to be a joke.
…You hoped it was a joke.
Dragging your suitcase behind you, you searched for an elevator. Only to not find one. You pursed your lips, looking up at the daunting flight of stairs. You shortened the long handle of your suitcase, leaning it against your hip as you picked it up.
When Perry said that the story had a deadline to the end of the month, you had packed nearly half of your closet with your toiletries. To say that your suitcase was as heavy as a bag of bricks was an understatement.
You huffed and puffed, resting the suitcase on the steps at some point to give your arms a break and take a breather. You weren’t even halfway up till someone cleared their throat.
Turning to look at your audience, you felt your face flush upon meeting the unimpressed gaze of a guy who looked about your age. He was tall even with his slightly hunched back, jaw chiseled, nose crooked, and green eyes mixed with a bit of gray. He wore a black sweater, the hood of it covering his hair, and obscuring some of his face with its shadow, loose cargo pants, and combat boots.
You wanted to be struck down by lightning as soon as you locked eyes. Just your luck that a cute guy catches you doing probably the only workout you’ve done this year! (Listen, writing those snippets on Lois and Clark’s papers takes up a lot of time! Or so you tell yourself…)
“Oh. Uh. Hi,” You greet pathetically, not moving an inch.
“Hi.”
He just stares. You glance down to find that you’re blocking the way upstairs.
“Oh!” You immediately back up, scooting your suitcase out of the way. “Sorry.”
He climbs up the steps. Slowly. And your nose strains itself trying to catch a whiff of his scent. Why were you trying to gauge the smell of a handsome boy, you ask? You really don’t know yourself but he gave off the vibe he smelled good. Or like lingering cigarette smoke. Definitely something you should stay away from, but when has a girl your age ever stayed away from a guy that screamed danger?
He holds out a hand, his palm covered with a fingerless leather glove. Your brows furrow at his outstretched hand.
“Your suitcase?”
You blinked. And then realized. “Right! Um, thank you…” You say hurriedly, almost shoving the suitcase into his hand.
He lets out a soft breath that if you strained your ears, it would’ve sounded a bit like amusement. He easily lifts your luggage, walking with it like it’s some grocery bag.
And he’s strong too!
Oh if there was a higher power, you begged that it would let you have another encounter with this mystery guy.
You quickly follow after him. The guy makes no move for small talk and you internally debate if you should break the silence or leave it be. You come to the conclusion that you should just introduce yourself, be friendly since you two were probably living in the same building now. You shared your name with him, telling him that you came from Metropolis.
A nice conversation stater! You almost pat yourself on the back. He gets to ask why you’re here, you get to talk about your internship and story, and maybe the guy will know a thing or two about this Red Hood! And, maybe, you could see if he was willing to go to some place to discuss Red Hood…
However the daydream comes crumbling down when he lets out a soft grunt to signal he acknowledged your words. He only grunts. He doesn’t give you a name.
You nearly deflate on the stairs.
If there was a higher power, you begged that your death would be swift and merciful.
“Oh! This is my floor. I can take the bag back now,” You tell him with a friendly smile.
He glances at you, gives you back your suitcase, and continues down the hall. Of the same floor.
Your brows furrow and you slowly walk behind him. Not to be a creep, you promise! You know when to take a hint and leave someone alone. Even though you really didn’t want to let the opportunity of a lifetime slip past your fingers. It was just then Ellen’s apartment was on the same floor!
He stops a door right next to the one that shared the same numbers on the address Perry gave you. The mystery guy unlocked it and stepped in, closing the door behind him a bit roughly.
Just your luck…
You lightly shake your head, trying to clear it of the awkward interaction earlier and quickly knock on Ellen’s door. The door opens fairly quickly and Ellen stands a bit away, like she was expecting a threat and not the person she agreed to house for a month.
You blinked at the quick door opening and offered her a small smile. “Hi, I’m the Daily Planet intern? Chief White spoke to you?”
Ellen stares at you for a second and then mutters your name in remembrance. “Right. I forgot that was today,” She says. “Sorry. When he said college kid I was expecting someone a bit…” She gestures vaguely.
“Younger looking?” You guess.
“Little bit. Sometimes I forget how diverse college students actually are,” She sighs. Ellen then opened her door a bit wider, stepping off to the side for you. “Come in.”
“Thank you for letting me stay here while I work on my story,” You say, glancing around her apartment. It looked nice. Chic almost.
She hums softly, walking over to her small kitchen. “Perry told me all about it. Though, I have to say, giving you your first story that involves you having to track down Gotham’s latest vigilante is… definitely something.”
“Well… how hard could it be? I mean, people see Batman all the time and he covers the whole city. Red Hood only does this area”
Ellen raises a brow, glancing over her shoulder to look at you. “You really don’t know a thing about him do you?”
“…Just his name,” You shuffle slightly.
She sighs softly, looking away from you. “I have reason to believe he’s a crime lord. Hence why I took you in and why I’m renting this place. If you can land an interview with him, which even the Gotham Gazette can’t do, and either prove he is or isn’t, that takes a load off the GCPD’s shoulders.”
“Oh… So. I’m… bait?”
“Not exactly,” She disagrees. “If I wanted to use you as bait, I would let you roam Gotham freely.”
“Am I not going to be able to roam Gotham freely?”
Ellen snorts, “Hell no. I’ll have guys from GCPD keep an eye on you.” You deflate at her swift answer. “You have a curfew too. Ten pm.”
“Ten pm?!” You gape. “That’s so early! And he fights during the night, no? It starts getting dark at nine!”
“In Gotham, it’s always dark. Ten pm, kid. Sharp too. A minute over and I’ll think you got killed in an alleyway. Crime Alley isn’t safe for girls your age. Especially tourists. Don’t make me worry,” She orders. “Also. You’re to steer clear of the iceberg lounge, no matter what. It isn’t safe for girls either.”
“Crime Alley?”
“…Did Perry not tell you anything?”
“No, he did! He did. I just— I thought that it was a nickname. Or a joke. Not like, the actual name of the place,” You sheepishly rub the back of your neck.
“…Okay. Let’s go over some ground rules real quick, kid.”