Iris glared at the gathering crowd. She'd been late to the event and it was entirely the fault of the man next to her.
"Seriously, Wally. The one time I actually wanted you to drive fast." She hissed.
"I can't do anything about traffic." He muttered. "Want me to carry you on my shoulders so you can see?"
Iris gave him an incredulous look. "I am an adult and a serious reporter." She paused as Wally looked at the ground, uncomfortable. "We'll call that plan B." she muttered. "but only if I get desperate."
Wally squinted at the podium at the front of the crowd. "What's happening again?"
Iris sighed. "Lex Luthor is trying to establish a lab in Central City. This is him campaigning to get people to trust him."
"And you don't." Wally said. Iris nodded.
"I wanted to get close to get a sound bite, but I won't get anything from here." She glared.
"Maybe…" Wally glanced around before continuing in an undertone. "Your friend in red could help you?"
Iris rolled her eyes. "That's an abuse of Barry's abilities…" She and Wally looked at each other before simultaneously saying. "Plan C."
Though they were too far from the podium, they were close to Luthor's limo. She slipped away from Wally and pushed her way closer to the car, recorder in hand. She was almost there and could see Luthor. He was walking back towards it, his security team around him. Iris was about to open her mouth and ask a question when another person next to her pushed past her and knocked her to the ground. She felt someone step on her ankle and heard a sickening crack. Letting out a cry, she covered her head; sure she'd be trampled.
Then she was being picked up, and carried.
"You okay?" A deep voice asked. She blinked her eyes open.
"Am I dead?" She asked. Then she looked up at the face of the man who'd pulled her away from the crowd and gasped as she recognized him. "Are you….Clark Kent?" He nodded, blushing. "Okay. I know I'm dead."
He put her down on a bench. "So you know my name." He said. "What's yours?"
"Iris West." She said, trying to get to her feet. He quickly put a hand on her shoulder.
"I wouldn't do that. That's a pretty nasty break you've got."
Iris looked down at her ankle and winced. It was red, swollen, and now that she was looking at it pain blossomed, stinging her eyes with tears. She looked away.
"Why does it only hurt now?" She muttered.
"Adrenaline." Clark suggested, sitting next to her.
"This is so embarrassing." Iris muttered.
Clark shook his head, "not at all. I'm actually a fan of your work, Ms. West. I've read everything you've written on the Flash. Your articles are so personal…it's almost as if you know him."
Iris looked down, and fiddled with her fingers, willing herself not to look guilty. Clark Kent was a professional investigative reporter and he was uncomfortably close to the truth.
"Well I take a lot of my cues from you." She said, trying to pull the focus of the conversation away from her. "Your articles on Superman are so vivid…it's almost as if you were there."
A small frown passed across Clark's face, but before Iris could question it, it was gone and replaced with a smile. "I'll take you to a hospital." He said. "You need to get that ankle looked at."
"Wait." Iris looked around. "My…brother's here somewhere." She was still getting used to the idea of Wally as her brother.
"Iris." Joe West was rushing towards her, with Wally on his heels. "Wally told me you disappeared, you okay?"
Iris crossed her arms and glared up at Wally. "Just getting used to the idea that my adult brother just tattled on me to my dad."
"He's got a gun," Wally pointed out. "I'm more afraid of him."
Joe looked Clark up and down and said, "who's this?"
"Mr. West." Clark stood and held out his hand. "Clark Kent, Daily Planet. Your daughter fell while trying to get close to Luthor's car."
Joe looked at Iris in fond irritation. "Chasing down a story?" He shook his head. "Well, I'll bring the car around and get you to the hospital. Flashing lights; the works." He held out his hand to Clark. "Thank you for helping my baby girl."
"DAD." Iris hissed, mortified. Joe walked away to the car. Wally shifted uncomfortably, and cleared his throat.
"I should just… yeah." He pointed in the vague direction of his car.
"How long are you planning on staying in Central City?" Iris asked, trying to change the subject.
"I fly back tomorrow." Clark said. "If…its not to much to ask, do you maybe want to grab coffee…after you get your ankle set? We could talk shop, swap hero stories."
Iris nodded. "I'd like that."
"For the record, this is off the record, and I'm on painkillers." Iris said, taking a sip of her latte.
"Which I guess explains why you think the Flash is better than Superman." Clark replied, grinning, before looking down at the cup in front of him.
"Does Superman have a signature latte?" Iris said, triumphantly.
"Superman doesn't need a signature latte." Clark retorted.
"I'm not saying he's better, I'm saying I know him." Iris said. "Well not know him," she corrected, "cause that would be weird, but I've talked to him and he's mine…the city's hero. He's…." She closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to focus. "I'm going full Felicity here."
"Felicity?" Clark asked.
"Nevermind" She waved dismissively. "What I meant to say is that he's the hero I know. He saved our city from a giant…vortex thingy."
Clark snorted. "Vortex thingy."
"Hey I have a journalism degree." Iris said.
"I know." Clark said. "Which is what makes it even funnier."
Iris stuck out her tongue and tilted her head. "You kind of look like Superman…" She said, then shook her head. "But that would be too weird. What are the odds it would happen a second time." She covered her mouth. "I shouldn't have said that." Through the haze of her painkillers, she noted that Clark nervously pushed his glasses higher on his nose. Then his phone rang.
"That's my editor, Perry White. I need to take this." He muttered, looking at it. "It was nice talking to you, Iris."
"You too." Iris said. "It's been a while since I've been able to sit and just talk to someone." She looked at her latte, the sadness of losing Eddie hitting her. "I…should call my dad to take me home."
Clark handed her his card. "If you're ever in Metropolis…" He offered.
"I'll be sure to give you a call." She smiled. "And hey, by then maybe they'll make Superman lattes."
6 months later
"Come to Metropolis, see the sights, get killed by a crazed toymaker." Iris muttered, ducking behind a statue. The reporters convention (because that was apparently still a thing) had been going well. She'd been talking to Clark, drinking champagne when a creepy man in a sweater vest and bowtie who called himself Toyman had come in. He'd then proceeded to pull out a gun which shot some type of paralyzing agent. He pointed it at one of the more attractive women in the gala shouting that he would make her his doll.
"Come out pretty lady." He said, coming closer to where Iris was hiding. He'd chosen her as his next victim.
"If it's all the same to you." She said. "I'd rather be able to move…so I can run away from you. Nothing personal; you're just a perv."
"Such a pretty face." Toy man was getting closer. "Such mean words." His voice was high and nasally. Iris shivered. Then a red blur rushed in and pushed Toyman to the ground, disarming him.
"Let's see how many pretty things you find in jail, Toyman." Superman said as he stood over the unconscious villain. He did look heroic, his cape rippling in the breeze…where it was coming from, Iris had no idea; it was a hot summer day with no wind. He turned and looked at her. "You alright miss?"
She nodded. "Thanks for not letting him turn me into a doll." She said. He was about to turn and fly away when she whispered "Clark."
He stumbled and tripped over his cape. Iris smirked as he turned and glanced around the room. He was the only one who'd heard her, but the surrounding reporters were getting over their fear of death by crazed toy enthusiast and were pulling out their pens, phones and recorders ready to clamor around him for an exclusive. He flew forward and picked her up, flying her out and landing on the Daily Planet roof, under the giant planet.
"How long have you known?" he asked.
"You just told me." She replied, smirking as he flushed. "Though you missing dinner yesterday while Superman was saving that group of people in an apartment fire might have been my first clue." She paused. "Okay, not my first."
Clark shook his head. "I guess it was too much to hope that I could keep this from you." He muttered.
"Uh huh." Iris said.
"How much trouble am I in?" He asked.
"Well." Iris glanced over the side of the building. "How about I tell after you get me down from this building?"