Metropolis
Kerry Kent sat and swiveled so that she faced her computer screen. She didn't look up as Abby came in her office door without a knock. "I'm not working with Olsen."
Kerry paused and looked up, "Would you rather work with Troupe, with Luka Troupe?"
Abby practically recoiled, "Troupe, God no. So, you're saying either Olsen or Troupe?" Kerry stared back at her star reporter. "Fine, fine, I'll take Olsen, at least he won't hit on me as much."
As Abby walked out Kerry spoke at her back, "And teach him something instead of just giving him orders." Abby waved her hand over her shoulder as she kept walking. Jerking Archie from where he had been lounging by Abby's desk.
Kerry went back to the articles that had come in as well as the more mundane parts of her job. She didn't know exactly how much time had passed when her ears perked up. She heard a yell for help. She left her office and crutched towards the supply closet. After looking around with all her senses she super sped into the closet and just as fast she popped out the window in all her primary colored glory.
She was called Superwoman when she was in her blue, yellow, and red spandex looking uniform. Her shortish red hair was slicked back on her head, her glasses, crutch, and limp left behind. Her costume was mostly a blue body stocking sort of suit. Over it she wore red shorts as well as red boots that came up to the top of her shins. She wore a yellow belt around her waist and a long red cape fluttered behind her as she flew over the city. Finally on her chest she wore the 'S' that had been on her infant blanket. The 'S' that now stood for Superwoman.
When she had first donned the suit and cape she had promised herself that she would never use her status as a super powered person for the personal gain of Kerry Kent. That promise had been broken fairly fast as a reporter at the Metropolis Star had named her Supergirl. A one on one interview by Kerry Kent with Superwoman cleared up the little naming problem.
Superwoman swooped down and gathered up the woman who was hanging off the side of the bridge by her fingers. As they landed the woman pushed Superwoman away and stormed towards the waiting police cars and fire personnel.
Doris, a female EMT, watched the woman go and met Superwoman's eyes, "She needs... someone to talk to?"
Superwoman nodded. Doris went to join the saved woman while the male EMT stayed back, "Uh, Superwoman, you meant by, ah..."
Superwoman really looked at the blonde EMT, "You're new?"
"Shep..."
Doris looked as though she were ready to leave. Superwoman gestured her head towards Doris and the waiting ambulance, "Just follow Doris' lead... Shep." With that, and a flutter of wind she was gone.
"What do ya think the Press Conference is for? Luthor's dead right?"
Abby took a cleansing breath, taking out her voice recorder. "It doesn't really matter."
Archie regarded Abby for a second before he did his camera checks, "You're crazy..."
Abby waved him silent as the crowd of reporters fell silent. A tall blonde stepped up to the podium and adjusted the microphone to better accommodate her height. Abby's eyes flicked for a second to behind the blonde woman to a shorter dark skinned woman who for some reason had a frown on her face. Both women wore power suits, and neither looked particularly happy to be there.
Abby focused again on the blonde as she started speaking, "My name is Kimberly Luthor I..."
"Who are you?"
Kim's eyes found and pinned Abby, "I believe that, one, I answered that, and two, it is rude to interrupt. A common courtesy learned in Nursery School if not before." Kim's gaze swept over the rest of the reporters before she continued, "As I was saying. My name is Kimberly Luthor, and I am the new CEO of LuthorCorp, as well as the Chairman of the Board. That is not why I called this Press Conference. I am announcing the formation of the Lena Luthor Memorial Foundation, in honor of my late little sister." Kim paused and shot Abby a look, "I will take a few questions."
"Is your father going to rise yet again?"
Kim didn't even look at the person who asked the question, but at Abby, "How about a question from the rude woman from..."
Abby stood, "From the Daily Planet Ms. Luthor. What do you plan to use the Foundation for?"
"Use?"
Abby nodded, "To funnel money to some secret project, or perhaps simply to bilk the city's populace of it's hard earned money for the fun of it?"
Kim pursed her lips before she responded in an even tone, "I plan to put a good bit of my personal... the Luthor fortune into the Foundation, and yes, we will be taking donations from the public if they wish to contribute. Then grants and other assistance will be given to those people, and organizations who truly need it."
Abby opened her mouth, but another reporter spoke first. "Is there a reason that you've created a Foundation instead of following in your father's footsteps and donating directly to the charities?"
Kim paused for a moment, and then flashed a charming smile, "Mostly... for the fund raising events."
Abby rolled her eyes as some of the reporters chuckled.
The second woman stepped forward, moving Kim to one side though she never lifted her arms, "That is enough for now." She had a slight English accent, "If you wish to schedule a one on one interview with Ms. Luthor I will be in my office. The number is at the top of your packets." With that, she stepped away from the mic to a bevy of questions and followed Kim.
Abby stared at the two women's backs. She started walking out of the room. Archie ran to catch up, "Where are you heading to now?"
"Research."
"Get me the Daily Planet number Neela. Or even better, their address."
"Kim..."
Kim slid behind the giant desk that had belonged to her father, Alexander Luthor, Lex for short. "Where are we about getting rid of this monstrosity?"
Neela St. John put down some papers with sticky arrows on them, "This afternoon. The... men with the big muscles are coming."
Without looking up Kim quipped as she signed the papers, "What, no women were available."
With an absolute straight face Neela responded, "Would have cost twice as much."
Kim handed back the papers, "That's too bad. Is that all I have for today?"
Neela stood with her hands on her hips, staring at Kim for a moment. She took the papers from the CEO's hand finally, "Yes. Go chase after the girl?"
Kim stood and smirked, "The Planet reporter. How long have you been my assistant?"
"Do I get double years for the time in India? Five years... though, it really has felt like more."
"Humorous. Is this woman my type? This... reporter?"
Neela was silent for a moment before she shrugged, "Probably not."
Kim took her coat of the rack and put it on with a flourish, "No. I'm not going to ask her out, but ream her out."
Neela trailed her boss out of the ostentatious office. "Tomorrow there will be one on one interviews with the major news outlets."
Kim paused with her hand on the door out of her office suite. "Yay."
Neela somehow managed to hold in her laughter until her boss had left the floor.
Kerry walked out of her office towards Luka Troupe's desk with a mission in mind. He knew it was her coming because of her unique walking cadence, but still, he didn't look up when she stopped by the desk. She waited without a word, and he finally did. "Kerry?"
"Your source."
Luka's face went a bit white, "He's solid Kerry."
She shook her head, "Get another one as well Luka, other wise, your story doesn't get printed."
Kerry walked from Luka's desk to where Abby was hunched over her phone. She was about to speak to the brunette when the elevator opened and everyone's gazes went to the new arrival in the City Room. Kim Luthor strutted down the ramp and into Abby's personal space. "You need to learn a few manners Ms. Lane."
Abby was about to stand and speak, probably yell, when Kerry put a hand on Kim's arm and caught the tall woman's eyes. "I'm Kerry Kent, Managing Editor of the Daily Planet. Maybe we could step into my office. It's a bit more... private." She moved her gaze to her open office door and back to Kim's startling blue eyes.
After a half a second of thought Kim nodded and started towards the office. Kerry moved next and when Abby started to get up, Kerry gave a shake of her head and a frown, "Not now."
Abby stared at the back of Kerry's head for another moment before she just shook her own head and hung up the phone. She collected her jacket from the back of her chair. "Archie."
Archie practically appeared next to Abby, "Ab-ster."
This made Abby bite her tongue so as not to yelp, "First, we are not partners. Memorize that, remember that. Second, if you ever, ever call me Ab-ster again..." She let that thought hang in Archie's imagination as they moved up the ramp to the elevator.
Kerry closed the door behind her, walked to her desk, and slipped in behind it. Kim hadn't sat down yet, and was looking at the articles that were on the wall. Without turning Kim asked, "Rocket Wayne owns the Planet, correct?"
"Robert? Yes."
She pointed at one of the articles, "Your Kerth Award winning piece?" She tilted her head to one side, "I believe I was in Metropolis for that ceremony. Every other article up for it that year, that night, was about the New Superwoman, and yet, you got it for..."
"...the appalling state of the city run nursing homes, yes, I do remember, since, well, I wrote it. Now, is there something I can do for you Ms. Luthor?"
Kim turned, "You could call me Kim. You seem young to be an editor." Kerry just stared back at Kim without an ounce of anything being given away on her face, "Have you always used a crutch?"
"Ms. Luthor... is there something you came here for?"
Kim stared out the glass walls of Kerry's office into the City Room. It was a steady hum of working, and then,every once in a while someone would go zooming one way or the other. "Abigail Lane, do you generally teach your reporters to be rude? Allow them to be outright rude?"
"No. Sometimes Abigail can get a bit of tunnel vision if she sees a worthwhile story, but it's why she's my best investigative reporter."
Kim turned back towards Kerry, who hadn't moved a muscle behind her desk, "You won't throw your own woman under the train, I can respect that."
Kerry seemed to sit up straighter, "I am the final word in this office. If you have a problem with Abby, then you have a problem with me. Now, Ms. Luthor. Why are you here? If it is simply to berate me or my reporter for some imagined slight then I would ask you to leave."
Kim finally sat down in one of the visitor's chairs. "I will not do an interview with her. I wish to get my message out, but not to Lane. You."
Kerry stared at Kim without blinking for what seemed like an eternity to both of them. She finally nodded, "This one time, and this is the only time I will let you come in my office, my newspaper and dictate policy. It will never happen again, is that understood? Tomorrow, nine A.M., your office." Kerry paused, "And there had better be plenty of black, good, simple coffee."
Kim blinked in surprise for a second before she regained her composure, "Sounds agreeable." They both stood and after a moment shook hands and Kim left the office.
Kerry watched Kim walking towards the elevator for a second before she shook her head and punched in Luka's extension. "Troupe... I want that story before the end of the day."
Chicago - Real World
Henry Weaver pouted as Kim stopped speaking, "No more?"
Kim stood, bringing Henry up with her, "Time for bed I think. Wouldn't you say Mama?"
Kerry blinked the sleep from her own eyes, "Definitely Henry..."
The two women managed to wrestle the eight year old bouncy boy into bed and both collapsed back on the sofa.
"How did you do this by yourself?"
Kerry laughed and lay her head on Kim's shoulder, "Haven't you heard Kim, I'm Superwoman... So, why did I get to be the Super powered one?" Kim shrugged, "Well, I believe that it's either that you think I'm super human, or from another planet entirely..."
Kim kissed Kerry, "Definitely the latter." This got Kim a gentle push in the gut as they both closed their eyes.
