METROPOLIS
Two days after the family reunion with Martha and Jordan, Clark and Lois had returned to Metropolis and were back at The Daily Planet. Seated at his desk, Clark was pecking away on his computer keyboard when he heard the ding of the elevator doors, and glanced over his shoulder to see Lois step off the elevator. They exchanged a smile as she crossed the newsroom and seated herself at the desk across from his.
"Good Morning," she greeted. "I missed you when I woke up. Where'd you go?"
"Sorry. An alarm went off at Hayden Jewelry over on Haddon Street."
"Did you get it taken care of?"
Clark nodded. "The robbers weren't very organized and wound up locking themselves in the storeroom," he revealed. "I actually think they were glad to see me."
"Well, I'm sure it provided some good entertainment," Lois said. "Speaking of which, how's Jordan doing?"
"I haven't spoken with her since she left Smallville and hitched a ride to Gotham City with Bruce on his private plane."
"And you haven't called to check up on Bruce?" Lois asked with mock astonishment.
"Very funny," Clark responded easily. "To paraphrase a lovely reporter I know, 'I'm pretty sure Bruce can handle my sister'."
Lois snorted. "Right…you can barely handle her yourself and you're…well, you're you."
"KENT!"
The reporters both gave a startled jump at the shout, and turned to see Perry White standing a few feet away.
"You're getting paid to write stories, not socialize with Lois!" he snapped. "Where's that article on the C.I.T.E.S. summit?"
"It's almost done, Mr. White," Clark answered. "I'm just waiting for David to get here with pictures of some of the main speakers and it's good to go."
"Well make sure it's on my desk before the deadline for tomorrow's edition," Perry replied, and retreated back into his office.
Clark's response was prevented by the arrival of David Miller, the Planet's new resident photographer, who flashed Lois a quick smile before addressing Clark.
"Hey, Mr. Kent," he greeted, and held up the photographs he was clutching. "I got those pictures of the C.I.T.E.S. summit attendees you requested. And get this: the keynote speaker is a really pretty blonde lady that has the same last name as you. Doctor Jordan Kent. Is she some sort of long-lost cousin or something?"
"Jordan's my sister," Clark answered, and took the photos from his young friend. "Thanks for the pictures, David."
"What kind of medicine does she practice?" David inquired.
"She's not a medical doctor," Clark clarified patiently. "Jordan has a PhD in Evolutionary Biology and travels the world studying endangered species."
Just then Perry stepped out of his office again and yelled to Lois and Clark. "Lois, Kent, I want you two to get over to the Gotham City Convention Center right away."
"What's wrong?" Clark asked.
"There's been some type of explosion and the place is on fire," Perry answered.
That's where Jordan is, Clark realized silently.
"Is anyone hurt?" Lois pressed.
"No fatalities yet, but there are some people trapped on the lower level."
Lois turned to Clark. "Well, Clark, do you want to…drive…"
Her voice trailed off as she realized she was talking to an empty space.
"Sorry Miss Lane, but he ran out of here faster than a speeding bullet as soon as Mr. White mentioned the explosion," David told her.
Lois shook her head.
GOTHAM CITY CONVENTION CENTER
Fire Captain Henry Turner was directing the rescue efforts via his walkie-talkie when he felt a swoosh of air blow across his face and glanced over just as Superman landed beside him.
"Captain," he greeted. "How can I help?"
"We've got the evacuations from the main room under control but the elevator shafts leading to the lower level collapsed and the fire's preventing us from getting in there to see if anyone is trapped," Turner told him.
Superman nodded. "I'll take care of it."
Making his way into what remained of the building, Superman blew out the fire before using his X-ray vision to scan the elevator shafts. Inside the first shaft the car was intact and empty, but in the second shaft he discovered Jordan trapped in what remained of the elevator car. Superman flew into the adjoining shaft and went through the wall a few feet above the car, then carefully pulled open the emergency hatch. The noise caused his sister to look up expectantly, and Superman flashed her an affectionate smile.
"Didn't the professors at graduate school teach you to take the stairs instead of the elevator in an emergency, Dr. Kent?" he chided.
"Very funny," Jordan said, her voice raspy from the smoke.
"Are you hurt?"
"You tell me," Jordan retorted dryly.
Superman gave her a quick once over, but aside from a minor injury to her forehead she appeared to be unhurt. "You might have a concussion, and that cut on your forehead will need stitches, but nothing is broken."
"Except my pride. Needing you to come to my rescue wasn't exactly the way I expected my day to go."
"All part of the service," Superman responded lightly. "Let's get you out of here."
After pulling her up through the emergency hatch, Superman gathered Jordan into his arms and flew out of the building the same way he had come in before taking his sister down the street to a waiting ambulance.
"This lady needs medical attention," he told the closet paramedic. "She's got a head injury and is suffering from smoke inhalation."
"We'll take care of her, Superman," the paramedic responded. "Thanks for the help."
Superman nodded and shifted his attention to Jordan. "You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. Go do what you do best. Once you're done here you can come check up on me at the hospital."
Superman smiled. "I'll see you shortly," he allowed and flew back toward the building as the paramedics loaded Jordan into the ambulance.
Sometime later, with Superman's part in the evacuations complete, Clark made his way to Gotham Memorial Hospital. Approaching the admittance desk in the ER, he gave the nurse a friendly smile.
"Good afternoon," he greeted. "I'm looking for Jordan Kent. She was one of the victims of the explosion at the Convention Center and was brought in earlier by ambulance."
"You family?" the nurse asked.
"I'm her brother."
The nurse glanced at the chart on the wall behind her. "She's in Exam Room Four getting some stitches. Go straight down the hall and it's the second room on your left."
"Thank you."
Clark headed down the hallway to Exam Room Four, where to his surprise he found Diana Prince there talking with Bruce. Hearing him approach, they glanced in his direction and Diana flashed him a warm smile.
"Well look what the wind blew in," she remarked, and the two friends exchanged a brief hug. "It's good to see you again, Kal. Welcome home."
"Thanks. What are you doing here?"
"Bruce and I were in a meeting with a mutual client at the Gotham Art Museum when the explosion happened," Diana told him. "We weren't sure how long you would be tied up at the Summit Center, so we took the liberty of coming to the hospital to check on Jordan."
"Speaking of my beloved little sister, where is she?"
"One of the nurses took Jordan to the Administration office to sign off on the insurance paperwork," Bruce told him. "Why don't you catch up with Diana and I'll track her down."
Clark nodded, and Bruce left him alone Diana.
"How are you adjusting to being back?" Diana inquired.
"It's been pretty hard to explain where I've been for the last year, but otherwise I'm fine."
"Have you and Lois set a wedding date yet?"
"No, but when we do, you'll be at the top of the guest list."
"Thank you. So, what's the deal with Bruce's rather proprietary interest in your sister?"
Clark rolled his eyes. "Here we go again," he muttered. "What did he tell you?"
"We didn't have an extended conversation," Diana deferred, "but based on what little Bruce did say, he really seems to care about her."
"Okay then, to answer your question, Bruce and Jordan are…involved, for lack of a better word."
"Bruce says she's quite the firebrand. I take it that your 'mild mannered' personality hasn't rubbed off on her?"
"Hardly," Clark scoffed. "Jordan definitely has a very short fuse and a formidable temper to match."
"Somehow I don't see Bruce Wayne as not being with a woman who isn't afraid to give him a swift kick in the behind now and again," Diana remarked.
"Or a punch to the face," Clark countered drolly, earning him a curious look.
"What am I missing?" Diana prompted.
"Within thirty seconds of meeting him, Jordan tried to deck Bruce for what happened between us in Metropolis."
"Your sister punched him?"
"Full right cross against his jaw."
"Really…I'm sorry I missed it."
Clark smiled. "In retrospect it was pretty amusing to see the scourge of Gotham City's criminal population taken to task by a woman who isn't intimidated by his reputation," he said. "Of course, by the end of the evening it was obvious there was more fire than ice between them. Whether that's a good or bad thing remains to be seen."
"You don't approve of their relationship."
"It's not my place to," Clark evaded. "But despite everything Bruce has done for me, given his history I can't imagine this won't end badly for Jordan."
Diana smiled. "Try not to worry about it, Kal. Bruce is a little rough around the edges, but underneath he has a good heart."
"I hope so."
As if on cue, Jordan walked back into the room, sporting a bandage across her forehead. Bruce was a step behind her, and Diana shot Clark an amused glance.
"I wonder if his ears are burning?"
"Very funny," Clark responded and addressed his sister. "Everything go all right with the paperwork?"
"I'm good to go," Jordan answered.
"It was nice to meet you, Jordan," Diana said. "I hope you and your associates manage to complete your business here in the city without further incident."
"Thank you, Diana."
She glanced at the men. "Bruce, always a pleasure. Kal, please give Lois my best."
"I will," Clark agreed.
The beautiful brunette bid them farewell and headed out of the room. Once she was gone, Clark addressed Bruce.
"I'm going to leave my sister in your capable hands and head back to Metropolis," he said. "Let me know if the authorities uncover anything pertinent about the explosion."
"Jordan and I are going to grab some lunch an Italian restaurant down the street," Bruce said. "You're welcome to join us."
"I appreciate the invitation, but I've got a lot of work waiting for me back at the paper. Jordan, I'll call you later to see how you're doing."
"Sounds good. I love you."
"I love you too."
They exchanged a hug before Clark left the room and Jordan turned to Bruce. "I believe you mentioned something about lunch, Cowboy? I am starving."
"In that case, let's go eat."
Linking her arm through his, Bruce escorted Jordan out of the room.
Sometime later, Jordan and Bruce were sequestered in a private booth in the corner of the restaurant. Having finished their meal, they were sipping cappuccinos and sharing a large piece of tiramisu. Jordan, however, had only taken a couple bites before she set her fork down and pushed the plate away.
"You're welcome to finish it," she said. "It's a bit rich for me."
"Watching your figure?" Bruce prompted lightly.
"Something like that," Jordan allowed.
Bruce nodded. "Well, since you had a stressful morning, why don't indulge yourself and finish dessert, and I'll watch your figure?"
Jordan flushed at that. "Very funny," she said.
"It occurs to me that even though I've looked into your background, I actually don't know very much about you," Bruce remarked.
"What do you want to know?"
"Whatever you want to tell me."
Jordan considered his reply for a moment before answering. "You already know the basics," she began. "My parents adopted me as a baby after literally finding me on their doorstep shortly after they found Clark. As far as we can determine, Clark and I are more or less the same age, but since he does have a few months seniority with our parents, I tagged him with the 'Big Brother' moniker when we were toddlers."
"And he countered in kind with 'Little Sister'," Bruce interjected.
Jordan nodded and took sip of her coffee before continuing. "You also already know that animals are the love of my life – with a preference for cats, and dogs that weigh more than sturdy pair of shoes. I was definitely a scholastic nerd; hence my early high school graduation and acceptance into Princeton. I run and swim to stay in shape. My favorite food is pasta; my favorite dessert is pecan pie. I drink herbal tea when I'm working, hot chocolate when I'm not, and I take the cocoa with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon. I prefer ice water to alcohol, showers over baths and I suffer from random claustrophobia attacks."
"What about your love life?" he asked lightly. "Any ex-boyfriends I should be forewarned about?"
Jordan shook her head. "I dated a bit after college, but the relationships devolved into more of a 'friends with benefits' situation, rather than evolving into anything meaningful. Eventually, I made a personal vow that I would not give my heart to anyone unless I found someone that I could trust with Clark's secret and who would love me the way my father loved my mother."
One criterion down, one to go, Bruce idly thought to himself. Aloud he said, "Sounds reasonable."
"What about you?" Jordan questioned.
Bruce held her gaze for a beat before replying. "I've had other relationships, but none of them have mattered since the day I met you."
Jordan smiled, the quiet solemnity of his tone emphasizing its honesty. So there it is, she mused. "I think I'm going to like having you around."
"I assure you the feeling is mutual."
METROPOLIS
Later that afternoon, Clark was back at work and seated at his desk when his cell phone rang. Retrieving it from atop his desk, he offered his caller a standard greeting.
"Clark Kent."
"Clark, honey, it's Mom."
"Hi, Mom."
"Don't 'Hi Mom' me," Martha chided. "What's this I hear about your sister being involved in an explosion this morning?"
"How did you find out about that?" Clark asked.
"It's all over the news even here," Martha said. "They're saying it might have been a terrorist attack."
"Nobody knows for sure yet. The authorities are still investigating."
"Is Jordan all right?"
"Jordan's fine. She's a little bruised and she had to get a cut on her forehead stitched up, but she wasn't seriously injured."
"Thank goodness for that," Martha replied. "Well, I'm sure you're busy so I'll let you go. Keep an eye on your sister and give her and Lois hugs for me."
"I will, Mom. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Replacing the phone on his desk, Clark was about to resume typing his story on that morning's explosion when he heard familiar footsteps approaching and glanced up expectantly as Lois appeared beside him.
"Hi, Clark."
"Hey, Lois."
"How's your sister?"
"She's fine, thanks. She was released from the hospital shortly after I got there."
"Did Jordan give you any more insight as to what happened at the Convention Center this morning?"
"Not really. She had just gotten in the elevator to go down to the lower level and talk to one of the CITES delegates when she heard a loud boom and a couple of seconds later the elevator went crashing down the shaft. The fire must have started almost immediately because she said she could smell the smoke only a few minutes later. The elevators doors were jammed shut because of the impact of the crash and she wasn't able to reach the emergency hatch. So, she was forced to stay put and wait for help."
Just then the television sets all over the room suddenly switched from regular programming to a special news bulletin.
"We interrupt our regular programming to bring you an update on the breaking news out of Gotham City," the announcer said. "We have just received word that the Gotham Police Department has called in the ATF and the FBI to assist in the investigation of this morning's bombing at the Convention Center. Preliminary reports indicate it was an act of terrorism and there are concerns more attacks may follow."
"That can't be good," Clark commented.
"Shhh!" Lois admonished.
"Authorities have yet to say whether they feel the attack was directed at the CITES delegation, or the Center was just a random target. However, as a precautionary measure, the summit has been postponed for a week to allow authorities sufficient time to secure the venue. As for the explosion, sources say there were multiple victims, but no fatalities. They were all taken to Gotham Memorial Hospital, where they were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries before being released. We will continue to bring you updates as the investigation unfolds."
The newscaster signed off and Lois turned her attention back to Clark.
"Thank goodness no one was killed," she said. "I'll be interested to see what the investigation turns up in terms of suspects and motive."
"I'm more concerned about their next target," Clark countered. "If there is another attack, those victims might not be so lucky. I just hope I can prevent anyone from being more seriously hurt."
Lois smiled. "Looks like it's time to get back to business, Superman," she said for his ears only.
P.E.A.C.E. HEADQUARTERS
In his office, Ross had just finished a meeting with the latest Interns for PEACE when his cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he recognized the number belonging to Luthor. Stifling a sigh, he answered on the 3rd ring.
"What is it, Lex?"
"I wanted to discuss your methods of handling the situation we discussed a few days ago," Luthor replied.
"It was my understanding that the 'methods' were to be at my discretion provided that the end result was the same," Ross responded.
"The fact that Dr. Kent is still breathing makes it obvious your methods were inadequate."
"My options are limited when she's spending most of her time in public places," Ross protested. "Unlike you, I'm trying to avoid involving innocent bystanders."
"Spare me the morality check, Ross. Frankly I don't care if you have to take out half the population of Gotham to kill her, but I want it done."
"What do you want me to do?"
"I'm giving you one more chance to get rid of her before I take matters into my own hands. The C.I.T.E.S. summit is going to wrap up a week from tomorrow, so you have until then to resolve the issue of Jordan Kent. If I wind up having to handle it myself, you will regret it."
"Was that a threat?"
"I don't make threats; I make promises. And I promise you that if you fail a second time, you're going to be a casualty of our war against Jordan Kent."
He disconnected the call without giving Ross a chance to respond.