The hotel where Sarah worked was high while looking over Metropolis. There were dozens of cranes working on the skyscrapers that once filled the city. Down below were construction sites and memorials for those who were lost. Terror and tragedy that Gotham knew as well.
Sarah looked out after her first day carving out her leads. She had been on the phone most of the day and managed to track down the name of the man who was employed by the government operation and spent most of the evening tracing through the different aliases the man had that Lois met. But Sarah's leads ran cold once she hit Pete Ross, man who claimed to see a classmate of his push a bus out of the river when he was a boy. He was nowhere to be found after the battle in Smallville Kansas. He was either dead, or didn't want to be found/
Articles and clippings from last years events and the alien hero they called superman were strewn across the table and couch. She had a meeting the next morning with Lois herself, and as nervous as Sarah was she had to get her facts in order because she knew Lois was going to shut her down at all costs. But part of her was excited to meet her idol.
She had read the article that was published by Glen Woodburn about 20 times over. It was Lois' first encounter with the man. And just prior the attack on the city.
She sat hitting a bump in her research. After one sip of her drink her phone rang. "This is Sarah Gordon" she answered
"Sarah" the haggard voice said. Sarah knew that voice.
"Dad..." she put the glass down, "It's been a long time" three years she hadn't spoken to him after she began digging on the new batman and her thoughts on Bruce Wayne still being alive and passing his cowl on to a new hero, that new hero being John.
"It has, and I hate for this phone call to be the first Sarah but it's John" he started, " He's dead, Sarah"
Sarah froze. "How..."
"Well I think you know.." he started
Sarah knew all along what John took on from Bruce. That he continued the legacy, or at least he tried. But he made a lot of enemies.
Sarah wiped away a few tears, while her phone buzzed again. It was Vicky calling on the other line, "Dad, I'm in Metropolis on an assignment. As much as I want to come back, I can't" she ignored Vicky's call.
"I know, I called and talked to Ms Vale and told me you were out there chasing this superman fellow" he said with e hint of disappointment
There was a moment of silence. Sarah didn't know what to say. John was her first love, and she ruined it by choosing her career over everything else. Even though she chose not to print anything involving him or the Batman, she still proved to her family and John she would do anything for a story. And for that she lost out. Now she sat going over everything she should have done differently and was torn knowing she should be in Gotham.
"Vicky tried to get a quote but I stand by my promise. I'm done talking about the Batman now that I'm done with the force" Jim said
"I take it News already broke then" Sarah said quietly
"When are you going to learn that there are more important things than breaking a story Sarah" Jim sighed
Sarah looked down knowing she had a lot to account for in her past, "I just took a page out of your book dad, you sacrificed everything in order to protect him, and look where that got you" she said
"I'm not saying I didn't make mistakes either Sarah, every day I think back to that night with Harvey, what could have happened if we had told the truth"
Sarah still had nightmares of Harvey Dent pointing a gun to her head all those years ago. How she watched as her brother's life depended on Jim and the Batman. And Harvey still came out a Hero. After that Sarah grew up believing the importance of writing truth no matter what. She watched how a city turned on someone they deemed a hero, and Sarah spent her formative years writing trying to figure out who that was that made such a bold sacrifice for the good of the city.
"But you don't know what could have happened, Sarah and that's just it. If everyone had known then what Harvey did, everything that we worked for those years would have been for nothing, all those people we put away would be back out on the street" Jim defended
"You didn't know that then, and you still wouldn't know how that would have turned out, instead look what happened" Sarah countered
Jim sighed, "I can't tell you how to run your life, your an adult now, and a very talented writer and journalist. Just remember your actions have consequences, you need to start thinking of the people who might be affected in your crusade for truth. And that sometimes the telling the truth isn't always the best for everyone Sarah"
Sarah tried to let her fathers words sink in but it was all too much for her in the moment.
"Good luck with the story Sarah, and please try to take in what I said" Jim said before hanging up
Sarah sat on the couch with the phone still attached to her ear. "Bye Dad"