Chapter 14:

The Daily Planet lobby, 30 minutes later:

Stupid Jor-El, stupid Kryptonian destiny, stupid me. I start cursing anyone and everyone under the sun. I'm late on the first day, I take a sniff, and I smell like singed hair. That's just great. I stab at the up button for the elevator….Furious. The car arrives and I'm pushed into it by a horde rushing in before they got caught for they're tardiness. I try to reach for the panel to select my floor but a hand punches the button before I can.

The crowd slowly dwindles as people get off at various floors. It's just myself and two other people. A short red head, who has marinated in her perfume, and a rather dumpy guy with thinning hair. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when the elevator dinged and the doors parted. I shoot out of the car and head into the centre of the bull pen. The bull pen's alive, people bustling here and there. So much going on that I feel invisible. I try to ask someone for directions to Perry's office but I'm shrugged off like an annoyance.

"Kent." I jump, startled and turn in the direction of the voice. I head towards Perry.

"Mr. White, I'm sorry I'm late, I got-"

"It's Perry and don't worry about it." He cuts me off and walks into his office. I follow.

"Kent, your partner Lane's already headed down town to the latest conference regarding Lex Corp, you need to head down there and meet her."

"Lane. You don't mean Lois Lane do you?"

Perry nods, "Yup, the one and only."

"Sorry Mr. … I mean Perry, but isn't there anybody else?"

"Nope and that's the last I'm gonna say about it. Case closed. Now get down to Lane and start covering your first story for the Planet."

"Yes Sir." I turn to leave.

"Oh and Kent?" He calls and I turn to face him…

"Is it still raining tractors in Smallville?" I smirk at him as he chuckles to himself. I make my way out of the bull pen and start to head down town to the press conference, suddenly not so sure whether I can face Lois, debating heavily, within myself, as I hail a cab.

The man in me is kicking the wimp's ass. I go over a million different things to say in my head during the cab ride. Before I know it, the cab driver's calling out, "Hey buddy, we're here. That's twenty bucks even."

"Thanks." I hand him thirty dollars and make a hasty exit. I pull myself together and take a confident step when I hear several guns cock from inside. I tune in…

"Every body on the ground, do as we say and no one will get hurt."

"Can we at least get a why?" I instantly recognize the voice, uh-oh…


Inside the Luthor Plaza:

It's just another boring technology uncasing. Nothing overly interesting or helpful. I dutifully take notes, Jimmy snapping all sorts of pictures to my left and the seat for my new 'partner' to my right, empty. I'm so going to use this against Perry; the kid can't even make it on time for his first assignment. The elderly scientist on stage stops yammering, his eyes glued to the back of the room. I turn to look. Four guys in ski masks and Kevlar vests standing in the open doorway, guns aimed towards us. Great. I sigh.

They all cock their guns.

"Everybody on the ground, do as we say and no one will get hurt." The tallest one of the group yells out. Well isn't that original. Before I even think about it I blurt out, "Can we at least get a why?"

"You've just made things easier for me lady. I got my main hostage."

I could shoot myself sometimes. I hear Jimmy mutter something under his breath. He glares at me as he lowers himself to the ground. I stand defiantly as the tall guy roughly grabs my arm. "Come with me."

"Well gee, just coz you asked so nicely." I reply sarcastically. He pushes me forward, almost knocking me over.

"Now, was that really necessary?"

"Will you just shut up?"

"It's not too late to exchange me for someone quieter."

"It's not too late for me to shoot you." I smirk, "Yeah, right."

The robber pushes me right out of the conference room, leading us to the stairwell, locking the door that leads down and takes me up to the roof. He pushes me over as we get to the roof of the twelve storey building. I get up and try to kick him; he slaps me and roughly grabs my arm, yanking me towards the edge of the roof. He stands with me as a shield. I notice the growing crowd below. Tall and stupid yanks a megaphone off his belt and starts yelling demands. I sigh as I listen to the usual list and then he surprises me as he asks for the prototype of a classified weapon. A negotiator below replies with the regular we don't negotiate with terrorists spiel. I roll my eyes.

Tall and stupid reiterates his demands and tells them that he's serious. The idiot negotiator replies with his previous statement. Tall and stupid does something unexpected, he throws me over the edge.

I squeal, clawing for the ledge, catching myself. I hear the crowd gasp.

My arms strain. "Please help me?" I call out to tall and stupid. He laughs as he begins to smash my knuckles with the butt of the megaphone. I try to withstand the pain. I try so hard, not for myself but for my kids. Tall and stupid slams the megaphone onto my right hand. I let go, hanging by my left.

"Please don't do this, I have children."

"Nothing personal but they won't believe me otherwise." He slams the megaphone down again. I lose my grip on the ledge, falling. I scream…


Please be kind and review.