Outside Spiffany's, Metropolis
After Multiplex had fused most of his duploids back into his body, leaving three to help him carry the jewels, he disappeared soon after. Unfortunately, no-one saw which way he went, too busy either helping the wounded or surveying the surrounding damage, caused by the short battle between his duploids, and a trio of costumed heroes which most recognised as being the 'Green Arrow', who populates both Metropolis and Star City, and 'Firestorm', a native of Manhattan. The other hero, though, is a complete mystery. The citizens aren't complaining, however, just glad that no-one's seriously hurt.
One of the citizens, a young paramedic by the name of Davis Bloome, is also at the scene with several others, attending to those who'd been wounded in their attempt to get the hell out of dodge when Multiplex made his 'charismatic' appearance.
"Davis," he hears his name being called somewhere to his right, sounding very feminine, and when he looks, he has to smile, "Davis, have you seen Clark anywhere?"
The voice belongs to Lois Lane, reporter of the Daily Planet, who he'd met the night Oliver Queen was poisoned and lay dying in Chloe's office at the Isis Foundation, but was saved by Clark's impeccable timing with the antidote. Standing beside her is a young man wearing casual clothes with a camera hanging around his neck, which he uses to take pictures of the disastrous scene every so often.
Having just finished bandaging up a lady's thigh, which had been bleeding from a deep gash, Davis stands up and faces the duo, a look of concern etching his face, "Clark? No, no I haven't. I've been attending to the wounded here since I'd arrived." He nodded in the direction of the hurt civilians. "I haven't had chance to attend to the others yet."
Lois rests her palms firmly on her hips, "Then I'd highly suggest we stop talking about it, and start looking for him." She then spins on her heels, and walks quickly in the direction of the plaza outside Spiffany's, the last place she remembers seeing Clark, Davis and Jimmy catching up with her, trying to keep with her surprisingly fast pace. "You've no idea what Chloe and Ollie will do to me if they found out that I -," but before she can finish, she sees him attending to those in need surrounding the area outside Spiffany's.
"Clark?" Lois utters his name, mostly to herself, and feeling thankful that he's okay. From what she can see as she makes her way over to him, he's showing no signs of any injury or pain whatsoever. Which is a blessed relief because she doesn't know what she would've done if anything had happened to him in that chaos. He's her best friend, a very close friend, and being that they depend on each other, watch each other's backs. So, being his friend, Lois does what others would've done in her place…she hugs him.
"Oh Clark, I thought something terrible might've happened to you." She muffles into his chest before backing away, immediately punching him hard in the shoulder, "Don't you ever do something like that to us again, Smallville!" She exclaims, pointing to herself and Jimmy, who's just glad Clark's okay before she's shouting at him again, "Splitting us up like that! How am I supposed to keep an eye on you if you're doing something crazy like that?" Also being his friend, she's unexpectedly protective of him.
Clark can't help, but smile at the fact that she was worried about him, "Thank you for the concern Lois, but as you can see, I'm okay. Managed to get a couple of civilians to safety before Green Arrow and his costumed buddies took over. Jimmy, did you manage to take any pictures of them?"
Jimmy gestures with his camera, shaking his head, "Sorry, CK. Couldn't really take any good ones in all the panic."
To Lois Lane or any other reporter hungry for a good story, that would've been bad news, but to a reporter like Clark Kent, it's quite the opposite. Although he wore a mask that concealed his identity as he 'masqueraded' as Nightwing to help Green Arrow and Firestorm, Clark doesn't want to risk having high-quality pictures taken of him. It could take just a second of Lois' perceptive eyes to peel away the disguise and she'd know straight away that it's him behind the mask, and then his whole world would come crashing down.
Ollie had told him a while ago that she'd figured out that he was Green Arrow when they were dealing with Black Canary, before she'd joined the Justice League, and was working for Lex at the time, of all people*. Thankfully, that isn't going to be the case this time.
"It's not your fault, Jimmy. Maybe next time." Clark bolsters, patting him on the shoulder for added reassurance.
"Well, now that we know that you're alright and safe, how about the others? Oliver, the Mayor, and dare I say it, Tess?" Lois asks, Clark seeing some definite concern in her hazel eyes, well, for the formers at least.
Clark points in the direction of a nearby ambulance, the trio looking behind him to see the Mayor sitting in the back of it, another paramedic checking him over while several of his guards stood a foot or so away, all scanning the vicinity in case there might be any more dangers.
They have nothing to worry about, Clark assures himself, having already scrutinized the area with his x-ray vision when he got back after leaving Firestorm to look after Ollie at Queen Tower. There was no trace of Multiplex anywhere, but the guards don't know that. Let them do their jobs.
"And before you ask, Oliver's okay too. He's a little shaken up, but he's fine. I find he always is in these situations. And as far as I know, he helped escort Tess to her limo which probably took her back to the Daily Planet or the mansion. So no worries there." He then smiles, hoping to give the right message to Lois, which it does because she then breathes a sigh of relief.
"Well, as long as you're alright Clark, I'd best be getting back to aiding the wounded," Davis replies, patting him on the shoulder before heading back in the direction of where Lois and Jimmy found him. "I'll see you guys later."
Clark smiles and nods, "Yeah, see ya Davis!" He shouts after him, all three of them watching as he disappears behind the ambulance that he's stationed with. The area outside Spiffany's isn't as hectic as it was a while ago, and the trio can get back to what they were doing before Multiplex had disrupt them…reporting and photographing.
"Okay," Lois starts, clapping her hands together, "Jimmy, you use that nifty little camera of yours, and snap us some quality photos of the scene while me and Smallville question the witnesses. Report back here in about," she then takes the time to look at her watch, "an hour, tops?"
Clark and Jimmy both stare at each other, both getting quite used to Lois bossing them around. When they don't answer, Lois slaps them both on the arm to rouse their attentions, "Come on, work with me people! We've gotta squeeze all the juice out of this story before some other newspaper does…and I'm not gonna let that happen!" And with that, she's off, heading in the direction of the Mayor.
"Right, well I'd best get 'snapping'," Jimmy smirks, lifting the camera in front of his face to take a picture of the mess that Nightwing, Green Arrow, and Firestorm had left behind when battling Multiplex's duploids earlier on.
When the coast's clear, Clark uses his super-speed to rush back to Queen Tower, to check up on his boyfriend and their new friend by the name of Firestorm…
Queen Tower, Metropolis
While Ollie's resting on the sofa in the living room, Ronnie, who's still in his Firestorm guise, is quietly checking the place out. Moving from room to room, marvelling at the choice of décor, knowing for sure that most of it is well over his price range.
"Cool pad if I say so myself. Whaddya think, Prof? Could you see yourself living in a place like this?" He asks, opening up the walk-in closet in the bedroom, and nearly suffering a heartache at the sheer size of it. "Wow, now I'm soooo totally jealous."
Prof. Stein sighs inside his mind, clearly agitated about something, Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on Green Arrow instead of 'ransacking' the place? What if something happens to him? You saw how protective Nightwing was of him when we were handling Multiplex's duploids.
Firestorm rolls his eyes, "Oh come on, Prof, would you stop worrying. I checked on him ten minutes ago, and like the other times I've checked before then, he's peacefully recuperating in the softness of the couch. So please, stop badgering me about it. Okay?"
Yet, nothing prepares him for what happens next…
"Who are you talking to?"
Firestorm knows that deep, seemingly cool voice from anywhere as he near enough jumps out of his skin, and turns to face it, seeming to stutter, "…Gr…Green Arrow? Whaddya doing up? I…I thought you'd be resting after what happened?"
For a hero whose powers include density control, nuclear energy absorption and projection, and elemental transmutation as well as flight, Firestorm has never felt so intimidated in another man's presence until now. However, that seems to change when a smirk forms on GA's lips.
"I'm a lot better now thanks and, ease up a little, would ya. You look like you're about ready to jump out of your skin." He then spins on his heels, heading back in the direction of his office with the fiery hero following him shortly behind.
Since moving in with Clark, Ollie had left his weapons and gadgets where they were, hidden in a secret chamber behind his desk, not really worth taking with him. Pushing in the right code in order for it to open, it does so in a matter of seconds, seemingly splitting the wall apart, and revealing to all Green Arrow's entire arsenal.
"Holy cow! You've got a secret chamber for your gear as well! Are you in anyway associated with Batman by any chance?" Ronnie asks almost hysterically, his pupil-less eyes wide in amazement at all the different styles of bows, crossbows, arrows, grappling hooks, and anything else that's stored in there.
Ollie can't help, but grin, "The only way I'm associated with the Dark Knight is the fact that we, as you might say, are friendly rivals. Don't get me wrong, we'll help each other from time to time when the occasion rises, but we'd rather stay clear of one another. To be honest, I don't think our egos could handle being in the same proximity for very long." He clarifies, picking up his bow and quiver, which he finds settled against the couch, and placing them in their appropriate place on the racks. He then closes it up again, re-entering the security code before facing the fiery hero.
"So, tell me a little about yourself, Firestorm," Ollie starts, making himself comfortable in the comfy chair behind his desk, putting his feet up upon the desk, "How you obtained such, amazing powers, and if you have anything to do with this Multiplex guy who totally whooped us earlier?"
Ronnie smirks, "And what makes you think I might have anything to do with him?"
One of GA's eyebrows curves upwards, his "Do you really have to ask?" gesture, "I don't know if you can see me behind this get-up," he gesticulates to his GA costume he's currently wearing, "but I'm a lot smarter than most people give me credit for. You arriving to help us out after Multiplex's made his grand entrance only makes it easier for me to understand that you do. So, he is your arch-nemesis? Best friend gone bad?"
Even though it seems like Green Arrow's pressuring him for answers, Firestorm completely understands where he's coming from. He makes himself comfortably in one of the chairs that stand opposite the desk, and begins his origin story," Well, if I'm going to tell you that, and explain a little of how I come to be, I might as well start from the beginning."
Just as he's about to start, however, Clark arrives, garbed in his Nightwing costume (of course) via the balcony outside. A smile's soon etched on his masked face when he sees that Ollie's fine, and walking around. "I can see that you're back to your normal self. I'm just glad that you're alright."
"Well if it hadn't've been for you, I'd probably still be floating around up there. So, thank you for saving my ass once again." Green Arrow expresses gratefully, Firestorm glancing at both of them, and noticing that there's an obvious bond between the two.
"Now that you're here, you might want to stick around, and listen to this. Firestorm here's about to enlighten us on how he actually became who he is today, and what connection he has with Multiplex."
"You know Multiplex?"
Ronnie nods at Clark's question, "Yes I do," he utters, pushing himself back onto his feet, and making his way over to the patio window, looking out into the city, his hands behind his back, "It all started a few months ago in my hometown of New York City. When I met a man named Danton Black…" (see JLA Vol. 1 179 for details)