(Note: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a Happy New Year to all of you my followers. My gift for you this year is the newest Chapter of my story, after this I'll be taking a short break from this story to work on a few new projects which you will either find here, deviantart, or Archive of our Own. Don't worry this story will continue I won't leave you guys hanging like that. I want to thank you all for your support on this story, every notification I get on my email telling me I got a review, favorite, or follow fills me with the determination to see this story through. And also to expand and write more stories, I hope you will continue to support me and my future writings for this and many more.)
More Notes Below, But now enjoy and Happy Holidays. :D
Road to Metropolis, the next day
Steven yawned as he opened his eyes to look out the van window and watched the landscape rush by. They left around eleven they didn't have any warp pads in the city so the gems asked Greg if he could give them a ride. So they all piled into his white mid-1970's Dodge Tradesman it had an elaborate custom paint job; an outer-space mural with asteroids, shooting stars, and planets combined with a purple and white "Mr. Universe" logo and red, orange, and blue stripes. They've been driving for a few hours and were currently in one of the suburban area's surrounding the city
"Finally awake Steve-O, and right on time to were almost there" Greg said giving his waking son a glance but still keeping his eyes on the road.
"Guess we went a little overboard with that movie marathon, you conked out as soon as your butt hit the seat" Amethyst said her head poking out from the back of the van.
All the gems sat in the back, it was usually cluttered with various junk but it was emptied in order to be more comfortable for them, it wasn't needed but appreciated.
"I must say you humans have really developed this area since we've last been here, I remember when all this was just grasslands and log cabins" Pearl said in an amused tone looking out the window
"So where exactly is this Daily Planet" Amethyst asked.
Greg pulled out his phone opening the screen and handed it to Amethyst the screen showed a map with directions to a certain point
"It's located in the business district, were still outside of the city we need to cross the Clinton Bridge" Greg told Amethyst as he continued to drive.
Steven looked down the road they drove and saw a sign "Welcome to Metropolis, The city of Tomorrow" it read. After reading and passing the sign Steven's eyes went toward the bridge and the magnificent cityscape that stood behind it
"I can see it, I can see Metropolis" Steven said excitedly as they drove over the bridge.
As they entered the city they all marveled at what they saw, the only big city Steven ever saw was Empire City, but it paled in comparison to what he was seeing now. All the buildings seemed endless as they stretched towards the sky. Every street, building, and sign gave off a certain glow as if everything was just built. Steven stared in awe at the futuristic looking cars they passed and the tram system than ran overhead
"I must say this is quite a spectacular achievement" Pearl said very impressed by what she saw.
"From the pyramids to this you all never cease to amaze me with what you are capable of building" Garnet said happily as she looked out the window
"Has it been that long, I played a concert here years ago I don't remember everything being so shiny" Greg said examining the city as he drove down the street.
"I can't wait to see what the Daily Planet looks like, it said online it was Metropolis's oldest and best newspaper" Steven said excited still marveling at everything he passed
"Hey guys I think we're coming up to it now" Greg said as he slowed the van down in front of a building.
As soon as the van stopped Steven jumped out the seat and onto the sidewalk excitement in his eyes
"Wow the Daily Planet" Steven said looking at the building in awe.
The three gems stood in front of the van looking at the same building and almost instantly at the same time each gave off a disappointed and unimpressed sigh. The building was tall but not the tallest a, a bronze globe stood on the top of the building, a ring with the words "Daily Planet" surrounded the globe, the metal appeared to be rusted. The building was definitely older than the others surrounding it, more stone then steel. They all stood at the entrance of the Daily Planet, the stone steps leading up to the rusty revolving doors were very dirty covered in dust, and grime a homeless person with a hat filled with crumpled bills and change sat against a graffiti covered wall.
"Are you… sure you brought us to the Daily Planet Greg" Pearl asked examining the building with slight revulsion
"I'm pretty sure this is the place" Greg said pointing upwards.
Steven and the Gems looked up to see plastered right overhead on the front of the building in Big Metal letters was "Daily Planet" though the letters also appeared to be grimy and rusted and half of the "L" was missing.
"Is there another Daily Planet, one that doesn't look like crude" Amethyst said bluntly and unforgiving
"It said online that there was only one Daily Planet and it was in Metropolis, okay guys it may look a little rough on the outside but its what's inside that counts" Steven said optimistically.
Steven walked up the steps to the revolving doors stopping in front of the homeless man and dropping a single and some change into the hat getting a smile from him, Steven then went to the door and pushed on it but it wouldn't budge.
The three gems watched as the young half gem fruitlessly pushed on the revolving door trying to get in to move
"Ummm Garnet" Pearl said looking towards Garnet for some kind of direction
"It's our only lead Pearl, let's see what we can find" Garnet said stoically as she walked up the stairs the other two following behind.
Garnet came behind the struggling Steven, gently putting her hand on the revolving door and pushed making the door creak and groan as it moved letting them in. Steven smiled as he finally entered the building still optimistic and excited, the inside wasn't better than the outside though Steven didn't care. The walls were a pale blue the paint chipping on some parts, a dead potted plant sat in the corner, the walls were empty aside from a few framed newspapers, and square spots on the walls where something used to lie. There was only two people in the lobby an elderly janitor trying to clean the dirty tiled floor and a single sleeping security guard. Steven walked up to the desk and hit the bell on it waking the guard from his slumber
"Wha…What is it" the guard slurred centering his vision on Steven
"Hello sir, my friends and I are here to meet with one of your employees" Steven said smiling.
The guard looked at Steven Quizzically "Who are you exactly" the guard asked Steven
Garnet then walked up to the table "Just a couple citizens interested in the writings of the Daily Planet, were looking for James Olsen" Garnet said looking down at the guard.
The guard looked at the odd group in front of him very confused until his eyes wandered behind them
"Well if you're looking for him, here he comes" the guard said to the gems pointing behind them.
They all turned around to see a huge stack of donut boxes and coffee with legs behind walking towards them
"When are they going to fix that damn door, Hey Reggie I got your Coffee just how you like it" Jimmy said as he carefully picked up a cup from atop the stack and handed it to the guard.
The Guard took the cup inhaling the fresh smell with satisfaction "Thanks Jimmy you're a lifesaver, Oh and these guys wanted to meet you" the guard said as he blew on his coffee.
Jimmy still holding the huge stack finally turned his head to look at the group standing behind him
"Uh…. Hi, can I help you" Jimmy said slightly wary
Steven was the first to step up to Jimmy "Hello Mr. Olsen, I'm Steven Universe and these are my friends Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl" Steven said gesturing to the three gems and extending his hand.
Jimmy smiled at the child as he masterfully balanced the stack on his leg and held it with one arm, so that he could extend his own hand to shake Steven's
"Nice to meet ya Steven, I'm Jimmy Olsen, also please don't call me Mr. Olsen it makes me feel old, and I'm only in high school" Jimmy said happily.
"So how can I help you good sir" Jimmy asked Steven curious for his answer
Pearl then stepped up to answer "Hello James, me and my friends saw your online blog and were very interested in it, we would like to ask you a few questions about your….investigation" Pearl said politely but with uncertainty in her voice.
Jimmy looked at the gems with an astonished look on his face, and then he started to laugh hysterically
"Alright who sent you guys was it Devin from Geography" Jimmy said catching his breath from laughing.
Pearl was taken aback by Jimmy sudden outburst of laughter
"I'm… Sorry" Pearl said confused
"You expect me to believe that three beautiful women read my blog and are now looking for me seriously" Jimmy said in disbelief with a small chuckle.
Garnet then walked up Jimmy towering over him and looking at him with a stone cold expression making Jimmy nervous,
"Seriously" Garnet said dead serious without any wavering in her voice.
Jimmy looked at Garnet surprised his gaze switching between the three gems and Steven until a huge smile crept upon his face
"You guys….. actually read my blog….. and you came looking for me to ask questions about it….. Do you know what this means" Jimmy said happily
"What" Amethyst asked?
"It means Devin from Geography CAN SUCK IT" Jimmy yelled smiling like a mad man and then giving an equally insane laugh
Steven, Garnet, and Pearl looked at Jimmy with concerned looks as he continued to laugh doubling over slightly. Amethyst gave off a hearty laugh as she watched Jimmy
"I like this guy" Amethyst said pointing at the still laughing Jimmy
Jimmy continued to laugh until he started to cough a bit and needed to catch his breath, after taking in a few breathes and correcting his posture he faced the gems.
"So what do you guys want to know about the strange happenings of Metropolis" Jimmy asked
"We want to learn about the blur" Garnet said
"Ah the mysterious hero of red and blue, well you see….." Jimmy said until he was interrupted.
"Don't you think the guys upstairs want their coffee" The guard asked still drinking his coffee, Jimmy flinched realizing his mistake
"Oh dang right, you guys follow me we'll walk and talk, Reggie I'm bringing these guys to the bullpen pretty sure they're not crazy or something" Jimmy said quickly as he picked up the boxes of coffee and donuts gesturing the Steven and the gems to follow, the guard gave a thumbs up not really caring.
Jimmy went to the elevator pressing the button with his shoe,
Steven walked up to Jimmy "Do you need help with that" Steven said pointing to the stack Jimmy was carrying
"Nah its okay this is my job anyway" Jimmy said proudly.
Steven looked at Jimmy confused "This is job, I thought you said you were a reporter" Steven asked curiously
Jimmy's face turned red in embarrassment after hearing Steven and realizing what he just said out loud
"W-w-well you know how s-sometimes they have the new guy do the coffee run, n-not that I'm new I-I've been here for a few months and while I…." Jimmy began to stammer sweating heavily and nervously.
"You're an intern aren't you" Garnet said in a monotone voice
Jimmy's face fell as he looked towards the ground disappointed in himself "Yes ma'am, yes I am" he said sadly dropping his act.
Once again Amethyst laughed at the way Jimmy was acting causing his face to turn even redder from embarrassment, Amethyst saw this still giggling
"Hey man don't feel so bad about that, gathering donuts ain't to bad a gig if you ask me" Amethyst said reassuringly to Jimmy her eyes wandering to the stack of donuts he carried.
She slowly reached out her hand towards the stack only to get her hand smacked by Pearl and also receiving a "don't even think about it" glance from her. The elevator finally arrived and they all entered it Jimmy pressing the button to send them up to the bullpen
"Yeah I'm an intern, a paid intern mind you" Jimmy said embarrassed.
"I get coffee and donuts for the guys upstairs, along with refilling the printer, sending messages, and many other exciting activities" Jimmy said sarcastically giving a small laugh
"So you basically do whatever they tell you, whenever they want you to do it" Pearl said raising an eyebrow.
"It's not as bad as you're making it sound a lot of the guys who work here are pretty cool…. Well a good percentage is, and I am getting worker's experience, when I'm not doing donut runs I get to work with one of the best reporters I've ever seen Lois Lane" Jimmy said with admiration in his voice.
Pearl's eyes widened upon hearing the name "Lois Lane, I read a piece she did on an Japanese Human trafficking ring, she works here" Pearl said with a hint of excitement
"You read the Japan piece, good choice one of her best, that one almost won her the Pulitzer" Jimmy said surprised by Pearl's comment.
Steven's eyes sparkled as her heard more about this ace reporter
"Wow what it likes to work with her" Steven asked excited for Jimmy's answer
Jimmy gave Steven a nervous smile "Well it's certainly been… an interesting experience, Ms. Lane is a very hands on reporter, she brought me along on a few of her exploits though she says I'm not ready for the real stuff yet" Jimmy said thinking deeply.
"Sounds exciting" Steven said genuinely interested
"Yeah it is, though I have been wondering what is the real stuff exactly since that time we snuck on to a yacht to cover the Mayor's business party, the security was not happy to see us and they also appeared to be very familiar with Ms. Lane" Jimmy said allowing his mind to wander.
Pearl was about to ask more questions but the elevator stopped with a ding and the doors opened
"Well this is where the magic happens" Jimmy said stepping off.
The Bullpen was active and full of life though there wasn't as many people as the gems were expecting for a newspaper, though Steven didn't notice he just marveled at all the activity.
"This Paper appears to be a bit understaffed" Pearl said as she examined the people running about
"Yeah the Planet has seen better days people aren't buying the Daily Planet like they used to, without the income we've been losing reporters, the only ones to stay have been the loyal and the eager" Jimmy said a bit saddened.
"What do you mean" Steven said hearing the sadness in Jimmy's voice
"Well the way I see it the only people who work at the Planet now are those who have been working at the Planet for a long while now or those who want to try and change the status quo" Jimmy said as he looked towards the bullpen.
"Change, Change what" Steven asked curiously
Jimmy was about to answer but then one of the reporters spotted him
"Hey the interns back with the coffee" The reporter yelled allowing everyone in the office to hear.
Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and faced Jimmy and the stack he was carrying with hungry eyes, Jimmy immediately recognized the look and braced himself
"I'd step back if I were you, they've been working non-stop all morning, these coffee and donuts will be the only thing keeping them moving" Jimmy warned Steven and the gems.
The gems took his word for it and took a few steps back as a huge group of people rushed towards Jimmy in a matter of seconds Jimmy was surrounded by a dozen people talking at the same time, various cups and donuts were passed around blindingly fast.
After a few minutes the crowd dispersed happy with what they had leaving Jimmy with one box and two cups, Jimmy took a deep breath taking in the air and collected himself. He spotted three figures who stayed behind eating and drinking they're various foods,
"Hey Steve have you seen CK" Jimmy asked a tall muscular red head with a moustache.
"Nah I haven't seen point-Dexter, didn't he get beat up in an alley" The man named Steve Lombard said as he walked away.
Jimmy frowned and faced a female short haired blonde
"Uh Miss Grant have you…" Jimmy was going to ask but never finished
"Sorry Jason I have a Gossip piece to finish, Tata" the woman known as Cat Grant said before leaving as well.
Jimmy frowned once again and whispered "It's actually Jimmy Miss Grant".
An African American male with short black hair and glasses walked up to Jimmy and patted his back
"I haven't seen Kent, but Lois should be back soon enough" the man known as Ron Troupe said encouragingly as he to walked away
Jimmy smiled and said "Thanks Mr. Troupe".
"So you waiting for a friend" Amethyst said chewing on a donut she snatched from Steve Lombard
"Two to be exact, Ms. Lane has been gone all morning one her investigative exploits, my other friend is a new reporter here been with us for a few months but he's a real cool guy, kinda gives off the same vibe as you Steven" Jimmy said smiling.
"Really is he here today" Steven asked curious about this person,
"Oh he got into a bad scrape with some street punks, chief told him to stay home and recover were passing by his desk actually" Jimmy said stopping between two desks.
The gems looked at the disheveled desk Pearl cringing at the scattered papers, pens, and other office supplies strewn across the desk
"I think your friend needs to establish a system of organization" Pearl said very put off by the desk's appearance.
"That's actually Lois's desk, and to her that is organized" Jimmy said smiling.
"Okay you guys just stay by these desks and I'll be right back, I gotta give this coffee to…." Jimmy told the gems while walking backwards, in that instant Garnet's future vision activated.
She saw Jimmy's foot getting caught on a loose tile, him falling back, Steven's worried face, two cups of hot coffee landing right on his face, and Jimmy screaming in pain. A soon as the vision stopped it began to happen, for Garnet time seemed to slow down as Jimmy was preparing to take a step only to have the back on his sneaker caught on a tile and he began to fall. Garnet acted quickly rushing past Steven just as he extended his hand to try and catch Jimmy, she quickly grabbed the two cups of coffee right out of the air before they could flip over and hurt Jimmy. Garnet expected Jimmy to fall on his back and spill the donuts on the ground Steven of course would offer his help, but Jimmy never hit the floor. He was caught in a fifty degree angle the box of donuts still in his hands and a surprised expression on his face, a surprised expression on everyone's face, and even though Garnet didn't show it she was surprised as well.
"You gotta watch these floors Jimmy, you know how many people fell because of that tile" a friendly voice said
Jimmy turned his head and smiled at the man "Clark your back"
Clark had just came off the elevator when he saw Jimmy beginning to fall, he also saw the coffee Jimmy had and that it was still hot. Luckily nobody was paying attention to him and he was back to full strength so he used a small bit of his super speed to zip over to Jimmy without anyone noticing, to the other employees it would just be a light breeze.
"Clark Your back" Jimmy said happily in Clark's grasp
"Yeah, figured I rested up enough" Clark said happily as he put Jimmy back on his feet.
Jimmy gave Clark a genuinely happy grin "Not trying to be ungrateful for the save, but are you sure you're okay" Jimmy asked concerned
Clark put his hand on Jimmy's shoulder "I'm fine Jimmy a little sore around the edges, but I'll survive" Clark said smiling.
Jimmy gave Clark a small laugh then turned to face Garnet seeing the cups in her hands
"Wow a double save thanks for that, you're pretty fast with your hands…. Oh right should introduce you guys to CK" Jimmy said to Garnet.
Clark moved so fast he didn't notice the four people who were with Jimmy
"Allow me Jimmy, Nice to meet you I'm Clark….." Clark began without looking at who he was talking to.
As soon as his eyes went up to the figures in front of him he visibly tensed up and froze
"K-Kent" Clark said trying to contain his fright.
It was them the three from the ocean city, they were here at his job and talking to his friend.
"Why are they here, did they follow me from the city, do they know who I am, am I going to have to fight them again, the city before was abandoned this is a fully populated Metropolis, we practically leveled that place what would happen here" these were the thoughts running through Clark's head as faced the three gems discomfort clear on his face.
"Hello Mr. Kent" Steven said looking up at Clark with kind eyes
Upon hearing his voice Clark's tenseness immediately disappeared as he looked down to see the small child at his feet.
"Uh, nice to meet you, who are you young man" Clark said kindly but still nervous because of the gems in front of him.
Steven began introducing himself and the gems
"I'm Steven Universe and these are my friends Garnet" Garnet gave a small wave
"Amethyst" Amethyst managed to get out a sup through her stuffed cheeks of stolen donuts
"And Pearl" Pearl gave a small curtsy bowing her head.
Clark's eyes shot open upon hearing what Steven said
"They're your friends" Clark said trying to keep his voice down and not sound to surprised
"Yeah they are, why'd you ask" Steven said a little sad and curious.
Clark straightened up seeing the sadness in Steven's eyes feeling like he may have insulted him accidently
"Oh no….. I didn't mean…. I just…. How are they related to you" Clark said with a nervous stutter.
Garnet walked up to Clark looking him in the eyes "Were his guardians, pleasure to meet you Mr. Kent" Garnet said extending her hand for him to shake.
Clark looked at Garnet's hand for a few seconds before extending his hand and pressing his palm against hers, Garnet's gem felt cold against his skin and he felt the energy coursing through it. Clark shook her hand avoiding eye contact
"N-nice to m-meet you Ms. Garnet" Clark said nervously
Amethyst gave off a stifled laughed "Pearl get a load of this guy" Amethyst said smiling and pointing to the nervous Clark.
"I didn't think humans nowadays still dressed like that" Pearl said examining Clark
He stood out from everyone else in the office with his oversized suit and glasses. Garnet was still holding onto Clark's hand and he was starting to get nervous
"I-is there something wrong" Clark asked slightly concerned
Garnet tilted her head still looking at Clark
"The way you shook my hand…. You did it like someone who should be taller" Garnet said curiously.
Clark immediately withdrew his hand and gave a nervous laugh while scratching the back of his head. Garnet continued to examine him and found him confusing she saw no need to use her future vision for him but she could feel that there was something off about him, the way he acted it was both truthful but also false. She decided to keep an eye on him but still their mission was the main focus
"So what brings you to the Daily Planet" Clark asked regaining some composure.
"They here because of my blog, they want to ask about the blur" Jimmy told Clark excitedly
"Oh… that's great Jimmy… do you mind if we talked a little bit" Clark said with concern in his voice gesturing away from the gems.
Jimmy nodded as he followed Clark till what he believed was out of hearing range for the gems
"Jimmy not trying to discredit you or anything, but are you sure these guys are on the up and up they seem a bit…. Shady" Clark said concerned for his friend and everyone in the building if things go wrong.
"Yeah I wasn't sure about them at first, but they seem genuine enough it was that Steven Kid who really sold me, he just has this honest energy around him I don't think he knows what a lie is, he kinda reminds me of you Clark" Jimmy explained.
Clark nodded agreeing with Jimmy, Steven did seem very nice and innocent, but that just made him more worried and confused. What does Steven have to do with those creatures they said they were his guardians, was he in any danger, did he know that they weren't human, what happened to his parents? Every second these creatures stood here more and more questions began to pile for Clark
"They came here because of Jimmy's blog so they're looking for me, but they don't seem to know that I'm the one they're looking for, I got to get them out of the building then I can figure out my next move" Clark thought deeply only to be interrupted by Jimmy tapping his shoulder.
"Hey CK do you think you can watch these guys for a bit I gotta give the chief his coffee" Jimmy asked, Clark sighed and nodded making Jimmy smile and run off.
Clark turned to face the gems who were just being idle between him and Lois's desk, Garnet and Amethyst were just leaning on Lois's desk, Amethyst stuffing her face with donuts. While Steven and Pearl were examining his desk, he approached the two
"I have to say I appreciate your sense of arrangement, very befitting for someone of your profession" Pearl said kindly but with a hint of a condescending tone.
"Um… Thank You" Clark said slightly off put
Steven was looking at the items on Clark's desk scanning the various papers and photos till his eyes came upon something.
"Oh my gosh a cookie cat alarm clock, and it's thee one from the 70's those are super rare and they cost like over a thousand dollars online, how did you get this" Steven asked Clark excited.
The clock on Clarks desk was an old fashioned bell alarm clock in the shape of a cat head, the outside was brown while the face was pink and white, the mascot cookie cat on the face flying his rocket ship.
"Oh I've had this since I was your age, my Pa picked it up at a garage sale it was in pretty bad condition, but a friend of mine managed to fix it and I've been using it for years" Clark said as he picked up the clock allowing his mind to wander to the past.
"Wow your friend must be really smart" Steven said astonished
"Yeah she is something" Clark said giving Steven a smile.
Suddenly Clark saw something a faint energy coming off of Steven, when he wasn't focusing he could sometime pick up on faint energy signatures. But regular people didn't have enough energy for him to see without trying, and this energy was similar to the gems though a lot more calm.
"Wait is Steven actually one of them" Clark thought as he watched Steven and Pearl walk over to Garnet and Amethyst and begin to have a conversation
While they were conversing with one another Clark lowered his glasses and focused on the four. His x ray vison kicked in and he once again saw the three masses of light though this time the energy around them wasn't flaring up but smoothly flowing probably because they weren't in battle. But when he focused on Steven Clark's eyes widened, his anatomy was entirely human everything was there what was strange was a pink energy that seemed to flow through his entire body. I was similar to the energy of the three gems though it was much smaller, the energy travelled along his veins passing every organ and bone in his body. Clark began to focus harder on Steven trying to see where this was all coming from, then he saw it right where Steven's bellybutton should be there was a pink gem steadily feeding his body this energy, and even stranger it seems very familiar to Clark.
"Wait is that…." Clark thought but was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps.
Clark, Steven, and the gems looked down the aisle to see a grubby looking sailor man was making his way towards them. He was wearing a skull cap, green sweater, brown jacket, dirty jeans and boots, had a bushy brown mustache, and dirt all over mouth and chin. He went past all five of them towards Lois's desk and began to rummage through it. Steven and Pearl were very surprised by this while Amethyst didn't really care and Garnet and Clark seemed to know what was going on.
"Um excuse me sir I don't think that's yours" Steven said very concerned
Clark walked up to the man "Hey Lois how was the investigation" Clark said kindly and nonchalantly.
Lois removed her skull cap revealing her flowing hair and feminine face "Just perfect Smallville those chumps didn't even recognize me" Lois said happily waving a tape recorder and film rolls in Clark's face.
Steven and Pearl both gave Lois a confused look, while Garnet smirked, and Amethyst Laughed. Lois then proceeded to reach under her shirt and then pulled out a pillow that was a fake gut then threw it under her desk, she then opened up one of her cabinets and pulled out a towel using it to wipe her face.
"You seem to be in a rush Lois, what's up" Clark asked as he caught the towel Lois tossed to him
"You know who has just setup a press conference for another one of his scientific achievements, and yours truly will be making her way in to see all the fuss, Oh and Kent give me a hand" Lois said bringing her face closer to Clark.
Clark smiled as he reached for the mustache on her lip then with a swift movement ripped it off, Lois gave a small yelp as she rubbed her upper lip and gave Clark a smile
"Thanks Smallville" Lois said gratefully.
Lois then opened up another cabinet revealing a set of folded clothes. She pulled it out and laid it on her keyboard, she continued to search for something else when a woman appeared holding a vase full of multi-colored flowers
"Hey Lois these flowers were sent for you" the woman said holding out the vase.
"Oh what pretty flowers that should brighten up her desk" Steven said looking at the vase
Lois looked at the vase over her shoulder her eyes zeroing in on the tag "J. Corben". She immediately grabbed the vase from the women hands and then proceeded to drop the vase and the flowers into her trash bin without looking at it.
"I don't like flowers" Lois said coldly, while Steven Clark and the gems looked at the trash bin with nervous expressions.
She was about to change right there at her desk, but thankfully Clark gave her a whistle and gestured to the boy standing behind him staring at her intently. Lois blushed realizing she had an underage audience and pulled the grubby shirt down
"So Smallvile who's the kid, a cousin from the farm" Lois asked
"Oh no, this is Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven they're with…." Clark said gesturing to the four but was interrupted.
"They're with me, they read my blog and came to ask me some questions" Jimmy said pride fully leaning on Lois's desk
"Oh that's just great Jimmy, but I'm going to have to tear you away from your adoring public for an hour or so" Lois said pulling out a bundle of clothes and a wig and then tossed it to Jimmy.
"What I'm in the middle of something right now, what's so important" Jimmy said annoyed
"Lex Luthor's is what's so important" Lois said with a mischievous smile.
Jimmy's face fell in defeat "Oh great him, so there's no talking you out of it" Jimmy said rubbing his face
"Luthor's holding a press conference at Lexcorp for his latest ego stroke, he invited every news outlet in Metropolis, but guess who wasn't invited" Lois said pulling out a blonde wig.
"The Daily Planet" Clark chimed in like a kid giving an uncertain answer to a teacher
Lois nodded to his answer "And guess who's going to crash the party" Lois asked putting a pair on sunglasses on her head
"Us" Jimmy said shoulders slumping in defeat.
Lois gave Jimmy a toothy smile "Yup us… oh and Clark to I'll need you for something" Lois said facing Clark and grabbing his arm pulling him along Jimmy following behind.
Before they could make it down the hallway Pearl appeared in front with her hand up
"Uh excuse me Ms. Lane but Mr. Olsen was going to tell us about his investigations" Pearl said trying to be polite.
"Oh don't worry you'll Casanova here back in a hour or so, right now we have some investigative journalism to do" Lois said waving Pearl off and walking past her
Clark gave an apologetic shrug as he scooted past Pearl. Jimmy approached Pearl
"Hey I'm really sorry about this guys like Lois said I'll be back in an hour, I promise to answer all the questions you have when I get back, Ms. Lane just gets like this whenever Lex Luthor is involved" Jimmy said in an apologetic tone.
Steven then approached "Why what's wrong with Lex Luthor" Steven asked confused by the situation
And though she was a few feet away she heard what Steven just said and froze mid step, she then turned around facing Steven with a look of disbelief
"What's wrong with Lex Luthor" Lois said in disbelief.
Steven looked surprised by Lois's words as she approached him, Jimmy gave an exhausted sigh
"Oh boy, here we go" Jimmy said knowing where this was going.
"Listen Steven was it, where are you from kid" Lois asked standing in front of Steven
"Oh I'm from Beach City" Steven said happily. Lois looked at Steven confused
"Beach…. City…. Where in" Lois was about to ask but was cut off by Clark
"Delmarva, it a small beach town a few hours away from Metropolis" Clark said.
Clark was surprised when he heard the towns name remembering it from his youth, there was a lot of surprises Clark got today and he was still having trouble combing through it all.
"Oh a tourist trap probably small scale, Luthor's been focusing on expanding his brand in the big cities so he probably doesn't have his hands in your pie yet, which means you probably don't know a lot about him" Lois said rubbing her chin.
Steven nodded not knowing who Lex Luthor was but did faintly remember seeing a few trucks in Beach City with the words Lex on it. The gems on the other hand have heard of him but didn't know much about him since he wasn't really important in their books,
"Aren't those the guys who fix the atms at the bank" Amethyst asked.
"That and more Lexcorp is one of the largest most diversified multinational conglomerates the only other company that rivals it is Wayne Enterprise, Lexcorp does everything from air travel to scientific discoveries, and they're main headquarters is stationed right here in Metropolis, chances are you can't throw a rock in this town without hitting something Lex Luthor owns" Lois said with disgust in her voice.
"So he's a very wealthy man, I don't really see…." Pearl said but was interrupted by Lois
"The problem isn't the wealth it's him, Lex Luthor is an extreme narcissists with an Einstein level intellect, he plays people along like puppets making them think he's the messiah of Earth, the reason he made his company so large is so that everyone can know his name, he even bought out most of the news outlets in Metropolis just so they can paint a pretty picture of him every day" Lois ranted very angrily.
"And I'm guessing the Daily Planet is one of the few who aren't playing ball with him" Garnet said
"Your dang aren't we are Lex is trying to bury us by indorsing the papers he owns with exclusives, but that's not going to stop us from writing the truth, Luthor always gets what he wants and when he doesn't he gets dirty, and trust me when I say he's nose deep in the mud pit, of course nobody has the courage to step up and talk and the one who do have they're cases overruled due to a lack of evidence, but I've been on this for over a year now soon enough something will slip I just have to keep up the pressure" Lois said with determination in her voice.
Garnet was impressed with the resolve Lois showed
"This feels more than just a journalist passion, how are you so sure he's dirty" Garnet asked
Lois looked at Garnet and gave a small chuckle
"Oh I know from first hand experience…. I used to date the guy" Lois said slightly ashamed.
Lois then grabbed a very surprised Clark and guided him to the elevator Jimmy following behind, Steven and the gems looked at the leaving group astonished by the strangeness of the group.
"Well she seems nice enough" Steven said smiling liking Ms. Lane
"She certainly very passionate about her work" Pearl said slightly concerned
"She has a powerful drive that I don't think anyone can stop" Garnet said impressed
"That girl has a few screws loose… I like her" Amethyst said smiling then laughing heartily.
Amethyst continued laugh for a few seconds but suddenly yelped and grabbed the back of her head. She turned around annoyed and saw Ron Troupe standing behind her with something in his hand
"You had something in your hair" Ron said
Pearl looked at Amethyst like a disappointed mother "Amethyst I thought I told you to clean out your hair before we left the temple" Pearl said like a scolding mother.
Amethyst grinned at Pearl resting her arms behind her head
"Yeah you did and I ignored it" Amethyst said cockily
Pearl proceeded to chew Amethyst out on the matter as Ron examined what he pulled out of Amethyst hair
"Is this a…. computer chip" Ron said intrigued.
It was a small electronic bit colored purple and green and appeared to of broken off something bigger small logo was on it, Ron focused on the logo then his eyes widened in a realization.
"Is this from Lexcorp" Ron said realizing what the logo was
Steven and gems perked up upon what Ron just said.
"Yeah this is a part of a Lexcorp computer chip, I've seen this used in computers for the US Military…. Why was this in your hair" Ron asked looking at Amethyst confused.
"Some jerk in a blue T-Shirt threw me through a wall and then I crashed into some weird computer" Amethyst said nonchalantly looking Ron straight in his eyes
Ron stared at Amethyst with a blank expression for a few seconds before placing the chip back in her hand
"Have a nice day Miss" Ron said plainly.
He didn't understand and he really didn't want to, whatever this was he didn't want to be a part of it.
Amethyst watched Ron walk away and then turned to Steven and the other before giving a shrug and handing the chip to Pearl
"So this was in one of the devices those people had at Aqua-Firma, and one of the components was built by Lexcorp" Pearl said examining the bit.
"Heh who knew a clue would've been in my hair" Amethyst said scratching the back of her head,
"So what do we do with this" Steven said looking at the bit.
As soon as Garnet heard that the chip was from Lexcorp she began to use her future vision to see any possible futures involving it. But strangely when she attempt to find something involving the building her visions once again became fuzzy and unreadable
"I don't get it, it was working fine just a minute ago, it been happening ever since the Kindergarten and those soldiers attack us, anything involving them is messing with my Future Vision" Garnet thought to herself arms crossed.
Steven looked at Garnet concerned "Garnet what's wrong" Steven asked worried
Garnet snapped out of her thoughts "Were going to Lexcorp, Steven call Greg and tell him to pull the van in front of the building" Garnet asked Steven
He shook his head and pulled out his phone and began to dial. Pearl and Amethyst approached Garnet
"What did your visions show anything with Lexcorp" Pearl asked
"No they didn't and that's why we're going there" Garnet said.
Steve Lombard passed the three finishing off his coffee
"Excuse me sir do you know where we can find Lexcorp" Pearl asked
Steve gave her a disbelieving look "You guys tourist or something…. Scientific district you can't miss it" Steve said dismissively then walked off.
"Guys my dad's stuck in some heavy traffic so It's going to be awhile till he come back around" Steven said still having his dad on the line
"We don't have time, Steven tell Greg we'll make it there ourselves and to meet us at the Lexcorp Building in the Scientific District as soon as possible" Garnet said walking to the stairs the gems following behind.
"Uh hey dad the gems said we'll going there ourselves and to head to the Lexcorp Building in the Scientific district…. No I don't think were walking since the gems are actually heading for the roof speaking of which gotta go dad see you soon" Steven said as he followed the gems towards and up the stairs.
They all came to the roof Steven took a second to Marvel at the the Giant Globe on the roof, while the gems looked of the edge to see the many roofs ahead of them.
"Are you sure we should do this with Steven, what if he gets hurt" Pearl asked Garnet concerned
"He won't I'll make sure of that" Garnet said
"Come on Pearl we haven't done something like this since that gem monster in Empire City back with Rose, he's going to love this" Amethyst said as she stretched a bit
"I'll be carrying Steven so I won't be doing anything to fancy" Garnet said.
Steven approached the gems curiously
"Why are we on the roof exactly" Steven asked confused as to why they were there
Garnet faced Steven and gave him a smile
"Were going to Jump across the roof tops" Garnet told him.
Steven's eyes lit up upon hearing that
"Jump on my back, wrap your arms around my neck, and hold on tight" Garnet said as she knelt down for Steven to jump on.
Steven did so with glee wrapping his arms around her neck
"You guys go on ahead, I'm gonna go a bit slow for Steven" Garnet said standing her full height.
"Slow right Garnet, enjoy the ride Steven" Amethyst said stepping on the edge of the roof
She then gave out an excited howl as she jumped off the roof.
Pearl walked to the edge as well "Don't do anything to risky Garnet and Steven don't let go of Garnet" Pearl said in a concerned motherly tone
Garnet gave a nod while Steven gave her the thumbs up. Pearl smiled and leapt of the ledge, Garnet slowly approached the ledge and stepped on it Steven took the chance to look down seeing how high they were.
"Are you ready Steven this gonna be intense" Garnet said looking back at Steven.
Steven felt scared they were really high up, the people looked like ants, and he would leave a pretty bad stain on the street if he fell. But beside all of that Steven could not deny the excitement running through his veins
"I'm ready" Steven said excited, then Garnet leapt off the roof.
(Note: Hello again everyone this is more of a Help Wanted sign, as you are all aware I have a deviantart page called Gadgetboy197, on that page I have made pieces revolving around this story. I am now asking if there is anyone who would be interested in doing some artwork for this story, the piece I'm interested in is a picture depicting the battle from Chapter 5 and 6 when Superman fought the gems. If you are interested please PM here, or leave a comment or note on my Deviant page.
Once Again everybody Happy Holidays:D