In this chapter we introduce a few plot points, which will be of concern in future.
Lois walked into the cabin of the editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, having been called. But as she entered, she noticed another person in the room—a woman, older than her, with striking auburn hair. Then it struck her.
"You're Ms. Elza Saijo?" Lois exclaimed, her surprise evident. Throughout her career, she had been a big fan of Ms. Saijo's work. Her coverage of wars and events across the world had even earned her a Pulitzer. Ms. Saijo had left journalism ten years ago after her tragic accident, where she lost her son. But recently, a few articles have resurfaced under her name. To see her here now was certainly unexpected.
"Ah, it's good that you recognize her," Perry interjected, drawing attention to the newcomer.
"Ms. Saijo has graciously accepted the position of managing editor, thus she'll be your new boss," Perry announced, indicating the woman with a nod.
Ms. Saijo offered Lois a warm smile in response to her recognition.
Turning to the newcomer, Perry continued, "Mrs Lane here is one of our finest journalists. I entrust her to be your guide through our esteemed publication."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Lane," Elza said as she approached, extending her hand for a handshake.
Taking her hand, Lois replied with a warm smile. "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Saijo."
"Call me Elza, that's what my friends call me," Elza offered with a smile.
"Only if you call me Lois," Lois countered.
"Very well then, Lois. Shall we get started?" Elza suggested, gesturing towards the door.
With that, both ladies left the cabin and began their tour of the Daily Planet.
As they walked through the cubicles where the majority worked, Lois spotted Clark and approached him with Elza in tow. After all, she was introducing her to all the other members of the team.
"And this is Clark," she said, gesturing towards him.
"Your husband?" Elza asked with a small smile.
"Yes," Lois replied, impressed by Elza's perceptiveness. For smart people, it shouldn't be hard to figure out her husband.
"Clark, this is Miss Elza Saijo, our new managing editor and boss."
"Good afternoon, ma'am," Clark replied a bit nervously, already thinking of ideas on how to hide his identity from the new member of the team whenever he vanished on them.
"Good to meet you, Clark. And call me Elza; being called 'ma'am' makes me feel old," Elza responded with a friendly smile.
This eased some stress from Clark, but then it hit him. Elza—wasn't she the same journalist Lois used to praise endlessly? He remembered hearing about her incredible photography and reporting skills, and how she left the world of journalism after tragically losing her son in one of the war-torn countries where she was reporting. To see her back in this line of work was surprising, and without thinking much, he asked the question on his mind.
"Didn't you leave journalism, ma'am, after—" Suddenly, he was hit by a jab in his ribs, realizing what he was about to say, his face morphing into one of horror.
"I am so sorry, ma'am," he apologized immediately.
"No, it's fine," she waved it off, though there was a bittersweet smile on her face.
"Now that my son is back, and I have to take care of my children, I decided to settle down and take a more stable job," she explained to ease the tension, responding to the question asked by her junior.
That was surprising—learning that Elza's son was back, and she might have more than one child. Lois didn't know what to say. She was curious about the situation, but seeing Elza's previous reaction, she knew it was a bit of a sore point for her and didn't want to delve into it. Luckily, it was Elza who brought her out of the predicament.
"So, shall we get going, Lois?" Elza asked, breaking the silence. With that, both ladies resumed their journey. However, before leaving, Lois shot Clark a sharp side-eye, making him nervously chuckle.
Later, Elza stepped into her apartment, greeted by its welcoming ambiance. The space was generously sized, with tasteful furnishings that exuded an understated elegance. Although it didn't boast luxurious extravagance, it radiated warmth and comfort, reflecting the refined taste of its owner. The décor, a blend of contemporary style and timeless classics, created an inviting atmosphere that made one feel instantly at home.
"I'm home," Elza announced as she stepped through the door.
"Welcome home," came the dual replies—one from the kitchen and the other from the living room, where the television murmured softly in the background. The familiar sounds brought a smile to her face. Just a year ago, she couldn't have imagined she'd ever have such companionship. Back then, her only solace had been found in alcohol. But today was different. Today, she had her family. It still felt surreal, like a dream she never wanted to wake up from. With a small smile lingering on her lips, she kicked off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen to see what her son was cooking.
"Say, Luca, what are you making?" Elza inquired as she approached her son from behind.
"That would be a surprise," came his cryptic reply. She attempted to peek over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of what he was concocting, but his height thwarted her efforts.
Setting down the spoon he was using to mix, Luca turned around to face Elza, who regarded him with curiosity. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he gently guided her out of the kitchen.
"Why don't you play with Miyu, Mom, while I take care of things here?" he suggested kindly.
"Meal will be ready soon, and I will call you then. After all, today is a special day, being your first day at your new job," Luca assured his mother.
Sighing, Elza decided not to argue with Luca; he always did what he liked. With that, she made her way to the drawing room, where the sound of the TV filled the air, signaling Miyu's presence.
Scooping up her daughter while she was engrossed in the TV show, Elza settled her onto her lap. "Miyu-chan is so cute," she remarked, wrapping her arms around her daughter from behind.
"Mama," Miyu replied happily.
"So, how was your first day of school?" Elza inquired, wanting to hear all about her daughter's day.
Miyu giggles "It was fun, Mama! I met new friends, and my teacher is nice."
"That's wonderful to hear! Did you learn anything interesting today?"
Miyu nodded enthusiastically "Yes! We learned about dinosaurs, and I drew a picture of a T-Rex!"
"Wow, that sounds exciting! I can't wait to see your drawing. What else did you do?"
"We played games in the playground, and I made a sandcastle with my friends!"
"Sounds like you had a fantastic day. I'm so proud of you, Miyu-chan."
Miyu beamed "Thank you, Mama!"
"Meal is ready," Luca's voice rang out from the kitchen, prompting both Elza and Miyu to stand up and make their way to the dining room, where Luca was bustling about, setting the table.
"Okonomiyaki?" Elza inquired, recognizing the savory aroma wafting from the kitchen.
"Didn't I say today is special?" Luca replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes, hinting at the surprise he had prepared.
Elza smiled at her son.
"So, did anything interesting happen today?" she inquired.
Luca paused for a moment, lost in thought.
"Well, a girl bumped into me," he began. Elza looked at him, prompting him to continue.
"Then, as an apology, she invited me to dinner. We had a meal together before she had to leave for work. Oh, and she accidentally spilled milkshakes on me while trying to clean up the mess. In the end, she ended up falling over me. But I suppose we're friends now."
"Well, I and Miyu reserve the first right to be the first to meet whoever becomes your girlfriend," she said in a deadpan tone, her gaze fixed on Luca.
Miyu, on the other hand, looked at her brother, utterly stupefied.
Luca's response was calm and composed as usual. "Let's focus on the meal first, otherwise it will get cold," he remarked, steering the conversation back to the present moment with his typical serenity.
To which Elza smiled. Her life had never been happier. Everyone took their seats, and as they prepared to eat, Everyone uttered the customary Japanese phrase, "Itadakimasu," expressing gratitude for the meal they were about to enjoy.
Elza felt a deep sense of gratitude. She was thankful for the Knights of King Arthur, who had found the Holy Grail but chose not to make a wish, and she was grateful to the Grail itself for granting her deepest desire. And in this moment, surrounded by her loving family, she felt an overwhelming sense of contentment and joy.
The next time Kara saw Luca, he seemed to be carrying Betty's school bag, and seeing him doing so didn't sit well with her. Betty was the head cheerleader, someone whom everybody in college swooned over. With her long brunette hair, tight-fitting dresses, and enviable physique, she was the center of attention and the object of admiration for everyone. Despite her less-than-stellar personality, Betty seemed to get away with everything simply because of her looks. And to witness Luca already caught up in her charm felt like a betrayal.
Kara has thought Luca to be someone above such shallow human feelings, but perhaps she was wrong. After all, he was human too. And as she compared herself to Betty, she couldn't help but feel inadequate. Unlike Betty's polished appearance, Kara often felt clumsy and out of place. Her baggy clothes and oversized round glasses were part of her disguise, something she had never minded before, but now they seemed to amplify her insecurities.
She was about to turn back and leave when she heard Betty ask—or rather, command—Luca to get her something to drink. In response, all Luca did was sigh and mutter, "Of course," before obediently heading off to fulfill her request.
'Okay, it seems he's not following her because he likes her, but rather because it seems he's being bullied,' Kara thought to herself.
Without much thought, she marched up to Betty. Usually, she avoided confrontation with her, but not this time. She had to get her friend out of trouble.
"Why don't you let Luca go?" Kara demanded, her frown deepening as she confronted Betty.
Betty was surprised by Kara's sudden assertiveness. This nerd never talked back to her.
"And why would I do that?" Betty replied haughtily. "You don't find such good servants anywhere."
'Okay, that does it,' Kara thought, her frustration mounting. It was time to stand up to Betty once and for all.
"If you don't, I will complain to the principal about bullying," Kara threatened, her tone firm.
"Ahh, but you see, Luca is doing it out of his own free will. I am not forcing him to do anything," Betty replied with an innocent yet mocking grin.
Kara scoffed. "As if. He is too good for the likes of you." She aimed to strike a blow to Betty's ego.
Now Betty was furious. How dare this country bumpkin insult her like that? With fury in her eyes, she moved to grab Kara's hair.
"Ohh, how dare you, you bit-"
Kara was prepared to fight back, having seen enough shows since she arrived on Earth to know how to handle this situation. But before she could react, someone grabbed Betty's hand.
"I got the drink that you asked," Luca interjected, his face now stoic with a small frown. Okay, now he seemed like Batman. Kara could see Betty becoming uncomfortable; he must be gripping her wrist tightly.
Betty seemed to have gotten the message. Judging by her expression, she wouldn't be keeping Luca around after all.
She snatched the drink and the bag from Luca and marched away, leaving Kara and Luca alone.
"Sigh."
She turned towards the source of the sound, facing Luca.
"And you, Mr. Why were you following her around with her bag?" she asked, poking her finger at his chest.
"Hehe," he nervously chuckled. "She asked me to."
For a whole second, her mind went blank. Was this guy serious?
She looked at him, waiting for more explanation, but all he did was scratch the back of his head.
Is this guy for real? He carried her bag and followed her orders just because she asked him to? That can't be true.
"Did she blackmail you?" Kara asked, feeling a sense of duty to ensure her friend wasn't in trouble.
Quickly, Luca brought his hands up and hurriedly spoke. "Nope, not at all."
She couldn't sense any lie. She squinted her eyes. No way.
"Then why would you do that?" she asked, her frown deepening.
This made Luca all serious, his expression mirroring the one she had seen in his eyes yesterday. He replied, "It's not wrong to help somebody."
He was completely serious. Her friend was a goody two shoes, probably even more so than her own brother.
All she could do was sigh.
Slowly, a small smile formed on Kara's face. Maybe Earth wasn't that bad after all.
'Oh, wait. Throughout the conversation, she had been thinking of him as a friend, but she didn't even ask if he considers her one. After yesterday, she wasn't too confident if he would, but Aunt Martha had been urging her to make some normal friends on Earth. Something about giving meaning to life here.'
"Say, Luca?" Kara spoke up, her voice slightly hesitant.
"Hmm?" Luca looked at her, his golden brown eyes catching her attention. 'Damn, that pretty face,' she thought.
"Are we friends?" Kara blurted out, feeling a rush of nerves.
His chuckle caught her off guard. 'Why is he laughing? How uncouth. She was feeling embarrassed.'
"Hey, stop laughing, you idiot," she scolded him, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Luca raised his hands defensively, as if to placate her. "Sorry, it's just, are we already not?" he replied with a warm smile.
Kara felt her face grow even redder, the embarrassment washing over her.
"Let's just go," she muttered, quickly grabbing his hand and dragging him away, hoping to hide her embarrassment.
As Kara returned to the Watchtower from her routine patrols, the familiar hum of the zeta tube signaled another arrival. Batman emerged from the tube, his imposing figure casting a shadow in the dimly lit room. Kara's mischievous grin grew wider as she strolled over to him, her curiosity burning with the need to tease the stoic Dark Knight.
"Hey Batman, just a quick question," she began, sidling up beside him with an air of playful mischief. "You're not secretly a supervillain, are you?" The question caught Batman off guard, his usually composed demeanor faltering for just a moment. Without turning to face her, he responded in his usual gravelly tone. "And why would you think that?"
Kara shrugged nonchalantly, her blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, nothing really. I just made a new friend, and he had a few interesting things to say about how Bruce Wayne is secretly an evil oligarch who prevents the villains from getting their dues, which helps Wayne Enterprises keep its wallets lined with money."
"Is that all?" Batman's response was typically enigmatic, Kara couldn't sense any subtle shift in his demeanor—no tension that would hint at something. But she knew that her next words should bring out a rise from him.
"And he also believes that Bruce Wayne is Batman," she dropped the bomb, her grin widening predatorily as she watched for his reaction. The air seemed to crackle with tension as Batman's usually steady composure faltered for just a moment, a barely perceptible hitch in his breath betraying a hint of vulnerability. It was a rare glimpse behind the mask of the Dark Knight, and Kara relished in the moment.
Satisfied with her playful interrogation, Kara turned away and made her way to the Zeta Tube, leaving Batman to his thoughts.