613/Trouble Found

Trouble Found
Date of Scene:	25 May 2017
Location:	Daily Planet, Metropolis
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Lois Lane, Superman

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Lois Lane has posed:
While the evening has begun to wind down The Daily Planet continues to click and clack at break-neck speeds. A certain black-haired reporter also finds herself working late. She's following a lead and gut knows she's onto something; if only she could get a break -

- that break comes in the form of a hurried call. After a hushed conversation over her cellphone, Lois comes back to her desk, grabs her purse and light jacket and calls out, "Out for the evening." Not exactly the complete truth with that statement, but she is definitely going out.

Fast-forward an hour later and Lois has found her way to a specific building within the more industrialized areas of 'Suicide Slum'. She's eyeing up a building that screams 'derelict', with peeling pant, shuttered windows and an equally shuttered door; but even with all those signs of neglect she's already seen four people come and go. The last person to leave left almost forty-five minutes and with a glance at her watch Lois decides now is the time.

The time to break in.

Her source said there was evidence of a specific gang she's been investigating and Lois is out to get it. Let's hope there's no trouble, right?

A glance down both sides of the streets will show Lois a pretty clear path to the front door and so, with quick and nearly silent steps she moves. Her outfit of choice is pretty low-key, jeans, a gray t-shirt and a ball cap pulled low. Once she's at the door Lois will bring forth her lock-picks and with one last glance over her shoulder, the dark-haired woman will spend thirty seconds getting the tumblers to obey her movements. Finally, after a nail-biting amount of time (to Lois that is), the lock clicks. "Finally." Mutters the reporter as she pockets her picks, "Must be getting rusty."

Once inside Lois will bring out a small pen-light, then it's time to scavenge and scrounge. The set-up is a two story office setting, with the first floor mostly dusty desks and chairs. Upstairs is where she needs to be.

Superman has posed:
Clark was not working late, but Kal was. Clark had gone home at a normal human hour, and then changed his shirt to go for a fly around the city, which includes a slow meandering 'patrol' of Suicide Slums. There was always something in this part of town, and with his recent absence he had a feeling that things had progressed apace. He never made a habit of peeking into buildings during these slow fly bys, but the soft, almost covered by everything, of a particular voice he had memorized years ago catches his attention.

Superman veers toward that very building Lois just let herself into.

Lois Lane has posed:
Unaware of her guardian angel above, Lois searches quickly, neatly and efficiently through the first floor. There's a few filing cabinets off to the side, but their rusty drawers reveal nothing. Except cobwebs. And cobwebs are not helpful here.

Glancing around one last time the reporter starts for the steps. It's a silent mad-dash up the stairs and then through the stairwell door which leads into an empty hallway. Oddly enough the hallway is lit and with a wary look towards the fluorescent lights, Lois turns her pen-light off and pockets it. The hallway goes pretty much straight up until the bend, where another hallway merges with it. Hopefully that second hallway leads to some doors and with that thought in play, Lois moves.

If it weren't for where she was (derelict gang owned building) what happens next might be funny. Comical almost. Almost. Just as Lois steps around the bend of that hallway so to does two large, brutish thugs. All three have looks of extreme surprise upon their faces when they all but barrel into each other. With Lois being quite light (compared to the thugs) she'll literally bounce off the one and then onto the floor, unable to catch her footing.

A soft oomph is all she gets out before the thugs regain their composure. "Who're you?" The both ask, their hands already pulling guns from holsters, "Undercover cop?"

At this point Lois can only grimace, even as she offers the typical hands-up-mean-no-harm, "I'm not a cop." She says quickly enough, her gaze focused on both of the thugs before her. "Would you believe I got turned around and I was looking for a phone?" It's not hard to hear the humor in her voice, equal parts sarcasm and the self-deprecating kind.

"No wait!" Says the second thug, "I know who she is, she's that reporter. Lane! Lois Lane!"

Almost Lois groans, but she manages to swallow it, before she speaks up again, "How about you fellas just let me go? No harm no foal?"

And that's a big nope, as the first thug begins to tense his finger upon the trigger -

Superman has posed:
The soft, inaudible to human ears, scrap of rusty metal. Lois's 'I'm totally being sneaky right now' foot falls. Oh, no. Lois is being sneaky? That makes she's broken into a place. Turning to fly more purposefully toward the sound of her running up the stairs, Superman peeks into the building to get an idea of what his partner is doing and what sort of troble she's about to get into this time. Because this is Lois. Her real middle name is Joanne, but really that's just a synonym for Trouble.

Not for reals. It's a play on-

Are those thugs? God! Lois is going to run right into-

Called it.

Frowning, Superman speeds up, eyes on the guns. The world slows for everyone but him as he blurs in as the thug's finger is squeezing the trigger.

No. Just. No.

Superman stops himself right in front of that barrel, with an inch of space between him and the chamber so that as his cape flutters back down behind him the gunfire pop rings out and the bullet flattens against his S to fall to the floor.

"You should have listened to the lady," is all he says before he blurs again and subdues the lot of them, leaving them on the steps of the closest MetroPD station, the gun (having been taken carefully by the edge of his cape and not wiped) set on the counter in front of the booking agent. A sticky note sits by it, reading, "Outside. One has GSR. Warehouse, Suicide Slums, no injuries. -S".

And then he's back a heartbeat later, holding out a hand to help Lois to her feet.

"Good evening, Ms. Lane," he says pleasntly, a note of fond exaperation of her having once again been in a dangerous situation.

Lois Lane has posed:
Lady Luck really seems to hate her today.

Really.

She's been so good too with staying out of trouble and now her three day streak is going to be broken.

Dammit. Damn thugs.

Because it for sure isn't Lois' fault.

Before she can even gasp, or even flinch, that red-blue-blur arrives upon the scene and gallantly takes the bullet meant for her. The sound of the gunshot has her automatically raising her arm upward, to her face, but when no bullet hits Lois her arm drops. Dropping her arm allows her to finally see Superman and the now squished and falling bullets. "Superman!" She exclaims, that response quite automatic and then, before anything else can be said Superman is off like a shot.

Pun not intended.

With such a quick return Lois can still be found on the ground. That extended hand will be given a quick glance by the reporter and while she typically never accepts HELP, tonight she will. Her hand will clasp his for those few seconds to bring her to her feet and when she's up and straight, she'll let go. "Thanks." She'll manage, even as she says, "Been a long time, hasn't it?" Since he last rescued her she means; because it has and that allows her to offer a bit of that sardonic-flavored humor of hers.

Superman has posed:
"Were you counting the days, Ms. Lane?" Superman counters, brows raised tot he question, almost sounding completely innocent. The faint grin that toys with the corners of his mouth destroy that. He's clearly chuckling at her, on the inside.

"What are you looking for, anyway?" Because it's amusing using these tidbits of information at the office the next day as she's finalizing her piece to make her think he's about to out scoop her and steal her by-line. He used to do it because he was just thinking out loud. Now, he does it because the fire in her eyes is intoxicating.

Lois Lane has posed:
"No." Is her equally quick counter to Superman's words. Which is one part-lie, one part-truth. While she can't say she knew the exact number of days since he last rescued her, she knows the generalities of it.

A while.

But thankfully he asks that second question which puts her on firmer ground. His question will earn a flash of a grin from the woman, as she transfers her gaze from his face, to a door that can be seen down the hallway. "Evidence. There's a gang out there stealing technology and some of it isn't even on the market." Begins the reporter, as she steps around the caped crusader, towards the door. "A contact told me I might be able to find something of a paper trail here."

Her steps pause then, as she turns to look at Superman. "It's been awhile since we last spoke." And that's enough to cause her to turn back fully to the tall man, "I met your cousin, Supergirl. She seems a sweet girl."

Superman has posed:
That answer was quick. Almost to quick. Superman smiles, almost lazily, at it. He follows her gaze, peering through the wall and into the office she looked at, skimming the paperwork found there, head tilting as he gaze seems to focus on a thing not directly in front of him.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. She really is. I'm glad she went to you for her story. If she hasn't already, another kryptonian should be contacting you. Faora, House Ul. No relation, but ...her story is really something."

Lois Lane has posed:
The paperwork, if one can call it that, is haphazard at best. No neat filing system here and a lot of it's gibberish. A short-hand that's not easily decipherable at a quick glance; with work, yes, but not with a quick glance.

That unfocused look upon Superman's features is seen and while most wouldn't know what that means, Lois does. She's been around him too often and too much now, not to pick up on a few things. Like when he's using his extraordinary vision.

Her immediate question is forestalled for a second by what he says and with a nod, Lois will say, "I've met her and Power Girl too." And she'll look to Superman then, "Do you know her story?" She asks, and while there isn't hesitancy within her voice per se, there's something. A carefulness? Wariness? Something.

And just because she's Lois, she'll follow that up with, "What do you see?" You can't keep a good reporter down; especially Lois.

Superman has posed:
Well, you COULD, but that doesn't fit tonight's Viewer Rating.

"Room's empty. Papers are a mess. Some sort of short hand. Could take a few hours to figure out what's being said in those documents," he says, coming back to the moment with a quick blink and then a warm smile at Lois.

"I do. But it's hers to tell. She was talking about wanting to let people know it. I recommended you," Superman says, the smile turning into something softer, something that's like a content pride for his friend, coworker, better in so many ways he can't begin to describe -- very human ways.

Lois Lane has posed:
The mention of papers and short-hand bring an immediate look upon Lois' features. It's a look that both Clark and Superman have likely seen; the need to know what's in there. Like a shark on the trail of some very good chum. Teeth ready.

Before she steps into that treasure trove of a room, she will say, "Good." She states, her gaze turning thoughtful, "I plan on looking into this ARGUS group. They can't be allowed to clone more people." Especially Kryptonians is the unspoken message there.

"And thank you." She says at last, "I appreciate you trusting me with their stories." A true smile is offered then to the tall dark-haired man as Lois offers those thanks.

Then, because this is Lois, she'll tilt her head slightly to the side as she says, "I'm going in to have a look around. You're welcome to join, or if you need to go -" That's okay too.

It's funny, if she were with Clark she'd have simply barked 'come on', but with Superman it's different.

One day she'll realize it's not, but that's not tonight.