[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/445351464320106498/870668188650733618/SB4.png[/img][/center][indent][sub][color=white][b]SEASON TWO[/b][/color][color=e20025] One Universe: Unlimited[/color][/sub][sup][right][b][color=white]SUPERBOY #1[/color][/b] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iECixGaKVk4][color=e20025]Broken Boy[/color][/url][/right][/sup][/indent][indent][indent][indent][hr][/indent][/indent][/indent][indent][color=white][sub][b]Daily Planet [color=e20025]♦[/color] Metropolis [/b][/sub][/color][/indent] [indent] [b]ONE WEEK AGO[/b] The sun had fallen behind the horizon and it was quiet in the Daily Planet's bullpen, save for the clattering of a single laptop's keyboard and the rumbling of a vacuum cleaner in the hallway. Tana Moon sat alone at a desk that wasn't hers, hair tied up in a loose bun and the sleeves of her [i]Metropolis U[/i] hoodie rolled up to her elbows. She'd been slaving over this article for hours. Every detail that Superboy shared with her had to be triple-checked against the Planet's archive; even still- knowing all she did- it was a hard pill to swallow. Cadmus was using Superboy to kidnap supervillains, like Knockout, so they could extract and replicate their powers to sell them to the highest bidder. The physical evidence for their crimes was paper thin. It was only the source of the allegations- a firsthand witness in Superboy- that gave them any water. But for God knows what reason that spandex-bound moron wouldn't let her print his name. Tana clicked her tongue in frustration. Nobody was going to give half a shit for claims this outlandish coming from an 'anonymous source'. Her hands slipped down off the keyboard and onto her lap to fiddle with the hem of her coat. What would posting this crap do to her name? She was a nobody at the Planet. Some intern to pester about making copies and grabbing fresh coffee. Things were hard enough without being the office conspiracy nut. [i][color=B477B7]'Seriously, Moon? People are getting hurt and you're worried about your career?'[/color][/i] She chided herself, hoping the guilt would kick her back into gear. Her hands went back to the keyboard. Her fingers stumbled awkwardly across the keys. Slow, unsure. For every sentence she managed to string together she discarded three others. This was supposed to be her big break; it was going to be the story that put her foot in the door. Now, as she read back on her work she could feel only a growing disdain in the pit of her stomach. Mr. White was going to trash this the moment it hit his desk. This wasn't going to work- not in its current state. She needed Superboy on record. She needed hard evidence of Cadmus's wrongdoing. She needed anything other than the scraps he'd dumped on her desk before running off to play [i]hero[/i]. [color=B477B7]"As if you can punch your way out of a corporate conspiracy theory,"[/color] she sneered. Some terrible part of her hoped he'd get his clock cleaned confronting Westfield so he'd realize she was right. A shameful thought, she knew. But it gnawed at her mind irregardless. After another half hour she gave up on the article, saving the draft to her computer before closing the laptop down. Tana Moon began to pack away her things only to freeze upon hearing something. Or, rather, [i]not[/i] hearing anything. The janitor's vacuum had gone silent. She narrowed her eyes, drawing up her phone to flick on its flashlight. The custodian rarely finished his rounds this early. He was an old gentleman that took a half-century to do anything. She hoped he hadn't fallen or something. Tana peaked through the door leading out of the newsroom and into the hall. The vacuum's power cord was plugged in just beside the door and snaked around to the opposite end of the hallway, disappearing around the corner. That checked out. But then, where was Briscoe? [color=B477B7]"Everything okay, Ed?"[/color] She called, stepping out. No one called back in response, though she could've sworn she heard feet shuffling. [color=B477B7]"Briscoe?"[/color] Her heart beat faster in her chest. Ed Briscoe was never the type to ignore her. He was one of the few people she worked with that gave her the barest amount of respect. So if he wasn't the one making all that racket... Tana started down the hallway with purpose, now. She moved the phone to her off-hand and reached the other into her pocket, gripping the taser inside. It seemed silly before to carry one before Superman disappeared; before everything started to fall apart. She was just jumpy from all this Cadmus business. That was all. Just nerves getting to her. Moon stepped lighter, the stun gun drawn partially from her pocket. The sound of shuffling feet got louder, and louder. It was right around the corner; the one she was rapidly closing on. Her heart bounded up into her throat, threatening to explode and fill her mouth with blood. The shuffling stopped. It was just Ed. He had headphones in, or- Eddie Briscoe was slumped up against the wall, vacuum cord wrapped taut around his throat. His feet were weakly kicking against the floor as if he'd only just stopped struggling. A tall man she didn't recognize stooped over the janitor. He had the cool, uninterested expression of a bored professional, and his eyes were so cold they sucked the heat out from her chest with just a glance. [color=B477B7]"Fuck."[/color] Tana breathed, stumbling backwards over her own feet. Frozen in a shocked stupor, she could do nothing but stare dumbly as the stranger rose to his full height and wiped the blood from his hands on Ed's old handkerchief. She didn't react even when he started toward her, a hand outstretched to take her by the arm. It wasn't until his fingers brushed against her skin that Moon jolted into action like a spooked deer. She threw a kick into the man's ankle so so suddenly that he was caught utter unaware. There was a sharp, weighty thud as her foot smashed into his leg. He stumbled, too, catching himself against the wall with an arm. Tana used the moment to take off down the hall. He only grunted. Faster than she'd ever run during high school track Moon bolted down the hall until she made it to the stairs. It was a long way to the first floor where the Planet's security guard was but she wasn't going to risk waiting for an elevator. She started down the stairs, clearing three floors before the sound of a door opening below her stopped her in her tracks. Another two men stepped into the stairwell, pistols and flashlights in hand. Tana froze, shutting off her own light as quick as she could and shrinking down against the wall to make herself as small and unnoticeable as possible. It was only when she had a moment to breathe that she realized those men were [i]cops[/i]. The first guy had a badge on his belt, too, she recalled, remembering that flash of metal as she ran by him. What the hell did they want with the Planet's janitor? With [i]her[/i]? [/indent]