[color=gray][indent][indent][color=#e35538]“How’s my favourite sister doing?”[/color]

Alexandra Luthor rolled her eyes at the voice on the other side of the phone, a playful smile forming on her lips before she shifted her body away from the transport driver.

[color=#7d4a99]“I’m your only sister, Carol.”[/color]

[color=#e35538]“Doesn’t mean you’re not my favourite.”[/color] Carol teased, eliciting a slight upturn at the corner of Lexa’s mouth.

[color=#e35538]“What’s the trick to marrying rich, Sis?”[/color]

Lexa scoffed at the question. 

[color=#7d4a99]“You say that like I’m sitting around a mansion drinking Domaine de la Romanée-Conti all day while lying lazily by the pool.”[/color]

[color=#e35538]“I don’t know why you’re not.”[/color] Came the reply of disbelief through the phone. 

[color=#7d4a99]“The same reason you’re off risking your life flying whatever death trap S.W.O.R.D. has you strapped in.”[/color]

[color=#e35538]“Oooh, [i]daddy issues[/i].”[/color]

[color=#7d4a99]“Carol!”[/color]

[color=#e35538]“You know it as much as I do, Dad was navy brass, and if your name wasn’t Stephen or Joe Jr., he didn’t have time for you. Why else do you think I joined the Air Force and you signed up with S.W.O.R.D.? Hell, I bet you even push ol’Richie Rich around.”[/color]

[color=#7d4a99]“I do not push my husband around; I challenge him to be a better man.”[/color]

[color=#e35538]“Spoken exactly like Joseph Danvers Sr.”[/color] Carol retorted, her playful laugh stung against Lexa’s cheek. Her baby sister had always been the more rebellious of the four of them. Joey was the rule follower, their parents' firstborn, then came Alexandra, who was expected to act every bit the lady her mother was. Stephen was the third born and the apple of his father’s eye, while Carol was the baby. 

She used to be a sweet baby, too, before she became the strong-willed brat on the other end of the line. Little baby ‘Cara’, cute as a button, as destructive as a big red one. 

[color=#7d4a99]“Is there a reason for this phone call?”[/color] Lexa replied unamused.

[color=#e35538]“Do I need a reason to call my big sis? Maybe I just missed you, [i]bitch[/i].”[/color]
Suddenly, the vehicle dropped, lurching forward one more time before the sound of spinning tires and splattering liquid asphalt echoed from around the cab. 

[color=#7d4a99]“Carol, I’ll call you back.”[/color] Lexa snapped, clicking the phone off before turning to the agent driving.

[color=#7d4a99]“I thought you put the power dampeners on her.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“I did, this ain’t her.”[/color]

[color=#7d4a99]“Then who-”[/color]

Lexa was cut off as flames erupted across the windshield. The temperature of the cabin began to rise rapidly, and the vehicle was unable to free itself from the tar-like trap in which it was lodged. Reaching for the door, Lexa’s hand recoiled almost immediately, the handle nearly leaving a second-degree burn on the palm of her hand. She spun around, raising her heels towards the door and landing a strike before the other agent pulled her away.

[color=#ffffff]“Are you crazy? You’ll create a vacuum.”[/color]

[color=#7d4a99]“I’d rather risk that than die broiled.”[/color] Lexa retorted, shaking her coworker off before preparing another strike. Her head was pounding, eyes growing heavier with each second. She felt her legs lash out weakly. Trying once, twice, thrice before finding herself struggling to breathe, gasping for breath before her eyelids closed.

And darkness took over.[/indent][/indent][center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019ae5d8-259a-77b5-b37c-931c223261f3.webp[/img][/center][indent][indent]High above the clouds over Metropolis, Clark soared free from the prying eyes of the media, otherwise known as his coworkers. While the woman had acted aggressively, Clark knew it was out of desperation, not malice. He had seen that behaviour before on his own travels. It was like she had been an animal backed into a corner with no way out but to fight.

But attacking a bank during the middle of the day was a risky move, even for someone desperate. Clark wished he had done more to help her, but with the volatile nature of the fire, the lives of those around the bank came first. He did what he had done to minimize damage across the board.

But by doing so, had he further endangered a desperate woman?

It wasn’t that Clark was looking to have Superman run afoul of the Department of Extranormal Operations, let alone A.R.G.U.S. But there were better ways to help metahumans and mutants. People and organizations that actually cared about their well-being. 

If Clark hadn’t been so quick to turn the woman over to the police, he could have found her a place that would have put a roof over her head or a meal in front of her. He thought back to their encounter, recalling the room and the woman.

She had been engulfed in the flames, but through the flames, his keen eyes still could make out details. Bruises on the skin, a needle mark at the base of her neck. Her clothing had been torn and tattered, something Clark had initially dismissed as a choice, but in hindsight, perhaps she had escaped from somewhere. 

They hadn’t fought in the main vault. No, Clark had discovered the woman in the safe deposit boxes. She had a box in her hand before the fight had started. He focused the image in his mind, attempting to extrapolate the details. 

Safe deposit boxes didn’t have names assigned to them. They were numbered. Even if Clark could make out the number, it would take further investigation still to figure out who that box belonged to. 

And that was assuming it wasn’t a random box. 

[i][color=#3d85c6]9842[/color][/i]

That was the number.

[color=#fe85c2]“Clark?”[/color] 

A voice at the door of his apartment called, following a series of three quick knuckle knocks. Clark had barely realized he had made it back to his apartment. His eyes shot wide as he looked around, realizing he had fumbled his way in through the fire escape.  Deactivating the suit, he scrambled to his closet for a change of clothes.

[color=#fe85c2]“Hey, if you’re in there, handsome, I just wanted to say thanks for the banana bread,”[/color] The voice continued before Clark hastily finished dressing and opened the door. 

Standing in the hallway of the decrepit apartment building was his neighbour from across the hall. The flickering light of the dying fluorescent bulbs highlighted every shade of red in her hastily tied-up bun, from auburn to copper to strawberry blonde. Even in the dead of winter, she was still wearing a cropped sweater and low-rise jeans that showed off both a toned abdomen and the matching pair of stars tattooed atop either hip. 

[color=#fe85c2]“Oh, hey, Kansas,”[/color] The redheaded woman said with a smirk, [color=#fe85c2]“I didn’t mean to interrupt, and you didn’t have to get dressed on account of me.”[/color] She added with a playful wink.

[color=#3d85c6]“Lisa, sorry, I was just about to head out.”[/color]

[color=#fe85c2]“With your tie uneven and your shirt half buttoned?”[/color] Lisa smirked, [color=#fe85c2]“C’mon, beefcake, where is she?”[/color] The redhead teased, standing up on her tiptoes, trying to look over the taller man’s shoulder.

[color=#fe85c2]“Or he,”[/color] Lisa added, playfully, [color=#fe85c2]“I don’t judge.” [/color]

Moving her hands to Clark’s collar, Lisa quickly straightened it out before beginning to fix the buttons on his shirt and adjusting his tie.

[color=#3d85c6]“I can-”[/color]

[color=#fe85c2]“Shush, Kansas, I got this. A feminine touch goes a long way.”[/color] Her hands paused on his abdomen. A smile crossed her freshly glossed lips.

[color=#fe85c2]“You really ought to wear something more fitted. These feel like abs of steel.”[/color]

[color=#3d85c6]“I uh, don’t, uh”[/color] Clark stammered, gently pulling her hands away, [color=#3d85c6]“Thank you?”[/color]

[color=#fe85c2]“No, thank [i]you[/i],”[/color] Lisa replied, her eyes quickly darting down and back up again as she playfully saluted Clark, [color=#fe85c2]“At ease, soldier.”[/color]

She batted her eyelashes, ocean blue eyes with just a hint of green outlined in a smoky shadow, looking up towards Clark while she continued to speak.

[color=#fe85c2]“Anyways, yeah, just wanted to thank you for the banana bread, it made a great pick me up in the middle of the night. I don’t think I would have made it through last night’s shift without it.”[/color] She smirked, a finger tracing Clark’s chest again.

[color=#fe85c2]“You should visit me at work sometime, I think you’d really enjoy it.”[/color] 

[color=#3d85c6]“I appreciate the offer, Lisa, but y’know, the news, it just doesn’t write itself,”[/color] Clark replied, looking at his watch again. [color=#3d85c6]“Speaking of which, I’ve, uh, got to go.”[/color]

[color=#fe85c2]“You can play coy all you want, Clark Kent, but I know you’re dying to have dinner with a ravishing redhead.”[/color] Lisa stated, [color=#fe85c2]“Look, there’s a showing of one of my favourite movies at the old filmhouse down in Layfatte this Friday, I was thinking you could be my arm candy?”[/color]

[color=#3d85c6]“I, uh-”[/color]

[color=#fe85c2]“Great, pick me up at seven and feel free to wear something with deep pockets.”[/color] Lisa winked,[color=#fe85c2] “It’ll be worth it.”[/color]

Clark nodded, inwardly shaking his head before pulling out his cellphone.

[color=#38761d]“Hello?”[/color] The voice on the other end answered.

[color=#3d85c6]“Lex, it’s Clark. Could I drop by?” [/color]

[color=#38761d]“Of course, it’s been too long. I always have time for a friend.”[/color][/indent][/indent][/color]