Against All Odds (closed for silvertongue217)

"I could say the same to you" Clark told her breathing in heavily as they came to a stop "I dont think I have ever danced quite like that"

Clark took her hand and turning to the people gave a bow as they clapped. He blushed but internally his heart thumped and pulsed with pleasure as he glanced at her and smiled.

"Come on I dont know about you but I need a drink" Clark told her tugging on her hand and leading her off of the dance floor. He found their friends easily enough and went over shucking their praises as he kissed her cheek.

"I shall go get us some drinks" He said smiling at her and turning. He moved over to the stand straightening his bow tie as he did and got them drinks.

"Thank you," Emily puffed as Clark slid off to get them drinks.

"Looks like you two are enjoying your night," Stephanie said, Emily could hear the amusement in her voice. "If you're gonna work you might as well make it fun."

"How long do we have?" Emily asked, ignoring the teasing. She heard Stephanie chuckle and could imagine her rolling her eyes.

"Wait until he gets back with the drink, we'll make small talk, and then we have to be off. Our plan was to get to the drop site before they do, so we have fifteen minutes to move. Are you wearing that or will you need a change?" Stephanie's voice was very, very low, and she stepped closer to Emily.

"Just need to take the dress off. I have something much more practical underneath. I'll be good to go then," Emily replied.

"So..." Stephanie said, looking between Emily and Clark's black. "You're blind. Such a pity. Clark is one fine specimen."

Emily laughed.

"Yes, well, I can sense enough to know that. Surely you understand that the other senses can tell me so much about him; smell, touch, sounds... taste."

It was then Stephanie's turn to chuckle. "Oh Nem- Emily! You're right of course."

"Well here we are" Clark said coming back and handing her the drink "Man you tell people its an open bar and they all go crazy!" He joked shaking his head and sipping his punch.

"I got to say im enjoying this far more than I thought" Clark said glancing at all of them "Maybe we should crash more fancy parties?" He joked draining his punch in one smooth motion and bringing Emily back into his arms.

He held her from behind his body pressed against her. His heat and scent enveloping her as he chatted easily with Stephanie. He never let go instead keeping her close and against him as if he never wanted to let her go.

Emily felt a warm rush of blood flood her cheeks as Clark gave her her drink and stepped in behind her. He pulled her against his body, her back flush to his front, and wrapped his arms around her as they talked to Stephanie and Alan. The warmth of his skin radiated through the many layers of clothing, his hot breath stirring the hair at the back of her neck, making her skin tingle. She rested her head back against him, allowing his scent and the gentle throbbing of blood through his beating heart to calm her rising nerves.

They spent twelve minutes making small (but comfortable talk). They managed to concoct the story that Emily and Stephanie had spent three years together in elementary school and remained friends via e-mail. It was lucky that the two were of similar ages; something that had been hard to determine when they were both masked and suited. Clark had easily registered that this must have meant that Stephanie new Emily before the accident, but Emily cut any questions off about that by asking Alan about his own life.

"Gosh," Stephanie said with a big sigh, "All these drinks can really get to a girl. Come on Emily, keep me company."

Emily turned, pressing a lingering kiss against Clark's cheek as she extracted her cane from her back and set it up. She gently extracted herself from her wonderful position in Clark's arms and turned to smile at him.

"Wish us luck gentleman, I have no doubt there will be formidable cue of rich, whiny, drunk ladies to wait behind!" Emily joked. Stephanie reached out and cupped her elbow and then the two were off, weaving through the sweetly-perfumed crowd towards the bathrooms.

"So, quick change in the janitor's closet before ducking to the roof for the exchange?" Stephanie whispered as they pushed past a gaggling bunch of ladies waiting for the bathroom. Emily nodded. "Good, I do so hope Clark wouldn't be offended by the idea of us stripping off together in such close quarters."

"Well, what he doesn't know...." Emily joked, trailing off.

The two heroes changed quickly. Emily only had to remove her dress and pull her mask from her cleavage. She normally wore a long sleeved black shirt beneath her corset, but she had decided to leave it out this time. Stephanie, it seemed, decided that Hell Cat needed less clothing. She had a tight, strapless tank and rather well cut booty shorts beneath her own gown (though nothing else could really be hidden beneath a sleeveless gown with a slit to the upper thigh).

Without a word, Hell Cat piled up three mop buckets and climbed them, teetering on them as she pushed the air vent out of the ceiling. She slid into the ducting system without a sound and then her hand shot down to assist Nemesis.

"Please, you know I can do it. Don't go offering me help now just because you know I'm blind," Nemesis whispered as she climbed on top of the buckets and pulled herself easily up behind Hell Cat.

The two young women slithered through the ventilation. Hell Cat took the lead, and within a few minutes they were clambering into the final exhaust vent on the roof. They settled in with perfect timing, both metering their breath as five people stepped onto the roof, supporting an unconscious sixth and carrying a chair and some rope.

"Set 'im down there," The largest of them said, gesturing to a spot not far from the chair. "Tie 'im down, legs and arms secured. I'll get Maestro ready."

Nemesis expected the big thug to return to the fire escape, but he didn't. Instead he took a case off the woman beside him. Emily listened as the combination spun and locked into place. She zeroed her radar like sense in and tried to make out the indentations on the numbers showing- just in case.

1 - 2 - 3 on the left lock 4 - 5 - 6 on the other.

Original,Emily thought with a roll of her eyes. She then grimaced, wondering if people would be too busy trying to find a legitimate code to bother checking that first (of course they would assume no one would be that stupid).

The unconscious (and badly treated, if his heart beat and breathing was anything to go by) man was strapped into the chair as the big thug opened the case and withdrew a syringe. He then took out a vial, sticking the needle in and drawing out the liquid.

"They're coming now," one of the thugs who'd been tying the man to the seat said, his finger pressing against a receiver in his ear. Emily could hear the chatter in there, a lot of code names and spluttered arrival timed. After a moment the fire escape door swung open and a woman, flanked by a male and female body guard, appeared on the roof.

"I hope we didn't keep you waiting," the woman said, her voice a lovely sultry twang that tickled at something in Emily's memory.

"No Mayor, you certainly didn't. Perfect timing really. Are you ready for the demonstration." The large thug said.

The Mayor Emily though, her mind reeling through the recent election campaign.

"Please, go ahead. I've had a hard time believing what your people are telling me. I should like to see it for myself," The Mayor said. Emily could hear the tilt in her lips, smell her curiosity.

"Very well," The thug boss said without further deliberation. He stepped over to the fire escape, and the four other thugs surrounded the man in the chair. One of them leaned over, every part except for their arm arching back away from the bound person. The needle pierced the man's skin with a 'pop' that only Emily would've heard, and the syringe emptied into his veins.

At first nothing happened.

"How long is this supposed to take?" The Mayor's sultry tone turned to a bored drawl as she looked at her watch.

"Just another minute," The boss thug promised, smug.

Then Emily heard it. That pathetic, flailing heart beat, the rasping damaged lungs. The sounds healed. Each breath, each pump of the heart sent a new sense of strength through the man's body. Then-

"AARRRGGHHH!" The man broke free of his bonds with inhuman strength, the sound of his pained cry echoing into the vent valve as splinters from the chair pinged against the metal. She felt Hell Cat tense and suck in a breath beside her, and the pounding of their hearts was the same staccato beat.

The four thugs around the man circle, raising their arms into a fighting position. Every strain of their muscles throbbed with anticipation, with apprehension.

"FIGHT!" The boss thug demanded. Then, without a second though, the poor resuscitated man leaped at those around them. What followed was a dangerous, deadly dance, that saw the four thugs floored in a matter of moments. Then piercing tone filled the night, coming from a device the boss thug held up in his brutish paw. No one else seemed to notice, but Nemesis' hands flew to hear ears and her body writhed in pain. Beside her, Hell Cat moved swiftly, one hand covering Nemesis' mouth as the other wrapped around her, holding her still. There was a short sound of the scuffle, but it was drowned out by the sound of the drugged man hitting the concrete roof and groaning and grunting around.

The tone finally stopped, and Nemisis' head was still buzzing with it. So much so that she could barely make out what the people were saying. Some words floated through-

Super soldiers, yes.

Temporary.

Amnesia.

Fast acting.

Full production? Six months.

Then everyone was moving off the roof, an air of a deal well down sweltering around them. The poor man was unconscious again, the tone apparently knocking him out as surely as it had threatened to do with Nemesis. Hell Cat waited a full minute before letting Emily go.

"Fuck, you're bleeding," She said, her voice filled with confusion as she retrieved a tissue from her plum cleavage and dabbed it against Nemesis's ear. It came away, sticky with the sweet metallic smell of blood. "Well, that wasn't what I expected. That was fucking crazy."

Hell Cat took a deep shuddering breath as Nemesis collapsed onto her stomach, each breath taking a painful intensity.

"Are you going to be alright to get down this shaft? We need to get back before anyone gets suspicious."

Nemesis took an inventory of her shaking limbs and frowned. The other alternatives were getting out of the vent and taking the stairs (costume and all) or abandoning the ball and Clark. Neither would work.

"I'll be fine," Nemesis said through gritted teeth, "Let's get back."

~*~

The journey back was infinitely slower than the journey up. Hell Cat assisted Nemisis through the vertical shafts, but thankfully she had regained her strength by the time they dropped through the hatch in the janitor's closet. The two women quickly pulled their clothes on and straightened their hair.

Stephanie reached out for the door handle, but Emily sucked in a breath, sensing movement outside the door.

"Not yet-" She started, but the damage was done. Two people jumped, narrowly missed by the swinging door. Their gasps cut through the music-scented air as their eyes fell on the somewhat disheveled forms of Emily and Stephanie.

Then, Emily was pulled into Stephanie's arms, a pair of hot, plush lips pressing against her own. Emily grunted, body stiffening as the couple outside the door chuckled.

"Looks like this one's taken," the woman said.

"Maybe we should join them-" The man's comment was cut off as the woman tugged him away with righteous indignation.

Emily pulled herself from Stephanie's kiss with an angry grunt and stumbled into the corridor. Emily reached out and gave her arse a firm slap before they made their way down the corridor.

"What the fuck was that?" Emily hissed under her breath when Stephanie slipped into step beside her. Emily held her cane out before her.

"That, darling, was a cover. Had to make it look real," Stephanie said with a shrug, then reached out and ran her thumb under Emily's lip. "Couldn't have your lipstick smudged for wholesome country lad Clark to see!"

Emily gave Stephanie the cold shoulder until they reached the ballroom, knowing that now was not the time to discuss what they had discovered. The whole night spun through Emily's head with a sense of dizzying confusion. Though when they entered the main ballroom she took a deep breath and cleared her mind.

They were two girls who had just been to the bathroom together. Nothing more.

"Is it just me or is it taking longer than usual?"

Clark craned his neck watching the bathroom area. He was probably being overly worried. If Stephanie knew her before the accident then she would know how to help her.

But still it was a big party..... with A LOT of people. He didnt like the idea of not being there to protect her. It was dumb and if he was being honest he knew that but it was still disconcerting.

"I am sure they are fine" Alan replied shaking his head "You got it bad for her dont you?"

"More than you know" Clark murmured shaking his head. He was about to step forward when some thing caught his eyes at the top of the staircase.

It was some thing simple glint of metal but he turned any ways. The mayor was moving down the steps gliding and talking to some one as they clambered down.

"The mayor is here?" Clark said eyes widening "I didnt know that.... Must be a fancier party then we knew!"

Before Alan could say any thing the girls were coming back having finally appeared from the hallways leading to the bathroom. Clark turned smiling when he saw her and moving to meet her.

"I was about to send a search party" Clark remarked taking her arm "Looks like I dont have to however! Guess who is here the mayor!"

"The mayor?" Emily asked as she settled in beside Clark. The events of the roof top were still fresh enough in her mind that the thought of the woman brought a pain to her chest. "Well, I guess there are all sorts of rich posers here."

Stephanie laughed as she joined Alan.

"Rule number one, Clark darling, never speak politics with Emily. IT gets her all hot and bothered."

Emily shot Stephanie a withering look and then turned, pressing herself against Clark's body. She wasn't terribly happy with Stephanie either, especially after that kiss.

"Let's dance Clark," Emily suggested, keeping her tone light. She wasn't sure if Clark would sense her simmering anger beneath it all, but she hoped it would be enough to distract him.

"She seems nice"

Clark and Emily walked down the street hand and hand together. They had danced for a little while longer and after being applauded for the third time finally decided to call it quits. Stephanie and Alan were ready to go by then as well and so the group had said their good byes before splitting off and going their seperate ways.

"I mean a bit crazy for you" Clark remarked smirking "but still nice"

He began to walk her home though both his body and his tone suggested he would like to do other wise. While they walked he pulled out his phone pulling up the bookmarked page and clearing his throat.

"So now that your working....." Clark said "I was wondering if you had given any more thought to the house situation? I saw some places we can afford that is also close to campus I dont know about you but im tired of having to sneak around to find a place to hook up or to try to go around my roommate"

"She's a handful alright," Emily chuckled under her breath at Clark's comment. When he brought up moving in together there were a number of concerns that tugged at her. Most of all how she would be able to continue her work as Nemesis.

"Yes, I did say we should move in after I got a job," she conceded, "Even though I have an income now, I don't really have anything saved up. Whatever money I had has gone into the gap between my scholarship and reality. I don't know how much I could contribute to the set-up Clark. Like, we'd need all the furniture and accessories and all that..." Emily trailed off.

Emily wanted to move in with him. God, the thought of going to bed and waking up with him every day was almost enough to make him drag her to a real-estate office first thing in the morning. But Clark didn't take sleeping pills like Nanna did. He would, without a doubt notice if she went missing. Though, she could always work on some other kind of cover, she would hate lying to him.

"Perhaps we can start looking," Emily said, "though with what we could afford it might be a while before we find the right place. We need to make sure it is safe and comfortably for Nyx too."

"You know I have plenty of money saved up" Clark reminded her shaking his head "Honestly I dont mind taking the brunt of it while you work on paying me back"

He turned stopping in front of her house and drawing her into his arms.

"If your worried about living with me or going to a new house I can help" Clark told her leaning in to kiss her "We can find a place accessable to you and I can help you get around until you learn it"

He kissed her once more before sighing "I dont know about you but I want to be with you more and more and with your Nan and my roomate thats hard all but impossible most days..... Think about it at least please?" He asked her stroking her cheek.

Emily's heart warmed at Clark's words. He was everything she could ever ask for and more. She basked in his arms for a few moments before she pulled away, reaching up to press her palm against his cheek.

"We will start looking then," She promised, pushing away all concerns about the fact that she was just making one part of her life a millions times harder.

And with that life got busy for the pair

With the christmas season ending and school starting up things became busy. Of course Clark still pursued Emily with reckless abandon and made sure to meet and see her as often as possible. They looked at a few apartments but hadnt decided on any thing but Clark was all but determined to move in with her.

Sooner rather than later

ONE MONTH LATER

"Come on why dont you stay a while!"

Clark shook his head snorting at his buddies attempt to get him to stay in the bar. They were having a guys night out on the town which was really only called that for Clarks benefit. He was the only one with a steady girl friend so far after all.

"No way" clark said shaking his head and snorting "You guys will get me into some sort of trouble! Also I am going apartment hunting with Emily tomorrow"

This of course brought some jeering and some whipping sounds mimed in his direction. Clark flipped them all off however shaking his head and waving them off as he stepped outside and onto the street.

"I wonder if your home?" Clark murmured fishing his phone out and looking at Emilys number.

As the nights trickled by one thing became clearer and clearer; Maestro was not going away. Hell Cat and Nemesis had spent their time tailing the Mayor and finding out that she was even shiftier than her election campaign had been. The thugs they had previously been tracking had moved inwards, towards the heart of the city. They moved out of the dodgiest alley ways in town and into the backstreets behind the major avenues. For Hell Cat and Nemesis, their patrols became more risky. Instead of being able to wind their way between shadows within shadows, they found themselves dodging bright rays of streetlight and the random detours of drunken revelers.

Emily and Nemesis did make progress. They discovered that the gang supplying Maestro went by the name Symphonic. They were cleverer than the regular thugs; they were able to code their communications in such a way that Hell Cat and Nemesis were no longer able to trace on their own. Hell Cat's cousin, Alan, was a computing student at the same university that Emily attended, so he had been recruited to help them find a way around the new communication encryption. Emily was uncomfortable with the fact that both Natalie and Alan knew her true identity, but she needed their help. Symphonic was a fish that was too big for her to fry alone, it was more like a whale.

"I think I'm gonna call it a night," Hell Cat said with a sigh and a stretch of her graceful limbs.

"We're missing something," Nemesis said, standing from her crouched position and peering over the edge of the fire escape they were on.

"Obviously, but until we figure out what it is I don't know how much progress we can really make, " Hell Cat replied. Nemesis frowned, unhappy with how they had almost ground to a complete halt with their investigations.

"Look, wipe that frown off your face. Go home to lover boy, bang it out, it'll all be okay in the morning," Hell Cat said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I can't even do that. Boys night out!" Emily laughed, thankful for her comrade's easy going nature and sense of humour.

"Well take it out on your vibrator then!"

"Vibrator?"

Hell Cat turned to Nemesis, eyes wide through the holes of her mouth, looking completely aghast.

"Please tell me you have a vibrator!"

"Uh- no...?" Emily said, a flush creeping up on her cheek.

"Ugh, who knew the city's most bad arse crime fighter would be a total prude-"

"I'm not a total prude-"

"Good night Nemesis!" Hell Cat said before dashing off down the alley. Nemesis rolled her eyes as she started her trek back home.

Nemesis has just flipped over into Central Park when she heard it. Her entire body stiffened in response, but it was out of conditioning more than actual effect. There it was, that horrid, high pitched tone that had her all frozen up on the night of the charity gala. It was nowhere near as strong this time; she could tell that over the distance. So, against her better judgement, she decided to follow it. She wove her way through the trees and ducked past couples strolling romantically through the park. She made it to a service road by Belvedere Castle when the noise became almost intolerable. At this point it had her nerves on edge, her body tensed, and her mind spinning.

But there, in a no-public-access zone was a service van. With her lack of sight Emily' couldnt make out the lines of the logo, it painted on too flush for her to discern. However, she watched as two workers collapsed a ladder which had been leaning against a wall, the offending noise coming from a newly installed speaker. One of them swiped at their phones and the sound stop. Nemesis sagged with relief, her foot slipping against some leaves. The two men's head whipped towards her hiding spot and she froze, praying the darkness would be enough to cover her. After a moment one of them shrugged.

"Time to go. Let's get this van back to HQ," One of them grumbled, taking out his keys and getting into the van. The other followed with a suspicious look over his shoulder, his heart racing in his chest. He got in the van though, and in a few moments they were driving off down the service road.

As the van moved away Nemesis slipped through the shadows towards the castle, wishing she could see what the logo said, or that she had her phone on her.

But then sensed him. The familiar rhythm of his heart and breathing, the scent of his body, she imagined she could even feel the warmth of his skin radiating forwards. She dashed the over the distance between them and tugged at the sleeve of his jacket, pulling him into the shadows with her. Clark, her Clark.

"I need you to tell me what the logo on that van looks like!" She demanded, pointing to it, breath coming quickly.

His world went upside down

With a sudden and abrupt yank Clark found himself in the shadows of the castle he was strolling by. The sudden change and the beer he drank did not agree with each other and he stumbled back breathing in the air rapidly as he shook his head clear.

"Look" He said angrily lifting his head up "Who the he-"

Oh

It was

Nemesis

His eyes widened and he shook his head trying to determine if this was some kind of drunk hallucination of some kind. He hadnt had THAT much but the odds of him running into her were so atronomical he had ah ard time beleiving it.

Yet here she was

"Your nemesis" He said rubbing his eyes and shaking his head once more "The hero Of New York City! The masked vigilante! Shit I cant believe this is happening!"

"I could draw the symbol on the van if you need it!" Clark said over eager to help "but you have to let me interview you! You see I know no one has ever interviewed you! And I want to be the first!"

Nemesis wanted to talk some sense into Clark. If she hadn't smelled it on him his rambling behaviour alone would have told her he was drunk.

"New York's very own vigilante asks you to describe a symbol and you barter for an interview?" Nemesis said, voice low and tinged with a chuckle. If she didn't love him that might just have been a dangerous move. But, she decided to humour him. Part of her thought this was fortuitous; if she gave him an interview and he wrote s good piece to go with it then he may just get published. Get a foot in the door.

"Okay. Fine. An interview for a drawing of that logo. But you should probably draw it first. I never trust the memory of a person whose had a bit to drink."

"Ill do you one better" Clark said fishing out his phone.

"I was trying to call my girl friend before you grabbed me" Clark told her pushing a few buttons "but she wasnt answering so my drunk ass decided to send her a video message im not sure why since she is blind....."

Clark swore shaking his head "I didnt.... Shit that probably came our really disrespectful I love her! I do it doesnt bother me! But I was just... Oh lord"

Clark sighed taking a deep breath "Anyways I took a video and it had the logo in it... I can send it to you if you want? Or you can email it to yourself and then delete the contact so I dont have your information" He told her in a rush.

Emily was caught between being flabbergasted and laughing. PooR Clark was so drunk. She really needed to start carrying her phone on her for her night time adventures. She really wanted to send that video to herself, but she wouldn't be able to use the touch screen on Clark's phone, and she could hardly give him her number. She couldn't even type in Hell Cat's number on her own, as she didn't know where and when to swipe to get access to the phone app and then delete the log. She felt a bit stuck in that moment. Then, she remembered an email she made a while back for her anonymous posts on the NY Times website. Perhaps that would do.

"Get ready then, my email address is nemesis nine one one at hotmail dot com. No capitals. And please, do not share that address," she said, careful to deepen her voice a touch when she spoke.

"Great!" He said almost shouting it before clearing his throat "I mean thats cool"

He took his phone back and within a few minutes sent her the video. He decided not to delete the email and instead hit the mic button on his smart phone.

"So can we have the interview now?" Clark asked taking a large breath "Shit I cant beleive im getting an interview with you... and im drunk!" He said unable to stop himself from laughing at the entire situation.

A crooked smile tugged at Nemesis' face at Clark's drunken enthusiasm. It took all of her restraint to stop herself from reaching out and touching him.

"Okay, I can spare five minutes. So what is it that you want to ask me C-" Nemesis stopped herself in time. "I don't believe you have given me your name, sir."

Nemesis then sensed a group of drunken revellers making their way past the path side of the castle. She reached out, gently grabbing Clark's arm and tugging him away into the shadows of one of the walls so they wouldn't be seen.

"So, would your girlfriend mind if she knew you were cosy-ied up with a leather clad lady in the shadows well after midnight?" She teased.

He stumbled but managed not to fall from her grab and pull. He blinked wishing he had drank less or had some sort of coffee to sober him up. This was his BIG chance! A chance to interview one of the heros of the city.

And he was struggling to stay coherent

"I mean she might get jealous since your hot" Clark said without thinking before blushing "But she trusts me and she also knows how big this is for me"

"So Nemesis" Clark said trying his best to sound professional "Reports are sketchy at best for how long you have been doing this, some of the members of the city still debate whether your an urban legend or real is there any thing you would like to say to those people? A statement you would like to make to this city?"

Well, Clark wasn't wrong about any of that. Nemesis couldn't help but think that if it were some other female hero, kitted out in leather, that she would be mildly concerned that her boyfriend was talking to her in the darkness of Central Park. That said, she knew his ambition was to write for the times, and Nemesis had never given a single interview. Even seeing her was a rare treat for the citizens.

"What do you think? Do I look like an urban legend, or am I quite real?" She asked, standing up a little straighter and jutting her chest out for him. "I mean, you are very drunk after all..."

Nemesis took a heavy breath, pushing aside her banter in favour of answers. She knew Clark was serious about this, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give him something useful.

"I've been doing this for around six years now. Sometimes it feels as though I am still only finding my feet, others it feels as though I have been doing this for an eternity. But I can't take a break. I've tried before; and failed miserably. What I do know is that I live and breathe this city. If there is corruption here I will find it, I will weed it out, and I will make this city worthy of the good people who live here."

"well uh" Clark said stuttering a bit as he took in her jutted chest "I mean your as real as you were in my dreams...."

"Oh shit" He said cursing "Uh that is to say my old dreams I mean I had a big crush on you before moving to the city and finding my girl friend..... Who I dream about now!"

"and note to self edit out my drunken ramblings" Clark murmured before clearing his throat "Its rare to find hero's now a days ever since the defenders were disbanded more and more hero's have disappeared do you have any comment on what happened? Did you know any of the defenders well?"

Nemesis couldn't help but chuckle at Clark's ramblings. He was amusing when he was drunk. She made a note to get drunk with him, out of disguise. So he used to dream about her? That made her far too warm and fuzzy inside.

"The Defenders? Their disbandment was, for lack of a better word, bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit. And no, I didn't join up. I was too-" she was about to say young but she stopped herself, not wanting to give away such hints. "We have different agendas. Right now my attention is for New York."

"I see" Clark said resisting the urge to pump his fist and say hell yes.

"Many of us agree on that front! But it sounds like you consider your self a hero for new york and new york alone why is that? Why do you feel the desire to protect this city so much?"

That was a question Emily always asked herself. And the answer was always the same.

"Big city, big job," she said with an attempt at a nonchalant shrug, "I don't want to let things slip here by focusing elsewhere. As far as I know Hell Cat and I are alone in what we do. Also, I need to sleep sometime." She added with a laugh.

"Of course of course" Clark said bobbing his head up and down as he checked the time.

"I think one more question" Clark said looking at her. His heart rate and his excitement picked up as he contemplated the question. It was clear the question was interesting to him.

"Do you have any one at home? Any loved ones" He finally asked clearing his throat.