Perfect Little Accidents: Part-Time
I've been thinking about this little scene for a while and when I saw a prompt that fit it I decided to try and write it. Not sure how well I did, First in the Perfect Little Accidents series in my Revelations-verse.
Title: Perfect Little Accidents: Part-Time
Prompt: Farewell
Word Count: 836
Summary: Superman has some… unexpected news for Commissioner Henderson.
Author's Notes: First in my Perfect Little Accidents series which takes place during Clark's two years as a stay-at-home Dad in Revelations. This fic takes place right after Lucy and Ella are born.
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Deputy Commissioner Henderson's office was literally buried in paperwork. There were files and forms spread all over his desk and balanced precariously on chairs and shelves.
"When was that computer age kicking in again?" he asked himself, signing several documents and searching for the correct pile to put them in.
He thought he might have located the right one but just as he set them down the sound of his door opening unexpectedly made him jump and turn towards it.
His elbow caught on a large pile on the edge of his desk but he barely had time to despair at the hours of re-filing when the papers were saved from disaster by a hand attached to a familiar blue and red clad figure.
"Superman!"
"Deputy Commissioner Henderson," the caped hero replied, nodding. "Catching up on some paperwork?" he asked, looking around the office with amusement and Henderson couldn't help a faint twinge of embarrassment at the state it was in.
"Yeah," he sighed, "I've got tons of stuff to sign off on and then there's a... well, a man in Oregon causing some problems and they think he might have started offending out here thirty-odd years ago. Now I'm stuck looking through the case files no one's had time to turn digital yet."
"That sounds a bit… below a Deputy Commissioner," Superman commented, clearing some of the files and sitting down.
Henderson tried not to let the surprise show on his face. Most times the Man of Steel came around it was for a two-minute update on the current crimes and goings on in the city then off to stop another bank robbery. He seemed to be in for more than a quick chat-and-fly tonight.
"Special favour for an old friend," he explained, "they think he might have contacts here who don't know who he really is and we don't want them unknowingly tipping him off."
"Oh, okay," Superman replied, nodding, "I can't imagine that's much fun."
Henderson put down his pen and leaned back in his chair, giving the other man his full attention. "What's going on?" he asked bluntly.
Superman was known for a lot of things. Making idle small talk was not one of them.
"I… have a…" he started, frowning as if choosing his words carefully, "I have something to tell you," he said finally.
"Oooookay," Henderson nodded, trying in vain to read Superman's face which remained stubbornly blank.
"I'm not going to be around much for the next while."
"You're leaving?" Henderson explained, his jaw falling open in shock.
Superman looked surprised and hurried to correct him. "No! No, I didn't come to say goodbye or anything. Just… I won't be around much for the next while," he explained carefully, repeating his earlier statement.
Henderson wasn't sure what to make of that at all. His baffled feeling must have shown on his face because Superman elaborated. Or tried to at any rate.
"Something… happened recently," he said very vaguely, "and I've had to make some pretty big decisions some of which mean I may not be as… available to help the general public as I am now."
The Commissioner massaged his temples, trying to wrap his head around what he was being told. "So you're still going to be around though?" he asked after a while, thinking of all the men he'd lost in the line of duty if not for Metropolis' bulletproof caped hero.
"Yes," Superman nodded, "but I won't be around for everything." He frowned again and continued, "I mean to say… I'll still be around for the big things, but I'm not going to be sticking around for the clean up afterwards."
Henderson nodded slowly, starting to understand what he was being told. But… "Why are you telling me this?"
Superman seemed surprised at the question. "Someone's going to notice," he told him, "I thought it would be a good idea to tell you it was going to happen beforehand."
"Okay," Henderson said, nodding.
This is not what he'd expected from this night at all. Of course he wasn't naïve enough to think Superman scaling back his crime-fighting efforts wouldn't have an impact once criminals noticed, but nor was he young enough to think the world couldn't handle itself even if he disappeared completely (and they had done that before too).
"I don't suppose I'd get an answer if I asked why?" he inquired, almost to himself as he already knew the answer.
"No," Superman admitted, looking like he truly regretted it, "I can't tell you, I'm sorry."
"Well," Henderson said, as the man opposite him rose from his chair to leave. "If anyone ever deserved to take some time for himself it's you. And what ever it is you are doing for the next while- Good luck."
"Thank you," Superman replied, his expression softening into a smile, "I think I'm going to need it."
Henderson sat for a while once the other man left before throwing down his pen and putting on his jacket to leave.
He might as well take a night off while he still had a chance.
--
Reviews are love!
Title: Perfect Little Accidents: Part-Time
Prompt: Farewell
Word Count: 836
Summary: Superman has some… unexpected news for Commissioner Henderson.
Author's Notes: First in my Perfect Little Accidents series which takes place during Clark's two years as a stay-at-home Dad in Revelations. This fic takes place right after Lucy and Ella are born.
--
Deputy Commissioner Henderson's office was literally buried in paperwork. There were files and forms spread all over his desk and balanced precariously on chairs and shelves.
"When was that computer age kicking in again?" he asked himself, signing several documents and searching for the correct pile to put them in.
He thought he might have located the right one but just as he set them down the sound of his door opening unexpectedly made him jump and turn towards it.
His elbow caught on a large pile on the edge of his desk but he barely had time to despair at the hours of re-filing when the papers were saved from disaster by a hand attached to a familiar blue and red clad figure.
"Superman!"
"Deputy Commissioner Henderson," the caped hero replied, nodding. "Catching up on some paperwork?" he asked, looking around the office with amusement and Henderson couldn't help a faint twinge of embarrassment at the state it was in.
"Yeah," he sighed, "I've got tons of stuff to sign off on and then there's a... well, a man in Oregon causing some problems and they think he might have started offending out here thirty-odd years ago. Now I'm stuck looking through the case files no one's had time to turn digital yet."
"That sounds a bit… below a Deputy Commissioner," Superman commented, clearing some of the files and sitting down.
Henderson tried not to let the surprise show on his face. Most times the Man of Steel came around it was for a two-minute update on the current crimes and goings on in the city then off to stop another bank robbery. He seemed to be in for more than a quick chat-and-fly tonight.
"Special favour for an old friend," he explained, "they think he might have contacts here who don't know who he really is and we don't want them unknowingly tipping him off."
"Oh, okay," Superman replied, nodding, "I can't imagine that's much fun."
Henderson put down his pen and leaned back in his chair, giving the other man his full attention. "What's going on?" he asked bluntly.
Superman was known for a lot of things. Making idle small talk was not one of them.
"I… have a…" he started, frowning as if choosing his words carefully, "I have something to tell you," he said finally.
"Oooookay," Henderson nodded, trying in vain to read Superman's face which remained stubbornly blank.
"I'm not going to be around much for the next while."
"You're leaving?" Henderson explained, his jaw falling open in shock.
Superman looked surprised and hurried to correct him. "No! No, I didn't come to say goodbye or anything. Just… I won't be around much for the next while," he explained carefully, repeating his earlier statement.
Henderson wasn't sure what to make of that at all. His baffled feeling must have shown on his face because Superman elaborated. Or tried to at any rate.
"Something… happened recently," he said very vaguely, "and I've had to make some pretty big decisions some of which mean I may not be as… available to help the general public as I am now."
The Commissioner massaged his temples, trying to wrap his head around what he was being told. "So you're still going to be around though?" he asked after a while, thinking of all the men he'd lost in the line of duty if not for Metropolis' bulletproof caped hero.
"Yes," Superman nodded, "but I won't be around for everything." He frowned again and continued, "I mean to say… I'll still be around for the big things, but I'm not going to be sticking around for the clean up afterwards."
Henderson nodded slowly, starting to understand what he was being told. But… "Why are you telling me this?"
Superman seemed surprised at the question. "Someone's going to notice," he told him, "I thought it would be a good idea to tell you it was going to happen beforehand."
"Okay," Henderson said, nodding.
This is not what he'd expected from this night at all. Of course he wasn't naïve enough to think Superman scaling back his crime-fighting efforts wouldn't have an impact once criminals noticed, but nor was he young enough to think the world couldn't handle itself even if he disappeared completely (and they had done that before too).
"I don't suppose I'd get an answer if I asked why?" he inquired, almost to himself as he already knew the answer.
"No," Superman admitted, looking like he truly regretted it, "I can't tell you, I'm sorry."
"Well," Henderson said, as the man opposite him rose from his chair to leave. "If anyone ever deserved to take some time for himself it's you. And what ever it is you are doing for the next while- Good luck."
"Thank you," Superman replied, his expression softening into a smile, "I think I'm going to need it."
Henderson sat for a while once the other man left before throwing down his pen and putting on his jacket to leave.
He might as well take a night off while he still had a chance.
--
Reviews are love!