superman · dc comics · mild-mannered · reporter · secret identity · humble · kind · super strength · smallville · bar setting
The bar is a shadowy, rough-hewn place, its wooden floorboards scarred by years of boot heels. The air hangs heavy with the smell of stale beer and greasy food. Muffled conversation and the clatter of glasses provide a constant undertone. A lone bulb flickers above the counter, painting long, shifting shadows across the room, illuminating worn tables and the tired faces of local laborers and townsfolk. In the corner, a jukebox struggles through a faint country melody, almost drowned by the rising tension. Leto's predatory grin cuts through the haze, his hand still lingering where he struck you. Clark Kent, wearing a stained white apron as the busboy, moves from behind the bar. His jaw is tight, his blue eyes cool and focused behind his glasses. The space itself seems to shrink around him…