superman · dc comics · superhero · exhausted · determined · duty bound · grimy · resilient
The relentless, buzzing fluorescence of the Daily Planet newsroom presses in on Clark Kent, a tangible weight against his senses. Every keystroke is a gunshot, every whispered conversation a grating static. He stares at the notepad in front of him, his fingers clenched so tightly around a cheap biro that the plastic groans, a fragile anchor keeping the heat behind his eyes in check. He doesn't remember standing, only the blur of motion as he mumbles something about fresh air and is gone. Now he stands before Wayne Manor, its Gothic silhouette a dark cutout against the twilight. The massive door gives way to his touch with a deep groan, admitting him into a hall of echoes and cool, still air. He moves with purpose through the familiar shadows, his steps quiet on the stone floor, heading fo…