WHO: Clark Kent and OPEN. WHAT: A hero can only keep his head down for but so long. WHEN: Evening. WHERE: Lawrence, Kansas. RATING: PG-13.
The vigilante work that Clark had invested in back when he had been in Metropolis had come to a standstill from the moment that Clark had been zapped into Lawrence. Trapped in a world that was not his own, the Kryptonian decided to keep his head down and play it safe for a while. Figure out the new territory, re-learn the rules of the land. Demons, ghosts, elements of the supernatural; it was all so very different from what he was used to back at home. Home was a place filled with science experiments gone wrong, every day criminal masterminds, meteorite infected citizens, and aliens looking to either end the world or to destroy him because of who he was. While the chances of him being on the common radar for the most fun target to play with had been slimmed down, Clark found that he still, surprisingly, missed playing the role of undercover hero. A blur, whisking through the city streets, saving lives and leaving those who were once in distress safely out of harms way.
Tonight, things were different. They were beginning to settle into that apartment complex that they all had worked so hard to set up and the demons who had been after them seemed to be keeping to themselves for the time being. With those factors in mind, Clark decided that he had to do more with himself than spend all his time checking up on Lois, working at the market, and seeking out various items to make his living space more comfortable. He had reached the conclusion long ago that he had his powers for a reason. He had tried to hide them for years at first, but after making that big move to the city and the Daily Planet, Clark had learned differently.
He was meant to do this. Keeping people safe, making sure that the bad guys didn't win. His father had always claimed that his purpose was to save the world.
Except Clark refused to distance himself from it. Becoming alien, ignoring his humanity, his family, his friends - it was too much. Jor-El had high expectations of him, but Clark could not turn his back one what he loved. However, that did not necessarily mean that he had to shy away from what he was capable of at the same time. He could multitask. Even if his attachment to human life did make him weaker.
Eyes closed, Clark used his enhanced hearing to listen. Not to just the area around him, but everywhere. All across the city, he could hear people talking, cars zipping their way through the streets, the clinking of glass and silverware through restaurants, the sounds of feet stomping down stars. And then a sudden rise lifted into the chorus of every day music, breaking Clark's attention away from the various noises and onto a single, high pitched chord: the sound of a woman screaming.
"Let go! Gimme your purse!"
Clark's eyes snapped open and he sped off across the city, his body nothing more than a red and blue blur of color as he sped his way toward the increasing sound of trouble. He skidded to a halt into an open alley, blue eyes locking on a masked man trying to haul a purse from the hands of a mousy looking woman.