tushanshu | 003 || [video]

[Lois is no Master Detective, but she's a Pulitzer winning journalist and she knows the tics in an interviewee.]

I met a woman by that name when I arrived. I'm sorry I didn't get to know her better than I did.

[Beat.] How's Earth or Water for a meeting? I'll buy the coffee if you buy the pastries.

[ Anyone who speaks kindly of Aunt Peggy earns points in Sharon's book. ]

There are some pretty good coffee shops in Earth sector. [ She texts over the name of one via encryption, not wanting the murderer to know it if he's listening in. ]

I'll meet you in half an hour?

Yeah, they know me pretty well in Earth Sector. [Lois notes which location and nods.] Done.

[So half an hour later will find her leaning on the counter, getting some trivia updates from the kedan baristas as she orders a couple cups of coffee.]

[ Sharon steps in and surveys the place before approaching. She isn't entirely sure this will be about the murders, but whether it's about that or hearing about Peggy, she's sure she'll find something worthwhile about it. She hopes it has something to do about the murders, though. She certainly wouldn't mind this woman having some clues. ]

Ma'am.

[Lois waves that off, handing Sharon a coffee.] Lois Lane--just call me Lois. Hope you can live with strong and black.

Not many other people have been too interested in the murders. ['Others.' Yep, she's interested.]

[ Strong, black coffee, and an interest in the murders. If she hadn't proposed to Steve a couple months ago, Sharon would probably be offering Lois a ring. ]

Which victims do you know about? If we're lucky, our names don't overlap.

[She'd have to handle the involvement of Lois' own husband--however that might manifest.]

Murder victims, primarily Hayley Stark, but my information's a little different, and it's got a price tag--if you want to call it that.

I'm an investigative reporter, Pulitzer winner. I've dealt with wars, serial killers, superheroes and villains, corrupt governments, megacorps, whatever--and this has superpowers from my world involved. You want my help on this.

[ Investigative reporter. That marriage proposal just got shelved indefinitely. She's quiet as she listens. ]

I have the same name.

[ She gives Lois a small smile. ] I'm not turning down your help. [ But that isn't to say she's going to trip over herself in a rush to help Lois right back. ]

There are superpowers where I'm from, too. I've worked with super-powered people for... years now, actually. Corrupt governments, too.

[ She takes a sip of her coffee. But she hasn't handled much in the way of serial killers. And Hayley Stark hadn't seemed comfortable dealing with Sharon at all. If Lois can make headway there... ]

What's the price tag?

[ Please, let it just be an exclusive. ]

I stay in on the investigation. I was looking for information at the time, and this is my job and my exclusive.

[Beat.]

And I may be able to come up with something more I remember if I see any potential suspects, or if I can see any reports on the bodies.

And he may try to finish paying me back for punching him in the face. I'd like to find him and pay him for putting me in the clinic for two weeks first.

[Interesting, no?]

[ Sharon sets her coffee on the table harder than she'd intended. Despite her surprise, she keeps her voice quiet. ]

You were one of his victims, too?

[ Her first thought is that this is excellent news. Another victim, more leads. Thankfully, she manages not to say it aloud. She leans forward. ]

Okay. You're in. I don't care about who gets the exclusive so long as we catch the guy, and you aren't a suspect in my book.

So what can you tell me?

[Lois smiles faintly. She thought that would grab attention.]

First any M.O. to track is most likely not going to be cause of death--not guaranteed, but likely.

You know this went down during Zatanna's little magical mishap?

If that's the incident where powers were switched, then yes, I heard. I'm hoping the person got someone else's powers. They attacked one victim with superspeed.

[ She leans back in her seat as she thinks. Maybe finding more victims isn't as good as she'd thought. If they were all killed in the same week, then it means the killer might have tried to sate himself while he could. That means they have no idea when he'll strike again. He can bide his time, plan carefully... She's starting to get a bad feeling about this. ]

They did. The powers belonged to eitherJor-El--Kryptonian working for Wayne Enterprises--or his son Kal-El. He tends to go by Superman in my world. We've been friends for years.

My best guess is that he--pretty sure we're looking for a he--got Superman's and I got Jor-El's.

The victim they got with superspeed--not Hayley?

[ She has to blink at the mention of Superman. Aliens, she can handle. Someone running around calling himself "Superman?" That takes some effort.

And then she remembers that she had a relationship with someone called Captain America. ]

No, not Hayley. The person isn't... recovering as well as I'd hope. If they say it's okay to give you their name, I'll pass it on. Until then, let's just go with no.

Do you know how Hayley was killed? I think I struck her as nosy.

[Blame Lois for the name. She was a lot younger then.

She shakes her head.]

I don't, though if I can see a report on the crime scene I can probably guess. Like I said, I've known Superman for years--we're talking more than fifteen--and I know his power set pretty well.

I can talk to Hayley, or find out who she might have or will talk to, and if she'll let them talk to me.

I think that would be best. [ Sharon's way of getting information usually involves bloodshed, and that might not be conducive to solving the murder. ]

I've got a couple questions, though. Obviously, you came back to life, too. Where did you come back, though? Did he bother dumping you somewhere, or were you picked up by the authorities?

[Lois leaves bloodshed-inducing questionings to Batman.]

I said he put me in the clinic for two weeks. He never managed to kill me.

Though the only reason for that--both injury and my surviving--is that the spell went down when it did.

[ So he hadn't managed to kill everyone. Sharon takes a sip of her coffee. It's turned lukewarm, and she absently, silently taps her fingers against the cup. ]

I think I need to hear details. As much as you can tell me.

Like I said, I think he got Superman's powers and not Jor-El's. They were the only two Kryptonians who lost powers at the time, and I had the other set.

He was stronger than me, though. It's why I think I had Jor-El's.

I'd picked up a thing or two, not much to go on, but what little I'd heard pointed to it being whoever got the other set--we weren't sure which was which at the time. So I went hunting. We got into a fight. I'm sure there were witnesses, kedan if not foreigners, it was pretty unmistakable. The spell went down, I lost the invulnerability, he got pretty close to killing me. [She shrugs.] Superman got to me in time.

[Yes, she really is this blasé about it.]

Edited (demmit dw let me finish my tags) 2013-11-17 06:36 (UTC)

[ Blasé is good. Sharon would rather deal with someone who's blasé than overemotional. ]

Is there any list of who got what power that week? It might help to eliminate more suspects.

[Lois shakes her head.] You'd have to do a lot of digging, or check the network, but things were pretty confused. And I'm sure not everyone spoke up about it. And I don't know of any kedan involved, but that doesn't mean there weren't any. Could be we're looking for one of them.

[She pauses.]

I can tell you we're probably looking for a man. I'm sorry I didn't think to take a look under what hid his face.

Could you tell anything about body texture from when you two fought? Get a glimpse of skin color?

[ If Lois fought the man long enough to fight with him, they might be able to scrounge up some details nonetheless. ]

Approximate height? I know he's taller than 5'10, but if you could narrow it down...

[Lois grimaces.] No texture or color--skin, hair, or eyes. I'm sorry, I didn't think to check underneath the mask while I had a chance.

[The second question, however, is almost automatically answered.] Six feet, I think, and one-eighty to one-ninety or so. Give or take either way. Skinny bastard.

[Well, compared to her husband. And yes, she knows the height and weight that well because she's intimately acquainted with those the usual possessor of those superpowers.]

[ That rules out a few people as well. Good. ]

Muscular? Wiry?

Edited 2013-11-21 02:35 (UTC)

Wiry, but still reasonably strong--just not built along the brick wall you couldn't move with a truck lines.

[Is that a trace of amused appreciation in her voice? Maybe a little.]

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