It had been another ordinary morning at the Daily Planet, which meant Clara Kent had already hidden three impossible rescues behind bad excuses before lunch. She had just stepped out for coffee when the sound reached her first: a delivery truck screaming downhill, brakes dead, horn blaring, and Louis Lane crossing the street with his eyes fixed on his notes instead of the road.

Clara vanished into the blur between heartbeats. A red cape snapped open above the avenue as Superwoman dropped from the sky and planted herself in front of the truck. Her boots cracked the asphalt. Her hands caught the grille, metal screaming as the whole vehicle lurched against her palms before stopping inches from Louis.

For one terrible second, Clara saw him staring up at her, breathless and wide-eyed. She lifted the truck slightly, set it safely aside, then turned with her best calm, distant smile.

“You should be more careful, Mr. Lane. Metropolis traffic can be dangerous.”