Swabs & Needles [Clark]

[zara]

Zara had had a fair bit of free time since she had started work. By free time she meant no real taxing jobs. Everything she had been given was pretty much simple to her and so she would go in, finish up what she was given and continue to wander around and meet more people who worked for SHIELD. It was a blissfully dull routine.

However today was to be different. On her way to her lab she had been told that a Superman, would be on his way down to her lab. She was to take some sample of his DNA and to start working on what exactly it was that made him, well, Superman. DNA like that was quite obviously not human and so she wasn't entirely sure if her normal sequencing would work but it would be worth a try. Finally a challenge.

She had taken file off the agent and gave a smile before continuing in the direction of her lab. She walked in and sat down at the desk and opened up the file skimming through the contents. It amazed her at times how quickly SHIELD managed to pull things together. This guy had just appeared and they were already on top of it and wanting to know what was behind his heroic nature. After skimming through Zara was back on her feet and started to rummage through her lab looking for things she would need.

[Deleted]

( Psst. She wouldn't know he was Clark Kent. )

In order to process Superman in the SHIELD database, and therefore give him official security clearance as a superhero respentative, he had to submit himself to the same sort of testing that everybody else went through. Colonel Fury had gone over the basics of the tests:

[/color] His friendly smile showed nearly all of his teeth, and the extending of his hand to her only emphasized his affable nature. "I'm Kal-El, though most everybody seems to call me Superman."

[zara]

((Sorry! I modified the first post so she doesn't know. Thanks for pointing it out. ^_^))

Zara heard the knock and had just finished pulling out the needles from the drawer. She straightened up and turned around to see Superman in her lab. He introduced himself and extended his hand. She popped the needles and tubes onto the desk before giving him a smile and shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you Kal." she said, "You can call me Zara." Formalities were kept for people she did not like. So far she did not feel uneasy around him but if he proved her wrong he would go back to Doctor. "Do you prefer Superman?"

"Do you ever dress without the cape? I can't imagine it's very comfortable." Zara said taking a look at him and then turning back around to find her swabs and jars. Apparently she would be doing a few of the physical exams on the people who were being rolled into SHIELD. Placing everything into a tray Zara motioned over to a chair and said, "Take a seat." She sat herself down on one of the chair and waited for him.

[Deleted]

In his own universe, people respected the Man of Steel so highly that they would immediately resort to calling him Superman. But to the people of this other universe, he was not nearly as well-known. That was why Zara so casually referred to him as "Kal" and asked him about his preferred nomenclature. In all honesty, he liked it. He had reached such an impossibly high status on his own Earth that it had begun to chafe on the podium that he'd been placed on. He was still human, with all of the self-esteem of one.

"I prefer whatever you're most comfortable with, Dr. O'Riley -- Zara." He gave her that boyish smile, doing his best to put both her and himself at ease. After all, he didn't have the easy rapport with people from the other universe like he did with his own.

"Capes were a custom on my home planet. They were expected of those in high positions, and were an essential part of formal attire for both scientists and warriors. My father was a highly admired scientist, as were most in the House of El. I wear this to remind me that even though they're long since gone, they'll always be with me - not just my family, but my entire planet." Although his words could be construed as harsh and blunt, his tone of voice and body language ensured that they weren't. His voice was soft yet confident, as if he were just casually explaining his own history like it was nothing, while his posture in the chair was completely relaxed. Even his legs were crossed and his hands resting on his thighs, showing just how non-chalant he was. What finished it off was the friendly smile on his face, showing how much he enjoyed explaining his people's culture to a new person. "But to answer your question, yes, I do. My first uniform was sans cape, actually. I still wear it occasionally, especially to events where more casual attire than a cape is required." His smile only widened.

Seeing the various instruments that the doctor pulled out, Superman opened his mouth for a moment, but then decided simply to close it. He was going to explain how fruitless the act would be, but then decided that it might be better to simply show her. "Okay then. But be careful. I'm afraid of needles." He grinned at his own irony while he took a seat, making sure to adjust his cape before he did so. One of the sleeves of his blue suit were rolled up to above his elbow, showing his muscled, unmarked forearms.

[zara]

She returned his smile before saying, ”Kal it is then.” If he did have a problem he could easily tell her. As he began to explain to her about capes Zara began to set up her syringes. Zara looked up at him. ”I don’t think I could pull off a cape.” She was happy sitting in her white lab coat. A cape to her would be quite a hinderance. As she fitted the needle in Zara asked him, ”Do you miss home?” She was curious. Homesickness was something that she experienced despite the fact that she had lived her for many years now. It made her feel very low and she would cut herself off from people around her. Not the best way of dealing with it, perhaps, but the Zara way of dealing with it.

”Well, it’s a very nice cape.” Zara settled on complimenting his attire. ”Don’t you ever just chill out in like jeans, no cape?” This was Zara. She met someone and it was constant questions. She enjoyed learning about people. Everyone was different and being brought into this job meant more different than usual. And sure looking at their genetic make up was great but getting to know them was also good. So far, Kal seemed to be a pretty decent guy.

He had sat himself down and Zara finished setting up. Picking up an alco-wipe she moved towards him. ”Really? It’s surprising how many people are afraid of them.” She ripped the packet of the alco-wipe open and then wiped the area of his forearm. ”I’ll be gentle.” Zara said giving him another smile. She put the tourniquet around his arm and tightened it slightly. She watched the veins appear before picking one and grabbing a needle. Zara took a moment before pressing the needle against his skin expecting it to sink in like with anyone else. The tip of the needle snapped off and Zara’s eyes widened. ”Oh,” was all that came out of her mouth.

[Deleted]

Kal. Back on his world, people would be so worried to call him by his Kryptonian name. Use of "Kal" was usually reserved for those extremely close to him but who also related to his feelings of alienation, such as Diana or J'onn. To hear someone so casually refer to him as such, it was both odd as well as welcomed. His feelings were mixed, to say the least.

"All of the time." Of course, he meant both of his homes: his unknown family on Krypton, as well as his idyllic and simple childhood in Smallville. Though he couldn't remember Krypton, he still wished that it had still lived. To know what his people were like, to see the sights he had only glimpsed in computer simulations, to hug his parents...he would give anything. But that was only a part of him. The other side of him truly loved Earth and couldn't imagine a life without his Ma and Pa, not to mention Lana, Pete, Chloe, Lois - even Lex, in some small way. It was the terrible feeling of being a boy of one world and a man of another, the dichotomy of Kryptonian vs. human. "I was only a child when I came to Earth. Even though I was raised as a human, I still miss it. Everybody wants to feel like they belong." Though it was a bit somber, he smiled nonetheless, showing just what kept him going through all of the tough times: hope and happiness.

"It's funny that you mention that. When I first started, jeans were my clothes of choice. I had this-- He used his hands to motion around his torso and shoulders. "--red leather jacket that I wore, too, before the cape. Sometimes I still get the old jacket and jeans out just for fun, or like I said, when I'm attending something casual where a cape would really be out of place." This is what he missed the most on his Earth. He couldn't just kick back and chat with people, not as Superman, at least. It brought a genuine feeling of euphoria through him.

"What about you?" As she prepared his arm for the injection, his almost glowing blue eyes looked up at her. "Your accent. Ireland - Dublin, if I'm hearing it right. I spent a little time there when I was younger." Clark remembered it exactly - dealing with a group of hooligans who attempted to slice his mouth open in a twisted smile, only to have the knife break against his inner cheek. "Beautiful coastline, I must say."

But then their conversation was interrupted by the needle bending and subsequently breaking against his flesh like a pencil on steel. He met her surprised expression with the smirk of a rascal, knowing full well that he should have told her. "Did I forget to mention why they call me 'Super'man, exactly?"

[zara]

She wasn’t too surprised that he missed home. There weren’t many people she came across that after they had left home had no longing to ever return. People who did say good riddance were usually those with bad experiences. She had moved because of a bad experience and still longed to be at home. Zara nodded in understanding to Kal’s words. ”I get you. It’s still a part of you even though you may not have been there for long.” It must have been harder for him. Home for her meant saving up and moving across the country not moving planets.

”Oh ok, I must see this jacket.” Zara told him with a grin. ”And the jeans. I’d like to see what you look like when you aren’t a hero.” All sorts of them walked through her lab. But the majority of people she dealt with ended up being out of costume. Removed from being a superhero while she tested them. With Kal it seemed to be his own walking brand. The cape and ‘S’. She was struggling to think of what he’d be like on a day to day basis.

Her cheeks filled with red as he pin pointed her accent. Zara gave a small laugh, ”I’ve been here for years and I can’t shake off the accent.” No matter how hard she tried it had stuck and Zara had given up trying to take on the American accent. ”It’s stunning. I miss home but I’m getting used to this place.” It was true. Ireland would always be her love but it had been a lot quieter than her life now. Her job had been frowned upon by many people. It was just easier here.

When Zara saw his expression to the needle breaking, she swatted his arm lightly. ”Yes, as it goes Kal, you forgot to mention it.” There was a smile on her face. She swore sometimes that heros could be trouble as well, in their own ways. Zara turned around and put the broken needle on the table. ”Can I swab the inside of your mouth or will that not work either?” Zara asked him. She had picked the swabs up and had turned back to him.

[Deleted]

"Well, I don't think that'll ever happen." The Man of Steel looked up at her, a serious look on his face that seemed to give the impression that he was denying her. "I'm always a hero." A small smile appeared, letting her know that he had been kidding. "One of my fathers had put it like this: 'There can be no greater challenge for a Superman than to dedicate his life to protecting the lives of others.'" It was Jor-El, or rather the artificial intelligence of Jor-El housed in the Fortress of Solitude, that had told him that. But it had been Jonathan Kent who had taught him that it was just as important to be happy as well, something that he now remembered.

"But perhaps on the rare chance that the world isn't on the brink of destruction..." His smile grew, even though he realized that he had been unintentionally flirting. Was this flirting? He didn't always know. When he was hiding behind the glasses, he was so used to looking away and remaining silent that when he put on the Superman persona, he just wanted to smile and be free. In a way, the cape was his mask, liberating him and showing the world what he could really do; but as Clark, as himself, the glasses and the shyness were who he truly wanted to be accepted as.

When Zara slapped his arm, Superman couldn't help but grin. He plucked the remaining portion of the needle off of his arm and, holding it between the tips of his forefinger and thumb, crushed it into nothing - literally, with the needle itself disintegrating. Okay, so maybe it was a bit of showing off, but the cat was already out of the bag.

To answer her question, he shook his head lightly. "My body doesn't shed cells. Hardened molecular structure, invisible force field...there are a lot of elements at work." All he could do was give her a welcoming, but small, smile. "I guess you'll have to just take notes and figure out other ways of documenting whatever you need. I'll help out however I can."

[zara]

”Seriously? Like don’t you get any holidays?” Zara teased him. She knew that being a hero had to be hard going. No one knew when some nut job or other worldly force was going to decide to be that extra bit of crazy and attack. But it was exactly that that she imagined was the struggle. As a hero it seemed your life was no longer your own. You truly did dedicate it to saving others. It was a rather selfless thing to do and she took her hat off to them.

Zara then laughed quietly and said, ”I’m going to hold you to that.” It would be interesting to see him without the Superman part. Some people dramatically changed when they weren’t in their armor or costume. Zara wondered if he was the same. Though it might be some time before the world was not under destruction. Everything seemed to be up in the air with people they had no idea about turning up. Hence why Kal was currently sitting here with her now.

The rest of her needle had been crushed between his fingers and Zara eventually said, ”I can do that to you know. I just choose not to.” There was a grin on her face. She liked how comfortable she felt with Kal. There had been a range of people in and out of her lab and some had been fantastically easy to get on with and others had probably got a bruise on the arse from how quick she had shut the door on their way out. So far Kal wasn’t going to get a bruise... not that he could get one.

She was playing with the swabs, turning them between her fingers when Kal explained to her. ”Nice. They want me to genetics work without sample. Good. Yes. Nice.” Sometimes she felt that the SHIELD agents that weren’t in the science field gave the labs whatever and hoped for the best. Zara was uo to rising for the challenge though. ”I guess you just being cooperative is helpful at the moment. I’m just trying tothink what observations I could do.” The last part had been mumbled.

Zara was up and out of the chair sticking the swabs away. She moved to get a notebook and pen and stood looking at Kal for a second before jotting some things down. Zara then sat down and pulled his file to her flicking through it. ”Do you ever wish life was a little more simple?” she asked not looking up from his paperwork.

[Deleted]

"Holidays? You mean like a day off?" His lips drew inward for a moment, and then he firmly shook his head just once. "I could be cliche right now and say something along the lines of, 'Crime doesn't take a holiday.'" For the last bit, he adopted a deep, hoarse voice, doing his own impression of a certain caped crusader. It was something that Bruce would definitely say. He smiled after his impersonation. "As long as I hear people crying out for help, I'm going to be there for them. We all have our roles to play in life, and this one is mine." He didn't sound at all upset by it, though. It was a noble calling, and he was proud to do it.

"I'm sure you can." The Man of Steel grinned, and then they moved on to a totally different subject. Apparently Zara had found something interesting in his file, as she asked him a poignant question without looking up from the folder. At first, Clark moved his head back, clearly taken offguard by the question. After a moment of collecting his thoughts, though, he finally spoke.

"When I was younger, I used to. A lot. I would ask my father, 'Why me? Why do I have these gifts while the other kids only have to worry about homework and girls? And why can't I use them for myself without feeling absolutely terrible?' And finally, he turned to me one day and he said, 'It doesn't matter what you can do. You just have to decide what kind of a man you want to grow up to be. Whether that man is a good character or bad, he's going to change the world. But either way, you will always be my son.'" It was clearly emotional for the superhero, who now had his fist up in front of his mouth while his glowing blue eyes nearly teared up. After a couple of moments, he took a deep breath, and then a smile once again washed over him. He didn't face her, though, and instead stared off out of a nearby window, his head held a bit high. "But now, I think about all of the good that I've done in the world. I think about how much humanity can accomplish and how much I can help them achieve their dreams. When I see other heroes use my example to do good, and when I see how far world unity has come on my own Earth, it gives me a feeling inside that I can't even begin to describe. When that warmth comes over me, that's when I know my sacrifices weren't in vain. I know I made the right choice in who I grew up to be."

Finally, he pulled himself out of his little trance, rapidly blinking a few times. "So, doctor. About those tests..." Clearly, he realized that maybe he had said a bit too much.

[zara]

”A day. A week. A holiday.” Zara confirmed. When he spoke she groaned and look at him, ”No, please don’t use the cliches.” If he did though he would be the perfect stereotyped superhero. Costume, good looks and cliches. Wasn’t that what the books usually outlined. ”Some people have greatness thrust upon them.” Zara commented as he told her that it was his role in life. If he was happy then fair enough. But she felt it was somewhat unfair. If she ever got unhappy she could walk away from her job. Could he do the same without a care?

Her pen continued to run across the jotter quickly. Her handwriting was illegible to most and even she could only just about make it out later on. As the super man spoke she looked up. To see him upset made her feel a little uncomfortable. This woman had stayed as clear away from people as possible. And when she had come into contact with people they had been scientists, people who were not willing or had the time to show emotion. Zara moved hesitantly towards him. Thankfully the moment seemed to pass over him and Zara relaxed slightly, she obviously needed to get out more.

”There’s no doubt in my mind that what you do for this world is good.” she said quietly. ”I won’t say this to every super, because some of them have egos that are ridiculously large. Heck, I won’t say this to the average human being because I hate feeing egos, but I admire how much belief you have in all this. The saving people and making things better.”

Then he asked about the tests and Zara gave him a smile, ”Your hair... is it superglued to your scalp or can I take a few stands. Also, a sperm sample if your willing.” Zara turned away and picked up a plastic tub with a lid on it before turning back to him. ”No rush with this one if you agree.”

[Deleted]

When Zara professed her admiration for his belief, the caped hero responded with a small yet emotional smile. With so much happening in the world, it was nice to know that the average human being still believed in people like him. It completely reaffirmed his belief in humanity. "I admit that some heroes can be...misguided." Booster Gold being one that immediately came to his mind. "But nobody wakes up and decides to fight crime in colorful costumes for no reason at all. They believe just as much as I do, even if they don't always show it." ...with Booster Gold again coming to mind. "But please, for my sake, cut them some slack. They have a lot on their shoulders. I'm not in this alone, you know." Then came his boyish smile. A smile which abruptly vanished. "Sperm...sample." If he had been drinking water at the time, the Man of Steel might have spit it out from shock. Sure, he knew that it was a way of obtaining his DNA, but the way that she had so casually asked for the sample was what got him. After a moment, he brought his hand up to his scalp, where his index finger and thumb took a strand of hair between them. What followed looked like he simply pulled out a single strand of hair like a regular person would, but in reality, thousands - if not millions - of tons of force from his arm was required to pull out the lone piece. With a smile, he presented it to her, arm held out with the hair shaft sticking out from between his fingers. As for the cup that was now held out to him, Superman eyed it for a few moments as if he was a caveman and the cup was a newly discovered flame. Slowly, gently, his hand wrapped around the plastic receptacle. "I...uh...is it really necessary?"

[zara]

Misguided? That could be a word for it. The few that she had met had been quite varied in their personalities. Just like most people really if she thought about it. ”I guess you’re right.” Zara said. Heck if anyone should have understood a difficulty in trying to express their feelings, it should be her. Zara stopped and gave him a look. ”Ok... I’ll cut them a bit of slack.” Maybe she needed to be more understanding towards people. When Superman pulled the hair from his head she gave an appreciative smile. Taking the hair Zara carefully deposited it into a container and put the lid on. She didn’t want to go losing these things.

When he repeated the words ‘sperm sample’ Zara just smiled at him. To her most of the things she should possibly be more hushed about she was brash about. It took a lot to make her squirm but Zara respected the fact that he may be a bit more reserved. When he asked if it was necessary, Zara shook her head. ”No. I won’t make you do something you’re uncomfortable with. I should be alright with the hair.” Zara admitted. The only reason she tended to take more than one sample was for accuracy.