Life changed always around him, his own life and that of others. Most people were used to change, but usually with what was considered standard change like growing up, moving out of home, and so on. The type of change people in his line of work went through was something else. The change in his powers for example had come out of nowhere. It wasn't like he just hit puberty. He had already gotten used to the idea that his powers would consist of strength and a few enhanced senses, but the moment he forgot about ever wanting to be anything else, they changed. He wondered even then what had triggered the change. Had it been him or someone else? Had it been Dr. Spencer or the mysterious N.O.W.H.E.R.E.? The way his friends treated him wasn't different, but the view of the world towards him definitely had. For starters, they now knew he existed.
He understood that change was a natural part of , he wondered if there would a time when the change would be more about a change of uniform or a new girlfriend. Instead of having a puzzle dropped on his lap about his real origin and the purpose he was created for.
As he thought of what he read in Dr. Spencer's letter the more he realized that maybe things would always be this jumbled. The changes would keep on coming like a train wreck throwing him off every single waking moment of his life. Well, at least he wasn't bored.
If things have gone as planned, Lois Lane will bring you the other half of the card. I know this will leave you with more questions than answers, but I believe that you, Ms. Lane and those you trust will be able to eventually make sense of this. I know you Project Kr, and I know you are wondering why I am not giving you all that you need to know to fight our enemy; N.O.W.H.E.R.E. but the truth is that I am. Knowing too much at once could be your downfall or the death of someone close to you. I ask you to trust me like you used to. I ask you to believe that no matter what you hear and see, you trust in yourself. You are not just a clone, you never have been.
He sat in silence as Lois read the letter after him. She too was silent after she finished reading it.
Lois couldn't help to be remembered of her mother since then long gone. This woman, for whatever reason, had betrayed this organization and gone to help this boy. He was not her son, but she wondered if seeing him being created had brought this change of heart. Or was it something else they didn't know yet? Maybe she had been saved by Superman. Surely she had little to no contact with Luthor, and if she did it wasn't because of him that she cared to protect Conner. The man left a very bitter taste in your mind after meeting him. Not that Conner was a weakling or anything, but she could see the confusion that all of this brought him. He didn't show it, but she didn't need to be psychic to know it was not something he had expected in his life, cape or no cape.
After finding Dr. Spencer's hiding place, Conner wondered if she was still on the run. With this letter and the one that Lois received, he believed she was and felt a heavy weight lift off him. Still, what she was writing to him was making the detail of Luthor being his human donor seems like a trivial matter. When she wrote that he was more than just a clone, he believed she was not just giving him kind words.
He picked the two cards and placed them together. He was not a technological genius, but the moment they turned into one, he sensed this was technology he had not come across before. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up on alert as the shield in the center of the card started blinking red. He placed the card on the small table and watched as the card turned black, but the shield remained a steady red. He had heard Lois gasp before she rushed to close the curtains and turned off the lights. He didn't know how she knew this, but it was the right thing to do.
Once they were emerged in darkness with the red S shining it floated on the table until it was a few inches from his face. Something like a scanner came on and scanned his face before it pulled back a few feet and started projecting an image.
N.O.W.H.E.R.E.
White letters floated in from of them. There was no logo just white letters. Then it displayed something like a letter. Lois knew the format well. She had seen her father write military orders before. Whoever N.O.W.H.E.R.E. was, they were not playing games.
August 16, 2017
To: All active N.O.W.H.E.R.E agents.
Project Kr Order number 834
Subject: Suppression of 3rd Parties and Others
By 3rd parties, referring to those whose involvement is undesirable and whose management won't cause any distraction, or delay on the success of N.O.W.H.E.R.E.s' purpose.
By Others, referring to those involved in Project Kr, but not subject to the full management as they will either be missed and place N.O.W.H.E.R.E.s' objective at risk or are still needed for its purpose.
Due to the recent activation of Project Kr's main abilities all 3rd parties which try to find its real purpose must be disposed of. It will be executed in a manner in which authorities; local or otherwise won't attract attention and be seen as missing person or accident. All technological access of N.O.W.H.E.R.E is at disposal to make sure there is no issue with this task.
However, in case that Other's gain knowledge, the way it will be handled will be through the rearranging of memories and evidence they have found.
Others:
Amanda Waller
Artemis Crock
Barbara Gordon
Bartholomew Allen (Barry)
Bartholomew Allen II (Bart)
Bruce Wayne
Cassandra Cain
Clark Kent
Damian Wayne
Diana Prince
Dinah Laurel Lance
Iris West
Kaldur'ahmt
Kara El
Jade Nguyen
Jaime Reyes
Jason Todd
J'onn J'onzz
Lana Lang
Lex Luthor
Lois Lane
Lori Luthor
M'gann M'orzz
Oliver Queen
Ray Palmer
Richard Grayson
Roy Harper
Roy Harper's Clone
Stephanie Brown
Tim Drake
Wallace (Wally) West
"This has to be a joke," Superboy said using his powers to open the curtains. He knew what followed was detailed information on the people mentioned in the list. The card deactivated the moment light hit it.
"I guess Luthor got a bit too close to the truth," Lois said standing up. Her name was on that list, which meant they wanted her alive. But, the idea of having her memories changed really worried her. She had her backups, but if N.O.W.H.E.R.E had this type of technology, did she really stand a chance? In reality, as a reporter what support did she have? Even the government was wary of her involvement with any topic. If it wasn't for her father, she was sure she would have disappeared a long time ago.
"The last name, Wally West…" he started but stopped. He like many of the younger heroes didn't feel it was fair for the world to not know of the sacrifices they committed. Wally was remembered by them and his parents, but what about of the world that he saved. They also deserved to know, didn't they?
"C'mon kid, Dr. Spencer said you could trust me, is he a bad guy?" she asked him though she was sure he wasn't. The only bad guy that she could think of on that list was Luthor, and he was only there because he funded CADMUS. Lori on the other hand worried him. She was sure the young woman was no threat to the hero community or anyone.
"Not at all," he looked at her with what she recognized immediately as discomfort, "he died while we were trying to stop the Reach invasion. He was a hero in retirement. His powers were taking a toll on his body but hid that fact from the League and allowed them to think he just wasn't up for the life of a hero." Their friend had been in a lot of pain and had only allowed a few to know of this. He had run the test himself and found the running was wearing his muscles out. He had tried to crack down why it was like this for him and not the Flash, and hoped to find a solution, but for naught. Eventually, it got to the point where he wouldn't run unless actually necessary. He chose then to retire and Artemis followed him to help him sell the story that he just didn't want the life of a hero anymore. It was the first time he shared this with someone, especially outside of the League or the Team.
"Oh," she said taking a seat again, "I take those people are not your everyday citizens."
She had recognized some names, such as Richard Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake as being under the care at one point or another of Bruce Wayne. After meeting Richard Grayson last Friday, she had gone and done some search on his benefactor. Though she found, odd Conner didn't make any issue about Jason Todd as he was reported dead a few years back. Then there was Damian Wayne. She didn't recall Bruce Wayne as having any close relatives or children of his own. Some of the other names she could relate to the League and others were a complete mystery.
"How could they know?" Conner said picking the card, which had returned to its original light blue color, "and why Wally? Also, why the Martians, they have to know their psychic abilities surpass any in Earth." Nothing made sense.
"Earth to Conner," Lois said standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, "mind sharing what's going through that half-baked brain of yours? I guess the names other than Luthor or mine are actually part of the hero community or at least involved with it."
"Yeah," Superboy said glaring at the card. He wondered if he should destroy it. If that information fell into the wrong hands, it could rip the little bit of normality out of their lives.
"Maybe you should tell the League about this," Lois said after a long moment of silence. If she guessed right, some of those names were not your everyday capes.
"I can't," Conner told her, "if they know their identities, then they also know of their families. They won't kill the people in the list, but the rest are free game."
"I see," as a reporter she had a great memory for names and wondered if she would be able to find a way to tip them off without allowing N.O.W.H.E.R.E to realize it. Then, as she saw Conner pace the living room back and forth, she realized she was out of her league. If someone with links to the League or the hero community couldn't do it, there was no way she would be able to.
"Ms. Lane…" Conner started to say.
"Lois," she corrected him. He made her feel old every time he called her Ms. Lane.
"Lois, I believe it will be better for you to no longer follow this story. It's getting too dangerous. If they were able to get to a man like Luthor, they would surely get to you too if they found out of what you know. I don't want you going through that. It wouldn't be fair," she had become a valued ally and sort of a friend.
"Too late for that," Lois said crossing her arms, "that letter was written way before we met. This is my business as much as yours. I can't promise you that they won't realize it, but I will try to be more careful."
"Clark was right," he said with a half-hearted smile, "you are too damn stubborn."
"I will take that as a compliment from the men that can bench press mountains. So, have you spoken to any of the people on the list about what is going on?" she asked him.
"Clark knows some of it, especially where Luthor is involved and a close friend," he told her.
"Whom?" She asked wondering if it was a cape or just an average person like herself.
She corrected herself because she was not average. She never truly had been since his father had climbed ranks to brush shoulders with some of the agencies that supposedly didn't exist. Since her mother died had made things even more out of the average, and she found she didn't mind it. Yeah, she had to look after her younger sibling for most of her childhood and teenage years, but it was worth it. She had met so many amazing people. Was this the reason why non-powered people went into the hero business? Of course not, she thought, they probably had better reasons that just the thrill of it, but maybe it was one of the perks.
"I can't tell you more about him," he was fine with her knowing his identity. But, risking that of the rest was not okay with him, "but I will talk to him about getting in contact with you so he can keep you updated with what he finds."
"Fine," she sighed before going to the door, "c'mon I will give you a ride to school."
"You don't have to do that," he told her picking his backpack and the book he had forgotten that morning.
"But I do," she said waiting for him at the door, "I was going there anyways."
"Why is that?" he asked wondering what a famous reporter like her would want at the college. She had graduated quite a few years back.
"I will explain in the way," she said with a smile, "but let's just say it will work to our advantage."
8888
He could sense change and hoped it wasn't anything major. He had enough with what he had learned today, and what he and his friends would be doing the next day.
"Conner!" Lori waved her arm in the air frantically outside of the classroom, "where have you been?" she asked rushing to him with wide, excited eyes.
"I forgot my book back at home and got side tracked, is there something wrong?" He asked her before seeing their classmates had very similar looks to hers as they talked to some of the major news figures of the city. Among them was Clark, who looked very uncomfortable as young women kept trying to cling to his arm. Conner wasn't sure if this was an act or not, but the moment he spotted them he disengaged from the students and hurried to them.
"You knew?" he asked Lois accusingly.
"Don't tell me Grant didn't tell you until this morning," Lois said trying to hold back a smile.
"Pretty much," he said running a hand down his face, "I don't have time for this."
"Look at the Brightside Smallville, we get to know the future competition," Lois said placing a hand on Conner and Lori's shoulders.
"What is happening?" Conner gave up on Clark and Lois giving him an answer and turned again to Lori.
"For what I understand, Professor Global is going to have us partner with a reporter for mentoring on a story to write on our own besides the partner project. It seems a lot of people complained about having their most significant grade come from shared work instead of their own," Lori said looking slightly embarrassed. He wondered if she thought herself as a burden, which of course he didn't think unless she was placing herself in unnecessary danger.
"So, who are you going to pick Lois?" they turned to find Jonathan Carroll trying to give a friendly smile, but the way he stared at Clark spoke volumes of resentment. Conner wondered if he knew what was going on between Clark and Lois. He probably had his suspicions as if he knew he had almost caught them red handed Carroll would already be throwing punches at Clark not that would do him any good.
"Oh, I have no idea yet," she said looking around. Most of the students had already noticed her but were too intimidated to approach her, "someone with a backbone." She gave Lori and Conner a confident smile and ignored the way Jonathan glared at the Kents.
Though he was the youngest of all of them, he felt like the most mature. After six years with the Team, he was used to seeing teenage drama around him, and this was definitely teen drama. He wanted to shout at them to act like adults, but then again what did he know about being an adult with a name like Superboy. He was almost eight years old, and the initial idea he had about being an adult had changed a lot in his short life. He had once believed after turning eighteen people changed, but that was rarely the case. They did mature, but their foundation remained the same. He wondered what made people adults. Some of the Leaguers said they were no longer children, through their physic said otherwise. If he were to ask any child, he would probably be told that an adult was someone older, with a family and a job. There were people under eighteen that already fell in that coalification but were still considered children because of their age. If he was to ask someone older they might say the same, but add that they contributed to society. However, many young contributed to society too. Was it a state of mind then? Was it about being responsible for yourself and others? (He knew quite a few that were and were not yet allowed into bars.)
"Let's get inside," Clark told him, "if Mr. Global is still the same, I bet that he will lock us all out if we are not in by the time class starts."
"That does sound like him," Lois said before they went inside.
As they filed in and waited for Professor Global his thoughts turned back to what N.O.W.H.E.R.E. was; a deadly mystery. They were the ones behind his creation, the creators of that curtain known as Cadmus, and major trickster to get to Luthor, but to what purpose, he didn't know. He was stuck at the physical age of sixteen, though powerful he was no Superman, and for some reason they needed others around to make their plan work. Or was it simply not to bring too much attention to them? Either way, he didn't see what they wanted him for. All the programming in his mind was taken off a long time ago so they could not control him.
888
"I told you it would work in our favor," Lois said they ate in the cafeteria of the school. He had placed a TK barrier around them so they would not be heard by the rest of the patrons. She had chosen him to tutor him through his last project for the class. They would continue to have an excuse to talk without getting too much attention. Clark had chosen Lori as he wanted to keep a close eye on her because of the attempt on Lex Luthor. However, as they had left the class early to plan, he noticed Jonathan Carroll was not happy at all with the outcome. Since Lois was working with him, it meant that she would probably see Clark more. He got where the guy came from, but he also believed he should man up and confront Lois about it.
"Something else in your mind?" Lois asked when she saw that same lost look Clark had when his mind was somewhere else.
"You need to break up with Jonathan Carroll," he told her with such a straight face that she could only stare at him in shock for a moment.
"That is none of your business," she snapped at him after getting hold of herself.
"You are probably right," he told her still with such a calm demeanor that she felt like a teenager being caught by her parents as she snuck out with a boy. "But it isn't fair for either one of them. You know how Clark feels about you, and you shouldn't lie to Carroll even if your feelings for him are not the same as his."
"Mind your own goddamn business," she said with greeted teeth. She was again fifteen sitting in her father's office as he reprimanded her for running away from the base to see a concert with what he called shady individuals.
"Fine," he said though he would make sure to remind her if she continued to act like a confused teenager. She was a woman in her thirties; she should know what she wanted. "So what advice do you have for me?"
"Write something you know will stick to the front pages," she told comfortably as they were once again in her territory. However, the skeptical look he gave her, told her she was not meant to be a mentor, "something that will grab people's attention."
"Ehmm," he said looking away from her. He remembered the first time he had talked to Clark about studying journalism. He had chosen the career in the pursuit of the truth, not to sell papers though he couldn't deny that was part of it. Lois had her awards, but Clark was recognized as one of the most humanitarian reporters out there. He would take that any day over polls.
"Oh please, you want to make it big, don't you?" didn't he? She thought back on Clark and how he usually looked away from the flashy news, instead to look at the human side of things. He didn't need to write about capes, even though he did when pushed by Grant, to get people to read his stories. Then, she remembered this boy had grown around the League and other young heroes. Of course, his moral radar was way up there and she wondered if she had what was necessary to teach him anything. Seriously, he had Superman as his mentor and probably got advice from the most selfless people in the planet. She probably sounded shallow to him, "what would like to write about?" she asked doing her best not to lose her upbeat tone.
He heard her, but he also sensed her worry. Something the League and Team had taught him early on was not to look down on people, but instead placed himself in their place. He knew she was smart, brave and confident woman, but there was also a double edge to personalities. Superman, though many didn't say it out loud, was a bit… okay, very condescending when it came to humans. Then again, when everyone was as fragile as glass in comparison to you, it made it difficult not to worry about them. However, people like Batman, and Green Arrow had changed his view considerably; he still worried a lot about humans but knew they were more capable than what he credited them for. Lois might be smart, brave and confident, but it all probably came from sacrifice. He knew enough about her to know she had to keep a firm façade around her family as they moved all over the world with one of the strictest generals of the country as the head of the family. She was raised as a soldier and he felt a sort of resonance with her because of it. She had been groomed to always be the best at what she did, and as a reporter, this was usually represented with awards and first pages.
"Did you fry a circuit?" she asked because of the long silence. He raised his hand to ask her for a moment as he thought. Of course, he was thinking seriously about it unlike most young men who jumped into boastings and thoughtless answers. This was a trait that she thought admirable and also annoying, if only because it reminded her too much of the first time she saw Clark writing an article. He would be staring at his screen for minutes without typing a word before unleashing a storm of words and statements that many times had left her speechless. She usually just wrote what was in her mind without little thought and made her feel like the lesser of the two. And Smallville wondered why she made fun of him. However, his calm demeanor before all she threw at him usually made her even more uncomfortable. She loved it when he could no longer hold his word back. If and when he countered her, she often found she couldn't help smiling. He knew how to get under her skin, even if he didn't mean to, but she could do just the same to him. Wait! When had her thoughts turned solely on Smallville? Thankfully Conner was still deep in thought, so he didn't notice she had spaced out.
"I want my articles to be noticed, but if only to bring more awareness," he told her. There was an upside to being a major league reporter. His articles would get more attention, and hopefully would bring reactions on a greater scale. "As to what I want to write about, I want to write about displaced youth."
"Isn't that a bit too close to the article Clark and I just checked for you?" she asked.
"Is linked, yes," he had written about kids who ran away from homes where they were not missed. It was scary but true. A good number of runaways usually told their guardians, but they didn't care. "But I want to expand on it. On that first article, I only did research through books and the internet. I realized that it was the reason why I don't feel happy with it. I am losing the actual statements of people who have gone through it."
"Because of Clark's article on the abducted women," Lois said remembering that even she had been waiting for the follow-up closely. Clark, like her, weren't afraid to go places to get the truth.
"Sort of," Actually, it was very true, "so I hope you don't mind if I don't get that published."
"Do I…" she started to raise her voice but then took a deep breath. This was not Smallville, well, he was his clone but that didn't mean she could shout at him like she shouted at Smallville. "Fine, but I want you to tell me what Clark's reaction is when you tell him." It would probably be priceless.
"I already did. He said he was proud that I decided to take the subject more seriously and bring more light into it," he told her.
"Of course he did," she said staving a French fry on the ketchup. Leave it to Mr. Perfect to find the perfect teaching moment in every whim of this kid. The guy probably pampered him and allowed him to do as he liked. Ha, she laughed internally. Smallville wouldn't stand a chance with a regular kid.
"Ms… I mean, Lois," he said before looked up at him. He could sense her bitterness at this revelation though he had a little trouble understanding. Instead, he told her his reasoning behind his change of mind, "I have wanted to follow in his footsteps for most of my life, but you know that I am not like him." She had noticed last Thanks Giving when he didn't rat on her with the League. "Clark only wants to bring awareness, but I want reactions. I want people to do something about the news instead of the constant indifference they show."
"Then shouldn't you become a politician instead?" she asked him with a smirk. He was dreamer just like Smallville even he said otherwise.
"I did think about it," he told her taking her by surprise, "but since I don't age, it would be hard to explain why someone who looks like me would be so interested in politics. As part of the news, is only my name that people see."
"What do you mean by that?" she knew he looked young, but what he had just told her made something in her gut clench.
"I have looked just like this for almost eight years," he told her, "and no matter how much time passes, I will always be physically sixteen."
"Oh," she said but he merely shrugged which made her realize this was something he had come to accept a long time ago. He was created to replace Superman, but he would never really be a man in the eyes of the world no matter how mature he behaved. He would probably still be Superboy even fifty years from that day. He would watch everyone else around him age, and see new young heroes arrive. They would see him as one of their own, but he would never truly be one of them. The gut clenching feeling became stronger.
"You don't need to feel sorry for me," he told her sharply and saw a glimpse of that temper he tried to keep a lid on most of the time. "In the other hand, I will make sure to send you roses when you start getting crowfeet." She wondered if Clark was the same when you poked at his pride, but didn't push the issue any further. When she saw he was not one bit sorry for what he said she found liking him more.
"I got things to do this weekend," she told him acting as if his last words had gone unsaid. She brought out her phone to look at her schedule.
"So do I," he said as all anger evaporated from his face and was replaced with wariness.
"Another crazy adventure?" she asked him.
"You could say so," he said poking his French fry into the ketchup.
"You know you can trust me," she told him leaning forwards, "so what is it? Another trip in time?"
"No," he couldn't help laughing at her curious face, but decided to give in, "have you heard about the Red Hood?"
"You mean the maniac that tried to take over Gotham? Isn't that bit more on Batman's alley?" and not to forget he had tried to kill Batman, or so the rumors said.
"He wants to talk to us," Conner told her.
"You know that is a trap, right?" she couldn't believe he was so trusting.
"Our team is fit to counter anything he and his friends throw at us," he told her, "what really worries me is that he might actually want to talk to us. He has a way of getting to you."
"It sounds like you have met him before," she said with a frown. If he had, why hadn't he brought the guy to justice?
"We met before he was the Red Hood," and she thought that made sense. "We used to be teammates," okay, that she had trouble with.
"You mean, he used to be a cape?" she asked her.
"We didn't get along, at all," Conner said, "but I know how to handle his words. The rest I am not so sure."
"But you are still letting them go?" she asked him.
"Yeah," he said waiting for her advice.
"Then that means you do trust them," she received a skeptical look, "if you didn't, would you really allow them to go. You could probably stop them without breaking a sweat."
"Ms. Lane," he started.
"Lois, call me Lois," she said with a sigh.
"Lois, thank you," he said smiling that smile she had seen for so many years sitting across from her when Clark thought she didn't notice. God, what had she gotten into? She hoped Clark wasn't having any better luck than her.
888
Clark waved goodbye at the young woman as he started for his car. Lori was a very talkative young lady. She wouldn't have any trouble finding the words to tell her stories. He, on the other hand, thought too much of what he said and many times felt like he was writing a scientific report. He would rewrite an article so many times, that if it weren't for his super speed he would be out of a job. After getting some work done at home, he went out to look at some apartments. Though Conner didn't complain, he didn't think it was fair for him to crash on the couch every night. Back of steel or not, it wasn't comfortable.
He knew his price range and was fast to work out the ones worth looking into with the realtor. He needed at least two bedrooms, with thick walls preferably… not that their super hearing would make things less awkward. That morning had been proof of it.
"…perfect for gatherings and…" the realtor agent was going through her routine as they entered the living room. It was immense enough to make him wonder if there had been a mistake on the price. He looked at the flyer again and saw the price was right. It was an apartment meant for a big family. Heck, it would probably fit his whole home in Smallville and some more.
"Is this price right?" he said interrupting the realtor and pointing to the price.
"I know, right?" the realtor said with a charming smile, "the price just recently went down. Even I am thinking of moving to this building."
"Isn't it too cheap?" he checked the foundation with his x-ray vision but found no fault. It was a very sound building and the view was just breathtaking. They were on the twentieth floor and he could see the sun setting.
"You know rich folk, sometimes they remember they have hearts," she said before he looked at the back of the flyer. The building was owned by Wayne Enterprises. This had to be a joke.
"Excuse me for a moment," he told her before entering one of the three bedrooms. He dialed a number he knew too well.
"You will still be paying rent," Bruce told him when he answered.
"How did you do it?" Clark asked curiously. He hadn't talked to anyone, but Conner about getting a bigger place and Conner was far from the gossiping kind.
"It wasn't hard to figure out when Barry told me about the party you forgot to invite us to," and Clark heard the mock behind the rich playboy.
"It's not the right price," he told Bruce.
"Have you ever heard the saying 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'?" Bruce said calmly which was starting to irritate him. "Besides, I made sure all other apartments around that one is empty. Less likely you and Conner will be spied on."
"So it is more out of security?" he thought it made sense.
"Of course, I am still a business man," of course it was also because Clark was his friend. But, if it would make him accept the offer he would let him believe as he liked.
"Fine then," he said, "and thanks." He returned to the realtor who was watching the sunset in awe.
"What do you say Mr. Kent," she asked him when she realized he had returned.
"When can we move in?" he asked her with a smile. The realtor woman felt her cheeks redden under his gaze. She was thankful for the well-timed sunset to hide it.
"If we sign the papers today, starting tomorrow," she told him digging in her briefcase for said paperwork. She had known he would like the place. She presented them to him, "I am sure your wife will love it," she threw her hook out there.
"Oh, I am not married," Clark told her as he read over the contract, "it is just me and my cousin."
"Is that so?" she said unable to hold her smile.
After they had left the building and he had started towards his car, he heard the woman's frantic heart. He wondered if she was okay as he turned to see her hurrying towards him. She opened her mouth to say something but then only shoved something into his hands before hurrying away. He worried for a moment as she was wearing very high heels. Then, he looked down at what she placed in his hand and found a small piece of paper with her name and number on it. That had been unexpected, he thought putting the paper in his pocket more out of respect than anything. It wasn't the first time a woman had given him his number, but he usually accepted out of politeness. Okay, so he had called a few, but after a while he had found those relations short lived. Because of his work and because of that secret he couldn't share with them.
He sighed before getting into his car and driving home. He would go out and find more about the missing women before going back home for a deserved rest; if only.