DC
Marvel
The Newest Marvel
*** Baxter Building, Three week After the Chemical Plant Battle***
Clark was right, things had taken a turn for the worse after the battle. The war between the heroes escalated, became more personal. Captain America gained a large number of heroes flocking to his side after what happen with Thor's clone and his brutality against Goliath. Iron Man however responded in a way that even Clark simply cannot turn a blind eye to anymore. When he was working with Super Heroes, it was one thing, Superhero have disagreement all the time he should know. However to bring in some of the vilest Super Villains to capture the Resistance heroes? That was crossing a line to Clark and so here he stood in front of Tony Stark and Dr. Reed Richards his I.D card in hand and a resignation letter.
Tony Stark was looking at him with an unreadable expression while Dr. Reed Richard had a genuinely perplexed look on his face.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Tony Stark aka Iron Man asked him with a stern expression. Clark could see his eyes were a bit more haggard. The Civil War was taking a large toll on him in terms of stress.
"More importantly does Carol knows?"
"That's between Carol and me, as for if I am sure," Clark looked at Tony directly in his eyes and did not even flinch.
"I don't work for Super Villains, so yes, I am very sure."
The moments the words left his mouth, the entire floor appeared to have become so silent that he could hear a pin drop without no super hearing. He saw all of the nearby personnel looked over at him. A lot of the Super Heroes that were hanging around like Wasp and Hank Pym was staring in his direction with an unreadable look. Clark caught Reed flinching a bit but Tony was absolutely deadly still. Wordlessly he took Clark badge and resignation letter.
"Consider it done," Tony turned around and started to walk off but stopped in mid step. "However, if Carol take this badly, consider yourself blacklisted on every single level."
With that Tony Stark walked off followed by Reed Richards. Not two second later three Cape Killer units was by him.
"Gentlemen," Clark greeted before he turn to the elevator with them ushering him out none too nicely. And to think these guys chatted with him in a very friendly manner when he was working here. He could see the aggressive step in their stance as he enter the elevator and push for the first floor.
"See ya around."
DING
As soon as Clark was on the first floor standing in he saw her. In civilian clothes, which consisted of a business pantsuit was his sorta-girlfriend. She was looking at him, with her arms folded and a complicated look in her eyes.
Slowly Clark walked to her and gave her his trademark farm-boy smile that Lana and Lois told him they found charming. Ironic that he wasn't a farm boy in his new life but the smile still work.
"So. Lunch?" Clark quipped upon standing in front of her. "I just found myself with a LOT of free time."
Carol however did not appeared amuse as she gave him a half disappointed look. It wasn't quite a glare but it was close.
"Tony told me you quit your job," Carol began slowly, and the people around in the lobby must have sensed something as they gave Clark and her a wide berth.
"He said that you told him you refuse to work for Super Villains."
Clark winced a bit seeing at where this was going. "He knew what I meant. Beside you certainly do not fall under that category."
"I'm Tony right hand out there, if he's a Super Villain how can I be a Super Hero?" Carol eyes shone a bit of hurt a she looked at him.
"Good soldiers can be lead by bad generals," Clark countered as he looked at her with gentle eyes. He slowly reached out for her hand and felt it's warm. With her strength he knew she could pull away but she didn't.
"What I said was not a critique of you. Never you."
Carol eyes soften as she squeezed his hand back with familiar intimacy.
"Clark, I work for them, you can't just exclude me because of our relationship. Whatever you think stained them in your eyes probably would paint me in the same light."
"Well, I'm not dating Tony nor anyone else," Clark rebutted stubbornly squeezing her hand tighter. "I don't know the others but I know you. You are a Super Hero."
Carol suddenly pulled her hand back from Clark hold and hugged herself. "I know you can see the good in people Clark, see the good in most things. I also know you tend to take a firm stance for what you believe in, but I believe you are making a mistake in this matter. My friends, my colleagues and Co-workers now know exactly how my boyfriend sees them."
"Boyfriend?" Clark eyes brighten at hearing Carol admit it but her face looked resigned and sad.
"Carol?"
"I was so happy Clark when you joined up. I know it was because of me, but I was still happy," Carol began softly as she looked at the ground.
"Even after what happen with Bill, and the news about the clone of Thor came out, pictures of what happened to Captain America, you never looked at me any different, any of us. There was no judgment. It made me feel so happy to have someone like you by my side. Do you know how rare that was after Bill injury? Look at Reed and Sue, husband and wife, the gold standard and she left him. But you Clark you stayed by me."
Clark reach out to hug Carol but she took a step back not letting him do so. He decided not to pursue her.
"What happen with Goliath was the fault of the fake Thor and whoever made him, that had nothing to do with you."
"Oh Clark…," Carol sighed sadly as she looked at him. "We all share that burden, that guilt. So when you called Tony and the Pro-Registration Heroes Super villains, I know your true feelings about me."
Clark eye widen.
"Now wait a minute Carol-"
"Goodbye Clark," Carol suddenly embraced him and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. "I wish you luck on your future endeavors."
In shock, Clark watched a woman that he was gradually falling for end their relationship just like that, he could still smell her scent as she hover a bit then flew to the top floor.
*** A month later, the end of the Civil War ***
Clark sighed as he looked at yet another rejection letter for a lab job. Tony Stark was not kidding when he said he was going to be blacklisted if he hurt Carol. Every place that he applied for, even if he was overqualified, he was turn down.
Sitting heavily in his chair Clark turn to look outside of the window. The effort to rebuild after the final battle, a final battle that he missed because he was in Boston, was well underway. Being in New York, the sound of construction was louder than normal.
In the end Captain America side surrendered. While the Resistance won that final battle by all the news report, the Pro-Registration side won the war. Steve Rogers was taken into custody only to be shot dead shortly afterward on his way to his expedite trial.
Clark could not help but feet the world became a darker place with Captain America's death. The only silver lining through this entire thing was that crime was at record lows.
A lot of people that once hated the Resistance leader was now the late Captain biggest fan. Guess people don't realized what they had until they lost it. With that thought, Clark turn to look at the box containing Carol sleepover clothes. He did not know if it was appropriate to text her about it but so far she had not even bother to show to collect it.
Sighing, Clark looked through the help job sections in the papers again to see if he can find anything in his field of study. If not he'd have to try and apply for a lower entry level job at the Daily Bugle, most likely an errand boy. That was when he eyes caught on to something.
'Assistant wanted for Dr. Hank McCoy at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. Job will require knowledge in the medical field along with master degree in physics. Might be require to teach some lower level science courses to children and teens.
If interested, please sent a resume BeastMcCoy@ Xavier.com
Bigots need not apply!'
'Xavier's hmm?" Clark mused as he drummed his finger on the desk. He haven't written to Jean in over a year now. And every time they made plans to meet up things just kept on cropping up. Technically he suppose he could write her to see if she can help get a good word in but he decided against it. He wasn't going to use their friendship like that, so putting together an email he sent Dr. McCoy his resume and hope that Tony did not get to him too.
*** Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters ***
The Headmistress of the Xavier Institute, one Jean Grey was sitting in the office going over paperwork when there was a polite knock on the door.
"Come in Emma," the redhead had already sensed the other telepath far in advance.
"Jean," Emma Frost, the platinum blonde White Queen dressed in proactive clothes of snow white sauntered in with a binder in her hand.
"The student mid term grades you requested."
As if by some unseen signal the two women glared at each other before their hostility taper down. The reason for their hostility was Scott Summer. One was a his ex-wife, the other his new lover. Yet to maintain the peace the two had decided on to have a peaceful coexistence especially in light of what happened with the Decimation.
"Thank you, you may leave," Jean motion with her eyes for Emma to leave the grades on her desk. Once more the two glare at each other, hostility flaring once more before tapering off.
"Hmph." Emma Frost turn regally and made her way out.
"Bitch." Jean muttered to herself and sigh. Dressed in a black and red t-shirt and jean that seem to hug her form, Jean looked out at the window and frown.
The reason for her frown was of course because of the Sentinels that was standing "guard" over the remaining mutant population. The sight was her old nightmare come to life and now they where here legally under the U.S government order.
Once more her thoughts and mini-break was interrupted by another knock on the door.
"Come in Hank."
Hank McCoy her old friend entered and chuckle upon seeing her looking out the window. Turning around Jean raised an eyebrow at her friend.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Beast finished up his deep throaty chuckle. "Just remembering how often I saw the Professor staring out the window the same way you do."
Jean had to giggle at that before she motion for Hank to sit. She watch on in amusement as her friend large blue furry frame try to fit in a chair that was almost too small for him. Tuck in the crook of his arms were a thick stack of files.
"What's going on Hank?" Jean asked as she stretched a bit and watch her friend slowly put down all of the files before her save one.
"Remember how I felt I needed an assistant just to help out with the smaller minor stuff around here?" Hank reminded his red headed green eyed friends.
"Well, these are the applicants, the ones that I thought was best suited and cleared by S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Hmmm," Jean opened the files and looked at their picture and quick bios. Most of them were humans the rest where super human. All of them qualified in all honesty and was about to tell Hank to make any choice when she noticed the last file under Hank arm.
"What's about that one?"
"Ah, this?" Hank showed the folder in front of Jean. "While he was cleared by S.H.E.I.L.D, I received a called from Tony Stark A.I and told that it would be an immense favor to him if we not hired Mr. Kent."
"Oh?" Jean was curious as to why Tony Stark would go through the trouble of asking that of them. Well it wasn't that big of a deal anyway.
"Wait did you say Kent?"
"Yes?" Beast answered until he remembered something and looked at the folder in question. Place of Birth: Annandale on Hudson. He suddenly recalled Jean mentioned a friend name Clark Kent that she corresponded with frequently until they formed the X-Men.
"Jean, could this gentlemen possibly be your old friend?"
With that, Beast open the folder and show Clark Kent Bios to Jean. Judging the gasp from his friend, he figured it was.
"It really is him!" Jean said excitedly as she stared at the picture on the bios. The picture of the man in question had an awkward smile as the picture was taken. Still those baby blue eyes and messy mop of black hair remained almost unchanged, the only thing that changed was the glasses he wore, it was no longer the big comical circular ones but instead a very stylish rectangular frame. Over all he looked the same but different, and… she'd admit. Cute.
"Wait, why would Tony blacklist him?"
Hank could only shrug, the reason was not given just the request.
"Well, tough for Tony, Clark's my friend and I am not denying him a job he's clearly qualified for."
Hank nodded, Clark Kent got a glowing letter of recommendation from Reed Richards no small feat. He had to wonder what Clark Kent did to piss off Tony Stark.
Jean looked down at the boy she and Anna used to protect and played with, her very first playmate to be honest. He was also the first boy she formed a telepathic bond with. Though it wasn't as intimate like hers and Scott before their divorce, it was just as personal.
Taking out the school stamp, she pressed "HIRED" onto Clark file before looking at the picture of the boy- no man, fondly.
"Welcome to the Xavier Institute, Clark." Jean smiled happily for the first time in a long while.
End of Civil War Arc Beginning of World War Hulk.