Super Reporters

Daily Planet & Whiz Network Team Up

The smell of bacon grease and French fries permeated the quaint café in Fawcett. A bespectacled reporter from the Daily Planet sat in table by the window, waiting for his counterpart from Whiz Network.

Clandestine crimes involving the meta community spanning both Metropolis and Fawcett spurred the current team up of The Daily Planet and Whiz Network, each news room contributing their top investigative reporter to crack the case. Lois would have been Perry's first choice but she's gone undercover to break a crime syndicate. That left Clark, Perry's number two choice for this collaboration.

Morris's guy would meet him in this café at 3:30pm, after school. He'd heard Whiz Kid on radio several times and he sounded very young. Maybe he's a late developer in his late teenage years. Even then, Clark baulked at the thought of Morris sending a teenager into danger."You've got a direct line to Superman. Morris' guy has a direct line to Captain Marvel," Perry had stated.

"I don't tell Morris how to run his business. He won't tell me how to run mine."That aroused Clark's curiosity. Cap's media contact would know a thing or two about that enigmatic man. After their last encounter, in spite of the man's Kryptonian-like powers, Clark was certain the Captain wasn't from Krypton. Nor was he from Daxam. His powers did not come from the yellow sun. Red solar energy had no effect on him.What was he then? Maybe Whiz Kid would know.

The pitter patter of little feet caught his attention. His super hearing picked up the quick shallow breaths and faster heartbeat of a little boy. His x-ray vision couldn't see through the walls though. For some unknown reason, the preferred paint in Fawcett had lead in it.The door flung open.

A tiny boy charged into the café, making a beeline for Clark's table. "Sorry I'm late," the child panted, catching his breath. "Class ended late today."

The child fit the description Perry had given him. Raven black curly hair. Brilliant blue eyes. Dimpled smile. He was wearing a red sweater and jeans. "Billy Batson," he stuck his hand out. "You must be Clark Kent. Mister Morris told me you'd be here in a plain dark blue business suit."The child scrambled onto the chair opposite Clark's, his feet dangled from the seat, his legs too short to reach the ground. He pulled out a manila envelope from his backpack. "It's safe to talk here," he grinned. "No one listens to what the next table is talking about. It's one of the rules in this café."

Out of curiosity, Clark tried to listen to the conversation between an alligator and a pink hippo across the room. Sirens went off. A canary landed on his head. "No eavesdropping," it said. Clark tried to peek into Billy's envelope but that was lined with lead.

"Fawcett manners," the boy chided the man. "Now, do you have the list of missing people from Metropolis?" Billy opened his envelope, showing Clark photographs of the men, women, children and bipedal clothed animals in Fawcett. "These victims vanished the day after meeting a man in a brown hooded cloak. A week later, lookalikes of the humans showed up displaying meta powers before vanishing without a trace. The non-humans were never seen after their abductions."

Clark stared at the earnest child in front of him. This was Whiz Network's top investigative reporter? He rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"What are you staring at?" Billy frowned."How old are you?" Clark shook his head."Nine," Billy pouted. "What's my age got to do with anything.""You're too young to be involved with criminal investigations," Clark sighed. "What's your boss thinking?""I'm not too young. I always get my story. My work's put many bad guys behind bars," Billy pouted as he rested his hands on his hips.