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Come on, Julian, don’t look down... Remember how much you want this job...
The newly-graduated photojournalist Julian Pankratz muttered to himself as he climbed the building using the fire escapes outside. Through the walls, hysterical screams and sounds of struggle reached him as he tried to get to the right floor.
It all started half na hour earlier, when Julian saw a post on social media saying that Superman had been seen in that building. There was no further information on the case, but Julian decided to take a chance. He needed to meet Superman. If he could get enough good pictures, he could start his plan to show them to the Daily Planet’s editor-in-chief and become part of the paper’s payroll.
Why Superman? Well, he was the biggest seller in Metropolis. And maybe Julian just wanted na excuse to photograph him.
When the sounds seemed to come from the wall beside him, the boy pushed against the window and threw himself into the room before he had time to give up. Luckily, any noise was drowned out by the kick Superman took in the stomach.
Julian had fallen behind a desk in what appeared to be a small office. Unnoticed, he watched the man of steel lying on the floor mercilessly beaten by a well-known figure in the city.
Lex Luthor.
How’s that motherfucker managing to beat him up like that? Julian thought for a moment until he noticed a greenish glow on another table on the opposite side of the room, behind Luthor’s back. Kryptonite. A piece of homeworld soil and Superman’s only weakness. Where the hell had Luthor gotten that? The sound of Superman’s head being slammed against the wall roused Julian from his reverie and made him make a decision.
He would not photograph Superman that day. He would save him.
Gathering the little courage he had inside, Julian crawled across the office, crossing it with hardly any breath. For a brief moment, his gaze met the Kryptonian’s, who spat out some blood. Julian signaled him for silence, and went on.
“You... Won’t... Make it...” Superman said with great difficulty, holding Luthor’s attention even more and buying time for that boy who had appeared like a miracle to help him.
“I’ve already made it, Kal-El!” Luthor started another one of his megalomaniac monologues.
Neither Julian nor Superman paid any attention. The boy crawled the last few inches, sweating cold as he felt the texture of the rock against his hand. Without thinking straight, he slipped it into the camera case that was hanging around his neck. He thought about retracing the path with the same calm, but a new look in Superman’s direction made him change his mind.
His face was completely red with blood, his eyes were almost purple. A twinkle in his eye was practically a request for Julian to give up what he intended to do, but he didn’t care. He scrambled to his feet and ran across the office, flinging himself from the window he’d entered. Luthor heard footsteps and glass breaking, but all he saw was a blue coat blurring past.
When he returned to face Superman, he received a punch in the face.
While falling, Julian heard the fight resume in a more Superman-friendly way. Now that the kryptonite was farther away, he was regaining his strength. Julian felt the impact of the garbage bags break his fall, and he was grateful that no one had thrown away pieces of glass or wood that day. His clothes were ruined, but he’d only escaped with a slight sprain in his ankle.
He heard police sirens minutes later, still huddled next to the garbage. He felt the weight of the kryptonite in the camera case tugging at his neck, and he smiled in disbelief at what he had just done. As the squad cars drove Luthor – or at least he hoped – the sound of slow footsteps and muffled breathing startled him.
“You can get out.” Superman’s deep voice was a little more like normal, despite a trace of pain. “I would like to thank you.”
Slowly, Julian emerged from the rubbish, but he stayed a few steps away, ‘cause the kryptonite was still with him. Superman was staring at him with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, handsome even with all the dried blood on his face.
“Why did you do that? Thank you very much, but it could have gone very wrong.”
“Oh, I know!” Julian’s desperate tone made Superman hold back a laugh. “I didn’t come here for this, you know? I just wanted to take some pictures of you in action, then take them to the Daily Planet and finally get a job.”
“But they already have Mr. Kent to cover my actions.” The smile widened. “Do you want his job?”
“No! No way! We can work together! I take the pictures and he does the interviews. I just want to work, you know?”
There was a lot about that boy that intrigued Kal-El, but he decided not to ask any more. If all went well, he’d soon be Clark Kent’s coworker, if he could convince his editor-in-chief to hire a new photographer for the newspaper.
“Look, as for the kryptonite, I ask you to stop by the Daily Planet tomorrow and deliver it to Mr. Kent. He will know what to do with it.”
Julian sighed, letting his shoulders slump.
“I’ll do it. I wish I could have gotten some pictures to enjoy my visit, but I’m glad I could have helped you.”
“You didn’t help me. You saved me.” They held eye contact for long seconds. “Thank you very much.”
Superman raised na eyebrow, asking wordlessly.
“Julian Alfred Pankratz. But you can call me Julian.” What the hell was he doing? Alfred was a horrible name, why did he say it out loud? “Or Jaskier! You can call me Jaskier too. It’s a childhood nickname that my friends still use to this day when we play DnD...”
Shut up, Julian. Just shut up.
“Alright Jaskier.” He began to fly, lifting himself a few inches off the ground. “Don’t forget to talk with Mr. Kent tomorrow, and maybe you’ll have a surprise.”
“What?” Julian shouted, but he was already gone.
Even with the pain throbbing in his ankle, Julian felt happy. The day hadn’t gone as planned, it’s true, but in the end everything had worked out.
And he had finally seen Superman up close. Had spoken to him.
Maybe it was worth playing the hero once in a while.