Rules of War
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 1
The suite was filled with exquisite tastes and luxurious linens. Gretchen Kelly allowed her eyes to wander to the door leading to the bedroom of the presidential suite. It had been a long time since she’d been able to enjoy the life of luxury. Her torrid affair with Lex, in the beginning, had been filled with carnal desire and fine wines. There was something that drew her to that life she’d left behind…the life that they’d left behind. How anyone could turn their back on Lex the way Lois Lane had she would never understand.
“Everything ready, darling?” Lex’s voice came from behind.
“Yes,” Gretchen cleared her throat and turned to him. “Nigel has the target in place, and the press release should hit the stands within the hour.”
“What would I do without you?” Lex smiled at her, straightening his tie in the mirror. “Metallo’s ready to go?”
She nodded her agreement, “Superman won’t be a problem.”
The muffled shouts from the corner reached her ears, and she sighed, “Those binds can be tighter,”
Lex turned his attention to the corner where President Garner and his Secret Service agents were tied up. He turned the president’s head toward the television that was playing the press conference for this morning’s presidential address. “You don’t want to miss this, Mr. President,”
Garner’s eyes widened as he stared at the screen and Gretchen Kelly smiled gleefully at the image of himself walking across the stage to the podium with the presidential seal in front of it.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States,”
***
Jimmy set his things down, looking around the apartment with a sigh. Once again he was alone. His mind momentarily drifted to the events that had transpired that morning. Before he and Lucy could even process what had happened between them, he’d found himself on the receiving end of what Lois commonly called an ‘Ellen Lane tirade.’ He’d barely had time to respond before the hotel manager had intervened. Unfortunately for them, that resulted in everyone being asked to leave.
He stared at the empty apartment feeling a gaping hole of loneliness surrounding him. His mind drifted briefly to the evening before. The crashing of the ocean waves on the shore. The moonlit walk to the hotel. The intoxicating evening spent in Lucy Lane’s arms.
<<“This is going to be weird isn’t it?”>>
<<“I really don’t want to do the whole weird routine where we both act like we haven’t seen each other naked.”>>What was last night?
He glanced over at the phone sitting on the side table next to him. He could just pick up the phone and ask her, but the numerous times he’d been burned by being too forward prevented him from reaching out. They’d been here before. One date that ended with uncertainty. He’d reached out then and been stonewalled.
He didn’t want to go through that again.
Determination washed over him, and he stood up, reaching for his suitcase and heading to the bedroom. He just needed to keep busy. He had enough on his mind right now. Adding more on his plate wouldn’t help things.
He stopped halfway, catching sight of the picture hanging on the wall of himself, Clark and Lois after the Kerths that year. His range of emotions had subsided some after last night. Whereas before he’d felt mostly numb and hurt now, he felt more curious than anything. Where was the line that separated Clark Kent from the superhero that came in and saved the day? Was there a line?
So many times he’d missed the biggest clues that were sitting there for him to find. The disappearances. The lame excuses. The way Clark seemed to know things about Superman that no one else did. It all added up.
And he had missed all of it.
Did Lois know?
Recalling the wedding he’d witnessed yesterday he hoped the answer was yes. No way could Lois forgive him for hiding such a huge part of himself. Given that Lois made her living investigating stories and people it wouldn’t surprise him if she’d found out on her own. After the fiasco with Molly Flynn’s ex-fiancé, there was a shift in their relationship. Was that when she found out?
It was like out of the blue Lois Lane stopped seeing her partner as just another co-worker, and then the two of them were in a relationship. He remembered the look of panic on his friend’s face when he’d pointed out the lipstick on his face. That was the first time he’d caught them. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that they finally stopped the charade and made it clear they were an item.
The gossip that ensued afterward had been legendary. There were, of course, the catty comments about it not lasting and the jealous remarks on both sides of the fence but on the whole, the common theme was: how did it happen? Lois Lane had gone from being head over heels for Superman to falling madly in love with her partner.
Whatever it was that had triggered the change it seemed to have worked out well for both of them. Jimmy’s mind drifted to last night once more, and he shook his head.
“Not now,” he told himself as if that would somehow help stop the memories from intruding on his brain. How exactly was he supposed to function with his day-to-day routine and responsibilities if all he could think about was Lucy Lane?
He quickly grabbed his laundry bag, shoving random articles of clothing into the overstuffed bag and heading toward the door.
He just needed to keep busy.
***
Lois Lane wedged her fingers through the hair on the back of her husband’s head, reveling in the feeling of being in his arms. The luggage from earlier laid scattered by the front door as she let out a low moan. Her back came in contact with the wood-paneled wall. “I thought you had to….patrol the, um, city,” she prompted, allowing her hands to move through his silky hair.
After the fiasco, this morning with her mother the plans of them leaving from the hotel for their Honeymoon disappeared in a puff of smoke. Her mother had been anything but sorry as she’d been throwing insults left and right at Jimmy for supposedly taking advantage of her daughter. The management staff had been more than accommodating, but they all knew they’d overstayed their welcome after her mother’s tirade. Now, after Clark had dropped everyone off at their respective homes, they were finally alone. Neither of them were too concerned with leaving the apartment at the moment.
“Patrol can wait,” he murmured in her ear, tracing the curve of her neck with the edge of his palm. She felt the skin on her arms raise up as his breath tickled her ear.
“So
where exactly are we…going?” she asked between uneven breaths as he leaned into her.
“I was planning a…” his voice trailed off and his body stiffened, his head cowered down as the familiar expression crossed his face.
“What is it?” she asked, curiously.
“The neighbor’s T.V.” He released his grasp on her and turned toward the living room to turn the television on with the remote.
The television lit up, and the image of the News Anchor for LNN filled the screen, “Sources say the reason for the pardon is still a mystery. All pardons handed down by the President were for inmates that died while in custody. Some experts actually question the political motives behind this decision. The President has planned a trip to New Troy to address the concerns and announce his intent to run for a second term…”
Lois read the blue and white ticker at the bottom of the screen, Lex Luthor Pardoned! She felt a sick feeling wash over her as she stared at the screen in shock, “What in the world?”
“Unbelievable,” A hardened expression washed over Clark’s face and he clicked the remote off with the flick of his wrist, tossing it on the couch.
She watched the range of emotions cross his face uncertainly. They couldn’t have just a few weeks for themselves? Was that too much to ask for? She looked toward the television Clark had turned off, recalling the text of Lex Luthor Pardoned in all caps across the screen. It was a big story. There was probably something involved that would require Superman’s help.
It was also their honeymoon. It was a time she and Clark could never get back. They could stay. They could put the honeymoon on hold and dive into whatever sinister plot was slowly rising to the surface. It could be done. A hard knot began to form in her abdomen as she stared at her husband’s features wondering what he would do?
“We need to get going.” He finally spoke, turning toward her.
“What about your patrol?” she asked, noticing the worried lines on his forehead.
“I’ll come back later,” he shrugged it off, allowing a smile to cross his face. She could tell he was still concerned as he looked back at her.
“Clark…” she placed a hand on his chest, meeting his troubled gaze.
“Let’s just go,” he gave her a pleading look. “This mess will still be here when we get back,” He ran a hand against her cheek. “If we don’t go now something else will come up. Something always comes up.”
She nodded, running her hand against his chest. A playful smile crossed her face, and she asked, “And
where exactly are we going?”
A smile crossed his face, and he took her hand in his, pulling her to him. “Fiji,” he planted a kiss on her cheek. “Rome,” he planted another kiss on her jaw. “Kyoto,” he brushed his lips against hers and murmured. “Just to name a few,”
“You say that like it’s nothing to fly across the world,” she whispered, running her hand across his cheek.
“Well, we
are flying Superman express,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her.
***
A flood of light filled Bill Henderson’s eyes, and he squinted, turning his head away to protect his sensitive pupils from the light. “Bill?” he heard the familiar voice of Detective Zymack call his name and he let out a grunt of acknowledgment.
The light shone in his face once more, and he groaned, doing his best to adjust to the light. “Rollins! Get Atwater over here!”
***
Lex stood in the corner of the bar, awaiting his guest’s arrival. The smoke in the air created the perfect cover as he kept his face hidden from the patrons that came and went with ease in the dimly lit room. He tucked the hat he wore over his face to keep it hidden. Though he was a free man, he wasn’t ready to make his presence known to the world just yet.
A shadow crossed the table he was standing next to, and he turned to see a man with a cigar in hand and an expensive suit, holding an envelope in his hands. “I take it you are X?” His lip curled up with a twinge of a smile as he stared back at him with a chuckle.
“Are those the names?” Lex looked at the envelope in the man’s hands.
“Ah, ah, ah,” he shook his head, waving the envelope like a dangling carrot. “The payment?”
“Everything you need to create an army of half-machine powered criminals….even after the soul has left the body,” Lex hissed in a sinister tone, waving the file in his hand.
“How do I know it works?” the man asked.
Lex motioned to where Gretchen was sitting a few seats over, and she smiled, standing up with Metallo who wore a black one-piece suit with a silver x across the chest. They crossed over to where Lex was standing, and he smiled motioning to the man, “I give you Metallo.”
***
Lois felt a breeze against her back, looking behind her to see the golden hills curving with the wind as they overlooked the majestic river below. She could see the deep creviced valleys below where the water flowed through freely. It was breathtaking.
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” she murmured, turning her head to look back at Clark who had an arm hung loosely around her waist. They’d flown to Fiji a few hours ago and checked into the hotel. Instead of following the typical tourist attractions, Clark had flown them to the more reclusive parts of the country to take in the spectacular sights that weren’t a part of the usual tours.
Her husband’s arms tightened around her as he whispered in her ear, “There are a few things that can put even this place to shame” The curve of his lip twitched as he looked back at her, brushing a loose hair out of her face. “Unfortunately, we don’t have time to explore all the parts of Fiji, but we can at least seem the highlights while we’re here.”
She smiled back at him, tightening his hand in hers as she let out a long breath, “How many places are you trying to fit into two weeks’ time?”
“Eight or ten,” he shrugged, pulling him toward him. “It depends,” he whispered in her ear.
“On what?” she asked.
“How distracted we get,” he leaned in to kiss her, and she grinned, feeling the wind brush through her hair as his hand moved to cup her cheek.
***
Lucy Lane set her things down on the bench, glancing over at the washing machine she’d just loaded with her clothes. Thankfully the crowd that was usually taking over the Metro Mart’s Spin and Save seemed to have found something else to do. It was just as well. Sharing an overheated room that reeked of bleach and moldy detergent wasn’t how she envisioned spending her afternoon. She’d taken off two days at the restaurant and had been hoping to spend today relaxing. Unfortunately, the vacation had been cut short by her mother’s interference.
Why was it such a big deal anyway? She and Jimmy were both grown and consenting adults. All she could make out of her mother’s high pitched screams was that she was angry about how it looked. That was always how it was with her.
The person she’d been most concerned about having something to say about her and Jimmy’s relationship was Lois. She’d been quiet about the whole thing when they’d been waiting for Superman to take everyone back home. There wasn’t any yelling or hurt feelings just silence on the subject. She wasn’t’ really sure how to take that but given her sister probably had other things on her mind she didn’t ponder too hard on the subject.
Jimmy was another matter altogether. She wasn’t sure where they stood or if there was anything to talk about after the fiasco with her mother. Looking back on everything, she knew it was not the smartest move on either of their parts to sleep together. They were both drunk. It was her sister’s wedding. It wasn’t the time or the place to start something with him. But it had happened. It wasn’t like she could take any of it back.
She still didn’t know where to go from here. Should she call him? Should she wait for him to call her? Would he even want to after what had happened with her mother?
She shook her head in disgust, uncertain if she could blame him for not wanting to pursue anything with her after being dragged out of the hotel room by his ear. It had been humiliating for all of them and what was even worse was the fact that her mother was too consumed with her anger to realize what she was doing to all of them. Lois had to be holding onto some resentment after being asked to leave the hotel early on her honeymoon. She knew she would.
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “What a mess,” she mumbled aloud as she dug out the book she’d been reading for her Critical Thinking class and notebook, hoping to catch up on some of her coursework before class later that week. Of course, that meant she would have to actually read the book in her hand. Reading and thinking of anything other than the events from this morning and last night didn’t seem to go over well today.
“You keep staring at that book like that it might get offended,” a voice came from behind her.
She turned and looked, feeling a blush cross her cheeks as she saw Jimmy Olsen standing in front of her. “Uh, Jimmy, hi,” she nervously twirled her hair on her finger, looking back at him.
“I’m not following you, I swear,” he said patting the bag on his shoulder.
She smiled back at him, shaking her head. “Please don’t pay attention to anything my mother said this morning. She’s…”
“Nuts?” Jimmy prompted.
“Reality challenged,” Lucy nodded with a laugh as he took a seat next to her. “I’m sorry,”
“
You’re not the one that should be apologizing,” Jimmy sighed, looking over at her. “I, uh, guess our timing could have been better though.”
“Yeah,” Lucy twisted her mouth into a half-smile.
***
Carmine Falcone exited the Lexor Hotel, walking purposefully to the awaiting limo parked out front. He nodded to the driver who was standing by the door. The driver opened the door for him, and he slid inside the limo, waiting for the driver to close the door before addressing the guests waiting inside for him.
“Make sure all the soldiers know what’s coming,” he ordered, looking to John Denetto, one of the key players in the Intergang operation in Gotham. A light chuckle escaped his lips, “We can’t afford for anyone to back out now.”
“They won’t know what hit them,” Denetto grinned gleefully.
***
Lois bumped Clark’s hip, looking toward the waterfall behind them. “So, is there a reason you didn’t want to take the official tour down here?” She inquired with a twinkle in her eyes. After lunch, Clark had brought them to Mt Lushan Falls to explore the natural beauty of China. Instead of following the typical tourist path above ground he’d brought her through one of the caverns below. Finally, they reached the end, and she could see sunlight and the powerful waterfalls crashing against the stone walls and ceiling that surrounded them.
“Is this even on the map?” she asked curiously, glancing back at her husband with a playful grin.
“Nope,” he took her hand in his, running his thumb over the gold band, pulling her to him. “This is one of the best spots. You get a perfect view of the waterfall away from everything. No crowds and no interruptions.”
“It’s beautiful here.” She observed, looking toward the smooth stones that arched into a smooth curve, protecting them from the water crashing down around them.
“Last time I was here I found this place by accident. It has a very calming effect, listening to the water and gives you a chance to enjoy everything without the over-crowded experience.” Clark explained, following her down the path that had been smoothed out to lead them to the plunge basin of water below and closer to the waterfall they were behind.
“It’s certainly a unique view,” she remarked, steadying herself as she took another step to where the crystal clear water ran into the pool of water inches from their feet. She turned to look over her shoulder, smiling to see Clark floating half an inch above the slick stones and laughed, “That is not fair.”
“Someone’s got to make sure we both don’t fall in,” he responded with a grin, tightening his hand around hers.
She stopped, turning to face him fully, “Floating makes you suddenly have better balance than me?”
“Nothing to trip on,” he retorted, his grin widening as he spoke. “And I have better coordination on uneven surfaces.”
A smirk crossed her face, and she looped her arms around his neck, extending her neck, so she was eye-level with him, “You sure about that?”
Before he could respond, she leaned into him, capturing his mouth with hers. He let out an involuntary moan, cupping her cheek as he focused his attention elsewhere. He let out a groan as she parted her lips, dipping his tongue inside her mouth as he leaned further into her. She grinned, feeling the tension in her arms lessen as his feet came down to rest on the stone pathway beneath their feet.
“Still think you have better coordination than me?” she murmured against him, allowing her hands to wander up and down the front of his chest before giving him a playful push backward and capturing his mouth with hers once again. Sure enough, it was just enough of a distraction to cause him to lose his balance and fall back into the pool of water, taking her with him.
She let out a shriek as the cold water flooded her senses. She sat up, shaking her head and looking to Clark who was watching her with an amused expression. The pool wasn’t more than a few feet deep, coming up to her waist.
“See?” he floated a few inches above the water. “No coordination.”
She splashed some water at him playfully, “Need I remind you who lost their balance?”
“I was pushed.” He shook his head, lowering himself next to her. “That doesn’t count.”
“Uh-huh,” she splashed him with her hand, reaching up to grab the wall behind her and stand up. “You still fell,” she retorted with a grin.
He reached over to help steady her, and she felt a warmth cross down her shoulders, over her chest and abdomen. She looked down to see steam rising off the cotton dress she was wearing. “Can’t have you catching a cold,” he explained, wrapping his arms around her.
“Well, we certainly wouldn’t want that,” she agreed. “We only have two weeks…and hardly any vacation time left when we get back.”
“Yes, two weeks of no stories to chase, or disasters to divert…” he trailed off, leaning close enough so she could feel his breath against her skin. A shiver of anticipation ran through her as she stared back at him. “And mostly…no interruptions.” He finished, capturing her mouth with his.
She let out an inaudible moan, feeling the vibration of his mouth against hers as his hands found their way to her damp hair. She let out a soft sigh, running her hands over his chest and whispering, “So, what exactly do you have planned for the rest of this visit?” She ran her hands over his shoulders and grinned back at him playfully, “I mean, besides failing to school me in the art of coordination.”
He let out a light chuckle, “Was it really?” he challenged, leaning in to kiss her then adding in a low whisper. “I figured we could do some exploring and take in the sights before moving on to the next stop in Nepal.” He looked at her and let out a low murmur, “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Yes,” she purred, toying with the collar to his shirt playfully. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience that’s for sure.” She looped her arms around his neck. “Thank you,”
“Getting away from it all and recharging is something I think we both need after the crazy year we’ve had,” Clark whispered, running the edge of his hand against her cheek and tracing the curve of her neck as he slid his hand down over her shoulders.
“It hasn’t been all bad,” she smiled, leaning against him.
“No, some parts have been pretty amazing,” Clark whispered, leaning in to kiss her.
She leaned back against the stone wall, her hair damp from the recent fall into the pool, and turned to him with a knowing look. “You think?”
“Oh, yeah,” he whispered against her lips.
“So we’ve got what four hours to kill before we head out?” she prompted, scrunching her nose up at him.
“Something like that,” he grinned at her, reaching over to stroke her cheek.
“We should make the most of it…” she let out a low moan, leaning against him as he captured her mouth with his once more.
***
Jimmy glanced over at Lucy nervously, watching as she pulled each item of clothing out of the dryer and folded it. They’d sat in an unbearable silence for most of the afternoon, talking about anything and everything but what was weighing heavily on both their minds. He toyed with the drawstring on his laundry bag, unsure what to do next.
“So, they opened up a new theater on Fifth,” he finally found his voice. He cringed inwardly, hearing the uneven squeak as she looked back at him with a perplexed expression.
“Yeah,” she nodded, reaching in the dryer for another article of clothing.
“We could check it out if you wanted…might be interesting,” he finished lamely.
“A new theater might be interesting?” she looked at him with a confused expression.
“Well, not the theater persè but maybe the movies playing?” he offered weakly.
“So, you want me to go to the new theater to see a movie with you?” she asked.
“No!” he said louder than necessary and then backtracked, “I mean, yes.”
“Which is it?” Lucy asked, looking at him in confusion.
“Yes,” he seemed to find his voice and cleared his throat. “I’d like to go to a movie with you…like on a date?”
“A date?” she echoed, her voice wavering slightly.
“Yeah, you know I figured after last night we at least owed it to one another to give this a real shot…” he walked toward her, and she glanced back at him with a panic-stricken face. “Luce?”
***
Detective Jim Burrows took a swig of his coffee, descending the stairs that led into the squad room of the Metropolis P.D. The case had been presented to pardon the inmates that were a part of the prison corruption scandal that had taken control of the city’s news outlets. All anyone could talk about was how the prison had let these prisoners down. Never mind the fact that these were hardened criminals that would think nothing of hunting someone down in cold blood.
The case had been sent to Washington, and he had thought for sure it would be dismissed. Never in his wildest dreams did he think the President would actually sign the pardon. He had worked side by side with Bill when he’d been working the Luthor case after the Planet bombing. The cold, calculating measures Luthor had gone through to destroy the Planet and pin it on an innocent copyboy was astounding.
Once the glass ceiling had been shattered, and the case opened up the biggest conspiracy in Metropolis’ history there was no going back. Lex Luthor had been the mastermind behind a majority of the city’s crimes and had been instrumental in the city losing funds that could have gone to help those in need. Sure he gave a public donation here and there to save face, but it was all to stroke his ego.
He spotted Bill sitting at his desk and approached hesitantly, uncertain how his friend would feel about the news of Lex Luthor’s pardon—even if the man was dead. “Morning, Bill,”
“Morning,” Bill Henderson kept his eyes down, looking at the paper in front of him in a studious way.
“Quite the news, eh,” Jim pointed at the television coverage of the presidential pardon being issued for Lex Luthor.
“Good news spreads fast, I suppose,” Bill Henderson remarked unfazed.
“Good news spreads…? Bill, are you feeling all right?” Jim asked, looking at him in concern.
“Never better,” Bill responded with a grunt.
A commotion from the corner of the squad room pulled Jim’s attention away, and he turned to see the very wanted Nigel St. John standing at the top of the stairs, “Easy, easy, I’m unarmed,” he called out to the police station filled with weapons directed toward him. “Officers, I’d like to turn myself in.”
***
Bruce Wayne stood in front of the mirror in his master suite of the Wayne Manor, straightening his tie. He looked over at the suitcase Alfred had packed. He wasn’t sure how long this trip would take, but he was sure of one thing: he had to act fast. He did his best not to ponder too hard over what was at stake. He had already lost so much in the war over Gotham.
Once the word was out that Falcone had made the trip to Metropolis he knew there was no going back. There hardly ever was. In his line of work, he’d had to make hard choices for the betterment of mankind. Some of those choices had cost others their lives …many at the hands of thugs like Falcone. If he was interested in Metropolis then so was he.
“Mr. Fox is expecting you, Master Wayne,” Alfred said approaching him from behind.
“I’ll be in touch as soon as we land,” Bruce reassured, placing a hand on his worried friend’s shoulder.
“Just remember, many of the criminals in Metropolis are used to a superhero that’s indestructible. Your normal methods may not work if you’re caught in a tight spot,” Alfred advised.
“Well, then I guess I can always yell ‘Help Superman’ in those instances, right?” Bruce gave Alfred a sympathetic smile. “We’ll get them this time, Alfred.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Alfred remarked before turning to the door. “Mr. Fox is waiting.”
***
“I have to go,” Lucy Lane said hurriedly, standing to her feet as she shoved the last of her laundry still slightly damp into the hamper she was carrying. She avoided eye contact with Jimmy as she looked at the ground, unwilling to allow herself to get caught off guard again.
“Go?” Jimmy asked, looking at her with a perplexed expression.
“Go!” she said forcibly, heading to the door with Jimmy hot on her tail. “I, uh, have to, um…”
“Luce, wait!” Jimmy called after her, jogging to keep up with her. “Slow down,”
“This is too much,” she finally found her voice. “I can’t…I..”
“What’s too much?” Jimmy asked, looking at her in confusion. “All I asked was for a simple movie.”
She squinted her eyes closed, feeling a rush of emotions come over her. A single tear escaped her eyes, “I know,” she whispered in a barely audible tone. “I just don’t know if I…”
“What?” he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Jimmy, you’re a really great guy. I just don’t have the best track record with great guys. I don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t…” she stopped when she felt his hand move to her cheek, cupping it with his palm. “This is a bad idea.”
“Why?” he challenged, looking at her for an answer she didn’t have at the moment. “You and I both know there’s a risk with every relationship. Why not take a chance?”
“Because the last person I cared about turned into a cyborg. The one before that ended up shot. I’m a jinx!” she cried, shaking her head at him as the tears ran down her cheeks freely.
“No, you’re not,” he whispered.
“Jimmy,” she sighed, shaking her head. “This could end really badly,”
“Maybe I’m willing to take that risk,” he reasoned aloud.
“I’m not,” she shook her head. “You are best friends with my sister. What happens when things don’t work out? Are you going to quit your job to avoid her? This is too messy!”
“What happens if it does work out?” he prompted, leaning into her. She let out a sharp breath as she felt the heat from his breath against her. He was too close. Too close for her to think and too close for her to process all the emotions running through her mind.
“The chances of that aren’t exactly stacked in our favor,” she challenged.
“One movie. One date.” He pleaded with her. “If it doesn’t work out we’ll walk away as friends. I promise.” He was quiet a moment before prompting her, “What do you say?”
She gave him a slow smile, staring back at the hopeful expression on his face. If he was willing to put himself out there, she could too, right? What harm could come from just one date?
“Okay, one date,” she nodded, looking at him with a smile.
“Great,” he grinned back at her.
“I do have to go,” she said, looking at the door.
He nodded, removing his hand from her cheek and stepping away, “Right,” She headed out the door, and he called after her, “See you tonight,”
A smile crossed her face as she looked back at him. “See you tonight,”
***
Johnny Corbin stood outside the Metro Mart, watching as Lucy Lane exited the Spin and Save on the corner. His jaw tightened as he stared at the young man waving after her like a lovesick puppy. He stared at his aluminum hands, watching as the green hue reflected on the metal of his arms.
“Metallo?”
He turned to see the woman he’d come to know as Gretchen Kelly standing behind him. He quickly covered, pretending was easier than to explain what he was doing out in public without permission. The jagged memories continued to flood through his mind as he stared at the young brunette walking toward the awaiting taxi cab.
“I guess I got lost,” he answered mutely, uncertain if his excuse was being bought by her.
“Come now, there are some people we want you to meet,” she motioned toward the town car sitting across the street. “We have a lot to talk about.”
***
Jim Burrows stared at the screen in front of him, uncertain how to process Bill Henderson’s reaction to the news of Lex Luthor’s pardon. How could he just act like nothing was wrong with it? He’d spent months chasing down leads, trying to bring the boss of Metropolis down once and for all. Then when the scum bag cheated death, he’d beat himself up, wondering what he could have done to stop Luthor from jumping. All those months of guilt weighed on his friend. Luthor being found alive and living on the lamb had come as a shock to all of them. No one was more shocked than Bill Henderson to discover Luthor alive and well.
No way would he be okay with Luthor being pardoned.
No way.
He stood up from his desk, determination crossing his face. Something was up, and he was going to find out what. A rumble beneath his feet caused him to stop. He looked down and saw a crack in the floor beneath his feet. He fell to the ground, rolling on one side to escape the expanding ground attempting to swallow up anyone that dared get in its path.
Maniacal laughter came from the balcony. Jim looked up, lifting his head from where he’d flattened himself against the ground and saw a man with several scars over his face holding a machete in his right hand and aiming it into the crowd. Behind him was a group of thugs with painted faces armed with machine guns.
Realization washed over Jim as he rolled himself behind his desk just in time to protect himself from the rain of gunfire that filled the police station. “You have the right to remain silent…” the man dancing in a sleek brown suit taunted as he aimed the machete around the room. In the distance, he could hear a loud crash outside. He looked up and saw the tall building that held the prisoners engulfed in flames.
He didn’t dare scream and draw attention to himself, reaching up for the top drawer to his desk where the panic button had been embedded in all office equipment after the recent remodel. Just a few more inches…
“Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?” a voice came from behind him, pointing the barrel of a machine gun at the back of his head.
Jim Burrows turned, looking at the man in confusion. “Let me guess, clowns. Guns. The Joker, right?”
A light chuckle escaped the man’s lips, and he leaned down to snarl, “I am nothing like that freak!” An unnerving calm washed over him, and he whispered, “You can call me Stitches!”
***
TBC...
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