Rules of War
Folc4evernaday
Chapter 15a
Lois buried her face in Clark’s chest as they came in for a landing. The bitter cold wind rustled through her hair and her cheeks tingled from the wind’s abrupt intrusion on what had been for the most part, comfortable autumn-like days. Winter had definitely made it’s abrupt entrance. Clark’s hand moved across her cheek, reassuring her with a silent gesture as he waited for her to regain her footing after the flight.
“This is as close as I can get us for now.” Clark said, pointing to the street ahead, brightly lit by the sun’s rays. WayneTech was just a few blocks away.
She allowed Clark to take the lead and waited for him to check for any sign of potential danger. They reached the end of the alley and Lois peeked over Clark’s shoulder, noting the bleakness that covered the streets she had once prided herself on knowing better than anyone.
The streets of Metropolis felt unfamiliar. Every corner was littered with armed soldiers, patrolling with the local police. It felt like the city was under siege. The sun was just beginning to rise and the orange and red glinted behind the towering cityscape. The warmth from the sun’s rays was a welcome change to the brisk winter wind that had come through overnight.
It was hard to believe it had only been twenty-four hours ago Lois had been walking this same street, focused on writing up the story of the double homicide she and Clark had inadvertently been witness to. The memory of how quickly he had succumbed to the Kryptonite’s presence and the hopeless expression on his face had been agonizing.
Lois tightened the belt of her coat around her, hoping that would help protect her from the cold wind that filled the air. She looked to the right, reassuring herself that Clark was right beside her before approaching the crosswalk where two heavily armed soldiers stood.
“Come on,” Clark reached over and took her hand in his. Immediately she felt the warmth from his hand resonate through her.
Never in her life would she have envisioned herself being forced to cower down and hide from those enforcing the laws of the land. Yet here she was clutching her husband with a death grip and praying they would make it to WayneTech without being searched. Explaining just what she was doing with the remnants of melted C-4 under her jacket wasn’t something she envisioned going well.
***
The sliding elevator doors opened and Bill Henderson exited with Cisco Ramon a few steps behind him. Caitlin Snow flashed them both an encouraging smile, “Bill, you ready for this?”
“I’ve got this, Dr. Snow,” Henderson smiled back at her. “We’ve got more than enough now to prove who the real Bill Henderson is.”
“And negotiate some assistance from the Metropolis P.D.” Cisco added, tapping his hand on the folder in his hand.
“Dan Taylor never did like bad publicity,” Henderson grimaced, straightening his tie. He turned back to Cisco and reminded him, “Just be sure you don’t come across like you’re threatening him. He won’t play ball if he feels like he’s being backed into a corner.”
“I’ve got it,” Cisco reassured, typing a code in the keypad on the door. He looked back at Caitlin, “We’ll keep you posted. Let me know as soon as Bruce gets back. We’ll need to get that team underground as soon as we can.”
“I still don’t understand why we can’t just send a team down without the Metropolis P.D.” Caitlin commented, shaking her head. “I mean, it’s not like they’re helping anything. How long have they had a clone working your job?”
“It’s bureaucracy,” Henderson replied, ignoring the question. “It’s the same reason everyone was on edge when Superman first arrived—” He stopped mid-sentence, catching himself. “Sorry. Bad comparison.”
“We’re going to clear his name,” Cisco said with a determined glint in his eyes.
“I know we will,” Henderson responded. “Which is why we need all the help we can get. Dan Taylor is as fair as you can get. You don’t want him on your bad side.”
“Please,” Cisco shrugged his shoulders. “Remember who you’re talking to. I’m the King of Cool.”
Caitlin Snow rolled her eyes as she watched the two exit. “Good luck.”
***
James McCall reached across the table for the spoon to stir the sugar into his coffee. He looked up at the television monitor, watching as the footage of the protesters outside City Hall filled the screen. The world was changing right before his eyes. And not for the better. Something had changed in the President too.
He had spent the last several weeks trying to retrace the President's steps and make some sense out of the chaos that had overtaken the country. It was like the President was a completely different person yet he couldn't get anyone to see it. The President he had voted for never would have chosen the likes of Lex Luthor as his second in command. The man he knew never would have chosen Washington's cesspool of corruption as representatives for the people.
The most bewildering part was how everyone continued as if it was business as usual. He couldn't go to Congress. Most of them wouldn't even be there if it weren't for the President. He couldn't take his concerns to the DOJ or FBI. Most of them were in the same predicament Congress was.
There was one person he knew that had vocalized his disdain for the new policies placed on the American people, but reaching out to him was a gamble. If this went the wrong way, he would be out of moves. He set his empty coffee mug down, then turned to the double pane glass window where a black town car had just pulled up. The driver stepped out of the car and nodded to him.
McCall let out a long breath, mentally preparing for the confrontation that would be taking place this morning. He made his way toward the exit, letting the door slam behind him as he left.
***
Governor Wade walked through the deck of the Polar Coast, examining the debris that had collected over the last few weeks from the ship being put out of commission. A scowl crossed his face as he looked toward the steps that led to the cabin of the ship. A yellow tape with black letters ‘Caution’ marked the area off.
It was hard to believe there had been a child labor ring running in his state without him knowing. The news of Harlan Black’s illegal smuggling ring had been a hard blow for him last year. He had prided himself on the safety he could offer citizens in New Troy. Now he wasn’t so sure.
“How many?” he spoke up, turning to the lead FBI agent on the case, Roger Templeton.
“Alive? Two-hundred and thirty-six.” Templeton responded with a catch in his voice. “There were roughly around thirty that didn’t make it, Governor.”
“We find who’s responsible and we make them pay.” Governor Wade said with a deep sigh. “We owe them that much.”
“Well, like I said before, Governor, all of the evidence leads us to believe this is Intergang’s handiwork.” Templeton said, gesturing to the cabin in front of them.
“Intergang was shut down.” Wade snorted.
“How sure are you of that?” Templeton asked.
***
Clark watched as Lois eyed the steel doors to the elevator scrupulously. The nervousness she was hiding hit him like a wave. He reached over to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She gave him a forced smile but didn’t say anything.
“It’s going to be okay,” he reassured her. The words seemed hollow and insincere but it was the only thing he could think to say. As of right now he had no one to turn to as Superman without putting those individuals in danger. Dr. Klein had already risked enough by helping reimage that video footage. Jimmy had received word yesterday that the entire staff of STAR Labs were being detained and questioned for their connection to Superman.
After the surprise package of C-4 showed up on his and Lois’ doorstep he knew the stakes were higher than they had ever been. He might not know as much as he’d like about Bruce Wayne but given they both had everything to lose he knew this was the right move.
The elevator came to a stop with a hard thud and the sound of metal grinding filled the elevator car. Lois threw an irritated glare back at Clark, “Can he make it any louder? I don’t think they heard it in Borneo.”
Clark flashed her a weak smile, relieved to see some of the humorous wit peaking through. The doors opened to reveal an amused Bruce Wayne with his acting CEO, Lucius Fox. Clark met Bruce’s gaze and stepped out of the elevator to greet him.
“Well, when I said drop by anytime I have to say I wasn’t expecting you to take me up on it so soon. Starting to make this a habit.” Bruce commented with an amused . “Do I need to get you a key?”
Clark shrugged his shoulders, noting the suspicious expression that remained on his wife’s face as they entered the hidden wing of WayneTech. “Not like we planned to get C-4 delivered to our doorstep, Bruce.”
“No one ever does,” Bruce said, his tone more somber.
Lois looked around, taking everything in. “What is this place?”
Clark looked to Bruce, “She knows.”
“This is where I work off the radar of everyone here at WayneTech,” Bruce looked to Lucius. “With the exception of Lucius here.”
“We don’t know anything about you.” Lois said carefully, looking around the room in dismay. “Yet we’re here trusting you with everything.” She set the remnants of the C-4 package he had disposed of earlier on a long table they stood next to.
“On the contrary, I’d say you know more about Mr. Wayne than most people that supposedly know him for decades.” Lucius interrupted, clearing his throat.
Clark looked over at Bruce, uncertain how much Lucius had become privy to. Bruce shook his head ‘no’ and Clark nodded his thanks. “I think what Lois is trying to say is this isn’t easy for us, but we’re willing to take a leap of faith and stop this.” He pointed to the melted C-4 remnants on the table.
“I understand,” Bruce said, extending his hand to Lois. “I go by Bruce Wayne, Batman, the Dark Knight, and occasionally rat bastard.”
“Those references are usually by the opposing counsel that’s sore about not getting something by Mr. Wayne.” Lucius supplied with a reassuring smile.
“So, you don’t have to like me, but I think given the circumstances we all need to work together.”
“Then let’s start with the truth,” Lois pressed, pursing her lips as she spoke. “What really brought you to Metropolis?”
Bruce stared at Lois for a long moment. He seemed to be contemplating the pros and cons of answering Lois. Truth be told, Clark had the same burning questions but his wife was more blunt about getting the answers they needed. Bruce nodded his head and then turned back to them. “I guess it’s the least I can do.” He turned to Lucius, “Lucius, why don’t you give us a minute?”
“Are you sure, Mr. Wayne?” Lucius asked.
“I’m sure,” Bruce sighed. “We have a lot to catch up on.” Lucius made his exit and then Bruce turned back to them. “My friend Harvey Dent was working on a case that involved Intergang. He got his hands on something I’m sure you two are familiar with.” Bruce paused a moment and then continued. “Kryptonite.”
“Harvey Dent. The DA that went crazy and took Gotham City hostage?” Clark asked, recalling the news cycle from a year ago.
“Yeah,” Bruce said soberly. “He wasn’t all bad. But Harvey got mixed up with the wrong people. Those same people made him pay the ultimate price.” Bruce grew quiet, looking toward the door behind him. “I knew if Kryptonite was in the hands of Intergang it was only a matter of time until they tried to peddle it here in Metropolis.”
“But you never approached anyone about your concerns.” Lois challenged, pacing in front of him. “Dr. Klein—the known expert on Superman. Myself or Clark.”
Bruce buried his hands in his pockets and sighed, “I know. I guess when my conversation with Superman didn’t go over that well I decided to take matters in my own hands.” He looked up at Clark, meeting his eyes for a second before continuing, “I wanted to hunt down Denetto and his gang.” He let out a long breath. “I never dreamed I’d walk into something like this.”
Lois was quiet a moment, her facial expression remained thoughtful as she mulled the revelation over. “I guess I can understand that.” She admitted, looking back at Clark. “We haven’t had much luck on chasing Denetto down either.”
“Or finding the missing piece to explain how Luthor ended up in the White House.” Clark added bitterly.
“Or how we ended up with a clone for a leader of the free world.” Lois finished with a shudder.
“Clone?” Bruce looked at her in surprise.
“We think whoever is behind cloning Bill Henderson may have had a much bigger vision in mind,” Clark explained.
“What better way to take over the most powerful country in the world than to plant a clone of the President himself there?” Lois prompted in agreement.
“It’s an interesting theory,” Bruce observed, “But how do we prove it?”
“We can’t,” Clark sighed.
“Yet.” Lois corrected.
“So maybe we put our heads together and see if we can get somewhere.” Bruce suggested. “It’s got to be better than what we’re doing now.”
“I guess it’s worth a shot.” Lois reasoned aloud.
“Great,” Bruce gestured to the panorama of computer monitors on the wall length desk a few feet away. “I must warn you, what I’ve got isn’t much.”
***
Police Chief Taylor eyed the paperwork on his desk and looked up at the man standing in front of him then to the younger man next to him. The man in front of him looked exactly like Bill Henderson. Then again, the man sitting in his police station, working the Pentagon break-in looked exactly like him too. He looked down at the paperwork once more, eying the terms on the page. ‘Genetic copy’ and ‘clone’ were sprinkled through the report along with ‘head injury’ and ‘amnesia.’ It all seemed bizarre and insane. Something you’d find in a sci-fi movie, not in the middle of his precinct.
“Mister…?” Taylor looked to the young man with dark hair, uncertain of his credentials.
“Ramon,” the response came from both Ramon and Henderson.
“Ramon.” Taylor nodded his head and leaning back in his chair. “This is a lot to take in.”
“It’s true, Dave,” Henderson spoke up.
“How?” Taylor ran a hand across his face. “How did something like this happen?”
“That’s what my team and I’d like to find out.” Cisco Ramon spoke up. “In order to do that we need your help.”
“What kind of help?” Taylor asked.
“Metropolis P.D’s support of an independent team to conduct a thorough investigation into Inspector Henderson and the SWAT Team’s kidnapping.” Cisco Ramon explained, holding a hand up to silence Taylor’s protests before they could escape his throat. “Before you say anything, I want you to remember something. You have had a genetic copy of your top detective working cases, accessing case files, and who knows what else for weeks. Don’t try to sell me on what’s appropriate. Wayne Enterprises has the top security company in the country. Discretion will be used throughout the investigation but we need your support.”
“Come on, Dave,” Henderson coaxed. “You know it’s got to be done.”
***
Harley threw her things into the booth of a small diner just on the outskirts of town. She had done everything that had been asked of her. She took the jobs that required her skillset and pulled them off without a hitch. Now after everything those pig-headed Neanderthals not only had cut her out of the deal but now they had made it to where she couldn’t get anyone to take a chance on her.
Her patience had run out – not that she had a whole lot to begin with. It was time she started making plans for herself. She couldn’t trust Luthor. She couldn’t’ trust Falcone. She certainly couldn’t trust Church. It was all on her.
“You got my message?” a voice came from behind her.
She looked up and saw the waitress with red hair and smiled when she saw her eyes glow golden yellow. “Quite a stunt you pulled on that Coast Guard’s ship.” Harley let the evil grin spread across her face. “I don’t think you’ll be working with Mr. Luthor for much longer though.”
“Who needs ‘em?” Whisper asked, taking a seat next to her. “We now have the bargaining chip or should I say chips to guarantee ourselves freedom and a nice kick in the cojones to Mr. Vice President.”
“Vice Crazy Town you mean?” Harley let out an uncontrollable giggle. “So, what’s the next move?”
Whisper pointed to the door where a familiar FBI agent had just entered. “He just came in.”
***
“Congressman!”
The shout came from the crowd of protesters as Congressman Lawrence attempted to leave the coffee shop undetected. The Congressman shot a glare into the crowd before darting in the opposite direction to avoid the angry mob that was camped on the corner of City Hall. Just when he thought he wouldn't make it, he spotted his limo. The door opened, and he quickly climbed in, grateful for the escape.
“Thanks, Lou,” he called out to the driver. He stopped short when he realized he wasn't alone.
“You!”
“Joe, it’s been a long time.” The smile smoothed across the gentleman’s face as they drove off. “Make yourself comfortable. We have a lot to catch up to do.”
***
Entering STAR Labs felt more like entering airport security under a code red than one of the top scientific laboratories in the country. In the corner a station had been setup for the soldiers and officers that were currently doing the interrogations. Cisco craned his neck to get a good look through the crowd at who the latest victim of the interrogations was.
He felt a bitter bile in his throat when he saw Dr. Bernard Klein with what appeared to be some sort of high ranking military officer. His tag read, ‘Reynolds’ and from the looks of it the interrogation had been going on for hours.
A tap on his shoulder startled him back to the present as he jumped and turned around to face the intruder. He let out a sigh of relief when he found himself face to face with his friend, Barry Allen.
“Barry, don’t do that!” Cisco hissed out, looking over his shoulder to see if his outburst had gotten any unwanted attention.
Barry chuckled, “Sorry, you were the one that wanted to meet here.” He looked toward the lab where Dr. Klein was. “They’re still going at him hard, aren’t they?”
“He’s their only known source to where Superman is.” Cisco muttered in disgust.
Barry shook his head, “Think they’ll give up anytime soon?”
“They can only question him like this for seventy-two hours.” Cisco said, shaking his head. “By then, I’m hoping we’ll have something to help clear Superman’s innocence.”
“You and me both,” Barry commented. “Dianna said things are getting worse. She’s been working double time to make up for Supeman’s absence.”
“Well, he hasn’t been completely absent.” Cisco said proudly. “Nice work on that diversion. Superman made it out of there and no shots were fired.”
“Replacing their ammunition is a cinch.” Barry commented, “but clearing Superman’s name and getting Lex Luthor out of office is going to be a bigger challenge.”
“Well, Caitlin’s got a few theories on this cloning project. If we can get access to that room Zymack and the rest of the SWAT Team stumbled onto we can get to the bottom of all of this.” Cisco said, looking over his shoulder. “How’s the new suit?”
“Did you have to make everything so….sensitive?” Barry asked with an eyebrow raised. “I mean, I just run by a nuclear plant and everything goes off.”
“That’s the point,” Cisco said, patting him on the shoulder.
***
Bruce stared at the panoramic wall that was now covered with the background information on the Congressmen and Congresswomen that had resigned and thus giving Lex Luthor the in that he needed to take his place in the White House.
Lois Lane paced in front of the monitors and pointed the image that had graced everyone’s news circuit just before the landslide of resignations occurred. “Congressman Riley,” he pointed to the Congressman’s picture. “That’s the one that held this…party.”
Clark shook his head, “Yeah and every news circuit received anonymous pictures in the mail. No one knew who sent them but a number of organizations ran with the story.”
“Of course,” Lois folded her arms across her chest. “What sells papers better than a political sex scandal?”
“I think there’s more to the story,” Clark said, pacing in front of the screen.
“There’s more to all of this.” Bruce agreed. “I’ll run a scan on the images I can find and see if there’s anything out of place that might offer an explanation other than the standard line we got from everyone.”
“What about this clone of Henderson’s?” Lois asked. “He’s been living as Bill Henderson for weeks. What’s being done about that?”
“Cisco and Bill are talking to Chief Taylor now. I have a team that will be going to the tunnels Bill and the other officers were trapped in to see what we can find down there.” Bruce answered. “Bill said there was a room filled with bodies that we now suspect is where the cloning experiments were being performed. We just need to find it, take some samples and track down who is behind these experiments.”
“Oh, is that all?” Clark asked sarcastically.
***
Roger Templeton checked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being followed. The meeting he was having was now illegal, but it was a solid lead, and right now he needed something—anything to point him in the right direction. The game of cat and mouse he’d been playing with Nigel St. John and his allies, Alexander Luthor, Carmine Falcone, and Bill Church was growing old by the second.
He wanted to see St. John behind bars. Until he could ensure his imprisonment the witness, he had would remain silent. The call he received today had been out of the blue, and he had every right to ignore the lead and press on, but something told him to take a chance. So here he was.
He reached the coffee shop he was looking for, noting the scarce number of patrons and baristas behind the counter. In the corner, he spotted the table that was occupied by two women. One was a redhead and the other a blonde. Though they wore disguises, he immediately recognized the well-known felons.
He took his seat, sliding into the chair across from them, “Harley, Whisper, I never thought we’d be meeting under these conditions.”
“Cool the gloating down a bit, won’t you?” Harley snapped, tapping her long fingernails on the table. “We’re only here because we have a common goal.”
“Not a fan of the latest law change, I take it?” Templeton asked.
“We want a deal,” Whisper said, cutting in before Harley could respond to the jab.
“Depends on what you can give me,” Templeton responded. “You’re both at the top of the most wanted list right now.”
“And yet you’re meeting with us here…no backup,” Whisper replied coolly.
“Maybe because there’s someone you want more?” Harley purred.
“You want Luthor you have to take down the whole operation,” Whisper hissed out smugly. “You won’t do that without us.”
“What kind of deal are we talking about?” Templeton growled out.
“Immunity in exchange for everyone,” Harley responded happily. “We walk, or we don’t talk.”
“Take it or leave it.” Whisper added smugly, crossing her arms over her chest.
***
Bill Henderson set his glass down on the table in front of him, running a weary hand across his face. The circles he had gone through over the last few hours only to find himself in the same predicament. He had no clue on where to start with this clone or how to repair the damage that had been done.
Chief Taylor believed him so that was a start, but they were still a long way from restoring his life back to what it had once been. His clone had canceled his lease. Destroyed case files. And made a rift the size of the Grand Canyon between himself and Trish. Time was what had been asked of him. Having someone show up on your doorstep and claim your husband wasn’t really your husband had to be alarming he guessed. It didn’t make his current living situation any easier to digest.
He wanted his life back.
No matter where he turned he found himself face to face with another disaster that had been created by his clone.
“When does it end?” he muttered to himself.
Cisco patted his shoulder as he walked by. “How you holding up, man?”
“My career is in the pits. My marriage is on the rocks and …I honestly don’t know.” Henderson replied with a groan.
“Just give it some time,” Cisco soothed, popping the can of soda in his hand to open it. “Chief Taylor said the IAB investigation would be over in a few weeks.”
“I’ve been with the department for over twenty years and I’ve never been investigated, Cisco,” Henderson muttered with a low growl. “Stuff like this. It stays with you.”
“It’s not your fault, Bill,” Cisco reminded him. “None of this is.”
“But I’m paying for it.” Henderson reminded him, cocking an eyebrow up.
***
TBC…
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