SMALLVILLE

KNIGHT PART II

Clark looked up and down the character known as Batman, as strange as the suit looked and cheesy as the name seemed, Batman looked like he meant business, this was Clark's only shot at finding Lois and taking out the Joker. "Where do we start?" asked Clark, Batman looked at him, his expression not changing, "I have a lot of contacts in Metropolis, one of them is bound to know something" replied Batman. "We have to take to the streets, find out what people know, then we can find your girlfriend" said Bruce in a somewhat orderly tone.

Clark and Batman stepped out into the alley around the back of Chloe's apartment, Clark couldn't help but notice that Batman wasn't taking much notice of Clark, he wasn't asking him questions or anything, it seemed Batman was on a mission of his own. Then as they rounded the corner, and got to the main street, Clark noticed one of the boldest cars he'd ever seen, it was more like a tank. Big, black, and heavily armoured, a lot like Batman's costume. "Get in" ordered Bruce, Clark obliged but hesitantly, Clark didn't know what he was getting himself into, this 'Batman' seemed a very shady character, but Clark needed all the help he could get. "What do you call this thing?" asked Clark, attempting to break the tension that washed over Clark and Bruce, "It's called a tumbler, but the people of Gotham call it 'the Bat-mobile'" replied Bruce. Clark choked back a snigger, he didn't want to get on the wrong side of Bruce right now.

Lois awoke in the back of a car, she didn't know where she was, or what she was doing here, all she knew was that she was here against her will. She tried to sit up but she couldn't move, she must've been drugged or something, she couldn't move whatsoever, "I wouldn't try and move if I were you, Miss Lane, the toxin will only get worse if you do" said a shady voice from the passenger seat, Lois tried to reply but couldn't, the 'toxin' was stopping her jaw from opening and she couldn't say a word. "Soon we'll reach our 'destination' and your precious blur should be waiting for us, I just emailed the video to his 'watchtower'" Joker said with a laugh. Lois kept on trying to move, hoping that she might be able to open the door and run away, but noticed the door was locked from the outside, she couldn't leave, "well, well, here we are" breathed Joker, Lois saw the door being pulled open and felt a handful of her hair being pulled by the hand of the Joker, as soon as the fresh air hit her she could move. Joker pulled her face up to eye level, he was about to speak, but Lois cut him off "You're better off letting me go, because if Cl-the blur gets a hold of you, he will kill you" snarled Lois. Joker smiled his crooked smile and pulled her further into the middle of the road.

Clark and Bruce entered a small back alley store were a fat shopkeeper sat behind a desk, "Hey Batman, how's it goin'" said the shopkeeper in a thick italian-american accent. Suddenly Batman grabbed the shopkeeper by the dirty white vest and shoved him against the wall, Clark looked on in surprise. "Where is the Joker?" growled Batman, "What? The who now?" said the shopkeeper, shaking with fear, "WHERE IS HE?" demanded Batman again, "I'm telling you man, I don't know anything, I promise" cried the shopkeeper, Clark knocked Batman aside and grabbed the shopkeeper by the throat, Clark picked him up off his feet and shouted "the Joker has my girlfriend, you tell me where he is...or else", the shopkeeper started crying, "Please, please don't kill me please, I'll tell you everything" said the shopkeeper. Clark released the shopkeeper and stepped back a few paces, the shopkeeper began to speak, "he came in here yesterday, looking for something to paralyse somebody with, temporarily of course, I asked who it was for and he hit me, he left me a contact to send it to, I had to special order it, this is all I have", the shopkeeper handed Clark a piece of paper with an address scribbled on it, "you might have just saved someone's life, thank you" spoke Clark softly. Clark and Bruce stepped into the Bat-mobile and just as Bruce was inputting the address into the GPS system, Clark's phone rang, it was Chloe, "Clark, I know where Lois is, she's being held at the Metropolis City Limits, their waiting for you" Chloe said the last part in a sort of sorry tone, she knew that what was awaiting Clark wasn't good. "They're at the Metropolis City Limits, we have to get there now" Clark told Batman, Batman stepped on the gas and the tumbler shot off like a bullet from a gun, it was amazingly fast.

Clark and Bruce were at the city limits in a matter of minutes, Joker was standing with a knife to Lois' throat, Batman stepped out of the Bat-mobile while Clark sped away so no one saw him, hiding behind a car. "Hand her over Joker" demanded Batman, Joker laughed at him hysterically, "You see 'Bats', you and I aren't so different, we're both considered outlaws against society, we're both considered freaks, and we both want the same things" Batman looked at Joker with a darkness in his eyes, Clark watched from behind the car. "What do we both want, Joker?" snarled Batman, "Well...you see batty, we both want everything we can get and more. We're like...how would you say...soul mates? We're both meant to be together, just on opposing sides, we both hate each other, we both want to kill each other-", Bruce cut him off, "Okay, you've made your point now hand over the girl" Batman stepped forward, hand extended, "Ah-ah, take one more step and its death city for the girl" smiled Joker. Then Clark stepped out of the shadows, "its about time you got here Smallville" said Lois sarcastically. "Hand her over or else" said Clark, Joker just smiled "Oh so, you're the blur? I expected you to be more...uh...equipped? And of course well...brighter, blue and red would really suit you" laughed the Joker. Clark made a run for Joker but he tightened his grip on Lois "Don't even think about it, freak" snarled Joker, "Fire away boys". Suddenly Jokers henchmen opened fire on Clark and Batman, Clark tried to dodge but was caught off guard, the bullets hit him, and Bruce, they both collapsed, Bruce in more pain than Clark, Clark jumped up "Bruce are you okay?" Bruce nodded and Clark turned to see the Joker throw Lois to the ground, get back into the car and speed off. At least Clark had Lois back but he had to find Joker, but first he had to get Bruce help.

Clark helped Bruce into Chloe's apartment, Lois en-tail, "Lois!" shouted Chloe, "I never thought I'd see you again" smiled Chloe, "So I take it Joker's all taken care of" asked Chloe, "Not exactly" replied Clark, "Lois could you give me a hand", Clark and Lois lifted Bruce onto the counter, and Clark began scanning Bruce with his X-Ray vision to check for bullet holes, "Bruce, you haven't been hit, the armour took the whole blow" Clark explained with a touch of relief in his voice. But Bruce couldn't go on, while Clark wasn't looking Bruce had been drugged with the same toxin Lois had been drugged with, he was temporarily paralysed. Clark had to go find the Joker himself, "Chloe, I have to go and find Joker" said Clark, Chloe gave him a puzzled look, "Are you telling me that the Joker isn't behind bars?" asked Chloe, "I need help on tracking him down". "Exactly how are we going to do that, you have nothing on this guy, no name, no address, not a thing-" said Chloe with a bit of anger in her voice, "will a license plate do?" asked Clark with a hint of sarcasm and impatience in his voice, "that will do nicely" replied Chloe with a hint of a smile. Chloe sat down in front of the computer and booted it up "it'll just take me a second to get onto the database" said Chloe, she whizzed around the computer and finally turned to Clark and asked for license plate number."7HE 90K32" said Clark, "that's creative" replied Chloe, "I can track it, but it's gonna take some time". Chloe input a few co-ordinates and eventually found what she was looking for, "137 East 24th Street, Metropolis, that's where the car is" and before Chloe could blink Clark was gone. "Always on the run" smiled Chloe.

Clark arrived outside of the house Chloe had told him about seconds after, he could here laughing and shouting, Joker had to be inside, instead of going straight inside he went to a phone booth and called 911, Clark new the only way to stop Joker was to put him on a one way ticket to Arkham Asylum. Clark hung up the phone and decided he was just going to hold Joker off until the cops got there. Clark walked in and the party stopped immediately, "It seems you don't know when to quit do ya, Mr. Man of Steel" smiled Joker, "This'll be over sooner than you think, Joker" replied Clark. One of the Joker's henchmen walked up to Clark and shot him straight in the temple, Clark felt the faintest of touches, he grabbed the gun and shattered it along with half of the man's bones in his hand, and he smiled at Joker, "maybe we should call you Mr. Indestructible?" said Joker with a questionable look on his face. Joker tried to make a run for the window, but Clark immediately cut in front of him. "You're not going anywhere" shouted Clark, "What? You have your girl back, what do you need me for now?" asked the Joker, "You're going to Arkham Asylum, and there's no way you're ever getting out" replied Clark, the Joker sank into chair with a frown on his face. Suddenly the police burst in and seized the weapons from the henchmen and wrestled Joker to the floor and handcuffed him. Det. John Jones strode up to Clark, "Nice work Kal-el, the people at Gotham City PD have been after this guy for a while, they'll be pleased to know we have him" Clark smiled and Jones walked away. Clark walked out and heard the Joker screaming as he walked away.

Clark arrived back at Chloe's to see Batman all back to Bruce (Armani suit as well) and Lois back to herself making coffee. "so?" asked Chloe, "It's all taken care of, Joker will be in a cell in an hour" replied Clark. Bruce walked up to Clark and shook his hand, "it was nice to meet you, and a pleasure working with you, Clark" smiled Bruce, "Likewise" replied Clark, "Walk me to my car" said Bruce, Clark obliged and began walking with Bruce, "I sincerely hope this isn't the last time we work together Clark, you're a great asset and an even better ally, you ever need help again, you call me" Bruce handed Clark a card, it had an emblem on, in the shape of a bat with a phone number underneath, "Hey I was thinking about what you said" started Clark, "and what's that?" asked Bruce, "About my name" said Clark, "oh yeah?" asked Bruce, "Superman sounds like a name I'd like to here more often"