chapter 6
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"Is he for real?"
"It certainly appears that way, Flash." Wonder Woman replied.
"But he's a bad guy! Supes, he's like, your arch nemesis or whatever. How are you going to stop him?"
Superman had no response. When he first heard Lex's announcement, he thought it was funny. He and Lois shared a long laugh that night. His unnatural quiet began the morning the photo of Lex and the Man of Steel had appeared on the front page of the Daily Planet. He knew no such photograph was ever actually taken. There was even an alleged quote from Superman about Lex, something to the effect that he told him he should have ran for president years ago. His own paper, the same paper he wrote for as Clark Kent, betrayed him. He watched Lex on the news, thanking Superman for his kind words whenever a microphone was in his face.
To top it off, Batman did track down the people responsible for stealing prototypes and setting off the bomb in S.T.A.R. labs. However, when they "confessed," they claimed they were hired to "frame" Lexcorp. Their confession coincided with the evening news of the day following Lex's announcement. The sympathy and support for Lex was overwhelming.
Clark had been swallowing and repressing his anger for a full 48 hours by the time of the JL meeting. Now, he just sat there, his jaw clenching and unclenching.
"Supes? Dude? Why are you so quiet?"
Superman jumped up, but Diana, J'onn, and John were on him in a second. Diana and J'onn each grabbed an arm as John extended a green force field in front of him. Superman's right eye was twitching, his jaw clenched.
"Hera give me strength!"
Superman are you with us? Please sit back down J'onn attempted to penetrate his thoughts.
"Shayera, Flash, get out of here!" John urged.
Batman remained seated but his hand went to a nondescript compartment on his utility belt. And remained there.
Flash and Shayera stood in the doorway watching their teammates wrestle with Superman.
"He snapped. . ." Shayera said in awe.
"I've been waiting for this from Bats every night. I never saw this coming from him. . ."
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"So yes, J'onn did end up sedating him, but I don't know for how long."
Diana took a sip of her wine and continued, her listener completely engrossed in her story.
"And apparently Flash and Shayera went out shopping and bought several of those. . ." She frowned and held up her fists, clenching and unclenching them rapidly, then stopped and smiled apologetically. "I don't know what those things are called."
"Ah, yes, I believe they are simply 'stress relievers,'" Alfred supplied. "It was a popular Father's Day gift from Master Dick to Master Bruce."
Diana knew Nightwing from her sister Donna and laughed, "I can see that."
Alfred refilled her glass. "I have only met Mr. Kent a few times, but I would have never imagined this."
Diana shook her head. "Neither did we. From what J'onn could discern, Clark has been repressing his anger towards Lex for years. It isn't in his nature to hate anyone, including a criminal. And the fact that Lex always manages to slip out of trouble, the latest being S.T.A.R. labs. . ."
"I did take note of the poorly made photo of the two. May I presume that was the last straw for Mr. Kent?"
She grimaced and nodded. "Also, all of Lex's appearances on television, a constant reminder."
Alfred had decades of experience detecting somber moods and noticed hers immediately.
"Miss Diana, have you ever had a tour of the Manor?"
She smiled and shook her head, "No. Are you offering?"
He pulled out her chair and then held open the kitchen door, "Right this way Miss Diana."
She followed him around Wayne Manor, appreciating what a good historian Alfred was. They were standing in front of a portrait and Alfred was offering an anecdote regarding the painter when they both heard hurried footsteps coming down the hall.
"Alfred? Is she-"
Bruce stopped mid-sentence when he saw her. She was wearing a red dress of a soft silk. The fabric gathered in a modest neckline and the hem of the dress skimmed her high heels. Her hair was pulled back in a twist. He was relieved to see she was smiling.
"Hi."
"Hi. Sorry I'm late. . ."
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"Is he for real?"
"It certainly appears that way, Flash." Wonder Woman replied.
"But he's a bad guy! Supes, he's like, your arch nemesis or whatever. How are you going to stop him?"
Superman had no response. When he first heard Lex's announcement, he thought it was funny. He and Lois shared a long laugh that night. His unnatural quiet began the morning the photo of Lex and the Man of Steel had appeared on the front page of the Daily Planet. He knew no such photograph was ever actually taken. There was even an alleged quote from Superman about Lex, something to the effect that he told him he should have ran for president years ago. His own paper, the same paper he wrote for as Clark Kent, betrayed him. He watched Lex on the news, thanking Superman for his kind words whenever a microphone was in his face.
To top it off, Batman did track down the people responsible for stealing prototypes and setting off the bomb in S.T.A.R. labs. However, when they "confessed," they claimed they were hired to "frame" Lexcorp. Their confession coincided with the evening news of the day following Lex's announcement. The sympathy and support for Lex was overwhelming.
Clark had been swallowing and repressing his anger for a full 48 hours by the time of the JL meeting. Now, he just sat there, his jaw clenching and unclenching.
"Supes? Dude? Why are you so quiet?"
Superman jumped up, but Diana, J'onn, and John were on him in a second. Diana and J'onn each grabbed an arm as John extended a green force field in front of him. Superman's right eye was twitching, his jaw clenched.
"Hera give me strength!"
Superman are you with us? Please sit back down J'onn attempted to penetrate his thoughts.
"Shayera, Flash, get out of here!" John urged.
Batman remained seated but his hand went to a nondescript compartment on his utility belt. And remained there.
Flash and Shayera stood in the doorway watching their teammates wrestle with Superman.
"He snapped. . ." Shayera said in awe.
"I've been waiting for this from Bats every night. I never saw this coming from him. . ."
**************************************
"So yes, J'onn did end up sedating him, but I don't know for how long."
Diana took a sip of her wine and continued, her listener completely engrossed in her story.
"And apparently Flash and Shayera went out shopping and bought several of those. . ." She frowned and held up her fists, clenching and unclenching them rapidly, then stopped and smiled apologetically. "I don't know what those things are called."
"Ah, yes, I believe they are simply 'stress relievers,'" Alfred supplied. "It was a popular Father's Day gift from Master Dick to Master Bruce."
Diana knew Nightwing from her sister Donna and laughed, "I can see that."
Alfred refilled her glass. "I have only met Mr. Kent a few times, but I would have never imagined this."
Diana shook her head. "Neither did we. From what J'onn could discern, Clark has been repressing his anger towards Lex for years. It isn't in his nature to hate anyone, including a criminal. And the fact that Lex always manages to slip out of trouble, the latest being S.T.A.R. labs. . ."
"I did take note of the poorly made photo of the two. May I presume that was the last straw for Mr. Kent?"
She grimaced and nodded. "Also, all of Lex's appearances on television, a constant reminder."
Alfred had decades of experience detecting somber moods and noticed hers immediately.
"Miss Diana, have you ever had a tour of the Manor?"
She smiled and shook her head, "No. Are you offering?"
He pulled out her chair and then held open the kitchen door, "Right this way Miss Diana."
She followed him around Wayne Manor, appreciating what a good historian Alfred was. They were standing in front of a portrait and Alfred was offering an anecdote regarding the painter when they both heard hurried footsteps coming down the hall.
"Alfred? Is she-"
Bruce stopped mid-sentence when he saw her. She was wearing a red dress of a soft silk. The fabric gathered in a modest neckline and the hem of the dress skimmed her high heels. Her hair was pulled back in a twist. He was relieved to see she was smiling.
"Hi."
"Hi. Sorry I'm late. . ."
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