CHAPTER NINE: STEEL THY HEART

A/N: It's still anyone's guess who will end up with whom in this story!

Clark and Selina arrived at Luthor's party in record time. The reporter kept his eyes peeled for any strange goings on as the bald billionaire and the blonde bimbo attached to his tuxedoed arm posed for the array of cameras, including Jimmy's.

Hanging on the photographer's arm, Lucy Lane saw several good looking men that she decided she'd want to get to know. Of course, Jimmy was also delectable, too, and she didn't want to appear too eager to begin a new relationship with someone else. Lucy locked eyes with one man who seemed unattached until his partner showed up. Next, she saw a man who was very much her senior, but looked distinguished in his tux.

A girl could do much worse, she decided. After all, age is just a number, isn't it?

Excusing herself from Jimmy, Lucy made her way toward the silver haired gentleman, her steps purposeful; her look determined. She was so one man minded that she bumped into Clark.

"Ooph!" he said. Lucy's blue eyes were instantly apologetic.

"Excuse me..." she started apologizing. Then, the younger Lane sister got a good look at the male she'd bumped into.

"Clark...?" she asked. Clark's gaze was full of friendship, warmth, and a hint of attraction as he stared at her.

Lucy had certainly grown up during the five years she'd spent in England with her husband, James. He had heard about her divorce, but she seemed to be taking it quite well. Her powder blue, silk dress with its high mandarin collar suited her to perfection. It hugged her small butt and then fanned out behind her, leaving the rest of her body to the imagination. The usually tomboyish Lane had also taken the time to apply makeup to her usually bare face. The lip gloss accentuated her bow shaped mouth; the matching pale blue eye shadow added just the right touch.

"Hey, Lucy," he greeted.

When Selina tugged on his arm slightly, Clark looked at her sheepishly, particularly since she had taken pains with her emerald green dress with its bare shouldered décolletage and tight, figure hugging silhouette.

"Oh, this is..." Clark dutifully began his introductions.

"Selina Kyle," Lucy said, shaking her emerald gloved arm. "I know her well."

Clark was surprised to hear that. Selina and Lucy looked as different as night and day. The two women didn't look like the types that would ever connect on any level, except maybe the basest of acquaintances.

His puzzled gaze must have shown, because Clark asked, "Oh? How do you both know each other?"

"We're neighbors," Selina supplied. Her date acknowledged that bit of information, mouthing a soft "oh".

"So, are you here by your lonesome?" the Catwoman asked. Lucy shook her head.

"No, I'm here with Jimmy," she responded. The red headed cub reporter came up and put his hand on Lucy's shoulder.

"Hey, Mr. Kent!" Jimmy greeted. Clark smiled.

"Jimmy," he said. "I figured Perry would finagle you into coming here, too."

Jimmy held up his Nikkon 600 digital camera. "Yep!" he told Clark. "And, I got some great pics of Mr. Luthor and his date."

He saw another red headed man, about seven years his senior, arriving without a female on his arm. The man was taller and had a heart shaped face in comparison to Olson's rounder one. He was making his way closer to Clark and the others.

"Looks like someone wants to talk to you," Jimmy pronounced. Clark looked where the younger man had been watching and saw Wally West approaching him.

"Uh, Jim, isn't Luthor preparing to speak about his new invention?" Kent prompted.

"Oh!" Jimmy exclaimed. "Right!" He tugged on Lucy's arm and together, they strolled off so that he could get a better vantage point for taking pictures.

When Jimmy left, Clark and Selina danced closer to where Lex was standing in the center of the room.

"Do you think that Luthor knows about the missing Phaze?" Selina whispered to Clark.

"I think there's very little he doesn't know," Clark whispered back, "and, if he doesn't, he'll find out soon."

Luthor's date departed to go into the women's bathroom. When she was alone, she opened her purse and withdrew her cell phone. In the giant exposition hall, Lex answered his cell phone.

"You'll pardon me for a moment?" he asked the photographers, not waiting for an answer as he withdrew to a more private space.

"Lex," the blonde said, sounding smarter than her bimbo-ish voice, "I've got to tell you something. Apparently, there has been a theft of the substance you're presenting." When she finished her report, Luthor frowned, inwardly seething.

"My dear," Luthor said to the blonde, "it seems that Lyndon failed to inform me someone has stolen something of mine. Please pay him a visit, and tell him how very disappointed in him I am."

"Right away, Lex," she said, hanging up the phone.

Clark's super hearing picked up Luthor's conversation. How could the reporter have been so stupid, talking to Selena where Luthor's date could hear?He had thought his greatest enemy already knew about the theft; he had planned everything so well. Maybe Clark was lulled into a false sense of security because of the bimbo.

Eventually, he would have changed into Superman later to follow the trail of the Phaze, which would also lead him to see if Luthor gave himself away. That way, the billionaire-criminal would pay for any misdeeds, which Clark was sure Luthor was behind of.

"Uh, Selina, I have to go to check in with Perry," Clark offered lamely.

He headed for the balcony, hoping that no one was there so that he could change behind the curtained place into Superman. Meanwhile, not particularly interested in Luthor and his presentation, Selina said, "Okay," to Clark. The Catwoman was much more interested in finding out where her double might be.

Wally, having caught where Clark was headed and guessing the rest, followed closely behind. He walked right past Lucy, but just as her brows pursed with curiosity, Jimmy tugged on her arm. He whispered in her ear, and they went off as Jimmy picked the perfect spot in which he could take spectacular pictures.

After scanning the room for a few minutes, Selina's emerald orbs located a woman who looked like she had been cloned from the original Catwoman.

The duplicate was the same height and build, and she wore a dress that was a deep purple trimmed with green. Hanging toward the back of the crowd, she quietly observed Luthor and the other guests, looking for any opportunities which lie ahead. Suddenly, their eyes met.

Selina studied her adversary, just as the woman looked at her.

You will go down in flames! The woman's accusatory glance seemed to say.

Not before you do! Selina's look indicated, her eyes issuing a challenge. The woman headed for the same ladies' room where the blonde had been. The Catwoman followed her discreetly, not wanting to lose her prey.

Outside, having gone to the terrace, Clark checked to see that no one was out there. Thankfully, everyone was focused on Lex and his speech about Phaze. Making sure the curtains inside hid him from view, the reporter transformed himself into the Kryptonian superhero.

Before he could scan the city for the blonde, Wally came outside, and he also changed into the Flash. When Superman saw his fellow comrade, his brows drew together as he frowned.

"What is it?" he snapped. "I've got to find a possible assassin."

Wally told the alien, "Look, normally I wouldn't disturb an event like this to—" The Flash stopped as he realized what he was about to confess.

"—actually…who am I kidding?" The Flash said. "I mean, free booze, luscious women…who wouldn't want to be at an event like this?"

"Flash!" Superman cried impatiently. He scanned the city streets and picked up the blonde's trail as she scampered off to her motorcycle.

"Sorry, Supes," The Flash apologized. "But I thought you should know that I found out some additional information about the Phaze."

"Like who stole it?" he asked.

"Not quite yet, but J'onn is getting a handle on it," the Scarlet Speedster reported. He drew himself up like he was at a lecture and stared at the Man of Tomorrow.

"Seems that this chemical has one major drawback. It's highly addictive to anyone who uses it too much," he said.

Superman snapped his fingers, saying, "Like our thief!"

"Yep!" The Flash agreed. "Not only that, but some tests by the Atom indicated that when the substance breaks down in the bloodstream it can have a binding effect on the molecular structure when injected too many times so that the user and the materials used in the fazing process are bound to each other."

"You mean…?" Superman started guessing.

"I'm trying to see if maybe there's an antidote to this, but yeah, the victim takes on the attributes of whatever materials he or she phased through the most," the Fastest Man on Earth said sadly.

"So that's why the blonde snuck off: to kill someone called Lyndon," Superman said. "He probably knows too much, and Luthor in typical fashion wants to keep him quiet so that he can make a profit from this."

"He's certainly a Prince, isn't he?" The Flash murmured with disgust. "Who cares if the test subjects have to suffer, so long as he lines his wallet with a couple more billions, right?"

It took a few moments before the Flash realized he was by himself.

He shook his head before changing back into Wally. Before he let himself in, he said, "Guy's almost as bad as Bats with his disappearing."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Selina walked inside the bathroom, looking for the woman. She kept her eyes peeled and checked the stalls, but other than a plump, older matronly guest, the Mistress of Cats saw nothing.

"All right!" she said when she was alone. "I know you're in here! Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Selina looked up at the ceiling to see if the doppelganger was there, but she saw nothing in the painted pink walls to indicate that. Then, the Catwoman scanned the floor to see if maybe the woman would phase through it. Still, there was nothing. Thinking that she might have phased back outside, Selina opened the door and did a quick check of the hallway. Before she closed the door again, the Catwoman failed to see the glass in the mirror stretching forth, the head and shoulders of a woman seemingly buried beneath its surface.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Superman flew directly behind where the blonde headed on her cycle. He found that she was about to go into an apartment building marked Metro Plaza.

She withdrew a taser gun from her jacket pocket and was about to check its charge when he grabbed her from behind.

"Aww," the Man of Steel chided, "I know men can be unreliable, but do you really have to resort to such measures to get them to date you?"

The woman cursed and struggled in his grip; then, surprisingly, she managed to break free. She fired the taser at the blue and red clad superhero, but the metallic charge bounced off.

"Your type never learns, does it?" Superman snidely asked. The blonde reached inside another pocket and withdrew some grey, metallic balls which were the size of golf balls.

Before the Man of Steel could make another move, he was enveloped in tear gas. The woman escaped, running inside of the building and up the stairs. Superman used his super breath to draw in the gas despite his tear filled eyes. When he could see clearly a moment later, he saw that she had fled. Training his ears on the building, he heard her running up the stairs.

With super speed, the Man of Steel took off after her.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Selina drew her head back inside, but before she could completely turn, the glass female kicked her out of the bathroom before turning back into her double. The first Catwoman groaned, but pulled herself up and headed back into the room.

The doppelganger concentrated, but she wasn't able to change herself into glass again. Her foot swung out from her A line dress to kick the original Mistress of Cats across the midsection.

Selina grabbed her heeled foot and jerked so that the woman's shoe was caught in the wall. Jerking her heel out of it and out of her boots, Selina's foe spun back around as she regained a foothold on the floor. The Catwoman's gloved hands grew some metallic claws. She scratched and landed a mark about the length of a dime on the woman's cheek.

"You had better tell me what your game is, or I'll…" Selina started threatening.

The woman punched Selina, knocking her to the ground. The second Catwoman concentrated once more and phased through one of the pink bathroom stall doors as Selina got up. Her green eyes scanned the room again for her double, but she couldn't see her.

Selina went systematically to each stall, kicking the doors open, even as the woman phased through them in the opposite direction, heading for the glass mirrors.

"Give it up!" the original Catwoman commanded. "You know I'll find you!"

XXXXXXXXXXX

Superman caught up to the blonde assassin before she managed to let herself into room 513. He grabbed her, kicking and screaming, as he looked for some metal to bend around her wrists. The superhero scowled a little when he saw the wooden staircase.

Wonderful! He thought wryly. The blonde was cursing a mean streak, making Superman wonder if he should just knock her out.

The door opened to reveal Lyndon, who was curious about the noise, and who had apparently been roughed up a little, though not fatally. The scientist took one look at the struggling duo and promptly slammed the door shut. Superman's super hearing could pick up noises of Lyndon's struggling to place a barricade against the entrance to his apartment. He could also hear the scientist calling the police on his phone.

The blonde gave a judo throw to Superman while his mind was elsewhere. She managed to fling him off of her and over the railing. Extracting a lock pick from her pocket, she tried to let herself into Lyndon's dwelling to finish what she had started, but she was knocked into the side wall by Superman.

"I would suggest you come quietly," he told her, his tone brooking no opposition.

The blonde jerked an object out of her left dress pocket. Superman saw that it looked like a compact. Before he could retort, she opened it and blew its contents into his face.

Coughing, the Man of Steel reached out a hand and slammed her into the wall hard enough to make her lose consciousness.

A security guard ran upstairs, his eyes taking in the tableau of Superman and the woman.

"What happened?" he asked.

Superman pointed to the woman on the floor, saying, "Restrain her until the police arrive." The guard whipped out some handcuffs and secured her wrists.

Relieved that Lyndon was safe, Superman flew back to Luthor's party.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Selina's enemy made it to the glass mirrors and bonded perfectly with them once more. She didn't know why she couldn't control her power earlier enough to merge with the glass before, but as she melded into it now, she felt the most delicious sensation.

Now you will die for what you've done! The duplicate Catwoman promised, her eyes a mask of death.

The original Catwoman heard a shattering noise and barely had time to distance herself from the glass chips that flew from the mirrors.

"Not enough room!" Selina cried as she flew down to the floor. Hopefully, she conjectured, the first Cats' Mistress might be cut a little from falling glass, but she wouldn't be hurt too badly.

Suddenly, Selina heard a whooshing sound as the Man of Steel crashed into the bathroom. The glass bounced harmlessly off of him. He picked up the first Catwoman, ignoring the hot flash going through him.

"Are you all right?" he asked. Selina nodded, pleased that she was unhurt. Both hero and cat burglar looked around to see any sign of the assailant, but a quick scan indicated she had phased out and into another room.

Female security guards burst into the bathroom, the noises coming from within having attracted attention. Just outside was Lex, who was clearly not happy that his speech had been disturbed.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Superman. The Man of Steel opened the door for Selina, who stepped out into the hallway.

"Trying to stop a thief," he responded.

"Next time, just call a cop!" Luther snapped, his eyes quickly surveying the scene. He withdrew a walky-talky out of his pocket and barked orders into it to clean up the mess.

The security guards waited for Luthor's command.

"Leave now!" he instructed them. "The show is over!" The guards filed out of the bathroom, followed by Lex. Superman was right behind the billionaire.

"I know the truth," he ground into Luthor's ear, "and you might think you're fooling everyone about Phaze, but the real story will come out."

When Luthor looked back at the Man of Steel, his gaze was triumphant. "Really?" he chided softly. "I figured you would be here, and I prepared a surprise for you."

Superman could feel a tightness in his chest. It quickly passed, but he was concerned.

"What surprise?" he asked. Luthor smiled.

"Oh, just a homecoming party for you, complete with souvenirs," he said. Chuckling, Lex went back into the room to deal with the press. Superman could hear him saying that an old mirror had shattered, causing the noise, but that it was being taken care of.

Left behind, Selina saw that Superman wasn't looking well. He was flushed, and as she swiped a hand across his brow, she could tell that he was feverish. Her green eyes showed concern. He was looking up at her as he started sinking to the floor. She got behind him, breaking his fall.

"What is it?" she asked. As the Man of Steel felt the familiar tremors taking over his body, he realized what the blonde assassin had blown into him, and what Luthor's parting remark had meant.

"K-kryptonite," he breathed to Selina before passing out.