Disclaimer: Not mine
Author's notes: special thanks to metaphor for the reviews. Thanks to one of her comments I made a slight small change –but definitely an improvement– in this chapter, right at the beginning.
It was a fine evening in Gotham City.
Chloe went out her balcony to get some fresh air before returning to the mission. Her mood was sore, if a mood could be that way. Her conversation with Lois was still nagging inside. It was good to listen to Lo's old self, as feisty and full of character as ever. In a weird and contradictory way it had been refreshing. But it had left her exhausted and unable to function properly for the rest of the day.
Unexpectedly, the doorbell rang. Chloe turned, brow furrowed, and went to open the door. No one was there. She found a small packet on the floor. At the same time she pondered whether she should pick the object or call a Leaguer to check it, her cell vibrated. It was a message from Clark. The surge of nerves calmed down as soon as she read it.
The packet is secure. Too many people on the streets, didn't want to raise suspicions. I'm so sorry, Chloe. Thank you.
She didn't need to see Clark to imagine how bad he felt having encouraged her to make the call. All in all, they both knew it was necessary, and again, in Lois' best interest. Curious how they've managed to hurt Lois for Lois' sake.
Croaching, she took the packet and closed the door behind her. It was wrapped in normal brown paper, it wasn't difficult to open.
"Clark."
Chloe's hands ran softly on the surface of the green hardcover, then took the book and smelled it. She loved the smell of used books. Smiling, she left the old copy of Nellie Bly's 'Ten days in a Mad house' on the table and went back to work. Soon she had finished preparing the mission's schedule.
With three different time zones on a triple simultaneous operation their strike had to be perfectly synchronized.
Ollie had sent her the teams, Clark wasn't on any of them. And she was not going to tell him, despite he promise of keeping him updated, at least not until the mission was finished. They could not risk him with all the kryptonite hanging around, and his guilt over Barbara's death would mislead him.
One of them knew why she was there, the other suspected it. And when they found themselves in the same room, the tension led them to an uncomfortable silence, and not even when Lois broke it was she sure of it being a good idea.
"Thanks for coming."
"It is not everyday you get a call from Lois Lane asking for help."
"You must be loving it."
"Not really. But if you ask me for help, it must be really important, and I've learnt to respect you. Besides, anyone who Clark loves--"
"Drop that, Lana," warned Lois.
"Still keeping your defenses up?"
"I'm a Lane."
"I thought this road was already walked, Lois. I don't want to come back, I have my own life, and frankly, I'm quite happy with it."
"And we both now how little taking second best becomes you."
Lois regretted her words as soon as they came out of her mouth.
"Neither does keeping your foot inside your mouth," said Lana calmly.
That was not the way this conversation was supposed to go, they both knew it. Fortunately, even at the cost of her pride, Lana had a PhD on prioritizing under emotional detachment, and led them back on track by a swift and direct change. "Look, Lois, I didn't come here to fight. You called me needing my help, and somehow you couldn't tell me through the phone. Here I am, so talk to me."
"It's about Lex."
"Why am I not surprised? This new political career of his stinks hideous plans all over."
"My thoughts exactly. He's planning something big, but Clark won't let me look."
"Since when did that stop you?"
"It hasn't. You're here, right?," said Lois with a smug smile on her face. Then she continued on a more serious tone. "Lana, you're probably one of the two living people who know best about Lex's rotten mind. I need to find out whatever he's planning, before Clark gets hurt."
"You think this is about Clark?," asked Lana slightly worried.
"The League has been trying to find this facility where Lex is hiding something or someone. Whatever it is, it was protected under a load of unfriendly green material, and now it's gone. A woman died because she got too close to that secret." Lois saw Lana immersed in her thoughts. "Lana, I'm hitting but walls and dead ends, still coming up blank after one month. Clark aside you're the only person I know with a heavy insight of Lex Luthor."
"I've been reading the Planet's and The Times' follow-ups on the presidentials. What your paper implied as a source of worry got me thinking."
"Medical research?"
"When I was with Lex one of his projects was a vaccine research. It was supposed to give immunity against all known diseases," said Lana. Lois listened carefully. "It wasn't but a bioengineered serum created by Brainiac in order to prepare Lex's body as a vessel for Zod."
"You think he might be trying to recreate it and use it on human population?"
"I think that whatever Lex wants to do implies political power," said Lana. "The Oval Office is not a goal, Lois--"
Lois finished the sentence for her. "It's a means to an end."
"Exactly."
"Lana, if he can create a vaccine, sure as hell there will be a virus matching it."
"A virus that would kill whoever he wants."
"Or control them by using the only known cure. He'd be a savior."
"You've said it, Lois, there is the key. Lex is delusional, he believes he's saving the world, he wouldn't just kill without approval and support from the public opinion. And that's why there, you're as dangerous to him as any superhuman. Probably more."
"Well, he made damn sure I wouldn't be a problem there," said Lois bitterly. "But this gives me a start."
"I'm sure there must be more than that, Lois. I'll send you all the data I can get, I still keep certain information I took from him when I left."
"Leverage?"
"Self insurance. You should know by now nobody completely escapes the Luthors' grasp."
"Thank you Lana."
"Be careful, Lois."
Helena opened the door.
"Long time no see," said the woman smiling. "May I come in?"
"Dinah." They hugged. "Of course, come in." Helena motioned her inside. Dinah watched her friend. She looked calmed, at least on the outside. Dinah decided she would push it. "Want a tea or something?"
"No, thanks."
"Bruce told me you were around. It's great you're trying to help."
"Bruce told you?"
"I'm temporarily retired, not out of the world. And I'm concerned about Dick too."
"Don't mention it. So, everything's ok? You look fine."
"Looks can be deceiving, Dinah," said Helena more serious.
"Not with you." Her assertion caught Helena by surprise, and Dinah didn't waste time. "So, are you planning on hiding much longer?"
Helena frowned. "Dinah, I don't want to explain myself to you, ok? So if you came to lecture me..."
"You know I didn't. I'm concerned, I just wanna help."
"You're helping Dick. That's more than I could hope for."
"Whatever was between you two it was years ago, don't you think it's time for a good and genuine friendship?"
"Sure it is."
"I didn't mean to be ironic, Helena. I'm dead serious."
"Well, to me it just sounded corny, silly and stupid."
"Yeah, well, that's me, Dinah the hopeful stupid with her stupidity. You see, it's like your senseless pride." Helena glanced at her. "And now we're even, so drop the crap and listen to me, Huntress: you're one of the strongest people I know, and you know you have my respect for having gone off radar instead of causing a bloodshed, but it's about damn time you come out of it. And I think I have the perfect mission for it."
Bruce looked at the profile Chloe had sent with the name of a potential suspect for Barbara's murder.
Surely it must have taken Barbara a few thoughts before placing her among the villain files. Deadly assassin, master of virtually every martial art disciplines known to man. Bruce looked intently at the picture of the Asian woman. Her loyalties were known to be non-existent, or rather driven by interest. Still, Shiva was Dinah's ally in more than one occasion, even had helped Barbara. That made her an unlikely foe, but also a good choice for Luthor. Fighting Barbara would've not been trouble, for she knew her techniques, and surely excelled at them. What could Luthor offer her to make her kill Barbara was what still did not fit. He didn't want to tell Chloe or Dinah until he was certain Shiva was one of them, but she was surely a lead to follow. However, this once he hoped to be wrong.