Author's Note: Well, I hope this will do for the moment. I've been struggling with myself on whether to allow "The Dark Knight" to influence some of this fic and I think it will a little. You guys let me know what you think.
In the meantime, I'm trying my best to attempt something resembling a plot. I am certainly open to suggestions and constructive criticism.
Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville, DC comics, etc. This is just for fun folks.
oOo
The Gazette continued to be abuzz with a flurry of activity until day quickly turned to night and most of The Gazette quickly left to go home. Only a select few continued to stay, even as the doors were locked down at the entrance as a precautionary measure.
Chloe ran an examining hand over the soles of her feet through her stockings while hanging on to the phone with the other. "Are you sure?" Chloe asked with great skepticism and swiveled casually in her chair and began to scribble quickly on a scrap piece of paper.
"Yes, I can meet you tomorrow near Gotham's Met," replied a hushed voice. "No names, all right?"
"Absolute, total anonymity," she assured into the phone.
"Try not to look conspicuous and make sure you're not followed," was the advisement with a click and dial tone.
"Okay," she mumbled to no one in particular and hung up the phone while she continued to jot down notes.
A gentle clearing of the throat managed to reluctantly pull Chloe's attention away from her note pad to find Walter Grant staring down at her.
"Don't you think it's time to cut out of here?" Walter questioned casually with a glance down to his watch and jerk of his thumb towards the darkened window.
Chloe simply looked out the window and then back to Walter with a knowing look of exasperation.
Walter leaned his hip into the side of her desk, crossed his arms and looked down at her over the rim of his glasses. "I admire your dedication, but don't you think that you've done enough today?" he waved his hand about to indicate the immense reaction to her story that mob activity was escalating and unpredictable.
The morning edition of the paper had not only gone off without a hitch, but the Gazette's phones had practically rung off the hook. Her article, which had been written with an anonymous by-line, had hit out to nearly everyone.
She'd chosen the headline of Watchtower as a goodwill gesture to the guys that had given her the nickname. The blogs and boards were hitting thousands of comments and some were saying that The Gazette was possibly on its way back as a stalwart rival to all the major papers of the country. Others were saying that the paper was crazy out of desperation and it should let sleeping dogs lie.
"If you insist on going after Gotham's underworld, at least do it from the comfort of your own home for the night," Walter added and patted the desk to signal that it was time for her to go.
Chloe only smiled and began to gather her things as Walter began to make his way towards his office. Chloe pulled her purse onto her shoulder, but with hesitant consideration. "Hey Walter?"
"Yes?"
Chloe turned for a beat. "In my research, I've come across a couple of things," she began as she took a step towards him. "There were reports that even down at the MC that some of Gordon's own people were on the take."
Walter didn't even blink, but continued to stare over the rim of glasses. "Yes," he prompted.
Chloe began to feel a little apprehensive. "Do you suppose that's true?"
"What are you asking me, Sullivan?" he queried.
Chloe took a breath and couldn't bring herself to say the words.
"I don't know if any of my reporters are owned by the mob," he finally said. "That's why I said to watch your ass. Why? You having second thoughts?"
Chloe was thoughtful for a moment. While working at The Planet, she never shirked a headline that she knew would earn her name on top of someone's shit list. Even when Lex threatened her with a sure prison sentence, she stood her ground. Only when he threatened family and friends, did she decide to back down.
"Look, Walt," she began as she stepped towards him once more. " As a reporter, I've never been one to shrink from a threatening headline." She said as she came to stand in front of him. "I just don't want anyone else to get caught in the crossfire."
Walter grinned. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'll be helping to watch your ass by proxy of my own."
With that, he turned and continued back to his office. "Goodnight, Sullivan," he called with a good dismissive nature.
oOo
The wind whipping along the tarmac was a chilly one, but one gentleman didn't seem to mind the cold.
"Report," he shouted over the noise of the accelerating of a jet engine.
"She's not been to The Planet as much as usual, but that could mean anything," was the reply.
"Or it could mean one thing," Lex shot back quickly. "Look, do whatever you have to do to make sure she stays put. Chloe Sullivan is many things. Stupid isn't one of them."
With a quick snap of his phone, Lex began to ascend steps into his private jet.
"Welcome, Mr. Luthor," greeted the attendant. "The pilot has informed me that the flight to Star City should be smooth and on time."
Lex only smiled. "Excellent," he replied and ducked inside.
oOo
Chloe cursed herself.
Keeping a steady pace, eyes directly ahead, Chloe was getting a bit apprehensive, her eyes surreptitiously darting from one dark place to the next. The other night must have affected her more than she originally thought that it would. The darkness seemed to have turned even the most benign objects into menacing shadows.
It was almost as if she were waiting for someone or something, to come leaping from the darkness. She kept telling herself that if she even had her phone that perhaps she wouldn't be as frightened knowing Clark was merely a phone call and a split second away.
Even with her self-defense, it didn't quite stop her from feeling anxious.
But one thing remained and it had continuously lurked in the back of her mind all day: she had lost her phone; a phone which held some amazing incriminating evidence.
The disclosing of that little piece of information made her cringe inside. As badly as she knew that she should, the risk was simply too great. While Oliver had amazing technological barriers, Lex's wasn't exactly out of the loop on surveillance. She was certain that Lex was closely monitoring both Oliver and Clark. A call from the Gotham's most notable paper would certainly raise an eyebrow.
Chloe sighed.
Lex was hardly a stupid man.
She closed desperate eyes and beseeched the Almighty not to allow her phone to fall into the wrong hands…whichever one those could be. At the moment, Chloe hadn't decided if this "Bat-man", or whatever, character was any better than that horrendous Bozo impersonator from the just the other night.
With any luck, it made its way into the river.
Chloe couldn't help anguishing over the fact that she'd been so careless in her pursuit of a story. Now what would happen? Chloe could only begin with the 'what-if's' that would certainly drive her crazy.
"Okay, now this is for you," Oliver said with a gracious offered hand.
Chloe picked up the sleek, intricate cell phone and studied it as if she should find something conspicuous about the device. "Okay…?"
"This phone is uploaded in my personal security," Oliver informed. "No one and I do mean 'no one…," he added with a pointed raise of his brows. "…can hack into your phone without my security spotting the culprit. It performs all the obvious normal functions and here is a phantom list of contacts. All you have to do to find yours, press # and enter your high security clearance password."
"So I get to be James Bond to your Q? Cool," Chloe nodded, but paused for a beat. "This thing's not gonna explode if I press the wrong button?"
Oliver only grinned. "No, but it will get you into some of the most exclusive places in Gotham City…if you should decide to try the night life," Oliver quipped with a good-natured bob of his head. "So be careful about giving anyone your number, you might want to make them part of your list or they'll get an alternative voicemail for an alias here in Star City. To make a long story short, we're trying to give you as much of a normal life as possible without putting you under Luthor's radar."
Chloe felt her face pull into a frown for only a moment.
Night life, huh?
"Well, I don't think I'll be doing much of the social scene," she'd muttered with as much good humor as possible, yet even she could still hear her own grumbling discontent.
Chloe recalled that particular moment to calm her nerves. If Oliver could manage to keep Lex Luthor from trying to hack her phone, then she wasn't too worried about a few gun-toting lunatics from obtaining her personal information.
The other one was a different matter altogether…
oOo
"Sorry, try again."
Bruce was literally on the verge of growling back at his computer screen. He glanced down at his keyboard. He'd been trying to hack the girl's phone and each time it always ended in the same thing.
"Sorry, try again," was the effeminate computer voice that politely mocked him.
"Master Wayne?" Alfred gently interrupted.
Bruce turned in his chair to find Alfred carrying the girl's black pumps that sat regally on his silver serving tray. "Would it not be best to…give up?"
Bruce simply turned in his chair and punched a combination of keys.
Still ever polite. "This is really annoying," was the effeminate voice.
"You're telling me," Bruce grumbled as he focused on the screen before him and tried one last time.
"Okay, now I will have to notify the authorities," it finally said.
Bruce slowly rolled back from his desk, but stayed close enough to pound it relentlessly out of aggravation.
Alfred looked on placidly. "I would've never guessed that you would've taken a press review quite this personally, Master Wayne."
Bruce shifted a quick glare in Alfred's direction.
Alfred was hardly fazed as he set down his tray. "If I may ask sir, why are you trying so hard? I'm sure she's quite harmless."
"Alfred, she was snooping around my house!" he shot out with impatience. "And she has an unhealthy attraction for suspicious mob activities."
Though he hadn't been able to access her phone in depth, however, he was able to pull her most recent pictures which he already downloaded, filtered, and were awaiting inspection.
To his utter bafflement, there was one thing he simply couldn't figure out. Why had she been snooping around his library if not in an attempt to spread his personal life all over the front page of The Gazette like a normal reporter, but instead berate him in a small paragraph?
Alfred couldn't help a knowing smile. Clasping his hands behind his back, he meandered towards the massive workstation. "Sir, is there a slight…bear in mind, slight… possibility, that she's simply a reporter looking for a story? Perhaps, just a coincidence?" he added speculatively.
Bruce stared down at the floor, his hand propped under his chin in consideration. "Perhaps," he relented in a near inaudible grumble.
"So then, give the girl back her phone. And for heaven's sake, her shoes," he pleaded with a quick glance at the pumps he continued to carry.
Bruce was on the verge of a crack about shoe fetishes when he was interrupted by his cell phone.
Gordon
"Hang on to those shoes, Alfred."
oOo
Author's Note: Leave me an opinion. :-)