Author's Notes: My apologies for the delay. Thank you everyone for reviewing, I'm always grateful for the feedback.

CHAPTER 10

"Did he say where he was going?" Lois asked. She had called Chloe from the pay phone next to The Grand Hotel, where the entire situation involving Chill's death and The Duchess' arrest was almost normal. Alfred was a few steps from her, standing next to the Rolls Royce.

"No. He just turned the cell off and didn't say anything. I've been trying to call him back ever since, but it seems his cell phone is out of area..." Chloe answered, also concerned about Clark.

Lois took a deep breath and said: "Okay... The Duchess was already caught by police, so, I suppose there's no more danger, right?"

"It seems so..." Chloe agreed, looking at the news story on her computer's monitor displaying the breaking news on the Internet and opening a webpage with Regina Doomsdale's profile, also known as The Duchess. "Clark found her just in time..."

"Clark?" Lois asked, with a smile. "C'mom, Chlo! He's a total coward! He just disappeared and missed the whole party!"

Chloe gave a little smile in the other side of the line. "Sure" she said.

"So... you don't have any idea where he could be, do you?" Lois asked again.

"No, Lois" Chloe answered, confused about Lois' unexpected concern about Clark.

"Um. I'm sure he didn't go back to the mansion..." Lois said, looking at Alfred.

"Don't worry, Lois. Clark knows how to take care of himself" Chloe said.

"Me? Worried? About Clark? Huh! Yeah, right!" Lois said, smiling and pretending she didn't know what Chloe was talking about. "I'm not worried about the farmboy! It's just, well, you know... What would I say to the Kents if something bad happen to him?"

"I see that..." Chloe smiled.

"But I have to disagree with you about Clark knowing how to take care of himself... You didn't see him in Suicide Slum. If I wasn't there to protect him... Well, I already told you what could have happened..." Lois completed.

Chloe smiled. "Yeah. You told me. But I still believe that bad news come first, so, why don't go back to the mansion with Alfred and call me later?" she suggested.

"You know patience is not my strong suit, Chlo" Lois said, irritated with her cousin's calmness about Clark's going missing.

"I know it isn't, but do you have a better idea?" she replied.

"You don't understand..." Lois protested.

"Yes, I do. But there's nothing we can do for now. We don't even have a clue where he could be, Lo" Chloe said.

"Okay. Maybe you're right" Lois finally said in agreement.

"So, we talk later..." Chloe said.

"Wait!" Lois asked before Chloe could turn the phone off. "I just want to make sure you understand that I'm not worried about Clark"

Chloe smiled. "Lois, we talk later... Okay?"

"Do you understand?" she insisted.

"Okay, Lois. I understand" Chloe answered, convinced her cousine wouldn't let go.

Not satisfied about Chloe's thoughts about Clark's safety, Lois turned to Alfred.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Lane?" he asked, helpful.

"I think there's not too much we can do now..." she said, thoughtful. "Maybe we should go back to the mansion and make some calls"

Noticing Lois' affliction, the butler said, referring to Bruce: "Don't worry Miss Lane. He's fine"

Lois gave him a gentle smile: "I hope so" she answered, referring to Clark.

Later, when the sun had set, Clark had followed Rachel's car into the Narrows. When she parked next to filthy streets where shadowy figures conducted business in dark alleys, he wondered if they were looking for some trouble. They had stopped in front of a night club named The Basement. This was beyond being a dangerous neighborhood. Clark decided to use his super-hearing to find out what was going on.

"They all know where to find Falcone..." Rachel pointed at club and Bruce turned towards it.

At the same time, a few steps away, hidden in the shadows of an alley, Clark did the same thing. He didn't have any idea what they were doing there and just wondered that Rachel was trying to show Bruce.

"But no one will touch him because keeps the bad people rich and good people scared" she added. "And what chance does Gotham have when the good people do nothing?" she poked him in the chest.

"I'm not one of your 'good people', Rachel" Bruce said, looking down at her finger. "Chill took that from me"

Rachel looked at Bruce strangely. In the alley, Clark could see everything. Confused, he wondered if Bruce was planning to tell her what he almost had earlier that day .

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

Bruce pulled up his sleeve and turned his hand over.

Rachel stared at the gun in his hand, shocked.

"I was going to kill him myself" he revealed.

Rachel looked at Bruce still in shock. Then she slapped him, surprising Clark, who watched them from some distance. Bruce didn't do anything. In reaction of his not reaction, Rachel slapped him again and again... But there was nothing. And she stopped.

Tears flowed. "You're no better than the rest" she pointed at the gun and looked into Bruce's eyes. "Your father would be ashamed of you"

Bruce stared at Rachel. Her last words finally had some effect over him.

He opened his door and left.

Then, he watched Rachel's car disappear.

Not so far from where Bruce was, Clark kept his eyes on him, worried. When Rachel's car finally had gone, he watched as Bruce turned to stare out at the line of ships in the harbor. Making his way to the water, he took out his gun. Slowly, he turned it, studying the light reflecting off its metal. Clark wondered what he was planning to do, and realized that he was maybe remembering his parents' death and felt himself begin to understand how hard life must have been for this poor young rich man.

Then, Bruce, with contempt, flung his gun into the black water.

Confused, instead of being relieved with the young Wayne's attitude, Clark continued watching. He really didn't have any idea what he was planning to do, when he saw Bruce walking towards the entrance of the Basement Club.

A bouncer stepped out, looking at him with contempt.

"Get lost, kid" he said to Bruce.

Bruce pulled a massive wad of cash from his pocket and split it in two. Then, he offered the large man one half.

The bouncer looked at Bruce and took the money.

When Clark saw Bruce going into the club conducted by the bouncer, he decided to go inside too.

"Hey, who do you think you are?" another bouncer crossed his way.

Clark ignored him, and looked at the inside of the place, using his x-ray vision. He could see that the place was full of armed men and Bruce was approaching someone sitting at a table in the back of the club.

"Back off, kid!" the bouncer ordered, pulling Clark away.

Clark looked the man in the eye, and turned again to the club's interior. Not so sure how Bruce would react at seeing him there, he decided to wait outside, continuing to watch out for him, prepared to use his powers if necessary.

"The little rich kid" Falcone said, looking at Bruce. "No gun? I'm insulted" he asked, while a thug lunged at Bruce with a knife and checked his pockets.

"I don't need a gun" Bruce said, putting the knife down gracefully.

"Yes, you do" Falcone insisted.

The bouncer aimed at Bruce's head with his gun. Everybody in the place ignored the situation.

Clark once again approached the front door of the club, when he saw Falcone was laughing:

"Money isn't power down here. Fear is" the mobster explained.

The bouncer pistol whipped him once, hard.

Clark decided it was time to go inside to avoid the worst.

"Hey... I told you to back off, big boy!" the bouncer said, looking Clark in the eyes. Clark just gave him a simple push and he fell down the stairs, unconscious.

When Clark entered the club, he saw the first bouncer dropping Bruce's money onto him.

"You shoulda just sent me a thank-you note..." Falcone said to Bruce.

"I didn't come here to thank-you. I came to show you that not everyone in Gotham is afraid of you" Bruce replied, coldly.

Falcone laughed, and Clark watched everything, unsure if there was anything he could do. It seemed to Clark that the mobster didn't want to hurt Bruce. They were just talking. If that was the case, Clark knew that if he did something to seperate them, he would not only expose himself, but also put Bruce in real danger. So, he decided just to watch them from some distance.

"Hey" the barman called him.

Clark turned towards him.

"Do you want to drink something or what?"

Falcone was still laughing.

"You got balls, kid..." he said to Bruce. "But you don't belong down here with us. We don't play fair. Now go back to your big house, wrap yourself in your silk sheets and I'll send you a shoulder to cry on"

"You don't dress well enough to be a pimp" Bruce replied.

Falcone lighted a cigar and stared down at Bruce. He was no longer laughing.

"You miss your Mommy and Daddy?" he asked, coldly. "Come down here again, I'll send you to them" he added.

Falcone stand up and turned, followed by his thugs. Clark looked the other way to avoid being seen by the criminals, while the mobster left the club. When he turned back toward Bruce, he saw the bouncers taking him by his arms and leading him out of the place.

Clark stood up and left the club too.

Outside, Falcone and his thugs got into the limo and Bruce watched it slide into the night. Struggling to his feet, Bruce walked down the docks, wiping blood from his mouth. Shadows in doorways marked his progress.

Bruce looked around suspiciously. He had the strange feeling he had been followed since the the incident at the Court. But there didn't seem to be anyone suspicious around.

Three youths approached and he stiffened, but they crossed the street to avoid him.

"No one'll mess with ya" someone said to Bruce.

Bruce turned and saw a homeless man warming at a flaming oil drum. He was just one of many homeless clustered around the docks.

"Wanderin' 'round here dressed like that, means you got something to prove" the homeless man said, while Bruce approached him. Clark remained in an alley and watched them some steps away. "Man with something to prove is dangerous" he finished.

Bruce stared at the man. Thinking. He took out his wallet and removed the money. Then, he handed it to the homeless man.

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"Your jacket" Bruce answered, dropping his wallet into the fire.

Confused, Clark wrinkled his forehead, wondering what the young Wayne was planning to do.

The homeless man laughed while Bruce pulled off his tie, and threw it into the fire too.

Seeing that he was serious, the homeless man accepted the money and pulled off his coat as soon as he could. When he saw that Bruce was almost throwing his overcoat into the fire too, he interrupted him:

"Lemme have it, that's a good coat"

Bruce looked at the homeless man, and they exchanged clothing.

"Be careful who sees you with that" Bruce adviced him, and when the homeless looked at into his eyes, confused, he explained: "They're gonna come looking for me"

"Who?" the homeless man asked, worried.

Bruce smiled.

"Everyone" he answered.

Less incongruous in his "new" coat, Bruce moved down towards the stacks of containers, when he suddenly heard someone calling him:

"Wait!"

It was a familiar voice.

Bruce turned around and saw someone emerging from the shadows.

"Clark?" he asked, surprised and confused.

Clark stared at him, and Bruce looked around as if he was searching for someone.

"Don't worry..." Clark said.

Bruce looked at him.

"She's not here" he explained, referring to Lois.

Bruce gave him a little and sad smile, relieved that Lois wouldn't see him in that situation. And it was not only about the homeless man's coat he was dressed in. It was about the biggest mistake of his life he had almost made.

"She doesn't know what happened at the Courthouse either" Clark added.

Distrustful, the homeless man moved away from them.

Thoughtful, Bruce stared at Clark.

"So, who are you, Clark?"

"A friend" Clark answered.

Bruce smiled, still confused.

"I wonder if you can understand what I'm going to do" he said, as sure of himself as he had been when he thought that killing Joe Chill was the best thing to be done.

Clark raised his eyebows.

"Running away is not going to help..." he said.

"Who says I'm running away?" Bruce replied, with an enigmatic smile.

Clark took a deep breath. The young Wayne seemed to know exactly what he had to do. And for the first time, Clark wasn't worried.

They heard a horn blaring, and their eyes locked onto the ship preparing to leave.

"Could you do me a favor, Kent?" Bruce asked him, turning and looking Clark in the eye. Clark assented with his silence. "Take care of Lois" he asked.

Clark didn't move. The request was totally unexpected.

"I will" he said, firmly.

Bruce smiled and ran towards the ship trough the shadows, leaving Gotham.

After all his turbulent thoughts over Bruce, Clark didn't know how to react to that. He realized that Bruce wasn't a total bad guy. He wasn't lost anymore, at least, for a while. Strangely, Clark knew he shouldn't try to stop him from leaving. It was like it was his destiny. Clark had the feeling they would see each other again. But he smiled a sad smile, wondering if they would be the same people when that day came.

To be continued...