It's time for another chapter. Let's get on to it!

Batman absolutely hated my idea. He did not want to be 'Superman' under any circumstances. He said that my suit was not his style. Which I wholeheartedly agreed with, Just as his black ensemble was the last thing that I wanted to be seen in. It was far too stiff and nowhere near as durable as my suit. Plus, why the hell does he need so many gadgets? How does keep them all straight? I had only been in his suit for five minutes and I already wanted to take it off. I was not suited for the role of 'Batman.' Just as he was not suited for the role of 'Superman.' Not that it mattered. All we had to do was do a good enough job to fool Mannheim. That's it. The rest was not important.

Of course, Batman refused to leave without wearing his cowl. Which I pointed out ruins the whole Superman look. He did not care. So, I had to get creative. I let him use one of his extra cowls that had no cape attached. While I sprinted back to Fortress to get a gadget for batman. I had a small and portable holographic projector there. It would not be able to create anything solid, but it would be able to cover up his cowl with an image of my face. Once I configured it that way. Then I would need to quickly fashion a way to attach it to his costume. It only took about five minutes to make the adjustments.

I could have made it so that he would also sound like me. However, I decided not to bother. It would have taken a couple of extra minutes to and it would only annoy Bruce further. He would much rather fake the voice himself. To be honest, I don't think that he wanted the projector either. But if you refuse to take off the cowl what else can I do? No one is going to believe that you are me while still wearing Batman's cowl. That should be obvious - even to a stick in the mud like Bruce Wayne. Oh well, sometimes I think he makes things difficult just because. Oh well, not much that I can do about that. It is the way he is.

I educated Batman on how to use the projector once I returned to him. Mostly it was 'turn it on and attach it to my cape.' The projector would do the rest. He would be able to pass as me. He just needed to speak as little as possible. To be fair I doubted that this situation would require Batman to speak very much anyway. So it would be fine. It's not like Mannheim or his goons knew me personally. The only who might be able to see past the charade would be Lois. And she was not going to tell them the truth. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she hemmed up for them. Panicking when they inevitably bring out the Kryptonite. And they will bring out the Kryptonite. After all, they think that they are dealing with Superman. Why wouldn't they try to get the advantage? I hope that they keep it away from Lois and our children. I don't know if it will hurt them but I don't want to take the risk. This was already a difficult pregnancy. The last thing that we needed was Kryptonite to make it worse.

Once the tutorial was over Batman showed where he found the van. It was parked outside of an old warehouse on Park street. It was in the open with seemingly no one around it. If there was no doubt anymore - this was definitely a trap. It seemed that Mannheim assumed that I would just walk in through the front door. He was right, of course. I would have. That is assuming that I did not have backup. Instead, Batman was going in my place and I was going to sneak in from the roof.

First, I need to get Batman in place and help him make a spectacular entrance. So, I brought down to the ground in a nearby alley. Then I waited until he got to the door to blow it up with heat vision. That way if you were not paying close attention you may think that our 'Superman' was the one who burst in. Even though it was clearly coming from behind. Fortunately, it seemed that Mannheim's goons were not that astute. They took our wonderful display as one hundred percent legitimate. They did not question for a second. Instead, they came out swinging. Batman easily dealt with goons. It seemed that they were completely uninterested in shooting at him. Making his job easier. Now everyone knew that 'Superman' was in the building. Beating up goon after goon only served to reinforce that illusion. Bruce had things well under control.

It was time to move myself into position. I flew around the back then used the grappling hook to get me to the roof next to the warehouse. I didn't want to use the thing, but it seemed like a good idea. I was supposed to be Batman, after all. If someone noticed my approach then they would question why I was flying. I couldn't take the chance. Not yet at least. I had to maintain the illusion that I was Batman. I kept myself low and out of the way while I waited for Batman to get caught.

Ironically, this was the most important of my plan - getting Batman captured. You see, I had to be certain that Lois was alright. I also had to know what Mannheim wanted of me. The best way to achieve both goals was to make him think that he won. That he had captured 'Superman.' Then he would make his demands. I would deal with it. I just had to make sure that Lois was safe. Both Batman and I agreed on that point. Saving Lois and my children were a top priority. The rest was just icing on the cake.

I tried to look inside the warehouse but was blocked. It seemed that the building was lined with lead. It was also very quiet considering what was going on. Batman was kicking ass and taking names. Yet, I could only hear a little of it through the open door. Once he moved beyond that first open area I could no longer hear him. I was cut off from both him and Lois. Of course, we were not unprepared for this. We figured that this would happen. Or else why it would be so hard for me to find Lois on my own? Surely, he was using some powerful sound insulation. We figured that we couldn't rely on my ears. So, Batman planted a bug on himself that tied into his plane. Then he gave me an earpiece that would allow me to hear what it recorded. I turned it on - allowing me to continue following his progress.

Batman put up an amazing fight. So many goons got their beat up before they finally overwhelmed him. I heard him scream "Kryptonite!" in a very convincing voice then he surrendered. I chuckled a little as he pretended to be agony. The idiots had no idea that this wasn't Superman. It seemed that they were convinced. Who was I to tell them that they had really captured Batman? It was best not to break their illusions just yet. We needed to wait just a little bit longer.

I heard scraping sounds for a few minutes afterward. It seemed that they were dragging Batman somewhere. It was a nice touch to keep up the moaning sounds as they proceeded. I doubt that the goons noticed but it was good to hear how committed he was to this charade. He was going to keep up the act until the very end. I heard him being tossed to the ground. He never let up for a second with the soft moaning. Damn how that man knew me. It was actually kind of terrifying.

Finally, it was the moment that we were waiting for: Bruno Mannheim started talking. Now, the first bit is not very important. It was comprised mostly of Mannheim patting himself on the back and bragging how he got one over on me. Batman let him go on for a couple of minutes before begging to see Lois. My god did he sound like me. If I didn't know any better I would have assumed that it was a recording of me. That man had many talents. Most of them were quite terrifying when you stopped to think about it. Why would he need this skill? What purpose would knowing me this well serve? I really did not understand that man.

"Look! The great and powerful Superman is begging on my floor. Asking for his woman!. It is truly pathetic." Mannheim scoffed. "Bring her out."

I heard a lot of scurrying around then the sound of a big metal door opening. There was the sound of heavy footfalls. A second later I heard muffled cries that could only come from Lois. I knew that sound far too well to believe anything else. There was another short scuffle and I heard the sounds of soft footfalls. It seemed that Lois was broken away from her captors.

It seemed that she was okay and that she was giving them hell. Exactly as I would expect her to do. Lois was not easy to control - even while pregnant. Any captor would learn that very quickly. It seemed that Mannheim was learning that the hard way. Don't mess with Lois Lane. She will make your life hell. My wife was a bitch when she wanted to be. It was by far one of her best qualities.

I heard her cry out for me. Which pulled at my heartstrings. I wanted to go to her. I wanted to help her but I had to stop myself. I couldn't afford to be discovered. I had to remain silent. I had to remain where I was. I had to wait. I just didn't like leaving Lois like this. Not when so much was at stake.

I heard Batman shout. "Lois, Don't! Kryptonite!."

The footfalls stopped. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I didn't have to worry about our children getting hurt. Lois has to remember that she has to be careful around Kryptonite for the time being. It will hurt our children even if it would not really affect her. She had to be careful. There was a moment of silence then I heard her ask Bruce quietly, "Batman, where's my husband?"

I do not know how she figured out the truth, but she knew that Bruce wasn't me. Even if Mannheim and his goons did not. Then again, one of her best qualities was her ability to see through lies and deception. It didn't always work, but when it did she was unstoppable. You could not hide the truth from her.

"Nearby. He's listening. He wanted to make sure that you were okay and find out what Mannheim wants." Batman whispered.

"Leave it to me." She responded.

He cried, "Lois! Don't!"

What followed was both frustrating and disturbing. Lois allowed herself to get recaptured. And yes, I know that she wanted to get captured. I know Lois far too well to believe anything else. I swear that woman will be the death of me one day. Could she just not try to get herself killed? That would help me a lot. Then she proceeded to gore Mannheim into talking. Which was surprisingly easy once he thought that he had the upper-hand. The man just started to make demands. All while Lois carried on as if Batman was me. Mannheim bought it hook, line and sinker. He did not suspect that anything was wrong.

"There you go, Superman, you see that your bitch is fine. If you listen to me she will not be harmed. Your pups may yet be born. That is if you are a smart man." There was a pause then he said, "Take her away!"

I heard Lois scream and carry on. The metal door opened and slammed shut. Cutting off my wife from the recording. I knew that I had to move before I lost track of her. Batman could take care of the next part. Lois's safety was my first priority. So I snuck in the building through the back. Making a point to be as quiet as possible. Once inside I could see through several parts of the building and hear everyone without the aid of the microphone. I made a point to pretend that I was Batman. Clinging to shadows to avoid detection. I also made a point to run at human speeds. Which made the process painfully slow. Fortunately, I could see and hear my wife most of the way. So I knew where to go. I just hated working at this speed, that's all.

I was able to avoid most of the goons. I only had to knock out one or two of them. No alarm was raised. Also, no one brought out any kryptonite to stop me. If they saw me they treated me like Batman. Which worked wonderfully for me. I was able to take them out without causing much of a stir. Within a few minutes, I had found my way to Lois and her captors.

Now those fools had simply thrown my wife into a locked room. Then two guards stood in front of it. It took me literally a second to knock them out and steal the keys. Then I freed Lois. She threw herself into my arms and kissed me. She whispered, "Clark . . ."

I smiled at her. Which had to look weird since I was still wearing Batman's costume. "Lois, honey, are you alright?"

She nodded, "I am now."

"Good, then we have to go." I picked her up and started to go.

"Wait, Su-I mean Batman. What about Bat-I mean Superman?"

I smiled again."He'll be fine. He's got a card up his sleeve. Trust me. He would never go into a situation like this unprepared. He'll be fine." I paused for effect. "Besides right now what is important is getting you to safety. I can help him later if I have to."

Lois gave up and allowed me to scoop her up into my arms. Then I made our way down and out the way that I had come in. There was a complication though. I could hear their chatter about a trick. It seemed that Mannheim had discovered our ruse. He was fighting with Batman as I tried to get Lois out of the building. Which was a lot harder now. Since they were all packing Kryptonite weapons now. I had to be extra careful. I could not allow a single bullet to get through. I would not allow our babies to be harmed. It slowed me down a lot. I had more than one encounter with the guards which forced me to change course. I could not afford confrontation. I had to avoid fighting as much as possible. The stakes were just far too high.

We were almost at the door when I was forced to stop. I could hear the rustle of fabric, the thunderous sound of heart beats and the sound of guns being readied. I didn't need to see them to know that they were aiming those weapons at us. I placed Lois on the ground gently. I told her, "Lois, stay close to me." Then I stepped in front of her. If anyone was going to shoot then they were going to shoot me. Not Lois, not our babies. I would keep them safe or die in the attempt. No one was going to lay a hand on them. This I swore to myself.

Suddenly all movement stopped. We were surrounded. I had to be careful and stay on the defensive. I would not leave Lois's side unless it was absolutely necessary. I had to wait. See what they would do next. I heard footsteps then I saw a very ruffled Mannheim appear. He was furious.

"So, Batman you have come to my humble facility. I am honored." I said nothing in response. That seemed to annoy him further. He grunted. "Or should I call you Superman? Yes, I think I should."

The jig was up. Not that I expected it to last long. I had hoped that would last long enough to get Lois out of here. Sadly that was not going to happen now. I had to think fast. I had to find a way to get through these goons without being incapacitated or getting Lois hurt. I just couldn't see a way yet. I had to play for more time.

I smiled and pulled off the cowl. "You're right. I am not Batman. You caught me red-handed."

Mannheim scowled. "You son of a bitch! You had fooled for a minute. Should have known that he was not you. Bastard nearly cleaned my clock." I noticed the very sizable red/blue mark on his face. Bruce must have done a number to him.

"Serves you right for kidnapping Lois." I said.

He snorted. "I am curious: Why are you so attached to that harpie? I mean she's the least attractive woman that I've seen. Downright ugly if you ask me. When you add in her attitude, well, she's just the worst. Not worth bothering with. I would've left her with Kent. He deserves her." He leered at Lois. Which made her skin crawl and my blood boil. "Unless . . . she is really good in the sack like they say. Maybe that bitch is good at doing the vertical tango after all."

I clenched my fist but did nothing else. I could not afford to lose control now. I had to remain on guard. My family's lives were at stake. I could not defend my lady's honor. Mannheim could say what he wanted. I had to remain calm. I had to stay in control.

Manheim laughed. "Oh well, some mysteries are best left unsolved. Kill them."

He backed away to allow his men to approach. They raised their weapons to fire. While I readied myself to move. I had to either get Lois out of here or be ready to take the bullets myself. I waited for almost a minute but no one fired at us. Instead, I started to hear screams from behind the line. There was gunfire all around us. The men turned to fight off the intruders but their lives were cut short. Out of the chaos emerged Whisper A'Daire. A woman that I never had hoped to never see again. Apparently, she was our savior but at what cost?

"Superman, we finally meet. Or have we met before? One cannot tell these days. No matter, it is good to see you and Miss Lane.." She greeted us. "I do apologize for our late arrival, but my mistress thought that it was best to wait. It seems that she was correct. Mannheim's rebellion is at an end. He no longer can threaten us."

Now you would think that I would be grateful that we were rescued. After all, Lois and our children were unharmed. Not a single bullet made it their way. I did not have to fight. Mannheim's attempt to control me was thwarted. And if circumstances were different I may have actually been grateful. However, I do not trust the League of Assassins. I do not like their methods. I do not want to be beholden to them. Nor did I want those men to die. There was no reason to kill. I could have gotten out of this without turning the warehouse into a bloodbath. There was no need for this. It was all so senseless.

I know that some people would mock me for that sentiment but I honestly don't care. I loathe killing. I do everything in my power to avoid it. Even if I end up a little bloodied in the process as a result. I do not care. I don't like killing. They did not share my sentiment. Killing was a way of life for the League of Assassins. They murder to achieve their goals. And no matter how honorable it is it does not matter. The means do not justify the means. I wanted nothing to do with them. I did not trust A'Daire. She would not hesitate to kill Lois. I had to stay on guard. This was not over. I just had a new enemy, that's all.

"What do you want A'Daire?"

"Me? Absolutely nothing." She pretended to be insulted but her heart rate and respiration betrayed her. She did not care. She was just going through the motions. "Mannheim is no longer a threat. I have completed my mission. That is all that I came here to do. My work is done. I did not come here to fight you. I assure you I am not that stupid."

She waved her hand then her followers began to disappear one by one. Leaving only A'Daire behind. "I know that you do not trust me. That is understandable. My methods can seem a bit harsh at times. Why kill when you can simply incapacitate? It doesn't make sense for someone like you. You live in a world of right and wrong. There are no shades of grey. Only truth and justice. You cannot understand why we act. And for your sake I hope that you never do."

She bowed. "Take care and be well."

A second later she disappeared. I tried to trace where she went but the building's insulation blocked me. I thought about chasing after her, but I figured that there was no point. I probably only will be able to catch one or two of them. The rest would scatter to the wind. It would not affect the whole. Besides, chasing them would take me away from my charge. I would not do that. Not here. I had to get Lois to safety. The rest was not important. I had to let them go. Even if they disgusted me. Even if they committed a heinous crime in my city. I had to let them go.

I brought Lois home almost immediately afterward. I only paused to destroy every weapon in the building. That way it could not be used against me or my family in the future. It only took me a few seconds to do that. Once I was done we headed home.

On the way home I took a moment to look Lois over. She did not seem injured. Although I did notice that she was in pain. She tried to hide it from me, but I knew her too well. She was hurting. I asked her about it once we landed.

"Lois, are you alright?"

She smiled at me. "I'm fine. Bastards just dragged me around a little bit. Gave me a few bumps and bruises. That's all, Clark. Just need to take an Aspirin and I'll be good."

"Tylenol."

She looked blankly at me. "What?"

"Take Tylenol, not aspirin. It's not safe when you're pregnant, remember?"

Lois shook her head and laughed. "Alright, Dr. Smallville. I'll take some Tylenol and lay down for a while."

"Alright. I give up. Just take it easy, okay?"

"I will."

We started to go inside but she stopped me. "Clark, wait. Shouldn't you return that costume to Batman?"

I looked down at the suit and realized that I was still wearing Batman's suit. When had it become so comfortable?

"You're right. I should."

She threw Batman's Cowl at me. "And you should also return this. Bruce might kill you if you didn't."

I had forgotten that I had taken off the Cowl earlier. I might have left it there if it wasn't for Lois. When did she pick it up again? I honestly did not know.

"Thank you. I'll be back shortly."

She gave me another smile. "Good, when you do you better be in blue."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Thank you Clark Kent, for everything. I love you."

I took her hands in mine. "And I love you."

She kissed me on the cheek. "I know. Now go!"

I nodded then sped off towards my rendezvous point with Batman. I was a very happy man. In retrospect, I should have been worried that Lois was so willing to rest. She hated resting. If she was suggesting it then she must have felt awful. Yet, I missed that cue. I did not notice the subtle change. Otherwise, I would have never let her get away with this lie. I would have never left her side. She needed me more than Bruce needed his damned suit. But like a wounded animal, Lois wanted to be alone. She did not want to worry me. Which made things worse later on. For I went about my business as if everything was normal when it was not.

I would later regret this discussion. For if I was there earlier on then I could have prevented some of the complications that were to come. I would have made sure that there was a doctor on hand. But she was only seven and a half months along. I did not see any evidence of impending birth. So I did not know. Maybe I could have stopped it. Alas, I will never know. For that is not what happened. I left her to deal with this alone.

All plotlines are starting to end. Just a few more until the final moment. See you next time!