METROPOLIS
Lois stifled a frustrated sigh as she walked into the apartment she shared with Clark. It had been a difficult day at work with many of the other reporters at home suffering from the flu, and Perry was grumpier than usual trying to assign the extra stories to healthy reporters. Clark had vanished sometime in the early afternoon, presumably to deal with someone or something needing Superman's attention, and Lois was planning on settling into a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine. As she entered the living room, however, she suddenly noticed that the room was filled with candles. Rose petals of every color covered the floor and merged into a trail leading through the apartment.
"What in the world…?"
Tossing her coat and purse onto the couch, she slowly followed the trail of petals down the hall and into the bedroom. Walking inside, she discovered Clark standing in the center of the room, dressed in a tuxedo. Both the floor and the bed were covered with more rose petals and the room was filled with additional candles.
"Surprise," he said softly.
"What is all of this, Clark?" Lois asked, surprise and wonder in her expression.
Clark closed the distance between them and took her hands in his. "I know I did this a bit backwards, giving you the ring before I actually asked the question," he replied, adoration evident in his tone. "But I'm asking now: I love you, Lois Lane; will you marry me?"
Using her free hand to wipe away the tears now streaming down her face, Lois nodded vehemently as she responded with a resounding "Yes!"
Pulling her into his arms, Clark lowered his head to give her a passionate kiss, but their lips had barely met when his cell phone rang.
"You have got to be kidding me," he groaned and glancing at the caller ID, recognized his sister's number. If the caller had been anyone else, he would simply have ignored the call and continued his lovemaking with Lois. But after the most recent attack, his nerves were on edge when it came to Jordan and he gave Lois an apologetic smile as he reached over to pick up his phone.
"Jordan, I'm here," he said breathlessly. "What's going on?"
"Why didn't you answer…"
Jordan stopped in mid-sentence as she instantly realized the reason for Clark's delay in answering the phone and shortness of breath.
"Oh my gosh… I interrupted you and Lois…I am so sorry Clark."
"What's going on, Jordan?" he repeated.
"I need you to come to the house tomorrow. There's been a new development with this whole terrorist business you should know about."
"Please tell me they haven't come after you again."
"No, I'm fine," Jordan assured him quickly. "But I do need you to come to the house."
"I'll be there in time for lunch," Clark told her.
"Great, thanks Clark. And really, I am so sorry…"
"Good-bye, Jordan."
Clark turned off his phone and tossed it aside as he returned his attention to Lois. "Now, where were we?"
"Right here," Lois answered, and pulled him down to meet her kiss.
In the Bat Cave, Jordan hung up the phone as she closed her eyes in mortification. "I cannot believe I just did that," she muttered.
"I take your timing was less than impeccable?" Bruce asked lightly.
"They were…well starting to anyway…why would he answer the phone?"
Bruce merely gave her a knowing look as he rose to his feet.
"Silly question. Clark's Clark and it was me calling. Oh, gosh...I am so not going to be able to face him tomorrow. I'm just not."
"May I make a suggestion?"
"By all means."
"Maybe you would feel less mortified about disrupting your brother's love life if you resumed your own," Bruce suggested innocently.
Jordan permitted herself a small smile. "Are you propositioning me?"
"Absolutely."
Jordan laughed as he pulled her into his arms.
Flanked on either side by an armed guard, Ross carefully eased himself out of the launch and onto Luthor's yacht, The Lucky Devil. The vessel was anchored just outside of U.S. territorial waters, so even in the unlikely event law enforcement was able to detect it, Luthor was legally out of their reach.
Just over an hour ago, Luthor had contacted Ross and told him his presence was required. Ross hated being summoned as if he were a dog that was required to heel upon command or come when called. Yet he knew all too well Luthor was not a man to be crossed, and he held his tongue as he entered the stateroom that served as the other man's mobile office.
"You wanted to see me?"
"What the hell is going on, Ross?" Luthor demanded.
"With what?"
"Your latest email; you sent a copy of it to Jordan Kent."
"What are you talking about?"
"Check the message, Ross. Under the cc line you inserted Jordan Kent's email address."
Ross pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and quickly pulled up his email account. Scrolling through the Sent Items folder, he located the message in question and discovered his mistake.
"Son of a bitch!" he exclaimed. "I was half asleep last night when I was sending her some emails on company business and I must have somehow put her address in your message."
"Has she seen it yet?" Luthor pressed.
"I don't know but I promise you I will find out and handle it," Ross said.
"Don't bother," Luthor snapped. "I was willing to overlook your initial missteps, provided that the goal of killing her was ultimately achieved. I also instructed you to ensure the secret of my involvement was kept at any cost. But after your flunkies got themselves caught by Batman last night, it's only a matter of time before my part in this mess is public knowledge. That kind of unwanted publicity will no doubt interfere with the on-going operation of my various businesses. That is a lapse I can't ignore."
"That wasn't my doing," Ross protested. "I tried to have Jordan eliminated as soon as possible."
"Which we would not have needed to do if you had properly covered our tracks in the first place," Luthor countered. "Yet not only has she survived, she is now front-page news. I no longer have any patience for your incompetence."
"Are you going to kill me?"
"I'm afraid so."
Without giving Ross a chance to respond, Luthor withdrew a gun from beneath his coat and shot the other man through the middle of his forehead.
GOTHAM CITY
As agreed, Clark arrived at Bruce's house just after noon the following day, accompanied by Lois. Jordan and Bruce were waiting in the driveway when they pulled up and the group exchanged warm greetings as Jordan and Clark exchanged a hug.
"Before we head inside, Lois and I have an announcement to make," Clark declared, and slid an arm around Lois' waist. "Last night I officially asked her to marry me and she said yes."
"Woo-hoo!" Jordan shouted in delight. "It's about time."
She quickly enveloped Clark in another hug and gave Lois one as well. "I am so happy for you two. That is terrific news."
"Congratulations to you both," Bruce added, and exchanged a handshake with Clark.
"Have you told Mom yet?" Jordan asked.
"I'm going to tell her when we go to Smallville for Christmas," Clark said.
Just then, Alfred stepped outside and called to Bruce. "Lunch is ready to be served, Master Bruce," he said. "Will you be dining in the house or outside?"
"I think we'll have lunch on the South terrace, Alfred," Bruce replied.
"Very good, sir."
Alfred retreated back into the house and the others followed a moment later.
After a leisurely lunch filled with small talk and good-natured ribbing, Lois and Jordan left the men to themselves as they took a walk toward the lake.
"I owe you and Clark an apology," Jordan said.
"For what?"
"When I called last night, you guys were obviously…otherwise engaged," Jordan replied. "No pun intended."
Lois laughed. "Don't worry about it, Jordan," she deflected. "Clark was just relieved that it wasn't an emergency. He's been really worried about you, you know."
"I know. I've been giving him a hard time about it, but I know how difficult it's been for him to see me continually assaulted and he's not able to anything about it."
"How's Bruce handling it?"
Jordan's face creased into an affectionate smile. "He's as bad as Clark when it comes to being overprotective, but I have to admit that I have never felt safer," she confessed. "And thankfully he is amused by my infamous temper rather than intimidated by it."
"He really seems to care about you."
"As I do him. I can honestly say that right now, being able to spend this time with Bruce despite the threat hanging over me, is the happiest I have ever been."
Lois nodded. "You know, for a pair of women who pride themselves on our independence and self-reliance, we sure turned into suckers when it came to love."
"Yeah, but what a way to go. Speaking of which, have you and Clark set a date yet?"
"No, but it will probably be early next year sometime. Neither of us wants a large wedding; just something small and intimate with family and friends."
"Well, if there is anything I can do to help you with the planning, please do not hesitate to ask."
"Actually, there is one thing I want to ask you," Lois revealed nervously and gave Jordan a shy smile. "It would mean a lot to me – and to Clark – if you would agree to be my Maid of Honor."
"Lois…I am touched that you would ask me to stand up for you. I would be thrilled to be your Maid of Honor."
As the two women exchanged a hug, the men were engaged in a discussion almost identical to the one just shared by their respective significant others.
"How are you holding up with all of this terrorist business swirling around Jordan?" Clark asked.
"I'll be better once we have all of these morons behind bars," Bruce answered. "And now that we know specifically who we're dealing with, it will be that much easier to make it happen."
Clark nodded. Bruce had filled him in on the email Jordan had received in error and the subsequent discovery of Ross' involvement in her attacks.
"I know Mark Ross was a mentor to her," Clark said. "I imagine she didn't react well to the discovery."
"I think a part of her suspected he was involved, but given her emotional attachment to him she didn't want to admit it."
"Well, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when Jordan confronts him,' Clark replied dryly.
Bruce smiled. "Jordan is certainly a force to be reckoned with when she's in a temper," he allowed.
"And you wouldn't have it any other way," Clark added.
"Life with your sister is never going to be boring, I'll grant you that."
"'Life' as in the rest of yours?" Clark prompted, earning him a chuckle from the older man.
"Subtle, aren't you, Clark?"
"Whatever is happening between you and Jordan is your own business, Bruce. But for now, she's obviously very happy. I'm trusting you to make sure she stays that way."
"I intend to," Bruce assured him. "So do you and Lois have a date for the wedding yet?"
"We're working on it, but as long as we're on the subject, I'd like to ask you for a favor."
"Name it."
"I would very much like for you to be my Best Man."
Surprise flickered across Bruce's face and he broke into a grin. "I would be honored to be your Best Man, Clark."
The two friends exchanged a handshake just as the women returned and as Lois addressed Clark. "We should probably get going," she said. "I don't want to run into rush hour traffic going back to Metropolis."
Clark nodded and turned to Bruce. "I'll touch base with you in a couple of days and see what you've come up with on Ross and Reinkin," he said.
"Sounds good."
He shifted his attention to Jordan. "It was good to see you, Little Sister. I'm glad you're doing so well."
"Likewise, Clark. And congratulations again on your engagement. I am truly delighted for both of you."
Hugs and farewells were exchanged all around before Clark helped his fiancée into the car and they started back to Metropolis.
"So what's on your agenda for the rest of the day?" Jordan asked Bruce as they wandered back to the house.
"I have some paperwork to review and a conference call with one of our European affiliates at about three o'clock,' Bruce told her. "After that I'm planning on spending a quiet evening at home with you."
"Planning on accepting the open invitation I extended the other day?"
"Absolutely."
Just as the couple walked inside, Alfred approached them and addressed Jordan.
"Excuse me, Miss Jordan, but you have a telephone call," he told her.
"Who is it?"
"It's Commissioner Gordon. He took the liberty of calling our land line when you didn't answer your cell phone."
Jordan and Bruce exchanged a surprised look as Jordan walked over to pick up the phone in the main foyer.
"This is Jordan Kent."
"Good afternoon, Dr. Kent," Gordon said. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I thought you should know. I received a phone call from the Washington DC police department a short while ago. Two fishermen pulled a body out of the Potomac River this morning, and the victim has been identified as PEACE Corporation's CEO, Mark Ross.
Oh, damn, Jordan thought to herself. Aloud she asked, "Are they sure it's him?"
"Yes; his wife made the official ID."
"May I ask how he died?"
"The DC PD is doing an autopsy to confirm it, but he appears to have been shot in the head at point blank range," Gordon revealed.
"Sweet Jesus…"
"When you and Mr. Wayne were here the other day, you mentioned that you had discovered someone at PEACE was embezzling corporate funds to terrorist organizations," Gordon recalled. "Is it possible that Mr. Ross was that person?"
"Unfortunately, it looks that way," Jordan allowed, and briefly told the commissioner what she had told Bruce and her brother about Ross' probable culpability in the attacks on her.
"It sounds like the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place," Gordon remarked. "I'll pass this information onto to Agent Frederick so he can start looking into Franz Reinken's potential involvement."
"Please ask Agent Frederick to let me know what he finds out," Jordan requested.
"Of course," Gordon said. "I appreciate your time and the information, Dr. Kent. I'm sorry I had to be the bearer of sad news."
"Thank you, Commissioner."
Jordan ended the call and turned to meet Alfred and Bruce's curious looks.
"It would seem the old adage about being careful what you wish for is true," she mused. "Mark Ross' body was found in the Potomac River early this morning."
"Murdered, I presume?" Alfred prompted.
"The Commissioner said he was apparently shot at point blank range," Jordan confirmed.
Bruce placed a comforting hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Jordan. I know you cared about him."
"Whatever his crimes, he didn't deserve to be shot like a rabid animal and disposed of like old trash," Jordan said. "Promise me that we're going to find the people responsible and make them pay."
"That's the plan."
WAYNE TOWER
Two days later, Jordan was still torn between anger and grief over Ross' death. Following Jim Gordon's' call to her, John Frederick had called later that day to inform her that the autopsy had confirmed Ross' death was a homicide. With Ross dead and Franz Reinken under investigation, Jordan was now interim CEO of PEACE and had agreed to meet with the detectives handling Ross' case in Washington DC the following day. Although commitments in Gotham as Bruce Wayne and Batman would prevent him from accompanying her himself, Bruce was unwilling to let Jordan make the trip unprotected. So at his request, Diana Prince would be waiting to greet her when she arrived in the nation's capital.
In the interim, Jordan was due in a meeting at Wayne Tower with Bruce, Lucius Fox, and the Director of Wayne Enterprises' Environmental Services Division, Elliott Webster. Webster and the people in his department had presented a proposal for a wildlife conservation branch of the ESD to Wayne Enterprises' Board of Directors several weeks ago, and now with Jordan in Gotham, Lucius had suggested to Bruce that they have her review the proposal and offer her own input.
As Bruce had left for the office earlier that morning, Alfred offered to drive Jordan into the city and after a brief round of casual conversation, addressed the issue at hand.
"How are you holding up with all of this difficult business regarding your friend, Miss Jordan?"
"As well as can be expected," Jordan answered. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around Mark's part in the attempts on my life."
"It's unfortunate that someone you trusted proved to be so unworthy of it," Alfred said.
"And it's such a waste," Jordan added. "He was a good man, Alfred. He loved his family and had devoted his life to helping animals. I don't understand why he sacrificed all of that by aligning himself with terrorists and someone like Lex Luthor."
"Everyone has free will, Miss Jordan," Alfred reminded her. "Sometimes they make bad choices and people get hurt."
"While others are fortunate enough to have a brother or significant other to come in and snatch them from harm's way," Jordan responded. "I wish we could have found a way to save Mark."
"Respectfully, your safety is paramount now," Alfred returned. "Despite the circumstances, I am pleased that you and Master Bruce are making the most of your newfound happiness."
"So I have your blessing then?" she prompted.
"Miss Jordan, you've had my blessing from the day Master Bruce asked me to look into your background," Alfred answered. "You are exceedingly intelligent, exquisitely beautiful and are an enormous asset in keeping him in line. For that reason alone, I would welcome you into Master Bruce's life with open arms."
Jordan laughed out loud. "Alfred, you just made my day," she declared. "Thank you."
"You're quite welcome."
Reaching Wayne Tower, Jordan exited the car and bid Alfred farewell as she headed inside. Making her way to the top floor, she stepped off the elevator and was met by Bruce's personal assistant, Michelle. The two had met the day of the Summit Center bombing, as Bruce had brought Jordan to his office after their lunch and given her a tour.
"Hi, Dr. Kent," she greeted. "Mr. Wayne is finishing a phone call in his office, but Mr. Fox and Mr. Webster are waiting for you in the conference room."
"Thanks, Michelle."
Jordan made her way down the hallway, smiling to herself as she passed Bruce's office and heard him arguing with someone over the telephone.
"Bob, tell Frank Dorsey that I said he's depriving a village somewhere of an idiot if thinks we're going to accept a loss on this!" she heard him snap.
"And he rides me about my temper," she said softly to herself.
Reaching the conference room, Jordan stepped inside and as expected found Fox and Webster already present. The far end of the large cedar wood table was covered with various trays of food, along with condiments and silverware.
"Good afternoon, Gentlemen," Jordan greeted.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Kent," Fox responded. "It's nice to see you again."
"Likewise, Mr. Fox."
"Mr. Fox makes me feel like a high school principal," Fox quipped. "Please, call me Lucius."
"All right, Lucius. Thank you."
Fox turned to the man beside him. "This is Elliott Webster, the director of our Environmental Services Division."
"A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Kent," Webster said as he extended his hand. "I read your paper a few years back on your study of the canids and big cats in India's Kanha National Park. Very impressive piece."
"Thank you," Jordan replied, and they exchanged a handshake.
"Would you care for something to eat?" Fox offered, gesturing at the food.
Jordan shook her head. "I had a large breakfast."
Bruce joined them then, flashing them all an apologetic smile as he approached the group.
"I am sorry to have kept you all waiting," he said. "There was a small problem with one of our West Coast affiliates."
"Yes, apparently they are missing a village idiot," Jordan offered innocently.
Bruce sent her a knowing glance. "Didn't your mother ever teach you that it is impolite to eavesdrop, Dr. Kent?"
"My mother taught me a great many useful things, Mr. Wayne," Jordan allowed, "but it's not eavesdropping if one is shouting loud enough to be overheard in the hallway and one neglected to close their office door."
"Score one for the lady," Bruce demurred. "Shall we get started?"
The meeting lasted just over an hour and once it was finished Webster and Fox bid Jordan and Bruce farewell and left them alone in the conference room. Jordan wandered over to the trays of food and picked at some fruit as Bruce walked over to stand beside her.
"That seemed to go well." he said.
Jordan nodded and swallowed a strawberry before responding. "It went very well," she agreed. "Elliott Webster and his people obviously did some real research into what your company can do to encourage conservation in the corporate world on a global scale."
"He seems to be quite the fan of your work," Bruce remarked.
She shrugged. "Wildlife conservation is my business, and I am very good at what I do."
"Speaking of your business, have the DC police given you any indication of how long you'll need to stay in the city?"
"Technically I live in DC, Cowboy," Jordan reminded him.
A situation I intend to rectify just as soon as we get rid of whoever it is that's trying to kill you, Bruce vowed to himself.
"I'll probably be there for about a week," Jordan continued. "The police may need me to clarify a few things, plus I have to meet with what's left of the Board of Directors to figure out what we're going to do with PEACE, and Mark's funeral is the day after tomorrow."
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Bruce offered.
"Thank you, but this is something I need to deal with on my own," Jordan responded. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too."
"Speaking of which, I need to get back to the house and start packing," Jordan said.
Bruce reached into his pocket and handed her his car keys. "Take my car," he told her. "I'll call a ride share when I'm done here."
"Will you be home for dinner, or do you have to um...go out?"
Bruce smiled. "If something comes up, I'll call you. Otherwise, I should be home by six o'clock."
Jordan returned his smile. "I'll see you at six o'clock then."
They exchanged a light kiss before Jordan exited the conference room. Bruce watched her leave and then shifted his attention to the food. "Let's see what's for lunch," he said to himself.
Meantime Jordan made her way to the parking structure and started for Bruce's Mercedes-Benz, paying no attention to the sound of an approaching car. As she clicked off the alarm, a large van suddenly came to a halt behind her and the door flew open. Before she could defend herself and/or call for help, three men grabbed her and dragged her into the van, one of them holding a chloroform-soaked cloth over her face. By the time the door slammed shut and they sped out of the parking structure, Jordan was unconscious.