A/N: We're full steam ahead and there's no stopping the bad guys!

12:

The Docks, Metropolis

8:50 PM

Thursday

Never look back. Just run. Run!

I've been running haphazardly, trying to trace my way back to the entrance where I left my car. But there's six goons at my tail, plus a maniac clown. The goons. They're coming from every direction.

One tries to sidestep me. Another one lunges. I take the longer alley out.

Then I reach it. Dead end. A concrete wall with barbed wires at the top looms before me.

Damn.

"I must say, Metropolis is very welcoming, "the Joker snickers behind me. "Especially bringing one of its famous citizens to greet me. Here for a story, Miss Lane?"

I turn around. He's wearing a deep purple suit. Classic. And in the light of the compound, his makeup looks more eerily vibrant. Those red lips. Painted blue diamonds under his eyes… His neon green hair is slicked and combed back. "Wow. You read the Planet?"

He shrugs. "I'm full of surprises. Say…isn't it quite foolish venturing out in the night all alone? Or do you simply want to die?"

I place my hands on my hips. I can't scale the wall or the containers around us. But I can play by this clown's rules until I can get out of this tin can maze. "I'll let you guess."

"Oooh. This is what I want, a game!" he claps his hands as the goons now appear behind him. "Hmm, let me think. We have the whole night ahead of us."

"I bet. What are you doing in my city?"

He frowns. "I'm not allowed to take field trips?" Then he lightens up. "Is this an interview? Wait, let me fix my hair!"

"I guess Batman will be thrilled to know you're here."

"Humph," he replies, tucking his hands in his pockets, "Bats is busy with other guys…I want a change of scenery…something brighter….something…" He raises an eyebrow and adds, "Blue."

I narrow my eyes at him. "And you called The Planet just for that? You do know he's out of town, right?"

The Joker looks like he's clueless. He shakes his head. "I didn't call The Planet, but you will do. Certainly this is much better than what I could plan…I don't know who to thank for this blessing but then, who am I to complain?"

"If you didn't, then who…"

"Anyway," he cuts in, walking nearer. "It doesn't matter now, is it? You're here and cornered…and at my mercy."

I laugh. "Sure. Anything you say."

"You can get all cocky with me Miss Lane, but you'd stop that soon enough," he says. "Now, where were we? Oh! I was guessing if you want to die."

"No one's dying today," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. "Why don't we talk this through?"

He contemplates it for a moment then shrugs. "Nope."

"What do you want?"

"Killing you is so simple. I have other ideas."

"Kidnapping me is too overrated," I offer, "So is throwing me off a building, dangling me from a ceiling, strapping me on a train track…"

"I suppose you're right," the Joker sighs, and raises his hands in defeat, "Well, what is there left to do, Miss Lane?"

"How about letting me go?" I say.

"Let you go? That is the dumbest thing. And I'm not dumb." He laughs and turns to the men behind him. "What do you think, gentlemen?"

I touch the phone in my pocket but the Joker turns around and pulls a gun. I stop and raise my hands. "Okay. Calm down."

"Do not test me or your hand goes off."

"Well, what are we gonna do?" I frown. "Don't you have business to take care of?"

"I've delivered the goods," he shrugs. "I got my bomb."

Bomb? "Then you can leave me."

The Joker's red lips tilt upwards to his signature sinister smile. "I have a better idea. Boys! Bring the guest some FLOWERS!"

Shit. He walks nearer and just as he does, I laser focus myself to the gun in his hand and duck to tackle him and take the gun. Okay, that threw him off, but he's still laughing. And there's just one me against these six thugs with guns all pointed at me.

"Ha ha ha ha ha."

"What do you want, Joker?" I turn around and find him laughing his ass off on the ground.

He continues to laugh. Then he wipes away those happy tears and stands up. "For all your bravado you stop at the sight of guns. Tsk tsk. Too bad invulnerability cannot be passed on from friends."

I point the gun to him. "We're not exactly friends anymore."

"Ooh," he starts, crossing his arms over his chest, "So the enemy of my enemy is my…" His eyes flicker with mischief as he laughs again.

I blink at him. "What do you want?"

He inches nearer and lets his puffy suit bump with the end of the gun. "I see. I see it in your eyes. You're toxic." He takes the pistol and pulls it away from my hands. "Hmm. Can't exactly call Big Blue for help now, can't you? Hmm? You'll kill him!"

That's it.

"Stop. Okay?" I step back and shake my hand. "If you want me as leverage against him…It's useless."

"Aww too bad," The Joker feigns a sad face. He puts an arm around me. Me? The Joker being nice to me? "He broke your poor little heart, didn't he?"

I look at him. This clown and his white face with those dark shadows shading his eyes and that bright red smile. Is he…talking with me? I sigh and hang my head. "What's it with everybody treating me as direct hotline to that guy?"

"Everybody can see it, Miss Lane. Can you?" he snickers and brushes imaginary dust off my shoulder.

I glance at him. "I told you. I just spilled his secret to the whole world. I'm not the best choice to get to him."

"I know. I know. And I can't get Wonder Woman." He sighs.

"So you're settling for me?"

He presses me closer. "Why don't I give you a business deal, Miss Lane?" The Joker takes a deep breath. "I let you free but you have to help me take down Superdork."

I frown at him. "Why would you want to hurt him? Isn't Batman your main squeeze?"

The Joker laughs gaily. "I like your sense of humor. We'll get along just nicely." He gestures in front of him. "See, if I take him down, the Justice League follows shortly!"

"Then you don't know the League enough."

"Hmph." He frowns and nudges me. "You like raining on anyone's parade, don't you?"

"If I don't help you?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe I'll just have to kill your whole family?" He snaps his finger and a huge thug comes to us with a phone. The picture of dad, me, and Lucy on her high school graduation from two years ago flashed. The Joker nears my ear and whispers playfully, "I've done it beeefoooreee…" Then he takes the phone and takes off his arm around me. I blink. I have to think. The Joker punches something on the phone. "Your loyalty is to them, Lois Lane. Isn't it? Truth, justice, and…family."

My cell rings.

"You have a call," he teases.

I pull my phone and see Lucy's face on the screen. "Hello?"

"Lo?"

"Luce?" He lied. He's planned this all along. Surveilling on Luce, leading me here to the docks…cornering me- "Lucy, what happened?"

Lucy's voice is shaking. She's crying. God. No. "Lo…I'm…I'm scared. There's three guys…One of them…he told me to call you. He's got the end pointed to my head."

"Are you hurt?" I ask, then a horrible thought came to me. "Where's Alex? Her parents?"

"I don't know… But I just got scraped because I tried to kick them. We're in the guest room I'm supposed to be sleeping in. Where are you?"

I blink back my tears. "I'm still here at the docks," I reply trying to sound calm and see the Joker nodding in agreement beside me. "I got cornered."

"What?" she echoes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Luce. I'm sorry you got dragged into this." I shake my head. "I promise, I'll fix it."

"I'm scared, Lo."

"I know, sis," I reply, "Just stay calm-"

The phone gets snatched out of my hand. The Joker chuckles and presses the loudspeaker on. "Lois? Lois!"

"Lucy!" I try to advance on to him but he yanks it farther.

He replies on the phone, "You're sister's busy at the moment, little Lucy." Then he turns to me. "I need your answer now or your sister dies and I'll make sure you hear her screams of terror!"

"No! Lois!"

I stare at him. "You monster."

"Believe me, I've heard that too many times already!" He laughs and screams on the phone. "Be quiet, you imbecile!"

My eyes remain on the phone. Lucy's sobbing. The Joker's hounding me. His goons are all around me…

"Lois, please!"

"We don't have forever, Miss Lane," the Joker says. "Do we have a deal or not?!"

A gun clicks in preparation.

"Lo! Oh my God!" Sobbing. She's sobbing.

The Joker laughs. "One-"

"Lois!"

I shut my eyes and scream, "I'll do it!"

The Joker looks back to me. He slowly smiles and instructs the men to stand down. "This is going to be fun!"

922 Oak Hill, Metropolis

12:47 AM

Friday

Alex and her parents are safe. They thought what happened was a home invasion, but we still got a report to MPD. I drove Lucy here to my apartment. It's better if we're together. We didn't turn on the lights. The cold and darkness are comforting at times like this. Lucy and I are simply depleted. We've no more guts to spare after a hellish night.

I clutch the blanket to my chest and find Lucy curled up on the couch. "Do you want me to make coffee?"

She raises her head. "No, I'm fine."

I sit beside her, covering her with the blanket. Lucy leans for my embrace. I hold her against me, much like what we have done back when we were just kids…when Dad's away and we only have each other. We don't even know if he'll come back alive...But Dad's okay. I messaged him just as we got home thirty minutes ago. He's puzzled, but I explained it's one of my leads. I can handle myself, Lo. Besides. I'm at the camp.

General Lane never wanted sympathy. Even from us. But he's an old man. He can more than take care of himself, I know that. But my sister...she's just starting her life right now. And what did I do? Place her in trouble. "I'm sorry, Luce."

She replies immediately, "It's not your fault."

"It is."

"It's your job." She sits up and holds my hand. "It's what Dad does all the time too," Lucy softly says, "Lanes place the life of others before their own. That's what we do."

I close my eyes for a moment. "I promised Mom I'd take care of you…not this."

"You're doing what you can. Don't I know that already when you told Dad and me you want to be a reporter? It's not that different from being a secret agent, or even a police officer. It's just the way it is."

I sink back and brush her hair away from her face. She wouldn't like this. Not one bit. "Maybe you should go back to Dad. Leave Metropolis."

Lucy's face crumples to a frown. "What are you saying?"

"It's dangerous if you're here. I can't protect you all the time, Lucy. Not from my enemies. I can't let it happen again. Dad can take care of you. He'll know what to do."

"Lois," she firmly says, "The Joker wants to get at me and Dad. It doesn't matter if we're apart or we're together, he has eyes on our family."

"But-"

"My life can't just stop, Lo," Lucy retorts, looking straight in my eyes. "It's what Dad had always taught us. We face the bad guys head on. No matter what. We never give up."

"I'm sorry your life has to be affected….your friends hurt-"

"We're family, Lo," Lucy decisively says, "No matter what we do, our lives are linked together."

I stare at my sister. Lucy looks somber. The sadness evident in her eyes. But she tries to remain strong in the face of my doubts. I hang my head…realizing the weight of the entire situation now…I just gave the Joker my word. The freaking Joker himself.

"But Lo," Lucy's voice breaks through my thoughts, "What was the price?"

I glance at my sister and embrace myself. "Don't worry about it."

"You bargained with the Joker."

"I…" I shake my head. "I'll own up to it."

"Lo," Lucy takes my shoulders, "What did he want you to do?"

"Don't think about it."

"I can't just not think about it." My sister can be stubborn as a bull if she wants to. "Lois. I'm in this too. What did you do?"

"I gave him my word that I'll help him take down Superman," I answer her in a heartbeat. I turn to Lucy and add, "But I'll figure it out."

"What?" Lucy's eyes widen. She looks at me carefully and touches my shoulder. "Oh, no. Lois…"

"You're my sister, Lucy," I snap, holding her hand.

"But…Clark?"

"I'll find a way to help him." I nod. "I got this."

Somehow. I have to...for Clark. For both of us and the people we love.

Thank you for reading. Reviews are much appreciated!