[Solitude Condominiums]
Clark stood atop the building roof. Luthor Towers glowed in the purple glow of the floodlights. A regal colour. A testament to the Luthors' success.
Lex has shown some poor judgment of late, but he's always remembered who his friends are. Pete never liked him since he first arrived in Smallville. Like most people, he based his animosity on the past deeds of Lionel Luthor. That doesn't necessarily mean Lex will follow the road Lionel has chosen: the exploitation of the weak, the ruthless pursuit for wealth and status. I hear Lionel is petitioning the British government to make him into a lord. Lord Lionel. How typical!
"Worried about your 'friend', Clark?" the figure from the night muttered.
"Look, Bruce, you don't know Lex. Not the way I do!"
"I'm not about have this argument again," Bruce stated, "You know where I stand on the Luthors. Lex is egomaniacal. And he possesses the resources to indulge his appetites. Power: that's all he wants." Clark walked away, but Bruce held his arm.
"Time is running out. Chloe is about to blow the whistle on your powers. If Lex hears of it, all my abilities may not be able to restrain him."
Clark stared in disbelief. "How did you - well, yes. I have 24 hours to get my mom out of Smallville before the media swarms her."
"She's safe?"
"She's visiting a college friend in Fawcett City - at least that's what her cover story is."
"And what about you?" Bruce tapped nervously on his utility belt.
"I don't know, I really don't. I just came up here to clear my head. My whole world is crumbling around me. My friend is about to betray my secret to the world. I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision - to keep my powers a secret."
"You made the right decision. Even now, you're only starting to grasp the full potential of your abilities. How can you explain something you cannot even understand?!"
"I should have told Chloe. Graduation night at Smallville. Perhaps ..." Clark's mind raced. Beyond his present crisis, to simpler days. Smallville High. My father told me not to go through with it.
"No!! I forbid it, Clark! I can understand your anxiety. You're finished high school. You want to stretch your wings. Telling Chloe everything about you ... how you landed with the meteor shower ... your powers ... it's too soon."
"No, dad. I've spent my whole life living a lie. I'm not normal. I'll never be. Chloe's leaving for Metropolis next week for her summer job at the Planet. I'm telling her. Now." Clark jumped into his truck.
Jonathan didn't want this. Chloe was Clark's close friend, but she was rather too inquisitive in Jonathan's eyes. "No, Clark! It's a mistake. Don't!!" He tried to catch up to the truck, but it was too late.
Martha stormed into the barn. "Dammit, he's gone! Are you going to do something about this?"
"You and Mr. Kent are right. It is too soon. Too dangerous to let his secret out. I'll stop him. I swear." Bruce hopped onto his motorcycle and chased after Clark. He cut through a corn field and a meadow. If I can just get to the main street before he does. At the intersection, he saw Clark's truck zoom towards him. Just a little closer. POP! The spikes on the road worked. Clark's truck spun around, tumbling into the ditch.
Bruce yanked Clark out of the truck. "Clark, snap out of this delusion. It's too soon to tell. Anyone!"
Clark barked back. "Not even Chloe, my friend all these years. I agreed to let you be my mentor. Help me train. Focus my abilities. That doesn't give you the right to run my life."
Bruce frowned. "You don't get it. You're still young and naive. You're too impulsive! There are people who will use that against you. They'll use it to destroy you. Your family. Look at me." Clark pushed Bruce aside, flinging him several feet away. Bruce leaped on Clark's back, and held his face tightly.
"Look at me, Clark Kent! Can you look at me and say, honestly, that you're prepared to take on the fallout of your secret? Can you say - with certainty - that Chloe won't spill your secret. She'll be at the Planet, where a story like this can launch a reporter's career. Tell me you're prepared to face all the consequences, and I'll personally drive you to Chloe's house." He shook Clark. "Tell me!!"
Clark was afraid. He hadn't seen such rage in Bruce, even during their training sessions. Rage ... or fear. Fear at what might happen once I achieved my full potential. But he was right. Too many uncertainties. Chloe, even if I made her swear to keep quiet, was already starting to trace the connection between the green meteor, the weird events in town ... and me. I knew. She could not be trusted with a secret so intoxicating. So dangerous. Bruce loosened his chokehold and stood up.
Clark pounded the ground. "I hate this. I hate my powers. I just want to be normal. That's all. Clark Kent, high school grad. Not Clark, the freak."
Bruce sighed. I did it. I stopped him from destroying his life before it even truly began. Chloe would not know the secret then.
Now she does.
Atop the condo, Clark glared at his former mentor. "You! You told me not to tell Chloe. It was the right thing to do, you said. Look at my life now. My father is dead ... and I was powerless to stop that. I lost my friends. And if I'm not careful, my career could fail at any moment. Oh wait, now that Chloe is going to tell Perry everything, my career is already over. Yeah, Bruce, your guidance sure has saved me from a lot of anguish."
"You coward," Bruce declared. "I gave you the tools, the discipline to accept your identity, harness your abilities. I gave your parents my word to guide and protect you. I mourned your father's passing. I promised him to watch over you, even when he couldn't. I know what it's like to be helpless. We can't control everything life throws at us. Even you."
"Chloe and I could have been great friends. More than that. Now she's turned on me, too." Clark clenched his fists.
"I'm sorry you couldn't work things out with Chloe and your friends. You made choices. It costs you some friends. Live with it. It happens -- that's life. We all must take responsibility for the actions we take."
"No!" Clark charged at Bruce. "It was you all along. If not for you, my life could have been different. Better!" He started to wrestle clumsily with his shrouded friend. Bruce instinctly disengaged, and stabbed a boot into Clark's feet. He lost balance, but immediately clutched Bruce in a bear hug.
"I wanted to come clean with my friends. You stopped me. Your training, lectures, preaching ... for what? So I can be your sparring partner!" He flung Bruce across the roof.
Bruce tumbled over the edge of the roof, barely grasping onto the ledge with his gloved hand. He pulled himself up. A few more blows were exchanged. In a test of pure strength and endurance, Clark was already his superior. His fighting technique lacked finesse, but what he lacked in grace was compensated by his immense strength. Clark reacts to the moment. His vision, his reflexes are better than mine. He did not plan to confront me.
I, however, plan for the future. I knew he could turn against me ... sometime. Now he'll learn the consequences of that move.
Bruce flipped open a capsule in his utility belt. Clark stared in fear.
"The meteor!!" Clark clutched his chest. His strength was already fading away.
"In tomorrow's Planet," Bruce stated, "you'll read about STAR Labs. It seems one of Lex's meteor samples have disappeared. I made it disappear."
Clark struggled to his feet, but Bruce came closer with the green meteor chunk.
"What kind of fool do you take me for? I knew - from the start - that you could be my strongest ally. Or greatest foe. I must be prepared for either situation." He pulled out a tape recorder. "I want you to listen to this. The FBI have been monitoring Lex's meetings with a new business associate."
Clark heard the pulsing sound of dance music:
"Nice club!" It was Lex.
"Thanks to you, I now have the finest adult entertainment parlour in the city. 200 dancers ..." Was that Rupert Thorne?
"And no questions asked. Now about my 'situation' with Councillor von Hutton ..."
"Ah, the little lady causing trouble for you, Lex? Her brother owns a delicatessen in the market district. We can make him pay up some protection money. That, or we firebomb his business. That'll make your councillor think twice about challenging your projects ..."
"Good news, good news! Sorry, miss, I'm only here for business, not pleasure."
"Are you sure, Mr. Luthor. Brandy is a headliner."
"No, thanks. I must be -"
Clark writhed in pain. "Turn it off!"
Bruce knelt beside him. "I need to know - now - where you stand."
"That - that couldn't have been Lex! He's a businessman, not a crime lord."
"Yes," Bruce replied, "and all good businessmen leave their laundry for the hired help. In this case, Rupert Thorne, Gotham's top mob boss. Did I mention that WayneComm is buying a dozen radio stations across America. We've just inked a deal ... with Pete Ross. He's going to be syndicated coast-to-coast. I'm sending him this tape. He'll have one helluva nationwide launch. Lex Luthor is going down. Nothing you do will change that now. Back to my question: I want to know who's side you're on."
"Lex is my friend. He's not ... evil ..." Clark coughed.
"This evidence proves otherwise. If you're still going to stick with Luthor and his hollow promises, I'll simply duct tape this meteor around your chest and finish you off here. An all-powerful Clark Kent in Lex's corner is a partnership I cannot allow to exist. For the last time, who's ... side ... are ... you ... on?!?!!"
Clark was drifting into unconsciousness. Lex, how could you? I trusted you. I gave up friends, family ... to defend you. How could you? How could you do this to me?! You were my friend. I would have done anything to help you. Why??? I believed that I could separate my work from my friendship with Lex. Perry White warned me about the potential for conflict-of-interest. I ignored his advice. 'I can keep a level head,' I told myself, 'Lex won't use me'. If he actually ASKED the mob to intimidate von Hutton ... or worse ... I'm a fool. A stupid fool.
"Bruce, ... don't" Clark gasped. "I'm on your s-side. Your side. Bruce!! Please!"
Bruce slipped the rock into his utility belt. "Dammit, Clark, that's all I wanted to know." He helped Clark to his feet. "That was a test. You passed. I only hope you don't start to kick my ass again when your strength returns."
"No, I won't" Clark laughed weakly. "But in our next training session, expect to get roughed up. Now about Chloe ..."
"I'll talk to her."
Clark was puzzled. "She's not impressed by your 'dark knight' routine. She thinks you're no better than those subway vigilantes in the news."
"Don't worry. I can be - persuasive." He jumped over the roof and vanished.
That cape is ridiculous, Clark remarked. Who does he think he is, Darth Vader?
[Chloe's townhouse, Metropolis' upper west side]
Chloe opened the dusty box. The old clippings and photographs from the Wall of Weird. All these years, she thought, and I still hung onto them. In the event I could use them someday.
That day has come. I'll be able to trace all the events - from the meteor shower, the strange and bizarre Smallville ... to Clark Kent. Did the meteor affect him differently than the others?
She yanked out her notebook. Furiously, she scribbled notes. Crude flowcharts, timelines. Whatever I can remember. With this evidence, I can finally break the mystery of the green meteor.
And destroy a friend.
He begged me not to go to the press. He lost the right to demand my confidence ... a long time ago. And his friendship with Lex Luthor. Is there more to it than a friendship. Has Lex always known about Clark's abilities? Now that he's in control of Luthor Corp., he can do anything he wants. Clark will be a mere pawn. A tool for Luthor's schemes.
That's why I have to do this, Clark. We were the best of friends, once. How things fell apart since Smallville ... well, I made some mistakes. So did you. Standing by Lex Luthor was your biggest mistake.
As she emptied the box, another photo fell out. Graduation night. Clark, Lana, Pete and Chloe - beaming, with their diplomas in hand. We had such dreams. Poor Lana. I think her world fell apart much sooner than the rest of us. She was never the same after Whitney's death. And Pete ... it was no fault of his own. He, more than anyone, deserved better. As we focused on our careers, we tossed him aside,. She looked closer at the picture. Clark's arm around her shoulder. Best of friends. "That was a long time ago," Chloe mumbled.
"And now, you're prepared to throw away even those memories, all for the sake of what you perceive as 'the truth'," a voice stated.
Chloe turned around. The balcony window was now open. When she turned back, the legendary dark knight of Gotham towered before her.
"So the rumours weren't rumours after all," Chloe noted. "The vigilante of Gotham City."
"I prefer 'guardian'", Bruce replied.
"I could call the police," Chloe challenged.
"That won't solve anything. I'm here on behalf of a friend."
Chloe glanced at the pile of clippings and photos. "Clark? You must be the so-called 'contact' that Clark swore never to reveal. How is it you have his confidence when none of his high school friends do?"
"You would never understand."
"Try me! Why are you here in Metropolis? Are you hunting Rupert Thorne? Bringing your cowboy justice to our streets?"
"I'm not here for an interview. I'm asking you not to destroy a friend. You blow the whistle on his secret, you're opening a Pandora's box of problems."
"The way I see it," Chloe scribbled in her notebook, "if I don't tell the people, Clark's secret could come back to haunt us all. His power - it's too dangerous."
"He won't be a danger," Bruce insisted, "I'll ensure that."
"So I'm supposed to take the word of some street vigilante who doesn't even have the courage to show his face. Your time's up. I'm calling the police."
Bruce yanked the phone cord from its socket. "You should think twice about who you call a coward. Here you are plotting the biggest story of your career ... and you don't even want to know the reason why he never told you. Did you know that he wanted - he WANTED - to tell you. That graduation night! I stopped him. At the time, I felt you couldn't be trusted with such a secret. Clark agreed with me. It appears you're proving me right."
Chloe scowled at him. "Go to hell! If he told me that he has these powers, I wouldn't have told a soul. Back then, we were close friends. But along the way, he - I - made choices. I pushed him away. He remained loyal to that lizard, Lex. I can't rewrite the past."
"But you can shape the future, Chloe. If you tell the world about Clark's abilities, you're inviting every lowlife, terrorist, mobster, spy and corporate tycoon to go after him. Then no one's safe. If Lex uses his friendship with Clark to abuse those special abilities ... it'll be no longer just Clark's problem. It'll be mine ... and the rest of the world's. Are you prepared to accept responsibility for the fallout from your story?"
"So you're saying I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't. I tell the world about Clark, the Super Man from Smallville, I make him a target. I keep his secret ... and those same criminals and corporate types can find ways to manipulate him - without the public's knowledge!"
"That won't happen. If I've kept his secret for this long, so can you. No one will be investigating him if they don't know ANYTHING about him."
"And if I reject your argument and go to press with my findings ... ?"
"Then ... you're no longer absolved from the consequences of your revelations. You're putting the city, the country ... at risk. Lose the ego and think of what's best for the citizens you profess to serve!"
"I'll save the country by keeping the secret?! God, that sounds sooo melodramatic." Chloe continued to sketch out what would likely be the front page of the Daily Planet in 24 hours.
"Not buying the patriotic argument, then? How's this for an ultimatum: You tell the world about Clark's powers, you signal to Lex Luthor and his labs that Clark is fair game. Lex uses Clark's friendship to study those powers - supposedly in the interests of helping him. Lex uses this knowledge to further his schemes: military technology, bio-weapons, genetic engineering. Clark would become a hapless patsy of Luthor Corp. If he resists - and I hope he would - Lex could simply use his knowledge to subdue Clark. Or kill him, once he outlived his usefulness. I won't let it get to that stage. If I sense that Clark has sided with Lex, or allowed his abilities to be used to harm others, I will do what I have to, to stop that."
Chloe gaped in horror. "You - his so-called ally - would kill him? How can you? You know yourself: he's invincible! No bullets, nothing can hurt him."
"STAR Labs have been researching meteor showers on behalf on NASA. At least that's their cover story. They managed to collect about a dozen samples of your mysterious green meteor. As of tomorrow morning, when the technicians conduct their routine inventory, they'll find that one sample is missing. I have that sample. And I know how to use it."
"That's absurd. You're saying the meteor can harm Clark. Clark likely got his powers from that meteor, somehow."
Bruce marched to the balcony window. "I don't have time to debate the finer points of ethics in journalism. Look, a good reporter only runs with a story if she has all the facts. You don't have them. I suggest that you re- assess why you want to publish this story. If it's because you're mad at him, grow up! This isn't the Torch. You're toying with people's lives! You gave Clark 24 hours' grace. I'm giving you those same 24 hours. If you choose to expose his secret tomorrow, then I can't prevent what others do with that knowledge. And what I must do." The blinds fluttered as the dark knight slipped into the Metropolis night.
Chloe continued her scribbling. Keep the secret, or tell the world? I'm confused. I was sure I was on the right track. Now can I honestly say that? The truth. I don't even know what that is right now!
Damn him. He's logical - in his take-no-prisoners, crusading sort of way. She dialed the phone. Maybe Lois Lane can help ... No! She hung up the phone. The only person who's going to run with this story - or kill it - is me.
She focused on the graduation photo. Clark Kent. Why? Why didn't you tell me?! She wanted to believe that she could be trusted. That she would have kept his secret.
She looked out across the flickering lights of the city. In her heart, she knew the answer.
And she didn't like it.
I would have kept the secret at first, but I would see him in a different light. All his quirks would be explained. The unpredictable powers. The risk of Clark harming someone accidentally. And the friendship with Lex - I know that I could never accept the chance that Lex would use Clark for his own ends. I would have to tell. The police, the press, the university ... someone.
I was younger then. So idealistic. So certain of my concept of the world. I would have betrayed him then. My teenage naivete would have ruined our friendship. But it's already ruined, isn't it?
You're right, Clark. I couldn't be trusted then. Chloe rubbed her forehead. Then. Do I betray him now? As a star reporter on the Planet, I could destroy his life in 500 words. Or say nothing ... and watch as Clark - willing or not - became a force for destruction.
The GCPD file rested on the couch. With those files, I could strike a blow against the Gotham mob's expansionist plans. If Thorne indeed ordered the hit on the D.A., the feds could bring up capital charges against him.
Destroy the mob, or destroy a friend ... who has the power to destroy the country.
I don't know.
Clark stood atop the building roof. Luthor Towers glowed in the purple glow of the floodlights. A regal colour. A testament to the Luthors' success.
Lex has shown some poor judgment of late, but he's always remembered who his friends are. Pete never liked him since he first arrived in Smallville. Like most people, he based his animosity on the past deeds of Lionel Luthor. That doesn't necessarily mean Lex will follow the road Lionel has chosen: the exploitation of the weak, the ruthless pursuit for wealth and status. I hear Lionel is petitioning the British government to make him into a lord. Lord Lionel. How typical!
"Worried about your 'friend', Clark?" the figure from the night muttered.
"Look, Bruce, you don't know Lex. Not the way I do!"
"I'm not about have this argument again," Bruce stated, "You know where I stand on the Luthors. Lex is egomaniacal. And he possesses the resources to indulge his appetites. Power: that's all he wants." Clark walked away, but Bruce held his arm.
"Time is running out. Chloe is about to blow the whistle on your powers. If Lex hears of it, all my abilities may not be able to restrain him."
Clark stared in disbelief. "How did you - well, yes. I have 24 hours to get my mom out of Smallville before the media swarms her."
"She's safe?"
"She's visiting a college friend in Fawcett City - at least that's what her cover story is."
"And what about you?" Bruce tapped nervously on his utility belt.
"I don't know, I really don't. I just came up here to clear my head. My whole world is crumbling around me. My friend is about to betray my secret to the world. I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision - to keep my powers a secret."
"You made the right decision. Even now, you're only starting to grasp the full potential of your abilities. How can you explain something you cannot even understand?!"
"I should have told Chloe. Graduation night at Smallville. Perhaps ..." Clark's mind raced. Beyond his present crisis, to simpler days. Smallville High. My father told me not to go through with it.
"No!! I forbid it, Clark! I can understand your anxiety. You're finished high school. You want to stretch your wings. Telling Chloe everything about you ... how you landed with the meteor shower ... your powers ... it's too soon."
"No, dad. I've spent my whole life living a lie. I'm not normal. I'll never be. Chloe's leaving for Metropolis next week for her summer job at the Planet. I'm telling her. Now." Clark jumped into his truck.
Jonathan didn't want this. Chloe was Clark's close friend, but she was rather too inquisitive in Jonathan's eyes. "No, Clark! It's a mistake. Don't!!" He tried to catch up to the truck, but it was too late.
Martha stormed into the barn. "Dammit, he's gone! Are you going to do something about this?"
"You and Mr. Kent are right. It is too soon. Too dangerous to let his secret out. I'll stop him. I swear." Bruce hopped onto his motorcycle and chased after Clark. He cut through a corn field and a meadow. If I can just get to the main street before he does. At the intersection, he saw Clark's truck zoom towards him. Just a little closer. POP! The spikes on the road worked. Clark's truck spun around, tumbling into the ditch.
Bruce yanked Clark out of the truck. "Clark, snap out of this delusion. It's too soon to tell. Anyone!"
Clark barked back. "Not even Chloe, my friend all these years. I agreed to let you be my mentor. Help me train. Focus my abilities. That doesn't give you the right to run my life."
Bruce frowned. "You don't get it. You're still young and naive. You're too impulsive! There are people who will use that against you. They'll use it to destroy you. Your family. Look at me." Clark pushed Bruce aside, flinging him several feet away. Bruce leaped on Clark's back, and held his face tightly.
"Look at me, Clark Kent! Can you look at me and say, honestly, that you're prepared to take on the fallout of your secret? Can you say - with certainty - that Chloe won't spill your secret. She'll be at the Planet, where a story like this can launch a reporter's career. Tell me you're prepared to face all the consequences, and I'll personally drive you to Chloe's house." He shook Clark. "Tell me!!"
Clark was afraid. He hadn't seen such rage in Bruce, even during their training sessions. Rage ... or fear. Fear at what might happen once I achieved my full potential. But he was right. Too many uncertainties. Chloe, even if I made her swear to keep quiet, was already starting to trace the connection between the green meteor, the weird events in town ... and me. I knew. She could not be trusted with a secret so intoxicating. So dangerous. Bruce loosened his chokehold and stood up.
Clark pounded the ground. "I hate this. I hate my powers. I just want to be normal. That's all. Clark Kent, high school grad. Not Clark, the freak."
Bruce sighed. I did it. I stopped him from destroying his life before it even truly began. Chloe would not know the secret then.
Now she does.
Atop the condo, Clark glared at his former mentor. "You! You told me not to tell Chloe. It was the right thing to do, you said. Look at my life now. My father is dead ... and I was powerless to stop that. I lost my friends. And if I'm not careful, my career could fail at any moment. Oh wait, now that Chloe is going to tell Perry everything, my career is already over. Yeah, Bruce, your guidance sure has saved me from a lot of anguish."
"You coward," Bruce declared. "I gave you the tools, the discipline to accept your identity, harness your abilities. I gave your parents my word to guide and protect you. I mourned your father's passing. I promised him to watch over you, even when he couldn't. I know what it's like to be helpless. We can't control everything life throws at us. Even you."
"Chloe and I could have been great friends. More than that. Now she's turned on me, too." Clark clenched his fists.
"I'm sorry you couldn't work things out with Chloe and your friends. You made choices. It costs you some friends. Live with it. It happens -- that's life. We all must take responsibility for the actions we take."
"No!" Clark charged at Bruce. "It was you all along. If not for you, my life could have been different. Better!" He started to wrestle clumsily with his shrouded friend. Bruce instinctly disengaged, and stabbed a boot into Clark's feet. He lost balance, but immediately clutched Bruce in a bear hug.
"I wanted to come clean with my friends. You stopped me. Your training, lectures, preaching ... for what? So I can be your sparring partner!" He flung Bruce across the roof.
Bruce tumbled over the edge of the roof, barely grasping onto the ledge with his gloved hand. He pulled himself up. A few more blows were exchanged. In a test of pure strength and endurance, Clark was already his superior. His fighting technique lacked finesse, but what he lacked in grace was compensated by his immense strength. Clark reacts to the moment. His vision, his reflexes are better than mine. He did not plan to confront me.
I, however, plan for the future. I knew he could turn against me ... sometime. Now he'll learn the consequences of that move.
Bruce flipped open a capsule in his utility belt. Clark stared in fear.
"The meteor!!" Clark clutched his chest. His strength was already fading away.
"In tomorrow's Planet," Bruce stated, "you'll read about STAR Labs. It seems one of Lex's meteor samples have disappeared. I made it disappear."
Clark struggled to his feet, but Bruce came closer with the green meteor chunk.
"What kind of fool do you take me for? I knew - from the start - that you could be my strongest ally. Or greatest foe. I must be prepared for either situation." He pulled out a tape recorder. "I want you to listen to this. The FBI have been monitoring Lex's meetings with a new business associate."
Clark heard the pulsing sound of dance music:
"Nice club!" It was Lex.
"Thanks to you, I now have the finest adult entertainment parlour in the city. 200 dancers ..." Was that Rupert Thorne?
"And no questions asked. Now about my 'situation' with Councillor von Hutton ..."
"Ah, the little lady causing trouble for you, Lex? Her brother owns a delicatessen in the market district. We can make him pay up some protection money. That, or we firebomb his business. That'll make your councillor think twice about challenging your projects ..."
"Good news, good news! Sorry, miss, I'm only here for business, not pleasure."
"Are you sure, Mr. Luthor. Brandy is a headliner."
"No, thanks. I must be -"
Clark writhed in pain. "Turn it off!"
Bruce knelt beside him. "I need to know - now - where you stand."
"That - that couldn't have been Lex! He's a businessman, not a crime lord."
"Yes," Bruce replied, "and all good businessmen leave their laundry for the hired help. In this case, Rupert Thorne, Gotham's top mob boss. Did I mention that WayneComm is buying a dozen radio stations across America. We've just inked a deal ... with Pete Ross. He's going to be syndicated coast-to-coast. I'm sending him this tape. He'll have one helluva nationwide launch. Lex Luthor is going down. Nothing you do will change that now. Back to my question: I want to know who's side you're on."
"Lex is my friend. He's not ... evil ..." Clark coughed.
"This evidence proves otherwise. If you're still going to stick with Luthor and his hollow promises, I'll simply duct tape this meteor around your chest and finish you off here. An all-powerful Clark Kent in Lex's corner is a partnership I cannot allow to exist. For the last time, who's ... side ... are ... you ... on?!?!!"
Clark was drifting into unconsciousness. Lex, how could you? I trusted you. I gave up friends, family ... to defend you. How could you? How could you do this to me?! You were my friend. I would have done anything to help you. Why??? I believed that I could separate my work from my friendship with Lex. Perry White warned me about the potential for conflict-of-interest. I ignored his advice. 'I can keep a level head,' I told myself, 'Lex won't use me'. If he actually ASKED the mob to intimidate von Hutton ... or worse ... I'm a fool. A stupid fool.
"Bruce, ... don't" Clark gasped. "I'm on your s-side. Your side. Bruce!! Please!"
Bruce slipped the rock into his utility belt. "Dammit, Clark, that's all I wanted to know." He helped Clark to his feet. "That was a test. You passed. I only hope you don't start to kick my ass again when your strength returns."
"No, I won't" Clark laughed weakly. "But in our next training session, expect to get roughed up. Now about Chloe ..."
"I'll talk to her."
Clark was puzzled. "She's not impressed by your 'dark knight' routine. She thinks you're no better than those subway vigilantes in the news."
"Don't worry. I can be - persuasive." He jumped over the roof and vanished.
That cape is ridiculous, Clark remarked. Who does he think he is, Darth Vader?
[Chloe's townhouse, Metropolis' upper west side]
Chloe opened the dusty box. The old clippings and photographs from the Wall of Weird. All these years, she thought, and I still hung onto them. In the event I could use them someday.
That day has come. I'll be able to trace all the events - from the meteor shower, the strange and bizarre Smallville ... to Clark Kent. Did the meteor affect him differently than the others?
She yanked out her notebook. Furiously, she scribbled notes. Crude flowcharts, timelines. Whatever I can remember. With this evidence, I can finally break the mystery of the green meteor.
And destroy a friend.
He begged me not to go to the press. He lost the right to demand my confidence ... a long time ago. And his friendship with Lex Luthor. Is there more to it than a friendship. Has Lex always known about Clark's abilities? Now that he's in control of Luthor Corp., he can do anything he wants. Clark will be a mere pawn. A tool for Luthor's schemes.
That's why I have to do this, Clark. We were the best of friends, once. How things fell apart since Smallville ... well, I made some mistakes. So did you. Standing by Lex Luthor was your biggest mistake.
As she emptied the box, another photo fell out. Graduation night. Clark, Lana, Pete and Chloe - beaming, with their diplomas in hand. We had such dreams. Poor Lana. I think her world fell apart much sooner than the rest of us. She was never the same after Whitney's death. And Pete ... it was no fault of his own. He, more than anyone, deserved better. As we focused on our careers, we tossed him aside,. She looked closer at the picture. Clark's arm around her shoulder. Best of friends. "That was a long time ago," Chloe mumbled.
"And now, you're prepared to throw away even those memories, all for the sake of what you perceive as 'the truth'," a voice stated.
Chloe turned around. The balcony window was now open. When she turned back, the legendary dark knight of Gotham towered before her.
"So the rumours weren't rumours after all," Chloe noted. "The vigilante of Gotham City."
"I prefer 'guardian'", Bruce replied.
"I could call the police," Chloe challenged.
"That won't solve anything. I'm here on behalf of a friend."
Chloe glanced at the pile of clippings and photos. "Clark? You must be the so-called 'contact' that Clark swore never to reveal. How is it you have his confidence when none of his high school friends do?"
"You would never understand."
"Try me! Why are you here in Metropolis? Are you hunting Rupert Thorne? Bringing your cowboy justice to our streets?"
"I'm not here for an interview. I'm asking you not to destroy a friend. You blow the whistle on his secret, you're opening a Pandora's box of problems."
"The way I see it," Chloe scribbled in her notebook, "if I don't tell the people, Clark's secret could come back to haunt us all. His power - it's too dangerous."
"He won't be a danger," Bruce insisted, "I'll ensure that."
"So I'm supposed to take the word of some street vigilante who doesn't even have the courage to show his face. Your time's up. I'm calling the police."
Bruce yanked the phone cord from its socket. "You should think twice about who you call a coward. Here you are plotting the biggest story of your career ... and you don't even want to know the reason why he never told you. Did you know that he wanted - he WANTED - to tell you. That graduation night! I stopped him. At the time, I felt you couldn't be trusted with such a secret. Clark agreed with me. It appears you're proving me right."
Chloe scowled at him. "Go to hell! If he told me that he has these powers, I wouldn't have told a soul. Back then, we were close friends. But along the way, he - I - made choices. I pushed him away. He remained loyal to that lizard, Lex. I can't rewrite the past."
"But you can shape the future, Chloe. If you tell the world about Clark's abilities, you're inviting every lowlife, terrorist, mobster, spy and corporate tycoon to go after him. Then no one's safe. If Lex uses his friendship with Clark to abuse those special abilities ... it'll be no longer just Clark's problem. It'll be mine ... and the rest of the world's. Are you prepared to accept responsibility for the fallout from your story?"
"So you're saying I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't. I tell the world about Clark, the Super Man from Smallville, I make him a target. I keep his secret ... and those same criminals and corporate types can find ways to manipulate him - without the public's knowledge!"
"That won't happen. If I've kept his secret for this long, so can you. No one will be investigating him if they don't know ANYTHING about him."
"And if I reject your argument and go to press with my findings ... ?"
"Then ... you're no longer absolved from the consequences of your revelations. You're putting the city, the country ... at risk. Lose the ego and think of what's best for the citizens you profess to serve!"
"I'll save the country by keeping the secret?! God, that sounds sooo melodramatic." Chloe continued to sketch out what would likely be the front page of the Daily Planet in 24 hours.
"Not buying the patriotic argument, then? How's this for an ultimatum: You tell the world about Clark's powers, you signal to Lex Luthor and his labs that Clark is fair game. Lex uses Clark's friendship to study those powers - supposedly in the interests of helping him. Lex uses this knowledge to further his schemes: military technology, bio-weapons, genetic engineering. Clark would become a hapless patsy of Luthor Corp. If he resists - and I hope he would - Lex could simply use his knowledge to subdue Clark. Or kill him, once he outlived his usefulness. I won't let it get to that stage. If I sense that Clark has sided with Lex, or allowed his abilities to be used to harm others, I will do what I have to, to stop that."
Chloe gaped in horror. "You - his so-called ally - would kill him? How can you? You know yourself: he's invincible! No bullets, nothing can hurt him."
"STAR Labs have been researching meteor showers on behalf on NASA. At least that's their cover story. They managed to collect about a dozen samples of your mysterious green meteor. As of tomorrow morning, when the technicians conduct their routine inventory, they'll find that one sample is missing. I have that sample. And I know how to use it."
"That's absurd. You're saying the meteor can harm Clark. Clark likely got his powers from that meteor, somehow."
Bruce marched to the balcony window. "I don't have time to debate the finer points of ethics in journalism. Look, a good reporter only runs with a story if she has all the facts. You don't have them. I suggest that you re- assess why you want to publish this story. If it's because you're mad at him, grow up! This isn't the Torch. You're toying with people's lives! You gave Clark 24 hours' grace. I'm giving you those same 24 hours. If you choose to expose his secret tomorrow, then I can't prevent what others do with that knowledge. And what I must do." The blinds fluttered as the dark knight slipped into the Metropolis night.
Chloe continued her scribbling. Keep the secret, or tell the world? I'm confused. I was sure I was on the right track. Now can I honestly say that? The truth. I don't even know what that is right now!
Damn him. He's logical - in his take-no-prisoners, crusading sort of way. She dialed the phone. Maybe Lois Lane can help ... No! She hung up the phone. The only person who's going to run with this story - or kill it - is me.
She focused on the graduation photo. Clark Kent. Why? Why didn't you tell me?! She wanted to believe that she could be trusted. That she would have kept his secret.
She looked out across the flickering lights of the city. In her heart, she knew the answer.
And she didn't like it.
I would have kept the secret at first, but I would see him in a different light. All his quirks would be explained. The unpredictable powers. The risk of Clark harming someone accidentally. And the friendship with Lex - I know that I could never accept the chance that Lex would use Clark for his own ends. I would have to tell. The police, the press, the university ... someone.
I was younger then. So idealistic. So certain of my concept of the world. I would have betrayed him then. My teenage naivete would have ruined our friendship. But it's already ruined, isn't it?
You're right, Clark. I couldn't be trusted then. Chloe rubbed her forehead. Then. Do I betray him now? As a star reporter on the Planet, I could destroy his life in 500 words. Or say nothing ... and watch as Clark - willing or not - became a force for destruction.
The GCPD file rested on the couch. With those files, I could strike a blow against the Gotham mob's expansionist plans. If Thorne indeed ordered the hit on the D.A., the feds could bring up capital charges against him.
Destroy the mob, or destroy a friend ... who has the power to destroy the country.
I don't know.