A/N: Markmark261. Thanks for the feedback!
I've struggled with the whole Lang and Lane thing, I kept typing the wrong name and having to go back and correct it. Looks like a couple made it through my beta reviews. Thanks for pointing them out. My spell check kept changing Selina to Selena, being the lazy guy I am I didn't think to check to see what the right spelling was. The glasses were enough to keep Lois guessing in the comics and movies, who am I to change that. You are right about the Batmobile, Bruce probably wouldn't have brought it off the plane so quickly.
I started putting this story together before I saw the episode with Lois and Lucy, so in this AU they get along.
Clark awoke in blinding pain; he could feel the Kryptonite radiation rushing through his system. He looked down at his arms and saw his green colored skin glistening with sweat and wished he could just die now. His fingers were numb and his arms and legs were painfully tingly. His head felt like someone had run over it with a car as turned it slightly to see a blurry figure approaching. He tried to speak but no words would come to his lips.
The person moved towards the top of the bed he was lying on and leaned over him.
All of the sudden the pain ceased and his body began to relax. He blinked his eyes and realized it was Bruce putting the kryptonite away in lead box.
Bruce had been working with him for a several days now trying to see if it was possible for Clark to build immunity to Kryptonite. So far the results have been negative and painful. Clark wasn't sure how much more he could take.
Bruce walked to a control panel and flipped on the newly installed natural sunlight lamps over the medical bed that Clark was lying in. Clark instantly began to feel a little better and moved to sit up on the bed removing the medical monitoring pads stuck to his head and chest.
"Damn Bruce, that hurts like hell." Clark croaked; his mouth was extremely dry. "I don't think this whole immunity thing is going to work."
Bruce turned from the computer, "I had hoped that you would be able to at least crawl away from the Kryptonite but the radiation throws your body into such ciaos you become paralyzed and you black out."
Clark finally got up from the bed and slowly walked to the Batcomputer which displayed the test results on one screen and drawings for Clark's costume.
"Sooner or later someone will accidentally figure out that Kryptonite is your weakness. I had hoped that our tests would show that you could build up a resistance to it but that does not look like it's a possibility. So I made a couple of changes to your costume. "
Bruce walked to a nearby table and brought back a couple of items as Clark took a seat next to the Batcomputer.
"I added a thin layer of lead to your cape, if you wrap it around you and it should give you some protection from the effects of the radiation. And I added a pressurized canister of acid to your belt. Like we saw in yesterday's tests the acid will dissolve the Kryptonite and render it harmless to you."
Clark nodded weakly and slowly made his way upstairs and outside to the deck chairs. The late afternoon sun warmed his cold skin and he could feel his strength returning. He closed his eyes and was about to dose off when his cell phone rang.
"Smallville! Where are you?"
"Uh sorry Lois, I've been sick all day. I was going to call you." Clark said weakly, this time he didn't have to fake the voice.
"Well I guess I'll let you slide this once. You better be on your death bead." Lois teased him
It had been two weeks since their first date and her abduction by the Joker. They had been on several dates since then and tonight Clark had promised to take her to dinner and a movie.
"Lucky for you Kent, Lucy has been complaining that she hasn't seen me much since I got here and she wanted to go do some shopping."
"Tell Lucy she's my hero." Clark teased.
"What's that spost to mean Clarky?" Lois spat back
She continued, "I'll let that comment go today, but remind me to hit you when you are feeling better."
Clark said goodbye and closed his eyes.
When he woke up the sun had set and he was finally feeling like his old self again. He made his way down to the cave and found Bruce dressed in his costume without his mask on.
"Any leads?" Clark asked as he walked into the costume vault to change.
"Just another smiling corpse found by the docks, obviously from the Joker again. He's taunting us, trying to get under our skin. The Roman on the other hand hasn't moved a muscle. Something's going to happen soon." Bruce said pulling his mask on.
Clark finished putting his suit on and made his way to the Batcomputer. Bruce pulled up a map on the screen and showed Clark what route he was to patrol and pointed out the areas he should watch closely. They checked their com links and then Batman made his way to the Batmobile and blasted out of the cave.
Superman flew out the Batwing exit and circled around towards the east side of the city. It felt good to be in the air again, the afternoon's events had left him a little sore and it felt good to have the wind rushing against his face.
This was his first time to patrol alone, with the Joker on the loose Batman was getting edgy. This compounded with the anticipation of the Roman slipping up had driven Batman to allow Clark to go it alone tonight so the city could be watched as closely as possible.
He found the starting location for his patrol and began to peer into the darkened Gotham streets. It only took a few minutes for him to come across a woman being mugged.
He dove from the sky landing right next to the thug.
"Are you sure you want to do that in this city?" Superman glared at the muuger.
The man pulled a gun and held it to the woman's head, "Just walk away you freak and maybe the woman will live."
Superman grinned and before the man could blink the gun in his hand was getting hot and began to melt. The man yelled and dropped the gun; he threw the woman at Superman and ran away down the alley. Superman checked to make sure the woman was ok and then flew down the alley and dropped in front of the fleeing mugger. He dragged the man back to the street and tied him to a lamp post. Switching com frequencies and he told the police where to find the man and leapt into the air.
The rest of Superman's night was relatively quiet, only a couple of small robberies and a few more muggings. He enjoyed the solitude of flying above the city, looking down at all the speeding cars going by. Until his thoughts were interrupted by Batman's call.
"I have activity at the Roman's main headquarters."
"On my way."
Superman changed directions, looping around a few skyscrapers and headed for the massive building downtown. He found Batman crouched on a building across the street in the shadows. Batman had his surveillance equipment out and was recording and listening to the Romans' conversation. Superman kicked on his super-hearing and overheard the Roman talking to another man.
"…and MY money is just sitting in these warehouses. The rats are just eating it away and there is not a DAMN thing I can do about it!" The Roman was ranting.
"Don't get your boxers in a bunch Romey old pal, I think that I can help you out. I have a solution for your problem…for a modest fee." The other man almost giggled, his voice is very familiar Superman thought.
"Name it."
"I want 30 of whatever I help move."
"Done. Provided you can move it this week Joker."
"Oh don't worry my Roman friend, that won't be a problem." The other man said and began to laugh a menacing laugh.
"This is our first big break." Batman said quietly as he packed his equipment up. "The Roman has a contract with the Joker and we now have it on tape."
"Now if we can just catch the Joker in the act we can take down two birds with one stone." Superman added.
"Correct. Take this disk back to Batcave and make a copy of it. Then take the copy to Gordon or Dent. I'll keep tabs on the Clown."