(Phase Two – Luthor Commerce Square, Metropolis financial district)
The rumble of Lex's Porsche caught the attention of the construction workers at the corporate plaza. Luthor Commerce Square, the largest development in Metropolis' financial district in a quarter-century, was to be LuthorCorp.'s crowning achievement. Despite Lionel Luthor's current status as a prisoner, Lex was determined to see the project to its completion.
The site foreman, a heavy-set man in his forties, arrived with a clipboard and a hard hat for Lex.
"I'm sorry we had to bother you, Mr. Luthor," the foreman hollered above the ear-splitting jackhammer, "but the union boss wanted to see you. He just flew in from New Jersey. The project is two weeks behind schedule and he says his guys won't work another day until he straightens things out with you."
Above them, a large crane lifted concrete blocks to the upper floors. A cement truck rolled towards the far end of the construction site. Labourers cursed at each other – probably due to some unforeseen problems. They didn't like the fact the corporate honcho had arrived to inspect their work.
Lex put on his hard hat and gingerly stepped over a stack of steel rods. "If the union has an issue with the delay," he grumbled, "they should complain to city hall. It took city council nearly three weeks of bickering to finally approve Phase Two of the plaza development."
They stopped at a plain, white trailer labelled 'Site Office'. Lex pushed open the door, where he found half a dozen men huddled around a computer desk. Before Lex could ask who they were, the foreman literally ran out of the trailer office.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Luthor," the lead contractor announced. Owen O'Grady, the owner of the largest construction firm in the city, welcomed his famous guest with a lively handshake.
"I'm not here for small-talk, Owen," Lex stated curtly. "This project has a firm deadline. We're two weeks late: why?" At the desk, he noticed another man in a well-tailored suit behind a pair of tall men. Lex couldn't see his face because the man was also wearing a hard hat.
"I assume that you are the union boss," Lex announced. "I hope you have a good reason for threatening a work stoppage."
"Actually," the man replied, removing his hard hat, "I have a very good reason." Lex saw his face, and gasped.
The union boss was Tony Zucco, the unchallenged kingpin of Gotham's underworld. He had salt-and-pepper hair, weary eyes and a rigid jaw. His appearance in Metropolis seemed to confirm his suspicions about Zucco's mid-west expansion. The mob boss looked menacing in person, but Lex showed no sign of anxiety.
"Your boys out there have signed up with our Labourers' Brotherhood union," Zucco stated. "Once the Brotherhood has received their union membership fees, we can agree to continue this wonderful project of yours."
Lex approached Zucco, but his bodyguards blocked the way. Zucco nodded, and allowed Lex to come closer.
"I know what's going on here," Lex growled. "You're going to charge exorbitant union fees, skim the difference, and use the workers' pension fund to launder your dirty money." Zucco appeared to be stunned, in mock surprise.
"Mr. Luthor is a sharp fella, Boss," one of Zucco's henchmen quipped in a thick Brooklyn accent.
Zucco settled in the office chair. "Yes, he is. Lex is a smart guy. He knows that this project isn't going to get off the ground without those workers." He ignored Lex and read through the Daily Planet. "It says here you've already put in $20 million into the plaza. Lex also knows that without those corporate leases, he'll lose every penny of his sizable investment. No workers, no plaza. No plaza means he won't be able to pay off his contractors."
Zucco continued to ignore Lex and looked outside at the construction site. "The union is now under my protection. If my terms seem – unfair – to you, perhaps you can find another thousand workers to build your pretty little plaza."
"Unfair?" Lex protested. "It's racketeering! You're damn right these terms are unacceptable!"
Zucco smiled benevolently. "I'm afraid it's all perfectly legal." He pulled out a document, embossed with the seal of the State of Kansas. "The state labour secretary signed off on the union transfer, effective midnight today. Some say the secretary could be the next governor of Kansas, and I expect our friendship to be long and prosperous."
Lex clenched his teeth in anger. He was trapped. Had Zucco pulled this stunt with his father, Lionel would have mustered his unsavoury ties with the Metropolis and Chicago underworld to settle the matter. Now that his father was in the state pen, Lex couldn't rely on those connections. He needed an advantage – or an exploitable weakness – to use against Tony Zucco. He had none, for the moment.
"You look distressed, Mr. Luthor," Zucco suggested. "A coffee perhaps? Or a donut? Louie, run over to the catering truck and get Mr. Luthor a coffee – double-double? – and a chocolate dip donut."
Louie, the other henchman, began to put on his jacket. "Right, Boss. Coffee and donut. Right away."
"No, thanks, I'm fine," Lex replied. "I don't want coffee or donuts. What I want is Phase Two, Luthor Commerce Square completed on schedule, and on budget." He grudgingly extended his hand across the table.
Zucco shook his hand, and smiled. "Then we have an understanding." He began to light a cigarette when Lex glanced at the No Smoking sign on the wall.
"My apologies, Mr. Luthor," Zucco grinned. "I suppose my nicotine fix can wait. I like your style, Lex … may I call you Lex? Your father is old school. He would have called in Morgan Edge's boys and his Chicago cronies to muscle me out of town like in the movies. But I see you're smarter than that."
"You have your agreement, Mr. Zucco," Lex stated calmly. "Please allow me to escort you to Metropolis International for your immediate return flight to Gotham City."
Zucco's smile faded at those words, and at the implication that he was unwelcome. "I'm not leaving yet, Lex. Metropolis has potential. I've got people to see, deals to make and money to collect. I'm a busy man, just like you."
"This isn't Gotham City, Tony – can I call you Tony, now that we're business partners," Lex snarled. "I've seen your handiwork in Gotham. People are afraid to walk the streets at night. The police force is outmanned and outgunned. Half of Gotham City Hall is either in your pocket or blackmailed into giving you a free ride." He leaned towards Zucco. "You'll find no such cooperation here, I assure you."
"Really," Zucco muttered. "The Metropolis underworld is disorganized. Leaderless. They have no direction. Tell me, Lex – who's going to stop me? Is there a mythical kingpin of Metropolis?"
"If you want to find the true power in Metropolis," Lex growled. "then look no further, because you're looking at him. Your continued presence in my city is conditional, at my pleasure. It would be in your best interests to remember that fact!" Lex noticed that Zucco's henchmen began to reach into their blazer pockets.
"Settle down, boys," Zucco ordered. "Lex means no harm. He's only expressing a difference of opinion. Lex will show himself out. He's a busy, important man."
Lex was determined to show no fear, even though his blood seemed to be on fire. His heart felt like it was throbbing out of his chest. He left the trailer quickly.
"He disrespected you, Boss," Louie replied between his chomping at potato chips.
"You're mistaken, Louie," Zucco observed. "He respects who I am. Lex Luthor is a man after one thing: power. He knows that I can give him that – whether it's at city hall, the Topeka statehouse, or in Congress. That's why he respects me." Zucco snickered to himself. Lex would be a valuable ally, but he could be a terrible enemy.
Minutes later, Lex angrily stormed through the construction site. The Gotham mafia had bullied him, and there was nothing he could do about it. It was also apparent that Bruce Wayne was either unwilling or unable to assist him. He floored his Porsche and screeched out of the construction site.
He was now more determined to find out about Helena Bertinelli. The Bertinellis betrayed Tony Zucco by killing 15 of his most senior dons. It took years for Zucco to rebuild his criminal oligarchy.
This betrayal, Lex smirked, was a weakness that I could use to my advantage – at a time of my choosing.
(Archives Room – Smallville Ledger, Smallville)
Chloe opened a file cabinet for the years 1980-1985. The room was quiet, except for the hum of the ancient microfilm viewer. She unravelled one film roll and placed it in the viewer's spool. As she viewed week after week of archived Ledger issues, she noticed that news of the Bertinellis' murder began to fade from the headlines.
The District Attorney of Gotham City had recommended that young Helena should be assigned to the federal witness protection program. The family bodyguard, whose name was never revealed to protect Helena, accepted her as his ward. She spent years on the run: living in safe houses, hotels and friends' apartments across the Midwest and the West Coast.
"It says here the FBI wanted to seize the trust fund, worth $10 million at the time," Chloe thought aloud. Sympathetic members of Gotham's elite objected to the feds' tactics and hired a team of lawyers to protect Helena's inheritance. The Bertinellis – despite their mob connections – were respected business leaders who made a legitimate fortune in the textiles industry in the 1930's.
Chloe found it hard to believe that the trust fund was clean money, but the FBI didn't pursue their investigation and dropped the case in 1986.
"I wonder if Bruce Wayne had any hand in defending Miss Bertinelli's interests," Chloe mused. The grainy photo in the viewer screen showed Bruce Wayne and defense attorney Harvey Dent at a news conference, where they had announced Helena's legal victory over the feds. Why would the son of Thomas Wayne even consider helping a mob princess?
She had searched Gotham University's online news archives earlier at the Torch office, with little success. Helena was a star volleyball player at Gotham U., but that was all she could find.
The squeak of the janitor's soap bucket echoed in the empty hallway. Chloe tried to ignore the annoying sound, but it was no use. "How long does it take for that guy to scrub the hallway?" Chloe mumbled.
When she checked her watch again, 15 minutes had passed. The squeak of the soap bucket had stopped, which led Chloe to believe that the janitor was finally done.
She was mistaken.
Chloe heard the 'click' of the archive room door. The janitor, whose overall badge said 'Frankie', had closed the door behind him. He was at least six feet tall, with large, calloused hands.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Chloe demanded. She had no idea what the janitor's intentions were, and she was scared for her life. I should have listened to my gut feeling, she lamented.
"You've been looking into Tony Zucco," Frankie the janitor scowled. "Mr. Zucco don't like it when people look into his business." He slowly put on a pair of tarnished brass knuckles. "I look out for the Boss' best interests."
Chloe quickly stepped behind a desk. She wanted something – anything – to keep 'Frankie, the Janitor Mobster' at a distance.
"Why – is your boss afraid that Helena Bertinelli wants payback?" Chloe challenged. Frankie swung his fist, narrowly missing Chloe's shoulder. She screamed. Frankie lunged again, but Chloe grabbed a banker's lamp and flung it at his face. He ducked, and the green lampshade shattered against the wall. Chloe grabbed a few green splinters and tossed it at Frankie's face. This time, a few shards scratched the janitor's face.
Chloe dashed towards the room exit and grabbed the door handle, but it was locked. Frankie grabbed her in a bear hug and hurled her across the room floor. She moaned in agony, but managed to sidestep another punch – which instead smashed the microfilm viewer screen. Frankie's hand was now scratched and bloodied.
"You're gonna pay for that, missy!" Frankie growled. He grunted and shoved Chloe's face into the steel file cabinets. Chloe was exhausted, hurt and bruised – but she knew that if she gave up now, she could die. She kicked Frankie's shins, scrambled to her feet and darted towards the door again. Frankie caught her arm and tossed her furiously across the desk. Chloe groaned and collapsed on the floor.
Frankie's six-foot frame hovered above her, with his brass knuckles poised to smash her face into the wooden floor.
"Help!" Chloe screamed as Frankie came closer. She was desperate, and shrieked as loud as she could. "Someone help me! Clark! Help!" She was terrified that Frankie the Janitor was about to pummel her into oblivion.