(Luthor Commerce Square development, Metropolis financial district)
The LuthorCorp. helicopter zoomed past the brilliant, globe logo atop the Daily Planet building. In a few moments, it landed in a parking lot across from the Commerce Square construction site.
"I called the A-Train Club, and Tony Zucco isn't there," Lex yelled over the deafening 'whirr' of the copter blades, as they sprinted away from the parking lot. "Zucco must be at the construction site."
Clark still did not want to accept that Helena Bertinelli could be a killer. She was bitter and angry about what the mob did to her family, but he sensed that she wanted to leave her sordid past behind her. Smallville was her chance at a fresh beginning. Now, it was all but ruined. Would she resort to murder in a final act of desperation, he wondered.
"Whatever you may think, Lex," Clark argued, "Miss Bertinelli didn't plan to come here to seek revenge." Lex ignored Clark's protests. Soon, they heard police sirens approach the construction site. At the main gates, one of Zucco's associates lay sprawled on the ground.
"Louie!" Lex gasped. He pushed open the gates and rushed to Louie's side. A single gunshot – then two – pierced the glittering Metropolis night.
"It's coming from the north end of the site!" Clark interjected. He leaped into the darkness before Lex could stop him.
Louie, groggy from Helena's attack, blinked himself conscious. "Mr. Luthor? Some chick in black slammed her boot into my gut ...put a chokehold on me. The boss is here … you've gotta warn the boss!"
"Helena," Lex muttered icily. Louie tried to sit up, but he stumbled woozily. He reached for his gun and planted it into Lex's hand.
"Mr. Zucco considers you as his friend," Louie told him. "He don't say that 'bout many people. You look out for him. Do what ya gotta do." One of Lex's security guards finally arrived from the copter. Lex studied the gun in his hand, uncertain if he wanted to prove his loyalty to Zucco like this. "Make sure Louie gets medical treatment," Lex ordered. "He's a friend of mine." Louie nodded weakly in gratitude to Lex, who wandered off the gravel road into the shadows of the construction site.
Further north, Clark heard a hail of gunshots. Two Metropolis P.D. squad cars arrived at the locked north gates, but Zucco's henchmen pinned them down with automatic gunfire. The shots sparked and rattled against the iron beams of the unfinished skyscraper. On the far side, he spotted the trailer marked 'Site Office'. He peered into the darkness, using his superior vision to spot the silhouettes of Zucco's bodyguards. Clark bolted into the shadows with rush of super-speed, swatting aside the bullets from either side with his bare hands. He swiftly knocked their guns to the ground. Within a few seconds, Clark disabled half a dozen Zucco henchmen. Crouched in the shadows, he zapped the north entrance gates with heat vision, shattering its locks. As more sirens wailed in the streets, the remainder of Zucco's guards retreated to the south. That should even the odds, Clark grinned. He sped up to the site office and burst through the open doorway.
Helena hovered over Zucco, whose right hand had a knife jabbed into it. His teacher's face had been cut. Clark heard the groans of a henchman on the ground; his arm appeared to be broken.
"Miss Bertinelli!" Clark screamed. "Don't do this! The cops will be here soon, they'll take care of Zucco!"
Helena raised the nozzle of her pistol towards Zucco's head. "This parasite killed my parents! Killed countless innocent people to become Gotham's crime lord! He must die!" There were footsteps behind Clark, and Lex burst into the doorway. He immediately aimed Louie's gun at Helena.
"I saw your handiwork outside, Helena," Lex barked. "It appears that Bertinelli ruthlessness runs in your veins, too! Drop the gun – now!"
Zucco nursed his wounded hand, and roared in agony as he pulled the blade out. "Lex, thank heaven you're here! Shoot her, Lex! Shoot her now!" Lex clicked off the safety switch and pointed his gun at Helena's chest.
"Do you believe me now, Clark?" Lex grunted, as beads of sweat surfaced on his forehead. "Your teacher isn't here to start a new life, but to finish old business. She wants revenge at any cost. She's nothing more than a vigilante." He aimed the gun angrily at her. "I'm going to count to three. If you don't drop the gun by then, I will shoot you. At this range, I won't miss."
"I – I don't care," Helena muttered in resignation. "I won't miss either! Zucco will be dead before you can get me. He ordered my family's execution! He must pay!"
"It doesn't have to end like this," Clark pleaded. "Harvey Dent's taken up your cause. He's not going to let the school board destroy your teaching career. He promised me. We can clear things up, maybe get your old job back at Smallville High, or somewhere else ..." Clark didn't know if that were possible now, but he had to give her something to hope for. She was so desperate – that had to be why she gave him her rosary.
"It's … too late," Helena replied, a tear streaking her cheek. "I will always be a mobster's daughter, no matter where I go. Don't you get it – I'll never teach, never have a normal life again! It's over for me now." She gritted her teeth and tensed her finger around the trigger.
"Lex, if you get me outta this," Zucco yelled, "I will be in your debt. You want influence in Topeka, on Capitol Hill … it's yours! I'm asking you as a friend, Lex."
"Lex!" Clark protested. "Don't make another mistake because of Zucco!"
"Shut up, Clark," Lex ordered. "Helena Bertinelli is a killer without remorse. She won't stop until Zucco dies by her hand." He turned towards Helena. "You have three seconds to drop your weapon, or you can join your parents in the afterlife with Judas Iscariot, Benedict Arnold and history's traitors. One …"
"Finish her off, Lex!" Zucco winced in pain. "It's the only way."
"Lex – don't!" Clark pleaded. Helena muttered an inaudible prayer, oblivious to the chaos around her. May God have mercy on my soul.
"Two," Lex counted, with a determined gaze. On three, he would shoot Helena. There was no other choice.
"I'm sorry, Clark," Helena wept. Clark heard a shot go off, but he had already shoved Helena against the wall. Her shot ricocheted from the ceiling and into the rear wall. He tossed the gun aside and Helena collapsed in his arms, sobbing bitterly. "I'm so sorry, Clark. So sorry."
The red-and-blue siren lights of Metropolis P.D. bounced through the site office's windows. They heard several police officers barking orders and instructions outside. The searchlights of a police chopper probed the construction site.
"Get out of the way, Clark," Lex insisted. His gun was still pointed at Helena. "Helena can't be trusted. Bruce Wayne will buy her freedom, and she'll go after Zucco again. Step aside." Zucco felt dizzy from the loss of blood, but he managed a brief snicker. By the underworld's code of honour, Lex demonstrated his loyalty.
"It's over, Lex," Clark replied, still clutching Helena. "It's over." Before Lex could react, a SWAT team stormed the trailer. "Hands in the air!" the lead officer commanded, with a shotgun levelled at them. Lex dropped his gun, while Clark and the others raised their hands.
Zucco clutched his bloodied hand, as the arresting officer removed a gun from the gangster's blazer. "Well, it's Tony Zucco, Gotham's kingpin," the officer grinned. "Welcome to Metropolis. Boys, read this piece of filth his rights." Zucco glared at Clark. "You picked the wrong team, kid," he sneered as he was escorted outside.
"You have the right to remain silent, Ms. Bertinelli," recited another officer. Clark began to protest, but Helena meekly surrendered to the police. The once-darkened construction site was now a sea of squad cars, SWAT officers and Crime Scene Unit technicians. 'Do Not Cross' police tape surrounded the construction site.
When Lex convinced the authorities minutes later that they weren't involved in the vendetta, they ducked under the police tape and walked through the main gates.
"At least nobody was killed," Clark sighed in relief. "The authorities will sort everything out, I hope."
Lex scowled at his naïve friend, and stopped him. "No, Clark. Your inexplicable faith in Helena was misplaced. This is only the beginning. As far as La Cosa Nostra is concerned, Helena is a dead woman walking! She tried to kill Gotham City's most powerful mafia don! That won't go unanswered. She's a traitor in their world. Not even Bruce's deep pockets or Harvey Dent's legal gymnastics will spare her from what the mob has in store for her."
He headed towards the LuthorCorp. copter. "I'd offer you a ride home, Clark, but I need to check on a friend," Lex remarked curtly, referring to Louie. "I'm sure one of Metropolis' Finest will take you home." Clark ducked his head and stepped away as the copter blades whirled above him.
In the parking lot beside the site, three luxury cars idled. The Metropolis dons had arrived, but they had chosen not to enter the melee – this time. The mafia would recover from this, it always did. There would be other times to plot the demise of The Jazzman, other nights to restore mob honour.
Clark stood outside the gates. Behind him, a bright white sign – emblazoned with the purple-and-black LuthorCorp. logo – shone under the amber floodlights. It read: 'Luthor Commerce Square: Building a new era of prosperity for Metropolis. A bold future for the City of Tomorrow!'
The words rang hollow, as police cruisers drove Zucco, his henchmen and Helena Bertinelli away. If Zucco's Metropolis dons had intervened tonight, it could have been far worse. Clark shuddered. There was something he noticed then in the trailer office: an unforgiving glint in Lex's gaze. It wouldn't have mattered if Helena had dropped her gun first.
Clark was reluctant to admit that, if he hadn't shoved her away and refused to step aside, Lex would have shot Helena in cold blood.
(Lowell County courthouse, Metropolis)
Two days had passed since the 'Showdown at Commerce Square', as it was billed in the Metropolis Inquisitor. Mob violence had escalated in Metropolis streets, and the mayor demanded immediate action. A throng of reporters jostled for position at the steps of the courthouse.
"Zucco posted bail yesterday, despite the shootout at the Commerce Square site," one curly-haired TV reporter blurted. "What does this say about Bruce Wayne's ability to keep Gotham's house in order?"
"Commerce Square was built by the Labourers' Brotherhood, a union 'run' by Tony Zucco," Dent countered. He basked in the media attention, completely in his element. He would exploit it to his advantage. "What does that say about Metropolis City Hall's willingness to turn a blind eye to underworld influence-peddling? Why don't you ask Lex Luthor about that one, missy!"
Below the courthouse steps, Chloe took several digital photos of the media scrum. Zucco had posted bail within half an hour of his arrest, despite the shootout. His henchmen pleaded to lesser assault charges and also posted bail. Tyndal & Lassiter, one of the most prestigious law firms in the city, represented them. By coincidence, the firm represented LuthorCorp. interests many times.
Lana, who was dressed in a sleek black pantsuit, approached from the street. Lauren Morris, the girl who died in the Talon shooting, was buried this morning.
"This is so wrong!" Lana lamented. "Lauren was laid to rest today. She didn't even get a chance to live her life – yet both Tony Zucco and Helena Bertinelli get off scot-free!"
"No one can claim a victory, not after last night," Chloe grumbled. The entire affair left a sour taste in her mouth. Mr. Kent and her father could no longer proceed with their petition, since Harvey Dent threatened the whole town with a devastating lawsuit. Despite Mr. Wayne's claims of neutrality, he exercised his considerable influence to achieve what he wanted.
Helena would go free, with her teaching license intact. Zucco declined to press any charges (to avoid awkward questions about his 'business'), which left Smallville High's notorious volleyball coach in legal limbo. Dent explained at the press conference that Helena was prepared to offer state's evidence about her knowledge of mob activities west of the Mississippi, in exchange for clemency on other offences. The Metropolis D.A. demanded that Helena would be, in effect, exiled from the State of Kansas forever. The FBI agreed, thus allowing Topeka and City Hall to save face.
Atop the courthouse steps, Helena wore a sharply tailored mauve business suit and skirt, a slight scar still visible on her face. She gingerly descended the steps, arm-in-arm between Mr. Dent and a familiar blond-haired FBI agent.
"What's Special Agent Dinah Lance doing here?" Lana wondered.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Chloe sighed, as she scribbled notes in her reporting pad. "Agent Lance must be involved in arranging this clemency package, courtesy of Gotham's favourite son. The long reach of Wayne Manor prevails."
Clark Kent (who had also attended the funeral) wandered down the street, dressed in a navy blue suit. He offered a comforting smile to Helena, who exchanged a brief grin with him before she entered the slate-grey Ford Explorer. Alfred, Bruce's butler, opened the door for her.
"You're among real friends now, Miss Bertinelli," Alfred nodded politely to her. Clark patted his shoulder. "Thanks for the late-inning save, Alfred," Clark smiled. "It was you who saved her, Master Kent," Alfred replied, tipping the brim of his chauffeur's cap. "You had faith in her, when no one else did. You believed in her, despite having every reason to turn your back on her. She has been a victim her whole life, and what she needed most was a friend. It's a damn shame about what happened at the construction site, though. If you weren't there –"
"I know," Clark agreed solemnly. "I was at the Talon when Lauren was shot. I should have saved her. I wish all of this never happened."
"You did what you could," Alfred took off his cap. "You can't hold yourself responsible for that poor girl's death. Zucco's turf war with the Jazzman Syndicate caused all of this." A silver Porsche, with the license plate 'LEX XX', screeched into a parking spot beside the courthouse. Alfred squinted at the car. "Zucco caused it, but Lex opened the door for him."
Clark waded through the melee of cameras and reporters towards Chloe and Lana. "I see you're making front page news out of this, Chloe," Clark observed smugly.
Chloe was tired of Clark's self-righteousness. It was unsettling that Clark would exploit his friendship with Bruce Wayne to defy the will of a majority of the townspeople.
"Even if Helena Bertinelli had no intention of killing Zucco when she arrived in Smallville," Chloe argued, "she brought her family's murderous legacy with her. You're Bruce Wayne's friend – you knew better than anyone that someone like Helena wasn't simply going to forget about her parents' slaughter! Her arrival here was a risk. The 'Showdown at Commerce Square' proves it!"
"She wanted a new life," Clark crossed his arms in defiance, "but no one cut her any slack! Bruce gave her a second chance. She was a mob heiress, and nothing else about her mattered to anyone. Her future was in shambles thanks to that petition. Her back was against the wall, with nowhere else to turn!"
"And people like Lauren should pay the price anyway?" Chloe demanded. "No one is above the law!"
Clark loosened the bright-red tie from his collar. "You're right, Chloe. I am Bruce Wayne's friend. That doesn't make me an expert on his life. I can't even imagine what he must go through to survive each day. I wasn't about to let the town destroy a good person's name, and I did what I needed to do to prevent that. Lex's involvement with Zucco had as much to do with this disaster than most people are willing to admit. Miss Bertinelli made mistakes, but I believe she's not a bad person deep down. She is my friend, too. If that's a problem, then I'm sorry you and Lana feel that way." All Clark could think of was Helena, sobbing helplessly in his shoulder: 'I'm so sorry.' That night she was in despair, and alone.
"What's really unnerving, Clark," Chloe explained, "is your indifference to Lex and Bruce's alpha-male sparring! Empire building on Wall Street is one thing, but it's peoples' lives they're affecting here. This county is too small to handle the fallout of another 'Clash of the Tycoons'!"
"Guys, can we please stop bickering about this?" Lana was still upset after the funeral. "Like Chloe said, no one came out a winner here." They watched as Special Agent Lance directed the security detail along the sidewalk. Dent answered a few more questions from the media, and finally stepped into the Ford Explorer.
"There's more than enough blame to go around," Clark said, "We all lost today, all of us." A girl died, Zucco cemented the mob's beachhead in Metropolis, Helena's future was still in question, Lex and Bruce's friendship was on thin ice, and the fiasco threatened to drive a wedge between Clark and his friends. Clark was in no mood to justify his actions to them. He quickly crossed the street to his truck before Chloe or Lana could reply.
Chloe shook her head in frustration, as Clark drove away. Lana thought of the morning's sombre funeral service, and of a young life cut short too soon. It was unjustifiable. "Maybe Clark doesn't want to face the truth," she said bitterly.
"The truth about what?" Chloe replied, hurriedly scribbling final notes for her Torch article.
"That one day," Lana continued, "Lex and Bruce might force him to take sides."