Fidgeting in her seat, Chloe gnawed at her thumbnail, listening to Bruce Wayne's lecture on Business Ethics. Friday had come so fast she barely had time to be prepared for this interview. There had been much published about Bruce Wayne in the last two years: all about his heroic rescue of his father's company from the clutches of the greedy CEO who had taken over when Bruce was a young boy; the Wayne Foundation that provided millions to charities like Habitat For Humanity, including practically restoring a large section of the hurricane torn areas in the South as well as several mentions in more than one society gossip column attaching him to one supermodel or heiress after another. That did not include the several significant scientific and technological breakthroughs that Wayne Industries had patented, either. Chloe studied the man on the stage, trying to apply the propaganda with the figure before her. Bruce Wayne was tall, about Clark's height, which seemed impossible, with dark blonde hair and the darkest eyes Chloe had ever seen. He was dressed in a suit that would have made Lex absolutely envious, cut to perfection, with just the right shirt and tie combination. There was not a single flaw in the man that was visible, Chloe thought appreciatively. He had it all, looks, money, brains. So why was there a big fat black question mark over his head, Chloe asked herself. Bruce Wayne was a picture on a newspaper page, a column in Forbes. There was more to him, that much she suspected, but what?

"Clark?" Chloe leaned over and whispered to Clark, who was intently taking notes. He had been absolutely intrigued by Bruce Wayne, doing as much research as Chloe had, and nothing could have stopped him from coming to the lecture.

"Yeah?" He replied, continuing to write. "What is it, Chloe?"

"What do you think of our Boy Wonder here? I mean, he's quite the White Knight, don't you think?" Chloe stopped biting her nail to start biting her lip. "Something doesn't quite add up."

"Chloe." Clark laughed a little, making the two people in front of them turn and shush him. "Not everyone is Lex or Lionel in their business dealings. Why can't Bruce Wayne be one of the good guys?"

"I admire your faith in humanity, Clark." Chloe replied under her breath. "My weird o meter is going off, and I can't figure out why."

"I'm sure it's nothing." Clark whispered back through the corner of his mouth. "I'm sure you'll try to find out during the interview, so just wait."

"I guess…" Chloe demurred, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Wait, Clark. Look." She nodded in the direction of Lex, who was sitting three rows ahead of them, listening intently to Bruce Wayne. "What is HE doing here?"

"Finding out how the competition thinks." Clark frowned, squinting at Lex's laptop screen. Of all Clark's talents, that was the one she'd envied ever since she found out about it – and the x-ray vision, too. They would be invaluable tools for an intrepid reporter. "He's taking notes."

"Well, great minds think alike." Chloe tapped Clark's notepad and smiled.

"Ms. Sullivan? Mr. Kent?" An elderly British man leaned toward them from the empty row behind. "I'm Alfred Pennyworth, Mr. Wayne's assistant. He's asked me to show you to his car, as the speech is winding down."

"Winding down?" Chloe looked up at Alfred dubiously. "How do you know?"
"Miss, I've worked for Mr. Wayne since he was a small boy – I know when he's nearing the end of one of his speeches better than he does." Alfred smiled. "Please, if you'll follow me, I'll make sure you are ready to go when Mr. Wayne is. It won't do to get bottled up here." He straightened and Chloe gathered her things, tapping Clark on the shoulder to break his concentration. Only he wasn't concentrating on Bruce Wayne anymore. He was copying Lex's notes from the laptop screen.

Bruce Wayne accepted the polite applause from the audience, collecting his notes. The quietly efficient administrative team that had accompanied him was taking care of the presentation materials, so he could make a quick exit and get to the interview with Chloe Sullivan.

"Bruce." Lex Luthor had appeared beside him, all congenial smiles. "It's been a long, long time."
"Yes, Lex, it has." Bruce shook Lex's hand, and looked his old schoolmate in the eye. The grey eyes had changed since Excelsior, Bruce noted, they were smooth, mirrorlike, reflecting what Lex wanted them to. "Been keeping up with you through the business section."

"Same here." Lex smiled. "Lost an auction to you recently, too."

"Yeah, well, you lost it to the Wayne Foundation, not me personally." Bruce rejoined, and Lex laughed when Bruce added, "I'm not all that sure I understand what they bought, either. I just cut the checks.".

"Of course. Want to go get a drink and catch up? I heard the new River Walk area is really stunning. Dad was pretty upset your construction company got that contract."

"Lex, that would be great, really." Bruce shook his head. "I've got another appointment. Look, when you are in Gotham again, give me a call. " Bruce looked at his watch. "Late already. Excuse me, please." He turned, handing his briefcase to the older man who had just materialized at his side. Bruce Wayne did not have turn around to know that Lex Luthor had pulled out his cell phone and was issuing hasty orders to someone.

"Alfred, get my car and the cargo and bring it around to the other side of the auditorium, would you?" Bruce asked, moving away in the opposite direction of the little green room that had been set aside for him.

"Of course, sir. The cargo is ready, as you requested." Alfred nodded twice, and walked off and out to the limousine.

Clark and Chloe sat in the back of the rented limousine, waiting.

"This is nice, huh?" Clark asked, running his palms on the leather seats.

"Mmmm" Chloe replied, resting her head on Clark's shoulder. "Cozy. I hear people got these for prom."
"Chloe." Clark laughed, hugging her closer. "Sorry about that."

"Oh, not a big deal. How many girls can say they got possessed on prom night? Wait, scratch that, never mind." Chloe laughed, realizing how her comment sounded.

"Too bad we don't know how much longer…" Clark leaned down to kiss Chloe, when the front window between the seats rolled down.

"Very sorry to have interrupted, but there's been a slight change in plans." The pleasant voice of Alfred Pennyworth informed them. "We're just going to drive around the building to pick up Mr. Wayne. It seems he was a bit, well, waylaid."

"Is he okay?" Clark asked, sitting forward.

"Oh, Mr. Wayne is quite capable of taking care of himself, Mr. Kent. But, I'm sure he'll be quite touched that you were concerned for him."

The window went up between the sections of the car, and Clark rolled down his window. Chloe knew he was scanning the building, trying to see if Bruce Wayne was really okay. He did not stop looking until the car came to a stop, and Bruce Wayne appeared from a emergency exit, looking just as neat and put together as he had on stage.

"Hi." He said, sliding into the car. "Glad you both could make it. Listen, there's a small change in plan, and I hope you don't mind. I'd like to get to the plane, and do the interview in the air."
"On your plane?" Clark and Chloe said at the same time.

"Yes, I hope it's not a problem. I could fly you home, to Littleton, or Smallburgh…"
"Smallville." Clark corrected, and Chloe squeezed his hand, amused at his annoyance.

"Of course, sorry." Bruce apologized.

"We could start the interview now, Mr. Wayne. I can't imagine the flight to Smallville will take longer than 15 minutes." Chloe offered, and Bruce nodded.

"Fine. I'll take the long way to Smallville, Ms. Sullivan. I don't want to cheat your readers. But I'd prefer we keep the chat light in the car."
"Rented." Clark gestured, and Bruce Wayne looked at him intently.

"Yes." Bruce acknowledged Clark's insight with a small nod. "The plane is clean, no bugs. "

Bruce and Clark stared each at each other, and Chloe felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. There was something in the air she could not define. Doing the only thing she could think of, she pulled out her recorder and hit the record button.

"So, Bruce Wayne, why Metropolis?" She smiled charmingly, and the sound of her voice broke the tension between Clark and Bruce. The billionaire sat back in his seat, and Clark looked out the window, his hand heavy and warm on her own. I'm glad Clark here, Chloe thought, as Bruce Wayne began the prepared PR about Metropolis being an important Mississippi River city, blah, blah. I don't think I could have gotten through this interview without Clark here. There was something magnetic about Bruce Wayne, and Chloe, even in love with the man beside her had no choice but to admit it.

Dinner had been arranged in the plane, and Clark was glad, because he was starving. The small talk in the limo had set his mind at ease about the subject of Chloe's interview. She was absolutely in her element, charming, intuitive, and sassy. Bruce Wayne was certainly enchanted, but Clark realized he wasn't giving up much information. He knew how NOT to answer questions, and that was something Clark was familiar with.

"So, how does your pilot feel about flying tonight? Isn't he losing time on "Brotherhood of the Blade"?" Chloe asked, and Clark nearly choked on his salad.

Bruce Wayne laughed out loud, a real and hearty laugh, nothing like the soft mocking one Clark had heard on Saturday. "No. We have an Xbox over there – he's been playing some Stars Wars game. – Knights of the Old Republic, I think. He's nearly done, but tonight, I needed him to fly. Don't worry, he'll get to the next level on the way back to Gotham City tonight."

"So, why the secrecy?" Clark asked, setting his fork down.

"You mean, why did I choose to do the interview in my plane, flying around the Midwest with two college students, instead of a public place?" The billionaire answered with a question. "Because there are people in Metropolis that would prefer I stay OUT of Metropolis. They will bug my cars, hire spies, and pretty much do what they can to undermine any efforts Wayne Industries tries to make. So, while I am glad to do this interview for the Daily Planet, a paper owned by my fiercest business rivals, I will have the interview in a safe place. Paranoid, maybe, but you can never be too careful."

"Well." Chloe cleared her throat. "If you two are done playing dominant alpha males, I have a job to do, and a deadline." She poked Clark in the ribs with her elbow and smiled winningly at Bruce Wayne. It was going to be a long, long night.

The plane touched down at Smallvilles tiny airport. With a minimum of ceremony,

Bruce Wayne organized the refueling of his jet, and offered Clark a tour of the plane's cockpit while Chloe freshened up.

The pilot and co-pilot murmured polite greetings to their employer as they ducked out of the cockpit door and made their way into the airport terminal for a quick break.

"Clark, listen" Bruce began, his tone immediately different from the one he had used during the whole dinner interview with Chloe. "I am trustee for Dr. Virgil Swann's estate."

"You knew Dr. Swann?" Clark felt the bottom of his full stomach drop. He'd never been nauseated in his life, but the idea of Bruce Wayne knowing his secret made his blood cold.

"A mutual admiration society – I co-funded several of his larger projects, and he gave the Wayne Planetarium his complete library of research. I had to battle the Luthors for it, though." Bruce Wayne handed Clark a disc. "I haven't had a chance to get through all of it yet, but I've found a great lot of research devoted to some place called Krypton, and someone named Kal-El." He dropped his voice even lower, almost a cautious growl.

"I don't know what you've told your girlfriend, Clark, but I wanted to get this information to you, because I believe Dr. Swann wanted you to have anything related to Krypton. "

"What gave you that idea, Mr. Wayne?" Clark asked, swallowing. Though not much older than Clark, Bruce Wayne was intimidating.

"Well, let's just say, I'm glad I got this stuff before the Luthors did." Wayne clapped Clark on the shoulder. "I know I'm trustworthy, but they aren't." The billionaire's dark eyes bore into Clark's, "And I think you probably already know that."

"I've had reason to suspect they weren't completely honest, yes." Clark replied, and Bruce Wayne nodded.

"It's been my sad experience, Clark that you can't trust just about anybody. And those you do trust," Chloe had come out from the master suite area "Are too valuable to lose. I'd trust her, too, by the way." Bruce turned back to Clark, and handed him his business card. "You can contact me anytime. Alfred will always know where to find me."

"Thanks." Clark looked at the card. "What makes you think I'll need to contact you?"

Bruce Wayne winked. "I can find you whenever I need to, Clark. I think someday, you and I might want to talk again. If I'm right, you and I have a great deal in common, similar interests, and similar goals. Besides, if I come across any more of Dr. Swann's research that applies to you, I want to be able to send it along." Bruce shook Clark's hand, and walked toward Chloe.

"Chloe, it's been an honor, truly." He told her smoothly, and Clark could see her blush. "You will always be my press contact in Metropolis, unless you decide to move to Gotham City. The Gotham Times is one of the pre-eminent newspapers in the world. I think we could give The Daily Planet some competition."

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne, really." Chloe's face lit up. "I've got my hands full with just this article for the moment, and, well, I have plenty of reasons to stay in Metropolis." She looked at Clark over the billionaire's shoulder. Bruce turned and nodded, acknowledging Clark's claim on her once and for all.

Clark felt his heart fill with pride. Chloe was on her way up and he got to be there with her for her first big break. He felt the disc in his hand, and looked at the business card again. Dr. Swann's research and now another billionaire interested in his secret. Clark pocketed the disc and card as Chloe came to him and took his hand.

"Well, kids, this has been fun." Bruce Wayne said, walking them to the waiting limousine. "This driver is under strict instructions to take you both back to Clark's house. Chloe, I'm sure Clark can drive you back to the city tomorrow."

"I think I can handle that." Clark smiled, shaking Bruce's hand. "It's been quite an evening."

"It has." Bruce Wayne agreed. "A unique experience, by all means. Take care of yourselves." He turned and walked back to the jet, waving once as he entered the cockpit.

"I can't believe this evening!" Chloe did a little dance and hugged her laptop. "Clark! Do you realize what just happened? We just had dinner with one of the most influential men in America. He's more powerful than Lex…."

"But is he faster than a locomotive?" Clark asked, pulling her close. "Can he leap tall buildings in a single bound?" He planted a kiss on her forehead. God, I've been waiting to do this all night, he thought, smelling her hair and the soft perfume she wore. Chloe always smelled like ginger snap cookies to Clark, gingersnaps or honeysuckle.

"Hmm. I don't know." Chloe laughed. "He sure isn't a plane, but he can fly one. " They turned to watch the sleek jet make its way down the runway. Bruce Waynes jet took off, a silver blur in the evening sky. Clark opened the limousine door and Chloe got in.

"Say, it's still early. Want to go to the Talon for some dessert and coffee? I'm going to need fuel if I'm getting this article done for the Sunday edition." She asked.

"I was thinking of a movie at home." Clark replied, getting into the limousine. "You pick it, Mom has ice cream in the freezer."

"What an offer. How can I refuse? I pick the movie – well, then…it's gotta be "Gaslight" again." Chloe laughed when Clark groaned, as the limousine door closed. "Um, Clark?"
"Chloe?" He looked at her, a small grin on his face. "Change your mind about the movie? Can we watch something from this century? Something in color?"

"Remember what I said about people being possessed on prom night?"

"Uh-huh." He liked the gleam in her eye, it always meant Chloe was up to something that ended with him being very soundly kissed.

"Come on over here, you star quarterback, you, and tell me about the game winning pass you made last year." Chloe put her laptop down, and Clark grinned wider still, moving into the seat next to her, and wrapping her in his arms. This was going to be fun.

The ride from the airport to the Kent farm was relatively short, even with a quick stop at the Talon for coffee; Clark and Chloe were cozily ensconced in the Kent family living room by ten o'clock. Ingrid Bergman was on, being driven slowly crazy by her psychopathic husband, Clark had devoured a massive bowl of peanut butter chocolate ice cream and Chloe sat on the floor, with her laptop on the coffee table, working on her story.

"Hey, Clark." Chloe turned and smiled in spite of herself. "Gaslight" was one of Chloe's favorite movies but Clark seemed to get very involved in it, too.

"Yeah, Chloe?" He did not look away from the television.

"Am I the only one that thought it was odd that Lex was there today at the lecture?" Chloe pulled herself up off the floor and onto the couch next to Clark. "I saw you spying on him."

"Yeah, now that you mention it." Clark jumped up from the couch to retrieve his notepad. "I didn't like the change in plans at the last minute for the interview, either." He returned after a moment with his pad, and a CD. He handed her the note pad, and sat down. "It's mostly days and times, not a whole lot that actually corresponded to the lecture." Clark said, thinking back.

"I guess he could have been going over his calendar during the lecture, but why? " Chloe looked over the page of dates. "Didn't you say Lex was in Edge City last weekend, something about Lucas in trouble?

"That's what Lana told me." Clark sat forward. "Why?"

"Because at 2:45 p.m., on Saturday, Bruce Wayne was talking to you at the River Walk Amphitheater. If this is Lex's calendar…." Chloe's eyes widened. "Why are Bruce Wayne's comings and goings on here?"

"They did go to school together. Maybe they try to catch up when they are in the same town?" Clark asked, not liking the direction this information was leading them toward.

"But they weren't friends. I looked into their school years, to see if I should contact Lex for some back story, you know, for color." Chloe said, and then rolled her eyes at Clark's blank stare. "It's a good thing you're not majoring in journalism, Clark." She hit him with a small throw pillow, and then continued. "Anyway, what Lex told you about Bruce Wayne was true, he was popular, but kind of exclusive. He didn't socialize much, but everyone wanted to know him."

"Like now." Clark added, taking the pillow from Chloe and giving her a soft bop on the head with it. She grinned at him snarkily, taking the pillow and tossing it across the room without breaking eye contact with Clark.

"Right, but here's the thing. Lex was the total opposite. He was surrounded by people all the time, but never really fit in. They didn't run in the same circles. Not one extra curricular, not one school trip – and Excelsior has a tradition of taking it's students on several jaunts a year, even to Europe for the seniors – not one thing in common. It's like they went to two completely different schools."

"Well, there goes that theory. Not old buddies. And Bruce told me on the plane that he found the Luthors to be less than trustworthy. " Clark nodded. "So that might rule them out as business contacts."

"Right, they're more like business rivals. Wayne Industries prides itself on its

commitment to quality – and I don't just mean the kind that wins them consumer confidence polls. High employee retention, above industry standard retirement plans – there is a waiting list three years long to get an interview at Wayne Industries on the executive level. " Chloe tipped her head to the side and smirked at Clark. "Maybe I should have taken Bruce up on that job offer at the Gotham Times…"

"I thought the Daily Planet was the pinnacle of success for you." Clark laughed, giving her a quick kiss on the nose.

"I'll take that as a front page by line, thank you." Chloe quipped, "Seriously, Clark, Luthorcorp and Wayne Industries just don't play nicely together. As far as the change in plans, well, maybe Bruce just got jumpy being in the oppositions playing field."

"Could be." Clark shrugged. "We don't really don't have much more info to go on, either. But, what about this." Clark held up the CD-ROM "Bruce Wayne gave me this. It's more of Dr. Swann's research into Krypton. Apparently there are pretty direct mentions of me here. But Bruce also said that he had to fight the Luthors to get it. Lex said he'd stopped trying to investigate me, and Lionel…"

"We're still not clear on how much Lionel remembers after you guys did your body swapping last year, are we?" Chloe cocked her head to the side again, working things out. "Knowing that Lex lies professionally, and that Lionel practically invented the skill, I can see why they'd want the research" Chloe took the disc and put it into her computer drive. She quickly scanned the files, and looked over at Clark, with a worried expression. "Do you think Bruce knows your secret, Clark?"

"If he doesn't know it today, it won't be all that long before he does. Bruce Wayne doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who likes unanswered questions." Clark sighed, leaning back on the couch. "What's on the disc?"

"Clark, this is amazing." Chloe opened the files on the disc, and began reading. "According to this disc menu, there are star maps, a theoretical environment for Krypton before it blew up, and a, whoa, Clark." She raised a hand and pulled Clark closer. "This is a key to translate the symbols in the caves!"

"I don't really need that anymore." Clark said simply, and Chloe nodded, a smile on her face.

"Well, as usual, you continue to surprise me, Clark. When did you pick up that talent? I KNOW they aren't teaching Kryptonian at Central Kansas A & M as a language option."

"It's a long story." Clark replied, "But what in here led Bruce to the conclusion that it had anything to do with me?"

"How about this?" Chloe opened a file, and a photo of Clark appeared on the screen. "It looks like a full biography, including some of the wall of weird articles I'd published way back when, as well as an e-mail log. Well, this would be enough to at least connect you with Dr. Swann, Clark." Chloe shuddered and closed her laptop. She turned and looked at the young man she had loved since the first day she'd ever seen him. "We don't know what else he has, either."

With the time difference, Bruce Wayne found himself back in Gotham City by midnight. He dropped his briefcase in the foyer and walked down the long corridor, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall. He could hear Alfred's television playing in the suite of rooms the older man occupied. Seinfeld, again. Bruce never seemed to get the humor of that show, mostly sticking to more serious television programming, but to each his own. Entering the kitchen, Bruce got himself a cold glass of milk and a very large piece of the cooks best almond pound cake and sat down to think.

The interview had gone well, probably better than Bruce expected, given that Chloe Sullivan was a freshman in college. It would certainly boost her reputation at the Daily Planet - that much was certain. It didn't take anyone of Bruce's particular talents to also recognize that she was in love with Clark Kent. It was Clark Kent that continued to be the big mystery. The younger man had been as easy as a brick wall to read, and was as cautious as a highly trained Rottweiller, all rolled up in an 'aw shucks" farmboy pose. The CD-ROM Bruce had passed along to the farmer was only a teaser, and until Bruce knew exactly why the Luthors were so interested in Clark Kent, when they were practically the kid's neighbors, he intended to keep as tight an eye as he could on the situation.

His cell phone rang, and the number was strange. Bruce never gave this number to anyone he didn't want to reach him. Intrigued, he answered, rather than simply let it go to voice mail.

"Bruce Wayne." He kept his tone clipped and business like.

"Bruce!" Lex Luthor said, music blaring behind him. "I'm in Gotham City – benefit concert for the rainforest. I heard you were on the guest list."

Bruce sighed. He and Lex had not even been on speaking terms at Excelsior; Lex had been an awkward, yet arrogant social outcast, and Bruce reclusive, quiet. They had both competed for top grades – both graduating at the top of their class. But while Bruce had gone out for some sports, Lex had chosen to participate in the school government, and more notoriously, running a black market operation that had been a raging success, supplying the other students with off-limits goods. These sudden friendly overtures were unwelcome, to say the least.

"I contributed, but no, I'm not into it, Lex. I'd ask you how you got my number, but I'm pretty sure I know." Bruce knew that there was more than one pretty brunette debutante that Lex could have chatted up for Bruce's number, and Lex laughed.

"I'm not going to say, I want to protect the informant. I'm here with my girlfriend, and I thought I could convince you to come to the party; you know, let bygones be bygones and start over."

"Like I said, really not into the whole party thing tonight. See you around, Lex, next time you're in town, call my office. We'll get together for lunch." Bruce hung up, and shut his cell phone off. Reminder to self, Bruce thought, change that number immediately.