Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.

Okay, this one's a little OC, even I'll admit, but I don't need flamers. Please don't chew me up over the OC thing, it's not that bad, and if it is, why are you reading this? I have way more supportive readers to back me up. To those supportive readers, thanks, and please continue to review, they really make me want to write more...well, type, but you get the idea. Anyway, enjoy! The plot thickens...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Clark didn't know where to go. He couldn't live with Martha, she could barely afford to live on her own, and with her new husband (who didn't know Clark's secret), it would get suspicious. He couldn't stay with Richard, that would be way too wierd. It would also be strange to stay with Lana, but he didn't have many more people to turn to. He had lied when he told Lois he rented an apartment, but he really couldn't stay with her until he sorted out his problems. Not that he needed a place to stay, but it sure would make things easier.

While he flew, he didn't notice the odd tingling sensation, nor the nausea until it was too late. His flight became irregular and unstable, and he tipped towards the ground, yelling and struggling. Something was wrong, something that shouldn't be. There was only one substance that could make his abilities waver...and frankly, he was rather sick of it. Groaning, he made a mental note to remove every scrap of kryptonite from the planet, right before he fell.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hm...sir, do bluebirds fly in a diagonal pattern?" asked Alfred casually while sitting in his rather comfortable lawn chair. He and Bruce Wayne had just been discussing the benefits of building another lawn fountain when, out of the corner of his eye, he had noticed something flying in a sort of haphazard way. It was bright blue, and kind of small, most likely a bluebird. Bruce glanced briefly in the general direction to which his butler had indicated, then did a sudden double take, spitting out his morning coffee. He recovered quickly, though, grabbing his jacket off the chair and yanking out the keys to his car; the regular car, not the batmobile (though a Ferrari is hardly considered regular).

"I don't think that's a bluebird, Alfred," he growled, racing to his garages with Alfred on his heels. What on earth was Superman doing by Gotham?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Oh, Lucy, what's wrong with me?" wailed a very unhappy Lois Lane, clinging to her sister while sobbing her heart out. Lucy sighed. She was most likely the only person on earth who ever had, and ever would, see Lois Lane break down. Lucky her.

"Lois, it's really not that bad!" consoled Lucy, trying desperately to think of a single reason why it wasn't. Lois glared at her sister.

"And how is it exactly 'not bad'?" she growled, and Lucy gaped openly, thinking fast.

"Well...you have Jason!" she said cheerfully, and Lois sniffed. Sniffed...not bawled...that was an improvment, right? Lois glowered at her sister.

"You're not supposed to come up with an answer. You're supposed to let me sulk," she muttered, wiping her eyes with a tissue. Lucy sighed. At least she was still making jokes.

"Well, you better buck up so we can find out a solution," said Lucy, folding her arms. Lois groaned. As determined as she was, Lucy was just as stubborn. They had clashed all the way to college, their eternal fight ending with different schools. Lucy majored in medical, and Lois majored in journalism. While Lucy repaired men torn apart from wars, Lois tore men apart with her pointed pen. They were as different as day and night, and that wasn't about to change.

"We can give up and let me live alone with a thousand cats," grumbled Lois, but Lucy didn't hear her.

"Oh, I know, we can get you a new boyfriend, and when you drive Clark wild with jealousy, he'll beg to have you back, and you live happily ever after!" exclaimed Lucy excitedly, her sharp eyes sparkling. Lois, who looked into details a little more thoroughly, frowned.

"But what if he isn't jealous? Couldn't it just backfire, leaving me with another poor man that I don't need?" she asked, but her sister brushed her off with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, we can figure that out later. Right now, let's kick this plan into action and find you a boyfriend!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bruce tapped his fingers impatiently against the window. Couldn't this car go any faster? Even though he'd been ticketed four times already, he didn't really care. Dues were easily paid when you were a billionare. He sighed and pulled over at the sound of the siren. In the rearview mirror, he could see the cop exiting his car and walking over. Bruce opened his window.

"Can I help you officer?" he asked boredly for the fifth time in the past half hour. The officer held up his hands.

"Sir, are you aware that you were going ninety in a thirty five mile zone?" asked the officer, barely believing his own words. Bruce checked his watch quick. Three minutes he could have been driving.

"Uh, yessir, and I kind of need to get somewhere, so if I could have that ticket..." he held out his hand expectantly. Stunned, the officer handed it to him, and watched as the billionare playboy drove off at the required speed.

Bruce watched his rearview mirror until the cop was gone, then accelerated to full speed again. Where on earth was Clark?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Clark staggered to his feet, hardly able to breathe. Wheezing, he looked around and almost passed out again. He was in a large field, most likely in a park, but it was completely empty. No one was out today, and it didn't look like anyone was going to come out, judging by the gathering storm clouds that didn't help him feel any better. The sun was completely covered.

A single, cold drop of rain hit him directly between the eyes, sending searing pain to his headache. He got dizzy and stumbled, trying to stay upright. Why was he so weak? Trying to step forward, he tripped over something pointed and green and sticking up from the ground.

His leg crumpled on contact, and he toppled backwards. The rain came hard and fast, drenching him. He blinked the water out of his eyes, trying to see. There was kryptonite everywhere, half-buried in the ground. It must have had fallen from the continent he had lifted...but no one had removed it. Clark crawled, trying to escape the pain. Managing to climb to his feet, he hopped a few times, like an injured bird struggling to fly. When it didn't work, he fell and resorted to crawling again.

It was so sad it was almost funny. Here he was, the survivor of countless genius and devastating attacks each of which he had thwarted, and he was going to die in a pretty little meadow filled with sparkling rocks, hardly putting up a fight.

A few tears escaped as he pictured Lois's face for the last time. He only wished he could have told her how much he loved her, and stayed with her. If he had, he wouldn't have been in this mess. When Jason's face came to mind, he wished he had spent more time with his son, that he could live to help him control his powers. So many thoughts soared through his mind, though it had only been a few minutes.

'Could this be any slower?' he thought to himself, gasping for air. It was like he was just being batted around by a giant cat, played with until he got boring. If he was going to die, couldn't it at least be quick and painless? Crawling, he struggled to live, to escape the burning heat of the radioactive stones. Funny, the very planet that birthed a thousand civilizations was now killing him. That was the last thought to cross his mind until the pain blurred then blackened his vision. A bright light flooded his eyes, and he passed out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bruce leapt from the car, splashing through the mud, not really caring about how terrible his clothes were quickly becoming. He almost missed the figure now soaking wet and splattered with mud. In fact, he would have just kept on driving by if he hadn't noticed out of the corner of his eye a dull blue hue in the distance collapsing. Also, it helped to know that there was a vast store of kryptonite in the ground here. Of course, if Superman fell anywhere, it would be here.

Of course, there he was, sprawled in the mud like a fallen bird. Sighing, Bruce wished he had brought Alfred with him; it would be much easier. As strong as he was, lifting Clark would be no easy task; at least, lifting him without injuring him.

He wrapped his arms firmly around his unconscious friend, pulling upward. In fact, he even managed to pull him almost upright, and he started to drag Clark over to the car.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lex sat back in his comfortable sofa, putting up his feet. The officers should have known it would only be a matter of time before he broke out. With the help of a few new prison buddies, he had picked the lock with a fork and knocked out the guards. The rest was quite easy, and now here he was, hiding in one of his various estates. It would take the police forever to search every house he owned, so he had time; time to set his plan into motion.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bruce couldn't tell if Clark was even alive, but he needed get him to his house now. Once again, he cursed the slowness of his car, though he was reaching eighty-five. Suddenly, a horrible thought struck him just as he heard a police siren. Shit.

"Sir, do you realize that you were...hey...hey, who's that?" asked the cop suddenly, gesturing towards the unconscious passenger; or dead, but right now neither helped his situation. Bruce sighed. There was only really one way out of this, and the poor cop was just a rookie. Moving quickly, he struck the man on the side of his head with one carefully aimed blow, knocking him out instantly. Great; this would look really bad if he got pulled over again. Grumbling, he drove off at the painfully slow posted speed, now with two unconscious passengers. Why couldn't this just be easy for once?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lois sat at the bar, sipping her drink lightly. The music was starting to hurt her ears, but she didn't care. Outer pain seemed to ease the inner pain. Wincing, she took another sip.

A man flopped down onto the chair next to her, tugging at his collar in a familiar way that caught her eye. It was just because he was hot, but that didn't stop Lois from staring, not even when he turned and gave her an odd look.

"Hey, good-lookin'," he said mildly, smiling at her. He wasn't technically hitting on her, just being friendly. Lois offered a weak smile.

"Hey," she murmured in return, almost able to look him in the eye. He was blonde, but his blue eyes reminded her of someone else.

"I'm Tom. What's your name, beautiful?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Clark groaned and sat up, holding his head. He felt nauseous, but the open window helped a little. Rising shakily to his feet, he walked over and reached out, only to touch cold glass. Boy, that window was clean. Grabbing the bottom rim firmly, he pulled up. His efforts failed, not quite being strong enough to open the window yet. It also didn't help that it was locked. He turned to find another way out, only to meet the eyes of another man entering the room.

"Oh dear, you're already up," said the man in his strong British accent. He was carrying a tray with a pitcher of water and a glass. Clark backed up, though he knew who the man was.

"Hey, Alfred."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"...you didn't have to do that," mumbled Clark, taking another grudging sip of water. It wasn't that he had anything against Bruce, but he detested being the victim.

"Well, from the way you were out cold in the mud surrounded by kryptonite breathing your last breath, I'd have to say I did," said Bruce shortly, shrugging. He didn't like to brag, but it wasn't often Superman needed saving.

"How long was I out?" asked Clark, silently asking another question. How many people suffered because I wasn't there for them?

Bruce seemed to know both.

"Aah, only a couple of hours. Really, Clark, you have to stop blaming yourself for things you can't help. Also, you either need to get rid of that landfill of kryptonite or I can keep picking you up off the ground," grumbled Bruce. Clark thought hard.

"But how am I supposed to do that? I can't even go near it!" he exclaimed, his quick mind jumping from idea to idea. Bruce had the same sharpness, but it didn't require much thought to solve this one.

"I'll have some men get rid of it," he said, and Clark glared at him. Great, now he owed him two things.

"Gee, thanks."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Okay, see? I told you a little OC. But anyway, it's a pretty good chapter, it has lots of important moments. I decided to drag Bruce into the mess because it seemed a little lame to mention him in the middle and not reinforce his 'friendship' with Clark. Just so you all know, Bruce is the OC part, but I've never written a batman fanfic before, so go easy on me, I'm just getting the hang of Bruce. Seriously, it can't be that hard to click the little review button below...go on, just click it!