TITLE: "Inquisitor"

PG-13

SUMMARY: Events occur shortly after the Season 6 premiere, before "Sneeze". Metropolis recovers from "Dark Thursday" and rebuilds. With Alfred away on personal leave, Bruce inspects the damage to WayneTech's Midwest headquarters in the city. The danger of Zod has passed for now – but does a supposed adversary threaten to expose Clark's secret?

RECOMMENDED: These stories - with Bruce before his dark destiny and Alfred as recurring characters in Smallville - have developed an internal continuity with events that may impact later stories. It would be helpful if you read at least one of these stories: "Trophy", "Archer", or "Vigilante". I would also strongly recommend the related short stories (in order): "Comfort and Joy" and "Regret".

PART 1

Chloe exited the truck, while Clark placed the parking pass on the windshield. The grounds of WayneTech's Midwestern Operations Complex sprawled before them: three large Art Deco-inspired research buildings flanked by a dozen bungalows for visiting researchers. Sandwiched between the leafy eastern boundary of Metropolis U. and LuthorCorp.'s Biochemical Sciences research facility, this was the heart of the city's Technology Corridor District.

The area represented more than Metropolis' growing reputation as the Midwest's "Silicon Valley" – it stood as a glaring reminder of Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor's ongoing rivalry.

"They're not rivals, Chloe," Clark insisted, somewhat uneasily. Bruce and Lex's friendship had deteriorated over the past two years. Bruce's intervention in now-infamous Helena Bertinelli scandal had revealed a rift in their relationship. They had managed to keep a lid on these tensions, but both Clark and Chloe knew that Lex and Bruce continued to skirmish in the courtrooms of the nation: injunctions, lawsuits, counter lawsuits, gag orders, motions to dismiss. These were the arsenals of the wealthy and powerful, weapons of a ruthless (and secret) feud.

Chloe seized the sleeve of Clark's red jacket. "Clark, I realize you don't like what's happening to their friendship – but it's happening! You can't blame yourself for not preventing it. Their Cain-and-Abel squabbling has been going on long before your literal run-in with Lex at Loeb Bridge, or your miraculous encounter with Bruce's car accident on the interstate five years ago."

Clark refused to admit that it was possible. Lex and Bruce – former boarding school chums, college classmates and corporate partners – were barely on speaking terms. Bruce Wayne had not set foot in Metropolis for almost a year, as LuthorCorp. committed increasingly hostile acts against the environment, funded morally questionable defense projects and exploited labour in the developing world to increase its profits.

The aftermath of Dark Thursday and the citywide riots promised to be an opportunity to mend fences. Bruce accepted the US government's official explanation that the techno-virus and the collapse of the power grid was a result of a malignant computer Trojan horse or worm. Lex's memory loss didn't help to shed light on these events.

"Bruce says he wants to help in Metropolis' recovery," Clark said, "and Lana says Lex plans to hold out an olive branch for him. Maybe they can remain friends." Clark fell silent, as he recalled his own failure in reviving his friendship with Lex.

"An anonymous donor has pledged $20 million dollars for a trust fund to help the city's less fortunate," Chloe interjected, sensing his discomfort about their broken friendship. "You wouldn't happen to know if that anonymous donor would be a Gotham City friend of yours?"

Clark grinned. "Is that Chloe Sullivan, my friend talking – or Chloe Sullivan, the Daily Planet reporter." He paused, relishing that he knew something that Chloe wanted to know. "Is this off the record?"

"Cross my heart," Chloe vowed. "I won't tell a soul."

"It's actually closer to $30 million," Clark revealed. "Remember, Chloe – he wants to remain anonymous. He doesn't want a splashy press conference. This is Lex's town, and Bruce doesn't want to seem like he's stealing the spotlight."

They arrived at the WayneTech complex and walked beneath the granite archway. They passed the Martha Wayne Memorial Gardens. A few summer flowers lingered, struggling in vain to prolong a summer that was about to come to an end. At the entrance stood a bronze statue of the late Thomas Wayne, M.D.: inventor, businessman, philanthropist -- and Lionel Luthor's greatest rival. He had a stethoscope around his neck, wore a lab coat and had a serene expression on his face. He stood atop a modest stone pedestal with a plaque that simply read: "Thomas Wayne: He gave hope to those who had none."

Clark's grabbed the brass 'W' door handles of the main entrance and entered. Every window on the main floor had been smashed during the riots, but WayneTech security managed to keep the hordes away from the restricted areas of the complex. Chloe wasn't surprised at their efficiency, since Alfred himself had drawn up WayneTech's security contingency plans.

Chloe leaned against the Security Desk on the main floor. "Chloe Sullivan and Clark Kent to see Mr. Bruce Wayne," she inquired.

The elderly security guard studied their faces. "You two again, hmm? He's expecting you." He pointed down the long hallway behind him. "Down there, to the right."

When Clark and Chloe arrived, they saw a dozen carpenters, locksmiths and repairmen … and Bruce Wayne with painting overalls.

"I never thought 'Bruce Wayne: Painter' was one of your job titles!" Chloe blurted.

Bruce laughed, picked up Chloe in a bear hug and spun her around. "Chloe, it's good to see you again! Clark tells me that you're at the Daily Planet now." He dusted off his hands on his overalls. "Please forgive my appearance. The painters got stuck on the expressway, and I thought I'd chip in."

"Lana sends her regards," Chloe added. "She would have been here in person, but she's attending, umm, – another – function." Chloe didn't want to elaborate because Lana was at a charity fundraiser this evening with Lex at Luthor Commerce Square: the corporate plaza Lex had built with the help of Gotham mobster Tony Zucco. It was a testament to Lex's growing defiance of Bruce's influence.

Bruce wasn't naïve: he had read the society columns and was aware of Lex's blossoming romance with Lana Lang. He still valued his friendship with Lana because she had also lost her parents at a young age, but they hadn't spoken since the spring (despite her attempts to reconnect). He blamed himself for the unintended chill in their relationship. His issues were with Lex, not Lana, and he regretted that he had unintentionally slighted her.

He spotted Clark, seized his hand and shook it. "It's good to see you again, my friend. It's been too long." He gave Clark a brotherly embrace.

Clark looked around at the main floor. Above him, he saw a royal blue sign that said 'Administration Offices – WayneTech Midwest'. The walls had been damaged, someone had turned on the fire hose during the crisis and flooded two storage rooms and he saw that the vandals had tried to pry open the doors – without much success.

"I think Alfred deserves a raise," Bruce noted, wiping his brow with his painter's cap. "There's no way anyone could have accessed the upper floors without a fingerprint ID and biometrics scan."

Clark put on a painting smock and picked up a brush. "I'm here to help out."

Chloe jumped in. "—and I'm covering the clean-up around Met U. I think your efforts around the Technology Corridor would also apply."

While Clark painted the walls and observed Chloe's short interview about Bruce's reconstruction efforts around WayneTech, he thought of how much had changed over the past few years. There was a time when Lex, Bruce and Clark were the best of friends. They had attended charity galas in Gotham City and stood together to pose for pictures at the Observation Deck of the CN Tower in Toronto.

"Those were carefree times," Clark said to himself. Chloe briefly left Bruce's side and approached him.

"I'm sorry, Clark," she said. "Did you say something?"

"I feel so helpless," Clark admitted. He lowered his voice so that no one – including Bruce – could hear them. "I can leap tall buildings, race locomotives and stop bullets with my hands … and I can't help Bruce. Lex is one of his oldest friends; they've known each other since they were kids in boarding school. Now, it's all falling apart. He's putting on a brave face, but I can tell that it's eating away at him."

Chloe patted his shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. The best thing you can to do help him is what you're doing right now: being a friend he can count on."

A few hours later, Clark left the WayneTech building with the last of the contractors. Chloe had readily accepted a ride to the Daily Planet with Bruce (who was en route to Metropolis International). Dusk was approaching and the amber glow of the sidewalk lights lined the path to the parking lot.

Clark stopped at the bronze statue of Thomas Wayne. The late doctor had revolutionized artificial heart technology and built an empire dedicated to helping people. LuthorCorp. now threatened to reverse many of those accomplishments. For each success Bruce achieved against a LuthorCorp. clear-cutting operation in South America, dozens more Luthor projects would spring up in Asia. Tony Zucco had tightened his grip on the Metropolis underworld: more rumours erupted about a bloody showdown with the notorious Jazzman Syndicate. Metropolis is already damned, Alfred has warned ominously.

Clark reached out to touch the bronzed hand of Bruce's father, tucked casually in his lab coat.

"I'll look out for Bruce," he pledged. "I promise." He looked up into the sky as a crescent moon smiled upon the city. "Dr. Wayne? If you see my dad, tell him I said 'Hi'."

As Clark approached his truck, he sensed something amiss and turned quickly around. No one was around, except for the few cars left in the parking lot. Along the leafy boundaries of Met U., a lone detective waited for the truck to disappear into the night. He clicked on his car's forward lamplight and scribbled some notes into his weathered notebook.

"Clark Kent pays a visit to WayneTech's Metropolis R&D facility," the detective muttered. "The government is burying the Zod alien crisis as a killer spam virus. Typical. Nice try – Kal-El. Your number's up. Yours … and Lex Luthor's."

Detective John Munch – police detective and conspiracy theorist – was officially "on vacation" from the NYPD. He turned the ignition key and quietly drove away. It was comforting to have the green meteor rock beside him.

Smallville was his next stop.

Part 2 (of 2) to follow ...