Clark had been convinced that the woman dressed like a cat liked him. He even figured he had a chance with her more than liking him--a woman who dressed up like a cat might not be too fussy about his not being exactly normal. Through his rounds, she was able to get into corners he couldn't. He'd been a bit concerned but she hadn't thrown a hissy fit--and he imagined she could be really good at that--when they had to deal with rescue dogs. She was pretty brave, too. He'd kind of freaked when they'd heard a woman scream and she said that she'd take care of it and tore off in that direction. That was fine, since he was trying to get some debris cleared so he could fix a water line that was gushing like there wasn't already a shortage, but she had *claws*, serious claws, that she'd concealed before, and when she came back, they were, well, reddish. No, definitely red.
But boy was he wrong about her maybe thinking of him as a boyfriend. He took her back to Batman's cave place and the moment that he saw her and she saw him, well, he could have started a brass band rehearsal and they wouldn't have noticed. Not that they acted like they liked one another, in fact, Batman kind of snapped, "How did you get in here?" but Clark knew chemistry when he saw it.
He wondered if maybe his feelings were too transparent. Dad had lectured him about that a couple hundred times. A month. He'd caught Lex looking at him, well, as though there was something he wanted to say but didn't know how, or something like that. It happened a couple times, even after, big surprise, Batman and the cat woman went off together. Well, yes, to check out a rumor that everybody in Arkheim was being let out, but still, he bet they wouldn't talk about the weather on the way over. Even if they didn't talk, they'd smolder at one another. But even though Lex was giving him those weird, appraising, almost sad looks, he was glad that Lex wasn't saying anything.
He left again to help get people who wanted to go out of the city before the bridges were dynamited. He'd still be able to help them after, but it'd be a lot easier. He did grin a bit to himself, remembering how Flash had looked dubious, and then seriously impressed when Clark suggested that once the bridges are gone, they could put people in buses and he'd carry them over.
When he came back, Lex and Alfred were poring over some spreadsheets and reports. "Clark, did Dad ever talk to you much about Wayne Industries?"
"Sometimes, but nothing really detailed. Sometimes about how he beat them to a contract and how he did it or how they beat him and how they did it. And a couple of times, he mentioned them when he said that you have to know your opponent as well as you know yourself. If they make a mistake or have a weakness, it might not be obvious unless you really know them." He looked at the different sheets.
Lex half-smiled. "This weakness is pretty obvious. He's made an offer to buy a controlling share of the stock."
Clark did some mental calculations. "He can't have that much cash, would the rest be in LuthorCorp stock?"
Alfred shook his head. "Options rather than stock. About twenty percent of the cash within a week of acceptance, the remaining amount over the next two years at four percent interest."
"That's not a great deal. For Wayne, I mean."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "Now, it's about the best deal there is on the table. Some of the others are practically derisory. Wayne Enterprises is now actually a risky investment."
"Of course, many of its holdings are unaffected by this calamity," Alfred continued. "But since Master Bruce's personal wealth is so hard-hit, he's expected to sell at least some shares, which is forcing the price down."
Lex did that split-second half smile again. "The problem with acquiring a reputation as a philanthropist is when a disaster like this hits, everyone knows you're going to want cash and lots of it."
Bruce had come in quietly--without the cat woman, Clark immediately noticed--and said, equally quietly, "Which I do. And Luthor knows that prices for everything we need, medical supplies, security equipment, everything, are going to skyrocket because of demand. He should know, he controls enough of the markets."
"I hate to do it, but I'd have to advise you to sell." Clark wondered why Lex looked so blank, like he'd deliberately wiped off signs not just of his feelings, but his thoughts.
"It's my only option. Alfred, tell him I accept."
Lex looked up, as though he'd had a sudden thought. "We've, Clark and I, still got a healthy bank account. We can close it out. What's needed most?"
"Water purification chemicals," Bruce answered promptly. "The reservoirs are all contaminated. Some of the equipment is working, or rather, would if the reserves hadn't all been in that one warehouse. If you can do that, then I can spend the rest of what I've got on food and bribing enough people to let boats come through."
"Right. Clark, we can go back to Metropolis, I'll close the account and get it as a cashier's check, you can get and deliver the chemicals, I'll see if I can find anything Bruce can use to leverage even just a better deal."
Bruce must really feel kicked in the teeth, Clark thought, as the former billionaire nodded, slowly. The earthquake and everything that was happening to other people, most of his possessions destroyed, and having to sell that much of his company. It was kind of like him and Lex, Bruce wouldn't ever be poor, but Clark would bet that he felt like it then.
But boy was he wrong about her maybe thinking of him as a boyfriend. He took her back to Batman's cave place and the moment that he saw her and she saw him, well, he could have started a brass band rehearsal and they wouldn't have noticed. Not that they acted like they liked one another, in fact, Batman kind of snapped, "How did you get in here?" but Clark knew chemistry when he saw it.
He wondered if maybe his feelings were too transparent. Dad had lectured him about that a couple hundred times. A month. He'd caught Lex looking at him, well, as though there was something he wanted to say but didn't know how, or something like that. It happened a couple times, even after, big surprise, Batman and the cat woman went off together. Well, yes, to check out a rumor that everybody in Arkheim was being let out, but still, he bet they wouldn't talk about the weather on the way over. Even if they didn't talk, they'd smolder at one another. But even though Lex was giving him those weird, appraising, almost sad looks, he was glad that Lex wasn't saying anything.
He left again to help get people who wanted to go out of the city before the bridges were dynamited. He'd still be able to help them after, but it'd be a lot easier. He did grin a bit to himself, remembering how Flash had looked dubious, and then seriously impressed when Clark suggested that once the bridges are gone, they could put people in buses and he'd carry them over.
When he came back, Lex and Alfred were poring over some spreadsheets and reports. "Clark, did Dad ever talk to you much about Wayne Industries?"
"Sometimes, but nothing really detailed. Sometimes about how he beat them to a contract and how he did it or how they beat him and how they did it. And a couple of times, he mentioned them when he said that you have to know your opponent as well as you know yourself. If they make a mistake or have a weakness, it might not be obvious unless you really know them." He looked at the different sheets.
Lex half-smiled. "This weakness is pretty obvious. He's made an offer to buy a controlling share of the stock."
Clark did some mental calculations. "He can't have that much cash, would the rest be in LuthorCorp stock?"
Alfred shook his head. "Options rather than stock. About twenty percent of the cash within a week of acceptance, the remaining amount over the next two years at four percent interest."
"That's not a great deal. For Wayne, I mean."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "Now, it's about the best deal there is on the table. Some of the others are practically derisory. Wayne Enterprises is now actually a risky investment."
"Of course, many of its holdings are unaffected by this calamity," Alfred continued. "But since Master Bruce's personal wealth is so hard-hit, he's expected to sell at least some shares, which is forcing the price down."
Lex did that split-second half smile again. "The problem with acquiring a reputation as a philanthropist is when a disaster like this hits, everyone knows you're going to want cash and lots of it."
Bruce had come in quietly--without the cat woman, Clark immediately noticed--and said, equally quietly, "Which I do. And Luthor knows that prices for everything we need, medical supplies, security equipment, everything, are going to skyrocket because of demand. He should know, he controls enough of the markets."
"I hate to do it, but I'd have to advise you to sell." Clark wondered why Lex looked so blank, like he'd deliberately wiped off signs not just of his feelings, but his thoughts.
"It's my only option. Alfred, tell him I accept."
Lex looked up, as though he'd had a sudden thought. "We've, Clark and I, still got a healthy bank account. We can close it out. What's needed most?"
"Water purification chemicals," Bruce answered promptly. "The reservoirs are all contaminated. Some of the equipment is working, or rather, would if the reserves hadn't all been in that one warehouse. If you can do that, then I can spend the rest of what I've got on food and bribing enough people to let boats come through."
"Right. Clark, we can go back to Metropolis, I'll close the account and get it as a cashier's check, you can get and deliver the chemicals, I'll see if I can find anything Bruce can use to leverage even just a better deal."
Bruce must really feel kicked in the teeth, Clark thought, as the former billionaire nodded, slowly. The earthquake and everything that was happening to other people, most of his possessions destroyed, and having to sell that much of his company. It was kind of like him and Lex, Bruce wouldn't ever be poor, but Clark would bet that he felt like it then.