Clark watched Batman smugly and hoped that if he clenched his jaw any harder, he'd break a tooth. If only he'd *known* that making "vroom" and "eeee" noises under his breath as the Batmobile accelerated and decelerated, he'd have done it all day, instead of just for the last half hour.
Batman might have saved them once, but it still didn't mean that it was right that he was so willing to wait to get Lex out of danger. Clark was able to forget about it when he was doing stuff, especially if people wanted to talk and say thank you and tell him how much he was helping, but when he didn't have anything else to do and thought about it, it still rankled. "Nrooooooooom," he sub-vocalized, just as they turned a corner. He was pretty sure that now they were on the home track, Batman was *really* stepping on the gas.
When they got back, he'd see how long Bats would be able to tolerate another hour or two in the Bat Cave with Clark asking, continually, "What's this? What does it do? Can I try it?" This wasn't just getting his own back--with luck, the tactic would make Bruce bump rescuing Lex to the top of his list, if only to get Clark out of his hair.
"Eeeeeeeeeecrch." That was the sound of the car stopping. He thought that Batman got out of the car faster than he could even if he used his speed, and wished that he could high-five himself, but instead just hummed a bit of the Rocky theme.
***
Clark suddenly felt awkward about Phase 2 of his plan when he saw Alfred waiting for them. For whatever reason, annoying Batman towards a nervous breakdown seemed just, well, juvenile, at least when Alfred was around.
"Alfred. Anything wrong?"
"A communication from Mr. Luthor. The elder Mr. Luthor." He handed a note on thick writing paper to Clark.
"Son,
"I would appreciate it if you would access the Deeds Registry and find the deeds for the following properties: The Monroe Building, the blocks between Wilson and Western on the east and west and Slater and Cassell on the north and south, Benson Towers, Fleming Square, the blocks making up Foray Drive, Miller Plaza, the undeveloped lot at 15 West Kimball, and the blocks from 23rd North Grove to 25 North.
"Please make sure that the system that stored the data and any recent paper records you might find are completely destroyed. I suggest incinerating the building but of course, feel free to choose the method you would find most effective and amusing. After all, you've spent so much time engaged in rebuilding, some functional destruction would be a change of pace.
"Please inform me if this will take longer than two days, otherwise, bring the deeds to the Anasazi Hotel and deliver them to Cheryl Padman in Room 198.
"As you might expect, discretion is a virtue of particular importance.
"Your brother is quite well.
"Your affectionate father,
"LL"
Bruce Wayne, who must have been reading along, drummed his still-gloved fingers on the table. "Those buildings and lots all changed hands recently. If I remember rightly, all from private individual to private individual."
"So he's hoping to take them over?" Clark had a sense of where some of them were located and quickly estimated the value of the land. If Gotham City was rebuilt, it would be worth easily hundreds of millions, possibly more than a billion.
"The backup data systems were both in buildings that collapsed entirely and were bulldozed into the harbor. The offsite backup contractor could be bribed with astonishing ease. Private land transactions weren't publically announced in the papers, it protected some very big interests that way." Clark didn't like the speculative look in Bruce Wayne's eyes one bit as he started to pull his disguise off. "If he got his hands on the original deeds, he'd have an almost perfect chance of succeeding." He walked towards one of the back rooms.
"What do you mean, 'if' and where are you going?" Clark was amazed that his own voice was low and ominous, not a shout.
Bruce turned back with a glare. "I'm not quite as callous as you think, Clark," he snapped. "I have copies of most of the government building plans here. Unless you think that going in without a plan is a better idea."
"You don't have to be so snippy about it," Clark muttered, under his breath, as he followed.
Batman might have saved them once, but it still didn't mean that it was right that he was so willing to wait to get Lex out of danger. Clark was able to forget about it when he was doing stuff, especially if people wanted to talk and say thank you and tell him how much he was helping, but when he didn't have anything else to do and thought about it, it still rankled. "Nrooooooooom," he sub-vocalized, just as they turned a corner. He was pretty sure that now they were on the home track, Batman was *really* stepping on the gas.
When they got back, he'd see how long Bats would be able to tolerate another hour or two in the Bat Cave with Clark asking, continually, "What's this? What does it do? Can I try it?" This wasn't just getting his own back--with luck, the tactic would make Bruce bump rescuing Lex to the top of his list, if only to get Clark out of his hair.
"Eeeeeeeeeecrch." That was the sound of the car stopping. He thought that Batman got out of the car faster than he could even if he used his speed, and wished that he could high-five himself, but instead just hummed a bit of the Rocky theme.
***
Clark suddenly felt awkward about Phase 2 of his plan when he saw Alfred waiting for them. For whatever reason, annoying Batman towards a nervous breakdown seemed just, well, juvenile, at least when Alfred was around.
"Alfred. Anything wrong?"
"A communication from Mr. Luthor. The elder Mr. Luthor." He handed a note on thick writing paper to Clark.
"Son,
"I would appreciate it if you would access the Deeds Registry and find the deeds for the following properties: The Monroe Building, the blocks between Wilson and Western on the east and west and Slater and Cassell on the north and south, Benson Towers, Fleming Square, the blocks making up Foray Drive, Miller Plaza, the undeveloped lot at 15 West Kimball, and the blocks from 23rd North Grove to 25 North.
"Please make sure that the system that stored the data and any recent paper records you might find are completely destroyed. I suggest incinerating the building but of course, feel free to choose the method you would find most effective and amusing. After all, you've spent so much time engaged in rebuilding, some functional destruction would be a change of pace.
"Please inform me if this will take longer than two days, otherwise, bring the deeds to the Anasazi Hotel and deliver them to Cheryl Padman in Room 198.
"As you might expect, discretion is a virtue of particular importance.
"Your brother is quite well.
"Your affectionate father,
"LL"
Bruce Wayne, who must have been reading along, drummed his still-gloved fingers on the table. "Those buildings and lots all changed hands recently. If I remember rightly, all from private individual to private individual."
"So he's hoping to take them over?" Clark had a sense of where some of them were located and quickly estimated the value of the land. If Gotham City was rebuilt, it would be worth easily hundreds of millions, possibly more than a billion.
"The backup data systems were both in buildings that collapsed entirely and were bulldozed into the harbor. The offsite backup contractor could be bribed with astonishing ease. Private land transactions weren't publically announced in the papers, it protected some very big interests that way." Clark didn't like the speculative look in Bruce Wayne's eyes one bit as he started to pull his disguise off. "If he got his hands on the original deeds, he'd have an almost perfect chance of succeeding." He walked towards one of the back rooms.
"What do you mean, 'if' and where are you going?" Clark was amazed that his own voice was low and ominous, not a shout.
Bruce turned back with a glare. "I'm not quite as callous as you think, Clark," he snapped. "I have copies of most of the government building plans here. Unless you think that going in without a plan is a better idea."
"You don't have to be so snippy about it," Clark muttered, under his breath, as he followed.