Chapter 7

Marseilles, France; May 3rd, 04:43 EST

Arthur awoke to the feel of Mera shivering in his arms. His worry was no longer fueled by suspicion now. Black Manta had definitely poisoned the tip of that spear. The problem was figuring out exactly what he'd poisoned her with and how dangerous it was going to prove to be.

He put his hand on her cheek, finding her quite warm to the touch. She wasn't burning up as he'd expected, but she was definitely warmer than usual. He needed to get her back to Atlantis so they could find a cure for whatever he had poisoned her with.

The problem was getting there. Black Manta would more than likely assume that he'd take her back there. They could be swimming right into a trap, putting her in even more danger. He decided that he better take her to Gotham. Hopefully, Bruce would be able to come up with something. Victor should be able to access every single database on the planet for a cure.

"Mera," he called her name as he rubbed her arm. "Wake up."

"What's wrong?" she sleepily asked, grimacing as she moved her arm.

"You're shivering," he told her. "Are you cold?"

"Yes…it's freezing in here," she replied.

Arthur got up to retrieve a blanket, covering her with it. He crouched beside the bed, reaching out to brush her red hair out of her face. "I need to take you to Gotham," he decided. "You're getting worse."

"It's not that bad," she tried to reassure him. "We need to keep moving if we're going to find Luthor and stay ahead of Black Manta."

"You don't look like you're doing very well," he said with a frown. "You look sick."

Mera forced a weak smile to her face, her eyelids falling closed. "You sure know how to sweet talk a girl. No wonder you're still single."

"Mera, this isn't good," he ground out.

"I'll be fine, Arthur," she insisted, sitting up with a hiss of pain. "See? I'm better already."

"You're a terrible liar," he flatly stated, straightening up to his full height to help you off the bed. "You look like you're about to pass out."

"I just need to eat something," she replied. "I'm starving."

"Let me help you get cleaned up and then I'll go get us something to eat," he suggested.

Mera's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she made her way to the bathroom. "You just want to see me naked," she teased. "Go! Get me something good to eat. I'll be all ready to go when you get back. A hot shower should do the trick. I'll be good as new by the time you return."

Arthur's frown deepened as she watched her disappear into the bathroom. "I think I better help you."

Mera poked her head out to glare at him. "Go!" she ordered him, pointing towards the door.

Arthur scowled at her. "If I come back and you're dead, I'll never forgive you."

"Deal," she said. "Bring me some fresh-baked croissants and jam."

"Got it," he replied.

"And some coffee!" she called from the bathroom.

"Sure thing."

"Oh, and I'd really love some strawberry crepes," she told him.

"That poison has not affected your appetite," he responded before leaving.

It did give him a small measure of hope that maybe she was going to be alright. Hopefully, her strong Atlantean constitution would protect her and help the healing process. It made his blood run hot just thinking of Black Manta shooting Mera. It was him that Manta had a grudge with, not her.

If Manta wanted to settle the score, he should come after him, not involve Mera in their fight. He knew it was only a matter of time before he struck again. They needed to get out of town and head to Gotham so they could get a good lead on Luthor again. They'd been here for far too long.

"Hey, how's Mera?"

Arthur looked to his right to find Barry walking beside him. "Could you try to announce you're coming instead of just showing up like that?"

"Victor and Bruce made these nifty new comms," he told him, pointing to his ear. "They fit right in your ear, and no one knows it's even there."

"I didn't get one," he stated.

"I got the first one to try out," he replied. "Victor is making more for the rest of the team."

"What are you doing back here?"

"Came to check on Mera and to see if you had any new leads on Luthor."

"Nothing yet on Luthor, but he's got to be here somewhere," he responded with a scowl. "If he recruited Black Manta to attack us in Marseilles, then he must be close by. We haven't been here that long to be able to find us so quickly."

Barry glanced over his shoulder. "Do you think he's still here?"

"I have no doubt," Arthur confirmed. "He's just waiting for a chance to strike again."

"Do you think it was safe to leave Mera alone in the hotel room?"

"I'd rather draw him away from her, if possible," he told him. "With a little luck, he'll attack again now."

Barry frowned as he glanced at his teammate. "I'm not seeing how that's lucky," he pointed out. "Black Manta seems like a pretty nasty dude if you ask me."

"He is," he stated. "That's why I have to take him down before he can hurt Mera again."

"Or me," Barry added, giving Arthur a weak smile in response to his glare. "Just kidding…kind of…okay, not really."

"We need to work on your battle skills," he told him. "Hopefully, bravery will eventually come along too."

"I just rely on my speed," he said. "I don't have to actually fight if they can't catch me…and I'm very brave. I just don't have as much experience as the rest of you."

Arthur just shook his head as they entered a bakery. "You're pathetic."

"Being super-fast is a good way to stay alive," he reminded him. "Hey, I think I could use a dozen croissants myself. I haven't had breakfast yet."

"How is that possible?" Arthur asked him. "You eat all the time."

"Not all the time," he replied. "Just most of the time."

Barry and Arthur ordered their food, talking about new commlinks and finding Luthor as well as ways to include some training time for Barry. At that moment, neither was aware that they were being watched.

Undisclosed Location; May 3rd, 06:07 EST

Lex Luthor's lips curved into a disapproving frown as he perused the mainstream papers from the United States, anxious for information about Batman and Bruce Wayne. Deathstroke had to have done something by now, wouldn't he?

He grumbled under his breath, cursing Deathstroke for not moving faster to eliminate Batman. The sooner Bruce Wayne was out of this world the better. He was the brains and money behind the Justice League. Without him to lead the team, they would fall apart.

If only things had gone according to plan before then Superman and Batman would've killed each other, and he wouldn't be in this position. He'd be ruling the world when Darkseid finally arrived. He knew it was only a matter of time before the invasion began. He wanted to make it as smooth a transition as possible to the new regime and it started with eliminating the Justice League.

Everly approached, holding a couple of paper files. "Here are the files you requested," she announced, setting them on the table.

"Wonderful," Lex replied, taking the papers. "Have you told the captain about our new destination plans?"

"Yes," she confirmed with a nod. "He said that we will start heading towards Ponta Delgada as soon as we finish fueling."

"Have the supplies been brought on board yet?" he asked, giving her a little smirk. "I don't leave France until my supply of wine and caviar has been replenished."

"Supplies have been brought aboard and are being put in storage as we speak."

"You know I can't plot a good takeover of the world without wine and caviar," he lightly said, sitting back in his chair and steepling his fingertips.

"Of course, Mister Luthor," she agreed with a small smile.

"You know I've told you to call me Lex," he responded.

"Sorry, Lex," she apologized. "Habits are hard to break."

"Please, sit down," he said, offering her the chair across from him. "Have you heard from Deathstroke or Black Manta yet?"

"No, nothing from either of them," she revealed as she took the offered chair.

"I shouldn't have expected any news," he grumbled. "Good villains are so hard to find these days."

"I did receive an encrypted message from Mister Mannheim," she informed him, handing him her tablet.

"Ah, yes!" he exclaimed, rubbing his hands together as he leaned forward to take her tablet. "It's about time. Hopefully, Bruno is following the instructions that I gave him."

"Are you certain you can trust him?"

"Not one bit," he said with a grin as he looked up from the tablet, "but he can't trust me either. Thankfully, money speaks truth when lies are shared."

"I can't imagine the head of Intergang would be in need of money."

"He's a greedy son a gun which helps," he replied. "Besides that, I promised to give him the Eastern Seaboard once I'm in control with plans to expand across the United States."

Everly frowned as she watched Lex work to decipher the encrypted message. "How can you make a promise like that already?"

Lex shrugged a single shoulder as his brow knitted in frustration. "He bought it, so it doesn't really matter if I come through or not," he told her. "I could've promised him the sun, moon, and stars with the money I offered him, and he still would've jumped at it."

"What the matter?"

"Professor Ivo is running into some problems with the project I gave him," he muttered, tapping a few buttons on the tablet. "It's going to take a little more time. Doesn't he know that we don't have time to waste here?"

"Why? What do you know?"

Lex looked up at her, a dark, sinister gleam shining in his eyes. "I happen to know a little something about an alien warlord that has plans to invade Earth," he revealed with a cry of glee.

Everly stared at him in stunned disbelief. "How do you know all of this?"

Lex waved it off, looking back at the table. "Long story about a Kryptonian ship, a general's fingerprints, and a database," he replied as if they were talking about nothing more important than the weather. He looked up at her once more, his eyes growing wide with excitement. "You can't begin to imagine the things I learned."

"Lex, why are you so nonchalant about an alien invasion?" she questioned him, growing more alarmed by the second. "Everything on Earth could be destroyed…civilizations enslaved. It would be the end of life as we know it."

"Yes, but it's said that Darkseid is the ultimate power," Lex told her, his voice taking on a disturbing tone, "and I want that power."

Everly felt an icy shiver race up her spine, her breath catching in her throat. She could see the dark hunger in his eyes, the thirst for something that was in all sense of the word he was incapable of possessing. Yet, she could see he truly believed that he could and that he would have it one day.

What had she gotten herself into?

God help them all.

The Daily Planet; May 3rd, 09:30 EST

Lois sat down at her desk with the copies that she'd just made, wondering where her fiancé was at that moment. She hadn't heard from him for a few hours, leaving her to wonder what he had gotten himself into. She was doing her best not to worry, but it was difficult.

Sorting through the copies, she began to run through the highlights of what she wanted to cover for the article that she'd been working on. She was determined to expose the mayoral candidate for what she really was before the citizens of Metropolis got anywhere near the polls.

She looked over at Clark's desk, worry gracing her face. His empty chair left her feeling unsettled. He hadn't come home at all last night and still hadn't arrived home when she had left for the Planet this morning. He had sent her a quick text message around five this morning letting her know not to worry, but over four and a half hours ago. This wasn't like him unless there was a disaster…and there weren't any disasters that she knew of.

The elevator chimed at that moment, the doors sliding open to reveal the man that had been on her mind. She watched as Clark nodded and smiled at several coworkers as he made his way to his desk. She fought the urge to run to greet him, knowing she was being overly dramatic.

Ever since his death, she'd been afraid of losing him again. He had always been so invincible, so indestructible until Doomsday was created. That was when she'd discovered the cold hard fact that her beloved Superman wasn't indomitable. He could lose his life right in front of her again.

Noticing the look of concern on her face, Clark went to her, bending over to kiss her in greeting. "Don't look so worried," he softly told her. "I told you I was fine."

"I know…I know," she replied, shaking her head as he sat down at his desk. "I'm being ridiculous. It's just that…"

"I know," he interrupted her with a tender smile. "It's okay."

"What took you away all night?"

"Bruno Mannheim," he revealed. "He is working with Luthor on a project."

"What kind of project?" she asked.

Clark glanced around at the crowded newsroom, turning his attention back to his fiancé. "Not here," he softly said. "After I discovered something last night, I went to see Victor to gather more information. We were working most of the night on it."

Lois was relieved to know that he had been with Victor most of the night. At the same time, the notion that Luthor had another project in the works that involved Bruno Mannheim made her stomach churn with dread. Why couldn't they catch a break?

First Luthor, then Doomsday and Steppenwolf. Now, there was going to be another.

She knew she could walk away from this life and not look back. She could call off her engagement to Clark and not have to deal with this constant string of villains and monsters and chaos. In her heart, though, she knew that she could never walk away. She loved him too much. She knew what she had gotten into when she first began falling in love with him.

"Were you able to find the information that you need to stop it?" she asked.

"Not yet," he replied. "I'm anxious to meet with Bruce once he gets back tonight. I'm hoping he might be able to help get to the bottom of this."

"It's that bad?"

"I'm afraid it could be," he confirmed. "Don't worry about it, Lo. We'll figure it out and stop it before it can get out of hand."

Lois rolled her eyes as she picked up her coffee cup. "Says the man who came back from the dead," she muttered under her breath, knowing he would be the only one who could hear her.

"Alright, come on," he said, standing to his feet.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you for breakfast," he decided. "I can tell you what I discovered so you won't worry so much."

"Clark, do you really think that'll put my mind at ease?" she asked, grabbing her purse as she stood to her feet.

"Where do you two think you're going?" Perry asked as he approached them.

"Lead on a story," Lois told him.

"That might include some breakfast," Clark added.

"Are we still on for the suit fitting?" Perry questioned him.

"Yes, the wedding is still on," Clark confirmed.

"Are you sure?" Perry asked, glancing at Lois. "She can be pretty demanding."

"Perry!" Lois exclaimed. "I'm not demanding. I'm just…determined."

"That's putting it mildly," Perry decided. "Pick me up a donut while you're following up on that lead."

"We really are going after a lead on a story," Lois insisted.

"Right," Perry replied with a disbelieving look as he turned to leave.

"What makes you think I'm going to let you write about this lead?" Clark questioned her as they headed towards the elevator.

"Because you love me so much," she responded with a sweet smile.

"There is no story," he reminded her as the elevator doors closed.

Lois turned, grabbing the front of his shirt before pulling him down for a kiss. "There's no story…yet," she pointed out. "And when there is one, I call dibs on it."

"Maybe I'd like to write the story for once," he teased her.

"You'll be too busy cleaning up the mess you'll probably make."

"How about we cowrite the story this time?"

"I think that might work," she decided. "I can see the front-page headline now. 'Superman Takes Down Intergang by Missus Lois Lane-Kent and Mister Clark Kent."

Clark couldn't help but chuckle at her dramatization. "Your name goes first?"

"Of course," she told him with a grin. "It was my idea."

"Of course…what was I thinking," he muttered with a laugh.

"It's okay, honey," she said, patting his arm as they exited the Daily Planet. "You've been up all night. I'm sure you're not thinking straight yet."

"Good morning, Miss Lane…Mister Kent."

Lois and Clark both froze, Clark tensing with the unexpected presence before them. "Mister Mannheim," Clark politely replied. "What can we do for you this morning?"

"I just wanted to tell Lois that I thought last week's article on money counterfeiting in Metropolis was a fascinating piece of investigative reporting," he told them. "There's already talk that it could be nominated for a prize."

"Yes, it is," Lois curtly responded, giving him a none-too-friendly glare as she began to walk past him. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have someplace to be right now."

"I also wanted to warn you to be careful, Miss Lane," Bruno continued, watching as Lois and Clark stopped to look at him.

"Are you threatening me?" she demanded to know.

"No, not at all," Bruno quickly reassured her, holding his hands up before him. "I just think that a young woman like yourself should be careful with the level of investigating that you do. I'd hate to see you get hurt while doing research for an article."

"I think that sounds like a thinly veiled threat," Clark icily stated, taking a step forward to show they weren't afraid of him. He'd love nothing more than to put this guy in the hospital, but he couldn't do that…at least not right now. "We don't take very kindly to threats, Mister Mannheim."

"I'm just looking out for Miss Lane," he tried to backpedal. "I know that she doesn't stop until she gets the whole truth. That can be very dangerous in this town."

"Dangerous because of you?" Lois fired back, moving to stand by Clark. "We already know who and what you are, Bruno. I won't rest until I've taken you down."

"Lois," Clark softly murmured, his fingers gently wrapping around her upper arm in an effort to calm her down. The last thing they needed was for Bruno Mannheim to bring Intergang down on them, especially when he was trying to find out what Luthor had them doing in Metropolis right now. "If you'll excuse us."

Clark pulled Lois with him, keeping her close to him as they walked down the street. "Why are we running away from that slimy weasel?" she ground out, fuming over Mannheim's threats.

"We can't have him suspecting that we know he's working with Luthor," he reminded her. "We don't want him reigning hell down on us while I'm trying to figure out what he's doing with Professor Ivo and Luthor."

Lois drew a deep breath, glancing back over her shoulder to notice Bruno watching them with a smirk on his face. "Do you think Luthor told him your identity?"

"I don't know, but we can't take any chances," he replied. "The less trouble we stir up with Bruno and Intergang, the better. I don't need them going underground with their project because they think we're tracking them."

"I don't like this," she bit out, knowing he was right. "I wish we could take him down now before anyone gets hurt."

"I would too, but I don't have enough to go on yet," he told her. "I need hard evidence that he's working with Luthor and what that project could be. Until then, I want you to stay away from him and anything related to Intergang."

"For you," she promised. "If anyone else asked, I'd tell them to—"

"I know what you would tell them," he interrupted her. "For my peace of mind, I need you to keep working on your mayoral candidate article."

"Don't worry," she assured him. "I have plenty to work on with that article to keep me busy for another week or two."

"That's perfect," he decided. "It'll give me time to get to the bottom of this new partnership between Mannheim and Luthor."

"And then, we can write our article together," she reminded him.

"Hopefully, there's a wedding and a honeymoon in there somewhere," he said, escorting her into the diner.

"That's a definite yes," she confirmed, unable to let that meeting with Bruno Mannheim go.

He made a point of cornering the both of them and it wasn't just to threaten her. If he truly wanted to scare her into stopping her investigation into Intergang, he would have done it when she was alone, not with her fiancé. Something more was behind this.

What that something could be still remained a mystery at this point.

Gotham Airport; May 3rd, 17:34 EST

Bruce and Diana unbuckled their seatbelts as Bruce's personal jet finally rolled to a stop. "We're back home in Gotham," Diana said, gathering her things.

"Back to reality," he corrected her with a visible grimace.

She smiled softly as she stood to her feet, her hand finding his cheek. "You're not alone, Bruce," she reminded him. "You're not handling any of this on your own."

"I know," he relented, pausing to steal a kiss. "It's just that while we were in Paris all of our troubles seemed so far away. I would've loved to have just stayed there with you alone for a little while longer."

"Bruce, you're the one who has been encouraging me to come out of the shadows, and now you want us to stay there?"

"Don't mind me," he told her. "I think it's just knowing what we're going to be up against that has me wishing I could just run away with you. The Batman in me continually reminds me otherwise. We have a war on the horizon that we need to prepare for—one from Luthor and one from Darkseid."

"And that is why I love both of you," she replied, kissing him once more.

Bruce shook his head as picked up his travel bag. "You better run now," he teased.

"Why?"

"Because when Alfred finds out about us, you're never going to hear the end of how happy he is," he revealed.

"It's only because he loves you and cares so much about you," she reminded him. "He wants the best for you."

"I know," he agreed. "I would've been lost or dead a long time ago if not for him."

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about me, would you?"

Bruce turned to find Alfred standing in the doorway of the jet, a cheeky grin on his face. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that something happened in Paris," he said. "All I have to say is it's about time."

"Speaking of time," Bruce responded with a smirk, handing him his travel bag. "You're just in time to help with our bags."

"That's why I'm here," Alfred stated. "They're beginning to unload Miss Diana's belongs from the jet as we speak. They'll be delivered to the lake house yet this evening."

"Thank you, Alfred," Diana responded, kissing him on the cheek before exiting the jet. "You are irreplaceable."

"Shall I have her things placed in your bedroom, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked with a barely suppressed grin.

"That would be best," Bruce agreed, patting him on the shoulder.

"I take it you finally told her about the letter you received at Wayne Enterprises."

"Yes, I told her everything," he confirmed.

"I'm quite impressed," Alfred replied. "I thought you'd keep it from her for as long as possible."

"Don't think I didn't try," he told him with a visible grimace. "She's a formidable force to be reckoned with. There's no getting anything past her."

"I'm relieved you learned that now rather than later."

Alfred and Bruce exited the plane together, heading to the car where Diana was waiting for them. "Have there been any developments I need to know about?" Bruce asked Alfred as he came to stand beside Diana.

Alfred opened the back door, allowing Diana to enter first. "I'm afraid there have been some pretty significant developments," he informed them, getting into the driver's seat.

"What is it?" Bruce asked as he climbed into the backseat with her.

"The comm link is working perfectly," Alfred revealed. "Mister Stone and I did some tweaking with the frequency, and we're now in the process of making more for the rest of the team."

"That is great news," Bruce decided. "Now, if we can just create a transporter that will allow us to transport from one place to another without having to take the time to travel there."

"That would be great," Diana agreed. "It would increase our ability to get to a scene when we're needed instead of wasting valuable time getting there."

"Let's get the commlinks done and then we'll talk about the possibility of transporters," Alfred said.

"What other developments have there been?" Diana questioned him.

"Mister Kent has been investigating Mister Mannheim to find out what his connection is to Lex Luthor," Alfred continued. "He was able to uncover another individual that has been recruited by Mister Luthor to work with Bruno Mannheim."

"Who is it?" Bruce asked, tension settling into his neck and shoulders.

"Professor Ivo," Alfred divulged, looking at Bruce in the rearview mirror and noticing the worry that filled his eyes.

"Who is Professor Ivo?" Diana asked, looking to Bruce for answers.

"He's a professor that works at S.T.A.R. Labs," Bruce relayed, considering the ramifications of the revelation. "He used to work with Victor's father, Silas Stone."

"Oh, Hera," Diana murmured, knowing how difficult the death of Victor's father has been for him. Professor Ivo's unexpected entrance into this bizarre circle of monsters was only going to add to Victor's grief. "What do you know about him?"

Bruce drew a deep breath as he considered where to start, releasing it slowly through parted lips. This wasn't a good turn of events. "I've had my concerns about him for quite some time," he informed her. "He's obsessed with immortality and avoiding death at all costs. Some of the things that he has created to achieve his goals are quite disturbing. I fear the man is far from stable."

"That makes two of them if Lex Luthor has recruited him to help him in his plans to take down the League," Alfred added.

"I wonder what Luthor has Ivo working on now," Diana said more to herself than to the men in the car with her.

The last time Luthor had created something they had been in a deadly battle to defeat Doomsday. It had ended costing Clark his life. She shuddered to think what Luthor could possibly come up with now with the help of a scientist who was unhinged.

"That's what we're going to have to find out," Bruce decided. "You and I are going to need to pay S.T.A.R. Labs a visit tonight."

"I hope this visit gets us the information we need," she murmured. "We have to get on top of this. I feel like we're constantly several steps behind Luthor."

"Mister Kent is anxious to talk to you," Alfred revealed. "I believe he was planning on coming to the Lake House to speak with you when you returned. He didn't feel it was safe to speak to you over the phone."

Diana looked at Bruce, giving him a playful little smirk. "He's beginning to sound as paranoid as you are," she lightly teased.

"Being paranoid has saved my hide more times than I can count," he retorted. "It might not hurt to involve Victor in this tonight. He will know plenty about Professor Ivo."

"I doubt that Ivo would have whatever he's working on at S.T.A.R. Labs where it can be easily found," Diana pointed out. "I think it would be wiser to be working on this project at a different location."

"We'll have Clark and Victor check out Bruno Mannheim's other properties while we go to S.T.A.R. Labs tonight," Bruce decided. "I still think that Ivo could keep some notes in his lab at work."

"Sounds like we have a busy night ahead of us," she replied.

"See? We should've stayed in Paris," he flirted, his gaze falling to her red lips with obvious desire.

"We work first and play later," she reassured him. "I promise I'll make it worth your wait."

Bruce groaned softly, deciding it was growing uncomfortably warm in the car. He was definitely going to have to find a way to separate Diana and Wonder Woman…lover and teammate. It was going to be incredibly difficult, but he had to do it. He couldn't let her become a distraction to him in a fight.

That didn't mean they couldn't enjoy this newfound intimacy when they weren't in a fight.

He closed the distance between them, kissing her despite the fact that they had an audience in the person of Alfred Pennyworth. He savored the feel of her soft lips moving against his, knowing they couldn't take it any further, but knowing he would get to have her later tonight. That thought was going to have to hold him for now.

Parting, Diana sighed contentedly, her lips curving. "I guess I won't need to look for an apartment of my own in Gotham now," she softly ventured.

"I won't let you," he told her. "You're staying with me from now on."

"I'd like that," she murmured, kissing him once more.

Alfred grinned as he drove the lovers home, more than thrilled with the turn of events. It was something that he could see budding and growing between the pair despite their hesitancy and fears. He just hoped that the evils that threatened their world didn't end up destroying what the couple had found in each other.

Only time would tell if they could survive all that life was preparing to throw at them.

A/N: Are you kidding, Alfred? Bruce and Diana can handle anything!

UP NEXT: Arthur & Mera get an unexpected visitor, Bruce & Diana's secret is out, and a new player on Luthor's side is revealed. :)