"Senator." Luthor beamed from the booth at Hagan's, one of Washington DC's most upscale restaurants. "So good of you to come."

"Lex." A hint of a smile formed on June Finch's lips as she sat opposite him.

"Enjoying your day off from the Superman hearings?" Lex maintained his smile as he scanned the menu, though he already knew what he would order. The turkey avocado sandwich here was outstanding.

"It's not a day off for me. I'm preparing questions for Superman's appearance Wednesday." Finch open the menu, looked at it for a few seconds, and placed it on the white linen cloth that covered the rectangular table.

She's probably ordering a salad. Given Finch's skinny frame, she looked like someone who ate salad for lunch and dinner. Probably breakfast, too. "Well, I give you credit. You finally did it. You got the Man of Steel to appear before your committee."

"It's long overdue if you ask me."

A red-jacketed waiter with a bow tie came over and took their orders. When he left, Luthor clasped his hands and leaned forward. "So, after you finish raking Superman over the coals, what then?"

"The people will know the truth about him, and about what happened when he fought General Zod."

"Uh-huh. And then what?"

Finch leaned back, drawing and holding a breath, apparently thinking of her next response. "Then we can have closure."

Luthor chuckled, shaking his head.

"What's so funny?" Finch's eyes narrowed.

"'We can have closure.'" Luthor resisted the urge to mock the Senator's Kentucky accent. "That's politician speak for nothing is going to happen."

Finch's face tightened in anger. Her gaze shifted to the large French windows running along the wall. Luthor leaned back and smirked. That reaction confirmed he was right.

"You know as well as I do nothing ever comes out of these hearings," Luthor smirked, "except to give the news networks something to fill a lot of time. No one goes to jail. No policy changes are made. It's just face time for politicians looking to climb the DC power ladder."

"I'm trying to give the American people what they, what we, have deserved for nearly two years. The truth about the Battle of Metropolis."

The waiter returned with their drinks, a sweet peach tea for Finch, and a sparkling water for Luthor. They resumed their conversation when he left.

"Save it for the soundbites, Senator. You know I'm right." Luthor locked eyes with her. "But, I can help change that."

Finch wrapped her slim fingers around her drink, which remained on the table. "How?"

"Do you really believe 'the truth' will make Americans feel safe? Do you think that will reassure them when they wonder, 'What will happen if Superman tries to take over the world?' Do you think the President and all the generals and admirals at the Pentagon are going to feel relieved after Superman talks to your committee, or are they going to still be thinking, 'We have no way of stopping this alien menace'?"

"And you do?" Finch cocked her head in a disbelieving look.

Luthor grinned, pulled out his phone, and opened a file. He slid it across the table to Finch, sipping his sparkling water while she read it.

After a couple of minutes, Finch looked up. "You're serious about this?"

"Of course. My scientists say it is doable. All we need is Zod's body."

Finch shook her head. "This is preposterous."

"There's a man out there who developed technology to shrink himself to the size of an ant, and you're calling this preposterous?" Luthor pointed at the phone. "That, is how you show everyone this hearing will be different from all the others. You're in the good graces of the President and most of his Cabinet. You can persuade them to do this. Then they . . . we, will finally have protection against Superman."

Finch stared hard at the phone, then at Luthor, who slowly fiddled with the ring on his left hand. "And you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart."

Luthor softly chuckled. "You know that's not how Washington works. I'm sure you have bigger ambitions than being a senator from Kentucky. Perhaps the White House."

Finch sat up straighter. He definitely had her attention.

"It takes a lot to run a Presidential campaign. Money, media consultants, marketing experts, good speechwriters. I have all that. Do me this favor, and it's all yours. You can't tell me that President Finch doesn't sound appealing."

"It does." Finch leaned forward, meeting his gaze. "There's just one problem."

"And what would that be?"

"I would owe you, for the rest of my life, and I don't like the thought of that."

Luthor grunted. "That's harsh, isn't it?"

"I know about your father. Along with stories of unethical business practices, there were also allegations of extra-marital affairs and domestic violence."

Luthor grimaced, shifting in his seat, trying to bury the memories of the beatings. He inhaled, collecting himself. "So I'm to pay for the sins of my father?"

"You're not so clean yourself, Lex," said Finch. "How many Third World sweatshops crank out LexCorp products? How much of your company's profits are in offshore accounts? Allegations of unsafe environmental practices in half-a-dozen countries, rumors of illegal technology transfers to totalitarian regimes. Shall I go on?"

Luthor straightened, forcing a smile. "Everything you said is unfounded. If you took any one of those charges to a court of law, it would be dismissed."

"I may not be able to prove it, but maybe someone will someday. I'd rather not have my name associated with yours." Finch shoved the phone back to Luthor and rose just as the waiter arrived with their food.

"Ma'am, your salad?"

"Let him eat it." She jerked her head at Luthor. "I'm leaving."

"You sure you won't change your mind?" asked Luthor.

"Definitely sure." Finch strode off.

Luthor sighed and looked at his ring. "That's a shame."

XXXXX

"Senator." Luthor waved from his seat at the Dome Grill, a pricy yet casual restaurant two blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

A round, balding man made his way past the center bar and sat across from him. Senator Harold Barnes of Pennsylvania, the vice-chairman of Finch's committee.

"Mister Luthor, a pleasure." The two shook hands. "Thank you for the invitation."

"Of course. So good of you to come. I hope you're enjoying your day off from the Superman hearings."

Barnes chuckled. "No such thing as a day off for a senator." He picked up his menu. "Staff meetings, bills to review, interviews to give. And of course, have to get ready for Superman's appearance."

"It sounds like you're looking forward to it." Luthor scanned his menu. He was truly hungry, and had his eye on the French dip. He had both his meal and Senator Finch's put in to-go boxes when he left Hagan's an hour ago.

"Who wouldn't look forward to putting questions to Superman?"

A waitress came by to take their drink orders.

"So what do you think will happen afterward?" Luthor asked when the waitress left.

Barnes grunted. "What usually happens at these hearings? Nothing. Except Finch's stock might go up. Maybe she gets a Cabinet post down the road, or a crack at the White House. Me? I'll still be stuck in the Senate. Let's face it. This is the June Finch show. All eyes are on her. The rest of us on the committee are simply window dressing.

Luthor smiled. This would be easy. "What if I told you there was a way for your stock to rise? To ensure that something of substance comes out of this hearing."

Barnes lowered his menu. "I'm listening."

"You also sit on the Armed Services Committee. You know people at the Pentagon, the intelligence agencies, the National Security Advisor."

"I do."

The waitress returned with their drinks, took their lunch orders, and left. Luthor eyed Barnes's whiskey sour, then his ring.

"Tell me. Does the military have plans on how to deal with Superman should he decide to pick up where Zod left off?"

Barnes winced. "I'm not at liberty to discuss such matters."

"Uh-huh." Luthor nodded. "Then I'll answer my own question. They do. They have to, and most of their plans likely involve nuclear weapons. Do you really want to annihilate an entire city to get one man? And who even knows if a nuke can stop Superman."

Barnes exhaled slowly. "That is a concern among many in my circle."

Luthor clasped his hands and leaned forward. "What if I told you I had a way to ensure you don't have to level an entire city to get Superman?"

"I'd say show me."

Luthor took out his phone, opened the file, and slid it across to Barnes. He read over it, eyes widening.

"You can really do this?"

"With your help."

Barnes looked back down at the phone, shaking his head. "This just seems so far-fetched."

"As far-fetched as the technology that lets the Atom shrink himself to the size of an ant."

"Good point." Barnes squared his shoulders. "All right. I can talk to some people. It might be hard. Despite the hearings, there are plenty of people in this town who think Superman can do no wrong."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to convince them otherwise," said Luthor. "And I would be very grateful."

"How grateful?"

"Grateful enough to move you from a seat in the Senate to a seat in the Oval Office."

Barnes sat up straighter, his face brightening.

Luthor continued. "It takes a lot to run a Presidential campaign. Money, media consultants, marketing experts, good speechwriters. I have all that. Do me this favor, and it's all yours. You can't tell me that President Barnes doesn't sound appealing."

"Yes it does sound appealing. You've got yourself a deal, Mister Luthor."

The two shook hands. Luthor scanned the nearby tables. All the patrons were engaged in their own conversations, not noticing them. He looked at the TV at the bar, tuned to CNN. It ran an update on the Metropolis shock jock, Leslie Willis, who was struck by lightning during a remote broadcast yesterday.

"Oh, look at that." He pointed at the TV.

Barnes turned around. Luthor flipped open the small compartment on his ring and dumped a white powder into the Senator's whiskey sour. He closed the compartment and withdrew his hands before Barnes turned back to him.

"I've heard of that woman. She has an acid tongue. Went after Superman a lot after the Battle of Metropolis."

"You should have invited her to testify," said Luthor. "She would have livened things up."

"Maybe. Too late now. Hit by lightning, who knows when she'll get out of the hospital, or if." Barnes raised his glass, saluted Luthor, and drained it.

Luthor smiled. Perfect.

XXXXX

Luthor's Gulfstream business jet touched down at Metropolis International Airport around sunset. Mercy picked him up in a limo and drove to LexCorp headquarters. There, Luthor changed into jeans, a t-shirt, a faded denim jacket, and a Metropolis Monarchs ballcap, then got into another car with Mercy, a six-year-old brown sedan. He had to be incognito for this next meeting.

They drove to one of the less affluent sections of the city, pulling up to an old, brick apartment building. Luthor walked up to it while Mercy stayed in the car. God help the poor dumb soul who tried to carjack her.

He went up to the second floor and knocked on one of the doors. A stout man just under six-feet-tall with white hair answered.

"Yeah?"

"Garfield Lynns?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Lex Luthor." He extended his hand.

Lynns eyed it warily. "Yeah right. Lex Luthor wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this."

Luthor took off his ballcap and held his hand under his face. "Are you convinced now?"

Lynns just grunted. "So what does the exalted Lex Luthor want with me?"

"May I?" Luthor pointed his hand at the apartment.

Lynns opened the door all the way, letting him inside. The place was simply furnished. A few framed photos stood on top of an entertainment center, one showing Lynns with a thin blond woman in a wheelchair.

"So." Lynns closed the door. "What do you want with me?"

"It's not so much you I want to talk to, Mister Lynns, as your alter ego . . . Firefly."

Lines etched into Lynns's face. "I don't do that anymore."

"But wouldn't you want to, just one more time, for your sister?" Luthor nodded to the photo.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lynns clenched his fists.

"Gabrielle. She worked at Wayne Technical, before the Battle of Metropolis, before she was paralyzed when the building came down."

"I know what happened to her. Why do you care?"

"Because that battle also killed employees of mine. Because these Senate hearings are meaningless. Because someone needs to do something about Superman before he decides instead of supposedly protecting us, he should be ruling us. And that someone is you, Garfield. Or rather, Firefly."

Lynns responded with a humorless laugh. "You think I haven't dreamed of killing that son-of-a-bitch? My sister was on her way to a great career. Gabby was going to make something of herself, more than her ex-con of a brother. Superman took all that away. She's paralyzed for life, she still goes to a therapist for all the mental trauma she suffered, even tried to kill herself once. If I hadn'ta stopped by when I did . . ." He walked over to the photo of him and his sister and picked it up.

Luthor smiled as Lynns continued. "I used a flamethrower when I was Firefly. What good is that against an alien that can shrug off missiles?"

"What if I tell you I'm in possession of something that can hurt Superman, even kill him?"

"I'd say you're full of shit."

Luthor pulled out his phone and opened a file. "You're a technically savvy person. See for yourself."

Lynns studied what was on the screen. He lifted his gaze back to Luthor. "This Kryptonite stuff is for real?"

"You saw the reports, and you saw the schematics for your new flamethrower. This will work. You can avenge what Superman did to your sister."

Lynns looked off to the wall, brow furrowed in thought. "What about Gabby? She's still on her company's insurance, but there are a lot of other expenses it doesn't cover."

"I'll take care of that. I'll even provide her with the best medical and psychological care for the rest of her life. And I'll make it worth your while." Luthor scanned the apartment. "You can't have a big paycheck if you're living here."

"I stashed some money away from my Firefly days, but that'll run out soon, and being a janitor pays shit."

"How does two million dollars sound?"

"Ha!" Lynns barked. "This is Superman we're talking about. Ten million, not a cent less."

Luthor bobbed his head from side-to-side. "You drive a hard bargain, but you have yourself a deal, Firefly."

He shook Lynns's hand, smiling wide. His plan was coming together nicely.

TO BE CONTINUED