Clark sped to the Metropolis National Bank, Bruce flying over in the Batwing. Bruce's computer system had alerted him to a silent alarm at the bank, though all the CCTV cameras were totalled, and the network had been disconnected, preventing them from seeing exactly what was happening. Based on the MO, Bruce was convinced it was Joker.
Clark stopped round the corner, checking his hand. It was healed, Bruce having set it with a series of splints. Clark quickly removed them all. The last thing he needed people knowing was that he was vulnerable at the moment. They had to think he was fully recovered from his trip to hospital.
He sped off, reaching the front of the Bank moments before Bruce touched down. The police officer on duty looked between them, apparently surprised at Bruce's presence.
"I thought you were nocturnal?" He asked "And in Gotham."
"Is it Joker?" Bruce growled, observing the surprise on the Officer's face "That's what I thought."
Bruce began to advance towards the bank, Clark flanking him. As they reached the doors, there was a crash of glass breaking. Clark quickly zipped across, moving Bruce aside, the bullet that had been fired out impacting a police car behind them.
"Thanks." Bruce said gruffly "I made a rookie mistake there."
"Which was?" Clark asked.
"It's Joker." Bruce growled "Expect the unexpected."
"How do I even do that?" Clark asked, Bruce not answering as he moved to the edge of the door "I can get in and take him out in a second."
"Do it." Bruce said, watching Clark speed in, before watching him getting thrown out "Now that was unexpected..."
Bruce looked inside, seeing Joker stood there, Parasite beside him. Parasite tossed the man he'd been holding to the floor, the man's body withered as if it had been drained.
"Give yourselves up." Bruce yelled at the two men, Parasite charging up to him and lifting him in the air, Bruce pressing a control on his belt, a clear black mouthpiece sliding up to cover the exposed area of his face "Sorry, I'd rather not be dinner."
Bruce kneed Parasite in the crotch, the creature dropping him to the ground. Parasite was going through the same thing as Clark in reverse; the powers he'd sapped from the Kryptonian were fading with every moment, and Clark's were increasing with every moment.
Unfortunately, Bruce had just tipped Parasite off to that. He watched as Parasite sped out, pursuing Clark. Bruce disengaged the mouthpiece, scowling at Joker.
"It's just you and me." He said aggressively.
"No, Bats." Joker said, aiming the flower on his lapel at one of the hostages around him, firing a green liquid at their chest which began to emit smoke from it "It's just you. You should know by now, I have a rather acidic way about me."
Joker ran out the back laughing as Bruce moved over to the hostage, yanking their jacket and shirt off in one swift movement before pressing a control on his belt, ejecting the now contaminated gauntlets, leaving his hands covered by the gunmetal grey fabric attached to his suit as he began to press controls on his belt.
"I'm synthesising a neutralizer for Joker's acid." He said into his comm. system "Superman, how're you doing out there?"
...
"Just peachy." Clark quipped as he dodged a strike from Parasite "Kind of missing flying right now..."
"You can try, but it might not work." Bruce's reply came "Get him up high. You can't fly, but neither can he or he would've flown after you."
"Got it." Clark said, speeding off, checking behind him to see Parasite in pursuit "That's it, ugly, keep coming..."
Clark led him up the STAR labs science spire. It was the tallest building in Metropolis, and Clark could feel himself being dragged down by gravity as his speed was slowly reduced by the wind resistance and gravity. He looked behind him. The gap had closed slightly between him and Parasite, but the creature appeared to be tiring.
Clark reached the top, breathing in as much as possible. He just hoped his idea would work.
He waited for Parasite to reach the top before releasing the breath he'd taken, watching the creature struggle against the force of the wind coming from his mouth. As he finished exhaling, he charged at the creature, shoving him hard, watching as the purple creature plummeted to the ground. As the creature was about to impact the ground, a red streak caught it before speeding off into the distance.
"You called Barry?" Clark asked Bruce over the comm. line "Nice move..."
"I figured you killed one of his bad guys, he should get to save one of yours." Bruce's reply came "The Gorilla was one of his..."
"Speaking of bad guys, you get yours?" Clark asked, the line going silent "Bruce?"
"No. He got away." Came the cold response from Bruce "I'll let you deal with the clean up, I want to see if I can find Joker."
The line went dead. Clark sped down the building, looking at the form of Parasite on the ground. There was a large, yellow bruise on the side of his face; apparently, Barry had taken one or more hits to make sure he'd stay down.
Clark moved closer to the building, picking up an empty dumpster and moving it towards Parasite, before picking the figure up and depositing him in the dumpster at super speed. He focussed in on the seam, small beams of red energy coming from his eyes, flickering then stopping. He clenched his fists, getting annoyed, before trying again, this time getting sustained beams of heat, welding the dumpster shut.
"Let's see if this'll work..." He said to himself, crouching down, inertia building around him "Up, up and away..."
He hurtled skyward, pulling a U-turn in the air, coming close to the dumpster so as to pick it up before flying straight up. He had a deposit to make at the bank of Watchtower.
...
Lex sat in his office at Luthorcorp. He could see his private elevator was on it's way up from the car park. When he knew who was paying him a visit, he'd ordered all security cameras put on a loop of empty corridors and staff at their posts. He laid a hand on the briefcase in front of him. He knew what his guest was coming for; what they'd been promised.
The doors opened, Joker stepping out, his usual manic grin on his face. He moved to the mini bar at the side of the room, pouring himself a scotch. He moved over to the seat opposite Lex, sitting down before putting his feet up on the desk.
"You know, Lexy, when you first contacted me, I was going to tell you to stick your offer." Joker said, laughing as he added "That's why I came to see you that day. To tell you I don't work for chumps anymore. And to give you a face full of acid."
"Well, I'm glad you reconsidered." Lex said with a small smirk "After all, I needed a way to test the efficacy of whomever ended up being exposed to the formula that made the Parasite."
"You're just lucky you have good scotch." Joker said with a laugh, nodding to the briefcase "That for me?"
"Yes." Lex said, sliding the case over to Joker "Two million in unmarked, non-sequential bills, as requested. Why'd you ask for such a specific number?"
"I've been thinking of investing in a warehouse for me and some new tools for a young friend of mine." Joker said with a small laugh "Maybe a crowbar..."
...
Clark walked into the warehouse Bruce had been using. Bruce had shut off most of the equipment, barring the computer. His suit was in a metal case with a glass front, Bruce stood there looking at the cowl before inserting it into the case as well, closing it before pressing a control, causing it to lower into the floor.
"Thanks for your help." Clark said "Though I'll admit the term is one that only applies loosely."
"Any time." Bruce replied "I figure it helps to have Superman owe you a favour."
"I can understand that." Clark said with a smirk "You know, I probably wouldn't have been able to deal with Joker and Parasite."
"I'm not so sure about that." Bruce said with a wry grin "You asked me what my plan was on Apokolips. Still want to know?"
"Yeah." Clark said, crossing his arms as he leant against a table "You said you'd tell me."
"My plan was you." Bruce said "Or more specifically, Superman. I knew your compulsion to try to save everyone would ensure you saved me."
"You couldn't know that." Clark said "Not even I knew that."
"Yes I could." Bruce said "Because I would've done the same if the roles were reversed."
"Says the guy who killed Darkseid." Clark said with a chuckle, seeing a grimace on Bruce's face "Something the matter?"
"Yeah." Bruce said, pressing a control on the computer, bringing up a file marked 'Apokolips' "I was tracking the transmission Darkseid had sent, and-"
Before he could finish what he was saying, both Bruce and Clark's phones beeped, the two of them checking them.
"Well that's timing for you." Clark said, spinning on the spot and changing into his civilian clothes "I've been told to come to the Planet, got to help with something."
"I need to go and check something at Wayne Enterprises." Bruce said "Apparently, I need to sign off on a time sensitive project."
"Walk you out?" Clark said with a grin as they walked to the elevator to the exit "So, what were you saying?"
"I tracked the location to the transmission, and it came from-" Bruce began, before saying in shock at what was waiting for them at the exit to the building "Lois. What are you doing here?"
"Better question is what're you doing here?" Lois said with a smirk "According to the call I made to your office, you're at home working on the Wayne Enterprises charity gala."
"I had to check on some business." Bruce replied.
"That involved Clark Kent?" She asked "In a warehouse?"
"Best place for private meetings?" Clark said, shrugging his shoulders.
Lois looked between them before barging through, pressing the control. As she did, her body started convulsing as a large electric current ran through her body. Clark quickly sped over, removing her from the control. She looked at him with a smirk, before removing the top layer of skin from her hand.
"Latex." She said with a smirk "Immune to electrical charges. Like the ones Batman uses as a security measure on his car."
Bruce and Clark looked between each other, their expressions worried. Then, without warning, they walked towards her, picking her up and moving to the elevator, Bruce holding his finger on the button as it read the fingerprint before the doors opened.
"Hey, this is kidnapping!" She said as they put her down "I know I found out your little secrets, but-"
"Lois, shut up!" Bruce growled "How did you find out?"
"I was listening to your conversation at the hospital, that was my first hint." She said with an indignant expression "Then the faint tingling I felt on my finger just then and Smallville here super speeding to get me away from it kind of confirmed things. Especially after Batman and Superman were both seen downtown at the Metropolis National Bank earlier."
"You didn't have that conversation knowing she could be right outside, did you?" Clark asked Bruce, who looked away sheepishly, Clark rolling his eyes as he said "World's Greatest Detective outsmarted by World's Best Reporter..."
"Aww, you think I'm the World's Best Reporter?" Lois said, punching Clark playfully in the arm then shaking her hand in pain "Ouch."
"Man of Steel." Clark quipped, before turning his head towards the exit "Sirens up town."
"Go!" Bruce and Lois both said in unison, the two of them looking at each other awkwardly before Bruce continued "I'll deal with this."
Clark nodded as the two of them exited the elevator, removing his glasses before tearing open his shirt as the doors closed.
"That is nice." Lois said, Bruce half smirking at her "What are you looking at? I'm still pissed at you for not calling!"
"Of course you are." Bruce said, rolling his eyes as he pressed some commands on the computer "Just be aware of this, Lois. I'm going to let you walk out of there. But anything you say, any story that even hints at who me and Kent are will not be published and you will be summarily fired, with zero chance of ever getting a job as a reporter anywhere else, or even as a girl flipping burgers at McDonalds."
"You're powerful, Bruce, but you're not that powerful." Lois said with a smirk, her face falling as she saw what was on the monitor "You can't be serious..."
"I can." Bruce said with a smirk "I just bought the Daily Planet."
"Asshole..." Lois grumbled to herself as Bruce gestured to the elevator, escorting her out.
...
And voila! The Parasite arc is done, there's a brief wrap up next, and you may have noticed a very interesting allusion in one of the sections, considering a character who's just been introduced in volume 2 of The Bat. R&R, please, no flames. B.