Lois broke off Bruce's kiss and turned away form him.
"I don't think THAT was a very good idea, Bruce. Chloe already believes that whatever we have together, is going to keep me here." Lois said, now walking towards the window.
Bruce did not answer and when Lois turned to look at him, she saw he was leaning against the door. He finally spoke.
"I want to start over, because somewhere between your getting arrested and this moment right now, I have given you the impression that I care nothing for you."
"I don't think you care 'nothing' for me, Bruce. I'm just not a big deal for you. I'm fine with that. Really. Besides, I have a story I want to discuss with you. One that I need more help on than might be possible."
Bruce walked towards her.
"What is it? Is it in the folder?"
Lois tossed the folder in the trash.
"No. I wouldn't dare keep any of this on paper. I have a source that is alleging that some of the Kryptonians that have come here, already have wives on Krypton, even though they have married Earth women and men. This same source also alleges that the Kryptonians are only here because of the Vice-President's son."
Bruce was very careful not to let his facial expression betray anything. He knew who Lois was referring to. But the world could not. Not until they were ready.
"Vice-President Zod has a son that is on this planet?" Bruce asked carefully.
"Yes. And he has something. Something that he took from Krypton that could mean the end of the planet. If they can get it back, it will save Krypton. If they can't, then they plan to totally take over here and a lot of people that are married to Kryptonians are about to be dumped-my mother included." Lois said.
Bruce turned away from Lois. Davis Bloom had come to him, Dinah Lance, Oliver Queen and a few other powerful people, that were determined to stop the Kryptonians if they looked like they were for one minute, not what they claimed to be-that being peaceful beings from another planet that wanted to 'assimilate'. Under his new name and a new life, Davis came to him specifically to help create a serum, made from meteor rock from the planet Krypton, and other chemicals, that would make earthlings invisible to Kryptonians, if they ever got out of line. Invisible so that the people of Earth could plan a counter strategy.
He liked Jor-El, but he did not trust him enough to let him in on such a thing. Yes, he was married to Ella Lane, but now that Lois suspected that he was not what he claimed to be, time was running out with regards to their plans. And Davis was clearly in love with his wife, Cat, and had no other attachments on Krypton, or any liking or caring for his own parents.
Bruce turned back to Lois.
"You have something. But I think for now, let's begin with the allegation that many of these Kryptonians could possibly be married on their home planet."
Lois nodded slowly.
"Alright, but it's practically impossible to prove. There is nothing online about Krypton. It is like someone totally wiped out anything about the planet itself or the people, from Google."
"Which is no small feat." Bruce acknowledged.
"And yet we don't have the technology to just travel there."
"But the Kryptonians can fly. They do. Though my understanding is that the further they are from our yellow sun, the more those powers fail." Bruce said. Lois nodded.
"There has to be some kind of space station or something, that we know nothing about that is the halfway point for getting them to the planet. And yet I know Zod has been asked about it and has been cagey with his answers." Lois said.
Bruce eyed Lois. He had been right to try and renew a relationship with her, even though Lois suspected that he was not as serious about pursuing her. This story would be a good way to bring them closer together. Close enough that maybe, just maybe, he could get her to plant surveillance in the Luthor mansion.
"Why don't we finish this discussion over lunch later? At my penthouse here in Metropolis?" Bruce suggested.
"I don't think that's a good idea. Chloe already thinks that I'm doing something illicit to keep my job here. So..."
Bruce reached out and touched her chin.
"I am really going to have to work overtime to prove to you that I am serious about you, aren't I?"
Lois slowly removed his hand from her chin.
"Fine, Bruce. But it's just lunch. That's it. Okay?"
Bruce nodded and Lois walked out of the office. Meanwhile, Kal-El having heard everything, walked away from the window and over to a safe. He pressed some numbers and soon it opened. Inside there were various items. The one he reached for, was a copy of Batman's costume.
He put it in a box and then walked out of his office and stopped in front of Dinah's desk.
"I have a meeting out of the building. One that I forgot about. I'll be back in an hour." he told her. Dinah nodded then watched Kal-El walk to the elevators with a box tucked under his arm. Once the elevators closed, she looked through his schedule. Whatever this meeting was, it was unplanned. And what was in that box?
Dinah stood up and decided to use Kal-El's absence as a chance to look through his office.
Meanwhile, Kal-El walked into an alley, looked around and then flew into the air quickly, making his way to Bruce's penthouse. Once there, he landed on the terrace, walked to an unlocked door and stepped inside.
Kal-El looked around. Where would be a good place to plant this costume? Where or where...
He could plant it in one of Bruce's bedrooms. And yet, Kal-El did not want to think about this lunch Lois had been invited to, going that far.
He thought about the bathroom. The bathroom would be good...still...
Kal-El looked around in the front room. What was that expression used here on this planet? Better to be safe than sorry?
Kal-El dumped the costume on the couch, then tossed the cape on another chair and the cowl mask on a table. He then walked over to the stairs and left the boots at the foot of them.
Satisfied that Lois would be too appalled to trust Bruce with her 'story', Kal-El headed towards the terrace doors to fly back to LuthorCorp.
Meanwhile, at Wayne Enterprises, Jor-El and the rest of his team removed their goggles. They had just finished testing a new piece of weaponry that the company planned to sell to the military.
Everyone but Jor-El seemed pleased by the results. And it was not that he was not 'pleased'.
He was bored. And feeling more anxious, about finding out WHO the secret scientist was, that he had not laid eyes on as of yet. Jor-El ordered his team to perform two more tests to be sure that they were on the right track, before excusing himself from the lab.
Once in the corridor, Jor-El surreptitiously looked around. There was one young man that he saw coming and going from tell tale, off limits lab. And he planned to take his entrance pass from him to gain entry himself.
Jor-El walked down the hallway until he reached the Men's Room. The young man used the bathroom around this time, almost everyday. Hopefully no one else would be around when this bit of sabotage went on.
Jor-El walked into the rest room and looked under the stalls. No one was here. He set a folder down he had been carrying on one sink, then walked to another to wash his hands. He allowed his thoughts to wander at this moment.
It was time for him to return to Krypton to see Lara. Jor-El planned on telling Ella he would be traveling on business for Wayne Enterprises. But he wanted Kal-El to return to Krypton as well, for a visit. Once they eliminated any threat that the Earthlings could pose against them, they would need to begin coordinating forces to keep order here.
Or, a more ideal solution would be to find Zod's errant son, Lor-Zod, and get that crystal back! How any Kryptonian could do that to his own people, was beyond Jor-El's understanding. But then again, Lor-Zod's birth had been wrought with problems. And Lor-Zod had never been quite 'right'.
Jor-El's mind moved back to Ella as he dried his hands. Once he told her about Lara, he hoped that Ella would agree to be his mistress. Granted, from his studies of earth women, there were certain types that would never agree to such an arrangement. But he was relatively sure Ella might. His thoughts moved to young Lucy Lane. She was the type of woman that might.
Lois was not. And that brought him back to Ella. In case she would not go for it, Jor-El wondered if a caveat could be offered? He recalled the glint in her eyes, when she spoke about Bruce Wayne and Lois. Maybe if he could make something more happen, such as a marriage, then maybe, Ella would agree to his terms.
All he knew, was that while he loved Lara dearly, he did not want to cut Ella completely out of his life once the take over happened.
Jor-El was so deep into thought over this matter, that he almost missed the person he was looking for-Myron Nygma. Jor-El usually did not listen to gossip, but he had heard that Myron's brother was some criminal that Bruce had taken on and was now locked in a mental institution.
He mentally checked himself. Bruce did not handle the man. 'Batman' did.
Myron nodded to him and moved to wash his hands at a neighboring sink. Jor-El nodded back. Now was the time to strike...
David Bloom, a.k.a., Lor-Zod, heard the door open and assumed Myron had returned. But when he turned to face him, he got the surprise of his life.
Jor-El.
Davis has always known the danger of working here with Jor-El so close by. Bruce Wayne had known it too. But precautions had been taken and up until now, the elder, Kryptonian statesman, had appeared to have no idea they were in the same building.
Until now.
Davis set his clipboard down.
"Jor-El. I won't ask where Myron is..."
"He is resting comfortably in one of the men's stalls," Jor-El said coolly, "and now that you have been exposed, you can either turn over the crystal that you absconded with, quietly, or I will just leave here and let every Kryptonian on this planet, know of your whereabouts."
"Come on, Jor-El. You really came in here for the crystal? You aren't even curious as to what I have been working on in here? What Bruce Wayne has me working on in here?" Davis asked calmly.
"Something that will destroy your own kind, I'm sure." Jor-El said in a sardonic tone. Davis moved closer to him.
"Something that will protect these good people from you all."
"Lor-Zod, if you had not taken that crystal, none of us would be here. Give me the crystal and we will return to Krypton in peace."
Davis scoffed!
"You don't think I know you have two wives, Jor-El? My father is Vice-President of this country and I'm sure he will murder President Luthor so that he can take over. None of you are leaving. You don't know what was done to me. I came to this planet for medical help! And I was determined that none of you would do to anyone else, what was done to me!" he snapped.
Jor-El was genuinely shocked at the hatred he saw in Lor-Zod's eyes! And he didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about! But then again, Lor-Zod had always been a little off...
"Alright, Lor-Zod..." Jor-El began but Davis cut him off!
"That is no longer my name!" he yelled and pressed a button, then backed away very quickly. A cage suddenly came down around Jor-El! And it was made from some sort of green rock that weakened him and made him sick! Jor-El immediately crumpled to the floor of the cage!'
"Lor-Zod!" Jor-El croaked. "What have you done to me?"
Davis did not answer. He pulled out his phone and called Bruce Wayne. What they feared might happen, had happened.
Kal-El walked into The Daily Planet, hoping to persuade Chloe to have lunch with him. He arrived just as Bruce whisked Lois off in a limo. He refrained from openly grinning in public before stepping into the building.
He found Chloe and sat in Lois's chair, which was across from hers. He could see that Chloe was not happy. Kal-El realized he had not listened in on Chloe's meeting with Bruce.
Chloe looked over at him and gave him a wan smile.
"I don't think I can do lunch today, Kal-El."
Kal-El leaned forward.
"What is it? You look perturbed."
"I am perturbed, Kal-El! I am more than perturbed! I am upset and pissed off!"
Kal-El surreptitiously looked around as he noted that several people near them, looked over at Chloe.
"Chloe, keep your voice down and tell me what has happened."
Chloe took a deep breath, then spoke.
"Bruce Wayne wanted to meet with everyone and find out what they are working on. I told him about the story I was doing on you and he called it a puff piece!"
Kal-El raised a brow.
"I'm sorry. A what?"
"Oh. That means that he thought my story was trite and not worth reading. He didn't think that I said enough about you. I hate to be like this, but...I just get the feeling that Lois could write nothing and he wouldn't care." Chloe sighed.
"Now, now. I will handle this. You continue to do your story and we will add photos. I will show you someplace 'Kryptonian'. Someplace unique that no other journalist would ever find out about." Kal-El said, thinking of the Fortress. There was the danger, of course, of people that meant him no good, finding it and using it for their own purposes. But Kal-El figured once they took over this planet, none of these Earthlings would be able to pull something like that off.
Chloe stood up slowly.
"Really, Kal-El? You would do that for me?"
Kal-El stood up as well and walked over to her. He cupped her face within his hands.
"Of course. I know how important it is to you, that this internship turns into a real career. Bruce Wayne will not call your story a...what was that phrase?"
"A puff piece." Chloe said, smiling up at him. She could just drown in his eyes.
"No puff pieces from Chloe Sullivan...how did Lois fare? Surely she had to tell Bruce Wayne she was working on something?"
Chloe tilted her head in his hands.
"I don't know. They spoke for a long time. She's having lunch with him now, which I think is a bad idea. People are going to think that she's sleeping her way to the top."
"Lois can take care of herself, I'm sure." Kal-El said, smiling down at Chloe. It would not be long now before Lois discovered the truth about Mr. Wayne. And once that happened, she wouldn't dare ask him for any help with anything, much less a negative story about Kryptonians.
And maybe, just maybe, he could begin to pry Lois's attention away from Bruce and over to him, on a personal level as well.
