Lois awoke feeling refreshed and picked up her phone to look at the time. It was 12:07 a.m..

She also saw she had a voicemail from Dr. Emil Hamilton. Before she could listen to it, the phone rang and the Caller I.D. showed it was her father! Lois picked up right away.

"Hi, Daddy! What's wrong?"

"Does anything have to be wrong for me to call my daughter?" General Lane said as he looked over at Bruce Wayne. They were in the Wayne Manor study.

"No. I guess not. It's just the middle of the night. If this is about Thanksgiving, I was thinking we could spend it together at the base."

"Actually, Lo, I need to see you. Now." General Lane told her. "I'm sending a car to bring to where I am-which is Gotham City at Wayne Manor."

Now Lois sat completely up.

"You're at Bruce's home? Why?"

"Your new boss told me about the story you wanted to write. Together, Mr. Wayne and I have been able to fill in the missing pieces."

Lois raised a brow. Her father sounded cryptic, and cryptic was not his style.

"Okay, since Bruce told you about what we're doing, then you know this could possibly affect Mom, right? I don't understand why Bruce felt he had to involve you?"

"Just be ready when I send the car. When you get here, everything will be clear. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. I'll be ready." Lois said hanging up. On his end, General Lane ended his call and looked over at an irate Bruce.

"Do you really think using your own daughter as bait, is a smart idea?" Bruce asked coldly. General Lane picked up the Cuban cigar he had been smoking, out of an ashtray.

"Mr. Wayne, I know my daughters. Both of them. I was fully aware that Lucy may have played some part, in that funny business with Kal-El. That was why I sent her away to school. And I allowed Lois to stay in that household because I knew she could handle herself. And I know a guy like that, would not be her type. Once Lois understands the bigger picture, she'll be fine with what we had to do to get Kal-El here. Now, YOU told me that you think he has a thing for Lois too. So I think we need to get the trap ready, okay?"

General Lane clearly thought he was taking over. Bruce would have to school him a bit.

"General, I wanted to do my duty by ensuring the safety of this nation in case these Kryptonians got out of line. And I know you would not do anything to bring harm to your own daughter. But there are other issues here. Davis Bloom, for one."

General Lane sighed.

"Mr. Wayne, Jor-El would say anything now to get out of that trap we have him in. He's lying. And Mr. Bloom is going to be commended for helping us stop these people."

"HIS people, General! I know you think I'm some sort of soft, spoiled rich guy. But Jor-El has been working for me. That means I've spent time studying him. I would know when he was lying and when he was not. You have to wonder WHY Davis Bloom would be willing to kill off his own kind?"

General Lane said nothing. He did appear to be thinking though. Bruce continued.

"I just don't like the fact that he lied about that crystal. I'm for stopping the Kryptonians before they try and take over this planet. But they are trying because Zod's son took something that will destroy their own planet. If he gives it back, we can eject them all and keep an eye on them from afar." Bruce said.

"I'm going to talk to Jor-El myself about this." General Lane said, snuffing the cigar. "And if I get the same feeling that you get, then I will look into this further. But if I smell one ounce of bullshit..."

"General Lane, no disrespect intended, but do you think it's wise that you talk to him? Considering that he essentially stole your wife?"

"Did he? Jor-El has a wife on Krypton. Sadly, for my ex-wife, she left me for nothing. And when he's sent back there, that is who he will end up with. His REAL wife. So, Mr. Wayne, I'm feeling generous. I will be quite able to forget what was done to me." he said as he turned and walked away. Bruce stared after him for a bit, then looked at an old grandfather clock. Lois would probably be here in a little over an hour.


Lois was wearing slacks and a blue sweater as she hurried down the stairs at the mansion. Kal-El, who was up late working on LuthorCorp business in the study, tilted his head as he saw that she was up and around this late.

"Lois?" Kal-El asked, slowly putting a cap on his pen and setting it down. Lois entered the study.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Why are you awake so late?"

"Why are you?" Lois countered. Her hair was in a ponytail.

"I'm working on business. You looked as if you were headed out?"

"My father called. He's sending a car for me."

"Your father called you this late?"

"It's no big deal. He's in Gotham and wants to meet. The car he's sending should be here any minute so..." Lois trailed off and turned to walk out. But Kal-El grabbed her arm!

"Your father is in Gotham? Why?"

"I don't know," Lois lied, "and let go of me."

Kal-El removed his hand from her arm.

"Lois, I am concerned, that is all. You looked very tired earlier. I don't think traveling in the middle of the night is good for your health."

Lois folded her arms and regarded him for a moment before answering him.

"I have a voice mail from the doctor I told you about. The one that seemed to know that that mark you put on my thigh, was made by a Kryptonian. I haven't called him back because I think it's bad news and I don't really want to hear it right now. Why don't YOU tell me what he's going to say?"

"How would I know?" Kal-El countered.

"Because of the look on your face when I mentioned all of this earlier. I asked you if this mark would go away and you said 'yes', but the 'yes' was not very convincing. So if there is something you're not telling me, I'd like to hear it before I call this doctor back." Lois said.

"I can hear the car," Kal-El said, "you should go. We will discuss this when you return."

Lois did not move. She unfolded her arms and moved closer to him.

"Kal-El, my question only needs a 'yes' or a 'no'. So if we need to discuss it further, then I guess I'll ask that doctor what it is you're lying to me about."

"You should go." Kal-El repeated and Lois tried to hide her unease as she turned away from him and walked into the foyer. Now she was thinking that if what she was about to hear was really bad, maybe she should tell her father about it? After all, if he and Bruce were working together, then something truly dangerous had to be going on with the Kryptonians.

Kal-El watched as Lois opened the door to a man in a military uniform, then left. He slowly walked to one of the windows and peered out. He had no doubts whatsoever, that General Lane and Bruce were working together. And they both had his father.

Kal-El waited until the car took off, before he too left the mansion and took to the skies.


Lois had fallen asleep in the back of the military car, so when it came to a rather abrupt stop, it awoke her. She could see that they were in front of Bruce's front door. She had only been here, once before, when Jor-El had brought her mother, and herself here for some gathering for the employees of Wayne Enterprises.

She had had no classes that day, so when her mother asked her if she'd like to come along, the idea appealed to her. And back then, not much had when it came to her step-father. But Wayne Enterprises was always in the news and everyone knew about Bruce Wayne from the tabloids.

Lois has been surprised to find that the gathering was not at Wayne Enterprises but at Bruce's home. And while living in the house of Lex Luthor, didn't make her mouth automatically drop open at the idea of actually being in a mansion, Lois was a big believer that houses, no matter their size, told you something about the people that lived in them.

At one point, Lois had wandered away from Jor-El and her mother, and began exploring on her own. Inevitably, she ended up in a study and noticed some framed photographs on a shelf. Lois remembered she had peered at them, recognizing most of them as being pictures of Bruce's parents. But there were also more than a few of some girl with dark hair. In some of them, she was posed alone, in some, she was with Bruce. And in one in particular, she was standing between Bruce and some guy that Lois realized was the D.A. in Gotham.

Lois had picked up that one, then promptly dropped it, when she was startled by the door opening.

Bruce had entered and Lois could tell that he was more than a bit surprised to find her in his study and looking at personal photographs. Lois picked up the one she dropped, and cursed silently when she realized she had cracked the glass frame! She hurriedly shoved that photograph behind one of his mother, before turning to face the billionaire.

There was a saying about people looking better in person. Bruce had definitely epitomized that phrase. He had glanced over at the pictures, before dragging his eyes back to her, asking her if she was Jor-El's daughter. Lois had instantly corrected him, saying Jor-El was her 'mother's husband' and from there, Lois not only found herself wildly attracted to him, but she felt as if Bruce understood what she was going through, without her having to reveal a whole lot.

Lois pulled herself into the here and now, as she got out of the car and walked up to Bruce, who was standing in his doorway. Maybe he had understood what she was going through, because he had known more about Jor-El this whole time? Was that possible?

Bruce glanced up in the sky. He saw something fly over the estate and refrained from smiling. Their plan had worked. He had no doubt that he had just spotted Kal-El. He looked at Lois again and frowned in concern.

"You look tired. I'm sorry for the middle of the night summoning." he said, taking her arm.

"I'm fine. Let's just say my day got worse after I left you." Lois said, stepping into the foyer.

"Worse how?" Bruce asked.

"It doesn't matter. Where is Daddy? What is this all about?" Lois asked curiously. Bruce rested his hands on her shoulders.

"The end. If all goes as planned, the Kryptonians will be leaving this planet soon. And that includes the El's." Bruce said firmly.

Meanwhile, Kal-El entered a cave, which stored the vehicle of the 'Batman' and had a lot of electronic equipment and gadgetry. Kal-El shook his head in disgust and was not even remotely startled, when Alfred appeared and began to dust! Alfred did not seem especially surprised to spot a stranger in this 'humble abode', adding to Kal-El's secret theory that Bruce and General Lane had wanted him to follow Lois here.

"Master Bruce would not appreciate you being in here." Alfred sniffed.

"Do you know who I am?" Kal-El asked, eyeing the older man.

"I do."

"Does 'Master Bruce' always expect you to dust in a cave? Because I would suspect a cave is impossible to keep clean."

Alfred said nothing. Kal-El looked away from him and looked at the car.

"A car with a picture of an animal that carries rabies. Charming."

"Master Bruce..." Alfred began but Kal-El's patience was ending!

"You tell 'Master Bruce' to come down here! Otherwise I would be glad to call Lois from my phone and give her instructions as to how to get to where I am. General Lane as well." Kal-El said drolly. Alfred proudly turned and left the cave. Kal-El suspected that Bruce would soon be arriving. And if Wayne didn't turn his father over NOW, he was going to kill him. Somehow, Kal-El doubted he would give up his life of 'fighting crime' for his Kryptonian, surrogate father figure.


Lois said hello to Alfred before he summoned Bruce away for a phone call. Once they left the room, Lois turned back to her father.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on? Is this about how my story will affect Mom? Because I'm sure that she will want nothing to do with Jor-El after this."

"Lo, you can't be sure of anything in this life. I was once sure that I had a wife that loved me and was committed to raising my daughters. That wasn't true."

Lois eyed him.

"What are you saying?"

"That I can't take your mother back. And you can't be sure that she'll even mind the fact that Jor-El has another wife."

"Daddy! Of course she will mind! How could she not? And she made a mistake! Look at how Kal-El is? He roped Lucy and Chloe into something and Jor-El has that same power over Mom. All we need to do is get them to leave here and everything will be fine again." Lois argued.

"Lo, there are bigger issues at stake. Bruce told me that you have a source that says, that Zod's son took something from the planet?"

Lois didn't like the change in subject, but she answered her father.

"Yes. A crystal or something."

"Well Zod's son has been working for Mr. Wayne. He's created something that will stop the Kryptonians and send them packing. But...Jor-El is saying that..."

"Jor-El? I thought he was on a business trip?" Lois interrupted.

"He is. It's a holding cell on the premises. One that is made from a weapon created that weakens the Kryptonians. Lo, where Jor-El is is not the point. He is claiming that Zod's son is not quite Kryptonian. That if he is left here, a Kryptonian will be the only one able to stop him. Did your source ever say anything about that?" General Lane asked.

Lois shook her head as she tried to process what she had been told.

"No! It was like pulling teeth just to get what I did."

General Lane snuffed a cigar again and walked up to his daughter.

"Honey, I need to know WHO this is. I know journalists don't like to reveal sources but technically you're an intern."

Lois backed back and folded her arms.

"No." was her answer.


Bruce entered the cave and found Kal-El sitting on top of the front hood of his car. When he stood up to face him, Bruce could see that Kal-El's weight had dented it. Something Kal-El knew would happen...

"Nice car. Or it was." Kal-El said blithely. "Now where is my father?"

"You'll be seeing him soon."

Kal-El grinned!

"And am I to take that answer as some sort of threat? From someone that is as unhinged as yourself?"

"I don't care what you think of me..."

"Or what Lois is going to think when she sees this nonsense? But then again, the point of starting a relationship with her, was not for it to develop into anything. It was to stop my people, correct?"

"Your concern for Lois is pathetic, considering she couldn't care less about you." Bruce answered just as blithely.

"Hmmmm. Yes, well it has always appeared that way before. But things will soon change on that front. Now tell me where my father is...NOW!" Kal-El yelled as he emitted a beam from his eyes that headed straight towards Bruce's chest! Bruce dived out of the way and then...

Kal-El stopped his attack when he could suddenly no longer see Bruce! Mother of Krypton! What was going on? He used his special vision but could not detect any sign of Wayne...

Kal-El suddenly felt very weak and sick! He slumped to the ground just as Bruce re-appeared, and put a long necklace, made of green rocks, around Kal-El's neck! He then grabbed Kal-El's hair and dragged him out of the cave so he could join his father. When he reached Jor-El's cage, he saw the older man's eyes register surprise and disappointment, at seeing Kal-El there.

Bruce left Kal-El with his father and left the room to return to General Lane and Lois. However, he could not stop thinking about what Kal-El had said before his attack on him. That bit about how it has always 'appeared that Lois could care less about Kal-El, but that that was about to change'. Change how? And why?