Bruce was about to enter the Gotham Emergency Center, when he received a call from Perry White.

"Perry? What's going on?"

"I should be asking you that! Cat Grant was arrested in Gotham after that thing tried to attack her at your house? What the hell was she doing there with you? What's going on?"

"Lois will be covering the story for the Planet so..."

But Perry interrupted him sharply!

"If you think I called you because of a 'story', you are sadly mistaken, young man! I want to know what is going on and what you know about it! I haven't laid eyes on Lois Lane since the day before the Daily Planet was attacked! But you have! And WHY was Cat at your house? And why did that creature come to YOUR estate?"

Bruce was now inside of the ER and could see Rachel within his line of vision. She saw him and began walking towards him.

"I am working on getting Cat released. I will keep you posted." Bruce said, hanging up and facing Rachel.

"You had my reporter arrested?" Bruce asked.

"Yes. Interesting 'reporter'. She began blathering about how the creature is her 'husband' and that he was 'forcing' himself on her sexually, when Alfred came in to help her. Harvey received a call from General Sam Lane. He will be coming to Gotham take her into custody."

"Rachel, Cat is innocent in this! She didn't know when she married the man that turned into that thing, what he really was! You cannot turn her over to the military!"

Rachel squinted at him.

"Okay, see we already know that Cat Grant is married to one of your employees, one Davis Bloom. So I am assuming HE is this creature? Is he Kryptonian? Or something else?"

Bruce was about to answer, when he glanced at a TV in the waiting room. A news station had Davis's picture on-screen and was identifying him as the creature! Damnit!

Bruce now gave Rachel a hard look.

"Did Harvey tell the media who this man is? Because you know you've just incited a panic."

"I would worry about yourself, Bruce. There are two uniforms over there that are going to escort you downtown, after you see Alfred. And don't try anything or the next face on TV will be yours revealing that you are you-know-who." Rachel told him. She would always love and care for Bruce, but what was happening was beyond his capabilities. And his trying to handle it, may have cost Alfred and God knows who else, their lives.

Meanwhile, Davis landed with Lois in an alley behind the hospital. She then patted his shoulder.

"Get out of here and get back to the Fortress! I'll let you know what I find out about Cat and Alfred." Lois told him.

Davis gave her a quick and unexpected hug, before letting her go.

"Thank you, Lois. You've accepted me and I don't even know how Chloe is going to feel about me yet."

"One thing at a time, okay?" Lois said, smiling softly at him, before watching him leap into the air and fly off. Lois then sighed and headed out of the alley and in to the ER. if Alfred was dead, things were going to get uglier than they already were!

She spotted Bruce right away talking to...Lois squinted. That woman looked familiar...of God! It was Rachel Dawes! Was she here because of Alfred or because of Davis? Lois walked up to them. Rachel was the first to notice her.

"Lois Lane. I love your stories. I wish you worked for the Gotham Chronicle. That paper could use some entertainment."

Lois didn't quite know how to take that backhanded compliment. She certainly did not consider her stories to be 'entertaining'. She was all about hard news. But she bit back a snarky response and looked at Bruce.

"I heard about Alfred. Is he alright?"

"Heard about him how, Miss Lane? See the media only released the fact that one of the survivors of the Daily Planet massacre, was in Bruce's house at the time. No one knows about Alfred." Rachel said.

Lois had had enough of this wench!

"I know because Davis Bloom told me that he might have turned into the creature and hurt Alfred. He was very upset about it."

"You SAW Davis Bloom after the attack?" Rachel asked. Bruce reached for Lois's arm.

"Lois, don't say anything else!" he warned her. But it was too late...

"He flew me here. That was nice of him, don't you think?"

Rachel clenched her jaw, then pointed to an officer. He came right over.

"You're going downtown to have a little chat about how you let a murderer 'fly' you here and then didn't report him to the proper authorities." Rachel said.

"Rachel, this is not necessary. Lois and I will be happy to explain everything right here in a private room." Bruce told her.

"It's too late for that. YOU should have told me that Gotham City could possibly be in the same danger as Metropolis. You should have also told me that you had some sort of personal connection to this thing. This thing worked for you!"

"He is a human being, Rachel, who was experimented on by terrible people that he actually trusted. I was hoping we could cure him."

"The time to cure him was before he started killing people, Bruce!" Rachel snapped. She then focused on Lois.

"Are you going to tell me where that creature is right now?"

"I don't know where he is 'right now'. I saw him in the air though."

Bruce ran a hand down his face! Lois, Lois, LOIS! What was he going to do with her? A part of him knew, she knew exactly what she was doing here but still...

Lois turned to him.

"Go and check in on Alfred. I'll be fine. Go."

"I will be downtown..."

"As soon as you're finished seeing Alfred. I have two uniforms waiting, Bruce, remember that." Rachel said. Bruce looked away from her, then touched Lois's face.

"I won't be long." he told her, before walking off towards Alfred's room. Lois, who was now in cuffs, turned back to Rachel.

"You grew up with him, didn't you? How could you waste his time with this BS before letting him see Alfred?"

"You don't know anything about Bruce and myself, Miss Lane. So keep your mouth shut." Rachel said firmly.

"I know that in all probability, you found out Bruce's secret and decided to marry Harvey Dent instead." Lois said just as firmly. The look in her eyes confirmed Lois's theory. Rachel looked around and then lowered her voice.

"You know about him?"

"I do."

Rachel's eyes raked over her for a moment before speaking.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not finding Bruce's 'second job', quite so easy to deal with?" Rachel asked. She also did not wait for an answer. She nodded to the officer who took Lois out of the hospital in cuffs. Rachel turned away feeling somber. If Bruce shared his secret with Lois Lane, then Lois Lane was more important to him than most people realized-including Bruce himself...probably.

Lionel Luthor watched from his limo, as Lois was taken to a squad car. He took out his camera phone, took a picture, then sent it to Kal-El's text number. He then hit a button and the window rolled back up. He told the driver to return to Smallville.


"Moira, my dear," Zod drawled out in greeting, "you look as lovely as ever."

"Moira," Jor-El took over, "we need that crystal to save Krypton."

"So give it to us, or we will take it from you." Kal-El said in a warning tone. An insistent buzzing interrupted the moment for him, as he pulled out his phone and stared at a text picture, of Lois in handcuffs! Lionel Luthor sent it. How did Luthor have his text number and why would he do this?

It did not matter. Lois was not in the Fortress. She was in jail. And according to what Luthor had written, she was being taken to the downtown Gotham police station. He put his phone away and faced his father and Zod.

"Lois is in jail in Gotham City and not where she needs to be. I have to go."

"Oh do not worry, Kal-El," Zod said, never taking his eyes off of Moira, "we will be able to handle this just fine."

Moira tore her eyes off of Zod and looked at Kal-El.

"I will give you no trouble at all about this. I don't want to see people die. But I want Kal-El to take it to Krypton. My daughter, and I suspect my niece, Lois, could use some rest from his 'attentions'." she said blithely.

Kal-El turned to look at Jor-El.

"Time is of the essence. But Lois is in jail in Gotham..."

"Then I am sure Bruce can handle it. I know you don't like that option, but it will have to serve for now." Jor-El counseled his son. Kal-El nodded curtly and turned back to Moira as she walked up to him and handed him the crystal.

"I hope all goes well." Moira told him, before Kal-El left in a blur. That left her alone with Jor-El and Zod.

"Well," Zod said, "since the matter is settled, I should get back to Washington. Jor-El, walk me out, will you?"

Jor-El was about to do that anyway, since he did not trust that Zod would not circle back and try and hurt Moira in some way. He nodded and walked with Zod, past Moira and out of the study. When they were out in the hallway, Zod brought up something unexpected.

"I had a meeting earlier with General Lane and Bruce Wayne." Zod told him matter-of-factly.

"That does not surprise me. Bruce especially does not agree with how I am handling Lor-Zod."

"Yes," Zod said blithely, "they made me aware that you were trying to 'cure him'. I told them what I told Kal-El and yourself. Lor-Zod is the way he is because of drugs he took on Apokolips. I do not appreciate my good name being besmirched with this other tale. Lor-Zod was always hard to handle."

"Probably because he was secretly half human?" Jor-El asked, just as blithely.

"I also told General Lane and Mr. Wayne that I do not know what the hell Moira Sullivan is talking about. Faora is Lor-Zod's mother."

"I don't believe you. But that is a moot point. We need to decide how to handle things on this planet once Kal-El returns the crystal. You will have to resign as Vice-President. I need to come to some understanding with Ella and...well...things have to be settled."

Zod just stared at Jor-El for a moment, before speaking.

"I am not resigning or leaving this planet. And I doubt Kal-El would be interested in any such arrangement either. We are going to rule this planet AND keep Krypton in tact. And as for my 'son', he has disgraced me in more ways than I can count! I don't care what happens to him. Do not go against me again, with regards to that boy, Jor-El. You can cure him all you want, but I will not help him escape punishment on this planet, are we clear?"

"You did this, Zod! Do not tell me that wild tale about Darkseid and Apokolips! It is a cover story so that your wife never knows the truth! I believe Moira and I believe Lor-Zod. I think we at least need to agree, that Lor-Zod should return to Krypton with his wife and expected child. He cannot escape justice here."

Zod turned and walked out of the house. He eased the door closed behind him and made a show of getting into an official government car, before driving off. Jor-El opened the door and stared down the road, just to make sure Zod was indeed leaving Smallville, before closing the door again. He then headed back into the study where Moira was. She had the TV on and was watching a news report about Lor-Zod!

Moira noticed Jor-El and began to nervously wring her hands!

"He has become the creature again! What are we going to do?"

"Moira, if we cannot help Lor-Zod, then he has to return to Krypton. He will not be able to live here in peace with his wife and child after what has happened. People are frightened...and dead."

"No! I have just found my son again and he has to leave? I thought you were trying to cure him?"

"It is possible...but what I want to do for him requires the blood of a Kryptonian male around his age to give blood. If this incident had not occurred I would have had more time to find some candidates and experiment to see if my theory is correct. We have no more time, Moira. I am sorry. Now I think you should come back to the hospital with me. Chloe needs to know everything, don't you think?" he asked gently.

Moira nodded. Yes, Chloe needed to know everything. But she had to think of a way to save Davis. The idea of him being banished to Krypton was too horribly unfair for her to even imagine.


Bruce sat by Alfred's bedside as his eyes fluttered open, then finally focused on him.

"Oh Master Bruce!" he wailed. "It was horrible! Truly horrible!"

"Alfred, don't talk. Don't exert yourself. The creature didn't hurt you but you did have a heart attack." Bruce said softly.

"Of course I did! Master Bruce...it was unspeakable!"

Bruce raised a brow.

"Yes, the creature is horrible to look at..."

"That is NOT what I am talking about! That young woman you had staying with us was having relations with Mr. Bloom as he was turning into that beast! And she was clearly enjoying herself! Now I know you want to help her, sir, but people like that cannot be helped!"

Alfred's heart monitor started to beep wildly and two nurses and a doctor hurried in! The doctor looked over at Bruce.

"What happened in here?" he said, while simultaneously ordering drugs that would would slow down Alfred's heart rate to a more appropriate level.

"He was re-living the trauma. " Bruce said and watched from a corner as the medical staff stabilized his dear friend and surrogate parent, before leaving the room again. He could not leave Alfred anytime soon. Lois was momentarily forgotten. He did not notice Dr. Hamilton looking through the window. He would have news for Bruce that would change things.

Meanwhile, at the Gotham Police Station, Lois and Cat were in the same cell! And Lois had plenty to say...

"Cat, you kinky wench! Davis told me what happened."

Cat's nostrils flared!

"Shut up, you! Just shut up! I was tricked into that marriage and now I am carrying a half demon baby!"

"Oh listen to you! Your baby is not 'half demon'. Did Davis tell you I was his cousin? That makes us family."

"Unfortunately, yes, he did. Look, I can't think about this right now. I have to deal with what I am going to do about myself and my unborn child. Davis will probably be in prison or killed."

Lois was about to say something cute, when she stopped to really think about it. Sadly, what Cat said was probably true.

"Cat, look, there are Kryptonian scientists looking to help him. If he could be cured, would you consider giving a life with him another chance?"

"Lois, he lied to me! I would have never married a Kryptonian! And I thought you felt the same way about them? How can you so easily accept the fact that one of them is in your family now?" Cat asked.

Lois didn't quite know how to answer that. At least to Cat Grant, who was not anything close to a friend or anyone she would confide in. She looked over at the jail bars to see a guard walk up to their cell and unlock the door.

"Miss Lane. Your bail has been posted."

Lois raised a brow. Bruce was supposed to bail both herself and Cat out of here. Cat's lower lip began to tremble at the idea of being left there alone. Lois ignored her and followed the guard out. Maybe Bruce had heard the disgusting details of how Alfred found Cat and Davis, and changed his mind about letting her rot in here?

But when Lois made it to the front of the station, she did not find Bruce waiting for her.

It was Kal-El.

Lois averted her eyes as she was uncuffed and then left alone with him. He spoke.

"I asked you to stay at the Fortress. And the first chance you get, you come here to be with Bruce Wayne." Kal-El said between clenched teeth.

"You're ashamed of me. And I care about Alfred. I wanted to find out if he was alright."

"Lor-Zod flew you here, didn't he?" Kal-El asked, just as a media swarm began outside. People wanted to hear about Cat Grant, wife of the beast!

"There is a side door that we will be leaving by. Then we are going to go back to Chloe's apartment over the Talon. I have decorated it with Kryptonian relics that should help you function while I am on Krypton."

"You're going to Krypton? Why?" Lois asked curiously.

"The crystal was found. I am going to save my planet and then come back here so we can straighten out this misunderstanding that has occurred between us." Kal-El told her. Lois had no words in response to that revelation. He enveloped her middle with one of his massive arms and hurried her over to the side door he was talking about. Once outside, they hurried down a ramp so fast, that Lois's breasts bounced with each downward step and the sight of them straining though her sweater, just made Kal-El hold her even more possessively. He forced himself to ignore the lust that was running through his passion strained body for her. He had other obligations he had to deal with right now.

But the moment he returned to Earth, Kal-El planned to resume and enjoy a world of sweet and sensuous sensations that only Lois Lane could give to him.

Lois, however, was thinking about something altogether different.

She was thinking of an even bigger story than Davis Bloom and the creature he turned in to.

Lois Lane was thinking about what a boost her career would get, if she could report what Krypton was like and show pictures.

She stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Take me with you, Kal-El. Take me to Krypton."