Chapter Two
The Plot Thickens
At the scene of the crime reports from all over the city were expecting the damage as VRA forces and police officers combed through the wreckage. General Slade's successor stepped out of the black SUV and said, "Okay what do we have?" Jim Mason who had his head bandaged for a head injury said, "I was the first on the scene and saw everything that happened." Lt. Jane Russell said, "Then why didn't you stop this freak?" Mason said, "I tried to stop him, but he reached out and bent the barrel of my gun like it was cheese." He showed her his gun and continued, "I ran into the ally to watch as two of your soldiers walked out and began firing at the freak as you called him, and saw the bullets just bounce off. The man then pulled two M1911 pistols out and fired tazering your men, then he went inside and came back out, and drew that flaming emblem on the ground. He shot fire from his clenched fist and sped off. Next thing I know is the building explodes and I am knocked unconscious." Lt. Russell knew the man was telling the truth otherwise it would risk his job and life he was not, but what troubled her was the fear in his eyes. She asks, "Why are you afraid of?" Mason said, "The man…the man had a skull for the face and his eyes glowed red like the fires of hell." Lt. Russell just rolled her eyes and said, "There are no such things as ghosts or zombies, officer." She then turned her attention to the emblem on the street, a heart with a sword going through it vertically. One of the Sergeants from the Marines looked at as if he saw it before, Lt. Russell went over to him and said, "Sergeant have you seen this before." The Sergeant said, "Yes Ma'ma." Lt. Russell looked at him blankly and said, "Well?...Where did you see it?" The Sergeant said, "Can't say it was a highly classified mission." Lt. Russell said, "Sergeant I have the highest clearance in the government." The Sergeant said, "With no disrespect intended Lieutenant but this is over your pay grade, all I can tell you is that not even the Joint Chiefs have clearance." Lt. Russell grunted and she knew she would get to the bottom of what this emblem means. She said, "Can you at least tell me who lead the mission?" The Sergeant said, "No, but I can tell you is that I am putting in my transfer papers in the morning, I'd rather working for the VRA task force given the situation." Lt. Russell dismissed the Sergeant and began to think to herself, "For a Marine to want to put in for a transfer instead of fight, who ever drew this emblem must be a very dangerous man or woman." She immediately got on the phone to contact the President personally about the situation unfolding in Metropolis.
The next morning at the Daily Planet the place was a buzz about the attack on the VRA, Cat Grant was busy writing an article condemning the vigilante responsible for the attack. Others where just busy writing other articles about how the vigilantes were rising up to take over the world. It was clear to everyone that change was coming sooner than anyone could think. Lois and Clark and just arrived but having heard what happened from Tess Mercer back at Watchtower they both knew that they needed to be on their toes this morning. Lois looked over at Cat's computer and could see what she was writing and said, "How can you say the Blur was behind the attack on the VRA office last night?" Cat just looked at her and said, "How can you say he wasn't, that does include the Green Arrow and all vigilante's. They are just retaliating against good honest Christian values." Lois was about to punch her in the face when Clark stepped in and said, "Lois why not write another article that shows both sides of the story." Lois went to her desk and sat down and said, "How can you stick up for her when she is talking lies about the Blur." Clark said, "In recent days it seems that everyone is talking bad about the Blur and all Vigilantes's that I haven't noticed. But shouldn't get prepared for your interview with Drake Lionheart." Lois said, "I already know what I am going to ask. Besides I have been trying to look up something foul about the guy but this Lionheart is so squeaky." Clark asks, "What is wrong about that, maybe he is a good honest person." Lois replied, "Clark, when you have been around the government as long as me, you pick up an instinct or two about when to spot a lie. His life reads like a government cover up." Clark just shrugged his soldiers and said, "Maybe the guy is just a good honest person." Lois said, "You'll see he will be some evil sadist in the bedroom." Clark just looked at her and almost blushed.
Meanwhile across town in his office Oliver was talking on the phone with Chloe and said, "You really need to get back here, Clark needs everybody for this one. I am calling in the rest of the team." Chloe replied, "That is not a good idea, not with the VRA waiting to get everyone in one room." Oliver said, "Well I told him that, but he was insistent on this because of what happened to the VRA office. Did news of what happen reach Star City yet?" Chloe said, "Did it ever, the whole paper has been busy trying to piece together reports coming in from Metropolis." Oliver said, "I will have the Jet come from you. Chloe, I love you." Chloe just smiled on the other end of the line.
Just across the street in his penthouse Drake was in his dojo practicing his martial arts, he had trained for years with the different masters around the world. Eventually he combined all the different styles into one ultimate style of martial arts, one that no one in the world could defend against. He practiced everyday when he woke up for an hour, and then he mediated trying to come to some piece with his soul. After that he had breakfast, while teaching I.O.N something new about the human condition. He was hoping that eventually he could transfer I.O.N consciousness into a robotic shell, so that he could learn on his own about the mysteries of life. The ultimate goal was to become human. Once he was finished with breakfast he would shower and then get dressed in a white shirt, black vest, red tied, black slacks, black dress shoes, and for special meetings he would wear a black jacket. He kept the jacket with him because if he went outside, which he tried to do once or twice a day so he could be closer with nature. While he dressed I.O.N would tell him his schedule for the day, he was glad he created I.O.N using technology from a peaceful alien race found out about years back. He was his friend but more than that he was the son he never had. Once Drake was finished dressing he went to his elevator and went downstairs to do his daytime job.
That afternoon, Drake was sitting behind his desk looking at the window being that he was in the tallest building in Metropolis he could see out for miles and down. The people below him looked like little ants that were scurrying about trying to do their jobs. As he was lost in memory his concentration was broken by I.O.N coming on the intercom in his office saying "Sir, Lois Lane of the Daily Planet is here, shall I open the door to your office?" Drake said, "Yes." He turned around in his chair and waited for Lois Lane to come in, out of all the reports in the city he knew that she would get his story truthfully. He had read many articles about the vigilante's of the city and new that she was one of their supports, especially when it came to the Blur. She walked into his office and said, "Could you get a bigger office?" Drake got up from his seat and walked towards her and said, "Well, I like to live extravagantly but does not mean that I am greedy. I also help the people of where ever I am." Lois started writing what he said in her bag was a secret camera that was taking pictures of everything in his office. Drake said, "How do you want to begin Miss Lane?" Lois said, "Please call me Lois, and let's start from where you come from your back history." Drake smiled and said, "Well I grew up in a small town that was the suburb of Dallas, Texas. My mother and father were killed in a car accident when I was ten that incinerated their bodies to where there was nothing left. I am was then placed in an orphanage, I ran away when I was eighteen joined up and served my country. Then I went to college and got degrees in Law and History. I got my Masters in Nuclear physics, and then got my doctorate in Robotic engineering from Harvard University." Lois could smell the BS coming off his story, except for the part about serving in the military she nodded and wrote down what he was saying knowing that she would need proof before she told his true story. Lois said, "Tell me about your time in the military?" Drake smiled knowing that question would come up and he replied, "Well I served under General Lane, I believe your father when I was first starting out. However, I quickly rose through the ranks so much so that I was put on high classified missions." Lois nodded and thought that this guy does not look over twenty how could he have rose through the ranks so fast, and why didn't she remember him and she was sure that her father would deny ever meeting him. She nodded and said, "So tell me why start Lionheart Industries, my question really being why not go back to work for the government?" Drake replied, "Because I was tired of the government red tape, and thought I could help humanity better by striking out on my owns." Lois then asked, "So how did you make your first million?" Drake answered, "I got my first million selling weapons to the military, and then with that million I began to create helpful technologies to benefit mankind. Now we make defensible weapons for police forces around the world, not to mention technology that go to save lives as well. We are also currently working on an organic heart that would replace the need for organ replacement, we are also hoping that with this we can create other features that would help mankind." Lois nodded and asked, "Wouldn't the organic heart cost a fortune?" Drake said, "The point would be that everyone could afford it, and I would make dam sure that it was." Lois kept asking questions for answer, getting a line of BS from him every now and then. Then she decided to throw him a curve ball and ask, "So tell me are you marred." Drake seemed to freeze in his thought, his facial expressions changed and said, "I think this interview is over Miss Lane, I just remembered I had another meeting to attend to." Lois smiled to herself as she realized that this squeaky clean business man with several degrees wasn't so squeaky clean after all, and it had to do something with a woman or maybe this guy is a homosexual. Drake led her out of her office and said, "We should do this again sometime." He then closed the door before she had time to say anything, and immediately went down to the sub basement.
Back at LuthorCorp Tess Mercer was busy on her computer trying to figure out who the mystery man was last night. She needed to find out fast because if she know the government they were not going to sit on their hands and wait for something to happen again, they were going to take a preventative strike against the team. She watched the security footage that was taken from the building across the street, she watched everything unfold. As the man came out of the building she saw the glowing red eyes and then she saw what he was drawing on the ground, her eyes grew wide. When the doors open to see Oliver and Chloe walk in she quickly shut the computer. Chloe said, "Hello Tess." Tess just nodded, ever since there near death at Watchtower last year at the hands of the Kandorians she they had not gotten off to a great start lately, but she was warming up to her. Oliver asked, "Did you find anything about our mystery skull guy?" Tess said, "No, just know that the officer's report was correct the guy has a mask that looks like a skull, but it almost looks as if it is his actual face. However, it is made of a metal not found anywhere on this planet." Chloe asked, "So Kandorian?" Tess said, "No, based on metals that Lex had on that space ship that crashed landed in Smallville there, it is a new metal." Oliver said, "This guy must have connections." Tess nodded and thought "He also has unlimited resources and allies all over the country in every major governmental agency as well." Tess got up and said, "If you excuse me, I have a meeting with our new neighbor across the street." She left and thought to herself she knew who he was because he had shown his family crest to her before that time in Paris, she was going to confront him. When she got across the street the person at the reception desk said, "Mr. Lionheart will not see anybody today sorry Miss Mercer but he came down with something. He will reschedule as soon as he can." Tess left furious.
Meanwhile, down in the sub basement Drake poured a glass of bourbon and grabbed the bottle it was in and sat at the fire place and looked up at the painting of the beautiful woman. The woman was dressed in a Victorian dress, and looked very lovely for her time. He stared and thought to himself if life where only different. He then looked into the fire and began to drink the bourbon till it was gone, then he looked at the schematics displayed on the TV and said, "Tonight is a new target, but this time I will have to fight off a large force. I hope the suit can handle it."