Chapter 4

By the time the police finally show up Clark has sneaked back in amongst all the other people who were so out of it due to be under Ivy's control no-one noticed he was gone. He stuck close to Lana as she started to regain awareness of her surroundings as he tried his best to tidy himself up as well as he could considering Ivy ripped his shirt.

The police freed them from the coral Clark set up and basically he and Lana were now waiting to be questioned. The agents from DOMA(Department of Metahuman Affairs) were now on the scene. Since this involved Poison Ivy it fell under their jurisdiction as they were charged with keeping track and monitoring metahumans in the United States.

Lana holds a hand to her head. She feels groggy and has a pounding headache. All she wants is to go home. She spies the DOMA agents who were frankly almost clichéd in their dress sense. Black suits and dark glasses seriously?

As if reading her mind Clark starts to whistle the tune from Men in Black which makes her chuckle. A weary chuckle to be sure but mirth all the same. Clark smiles at being able to cheer Lana up.

Two DOMA agents finally get around to him and Lana. One is a man well built, 5' 10", blond hair blue eyes. Another is a tall woman 6' with black hair tied up in a bun in a dress suit. Her eyes are hidden behind dark glasses. It is DOMA's office wear not mission wear but they had been called here in a hurry.

The man speaks. "I am Agent Thomas Tresser and this is Agent Diana Prince," he introduces himself and his partner. "Now Miss...Lang?" he inquires of her to confirm her name.

Lana nods. "Yes."

"We have already talked to your assistant but we just need to confirm what she said. As far as you know you have received no threats of any kind either specifically from Dr Isley or any other person correct?"

Lana shakes her head. "No. I have received nothing like that. Is that unusual?"

"No," Agent Prince says. "Dr Isley does not waste time with warnings any longer. She simply takes direct action. Now if you please give us a summary of tonight as you remember it."

Lana summarises her night until the point she can't remember it when her mind ended up enslaved.

"Short term exposure to Dr Isley's influence has no long term side-effects. You will feel a little groggy for a day or two. That is all," Agent Prince assures Lana, sensing the redhead had concerns.

That comforts Lana a bit.

Agent Tresser turns his attentions to Clark. "So...Mr Kent is it?"

"Yes," Clark confirms.

Agent Tresser examines Clark's ID. "You're a long way from Kansas," he remarks.

"Oh he's staying with me," Lana volunteers the information. "We're old friends. Grew up together," she continues the explanation.

Agent Tresser slightly rises one eyebrow at that titbit wondering if these two are more than friends but the chemistry didn't seem quite right. "So Mr Kent please summarise tonight's events in your own words."

Clark is as honest as he can be minus his helping Batman. If he told that to Agents of DOMA Clark has this vision of being thrown in a prison cell somewhere for being a illegal alien in the truest meaning of the phrase.

"It was most foolish to try and debate with Dr Isley," Agent Tresser says putting Clark down.

"Or most brave," Agent Prince contradicts her partner who for a moment looks less than pleased at being reprimanded in front of people.

"It was neither," Clark interjects. "I just couldn't stand by while an innocent man was killed and do nothing."

Agent Prince smiles ever so slightly. Not many people thought like Mr Kent here. She was...impressed she thinks her emotion is. Her gaze drifts for a split second to the bushes in the distance. She excuses herself and heads off in that direction.

Lana and Clark spot Harley and Ivy being taken away. "What will happen to them?" Lana asks Agent Tresser.

Agent Tresser looks at the two criminals with only mild interest. "Don't you fret Miss Lang. We have nice secure cells for those two where they won't cause anymore trouble," he assures her in a firm commanding tone of voice.

Agent Prince strides into the undergrowth until she can no longer be seen at which point she pulls the dark glasses off her face to reveal her true identity; Wonder Woman.

"We have to talk," a gruff voice says from behind her.

Diana actually jumps. She hates it when he does that. She turns round to face Batman, her gaze taking in his appearance. She spots dried blood on his armour but doesn't bother to raise it since he never listens to her concerns about his well-being. "Did you know Ivy and Harley were coming to Metropolis?" she asks him.

"Yes."

"And you didn't inform the League why?"

"Gotham's business is my business. Its criminals are my responsibility and I will deal with them."

Diana rubs the top of her left eyebrow. This is an old argument which she has no wish to repeat at this precise moment about Batman's lone warrior attitude but they shall have this argument again one day because it cannot go on. The Justice League is suppose to be a team but the way Batman goes off on his own on so many occasions Diana has lost count you would not think they were a team. Not to mention Batman is going to get himself killed one of these days if he keeps doing this.

"That isn't what I wish to discuss," he shifts the conversation before Diana can even attempt to bring him to task as he has no desire to get into a debate with her at all or ever if he can avoid it. "I had help in taking Ivy and Harley down," he mentions what he really wants to talk about.

"Who?" Diana asks.

"Uncertain."

Diana blinks in astonishment. Batman not knowing something. She needs to mark this down in her diary...and she has been hanging around the Flash too long if she is thinking things like that. Diana listens silently for the most part, only speaking when she needs points clarified, as Batman tells her everything that happened tonight. Once done Diana decides on the following course of action. "I'll assign someone to look into it," she tells Batman. After all it is her department's job to keep track of metahumans and this one sounds unusually powerful.

"Not good enough," Batman says rudely.

Diana's brow lowers slightly in annoyance at his tone. "What do you mean?"

"Lets take everything we know about this metahuman. Speed perhaps to rival the Flash. Super-strength certainly. Some kind of energy projection. The ability to freeze. Tell me how many metahumans do you know that possess that array of powers?"

Well Diana will admit it does sound quite some way beyond the usual scope of powers of one individual. "Are you certain it was only one person?"

"Yes."

Diana thinks carefully. "Perhaps not a metahuman then. Magical perhaps?" she suggests as a possibility. As in perhaps this person derives their powers from magic.

"I am not ruling it out. In either case Diana do you think an ordinary agent has any hope of finding and containing this person?"

Diana can tell Batman is trying to hint at something. Then she gets it. "I do not have the time to do this myself," she tells him. "I am a busy person. As well as the Justice League you are aware I have been assigned to the team dedicated to hunting down Manchester Black."

Manchester Black was a former agent of DOMA. A telepath and telekinetic who had come to the train of thought that DOMA was not extreme enough in dealing with the dangers the world faced so Black created his own team and set out to hunt down the threats wherever they are with extreme prejudice. In plain language he hunted down and killed them. Obviously DOMA couldn't allow rogue agents to go around taking the law into their own hands so Diana was part of the team assigned to find Black and stop him anyway they could. Not an entirely easy task as Black is very powerful and clever but he will be stopped.

"Besides," Diana feels she needs to say something more. "Why the need to find this person. He helped you did he not."

"This time. Someone with that power should not be left wandering the streets without guidance."

Batman's paranoia was still in full effect Diana notes. "You are once more judging people solely by the threat they represent," she chastises him.

"As a warrior so do you."

"I do not solely judge people on their potential threat Bruce," she says deliberately using his name. "I actually wait until I talk to them, look into their eyes and see what kind of person they are before making that assessment."

Diana can't see it but she she knows under the mask he is scowling at her.

"Tell me about that man you just talked to," Batman says suddenly shifting the topic...or is he?

"Clark Kent?"

Batman nods to confirm this.

Diana fires up her electronic tablet which is linked to all government databases and hands it over to him. "From the background checks he is what he appears. Clark Kent, from Smallville, Kansas. Only son of Martha and Jonathan Kent, both deceased." Diana stops for a moment and sees if that fact makes any impression on the man who is defined by the fact he lost his parents. Bruce shows no reaction.

It does not take long to read the file because there is very little. The man has never even gotten a parking ticket.

"Why are you so interested in him?" Diana wonders. Yes he seemed brave and intelligent but also kind and a little bit shy. Diana could ascertain that from the way he talked and the way he stood up to Poison Ivy and as she said to Bruce about judging people she looked into his eyes, even from behind her shades, and saw in her opinion a good person and also something else. His eyes were slightly dulled by pain. If Diana was to hazard a guess she would go with grief as the probable cause due to the recent death of his mother.

He did have the most fascinating eyes Diana had ever seen she will admit being honest. They were an odd deep cerulean blue that she doesn't think she has ever seen on any other person. It was a most unusual colour and did bring so much life to what she would call his very handsome face. Diana had never seen eyes like that or the way the light would play in them...and um what was she suppose to be talking about again?

Batman saves her by replying to her question and jolting her memory. "He resisted Ivy's control."

"That's a little unusual I grant you," Diana concedes, "but hardly unheard of. Her ability to control people is not absolute. If you are basing a suspicion on that then that isn't enough."

"You are not being objective," he criticises her.

Diana's ire is starting to rise. "What in Hera's name do you mean by that?"

"Your objectivity has been compromised ever since you entered a relationship with your partner."

"Tom?" Diana inquires in incredulous disbelief. So what she and Tom were dating. She couldn't fathom how that compromised her in anyway.

"Our line of work has no place for emotional attachment," he states, his voice flat and cold.

"Bruce I am going to leave now before I hit you but let me say this. You are in no position to preach when your objectivity is compromised by your relationship with a certain feline themed female thief."

Batman stiffens instantly. Diana smiles with a little cold satisfaction that she made her point. She turns to leave.

"What about the person who assisted me?" Batman raises the issue once more.

Diana stops realising they need to finish that one piece of business but she does not turn back round. "I'll post a report and assign an agent to investigate. It is all I can do at the moment," she states. It isn't that she is dismissing Bruce's concerns but she is busy and she has to prioritise and in her judgement this isn't an immediate issue.

"It is not all I can do," he retorts in his usual blunt harsh manner.

Usually Diana is patient with Bruce's manner but she has had enough of this tonight. Diana turns round to chew him out only to find he is gone without trace. She mutters a few insults under her breath in her native Greek. She hates it when he does that.


"God my show is ruined," Lana says horrified now that she finally has a chance to look around at the disaster zone or as much as the police are allowing her to look. The Agents from DOMA were now gone having finished their interviews. If they want anything else clarified they said they would be in touch.

Clark places a supportive arm around her. He had seen how much work she had put into this and to have it all ruined must be terrible for her. "It'll be alright," he tries to assure her.

Lana picks up the tattered remains of one of her dresses off the ground. "This was suppose to be our big seller this year," she bemoans her lack of luck. This will cost her a fortune and yes it is only money. Lana knows that and she is glad no-one was seriously hurt but she has employees to pay and the economy isn't exactly doing great at the moment. She can't afford this.

"A very interesting spectacle you put on Miss Lang," a voice says being humorous.

Clark and Lana turn round to be met by Lex Luthor, looking none too worse the wear for his ordeal tonight, walking up to them.

"Mr Luthor," Lana greets him.

"Please. Lex," he asks Lana to call him.

"Lex. How can I help you?"

Lex turns his attentions to Clark. "Matter of fact I was wondering if I could talk to your friend."

"Um...ok," Lana says uncertain what the rich, prominent businessman would want to talk to Clark about.

After being introduced Clark finds himself pulled away from Lana as she goes talk to Mel about trying to sort this mess out.

"I owe you a debt Mr Kent. You saved my life," Lex says.

"You do not owe me anything Mr Luthor," Clark tells him.

"Modesty is a rare virtue but surely there must be something I can do to repay you."

Clark is about to turn him down not wishing any kind of reward when he remembers what Lana said about what this has cost her. "Well...maybe," he admits.

"Please. Tell me."

"It's not for me so much as Lana. This was suppose to be her big launch and it's been ruined and as a businessman I am sure you can appreciate what that will cost her."

"Modest, generous and loyal to his friends. You are a rare breed indeed," Lex remarks. "So if I can assist Miss Lang you would consider my debt repaid."

"Yes."

"Done. I'll have the money wired to have this night compensated in full including all the future losses this night has caused with a little extra on top."

"That's extremely generous of you," Clark has to say.

"Well despite what you may read about me in the tabloids Mr Kent I always repay my debts."

Clark and Lex shake hands on it and Lex turns to leave. Lex meant what he said. He does repay his debts and he does honour his deals to the letter and if paying out what amounts to him as loose change repays this debt it is a small price indeed.


"Clark!" Lana snaps angrily hitting him which she partially regrets as pain shoots through her hand.

Clark cringes away from Lana's wrath. "I was trying to help you," he says in his defence.

"I don't want Lex Luthor's charity!" she tells him as this was what she was angry about that Clark made a deal with Lex.

"It's not charity. He wished to repay me and this was how I told him he could do it. Lana. I know how much work you put into that show and your business. This way you will not lose out."

Lana prides herself on the fact she built up her company from scratch. She doesn't want to depend on other people's generosity. She sighs as she opens the door to her apartment. "Clark I'm too tired to debate this with you right now. Mel and I have a lot to do in the morning to try and salvage this. I just want to go to bed and forget being zombified by crazy plant ladies. By the way how did she not affect you?"

"Well I wouldn't say I was unaffected," he mumbles thinking back on how turned-on he was when Ivy was clamouring all over him. Louder he says, "Probably because I'm a you know what. Earthly pheromones are bound not to affect me in the same way."

Lana guesses that's true. "What do you mean you weren't unaffected?"

"Lets just say I was reminded all too clearly it has been 5 years since Lori left."

Lana rolls her eyes. "You are such a guy," she jokily remarks as it is probably a lot of men's fantasies to have scantily clad super-villainesses coming onto them.

"I'll be trying to forget it as best I can," he assures Lana.

"Right," Lana says not sounding very convinced by what he is saying. "Well just so you know you are not off the hook about what you did. We will be talking about this more in the morning," she warns him still angry.

Clark sighs. Maybe he should have asked her first but he was just trying to help. Maybe once she has slept on it she will see reason. "Alright."

Lana then wearily heads to her bedroom yawning and rubbing her eyes whose lids are already almost completely shut. Clark watches her for a second with modest concern about her health after tonight's events. She and humans in general are not as resilient as he is.

Deciding that all she probably needs is a good night's sleep Clark heads into his bedroom. He gets out of his clothes, mentally noting to throw that ruined shirt out in the morning, and pulls on a pair of pyjama bottoms before he climbs into bed. While he doesn't need a lot of sleep and in fact can go for days without any Clark has found if he gets a couple of hours of sleep in a night it helps keep his mind fresh and his thought clear.

Clark lies down with one arm above his head and closes his eyes. He takes a few deep breaths and tries to get his body and mind to relax. Suddenly the feel of something wrapping around both his wrists makes his eyes snap open. His hands are wrenched back and pinned to the headboard. Clark looks to see green vines twisted around his wrists holding him in place.

"You don't really want to forget me do you Clark," a sultry laden smoky voice says.

Clark recognises that voice and he gulps as he looks down to the far end of his room where the wall has mysteriously vanished and silhouetted against what seems like sunlight is unquestionably a female form. Clark's visitor strides forward, her curvy hips swaying side to side. She comes clearly into view to reveal herself to be Poison Ivy...a completely naked Poison Ivy.

Clark strains at his binds but finds he can't break them. Ivy raises her finger and waggles it at him. "Nu uh. You're not going anywhere my Pretty Boy," she says in a possessive tone as if she owns him.

Ivy gets onto Clark bed at the bottom and crawls on all fours all the way up, rubbing herself against him in such a way to have Clark groaning. Her hands and lips glide across her chest before she straddles him and brings her face millimetres from his. Ivy runs her hands through his hair.

"Say you want me," she says in a breathy tone. "Say you want me and I'm yours."

Oh god the temptation. 5 long years of loneliness and heartbreak and here is a gorgeous woman offering herself to him...offering a chance for him just to forget it all and feel good for a few hours. "I..." he starts to say.

Ivy rubs herself against him and Clark groans again. She feels incredible. "Say it," she tells him.

"I...want you," it escapes with a gasp.

Ivy smiles broadly and brings her lips to finally claim his. She tastes like...can he say strawberries without sounding too clichéd. She is partially a plant after all.

After several minutes of kissing Ivy slides down his body and removes his pyjama bottoms. The sight of her about to join them as one almost makes him explode right there and then but he doesn't. Ivy raises herself up and then down as they become one.

"Oh God!" Clark shouts out as he shoots up in bed alone, sweat dripping down his face. It takes a moment before he figures it out. A dream. It was only a dream. A really really intense dream that now requires him to take a cold shower...or considering just how...hard he feels maybe a long swim in the Arctic Ocean might be the better option.


In her new cell Ivy dressed in her hideous orange prison wear looks at her reflection in the mirror. The green pigment of her skin had faded so much you could almost see cream coloured skin underneath. Like paint that is too thin through which you can see the undercoat.

Infernal Batman! Look what he has done to her!

She wants to smash the mirror to pieces but doesn't. Instead she moves over to a small red flower in a plant pot she is allowed to keep. Her fingers brush over its petal and leaves. Ivy closes her eyes and concentrates.

There.

There it is. So faint she can barely hear it but she can hear her beautiful little flower singing. To Ivy it meant that this condition was only temporary. If she could hear the plant then Batman's little drug was already starting to wear off. Therefore it was only a matter of time until her powers return.

Ivy goes and lies on her bed on her back. She brings her hands to her lips and smiles as she remembers. The Pretty Boy. Batman had not arrived in time because her lips had brushed his if only for a moment.

A moment which is more than enough for her poisoned lips to reduce any...normal man to a limp corpse which could only mean one thing. That there was more to the Pretty Boy than met the eye and as soon as Ivy regained her powers and escaped she planned to look him up and find out just what secrets he had.


Author's Note: Naughty naughty Clark. Having less than wholesome thoughts about Poison Ivy but lets face facts who doesn't have those kind of thoughts about Ivy. Course she'll be back to cause trouble later and Clark's actions now has unwittingly caused Batman to be on his case. Wonder how much longer he can keep himself hidden? Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; something happens to Clark and Lana twice in the same day that prompts him to make an important decision about his life.