Chapter 7

"It's the Flash."

"It is not the Flash."

"Yes it is. Look it's all blurry. Only the Flash moves like that."

"The colours are all wrong."

"He was trying out something new?"

"Olsen that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

"Lois who else could it be? No-one else moves like that."

"No-one we know of. I'm thinking this guy is new."

"How can you tell it is a guy?"

"I was in his arms. Trust me they were definitely male."

"Lois he couldn't have held you for more than a second."

"It was all that was needed. Besides I know for certain it wasn't the Flash because I asked...um...a source."

"I really don't want to hear what kind of pillow talk you have with Hal Jordan Lois. It's an image I could do without."

"Ok first off how the hell do you know that?"

"Lois when you're drunk you talk non-stop."

"Well ok remind me to cut down."

"I do all the time. You ignore me."

"Well this time I mean it."

"Where's my camera? I need to record this moment for prosperity."

"Oh hardy har ha Olsen. I'm dying with laughter. Now can we get back onto the issue?"

"Ok even if you're right are we really going to go all out to find this guy?"

"It's a scoop Olsen. Metropolis' first dedicated superhero."

"Lois there have only been stories going around for at most a couple of weeks."

"You just have to ruin it don't you?"

"It's not the only rumour going on around here. I overheard some cops say they saw Batgirl the other night."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Hmm...I think there is something going on here. It can't be a coincidence."

"Actually it could."

"You're being naïve."

"Well why don't you ask your jade illumination themed boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend. We just meet up every so often to relieve work-related stress."

"Again so not an image I want in my head Lois."

"Oh grow up."

"I'm perfectly grown up Lois but I have to work with you and I don't need images like that in my head. If our positions were reversed would you say any different?"

"Olsen are you trying to make me barf?"

"Gee thanks for shooting down my manhood there Lois."

"Ha! That's nothing. You should have seen what I did that day I turned Lex Luthor down for a date."

"I was there. I'm still having nightmares. You'll be getting my therapy bills."

"Try living with my sister. Then you'll know true horror."

"I've met your sister Lois. She's perfectly nice."

"Oh my God! You slept with Lucy!"

"...What!"

"Don't deny it. The only people who ever think she is nice are guys she has slept with."

"Lois you are really not holding your sister in very high esteem here."

"I love Lucy. She's family. It doesn't mean I overlook what she's like. By the way don't think I haven't noticed that you haven't denied sleeping with her."

"I didn't sleep with her Lois alright."

"The whole truth Olsen. Spill it."

"That is the truth Lois...ok stop staring at me I'll spill. I didn't sleep with her but she did come on to me and we made out but that's it."

"You turned her down?"

"I didn't want to ruin our friendship which I was pretty certain I would do if I slept with your sister...um...Lois...are you hugging me?"

"No. I'm putting my arms around you to squeeze you to death."

"Ok got it. I was just confused there for a second."

"Olsen you are always confused."

"That's true...I guess. So where were we?"

"Mysterious New Hero...yikes...that headline sucks."

"I thought Perry came up with the headlines."

"I let him think he does."

"No I'm pretty certain he does. Hasn't he shot down every one of your suggestions for the last 6 months...ow...you hit me!"

"My hand slipped...ow!"

"So did mine!"

"Olsen if we didn't have this mystery to solve I would be kicking your ass right about now."

"Like I haven't heard that one before."

"You know this wouldn't be a mystery if you had gotten a better picture."

"Lois the guy saved us from getting mowed down which shouldn't you be more concerned about by the way."

"Why? It was obviously Mannheim's doing in retaliation for our Intergang expose last month. He's tried this sort of thing before."

"Yes I know. Anyway Lois even if I hadn't been thrown to the ground I couldn't have gotten a better picture than this. He was moving too fast. That camera I had has the fastest shutter speed you can legally get and still all it got was a blur."

"Hmm...blur...Blur...do you think we could use that in a name for this guy?"

"That's...not the best one you have ever come up with."

"Well it's a bit hard when you have no clear idea what the guy looks like."

"Maybe we should take a break. Get some coffee?"

"Not a bad idea Olsen. I'll go. You want your usual?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Jimmy then watches Lois leave the desk at which they are working and head for the elevator. There's a coffee place next door but saying that where isn't there a coffee place these days. He then turns his attention back to the photos they were discussing. They had been out doing what they always do, investigating, when a car tried to mow them down. Jimmy did think for a brief moment that this was it but then the blurred figure he managed to catch on camera threw them out of the way, stop the car leaving a hand shaped dent in the front of it and then blur off all in the matter of a few seconds at most.

As Jimmy thinks on it now the Flash idea didn't make sense. Flash was fast but not strong enough to leave a dent in a car. He will have to concede Lois is correct...not that he will be admitting that in front of her.

New heroes do appear infrequently but Jimmy just has the weird feeling that there is something different about this one and he also knows Lois won't rest until she gets to the bottom of it. It's just her nature. There is a reason she is nicknamed 'Mad Dog' after all. In which case he is really going to need a lot of coffee because he can see many a late night ahead.


Morning and Lana looks at Clark eating his breakfast, Honey Loops...and watching cartoons and she can just imagine he has been doing the exact same thing since he was little. In fact she can guess he pretty much had the same expression on his face then as he does now. It's been nice having Clark here staying with her. Kind of like having a big brother she guesses...and if that doesn't prove how over he and she is nothing will. Lana decides to broach something with him. "So Clark anything...interesting happen when you were out the other night?"

Clark only half paying attention replies, "No. Just the usual."

Lana takes usual to mean the small stuff he has dealt with so far. Muggings, purse snatching, a bank robbery, helping rescue people from fires or car crashes. Nothing major. No fighting super-villains or anything. "Uh huh. You sure about that?"

Her tone gets Clark to turn his attention off his cartoons and onto her. "Lana. What are you on about?"

Lana can guess he hasn't read the paper this morning. She throws him the folded up copy of the Planet. "Page 8," she tells him.

Clark opens up the paper and turns to said page. Upon doing so his eyes open wide at the blurred picture of himself with the story about how he saved Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen and a little bit at the bottom about asking people for more information. "Well...um...page 8," he says lamely. "It's not like they are making a big deal of it."

"For now but surely a day will come when someone will get a clearer shot of you."

"I guess I'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"And then? Because are you really going to let them see you in that lame leather jacket?"

Clark looks at her. Now he understands. This isn't worry about him being seen although he believes Lana does worry about it. This is her trying to persuade him to model for her. "Lana. I know."

"Know?"

"About the drawings for a costume. You left them out the other day."

Whoops. Lana wasn't meaning to do that. "Ok I admit it. I'm intrigued by the idea of designing a costume. I've never had a chance before."

Clark won't begrudge Lana her gift. She is very good at what she does. He lets out a long sigh. "Ok fine," he concedes. "But I get final refusal," he insists.

Lana smiles brightly. "Great!"


That very same morning Barbara is reading the same edition of the Daily Planet and she too spots the story on page 8. She had spent the last 2 weeks familiarising herself with the city. Getting to know the good and bad sides of it, where the bad element tend to congregate. It takes time to understand who the power players are and how much power they yield. The two biggest players were Intergang and Lex Luthor. She had heard all about Luthor from Bruce and the battles with the Injustice League whom Lex was secretly behind although good luck trying to prove that.

Her phone rings. She spies the ID. She checks her watch. She was expecting him sooner. Barbara picks up the phone and answers it. "Good morning Bruce."

"Interesting story in the Planet this morning."

Barbara smiles at a chance to annoy him. "Which one? The councilman corruption story or the elderly couple who won the lottery and became millionaires?"

She can practically hear the scowl forming. "Page 8."

Barbara pretends to take some time to find it and she rustles the paper loudly so he can hear it. "Let me see here...ooh claims that the old theatre is haunted. How interesting..."

"Barbara. Don't be clever. Zatanna is better at it."

"You are undermining me by comparing me to Zatanna? Seriously? You're not helping your case Bruce."

"Barbara," he says sounding just a little bit more than annoyed.

Barbara sighs. "Ok fine Bruce. Yes I see it. Our mystery target I'm guessing."

"That would be my assumption."

"I'm working on it Bruce. It takes time," she pre-empts his criticism.

"Time is not something you have an infinite supply of."

"Did you just phone to criticise?"

"No. There is something else I require you to do. I'll be sending Huntress and Canary to assist."

It must be serious if he is sending those two to assist or he really just thinks that little of her. God is it any wonder Dick left and Barbara is almost starting to regret she didn't quit sooner herself. "I assume this is best not discussed over the phone and they will bring the details."

"Correct."

"Fine. I'll be ready."

The click as the phone call ends is all the goodbye Barbara gets. She once more checks the time. Her guess will be that Helena will finish her work day and then she and Canary will come round this evening. That gives her the day to do a couple of her projects. That in mind she drains the last of her morning coffee, goes over to her desk, fires up her computer and gets to work.


"Whatcha doing?" a childish sounding voice asks.

Barbara looks at the source of it with a frown. Helena just smiles infuriatingly in response. "Pick that one up from one of your pupils?"

"Yep. He keeps asking that over and over. I was tempted to kick him so hard in a certain place he would never be able to breed."

"Wonderful imagery there Helena," Dinah mutters with a roll of her eyes as she exits from the bathroom having been in there to change into her costume for tonight's activities.

Helena shrugs. "I try. Have to get the kids to expand their horizons. Dream the impossible and believe they can reach it."

"Save the sales pitch for PTA meetings."

Helena shakes her head and mutters something about Dinah being more fun when she was dating the archer as she heads to the bathroom to change into her evening wear.

Dinah fixes her leather jacket into place and peers over Barbara's shoulder. Barbara was already changed but with her cowl pulled back as she still works at her computer. "What are you doing?" she asks.

"Two things. One I'm emptying Thorne's illegal bank accounts and donating it all to charity."

Dinah bursts out laughing at the image of Rupert Thorne's face, one of Gotham's most powerful crime bosses, when he finds his accounts empty. "Won't he be pissed?"

Barbara shrugs with a small smile. "It isn't like he can trace it and what is he going to do? Go to the police and tell them the accounts where he puts his illegal earnings were hacked into and stolen? Let him be pissed," Barbara says with some small satisfaction.

"That's certainly a new way to fight them."

"We can beat them up all we want but really the true way to hurt people like him is to take away their precious money. Without it he can't pay his men or afford to bribe people."

"You're really something at all this digital stuff. I can't get my phone to play the ringtone I want."

Barbara tries and fails to suppress a smile. Dinah's phone doesn't play the correct ringtone because she hacked in and messed about with it for a joke. That was a couple of months ago and Dinah still hasn't realised it.

"So what's the 2nd thing you're doing?"

Barbara stops momentarily reducing Thorne to poverty and brings up a map of Metropolis. She then hands over the copy of the Planet folded open on the picture and story of their blurred target. "Read that," she tells Dinah.

Dinah briefly reads the story. "That the guy Bruce wants you to find?"

"Assuming so. In that case I went back over the last couple of weeks for any news story concerning blurred figures or guardian angels or just some mysterious act that might fit the M.O and map them and see if there is a pattern."

"Is there?"

"No but considering how fast the target moves there would be no reason for there to be one. He can be anywhere he wants in minutes, possibly seconds. The only pattern I've got is that he seems primarily to focus on the small stuff."

"Perhaps he just doesn't want the attention. Not everyone is like the Flash or Booster Gold and seeks attention."

"Perhaps or maybe he is just like we were when we started out. We weren't out there taking down crime bosses to begin with. We just wanted to help a few people." Or at least Barbara did. She is forced to make the following admission. "In that case Bruce is right we need to find him."

"Ok are you feeling alright? I can't remember the last time you thought Bruce was right."

"I'm not thinking like Bruce is about the threat he might pose but from what I can figure this guy...and he does seem to be male from what people think they see...this guy has a lot of power and probably no training on how to use it properly. Sooner or later he'll wind up hurting someone without meaning to. At that point we might end up risking losing him," she means losing him as in who knows where he'll go after he crosses that line even accidentally. The last thing the world needs is another super-villain.

"Then find him already," Helena says like that should be easy, as she walks back, now dressed as Huntress.

"Working on it," Barbara snaps a little annoyed at people keeping saying that. She is working at her own pace in the way she wants and she really likes it. Definitely should have left Bruce before now. She finishes a last few things on her computer before spinning round in her chair. "Right. On to tonight's activities then."

Why had Bruce sent Dinah and Helena here. Rumour around Gotham was that Two-Face had made a deal with Intergang for some high-tech weapons to be shipped in so he could make a move to claim more territory which only risks restarting up that turf war the 3 women risked their hides trying to bring to an end not so very long ago. The weapons from what Bruce could find out were being stored in Metropolis. The 3 heroines' job was to find where, wait for Two-Face to show to close the deal out and then ruin everyone's night by making sure they were all caught with their hands in the cookie jar...or in other terms make sure the police caught them with the boxes of illegal weapons.

Course the major trick is finding out where the deal was going down. In that regard they were fortunate in the fact Helena knew someone who use to work for her Mafia family that now works for Intergang. They were going to put the squeeze on him Birds of Prey style and see what he knew.


"I don't know anything!" the middle-aged man of Italian descent insists which is perhaps not the wisest thing when Huntress of all people has you hanging over the edge of a building, upside down with only a thin line around your ankle stopping you plummeting to your death.

"I'm gettin' real tired of hearing that," Huntress says coldly as she stands on the edge of the roof. He had been saying it for the last 5 minutes. Batgirl and Black Canary are there too standing some distance back letting Helena work.

"I don't!" he insists again strongly.

Huntress pulls out her crossbow and aims it right between the man's eyes. "Then let me ask you what good are you to me?"

The man's eyes widen in fear. "Y-you're bluffing," he dares to say. "You hero types don't kill."

Huntress smiles dangerously. "I'm not a hero. I am a hunter." She then lets one of her arrows off and as she intended it grazed the man's cheek. She brings it up to eye level and looks through the sight. "Huh. The sight's off. I'll have to fix that," she says for his benefit.

"You shot me!" the man yells in incredulous disbelief as his hand goes up to his cheek where blood is starting to flow from the nick.

"That's not shooting you," Huntress tells him. She lets off another arrow into the guy's shoulder, making sure not to hit anything vital. "That's shooting you."

The man screams out in pain.

Barbara pinches the bridge of her nose. "Does she always have to shoot them?" she mutters in complaint to Dinah because yes they rough people up but shooting them is going a little far in Barbara's opinion.

Dinah says nothing because there is no point. Helena never listens anyway.

Huntress reloads her crossbow. "So you have until I finish reloading to tell me something," she tells the guy making the threat quite clear that when she is finished reloading he is dead.

"I don't know," he cries caught between begging and sobbing.

Helena has to resist rolling her eyes. It is always so pathetic when they start crying. "Grow a pair," she snidely tell him and then aims her crossbow back between his eyes. "Last chance," she warns him.

The man holds his hands out in surrender. "Alright. Alright. Look I don't know where the deal is going down. Only a few do."

"And you know who at least one of these people is and where I can find them," Huntress tells him what she wants to know.

The man nods agreeing to tell her whatever she wants.


"This is definitely the place," Batgirl reports as she looks through binoculars. Their informant had told them where they could find a person who had the info they needed. He lived there and apparently ran an illegal gambling den out the place as well so not so different from Gotham only security isn't as tight. The criminals in Metropolis don't live with the same fear of Batman as the ones in Gotham do so aren't as paranoid about security. Almost makes this too easy.

"So how standard are we making this?" Dinah asks since this is the kind of thing they can almost do in their sleep.

"Just the usual. You two provide the distraction. I'll drop into our target's penthouse apartment and hack his hard drive."

Huntress locks her fingers together and cracks them in anticipation. Nothing like breaking up a gambling den and beating up a few people to loosen her up.

Gambling den's might seem almost clichéd in the modern world but the thrill of gambling will always hold the appeal and while it can be done online these days that can't beat the atmosphere of places like this. Of course there is also the alcohol and the girls who provide the...entertainment assuming you can afford it of course.

There are many forms of entertainment provided. For Morgan Edge, call him old fashioned, he liked a beautiful looking girl with a nice voice to sing on stage just like now. He waits as the spotlight focusses on the curtain which slowly pulls back to reveal...Huntress and Black Canary.

"Hi boys!" Canary greets them with an overly cheery smile and a wave. "We're tonight's entertainment and enjoy it while you can because in about 5 minutes you'll all be unconscious."

Edge's face grows dark. "Get them!" he orders of his men.

Huntress takes a running leap and hits the first man in range using him as leverage to flip herself over the next guy, grab him by the shoulders and using her momentum throw him. She lands in a crouch, sweeps her leg round knocking down two more. She stands up straight as more heavies advance on her. Yep. She loves her work.

Canary is doing no less well. Men like this always think they have the advantage because they carry guns about without thinking about what will happen in a situation where they can't use them effectively. Makes them overconfident and usually these guys are hired for their size and strength and not their fighting prowess. Would be why she is taking them apart in seconds.

As always though Dinah just has to keep an eye on Helena. Helena always has this fury and anger just under the surface and sometimes in battle Helena could lose herself to it and therefore not keep an eye on the bigger picture and the environment around them. They were relatively innocent people here. It's a minor thing really wanting to gamble. Those in charge were the real criminals. They were the ones who had to be taken down.

Edge can see how this is turning out as even outnumbered the two female heroes are taking out his security like they are novice fighters. He throws the last of his men at them while he makes his escape. He was angry now. He really liked this place. It was one of his favourite homes and now he would have to move. Someone would pay for this. He makes it out in the alley when there is a whizzing sound followed by something hard hitting him on the back of his head. Edge falls down, raises his hand to where he was struck and finds blood.

"Not so fast Mr Edge."

Edge gets back to his feet as Batgirl swoops out of the sky and lands a few feet away from him. "You're a long way from Gotham girl," he warns her.

"And you're a long way from justice only after tonight I'm thinking not so much."

Edge laughs. "Girl. Intergang owns this city."

"I'm not sure Lex would agree."

Edge's face darkens at the mention of Luthor. "He'll be dealt with in time unlike you who will be dealt with now!"

Edge reaches into his jacket for his gun but Batgirl is swift and has grabbed his arm before he can pull it out. She delivers a punch to his gut bending him over. Barbara is use to fighting people bigger and stronger than she is therefore she knows you hit them and keep hitting them and never give them an opening. For the 2nd in command of Intergang it doesn't take much beyond a few punches and a couple of kicks before she has him on the ground unconscious.

Batgirl reaches into his jacket, pulls out his gun and throws it away before she pats him down looking for...ah ha. Mobile phone. She plugs in a small device to the phone and copies all the data to look at later. She had already done the same to Edge's computer. That done she puts his phone back and cuffs him before dragging him back into the building.

The patrons have fled and inside she finds Huntress and Canary tying up the last of the goons. Huntress dusts her hands off. Batgirl tosses Edge to the floor.

Edge coughs painfully as he comes round. "You 3 bitches have signed your death warrants!" he swears.

All 3 women roll their eyes. Like they haven't heard that before.

Batgirl picks Edge up and slams him onto a table in a Batman-esque fashion. "Listen to me well Edge. I'm going to be staying in this town so when you get bail let all your little friends know that I will be making their lives hell until you decide you've had enough and pack up your organisation. This..." she gestures at everything around them. "This is only a warning. Heed it!"

Batgirl then punches him hard knocking him out again. Her words of course as simply to plant the idea in his head that she was here to make his life difficult and not have him realise this was all a distraction while she copied all his computer data.

The Birds of Prey swiftly make their departure and watch from a rooftop across the street when the police come and haul everyone away, Edge included.

"Well that was disappointing. I expected big tough Intergang to be a bit more of a challenge," Huntress comments while biting into a candy bar.

"We got lucky," Batgirl says. "The deal will be a tougher affair. For the big deals they use metahuman enforcers to supplement their muscle."

"Did you get everything?" Canary asks.

"Yes. Job well done," she congratulates her two friends.


A few days later...

"You cannot be serious!"

"What?"

Clark holds up Lana's idea for a costume. "A hoodie?"

"It's perfect," Lana insists. "Along with designer sunglasses," she says as she puts a pair on him. Well ok maybe not that pair but she had brought a dozen home with her and she is certain one of them will be the correct style.

"How is this perfect?" Clark asks as he pulls the shades off his nose.

"Well obviously Clark tweaking will be necessary but that is why I have brought a few home in different styles, colours and materials so we can see what works best but think about it. A hoodie puts your face into shade. You could slow down a bit or even stick around and be better able to help."

"You are really enjoying this aren't you," he guesses from the enormous grin on Lana's face.

"Honestly?"

Clark nods.

"Yes," Lana confirms. "I mean I could be at the forefront of a new trend. Hero fashions for the 21st century."

"Lana. I am not doing this to be hip or trendy or whatever the term is these days," he cautions her.

"Clark all the heroes in the world...their costumes say something about them. They are their symbol," she argues. Lana thinks Clark's costume should be the same. That it says something about him as well as being trendy. She can make it do both.

Clark sighs. "Lana I'm trying not to be like them," he reminds her.

"Look I agree with you Clark about some of them being out-of-touch but it doesn't mean the principle is wrong."

"Lana...what is there to say about me? I'm a farm boy from Kansas. I should just wear one of my plaid shirts in that case."

"Clark you are more than just a farm boy. There's where you come from."

Clark's face darkens like thunder. "Don't," he warns her off. "Don't even think about it."

Lana knows this is a sensitive issue but feels she needs to say it. "Clark...let me say it once. We clear the air and I promise I'll never mention it again."

Clark looks at her through cold eyes. "Fine. Get it over with," he says sounding petulant.

"What about something that reflects your origin?"

"What is there to reflect Lana? They're dead. They're all dead. There is nothing to reflect," he states in a flat emotionless tone.

Wow. Lana knew it was a touchy subject but he seems even colder on his people than he was before. She wonders if losing his mother has amplified it. "Ok," she concedes. "I'm sorry I raised it."

Clark's cold emotionless stare continues for a little while which makes Lana feel really small. She swiftly changes subjects. "So...um...will you at least try a few on and see how they look?"

Clark softens his glare slightly. "I'm still making no promises about agreeing to wear any of them," he tells her tersely.

"Sure. Just like you said before," she says in agreement.


"You know sometimes I really hate this job," Huntress complains as she along with Batgirl and Black Canary sit in the rain watching the location they had managed to get for the weapons deal from the data they stole.

Dinah agrees with Huntress. This job isn't a whole lot of fun when the rain is pouring down. Although it seems to reflect her mood which is still low after her break up with Ollie.

Barbara does not respond. Simply keeps looking at the warehouse through her binoculars for any sign of Intergang or Two-Face or any of their known lackeys. "There," she says as she spots a limo with blacked out windows. "It's Mannheim," she reports as Bruno 'Ugly' Mannheim, the boss of Intergang steps out. There are 3 escort cars full of his bodyguards accompanying him.

"Recognise any of them?" Dinah asks since as Barbara mentioned Intergang tends to use metahumans on their big deals.

"I see Killer Frost," Barbara reports. Killer Frost is a ruthless killer as cold as the ice she can generate. She has the power to manipulate the cold and ice. She moves onto the next woman. Another woman with red hair. "It's Whisper A'Daire."

That peaks both Huntress' and Canary's interest. Last either of them saw Whisper A'Daire she was working for Ra's al Ghul and had been for at least the last 60 years. He had given her a serum that made her immortal as well as give her some minor shape-shifting powers. She could change into a snake-like humanoid form that grossly could spit out deadly acid. They wonder what this is about. Either she and Ra's split up or she is there at Ra's command. Perhaps he is trying to forge an alliance with Intergang. That would be bad.

"Anyone else?" Dinah asks.

"Hmm...I think that's John Corben."

"Who?" Helena queries.

"He's a mercenary...a terrorist for hire. Last I heard he was dead," Barbara pulls from her memory.

"Looks pretty good for a dead guy," Dinah remarks.

"Immortal? Some kind of magic spell? The living dead? Or your info is just plain wrong?" Helena wonders as to which it is.

"Can't give you an answer but he came in the same car as the other two so I'm guessing there is something about him that has been altered. Should be careful when engaging him," Barbara cautions.

Dinah quietly scoffs. Helena and caution are not two aspects that sit together. She looks on and waits. As soon as Two-Face shows up it will be time to bust up this little soirée.


"You look fine."

"I look awful."

"Just give it a try. One night. That's all I'm asking."

"Fine. Fine. I'll give it a try."

Clark moves himself to stand in front of a full length mirror Lana had brought out into her lounge and pulls up the hood of the red leather sleeveless hoodie Lana had finally decided was his colour. Under it he wore a blue t-shirt along with blue leather pants. He brushes some imaginary dust off. "Would I not be better off in black?" he asks since he kind of stuck out in red and blue.

Lana moves next to him with a frown and adjusts how the hoodie is sitting on him. "Clark take it from me. Black is not your colour but if you really want we could try it tomorrow and see how it looks. There is going to be some trial and error here for awhile Clark."

Clark looks back at himself in the mirror. Well the hood did place his face in shadow so that's good.

"Here put the glasses on," Lana suggests as she hands a pair over to him.

Clark takes them and can see the lenses are a dark red in colour. He guesses Lana wants them to match. He slips them on.

Lana looks at his reflection and smiles a little smile of satisfaction. She does good work even if she is saying so herself.

Clark pushes the hood back off revealing his hair in that slicked back state Lana insisted he have it in apart from that errant lock over his forehead and goes and picks up what probably most closely resembles a bluetooth...in fact it was a bluetooth until Clark did some tinkering. It picks up the relay from his radio that picks up the police frequencies so Clark can listen in no matter where he is or what he is doing. He attaches it to his ear and pulls the hood back up. Time to get to work.


If you call getting shot at and various unrepeatable threats made at you business as usual then Batgirl, Huntress and Black Canary can call the fight they are currently in the middle of as business as usual. Even having to fight metahumans like Killer Frost and Whisper A'Daire wasn't really unusual.

Huntress connects with a spinning kick to Two-Faces two faces.

"We are going to skin you alive," Two-Face promises darkly.

"Aw Harv. I knew you loved me really," Huntress mocks him as she blocks his blow, twists his arm and kicks him the gut. She then knees him in his two faces.

Canary was currently picking her way through the goons using Huntress' metal fighting stick. Seriously she needs a better costume that allows her to carry more weapons. However she does manage to keep a few knives strapped to her thigh that she throws into the hands of a couple of guys aiming guns at her.

Batgirl has managed to put Killer Frost down and was currently trying to avoid Whisper's acid spit. Yes it is as disgusting as it sounds. She leaps out of the way and rolls forward to bet met by Corben. She throws a punch which Corben doesn't even try to dodge.

Batgirl's next move is to call out in pain and cradle her fist because she thinks she just might have broken something because Corben's face feels like it is made of steel. He then grabs her with immense strength and throws her through the air like a rag doll. Batgirl crashes through some crates and comes to a painful stop.

She pulls out a batarang and throws it. It misses...as she was intending. It impacts a crate to the left of where Corben is standing. She pulls up her cape for cover as it explodes causing what's in the crate to explode as well.

Batgirl pulls herself to her feet and peers through the smoke to see Corben still standing unmoved by the force of the blast but the right side of his face and upper right part of his torso...

HOLY METALLIC MONSTROSITY!

And seriously even Dick was never that lame. Anyway back to what her eyes are beholding. The skin has been melted off to reveal a robotic body. "You're a machine?" she says in total astonishment.

"And you're dead," Corben says menacingly and now his voice even has a kind of machine like buzz underneath it.

Batgirl braces herself only to be hit by a loud sonic blast from behind. She can feel it effecting her inner ear as the room starts to spin before she passes out.

Corben looks up at who is responsible for that. The person he really works for and had been acting as a spy within Intergang for. "Luthor...you're late," he remarks.

Lex Luthor, dressed in his green and purple armoured suit, with his hand still held out arches one solitary eyebrow. "Did someone start the party without me?"

Corben looks down at Batgirl. "Yes her and her two friends."

Lex looks down at Batgirl's fallen figure. This has been unexpected but perhaps not unhelpful. He had been planning to disrupt this meeting because Metropolis was his town and it was time Intergang learned their place. Standing behind Lex are several members of the Injustice League. "Kill everyone," he orders and then amends that slightly, "except our feline imitation of the Chiroptera family here, her two friends and Mannheim. Leave them alive."

Lex has to at least leave the heroes alive long enough to thank them before he gets rid of them. As for Mannheim...well Lex wants to have a little chat with Intergang's boss.


Elsewhere Clark is performing a very important rescue that he had come across while flying around on his patrol.

"Please be careful," the elderly woman asks of him. "Fluffy is wary around strangers."

"Of course ma'am. I promise you your cat will be safe," Clark assures her as he floats up to pluck the stranded pet out of the tree. The cat hisses at him but he remains calm. This reminds him of that stray tabby he found in the barn when he was 7. It hissed at him too but eventually Clark managed to win its trust. In fact he was the only one it ever allowed to pet it.

Clark takes his time and gently plucks the cat up and cradles it in his arms as he floats back down. That done he then escorts the lady across the street to her house.

"You are a very nice young man," the woman says to him. Polite too. Such a rare trait these days.

"I am just trying to help ma'am."

"Are you new at this?" she asks. "I've not seen or read about you."

"Yes. I only started a few weeks ago."

"Well from what I've seen you are doing a fine job. At least you are respectful and spend time to help. Those others in the Justice League never seem to. They are always off fighting this supervillain or that alien dictator and look at the mess they cause," she complains about the damage the League causes during their fights.

This isn't the first time Clark has heard something along these lines about the Justice League. Seriously he can't believe that not one of them has noticed how people perceive them and if they haven't then someone should point it out to them.

When they reach the door the lady tries to invite Clark inside for some tea. He politely declines not wishing to put her to any bother. He returns her cat to her before he wishes her and Fluffy well and saying his farewells. He then soars off into the night sky, a large smile on his face, happy that he was able to help. Clark has to say he has actually really enjoyed these last few weeks. When he was growing up his powers...his oddity always made him feel like an outcast and then his parents showed him his spaceship which only made his feeling of isolation worse.

Clark has a resigned practical attitude to it all now. He is what he is. He can't do anything about it. Only try and make the best of what he has although up until recently he thought that involved remaining hidden within the human population for...however long he lives. Clark has this sneaking suspicion that his lifespan could be a fair bit longer than your average human.

Anyway he never thought about using his powers openly but now that he is he has to say it makes him feel good to know that he is helping people...the little people the Justice League tend to forget about. He wonders if he hadn't had to look after his mother because of her illness whether he would have been doing this before now.

Best not to wonder on what ifs and concentrate on the here and now and in the here and now he is going to have to a talk to Lana about this costume because when he accelerates too quickly or just gets above a certain speed the hood blows back. May need to do a redesign.


"Fuck! My head!" Helena complains loudly as she regains consciousness. She had been fighting when she was hit hard from behind by something very strong.

"Join the club," what sounds like Dinah's voice says.

Helena shakes her head to clear it and opens her eyes to find herself next to Black Canary and Batgirl in the middle of the wrecked and on fire warehouse and they are not merely just tied up together. As she looks down it appeared they are held together by a metal girder that has been bent around them leaving barely enough room to breathe. Helena can feel that her hands are tied together really expertly which means she is not getting loose quickly.

"What did I miss?" Helena wonders.

"Oh just Lex Luthor and half the Injustice League getting the drop on us," Dinah says acerbically, sounding quite pissed at the fact she got taken by surprise just like Helena and Barbara. She should have done better. Her mother would have done better.

Helena tries to peer round at what is going on but can't get a clear line of sight. "What's happening?"

"Lex is dealing with Mannheim," Barbara reports as Mannheim is forced to his knees in front of Lex.

Lex looks down at his so-called rival for control of this city with about as much respect as he gives a cockroach. "I give you this one chance Mannheim to end this pointless and destructive battle we've been fighting," Lex offers. "Have Intergang accept my leadership and together we will take over not only this city but the world."

Mannheim laughs despite the sorry state he is in. Clothes tattered, bruised and bleeding from his lip. "You have no idea about anything Luthor. You make this offer thinking I'm in charge. I'm not. I serve one who can crush you like an insect."

Lex looks at the short stunted man, both physically and mentally, with some puzzlement. Is he telling the truth or concocting some story to save his worthless life?

Lex lifts Mannheim up by what remains of the man's jacket until he is off the ground. The suit Lex wears greatly enhances his strength. "Name this person," he demands.

"HIS name is not revealed to the likes of you. Go ahead and kill me if you want because what He can do to me is a hundred times worse than what you can imagine."

Lex ponders what to do for a few moments. "I'll spare your life for the moment but deliver this message to your boss. Tell him Lex Luthor seeks a meeting. If he refuses I will not rest from eliminating your pathetic organisation until Intergang is not even a memory." Lex then throws Mannheim aside. "Now get out of my sight!"

Mannheim scurries away and Lex turns his attention to the 3 heroines who he had Metallo tie up while they were unconscious. He strides forward in his armoured suit until he stands above them. "Now then what do we do with you?"

"You could surrender before we kick your ass," Huntress says.

Lex chuckles. "Ah yes the feisty Huntress always straying close to the wrong side of the law. You know what I'm feeling generous so I'll make all 3 of you an offer. Join me."

"Bite me!" Huntress snarks sounding somewhat childish.

"Come now. The 3 of you are no more enamoured with the Justice League than I am. After all didn't all 3 of you decline to join."

"I quit," Huntress points out.

"Actually they kicked you out," Lex corrects her.

Huntress shrugs. "Still doesn't change anything. Won't be joining you baldy!"

Lex sighs. That insult gets so tiresome after awhile. He looks to Black Canary. "And what about you?"

"Technically I'm on an extended sabbatical," Canary corrects Lex. She use to be a member and technically she still is but after her break-up with Ollie she needed some space and time away from the pressure of that.

"Well yes I must admit I didn't think you would accept my offer," Lex says to Canary but he thought he would try. He turns to Batgirl. "How about you Batgirl? I'll even sweeten the deal by not making you tell me the real identities of any of your friends."

Batgirl mentally snorts at the affront of him even trying this. She fixes him the coldest hardest glare she can manage. "I'll never help you Lex. I may not have joined the Justice League but I have no interest in helping to create a world run by Lex Luthor," she states in no uncertain terms.

Lex sighs. "You know you disappoint me and I hate to be disappointed. Plastique!" he yells at the red-haired woman, a master of explosives on top of the fact she possesses the power to impart an explosive charge to any object.

Plastique steps forward. "Oui," she replies in her native French. She is from Quebec.

"Blow this place," Lex orders, his voice cold and harsh.

"No! Let me kill them!"

Lex turns his attention to the white-skinned, blue-haired Killer Frost currently being held in the grip of the huge grey figure that is the living zombie Solomon Grundy. After the dust settled on this fight it turned out she was still alive. "Oh and why should I do that? In fact remind me why I shouldn't let you endure the same fate?" Lex asks her.

"I'm a killer for hire. I work for whoever pays me. Intergang was paying me. That's why I worked for them. If you pay me I'll work for you and to prove I mean it I'll kill those 3 for free," she basically pleads for her life.

"An interesting offer but I want these 3 to look like they were simply caught in the explosion. Anything else will bring the Justice League down on my head but I will give you a chance to prove yourself as long as the first...5 jobs I ask of you are done for free."

"5!" Killer Frost screeches.

Lex looks at her, his face unmoved and cold. "Take it or I have Grundy...play with you."

Killer Frost swallows hard. "5. A very generous offer."

"I thought you would see it my way," Lex says with a cold smile of satisfaction. With that done Plastique gets to work planting explosives everywhere. Her own unique type of explosive that leaves no residue so no-one will be able to identify the cause. When she is done Lex and the Injustice League leave the Birds of Prey to their fate.

"So anyone got an idea how we are getting out of this?" Dinah asks as she struggles to simply get the ropes around her wrists undone never mind how to escape from the metal girder that is wrapped around them.

"Working on it," Barbara says through gritted teeth as she tries very hard to get out of her binds. Lex was unfortunately a very smart man. He had stripped her and she assumes the others of all their weapons, belts and little gadgets. This day has not been going well.

"How long have we got?" Helena asks.

Dinah tries to peer at the readout of one of the bombs. "About 30 seconds," she reports.

The 3 heroines struggle with to get free of their bonds cursing Lex every second that passes and they get nearer to their doom. Not one of them bothers with that last words or expressing feelings. This is the life they chose. They all knew where it could get them one day and as the countdown reaches zero it seems today is the day.


Clark flies over the rooftops of Metropolis. While he has been able to fly since he was about 18 he has never spent a great deal of time in the air...until he started doing this. It was really very enjoyable and he is is partially regretting he hadn't spent more time flying before now. When he flies he just feels...so free and uninhibited. The feel of the wind rushing over him. High above the city away from the noise he can just let himself forget about all his troubles for awhile.

BOOM!

Speaking of troubles that sounded like a very large explosion.

BOOM!

Another one.

BOOM!

And another. Clark's brow furrows as he pinpoints the direction and zips towards it. He finds a partially demolished warehouse on fire and looks inside and spots...NO WAY!

Another explosion. Right. Hero adulation later. Save their lives first.

Clark zips down, blasts through a wall, picks up the 3 heroines and flies out just as the final few explosions engulf the area where the 3 women were just moments before. Clark flies them up to a nearby rooftop and places them down.

"Are we dead yet?" Canary asks, her eyes closed. She really hadn't wanted to see the end when it came.

"No. You're not dead," a deep baritone voice speaks softly, reassuringly and if Dinah is permitted to think so the voice sounds kind of sexy. Her eyes flicker open to find a tall man in a red leather hooded vest top(hood up after Clark had quickly had to pull it up again) with blue t-shirt on underneath and blue leather pants. He is wearing red-shaded glasses she can just about see. He bends down in front of her.

"Here. Let me help you," he offers and then he takes the steel girder they are still wrapped in and unbends it like he is bending Taffy. He then offers his hand which Dinah takes. He smiles and Dinah can't help herself when she smiles back because his smile is kind of infectious and more than that from what she can see of his face his smile makes him look gorgeous. She bets he has amazing eyes under those shades.

Once he has helped Dinah to her feet he then goes and helps Huntress and Batgirl up. Huntress doesn't miss the opportunity to run her hands over the large, firms biceps as he is helping her up. She gives him a smoky sultry smile.

"Thank you," Batgirl says to him in a flat voice, keeping her hormones in check although it wasn't lost on her just how well built this guy was. He was at least as tall as Bruce with perhaps a slightly larger overall frame defined it seems by layers of muscle but none of it was disproportionate large like some over-muscled body-builder. It seemed to be all perfectly in keeping with his size.

"You're welcome," Clark says, a little shy and nervous around these real genuine heroes. He even fidgets nervously on the spot. "Well...uh...I should go," he decides before he makes a complete ass of himself.

"Wait!" Batgirl shouts because...well she can't be certain but this she thinks is him. The guy she is supposedly here to find. "Who are you?"

Clark's eyes dart back and forth under his shades as he thinks. What does he say? "I'm...I'm a friend," he comes up with and then before anyone can ask anything else or stop him he bends his knees slightly, pushes off and soars off into the night sky, vanishing in a blur and a muffled sonic boom.

The 3 women just stand there. It was all over almost before they could blink. There is silence for a few moments until Huntress speaks up. "I am so calling dibs on him!"


Author's Note: The not so successful hunt for a costume for Clark continues. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Batgirl starts to close in on her target while Barbara meets a certain tall handsome dark-haired blue-eyed waiter.