Chapter 14
Barbara's father had been surprised but pleased when she showed up at his door the very next morning. When he left for work Barbara's first stop of the day was Dinah to see if anything odd had been going on. More specifically anything that might indicate what Clark was doing in Gotham.
"You're worried about him aren't you," Dinah observes.
A sardonic smile comes to form on Barbara's lips. "That obvious huh?" Barbara gets up off Dinah's chair and paces around the living room a bit. "I don't know what to say Dinah but talking to him last night...something was off about him and why would he be in Gotham?"
"You talk to his friends?"
"The only one he has mentioned to me is Lana Lang."
"The fashion designer Lana Lang?" Dinah inquires with raised eyebrows.
Barbara nods.
"He knows her?"
"Grew up together. He neither confirmed nor denied this but I think he dated her once."
"He has a thing for redheads?" Dinah asks half in jest looking at Barbara's red hair and knowing Lana Lang has red hair too.
"Um...I don't think so. I think he mentioned his last girlfriend had brown hair but it is not something we talked about a lot."
"Yeah since your bonehead move to keep your and his relationship 'professional'," Dinah says with a shake of her head. Barbara frowns annoyed at her. "Hey," Dinah raises her hands in her defence. "As your friend I support you. Doesn't mean I can't say I think you made a mistake."
Barbara sighs. "I think I made a mistake too but..."
"Your feelings for Dick," Dinah assumes.
Barbara nods. She obviously isn't over Dick therefore a relationship with Clark was pretty much doomed to failure from the get-go.
Dinah waves all that off. "Ok lets get back on track. Did you try talking to Lang?"
"She wasn't at her apartment. In fact it looked like it had been empty for a couple of days at least."
"That's suspicious."
"I agree."
"You think it's possible someone is using her as a hold over Clark."
"Maybe but it doesn't explain how off Clark was sounding. He didn't sound nervous like he was being forced into anything. He was just...off. Not quite like himself."
"As in he was drugged? Can he even be drugged?"
Barbara shrugs. "I doubt it. He is virtually invulnerable."
"Really? He told you that?"
"Yes and as far as I can figure its true. Apart from Grundy and lets face it Grundy is an exception to many rules I have never seen anything hurt him. Bullets bounce off him like he is made of steel."
"Still virtually means not absolutely," Dinah argues.
Barbara knows about the blue ring he wore though he never explained it in detail. "He's guarded about that kind of thing. He never let me in on what he's vulnerable to."
"But maybe he let Lang know and that is why she was taken. To learn his secrets," Dinah puts forward as a suggestion.
"If that is true that leaves who. No-one apart from me, you and lets assume Lang knows Clark is the Blur."
"No-one he let you know about...which lets face it is not the sign of a healthy relationship."
"I understand why he is guarded Dinah."
"Which is?"
Barbara hesitates with an answer which would completely break Clark's confidence.
"Barbs if you want my help I need to know what I'm dealing with here," Dinah says not being unsympathetic but getting down to the gist of it.
Barbara paces about a bit more before sitting back down and composing herself. Part of her feels she shouldn't say this but what right does she have asking Dinah to get involved and take the associated risk without letting her friend know what she is truly up against. Therefore it is better if Barbara just gets it out there. "Clark's an alien."
There are a few minutes of silence as if Dinah didn't quite hear that correctly. "Sorry run that by me again."
"Clark's an alien," Barbara repeats.
"That's what I thought you said but just let me clarify it. Alien as in Martian Manhunter?"
"No. Well yes. Well no. What I mean is yes he comes from a different planet but Clark is a different species from the Martian Manhunter and he isn't green. What you see is what you get."
"An alien that looks completely human?" Dinah queries sceptically.
"Yes."
More silence.
"You know I had a late night and it is really too early in the morning to be dropping revelations on me," Dinah complains.
"Sorry. What was it last night?"
"That people smuggling gang. Turned out Bane was behind it."
"You alright?" Barbara asks with concern because Bane was a dangerous dangerous man.
"Oh sure. I didn't fight him. Don't know who did. Only that the police found him tenderised like a piece of meat down at the docks."
Barbara gets instantly what this means. "Clark. It was Clark who beat him."
"How can you know that?"
"Because no-one else could have done it. Remember what he did to Grundy and you get an impression of how strong he is."
Dinah frowns. "Helena was there but I haven't spoken to her in person. Over the phone she said she got a lead on something and that she would be busy for awhile. She never mentioned anything about Bane but I never thought anything of it. It's Helena. She reports the truth of what she gets up to sketchily at best."
Barbara has to concede that is true. Helena is never very forthcoming about what she gets up to at least half the time.
"You think it is connected?"
"Hard to say. Like you said it's Helena and she does have a tendency to go off on her own but it does seem too much of a coincidence."
"Yeah but if she was in trouble and being watched she would have managed to drop in a clue when I talked to her," Dinah points out and there was nothing in the conversation they had last night that indicated Helena was under duress.
"True but..."
"But?" Dinah queries puzzled by Barbara trailing off. She watches Barbara's expression carefully. "You've just thought of something," she realises.
"Clark's conversation with me. Clark said I had to visit my father because he was working too hard and had too much paperwork on his desk. What if what was a clue dropped in about where to go," Barbara puts forward as a possibility.
"The building across the street you mean," Dinah assumes from which you get a pretty good view into police headquarters.
"It's the only lead I've got to go on," she has to reluctantly accept.
That night Batgirl lands upon the rooftop opposite the police headquarters. Barbara knows this spot well. She has used it to look in on her father. She walks up to edge and looks across the street and as per usual the light in her father's office is on and no doubt he is overworking. Again as per usual. She really has been meaning to get onto him about that. It's not good for his health.
"I knew you would figure it out," a voice suddenly whispers in her ear.
Barbara spins round to be greeted by a figure all in black. She looks him up and down a few times. "Clark?"
"That's my name. Don't wear it out," he says with this overwhelming smugness and arrogance.
That feeling something is off is magnifying all the time. Even the way he stands is off. He seems so much darker, edgier...dangerous. He seems to be exuding this power and confidence.
"Clark. What is going on? Is it something to do with the fact your friend Lana is missing?"
Clark grins amused. "Ah the great little detective at work. Lets just say it is related to what is going on and don't you fret none about Lana. I've got that well in hand. If I were you I would concentrate your efforts on me."
"Why?"
"Because in 10 minutes I'm going to level the police headquarters building."
"That's a joke," Barbara assumes although he sounds deadly serious.
"Maybe but ooh first things first. We need to invite a very special guest," he announces before in an instant his arm is around Batgirl's waist and they are flying to atop the police headquarters building.
Clark puts Barbara down as he walks up to the famous Bat-signal; a spotlight with a solid bat-shaped piece of metal in the middle. "The Bat-signal. I thought it would be fancier," he says sounding disappointed at what it is.
'Oh dear god no,' is the thought going through Barbara's head because whatever is going on with Clark the last thing this situation needs is Bruce to be here. She runs over to him and takes him by the hand gently tugging at him trying to pull him away although she can only hope to do that if he lets her. "Clark. We need to talk," she reminds him.
"About what? The fact you're so pathetic that when faced with me rocking your world all you can seem to think of is your ex," he says sounding particularly nasty.
"Look I'm sorry about that. I never wanted to hurt you."
"It doesn't matter what you wanted Babs. It's done and I'm not here to debate your hang-ups on some loser ex-boytoy. Consider your chance missed...and by the way you didn't hurt me. I would have to actually have cared about you for you to hurt me."
'Ok. Ouch. That hurt,' Barbara thinks to herself at his cutting remarks which is just an indication that it did hurt him but this isn't about her or her feelings. This is about whatever is wrong with Clark. "Then why did you drop me that hint to meet you here Clark? What was that about?"
"Haven't you worked out what this is yet Babs?"
Barbara looks at him curiously wishing she could see his eyes and get a better read on him. "What is this Clark?" she asks him.
"It's all a game. You just haven't figured out the rules yet." Clark yanks the shades off his face, snaps his head to look at the Bat-signal and unleashes a blast of his heat vision causing it to explode. Clark slips the shades back on grinning a happy cocky smile. "How long until Gotham's finest come do you think?" he asks Barbara. "1 minute? Less? More? Won't it be fun when they try and arrest me?"
No. It will not be fun Barbara realises. Clark can decimate them if he so chooses to. She should have asked Dinah along but Barbara thought this would go better if she came alone.
"Of course they won't have to arrest me if you take me down first will they?" Clark holds his hand out and signals at Barbara to come get him. "Come on Babs. Teach me something new," he dares her.
Barbara glares at him. "Clark we both know I can't hurt you."
Clark pouts. "You're no fun. You know that. You could at least try. I need some entertainment. I get bored very easily." Clark's head then turns to the stairway door and he smiles. He can hear and see the fact they are almost here. "Well looks like you get spared an ass kicking today but let me ask you a question. How much do you really have in common with the rodent you dress up as?"
"What?" Barbara asks puzzled.
Clark zips forward and grips her by her waist just as the door flies open and Commissioner Gordon and half a dozen cops appear, drawn by the explosion Clark caused. Clark looks at them and smirks. He turns his attention back to Barbara. "Can you fly honey?" he asks her before Clark physically lifts Barbara up and throws her off the edge of the roof. He could if he had wished thrown her clear of the entire city but he hadn't wished to kill her. Only for her father to see him throw her and assume he is an enemy and it works perfectly as Clark finds the cops pulling out their guns and aiming them at him. Clark turns to face them and chuckles lightly.
"Put your hands up," Commissioner Gordon orders.
Clark chuckles louder. "Boy you are so far out of your league." He then starts to walk slowly towards them.
"Last warning," Commissioner Gordon says. "Stop or we'll open fire."
"Oh go right ahead," Clark says. "Because if you don't shoot in 5 seconds I'm going to beat you all senseless." He then waves that off. "What am I saying? Shoot. Don't shoot. Either way I'll beat you senseless."
Commissioner Gordon wasn't sure what is going on beyond seeing this man throw Batgirl like a ragdoll off the roof. He has faith in her ability to get out of that. He doesn't know who this man is and he really doesn't want to have to shoot him but the man is giving him no choice. "Open fire!" he gives the order with some reluctance.
Clark has to stop himself laughing his head off at the expressions on their faces when their bullets bounce off him harmlessly. This was too good really he muses to himself as he slips into superspeed and proceeds to do what he promised and beat them all senseless.
'He threw me?' is the incredulous and disbelieving thought Barbara has as instinct kicks in and she pulls out a grapple line from her utility belt. She fires it off and the line hooks around a drain pipe and she swings into the police headquarters building and comes to a stop.
She cannot believe he threw her. What in the hell is going on with him because the Clark she knew was a nice, quiet, respectful guy. That Clark wouldn't throw anyone off a building no matter how angry he might be at her for the whole slipping out Dick's name.
The sound of guns going off above her indicate she needs to get back up to the roof quickly. With all the grace and speed years of doing this affords her Barbara climbs up the drain pipe and is back up on the roof where she finds the officers who accompanied her father lying about the roof unconscious and Clark holding her father by the throat with one hand over the edge.
"Took you long enough!" Clark scolds her in a childish sounding tone of voice.
Barbara cautiously edges towards him. "Ok. Lets take it easy," she requests of him completely caught out by this behaviour.
"Come on Batgirl," he challenges her. "Aren't you going to save the commish here? Isn't that what great big heroes do?" Clark laughs and turns his gaze to Gordon. "You are probably wondering why she isn't rushing to the rescue," he says. "It is because she is smart. It is because she knows there is nothing she can do to stop me dropping you. She is utterly powerless and lets face facts useless." Clark turns his gaze back to her. "Isn't that right?"
She is powerless. Barbara has to admit that. She can't stop him from doing whatever he wants but with her father involved that doesn't mean she can't try. "You know I'll try," she points out.
"Of course you will because of who he is. I'm curious though does he know who you are?"
"That's...that's not what this is about."
Clark grins smugly at her hesitation. "That's a no. Oh you bad bad girl. Keeping a secret like that. How do you live with yourself?"
It's simple really. If her father knew she was Batgirl it would put him in an impossible position as technically she is a vigilante. Her father gets heat as it is for turning a blind eye to her, Huntress, Black Canary and Batman. Barbara will not put him in the position where he lies and covers for her. "What do you want?" she asks Clark.
"Want? Oh dear you are slow aren't you," he insults her. "I told you this is a game. You need to figure out the rules." Clark looks back at Gordon. "Do you know how easily I can end him? Do you know how easily I can flatten this entire city? You are all nothing but insects crawling around on the skin of this planet and I can crush you out of existence any time I want."
"But you don't," Barbara points out.
"No because then who would I have to play with?"
Right. This is all a game. Babs just wishes she knew the rules. An idea hits her. "I'll play your game on the condition you let the Commissioner go," she tells him.
Clark smiles. "Clever girl. I knew you would figure it out. Question is can you figure out what comes next. I hope you do. It's going to be really something," he promises. Then in the blink of an eye he throws Gordon into Batgirl and both tumble over in a heap.
As they untangle themselves, her father apologising for his hands inadvertently touching places they shouldn't Barbara can see Clark is gone. She gets to her feet blushing slightly embarrassed at the position she ended up in with her father. "Are you alright?" she asks with real concern for her father.
Her father nods his head rubbing his throat. "I'll put out an APB," her father announces.
"No. Don't," she essentially pleads. "You'll only put anyone who tries to stop him in danger."
"Who...what is he?" Gordon asks Batgirl after the way the man disabled all of his men in a blur of motion that only lasted seconds and held him with impossible strength.
"A friend," she says. "One who isn't acting like himself. Something has happened to him."
"Drugs?" Gordon puts forward.
Like when Dinah said it Barbara is fairly certain it's impossible for Clark to be drugged but after this she is more inclined to think perhaps it is somehow possible. "I don't know," she says in reply to her father, "but please I'm asking as a favour Commissioner don't try and stop him unless he gives you no other choice. He is very powerful."
"He's the one who put Bane in the hospital isn't he," Gordon suddenly connects the two things.
"Yes but I'll deal with him."
"You can't do that by yourself," Gordon states the obvious.
"I know." Barbara then spots something out of place on the roof. A green leaf of a variety she isn't familiar with right in the place Clark was standing before he vanished. She walks over and picks it up.
"What is it?" Gordon asks as he comes over.
"Not sure. A clue maybe. Can I borrow this?"
"I should say no but I've learned to give you and Batman a wide degree of latitude. If you think it will help take it."
Barbara deposits it in her utility belt. She needs to learn the rules he said. Rules where it seems Clark leaves deliberate clues behind. It's all a game. Right. Well Barbara can plays games too and she will figure out this one and then figure out just what the hell is going on but to do that she is going to need help. She'll have to go see Bruce.
When Barbara gets to the Batcave it is just as she remembers it. She finds Batman, cowl pulled down, at the Batcomputer no doubt working a case.
"What brings you back?" he asks her without looking round.
"I need your help," she says as she walks up next to him. She pulls out the leaf and holds it in front of him. "I need to know exactly what type of plant this comes from."
Bruce takes the leaf and looks at it closely. It is not a leaf of any plant species he knows. "I'll run a comparison," he says as she places it on a scanner and scans the plant into the computer and lets it run a comparison to all plants in all databases it can access. "So what is really going on Barbara?" he asks her hating it when he doesn't have the full facts.
As someone who was trying to break her way out of under his thumb this is going to leave a bitter taste in her mouth. Barbara doesn't fill in all the details because some of it is personal but she gives the basics about she and the Blur having a falling out and when when he phones her he is sounding off and his actions tonight being completely out of character for him.
"This could have been avoided if you had brought him to us," Bruce accuses Barbara harshly after she fills him in on what brings her to Gotham. Us as in the Justice League.
"I don't agree. He's been affected by something. That could have as easily have happened if he was a member of the Justice League," she argues.
"Truth is you don't know that. You have no idea what is going on."
"I know enough about him to know that he didn't accidentally drop that leaf. He did it on purpose. He deliberately left me a clue. What I need to figure out is why."
"To lure you into a trap."
Barbara dismisses that argument. "He doesn't need to go through that much effort. If he wanted to capture me he could do so and I doubt I could stop him. He's very powerful."
"Obviously," he says in a condescending tone. Anyone who can knock out Grundy is obviously extremely powerful.
"No he said it. This is a game. We need to figure out what the game is and its rules and along the way figure out what has affected him. The problem is I haven't seen him in a few days and whatever has happened happened then."
"Yes your falling out. You were suppose to keep him under control Barbara. He was your responsibility."
"Bruce do not lecture me like I'm still 16 years old," she warns him, her temper rising. "I know what my responsibilities are."
Bruce doesn't say it but he suspects this 'falling out' was due to feelings Barbara had allowed to develop between herself and the Blur. If that is true he is disappointed in her. He thought she would have learned after Dick to keep personal feelings out of the work.
There is a moment of silence before Barbara speaks in a quieter voice sounding a little contrite. "He blew up the Bat-signal. Hope you weren't too attached to it."
"That was your father's idea not mine," Bruce points out. "Is he alright?" he asks with real concern for his friend and long term ally in this battle against Gotham's dark forces.
"If the Blur had wanted to hurt him he could have. It was all for show so yes my father is fine thanks for asking."
"You're still protecting the Blur."
"I know and...look if it comes down to it...if he gives me no other choice I'll tell you what I know but it hasn't reached that point yet."
"Don't expect me to agree with that assessment."
"Do you ever," Barbara says making a small joke. She still doesn't want to betray Clark's confidence to Bruce because unlike Dinah Barbara knows Bruce won't hesitate to use it in any way he thinks is necessary. In other words the ends justify the means but they're not at that point yet. However if Clark keeps pushing and if this gets out of hand she'll have no choice. Barbara can only hope they figure this out before it gets that far.
The Batcomputer comes up with a match for the leaf. Bruce reads out what it has found. "The plant is not found in nature. It was an early experiment in genetic modification. Trademarked to Dextro Industries. Chief scientist..." Bruce's voice drops to its deepest gravelly tone. "Chief scientist Dr Pamela Isley."
"Poison Ivy? I thought she was still locked up."
"She is," Bruce replies as he types commands into the computer and brings up on the screen the surveillance footage from Ivy's prison cell and there lying on her bed seems to be the altered botanist.
"You hacked into the prison facility's surveillance system?"
"I thought it best to keep an eye on her. The chemical compound I injected her with to suppress her abilities was experimental. I wasn't sure it would be permanent."
"So what does this mean?" Barbara wonders. How is it connected to Clark's behaviour?
"It means we have a lot of surveillance footage to review starting from the moment she arrived to now."
"That's weeks worth," Barbara points out.
"You have some place to be?"
"No but I think I'll get a hold of Dinah to help. 3 pairs of eyes are better than 2."
"No Huntress?" Bruce asks hopeful that is a yes because he still doesn't like Helena.
"According to Dinah she's off doing something else which might be related to going on because she was there when Bane was taken down which I'm pretty certain was the Blur's doing but when Dinah and I tried to get hold of Helena earlier she wasn't responding. I'm not worried just yet because...well you know Helena."
He does unfortunately and there'll be signs soon enough assuming she is alright because Helena leaves a lot of beaten up bodies in her wake. Still that leaves a wild-card floating around Bruce isn't happy about. This whole thing doesn't quite make sense with different parts he can't quite connect yet but he will and soon. Then he'll deal with the Blur as he deals with anyone who causes trouble in his city. To be blunt the Blur is going down.
High above the clouds above Wayne manor Clark smirks. It was too easy and he is so disappointed in Barbara for not figuring he might be following her. Then again he isn't sure he ever really let her in on the fact he can see objects from miles away. Seems like just another thing about him she doesn't understand or get which is fine. She is hung up on her ex so Clark doesn't care. He absolutely does not care.
Well he's found out what he wanted to know so Clark flies off across Gotham until he reaches a wild overgrown wilderness just beyond the city limits hidden amongst which is a large old greenhouse. Clark lands outside, steps inside and a smile comes to his lips at seeing the hotness that is his current 'squeeze' tending to her plants. In particular the planet whose leaf he 'accidentally' dropped. Clark comes up behind her, wraps his arms around her and kisses the green tinted skin on her shoulder.
Ivy makes something that is close to a purring sound at the feel of Clark's lips upon her skin. "How did it go?"
"Exactly as planned. She took the bait and the leaf to Batman and I saw everything. So tell me sweetie do you want to know who Batman is?"
Ivy turns round, a wicked smile on her rosy lips. At last. At last she'll have the advantage over the Bat. She wraps her hands around the back of his neck. "Who is Batman?"
"Hmm I'm thinking I need my reward first before I tell you," he says playfully.
Ivy pouts playing along because it's fun. He's fun. He is so much fun. She wishes she had found him years ago. "Rewards come after not before," she playfully chastises him although in a sultry tone. Ivy could make any thing she said sultry if she wanted to. Her lips gently touch his, gently exploring the perfect luscious lips he possesses. Lips made for kissing in Ivy's view.
Clark's large powerful hands run along her thighs. Ivy moans before he kisses her passionately his tongue possessing hers completely. Ivy's hands pull at his black shirt so she can slip one under and feel along the hard chiselled muscles beneath. Oh to hell with it she decides. Why wait? He'll tell her and this way they both get a reward.
Soon it is all so quick and easy. Ivy's hands at his belt. Clark's hands pulling at her dress. Their bodies joined. The word perfection floats briefly through Ivy's head before all coherent thought vanishes until it is over and she finds her head resting against his chest as she catches her breath. He gently holds her close and whispers in her ear. "Bruce Wayne."
A smile comes to Ivy's breathless face. If she had the energy right now she would laugh. Bruce Wayne. Of course. It makes perfect sense. Only someone very rich could afford all those gadgets and vehicles. Now she has him...or she will get him soon. She needs a few more days to put her plans into action.
As Clark holds Ivy close some people might criticise him despite his red kryptonite altered thinking but come on. She's hot. Any red-blooded man would do what he is doing. Besides he needs to keep her sweet until Huntress finds Lana and then once that is done...
Well like he told Babs. It is all just a game and no-one. Not Ivy. Not Babs. Not Batman/Bruce Wayne. No-one has any idea what he is really up to.
The next night...
Maxima, Queen of Almerac. A position she was groomed for from as far back as she can remember. As soon as she could walk they had her train to be the warrior queen required to ensure the survival and expansion of the empire. The training would be considered brutal on many other worlds. On Almerac if she didn't survive it then she was deemed unfit to rule so she survived by sheer force of will alone at times.
That training she never forgot and it has led to the continuation of her empire. It has led to bringing the empire to the brink of war with the Krenon. Maxima would have simply started the war and gotten on with it but her so-called advisers persuaded her to accede the request of the Guardians for peace talks due to the fact there was a very minor rebellion taking place on a few worlds within her domain that they felt needed to be put down first. At the very least Maxima supposed that perhaps they had a point. She could conquer the Krenon next year.
Then perhaps one day she will invade this primitive little world that she flies over. When she repressed her urge to simply kill the Green Lantern who came to see her and permitted him to tell her of his world Maxima found herself a little curious. After all these humans did have a passing resemblance to her which is why she decided to have the peace conference here. Of course her beauty cannot be matched by any being in the known universe so humans are a pale comparison.
Maxima lands upon a tall building and looks upon what she gathers these humans would laughably call a city. She had gotten bored up on that space station and decided to find a way to entertain herself. Even on a as primitive world as this one there must be something interesting for her to do.
There is an explosion of some sort a short distance away which catches her attention. Hmm. Maybe this is a fight of some kind. As a warrior she could do with a good battle.
Maxima floats up off the rooftop and heads to the scene. As she lands there are many men scurrying away in terror from a building. She can sense their fear. She concentrates her telepathy a bit more and tries to pick up their thoughts which is laughably easy to do.
It is a bit sketchy through their fear but she picks up that they are running away from what some think is an inhuman monster(whatever that means) attacking them. Maxima strides into the building knocking people who are trying to flee out of her way. Inside she spots a tall man dressed all in black tossing many men away as easily as she could as they attempt to attack him.
The man despite being heavily outnumbered looks...amused by their attempts and from what Maxima can see she doesn't blame him. It is amusing to watch.
There is a cry of rage and Maxima turns her attention to what she assumes is the the leader of these men. A man with half his face mutilated. Maxima watches as he directs several men to bring forward something. What they bring forward most resembles a canon of some sort and it takes the several men to move and aim it as compared to them it must be heavy.
Maxima hears the weapon charge. She knows that sound. It's a little off but the sound most closely resembles a molecular disintegration canon but this world is surely too primitive to produce such a device.
The canon fires a intense beam of bluish energy and Maxima has to say that that is the perhaps most pathetic weapon she has ever seen. That amount of energy wouldn't even scratch her. She watches it hit the man. The blast knocks him off his feet and punches him through a wall.
Maxima snorts. A paltry blast like that. This man can't be up to very much if he can't withstand it. She is about to turn and leave, her interest in this joke of a confrontation rapidly waning when there is a shout.
"Hey!" It's the man and Maxima watches him stride back in through the hole unharmed apart from his clothing being singed around the edges and the implements that were covering his eyes now vanished and now that she can see his entire face Maxima has to say that he is gorgeous! Those eyes. That jawline. His expression was angry and he almost visibly radiated power in that anger.
"You know it is so rude to shoot someone in the back!" he yells annoyed that he was caught off-guard like that.
The man with two faces orders his men to fire again but they never get a chance as two red beams shoot from the man's eyes slicing the canon in half. To anyone else the man would appear to shift from one place to another instantly but Maxima can follow him move with speed she believes would rival her own. He knocks the subservient men flying before he picks up the man with two faces and proceeds to carry him up toward the roof and hovers there.
"I bring a message from your ex," the man in black says to the two-faced man. "Pam says hi."
The two-faced man snarls. "That bitch!" he yells furiously. "When I get my hands on her..."
The man in black chuckles. "You'll do what? You hit me with your best shot and didn't even scratch me. The only reason you aren't dead yet is that she wants you in particular to see what is about to transpire. Now this fall won't kill you but it will hurt like the dickens."
Maxima watches as the man with two faces is dropped to the floor and she can hear bones breaking at the impact. That was...quite impressive. Not overly impressive as the man's foes were obviously vastly inferior to him. Maxima is curious who he is though and reaches out with her telepathy. The man's mind is unusually free and open. Emotions are running around his mind unfettered. Fragments of memory jump out of a small boy running around. A girl with red hair. A man and a woman...his parents. A spaceship of a design Maxima has never seen. A message left to him. "You are Kal-El of Krypton..."
"Krypton," Maxima whispers in...in utter shock and once gets over that she looks at him with almost wonder. She had heard stories, tales, myths of the men of Krypton. Of their passion. Of their power. Power to rival the Gods themselves. The man before her was certainly handsome enough. If he truly was a Kryptonian then she had found the perfect mate to get her council off her back about producing an heir. Still she needed to be certain he was worthy. She will have to test him.
Maxima strides forward and that is when he notices her.
Clark had been doing Ivy's dirty work you could say. Laying the ground work for whatever it is she plans to do. Clark had only been half-interested and Ivy still wasn't telling him everything. Anyway she wanted him to create a space, clear people who might oppose her and had been particular insistent on taking Two-Face down. Apparently they use to date. Ah the curse of the exes. Clark is glad he is single...or he is in his head despite what Ivy may think.
Clark had just finished putting Two-Face down by dropping him on a concrete floor when he spots her. Tall, almost as tall as him, brown eyes, red hair(what else? Clark can't seem to get away from redheads at the minute). The woman was also statuesque and her green and gold outfit didn't leave a whole much to the imagination. In fact it left practically nothing to the imagination. A skin-tight top that ended just below her breasts leaving a flat toned stomach visible. Green shorts that were closer to a thong than anything and boy did she seem to have a shapely rear and thighs although the thigh high golden boots cover some of that. To be blunt she was downright gorgeous. Clark wouldn't mind taking several trips on that ride. "Well hello," he greets her flirtatiously. "And who might you be?"
Maxima could see and sense him lusting after her already. That is not unexpected. "I am Maxima," is all she says. She can impress him later with her many titles.
Clark looks her up and down a few times more. "Well you are certainly maxima out on the hotness quota."
Maxima frowns puzzled by his strange words. "What?"
Ah. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer Clark can see but with a body like that she doesn't need to be. "I was saying you are extremely attractive."
"Of course I am. I was bred to be," Maxima declares with complete arrogance on her part.
That was some good breeding Clark has to say. He steps towards her with a predatory grace. "And what brings such a epitome of beauty to a horrid place such as this?"
He is attempting to be charming Maxima can tell but she doesn't need charming. She needs worthy. How to answer his question. Maxima knows that men need to have their egos stroked so she answers with the simple, "You."
Clark's grin becomes almost insufferably smug. It doesn't even occur to him to ask how she can know him or how she knew where to find him. He's simply too full of himself at the minute.
How to prove he is worthy? In Maxima's case it is simple as she decreed it that it has to someone who can hold his own against her in combat. She is a warrior after all and any husband she chooses must possess a warrior's spirit in his heart. "I require proof of your worthiness," she tells him in a haughty tone.
"Just give me 5 minutes," Clark says in reply because that is all it takes to prove that because yes he is that good.
"You do not understand but you shall," Maxima promises and then in motion so fast it catches Clark completely off guard she delivers an uppercut on his chin and Clark goes flying up straight through 3 floors.
The Watchtower...
Hal enters the commissary and spots Zatanna. He wanders up to her. "I thought you were rehearsing for your next show," he remarks surprised to see her here when she had a show tonight.
"Taking a break," Zatanna explains her presence here. "There is only so much rehearsing you can do." Zee looks up and can tell from Hal's expression something is wrong. "What's up?"
"You seen Maxima?"
"You mean her Royal Pain-ness? No."
Hal scratches his head. "I've looked all over this station for her. I'm suppose to be keeping her happy."
Zatanna snorts. "That woman is only happy when she is dishing out orders or insults or orders that double as insults or..."
Hal cuts Zee off. "I get the idea and I completely agree with you but you know I have my orders to make sure she is a mood for the peace negotiations."
"Please tell me the Guardians will be here soon," Zee pleads not sure how much more she or anyone else can take of the pompous queen.
"Couple of days yet."
Zee's head drops. That's about a couple of days too long. "Did Plas get out of the knot she tied him into yet?" she wonders.
Hal thinks back on the aftermath of the Maxima/Plastic Man encounter. She ended up tying him into a knot that was impossible even for Plas to get himself into. That was a couple of days ago and last Hal checked Plas still had not got himself out of it. "Not as far as I know," he replies.
Zee wonders if maybe she go and see if her magic could help. Plas was the most irritating man she had ever met but not even he deserves to be on the end of Maxima's irrational mood swings. PMS-ing much. Zee thinks so.
"Anyway I should get back to looking for her," Hal announces.
"Good luck with that," Zee says a whole lot less than sincerely as she wouldn't mind it all if Maxima stays lost.
Hal turns and exits the commissary. He must be overlooking something because she has to be here somewhere and aboard this station even Maxima can't get into that much trouble...right?
Gotham City...
Crazy Bitch.
That has been one of the nicer terms Clark had come up with for Maxima after she hit him. As she swings him around by his coat and smashes him through the floor his brain comes up with a few more insults to direct at her. Clark crashes down to the concrete ground floor and rolls on to his back. He spots Maxima leaping after him intent on smashing her high-heeled boot into him...perhaps literally.
Clark rolls out of the way and her impact cracks the concrete. Clark kicks out with his foot and hits her in the stomach. As she doubles over he wraps his legs around her neck and flips her hard across the room and she disappears through a wall. Clark gets back to her feet as a whoosh indicates her return.
"Better," Maxima remarks about his attempt to fight her there. "But still extremely poor," she says condescendingly. He seemed to know only the very basics of fighting and was not a master as she was. That being the case Maxima was of course taking it easy on him and she could end this if she wished but she wanted to see what he was capable of when pushed.
Clark growls angrily. He has had enough of this. He doesn't know who or what this woman is or how she is so strong but he is fed up being humiliated. He throws his coat off to free up his movements.
Maxima pauses for a moment. The shirt outlines an impressive physique. She makes a mental note to remove the rest of his clothing at some point so she can judge him better. "You must do better of you wish to prove yourself worthy. Your skills are no better than that of a small child's."
"I don't care about being worthy in your eyes lady. In fact I don't give a fuck about what is going on inside your tiny little crazy brain or why you started this fight but as someone once said all that matters is not who started something but who is the one who finishes it."
Maxima smiles. A very warrior like attitude. She likes it. "Then finish it...if you can," she dares him.
Clark charges at her and Maxima side-steps him and with a graceful turn uses her own momentum to spin and bring her leg round in a high sweeping motion. To her surprise...pleasant surprise he manages to catch it and then slam her into the ground with such force to make the building shake. Enough force for Maxima to feel it. Finally. This is what she wanted. Him to stop holding back and show her what he could do.
Clark bends over to pick her back up when Maxima grabs him by his shirt and using it and her foot flips him over her head. The shirt tears down the middle as a result.
Maxima flips back to her feet, spins on the spot and prepares herself to attack but finds herself pausing once more as Clark rips his ruined shirt off and her eyes marvel at the muscles of his bare chest. Maxima can't help but hope the rest of his is as large as the muscles on his arms. He was simply getting more gorgeous the more of him she got to see. They could have gorgeous children and just think of the enjoyment she could have siring those children. That chest was made to be eaten off. In fact she could eat him.
Maxima can feel heat building inside her just at the thought of it. She can't remember the last time any man had done that just by the sight of him. She licks her lips and essentially gawks at him which is a mistake considering Clark is utterly annoyed and aggravated and charges into her while she is unprepared.
The two end up tumbling over in a heap and Maxima finds herself pinned under him. A position she actually has no problem with at the moment.
Clark glares down at her, his eyes intense with anger. "Now what did you say about finishing it?" he asks her only to find her staring at his chest and practically drooling.
Maxima hands reach up and she runs them over the chiselled plains. "Well I was thinking more along the lines you could finish me...off," she says suggestively with a salacious smile.
Clark's drug addled brain needs a minute to process this. First she wants to fight and now she wants to...well she wants him. She drags her nails over his nipples and Clark moans loudly as how good that felt. He feels her touch in a way he has never felt a touch before as in he can really feel it.
Maxima raises her head to his ear and whispers in her most sultry alluring manner. "I can give you pleasure like you have never dreamed of," she promises while her hands explore his muscled back.
Clark's anger at her was rapidly fading to nothing at her touch and being replaced by the rush of heat that comes with arousal. God did her touch feel good. Clark finds he would have no problem letting her hands give him lots of pleasure. True her voice was somewhat annoying but she was nice to look at and Clark can come up with a few inventive ways to keep her mouth otherwise occupied from speaking as he lowers his own mouth and covers hers.
Several hours later...
Clark pulls himself out of Maxima's arms, being careful not to wake her, and gets to his feet suppressing a slight groan of discomfort at the strain of his overused muscles which is an entirely new experience for him. He has never overused anything before. Then there is the scratches all over his body which are only barely healed over.
Clark grabs his black jeans which managed to avoid being ripped to pieces although it was close run thing that they almost ended up as destroyed as his shirt. Maxima was a wildcat in bed. She was also without question the best lay Clark had ever had in his life because for the first time in his life he hadn't had to hold back. In fact Maxima repeatedly told him not to as if she knew this was something he had never experienced.
Clark pulls his jeans on and retrieves his jacket. He slips that on and looks down at Maxima's sleeping nude form on the floor of this building they are in. Yep. Best lay ever!
Clark would love to stick around but during their frantic lovemaking which as an aside has brought this building close to collapse Maxima would scream out stuff about taking him to Almerac(wherever that was) and making him her husband.
No thank you.
Clark is having way too much fun to be tied down let alone to someone who thinks a quick...ok long roll in the hay is reason enough to get married. Not to mention he is pretty certain her arrogant attitude would drive him nuts in short order. Besides Clark has other important stuff to do like saving Lana. He doesn't want her hurt.
Clark's brow furrows. Hurt. Didn't he hurt lots of people tonight?
He wonders where they all went to?
Oh wait. Yeah they all ran or crawled off when he started fighting Maxima. Funny how he is only remembering that now. A pang of guilt strikes him for the first time in days.
Clark shakes his head...which is feeling a bit clearer for the first time in days. What is he doing?
Clark looks down and notices on the back of his hands that his sweat has left behind an odd red sheen on his skin. He has never sweated before so this is new. He rubs the sheen and red particles come off on his fingers. He looks closely. Red kryptonite. Huh. He must have sweated some of it out.
Clark needs to...he needs to...get back to Ivy before she gets overly suspicious. He has to keep her sweet until Lana is found. Yes. That is what he needs to do so Clark departs but does so with a second glance at Maxima and another pang of guilt strikes him about leaving like this without a word.
Upon returning to Ivy's greenhouse home, the sun now high in the sky, Clark makes sure to get washed up and put a clean set of clothes on to hide the smell of sweat and sex he stinks of. All the while that pang of guilt and questioning of what he is doing becomes stronger and louder. Clark wanders around the greenhouse until he comes across Ivy dressed in one of his extremely expensive buttoned-up silk black shirts that he 'borrowed' looking as sexy and alluring as always yet the previous feelings of lust Clark had are much much fainter.
Ivy smiles brilliantly upon seeing her squeeze. "Kal!" she greets him before jumping literally into his arms and kissing him. "Where were you?" she asks with a pout because he's very late and she missed him.
"Out," he says a little tersely.
Ivy's eyes narrow a little in suspicion at his tone. "Did you deal with Harv?" she asks in reference to her once upon a time beau back when she was human.
"He's going to need some major physical therapy," Clark reports and the pang of guilt strikes again.
Ivy giggles in delight at that. "Well that's one down many more to go," she says in reference to the many criminal lords in this city she intends Clark to take down to clear the way for her.
"Is that necessary?" he questions her intentions.
Ivy drops from his arms and looks at him more suspiciously than before. He is acting a little odd. He never questioned it before. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Me? Sure," he replies but Ivy notes it is missing the usual cocky, arrogance that is usually in his voice. She looks closer into his eyes and their shade has noticeably lightened. 'Could it be my love dust is wearing off?' she asks herself. Maybe she needs to re-dose him. She lightly pads on bare feet along not giving away any hint she is suspicious. "So I was thinking about how we deal with Mr Wayne," she mentions changing topics to keep him off her suspicions.
"What about him?"
"Well now I know who he is we can take him out any time. Invade his home. Catch him off guard at work or when he is out on a date. What do you think?"
Clark's brow furrows. He is having serious doubts about that now. He is having serious doubts about everything he has been doing lately but his mind isn't quite clear enough to figure out why.
No reply. Ivy is definitely convinced her love dust is wearing off. If there is one thing Kal likes it is the sound of his own voice. She continues her little sauntered walk until she comes to the box with her special red kryptonite dust. She planned ahead for this. "Kal! Sweetie! Could you come here a moment?" she calls out to him.
Clark wanders up to her where she has her back turned to him. In an instant Ivy spins on the spot and blows dust into his face. Immense heat and pleasure surge up within Clark and the pangs of guilt and conscious that were bothering him get once more swept away.
Ivy spots the crimson glow of his eyes before they return to the darker shade of blue she has come accustomed to. He strides forward and proceeds to kiss her breathless. "Where were we?" he murmurs against her ruby lips.
"Batman."
Clark snorts. "It may sound easy just to snatch him in his civilian guise but it'll be better if we defeat him for the whole world to see. I want to beat him...to destroy the mythos around him and the people will turn from their so-called hero and turn to another saviour. That would be you honey," he strokes her ego and later he'll stroke other parts of her...when he's not feeling so tired.
Ivy was right back in Smallville. He really does have a way with words and maybe he has a point too. A public defeat and humiliation of Batman would be sweet payback for all he has done to her over the years. In fact knowing who Batman is was more to do with her personal desire for vengeance than her plans. Plans which draw closer to fruition every day. Plans which will give her ultimate power over this city and with Kal's help the world and together they will pull this world back from the brink of destruction mankind has pushed it to and for once Batman will be unable to do anything to stop her.
Author's Note: I know it is kind of callous for Clark to just sneak away on Maxima and trust me there will be a whole load of guilt for him to work through later...not to mention there will be consequences for him of this little tryst. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Events in Gotham come to a head as the Bat family has a showdown with the Blur.
