Important Author's Note: Going over my ideas for the next chapters, I decided to cut them down again which means after this chapter we only have 4 more chapters left. So I just wanted to let you guys know ahead of time so there wasn't any confusion but I promise a killer ending.

Chapter Twelve Part III- Across the Globe

China

Clark looked around the busy street with a backpack slung over his shoulder as he waited for the tour guide Bruce said would be waiting for him at this exact spot and thought back to the way the billionaire spoke to him about the stones almost as if he had a previous knowledge of them.

"I thought I told you not to bring attention to yourself." A strong familiar voice caused the kryptonian to turn around surprised to see Bruce standing there, "It won't be long until Lex discovers I'm here and trust me when I say that he's got people ready to do his dirty work everywhere." He grabs the farm boy by the sleeve of his red jacket and they start walking through the streets.

"When we talked on the phone you never mentioned that you'd be tagging along." Clark says jerking away from him and adjusts the strap of his backpack, "I don't need a sidekick" Bruce doesn't seem to like the idea being someone's sidekick and quickly follows after him but notices that he stopped movie with a look on his face unaware that the reason Clark had stopped was because his super-hearing picked up the beat of a familiar heartbeat, "Lois" he whispers turning around the face Bruce with a angered look on his face, "Did you bring Lois here with you?"

"No but if she's here then that means we're not the only ones looking for the stone."

Lex stormed into the study to see his father flipping through the pages of Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, "How many times are you going to read that?" he asks while walking towards the bar to grab a bottle of sparkling water.

Lionel just smirked and closed the book, "The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it."

"Who knew you were such a fan of Marx's fan." He twists the top off and takes a sip of the refreshin beverage while Lionel puts the book back in its rightful spot, "What are you doing here?"

"I live here Lex or are you too busy chasing ancient legends to acknowledge your old man's appearance." Lionel says gesturing to the pile of papers and files from Lex's research into the stones, "Clearly that imagination of yours has taken flight once again, at least this time your not sporting a red cape and trying to be a hero just like Warrior Angel."

The two stare at each other in silence before Lex sets his dink down and walks towards his desk, "Your no longer apart of my dealings or the dealings of LuthorCorp. What I do in my spare time is none of your business."

Lionel just smirks and looks down at his son, "You should reread Nietzsche again. He knows his stuff." he starts to walk away but stops and says, "The stones are not meant for you or any other that tries to posess them. They're meant for a sentient power." He exits the study oblivious to the dark gaze his son sent his way.

Lois looked at her journal and the map Bridgette Crosby included in the envelope as she began navigating through the streets careful not to bring attention to herself when she spotted her contact standing on the street corner waving to her.

Before she could get across the street she ran straight into what felt like a brick wall causing her to fall to the ground, "Would you watch where you're going" she exclaims in perfect mandarin while rising to her felt only to stop when she locks eyes with a familiar pair of baby blues, "Smallville?" she says surprised.

"What are you doing here?" they ask simultaneous and again, "I asked you first"

She holds her hand out to him stopping further unison conversation, "Please tell me you're here for some type of human interest piece for the Daily Planet and not what I'm thinking right now." Clark inquires with concern in his eyes and can already see the truth in her eyes and shakes his head negatively, "Did you follow me all the way to China?"

Lois scoffs, "You make it sound like I'm sort of stalker." She spots another familiar face behind Clark and immediately looks up at the farm boy with a mix of surprise and agitation written on her face, "Why is Bruce Wayne here?" she crosses her arms over her chest waiting for an answer.

Bruce walks towards Clark's side with his usual charming smile (not that she was thinking it was charming), "Isn't it obvious Lo, Clark and I decided to join forces to look for one of the stones of knowledge."

She looks at Bruce then at Clark, "So let me get this straight, both of you decided to go half way around the world in search of an ancient stone that nobody has been able to locate for centuries." She sees their looks change and a smile appears on her face, "I swear you boys would be helpless without me." She pulls out the map and shows it to both of them, "My contact is right across the…" she trails off when she notices that the woman across the street had vanished, "I guess this means we're on our own." She grabs the map out of their hands and starts to walk away with her two exes standing there bemused.

"Well this isn't awkward at all." Bruce states sarcastically and starts to follow with Clark close behind unaware of the man standing across the street.

"Wayne's here and he's not alone." The man said into the phone and listened to his orders and nodded, "I'll update you on their movements and where they're headed as soon as I can." He shuts his phone and hops back into the car and it speeds away.

Meanwhile at the same time in an undisclosed location, the man's boss hung up the phone and rose up from the leather lounge chair to walk towards the object on her wall that glowed with a strange ocean blue color, "Everything is falling into place." She trails her hands over the object which turned out to be a large cylinder shaped tank, "The stones are meaningless to our cause but since Luthor is offering us access to his technology…Ra's Al Ghul will rise again." She pulls away and watching the body of her father float in the tank with a respirator over his mouth to help keep him breathing, "Sister is on her way as we speak to deal with Bruce and get the stone. Then we can prepare the Lazarus Pit for your resurrection." She looks at her father's body with a solemn yet determined look on her face, "He'll pay for what he did to you, I promise."

TBC

FUN FACT: Not only does Ra's Al Ghul have one daughter (Talia) but he has another by the name of Nyssa Raatko aka Nyssa Al Ghul.

I wanted to kind of do something different but also have something that ties into the recent Batman movies which would also connect to Bruce so this way when the action begins there's a reason for it and it also connects to Bruce which I'm hoping will give Clark a better understanding of him and sort of build that bond of friendship that Superman and Batman have in the comics.

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