Act II, Scene III
WayneCorp Tower, downtown Gotham. Lois Lane strides into the main reception area, cellphone clasped to her ear. She is not happy.
LOIS: …well I don't see how he could have caused scorching. No. No, of course he doesn't have a history of pyromania! Well, yes, he's gotten into fights, he's an eight-year-old boy…
Clark is waiting for her in the lobby. He notes the conversation she's having as they see each other and raises his eyebrows, even if we see a corner of his mouth twitch. He tries to look as blissfully ignorant as possible. Lois eventually snaps the phone shut.
LOIS: (darkly) Can you have a talk with him tonight? Before I kill him?
CLARK: I'm sure they got what they deserved.
Lois skewers him with a look.
LOIS: You know something about this? Tell me you don't. Just tell me you don't and I promise, I won't hurt you.
CLARK: Uh…
They are interrupted - thankfully, in Clark's case, for his sake - by the arrival of a small man dressed in a sharp suit. He is young, with close-cropped reddish hair, and he looks from Lois to Clark, sensing that he's interrupting a bit of a domestic disturbance.
REESE: Lois Lane? Clark Kent?
LOIS: Yes?
REESE: Hi. I'm Coleman, Coleman Reese. I work in Special Projects here at WayneCorp, Mr. Wayne sent me to meet and greet you both and bring you to the roof. Apologies he's not here himself - some problems with his transportation getting here, I believe. If you'll follow me?
CLARK: Sure.
Reese takes them to the elevator and nods to the operator, who places a special override key and as they step in, Reese keys in a special security code. Ever the journalists, Lois and Clark don't fail to notice this.
REESE: Security's tighter the higher up you go. We've got some exciting stuff in R&D at the moment. But I uh, (he grins nervously) I can't take you there.
The elevator begins to rise. Lois looks as if she's about to start talking to Clark again, and her face is still like thunder. Clocking this intent, Clark quickly starts talking to Reese.
CLARK: So what's Mr. Wayne like to work for?
REESE: (quickly - too quickly) Great! Great! He's, yeah, he's a really nice guy. You know. He's not always, uh, around (quickly) with being a billionaire, I mean, hey, who wouldn't like to have that problem huh?
Silence. Tinny elevator muzak plays. It's the theme to the 1960's Batman TV series.
CLARK: Worked here long?
REESE: Actually six years. I used to work in finance, looking at the accounts…
He trails off. Clark frowns.
CLARK: And now you work in R&D? Isn't that a bit of a jolt? Was it a promotion?
REESE: Uh. Kinda…?
Another silence. The muzak continues on a loop. We see Lois give an irritated glance.
LOIS: Did you see the news last night?
REESE: You mean Superman?
LOIS: Yeah.
REESE: (with an entirely unexpected sudden passion) Superman should go back to Metropolis and leave Batman be. The police, the press, they've got it all wrong. Batman's no killer. I-
The elevator 'dings' as it comes to a halt, and its doors slide open to reveal the WayneCorp Tower roof and a smiling Bruce Wayne awaiting their arrival, a helicopter perched in the background. Reese looks at him and trails off. Wayne and he exchange nods.
BRUCE: Coleman. Tell Lucius I want a word with him later?
REESE: Yes, Mr. Wayne.
Lois and Clark step out of the elevator. Clark turns back to Reese.
CLARK: What were you going to-
REESE: (stabbing the 'close door' button, noticing Bruce looking at him)I'm sorry. I really have to get back to work-
The doors slide shut, almost trapping Clark's nose. His brow wrinkles for a moment before he shrugs and turns back to stand beside Lois.
BRUCE: Lois. (almost undetectable pause) Clark. Good to see you. Come on. We're going flying.
They walk over to where the helicopter waits.
BRUCE: I promised I'd show you my city. What better way than from the air?
Although posed as a rhetorical question, he turns to Clark when he says it. Clark returns the stare, somewhat surprised, unsure as to whether he should answer or not. But in a moment Bruce has turned on his heel again and is clambering inside the helicopter.
LOIS: Where's the pilot?
BRUCE: You're looking at him!
He starts the pre-flight sequence. The rotor blades whirr into life. Lois and Clark look at one another before getting on board.
CLARK: Been flying long?
Bruce looks back from the controls in the front seat and regards his passengers, particularly Clark.
BRUCE: Nervous, Clark?
CLARK: No. Not nervous.
BRUCE: Good!
At a gesture from Bruce, Lois & Clark don their helmet communicators so they can hear each other over the din of the helicopter's blades and engine. The bird lifts into the air, and in moments is soaring over the side of WayneCorp Tower and out into the mid-morning Gotham sunshine, down one of the most famous skylines in the world.
We zoom out from the helicopter, further and further back, until we're on a hill on the outskirts of Gotham itself, with the copter merely the faintest of dots in the distance, disappearing between the high-rise buildings.
Luthor stands with binoculars pressed to his eyes. Beside him is the Eradicator.
LUTHOR: (conversationally)I like Bruce Wayne. He's so much more fun than Kent, don't you think? So full of rage and jealousy and angst…
ERADICATOR: Wayne. Kent. It does not matter. You will all kneel before Zod.
LUTHOR: Of course we will. I'm particularly looking forward to it. Now go. Do your thing.
ERADICATOR: You do not order me. I take orders only from Zod.
LUTHOR: (very impatiently)As do we all. He's just the greatest. Now go!
The Eradicator's form ripples and changes into that of a perfect replica of Superman himself. He rises into the air. Luthor keeps his binoculars trained on the Gotham skyline. When the Eradicator has receded somewhat into the foreground-
LUTHOR: (derisively)Kryptonians…
We go back to the copter. It's banking around some of Gotham's more famous landmarks - the Narrows, with its tightly-packed streets, and sitting square in the centre of the labyrinthine structure the squat form of Arkham Asylum itself, home to Gotham's criminally insane and home to one mastermind in particular. The copter passes over the island and heads out to the bay, passing over the docklands that were the scene of the action the night before.
BRUCE: I guess you two were covering this last night?
LOIS: Clark was. I was with Jason.
BRUCE: Yeah? What was it like? It must have been something, huh?
CLARK: Intense.
BRUCE: (eyebrows arched at this understatement)Wow. No wonder she won the Pulitzer.
LOIS: Bruce, how long are we going to be up here for? I'm not being rude-
And that's when the copter jerks to the left and drops thirty feet, before regaining its bearings. Lois is gripping her seat very tightly, white as a sheet. Bruce lets loose a string of curses.
LOIS: You know what? Forget it. We can stay up here a little longer…
BRUCE: Something's wrong! The engine isn't responding! Controls are sluggish!
He begins to wrestle with the controls, looking increasingly anxious. Lois glances over at Clark meaningfully. Clark unbuckles his harness and goes forward into the cockpit.
CLARK: Can I help?
BRUCE: You know how to fly, Kent?
CLARK: A little…
Clark sits and begins to work the controls. The copter is still losing altitude, and fast - and the buildings that were some distance below them are now a measurably smaller distance below them.
BRUCE: I can't bring us out of this dive! (he grabs the radio) This is Bruce Wayne aboard WayneCorp One, mayday! Mayday!
Clark looks down and we see a burst of X-Ray vision leave his eyes as he pulls his glasses down to allow the beam to escape. Invisible to Bruce, but he sees the gesture anyway, and we see that the high levels of anxiety he's currently displaying are all an act; the moment Clark's eyes are off him they melt away, to be replaced by a calculating look, which switches back to apparent terror the moment Clark raises his head once more.
CLARK: Massive mechanical failure.
BRUCE: Oh God! I'm too rich to die! HELP! SAVE US!
The buildings below are lunging up towards them. Lois looks imploringly at Clark as if to say - DO SOMETHING! But Clark can only glance at Wayne - there's no way he can become Superman and save them in time without Bruce noticing his disappearance.
CLARK: Bruce, what you're about to see…
BRUCE: Oh thank God! Thank God thank God! It's him! He's here!
And so it is. It's Superman.
Lois and Clark watch, speechless, as the oh-so-familiar blue and red suited figure swoops in from underneath them. A moment later, the copter steadies in the air. Lois leans forward and grasps Clark tightly by the arm, taking off her helmet communicator as she does so, so that only Clark will hear her.
LOIS: (hisses)What the hell is going on?
BRUCE: (leaning out the window) Oh thank you Superman! You're the best!
Clark's mouth sets in a thin line.
CLARK: It's him. He's back.
LOIS: That sentient computer program? The one from Krypton?
Clark nods.
LOIS: I thought he'd vanished, taken the Fortress with him? What the hell is he doing here in Gotham?
CLARK: I don't know. But that's not the only question I'm going to ask him…
Act II, Scene IV
By the time 'Superman' sets down the helicopter, in the middle of a pedestrianised courtyard right in front of WayneCorp Tower, a crowd of onlookers and media have gathered. Camera crews rush forward the moment the doors open, surging for Bruce Wayne and Superman. Clark and Lois are largely ignored.
Police and medics, arriving on the scene, separate the onrushing journo's from their targets.
Bruce Wayne pumps Superman's hand vigorously, shaking his head in disbelief and sheer nervous energy. It's a command performance from him, utterly convincing.
BRUCE: I can't thank you enough. You saved us…without you…there could have been a terrible accident here today.
SUPERMAN: This was no accident, Mr. Wayne.
Clark moves forward with all the inevitability of continental drift, pushing through anyone standing between him and Bruce and his new best friend, until he's standing close to both men. His eyes never leave Superman.
BRUCE: No…no accident? What are you talking about?
SUPERMAN: You've been targeted. By the Batman.
LOIS: What??
She makes a beeline for Superman. Clark has to put a hand on her shoulder to hold her back. He glares at her, meaningfully letting his eyes drift to the watching media of the world gathered before them. Lois clams up, but with difficulty.
BRUCE: I-I can't believe Batman would do that…
A police lieutenant, fresh on the scene, has overheard Superman's last words. He steps forward.
LIEUTENANT: Come with us, Mr. Wayne. If you've been targeted you need to be protected.
BRUCE: I guess…
He makes as if to go with the lieutenant.
SUPERMAN: No. With respect, you can't protect him. Not from Batman. But I can.
Clark's eyes narrow to such a degree that he has to actually look down and away. We see him lifting his glasses slightly and the pavement below him blacken slightly (in the crowd, no-one else notices this). This seems to vent his anger somewhat and he's able to look up again, still focussed entirely on Superman in front of him.
BRUCE: You? But you have things to do, places to be…you can't watch me 24/7.
SUPERMAN: No. But I can put you somewhere safe. Trust me. It's the only way.
Bruce nods, looking a little fearful. Superman motions for the crowd to step back. As he steps away to do this, Clark steps forward and places his hand on Bruce's arm.
CLARK: (urgently)Don't do this, Bruce.
BRUCE: Why, Clark?
CLARK: (softly) Just trust me. Please, I'm begging you.
LOIS: Bruce, he's right. Don't go with him.
BRUCE: (amazed, to Lois) Have you two had a falling out, or…?
SUPERMAN: Lois, is there something wrong?
By way of response, Lois fixes him with a glare that could curdle milk.
SUPERMAN: Mr. Wayne, we don't have time to linger. Batman could strike again at any time. Please. Come with me.
CLARK: Bruce…please. I know this is going to sound insane but don't go with him. Don't trust him. He's not taking you anywhere to protect you - he's going to use you for something.
Bruce smiles, and furrows his brow.
BRUCE: That's a very Gotham City attitude, Clark.
He walks to Superman, who hooks his hands underneath Bruce's armpits and takes off into the skies above. Lois and Clark watch them go. Lois looks to Clark - they're still surrounded by media.
Clark begins to walk. Very fast. Lois runs to catch up with him. Clark is knocking people out of the way like a bowling ball scattering ninepins, attracting shouts of outrage as he goes that he's completely ignoring.
LOIS: You're going after them?!
CLARK: Yes.
He shrugs off his suit jacket and tosses it behind him to Lois. She catches it, even as Clark accelerates from walking pace and begins to pull away from her, heading straight for a nearby alleyway.
LOIS: Clark, be careful!
He disappears into the alleyway. Lois looks up. Sure enough a second later a red and blue bullet is spat out of the top of the alley. She watches it go, before turning around and gasping.
Facing her, smiling, is Lex Luthor.
LUTHOR: Hello Lois. Long time.
He's carrying a coat over his forearm. Lois' eyes see the gun barrel poking from beneath it, pointed straight at her.
LUTHOR: Shall we go for a drive?
He nods to a nearby car, its passenger door already open. Lois looks helplessly up at the sky, at where Superman has just left.
LUTHOR: Ah, the dilemma! Call for help and risk throwing Superman off the scent of his quarry and damn Bruce Wayne to an unknown fate, or go with Lex and face an uncertain fate of her own?
LOIS: You're behind this?
Luthor's smile vanishes. He looks every inch the extremely dangerous megalomaniac he really is, not the avuncular witty uncle persona he sometimes adopts.
LUTHOR: Behind it? My dear, I'm all over it. And believe me. It's only just beginning.
He beckons with the gun. With no other choice, Lois follows him.