Ch 2
A few days later, Lex invited both Clark and Bruce at a fundraiser event. Bruce was actually here to search for any info about someone named the White Portuguese.
The only thing he learned so far was that a Russian mercenary named Anatoli Knyazev could have info on him but after he had interrogated six people, he had still come up with nothing.
Lex then introduced Clark and Bruce to each other. "Mr. Wayne? Clark Kent, Daily Planet."
The two men shook hands and Bruce could tell that something was off about Clark.
The way he looked.
It was as if he was the only one who stood out in the entire crowd.
He also had a strong grip.
But Bruce didn't care.
He was probably just a new reporter few people had seen before.
"What's your position on the Bat vigilante in Gotham?" Clark asked.
Oh, boy, here we go.
"Daily planet." Bruce said, with a confused tone as though he never heard of it. "Do I own this one? Or is that the other guy?"
"Civil liberties are being trampled on in your city." Clark said in a tense voice. "Good people are living in fear."
"Don't believe everything you here, son." Bruce replied.
Maybe this guy would back off.
Other people thought Batman was just an urban myth, right?
But Clark still annoyingly pressed on.
"I've seen it, Mr. Wayne. He thinks he's above the law."
Oh, really?
Well, tell that to an alien flying around in a cape with godlike strength and shooting lasers out of his eyes like he owned the world.
Sure, Batman wasn't perfect but Superman had the power to destroy anything that tried to fight him and there would be even more damage if the power was unchecked and Superman decided to turn evil.
Like the many lives in Gotham that were lost in the Black Zero Event.
"The Daily Planet criticizing those who they think are a little above the law is a little hypocritical, wouldn't you say?" Bruce asked and Clark gave him a questioning look. "Considering every time your hero saves a cat out of a tree, you write a puff piece editorial about an alien, who, if he wanted to, could burn the whole place down. There wouldn't be a damn thing we could stop him."
Clark looked down, then looked up again, trying to hide the fact that Bruce had just taken down his argument.
"Most of the world doesn't share your opinion, Mr. Wayne."
"Maybe it's the Gotham City in me." Bruce snapped. "We just have a bad history with freaks dressed like clowns."
Bruce then saw the next artifact being showcased down the hall out of the corner of his eye.
"If you'll excuse me." Bruce said, some of the tension coming off him.
"Certainly." Clark replied as Bruce walked off.
Why the heck did Clark bug him so much?