Chapter 4: For Lois
Deathstroke sharpened his two swords. He was preparing for the confrontation. He was gonna take over Metropolis, once the Joker killed Superman. With the kryptonite statue, it was certain that his plan would succeed. Superman was easier to kill than Batman. And he would make the city his new kingdom of corruption. Lex Luthor would be at his mercy when the Man of Steel dies.
They knocked at the door of the dark room where he was. Immediately he put on his black and orange mask and rumbled:
"Come in!"
One of his disciples wearing the same outfit that came to him.
"What is it?" asked Deathstroke without turning to him.
The subordinate swallowed and replied:
"We have a problem, sir."
"Which one?"
"Green Arrow's here."
At this revelation, Deathstroke turned and contemplated his lackey behind his mask.
"Is she here?"
"Carlini's men were apprehended by the Green Arrow," said the disciple. "She's in Metropolis, on your trail. And that's not all."
"What now? " scolded Deathstroke again.
"Batman is also in Metropolis. He's looking for Joker and Quinn."
This news surprised Deathstroke.
"And he may flush us out. He's a detective, besides a great fighter. We're gonna have to deal with him in addition to Superman."
"We have already lost many of Carlini's men. They are currently in prison," continued his lackey.
"It doesn't matter. They know nothing about our plans," replied the mercenary, brandishing his two swords. "These two vigilantes will cause us problems. We will have to speed up our projects. Contact the Clown. It is time to take the next step in our plan."
His disciple nodded and left.
At the penthouse where she was staying temporarily, Mia made the point of her research on a board where she had made a flowchart on her hunt for Deathstroke.
Carlini's men had been practically arrested, but none of them knew where Joker and Deathstroke were. Mia regretted not being able to get serious leads.
Superman had been clear that he was against having vigilantes in his city. She was annoyed with it. The Man of Steel always thought he could solve problems with his super-strength.
As for Batman, since Mia had discovered her true identity, she had not seen her again and preferred to act alone. Deathstroke was a formidable opponent. She couldn't afford to be distracted by the Dark Knight's two identities.
While she was immersed in her research, someone rang at her door. She went to open the door and was amazed to discover John Diggle on her doorstep.
"John!"
Diggle smiled affectionately at her.
"Hey, Mia! Did you miss me?"
She hugged him before asking him:
"I thought you were on a mission to northern China?"
"Lyla is there," said her partner. "She told me to keep an eye on Deathstroke. Most of our operatives know he's focused his entire clan on Metropolis. He's up to something. There's no doubt about it."
Both went into the living room. Diggle saw the flow chart that Mia had made.
"A lead?"
"No," replied Mia, shaking her defeatist head. "And I wish I had. All I know is he's working with the Joker and he's got a big stash of kryptonite he can use against Superman."
"He's practically taken over the entire legal system in Star City and he would have come all the way here just to kill Superman?" surprised Diggle by frowning.
"Something tells me he's not going to stop at the death of our Man of Steel," replied Mia, pensive. "He has plans for Metropolis. We have to flush him out before he executes his plan."
"Could you ask Batman?" suggested her godfather.
Mia was determined not to get help from Gotham's vigilante. Since her secret identity had been revealed to her, she had chosen to avoid it.
"No. He'd rather work alone. He doesn't know much about team spirit. But maybe I know someone who can help me."
She hastened to leave her loft. Frowning, Diggle joined her.
"Don't you want to tell me who it is?"
"It's classified," replied Mia sarcastically. "You keep your secrets. I keep mines."
Mia was determined to protect Superman's secret. Batman was one thing. But the Man of Steel was different. It would be hard to inspire hope if a government agency monitored all of Clark Kent's actions. And it pleased her to keep a secret that ARGUS did not know.
Diggle pouted disapproving as Mia left her penthouse.
At the Daily Planet, Lois was writing an article.
"The senator... declined comment. Done." she wrote on her computer keyboard.
As she finished writing, Bruce suddenly appeared to kiss her on the cheek.
"And not a moment too soon." said the Gotham billionaire, smiling.
Happy, Lois was amazed by his presence in the newspaper.
"Bruce. When did you... ?"
"About three paragraphs ago." replied Bruce, smiling. "I didn't wanna distract you. Ready to do the town?"
"Give me a minute to see the chief, then I'm all yours." Lois replied as she left her office.
Clark Kent was writing his article when someone came by.
"Mr. Kent?"
Clark looked up from his computer and was stunned to see Mia Queen outside his office. The young woman gave him a radiant smile.
"Sorry to bother you at work, but could you spare me some of your time?"
Slightly gloomy, Clark stares at Mia.
"What can I do for you, Miss Queen?"
But before Mia could say anything, Lois came to him.
"Hello, Miss Queen," said Lois, seeing Mia. "What are you doing at the Daily Planet?"
"Hello, Miss Lane," replied the young woman. "I thought I'd get to know your colleague, Clark Kent. I've read all of his Daily Planet articles, and I find them— fascinating for a good reading."
Amused, Lois stares at Clark.
"Sounds like you have a fan, Smallville. Congratulations. Maybe she wants to go out with you."
Clark blushed with embarrassment, while Mia was amused by the situation. Then Lois got serious again.
"Ah, Clark, keep an eye on Bruce, will you? I'll be right back."
"Bruce ? Bruce Wayne is here?" wondered Mia.
She looked up and saw the billionaire from Gotham smile at them. She had not considered her presence at Clark Kent's workplace. This visit bothered her. She wanted to avoid Batman, it was a failure.
Clark, wanting no more than Mia to cross paths with Bruce, tried to dodge by babbling.
"Actually, Lois..."
But Lois walked away from them smiling.
"Don't be intimidated. Regale him with madcap tales of the nightlife in Smallville."
Embarrassed, Clark leaned against his chair, while Mia was no longer amused. Bruce came to them, smiling.
"Clark. Mia. Nice to see you again."
Frustrated, Mia looked at him sarcastically.
"Mr. Wayne. Nice to see you, too."
Still smiling, Bruce turned to her.
"Am I wrong or are you avoiding me, Mia?"
"I've been a little busy these days," said Mia, clenching her teeth. "I don't have time to answer the phone. Nevertheless, you can still contact my secretary at Star City, and she can arrange an appointment for you. But I see you look busy with Miss Lane, too. If you spend your entire stay flirting with her, I fear our current problem will last much longer than expected. But try to remember who is in love with Lois."
Slightly amused, Bruce turned to Clark who began to blush.
"She never stops, does she? Lois"
"Not that I've noticed." said Clark, turning his chair toward him seriously. "Any luck finding the comedian?"
Bruce stopped smiling and looked serious.
"Three nights, and not so much as a green hair." (Turning to Mia.) "And no news of your masked pal?"
"Are you interested in my nightlife, Bruce?" replied Mia with amusement. "You should come to Star City more often."
Clark could not help but comment:
"Of course, you have been dividing your time between work and Lois."
"Is that a problem?" said Bruce, staring at Clark.
"Let's just say I'm concerned. Your reputation is dubious in and out of costume."
"Mr. Kent has a good point." added Mia. "How do you expect to find your clowns if you spend all your time with Miss Lane?"
Ignoring the young woman, Bruce remained courteous to Clark.
" Don't worry. I'm taking Lois quite seriously. Besides, it seems to me you had your chance."
At this point, Lois returned to Bruce, passing her arm under her own.
"So, Mr. Wayne, ready to sweep me off my feet?" she amused, before turning to Clark. "Smallville, all you have to do is spend your free time telling the thrilling stories of your Kansas to Miss Queen. I'm sure she'll be interested."
Mia didn't need an X-ray vision to see that Clark was more than jealous at the sight of his colleague in Bruce Wayne's arms. She felt sorry for him. And at the same time, she wondered if Bruce really had feelings for Lois or did he just get with her to make Superman jealous?
After their departure, Mia stares at Clark with difficulty.
"I am sorry. When Wayne told me he wanted to spend time with Lois, I didn't think he was serious."
"You didn't plan this?" asked Clark.
"No. Honestly." the young woman defended herself. "Do you love her?"
"What?" Clark wondered.
"Lois. Do you love her? Is that why Superman flies to her rescue all the time?" remarked Mia. "I don't have the power to see through things, but I'm not stupid. Is there something between you two?"
Clark merely breathed a sullen sigh as he got back in front of his desk.
"Didn't you try to ask her out on a date?" Mia wondered.
"What Lois wants is Superman. Not Clark Kent."
"I didn't get the feeling that she wanted Superman there," she remarked again. "She falls for Bruce Wayne. And I heard he was a ladies' man. With him, she could forget the Man of Steel. And she's free to date whoever she wants."
"Mia, did you really come to the Daily Planet to talk about my love life?" Clark wondered.
A little embarrassed, Mia retorted.
"No, not at all. I wanted to warn you about Deathstroke. And I think he's not gonna stop when Superman dies if he succeeds in his plan. I suspect he has plans for Metropolis."
"What do you mean?"
"Deathstroke leads a large crime ring in Star City. And even of corruption. Bureaucrats who let themselves be bought by him. Even a few cops took bribes. But many of them were arrested. I mean, Deathstroke has connections. Contacts all over the world. He's not an easy man to find and stop. And he wouldn't go after Superman if he didn't have a weapon to take him down. Superman will have a better chance if Green Arrow teams up with him."
"How does the Green Arrow team up with Batman in my town?" Clark said, sullen.
"I'm not friends with Batman, and I don't care about him," said Mia, sighing with annoyance. "I let him have fun with the Clown and his weirdo girlfriend. I want to find Deathstroke and keep him from harming. Let's partner, Clark…"
Clark sighed. He seemed to heed the young woman's warnings. Then he started writing again.
"I'll tell Superman to think about it. Meanwhile, you know the way out, Mia? You don't need a ride."
A little disappointed, Mia finally leaves the office.
"Think about that."
The day had passed. Bruce had taken Lois to a restaurant in the moonlight. Both stood on the balcony to contemplate the big city.
"This city is gorgeous at night." said Loïs.
But Bruce had his eyes on her.
"Is it? I wasn't looking at the city."
Moved, the young woman sighed. Then Bruce dared to ask him with embarrassment, not knowing how to find his words.
"Lois. About Clark Kent. Are you and he...? I mean..."
She took his hand sympathetically.
"No, Bruce. Your only competition flew away some time ago."
They were about to kiss when a sinister voice interrupted them.
"My, you do live dangerously!"
Both turned to see the Joker sitting at a table near them, with his eternal sinister grin on his lips.
He leapt from his table and came to them.
"Don't you realize you're moving in on Superman's main squeeze?"
It was then that the restaurant was besieged with men armed with pistols. All the customers were frozen in terror. And other masked men also arrived at the restaurant. Deathstroke arrived in turn, brandishing his sword.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. We are tonight's entertainment!" declared the masked mercenary raising his sword in the air. "We didn't come for you. Stay at your tables and you won't have any problems!"
The Joker, Deathstroke and their men surrounded Bruce and Lois. The billionaire from Gotham stood before Lois as a shield. Deathstroke approached him.
"Bruce Wayne, right? Gotham's favorite rich boy! I'm surprise to see you here!"
Bruce gave him a fierce look. While the mercenary continued as his men surrounded them and threatened them with their weapons.
"As you can see, we outnumber you. Any resistance is useless. Please step aside and hand over Miss Lane!"
"Back off!" said Bruce, wanting to be threatening.
But the Joker had rushed to Lois. He shocked her with his electric buzzer. The young woman groaned in pain and lost consciousness. She collapsed in the clown's arms, while Bruce wanted to rush towards him.
"Take your hands off her, you...!"
But Deathstroke grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him towards the balcony.
"You missed your chance, Wayne! Stay out of our business!"
Bruce passed out of the railing and fell into the void.
"See that he's street pizza!" Joker told his henchmen. "In this town, some flying fool could have caught him."
The lackeys looked from the balcony to see that Bruce had landed on an outside platform. They're shooting at the platform. Bruce pulled a lever that lowered him. But the platform was eventually destroyed by the impact of the bullets. The billionaire fell into the void, to cling narrowly to a railing.
"Well, aren't we tenacious?" exclaimed the voice of the Joker as bullets rained around Bruce who clung to the railing.
Bruce looked up to see Joker and Deathstroke in an airship that had the head of the Crazy Clown of Gotham.
"Catch you next time, Brucie!" laughed the Joker as the airship moved away.
Later, the police arrived. Bruce was giving his statement to Inspector Dan Turpin. Superman and Mia came as soon as they heard that Lois had been kidnapped by Joker. Mia was always dressed in her grey suit and pantsuit.
The latter grumbled.
"Swell. Now Gotham's sending us their wackos. Don't worry, Mr. Wayne. The SCU will get her back safe and sound."
Bruce agreed, even though he knew the Metropolis police would not be able to stop the Joker and Deathstroke.
"Thank you, Inspector."
When Turpin walked away, Bruce spoke to Superman in a low voice.
"You realize she's just the bait."
"They took her off to lure you into a trap," Mia told the Man of Steel. "And they have kryptonite to kill you."
"I'll be careful." said Superman in a sullen tone.
"Being careful is not enough," Mia warned him. "Not with Deathstroke, not Joker. They'll kill you before you can even reach Lois."
"With Joker, expect the unexpected." Bruce firmly told the Man of Steel.
"Maybe you should have remembered that." Superman said simply, before flying off.
Mia sighed and left the street. She contacted her ally.
"John. Joker and Deathstroke will send a message to Superman to lure him into their trap. Could you hack into the SCU computer network?"
Meanwhile, Alfred, the Wayne's loyal butler, was driving Bruce back to a limo.
"I sense a certain tension between you and Superman, sir," remarked the butler. "Do you question his capabilities?"
"No. Just his judgment." replied Bruce. "He doesn't grasp the limits of brute strength against a mind as warped as the Joker's."
"Might I suggest keeping a collegial eye on him?"
"Exactly what I had in mind."
In a secret hideout, Lois Lane was tied up and gagged on a chair with Harley Quinn on her right. Proud of his success, the Joker looked at the green statue in ecstasy.
"Think of it, Miss Lane!" he chanted, gloating. "This rock is more precious than gold. One teensy chip will go for thousands on the collectors' market after it kills your flyboy."
He took a screwdriver that he planted on the statue and hit a large hammer on the small tool that broke the statue into two pieces.
Amused, Harley removed Lois' gag, who retorted with rage.
"You sick, demented, murdering freak!"
"How rude!" exclaimed Harley with disgust, not tolerating insulting her pudding.
Immediately, she swiftly put the gag on the mouth of the Daily Planet reporter.
The Joker picked up one of the two pieces of kryptonite he had broken.
" Half for now and half for later! You've got a front row seat for the story of the century, my dear! The death of Superman!"
And he laughed madly.
Deathstroke came into the room.
"I look forward to this moment!"
In a storage unit at an airfield, Bruce had brought his equipment for Batman in the greatest of secrets. He changed into Batman and flew his Batwing into the air.
In her apartment, Mia had just changed into the Green Arrow and waited for news. Joker and Deathstroke soon contacted Superman at the location where Lois was being held.
John Diggle also waited with her, with a computer open on the police frequency.
"Do you think Superman would risk taking on Joker and Deathstroke to save Lois Lane?"
"Lois is the damsel in distress that Superman saves all the time," reminded him of Green Arrow. "He'll fly to her rescue. And I want to make sure he doesn't fall for Joker's trap."
A beep rang from Diggle's computer. The latter tried his PC.
"Mia… I'm getting a message on the frequency from Inspector Turpin's office. This is the Joker."
"Could you locate where the message came from?" asked Mia as she approached him.
"Tracking, now," her partner assured her.
He listened to the message sent to Superman. They heard the voice of the Joker.
" Am-scray, turnip. I wanna talk to the boy in blue!"
Then Superman's voice resounded:
"I'm here, Joker. What have you done with Lois Lane?"
" She's right here, Superman and she'd love to see you. Want to know where 'here' is? Don't blink."
Then noises of parasites resounded in the computer message.
"Are we losing track?" exclaimed Green Arrow.
"No, no, I think this nut is sending coordinates to Superman," said Diggle, still focused on his computer.
The voice of the Joker continued:
"Got the picture, Supey? Come alone. No cops or little Lois dies laughing."
And the message stopped.
"That's it! I located where the message came from! It's a lab owned by LexCorp. Just outside of Metropolis."
"I got it!" said Green Arrow as he left the balcony of her apartment.
"Be careful, Mia," said Diggle as she had just disappeared.
Superman wore his anti-kryptonite suit. A combination made of a flexible titanium-lead alloy and topped with a helmet with a transparent polycarbonate-lead front plate. He kept it at Star Labs.
Shortly afterwards, he flew to the LexCorp lab where Joker was holding Lois hostage. Little did he know that Batman was following him from his Batwing.
Superman rushed into the air, smashed through the lead wall that covered the laboratory and penetrated inside the building.
He saw in the distance the Joker who displayed his usual bad grin.
" More powerful than a locomotive. And just about as subtle!" said the mad criminal, staring at Superman.
Noticing the anti-kryptonite combination, the Joker commented jubilantly.
"I'm flattered you put on your Sunday best!"
Superman advanced, then stopped a few meters from his enemy.
"Where is she, Joker?" asked he.
"Forget about Lois!" laughed the Joker.
Superman stepped forward again. The madman of Gotham brandishes the piece of the kryptonite statue right in front of the Man of Steel with a happy grin.
"Feast your eyes on this!"
Protected by his protective clothing, Superman smiled amused, then advanced towards the Joker, who was waving kryptonite in order to weaken him. Then the Man of Steel grabs him by his jacket taking a threatening tone.
"Now, I'll ask you once more."
Confessing defeat, the Joker led him to a dangerous goods storage facility. Lois was tied and hung from the ceiling by a huge bow tie.
"I don't understand!" said the Joker, disappointed to have failed. "I had it all planned so perfectly."
Superman stepped forward to free Lois when suddenly, the psychopathic Clown resumed his grin with enthusiasm.
" Oh, wait, that's it."
"What?" said Superman, turning to him.
"Silly me! I forgot the acid!" laughed Joker, using the flower of his jacket to squirt acid.
The acid attacked Superman's suit and gnawed it away. Then Joker threw his piece of kryptonite right into Superman's belly.
The latter moaned, weakened and collapsed to the ground, suffering the radiation of the green half-statue.
The Joker laughed in triumph.
"What's the matter, Supey?"
Then he kicked Superman hard enough to push him to the ground.
"No steam left in the old locomotive?" he went on.
Green Arrow had arrived in front of the lab. She sneaked in. Cautiously, she stepped into the building. Raising her head, she noticed Harley Quinn, the Joker's accomplice.
"Harley Quinn! Where is Lois Lane?" she scolded with her voice modulator.
"Try to look, Missy Robin Hood!" said Harley with a sour voice.
The Star City's vigilante drew her bow. But before she could shoot an arrow, a man from Deathstroke jumped out of nowhere and crashed right in front of her. He brandished his sword and twirled it. Green Arrow dodged the swords and shot an arrow that made the scoundrel lose the sword. She fought him with bare hands, and managed to knock him out.
Green Arrow resumed her march, trying to find Harley, when a powerful voice sounded throughout the building.
"Green Arrow!"
The latter turned around to see Deathstroke wield two swords, with a very imposing voice.
"You've upstaged me for the last time!"
The emerald archer wields her bow right at her enemy.
"Deathstroke, you have failed Star City!"
Deathstroke approached, waving his two sharp swords.
"You should have stayed in your town, little archer! Because you're gonna regret coming here!"
"I came to stop you!" exclaimed Green Arrow in a threatening voice. "No matter where you will be yourself, the world isn't big enough to hide yourself from me! I will always find you!"
"Your arrogance will lead you to your downfall," said Deathstroke.
"Why did you kidnap Lois Lane?" scolded the Star City vigilante. "This is between you and me! Why are you teaming up with that crazy Joker? A murderer like you is better than him!"
"The Joker is just an instrument to bring me to the domination of this city! You destroyed my network in Star City! I'll create another one here! Metropolis will be mine!"
"Not yet! " Green Arrow fired an arrow.
The projectile went towards Deathstroke, but the latter brandished his two swords and had the arrow cut in half before it could reach it.
"Do you think you can stop me? You can't hurt me!" exclaimed Deathstroke.
Deathstroke waved his two swords on the Green Arrow. She bent down and dodged the swords. In a judo move, Green Arrow tripped her enemy, knocking him to the ground. She wanted to throw herself at him with an arrow, but her opponent brandished her sword and fought against the bow of the Green Arrow. Both fought fiercely, but neither managed to defeat the other.
Green Arrow fired a new arrow at him, but Deathstroke was able to avoid it in a single movement. He laughed again:
"You won't stop me tonight, Arrow! Not if you want to be a hero! Joker's gonna kill Superman with the kryptonite! And then he'll kill that reporter! You can't do two things at once! What are you gonna do? Stop me at the risk of letting the alien die or save him and his girlfriend?"
Green Arrow tripped him, knocking him back to the ground, causing him to lose his two swords. She took the opportunity to shoot him an arrow that threw a lasso, tying her enemy.
Happy to have caught her opponent, Green Arrow replied:
"I'll be back!"
And she ran away, leaving Deathstroke tied to the ground.
For his part, Batman had penetrated the lab of Luthor in his turn. He scrutinized his surroundings, analyzing every corner, preparing for a surprise attack. Above his head, Harley Quinn saw him and began to join her companion.
Superman was weakened, collapsed to the ground, totally helpless and unable to deliver Lois. The Joker was doing a celebration dance around him, electrocuting him with his buzzer to add even more pain to Superman screaming with each electric shock.
Amused, he looked up at Lois hanging from the ceiling.
"I hope you're taking notes!" he laughed in ecstasy.
Lois, tied up and gagged in the air, could only look at him with contempt. The Joker continued to inflict deadly pain on the superhero, when he received a call.
Frustrated at being interrupted, he replied in his walkie-talkie with a sullen air:
"Not now!"
"But, Pudding, Batman and Miss Arrow are headed your way!" Harley told him.
"Get out!" said the bored Clown.
He was going to have to manage the two vigilantes who landed in Metropolis. Wasn't Deathstroke supposed to take care of the Star City's archer?
He put away his walkie-talkie and turned to Lois, bowing:
"Pardon my hasty exit. We have a pest control problem!"
He left the room with a mocking look at Superman as he weakened from the kryptonite radiation.
"Feel free to expire any time!"
Batman was running around the lab crossing paths with the Joker's lackeys. The mobsters fired several bullets at the Dark Knight, but the latter ran towards them dodging the shots with ease. He came to give several punches and pushed away the criminal who fell on another.
Two other criminals arrived. They shot at Batman. Then, Green Arrow arrived at this moment. She shot an arrow that lost a weapon from one of the mobsters, while Batman threw a Batarang that disarmed the other. Then the two vigilantes came to knock out the two rascals.
"Deathstroke is down!" announced Green Arrow. "But Superman and Lois are in trouble!"
Without answering, Batman started running again. The green archer followed him.
Shortly after, the two vigilantes discovered the storage room where Superman and Lois were. The superhero lay on the ground, moaning in pain, with kryptonite close to his inert body.
Green Arrow ran towards him.
"Superman ! Stay with us!" (Addressing the Dark Knight pointing at the kryptonite) "We must take this thing out of here!"
Batman picked up the piece of the statue and raised his head to Lois.
"I'll be back in a moment!"
Green Arrow accompanied him to the exit, but the two doors closed. Both ran, but the doors were closed before they could reach the exit.
Frustrated, Green Arrow banged against the door, while the sinister laugh of the Joker rang through the room. Batman and the Star City vigilante saw the faces of the Joker and Harley displayed on a TV screen above them. The two clowns rejoiced at their misfortunes.
"Three for the price of one! I love it!" said Joker, laughing. "Hello Miss Arrow! I like you better than Batgirl! Too bad your presence here is only to die laughing!"
In his words, a strange gas spread throughout the room where they were all locked up.
"And the best part is you're all going out with a smile!" announced the triumphant Joker.
"Have a happy..." added Harley in the same triumphant spirit.
In response to their provocations, Batman threw the kryptonite that destroyed the screen.
"We're trapped!" exclaimed Green Arrow as he watched the gas flow through the room. "My explosive arrows can't blow up that metal door!"
Batman inspected the cans on the shelves under a sign marked DANGER. He took one and examined the label on it.
"Hydrochloric acid." he said. "It would take a week to eat through the wall."
Superman, still weakened by kryptonite, managed to articulate while moaning.
"Wait… kryptonite…"
Understanding what the Man of Steel meant, Mia grabbed the can from Batman's hands, opened it and poured the corrosive liquid onto the piece of kryptonite, which melted it.
"It would take a week for the wall, but for the Kryptonite, just a few seconds!"
Immediately the piece of the melted statue, Superman got up painfully, moaning again from the radiation.
Batman and Green Arrow came to support him, helping him stand.
"Come on, Super!" said the vigilante in a firm voice. "On your feet, Boy Scout!"
"Snap out of it, Kent. Or Joker gets the last laugh." added Batman in a low voice.
The gas would soon cover them and make them fall into a fit of laughter.
Gradually regaining his strength, Superman seized the two vigilantes and flew to the ceiling to recover Lois. When he caught her in turn, he flew straight to the doors of the storage room.
"Keep your heads down!" he warned them.
Using his super-strength, Superman smashed through the steel doors with his head, shaking the lab.
The tremors brought down the Joker and Harley in the factory control room. Harley stood up and saw with anguish, that the storage room was empty.
"They're loose!" she yelled.
"That's not fair!" cried the bored Joker.
The two Clowns ran towards the exit, when the wall collapsed. Superman arrived in the control room, with Batman, Green Arrow and Lois behind him.
"It's over, Joker!" said the Man of Steel, pointing to him.
"Stay where you are, Clowns!" roared Green Arrow, waving her bow at them.
Far from being defeatist, the Joker addressed his sinister grin and threw a small bag on the ground. Marbles came out and rolled to the ground.
"It hasn't begun, Supey!" said the Joker before running off with Harley.
"He's gotta be kidding." said Superman, indifferently, in pursuit of the two Clowns.
"I don't think so!" said Green Arrow, looking at the marbles in perplexity.
But while Superman only took a few steps, the marbles exploded like mines. Explosives on the ground.
Explosions surrounded Superman, who noticed with astonishment:
"THEY'RE GRENADES!"
"Expect the unexpected" Batman sarcastically replied, covering Lois with his cloak to protect her from explosions.
"Then let's get out of here! All goes blow up!" said Green Arrow, tidying up her bow and running out of the room.
The LexCorp lab exploded with multiple explosions. Superman flew in the air, taking Green Arrow, Lois and Batman. They put them safely on a secluded parking lot.
As soon as they touched the ground, Batman stepped out of the Man of Steel's embrace, while Green Arrow returned to her motorcycle. Thankfully, Superman addressed them.
"Thank you both! I couldn't have saved Lois without your help!"
But Batman kept his sullen gaze.
"I'm aware of that."
"Yeah, right, SuperObvious!" said Green Arrow, sarcastically.
She got on her motorcycle and disappeared in the night. While Batman brought his Batwing with a remote control. He threw his Grappling Bat that clung to a wing of his flying vehicle and disappeared into the dark sky like a bat.
After the departure of the two vigilantes, Lois gasped with fright.
"Bruce! Bruce Wayne! He was with me when Joker... Is he all right? Do you know?"
"He's fine." Superman reassured her, grunting a little. "Just fine."
The next day, the LexCorp lab had become a ruined building. Lex Luthor not only had to deal with the loss of one of his labs, but was forced to justify himself to the people of Metropolis. He held a press conference in front of the remains of the destroyed building.
Clark Kent stood among the crowd of journalists. Mia was near him.
"Miss Queen," said Clark when he saw her. "What are you doing here?"
Discreetly, she spoke to him.
"Green Arrow managed to catch Deathstroke, but it looks like he flew away again."
"What do you mean? The building exploded," he remarked.
"I spoke to my contact at ARGUS," she continued. "No human remains were found. Whether it's the Joker or Deathstroke or Harley Quinn. No sign of them. Which means Deathstroke managed to escape before everything exploded."
Mia was frustrated to have failed once again to stop her enemy. He was still hiding somewhere. Finding him wasn't gonna be easy.
Meanwhile, Luthor addressed the journalists with a jovial smile, but Mia could see in his face that he was furious at the loss of one of his labs. And he hid it from reporters.
"I wish to assure all of Metropolis that this explosion was non-nuclear. And presents no danger to the community. Now, if you'll excuse me."
He left his destroyed lab. The journalists wanted to follow him to question him even more, but his guard Mercy blocked their way.
"You heard the man," she said firmly.
Luthor made his way to his limo. When Mercy joined him, he whispered to her in an angry voice:
"What could have possessed me to trust that clown?"
What he didn't know was that Clark heard it with his super-hearing. He was stunned.
"Luthor is involved," he whispered to Mia.
"What? What do you mean?" she frowned.
"I have a super-hearing," Clark explained. "I just heard Luthor talking about a Clown. He was angry and regretted having trusted him. The only Clown I know in town right now is the—"
"Joker," said Mia, stunned. "So Luthor is involved with Joker? Maybe he knows where to find Deathstroke!"
In the end, her quest to find her enemy may not have been so desperate for Green Arrow. She got a new lead, thanks to Superman.
Thanks for reading.