Hey Guys! Here I am again with the second chapter. I wrote chapters in advance. To avoid a long wait.

Good reading.

Chapter 2: Metropolis

The powerful billionaire of Metropolis Lex Luthor sourly read the article in the newspaper which recounted Superman's exploit in saving the Air Force One plane.

"A grateful President bestows heartfelt thanks on Metropolis' favorite son, Superman."

Angrily, he crumpled up the newspaper and threw it on his small table in his living room.

"Favorite son, my... !" he exclaimed furiously.

Very upset, he contacted his female bodyguard, Mercy Graves.

"Mercy. Start the car. I'm coming down."

"Right away, Lex," Mercy replied.

But before she could do anything, she was violently knocked out by a mechanical boxing glove.

Luthor reached his limousine whose door was opened by his female bodyguard. He sat down and ordered sharply.

"The office. Now."

"Swell, Mr. L." his guard replied in a voice that did not match Mercy's.

And she slammed the door shut, much to the bald billionaire's surprise.

"Mr. L.? Mercy?"

When his guard got behind the wheel, he found that he did not have Mercy Graves in his limousine. It was Harley Quinn.

"Oh, yeah, she had a little accident." she said happily as she started the car.

Luthor tried to get out of his car, but the door was already locked. And Harley started the limousine and drove like crazy through the streets of Metropolis.

Annoyed at being thus trapped in his own car, Lex Luthor banged on the window that separated him from the front of his limousine.

"All right, missy." he shouted, his eyes full of fury. "I don't know what your game is, but I promise you you'll pay dearly for this! You're dead! Do you hear me?"

But Harley continued driving, ignoring the bald billionaire's threats. Then, she abruptly braked the limousine throwing Luthor against the window. The limousine stopped abruptly.

Then the door opened, and a new passenger joined Luthor in the back of the car. The latter recognized the individual with contempt.

"Joker!"

The Madman of Gotham took his place next to Lex Luthor in the back seat of the limousine.

"Lexy, old kid!" announced Joker with his sinister grin on his lips. "Do I have a deal for you."

Harley got back on the road and continued driving like crazy. While in the back, Lex Luthor kept his look of contempt without saying a word, his arms crossed, and the Joker admired the leather of the seat.

"Rich Corinthian leather."

"What do you want ?" Luthor demanded, his voice calm but filled with fury.

The Joker began to put his arms around the bald billionaire's shoulders, as if they were long-time friends.

"I sense we are kindred spirits, you and l." he explained ecstatically. "Oh, there are differences to be sure. Like hair." (He patted Lex's bald head and chuckled.) "But underneath it all, we're both entrepreneurs, men of vision. We see an opportunity, we grab it. Am I right?"

Luthor looked at him sourly, but still said nothing. Wanting to get straight to the point, the Joker spoke once again with fury:

"Right. But in the past few weeks, I've had a run of bad luck. Bad luck that wears a cape. Thanks to that miserable, pointy-eared rodent, Batman, all my operations in Gotham City have been shut down."

Then he resumed his evil smile when Luthor looked at him again.

"But you too have an overgrown bully in long underwear which brings me to my little proposition."

"I'm listening." replied Luthor with a perplexed frown.

"Pay me one billion dollars, and I'll kill Superman." Joker declared confidently as if he had just killed the Man of Steel.

Luthor laughed at the arrogance of Gotham's mad criminal. He wondered if the latter was crazy or just stupid. With amusement, he retorted:

"What makes you think you can kill Superman when you can't even handle a mere mortal in a Halloween costume?"

Feeling insulted, Joker lost his ecstasy and became menacing, grabbing Luthor by the collar of his black jacket.

"There's nothing mere about that mortal."

Then he released his grip, resuming his horrible grin.

"Besides, a certain Deathstroke taught me about Superman! If I can't kill Batman, I can kill your flying boy! I know his weakness!"

He then took out a box and when he opened it, a greenish light filled the entire back of the car. And Luthor could see a green statuette of a Chinese dragon. Joker grabs the green statuette to show it to the bald billionaire.

"See? Solid Kryptonite."

Seeing that the Psycho Clown was serious, Luthor retained his contempt.

"You know I can't be connected to this in any way."

"Oh, you'll be Mr. Clean, I promise." Joker assured him, delighted to have caught Luthor's attention.

He held out his hand to her with his evil smile.

"Deal?"

Then, Luthor finally squeezed it with satisfaction.

"Deal."

At LexCorp Air Field private, a crowd of journalists gathered to witness the arrival of two business figures in Metropolis with LexCorp. The arrival of Bruce Wayne, Gotham billionaire at the head of Wayne Enterprises, and Mia Queen, heiress to the Queen having taken over the management of Queen Consolidated in Star City.

No one knew what their merger between the companies of Gotham, Star City and Metropolis was going to be.

Among the reporters were Clark Kent and Lois Lane, both from the Daily Planet.

The two private jets had just landed at the airfield. While everyone waited for the arrival of Lex Luthor's two guests.

"I hear Wayne and Queen's deal with LexCorp could run into the billions." Clark commented to his colleague. "Bruce Wayne's a high roller. And Mia Queen has only just taken over the reins of the family business in Star City."

"I don't know much about the Queen girl," Lois replied, waving a pen. "About Wayne, I hear he's nothing but Gotham trash. Rich, spoiled..."

As she spoke, she didn't notice that Bruce Wayne left the plane as the door opened. And he went down the ramp.

When Lois' eyes fell on him, she was drawn to him.

"... and absolutely gorgeous."

Without looking at anyone, Bruce Wayne placed his feet on the ground of Metropolis, ignoring the journalists wanting to interview him.

"Look! This is Mia Queen!" exclaimed a journalist who had turned away.

Everyone had their eyes on Mia Queen who had just landed at the airfield. She was dressed in a gray pantsuit, accompanied by a white shirt and a gray blouse. And she had chosen to style her blonde hair in a bun tied with a simple barrette.

With a natural smile, Mia walked towards Bruce, while the journalists came to accost her with microphones and cameras.

"Miss Queen? What brings you to Metropolis?" asked a man holding a microphone in front of her.

"What does this mean for your business?" added a female journalist. "What future do you have in store for Queen Consolidated?"

"Please. No comments." replied Mia kindly, waving them aside.

With a smile on her lips, she joined Bruce who had just gotten off the plane's bridge.

"Mr. Wayne!" she greeted him, extending her hand towards him. "Nice to see you. And thank you again for inviting me."

"My pleasure, Mia," replied Bruce smiling, shaking her hand. "And please, call me Bruce."

"Okay, Bruce. I know our business with Mr. Luthor is very important, but I was happy to go to Metropolis."

Bruce continued to smile kindly at her.

"I hope that your stay here will be pleasant and beneficial for your… other job."

Mia frowned, wondering what he meant by 'other job'. But before she could ask, Bruce made his way through the reporters.

Realizing he was only a few steps away from her, Lois turned nervously to her fellow journalist.

"Quick, is my hair straight?"

She took her small mirror out of her purse, and looked at her hair, when the reflection of part of Bruce Wayne's face appeared.

"Excuse me, aren't you the famous Lois Lane?" he asked calmly with a smile on his face.

Lois gasped, accidentally dropping her things and looked at him shyly. Mia, who had just joined them, stared at the journalist in amazement.

"Lois Lane?" exclaimed Mia, recognizing her name, having read her articles in the press. "Like the star journalist for the Daily Planet whom Superman saves all the time?"

Lois blushed in embarrassment, before stammering in front of Bruce and Mia.

"Me? Famous? Well, hardly. I mean, uh..."

Then she resumed her professional journalist side, trying to remain calm, and pointed to her colleague.

"This is Clark Kent."

And she took the opportunity to bend down to pick up her things.

"Mr. Wayne!" Clark said, holding out his right hand to shake Bruce's hand.

But the latter ignored him and leaned down to help Lois collect her things. Seeing the reporter uncomfortable, Mia hurriedly shook Clark's hand.

"Mia Queen! Nice to meet you, Mr. Kent. I understand you work with Miss Lane at the Daily Planet."

Clark remained polite in front of Mia, but was embarrassed to see Bruce helping Lois pick up her fallen belongings.

"I read all about your adventure on Air Force One." said Bruce, picking up and handing Lois the mirror and bag. "You're quite the newsmaker."

"No more than you." declared Lois regaining her seriousness. "Which brings up the question of why Miss Queen and you are in town."

Before Mia or Bruce answered, Mercy Graves, wearing a bandage on her head, called out to them by opening the back door of a limousine.

"Mr. Wayne. Miss Queen. Your car."

Much to Mia's surprise, Bruce seemed more interested in Lois than the real reason he came to Metropolis. She understood why Wayne had the reputation of being the most sought-after bachelor in Gotham. Would he hit on her if she were older?

"Maybe we can discuss it over dinner." he suggested to the female journalist. "If you're available."

"Totally." replied Lois shyly. "I mean, I think so. I'll have to check my calen... Yes. Yes."

"Great. I'll pick you up at 8." Bruce said ecstatically.

Then he looked at Mia.

"I think we're expected, Mia."

The young woman from Star City nodded and greeted the reporters.

"Mr. Kent. Miss Lane. It was a pleasure." she said happily as she made her way to the black limousine.

When they got into the back seat of the car, Mia couldn't help but comment with humor.

"Lois Lane? Are you seriously considering going on a date with her?"

"I asked her out to dinner and she said yes." Bruce replied with a smile on his face. "You know her ?"

"Only by reputation," Mia replied, shrugging her shoulders. "She's often in danger and rescued by Superman at the last minute." (She took a mischievous tone.) "Will she be able to resist the old charm of Bruce Wayne, the most coveted bachelor in all of Gotham?"

Bruce laughed a little amused by the young woman's remark.

"My reputation precedes me."

"You're a celebrity that's hard to miss." she pointed out. "Come on! Lois Lane. You know, I've heard rumors that she has a crush on Superman."

"I don't believe in rumors." Bruce replied without looking at her.

"That's very bold of you, Bruce." said Mia with an admiring look. "If you want to go out with Miss Lane, you're going to have to compete with the Man of Steel of Metropolis. I can imagine his reaction."

Then she giggled in amusement, while Bruce just chuckled under his breath. And he became serious again, as the limousine took them away.

"How's it going for you, Mia? Not too hard with your father's business?"

Mia sighed and leaned back against the car seat.

"The paperwork took forever. I can't count how many papers I had to sign. The administration is not for me."

"I know that," replied Bruce with a sympathetic look.

"But my father had plans for Queen Consolidated and he was never able to follow through," said Mia with a sad thought for her late father. "I hope I can make myself worthy of him."

Bruce gave her a comforting look.

"I'm sure you're doing it well."

"Thank you, Bruce," Mia said gratefully.

A moment passed. The limousine continued to drive. Mia took the opportunity to look at the skyscrapers of Metropolis.

"What do you know about Lex Luthor?" asked Bruce wanting to change the subject.

"Not much," Mia said, shrugging her shoulders. "Just that he's the richest and most powerful man in Metropolis. His family helped build half of this city. He is the head of the world's largest multinational group. I also know that he is a major entrepreneur on the creation of guns. He has quite a few connections with very high-ranking people in the Pentagon. I'm not sure I agree with his view of things."

"So do I," admitted Bruce Wayne. "I'm here to make sure Lex respects his part of our deal with Wayne Enterprises and Queen Consolidated."

"I'm glad you're here, Bruce," Mia said gratefully.

"You've no idea, Mia," replied the Gotham billionaire, looking at her ecstatically.

Mia noticed that Bruce Wayne seemed to be able to tell everything about a person just by looking into their eyes. She felt an uneasiness between him and her, but didn't know where it came from.

That night, a local crime boss named Caesar Carlini was dining with his associates at one of his private restaurants. When he received a visit from the Joker who showed up at his house, intending to break in.

"Caesar Carlini, my old pal!" (He pretended to think.) "Why, I haven't seen you since... Wait. I've never seen you, have l? You need to get out more."

"Who is this clown?" exclaimed Carlini, furious at the presence of this madman.

"Not Clown. Joker." announced the crazy gangster, throwing a Joker card onto the criminals' table. "I'm in town on business and I need a place to hang my hat."

"Try the Motel Nine." the crime boss retorted.

"But it would be so much cozier at your place, like a sleepover." continued the Joker, sneering.

"Are you nuts!" Carlini retorted contemptuously before turning to his men. "Kill him!"

Immediately, all the gangsters gathered around the table drew their firearms and held the Joker at gunpoint.

"Can I play too?" said a female voice above their heads.

Everyone looked up to see Harley Quinn burst from the ceiling and bounce across the floor on a spring-loaded stick. She bounced off a gangster, dodged the other gangsters' bullets and smashed the table.

Carlini tried to flee, but the Joker blocked his way.

"Carlini, all that spicy food! You look a little gassy!"

Immediately, he used his green flower on his jacket and released his laughing gas on the boss. Carlini coughed, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

Amused, Joker threw him out like trash and addressed the other mobsters who remained.

"Holy guacamole! Looks like you need a new leader! I nominate me!"

"I second the nomination!" Harley added, brandishing a mechanical boxing glove weapon.

The thugs began to head towards an emergency exit, when the back door opened wide, revealing several men wearing black and orange masks. The Deathstroke clan. One of them appeared to be the ringleader stood right in front of the gangsters.

One of Carlini's men tried to shoot, but Deathstroke threw a shuriken which stuck in the barrel of the weapon, preventing him from firing. The gangsters were helpless and stared at the new clan with anguish.

"Obey us or die!" Deathstroke declared in a voice distorted by a modulator.

"All opposed?" chanted the Joker with an evil smile.

Later, Superman was at the hospital, joining Inspector Dan Turpin. They were at the bedside of Caesar Carlini who was laughing hysterically. They both knew it wasn't natural laughter.

"They found him like this at the city dump." explained Turpin. "The lights are on but nobody's home."

Superman stared at Carlini hilariously with disdain.

"But we know who did it. He's telling us right now."

The Man of Steel knew that Carlini's hilarious, never-ending laugh meant the Joker's presence in his city. He was going to have to confront the craziest and most dangerous Clown in all of Gotham City.

Thanks for reading.

It's not specified in the cartoon that Joker and Batman know the Kryptonite that can kill Superman.

For the Joker, I introduced Deathstroke.

See you soon.