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Title: The War of the One Percent.

Summary: No all heroes wear capes or armor, as Superman is about to learn when billionaire playboys Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark join forces to save him from the clutches of villainous billionaire Lex Luthor.

Warnings: None.

Notes: This chapter has guest appearances by Clark Kent and Lex Luthor.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dark Knight Trilogy, Iron Man, Superman, any of its characters. Sadly.

OoOoO

Bruce and Clark were in the large parlor in the Manor, sharing a cup of the rich Grey Earl tea and eating the delicious blueberry scones Alfred had prepared, and enjoying a quiet evening in together. At this point in their friendship, Bruce couldn't be certain if Clark's regular visits to the Manor were because he sought his company or to get a taste of Alfred's heavenly skills in the kitchen.

Probably both. His own irregular visits to Smallville were equally oriented, after all.

They couldn't do this often, for obvious reasons, and Bruce would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the rare moments such as this when they could take a breath and relax, even if they were unable to fully leave their respective responsibilities behind.

The billionaire was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding the warm cup between his hands as he listened attentively to the details Clark was sharing about the story he and Lois were currently working on. Bruce made a mental note to look into a few things downstairs as soon as Clark left.

The silence that filled the room after Clark finished his narration was comfortable as they continued to enjoy the other's company.

"You haven't mentioned you're going to be the main attraction during the big charity auction in Metropolis at the end of the month," Bruce commented offhandedly.

It was something he had planned to bring up even before the Kryptonian arrived at the Manor, but he had found himself more interested in hearing about the Intergang article the Planet reporters were struggling to piece together.

Clark froze mid-chew, looking back at him with slightly wide eyes and a half-bitten scone held in his hand. "How do you even know about that? I literally just said yes this morning, and they will be making the official announcement in a few days."

"I have my ways," Bruce replied cryptically, hiding a smug smirk behind his cup of tea.

The reporter rolled his eyes but wasted no time in taking another bite of his scone.

"You know Luthor will use any means necessary to win an evening with Superman," Bruce warned. Luthor's obsession with the alien was far from a secret by now, and it was concerning, to say the less. It was frustrating that Clark didn't seem to take it with the seriousness it required.

"I know," Clark replied with a grimace. He shrugged. "I couldn't just say no. Every penny collected will go straight to the construction and maintenance of the largest free clinic in the city. They also have set up a page where clinics from all over the country can submit a request for funding to continue operating."

Bruce hummed thoughtfully. Of course, Superman wouldn't ever say no to a good cause and everyone knew that. Especially if it was to help with something even he with all his power could do nothing about, like sickness and people's need for public health.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe Luthor had a hand in this somehow. He wouldn't put it past the shady businessman to use a charity to his own ends.

He would need to keep an eye on things, then.

Bruce took another sip of his wine as the man at his side shared details about his evening golfing with the governor and some other wealthy and important people. He was only half-listening, trusting the rest of the men around to make the proper questions. He made sure to keep an interested expression on his face even as his eyes scanned the room discretely.

He hadn't seen Luthor yet, but he had no doubt the man was going to show up soon enough.

Before long, it ended up being his turn to hog the spotlight for a moment, so Bruce let his smile grown as he launched into a very enthusiastic narration of his supposed vacation to Bali last spring. In reality, he spent that time recovering from a serious leg injury under Alfred's strict vigilance in the Manor.

The ringing from the cell phone in his pocket interrupted him as he talked about the beautiful twins he met there. It was all very cliché, but it worked, so Bruce just went along with it. Still, the call was the perfect excuse to get away from the crowd around him, if only for a short while, so he balanced the glass on his left hand as he fished for his phone. A glimpse at the caller's ID made the corner of his lip twitch. He had been expecting this particular call.

"I have to take this, sorry," Bruce said, smiling apologetically. He received a few nods and polite smiles in response.

"Wayne speaking," He answered cheerfully as he walked away from the crowd and in the direction of the glass doors that lead to one of the balconies. He drank the rest of his wine and handed his empty glass to a passing waitress before sliding outside.

"What is Stark doing in the hotel of the auction?"

The balcony was empty, thankfully, and he walked until he reached the railing and lean against it.

"How should I know?"

There was silence at the other end of the line. Bruce could clearly picture Clark's lips pressed together and furrowed brow. He considered the idea of continuing playing around, but in the end, decided against it.

"I thought maybe we could help you with Luthor," He admitted in a low tone.

"We?"

"Yes, we," Bruce echoed. "It should be easier to do it together rather than try to outbid him by myself."

"You and Stark are planning to bid on the auction. For me," Clark added hesitantly.

The billionaire shrugged, even if he knew the reporter couldn't see him. "Sure. As you said, the money it's going to a good cause, and we both know nothing good can come from Luthor winning tonight. Tony and I aren't exactly on the most of friendly terms with him either, so having one over him it's also a nice bonus," He added.

"Okay. Um- I have to go."

The small reception before the auction was a little tedious but far from a waste of time. The news of Superman's involvement brought millionaires from all over the world (as well as a few celebrities) to Metropolis, and Bruce used the opportunity to chat up a few people he was interested in making business with and set up a few calls and zoom meetings to discuss possible business ventures. Lucius was going to be very pleased.

Bruce and Tony ended up standing together once again after making their respective rounds when Luthor finally approached them.

It was no secret there was no lost love between them and Luthor, so it wasn't strange that the bald man waited almost until the last moment to speak to either of them.

"Stark. Wayne."

Bruce and Tony exchanged a quick look before turning to greet the other man with matching, blinding smiles.

"Oh. Hello, Lexy!"

One of Luthor's eyes twitched as he took the offered hand, his smile more than a little forced. Bruce lifted the glass to his lips to hide his smile. They both knew how much the Luthor heir hated being called Lexy.

"Hi, Lex," Bruce greeted, shaking the older man's hand.

Luthor smoothed down the front of his dark suit before speaking again. "I wasn't expecting to see either of you here tonight."

"Well, you know me. I'm always happy to support good charities that try to make a difference. And, knowing Superman was on the auction list was a nice incentive as well," Bruce couldn't help but add with a wink, his lips curled into a lopsided grin.

"Hell, yeah!" Tony agreed with a grin. "I only came to buy Superman."

The bald man blinked, turning to him with an arched eyebrow. "Really? I wouldn't have thought you would be interested in him given the peculiar company you keep, Stark."

"And now you know you're wrong, Lexy," Tony replied in a sing-song voice and ending with a bright smile.

Luthor watched him with narrowed green eyes, his lips pursed. "I see." He looked away from them, his gaze focusing at some distant point among the crowd. "Well, I will be seeing you later, then."

The Metropolis millionaire left without another word.

Bruce waited until the man was several feet away before speaking.

"He looked a tiny bit annoyed, do you think?" He asked innocently, an amused glint in his eyes.

"Who? Lexy?" Bruce nodded needlessly. "Nah. He loves us, remember?"

Bruce chuckled softly before shaking his head. He looked down at his watch a moment later. Still, twenty minutes left before the start of the auction.

"You ready to beat Luthor?"

"I was born ready for anything, sweet cheeks," Tony answered cheerfully. "But especially to beat Lexy."

The nickname made Bruce roll his eyes, but he didn't take the small off his face.

For such an anticipated event, the start of the auction was fairly uneventful.

Several items were being auctioned, of course, but there was no doubt what- or better yet who had summoned so many millionaires here tonight.

Sure, there was a certain interest in the rest of the auctions and paddles went up around the room several times as the minutes passed, his own and Tony's among them, but all bids were solved fairly quickly and with only a handful of bidders in each round.

Everyone was saving their money for the last auction of the night, and the tension in the room went up a notch with every item off the list.

Bruce and Tony weren't sitting together, and that had been a deliberate pick on their part. Instead, they were sitting at almost opposite sides of the room and in different rows, with Luthor in the middle. Everything was ready for tonight's show.

"And now, the moment you all have been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen," The smiling auctioneer announced behind the podium. "Please, let's give a warm welcome to our guest of honor tonight. Superman!"

Applause filled the room as Superman walked out onto the little stage with a bright smile that was just a little nervous, though it was likely Bruce was the only one who noticed that. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Bruce inclined his head slightly.

"Thank you, Superman, for taking the time to participle with us tonight." The blond looked more than a little flushed as he smiled at the hero, but who wouldn't be standing at Superman's side. "We know you're pretty busy keeping us all safe."

"I'm glad to help in any way I can," Superman replied pleasantly.

The simple yet honest answer filled the room with yet another round of applause.

"The bidding will start at five thousand dollars, ladies and gentlemen," The woman continued as soon as the room was silent again, almost vibrating with excitement. "For an evening spent in the charming company of our handsome Man of Steel."

"Ten thousand!" Called a woman a second later, and things went downhill from there very quickly.

People didn't even get to finish voicing their offer before a bigger sum was being called somewhere else in the room, again and again.

They were already at three hundred thousand and Bruce didn't miss the fact Luthor hadn't raised his paddle once since Superman's auction started. He wasn't under the illusion Luthor wasn't going to participate, of course. He was biding his time, letting the rest play around before he came forward and snatched the price.

The fleeting look he exchanged with Tony told him he had noticed as well.

By the time they reached three million, it was only Tony, Bruce, Luthor, and three foreign millionaires. Superman was looking a bit paler with every raise of the bidding, and Bruce was trying not to imagine the expression on his accountant's face when he learned how many millions he wasted on a dinner date. Or Alfred's expression.

At least he would get a tax deduction for this. Maybe.

The five million mark had the Chinese and English businessmen out of the race, and the Russian businesswoman was out in the next round. Tony and Bruce turned the bidding into a back and forth game, barely letting Luthor get a word in between, which was making the bald man more and more agitated with every second.

"Ten million!" Luthor shouted, casting the room into a tense silence.

"Eleven million," Tony countered casually before the auctioneer could even say a word.

Bruce could see that Luthor was almost trembling with rage in his seat now, but his paddle remained out of sight as he and Tony continued.

The plan had been to continue a couple of rounds more after Luthor dropped out, but Tony kept bidding. A quick look in his direction told Bruce he wasn't planning to stop any time soon.

Tony was bidding to win even though it was just the two of them now.

That was surprising but not really unexpected.

"Fourteen million going once, going twice," The woman's voice was quivering a little, clearly shocked by the sum, but Bruce didn't pay her any attention, keeping his eyes trailed on Luthor. "And sold! Congratulations, Mr. Stark."

Luthor stormed out of the room without a second's pause as soon as the auction was declared over, so Bruce proceeded to slip away from the crowded room and made his way backstage only a few minutes later, his cell phone in hand.

"You let Stark win," A familiar voice accused softly from the shadows.

"I did not," Bruce countered, sharp hazel eyes darting around before walking closer. There was only one camera back here, so he made sure his face was angled just right before continuing. One could never be too careful when dealing with Luthor. "The plan was to keep going back and forth until Luthor gave up, but Tony took it a bit further."

"You could have outbid him."

The billionaire watched him, waiting until he received a nod to ensure the Kryptonian was keeping an ear out in case anyone approached. He held out a hand, which Clark took after a moment's pause.

"I could have, yes, but my accountants keep telling me I need to stop wasting so much money, so," Bruce finished with a shrug. "Besides, why would I spend all that money on something I get for free?" He added in a low murmur, only loud enough for someone with superheating to pick up.

Clark blinked. "That's rude."

He snorted. "Come on. You can't tell me you'd rather Luthor had won."

"Of course not, but at least I know what to expect from him."

Bruce's eyebrows rose. "Tony isn't that bad, you know. I'm sure he's ..." He trailed off when he saw Clark tense. They exchanged a quick look, and Bruce slid back effortlessly into the role of the airheaded playboy. "It's so sweet what you did. Truly. So-"

"Brucie, Brucie, Brucie," Tony called as he walked closer, the auctioneer at his side. "Are you trying to steal my hard-earned date?"

"Why, I would never!"

Tony hummed, eyeing him carefully. "Then why are you here?"

"Well, I came back here to get away from all the noise because I wanted to make a phone call, but then I found Superman here all by his lone self," He sent a dazzling smile in the hero's direction. "So I took the opportunity to introduce myself personally and thank him for participating tonight."

"Oh, yes. Such a nice gesture. Very generous," He nodded solemnly, turning his attention fully to the Kryptonian. "So, I don't think an introduction is needed but: Tony Stark, also know as Iron Man and your soon-to-be diner companion," The billionaire held out a hand, a board smile on his handsome face.

"A pleasure, Mr. Stark."

"Just Tony please,"

The blonde woman cleared her throat. "If you excuse us, Mr. Wayne? We need to discuss the details of the dinner meeting between Superman and Mr. Stark."

"Oh! Of course. I'm sorry," Bruce added with an apologetic smile. "It was a pleasure, Superman, and good luck you two with your date."

"Thanks, Brucie!"

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne."

With a nod and a polite smile, Bruce turned to walk back to the crowded room, leaving his two friends behind.

This was not the way he imagined the night would go, but well. That was what happened when you were friends with an eccentric billionaire and an alien, Bruce thought dryly, the corner of his lips curling upward.

OoOoO

a/n: I remember I was super exited when I was working on this fic a few years ago, but for some reason didn't get around to post it before. I think I wanted to give myself a bit of time away from the fic and then come back to work on it some more (I did tend to do that when I finished something because I always came up with things to add later on) but in the end, this ended buried in my drafts. I do like the way it came out now, so I hope you'll enjoy it as well! Let me know!

Also, I know the numbers thrown around are ridiculous, but we're talking about an evening spend in the company of a super powered, super handsome alien, and well, Luthor is involved, so I don't think is too far-fetched. If it is, I ask you to suspend your disbelieve for a little bit in order to enjoy this silly fic. :D

This is unbetaed and I'm not a native speaker, so please feel free to point out any mistake you may find.