The Last Daughter of Krypton: World's Finest

[Lunaramblings]

"Thought about it," Gabe confessed, chuckling into his coffee. "Had a poke around Craigslist once, but none of the dojos or Ryūs in good commuting distance had any openings in management."

He paused, then, and listened, waiting to see if Chloe responded to the reminder about visitors and dinner.

She didn't respond.

"I'm afraid she's working, son," he shook his head. "Big doings back on the homefront, apparently? She'll be under 'till dinnertime at least."


"Hm...Must have forgotten. Oh well. I am sure 'tween the Brothers Tennylson, we can scrounge something. You are gonna stay and have a bite right?"

...and then his eyes went cool and serious in a hurry.

"Which gives us a minute to talk, doesn't it?" he sipped his coffee thoughtfully. "Does your flat get attacked... often? You are going to move now, right? Obviously this location's been, what's the word, compromised? I won't have you risking my daughter's life with the threat of... 'supervillains.' Not to mention the lives of my unborn grandchildren."

"Truthfully? No. Look, I have never had anyone just show up here like this. I will try to figure that out. But, really... she's ok. I promise. I love her just as much as you do. And I won't let anything happen to her. Or the kids... Jesus... KidS... Look Gabe, Dad, Sir... I will make sure we are gone soon. I am a bit hesitant to teleport her given the situation. But I promise, we will be moving on tonight. I guess I never really thought about the consequences of being a hero. I guess I just have been doing what I thought Dad and Grandpa, and Mum, and Ceri would all have wanted. What's right." A tear starts to form in Merick's eye as he speaks. "I promise you... I will do better by her. And by the kids. I promise."

He paused again, and pursed his lips and blew air through his teeth. "Which brings to mind another question. Has your pre-natal care included genetic testing at all? Given the... dispositions of yours and Chloe's DNA, that sort of examination should be pretty much top of the list. Granted, there's also confidentiality to consider, you're both superpeople. Jim's the obvious choice to test you both, but frankly, as much as I respect that man I'd be more than a little hesitant to let him muck about with the helixes of my grandprogeny, so you may want to explore other options regarding genetics. I just want to. To make sure there's been adequate preparations. It's a whole new world my grandkids are gonna be born into, I want to make sure they're as ready for this world as they can be."

"I... Jesus..." Merick clutches Gabe by the shoulders and turns him more into the kitchen, "Look, truthfully? I am scared shitless. I mean, sure, I fought Zod and his compu-lackey, and that one time, that doofus in the trenchcoat, remember, when me and Chloe got married in Ceri's backyard? Anyway... Listen... I have fought villains and monsters, god-like omnipotent bastards... but none of it... not one bit, has ever scared me as bad as this. As bad as the idea that I am going to be a Dad. I mean, look, it's like I told Chloe when we first talked about our future, I don't want to be the down fall of anyone else. And given my family history? What kinda dad am I gonna be? My grandfather was a bit of a sociopath, my father too, only at least he had the good sense to quit then hide it from us until he snapped and went all Jet Li with a dish towel... I mean... what if I blow it? What if I can't do it? What if they hate me? I mean, then there's the whole thing of how do I tell my kids not to sneak out and get into trouble when I was a high school super hero? Gabe... I am sorry. I just... I don't know... I mean I did do some research... great thing about slowing time, allows you to read a lot. I found this guy... Dr. O'Neil. But is he trustworthy? I mean... I know Doc wouldn't mean to screw anything up, and he is practically family and all, but I just... well it's like you said, I don't want him mucking with my kids DNA... sometimes... when he gets curious it is like all rationality and sense leaves him and he just does whatever he finds most interesting... ya know?" Merick finally lets go of his grip on his father in law and instead just buries himself in a monstrous bear hug. "Love you Dad." Merick mumbles into Gabe's shoulder.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Claire, Rose, and Jamie

"I met him once, you know," Claire murmured. "Him. Just... after. When he came back to save his city and then vanish again into the world. He came to see me. He had shadows across his soul like an eclipse of The Moon."

"I know a thing or two," Rose murmured, in reply, "just a thing. Or two. About shadows."

Claire shoved her hands into the pockets of her black jacket and arched an eyebrow at Rose, at those blue blue eyes so much like her own.

They were standing just outside the compound.

Rose's father was talking with her husband to be. They were shaking hands again.

And Rose was talking with her father's lover. Her aunt.

"You trust him," Claire pressed.

"With my life," Rose nodded. "With everyone's lives. I only knew him just a little while before. But from what Mum told me, from what Damian told me... I trust him with everyone's lives, not just my own."

Claire's eyes squinched a bit with the agony of her emotion. "He and I are both products of the same ancient machine. That will, that determination, that preparedness for anything, that preparedness to do whatever it takes, he and I are as one in that respect. We both trained at the foot of Ducard. And I fell, and I fell hard, and I'm clambering my way back up again... is the reason that you can trust him but not me after being touched by The League, is it because he never fell?"

Rose pursed her lips at this. "Auntie Claire," she murmured. "He was at the very heart of the storm of darkness and he was never changed, like orichalcum in a maelstrom. You got one tempter's taste of forbidden fruit and you were hooked. Granted, you've, um, unhooked yourself... but the only thing that got you back on the road of the angels was seeing first-hand how bad a good guy could be and still be good. Seeing how much the angels would let you get away with."

Claire smiled tightly, faintly, her shoulders rising and falling the merest of inches.

"S'pose yeh've got me there," she mused.

"It's immaterial," Rose shook her head.

Claire blinked. "You what?"

Rose shrugged again. "It's immaterial. All of that. If he's proven anything, that dark and mysterious him, it's that any darkness can be overcome. Yes, The League took his family, and it took Kyle's, and it took a good chunk out of mine, but you're not League anymore. You're not a Shadow anymore. No, that's not the reason I don't trust you."

Her aunt chewed this over for a moment. "Then why, if I might be so bould as to ask?"

"I can't trust you," Rose breathed, her head slightly bowed, "because there's something for which I can't yet forgive you. But it's fair treatment, see? I only can't forgive you this because I can't at all forgive myself. For the same thing."

Claire hesitated, though her comprehension was instant. "For not--"

Rose nodded, brisk. "Yeah."

Claire pressed her tongue into her cheek for a moment, and then nodded. "Fair do's, then."

Rose nodded again, brisk. "Yeah."

Claire looked away. "Okay. Let me know, will you? Keep me, ah, posted?"

"'Course," Rose nodded.

And then she walked away.

Claire stood there for a moment, watching Rose walking towards Kyle and Jamie.

And then she stood up a little taller, called to her niece: "Rose."

Rose turned to look at her, stopping in her tracks, didn't say anything.

"Congratulations," Claire smiled, ever so softly.

And Rose smiled, ever so softly, in return. "Yeah."

Rose went off with Kyle, and Jamie ambled back over to Claire.

His eyes were dark, were quiet, were thoughtful. "So. How'd it go, d'you think?"

Claire smiled a tight little smile, the sort of tight little smile that meant she wasn't bursting into tears like a normal human being.

Jamie was a little bit tall, and he kissed Claire on the forehead, and he nodded, and he slung an arm around her shoulder and they walked back into the compound's main gate.

"Get 'em next time," he suggested.

She hugged his waist, and she nodded, and her heart felt a little bit lighter despite itself. "When they're ready."

********​

Eventually we made our way back out the door and into the morning, hearts lighter for spending time with the people we loved.

I enfolded Rose in my arms and kissed her once we were back into the trees away from the guard shack.

"Ready for our next stop sweetheart?"

Rose nodded, simply. Her heart, too, felt a little bit lighter despite itself. She nodded and laid her head upon his chest.

And there it was again. Ground Zero of a transformation sequence, but this one didn't just stop with Shadow...

He furled his wings around them. Deep deep dark dark deep dark wings.

And they were gone.

From a place of the impossible to a place of the possible...

...from Gen-Tech to The Kents' front doorstep.

Magical Mystery Tour.

They held hands and squeezed hands and Rose smiled softly.

Red barn. Yellow house. Blue sky. Those three colours...

"'It is as it should be,'" she murmured, quoting from somewhere or other. "'Everything always is.'"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Bruce. (This one's for Dylan.)

The Manhunter departed Bruce Wayne's company.

Bruce takked the key on his PDA, and various orbiting eyes would return to their regularly scheduled courses through the sky, all the while none the wiser.

Bruce mulled this over. This idea.

Mulled over the echoing Voice of Mars in the compartments of his mind.

"I remember," Bruce nodded.

"Stay the course," Bruce mused.

And then he turned, and he walked deeper into this office of his, this office and a second home. Well, a third home, if you counted Wayne Manour in Smallville, and The Wayne Mansion out in Gotham Heights.

He walked to the wall of the office.

There was a grandfather clock there, gazing implacably at him, ticking away. This was an identical replica of the clock in his home in The Heights. And another replica sat against the wall of The Manour in Smallville.

Replicas of the grandfather clock of Solomon Wayne.

Gingerly, he reached up with both hands, and tenderly but firmly turned the hour and minute hands to the hour and minute of his parents' death.

Then he opened the front of the clock, and tugged on the counterweights, and something shifted deep behind. A secret compartment opened, a hidden elevator.

Just as there was more than one home for The Last Son of Wayne Enterprises, their real estate empire reaching far, far away, there was more than one Cave.

The Manhunter had departed Bruce Wayne's company.

And as the compartment closed around him, as the secret elevator's doors slid closed, as he closed his eyes there in the pocket of pitch black, Bruce Wayne, too, departed Bruce Wayne's company.

Night was falling. And with the night came The Knight.

When he opened his eyes at the bottom of the lift's shaft, in the secret sub-basement beneath the sub-basements of Wayne Tower, Bruce Wayne was not to be found in them.

Time to go to work.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Gabe

Merick finally lets go of his grip on his father in law and instead just buries himself in a monstrous bear hug. "Love you Dad." Merick mumbles into Gabe's shoulder.

Gabe held tight onto his son-in-law.

Sometimes Gabe had a gift. Sometimes he knew where he needed to be.

And, just like he'd known, for some bizarre reason, to leave work early that day, to be there in Ceri's backyard that afternoon...

...Gabe knew he was supposed to be here. He held tight onto his son-in-law.

At first, Merick's fusillade of words had thrown Gabe for a loop but now but now he held his daughter's husband and he smiled a tiny little smile.

"Love you, too, son," he murmured. "Love you, too."

And after a long moment, he gazed into the young man's eyes.

"When my wife disappeared," Gabe suggested, "I thought I was going to screw up with Chloe, I thought I was going to train wreck the whole thing. The sky fell, my house was destroyed, my daughter miraculously inexplicably survived, my wife vanished. And that was it, as far as I could tell. That was it, I was done, I couldn't be a father by myself. I was going to ruin everything. You can't raise a kid by being good at paperwork or interviewing new hires or... or cutting payroll when times get tight."

He smiled softly. "Once, I thought maybe that Chloe had become the fantastic woman that she has done despite my best efforts. That she became the woman she was born to be despite my fumbling, fiddling foolishness. And maybe that's true. But I think I did okay."

Gabe held onto Merick by his shoulders and scrunched his eyebrows. "You will never be prepared for what life throws at you. Monsters in boxes on your doorstep are just, I don't know, a very literal application of that. You will never be prepared for what life throws at you... superhero or not, Merick, paternal history of supervillainy or not, Merick, there will always be something you never expected. You're never ready to be a father. You're never ready. But you do the best you can with what you have."

He patted Merick on his cheek. "Be where you're supposed to be. And do the best you can. And your kids'll turn out fine. I mean, look at you. Look at you. All that darkness in your past and you're a little rough around the edges, but your heart, the heart of you, you're not rough at all in there. And Chloe could have gone so very wrong, but she latched onto Truth and that's seen her through the most troubled of times. If you two can overcome the secrets and the madnesses of your childhoods, you can overcome anything."

Gabriel Sullivan smiled brightly. "Your kids won't hate you, Merick. They won't know how to hate. You hold them to the standard you wish you'd taken, until they're wise enough to decide for themselves the standards they'll follow... that's how parents always do things. And maybe from time to time, the tykes'll resent you a little. But they'll never hate you. The children of Merick Tennylson won't know how to hate."

Gabe pondered this, pensive.

"E-mail me," he suggested, "this stuff you've found on this 'O'Neil' character. I'll see what I can do about a background check. But, yeah, as smart as Jim is..."

Gabe laughed a broken little laugh. "Did I ever tell you about the black hole he made? If it wasn't for that A.I. of Kyle and Bekka's..."

He slapped Merick on the back. "Anyway. We'll figure it out. I'll get this guy checked out, and maybe he can check Chloe out. See? You're already thinking like a dad. The rest of this is gonna be a walk in the park. A walk in the park pushing a two-seater stroller..."

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

After dinner was over, Kara retreated back upstairs to her old room. The sun had dipped its brilliant face behind the horizon, and the pale white moon was well on its way up into the nighttime sky, leaving the stars to twinkle brightly overhead. Turning a lap on, Kara sat down on her bed and began thumbing through some of her old yearbooks. Smallville High School had certainly seen its ups-and-downs, but despite all the madness and chaos… there was not a single frown to be seen on anyone’s face. Nothing but fond memories shared with her friends.

Kara even smirked at some of the comments left by her teachers.

Late to class… Excellent penmanship… A pleasure to have in class…

“I was never late to class…”

Kara thought for a moment, then closed the book shut.

“Maybe once or twice,” the young Kryptonian added before getting up. From her window she could see the cozy red barn that had once served as her miniature Fortress of Solitude, and within a heartbeat she was back within its walls. Every step she took on the old floorboards caused her memories to come rushing up the front of her mind, and while not all of them were good memories… they were a part of who she was.

Kara slowly pulled out each drawer, shuffled through the contents, and then replaced everything back to the way she found it. She sat down and closed her eyes, relaxing for a moment before she began hearing the voices again.

The never ending battle.

* * * * *

Martha answered the front door and she smiled when her eyes fell on Kyle and Rose.

“Rose! Kyle! It’s so good to see you,” Martha said before giving each of them a hug. “We were just thinking about you. You’re here to see Kara, right? I think she’s upstairs… or maybe in the loft." Martha took a quick look behind her, and she noticed that the Supergirl outfit Kara had donned was missing.

“Actually… you probably just missed her,” Martha noted, an apologetic look crossing her face. “Would you like to come inside? I'm sure she'll be along shortly.”

* * * * *

Kara floated down towards the ground, her red cape flowing down about near her feet as she walked up towards the front steps. She could hear Kyle and Rose talking with her parents even before she had landed, but that didn’t stop her from smiling brighter than any star in the sky.

 

[AmenRa]

Gordon

It was a dark night.

It had been, lately. Gotham City was changing, but with change, there was resistance.

There was always resistance.

There were those that fought against change, those that didn't want things to become different from the way they were. It was because the old ways were what people were used to; what they liked.

But, change was necessary.

Gordon had changed, too. Along with the city, his city, he had become harder, straighter, and some said, darker, than before. He smiled often, though, and not just because of his baby girl at home and beautiful wife, but because he had reasons in other places to smile.

Like every time a criminal fell flat on his face because Gotham City Police officers were taking back the streets, Gordon smiled.

And these officers, these men, his men had help. A shadow that came to life, some said, a walking undead monster that attacked criminals and sucked their blood, said others. Some thing, some horrible, terrible thing that was made of wings and blackness and took them down to where shadows dwelt.

Now that really made Jim Gordon smile.

And tonight, this dark night, when Jim Gordon stepped out of the stairwell doorway to the roof of Gotham City Police Headquarters, he pulled his long coat around him a bit to stay the wind. And then he walked over to the searchlight, and he reached down and flipped the switch.

Gordon looked up into the night sky, to the cloud cover that hung over Gotham City like a misty veil. And upon those clouds, wavering with their flow, was the symbol of a bat.

Gordon waited.

He would come. The Batman would come, unhindered by shadows or change, and he would speak to Gordon in that dark, rasping whisper that the police officer knew now so well.

Soon, he would come.

He always did.

 

[Lunaramblings]

Gabe slapped Merick on the back. "Anyway. We'll figure it out. I'll get this guy checked out, and maybe he can check Chloe out. See? You're already thinking like a dad. The rest of this is gonna be a walk in the park. A walk in the park pushing a two-seater stroller..."

"Look, I don't really do so well with this emotional stuff. I mean, since Mum and Dad, I just... I mean I have lost so many people. We all have. And there's this shadow looming. I can feel it. Thanks. For being here. For being an anchor. I will get you everythin' I got on the good doctor. Though really it was more just a google search." Merick grins sheepishly. Ya're stayin fer a god nosh tho right? I mean, I was thinkin maybe some curry? But if you prefer we can get some beef sukiyaki, maybe some morroccan?"

As Merick is talking he nudges the small box set TV on the counter. And it flitters to life. Merick stops grinning as he hears the news bulletin. And from the corner of his eye he sees Sammy being shoved into a police car.

"Oh snap.."

 

[ChasNicollette]

The Bat

He preferred that no-one get a good look at him.

Mask, outfit, otherwise. He struck from a distance, from concealment...

Smokescreens.

Most thugs only saw the man himself the split-second before his boot cracked into their jaw. Or his fist. Or his elbow.

He left broken bones and tied-up thieves and bat-shaped shuriken in his wake. He was rumour. Unconfirmed rumour, descriptions as wildly different as bat-monster and living shade.

Batman existed in glimpses, in the corner of the eye. He never came out in the daylight. And he never let anyone look directly at him.

But there were exceptions.

Leslie. Alfred. Lucius. Other... old friends.

And Gordon.

James Gordon stopped to look up at the night sky, and Batman stepped out from the shadow behind the searchlight, stepped up beside Gordon as though he'd been there all along.

Who knows, maybe he had been?

He, too, craned back his head and watched the signal flutter and gutter on the underside of the clouds, stormy grey masses misting and tumbling in from Lake Michigan.

"Jim."

The voice was of the grave. But the nomenclature was that of burgeoning friendship.

"She's restless, tonight," he murmured, looking out at the city. "Slow getting started. But restless."

He turned to face Gordon, looked at him directly. He wouldn't do that for just anyone.

"What do you have for me?"

 

[ChasNicollette]

Rose

Kara floated down towards the ground, her red cape flowing down about near her feet as she walked up towards the front steps. She could hear Kyle and Rose talking with her parents even before she had landed, but that didn’t stop her from smiling brighter than any star in the sky.

Rose was sitting on a couch in the living room, sitting beside Kyle.

She held her mug of tea in both hands, and she was talking.

She remembered, once, her parents had sat on this couch while Rose and Kara had sat on the roof.

...how times had changed.

"...everyone always complains about people misquoting Keats," she pointed out, nodding easily. "Like, what was it, 'Seasons of mist and frightfulness' when it's actually 'fruitfulness.' Completely changes the meaning of the line, right? But some folks neglect to recollect that Keats wasn't immune to misquoting things himself."

She took a quick sip of the tea. Paused to taste it. Nodded, appreciative.

"Take 'On First Looking into Chapman's Homer,' f'rinstance," she explained, becoming less nervous and more bubbly as she got into gear. "He makes this whole big comparison between his, Keats', reading Chapman's translation of Homer for the first time, and Cortez first gazing Westward onto The Pacific, the first European ever to see it from that direction. But y'know? Cortez may have subjugated Mexico, but it was Balboa who first climbed Darien to see the peaceful blue ocean beyond, so anyone who misquotes that poem is misquoting a misquote and I think that's hilarious."

She paused, again, though, quieted a little. "I liked that bit about watching the skies, though, and new planets. That's a really pretty--"

Rose suddenly fell silent, and whipped her head around to gaze in the direction of the front of the house.

Hurriedly, a little bit trembly, she set her tea down.

Rose had sharp ears. And they had gotten a little sharper over the years.

And if there was one sound Rose knew from the bottom of her heart, it was the sound of someone flying...

"Um," she mumbled, "she's, uh..."

Rose shot to her feet and vaulted the coffee table and sprinted for the front door, tugging it open and diving out and practically pouncing on Kara, throwing her arms around her...

"EeeEEeeeEEEeeee!" she squeed, hugged Kara tight, unafraid of hurting her, then held her at arm's length so she could look at her.

"Double-K!" she grinned. "Oh. God. It'ssogoodtoseeyou!"

She blinked.

"What are you wearing?" she murmured as she looked Kara up and down. "You look..."

Her grinned resumed in an instant. "You look bendigedig. You look fantastic."

 

[AmenRa]

Gotham Police Department HQ Rooftop

"What do you have for me?"

Gordon looked at the Batman. He was all black, cape, armor, like some great spectre of the night that had suddenly appeared from a shadow.

When the Batman first called his name, Gordon jumped just a little, although he was expecting to be startled, he was just the same. It was taking some getting used to, the way this man moved, silently, stealthily. One minute Gordon was alone on the roof, and the next Gotham City's Dark Knight was standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

That was, well, un-nerving.

The wind poured on, gusting every now and then, surely a sign that rain was coming in from the lake. The Batman's cape fluttered with the wind, occassionally flailing its scalloped edges over the rooftop.

Gordon adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and looked into the Batman's eyes.

"She is restless, tonight," he agreed. "But things are coming together. We've got a new district attorney, and he's remarked about you a few times." Gordon smiled. "I think he likes you."

"But," the cop continued, "some things just don't make sense. I've been a cop a long time, and I've seen it all, or so I thought. Well, until I saw you." Another smile. "Seriously, you know cops have to put motive to a crime, the why and who of the crime scene, and that's usually pretty easy to do when you've got a murder scene, or a robbery, burglary, whatever. But this one," he said as he handed the Batman a silver CD-ROM, "just doesn't make any damn sense at all."

"Some nut breaks into the Gotham City Museum of Natural History," Gordon explained, "and kills two security gaurds. But, now get this, the killer passes right by an Egyptian display with over two million dollars worth of gold and goes straight to a rock collection. The perp knocks out the glass front of the display case and steals a worthless green meteorite the museum said was on loan from Addis Abbiba.

"He knocks out the display case window, but used high-tech gear to disable the museum's security system and even rapelled into the floor from the roof," Gordon finished.

"Makes no sense to me," he added. "A meteorite? I don't get it." Gordon chewed his lip for a moment. "Motive? Who kills for a rock that is only worth, according to the museum, the cost to FedEx it back to the other side of the world? I figured we could use some help on this one, because there is obviously something we're missing. That disc has all the crime scene photos and the incident report on it, as well as investigator notes, and a few interviews from museum staff."

Gordon looked down for a second, then again met the Batman's gaze.

"You know, I never said 'thank you'."

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Kyle

"I liked that bit about watching the skies, though, and new planets. That's a really pretty--"

Rose paused, and since she was with people she loved and trusted she did like to talk, so that was unusual. I turned to her when she was out the door in a flash, only my above average reflexes saving Mrs. Kent's rug as the cup just about hovered in midair.

Squeals from the front let me know what had happened.

"Well, it looks like Kara is home." I said, gently placing the tea down on the table. "So Mr. Kent, think your going to get enough hay out of the back pasture this year, or would you like some from Bekka's place? We usually get about ten more bales than the horses need and I would be glad to send them over."

"Oh, and once the girls get back in, we do have some good news for everyone."

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

Kara Zor-El had super-hearing, and she could hear a pin drop from more than a thousand miles away if she listened hard enough. But even with all her impressive abilities, Kara never saw her friend Rose come rushing out through the front door, and before she knew it she was being hugged tighter than she had ever been hugged before.

Not that she minded.

Rose... was... her closest friend. Her best friend.

"What are you wearing?"

"This... it's just... something... I don't know... You like it?"

"You look bendigedig. You look fantastic."

Kara Zor-El smiled (blushed, even) and crinkled her nose as she pulled Rose in for another warm embrace.

"I missed you guys so much," she said as tears began forming near her eyes. "It's been way too long."

* * * * *

Inside the house, Martha Kent felt her heart skip a beat when Rose vaulted over the coffee table, but Kyle was quick enough to prevent the tea from spilling out onto the rug. She breathed a sigh of relief and then thanked Kyle for his quick save. Martha hadn't seen anyone move as quickly as Rose had just done, save for her daughter.

Jonathan Kent had disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes, but he came back out just in time to watch Kyle set the cup down gently.

"So Mr. Kent, think your going to get enough hay out of the back pasture this year, or would you like some from Bekka's place? We usually get about ten more bales than the horses need and I would be glad to send them over."

"I appreciate the offer, Kyle, but I think we'll manage," Jonathan said as he leaned against the doorway leading into the kitchen, and he was still wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a checkered shirt. He looked tired, but he was more than capable of staying up for the rest of the night if the situation called for it.

 

[AmenRa]

Errant Venture

O'Neil had spent the better part of the morning compiling data. He had intently studied the oversized, computer-enhanced newspaper photo of Supergirl, and he was certain he had seen the "S" shaped symbol on her chest before.

Somewhere.

O'Neil had a computer file not unlike a once-posted bulletin board in a small, Kansas high school newspaper room called "The Wall of Weird". This file was O'Neil's own Jump Drive of Weird, and in it he had collected data from all over the world regarding extra-terrestial life. Or the possibility thereof. In the file was everthing from newspaper reprints, to interviews with scientists and would-be scientists, photos, and more photos of hoax spacecraft and cattle mutilations.

Fox Mulder would have loved this file.

So would Chloe Sullivan.

Because, in this file were PDF formatted articles from The Torch covering phenomena that the intrepid blonde high school editor explained were results of a certain meteor shower that hit Smallville, Kansas many years ago.

And this was where O'Neil had seen the symbol before. In a printing of a cave painting that had been made by Kawatche shaman long before recorded history.

"Eureka!" O'Neil exclaimed. Jenna looked up from her terminal for a half-second, smiling and shaking her head.

Other scientists had examined this meteor shower, and their findings were in the file, too.

One of these scientists was Dr. Virgil Swann, a reclusive astronomer whose intellect rivaled O'Neil's own. And it was in his research into the meteor shower that Dr. O'Neil stumbled upon what he considered the greatest discovery since this morning's headline.

Apparently, Swann had found, hidden among the stellar garbage of x-rays and cosmic radiation that accompanied the meteor shower, a tuned and directed telemetry broadcast in basic and simple microwave modulation.

Why hadn't he noticed this before?

"What haven't I noticed this before?" O'Neil asked aloud. Jenna looked up again, watched him for a moment, then went back to her Excel document.

Okay, so this is a radio signal. Surely SETI would have seen this? Wait, no, the garbage accompanying that meteor shower would have masked this. This signal was meant to hidden. It was only meant to be found by someone looking for it, not looking around it for everything else.

O'Neil made some adjustments to his computer, then loaded a program from an O'Neil Physics, LTD communications satellite orbiting high above Earth.

A repeating message. Subtle variations in frequency and amplitude. No, wait. It's geometric. Multiple layers of information on top of one another. No wonder SETI didn't see it. All of this would have looked like any other cosmic interference during that meteor shower.

O'Neil programmed the software to strip the first layer of the signal. And then the second. And then the third.

Hmm. Okay, so they are each unique but similar. Wait a damn minute! It's binary! Binary!

O'Neil then instructed the program to break each layer down into binary code. Within a few seconds, series and rows of 1's and 0's appeared on the screen.

Okay. So what does that mean?

He remembered the photo of the cave wall. The symbol on Supergirl's chest.

He instructed the program to plot each layer in pictographic rendition.

He waited.

And then, slowly, glyph by glyph, the alien language of Krypton was displayed on the screens.

O'Neil stared at the LCD's.

"Is that the language you were talking about?" Jenna asked.

O'Neil slowly nodded his head. "Dorothy," he said, "you can bet your ass you're not in Kansas, anymore."

 

[AmenRa]

Green Lantern

Sentient beings took all forms of life. Hal Jordan was aware of this now after having spent a good portion training with them, training under them. He never knew the universe held such a vast array of life, and he never knew he would be a part of it.

But he was a part of it. Just as the Power Ring from Ardin Sul sought him out, he was a part of it. Woven into the fabric of things (the Norse called this the 'skein of things' or 'the skein of life') he was now as much a part of the universe as it was of him.

He had spent the last few Earth years of his lifetime training for the placement into the Green Lantern Corps. This had not come easy. Hal Jordan was of strong will, but he had much to overcome. He had proven himself. He was one of Them.

And so, he stood stoicly before the Gaurdians of the Universe. He was alone in front of the dias where they stood, save for a few Alpha Lanterns and trainer Lanterns that stood around the large room. Behind the dias was the Central Battery, the ultimate source of power for the Green Lantern Corps.

"Hal Jordan," the Gaurdians spoke, "you have done well. Your training has been long and arduous, yet you have set yourself to the task, and through great force of will you have accomplished much. It is with much pride and honor that we now name you the Green Lantern of Sector 2814."

Humility did not allow Hal Jordan to raise his head, but a small smile broke on his lips.

"The task set before you now will be every bit as difficult as the training that brought you to it. You are, however, equal to this task, and our faith in you as a Green Lantern will not waver," they told him. "Remember the principles of the Green Lantern Corps, and uphold them always."

"I will," Hal assured them, raising his head with his chin held high. He wore the uniform of a trainee, a black and green bodysuit with a simple white circle on the chest.

"Thus," they continued, "your task begins. Recharge your ring in the Central Battery and begin your duty as protector of Sector 2814."

Jordan walked over to the Central Battery. He made a fist with his right hand, the hand on which he wore the Power Ring, and he inserted the fist into the Central Battery. The power of the universe coursed through his body, recharging the ring, recharging him. In that instant, he knew everything, he was everything. And, without conscious thought, he began to recite the Green Lantern's Oath.

"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power.....
Green Lantern's light!"

Hal's uniform changed to the duty uniform of the Green Lantern, the black bodysuit of woven Oa metal fabric, the armored green boots and chest pieces, the silvery-white gloves, and a green mask resting on his face. In the center of the chest was the Green Lantern Battery symbol.

He withdrew from the Central Battery, returning to his normal state, but his ring full of Oa's power. He turned to The Guardians, giving a bow of respect. Before he could leave, they spoke to him again.

"Throughout your duty, you will encounter many allies. Look to these to assist you in your fight for peace and justice," they told him. "On Earth there is a Green Martian, the last of his kind, named J'onn J'onzz," an image of the Martian Manhunter appeared over the dias, "he was a Manhunter, a peace officer and lawgiver, and he serves justice. His power is without measure, and he will prove a most powerful ally." The image was then replaced by one of Supergirl. "This one is Kara Zor-El, the Last Daughter of Krypton. She is as powerful as the Martian, and she was raised on Earth, having been sent there prior to the destruction of her homeworld. She will be a bright light shining in a dark future." Other images followed, including the Batman, Wraith, Valkyrie M., Merrick, Wonder Woman, each with an explanation by the Guardians. Once concluded, the Guardians bid him farewell.

Hal used his ring to wrap himself in green energy in preparation for immediate transport to Earth.

An Alpha Lantern, Boodika, stepped up to him before he left. She spoke in a quiet, monotone voice, as was customary to her cyborg body.

"Never forget, Green Lantern of Sector 2814, the Alpha Corps is watching you."

Hal nodded his head, and then with a shimmer of green light, he vanished from the chamber.

 

[Lunaramblings]

The next morning news crews were crammed into the street, the walks, and all over the court. The press had twisted the charges against Husam al Din Jabr into a whirlwind of propaganda. He had been labeled a terrorist. The leader of some underground terror ring.

Sammy however took it in stride. He had tried to explain that it was Rift, as the paper had taken to calling him, had saved him from these punks. Unfortunately, one of these thugs was the son of a member of parliament. This was the reason behind the full court press. But still, Sammy Din Jabr was smiling as he was lead into the court room. Flashes were going off, there was shouting. But for Sammy, this was a price he would be willing to pay. Merick Tennylson was a friend. He had known him since he was 13 years old. He would not betray the man that saved his life.

As the hearing came to order, Sammy was asked to stand and answer the charges. As he did, there was a sudden flash of emerald light.

Everything stopped as Merick appeared in the middle of the room. Merick was in his usual outfit. And he had no idea what he was going to do. Just that he had to fix this. Merick looked around and saw the video camera. Then he grinned. Merick walks to the camera and takes it off the tripod. Merick is still grinning as he teleports onto the judge's desk.

Merick stops negating the flow of time for the camera. He props it up as he lights a cigarette. Merick hits record as he takes a drag.

"Alright. Listen here London. This man is innocent. He committed no crime. I was there. I am the one that The Sun has been writing about. They call me Rift. And, well I guess that is good enough. Listen, these "victims", heh, they were trying to rob him. They pulled weapons. And if I had not stopped them Sammy here would be dead. I am tired of hidin' under rocks. I am tired of working in the shadows.... 'sides, me friends are much better at that than I am. So here is what I am going to do. I am going to explain just a bit." Merick pauses and takes another drag on his cigarette. "I am what I guess you could call a vigilante. I do what I do because it is the right thing to do. Now, I know there are those in the international law enforcement community, that are going to recognize my mask. And with good reason. But I am not him. I where this as a tribute. But today, today that stops. I am going to rely on my deeds for that from now on. London, you have been my adopted home for a long time now. And I swear, to those that wish to harm this place, and the wonderful people of it, there will be vengeance. I will protect those that need it. And if you are wise, you will give me a wide berth. I am Rift. And I am not going to stand for any more injustice." Merick removes the mask, revealing the coalescent energy surrounding his body. "Pursue your nefarious ends at your own peril. I will be watching. And I will make amends." Merick disappears once again. His mask and the camera sitting on the desk, with a note. The note simply reads, I am Rift. I did this. Free Din Jabr.

As Merick walks out of the alley beside the courthouse, his Macintosh jacket wrapped tightly around him, his favorite fedora cocked over his brow, he is grinning. Chloe might kill him. Tommy too. But this was the right thing. He knew that. Merick grins as the media circus begins. In the next hour the tape of his speech is played on every news outlet, it is on You Tube, it is even being blogged about back in the states.

Merick grins deeply as he thinks about the dinner the night before. Tommy and Mary had helped clear up the apartment. Placed wards to keep out the unwanted. Gabe was following leads about getting some real medical help, not that Pete wasn't awesome, but Gabe had been right, this required a more specialized knowledge. Gar was on his way. He had been in Africa, apparently he was on vacation. He was going to come stay nearby, keep an eye out while Merick was doing the hero thing. All in all, Merick was pretty sure this would work out fabulously. As long as Chloe didn't find out. If she knew he was bringing in Gar to baby sit she might kill him. Merick grins as he enters the shadow of an alley and disappears. With out missing a step, Merick is walking as he reappears in his own kitchen.

"Honey, I'm home."

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Rose & Wraith

The rest of the visit with the Kent's was a whirlwind of joy. Rose was almost glowing as she showed off her ring, and Kara was almost as happy. We left after about another hour with promises to keep in touch, and Kara promised to visit us soon.

Bekka and Min were also jubilant upon hearing I had finally asked her. They were looking happy themselves, and we stayed there longer than we expected to. By the time we left it as too late to pop in on Chloe and Merick. Not too late, however, for dinner in Paris, nor a quick trip to Mt. Fiji in Japan for tea, nor a few other stops. We finally stopped in London and got a room, where we made love for the first time as soon-to-be husband and wife, then fell asleep (well, she did) in my arms. I lay looking at her for hours until she finally drifted all the way off, then I made my way out of the bedroom of the suite. Me and the telly passed the rest of the night uneventfully. (Most of the news was still Kara anyway.)

Room service arrived at 9 AM sharp (something on the telly about a court case) and I brought the tray in for Rose. Greeting her with a kiss and tea, we made small talk until she was done, then we showered (a little longer than normal), and got cleaned up and checked out at around 10:30 AM.

"Ready to go see Merick and Chloe my heart?" I asked her.

She nodded, and I hailed us a cab. Within about 15 minutes we were at their door and I knocked, my arm around the woman I loved and ready to greet my best friend and his wife.

Life was good.

 

[ChasNicollette]

Gabe. Managing.

Just as there were layers of data, layers and layers and layers...

...pictographs and binary...

...to the secrets cracked by O'Neil...

...so also were there layers to even reaching O'Neil.

Gabriel Sullivan had a phone receiver cradled between his ear and his shoulder.

And he was getting a little bent out of shape. He should be sleeping.

His bizarre work schedule didn't leave a lot of time for sleeping, but here he was making personal calls because he didn't feel comfortable making personal calls on the clock.

He was back in The States, he was back underground in Smallville, and he was getting next to nowhere.

"Yes, well," he tried to remain civil through gritted teeth, "just. Please. Give his secretary's secretary's secretary or however the hierarchy works, just give them the message."

He paused, and closed his eyes.

"Of course," he murmured, and shook his head, and repeated himself for the seeming eighty-ninth time: "Gabriel Sullivan of Gen-Tech R&D in Smallville, Kansas. But I'm not calling about a business arrangement, that's just... that's just who I am. I need to talk to O'Neil regarding... regarding a medical concern. My daughter."

He opened his eyes just to roll them. "Right. I realise that he doesn't make house calls. The, uh, the big boat, I saw the Robin Leach special. Trust me, transportation's not an issue, trust me, we can meet him out on the open ocean. But this is something that's..."

He paused, and wondered if he'd ever forgive himself for referencing Jurassic Park in such a context, the genetics and the splicing and the ancient minerals holding secrets: "Well, it's right up his alley."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Gordon looked down for a second, then again met the Batman's gaze.

"You know, I never said 'thank you'."

Batman had considered disappearing right then. Right when Jim had looked down.

It would have been simple. Speed and silence and invisiblity, just like The Shadows had taught him.

As invisible in his way almost as J'onn could be in his.

But he stayed. Lingered. There was something more to say.

And when Gordon looked back up at him and spoke, Batman knew precisely what that thing was.

"And you'll never have to."

And then. Then he was gone.

He had miles to go before he slept.

********​

He was in a limo.

Not for the first time. Not for the last time. A limo and a tux.

He was in Metropolis. Not for the first time, not for the last time.

The Big Apricot.

Lex's big glass playground.

But Damian worked this city the way that Bruce worked Gotham. Lex was untouchable, here. But he wouldn't be untouchable forever.

They just had to keep working.

Earlier that night, just as things were getting warmed up, he had stood on a rooftop with a friend and he had received disturbing news.

And instantly, instantly, a hunch had sprung up within him and Chloe long ago had taught him to trust his hunches.

Lex had been in his city. And now he had come to Lex's.

Because the only way he could find out for sure if Lex's obsession with Kryptonite had been behind the museum theft in Gotham was to get a little closer. This wasn't an investigation he could conduct from Illinois.

Across the seat from him, Pete was sitting hand in hand with a fantastically beautiful Eastern European supermodel with long long blonde blonde hair who didn't speak a word of English.

Or Spanish. Much to Pete's chagrin.

And Bruce's ladyfriend for the night was a creature of deep deep red red hair. Who didn't speak a word of English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, or any of the other myriad languages that Bruce had learned to speak.

Bruce wasn't complaining.

Easy to say "goodbye" when all you had to do was wave. And it meant that he and his sometime compatriot could talk shop in front of these women.

Not that did. But they could.

The limo pulled up to a stop, and the chauffeur (not Alfred, Alfred was in Gotham), came 'round and opened the door.

"Ready to face our adoring public?" Bruce grinned at Pete Ross.

"If we gotta," Pete harrumphed, tugging at the collar of his rented tux, "we gotta."

A fantastic smirk swept over Bruce's face. "That's the spirit."

And out they went, into the chattering and shattering of camera flashes and red-carpet decadence.

Standing just ahead of them on the red carpet, tall as could be and carved from ancient mahogany, was a bewildered friend. "Mister Wayne?"

Bruce offered his arm to his crimson-haired companion and grinned his killer grin. "Evening, Lucius."

Lucius quickly took this in stride, nodding to Pete and the golden-tressed creature on his arm. "Doctor Ross."

"Ain't no doctor," Pete arched an eyebrow, "Mister Fox. We been over this."

But he arched not his eyebrow at the tall tall fellow, but at the dark-haired little creature that adorned Lucius' elbow. Sasha Bourdeaux, who looked as surprised as any of them.

(Surprised, and pretty, in a dress as dark as her hair.)

"But Mister Wayne," she frowned, "I thought you weren't coming?"

"Changed my mind," Bruce grinned, as he glanced up at The Metropolis Conservatory, hearing the sounds of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra warming up in the distance. "Billionaire's prerogative."

"Mister Cain," Fox mused, eyes half-lidded, "will be rather glad to see you."

"Know the man hates waitin'," Pete chuckled wryly, and jutted his chin towards the ceremonial red ribbon. "Let's make our big entrance already."

 

[ChasNicollette]

Chloe and Rose.

Life was madness.

Chloe was on the phone with her boss.

Spare phone. Always carry a spare. She'd already gotten the SIM and the IMEI number switched over with her carrier.

"No, no," she was gesturing frantically, looking at the tellybox, there in a living room repaired by magic. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm-- I'm swamped with the Supergirl reaction shots, honestly, I can't cover the Rift thing, too."

(Conflict of interest, for one thing.

I'm ripshit with my husband for doing this without telling me, for another...)

She paused, and listened for a moment. "Well. It happened in a courtroom, I'd let the Crime desk handle it. Just make sure to make them get a face-to-face exclusive with the exonerated defendant, we'll totally punk The Sun if we get that."

"Right, right," she nodded easily, relaxing a little bit but not by much. "Thanks. Thank you. Uh, 'cheers.'"

She ended the call and she pressed the phone into her forehead and she blew air out of her cheeks with her eyes closed. "I'm pregnant. I should be eating 'choc ices' and getting my feet rubbed, not dealing with this--"

Then a knock came at the door and she dropped her phone and for a moment, for a moment, she panicked.

Quietly, furtively, she made her way to the door no way they'd try the same trick twice, no way no way and peered through the peephole.

Oh.

Not a swamp zombie.

An omnitherm and an extraplanar warrior-godling...

The omnitherm was glowing (somebody's just gotten laid) and Chloe instantly noticed the ring.

Reporter. Duh.

Oh, no way.

Not the slowest news week ever.

...a weary, wry grin split Chloe's face as she swung the door wide and leaned on the doorframe.

"Hey, you two," and she winked. "Congratulations."

...but she played it off like she was congratulating them for something else...

...because just right then she heard a swoooosh in the kitchen and she got a grim look to her weary hazel eyes.

"Honey, I'm home."

"You're just in time to help me kill my husband," she followed-up without missing a beat.

Rose's scarlet eyebrow climbed her forehead, instantly ready for battle. "Why? What's he done this time?"

 

[Lunaramblings]

Merick grinned as he heard the voices.

"Wait. Look, you always told me to do the right thing. You did this. I was just obediently following orders. I swear. 'Sides, can't go killin' me wit two heroes in the room now can ya?" Merick grinned ear to ear as he walked over to greet Kyle and Rose.

"Kyle! Rosy! So tupping brilliant to see you! Come all this way eh? So, to what do I owe the honor? Oh and Gar says hello, especially to Rosy." Merick chuckled as he turned his head, hoping Kyle didn't catch the wink. "You know, ever since that trip to the Yucatan, ya know spring break.... Rosy, what d'ya suppose.... ah must be nothing. I mean, not you like there was anything.... wild going on." Merick waves his arm, a welcoming gesture. Come on in, Mi casa, um... well, just come in yeah?"

 

[TearsoftheWorld]

It seemed to Kara that only a few minutes had passed when she awoke in her bedroom upstairs, only to find that it was fast approaching sunrise. The young Kryptonian pushed aside the light blue sheets she had slept under and rose to her feet a few moments later, stretching her arms before walking out into the empty hallway. Waking up before her parents was something she had yet to get used to, as the smell of fresh coffee usually greeted her in the morning. This time… she was the one to get the brew started.

Not that she needed it. All Kara needed was to close her eyes and immerse herself in the warm light of the yellow sun, and she would have all the energy she needed.

And that was precisely what she intended to do.

It was nice getting back together with Rose and Kyle, and she planned to visit them again at some point before the day was over.

There was a lot of catching up to do.

~ ~ ~

Kara Kent walked into the Daily Planet and joined the horde of reporters waiting impatiently to clamber into the elevator. Considering that she had to be on one of the top floors of the building, Kara decided that it might just be faster if she ran up the stairs.

“Excuse me,” Kara said as she fumbled with her glasses, pressing them up against the bridge of her nose as she backed out towards the staircase.

It wasn’t easy playing the part of a mild-mannered reporter, but she was starting to get the hang of it.

Sitting down at her desk, Kara flipped on her computer screen and was greeted with a blank word processing screen. Lowering the window, Kara pulled up her Firefox browser and began digesting all of the latest headlines:

Museum robbery. Vigilante courtroom antics all over the internet. Murders. Break-ins. Hurricanes… bombs…

Kara Zor-El slumped back in her chair and removed the prop glasses from in front of her eyes.

She had missed out on so much.

There was so much work that needed to be done. The world needed a hero… but she knew it would take more than one. It would need a team of heroes.

The World’s Finest.

“So you’re the new girl?”

“Excuse me?”

Kara glanced up from her desk and saw a rather attractive looking man standing over her desk, and he had a newspaper folded up underneath his arm. Raven black hair adorned his head, and, much like herself, wore glasses that were practically pressed up against his eyes. His bearing was strong, but the smile he wore seemed to dispel any impressions that he was headstrong and overbearing.

“You’re the new recruit that the Chief hired, right?”

“Heh. Yeah. That’d be me,” Kara said, sitting up at her desk and fumbling for her own specs. She replaced them against the bridge of her nose and then rose to her feet,. “My name’s Kara... Kent.”

“Jason Andrews. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Kara said with a warm smile.

“You new in town? Or have you been here a while?”

“I’m from Smallville, actually. Haven’t found a place to live yet, so I’ve been kind of… commuting.”

“That’s… a pretty far ride,” Jason said, obviously impressed but thoroughly boggled as to why she would bother making that trek every single morning. “I can have one of my friends look into some available apartments for you if you’d like.”

“Really?”

“Definitely. How bout we get together sometime after work? I‘ll buy you a drink and we can talk about the arrangements.”

“Sure! That’d be… swell,” Kara said, though she regretted almost immediately her choice of words.

“Well… better get back to work before the Chief has a temper tantrum. It was nice to meet you, and I‘ll see you later tonight,” Jason said with a smile before he walked off towards his desk. Kara was left standing at her desk with a rather girlish smile on her face, the kind of smile she wore when she had been asked out by Whitney Fordman all those years back when she was still in High School.

 

[camerindrake]

Damian

Damian sat tapping his foot. He and Sandra had been together for years now but still he had the the tendency to get nervous when he waited for her. Sin watched in silent amusement watching her 'brother' getting the predate jitters.

Damian looks over to Sin and swipes his hand over his very close cut hair, and asks, "What?"

Sin laughs, "Nothing, just after all this time you still react the same way to her as when i first got here. Its amusing and shows there is still a Damian under that armor."

Damian gets a stern look on his face for but a moment before he gives his grin that could get him into any woman's shorts if his heart hadn't already been taken by the Chinese American he was waiting to get ready.

He follows by replying, "If you tell anyone I'll make sure your sorry. And I know where you hide your chocolate."

Sin screeches in horror, "You wouldn't."

Damian transitions his face into Black Hood with the voice and responds, "Try me."

Sin reacts by throwing a Double Fudge Crunch Bar at his face with practiced precision which he catches easily as he reverted back to the brotherly playfulness that came naturally between the two of them when not working. He then says"You will keep me posted on the police banners, won't you."

Sin smirks and responds, "Naturally,and patch Detective Sawyer directly to you if she calls on the blue line."

Sandra walks into the room and scowling, "Can't not talk shop for five minutes can you David. " She then shifts to a smile, "But with Luthor in this city I can see why. You have to learn how to be David for more than just the Boardroom, qíngrén"

Damian stands up and smooths the pants of his black tuxedo and shifts his red cummerbund back into place. He then asks as he grabs his Brioni coat, "Are you ready, qíngrén?"

Sandra grabs her purse and opens the seamless compartment checking her throwing stars. then says, " As soon as get two more stars."

Damian then says after grabing his overcoat with its red scarf, "Aero or Limo"

She grabs the stars placing them in the secret compartment and sealing it. "We are running late so I think the Ferrari would be the way to go."

Sin tosses Damian the keys and says, "I figured you would be running late so I went ahead and planned ahead."

Sandra walks up to Sin and runs her hand along the young Chinese's cheek and smiles, "You are a lifesaver, mèimei"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon arriving the Vale gawks at the Ferrari Aero as Damian gets out and almost misses opening the door for Sandra.

When Damian gives him the keys he says,, "Um nice car, man"

Damian smirks and responds, "You should see the the other one."

Upon seeing Lucious, Bruce, and Pete he opens his arms and gives his billion dollar smile he uses for public appearances and says, "My friends, Good to see you made it. Bruce what a pleasant surprise. I heard you had a prior engagement. Mr Fox I am not sure if you have met my girlfriend Sandra Wu-San "

Sandra nods with her public face on with a light smile, "A Pleasure."

Damian still in his public demeanor continues, "Come, I am sure refreshments are waiting." He then taking Sandra's hand leads them inside the Conservatory.

 

[AmenRa]

Errant Venture

Jenna pushed her black-framed glasses down on her nose. She looked over the tops of them, her dark eyes seemingly boring into the left side profile of O'Neil as he stared, literally, at the wall of monitors.

"Huh?" O'Neil said. "Did you say something?" He asked as he turned to look at her.

Damn, she was beautiful.

"No," she told him, her mouth forming into a smile. "But I was thinking at you very hard."

"Dangerous," he responded, "very dangerous. I know where your thoughts usually go."

A bigger smile. "I cannot deny this," she agreed. "However, this particular thought is about a rather intriguing message I just received from one of my Corporate Executive Assistant Directors."

"Well? Spill it!"

"A Gabriel Sullivan from Gen-Tech Research and Development wants to meet with you concerning his daughter."

"Nope," O'Neil suddenly became defensive, "I've been right here, you know that! There's no--"

Jenna shook her head. "No, Silly," she explained, "the message references a medical concern, and says this is something right up your alley."

O'Neil raised an eyebrow. He looked at the wall monitors, which held the Kryptonian pictographs on one screen, and pieces of images and newspaper articles referencing strange happenings in a little town of Smallville, Kansas.

And Gen-Tech R&D was located in that same little town.

"Send a message to Mr. Sullivan," O'Neil told Jenna. "Tell him I would be honored to meet with him in person wherever he chooses."

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Rose's scarlet eyebrow climbed her forehead, instantly ready for battle. "Why? What's he done this time?"

I chuckled (which got a raised eyebrow from both ladies).

"Love the last time I tried to answer that question you stopped me after five minutes of guessing, and that doesn't even scratch the surface. Hell, i wouldn't put it past him to be fighting Sasquatch in the pantry."

Merick was there and we exchanged the customary guy-hug thing.

"OK Launchpad, what you do this time? And Rosy dear, what did you and the man of a thousand furry green faces DO down there while I was playing tag with the Scarecrow in Gotham?"

(She wanted to go, she really did, but that fear gas would not have been good for her, and I was immune.)

 

[ChasNicollette]

Lucius paused, and held up his finger, and then swung his gaze back around to the street. "Hold on. I think perhaps we're about to be outdone in the entrance department."

Upon arriving the Vale gawks at the Ferrari Aero as Damian gets out and almost misses opening the door for Sandra.

When Damian gives him the keys he says,, "Um nice car, man"

Damian smirks and responds, "You should see the the other one."

Pete elbowed Bruce, and shook his head.

"Apple don't fall far from the tree, huh?" he chuckled.

Bruce straightened his tie, and clucked his tongue. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Upon seeing Lucious, Bruce, and Pete he opens his arms and gives his billion dollar smile he uses for public appearances and says, "My friends, Good to see you made it. Bruce what a pleasant surprise. I heard you had a prior engagement. Mr Fox I am not sure if you have met my girlfriend Sandra Wu-San "

Sandra nods with her public face on with a light smile, "A Pleasure."

"Ni3hao3 ma5," Bruce nods in reply, "piao4liang5."

Damian still in his public demeanor continues, "Come, I am sure refreshments are waiting." He then taking Sandra's hand leads them inside the Conservatory.

The three men and their three dates followed.

"Now," Pete supplied as they ascended the stairs, "I may not know from Chinese? But I've known you long enough that I can see your mack daddy face a mile away. Did you just hit on Cain's actual actual not-a-talent-agent-thing girlfriend?"

"You keep talking," Bruce shook his head, without batting an eyelid, though there was a dangerous glimmer of humour in those eyes, "during the concert? I am dropping you headfirst off of The Daily Planet Building when we're done here."

Pete flicked a fingertip between David Cain and Bruce Wayne, indicating both men in quick succession, his grin never abating. "This ain't like some weird kind of sibling rivalry thing, is it?"

"LuthorCorp Tower," Bruce upped the ante, again, not batting an eyelid.

And behind them, Lucius and Sasha walked. Lucius looking mildly incredulous, Sasha, not so mildly.

"His friends," she murmured, "are they deeper than puddles, too?"

Lucius chuckled faintly. "Most of 'em. Pretty sure this one's just crazy."