Meetings

   As Diana rode the private elevator to Bruce's penthouse, she had a strange sense of comfort.  Even though she hadn't yet stepped through the doors into the penthouse's main room, the very walls of the elevator car seemed to ooze with a kind of opulence that reminded her of home.
   Clark, on the other hand, was about as uncomfortable as anyone could be.  He had never met anyone with their own elevator before, and he had no idea what to expect.  He kept fiddling with his shirt collar, and couldn't get it to stay straight—probably because he kept fiddling with it.
   Diana saw his discomfort and smiled.
   "Here," she said as she turned towards him, fixing his collar.
   "Just relax.  I'm sure he's nothing all that—"
   The doors opened, and Diana froze.  Before her stood the most handsome-looking young man she had ever seen.  Not that Clark didn't rank high up there, too, of course, but there was something about the way that Bruce carried himself.  Without even saying a word, he conveyed a sense of confidence and intelligence that few other people in the world could dare to match.
   After what had seemed like minutes, but was only a second or two, Bruce welcomed them.
   "Come on in."
   Clark and Diana stepped into the penthouse, and Bruce extended his hand toward Diana in a friendly business-like fashion.  She shook his hand gently, being sure to remind herself that Bruce was Lois's boyfriend and that she should keep her attention off of him. 
   "You must be Diana," Bruce said. 
   "Yes," Diana replied with a slightly sheepish smile.
   "And... Clark, right?" Bruce asked as he turned to shake Clark's hand.
   Clark nodded. "It's nice to meet you."
   Bruce's eyes lingered on each of them for an extra fraction-of-a-second too long—as if he was analyzing his new guests.  Clark took immediate notice of it, and didn't like it.
   Diana seemed to notice something along those lines, too: that Bruce wasn't saying what he was thinking, and that a kind of darkness lurked behind his gaze.
   At this point, Clark, Diana, and Bruce were all looking at each other with a slight tinge of suspicion.  Lois, who had arrived much earlier, walked in from the next room. 
   "Hey! You guys made it!"
   Both Clark and Diana were slightly stunned to see Lois so happy.  Either she was very grateful that Clark and Diana had agreed to meet with her and Bruce tonight, or Bruce's presence had an incredibly soothing effect on her.  Diana figured that it was the latter.
   A few minutes later, the four teens sat around the coffee table in the middle of the living room. 
   "So what exactly are we here to discuss?" Diana asked.
   "We need to plan out how we're going to stop LuthorCorp," Lois replied.
   "Well, wait a minute," Clark said.  "I'm all for helping out and doing the right thing, but what exactly are we supposed to do that the Daily Planet or some other newspaper can't?  I mean, we're a high school paper."
   Bruce looked Clark dead in the eyes, and spoke without blinking.
   "Luthorcorp owns all of the other major newspapers in Metropolis, whether they know it or not.  The Planet can't print anything against Luthorcorp because Lionel Luthor's got people all over the Planet that will warn him if there's even a hint of an anti-Luthorcorp story."
   Clark wasn't convinced.
   "So? That can't stop freedom of the press."
   Bruce spoke a bit firmer this time.
   "The Planet's barely making it along.  If Luthor sues them, they'll probably break under the legal fees.  Your 'high school paper' is the only thing in this city that's both reputable enough to make a difference and not controlled by Luthor."
   The elevator door behind them dinged.  Alfred stepped into the room, carrying a bag of groceries in one hand and two pizza boxes in the other. 
   "Good evening, sir," Alfred called over to Bruce. "I have some pizza for you and your guests, whenever you're—"
   "Not now, Alfred!" Bruce shouted back.
   Clark and Diana looked at each other with slight alarm at Bruce's temper, then looked at Lois.  Lois shrugged at them, and they figured that Bruce normally didn't act this way.  Apparently this situation was far more dire than any of them yet knew.
   As the night went on, Bruce explained to the others how he had discovered earlier that afternoon—through various technically illegal means—that LuthorCorp wasn't merely a ruthless business corporation, but an underground empire.  They would use any means, no matter how underhanded, to get what they wanted.
   "So how does that affect you, exactly?" Clark asked.
   The girls quizzically looked at Clark for a moment, then quickly understood: Clark had picked up on the fact that Bruce had far more of a personal interest in the situation than general concern for the city.
   "It's his company that might be on the line, Smallville," Lois said.
   Bruce seemed to momentarily take note of the fact that Lois had just used a nickname on Clark, which Lois suddenly regretted.  He brushed it aside, however, and took a moment to collect his thoughts.  He kept his gaze focused on the table in front of him, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone at the present moment.
   Slowly, he spoke. "LuthorCorp caused an economic depression in Gotham City twelve years ago.  No one could tie it to them, of course, but they were the cause.  They were trying to make the Gotham-centered businesses grow weak, including my parents' company."
   Bruce paused for a moment.  Lois saw that he was having to force the words out, and put her hand lovingly on his back.
   "The people of Gotham were the ones that were hit hardest," Bruce said.  "A lot of them lost their homes and were forced onto the streets, and the ones who were already on the streets somehow lost even more.  They became... desperate. Violent."
   Bruce stopped again, and the rest of the group mentally readied themselves for whatever he was about to say.
   "At the height of the depression, one of those people gunned down my parents in an alleyway."
   Clark and Diana were shocked.  They looked at Lois, who gave them a look that seemed to say "this is why."
   Bruce wasn't finished. "I don't know if they still would have died if Luthor hadn't tried to cripple Gotham like he did, but it certainly didn't help.  And my parents weren't the only people that died because of what happened."
   Bruce lifted his head slightly.
   "My parents were well-respected in Gotham, and they became martyrs.  Other powerful and influential citizens of Gotham rallied together to save the city.  They helped keep the city's economy afloat, and Luthor decided that it wasn't worth the effort to keep trying.  Still, though, Gotham's people have never recovered.  The city is a haven for criminals, and people still die there on the streets every day..."
   Bruce looked up at each of the others
   "LuthorCorp is poised to take over Metropolis within three weeks.  If they gain a foothold here, they'll have enough capital to start spreading their underground empire throughout the country.  Gotham's a crime-ridden hellhole, and it's only an example of what could happen to any other city that Luthor decides he wants. We have to stop them. Now."
   Clark looked Bruce in the eye as a warrior might look into the eyes of his brother-in-arms. 
   "Alright, Bruce.  We'll do it."
   Lois and Diana looked at Clark, somewhat surprised at how he had seemingly taken charge of the group decision.  Somehow, though, they didn't mind.  When Clark put his mind to it, he had a power of authority that was unmatched.  It somehow felt... right that he should be the one to speak for them.
   Here, now, they would spark the beginnings of a battle that would never end, against greater evils than any of them yet knew.

*  *  *

   Lionel Luthor stood in his spacious 102nd-story office, gazing out of its massive window.  A tall man with a full brown beard and long, royally-cut curled hair, he resembled an emperor of sorts—albeit one that wore a business suit.
   From behind him, a bald, thickly-built man dressed in all black walked in the office door.  "Mr. Luthor?"
   "Yes, John?" Lionel replied, keeping his back to his subordinate.
   "We've finished the damage report.  Apparently, young Mr. Wayne was able to hack further into our systems than we originally thought.  He accessed section 331."
   At this, Lionel turned.  "What did he find?"
   "Everything.  The records on the Gotham initiative, the Metropolis files, the kill reports—"
   "Please, John, don't use that term."
   Lionel may have been ruthless, but he liked to maintain the illusion that he was an honorable man, even for himself.
   "Yes, sir," John replied. "What do you want us to do about him?"
   Lionel paused for a moment, and sat down in his desk chair to think.
   "What is he doing now?"
   "According to our men, he's discussing his findings with several others.  Two teenage girls and a boy."
   Lionel squinted.
   "Teenagers? Odd... I would have thought that young Bruce would be tipping off the Daily Planet by now.  Not that it would matter, of course."
   John was getting restless.
   "Sir, just in case, I've already put men out there, ready to... take care of them."
Lionel smirked at his employee's purposeful avoidance of the word.  He'd used a terribly tired cliche to do it, of course, but it was still better than nothing.
   Lionel straightened his face.  "Move in."