Steel thy Heart

Chapter Twenty Five

A/N: This picks up pretty much from the end of Chapter Twenty Four since some loose threads were in that chapter. Sorry for the shorter chapter; the next one will be longer, I promise. I also promise that the Justice League (some of them, anyway,) will be back in this story, and a guest star from the Batman universe, (which is why I changed this to a crossover story.)

Disclaimer: I still don't own any recognizable characters, props, songs or anything else. They are owned by their respective companies, plus any partners or subsidiaries. This story is the only thing that is mine, and it is a labor of love and fun, not profit.

Previously: But Selina wasn't paying attention anymore. Her eyes were fixated on Clark, and the suit he wore beneath his torn shirt. Her green orbs widened as she took in what she'd seen.

"Clark…" she said softly. "You are Superman!" He opened his mouth to deny it, but no sound came out.

Only one question registered in his blue eyes as he gauged her expression: what do I do now?

"Say something," Clark finally whispered.

But Selina remained silent. He rubbed his knees with his hands in an attempt to comfort himself, but he was at a loss.

Give her some space, he advised himself. Clark looked around the room for any trace of the mysterious material shimr, but the explosion, tiny though it may have been, caused the material to make itself inert, as his microscopic vision now proved, so that it resembled shatter prone glass.

"We still don't know why Shardov wanted this in the first place," he concluded. "I guess I'll ask him at the station." He looked away from her as he said, "I'm sorry."

Selina didn't respond; she gathered her thoughts together, tabling the talk that she knew they'd have. Clark paused, glancing back at her. He started putting a consoling hand on her shoulder when he saw that she looked troubled. Selina jerked herself away.

"Don't…" she said. She looked at him with her luminous green eyes. Seeing his stricken expression, Selina softened a little. "Clark, I'm not angry."

He started brightening up a little, but her next words had him frowning again. "But, I am disappointed," she said.

He hung his head finally settling for a big, grey stone on the ground.. "Why?" He asked,

When he looked up again, he saw her eyes boring into his. Finally, he guessed, "Because of Bruce?"

Selina nodded, saying, "When I found out his greatest secret, that he was Batman, I thought things would be better between us." She wrapped her arms around herself, saying, "Things got progressively worse. Bruce became more distant, and I…felt so…I dunno, betrayed I guess."

"So you decided you wanted something normal with a normal guy," Clark finished for her.

"Yes," she said simply. "And I thought that you were that guy."

"Lois once told me that the minute she found out he was Batman that was the beginning of the end for them, too," Clark admitted.

"Bruce went out with Lois Lane?" Selina cried in disbelief.

"Yeah," Clark said. "He once told me it happened when you guys were in the 'off-again' period during your long relationship."

Selina said wryly, "Well I would have thought he had better taste."

"Hey!" Clark exclaimed. "I was in a relationship with her too!"

"I apologize," Selina said. When Clark wrapped his arms around her, she was surprised that she let him.

"Selina, I wanted to tell you; hell, before this all happened I made up my mind to tell you everything…" Clark said, sounding apologetic.

"Why didn't you?" She asked.

Now he drew his arms around himself. "Because I guess I wanted something normal, too," he said. "I wanted"-.

Before he could tell her anything more, Clark's ears twitched all of a sudden. Selina could tell that meant he was hearing something.

He let go of her hand, telling her, "Footsteps, followed by a lot of voices. The police, more than likely. We'll have to have a long talk later."

Panicking a little, Selina looked at his torn shirt, saying, "If they all see you like this…".

Clark touched her a little with his hand, running it along her arm. "Don't worry. I've been both myself and Superman a long time." He reached into his cape's back pocket, selecting a crisp, white shirt. At super speed, he changed into it.

His timing couldn't have been better, as Lois entered the room. "Clark?" she cried worriedly. "Are you in here? Catwoman?"

"Y-yes," Clark stammered. Selina marveled at his ability to turn the shyness on and off at the drop of a hat. He could give Batman some serious lessons in acting ability!

Police chief Maggie Sawyer came in after Lois, with at least five or six armed cops. She had her trademark blue raincoat wrapped around her like a shield. Tucking her Suzy Ormanesque hairdo behind one ear, she said, "It's a good thing we found you. These tunnels go on forever!"

"We heard an explosion," Lois said walking toward Clark. She shook him fiercely. "Don't do that again, Smallville! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Her moment of relief over, Lois then eyed his appearance, Selina's, and the unconscious double on the ground and she said, her eyes narrowing with suspicion, "how is it possible that you're both here without a scratch?"

Selina looked at Clark with a glance that said, I've got this one.

"Superman saved us," she told Lois. Lois looked agitated.

"Superman?!" She exclaimed. "Why is it he always saves you first and not me?"

"Really, Lois," Clark countered. "He saves you more times than he rescues me, and you know it!"

Before Lois could respond, another person emerged: Richard. To his surprise, Clark found that he wasn't perturbed as Lois's new spouse hugged her and planted a kiss on her lips.

"Richard…" Lois started to protest.

He pulled apart from her, saying, "Lois, I was worried sick when Chief Sawyer called me."

"How's he?" Lois asked, concerned. "And, who's watching Jason?" Clark's brows rose slightly with interest. He wanted his son to have a normal life…at least, as normal as was possible given Jason's power's, but he knew he'd never stop thinking about his child.

"Don't worry, my sister is in town. She's watching him," Richard said.

Lois frowned. She knew that Jason was no ordinary boy. If Richard's sister found out something about Lois's son, things could get dicey. The female reporter looked determined.

"We've got to go get Jason," she said.

Richard nodded, trying to mollify her somewhat. "We will, I promise," he assured her, "but we have to have you looked over first."

"I feel fine," Lois said. Walking out of the room, her curiosity about it momentarily forgotten, she repeated, "how's Jimmy?"

"Fine," Richard told her; then, he amended, "for the moment. The cops are calling the hospital. They should be here soon."

Sawyer's sharp, dark eyes scrutinized the unfamiliar woman; then, she said, "You look awfully familiar. Haven't I seen you in the papers?"

The real Catwoman replied, "I have one of those faces."

Sawyer pointed to the left and to the right, ordering, "Guys and gals, see what you can dig up."

The policemen started dusting for prints and going about their usual routine gathering evidence.

"Where's Shardov and his men?" Lois asked.

"Where they belong," Sawyer responded. Realizing Lois wouldn't rest until she got a story out of one of them, Maggie sighed.

"I'll let you speak with the prisoners when we finish booking them, okay?" She said.

"Great!" Lois said, casting a superior look at Clark. She was glad he was still alive, but her gaze promised he'd experience a quick death if he beat her out of Shardov's and the doppleganger's story.

She's baaaccckkk...! He thought.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Presently, they all emerged from the subterranean hideout. Lois and Richard saw that Shardov was handcuffed and in one cop's car. When Maggie thumped the car, the policemen drove off.

Taking in his wife's disappointment, Richard shook his head teasingly, smiling. "I'll get you the interview sooner than Chief Sawyer if at all possible, promise," he said. Growing serious, Richard told Lois, "I'm just glad you're okay," he said. He looked at Sawyer.

"May I take her home?" Richard asked. Sawyer gave her permission, adding, "but, Miss Lane, we'll need some information from you too, as soon as you're able to give us a statement."

"Consider it done," Lois said. She and her husband walked over to his car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inside the cops' car, a cuffed Shardov told them, "You don't understand! I must get Superman or my buyers will be very angry! They'll kill me!"

As the vehicle drove on, one of the cops looked back at Igor, telling him with a fiendish gleam in his eye, "Oh, I wouldn't be concerned with them, Mr. Shardov. You're in more trouble than that."

He turned back as Shardov banged on the window, hoping to get anyone's attention before it was too late.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Clark was certain everyone except Selina was gone, he turned into Superman at lightning speed. His one thought was on making an appearance at the police station. He took off with her in his arms and soared through the air toward the 83rd Precinct where he knew Maggie had her desk. He told Catwoman where they were headed.

Selina hoped they'd get the chance to question her double on about the sister she'd mentioned. She had never noticed it before, but there was something familiar about her foe.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The car the doppleganger was in sped through the city streets. When it reached the midtown area, the fake Catwoman, who was still regaining her strength, realized that she'd never seen this particular street before.

"This is not the turn for the police station," she pointed out.

One of the policemen turned and said, "You know? You're smarter than you look."

The doppleganger was angry. "If this is a kidnapping, you've got the wrong girl!" She snapped. "I'll be able to evade you quite easily!"

She tried phasing, but found she couldn't. "Oh, no…" she whispered.

"Oh, look," the cop said with mock sympathy. "Someone's lost her power. Lucky for us." He let her predicament sink in, then told her, "Someone has a great interest in you."

The car drove on to its destination.