Bounty by KK & AoT Part VII

as retold by jwm (with help from RepairmanBob, Bill C, PhantonChic, and Maniac64)

KK: Lionel seems tense.
JG: Oh, come on.
KK: Bite me, Glover. "I'm well aware of that, J'onn. I was there when Hasaad brought his army from Apokolips." Lionel rises from his desk, turns to face the window. By now it is sunset, and a plume of smoke can be seen in the distance. "As much as it pains me to say this: we can't rely on Clark alone to save us this time. We may well have to fend for ourselves."
AoT: Reverse shot of Lionel through the window, as J'onn steps forward to enter the shot, "Humanity is not ready, Lionel Luthor. Not for a threat of this magnitude."
MR: Does this martian guy always have to use both the first and last name?
KK: You have a problem with that?
MR: Er, no?
KK: Good. "Humanity has a gift for adapting to tough conditions, J'onn. Obviously I'd prefer we find some sort of peaceful solution to this, but if it comes to it--we've been analyzing all the equipment captured in Hasaad's incursion, and we've been using it to make weapons of our own."
AoT: "You have seen the parademons, yes. Though Darkseid has other weapons at his disposal as well."
KK: Laughs bitterly, "Of course he does. I certainly would." We return to the previous shot in-office as Lionel turns to face J'onn, "We'll find a way to survive this, J'onn. We have to."
AoT: Cut to close shot of the martian, "Very well, Lionel Luthor. I must leave."
KK: Back to Lionel, "Yes, to find Kal-El. It's all right." Cut to the manhunter as he glows red and disappears. Jump-cut to a long zoom from the office door to Lionel's desk, as he sits down heavily and frowns as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders. "We'll find a way to save the world."

AoT: Skyline of a large city. Pull back to show a "Welcome to Gotham" sign.
MR: Maybe they should save beating up the clown until after they get to Gotham.
TW: They'll never let us use anything thing from Batman. Kristin will be lucky if they allow her to keep the reference to Gotham.
KK: You think so, Tom?
AoT: Clark and Lobo fly through the sign, to the sound of a heavy metal guitar riff.
KK: Or Air Supply. You choice, Tom.
TW: Your kindness overwhelmes me.

KK: Now to a street outside the Daily Planet. Lois' phone rings.
ED: Yay Lois!
KK: You applaud her because she carries a phone?
JG: The soft bigitry of lowered expectations.
ED: Shut up! I'm exicted about a Lois scene!
AoT: Lois answers, "Oh, hey Mrs. Kent! Busy? Yes! Er, No. Well, sort of."
AM: God, can't she make up her mind?
MR: It'd help if she had one.
ED: Shut up! You're ruining my scene.
MR: I'm sorry. I forget you can do that all on your own.
[ED glares]
AoT: "There was this crazy super-powered disturbance in town earlier. I was going to investigate with a contact but like every other promising male in my life he's has bailed on me." After a pause, "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the mutant group isn't involved this time. Well unless they've really souped themselves up since the last time I checked. These bad boys make your typical meteor mutant look like a miniature Chihuahua, all bark and no bite. Either something else has escaped from one of Lex's labs or... I don't know. Aliens or something."
JG: OK. Bored now. Anybody in this scene but Lois?
KK: Vic, wearing his pseudoderm mask pulls up in his car, "Miss Lane."
AoT: Lois motions for Vic to hold on. "Speaking of not having any bite, I can't get in touch with Clark. Have you talked with him recently?"
TW: Oh, that's low.

AoT: Cut to Martha's office. She's doing her best to not show concern. "Clark. He's doing fine. In fact... I just got off the phone with him." She pauses to see if Lois swallows the lie and smiles when she does.
ED: Martha is going to lie to Lois? Why would she do that?
KK: She thinks Lois is a meddling twit?
ED: She doesn't. [To AoT] Does she?
[AoT shrugs]
ED: Annette?
AoT: She is meddling.
ED: And a twit?
AoT: Oh, is it my line? "Glad your contact finally showed up. Nice talking with you too, dear. I'll tell Clark you said hi. And Lois?" Martha pauses to make the line significant, "Be careful."
ED: She thinks Lois is a twit?
MR: A meddling twit.
ED: Hush, Michael.
KK: Martha hangs up the phone and buzzes her aide, "Yes, senator?"
AoT: "Get me a spot on the next plane bound for Metropolis."
KK: "Yes 'mam."

AoT: Metropolis. Lois puts her phone away. "Too little too late, Vic. The last time they were sighted was..."
KK: "Get in, you're wasting time."
AoT: "Did you not hear me? They're gone."
KK: "They're in Gotham."
AoT: Getting in the car. "How...?"
KK: "I have my sources." He peels out onto the street.
AoT: "You can't wait for a lady to buckle up?"
KK: "One of those, eh?"
AoT: Noticing Vic isn't wearing a seat belt, "You have something against seat belts?" Vic doesn't answer. Lois buckles.
KK: "For years seat belt manufacturers have been..."
AoT: Lois has heard enough, "Save it."
KK: "It's your hypothalamus."
AoT: "Lets just... talk about something else, OK?"
KK: "Absolutely. You are unable to get in touch with your friend Clark."
AoT: Lois turns to look out the window. "On second thought, tell me about the seat belts."
KK: Vic glances to Lois and waits for a moment. "For years seat belt manufacturers have been saturating the polyester fibers in seat belt fabric with a little known chemical called..."
AoT: "Clark wasn't answering."
KK: "Meanwhile Kal-El terrorizes the citizens of Metropolis. I don't believe in coincedence."
AoT: "Well Chloe isn't answering her phone either! Does that prove she's not really who she claims to be either? Oh! I know! You think she has another identity too!"
KK: Vic focuses on driving. "There are... theories."
AoT: Lois looks at Vic like he's wacko. "About Chloe?"
KK: "They explain away many... incongruities between ours and other parallel universes."
ED: Incongruities between what parallel universes?
KK: Not important, Erica. Nothing for you to worry about.
AoT: "Great. From evil seat belts to parallel universes!"
KK: "Don't blame the seat belts. Just like Kal-El they are merely unwilling tools in a sick and twisted game of..."
AoT: "You know what I think of your theories!?!?"
KK: "I have a guess."
AoT: "Clark's mom said she just talked to him and he was fine! So there!"
KK: "Yes. Kal-El's dutiful mother. She would never cover for her son, would she?"
AoT: "Shut up. I know her!"
KK: "If you say so."
AoT: Lois sulks for a moment. Vic continues to drive in silence. "Would you take that mask off? It's creeping me out."
KK: "The mask is necessary."
AoT: "You're so weird."
KK: "True geniuses are rarely appreciated."
AoT: "Yeah? Well neither are sociopaths."
KK: Vic stops the car in front of a small airport.
AoT: "We have plane tickets?"
KK: "No."
AoT: "Then why..."
KK: "Like I said, the mask is necessary."

continued...