Similis

"I'm glad I could persuade you both to come," Bruce was saying as they were ushered into the packed hall. "These things are usually boring beyond belief, but I have to make an appearance. It keeps the stockholders happy."



Nodding at intervals, Haze continued walking forward while staring up at the high glass ceiling.



"Whew." Jonathan offered. "This sure is one big room… I could get the whole of the old barn in here with room to spare."



Bruce laughed at his friend, while watching Haze effortlessly navigate all the obstacles without once taking his eyes off the aerial display. Outside the night sky was lit with fireworks. Haze was apparently mesmerised by the flashes, but even so he stepped quickly to one side, effortlessly avoiding a hurrying matron.



Not so far gone that he doesn’t know exactly where he's going, Bruce decided. Now that would come in handy with night patrols…



"Haze never seems to bump into anything." Jonathan smiled, nodding at Haze and making the same assessment as Bruce just had. "Unlike me. Or is it just the crowds in here? I've felt less squeezed in the middle of a football tackle."



"I tend to agree." Bruce replied, struggling to keep his balance in the sea of bodies. "Why don't we do the smart thing here? I'll go and get us something to drink." He pointed at the bar in the far wall. "You and Haze go over to our table, and get yourselves out of the crush" He gestured toward the seating area and the table with the foundation logo in the centrepiece.

Hopefully there would be an easier path coming back from the bar?



Watching Haze neatly work his way through the crowd, Bruce was reminded of the parting of the Red Sea. But it was never done that elegantly, he thought, admiring the youth's instinctive grace. Or am I just getting far too fond of him?







Across the room other eyes had also noticed Haze.



Morgan Edge looked up from his conversation with one of the faceless entities with which his business life was littered, and with whom he was required to be polite on a far too regular basis.



"Would you excuse me? I believe I'm wanted…" He said lightly, and deftly abandoned his bemused companion. Quickly he made his way through the thronging masses, trying to keep his attention on the dark glossy curls. By the time he had managed to cover around half of the distance, the youth was gone, swallowed by the crowd. Seeing one of his men, he called him over. "Kal's here." He said sharply, keeping his voice low.



"We know that, sir." The man agreed.



"I gave you instructions, did I not?" Edge pursed his lips tightly. "I was most specific that I did not want to see young Kal, in here, tonight. He was to be encouraged to go anywhere else in the city, but not here…"



"Yes sir, you did." The man agreed nervously, "But when we tried to talk him out of it, he said that he was coming in here whether you liked it or not, and that if any of us got in his way he would tear them into little pieces."



"Little pieces?" Edge repeated incredulously.



"Very little pieces." The other replied.



Edge was about to protest, until he remembered Kal's increasing belligerence of late, and the way that most of the men were scared of the freak. Instead of delivering the intended reprimand the gang leader nodded, letting his hireling know that he would take care of it personally. Making the tough calls was what kept him at the top of the pecking order after all.



Deciding that he was prepared to make certain allowances for his men as they were only human; while Kal very definitely was not, the gang leader patted his pocket. The little customised pistol should be sufficient for him to make his point.



And if it works a little too well, so what? The freak had been getting more and more difficult to control, maybe they would be better off going back to doing without him?







Up on the raised dance floor at the extreme end of the massive room, a third pair of eyes watched Haze's progress with interest, eyes that pulsed with a red glow.



Kal had also seen his duplicate arrive, and while he recognised Bruce Wayne, mega-rich idiot, from the tabloids, he could not have cared less about him, and would have continued to ignore him totally, but for the fact that the man had just done him the big favour of inadvertently delivering Haze here to him.



The third member of the trio was a different matter: Jonathan Kent was a royal pain in Kal's ass, and it was only the tiny sliver of poor little whiny Clark still clinging on somewhere in his psyche that stopped Kal from focussing a good burst of heat vision on the man at that second and turning Kent into overcooked toast.



Clark… The very sound of the word irritated Kal, reminding him of the lingering taint of the irrelevant human morality that Jonathan Kent had tried to drown him under. He ran his fingertips lovingly over the polished crystal of red rock around his neck, the bauble that was slowly but steadily helping him with overcoming that last little inconvenience.



Surely it could only be a few days more at most before even the faint ghost of Clark Kent would be smothered with so many layers that he would scarcely even be a memory?



"Something nice to look forward to." Kal murmured to himself, with a small smile. He liked the idea of having something pleasant in the immediate future. Lately, even being actively encouraged to give free rein to his innate violence had started to cloy, and gradually Kal had come to realise that working with Morgan Edge was not going to be as much fun as he had expected it to be. Taking orders from a human was getting stale real fast, but then most things in this looking-glass world bored Kal.



As he stared at the other alien, it occurred to Kal that there was at least one thing on this miserable planet that would be able to sustain his interest, even over the long-term. Little wonder then, that he wanted Haze.



It's been far too long.



Kal had not been given even indirect access to any part of that delicious excitement that Haze generated so easily in the Kryptonian's flesh, and now that he recognised that fact, Kal immediately decided that he had been unfairly deprived, however this evening looked like the ideal opportunity for him to rectify the omission.



When I press my heel down on the throat of this whole stupid weak world, Haze is going to be with me, making me feel like an emperor ought to… Kal promised himself silently, gazing across the packed room with glazed eyes. Well, he was going to start to make some of his dreams come true right now, and the beauty of it was that even having the last lingering taint of Clark in his head would not get in the way of this one.



Kal could access some of the dreams that Clark had preferred to hide away in the darker reaches of his thoughts. The lingering fragment of Clark still wanted Haze, and just as strongly as Kal did. The angel was one of the few points that the two parts of his divided nature had in common.



But I'm the only one that deserves him, Kal told himself.



In Kal's opinion it had been pathetic how poor little Clark had been given every possible chance and had still royally fumbled it at every turn.



Jonathan Kent has a lot to answer for. Kal felt the elder man's hand at work there. The stupid deal Kent Senior had made with Jor-El had given the human the strength to defeat Kal once, and now it looked like Kent was thinking of making a career of it.



Which is really not a good idea … For anyone. Thinking of his biological father also made Kal seethe. Ironically, one of the few things that Kal felt Jor-El could have been right about was the whole destiny thing: Kal would conquer, and he would rule. Only now he was going to do it on his own terms.



Jor-El had once told Kal that he deserved the best, and in Kal's current estimation the best could only mean Haze, even though he was well aware that Jor-El would not have approved.



Begetting heirs and all that crap, Kal smirked. I'll do that when, and if, I'm ready, and not before! Thanks to one little bit of pretty red crystal, he was finally free to please himself.



With a gloating smile, Kal mused that even Jor-El hadn't understood what he had created when he had divided his only son into his dual natures.



Besides, Kal reminded himself, the old bastard is really gone now. Poor little frightened Clark saw to that. He grinned. The idiot now cringing somewhere deep inside him had proved to be useful for at least one thing, even if Clark hadn't intended it quite that way.



Kal's good mood instantly evaporated as something else very annoying walked into his line of sight …







Well, if it isn't Morgan Edge, talking to one of his goon squad. Kal's mercurial temper began to rise. Edge had not wanted him to come here tonight, in fact the other man had expressly forbidden it, which had just served to make the gala sound that much more interesting: these things were hardly Kal's scene, he had only had dropped in on his way to the clubs because his interest had been piqued by Edge's attitude.



Well, now I know why he gave me the lecture… Like that pompous old bag of dry bones could stop me from going anywhere!



After more than three weeks of constant Red-K, Kal was not at his most rational. He had been wallowing in his own emotional impulses for so long that he had begun to forget that not everyone else in this world worked in the same way..



Edge must have come here after Haze. But why? Growling low in his throat, Kal forced himself to focus; to think it out carefully and to try and see things from Edge's angle.



Edge obviously plans to use Haze too. But is he hoping to persuade Haze to work for him and to replace me? Or is he hoping that having Haze hostage will keep me under control?



Kal ground his teeth.



Haze will side with me no matter what Edge tries, he'll never let Edge use him, and I'll turn this whole stupid city into rubble before I give Haze up.



Which logically, must be why Edge hadn't wanted Kal to even suspect that Haze was anywhere around?"



Yeah, that has to be it… the conniving bastard! The more Kal thought about it, the more he convinced himself that this was the only possible interpretation. Since the Red-K had shut Clark away in the back of this body, Kal had not been able to receive any sense of Haze, so maybe Haze didn't feel him either?



Haze would have come to me sooner, if he knew where I was. Kal was sure of that.



"It was just Edge's bad luck that Haze turned up here tonight." Kal muttered to himself. Inspiration struck



"Haze must have been looking for me!" That had a pleasing ring to it. What a team they were going to make! Suddenly Kal no longer felt like co-operating with the scuzz-bucket businessman.



"Morgan Edge is not going to stop me from getting to Haze." Kal promised himself. A frown darkened his handsome features. Nothing was going to stop Kal from getting Haze. Nothing in this toy-shop world anyway!



Stepping down into the crowd, Kal realised that there was one slight flaw in his new plan: there were so many moving bodies packed into this place, that even his extra vision was getting fogged.



So now what?







Musing on the problem, Kal plied his way among the throng, not caring about the cramped conditions. He just loved being invulnerable: it was such a kick-arse power. Flying would have solved another part of the problem, but given the numbers present someone was bound to notice. That could give Edge or Jonathan time to get Haze away from him. What was needed was a subtle approach, and Kal was just rational enough to remember that Kryptonians didn't do subtle terribly well. Or was it just him? No matter…



"Haze?" A voice interrupted Kal's thoughts. He looked round to find that rich guy, Bruce Wayne right beside him. Well now, two favours in one night! Could this helpful human be just what he needed?



"Guess Jon got thirsty and sent you out looking for me?" Wayne smiled. "Here, you take these, and I'll bring mine and the glasses."



Accepting the two large bottles from the man, Kal smiled, and let his appearance speak for him.



"I found an easier route through." Wayne told him, "We can go this way."



Nodding, Kal tucked in behind the unsuspecting sap and allowed himself to be led.







"Well, Mr Kent."



Looking up, Jonathan found himself staring into the mildly expectant face.



"Morgan Edge." The silver haired man introduced himself, glancing at Haze. "Actually it was the younger Mr Kent I wanted to speak to." He clarified. "Perhaps we could go somewhere a little less … public?"



"Neither of us has anything to say to you, Mr Edge." Jonathan automatically answered for the both of them.



Edge directed his attention at the dark haired lad. "Actually I should think that Clark, or should I say, Kal, here has something very important to tell you. Isn't that right … Kal?" He suggested.



At the sound of that name, Haze lifted his eyes and met Edge's. He also noticed the way that Edge's fingers were closed around something in the pocket of his dinner jacket.



"You're mistaken. This isn’t Clark, this is Haze." Jonathan said quietly.



"Another name change?" Edge smirked. "How pointless. You're still the same person."



Ignoring the comment and sending out a sensory tendril, Haze felt the familiar surge of kryptonite. He moved his hand so that it was resting on Jonathan's leg, and squeezed lightly, warning him to be wary.



Obviously mistaking Haze's attention for one of Clark's singular gifts, Edge allowed himself a small smirk. "As this young man is no doubt aware, I have a little gun in my pocket loaded with very special green bullets. I would strongly suggest that you both accompany me with the minimum of fuss." He told them. "I am sure that neither of you would like to cause a … scene?" Discreetly, he gestured to his men to run interference on any potential interruptions.



With a soft sigh, Haze tugged at Jonathan's sleeve and indicated that Edge was telling the truth about the gun and therefore they should comply. While the kryptonite by itself would not have bothered either of them, neither of them were bullet proof.



Following the gangster down the nearby passageway, they stepped out of the noisy banqueting room and into a quiet oasis of water and white porcelain.



"So," Edge said pleasantly, putting his back against the tiled wall and watching his 'guests'. "Whatever shall we talk about?"







"I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever make it?" Bruce sighed, as they finally arrived back at the table. "Don't suppose you can tell where Jonathan is, can you?"



Kal thought it over. Where would Clark's dozy human father be? He took a wild guess and focussed his superhuman senses on the nearest men's room. Sure enough, Kent was there. But why was Haze with him? Surely they hadn't started going in there in pairs? Kal gave a small grin at the thought of that, but it faded instantly as he found that the two men had some very unwelcome company.



Edge! Even from here Kal could see the tiny shimmering points of kryptonite in Edge's weapon. No sir, Kal did not want to be on the receiving end of any of those babies! He tensed, torn between the urge to blur into super speed and rush in and flatten Edge before Edge even knew what was happening and the need to hide his abilities from the common masses just a little bit longer.



Besides, Edge had a notoriously nervous trigger finger and that gun was pointing directly at Haze. The 'getting shot' part would hurt Haze as surely as the kryptonite would hurt Kal. Kal did not want their relationship to start off on the wrong foot, as it certainly would if he let Haze get hurt. Plus, if things went very badly, Kal did not have Haze's gift for healing others, nor could he lend Haze his own ability to recover rapidly. Frustrated, Kal frowned.



"What's wrong?" Wayne had evidently noticed Kal's hesitation, and the frown. "Haze? Is Jonathan in trouble?"



Kal nodded, he could play 'Skippy', or was that 'Lassie', just as well as the other guy, and maybe that way Edge would shoot Jonathan and this stupid human at the same time, leaving Kal a clear run at Haze?



At the very least that would get some of the bullets out of the way, and if Kal was very lucky it might just solve all of his problems in one go? Plus it needn't look like his fault either… Carefully, he indicated where the two absentees were to be found. Thankfully, Bruce Wayne wasn't as dumb as the tabloids painted him, and caught on at the first attempt.



"We have to get in there." Wayne decided. He glanced at Kal. "Stay behind me and do what I tell you."



Okay, Kal was happy enough with that idea. One volunteer human shield, thank you so much… He trotted along behind Wayne, as the man unobtrusively strolled toward the door.



"I'm sorry, sir." A hireling in a dark suit materialised from out of a side passage and blocked the path to the target door. Kal recognised him at once as one of Edge's men. With Wayne in the way the goon had not yet noticed Kal, but that would change any second. It would also put a serious kink in Kal's plans if he were to be identified correctly.







"These facilities are temporarily out of order, gentlemen. I suggest you try the ones on the other side of the hall." The hireling politely advised.



Edge is obviously insisting on his hired muscle keeping a very discreet profile tonight. Instinctively Bruce assessed the threat potential of the man in front of him. The guy was almost the same build as him … And packing. The slight bulge of the gun was almost invisible under the carefully tailored suit, but so predictable. Idly he wondered where the bad guys bought their suits?



"Okay." He said pleasantly, and was just turning so that he could wind up properly and sink his full body weight into the blow, when a soft 'whoosh' made him look round. The hired muscle was gone!



"Haze?" He looked at his companion, who shrugged and gestured for Bruce to carry on toward the restroom.



"Nice moves." Bruce approved, "I have really got to make time to find out what else you can do." Was it his imagination, or was there a faint red tint to Haze's eyes?



Maybe it was the light in here, but Bruce promised himself that he was going to start keeping a closer watch on Haze. If the boy was getting red eyes, then Bruce was going to insist that Haze went to bed for a few hours more each night, instead of wandering the garden until Bruce came back from patrol. The older man automatically discounted at least an hour of the time he and Haze spent in bed, as that hardly counted as rest; however relaxed they might both feel afterwards.







Kal had taken out the goon while Wayne was conveniently looking the other way. As he blurred back after dropping the unconscious man in a room along the hall Kal realised that it looked like Wayne had actually been planning to deck the guy!



Suddenly curious, Kal took the opportunity to check out the body under the rich man's suit, and found that he was as impressed as he could ever remember being with a human. 'Buff' probably best described what Bruce Wayne concealed under his well-tailored clothes. 'Interesting' was the next word that came to mind.



It was only because his attention was mostly dwelling on Bruce Wayne's build that Kal did not immediately react to the implications of what the man had just said to 'Haze'. So this human was flirting with Haze? It could be nothing more, because Haze wouldn't even look at a human in that way.



Wouldn't he? I just did, and this guy looks damn fine. Plus Haze's kind weren't exactly into exclusive relationships…



Torn between making sure that at least one of Edge's bullets had Bruce Wayne's name on it and the urge to claim a piece of this human for himself, Kal bit down on the sounds that were threatening to make their way into his throat.







Oblivious to the conflict going on in Kal's head, Bruce gestured for him to follow, and executed a very neat forward roll in through the restroom door, ending up just out of Edge's sight, behind a pillar.



"Impressive, and I do suggest that you keep well back, Mr Wayne," Edge called over to where Bruce crouched. "And do not imagine that I would hesitate to use this weapon."



"Bruce?" Jonathan gasped. "He's got a gun!"



Taking the chance while Edge was occupied, Kal blurred in through the closing door. Staying tight on Rich-Boy's heels, he tucked himself out of Edge's sight behind a convenient coat rack. Recently Kal had been experimenting with fine-tuning his abilities as a way of passing the time, and had found that just by keeping himself moving slightly from foot to foot at high speed it made it very difficult for anyone with normal human vision to find him. Particularly if no one was expecting him to be there…



"Let them go, Edge, and I won't press charges." Bruce called back.



"How generous of you, however I have a few charges of my own to press." Edge chuckled. "Apart from the charges in these excellent bullets, that is." He smirked at his own wit.



"What are you talking about?" Jonathan was past fear and working towards furious.



"Breaking and entering, theft, conspiracy to rob, violence? … This beautiful young man has some very ugly tendencies." Edge said silkily. "But of course you would already be aware of that, would you not, Mr Kent? He is your son, after all, and you must surely know him better than anyone?"



"Violence? Haze?" Jonathan laughed right in Edge's face. "Haze is probably the least violent person on this planet… And he is not my son."



"Come, come, Mr Kent, I thought we had worked past that ridiculous notion." It suddenly occurred to Edge that the freak was not even looking at him. That annoyed him more than a little. Here he was going to all this effort and it was not even being appreciated. He aimed the gun at the dark hair and sighed: such a shame to waste a unique resource, however you could not train a mad dog.







"Actually." A more-than-familiar voice purred. "Kent's telling you the truth, Edge. Not that someone like you would recognise the truth if it came up and bit him…"



A steely hand closed on Edge's arm, hoisting both the hand and the gun up towards the ceiling before the man's finger could even begin to tighten on the trigger.



"You just did the one thing that I will absolutely not allow." Kal said grimly. "You threatened Haze." Leaving Morgan Edge dangling on tip-toe from the end of his arm, the youth glanced at his duplicate, already feeling a pleasant tingle running around inside him simply from being in the same room as Haze.



"There really are two of you!" Edge managed to choke out.



"No." Kal sneered. "There's one of me, and one of Haze. Geez, why must humans be so fucking stupid? Is it something genetic, do you suppose?"



Yes! He was finally standing right next to his gorgeous angel!



"Hi Haze." Kal was determined to make the right impression. Even if this was a restroom, and even if they did have an unwanted audience of three.



Haze grinned at him and smiled happily.



"Miss me?"



Haze nodded that he had.



"Then allow me to say hello properly." Kal grinned and, leaning in, he caught Haze around the waist with one arm, pulling the other youth tight against him. Pressing his lips to Haze's, Kal gave Haze the most enthusiastic and passionate kiss that he had ever given anyone.



"Well?" Damn, but that had been good! For a second there Kal could have sworn that he had actually heard fireworks going off in his head.



Haze stared at him and then took a step back, eyes wide.



"What?" Well, that certainly wasn't quite the reaction Kal had expected. "Is something wrong?"



Haze gestured toward him.



Kal realised that he was still dangling Edge above the carpet, and that there was now a small hole in the false ceiling. Okay, so that was possibly not the ideal gift, but he had been so delighted to see Haze again that he had totally forgotten that he was still holding Edge up there.



"Oops." He shrugged, sending Edge hurtling along the length of the room to fetch up in one of the vacant stalls at the far end. "Better?"







"Clark?" Jonathan couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Clark's eyes glowed fiery red under the spotlights. He was so dosed up on the red rock that there was barely a hint of his former self left. "Oh, Clark… What's happened to you?"



"Get lost, old man." Kal told him, ignoring him and fixing his attention back on Haze. "Run now, before I change my mind and rip your heart out."



"You already did." Jonathan said dully. Suspecting that there was more than a sibling attraction between the two youths was one thing, but to see it enacted right in front of him, made him uncomfortable. And with Bruce here too…



Clark would never have let that happen… He's really gone… his body is here, but not his mind… Oh, son…



Reaching out Haze pressed one hand to Jonathan's shoulder, nudging him back slightly.



Reluctantly, Jonathan edged away just a little.







"See, Haze doesn't want you here either." Kal caught hold of Haze and began to run his hands over Haze's arms. "You are so fine." He smiled. "So perfect." He pressed a kiss onto Haze's lips. "I wonder if that's because you are so much like me?"



"Haze is nothing like you." Jonathan snapped. "Haze doesn't go around deliberately hurting people."



"Shows what you know," Kal murmured, taking the opportunity to rub his body suggestively against Haze. "Haze has killed lots of times. It's part of what he was made for."



That shocked the old idiot, didn’t it? Ignoring the gasp of disbelief from his unwilling audience, Kal leant in close and licked his tongue along the line of Haze's jaw. "Only one part though…" He glanced at Kent idly. "Or is your attention span so short that you've already forgotten about how he and Lex got Clark back?"



"I haven't forgotten why Haze was there either, or what it nearly cost him to save you, Clark." Jonathan countered.



"I'm not Clark. I'm Kal." When would this man learn?



"Not Kal-El?" The elder man emphasised the surname meaningfully.



Kal conceded that just maybe Jonathan had actually begun to pick up a few clues? If so, it was certainly about time.



"I'm not your son, and I don't want to be Jor-El's either. That's history. Clark is history too." He turned to Kent with a savage look. "Lex taught me that on this planet the winning side rewrites the records until things are the way they want them to be. Some day very soon I'm going to make you humans start writing MY version and Clark won't be in it, except maybe as a footnote."



The warm touch on Kal's bare hand distracted him. Haze… The thrill increased as Kal rocked himself against his duplicate. He felt Haze moulding himself to him. Soon… and then he would get everything he wanted…







"Don't you find it a little strange to keep talking about yourself in the third person?" A baritone voice wondered.



Lazily Kal turned, to find the Batman standing just a few feet away on the other side of the row of urinals.



Just out of arms reach… Kal decided. He flickered around with his x-ray vision. So, Batman had taken the opportunity to replace Bruce Wayne? Clever old Bat, but not really clever enough…



"This from a guy who wears tights. Come on, at least you could have a little self-respect and wear proper pants!" Kal suggested with a small smirk. "Actually," He added cheekily, "Leather pants might actually suit you?"



"Self-respect?" Batman looked at him, mouth set in a tight and dangerous line. "How do you square that one up with whatever it is you're dosed up on?"



Kal felt a small surge of anger run through him. "You sound like my adopted father. Been giving lessons, Dad?" He flashed a quick glance at Jonathan.



"Have you been learning any?" Jonathan bit down on his temper and remembered just how powerful this stranger in his son's body could be.



"No, but I have." A tile shattered just above Kal's head. Morgan Edge was standing a short way off, the gun in his hand pointed towards the entwined pair. "The only way to deal with rabid animals is to destroy them." Looking down the sights, the gang boss squeezed the trigger.









"No!" Jonathan was shouting.


"Edge!" Batman was just too far out of range to intervene, and not bullet proof either.


Kryptonite! Kal couldn't move.




Haze's eyes blazed blue fire.



The plaster in the walls around them exploded as a wall of solid metal wove into existence in the blink of an eye.



Throwing down the pistol, Edge pelted out into the corridor, the abandoned weapon bouncing onto the carpet at Batman's feet.



Snatching the gun up, Batman surged after him but Edge was already out of sight. Rapidly assessing the odds, Bruce abandoned the chase, guessing that his presence was more urgently needed elsewhere.







"Haze?" Kal stared at his 'twin'. "Did you nail him?"



Shaking his head, Haze gestured that he had only walled them away.



"You were right to do that." Kal decided. "There would be too many questions. Too many of the humans saw Edge come in here. They won't accept us if we act too hastily." He finally noticed the strange expression on his 'twin's' face.



"What's wrong?" A sudden chill passed through him. "Edge didn’t hurt you did he?" The familiar heat began to stir in his eyes.



Haze shook his head.



"He's just used up a lot of energy to save us." Jonathan reminded him. "Maybe Haze just needs a little time to recover … Kal."



"So you finally accept it? That I'm no longer your son?"



"I'm an idealist, " Kent replied grimly. "But I'm not stupid."



"Maybe I'll let you live then." Kal debated. Holding his arms around Haze and keeping him upright, he guided him to a clear section of the room. "I could have some use for you when I rule this world." He suggested, directing the comment back at Clark's adopted father.







Jonathan approached Haze, only to hesitate at the look in Kal's eyes.



"No one touches Haze but me." Kal snarled, overcome with sudden fury. "That isn't what I had in mind for you."



Reaching up, Haze stroked a weary hand over Kal's face.



When the fury faded, just for a second Kal wondered if Haze was playing with his mind somehow, until the heat in his groin reminded him that there were other, better ways to change someone's mood. Besides he still couldn't find any trace of Haze in his head, maybe Haze wasn't able to get in past the Red-K?



No, it was just that Haze still knows exactly how to please me. Licking his lips, Kal favoured Haze with a dangerous grin.



Haze leant back against the wall, waiting.



The false ceiling falling in surprised them all.



Even before the cloud of dust cleared, Kal had already seen the small gun now clutched tightly in Batman's hand.



"There'll be time to finish this later." Kal promised himself and them, "Ideally once I've permanently taken Edge out of the picture." That was now a necessity. While Edge lived, he would not stop hunting either Kal or Haze, and Kal had no intention of having to watch over his shoulders for however long it would take for Edge to give up and die naturally.

Bursting directly through the restroom wall and out into the adjoining corridor Kal blurred off…

.