Perry's assistant had some trouble affixing the microphone to Clark's collar as he patiently sat in his elevated chair. The stage the two were on was also elevated so that those further back had an ample view of the interview about to take place. The front of the stage was covered by nearly a dozen black-suited men, as was each side staircase. Laughable; what would these men do if Brainiac launched another invasion?

 

Clark held the microphone battery in one hand and his prepared questions in another. He had spent all of last night furiously drafting appropriate questions, communicating with the President's staff and revising the questions at their behest, and rechecking every single word to ensure that nothing he said would be inflammatory. This was supposed to be a simple, short interview in front of the White House that demonstrated strength in the new administration. President Miller would appear, stay for maybe ten minutes, then move on to a sponsored lunch which would be attended by several top officials and a group of young Justice League members.

 

The latter had not arrived yet. The League would be making a grand entrance according to Barry, which likely meant they would not appear until the last moment or so. Clark checked the silver watch on his wrist. He still had around fifteen minutes until the interview was supposed to start.

 

Hesitantly, Clark turned his wrist around and looked at the inscription on the underside of the watch. From Lois, it read in a small font. You are my hero.

 

He frowned. Had there ever been a time when this had meant more than simple praise? Emotions of need or want between them had vanished long ago; it was a miracle their marriage had lasted this long, especially given her less-than-satisfactory physique. She wasn't like Siren or-

 

And he cut his thoughts off right there. He remembered how difficult it had been to keep his mind on the right track through so many hours of labor. His mind had wandered several times, and he had nearly broken his computer before he had stopped himself from giving into the lust he felt. He required complete and absolute focus on his task. The fun could come later.

 

But still, he wondered about how his marriage had gone for so long with nothing but mediocrity in Lois's figure. Who couldn't possibly be better than her?

 

There was some activity to the stairwell on Clark's left. He glanced at a triplet of Secret Service agents searching a tall man with a portable metal detector. He handed his phone off to one of the agents, but he refused to give over his wallet when another agent reached for it. Instead, he beckoned over an aide from behind him to collect his wallet and hold it plainly in both hands as the agents waved him up the stage. One brought up a hand to his own ear to inform the others over the comms that Luthor would be coming onto the stage.

 

Clark smiled at him, then turned his gaze to Perry's assistant as she fumbled with his collar. "Cat."

 

Cat did not look up at him. Her blouse was neatly closed to show respect to the occasion, but the chest beneath was familiar enough to him that he didn't even need his x-ray vision to know what was beneath. It was comforting that he could have those thoughts and not get the least bit aroused by her.

 

"Cat," he said again, tapping her on the shoulder. He felt a bra strap beneath.

 

"One second, Clark," she sighed irritably. The last night had not been pleasant for her either. "I'm trying to fix it."

 

"Lex is here," Clark reported as the billionaire materialized behind her. She looked over her shoulder quickly, startled. "Looking sharp today, Mr. Luthor," Clark commented to him.

 

"Why, thank you, Mr. Kent," Lex replied. "You're not looking so fat today. Perhaps you burned off some calories when you visited my office?"

 

He chuckled. "I suppose you could say that."

 

"Yes, you could." He looked at Cat knowingly. "Allow is some privacy, please." Lex gestured with his head. She removed her hands from the microphone and stood up straight. She smoothed the folds of her dress and backed away, walking down off the stage and over to Perry.

 

"What can I do for you, Lex?" Clark asked, taking, the microphone on his shoulder and opening the clip.

 

"Some reporting, if you would. I paid very good money to get you on this stage."

 

He started. "You paid to get me this interview?" The microphone still wasn't staying put.

 

"Of course," Lex said, giving him a strange smile. "What are friends for?"

 

"What about Lois. Don't you think she would have been better for this job?"

 

"Nonsense. Lois is already a well-known journalist admired around the country for winning a Pulitzer." He pushed Clark's hands out of the way of the microphone and grabbed it himself. "Once you've shown the world who you are in this interview, everyone will know who you are. You might even get your own Pulitzer someday."

 

"I'm more well-known than you might think," Clark said, rubbing his chest before remembering that his costume was not underneath his shirt; J'onn had told him not to risk wearing it in case he was manually searched by the Secret Service. "And I've been handed a few awards before."

 

Lex retracted his hands. Clark eyeballed his collar and found the microphone in the right spot, but it wasn't pointed at him. He shook his head, motioning for him to try again.

 

"I still can't help but feel that Lois would have been a better choice," he said as Lex returned to managing the microphone. "She's the one with the experience. I spent all of last night speaking with the staff over which questions were too complex or which ones didn't mention how great this country was. Lois would have been done in ten minutes."

 

"Well, maybe," Lex admitted. "But I need a favor from you that I'm not sure Lois would go for."

 

"Shoot."

 

"I brought my own question for you to read. I was wondering if-"

 

"Let me stop you right there," Clark interrupted. "All questions that I ask have to go through the staff. They wouldn't let me go with any tough questions for Miller's first one-on-one."

 

"It's not a tough question, Clark." Lex stepped back again, inspecting his work. "It is, in fact, an important question that the President can answer with just one word."

 

The microphone was set incorrectly again. Clark took it off himself this time and moved the wire over his shoulder. "I don't know if I can." The wire loosely rested against his neck as he twisted the receiver around to set it up on the other side. "If I push up a surprise question, the White House is gonna hate me."

 

"But the people will love you," Lex implored, not bothering to hide his eagerness. "Come on. You owe me one after I left you with Wonder Woman." 

 

Clark raised an eyebrow: the only thing that raised. He really didn't have any further thoughts over Wonder Woman. She had given him herself, but she had not given him what he'd needed. Somehow, it was just that simple. He no longer got aroused thinking of her.

 

Were he and Lex at the point where they gave each other favors as friends? It seemed so long ago when they had been out to humiliate the other. Favors amongst friends was something he only experienced with... friends. Could he and Lex truly become friends? He wasn't sure, but even if they couldn't, he was sure of one thing; he had already proven himself. He had changed.

 

He could trust Lex.

 

"Alright," Clark relented. "I'll do it for you."

 

"Excellent." He drew a slim piece of paper from his coat pocket. Clark had no idea how he had slipped that past the security detail. "Just read this last." Clark accepted the page, opening it and reviewing its contents. The other questions would be on the teleprompters on either side of the stage. "Thank you, Clark. Perhaps I could get you another night with Wonder Woman for this."

 

"Sure, sure," Clark said absentmindedly. The receiver just refused to attach to his collar. He glanced at it, when he noticed that he had inadvertently snapped the clip. Sometimes, enhanced strength didn't help. "Or maybe you could just find me a better microphone. That would be great."

 

"I probably can't help you there," Lex said, frowning for the first time. "I had assumed that-"

 

"Kent!" Perry yelled from the lawn. He approached the stage, but two agents stopped him before he could get too close. "We're on in two minutes. Are we ready yet?"

 

"I need a bigger mic," Clark shouted back.

 

"We don't have bigger mics." Perry looked at Cat behind him, who shook her head. She held a gray thermos in her hand. "Just fix yours."

 

"I think the clip's broken."

 

Perry threw his hands up. "Just get it on." He turned and stormed back over to Cat, demanding to know where the rival news team from Gotham was getting their source on both Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman being absent from the day's proceedings.

 

"Your boss certainly seems nervous about today," Lex commented.

 

"Perry's always like this," Clark said. He shrugged off the wire. He considered wrapping it around his neck to keep it there now that the clip was broken. It probably wouldn't do well for his image to look like he was wearing a leash. "You should see him when he doesn't have his coffee. He spits so hard that you can't tell if he's lost one of his teeth."

 

"Delightful." Lex put his back to the cameras. "So how about it then? I could give a certain Amazonian a call and have her come visit you."

 

"Thanks, but no thanks." There was a shade coming over the National Mall in uneven patches. "Here they come."

 

 

Lex turned around, watching as dozens of multi-colored men and women dropped from the sky in near unison, landing in even rows in crouches. Their costumed colors were not aligned in any particular fashion, though he couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of brand-recognizable amongst the Justice Leaguers in attendance. He knew almost all of them, but most of the audience would know only a few.

 

Neither Batman, Aquaman, nor the Martian had made an appearance. That was not unexpected; Batman never appeared for public events, Aquaman did not care for the politics of humanity, and nobody really wanted to look at an alien roaming free. Running through the faces, Lex discovered that there were no telepathy in the crowd. Unless the Martian was camouflaged as another hero, there was nobody who could intrude upon his thoughts and discover his ploy.

 

The Green Lantern and the Flash were also out of sight. He thanked his luck for the latter's disappearance; the man's antics were driving him insane up on the Watchtower.

 

Also noticeably absent was Wonder Woman and Superman. Superman especially, as he was such a figure to America that it seemed implausible that he would allow a new President to be inaugurated and publicly interviewed in one month without shaking hands with him before a camera. In fact, Supergirl was gone as well.

 

The Justice League stood as one, given a wide berth by the field markers around their position. The civil staff had given them much more room to stand than they took. Reporters took lots of photographs and shouted out lots of questions, but they stood unfazed, all staring out at the stage where the President would soon arrive.

 

Who exactly is here? Lex wondered. And why could none of the original members be bothered to show up?

 

The most prominent Leaguers he could spot were Cyborg and Green Arrow, the latter of whom having been carried in by his arms. He could also see Hawkgirl towards the back of the crowd. She was glaring at him.

 

Two members in the front row separated themselves from the others and glided in the air. Cyborg was one of them, using rocket powered propellers in his legs to stay afloat. The other was unfamiliar to Lex. It was a blonde woman in a white leather jacket and black tank top, two articles of clothing that half-covered a pair of breasts that even from a distance appeared to be as large in size as Wonder Woman's, something that several others on the Mall noticed. Lex had seen Wonder Woman topless before, but without seeing anything from her, he wouldn't be able to tell whose was bigger. Her lower figure was accentuated by black leather that showed off more than it concealed. Her legs seemed to enclose upon the very air between them. She was not very tall, but she seemed to be the very definition of a bombshell.

 

Siren, he thought, feeling a slight pinch behind his eyes. He knew her from somewhere, though he couldn't quite recall where he had seen her before. She had to have been one of the newer members of the Justice League.

 

They glided over to the lawn before the stage and touched down. None of the reporters dared try to get close enough to ask anything. Neither did the Secret Service try to apprehend them or search them.

 

Lex glanced over at Clark, wanting to gauge his reaction to Siren. Clark, however, was still fiddling with that stupid microphone of his. He didn't notice as the heroes were awaiting the arrival of the Commander-in-Chief.

 

Perry came up beside them. "Kent!" he whispered sharply. "Ten seconds."

 

"Clip's busted, sir," he tried. "I need-"

 

"No time." The speakers around the stage and Mall began playing "Hail to the Chief." Perry held out a wireless microphone stick to Clark. "Take this!" The crowd- the Justice League included- began applauding.

 

Clark stood up and took the microphone stick, transferring it over to his chair. He returned the wire to Perry hastily before turning and clapping along with the audience. Lex clapped slowly, stepping out of the way of the cameras but still remaining on the stage. The President had invited him to stand there, after all; he would need a new Cabinet soon.

 

President of the United States Anthony Miller made his entrance up the stage opposite to Lex and Perry. The cameras focus on him, all turning their attention away from the billionaire. He did not mind the shadow over him; they would soon speculate over his involvement, and then they would take notice.

 

Miller was a square fellow in appearance. His compact frame was complemented by his slightly overweight stature. His hands were balled up as he did the simple motion of walking, no, striding down the stage. The Secret Service agents tailing him stopped at the corner of the stage, allowing him to go forward to join Clark at the center. Perry retreated before the President arrived. The President waved at the crowd as he walked with curled fingers. This was not a collected man.

 

The two Justice League members closest to the stage left the ground once again, slowly rising into the air and gliding forward onto the platform. Both of them were taller than the President. Lex could tell that this bothered Miller; Siren herself was only an inch or two taller than the President.

 

"Mr. President," Cyborg said in a loud voice. He wore no microphone, but his voice still projected to Lex and possibly the people closer to the stage than the League. "It is an honor, sir."

 

"Thank you for coming," the President replied, smiling broadly and shaking his hand. "I thank the Justice League for taking the time."

 

Lex found Clark in a slight stoop. Puzzled, he tried to get a look at his face, but Lex stood in a position behind him that made it impossible to see.

 

The applause and cheering continued, only now beginning to quiet. "I apologize for Superman's absence, Mr. President. An urgent matter took him away."

 

"Well, it's just as well," Miller stated evenly. "I'd rather him go around doing my job for me than for him to show up and take credit." Cyborg seemed to find it funny. Lex was not sure whether it was meant to be a joke. "I'm glad we could meet." He turned his attention to Siren, extending his hand. "Thank you for coming."

 

She reached out and clasped his hand in her own. "Pleasure is all mine, sir." She had a strange accent. It didn't fit in with what she looked like; she looked like she could have been from New York or Pennsylvania, but she spoke like she was from... somewhere else.

 

The President did not spend a moment staring at her, which surprised Lex. Any man would want Wonder Woman, and here was a woman that was most likely unknown to the general public with an even more presentable body. The only reason a man would deny himself a peek was if he was a eunuch.

 

Siren took note of the President's silence from there, then looked at Clark Kent near his chair. He had stopped clapping as the sporadic cheers died down.

 

She smiled predatorily. She winked. Clark stopped even more.

 

Lex froze. What was that wink about? Had Clark been staring at her? Was she actually entertaining letting Clark, a nobody human, stare at her without repercussion?

 

Cyborg and Siren turned around- the latter much more sensually, obviously- and departed from the stage, dropping down softly to the earth below. The President waved one final time before taking his seat in the chair beside Clark's.

 

Clark was a tad behind the President's timing. That was when Lex finally craned his neck and saw Clark's eyes following Siren's ass. For a moment, just a brief moment, his hands squeezed into fists. Then he relaxed and sat back down, putting the microphone into his hands and folding them over his lap.

 

That wink. Siren had taken one look at Clark and suddenly seemed like she held some sort of power of him like Lex did. It was the look of a woman that had exactly what she wanted and wanted even more. He didn't know why, but that wink bothered him. It could have meant nothing. It probably was nothing. Or it could have meant more than just a simple gesture. Lex briefly thought of something bizarre. Did these two know each other?

 

The mounted network cameras rolled closer to the action. This interview was a tad unorthodox and unusual to the stations covering the event, as most public interviews would take place at a television station's forum room rather than actually in front of the chambers of Congress.

 

"Good morning, everyone," Lex whispered to himself.

 

Clark picked up the microphone and looked directly at the camera off to the side where he and the President could both show their faces. "Good morning, everyone," Clark declared. "I would like to welcome everyone here on Capitol Hill on this special occasion and thank everyone around the country for tuning in. Today marks President Miller's thirty-fifth day in office and his first address to the nation since his inauguration. I'm Clark Kent from the Daily Planet, and I would now introduce President Anthony Miller."

 

The crowd began raising its voice again in whistles and cheers, giving the former Vice President another ovation for simply sitting there and letting himself be named twice. He waved back again.

 

"Oh, where's my damn coffee," Perry muttered beside Lex. "These people are giving me a headache."

 

Me too. Seemed like a reasonable man. Perhaps he could share. "How many questions did Clark have prepared?" Lex asked.

 

"Fourteen," Perry returned, not looking at him. He appeared to be scanning the grounds for Cat, who had strangely disappeared from view. "I think."

 

This display of adulation fell much quicker than the previous. None of them could possibly care about the interview, but only came to hear the President say anything. Most would not be able to see the President with clarity, which begged the question as to why he would bother bringing in such a crowd in front of the Capitol. The answer? The President did it just because he knew he could.

 

"I'd like to begin today's interview by asking after the transition to office," Clark said. "Mr. President, could you enlighten us on what has been your experience?"

 

Lex gaped. This was the sort of interview he had paid for? Two-hundred thousand dollars discreetly given to the deputy Chief of Staff, and the questions were so trivial that the first question was just about whether or not the President was having fun? It took all of Lex's restraint to not storm over to the White House right then and there to get his money back. He had to be patient; his purpose wasn't just to be seen, but to get his question asked.

 

"The mantle of President of the United States is not an easy burden to bear," Miller began, not giving any thanks to being posed the question. "I would wish that my predecessor were still alive, as he was trusted by the American people with situations like these. He was elected to defend these lands from all threats, to rebuild once the storm has passed, and to keep the peace before the world could throw fire at us.

 

"But, the American people also elected me to be ready to take the responsibility if need be. I was trusted with the power of the President's office a month ago when I was sworn in. Since then, I have adjusted the direction of the country to better steady it in these tumultuous times."

 

Lex raised an eyebrow. Hardly the most eloquent response to any question he had seen. Miller had made the mistake of describing the job of the previous President and not doing enough to highlight his own accomplishments and qualifications. Well, that and many other errors. It was the sort of empty platitude an inexperienced leader quickly learned to give that pandered to the audience while providing little or no substance in thought.

 

And the interview continued for what felt like an hour but was really only ten minutes. There was no back-and-forth on any of the questions, no follow-up or requests for clarification. Lex did his very best not to look bored out of his mind while on the stage, but the interview just dragged on and on, all with stupid questions. Clark even asked after the man's health at one point. He silently revoked his thought that Clark could ever get a Pulitzer if this was how he was going to conduct his business. There was no possible way that the White House had forced him to use only these questions, right?

 

And the interview continued ten minutes more. Perry's estimate on the number of questions had proven, by Lex's current count, seven below accurate. Only one of the questions had been worthwhile, a question regarding how the government would be able to pull together its assets to recover from the damage it had sustained. Miller hadn't given too great of an answer, but it had been enough to get a decent sound bite for the news reels to replay for the next few days. Despite the poor questions and marginal answers, the crowd still cheered the man in the left chair. Lex shook his head. Even when it worked to his advantage, it never ceased to amaze him how blindly ignorant people could be.

 

"Mr. President, I would now like to ask you over your Vice Presidential shortlist," Clark said. "Is there someone you would want to name next-in-line to the office?"

 

Lex perked up. It wasn't his question. The White House had actually allowed him to ask this question?

 

"We're leveling our candidates out, wanting to see who, if necessary, could serve as my voice in state matters when I am not available." A much more complicated answer for "I don't really care to tell you." Clark didn't let on any hints of his understanding. Another meaningless answer. "Trying to determine who could lead is no small matter, of course."

 

"Of course, sir. Leading is what we rely upon you for. That brings me to my final question about how you will lead us going forward."

 

"Certainly, a very important topic."

 

"It is, sir," Clark said. "After the tragedy of last month's attack on the planet, some feel it is time that we, as Americans, find a way to steer ourselves to our own defense in the face of forces that oppose our way of life."

 

Lex waited, knowing what would come next. Clark still wasn't doing a very good job at phrasing his questions even when he was about to move onto real talk.

 

"In the wake of the assault on the capital, the owner of LexCorp, Lex Luthor, stepped forward and offered a new defense of our people-"

 

"And it was greatly appreciated," the President interrupted, seemingly knowing where this was going and not wanting to answer it. "The U.S. would readily embrace any manner of protection for its citizens."

 

"His design, Mr. President, is one of importance to those who are concerned about how the League is unregulated and is often our only line of defense against non-human entities. Would you support Lex Luthor's initiative to take control of our own security?"

 

Lex looked out over the mass of assembled "heroes" on the grass. Most of them were stunned, staring with widened eyes. Cyborg especially, whose jaw had dropped a few inches in his surprise. Why were they so surprised? Any reporter would ask such an endearing and pertinent question if they felt they could get away with it.

 

"Well, you would have to consider the ramifications of simply sitting back and letting someone else take control when you have the opportunity to do something about it," Miller responded in a quiet voice. "I should think that all possibilities would be considered."

 

Now the Leaguers looked outright horrified. Cyborg gaped at Clark rather than the President. Lex once again had a peculiar musing. Who is Clark to these people? He did a double take on Cyborg, who noticed Lex's attention to him. He scowled in reaction.

 

Siren did not share in the horror that her friends displayed. She just stood there, eying the reporter with a catty grin.

 

Lex looked at Clark. Could he really be sure that Clark was just a nobody reporter?

 

"Would you seek to fund any plans to expand his project?"

 

He was silent for a moment. Just a moment, one of brief hesitation, pondering the right choice of words. "If Lex needed funding from the American people to keep them safe, in sure they wouldn't have any objections given his success rate."

 

Lex smiled. That was the exact answer he had been looking for. Put on the spot, the President couldn't risk seeming indifferent to the very real dangers that his people faced, even to find a project that could cost billions.

 

"Thank you." The President stood up, cutting off any attempts at further commentary. "Thank you." He ripped the microphone wire from his collar and waved at the crowd as they cheered.

 

"The President of the United States, ladies and gentlemen," Clark bade, placing the microphone down on his chair to stand up and clap with the audience.

 

Lex clapped as well, noticing that many of the Leaguers remained as still as they had when they had first arrived. Siren brought her hands together in a slow, rhythmic pattern, but her motions seemed to have a different meaning entirely than applause. Her eyes had never left Clark, who, Lex noticed, was looking back at her frozen once again. He had a growing tent in his pants.

 

Lex smirked as the reporter hastily shoved his hands into his pockets and firmly adjusted his pants. They didn't leave his pockets at all. Hopefully the cameras caught that part.

 

He turned around as the deputy Chief of Staff sauntered over to him with a mark of disdain splattered across his face. His suit did not look neat in his barely restrained anger. "What the hell was that?" he demanded.

 

"Journalism," Lex stated simply, looking out over the Justice League as Cyborg assembled his comrades into neat columns again. He saluted the President curtly from outside of the cameras' view before signaling for everyone to launch back up into the sky and fly away. They left in less coordinated fashion than they had come. The applause regenerated its lost vigor and grew even more at its departing saviors.

 

"I went to bat for your guy and he does this?" the staffer complained. "I'm not letting him come back here again."

 

"That's alright," Lex said. "He's done, anyway." 

 

Siren was among the last to leave. She blew some kisses in the direction of the stage as she levitated off of the ground, then turned around and created a few trail lines in the sky with her flight. The applause grew even greater. So the crowd hadn't understood a word the President had said after all.

 

Miller had just alienated all of them.

 

The deputy Chief of Staff grabbed Perry brusquely. "Did you do this?"

 

"No," Perry replied, seeming angry himself. "He's fired."

 

Lex smiled even deeper. How could things possibly get any better than this?