7: Welcome To The Luthor Mansion

                                    

                                          
Clark highlighted from the cab and stopped short as he saw the Luthor Mansion. For a guy who could do many amazing things, he was quite mesmerised himself. 
                          
The Luthor Mansion was actually a two-storey building, but what the house lacked in considerable height, it  more than made up for in width; and of course, in quality. The mansion was built in the form common of the Victorian-era, adorned with many medieval-shaped lampposts although they were obviously electrical. Grandeur, which the mansion was clearly not lacking on its own, could only be added by the neatly trimmed hedges and lawn in front of it, giving the illusion of travelling back in time as a person walked up to the stairs leading to the front door. All in all, Clark didn't mind working Celebrity and Lifestyle, at least just this once. 
                          
                             "Invitation please," said the guard at the door. 
                          
                              "Oh! I don't have one," he replied, producing his ID instead, "But my boss already called ahead, I'm Clark Kent from the Daily Planet."
                          
The guard nodded to his partner at the door who quickly scanned through the tablet in his hand before nodding back in confirmation. 
                          
                                 "Please step through here, Mr. Kent-" he pointed at what looked like a rich man's version of a metal detector, "- and welcome to the Luthor Mansion."
                          
Inside, Clark couldn't help gaping in amazement once again. If he thought the outside was impressive, the inside was infinite times more. What must be the visitor's room had been transformed into a cocktail party setting of sorts, many people of high wealth and status mingling with each other in the enormous room which, despite the large attendance, still looked nowhere near being over-crowded. 
                          
He looked up and saw an Orchestra group playing and although he could actually see where they were seated, the sound they produced still seemed to be emanating from the whole room. 
                          
                                "Well Clark, you've got work to do,"he said to himself to snap himself out of the reverie and adjusting his tie and glasses,  he proceeded straight to what he could only do at that moment; interviewing people.
                          
At the other end of the room, Bruce was trying very hard not to get noticed, and failing miserably by the looks of it. 
                          
                                 "Bruce Wayne in the flesh, I can't believe it," said a blonde woman, smiling as she walked towards him, "It's a miracle that you finally came out of that turtle shell of yours called Gotham."
                          
Bruce tried to recall where he knew her from but failed, and if there's something Bruce loves most about himself, it was his impeccable memory. Anyway, the woman was behaving like his long lost friend and that's what everyone was going to see. 
                          
                                     "Well, a man has to leave home at some point," he replied with a smile which the woman returned with an even bigger one. 
                          
                                "Let's toast to that," she said as she seized two champagne flutes from a nearby waiter and passed one to Bruce, "To leaving home."
                          
                                   "Leaving home", he echoed and clinked flutes with her, "I wish I could stay here all night with you but there are some friends I need to see. Anyway, it's nice making your acquaintance again, Miss...". He left the end of that statement trailing as a signal for her to input her name. 
                          
                                 "Shirley,"she replied, "Just Shirley." 
                          
As the woman, Shirley, walked away, Bruce was more than convinced that the only place she could have seen him before was on the front page of a magazine. He knew that most people were curious about him, especially about how he could have remained so rich in a city as dark and dangerous as Gotham. But that was his secret to keep. Even worse, they seem not to know, or care for that matter, that the darkness looming over their own city is a lot more dangerous than whatever dwells in Gotham. But then, that was what he, or rather the Batman, had come to deal with. 
                          
Just then, the microphone came to life at that moment and a redhead woman in a matching red dress stepped onto the podium. 
                          
                                   "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," she began with a smile, "It's so nice of you all to join us here tonight. For our friends from outside the city,  I want to welcome you to Metropolis, and to the Luthor Mansion". 
                          
There was a round of applause before she continued. 
                          
                             "Tonight, we're celebrating something special and for that, we need someone special. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together and join me in welcoming on stage, Metropolis' own guardian angel and our gracious host, Alexander Luthor". 
                          
The applause went up another notch as the man stepped up to the podium in a glorious black suit that could make any man jealous, it was obvious that he was loved by all and sundry.
                          
                                    "Good evening, everybody, " his voice boomed into the mic, "I am so glad you could all make it. Since the beginning of time, knowledge has taken the forefront of life. It is through this knowledge that we have learnt about the lives of men, kings, heroes, gods. During my time abroad, an event inspired me to see that it is time we learnt again and now that I've returned, I'm going to make sure that we learn enough to gain power. Who knows, maybe we'll be better than gods".
                          
Bruce didn't why but he felt quite strange about Lex's speech, and he wasn't the only one who thought so. On the other side of the room, Clark's supersenses were also picking off strange vitals from Lex during the speech, especially when he mentioned the word gods. 
                          
But neither of them had time to contemplate it as Lex had already finished short but rousing welcome speech and stepped off the stage in a wave of applause.
                          
Quickly, Clark ran after him shouting, "Mr. Luthor", but that turned out to be highly unnecessary as the man suddenly stopped and turned to wait for him just as Bruce Wayne was crossing the room too. 
                          
                                 "Just the men I was hoping to see," he said immediately with a broad smile, "Clark Kent, I want you to meet Bruce Wayne; Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent." He put one's hand in the other. 
                          
                                     "Actually Mr. Luthor, I was hoping I could get-". 
                          
                                     "The discussion is not between you and I, Clark", he cut him off with a lovely but firm smile before stepping away from the duo, "I believe a man like Bruce Wayne, who is as perceptive as I am, will be more suitable to have that discussion with you. Good night gentlemen, and welcome to the Luthor Mansion."
                          
With that, he walked away without pausing to say  even a single word to another person. 
                          
                                   "Is it just me or is Lex Luthor one hell of a weird man?", said Clark as he watched him go. 
                          
                                   "Took the words right out of my mouth", replied Bruce. 
                          
Both men stood there staring at the door even long after Lex Luthor had taken his leave. There was something going on and they knew it, but try as they could, neither of them could figure it out.