By the time Clark had gotten his job at the Daily Planet, he had already saved quite a few people in metropolis. He had done so under the radar, but that didn't prevent murmurings. Everyone at least knew someone who had seen the mysterious blur that saved people from harm. It had put people off of bigger crimes like bank robberies for a while now, but since nothing big had happened yet most people still didn't believe there was any truth in this strange phenomenon.
Those who did believe, however, couldn't help but think that it was only a matter of time before this thing stopped a major crisis...and they were right.
Certain forces in the criminal underworld were going to make certain of it.
...
Lex Luthor stood out for a number of reasons. He was a tall, bald man with imposing features and a penetrating gaze, he was the owner of the largest, most profitable corporation in the world, Lexcorp, and had taken the number one spot in Metropolis Magazine's top ten most eligible bachelor's list five years in a row.
He also had a secret criminal empire, but not one could prove it. The only people who knew for certain were those already within that empire, such as the man who burst into Luthor's office.
"Mr. Luthor! Mr. Luthor!" cried the man, a middle aged thuggish man dressed in a suit with a black mustache. "Mr. Luthor! It isn't what it looks like!"
Lex Luthor, sitting at his desk with an incredible view of metropolis at his back and two elaborately decorated fish tanks on either side of him, looked up at the intruder and said, "And what, pray tell, isn't what it looks like Mr. Manheim?"
"That weapons shipment I was getting for you," said Bruno Manheim. "I didn't back out of the deal! Someone stole it! Stole it and tied up my men! Then the police showed up! It all happened so fast!"
"Mr. Manheim," said Luthor impatiently.
"Someone did it!" cried Manheim. "Something fast...it was all a blur. I'm telling you it happened it a second! I know it sounds crazy but..."
"Mr. Manheim!" said Luthor angrily. "I believe you! Now shut up for a moment!"
Manheim was about to say something, but was so caught off guard by what he had just heard he kept his mouth shut, waiting with baited breath as Luthor stared at him while tapping his fingers impatiently on the desk.
After a moment Luthor finally said, "So you can be quiet for more than a split second. Glad to know it. Also you are right to be worried that I'll always know when something goes wrong, because I will. Just keep that in mind and I'm sure everything will be fine."
Manheim resisted the urge to clench his fist. If anyone else had talked to him like that there'd be trouble, but Lex Luthor...no way.
"I am also well aware that what went wrong wasn't your fault," said Luthor. "This blur that keeps stopping crime is no legend. No one's ever gotten a good glimpse of it, but I have had evidence of its existence for quite some time now, and knew full well it could be a problem. Why else would I distance myself from our usual projects?"
That was true, Manheim thought. Luthor hadn't been doing deals himself for a while now. Lately he'd been sending that gorgeous, if scary blonde called Mercy to do finalize transactions. This dirty rat was keeping his own hands clean while guys like manheim did the dirty work and took the fall for it.
This was a thought he didn't dare say out loud.
"What kind of evidence?" asked Manheim.
"Video evidence," said Luthor. "We have videos of this blur in action, and all my experts agree that none of these videos have been doctored."
"I see," said Manheim, rubbing his chin. "So what are we gonna do?"
"I have a plan to draw it out," said Luthor smugly. "A way to...say...make his speed a disadvantage rather than an advantage. If we can just get a glimpse of it, get for information about it, then we will be better equipped to fight it. But that's what I will be doing. You should get back to work."
As much as Manheim would have liked to be in on a thing like that, he didn't want to make a bigger fool of himself than he felt he already had. He turned around, but Luthor wasn't quite finished.
"Mr. Manheim," said Luthor stoically. "one more thing. If you ever show yourself at Lexcorp again and reveal my connections to the criminal underworld, I will make certain you lose everything. Are we clear?"
Manheim really had to try not to clench his fists this time. He just looked back, nodded politely, and walked out of the office, feeling more like a fool than ever. Lex Luthor tended to have that effect on him.
