Irene looked up at the LexCorp tower, it was one of the tallest buildings in Metropolis. It was almost intimidating, and she was sure that was the intention. Alexander Luther was one of the richest men in the world, it was no surprise that a man like that would want to show off his wealth.

When she entered the building she was surprised to find that there was already a woman by the from desk waiting for her. She was amazingly tall, and her lack of any genuine emotion was almost startling. She stood out the large space. "Irene Miranda?"

"Yes?"Irene questioned knowing that this had to be the woman that she had spoken to on the phone.

"I'm Mercy Graves. Follow me." She replied as she walked further into the building. Irene followed without a world, and she couldn't help but be impressed by the inside. There was a food court for the employees as well as a large basketball court at the center where many of them were in the middle of a game.

Irene spotted him immediately. He was difficult to miss, and everyone on the city knew who Lex Luthor was. He was in the middle of a game with his employees, and Irene wasn't foolish enough to fall for the act. She had no doubt that this was all for show with the intention of earning her favor. Of getting a headline talking about how down to earth the richest man in the world was.

"Ah! I didn't know you were here." Lex Luthor greeted with a wide smile as he extended his hand to her. Irene returned his smile with one of her own as she let him take her hand. "Hi, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing great Mr. Luthor." Irene replied, intending that take her hand back but his grip made it clear that he had no intention of letting go just yet.

"Please just call me Lex." He replied as finally released her hand and motioned for her to follow him. "Uh. Follow me."

Irene was sure she had never seen such an extravagant office before, but as beautiful as the office was it was also cold and unfeeling. She took as a seat across from him, and smiled. "I'm glad you are finally open to an interview Lex."

"Pulitzer prize winning reporter Irene Miranda." He said instead as he leaned back casually in his chair. Oddly enough now it seemed that it was him that was studying her and not the other way around. "I've read a lot of your work in the Daily Planet. You are brilliant."

"Thank you. Let's begin?" She questioned, and he said nothing. Only motioned for her to begin. Since she had gotten the call for the interview she had been thinking about how to begin the interview. About what questions she needed to ask to get the answers she needed. "Two days ago you met with Senator Finch, here at LexCorp. Why?"

"You sure get straight to the punch. I like it." Lex claimed as he stood up and walked to the other side of the room where he put on the lab coat on the hanger. "Walk with me."

He walked down a corridor, using a palm scan to open multiple security doors. To many all the security protocols might have seemed excessive, but it only spoke of how sensitive and important the things that he kept on the other side of all the doors was.

"You know, Dad was born in east Germany. He grew up eating uh... stale crackers." He began and Irene was left to follow his quick pace as he spoke. "And every other Saturday, he had to march in a parade and waved flowers at tyrants. So, I think it was providence that his son, me, would end up with this."

When the last doors slide open Irene came to a stop surprised by what was sitting in the other room. Inside a glass case was a small fragment of Kryptonite, much smaller the one she had hidden away in a steel box in her apartment.

She shouldn't have been surprised that he was in possession of Kryptonite or that there was more out there. Irene had only hoped that they wouldn't have to deal with Kryptonite anymore, even though that was exactly why she was here.

To confirm that Lex Luther was involved with what happened a couple of months ago with Metallo.

"One of my rebuild Metropolis crews found it." He explained as he placed his hand on time of the glass box as it was his most prized possession. "A little souvenir from the Kryptonian World Engine."

"What's a rock have to do with Homeland Security?" Irene questioned, having to remember that she never published anything about Kryptonite in the story she and Clark had written. They decided it was best to keep it a secret, thought now it becoming public knowledge seemed inevitable.

"Homeland Security? Mmm. No, no. Planetary Security."

"What exactly do you mean by that?"

"The fragment is of a radioactive xenomineral. We suspected it might have bio interactions, so, we took the sample to S.T.A.R. Labs..."

He pressed a nearby keyboard, and the monitor changed to a video of a corpse being removed from its plastic cover. It took a moment for Irene to recognize the face but when she did she felt her heart stop in her chest. She would never be able to forget that face. It was the corpse of the man that destroyed half of her city, General Zod.

Footage then continued as scientist used what almost looked like a drill-like device with the Kryptonite to slice Zod's torso. The image cause Irene too wince, not so much the fact that Zod was being cut open but that that could easily be Clark.

"Where they keep the remains of the Kryptonian decedent. And, when we exposed general Zod to the mineral, this happened."

Lex co to yes talking but Irene couldn't keep her eyes off the monitor. The footage of black cells splitting up, getting a green glow and dissolving horrified her. Of course this was all in formation that she already knew. Dr. Stone had told her all this months ago, but it was different to see it in action.

Different knowing that Clark's cells were affected this much by the Kryptonite.

"Profound biodegradation, decaying Kryptonian cells. We concluded the mineral could be weaponized, if a large enough sample was found. And then, among the fishes, a whale!"

Lex pressed other key and the monitor changed to the image of a large sample of Kryptonite that was even larger than the one currently in the room.

"Lying at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Emerald City. Beautiful." Lex continued looking up at the image in admiration. "Now, Rocky is considered radioactive, so what I need from Senator Finch is an import license."

"And why would you want to weaponize this material?"

"As a deterrent. A silver bullet to keep in reserve to use against the Kryptonians."

"The only Kryptonian on Earth is Superman." She reminded him, hoping that maybe she be misspoke. Because why would anyone ever wan to kill Superman? He was the world's hero.

An angry look came across his face, but it was gone in an instant once again replaced by that carefree persona that he seemed to have perfected. "Ha. Yes, Superman. Yeah, but, there are... there are more of them."

He looked at her then expectantly, like he was waiting for her to put the pieces together. To ask a question that he clearly wanted her to ask. 

She knew exactly what he was talking about. Ever since Superman appeared there had been theories that there were more people out there with super-human abilities. Of course there had yet to be any proof that there were others with mutated genes that granted them powers. Most considered it a conspiracy theory as there was no science to back those claims. 

"You're referring to the meta-human thesis."

"Yes, the meta-human thesis. More likely than not. These exceptional beings live among us. The bases of our myths. Gods among men upon our... our little blue planet here." He explained and while many people would have been excited that people with amazing abilities expected existed, Alex Luther seemed annoyed by just the idea of their existence. "You don't have to use the silver bullet, but, if you forge one... Well, then... We don't have to depend upon the kindness of monsters."

"And you consider Superman a monster?"

"Anything that has the power to destroy us all is a monster."

Irene knew that she had to bite her tongue and not try to counter him. She had to try to remain neutral, but she had a feeling that he was choosing his words carefully. He wanted a reaction from her, because the whole world knew that she was in contact with Superman. That she knew his true identity. "Have you come across any other possible meta-humans?"

"Still too early in the research process to disclose anything on the record. But if we make any progress I'll be sure to call you." He assured her, and from the look in his eyes she knew that there was more that he wasn't telling her. That maybe he did have some kind of evidence that meta-humans existed, or else why would he be going through all the trouble of importing Kryptonite?

She knew when to not push a subject and she knew that Lex wasn't going to reveal anymore information. But Lex had given her more information than she had expected, but she still hadn't asked the question that had been burning in her mind since what happened with Metello a couple of months ago. 

"A couple months ago one of your employees Emmet Vale was involved in supplying John Corben with a suit that allowed him to commit a series of crimes across Metropolis. Do you have any comment on that?"

Lex Luthor smiled as he took a couple steps closer to her. "Are you suggesting that I was involved with the Metallo incident?"

"I'm only asking if Vale might have stolen some of your research on Kryptonians and meta-humans as his suit had the ability to weaken Superman."

"Will you look at the time it's getting late." Lex commented as he looked up at the clock on the other side of the room. It was true, it had gotten late. She hadn't expected to be here for this long, but surprisingly Lex Luthor loved to talk. Except it seemed when it came to Emmet Vale. "How about some dinner?"

Irene was slightly taken aback, she hadn't thought he would ask her to dinner and she didn't entirely understand his motive. But what she did know that she had to accept. If she could get close enough to Luthor then maybe he would tell her more about what he was planning.

"Dinner sounds great."

It was an odd thing that after months of seeking out an interview with Lex Luthor, she would leave the interview wishing that it hadn't happened. Maybe it would have been better is she remained blissfully unaware of how potentially dangerous Lex Luthor could be, but she knew it was a ridiculous thought. Clark needed to know about all of this and she was itching to tell him. 

When she reached for her keys to open the apartment Clark was already opening the front door. She was surprised that he was home, he tended to focus his evenings on being Superman. 

"You're home." Clark said as he walked over to her and helped Irene out of her coat. "I was beginning to worry."

"I told you I was going to dinner with Luthor. That man loves to talk about himself." Irene explained not able to hide her disappointment. She had only accepted his dinner invitation in hopes that she would be able to get more information about his meta-human theory or how exactly he planned to weaponize the Kryptonite. Instead she spent the last hour hearing about his childhood and having to answer his questions about herself. "Anyway I did learn a lot."

"Like?"

"I'm worried Clark. I'm scared really." She told him as she took a seat on the couch. Almost year ago when the had to deal with Metallo, she was worried for Clark too. But this felt different in a way she couldn't explain. Irene hadn't noticed the her leg was beginning to shake until Clark took a seat beside her and placed his hand on her knee. "He wants to import a large sample of Kryptonite that they discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean."

Clark's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't seem nearly as worried as she was. "How large?"

"Bigger than the size of your head large." Irene replied as she turned to face him completely. "He's planning on weaponizing it as some kind of preventative measure."

"Why would he want to create a weapon against Superman?" He questioned but it was a question that he already knew the answer to. It was what he had been fearing all along, that the world wouldn't accept him. And sure there were a lot of people that loved Superman, they both knew that with one single misstep they would turn on him too.

Irene already knew that Clark was secretly struggling about what they were saying about Superman on the news, he attempted to hide it from her but she knew. "Lex is obviously afraid or at the very least intimidated by you."

"Lex?" Clark repeated, and she hadn't realized it before because she had been so focused on wanting to tell him everything she learned, that she didn't notice how weird he was being. He was serious and had a unnaturally emotionless look in his eyes. 

"Clark nothing happened."

"I know. I'm sorry." He said as he shook his head recognizing how unreasonable he was being. "I just don't like imagining the woman I love having dinner with another man."

It was almost ridiculous that he felt the need to be jealous at all. He was the only perfect being on the planet and he had completely ruined her for anyone else. Because she knew that there would be no one else, and he knew it too. 

"Well, maybe you should be worried. The crazy hair and all that money was really doing something to me." Irene stated and the frown on Clark's face caused her to start laughing. Sometimes it was fun messing with Clark he tended to take things at face value. 

"Very funny." Clark muttered as he leaned forward to kiss her but she couldn't stop laughing fast enough to kiss him make in time. But he didn't seem annoyed by it, he only looked at her with an expression that she couldn't really place. He had never looked at her like that before. 

"What?" She questioned, the way he was looking at her was making her nervous. 

"Let's talk to Perry tomorrow and ask for a couple of days off for that trip we talked about." Clark suddenly stated taking Irene by surprise, in all honesty she had forgotten about the trip that they had agreed on before she left for Africa. 

"Alright. How about two months from now?"

"No, I can't wait that long." He told her as he leaned down to kiss her again. This time she did kiss him back pulling him closer to her, but he pulled away just enough to look her in the eye. "Two weeks."

Irene could see how important this was to him, and how much he needed it. Although she had a lot of work to do, she couldn't say no to this. "Alright. Let's ask Perry tomorrow."

She wasn't sure how willing Perry would be to give them a couple days off. There was so much work to do, and Irene still needed to begin looking into the bullet from the desert. But she was willing to put it all aside if Clark needed a break from everything. 

Truthfully after everything that had happened she needed a break too. Jimmy had asked Perry for a week off after what happened at the desert, maybe she should have done the same. But she knew herself, if she would have stayed at home with her thoughts she probably would have gone insane. 

She needed to work. She needed to keep busy so she didn't think about what happened at every waking moment.  

A/N: Thank you for everyone that votes and comments every chapter it does mean a lot. Writing does take up a lot of time and energy so thank you to those of you who show your support. Irene is going to Gotham the next chapter so get ready.