Clark rolled his eyes at the television screen before turning the device off with a nearby remote. The celebrity gossip was tiring, but to consistently hear Lex being talked about as one of the social elite and not as the maniacal tyrant that Clark knew him to be was exasperating. How many times had he fought against Lex in the public eye? How many jail sentences had Luthor served? Of course, any sentence was commuted early into the duration and somehow, someway, Lex associated himself with the latest charity of the month, ingratiating himself into the good graces of the public once more. He had maintaining the sham for much longer this time around, going so far as to demolish some of his defense manufacturing plants and committing them to “cancer research”. 

It made him sick. 

Then again, Clark was grateful for the break. He was able to spend more time with Lois and Kara and actually make friends as Clark Kent instead of Superman.
 
Speaking of friends…

“You know I can always hear you come in.” Clark looked to his left to find one Bruce Wayne garbed in the uniform that struck fear and awe into those that saw it. 
“And you didn’t have to come in costume…although with the choice of wardrobe, I assume you’re here on business.” 
“Talia. What do you know about her relationship with Lex?”
“Nothing.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Lex has kept himself clean, Bruce. I’ve kept an eye on him ever since his latest ‘good guy’ façade and have found nothing.”
“You’re not digging hard enough.” 
“Oh?”
“There’s a reason why Lex formed a partnership with Talia.”
“Other than love?” Clark gave Bruce a teasing smirk, to which the latter narrowed his eyes at. 
“Love is something a sociopath like Lex can’t know. Talia is too committed to her own interests. Something’s not right.”
“And that’s why you’re here? To confront your former lover slash master assassin?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want my he-“
“No.” 
“Figured I’d ask.” 
“Your time is better served trying to figure out what Lex has up his sleeve. I’ll deal with Talia.”
“You going to tell me what you have planned?”
“I just did.” 
“Right." Before Clark could utter another word, the Dark Knight had left. 
"I hate it when he does that." He muttered to no one in particular, rising from the couch before headed to the fridge, opening it to find a multitude of containers that were labeled with either very precise, neat handwriting. 
"Lois' fried chicken or Kara's street tacos?" When Lois had informed Kara of her two week trip to visit her parents, the duo had decided to make sure that Clark would be well fed while his wife was gone. The timing of the trip was also helpful if Bruce's suspicions were correct and Lex was plotting something with his soon to be bride. Although Lex still hadn't figured out who Superman actually was, it was still comforting to know that she was across the country in "the largest cesspool of vanity and scum there was" (Los Angeles to everyone else). 

Deciding on the fried chicken, he withdrew the food container in question and was ready to heat it up when another visitor landed on his balcony, this one not nearly as much as a surprise than the first. 
"Someday, I think you'll use our front door. Someday." He cast his cousin a playful smirk as he motioned to the food:
"I can't thank you enough for helping with this. I think I'll continually be in a state of 'full' for the next two weeks." Although not a mind reader, Clark thought he could feel some apprehension coming from Kara. 
"What's up? Coming by to eat or..." He frowned. 
"Did Bruce ambush you, too? He tends to do that once he knows you relatively well."