Clark Kent, Star reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper had gotten a juicy tip about corruption at a new construction site in the uptown section of Metropolis. The firm doing the work happened to be a subsidiary of Lex Corp. So he knew it was most likely true from past history. He was all to familiar with the types of people Lex Luthor liked to hire. He went not just because it needed looking into, he also enjoyed being a thorn in Lex Luthors side. The building was to be a twenty story steel frame structure, so it had to meet very strict construction and safety standards at all levels.

When he arrived at the construction site, he was immediately confronted by the site foreman. “Yeah yeah, I know who you are Kent, I’ve also been told to keep you and your kind out, so scram.” Clark saw several muscle boys close in, ready to act if they needed to use force. Clark, being who he is quickly backed off, heading back to his car. Once out of sight of the foreman, he walked around the outer fence of the grounds. As he reached a point opposite from the truck entrance, a small man in welders coveralls slipped out a worker gate.

“Mister Kent sir?” he asked diffidently. Looking around, making sure nobody had seen him slip out the gate while on the clock.

“Yes, may I help you?” Said Clark.

“Actually, I think I can help you. I am a high metal welder Mister Kent. This place ain’t safe mister, the specs call for twelve rivets on all lateral joints, they only let us use six. The welds all should be a triple bead, we being are told to use a single bead. Not safe at all I tell you.” He seemed nervous and kept swiveling his head side to side, looking around.

Clark had his senses out as well and knew they were being watched, but he didn’t feel he needed to act yet. No threat had been made so far. “You can prove this Mister?” He asked.

“Barry, Barry Waters sir, yeah, I can prove it.” Said Barry. He was getting more worried every second and wanted to return to his duties before somebody higher noticed he was absent.

“I will come back later today, will that be long enough?” Ask Clark.

Yeah, it should be, Thanks.” He turned and returned to his work site in the slowly rising building.

Clark went to City Hall to do a records check on who the occupants were to be. The results of the search brought a totally uncharacteristic wicked grin to his normally placid face. “I have a few phone calls to make,” he thought. “He thinks I cost him money, wait until those two get through with him.” Clark let out a very uncharacteristic chuckle at the thought of what those two would do to Lex.

Later that afternoon Clark returned to the building site only to find the person he sought wasn’t there, “Nor had a Barry Waters ever worked here, now scram bum!”

Now Clark took a good look at the structure and his super vision proved out all the allegations. He looked up at a security camera and frowned, knowing who was on the other end. As he returned to his car, he listened carefully, trying isolate a single voice from the cacophony of millions. It only took a few seconds to hear the voice of a very scared Barry Waters begging them not to shoot him. “Nah, we don’t do the shooting thing, we do the just wrap you up and dump you in the harbor thing.

Clark got in his car drove to a nearby parking lot he knew was a good place for him to do his thing. The folks on the streets below heard the faint sonic boom and knew Superman was out and about once more.

At Lex Tower, in the upper penthouse office of Lex Luthor, Merci, Lex’s private sectary and assistant frowned back at Kent in return. “Boss, why do you put up with him, you should have rubbed him out ages ago. He is about to cost you millions on that job and you know it.”

“Yes Merci, I know he is, and there isn’t a damned thing I can do about it at this point. As to rubbing him out, been there, tried it, have the scars to prove it. He’s lucky Merci, the Devils kind of lucky.” Lex rubbed at his left wrist that had taken the brunt of a failed effort a few years before. “No, just leave him be. I’ll call him and ask him to not publish if I get the issues in question fixed up. He sometimes does that if I ask nicely.”

Her expression showed she didn’t understand. “Ok, let’s put it this way, when it comes down to Miss Lane, the Blue Boyscout is flashy and open about rescues. With Kent, it’s different, always in the background, quiet, and painful. I’ve watched and reviewed things Merci, Kent is Murphys best friend.”

“Well, I still don’t like him, he is just so ... I don’t know, soft I guess.” Said Merci.

“It’s all an act Merci, Kent may be a wimp outwardly, but push him and it is like trying to move a steel reinforced brick wall out of the way with a plastic spoon. Leave him alone.” said Lex with a sigh.

Merci still did not fully understand, even after her several run ins with him. “On her head be it then,” thought Lex. He did dispatch several silent drones to follow and monitor her for the evening. He could at least get a good laugh if it went as he thought it would. Kent might too if he sent a copy to him.

That evening, around seven PM, Merci lay quietly on a rooftop that overlooked the apartment of one Clark Kent. Her M2 sniper rifle concealed and set to fire as soon as an opportunity presented itself. She watched as he entered the building after parking along the side street next to his building. She waited and soon the lights came on in the front room of the apartment. She watched him move around the room putting things away then decided which room he would die in. She waited, eye to the scope, and a few minutes. The lights came on in the bedroom and she saw a faint shadow move on the shades. She adjusted the angle, let out her breath, waited for the break between heart beats and pulled the trigger. All she heard was a faint snap of metal from inside the rifle. “What the hell?” She whispered.

She cleared the rifle and when she opened the bolt, she found the firing pin had broken off at the tip. Cursing her luck, she replaced the pin from the parts bag she kept in the case then started to settle back down, only to find all the lights had been turned off. She saw the light from the hall just as the door closed, he had left his apartment. She got up and waited to see if he exited and to see which way he would go. He did a few minutes later and walked right to the bus stop and waited. She didn’t dare fire on him out in the open. She would need to follow him and wait for a better opportunity.