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Herald of Death(31-45)

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  Arising Part One
  
  
  Chapter 31: The Arising Part One.
  
  Clark was completely and utterly confused. None of this was adding up. He decided to ask the most obvious question that came to mind.
  
  "The arising, but I thought...."
  
  Luna hushed Clark immediately, and dragged him behind a set of bushes. There were several more guards that patrolled the area. They had noticed the downed bodies of the Death Eaters on the ground. Luna spoke to Clark in a hushed undertone.
  
  "The arising is a tricky subject to deal with. They have no idea what kind of Pandora's box they opened. You see the world around us. There are hardly any people around us. Well any people who cannot perform magic. Harry and Kara managed to defeat the monster that was brought forth by the three Heralds of Lord Voldemort, but not without a great price."
  
  "What do you mean a great price?" Clark asked. "What is going on here? And if I don't exist, then how am I here?"
  
  Luna shook her head. She remained patient, and calm. The girl held her hand to quiet Clark.
  
  "To answer your questions in reverse order, you don't exist in this world, because you never made it here," Luna explained. "However, there is a world where you do exist, the world where you were transported from. The world did not technically change; you were brought here to this world. Time travel cannot change a world. Rather what Brainiac did was that he branched off two separate worlds from the maiden time stream. One without you, and one where the world for all intents and purposes for you stopped the moment you disappeared. In theory, that world is still going on. Your mind just perceived that everyone around you disappeared, but rather you did."
  
  Clark was completely taken off guard by this. He had many more questions than he did in fact have answers. His head was spinning by the absolute insanity that was time travel.
  
  "You've been transported to this world, a harsh world that is not like your own," Luna continued. "And in this world, if you do not find a way to return to yours within the seventy two hour window, you will cease to exist. Since you do not fit in this world, it will be trying to erase you. Lily's charm work is the only thing that is keeping you from completely and utterly disappearing."
  
  Clark just nodded. He had no idea what was going on. In fact, he felt like he had no better explanation to what was going on around him than what Luna was telling him. The girl was not done.
  
  "The timeline diverged in several instances," Luna said. "The meteor shower that brought you here arrived, but the ship failed and you perished before Martha and Jonathan Kent could find you. The lives of those infected by the meteors were still altered, and their lives were changed forever. And many of the same people were targeted. How many times were you to save the day? Without you there to save the day, each and every single one of your friends died a premature death."
  
  Clark swallowed the lump in his throat. The gravestones really hit hard. In a world where he did not exist, he could not save his friends from danger. Therefore, they no longer existed.
  
  "You said Harry and Kara defeated the monster that was brought forth by the Arising," Clark said. "Yet, why is Kara acting the way she is? She threw me out of a window, and then....they called her the Empress."
  
  Luna remained silent. She was checking for another patrol. One did come around here annoyingly often. She took a deep breath, and turned towards Clark.
  
  "The Harry and Kara you know still live, but they are out of reach," Luna said. "Brainiac intends to trap them on Krypton when it explodes. Even with their powers, they cannot survive an entire planet exploding. And they will go down to stop Brainiac, to save you, to make sure a world like this doesn't exist. They do not want a world where the darkness has engulfed eighty percent of the world's population, and where Harry was taken over by his inner demons."
  
  Clark had more questions, but now was not the time. Luna grabbed Clark by the sleeve, and moved off.
  
  "We got to keep moving, we can't face them right now, especially you with your powers being low," Luna said. She tapped her wand on his sleeve. Clark felt a warmth flood through him. "There, the red sunlight should be filtered into yellow sunlight. It's not as good as the real thing; it would take charm work of someone more powerful than me to do so. However, you will find it to be an acceptable enough substitute."
  
  "How did you do that?" Clark asked.
  
  Luna offered him a smile.
  
  "Magic can do anything."
  
  Clark felt that there was no reason to argue with an explanation like that.
  
  "As to answer your question to what's going on here, there is a dark force coming," Luna said. "Judging by your expression, the arising was stopped in your universe."
  
  "Yes, Harry and Kara defeated the Heralds of Voldemort," Clark confirmed.
  
  Luna's expression darkened, and she looked serious.
  
  "However, fate tends to have a strange way of making sure that certain prophecies are fulfilled," Luna said. "It is unfortunate that an entire timeline has to suffer for this. It was written that Harry was to defeat Voldemort. However, that did not happen, at least in the conventional sense."
  
  "He's dead though, that seems pretty defeated to me," Clark said.
  
  "To most it would be, but Harry's destiny indicates that he slays that personal demon with his own hand," Luna said. She looked saddened. "I know enough about what is happening in your timeline to be very worried. There is a darkness that looms inside Harry Potter. His noble heart has been fighting it, but the powers of the Herald of Death could tend to cause him to tap into that darkness. As long as Kara remains uncompromised, she will be able to anchor him. In this world, for years, they were two of the greatest heroes the world has ever seen. That was until he popped into their life, and offered them help in defeating the monster."
  
  "What monster is this?" Clark asked. "Lord Voldemort..."
  
  "Voldemort, while dangerous, was not capable of the destruction that this monster was when he was brought forth by the Arising," Luna explained cryptically. "Kara and Harry defeated it, after Harry tapped into his full powers. These full powers awakened something deep inside of him. Kara was given a gift from Harry around this time. A red necklace that radically changed her personality, and made her come to the conclusion that Earth needed to be conquered to be saved."
  
  Clark could hardly believe what he was hearing.
  
  "Kara should be immune to Kryptonite of all types," Clark said.
  
  "In the right hands, with the right charm work, anything can be made more potent," Luna said. "The point was both of them were beloved heroes. Up until the point where these radical changes happened in them. Things were made worst when Milton Fine assisted them. He encouraged the worst in them. And now Harry and Kara have been turned into dark mirrors of themselves. Fine might be the puppet master, but there is another looming force controlling his strings."
  
  Luna sighed. She remained silent. Clark looked at her.
  
  "I have a plan to change all of this, and I will get you back to your time, to help Harry and Kara stop Brainiac," Luna said. She fixed her eyes on him. "I need your help."
  
  "Why do you need my help?" Clark asked.
  
  Luna offered him a bright smile. "Because this looks like a job for Clark Kent."
  
  Harry Potter sat in an office in the heart of the Shining Light Foundation.. He had been trying to convince himself that what he was doing was right. The human race had been wiped out for the most part. The few that had remained had been in fear. He was hoping to create a world that people of all races could prosper in. Yet, the only way he could do this was conquer it. Kara had been on board with this. He had given her a necklace to cement their love.
  
  Kara was the most important thing in the world to him. He would never forgive himself if anything bad ever happened to her. Anyone else, he really could not care about. Harry thought that his girl was the most beautiful thing in the universe. She was powerful, and loyal to him. He had helped her find everything to achieve a grander purpose in life.
  
  "Master, are you..."
  
  "Leave me," Harry told the robed figures.
  
  "There was a problem outside," one of the robed figures said.
  
  "I said leave me," Harry repeated to them.
  
  The robed figures bowed. Soon enough the echoes of their master would be brought out completely. Harry Potter had been annoyingly fighting it for years and years. That girl was a huge problem, and she would need to be sacrificed for the echoes deep within Harry Potter to be full realized. The power would come to life.
  
  Milton Fine popped up.
  
  "Is everything prepared?" Fine asked him.
  
  Harry turned towards him. "I'm having second thoughts about what I'm going do."
  
  "You must preserve both your race and Kara's," Fine said. "The two of you are the last hope for two races that are dying. The Fortress is prepared. All you have to do is open the portal, and the key that you need will be presented for you. The two of you can repopulate Krypton, and bring it back. It will be a brand new utopia."
  
  Harry stood and tapped his foot. He was not completely sure about this. He stood on his feet, and looked out the window. For the past couple of years, he certainly did not feel like himself. He had taken his mother's advice to the letter of what to do. However, even Lily Potter questioned his trust he had for Milton Fine. And Fine did seem to have his own agenda. Harry was just stringing him along, hoping for him to slip up and he would find more information.
  
  "Why am I going along with this?" Harry asked him.
  
  That was a question that had been bouncing around Harry's mind for the last several days. It had kept coming back to that point. He wondered if he was losing sense of himself. There was this whisper in his ear that he needed to do something with Kara, for she would betray him like the rest of them. Harry stifled those whispers. He loved Kara. She was the only reason he had to live.
  
  "It was your idea, Emperor Potter," Milton Fine told him. The two locked eyes. "I will await your decision, but the longer you wait, the more of a risk you have of losing much more. You will be evolved to a completely different level, and your powers will increase. You will be an entirely new person."
  
  Harry did understand that. He folded his arms, and stood to face this man. Time ticked by. He would have to make a decision. There was a part of him who just wished to take Kara, and fly off to find a new world to start a new life. Responsibilities be damned, Harry just could not handle the deaths and destruction that he had inadvertently caused. He stepped forward, and turned around.
  
  "I will need to consider what my next move is," Harry said.
  
  "You are merely a fair and just ruler," Fine said. "But I feel that you can be much more. Just trust me on this, Emperor Potter."
  
  Harry felt like Fine was the devil on his shoulder, whispering what to do to him. He had no idea what was going through his mind. All he knew was that he had to figure out something. He needed to speak with Kara about this. Kara seemed to encourage this conquest, but he had a feeling to her loyalty was tied to him and only him. Harry had to make sure.
  
  He helped his girl fine the three stones, and construct her Fortress. The two of them had bonded at that moment. Through the trials and tribulations, the two of them had grown closer than any two people in the universe could have ever hoped to dream. The monster they slayed, and managed to put down for good was their greatest triumph.
  
  It all went wrong. He had given Kara that red necklace on a whim. It did seem to change her a little bit; however it had made her far more adventurous in many ways. Not that she was not already adventurous before he handed her that red necklace. A voice within Harry had silenced every single one of his little doubts that he had.
  
  "Tonight, I will know for sure," Harry told Fine.
  
  A looming presence within Harry Potter grew frustrated and impatient. He was nearly able to get through Potter, and use his body to return to his more natural form. There were times where he thought he had got closer. However, Harry remained utterly stubborn in giving in to his inner nature completely.
  
  It was all about that girl. She would need to perish. Potter and that alien would be taken out. And also Fine would have to suffer. The dark force within Harry Potter had understood what must be done. He knew that machine had his own agenda. Oh yes, he knew he was a machine, and he suspected that Harry Potter suspected that fact as well.
  
  Soon everything would come true. The plan that had been created many years ago would come to light. He would rise again. The steps had been taken where he would never die.
  
  And Harry Potter, the alien, and that computer would all perish. Lord Voldemort would rise once more. Combined with the own darkness that Harry Potter had tried hard to repress, he would be unstoppable.
  
  There were many changes that happened in this new timeline. Among many of them was that the Horcrux inside Harry had never been vanquished. Fine's attempts to weaken Potter had made him stronger, and able to take control of this vessel. Yet, there would be a stronger vessel coming, one that was invulnerable to all attacks. Combined with his magic, he would be invincible.
  
  All would tremble before his power.
  
  Clark stood outside, and peered through the bushes. The sun was coming down. There was some kind of eerie beauty about a red sun that he could not explain. Luna stood beside him, and began to hum underneath her breath. She saw the guards move around.
  
  "Well, the cat's out of the bag right now," Luna told Clark. "They know you're here. My mother told me stories about the traveler, but with heroic, bold, and brave, without tact was not one of the many adjectives that were given to you. Not that it is a bad thing. There are heroes that are bold and brave, but they have no sense of subtly. I would think that with an advanced race, you would be able to understand what to do. Your training should have conveyed this much to you."
  
  Clark sighed. He did not know how to tell someone that his training still had not officially begun. Luna stepped forward, and shook her head. She turned and put her hands on her chin, cupping it. A smile spread across her face.
  
  "From what I've been able to tell, they have a distinct shoot on sight policy regarding you," Luna told Clark. "While bullets cannot hurt you, magic can in many ways. That particular weakness has been determined through my mother's studies. She was researching many matters before you died. I have some awareness from myself in the other universe."
  
  "How is that possible?" Clark asked. "Aren't you dead there?"
  
  "I assume that I am," Luna said in a cheerful voice. "However, you just never know what happened. I'd like to think that my death was an elaborate hoax. Somewhere out there, I am riding around with a UFO with Elvis, Bigfoot, and Tupac just waiting to make my move, but that's beside the point."
  
  Clark really had no idea how to react to this girl. She most certainly viewed the world through her own unique perspective. Not that it was a bad thing, but it was a strange thing. Luna tapped her foot.
  
  "Are there others out there?" Clark asked.
  
  "Kara, Harry, and I have been mostly holding the fort down, until what happened occurred," Luna told him. She closed her eyes. It was hard to deal with something like this. Especially since her, Kara, and Harry were all so close in this world. "I ran off to try and find help for Harry and Kara. The two of them don't deserve to be used like this, but what they've gone through to get to this point, it's understandable why they are vulnerable like this. They would kill me for even thinking that they were vulnerable, yet the strongest of us tend to have our moments of weakness."
  
  Luna remained calm. The experiment that her mother was doing with the meteor rocks that lead to her death had caused an indirect side effect on her. The rocks had empowered her, and allowed her to view the world through a different perspective. She saw things that others could not see. It had caused her to be considered a misfit, to be dubbed insane. However, she had seen the things that people would not even acknowledge.
  
  She peered out into the distance. The girl remained silent. Clark seemed to be impatient. Luna thought that this was one of his more annoying traits. Luna folded her arms over her chest.
  
  "You said Brainiac is here?" Clark asked, and Luna responded with a crisp nod. "It's almost like he knows that I'm here."
  
  Luna pondered this matter for a second. It was hard to explain how the BrainInteractive Construct had fit into this equation. However, she had to give Clark her honest response of the matter.
  
  "I'm sure that particular problem knows that you're here," Luna said. "There have been several messages sent here through the time stream. The Harry and Kara you know sent one through."
  
  "I found that one," Clark agreed.
  
  "And if they could sent the messages through, it stands to reason that Brainiac could communicate to his counterpart here as well," Luna said. "I normally don't assume, because you know what that does to you and me, but this is one case where I feel confident that we could. Assume that he knows everything about you, and prepare for it. He will be waiting for you, and he plans to use Harry to enact his plans. However, the puppet master is about to be strangled with his own strings. And Harry and Kara will both be hurt in the crossfire by the real mastermind. We have to separate Harry from the thing that is infecting him."
  
  "How?" Clark asked.
  
  Luna just smirked, and pulled out a lead lined box from her robe. She handed it to Clark, and cracked it open. There was a very familiar black rock in it.
  
  "Harry can't be affected by Kryptonite," Clark told Luna.
  
  Luna just smiled. "Yes, normally he couldn't. However, Harry is Kryptonian enough where with the modified charm work; he will be affected just as much as the next person."
  
  Clark was taken aback by this.
  
  "Harry has Kryptonian ancestry deep within his bloodline," Luna told Clark. "One of his ancestors was Kryptonian, but he managed to suppress his powers to live a normal life. Harry's bond with Kara has awakened his lineage deep inside him, the first member of his family to tap into those gifts for generations."
  
  Luna remained calm as if this was nothing at all. Clark would normally have had all of the questions in the world. Time ran shorter.
  
  "This should separate Harry from his dark side long enough to banish it and any lingering parasites," Luna told him. "We can break Kara's spell as well, and she can help us save Harry. And then Harry can return you home."
  
  Clark hoped so. The time was running out. He was not relishing stepping one foot into the Shining Light Foundation. Kara threatened to kill him the last time he entered there, and threw him through a window.
  
  The only consolation was that Kara was not herself. He had been down that road before, and could understand. Plus, Clark reminded himself that he did not exist in this world, and he had brought up a very touchy subject.
  
  "It's time, Kal-El," Luna told him. "Through that gate, and be ready to fight. They will kill you if you show any mercy."
  
  Clark stood. He did not want to take a life, but these Death Eaters were far more dangerous than anything he had ever fought, except maybe the criminals from the Phantom Zone. Harry had said a few things about them, even if they were a subject that he would have liked to avoid.
  
  The two moved forward. Clark was determined. He could fix this all, even if he was sure he was gone for almost a day. Time was running out.
  
  The time they had spent looking for Brainiac had given Kara a lot of time to think. She was given ample time to think about whether or not the destruction of her beloved home planet was going to be something that was inevitable no matter what was done. It did seem to be the case. It was scary to think that no matter what was done, there was nothing that she could have done there.
  
  Kara was here on Krypton. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that her powers had not returned. The two of them could have stopped it from all happening had they had their full powers. However, there were many consequences. She stood, arms locked with Harry. This was the person she wanted a future with. Krypton was something that was part of her distinct past. The echoes from the past threatened to overwhelm her. People begged her to save them.
  
  Yet, Kara could not save them. In her heart, she knew that. There was no way to stop it. A lot of good people died, and Kryptonians had thought that their civilization would last for thousands of years more. There were times where their own arrogance had gotten the better of them. In hindsight, the destruction of Krypton was something that everyone should have seen coming. The Ruling Council had brought it upon themselves, and greed had driven them the rest of the way. No one did, and Kara could sense the millions of mistakes that were made.
  
  Perhaps she could use the foundation of the mistakes from the past to build a brighter future. Those were the thoughts in her mind. Even if she could not save Krypton, perhaps she could help Harry prevent the same fate from Earth. Earth would evolve to that point someday, and in a few hundred years, they could be at a similar crossroads.
  
  Growing complacent was the downfall of many great civilizations. One did not have to be a historical scholar to understand that. Kara bit her lip, and frowned immediately. Harry stood by her, and scanned the area.
  
  "Is he near?" Kara asked Harry quietly.
  
  Harry nodded. "I'm sure he's very near. I don't think this time travel thing was going as planned. The only solace is that the past cannot be changed. An alternate timeline would be created. Normally this would not be a problem. However, I think that Brainiac modified what was in the scrolls enough to also transport Clark to the doomed timeline."
  
  "The timeline where he doesn't exist," Kara said quietly. She turned towards Harry, a pleading look in her bright blue eyes. "What...what...what will happen if Clark stays in that timeline?"
  
  "He'll be erased, because he doesn't belong," Harry said grimly. "We can't allow that to happen. And we need to find a way off of Krypton before everything explodes. Heralds of Death or not, we might not be able to survive the explosion. Especially when our powers are at our weakest."
  
  Kara frowned. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
  
  "How long?" Kara asked.
  
  "How long before the destruction or how long before our powers return?" Harry asked her.
  
  Kara clarified the statement. "Just how long before we get our powers back."
  
  Harry remained calm, and thoughtful.
  
  "One hour, forty eight minutes, and twelve seconds," Harry said making the calculation in his head. "We don't necessary need to defeat Brainiac in that time, but stall him. We got slightly more time before Krypton explodes. About two hours and eighteen minutes."
  
  Kara just allowed that all to sink it. It was rather sombering to hear about the death of a planet.
  
  "Do you think that we could save it?" Kara asked. Harry looked at her strangely. "Hypothetically speaking if we had a chance, could we save it."
  
  "I wish we could save many people," Harry told Kara. Kara nodded. "However, if we save Krypton today, something could happen where it blows up tomorrow or the next day. Eventually, the scales would balance itself. Or some other planet or civilization would be sacrificed. Maybe even Earth."
  
  Kara had to concede that Harry had a point. Her hand tightened around Harry's. They walked around, getting one last look at Krypton. It was still a beautiful day, and Kara could hardly believe that this perfect day would mean the end. She was glad Harry was here with her to experience the beauty one last time, before it was gone. There would be no return. Her memories would be the only thing that would be intact from her experiences.
  
  There would be new memories with Harry. They would get off this planet alive. Then the future would be bright.
  
  "I think we found Brainiac," Harry whispered.
  
  Kara looked determined. What happened to Claire was fresh in her mind. While she would be safe when they got home, the fact that Brainiac tried to kill her child really pissed her off.
  
  "Good, let's pay our respects," Kara told him.
  
  The two Heralds of Death were united. There was a little over an hour before their powers returned, and a little under two hours before Krypton would meet its inevitable end. Brainiac did not care if he perished. Harry and Kara saw them heading towards Jor-El's laboratory. Where the ship was about to be launched as they spoke.
  
  Harry and Kara would beat him there. Their minds were one. They had no idea what the consequences would be of failure, but the two of them knew that they could be dire.
  
  Immediately, Harry immobilized Brainiac. Brainiac tried to shake himself free. This gave Kara the opportunity to fly forward. The simulated yellow sunlight empowered her, and she tried to focus her X-Ray vision on Brainiac. If she could find his central processor and damage it, he would take a long time to repair. And Harry would be able to input the virus to destroy him without any firewalls blowing him.
  
  Brainiac sent a wave of energy. Kara caught Harry, and the two of them flew into Brainiac. A tremor shook the planet, which mean time was running short.
  
  "It is folly what you're trying to do," Brainiac said.
  
  "For a computer, you talk way too much," Harry said, and he tried to rip through Brainiac.
  
  He was more damaged than he been during the past attacks. Harry continued to make headway. Perhaps his powers were slowly coming back sooner than he could have hoped. The battle between the Heralds of Death and Brainiac raged on.
  
  So long as they stood together, the battle was never hopeless. The tandem attack cracked Brainiac. They had to keep him away from the ship before it launched. Then everything would be okay.
  
  The guards turned their heads from side to side. They thought they heard something. One of them stepped forward to verify that he was not seeing, or hearing things. He paused, and looked forward. He blinked a few times.
  
  "Just a cat," the guard said.
  
  The guards were all knocked out the moment that their backs were turned. Luna had taken out five of them in one hit. They all toppled to the ground like dominoes. Clark seemed rather impressed, and she motioned for him to go through the gate. He moved forward, but stopped. He knew by now to look before he leaped. The X-Ray vision had been focused.
  
  "There are nine more guards up there," Clark told her.
  
  Luna responded with a nod. "We just got to keep going then. We're almost there."
  
  Luna stepped forward, and pulled the door open. The doors flung open with an unlocking charm. The guards stood. Luna turned the stairs into a slide. They staggered. Clark rushed up the stairs. For a brief second, Clark thought he had gained flight. However, those hopes were dashed when he realized his feet were firmly on something.
  
  The quirky blonde followed him. The guards dropped down, their arms were snapped together, and they fell over the banisters to their doom. Clark gave Luna a quizzical expression. Luna pushed open the door, and they were into the main throne room.
  
  "Get the necklace, and throw it out the window before it tempts you," Luna told Clark.
  
  Clark did not need telling twice. He super sped into the scene, and rushed towards Clark. Kara extended one hand forward. She was far quicker than he was. Kara blocked his hand, and knocked Clark off to the side with a huge kick. Kara stepped forward, and her eyes narrowed with malice.
  
  "Kara, fight it," Clark managed. Kara grabbed him by the throat. She squeezed, and Kara tried to push Clark down to his knees. Clark struggled. His strength pushed her off of his throat partially, but he had come the sad realization that Kara was holding back. There was still a part of the real her still in there. "Kara, you're not like this."
  
  "I warned you about coming back here," Kara said. "I guess they were right, I am too soft with those who are beneath me."
  
  "Kara, you don't believe any of this," Clark said. "You're not yourself."
  
  "You will kneel before me!" Kara yelled.
  
  Luna crept it while Clark was trying to plead with Kara. With a swift movement, she snapped the necklace off of Kara's neck. Kara staggered around, and she began to come back to her senses. She shook her head. Her eyes blinked.
  
  "Luna...what happened to me?" Kara asked. She shook her head and then everything became far more clear to her. She came down on her Red Kryptonite induced high. Fear completely flooded her at the moment. She shook her head, and took a few breaths. "Harry...it's Harry...there's something wrong with him. We got to snap him out of it too. And Fine, he can't be trusted."
  
  Luna smiled. She pulled the other blonde into half of a hug and offered her a light kiss on the forehead.
  
  "It's good to see you back Kara," Luna said. "We must...."
  
  Luna, Kara, and Clark were all knocked down at that moment before Luna had finished this sentence. The three of them were down on the ground. Clark tried to get up, but Brainiac had showed up to immobilize the three of them.
  
  "You should not have come here, Kal-El," Brainiac said. He stood with his eyes narrowed. Clark tried to fight him, and the struggle continued. Luna and Kara both rolled over. Kara made a motion to help, Clark. Luna held her back.
  
  "This is his battle, he must fight it," Luna told Kara. "If he gets in trouble, only then will we intervene."
  
  Kara watched the cousin she never really knew in this world. There was something that was beginning to tell her that everything that happened in this world was never meant to be. Clark and Brainiac surrounded each other, and began to fight with each other.
  
  "You are as weak as my counterpart told me," Brainiac said in a crisp voice. He slammed Clark against the wall hard, and began to strangle him.
  
  Clark began to knock Brainiac backwards. Brainiac was sent crashing towards the throne. He pulled himself up. "We have a different idea of what weak is and what strong is."
  
  Super speed was avoided, and Brainiac grabbed Clark, and choked him out. Kara and Luna tried to intervene. Both girls were sent backwards. Luna tried to blast through the shields with magical energy. Kara unleashed her heat vision through the shields. The two of them continued to slam their shoulders through the shield.
  
  Clark hammered. He would not disappear. He could not fail everyone. There was something that told him that if he did not return to his timeline in time, this fate would happen. Determination flooded through Clark's face, and then he slammed into Brainiac. Again and again, he tried to rip him apart. Brainiac divided into half. One drone attacked Clark from one side. The other drone attacked Clark from the other side.
  
  He remained on his feet, and slammed them together viciously. They smashed together. The two Brainiacs shattered from the impact, but a third stepped into focus. His hand slammed down across the back of Clark's neck.
  
  "All you will know have failed," Brainiac said.
  
  Clark pushed Brainiac off. At that moment, a black light impacted Brainiac in the face. Clark stood, and watched as Harry Potter stepped forward. Brainiac dropped to the ground, crumbling into ashes.
  
  "No man, or no machine can hope to get the better of me," Harry said in a cold voice that was not unlike him. Clark stood, and then was knocked into the wall.
  
  "Harry, fight it!"
  
  Kara's yells fell on deaf ears. Clark tried to pull himself to his feet, and Harry slammed him down hard. A magical noose had wrapped around Clark's neck, and choked him. His strength managed to push Harry back.
  
  Like a blur, Kara grabbed Harry from behind. She tried to hold him into place. Harry gently broke her grip, and she was stunned, dropping to the ground.
  
  "You made me do that," Harry told Clark. His voice was getting colder. His eyes turned from red to green. Luna moved over to revive Kara. An electrical shock knocked her back. "This is the great hero that was prophesized to be sent from the stars. Humanity's last line of defense against the dark elements that rise."
  
  Clark tried to fight, and Harry knocked him down. He was on his knees. Clark tried to hold his head up. His face was smashed into the ground. Strength tried to push his way out of the attack.
  
  "You're not yourself, you're not yourself," Clark said. "Harry, if you're in there somewhere, fight it."
  
  "He is in there somewhere, but he's finally slipped and I've taken control," Harry said in a cold voice. "And you Kal-El, are going to be the sacrifice I need. Both you and Harry Potter will perish. And I will return to your timeline and conquer it."
  
  "Over my dead body," Clark managed.
  
  Harry gave a high and cold round of laughter. "All in due time, Kryptonian. I know you have a plan, and you think it will work. But it will be inevitable to fail. That machine has been poisoning me for months, thinking he can weaken this form to use as the proper channel as a vessel for his master. However, while he weakened Harry Potter's mind, he left the door open for me to return. He fulfilled the objective of the Arising."
  
  "You're him," Clark gasped.
  
  Harry laughed once again.
  
  "Yes, Kal-El, I am him. Lord Voldemort knows that you're not stupid."
  
  Clark tried to calculate the plan. Both Kara and Luna were trapped. He was in a world where he could get erased at any second.
  
  A voice whispered in his ear.
  
  'Kal-El, you do not need to merely beat him, but you just nearly need to stall him until Harry can re-take control of his mind and then he can send you the rest of the way back.'
  
  Clark knew who this was. Harry stood before him, his newly slit like red eyes staring down him with thinly veiled contempt.
  Arising Part Two
  
  Chapter 32: Arising Part Two.
  
  Clark was blasted onto his back with a powerful burst of magical energy. The energy caused every single inch of his body to feel like it was on fire. He struggled to get up to his feet. Then a wave of pain washed over him. It was like Kryptonite, only a thousand times worse. He felt like red hot metal was puncturing his skin, and he tried to struggle up. His skin blistered, which he had no idea was possible with him.
  
  His vision was blurry. The Kryptonian struggled to his feet. His knees crumpled from the pain.
  
  The high cold laughter of the dark force in front of him continued to ring out. It was taunting, twisted, music in the ears of Clark. He tried to focus his X-Ray vision. A magical blast repelled it back into his own eyeballs, causing everything to hurt like hell. His ears rang as well.
  
  Kara flew in, and grabbed Harry around the waist. She tried to wrestle him to the ground.
  
  "Let go of him!" Kara yelled in Harry's ear.
  
  Kara tried to grab onto Harry. She tried to get through with him.
  
  "Foolish alien girl, you waste my time!"
  
  Kara was knocked back from the impact. Harry stepped forward. The dark force that beat inside him had compelled him to hurt her even more. Yet, the love Harry felt for Kara, it was holding him back. He was unable to raise one hand to hurt her even more. The dark haired wizard opted to bind her wrists and ankles together instead.
  
  Harry spun around, and Clark tried to attack him. The attack was blocked. Luna stood in the background.
  
  "Harry, I know you're in there somewhere, fight it," Clark told him. There was a long pause. "You couldn't hurt Kara, so there's parts of you that are fighting it."
  
  "Yes, the vessel's attraction to this creature is most annoying," Harry said with disgust dripping from his voice, and he slashed his hand at Clark. Blood was drawn, and Clark was knocked around a bit more. "However, I can harm you, and I will."
  
  Harry began to fire several spells at Clark. Clark dodged them at super speed. However, he eventually was flung against the wall. The Kryptonian smashed hard into the wall with a sickening impact. No matter how hard he fought the powers he had were no match for that of Lord Voldemort. Harry stepped forward, and a spell struck his back. Luna stepped in, and Clark jumped at Harry. He tried to put Harry through the wall. Harry blocked it, and propelled Clark back.
  
  Clark landed on the ground, and rolled over. Harry walked forward, and stood over Clark. He prepared to finish the job, and sacrifice the traveler.
  
  "Clark, remember the secret weapon!" Luna yelled.
  
  Harry spun around, and Clark reached into his coat for a lead-lined box. He pulled out the black Kryptonite. Rushing over, the rock glowed in his hand. It was like fire. The rock was pressed against Harry.
  
  "You think that rock is going to defeat...." Harry said, but immediately the essence of Lord Voldemort had been sucked out of Harry. Voldemort hovered a few inches off of the ground. Clark got a good look at him. This dark wizard had a smoky white face, with twisted red slits for eyes, and no lips. The rest of his form was black as what passed as a soul for him.
  
  Harry sent him flying with a spell. His essence was sent backwards. Green eyes flickered at the red eyed wraith that was floating in the air. Harry prepared himself for the battle.
  
  "Now, it's just me and you, Voldemort, like it should have been."
  
  Voldemort offered a high round of cold laughter. His form was nearly complete. However, this just left him open for another attack. Harry blasted Voldemort a few times, slashing his hand through the air. The dark haired wizard tried to stop him before he could latch onto another vessel, or worse, return. The two hated enemies surrounded each other.
  
  "You think you can defeat me, when you can't even defeat the demons in your mind," Voldemort taunted him.
  
  "I don't need to defeat you, Riddle, you defeated yourself," Harry told him firmly. The situation was intense. He tried to prevent the wraith from taking him back over. He was stronger. His heart beat faster. He would not let this monster define his life.
  
  "What are you blathering about, Potter?"
  
  Harry jumped forward, and sent a series of spells at Voldemort. Voldemort deflected them. This would normally mean that Harry would be almost down for the count. However, he had a couple of tricks up his sleeve. One of them was a spell that sent Voldemort crashing into the wall, where solid steel spikes materialized. Blood dripped down from his back.
  
  "Do you really think it's that easy?" Voldemort gasped.
  
  "No, but this might be," Kara said. She sent a blast of heat vision at Voldemort. Voldemort screamed, and Harry jumped in, to finish Voldemort off with a high intensity blast of magic. Given that he was only a shadow of his former self, the former Dark Lord exploded into dust particles.
  
  The darkness deep within Harry had been eliminated. Harry had finally defeated Voldemort, and could be at peace.
  
  Harry collapsed into Kara's arms. Kara held him, looking up in his face with a smile on hers. She brushed his hair away from his eyes, and smiled at him. Harry cave her a weak smile.
  
  "Are you okay, my love?" Kara asked Harry in a soothing voice.
  
  "I'm back, Kara, one hundred percent," Harry said, and Kara cradled him in her arms. She planted light kisses on his forehead. Harry bit his lip nervously. "So you still love me, even after all that happened?"
  
  Kara looked at him with an incredulous voice. Did he really doubt the love she had for him?
  
  "I love you, always and forever," Kara said. She pulled him into a deep kiss to emphasize that point. "It wasn't your fault, what happened. And the two of us, we can rebuild. It's going to take a long time, but we're going to do it. The two of us, we can take on the world."
  
  Harry smiled. He always felt that with Kara, he could accomplish anything.
  
  Clark watched. Now that they were back to normal, they reminded him of the Kara and Harry that he knew back in his world. Back in his world, he was reminded of something that needed to be done. Time was running short.
  
  Luna seemed to understand what happened, and she cleared her throat with a loud "hem hem". This acction caused Luna to get a nasty look from Harry.
  
  "I think you can have your reunion later," Luna said. The blonde took a few seconds to think about what was going to happen. "Kal-El here does not belong here. Even if he would be welcomed by most, this universe has an unfortunate habit of erasing people who do not belong. Therefore, we need to return him home."
  
  Harry and Kara exchanged looks, and nodded. It was long overdue time for Clark to return to his universe. Kara looked at the cousin she never had in this universe. A smile spread across her face. Her expression and demeanor had softened from earlier.
  
  "We can send you back to where you should have been," Kara said. "If I'm not mistaken, your universe's Harry and Kara are in danger, and may need a little assistance until their powers completely returned."
  
  Clark's only response was a swift nod.
  
  "Right this way," Harry told him. He allowed Clark to follow him down the corridor. The dark haired wizard paused, and turned around with an afterthought. "And sorry for what happened."
  
  Clark waved it off. "You weren't yourself."
  
  Kara, Luna, and Harry lead Clark down the hallway. There was a level deep down on the bottom floor that would send Clark where he needed to be.
  
  Harry, Kara, and Luna finished leading Clark to his destination. They moved down a spiraling set of stairs. Eventually they reached their destination. Clark had thought for sure he would disappear at that moment. His powers were slowly returning, even if he was a bit sore. Clark took a deep breath, and looked at Harry, Kara, and Luna.
  
  "This world it's...."
  
  "A nightmare, I know," Luna said. The girl sighed. "The thing is that what was once destroyed can be rebuilt once again. All it takes is some patience and some perseverance, and two dedicated people. Harry and Kara were beloved heroes once."
  
  "We're going to be once again," Harry said. He was firm in that statement, and stood up proud.
  
  Kara smiled. "Each journey begins with a step. And your step begins by walking through that portal, and helping take down one of your greatest enemies."
  
  Everyone allowed a moment to make sure everything was ready. They did not need any other surprises.
  
  "By my calculations, there is only twenty seven minutes before Harry and Kara have their powers returned, and slightly more than that before Krypton blows up," Luna said. Clark gave her a strange look as she said this statement. "I know things, Kal-El. That's my meteor ability, remember. To be able to see through things that others cannot perceive, to have awareness of different worlds. It's not an easy power to master, but alas it is one that I have."
  
  Clark could understand how that particular power could drive a person mad. Mastering his powers had been a journey. A journey that had many potholes along the road, and in some ways the journey had just only begun. There would be plenty of time to work on that later. Right now, he stood, waiting.
  
  "You must leave," Luna said curtly.
  
  "Yes, because the world will erase you," Harry told him. "Whatever, is holding you into place will not hold for long. The world you know has stopped the moment you left. However, it will go on, with or without you. And countless may perish without your influence like they did here."
  
  Clark understood. Kara walked up to him next. It seemed like she was struggling with what to say next. Eventually she just decided to spit it out.
  
  "I admit when I imagined my cousin, you weren't quite what I had in mind," Kara said with a smile. "I really apologize for throwing you through that window."
  
  "I know what the Red Kryptonite does to people," Clark told Kara. Kara relaxed, and nodded. "And to be honest, I'm sure you're not the first person who would have thrown me out of a window if they had a chance."
  
  A grin spread across Kara's face at that statement. Hopefully, even if the world she knew perished, Clark could return. Her cousin could triumph. Everything would work out in the end, and this nightmare world would never come to be.
  
  "You better get going soon," Kara said. She looked at Clark with a serious look on her face. "Your Kara needs your help, and I'll be fine. I'm sure she cares a great deal about you. Even if you can't seem to fly."
  
  Clark cracked a smile at that. Harry walked over to him.
  
  "Not that I'm trying to rush you or anything, but I don't know how much longer I can keep this portal open," Harry told Clark.
  
  Clark responded with a swift nod. It was time to leave right now. He spun around, and prepared to walk off towards the portal. Luna grabbed his arm, and stopped him.
  
  "Before you go, there's something that I want to tell you," Luna said.
  
  Clark was confused, and Luna grabbed him by the shirt, before pulling him into a kiss. This action caught Clark off guard. He pulled away, and Luna had a satisfied smirk on her face. Clark looked at the strange girl, completely dumbstruck by what she did. It seemed so gloriously random and out of the blue.
  
  "It was on my bucket list," Luna said. Clark looked confused. "Kiss a male alien."
  
  Clark just nodded. Some strange girl randomly kissing you was something that did not happen every day. Not that the kiss was bad, but it was just unexpected.
  
  Naturally Luna had already kissed a female alien, and she was quite an amazing kisser. Luna looked over at Kara with a smile. Then Harry joined in, and it was a real party. Luna could not walk for a week, but it was worth it. However, that was a story where she would keep the details to herself. Right now, Luna nudged Clark. She averted her eyes towards the gateway.
  
  "Your gateway to your destiny awaits, Kal-El," Luna told him.
  
  "Stay safe," Kara said. She had many things that she wanted to say to her cousin, advice she wanted to impart on him. Sadly, there was no time.
  
  Clark turned around, and took a step towards the portal. The energy glowed around him. It felt odd going back in time. Yet he was sure that this would not be sidetracked, unlike the last time he had stepped through this portal.
  
  Harry and Kara looked at each other with a sad smile. They could not tell Clark the truth, because that would make him want to stay. Even if it meant sacrificing himself, and that truth was when Clark went back in time, he had caused a chain reaction that would have caused this world to never exist. It had served its purpose.
  
  Harry and Kara wrapped their arms around each other. Luna had already vanished into oblivion. They exchanged a deep and passionate kiss. Both of them really got into it. Their tongues probed each other's mouths, and they danced with passion. This would be the last thing they did, before they were no more. They just wished that could do more, one more time before everything faded.
  
  The solace they had was that this world and all of these deaths should never come to be. Harry and Kara disappeared into the light, along with this world. Everything was gone. The last thoughts they had was the love they shared for each other. It was not something that could be erased by any means.
  
  Everything faded to black, and the world they knew no longer existed. Even if the love they did would go on through all eternity. The two faded out, along with the rest of world.
  
  An energy field held Harry and Kara back. The two of them tried to push back, and they almost broke it.
  
  "Time is running out," Brainiac told Kara and Harry. "All I have to do is stop that ship from leaving."
  
  The two Heralds of Death broke out.
  
  "Again for a computer, you talk too much," Kara told Brainiac, and she sent heat vision at Brainiac. Brainiac met Kara with a blast of heat vision of his end.
  
  Harry jumped in, and blasted Brainiac hard. The menace flew backwards.
  
  'Five more minutes until our powers come back,' Harry mentally projected to Kara.
  
  Kara nodded. They had to keep the mental link up. That was an easy way to communicate without Brainiac knowing what was going on. Scheming was part of winning any battle, and that link was something that would be their most valuable resource. Harry and Kara flew forward, and knocked Brainiac for a loop. Brainiac repelled them, and made his way towards the doors of Jor-El's lab. The sounds of a ship arming for launch could be heard. Brainiac had to stop that ship from leaving. Kal-El's demise was at hand.
  
  "Kara Zor-El, Harry Potter, the two of you have meddled in plans where you have no comprehension of."
  
  "You'd be surprised what I can comprehend, you glorified programming error," Kara said, sending heat vision when she spoke.
  
  "Insufferable, much like Jor-El."
  
  Kara saw red when she was compared to that particular person, and she nearly took out Brainiac through the sheer force of anger. It was unfortunate for her that Brainiac blocked the attack.
  
  Clark popped up in a flash of light, and knocked Brainiac back. Brainiac flew into a crystal structure, and smacked hard. His eyes looked up, and he seemed unsurprised. The computer got up, and properly faced Clark.
  
  "Hello, Kal-El, here to witness your own demise?" the machine taunted him. Clark rushed over. Brainiac dodged him. He felt fatigued, and Brainiac sent him flying back. "I don't know if you've noticed, but there is no yellow sun here. Without the yellow sun, you are weak, and mortal."
  
  Clark realized that the charm Luna had put on him had worn off. He was in a predicament. Brainiac tried to stab Clark like he did Lana. Barely, Clark blocked the attack. He used his remaining strength to shove Brainiac off.
  
  "You won't win," Clark said through gritted teeth, and he tried to go for Brainiac. The lunge attack did not work. Brainiac knocked Clark back once again .Clark was down on his knees, and at the mercy of Brainiac.
  
  "You're not in Kansas anymore, Kal-El," Brainiac said. His hand clenched around Clark's throat, choking him. Clark struggled against the grip of Brainiac. "I get to kill both your present and past self on the same day. It will be like you never existed, and Krypton shall flourish. I am Krypton!"
  
  "No, you're just a machine with a few programming errors," Clark managed. His breath was short. "You're flawed, damaged!"
  
  "It is you who is flawed, Kal-El," Brainiac said. He began to choke Clark some more. The dagger was in his hand. He raised it above his head. "And now I shall correct that fundamental error of your existence."
  
  Before Brainiac could do the devious deed to Clark, Kara propelled herself into the air. She flew at Brainiac, and sent him flying with a swift attack. Brainiac was driven down to the ground, sending an explosion of rock.. Kara took out her aggressions on Brainiac, hammering him with punch after punch. Harry jumped over, and waved his hand. Clark felt himself get empowered once again. The red sun above Krypton empowered him, magically filtered into yellow sunlight, and Clark rushed over at super speed towards one of his toughest enemies.
  
  Clark nailed Brainiac with a punch that nearly broke the sound barrier. A tremor caused everything on the planet to shake. The ship began to launch, as the planet began to crack underneath them. It would only be a matter of minutes before the core exploded.
  
  Brainiac flew high into the air. He could stop the ship. Clark had other ideas. He grabbed onto Brainiac's legs, and pulled him away. Brainiac stabbed Clark in the chest. Clark fell to the ground. This did stall Brainiac, and make his target be much more difficult to reach.
  
  Harry had used this distraction to knock Brainiac down. Kara caught Brainiac with a kick from behind, and smashed a large chunk of debris over his head. The knees of the malicious machine buckled. Harry reached up his sleeve, and found a port. He inserted the virus into Brainiac.
  
  "You can't do this," Brainiac managed. "The BrainInteractive Construct will..."
  
  His statement was cut off, and the machine found himself unable to articulate what he needed to say. His systems were crippled. They could potentially be rebooted. One of his powers was that he was highly adaptable. Harry and Kara could not let that happen. Their powers had returned. Two waves of energy shot from their hands. They struck the malicious machine. He began to rattle underneath their efforts, and slowly came undone.
  
  "No, system error, must purge," Brainiac managed. "You're tearing me...must download..."
  
  "Not today," Kara said Brainiac, blocking Brainiac from uploading a copy of himself elsewhere.
  
  The machine began to break apart, devolving into a lower and lower level of intelligence with each passing motion. It was the closest thing a machine could feel with pain. Brainiac was blown to smithereens. All copies of Brainiac past, present, and future had ceased to exist thanks to their powers. The machine was no more.
  
  Clark rolled over. He felt faint, and cold. Kara walked over, and grabbed Clark. She propped him up. Using a bit of magic, Kara managed to heal Clark's injuries that he suffered. He looked like he had a long day, and that was a feeling that the two of them could sympathize with.
  
  There was a long pause, before Kara let out the breath she was holding.
  
  "Clark, everything's going to be fine," Kara said. The planet gave one last shake, and the core was about to reach critical pass. Kara and Harry hovered over it, holding Clark up. "We did it."
  
  "How do we get home?" Clark asked.
  
  Harry paused for a minute. He had to really think this one through, and fast. Even though Clark's ship would have safely launched, there was really no way to get back. Harry took a deep breath. He might have been down, but he was not out.
  
  Suddenly, a blinding light appeared over the top of them. They saw the Shining Light Foundation on the other side. Kara, Harry, and Clark looked at what lied in wait on the other side of the portal.
  
  "I guess that's our answer," Kara said. The planet shook beneath their feet. The towers in the distance began to topple. "We better get going, before it's too late."
  
  Kara and Harry held onto Clark, and guided him through the time portal. The three flew side by side and the planet of Krypton exploded. They passed through the portal just seconds before
  
  Krypton had perished. While Harry and Kara may have been able to reverse it from happening, thousands of other lives elsewhere would have been sacrificed in exchange. It was very tempting to think about what might have been. Those were thoughts that had vexed people for centuries, and had taunted them.
  
  As easy as it was to think about what might have been, it was more prudent to think about what was here now. Krypton exploded into a shower of meteors, which followed Kal-El's rocket ship through to Earth. And history to the point where Harry and Kara left to fight Brainiac remained unchanged.
  
  The world was as it should have been, for better or for worse.
  
  They were back at the Shining Light Foundation. It was almost like they never left. Lana stood in the hallway at that moment. She looked around. It was a moment before she regained her bearings. The dark haired woman blinked, surprised, and rather astonished.
  
  "Why do I have a feeling that I just narrowly missed something bad?" Lana asked.
  
  Harry, Kara, and Clark exchanged knowing looks. They were the only three people who remembered what happened. Suddenly, Lana's confusion dawned on Clark.
  
  "Lana, you don't remember?" Clark told inquired. Lana shook her head. "You disappeared into nothing, or I disappeared. And Lily Potter sent me back to another world where I didn't exist."
  
  Harry's expression darkened. Kara's did as well. The two of them knew what had happened. They knew who had let Brainiac into the Shining Light Foundation. Harry and Kara stood around, and stepped down the hall. They saw Claire sitting on a chair. They rushed forward to check on her.
  
  "Claire, I'm so glad, you're okay," Kara said to her.
  
  There was a long pause with Claire looking at Harry and Kara. The eleven year old girl blinked. She wondered if her parents were feeling okay.
  
  "Why wouldn't I be okay?" Claire asked in a confused voice.
  
  Harry and Kara looked at each other. Perhaps Claire not remembering her ordeal was for the best. No one seemed to remember what had happened. The two just made sure their daughter was all there. They would have to give her a full check-up to make sure there were no lingering surprises from Brainiac. Everyone was really pleased with how this turned out. This day could have ended rather badly. Yet, everything remained fine. Everything was just going to be fine.
  
  "Claire, we've all had a long day," Kara told her.
  
  Claire looked at the two of them, and gave them a swift nod.
  
  "I can tell," Claire told them. The girl had a bright smile, untainted and ignorant at what happened. "Something happened, and you fixed it. You saved the day, like you always should."
  
  Kara and Harry smiled. They moved Claire off. While she seemed to be fine, Harry and Kara still wanted to have her get checked out. The two of them walked Claire off into the distance. Kara was pleased that this was all over, just in time to get married. Soon they would be a family officially, on paper. Not that any stupid paper mattered to Kara. All that mattered was what was alive in their hearts.
  
  As long as they were together, they could take on anything that the world had to offer. The couple stood in the background. Clark and Lana had been left alone. There was a bit of silence from their reunion, as Clark held Lana in his arms.
  
  "Kara and Harry said that your powers will come back in a few hours," Clark told her. "Can you handle it?"
  
  "I've been normal for over twenty years, I think I can handle a few more hours," Lana said with a shrug. She looked at Clark. "So Clark, I remember being stabbed by Brainiac."
  
  "Yeah, I thought for a moment that I lost you," Clark said in a calm voice.
  
  There was a moment of silence, before Lana grabbed Clark by the hand. She looked firmly in his eye.
  
  "Clark, after all that we've been through, it won't be that easy," Lana said. "Sometimes in life, we don't get happy endings. Yet, if we get tested like this time and time again, we should get that happy ending."
  
  Clark shared Lana's hope. Some might have considered that belief to be one of a fool. There had been times where he had thought that he had that moment with Lana. There always seemed to be something that pulled that happy ending out of his grasp. The two of them had been through many trials, and tribulations.
  
  "I do remember something else, that we do need to talk about," Lana said. Clark looked at Lana. "You said that you couldn't bear to lose me again. And I know that was more than from when I married Lex and you thought I died. There was something else. Lily said that there was no reset button this time."
  
  Clark had hoped that Lana would have forgotten about this as well as most other things. He could not have been so lucky. Lana stepped forward, and she had Clark pinned against the wall. Her strength had not returned, yet her determination remained such.
  
  "Clark, I understand that you don't really want to talk about whatever happened," Lana said. There was another moment of silence between the two of them. "But, I can sense that it's been something that has been eating away at you."
  
  Lana had really hit the nail on the head, Clark thought. Clark stood before Lana. There was really no easy way to say what needed to be said. The two looked at each other. There was a tense moment of silence between the two. Lana looked at Clark with a pleading look. There were times where she felt they were closer together than ever before. And there were times where she felt that Clark still put up walls to guard himself.
  
  "Let me in, Clark," Lana whispered to him. She placed her hand on his cheek, and looked into his eyes.
  
  Clark felt that the anticipation had to be worse than the aftermath.
  
  "Two years ago, you died," Clark said. Lana suspected this much. "I...well I told you my secret then. And Lex found out you know. That was after the Senate Election with my father..."
  
  "The night he died," Lana gasped. Suddenly, she felt a stirring of guilt in her stomach that she could not completely squash.
  
  "Yes, that night," Clark said. He thought that night was one of the worst nights of his life. Clark opted to tell Lana an abridged version of that story. "Lex had a few drinks, had an argument with you, and accidentally ran you off of the road. You died from what happened. I went back in time; I never told you my secret. And my father died of a heart attack after an argument with Lionel Luthor."
  
  Lana appreciated this from Clark. She wrapped her arms around Clark. A bit of guilt stung her.
  
  "Clark, I'm so sorry," Lana whispered to him.
  
  "Lana, this isn't your fault," Clark said.
  
  "You heard what Harry and Kara said about the balance," Lana said to him. "If a person was saved, that meant someone else had to die. And since I didn't die...oh my God, I feel so..."
  
  Lana seemed to really take the revelation badly. She pulled away from Clark. Kara stepped in front of Lana. Harry was right behind her. Kara frowned. She could sense a lot of self-loathing and guilt coming on. It was best to nip this one in the bud.
  
  "Lana, Clark's right, none of this is your fault," Kara said in a gentle voice. "Clark made a decision to go back and save you. Jonathan Kent died."
  
  "Clark would not have been able to save you, had your fate been completely sealed," Harry explained to Lana. Lana opened her mouth to protest, but Harry was not done. "Jonathan Kent was a good man. I never met him, but I've heard enough good things about him. I think we might have gotten along decently enough. However, perhaps he was the one destined to die on that night. And if not that night, it would have been a week from there or a month from there. His heart was weakened. He pushed on through. Eventually something would have had to give."
  
  Lana conceded that was true. Clark had to also concede that was unfortunately true. If he had not gone back in time, Jonathan Kent may have died regardless. Maybe not on that night, but he would have died before too long. Whether it be days more, weeks more, or months more, Clark could not say.
  
  Harry and Kara looked at each other. They walked around. Lily had vanished from the Shining Light Foundation mainframe. She had done the dastardly deed of letting Brainiac in, and kidnapping Claire. Harry had no idea what her intentions were. This had to be one of her tests, although what it amounted to, they had no idea.
  
  The gloves were off regarding Lily. Harry had tried to give her the benefit of a doubt. However, family or not, she had a lot to explain for. No one let a monster like that into someone's home.
  
  They needed to find Lily, and put her down. The one good thing was that somehow she had left the Fortress. However, she had to be somewhere.
  
  The real question was where?
  
  There were a few ideas, but Harry and Kara felt that after that night, they needed to check up on everyone and make sure they're okay. Everything appeared to be stabilized, and no one remembered what happened except for those who had time traveled. It was time to perform a scan of everything, which would take time. Harry would need to make sure Lily was gone to a the microscopic degree.
  
  Lex Luthor had plenty of time to ponder about his lot in life. The most recent revelations had slapped him in the face. There were times where desperate men did desperate things. And the lust for power was something that had tempted many men before him. He drummed his fingers on the desk. The revelation that everything he thought he knew was wrong had continued to taunt him.
  
  In reality, Lex should have known. All of the pieces fit like a demented jigsaw puzzle. He had suspected. His suspicious tended to get distracted by other matters. And Harry Potter knew everything, and covered the trail. Did Potter want to control Clark for his own means? Lex somehow doubted that, even if he would not be surprised. He had seen enough about people and their nature to be automatically suspicious about the intentions of others.
  
  A voice whispered through Lex's ear.
  
  'Lex Luthor.'
  
  Lex sat up straight. He recognized that voice. It was the same taunting voice that had told him about protecting the secrets of the traveler. The same voice who had been behind the man who had shot his father down. Lex sat up straight. His full attention was grabbed.
  
  'You feel betrayed by everyone around you.'
  
  Lex remained rigid. He shook his head.
  
  "I don't think I should be listening to some random voice in my head," Lex said. Lex suddenly felt his muscles react. His hand reached up, and wrapped around his throat. Lex felt himself strangled underneath the grip of his own hand. He was choking himself.
  
  'It would be so easy, Lex. So easy for me to make you kill yourself. So easy to make you throw yourself out of a window or drown yourself or hang yourself.'
  
  Lex's hand loosened from his throat. He fell down on the desk, gasping for precious oxygen. He shook his head, and tried to regain his bearings. Everything was starting to taunt him. The answers were out of his gasp. He could not resist. There was a need to respond to this taunting voice in his head.
  
  "Then why don't you?" Lex asked in a raspy voice. "Whoever you are, there would be many who would cheer you along. You have a Luthor in your grasp, and obviously I'm some puppet dangling on a string to you. Just do it, whoever you are.'
  
  The silence was eerie. Lex despised it. He had so few of the cards on the table at his disposal.
  
  'You'll serve me no purpose, dead, Lex Luthor. You have a great destiny of your own, and today is the day that it will be fulfilled. It's time to drop the fa?ade and show the world who Lex Luthor truthfully is. The world must be saved from an alien threat far greater than you could imagine.'
  
  Lex stood up. This was not on his own free will. His feet were moving own their own accord.
  
  "The traveler, I presume," Lex said. "You had my father shot over this.'
  
  'I didn't kill your father, Lex Luthor. He died because of his own arrogance.'
  
  Lex had to grudgingly agree with that fact. His feet still moved under their own accord. He had no idea why he is being controlled by this mystical puppet. He tried to call for security. Then he stopped himself. What good would security do against a spirit?
  
  'You have been chosen, Lex Luthor. You have been chosen to save the world against the traveler. You have been chosen to be the greatest threat the traveler has ever faced. The traveler, better known as Kal-El or Clark Kent, as you might know him.'
  
  Realization smacked Lex Luthor like a shovel to the face. Clark had been the mysterious traveler all along. The traveler could be the greatest treasure the world had ever seen, or its greatest menace.
  
  A small, microscopic, and miniscule amount of loyalty towards his former friendship with Clark bubbled to surface of Lex's subconscious. It was not much, but it was there.
  
  "Clark for all of his faults, would not conquer the world," Lex said.
  
  'Do you really know Clark Kent? You thought you did. Perhaps you assumed that you would be like brothers, only closer. Yet, Clark shielded his true nature from you for years. All under the carefully constructed veil of lies, he deceived you That deception is something that he seeks spreads across the Earth. Clark Kent could pose himself as some false idol, fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Yet, his species is predisposed to conquest. It is encoded within their DNA. He could rule over all. Yet, you could be the savior of humanity the world needs. All you need to do is listen to me, and the traveler will no longer be a threat. All will be right in the world, and Lex Luthor will be hailed as a hero.'
  
  Lex stepped forward. His paranoia had been properly stirred. He thought about this. A part of him really did feel betrayed about Clark keeping his secret from him for all of these years. That just proved that Clark did not trust him, and likely did not respect him. Clark was the only true friend, and in some instances the only true family, he ever had. That hurt form betrayal had caused Lex to step forward and let this spirit guide him.
  
  Lily Potter was pleased at how her plan was going. Lex Luthor would be the lamb being sent to the slaughter. The traveler would step into the light, and embrace his destiny. All great heroes needed a great enemy to vanquish. What better enemy for a hero than a former friend?
  
  Lex stepped forward, towards a fireplace. He was compelled to reach inside.
  
  Lily watched her puppet dance on a string. Soon the traveler would embrace his destiny.
  
  Much to Lily's utter dismay, the orb was not where she thought it was. She applauded her son and future daughter-in-law for their quick thinking. Lily was proud of both Harry and Kara. Yet, they would be fools to think that this was not over.
  
  In fact it was only just beginning.
  
  She had more than one puppet dangling on a string that she could use. It was time.
  
  To Be Continued in the next arc, Conquest.
  Conquest Part One
  
  
  Chapter 33: Conquest Part One.
  
  Chloe stirred awake, still trapped in the hospital, and not to be discharged until at least the evening. To be honest, she was going stir crazy. Chloe had been in the hospital for the past couple of days, and she did not have the foggiest notion as to why. Everything was all a blank. It was hard to comprehend everything. The last thing she remembered she was talking to Lois at the Daily Planet. For some reason, Chloe had the strangest feeling that she had a near brush with death, or something like that.
  
  Exactly what it is, Chloe had no idea, and that fact drove her nuts.
  
  The curtains in the hospital blew, to signal an unexpected arrival. Chloe looked up, expecting to see Clark there. Instead, she saw Kara and Harry.
  
  "I guess sudden appearances which disrupt everything in the room must run in the family," Chloe said. She propped herself up on the bed, and smiled at Kara and Harry.
  
  There was a long moment of silence. Harry drew breath, and decided to address the elephant in the room.
  
  "You don't remember anything that happened, do you?" Harry asked.
  
  Chloe looked at Harry, with a frown. "No, I can't say I have. And I have the slightest feeling that I should really remember it, and it was a memorable and life changing event."
  
  Kara was prompt to explain.
  
  "You nearly died. And that's not hyperbole; Brainiac came really close to killing you. He injected something into you. It may have been a backup program in the case of his defeat. However, Harry and I purged it from you. Then the entire universe went insane, and everyone disappeared. Clark, Harry, and I are the only ones that remember exactly what happened. And we went back to Krypton, right before it was destroyed."
  
  Chloe allowed herself a few seconds to process this information. It was a lot to handle.
  
  "I'm guessing you didn't try and save it then," Chloe remarked in a weak voice. Harry and Kara shook their heads. "Could you have?"
  
  Harry and Kara paused for a time before they answered that very weighty question.
  
  "We could have, but the real question is whether we should have," Harry answered. "And we save one race, and we could doom countless others. It's that balance thing that we were talking about before, the cause and effect of everything."
  
  Chloe thought about that and she found the logic sound. Or perhaps it was just sound logic in her weakened state.
  
  "Yeah, that could be a problem," Chloe said. "And just to think, all of this insanity happened on the biggest week of your life. Unless, the wedding got pushed back because of everything, and I wouldn't blame you in the slightest if it did."
  
  Kara shook her head. "No, the wedding is still on."
  
  "For sure," Harry said. "We won't let some glorified pocket calculator ruin the best day of our life."
  
  "Glorified pocket calculator, nice one," Chloe said.
  
  "Well, it seemed like something that was fitting," Harry remarked
  
  "Wished something like that would have come to mind," Chloe answered wistfully.
  
  Kara's gaze met Chloe's, and she responded with a knowing smile. "Although, there are a lot of interesting things that were in your mind when we were combing around in there, when we helped you."
  
  This statement caused Chloe to sit up straight in a hurry.
  
  "What things?" Chloe asked, and she looked a bit alarmed at the implications.
  
  "Chloe, I'm not mad at you," Kara said. She looked at Chloe with a reassuring look. "You can't help what you feel, and I must admit I'm intrigued. But we'll discuss that when we've all had a chance to recover from this ordeal. "
  
  Chloe held the motion on saying any more. She wondered if Kara had just said what she thought she said. Maybe the medication was making her delirious. That had to be it. That really had to be it.
  
  "The real question is will you be out of there in time for the wedding?" Harry asked.
  
  Chloe smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world .Even if I had to break out of here, I'd still be there. So, am I fine after what happened? Not that I'm doubting how well you guys work, but I just want to really make sure that there's nothing wrong."
  
  Harry and Kara looked at her. They understood her concern.
  
  "Chloe, trust me when I say that you're completely healthy, just a bit weak, but you'll recover and be back on your feet in no time," Harry told her. "I ran some scans; you're at healthy as can be given the circumstances, and will make a full recovery. In fact, you will be better off since before you were in the hospital. Your stamina and vitals are off the charts. And your meteor power, it's stronger than ever. I think should you ever choose to use it, it won't be as bad. Your body can handle it, and when you get a better handle of it, it will be even better."
  
  Chloe bit her lip, and sighed.
  
  "I just never thought that there would be a day where I'd thought that a meteor power would be a good thing," Chloe said. "But, maybe I can use it to my advantage. There could be some good done in the world."
  
  "I'm sure you can do some good, if you put your mind to it," Harry said with a smile. "Even without your powers, you can do some good, so really this is a chance for you to do more good. The sky is the limit for you Chloe. All you have to do is keep reaching for the stars, and the world will be yours."
  
  Chloe thought about that. Harry really did have a way of putting a good spin on things, in his own way. She looked at Kara. The two women met eyes. She watched Harry place his arm around Kara.
  
  'You better appreciate how lucky you are,' Chloe thought as she looked at Kara.
  
  "So, thank you for everything, and all of the times you've saved me from certain death," Chloe said. "Both of you, I really do kind of owe you my life."
  
  Harry and Kara stared at Chloe, and Chloe looked back at them. A bit of alarm flooded across their faces, and they took a deep breath. Chloe was dumbstruck, and tried to comprehend why they would take such an innocent statement the wrong way.
  
  "What, did I say something wrong?"
  
  "Chloe, you better be careful saying things like that," Kara said seriously. "Admitting that you owe your life to a Herald of Death could have life changing consequences for you. And it's not something to be said lightly."
  
  "It's different for you, because you know about our roles," Harry said. "If you were a person who didn't know, there wouldn't be the potential for consequences. However since you knew..."
  
  "Sorry, I didn't know that such a statement could have consequences," Chloe said. She became a bit nervous about what Harry and Kara said. "What will happen now?"
  
  "Well hopefully the magic around the Herald of Death moniker will judge you as only making a flippant statement," Harry told her, and Chloe responded with a nod. Her body relaxed, given what Harry told her, magic was all about intent. "Of course, there could be life changing consequences, for the three of us."
  
  Chloe had no idea whether or not she wanted to know what "the three of us" meant. Harry and Kara looked around. The three of them sat in awkward silence.
  
  "We cannot take back what is said," Harry said. "Of course, given some of the thoughts that have been stirring around in your head, you just never know what might happen."
  
  It was that point that Chloe really wondered what Harry and Kara had seen in there. She tried not to fly into full panic mode. That was likely the worst thing for her health.
  
  "We better let you get some rest if you want to be out of here in two days," Harry told Chloe. "Take care."
  
  "I will," Chloe said with a smile, and she watched Harry and Kara leave. It was not a long wait as they were out of there. She looked up, and suddenly a searing pain had gone through her hand.
  
  It was far worse than anything she had ever experienced before in her life. She clutched her wrist. Chloe's eyes watered and she was temporarily paralyzed. Some kind of power washed through her body and she felt a warmth come from the tips her toes, all the way to the top of her head. It was a feeling unlike anything she had ever experienced. Chloe lifted her hand up, and saw it burned into her hand.
  
  The symbol was on her hand. The triangle had a circle in the center, and there was a diagonal line down the center of it. She looked at her hand, completely transfixed by it. The blonde wondered what the consequences of her little declaration she made were. All she was trying to do was show her appreciation of what Harry and Kara did for her. Suddenly, it was like her body was undergoing some weird metamorphosis.
  
  'What is happening to me?" Chloe thought to herself.
  
  Suddenly something echoed through her head like a badly tuned radio. Chloe put her hands on her head, and gave a pained sigh. There were many sounds beating through her ears at once. The pain was unbelievable. She tried hard to focus on one particular sound, and could hear Harry and Kara's voices, once she got her wits together.
  
  'We're going to have to get back to the Shining Light Foundation soon, everything that happened with Claire, we should spend some time for her.'
  
  'I'm just glad that Brainiac is gone for good.'
  
  'Yeah, me too.'
  
  'He'll never hurt anyone again. And do you think that Chloe will ever admit...'
  
  The static in her head had gone out, and the thousands of sounds had once again overwhelmed her, blocking her from hearing the rest of Harry and Kara's conversation. Chloe was mentally screaming "admit what, admit what", over and over again.
  
  "Good, I was wondering if you would ever be awake when I visit."
  
  Lois popped up at that moment with a smile, standing in the doorway. Chloe discreetly held her right hand underneath the blanket. There would be awkward explanations all around if Lois saw it. The marking would hopefully be temporary.
  
  She really, really hoped it would be temporary.
  
  "Yeah, I guess I've dozed off," Chloe said.
  
  "Yeah, after what happened...you know I can't really remember what happened now," Lois said. "I was talking to you, and then the next moment I woke up in the hospital. The strangest thing was that no one can even tell me what the hell happened. I was fine, and I got let out yesterday. You on the other hand..."
  
  "I'm getting better, in fact I feel like I could walk on air," Chloe remarked.
  
  "That could be the medication," Lois told her.
  
  Chloe just smiled.
  
  "I guess so," Chloe admitted. She could tell that Lois had big news to tell her. "Okay, Lois, spill."
  
  Lois did in fact spill.
  
  "The news around the bullpen in the Daily Planet is there was some hotshot with a lot of money that bought out most of the top shareholders," Lois told Chloe.
  
  "Oh, I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Chloe said.
  
  "I don't know, new boss is being rather hush-hush," Lois said. A little look of amusement spread across her face. "The word is also that Lex got the Planet snatched from underneath his nose. And hey, any enemy of Lex Luthor is a friend of mine."
  
  Chloe would have to concur. She had a hunch who might have done the deed, but given that she was under bed rest, it was hard to kind of verify that fact.
  
  "The real question is whether or not either of us will keep our jobs," Lois said. She tried not to look too worried. "I mean, with a changeover in management that big, someone like that's going to be cleaning house."
  
  Chloe looked at Lois.
  
  "We're just going to have to wait and see," Chloe said. "I know how hard that is for you."
  
  Lois just shook her head.
  
  "Well you're feeling better, you've got your sarcastic tongue back," Lois remarked. Regardless, she was smiling. "And that's good to see."
  
  Chloe nodded.
  
  "I'll let you get some rest," Lois said. "If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll be right over in a flash."
  
  Lois walked away. Chloe looked at her hand when Lois had left. This was going to be a hell of a thing to explain to everyone. It was not like she could wear gloves for the rest of her life. People would notice that.
  
  Why did magic have to take things so literally?
  
  Chloe suddenly noticed something else with a start. She was floating about six inches off of her bed.
  
  Things might have gotten a bit more complicated now. Chloe would just have to figure out how to bear the consequences.
  
  And not only that, but figure out how to get back down, as she had gotten higher off of the bed. Chloe winced slightly, when the top of her head smacked against the ceiling.
  
  Somehow, by sheer luck, Chloe finally got back to her bed. The woman hugged her legs and looked up, eyes widened. Chloe was almost tentative to move, in the fear that she would bonk her head on the ceiling again.
  
  It was a beautiful day outside. The spring weather had arrived in full force, and there were many people who enjoyed that. Harry and Kara sat outside, checking the latest weather forecast in the newspaper. Claire was off to the side of them, sitting in the grass. She was happily reading a book. Both Harry and Kara were glad that she was in one piece.
  
  Kara smiled at another bit of news, and turned to address Harry.
  
  "Unless this forecast changes, our wedding should go off without a hitch," Kara said. "It will be a nice sunny day outside. Even for us, planning a wedding is so much work. And with everything else that's gone on, there are some day's where I wish there were two of me."
  
  "That would be interesting," Harry said with a grin, and Kara just playfully tapped him on the shoulder. She wrapped her arm around him and snuggled her head onto his shoulder, smiling. Harry wrapped his arm around in her in kind, and the two just enjoyed the company of each other, while keeping a watchful eye on their daughter.
  
  Kara wore a white tank top. The tank top showcased her firm and developed bust, showcasing a generous amount of cleavage. Harry could tell that she was wearing no bra underneath, even if the shirt was charmed to see that no one but Harry did notice that fact. It rode up on her so Harry could see her tanned and toned midsection, along with her sexy little belly button. The red skirt she wore wrapped around her hips snugly. Her beautiful legs were on display. They were smooth, long, and tanned. Kara got on her hands and knees to check something. Harry got a look at her cute rear.
  
  Underneath her skirt, she wore a black thong. She wiggled her ass slightly to tease Harry when Claire was occupied with her book. She wore no shoes, and Harry looked at her perfect feet. They would be the envy of most girls, with her lovely arches and cute little toes. Kara was beautiful, but her personality and her confidence made her ten times more attractive to Harry in addition to her white-hot good looks.
  
  Kara threw herself over Harry's lap. Claire read her comic book, barely even paying attention to anything in the outside world.
  
  "Claire, are you doing fine over there?" Kara asked Claire.
  
  "Yeah, I'm fine," Claire said. The eleven year old redhead sighed. "I can't really remember what happened, though."
  
  "There's a club forming for that," Harry told Claire, and Claire nodded.
  
  They had spent some time when they got back checking out Claire to make sure Brainiac had not left any traces behind on her, or any nasty backdoors. Harry and Kara scanned Claire, who was very impatient, for several hours, and much to their relief, they had found not anything. Perhaps it was for the best that she did not remember anything about her ordeal. Harry wished that he could forget some things about his life.
  
  "So are you ready for the wedding?" Kara asked her.
  
  "Yeah, it's about time," Claire told her. "You two deserve to be happy together, and then you'll be on your honeymoon."
  
  "I'm sure Megan and you will have loads of fun," Harry said.
  
  "Yeah," Claire said with a bright smile. She then bit her lip nervously. "You're coming back aren't you?"
  
  "Of course we are," Kara said. "There's no force in all of the known galaxies that could stop us from returning to you."
  
  Claire felt overjoyed at that reassurance, but really she had no cause to worry. Her mom and dad were awesome, and tried to take time out of their busy day to spend what they could for her. She understood that they had busy lives, and a lot of responsibilities. Even with their powers, it was hard to keep up with anything. Claire thought that they had a lot of important things to do, and appreciated when they spent time with her. Harry and Kara did so not because they had to, but because they wanted to.
  
  Harry and Kara continued to enjoy nature. They were sitting on a small patch of grass outside of the Shining Light Foundation. Suddenly a girl dressed in a red shirt and green skirt with her red hair tied back in a ponytail walked out of the Shining Light Foundation. She held a folder of papers in her hand.
  
  "Hello, Megan," Harry called over to her. "What can I do for you?"
  
  Megan Morse stood, watching them, feeling a bit bad that she had to disrupt this little family outing, but business did call.
  
  "Are you busy, Mr. Potter?"
  
  "Is it important?" Harry asked her.
  
  "The papers came in today," Megan informed him. "And I'm also out here to remind you that Claire has classes this afternoon, and I know after our near scare things might be rough. But you did say that her education should not be disrupted even after what happened yesterday. Um, whatever happened yesterday."
  
  "Right, thanks Megan," Harry said. The dark haired wizard turned his attention to his daughter. "Claire, be a good girl, and go in with Megan. Remember, you have classes this afternoon."
  
  Claire nodded. She rushed over, and hugged Harry and Kara goodbye.
  
  "I'll see you two later," Claire declared cheerfully.
  
  "If you get your homework done, and it's good, we'll do something fun tonight," Harry said.
  
  Claire was lead back inside. Harry looked at the folder of papers on his lap, and a smile crossed over his face.
  
  "Luthor's going to flip," Harry remarked casually.
  
  "What can he do to you?" Kara asked.
  
  "I'm not really concerned with what he could do to me," Harry admitted to her. "It's more like what he might try and do to me that's my concern. And there's just something coming, but I can't place what it is."
  
  Kara snuggled closer against Harry. Harry pulled his soon to be wife in towards him tightly.
  
  "What some kind of calm before the storm?" Kara asked.
  
  Harry nodded. Kara placed her hand on Harry's, and offered him a bright smile.
  
  "We can handle it, after we saved an entire timeline from being wiped out, there's nothing that we can't handle," Kara said. She wrapped her arms around Harry, and pressed her lips against his. She pushed him back onto the grass, and began to kiss him heatedly. Harry returned the favor, and worked his fingers around the back of her, feeling her up underneath her shirt and skirt.
  
  Kara moaned into his mouth. Their tongues clashed together for dominance. Harry broke the kiss slightly.
  
  "We better put some charms up, so no one gets a free show," Harry remarked.
  
  "Yeah, I don't think it would do well for some kind of sex tape starring us to go up on the Internet," Kara said. She added with a teasing grin. "Besides, shouldn't we make some money off of it?"
  
  Harry had no idea whether his fianc?e was being serious or not. He put up the necessary charms, and Kara reached her hand down Harry's pants, and began to slowly stroke his length. Harry felt himself grow in her hand, and his pleasure heightening. The fun was just beginning.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  Kara clasped her hand gently around Harry's cock. Harry felt her soft, but, strong hand, pleasure him. She stroked him up and down. Harry's eyes flittered shut with desire. Kara grasped Harry tight, yet firm, and slowly gave him a hand job. Harry grunted in desire, his breath becoming heavier with each motion Kara made, down his pants.
  
  Kara grinned, and pumped her soft, but strong, hand up and down her husband's cock. The blonde Kryptonian gave Harry pleasure with her actions. Harry pushed his hips off of the ground, and Kara grabbed his pants. She tugged them down. Harry was clad in nothing, but the waist down with boxer shorts.
  
  Kara squeezed Harry's balls through his shorts. A smile appeared across her face as she felt him react.
  
  "Feels so good," Harry breathed.
  
  "It's about to feel better," Kara replied. A grin spread across her face. She played him through his paints. Her fingers lightly stroked Harry, teasing him a little bit.
  
  Harry's heart beat against his ribcage, and he swelled due to the actions of this beautiful blonde goddess. The activity was just beginning, with Kara using her fingers to stroke him, to stimulate him. He throbbed in desire for her.
  
  Kara tugged Harry's boxers down his legs. She eyed his package, drool forming in her mouth. It did not matter how many times she saw Harry's cock, it still made her wet with passion. Her hand gave his cock a few more slow and subtle strokes. Harry pushed his cock deep into her hand. Kara knew Harry was large, about ten inches, maybe more. The thought of her lover having such a wonderful cock made her wet with desire.
  
  "Oh, do you want something?" Kara teased Harry. She rubbed her thumb up and down the head of Harry's penis. She gave him slow, teasing strokes.
  
  "Yes, for you to suck my cock," Harry replied, with a need in his voice.
  
  Kara shifted herself. Harry could see down her top. Her generous cleavage was fully on display, and nipples that poked out firmly from underneath her top. Kara squeezed Harry's balls, and teased him. Her lips were just an inch away from Harry's penis. He could feel her hot breath on the tip of it. Kara stroked him, and placed her lips on him. She gave him slow little sucks. Her lips smacked against his member.
  
  Inch by inch, Kara slipped her lover's cock down into her mouth and down her throat. She worked her tongue on the underside of it. Harry placed his hands on the top of her hair. His fingers stroked her blonde tresses, encouraging her. Kara made eye contact with Harry. Her luscious lips wrapped around his throbbing cock. Slowly, Kara bobbed up and down his cock, enjoying and savoring the taste. She slurped on it.
  
  "Shit, feels so good, baby," Harry breathed. Kara responded by bobbing even faster. The feeling of his cock in her hot mouth combined with her beautiful eyes staring up at his, along with her bobbing, caused Harry's pleasure to heighten. Kara went down on Harry, and Harry stroked her hair. He looked in her eyes, and offered encouragement to her. "Keep sucking."
  
  Kara hummed, taking Harry's cock deep within her throat. Her luscious lips enveloped his length. She reached underneath her skirt, and played with herself. The blonde's bobbing continued to heighten. Harry felt his cock go deep into Kara's throat. She had excellent muscle control.
  
  Harry felt dazed. Every single time this goddess had pleasured him, he was taken to new heights of pleasure. Then again, blondes did know how to have fun. Her beautiful blue eyes maintained eye contact with his green eyes. The nineteen year old alien beauty deep throated Harry, using her super breath to create suction that heightened the enjoyment of this activity. She would have to hold back with a normal guy, for fear of breaking his pelvis, or worse ripping his cock off.
  
  For Harry, that was no problem. Kara continued to bob up and down. Her bright blue eyes maintained eye contact, staring Harry down as she gave him a masterful blowjob. She hummed a triumphant tune, and used her throat muscles to manipulate Harry. Her fingers stroked his balls.
  
  Kara tasted, and loved Harry's cock. She enjoyed him fucking her mouth, and ramming his fleshy pole down her throat. She felt her pussy moisten, and reaching down, the blonde played with it. She teased her own clit, and wanted even more. Kara wanted to coax her lover's cum out of his balls and into her mouth. Her simmering gaze said one thing.
  
  "Cum for me."
  
  Kara stroked, and fondled Harry's balls. Her bobbing sped up. Harry felt his muscles tighten, and he blew his load down Kara's throat. Kara made sure to ride out Harry's orgasm as he pumped his cock into her lovely mouth and spurted several jets of his seed down her throat. Kara made a production of slurping it down, and licking her lips when she let Harry's member free from her mouth.
  
  Kara backed up, breathing. A little bit of cum dribbled down her chin. Kara scraped it onto her fingers. She inserted three of her fingers into her mouth, and began to suck them greedily. Kara's eyes glazed over, and she made lewd sounds while she sucked the excess from her fingers. Harry felt his flaccid penis grow harder.
  
  Kara's gaze met Harry's, and she made sure they locked eyes.
  
  Slowly, Kara pulled her tank top up over her head. Inch by inch, her tantalizing skin was revealed to. Harry felt himself harden. Kara swayed her hips before Harry. She stood in front of him. Her perky, large breasts were before him. He watched her tits bounce. They were round, firm, and above average size. Kara's nipples stood out. They were hard and erect. Kara cupped her breasts, teasing Harry. The blonde fondled her tits, giving a nice, low, and sensual moan.
  
  Kara slipped her skirt down her legs. Harry watched her strip, his mouth watering with desire. Her long tanned stems were on full display. Kara had nice hips and beautiful thighs. Her legs extended down forever. They were so smooth, and tanned. Kara turned around, and bent over. Her thong covered ass was across from Harry's face. Harry saw her beautiful ass, and throbbed staring at her.
  
  Kara pealed her thong off of her. The beautiful blonde Kryptonian got down on her knees, and became prone on the grass. She then turned around, and posed for her lover on the grass.
  
  Harry's eyes drank her in. Beautiful blonde hair framed her face. Her blue eyes burned with intense passion and desire, desire for him. The blonde Kryptonian lifted up a finger, and placed it in her mouth. Her lips were pursed, and Kara was blowing him little kisses, teasing him. Harry's eyes traveled down to her globes that stood out firmly. Nipples teased him. Harry took a look at her slender shoulders. His eyes traveled further down. Her stomach was flat, with not an ounce of fat on it.
  
  He continued to drink in the sight. Her pussy was next. A small patch of blonde hair was on it. Her lips were swollen, and ready for him. His heart skipped a beat, and his gaze lowered towards her hips. Her legs made his mouth water. They were long, and perfect. His gaze went all the way down to her feet. The perfect arches, and the mouth-watering toes completed the entire package.
  
  Harry appreciated his beautiful angel. She got more gorgeous and more sensual with each passing day.
  
  "You're beautiful," Harry whispered.
  
  Kara beckoned with one finger for Harry to join her. Harry did, and Kara sat out. She pulled Harry's shirt up over his shoulders and off of his body. Kara looked at his muscular physique. She traced her hands over his chest, feeling every single bit of him. Kara wrapped her arms around Harry, and her mouth was up to his ear.
  
  "You're sexy yourself," Kara whispered.
  
  She traced patterns on Harry's chest, and moved down his abs. Kara grabbed Harry's head. She hugged his head into her breasts. Harry got the hint, and nuzzled his nose in the valley between her breasts. Pulling back, Harry took her right nipple into his mouth, and sucked on it. Kara reared back, and felt the delight of Harry sucking on her standing nipples.
  
  "Oh, Harry," Kara moaned.
  
  Harry sucked on her breasts, alternating between her right breast and her left breast. The flesh was wonderful, and he rolled his tongue over every inch of it. The affectionate noises his mate made spurred Harry on, and he sucked on her breasts. He buried his face in between her luscious tits, and savored the feeling. Kara cooed happily.
  
  Kara trailed her fingers through his hair. Harry trailed his hands down between her thighs. His fingers teased her pussy. Kara shivered with her lover's fingers touching her in such a manner. They brushed against her moist opening, but only barely scratched the surface. She could tell that Harry was getting a small amount of enjoyment out of riling her up, and the juices rolling down her thighs was brought upon by Harry's actions.
  
  "Harry, don't tease me," Kara whined, when Harry's thumb briefly scrapped against her slit.
  
  Harry once again teased her opening. He aimed his index finger. Slowly, the dark haired wizard inserted it inside of Kara. Kara gave a low moan in his ear. Harry was spurred on for further fun. Her hot breath rattling against his ear did cause him to go further. A second finger inserted itself into Kara's dripping pussy, and a third one. The Kryptonian DNA had made her so gloriously tight. Harry pumped his fingers in and out of her. The tightness around her was something to behold.
  
  Kara was in heaven. Harry's mouth was on her breasts, pleasuring them. Licks traveled around her globes. His fingers worked over her pussy. She felt so wet. It was hot. Harry managed to hit all of her pleasure spots. Little jolts of magic were sent deep inside her, to heighten her pleasure. She could be satisfied by Harry's fingers alone, but she wanted more. Kara had to have everything. Her eyes burned with passion.
  
  Harry switched his mouth to her neck. Kara moaned, but grabbed Harry's face. The blonde cupped Harry's face in her hands, and she looked him in the eyes with one simple request.
  
  "I want you to fuck me," Kara told him.
  
  Harry thought that was a good idea. Kara suddenly shot out of his arms like a cork. The blonde flew high into the air. Kara looked at Harry with a mischievous expression on her face. Harry followed her. Kara flew at Harry and tackled him mid-air. Her legs wrapped around his waist tightly. Harry felt his cock throb, with her body writhing against his in the embrace they shared.
  
  Kara pressed her lips against Harry's and kissed him hard. The passionate kisses continued, keeping more intimate by the moment. Kara explored Harry's mouth with her tongue. Her pussy rubbed against Harry's length, grinding against him. She decided turnabout was fair play, and riled up Harry some more.
  
  Kara pulled off her embrace. She firmly clenched Harry's cock in her hand. Slowly, the beautiful blonde gave Harry a few teasing strokes. Kara leaned back in mid-air. The blonde teased herself, and rubbed Harry's cock head against her slit. Kara allowed Harry to push his cock into her with practiced ease. She wrapped her legs around Harry, and he pushed himself into her.
  
  Harry felt her pussy envelope him. Kara's tight powerful walls hugged him. Harry felt the full and unblocked power of this beautiful blonde. He pushed his cock in and out of her. It felt so good to feel her rub against him, to massage his length with her powerful pussy. Already, Harry felt her muscles convulse around him, but Harry was determined to push into her even deeper.
  
  "Keep doing that," Kara encouraged Harry. Her hands wrapped around his back. This cock inside her was something that she could not get enough of.
  
  Harry sped up his motions. His cock pushed up, and slammed back down into her pussy. Kara returned fire. Their hips bones clashed together at the speed of sound. The high winds that kicked across Kansas might have given people the impression that a tornado was coming. With the charm work, they were ignorant to what truly was going on above their heads. Harry's cock rubbed against her tight walls, and he made sure to hit all of the spots that he knew would drive his lover wild.
  
  The two rocked back and forth in mid-air. Harry's head lowered onto her breasts, and Kara encouraged Harry to suck on them. Harry did so with absolute glee. Kara's hands wrapped around Harry, and her nails dug into his shoulder blades. He did not have to hold back with her at all, and she did not have to hold back with him. Harry's hands cupped her ass, and squeezed her cheeks. Kara slammed herself down onto Harry's cock, and Harry matched her intensity and strength.
  
  Kara screamed to the heavens. Harry's cock had caused her to reach a fever pitch with her pleasure. Harry was still going strong, plowing into her. Kara felt herself worked up to another orgasm. She squeezed his biceps, and encouraged him to go on. Kara wanted Harry to fuck her all day and all night long, over and over again.
  
  "Harry, fuck, fuck," Kara moaned.
  
  Harry looked up, and Kara's head was arched back. The two lovers continued to sway in mid-air. This dance continued to go on and on. Harry's thrusts went deeper into her. Both lost track of the time, not that it mattered to either of them right now. Given their powers, very little time would have passed in the real world.
  
  "Think I'm going to cum," Harry warned her.
  
  "Cum in me!" Kara yelled.
  
  She wrapped her legs tightly around him, and Harry pumped into her. The breeze blew back and forth in the air. The two were invisible to all. His thick and large cock pounded her tight and hot pussy. There were another couple of moments before Kara's vaginal muscles convulsed around Harry's cock. The grip had caused Harry to lose his load into her pussy. Harry felt the sweet pleasure of release.
  
  Kara moaned at receiving her mate's burning hot seed. Harry splattered the inside of her with his cum. His semen splattered straight into her womb, and coated the insides of her white. Kara thanked whoever had invented contraceptive spells. One day, they might have biological children of their own, but today was not the day where they should begin conceiving.
  
  Harry was content as Kara milked him of every single drop. Both of them saw stars, and wrapped their arms around each other. The two kissed each other, snuggling against each other in midair, in the afterglow.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  Harry and Kara rested on the grass, arms wrapped around each other. The two lovers gazed intently, and lovingly into each other's eyes. Harry and Kara spent a fair bit of time snuggling with each other. Kara lightly kissed Harry, and then proceeded to nuzzle her face into Harry's neck. They managed to find their clothes, and walk back inside. There were a few scans of the building that they needed to conclude.
  
  The last year, the last several years had been a trying time for Lana Lang. She pondered about what happened over that time. She sat outside of the Kent Farm, cross legged, and just sipping on a cup of coffee. The sun shined brightly. A change in her life having these powers really did put a new perspective on everything. Everyone was bittersweet, but at the same time offered new possibilities.
  
  Clark walked out immediately. Lana was hit with a sudden burst of inspiration.
  
  "Hey, Clark, do me a favor and throw that rock at my head," Lana told Clark.
  
  Clark looked at her like she had grown a second head. "Are you sure?"
  
  Lana folded her arms, in an exasperated matter. Her gaze flickered towards Clark's
  
  "Yes, Clark, I'm sure, now just do it," Lana said.
  
  Clark picked up the rock. Lana held up her hand.
  
  "And give it everything you got, I want to be sure," Lana said.
  
  Clark did give it everything he got. Lana did have invulnerability now, even though throwing a rock at your girlfriend's skull no matter how tough she was would be something that would not be considered to be natural. The rock froze in mid-air, and Clark stood below Lana. His mouth remained a gap.
  
  "Is that one of your powers?" Clark asked.
  
  "Yeah, it is," Lana said. "Here come up here Clark, and take a load off."
  
  Clark opened his mouth to protest that he could not fly. Lana levitated him up into the air. Clark had his legs crossed. It took him a moment to get used to being in the air.
  
  "Just relax Clark, I won't drop you," Lana said in a reassuring voice. She felt her grip on Clark lessening when he fidgeted. "Although you might want to sit perfectly still."
  
  Clark nodded. The two of them sat in silence. Clark was floating on air. He just resolved not to look down. That seemed to be a common piece of advice when a person was floating in mid-air. The two of them avoided bringing up what happened.
  
  "You can't really remember one bit of the battle with Brainiac," Clark prompted.
  
  Lana shook her head. "I really wish I could, and I get flashes of everything, but nothing is clear. The way you described it, it sounded amazing. And while there is room for improvement, it wasn't too bad my first time out. It does seem a lot easier to think about what someone should do when you're watching from the sidelines. Then when you're actually out there, in the heat of battle. Have there been times where you froze up, and did not know what do?"
  
  "A couple," Clark admitted. "It comes with the territory."
  
  These types of powers had planted the weight of the world on his shoulders. That type of weight could crush any mortal man and someone like Clark Kent, it would be no exception. Lana wrapped her arms around Clark in mid-air. She gazed into his eyes with a smile.
  
  "So, we're out here alone, in the middle of nowhere," Lana said to him. "No one is around here for miles, and this would be an interesting exercise to see if I could keep the two of us levitated while we were occupied."
  
  "In mid-air?" Clark asked, a bit confused by the thought.
  
  "Clark, we keep breaking the bed," Lana told him. She grabbed him around the waist aggressively, and looked into his eyes. "It's not like we're going to be able to break the sky. Although it would be helpful if you did one day learn how to fly. And I know, you keep trying. There's something that keeps holding you back. But maybe this will give you some...inspiration?"
  
  Lana kissed Clark in the cheek, and then moved over. She straddled Clark's lap while they were in mid-air. Clark just went with the flow, and Lana's lips pressed against his. If she was not careful, they would be crashing through the roof of the barn. Although that would give an entirely new meaning to the phrase "romp in the hay."
  
  "Clark, you feel like you're made of steel," Lana whispered in his ear.
  
  Clark felt her hands go to work. He closed his eyes, and savored the moment. The yellow sun so close to them did make the experience rather different.
  
  "Lana," Clark whispered in her ear, as she pulled his pants down. She had Clark pinned into place in mid-air.
  
  That never got old, and Lana savored each moment. Clark sometimes had a mental block where he held back a little bit. She had to encourage him to step things up a little bit. Then again, Clark just seemed to be the type that tended to want to go slowly. That would not do.
  
  Lana brought Clark's head down onto her lap, pulling her skirt off.
  
  The activities continued for a while, and they really got into them for several minutes. Suddenly a loud blaring sound had knocked them out of the air. Lana swooped beneath Clark, and caught him in her arms.
  
  "At least we finished before we got knocked out of the air," Clark said, trying to lighten the mood.
  
  Lana thought that Clark had a different meaning of "finished" than she did. There was no time to dwell on this. .This sound compelled her to keep moving forward.
  
  "Clark, stick around, rest, and I'll be right back," Lana said to Clark. Clark opened his mouth to protest, but Lana silenced him with a kiss. It was brief, but she pulled back. "It's something important. We'll have to pick this back up later."
  
  She pushed Clark against the barn, and gave him one last kiss. Clark was surprised that she practically stuck her tongue down his throat. He slumped against the barn, and Lana turned around, giving Clark a bit of a show. Lana put her clothes back on, and flew off before Clark could say anything.
  
  A thump, thump, thump, echoed through Lana's head. The attack was very distracting. She wondered where this headache was coming from. There was some mysterious force attacking her brain. She placed her hands on either side of her head.
  
  "Who is this?" Lana asked.
  
  'Hello, Lana, long time no see,' Lily Potter answered in a cheerful voice.
  
  Lana nearly crashed out of surprise.
  
  "What are you doing in my head?" Lana demanded.
  
  "A part of me has been dormant ever since your trip to the Fortress, inside your head," Lily said.
  
  Lana was completely mortified out of her mind, and that meant if Lily was there, then she was with her and Clark during their most private moments. The thought of which made her want to hurl.
  
  'Don't worry, I shut my eyes during the graphic parts,' Lily thought to Lana. 'Although I must say, the traveler is everything that I had ever thought of. He's quite gifted, is he not, dear?"
  
  Lana was not hearing this. She was so not hearing this. This was so wrong on so many levels. Her stomach turned, and she felt violated.
  
  'Get out of my head," Lana demanded.
  
  'In a little bit, sweetie,' Lily thought. 'First, I need you to be a good little protector, and pick up something for me. We're going to shove Kal-El on the first major step towards his destiny.'
  
  "I won't do anything to hurt Clark, you witch!" Lana thought to Lily angrily.
  
  'Dear, that's not really that much of an insult in our world,' Lily thought back to Lana. 'It's time for you to really test your mettle. We'll see if you are worthy to stand beside Kal-El, or not. There is a fifty-fifty shot, princess. And now I'm in control. I can make you crash into airplanes, into buildings, and kill innocent people. But you don't want to do that, do you?"
  
  "Do whatever you want to me, just don't hurt Clark,' Lana thought, perfectly aware she was not in control of the way she was flying.
  
  Lana strained, and very nearly regained control. Lily was much stronger than she was.
  
  'Lana, I can never hurt Kal-El,' Lily thought. 'Everything I have done is with his best interests in mind. The world needs a hero. It's unfortunate that the greatest lessons are learned through adversity, and it's survival of the fittest. We cannot hide behind a false veil of secrets forever.'
  
  Lana reached a building on the outside of town. She recognized it as a satellite outpost of the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  'You're going to borrow something that Harry picked up a while back,' Lily thought.
  
  'You're going to use me to steal from your own son?' Lana asked.
  
  'Steal is such an ugly word,' Lily replied. 'I prefer the term liberate.'
  
  Lana continued to fly, and tried to find a way out of this. She had to fight without Lily being any the wiser.
  
  Lily did seem to plan for every single bit of resistance.
  
  Lily needed to accelerate her plans. The third Herald of Death was coming, and by her calculations, she would arrive in less than a day.
  
  Kara and Harry poured over records from the Shining Light Foundation security systems. They would be able to secure the main building, and make sure what happened to Claire would not happen again to anyone else. There was a small, but easily exploitable hole in the mainframe of the Shining Light Foundation security system. The two worked over it, and to seal it so it could never be used to hurt anyone again.
  
  "My mother and her games," Harry said with a disgusted sigh. He poured over everything. "The good news is that she has been purged from the system again. I'm currently reworking the charm work to lock her back out and hopefully keep her there."
  
  "There's good news, but is there bad news?" Kara wondered.
  
  Harry paused, and looked long and hard.
  
  "The bad news is, there may be still faint traces of her out there in someone," Harry said.
  
  "So, you think she still could be hiding somewhere in the Fortress?" Kara asked.
  
  Harry nodded, but there was a bit of uncertainty to that gesture.
  
  "Yes, somewhere in the Fortress, maybe," Harry said.
  
  There was a small amount of skepticism dripping from his voice. Harry and Kara continued to pour over the security logs.
  
  "Look, there's an erratic spike here, all the way to Luthorcorp," Kara said.
  
  Sure enough there was. That would explain the strange energy spikes that had been happening all over the city. Harry and Kara sat by each other, and tapped into their little backdoor into the Luthorcorp network. They punched their way into the video footage that they had seen over the past twenty four hours. Harry saw Lex looking around, and muttering to himself.
  
  The two Heralds of Death surveyed the situation. Both were thinking the same thing.
  
  "He's acting odd, even for Luthor," Harry remarked casually.
  
  Kara responded with a nod. He was acting a bit odd. They continued to tap into the network one step at a time. Luthor was trying to find something in Luthor Manor, and conversing with someone. Given that Luthor was the only one present at the time, this was strange behavior. Harry and Kara watched. Perhaps they were putting two and two together, and getting five.
  
  Another silent alarm went off.
  
  "It looks like someone found the orb," Harry said.
  
  Harry and Kara punched up the security camera. The vault had been ripped open by super strength.
  
  "You seem oddly not bothered by this," Kara replied to Harry.
  
  Harry shook his head, and decided to elaborate. "No, I'm not truly bothered by this. The fact of the matter is that I put a tracing charm on the orb. I'll be able to track it where I want to go immediately. There's something inside that orb that is of great value, and it's an item that can control Clark."
  
  Kara thought that Harry should be a bit more bothered by this, but she was willing to accept that he had his reasons for now. He punched up the footage, and the blur that moved in was Lana. Harry shook his head. This had gotten from bad to worse.
  
  "I seem to have created a monster," Harry said to himself. "Or I could have created a puppet that can be easily exploited."
  
  Kara stared at the security images on the secret.
  
  "Lana looked like she was fighting it," Kara offered.
  
  "Yeah, fighting it, but it's kind of hard to fight something with your mind when someone is controlling the body," Harry said.
  
  Kara concurred with a nod. The two of them traced the orb, even if they had a shrewd idea where the destination was.
  
  The two Heralds had to work quickly. They had a feeling that the die had already been cast. Harry really wished he could destroy the orb, but there was something that prevented him from doing so.
  
  Clark sat outside of the barn, and waited impatiently. It was getting late in the afternoon. He heard footsteps and though for a moment that it was Lana. That thought was proven wrong, when he saw Lex walk up towards him. It had been a long time since he had come face to face with Lex, and Clark's mood darkened when he did.
  
  Lex stood before Clark, as bold as brass, like he was just rolling into town to greet an old friend.
  
  "What are you doing here?" Clark asked.
  
  Lex replied with a smile. Clark did not like the look of that smile. It was a knowing one, a calculating one. "Come on Clark, is that any way to great an old friend?"
  
  "We haven't been friends for years, and after all you did, I wonder if we ever were friends," Clark replied. He kept his voice even.
  
  Lex winced for a brief moment, before he grew rather stoic.
  
  "I see," Lex said. His voice was cold. "I don't know what to say after all of these years. Our friendship was something that should have been the stuff of legend. Clark Kent and Lex Luthor, a regular dynamic duo, and no one could stand in our way. I thought of our potential together, and I guess that I thought wrong."
  
  Clark was on his guard. Lex did not attack him yet. Not that Lex could hurt him. Physically at least, although Lex had done much to him emotionally, and that's what put Clark on his guard.
  
  "And you didn't trust me, no matter how much I tried to prove myself," Lex accused. "I suppose I was the fool for deluding myself. I guess I was a fool for actually thinking you valued our friendship. And I gave you plenty of chances to open up. But, you never took them. This isn't the way I wanted to find out. I wanted to learn it straight from the horse's mouth. And after seven years, I wondered what I could say."
  
  "What are you talking about?" Clark asked.
  
  Lex just looked at Clark with a knowing grin.
  
  "Oh, come on, Clark, it's not like it takes a rocket scientist to know what's going on," Lex said to Clark. "All of those near misses over the years. All of those times where you just happened to pull me and others out of the fire. I should have known. But I didn't want to admit it to myself. I wanted you to admit it to my face. Face to face, I wanted you to tell me the truth, like a best friend should. But, I wonder, while you were not admitting it in front of my face, were you laughing behind my back?"
  
  "After all you did, I was right not to tell you anything," Clark replied.
  
  Lex threw his hands up into the air.
  
  "Clark, you of all people should not be taking the moral high ground. You kept your secrets from people who were supposed to be your friends. Did you really think so little of me? What did you think I was going to do? Dissect you? I respect people, who respect me, and I trust them. I thought that trust could exist between us."
  
  "There was never any trust between us," Clark argued.
  
  "That's where you're wrong, Clark!" Lex yelled. He took a moment to calm himself down. "You could have been like a brother like me. Which is the ultimate irony, because you would be worthy of the name Luthor .All of the times you stabbed me in the back with your secrets."
  
  Clark reached over, and grabbed Lex. Lex remained calm and collected. He looked Clark directly in the eye.
  
  "You could crush me like a tin can," Lex said to him. He was fearless. "But you can't destroy one thing. The fact of the matter is that I'm right about everything. It didn't have to be this way Clark, but it now is. It's almost a shame."
  
  Clark tightened his grip on Lex's jacket. There was a tense moment where Clark considered his options. He could not do much more than consider them. Years of pent up anger was inside him, and Clark tried to get himself in line before he would do something that he would regret.
  
  A wave of magical energy washed over them. The next thing Clark knew, both he and Lex had been teleported into the Fortress of Solitude. Lex's eyes widened and he looked around. He was impressed by everything, and amazed. Lex Luthor resembled a kid on Christmas morning.
  
  "Magnificent," Lex mouthed, and he looked around. He took a good long look at everything.
  
  "Don't get too comfortable, you're not staying for long," Clark said.
  
  "No, Clark, you're right, I wouldn't overstay my welcome," Lex said, and he reached into his jacket. He pulled out a green meteor rock. Clark stood before Lex. Lex pointed the rock at Clark. Clark stood by him, unflinching. Confusion washed over Lex's face, but he recovered. "All of those times you dropped like a drowned kitten around these things, and now you stand tall. I wonder what's happened to you."
  
  Lex paused, and smiled.
  
  "You might be powerful, but you have a weakness," Lex said. A knowing grin appeared on the bald young man's face. He stared Clark directly in the eye, and his voice dropped. "And your weakness is you care about others."
  
  "That is a strength!" Clark argued.
  
  "Many would argue otherwise," Lex said. "I would offer you the hand of friendship one more time to try and reconcile what once was, but I know when to take a hint. Perhaps it is not in the cards for Clark Kent and Lex Luthor to be friends. Perhaps we should be enemies."
  
  "You made that choice a long time ago," Clark replied.
  
  The two young men, once friends, stared each other down. Neither blinked, both remained firm in their stance and their opinion. Lex stared Clark in the eye, and his voice lowered to a near whisper, before he asked Clark one burning question.
  
  "The real question is, which one of us is the hero, and which one of us is the villain?" Lex asked.
  
  Before Clark could answer, he heard familiar screams. He saw Lana suspended in mid-air above him. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Kryptonian writing had been burned into her forehead.
  
  "Lana!" Clark yelled. His heart skipped a beat. "Let her go!"
  
  "Krypton flows through me," Lana said in a creepy monotone. "I am Krypton."
  
  Both Clark and Lex were completely disturbed by this development. It was almost like the knowledge of the Fortress was being uploaded into Lana's brain.
  Conquest Part Two
  
  
  Chapter 34: Conquest Part Two.
  
  After seven years, what more could someone say. That was the question that was rolling through the mind of Lex at this point. It was honestly difficult to say anything at this point. His entire friendship with Clark, and then the subsequent animosity that soured things rolled through his head. The bald young man questioned every single thing that happened between the two of them. All of the times where he took Clark at his word replayed in his mind. If Clark could be dishonest about his origins, then it stood to reason to Lex that he would be dishonest about his intentions and everything else.
  
  Everything the two men had been through was a lie. Lex looked on with a bittersweet smile. It was just like everything else in his life.
  
  Lana hovered in the air, dangling. Clark watched her. She looked like a puppet, and was in pain. His mind was going several miles a minute. There was no way he could see to disconnect her from the field.
  
  "Jor-El, if you can hear me, your advice would be appreciated about now," Clark pleaded. There was no response. The silence was deafening.
  
  Lana's eyes glowed. Clark could see Kryptonian writing flash through her eyes. A pained expression crossed her face, and she mouthed the word "help". She tried to fight what was happening. The knowledge was not siphoned into her brain slowly, so she could assimilate and understand it. Rather it was crammed into her mind.
  
  "Jor-El, father, I don't care what you do to me, whatever you want just help Lana!" Clark yelled. His voice nearly cracked from the panic.
  
  Lex had never seen Clark this desperate. Desperation was something that Luthors had been taught not to show. It was an avenue where enemies could swoop in and take advantage of them. It was easily exploitable, and Luthors had exploited it. Weakness was something that was forbidden. Especially around an enemy, and Lex speculated that he would be considered Clark's enemy. Lex understood it all, achieving perfect clarity. He was a hero that would save the world from this alien menace.
  
  "Jor-El cannot hear you, it's my consciousness that flows within the Fortress," Lana said in creepy monotone. "This is my destiny to become the protector. After seven years, the two of us can be together completely. I understand everything. Everything that I see, is sensations unlike the world has ever known. Everything I touch, everything I smell, the world is in an entirely different light, and the world will never be the same again! It is all ours, Kal-El, just accept it is our destiny!"
  
  Clark took a step forward. He reached over, and tried to disconnect Lana from the Fortress. How, he did not know. She might be saying one thing. However, the woman's expression and body language said a different thing.
  
  "Lana, I can help you, just help me," Clark said desperately. "I know you're in there somewhere!"
  
  Lana's expression flickered between tranquil and horrified. Her fingers twitched, and Clark tried to grab Lana. He could not even touch her. The energy pulse knocked him back onto the ground right at the feet of Lex Luthor. This the last place where he wanted to be in this point of time.
  
  Surprisingly, Lex extended a hand for Clark to grab. Clark looked at it. He wondered what Lex's game was. There was always a game with a Luthor. His head shook to try and clear the cobwebs.
  
  "Clark, trust me, I've been sucked into this situation as much as you have," Lex said. "Whatever happens from here, between the two of us, we'll deal with that on our own time. If we want to both live to see another day, we have to work together."
  
  "Work together with you?" Clark asked. His voice seemed to be dripping with skepticism. "Are you mad?"
  
  "Mad, perhaps, desperate, definitely," Lex replied in flat voice. Clark finally took his once friend's hand, and allowed Lex to help him to his feet.
  
  Clark and Lex stood side by side, but neither really trusted the other. Once again, Clark saw Lana floating in mid-air. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Lana started muttering Kryptonian under her breath. Lex had no idea what she said, but Clark did.
  
  Lex's expression shifted. There was a glowing orb on the ground. He had never noticed this object before. The truth was that Lex was too preoccupied with the architecture of the Fortress, and his admiration of it. Despite the situation, he would have to admit that it was rather impressive. And he debated on how this Fortress could best serve humanity. It would not do well to be in the hands of aliens.
  
  Temptation flooded through Lex Luthor. He saw Clark preoccupied with Lana. She was always his Achilles heel, Lex thought. Then again, perhaps the inverse could be true. Clark was Lana's greatest weakness as well. Lex saw that fact with the most picture perfect clarity. The orb was on the floor. It was tantalizing, and annoyingly out of reach. His fingers twitched, and he stepped forward. Inch by inch, he got closer to the orb.
  
  A voice told him that the orb would be the key for his control. There was something that made Lex hesitate. His father had told him that hesitation gave your enemy a chance to swoop in and stab you in the chest. His footsteps got closer, and closer towards the orb. There were many things Lex wanted to do.
  
  He was told that jamming that orb into the Fortress console would cause his ultimate control, and would give him his triump. Lex never made a habit of listening to the voices in his head. These voices might have been forceful. However, Lex did not want to go down that road. His hand was extended.
  
  'The power is in your hand.'
  
  Lex shook his head. His heart beat against his chest. Every single step he took was towards a greater destiny, but doubt and hesitation held Lex back from completely taking the plunge.
  
  Clark had been preoccupied by Lana. All of his powers were useless, so he had to use the one thing that could not be measured with any super power. His mind, and he had to calculate a way out of there before it was too late. Clark's fingers twitched, and he reached over to try and pry Lana out of her cage.
  
  He stopped, and saw Lex. Lex was making his way over to the orb. Clark sensed that the orb was nothing, but trouble. There was a voice whispering in his ear. It was forceful. Lex was a deadly enemy. Clark wondered if they ever truly were friends.
  
  At super speed, Clark moved over and blocked Lex's hand. The two young men locked eyes. His firm grip held Lex's wrist in place. The bald young man struggled. Clark held him up. Lex's gaze was focused onto Clark. A bit of passive hurt crossed the eyes of Lex Luthor.
  
  "What don't you trust me?" Lex asked.
  
  Clark could not even believe that Lex would have the gall to ask that question. His firm grip held his once friend in place. Lex was lifted off of the ground. Clark pulled him away from the orb. Walking over, Clark tried to pick up the orb.
  
  He could not touch it properly. Lex's eyebrow rose, filing this piece of information away for potential use later.
  
  Clark's attention was half on Lex and half on Lana. Keeping an eye on Lex was a full time job, but keeping an eye on Lana was important. More information was force-fed into her mind.
  
  "What is your game?" Clark asked.
  
  "I'm trying to help you, but some people just can't appreciate help," Lily's voice echoed through the chamber.
  
  Clark wondered if Harry would forgive him for wanting to hurt Lily. Although given Harry's recent comments about Lily, and his attitude towards her, he might have been right beside Clark. The triumphant tone in Lily's voice was not one Clark missed.
  
  Two figures appeared as far outside of the Fortress as they could be allowed. Harry and Kara dropped down, and had a nice, long look around. The two had to figure out what to do, and quickly. There was a weird light show appearing outside of the Artic. The two of them had a feeling that this light show would pick up the attention of some undesirable parties. The two of them had to move quickly. Harry and Kara made their way outside of the Fortress. The two of them touched it.
  
  There was an energy field around it to block their entry. The two of them tried to push through, but it repelled them back slightly. Kara and Harry stood beside each other.
  
  "Well, this might complicate things," Harry concluded. He placed a hand on his chin. Intently, the dark haired Herald of Death looked at the Fortress.
  
  "We can get inside though if we find the flaw in her charm work," Kara suggested to him.
  
  Harry and Kara exchanged an expression, and studied everything. The orb had been tracked right now. Harry would have sooner destroyed the object. However, there were two distinct reasons why. The fact of the matter was that he could not destroy it. Something had stopped him from being able to do so, even with the most powerful magic. And it offered some level of insurance against Lily. That being said, that was out the window.
  
  At that moment, Harry and Kara heard someone drop down in the snow. It startled them, and brought them out of their concentration. They turned around, and saw Chloe on her hands and knees in the snow in the Artic. Chloe shook her head.
  
  "Harry, Kara!" Chloe yelled. The two of them flew over to her, turning their attention away from the Fortress.
  
  Harry paused, and looked at the blonde in the snow. Her unexpected arrival threw him completely off guard.
  
  "Chloe, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.
  
  Chloe's eyes popped up with a confused expression in them. "That's kind of what I want to know. One moment I'm lying in my hospital bed, minding my own business. I was going to get discharged tomorrow morning. And the next minute, I wake up in the Artic. I don't like throwing around the word normal, but this isn't normal."
  
  "No it isn't, even for us," Kara agreed.
  
  Harry conjured some warm clothes for Chloe. The woman took them graciously.
  
  "Thanks," Chloe said, feeling a bit better that she was not lying in the Artic with just a hospital gown on. Oddly enough, the cold did not bother her. She filed that away with questions that would need to be investigated later. Yet, it was just more of the principal of anything. "Wow, I guess magic can do anything. I suppose that it could undress people as well as dress them."
  
  "I can verify that it can," Kara said knowingly.
  
  Chloe stood with a smile plastered on her face. She knew that she was outside of the Fortress. Harry stood over, and his eyes flickered over towards Chloe's hand. His green eyes surveyed her, and he spoke with the utmost calmness.
  
  "Chloe, what's on your hand?" Harry asked her.
  
  "Hand, there's nothing on my hand, just a scratch," Chloe said, backing up.
  
  Kara reached forward, and gently grabbed Chloe's hand. Chloe winced, with Kara taking a good look at her. The cat was out of the bag so to speak. Kara studied her hand, and saw the familiar marking of death.
  
  "You look like someone died," Chloe said, trying to lighten the mood. She saw the grave expressions on their faces. "Yeah, that was a poor choice of words."
  
  "Chloe, we were afraid there would be consequences like this," Kara said with a sigh.
  
  "Consequences, yeah you told me about that," Chloe said. There was a long pause. Then something struck Chloe. "Does that mean I'm...the third?"
  
  "It's complicated," Kara said dryly.
  
  Chloe shifted around. An impatient expression crossed her face. "How can something like that be complicated? It's either a yes or a no answer? How is something like that complicated?"
  
  Harry was the one who had to explain. Chloe really had no idea what her innocent declaration would have caused. He rubbed his fingers on his temples.
  
  "Chloe, I know you appreciated us saving your life," Harry said. "However, you really don't know what owing someone your life means for a Herald of Death. It leaves a mark that indicates that...well you owe them big time, in a big way. To put things in laymen's terms, you are a Herald of the Heralds, for lack of a better term."
  
  Chloe had many questions about this. Kara placed a finger to her lips, and prevented her from talking.
  
  "Chloe, you have many questions about what might have happened," Kara said. "However, now is not the time. We have a bit of a problem. Clark and Lana are both in trouble."
  
  Chloe's eyes snapped up, her breath hitched, and the girl was focused. This got her attention one hundred percent. Her heart beat a bit, and she looked at Harry and Kara with a determined expression on her face.
  
  "Let's save him, then," Chloe said firmly.
  
  Harry and Kara looked rather reluctant.
  
  "Oh, come on, I'm capable enough," Chloe told them firmly. Harry and Kara had no questions about her capability. Suddenly, Chloe was hovering a few inches off of the ground. "Oh, well this is new. Actually the second time it happened, but that's beside the point. And I really just have no idea how to get down."
  
  Chloe was hovering off of the ground, and going further up. She tried to will herself down to the ground. It was harder than it looked. Harry and Kara looked at her. Kara decided to give Chloe some advice.
  
  "Chloe, just take a deep breath, and relax," Kara told her. "And lower yourself to the ground. It's like breathing, it's natural. Just do it. Don't try and force it. Just get down to the ground."
  
  Chloe dropped down to the ground. She wondered if she could get back up. Chloe decided not to risk it for now, and focused on the matter at hand.
  
  "We're overdue for a long conversation of what's happening to me," Chloe said.
  
  "And you'll get one, once the day is saved" Harry agreed. He blinked and turned back to the Fortress. "I believe we have found a way in. My mother is there, so we really have to be ready for anything. She has a pull on the Fortress, and she managed to hide what kind of pull that she had for a time."
  
  Chloe took a deep breath, and frowned.
  
  "So, I guess you can lead me inside," Chloe said.
  
  "If you're willing to help, just listen to everything we say," Harry said.
  
  Chloe decided to agree. They knew what they were up again. And if she did not want to be on the outside looking in, she would allow Harry and Kara to help her. Harry grabbed her hand, and she shivered. Kara grabbed her other hand.
  
  "Just relax, and we'll guide you," Kara said. "The first time is always the toughest."
  
  Chloe closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She felt a tingling sensation. It was assumed that this was perfectly natural. Harry and Kara were unbothered by it after all, so why should she. Those thoughts were in her mind when the three of them were transported into the Fortress.
  
  Clark thought had almost had a way to get Lana out of there.
  
  "Don't you realize that this is futile," Lily said.
  
  "You wouldn't be the first person that said that to me," Clark retorted, in a half distracted voice. He tried to grab Lana, and pull her out of the containment field. He attempted to push her out.
  
  The fully formed form of Lily Potter had arrived. Her red hair flowed in the Artic winds. Her green eyes were full of determination, and she positively glowed with power. One could not argue that Lily Potter was a beautiful woman, and she was also completely dangerous. Lex looked at Lily for a few moments, captivated by this figure before him. He tried to regain his bearings, and then he spoke.
  
  "I can see where Harry gets his eyes," Lex said, trying to get in the woman's good graces.
  
  "You don't have any right to say any word about my son," Lily said, her voice as cold as the Artic they were in. Her green eyes were on Lex's face. "You have come a long way Lex Luthor. Yet, there is so much that you learn. And your final lesson is when you have an opportunity to kill your hated enemy, you seize that moment. Or someone else may seize you!"
  
  Lex was knocked hard to the ground by a blast of magical energy. He slammed down onto the ground with a thud. It took a moment before Clark to realize that Lily was fully corporeal. He tried to rush at her a super speed. A field of energy knocked Clark back, repelling the Kryptonian. He crashed back against the ground, right beside Lex.
  
  "There seems to be something oddly appropriate about this picture," Lily mused. Her green eyes blazed, and she looked down at Clark and Lex on the ground. Two men were flat on their backs. "The hero and the villain have been brought down by a force that they could not comprehend. I thought long and hard about what must be done. The two of you, you could go around and around in circles for years. Or something could be done where it ends right there. You two are an interesting contrast. Lex, without your brilliant mind, you are nothing. And Clark, without your powers, you're nothing."
  
  Clark's gaze looked at up at Lily's. He struggle underneath her push.
  
  "You're wrong!"
  
  "That's really the best you could say," Lily said. She clicked her tongue, and shook her head. Clark was down on the ground. Lily floated over to Clark. She barely paid attention to Lana floating behind her. Lana's eyes popped open, and she felt that she could move her right arm open. Lily bent down and patted Clark on the head in a condescending manner. "It's okay, I don't expect snappy dialogue. I just expect snappy results. Of course, one could argue that you are inadequate in that matter as well."
  
  Clark had never felt more humiliated in his life. He tried to lift his arm up. There was an attempt to get away from away. He saw Lana's attempts to get herself free, and Clark took a deep breath.
  
  "I've never been one to appreciate a flair for the dramatics," Lex said. "Are you going to kill us off or not?"
  
  "Not today."
  
  Lily's head spun around. Harry, Kara, and Chloe stood at the end of the Fortress. Lily stared down them. They stared back, arms folded, and glares intense.
  
  "Hello, Harry, Kara, Chloe," Lily said with a smile. "I was wondering when you would find a way inside. Did you not think that I would notice the tracking charm?"
  
  "You've gone too far this time," Harry said.
  
  "Too far, maybe one could say that if they had a lack of imagination," Lily said. A calculating expression spread across her face. Malice burned through her green eyes. Her eyes met Harry's identical eyes. "I don't expect anyone to understand what I do. What I do is done on a greater level than many can fathom."
  
  "I fathom something," Chloe said. She stared down Lily, no fear in her eyes. "I fathom that you're completely out of your mind."
  
  Lily just offered a grin towards Chloe. There was a moment's pause. Lily decided to enlighten the girl on a few truths.
  
  "Perhaps one could say that my madness is assured. However, it is just a culmination of hundreds of years of obsessive searching that nearly killed off my entire bloodline. If I didn't control the traveler, then someone else would try. And people would keep trying. Lionel Luthor hid his intentions behind a mask. He might have fooled many people, he may have fooled himself into thinking he changed. The best of us often become the tricked by the masks we wear. Despite his intentions, one thing is for certain. I doubt he fooled Lex."
  
  Lex had to admit that he agreed, and agreeing with this woman was something that caused him a great deal of discomfort.
  
  "I don't know where Harry gets his noble heart," Chloe said. "It's certainly not for you."
  
  "You misunderstand my intentions, all of you," Lily said. The red haired woman offered a long sigh. There was just some times where people did not get what had to be done.
  
  Harry somehow doubted that he misunderstood anything. He had seen some of the games his mother had played. A part of him understood that Lily was a product of her childhood. However, Harry thought that he could have turned out as hate-filled and spiteful as the Dursleys, phobic towards everything different. Yet, he had risen above that. So that was where his sympathy had ended.
  
  "Why are you doing this to Lana?" Clark asked.
  
  "I'm not hurting her, I'm helping her," Lily said. She seemed hurt that Clark misunderstood her intentions. "And I'm helping you. She might have the powers, but there are certain personality flaws that need to be ironed out, for her to understand what is truly at stake."
  
  "Lana isn't flawed!" Clark yelled.
  
  "Kal-El, you're not thinking straight, one day will understand" Lily said, shaking her head.
  
  "Let Lana go," Harry told Lily. "She doesn't have anything to do with whatever game you're playing."
  
  Lex crawled off to the side, and tried to figure out a way to cut his losses.
  
  "You made her a part of this game, when you allowed her to keep those powers," Lily said. "You do tend to have a savior complex, my son. Then again, you and Kal-El are heroes, but in different ways. Ka-El is the type of hero that the world wants, that the world could look up to. You, on the other end, are the type of hero that the world needs. As for letting Lana go, consider it done!"
  
  Lana was swaying from side to side, and eventually she was let go out of the stasis field. Immediately, Clark super sped in front of Lana, and caught her before crashing into the ground. Lana looked at Clark, a milky look in her eyes.
  
  "Lana, talk to me," Clark said.
  
  Lana offered him the slightest smile of recognition before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Clark's eyes angrily turned towards Lily.
  
  "What did you do to her?" Clark asked.
  
  "You did it to her," Lily corrected. "You keep wanting to bring her in, make her a part of your life. And I tried to give her the chance. I downloaded the knowledge of the Fortress into her brain. Guess she couldn't handle it. Her brain may have very well been cooked like an egg."
  
  "No one could handle that, you just forced the information into her brain!" Clark yelled.
  
  Lily thought she had struck a nerve. Lana's eyes flickered open suddenly.
  
  "Clark, it's okay," Lana breathed. Her hand pounded, and she had learned a ton of new information, but had not properly figured it out yet. "Just got a headache really, I'll be fine."
  
  "Are you sure?" Clark asked her.
  
  Lana gave Clark a look that indicated that she was sure. Harry's head turned around, and he stared down Lily in the distance. Mother and son looked at each other for the longest time.
  
  "Once again, the dice had been rolled with life, and Lana manages to slip free," Lily commented. "It does seem like that if anything her power is to survive situations that should have destroyed her."
  
  "So that was your intention all this time," Harry said. His expression was calm and neutral. His eyes were on Lily's. The two identical sets of green eyes stared each other down. "I find something to be kind of funny. In another life, I would have been much like you. I would have been too much like you. In fact, I wouldn't really doubt that there are parts of me that are a bit like you. There are times where I thought that it would be the easiest thing in the world to take control."
  
  Lily shook her head.
  
  "Harry, if you had one flaw, you always have to take the hardest path. I don't know why you tend to heap the adversity on yourself. Life could be easy. It you could yours."
  
  "Taking the easy path would just be that," Harry said.
  
  "It would be a path that is barren," Kara added. "You died a beloved hero, protecting your son."
  
  "I am a beloved hero, I sacrificed everything," Lily said.
  
  Harry's expression was fixed on Lily's. There was a long pause. The two of them looked at each other. It seemed like they tried to understand why one did what the other did.
  
  "Even heroes have their moments of darkness," Harry said quietly. "And even villains have their moments of near redemptions. I don't know what side you could be classified on. And perhaps there are no answers."
  
  "There are no answers," Lily said. "Everything is a matter of perspective. The world is only as black and white as you personally view it."
  
  "My perspective is that we tried to gain some common ground with you," Kara said. Her gaze was on Lily. There was no humor in her blue eyes, and no sympathy at all. "But, what you did today, that was too much. Out of all of the things you've done, when you used a child as a bargaining chip, that was something that we could never forgive."
  
  "I never intended anything to happen to Claire," Lily said.
  
  Kara lost it at this point. Her temper flared.
  
  "Yet, you did! Something happened to her, and she could have died. And for what reason? Was this part of some game to test us?"
  
  "All things in life are subject to examination," Lily said without any empathy in her voice.
  
  Harry thought that he was beating his head up against the wall. He looked up at Lily at this point. All of the good things he heard about Lily from others, Harry remembered them. All of those words of praise flowed in his mind. A part of him admired Lily for her deception. Then again, who was the true Lily Potter? Did she even know anymore? Despite her advanced charm work, she was an imitation of the original, whoever and whatever she was.
  
  "I can forgive a lot, maybe too much," Harry said. "But all of the things you did, they add up, and even test what I can forgive."
  
  Lily folded her arms. They were coming towards a crossroads in their lives, many of them. Chloe's eyes snapped towards Lily.
  
  "Why would you do this?" Chloe asked. "I was under the impression that you were helping Harry, and Clark too. Well if this is your definition of helping, what you do to hurt them must be borderline sadism."
  
  Once again, people had misunderstood what Lily was doing.
  
  "There are many things that Harry did that I would have never done. Giving Lana those powers, it was something that I cannot comprehend. And there was something else. Saving Lex Luthor from drowning, that was also something that I would not have done. Even if it wasn't his time, he should have died. But perhaps it was just destiny. Every hero needs their arch-nemesis. Would a hero be so heroic without their enemy? Would a villain's deeds matter without a hero being around to stop them? It is a co-dependent relationship, and Lex and Kal-El are destined to have this dynamic. They complete each other."
  
  Realization hit Lex, it struck him hard in the face. He had remained on the ground, and backed off just slightly. Harry had been Death. He had saved him. Why did Harry save him, Lex Luthor? Likely, at that time, Harry had no idea who he was. Ignorance had saved Lex Luthor on that day. There was no grander purpose, and Lex cracked a tiny bit from the realization. His entire world was spun upside down, and Lex blinked. He saw Clark standing there. Lana was in his arms. He saw Lily standing before them.
  
  Chloe, Kara, and Harry stood before Lily, and Clark stood off to the side, with Lana in his arms. Lex was on the floor, and everything flashed before him.
  
  Lex thought that everything in his life had been leading up to his moment. Yet, there was one moment in time that every single moment in life lead up to. That was a person's death. What would happen, Lex had no idea.
  
  His heart thumped against his chest. Something told him that no matter what happened, there was a good chance that he was not leaving here alive. Lex wiped the blood away from his mouth.
  
  If he died on this day, he would do so proud and standing up straight. Just like a Luthor would. Lex noticed that Lily had become rather solid. She was solid enough to put a bullet through. Whether or not a bullet would work on a magic user, Lex had no idea. It would be a worthy avenue to explore given time. The only thing that gave him hesitation was the possibility that if he would pull him a trigger, that might be the last action that he ever undertook.
  
  He watched Harry Potter stare down his mother. It reminded Lex of him and his father in a way that was eerie. Similarities existed, along with differences. Lex shivered, and that was not because of the cold Artic air either. Much as Lex loathed to admit it, there were ways where he had taken after his father. And as much as Harry would have loathed to admit it, there were certain personality traits that he got from Lily.
  
  "I don't want to do this," Harry told Lily. Lily held the glowing orb in her hand. "But, you've left me no recourse."
  
  Lily decided to enlighten Harry on a fact.
  
  "Harry, no one twisted your arm to activate that journal," Lily reminded him. This very true statement had caused Harry to cringe. He took a few deep breaths, and continued to stare down his mother. "We all make mistakes. Perhaps it was an error that you dropped your blood onto my journal, to wake me up."
  
  Harry shifted next to Kara. Death had told him that he needed to get that journal. Was this just another trial or another way to remind him that no one was perfect? Or was Death actually not omniscient as many believed.
  
  "It's an error that I regret making," Harry said. He stepped forward, and faced the spectral image of his mother. "The powers of the Herald of Death are at my disposal. The only thing that is stopping me from destroying you is..."
  
  "That despite all that I've done, you can't even raise a hand to destroy your own flesh and blood," Lily said. A smug expression crossed her face.
  
  Harry stood forward. Kara was the one to speak up. Her determined voice cut through the silence. Blue eyes were locked onto Lily's form. Kara decided to be the one to enlighten Lily on a truth this time.
  
  "You are neither flesh nor blood," Kara said firmly. Her eyes glowed with malice, and her hand glowed with power. "Your time has passed, and you died long ago. Honestly, I'm sick of all of these AIs that are hanging around past their welcome."
  
  Lily swayed immediately. Her form was solid. Even if she did perish, what was inside the orb would be a great failsafe. Her and Isis had managed to secure that during one of their final trips to Krypton, years before Lily's death, before Harry was even born or conceived. Lily's eyes locked onto the group. There was a long moment of pause.
  
  Right before Lex shot Lily directly in the back of the head. Lex stopped, and paused. Lily slowly turned around, and a grin spread across her face, maliciously staring down the bald young man before her.
  
  "Well I do appreciate your ambition, even if your intelligence may be far more lacking than I could have ever realized," Lily said.
  
  Lily waved her hand, and Lex dropped to his knees. Harry and Kara made eye contact. There was something that they would have done, had they been there. Lex was being slung around the Fortress. Lily did not seem intent to want to hurt him too much. Perhaps that was to draw his torment out.
  
  Harry and Kara both locked eyes. They knew what to do.
  
  Harry and Kara both aimed a bright light at the back of Lily. The spells impacted her back. In theory, the purpose of this spell was to banish problematic spirits to another realm. However, Lily was not strictly a spirit. Her form contorted. Lily's pull on the Fortress had loosened, just enough for Jor-El to return back online and gain some semblance of control over the Fortress.
  
  Harry and Kara had Lily trapped. Chloe, Clark, and Lana stood in the back, almost transfixed by the light show that was going on.
  
  "Run!" Harry yelled. "All of you!"
  
  "We aren't able to; something has frozen us in place!" Lana yelled.
  
  That just complicated matters a lot more.
  
  "I'm sorry, I cannot allow you to do what you do Harry, and this Fortress is just too valuable to just leave to one that is not worthy of the destiny that was given to him," Lily said.
  
  Her face contorted, and Kara and Harry used their magic to push back her form. Lily's essence bounced back, but her magic was still active. It was still binding them within the Fortress. Lex was on the ground, and he crawled over. The orb was within his grasp. Lana managed to break free immediately.
  
  She flew towards Lex, and knocked him away from the orb. Lana grabbed Lex, and stared him down.
  
  "You won't hurt Clark again," Lana said.
  
  "I never intended to hurt him, but he forced my hand," Lex said. He slumped on his knees, with Lana's grip on him. "Lana, you know you don't have the guts to kill me. So don't even pretend."
  
  Lana's eyes glowed. Clark stepped over, and grabbed Lana by the arm.
  
  "I'll deal with Lex," Clark told her firmly.
  
  Lana opened her mouth to protest. Lex reached behind his back, and pulled one of the crystals that had busted off of the Fortress during the battle. Lily Potter was nearly defeated, but Lex only paid the slightest attention to that occurrence. He had the crystal.
  
  "Thank you Clark, thank you, you're like a brother to me," Lex breathed. He held the crystal, and stabbed Clark with it in the chest. The crystal seemed to hurt him somewhat. "But, unfortunately, that means little in the Luthor family."
  
  Lana made a movement to nail Lex for what he did. He had somehow drawn blood from Clark. The crystal was super charged with Lily's magic, and could hurt him. Lana blocked the second stab, and she pushed Lex back. She locked eyes with Lex. Lex's eyes seemed flooded with fear, but had been determined to make her see reason.
  
  "The traveler, I must save the world from him," Lex whispered. "Don't you get it, I'm the hero."
  
  "Only in your deluded mind," Lana said.
  
  Harry and Kara gave one final push of magic and Lily was illuminated. Two energy scythes slammed into Lily, and she was sent beyond.
  
  Lily was banished. However, she had one last trick up her sleeve before she was pushed out the back door.
  
  The Fortress started to crumble, and crack around them. It started to hum as well, with a bright light show appearing around them. Kara and Harry exchanged an expression. Everything seemed to move so fast. The Fortress of Solitude was engulfed by energy, and it was being broken apart. The spirit of Jor-El faded, apparently being sucked into oblivion.
  
  The world around them went to black.
  
  Harry and Kara grabbed Chloe, and flew her off, and up to safety.
  
  "Lana, grab Clark, and fly faster than you've ever flew before!" Kara yelled.
  
  Lana was about to do so, but Lex had grabbed her from behind by the ankle. She used her strength to throw him off, but the seconds it took to do so was all it took for Lana and Clark to be trapped behind. A flash of light illuminated the Fortress, and the entire structure was pulled into the light. Red light filled the tunnel where Lana and Clark stood, and snow, and ice had slid down the tunnel in an avalanche.
  
  The backlash of the Fortress being pulled into a pocket dimension had caused a tear in the time-space continuum, and a bright figure shot out of the rip like a shooting star, a young woman, flying over the Artic, before she landed somewhere in Russia.
  
  Harry, Kara, and Chloe exited the Fortress at the speed of light. Around them, it illuminated, and a big explosion went off in the Artic. Snow was sent everywhere. Harry and Kara blocked it with their shield charms.
  
  The entire Artic looked like a war zone. The Fortress was gone, and Clark and Lana did not exit the Fortress.
  
  "Clark!" Kara yelled at the top of her lungs. "CLARK!"
  
  There was no answer. The Fortress was gone, and Lex, Lana, and Clark were all nowhere in sight. Harry, Kara, and Chloe all stood in the Artic, and the all knew one thing.
  
  They had to work quickly. Time was of the essence.
  Shambles
  
  Chapter 35: Shambles.
  
  Kara floated in the air; her arms were by her side. Her chest inhaled and exhaled, trying to get ahold of herself despite the dire situation. This was a catastrophe of epic proportions, and one that could not have happened in their worst nightmares. Lily was certainly gone, for sure this time. Their powers had banished her to beyond. The woman who had caused them so much trouble was gone.
  
  At least they hoped that she was.
  
  However, she certainly made her mark, regardless of if they had successfully vanished. Lily Potter was gone, but not forgotten. The proof was in front of them. The Fortress had collapsed into time and space, and the backlash had left snow and ice everywhere. The entire Artic as far as she could see was completely destroyed by the backlash. An avalanche occurred where the Fortress once was. And Clark, Lana, and Lex were all in there. Kara had little interest in whether or not Lex remained alive. Hopefully he had been buried, and killed, after what he did.
  
  The blonde Kryptonian tried to use her X-Ray vision. It was really a crapshoot to find them. They could have been anywhere, or dare she even think about it, any time. That was something that rattled Kara, her cousin being lost in time and space, without any way to help him.
  
  "CLARK!" Kara shouted once again. "Give me a sign if you hear me!"
  
  There was nothing. Kara never felt more frustrated in her life.
  
  Chloe was equally worried. Clark seemed to be able to survive a lot, and with his powers, that did go without saying. Kara was flying around frantically. The girl was trying to find her cousin. Chloe could actually hear Kara's heart beating against her rib cage. She wondered if that was a new consequence of some kind of powers that had been manifested. Chloe clutched her ear. Harry moved over, and whispered in her ear.
  
  "Chloe, keep it together," Harry said. "Just focus on one thing at a time."
  
  Chloe nodded. understanding what she needed to do, but at the same time it was easier to say than to do. "Clark makes everything look easy. So do you and Kara. But I guess everything is a lot easier said than done."
  
  Harry would have to agree. He tried to use some scanning charms to find Clark. Kara nearly fell out of the sky. She was so upset with what happened that the girl could barely fly straight. Chloe walked over, and turned to Kara.
  
  "Kara, you need to calm down," Chloe tried telling her in a pacifying voice.
  
  Kara slowly turned around, and the blonde Kryptonian's eyes narrowed.
  
  "I AM CALM!" Kara shouted in fury.
  
  Chloe winced at this shouting. That likely took a couple of years off of her hearing. "Yeah, that's calm alright. I can hear your heart beating. I'm not sure if Kryptonians can even have a heart attack, especially one in the prime of her life, but we better not risk it. Clark's out there somewhere. If we want to find him and Lana, we need to just keep it together. I know it's hard."
  
  "It is hard," Kara breathed, shutting her eyes and trying to regain her bearings. She put her face on hands, and sighed deeply. Kara swayed back and forth, fighting tears. It would not serve her well to lose her head.
  
  Harry paused for a moment, before he decided to bring up his assessment.
  
  "Clark and Lana are across that large snow bank, or likely underneath it," Harry informed them.
  
  "Underneath the snow and the ice," Chloe said. A sigh escaped her mouth. "What is your mother playing at?"
  
  "Tell me, and we'll both know," Harry said dryly. His arms folded, and he pointed his hand forward. Chloe just put a hand to her forehead. "Chloe, are you..."
  
  "I'm coping," Chloe said, shaking her head. There was still a subtle ringing in her ears. Chloe allowed Harry to place an arm around her to offer comfort. Kara did not question anything, although she was too preoccupied with Clark.
  
  "Once we take care of everything, we'll be able to help you get a handle on these new powers, and your old ones too," Harry responded, and he looked at Chloe. "But just try and keep a calm head."
  
  Chloe decided that she would have to agree with this situation. Everything had happened so fast. The trio moved forward. Time continued to tick by with each passing moment. Clark and Lana were in reach. Harry had no idea how far they were buried underneath the snow, and the two of them could be anywhere. Lex was another matter entirely. They would have to track him down once Clark and Lana were out of the woods, and safely out of this situation.
  
  "We got to find Clark, Lana, and Lex," Harry whispered to them.
  
  Chloe looked at Harry. To be honest, Lex had slipped her mind until this moment.
  
  "I wouldn't complain too much if you left Lex for dead in the Artic," Chloe replied.
  
  Harry's smile spread across his face.
  
  "I'd like to know if he was dead for sure. Just call it crazy, but as long as there is one breath in his body, Lex poses a danger. Especially considering he knows the secret now, and who knows what he could do, because he might be a desperate man."
  
  That was another thing that Harry could thank his mother for, among the many secrets she let slip out of the bag. This entire day was starting to become stressful, but Harry somehow had the feeling that everything was just reaching a fever pitch. The Artic as far as they could see was in shambles, and the search continued. Chloe, Kara, and Harry stood, and Harry continued to scan. On the chance that they were too deep down, any scanning spells would not be able to find them.
  
  That was providing that they were actually conscious, or had not been transported wherever with the rest of the Fortress. Harry shuddered at the thought. There were an infinite number of dimensions where Lily could have transported Clark and Lana, along with the Fortress. And he would not put it past Lily to use some sort of misdirection in her schemes.
  
  The search continued. Kara and Harry scanned the snow for any tell-tale signs. Chloe wondered if she had the particular power of X-Ray Vision. Her eyes focused, and sure enough she did. Chloe found her X-Ray vision focused on Harry, perhaps a bit longer than she wanted to. Chloe shook her head.
  
  'Stay focused, Chloe,' she thought to herself.
  
  Chloe did what she could to help Harry and Kara go through the snow. It was a few moments of searching, before Kara piped up.
  
  "I think I found something!"
  
  The other two stood up straight. There was a moment of hope, hope that they could get Lana and Clark out of there. Something told them that time might have been running out, and the three of them had to move quickly.
  
  Time ticked by, and was this close to running out.
  
  Lana clutched her head, and winced. It was plainly obvious she suffered a few bruised ribs. Her head was also buzzing, and her powers had been somewhat sapped, due to the magically simulated red solar radiation that Lily had bombarded them with on their way out. Falling through the ground was not an experience she relished. Lana tried to float into the air. Sure enough, she was floating, although with the low ceiling and potential for the cave in, it would be unwise to fly.
  
  "Clark!" Lana yelled. She saw that her hand was scratched up, although she suspected that would heal in close proximity to the yellow sun. The limp was annoying, so Lana switched to floating. "Clark!" If you're down there, just give me a sign, any sign!"
  
  There was a swift, and a grunt, which prompted Lana to pick up her pace down the tunnels.
  
  "I'm here, Lana," Clark said in a raspy voice.
  
  Clark was down. He had the blood staining his shirt when Lex had stabbed him with the crystal. Lana reached down, and helped hold Clark up. Clark nearly buckled underneath his weight, but he was still in one piece.
  
  "Thank God," Lana whispered, throwing her arms around Clark, and allowing herself to catch her breath. "I thought for a minute....never mind what I thought. Both of us, we need to find a way out of here, and you've lost a lot of blood."
  
  Clark winced, everything just hurt so much. His eyes looked heavy and lidded.
  
  "I know it hurts, but you got to keep it together Clark," Lana told him. The two of them made their way forward, and continued their movement. Lana saw the specks of red splattered in the snow.
  
  "We're going to die down here," Clark managed in a pain voice.
  
  Lana frowned. The dark haired woman shook her head, with a determined gaze focused on Clark. "No one is going to die, especially not you. Not today, not if I can help it. Just hold on. We'll find a way out of here."
  
  Lana mentally added that she hoped they found a way out of this place. The truth was it was highly likely that they would be entombed in this snow coffin forever. Lana dragged Clark a little way, and Clark's knees began to buckle under his weight. It was a small mercy that Lana had enough strength to hold both herself and Clark steady. That would buy themselves a small amount of time. Exactly how much time, Lana thought that was a good question, and one she did not have the answer to you.
  
  Lana could not resist asking Clark a question, given the fact that blood was drawn.
  
  "Do you have any idea why that crystal hurt you?" Lana asked.
  
  "I think it was because it was super charged with magic," Clark said.
  
  "Lex found a way to leave his mark," Lana said. It made her feel anger towards Lex, and given the condition of how she got her powers, that was something that she could not really be feeling right now.
  
  Clark was reminded of Lex's lack of presence down here with them. He had most certainly been down here with them.
  
  "Did you see Lex when you were down here, Lana?"
  
  "No Clark, I didn't," Lana admitted. A frown spread across her features. She would have just sooner Lex had been buried alive in the snow and ice, without any way out. Hopefully it was slow and painful, he would deserve no less after all the trouble he caused. The last bits of life should have faded away from him. Yet, until Lana saw the body in the casket, she would have to assume that Lex was still out there. And even then, Lana would have her doubts. "But, we'll worry about Lex later, right now let's worry about getting us both out."
  
  Clark tried to remain optimistic that everything was going to be alright, and both were going to get out to breathe another day. The fact was that they might have been so far underneath the ground, the yellow sun had been blocked. Reserves they did have, although Clark found himself sufficiently weakened after Lex had stabbed him with that crystal. There was also the fact that he lost a significant amount of blood that was weighing a huge amount on him as well.
  
  "Are you alright?" Clark asked to Lana.
  
  Lana offered the slightest ghost of a smile at that statement. "You're the one who had the blood loss down here."
  
  "Yes, well you're the one who Lily tried to force feed all of the knowledge of the Fortress into her frontal lobe," Clark replied.
  
  Lana shook her head, which was still buzzing with all of the new knowledge that had been crammed into her mind. "Seems like both of us had a rough day."
  
  "Rough last couple of days, it seems like," Clark added.
  
  "Rough last few years," Lana amended. "Maybe it should be a rough life, but that just sounds a bit too..."
  
  "Bitter?" Clark offered.
  
  "I was about to say pessimistic, but bitter works too," Lana responded.
  
  Clark cracked a hint of a smile. He would have offered more than just one smile. However, the young man was weaker than he had ever been in the past. Lana hovered in the air, lightly suspending Clark. She had to be careful to conserve what powers she had, until there was an exposure to a yellow sunlight. However, Lana was visited by inspiration how she might do that in a pinch.
  
  "I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel," Lana said.
  
  "Seeing light might not be a good thing right now," Clark replied.
  
  Lana sighed. She should be glad that Clark was joking, and maybe feeling just a little bit better. They were close to the area where the Fortress used to be, and that was a sign that they were heading in the right direction. Lana's heart skipped a beat at this, and there was shouting from above that caused her to perk up just a little bit.
  
  "CLARK!"
  
  "I think Kara is above," Lana whispered to Clark.
  
  "Yeah, I hear her too," Clark offered in a weak voice. He then paused, wincing at everything. His hearing was more sensitive than ever before. "And Harry, and Chloe they made it out okay."
  
  Lana and Clark both looked at each other. It was plain to both of them that thinking quickly would be their best ally out of here. What would they be able to do? One wrong move could cave in the tunnels, and entomb both of them in a casket of snow and ice. That was the last thing that either of them wanted to do to each other. Lana half dragged Clark beside her, and tried to shift the ice a little bit. If a little sunlight could come in, without compromising the structural integrity of the tunnels, it would help them a lot.
  
  A flicker of hope was scene, and Clark felt a little bit better.
  
  "Thanks," Clark offered weakly.
  
  "No problem, Clark," Lana said. She tried to figure out where everyone was.
  
  Suddenly, the voices that shouted for them gave them something to focus on.
  
  Harry, Kara, and Chloe had been searching the area around where the Fortress used to be for the past ten minutes. It was hard to cling onto hope at this point, in time, but they tried. Lana and Clark had been separated from them. It was very likely, but not assured, that Lex went down as well. However, it was just like a Luthor to take as many people down with him when he had fallen. Kara stiffened, and heard the voices of Clark and Lana from below. They were fainted.
  
  "Do you two hear that?" Kara asked them.
  
  Chloe and Harry nodded in confirmation that they did.
  
  "Clark, Lana, if you can hear us, just hang on!" Chloe yelled. "Harry and Kara will get you out."
  
  Chloe folded her hands. The blonde bit her lip nervously, and she shifted her feet in the snow, leaving footprints as she did. Harry and Kara cracked open the snow and the ice. They began to shift through everything. It was going to take a bit of time, even with their powers.
  
  "I think I see something!" Kara yelled.
  
  She used her heat vision to lightly melt the snow, while Harry siphoned the water away. Kara could not burn through the snow and the ice too much. It would drown both Clark and Lana, at least in theory. It really should not because of their abilities, but there were so many variables that they did not want to play with. With their powers at their lowest point, it would be wise not to leave too much to chance.
  
  There were several more minutes of this, before Clark was pushed out through the snow. He landed with a hard, and coughed. Kara and Chloe walked over, to help pull Lana out of the snow. She was on shaky legs. Despite the fact, the yellow sunlight managed to heal the scrapes and bruises that she had. Lana collapsed to her knees, mostly to check on Clark or anything. The stains would only be coming out of his shirt by magic.
  
  "Compliments of Lex," Clark told them, and he rubbed the wound on his chest. It slowly healed, at least up to a certain point. Then there was a light scar left.
  
  "And my mother," Harry added. He had figured out what had occurred. The crystal had been super charged with magic. There was no way around it.
  
  Kara stood, and looked at her cousin. If they had not found him, if there had just been a few more minutes, Clark would have died. Kara sighed in relief at the crisis that they averted. There were other problems.
  
  Lana's expression remained calm. She did everything possible to keep Clark from getting buried alive in the snow, even if it was a risk to herself. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, Lana managed to take a deep breath, and felt light headed. Everything that happened over the last few weeks had hit her. This new responsibility was a dangerous one, and now with the Fortress gone, things weren't going to get any easier on both of them.
  
  Lana mentally vowed to step things up just a little bit.
  
  "There's nothing down there," Clark said, to break the silence.
  
  "You mean, the Fortress, it's gone," Chloe whispered.
  
  Everyone turned towards Harry. Harry sighed, and answered. "There could have been an infinite number of pocket dimensions Lily had sent the Fortress. Or that she banished Jor-El to. Providing she didn't erase his programming completely.
  
  "Something tells me that Jor-El may have had some kind of failsafe," Kara suggested, out of blind hope more than anything. She said that in a matter of fact way, but none of them were able to determine what that failsafe was. "Did either you see Lex down there?"
  
  Lana and Clark both shook their heads.
  
  "Maybe Lex got transported off to Dimension X or wherever with the Fortress," Chloe suggested.
  
  "I'd feel a lot better if we found a body," Lana said solemnly.
  
  That was one statement that the entire group agreed on one hundred percent. The lack of body of Lex Luthor was the most disturbing thing of it all. Harry, Chloe, and Kara all knew that he had been with Clark and Lana when all hell had broken loose. After that moment, it was hard to say what happened. Then there was where the Fortress had gone, Jor-El, and if Lily had somehow still lingered out there somewhere, despite their best efforts.
  
  Any semblance of a plan they had would have to be reevaluated and restructured. Harry scanned the area, but he found nothing. No telltale hints of the Fortress, his mother, or Jor-El. Lex was not there as well. He had mysteriously vanished with the rest of everything. They had searched all they could. There were no easily exploited hints, or backdoors to be found.
  
  Harry decided that it would be prudent to get the entire group back to the Shining Light Foundation, and regroup there. Having something stressful like this a couple of days before a wedding was not conductive to many things. Especially given the complications regarding Chloe, but that would be something that Harry and Kara would both have to mutually figure out later.
  
  That would be a fun situation to hash out when everyone had gotten out of the woods, and safely home.
  
  Deep in the wastelands of Siberia, Lex Luthor had laid face down in the snow. He had been transported to this place through means which he scarcely remembered. His breath was shallow. His fingers and toes were both numb, and his lips had been frosted over. The bald young man lost the usage of his legs, and hoped that his call for help had gotten through to someone at Luthorcorp. Today had been both his greatest triumph, and his greatest failure all rolled into one.
  
  Death had visited Lex Luthor many times, and somehow he had survived. Luthors were survivors. His father had that credo driven into his head time and time again. Lex could barely feel his face now. The cold weather bit him with harshness. How he even ended up in Siberia he even know. His memories of the entire incident were a blur. The only thing Lex had remembered was that Clark was an alien
  
  That was the only thing that kept him alive. There was a burning obsession going through Lex that no matter what, if he was alive, the world could be saved. Time ticked by, and Lex gingerly lifted his head up to view what was before him. A flash of light appeared in the air.
  
  A floating woman appeared, hovering over him, a cold and indifferent expression on her face. At first Lex thought that it was Clark's cousin. However, upon second look, she did look similar, but remotely different. Her hair was a bit shorter, cut to shoulder length. She seemed to carry herself as being a few years older. Finally, the girl seemed to be a bit more well-endowed which was quite a feat as Kara Kent was quite gifted as well.
  
  The woman stood, her short blonde hair flapping in the breeze. The woman's blue eyes studied Lex, with thinly veiled contempt. Her rosy red lips were pursed into a bit of a frown. A red jacket was worn over her slender, yet still muscular arms. A tight white shirt wrapped nicely around her chest. A pair of blue jeans fit snugly around her hips and rear, and offered a hint of the gorgeous legs that rested underneath. She topped off the outfit with a pair of white boots.
  
  "Where is it?" the blonde asked. There was no empathy for Lex's condition present in her voice, or her face.
  
  "I don't know what you're talking about," Lex managed in a strained voice.
  
  The blonde picked up Lex off the ground by his throat, and lifted him off of the ground. Lex actually was glad to feel a sensation, even though it was pain.
  
  "You know what I'm talking about, the Fortress, where is it?" she demanded, and suddenly her eyes started to glow. "Answer me, or I'll cremate you alive."
  
  Lex felt a small amount of fear. This girl, whoever she was, would kill him if he did not think quickly.
  
  "I don't know, it's somewhere in the Artic, I don't know where exactly," Lex managed. "Let me go."
  
  The blonde obliged Lex by hurling him into the ground with a super human force. Lex landed hard, with his arms and legs folding off to the side at an awkward angle. He used his remaining strength over, trying to shut out the pain that he was feeling.
  
  The girl turned around. The one thing she had been able to determine was that the world she had been sent to had been different than the world that she had been in. Anything was better than where she had been. For the past seven years of her life, she had been held captive by Lionel Luthor in her world, and forced to undergo all sorts of experiments. The experiments would have broken, or even killed anyone else. What did not kill you made you stronger, and that was something that Kara Zor-El of Earth 2 had made a mantra out of.
  
  Kara did weep for her cousin, how he was corrupted and twisted, until his eventual demise. Lionel had been the one who found him. Kara's ship had got delayed, but eventually she found a way out. Clark had been a young man by that point, and had been firmly under the thumb of Lionel Luthor for years. She tried to save him. Lionel had her imprisoned, because she didn't fit into his plan for the traveler. The only reason why Lionel did not kill her was to torture her with the knowledge that she had failed in her plan to protect her cousin from harm, and the influence of those who would do so.
  
  Lionel's other son was something that was far worse. Harrison Luthor had offered Kara her freedom several times, in exchange for being with him. However, Harrison repulsed Kara, mostly because of his attitude. He was rather easy on the eyes, and Kara imagined what someone like him could be capable of. It was not even the fact that he had multiple sexual partners that repulsed her. Kara was able to keep an open-mind on something that, even though humans might frown upon that.
  
  The way he treated them, and others, that's what really turned Kara's stomach. Not to mention the fact that he killed her cousin, just to prove that he could. Still, that was beside the point. Kara was in a brand new world, and there would be a bold step for her to achieve her destiny. Her new destiny as one of Death's chosen, and given what she knew, there were two others that were in this world.
  
  Kara would have to gather knowledge, but she would meet them. As the Herald of Death of Earth-2, she was looking forward to making a brand new start, and hopefully helping prevent some of the awful things from happening in her world from happening in this one.
  
  At this moment, Kara had to keep moving. There was no one else around for miles. The Fortress was in the Artic, and this was a way away from there. The young blonde corked up in the air, and flew off like a bottle rocket into the night. There was nothing to be gained by staying around here. Once she found the Fortress, then it would be easy to seek out her two counterparts in this dimension, wherever they might be at.
  
  Lex shivered. This was how it ended, dying alone in the snow, frozen to death. Taunted by the fact that he had finally found out the truth about Clark Kent in the twilight of his life. The wind bit his face.
  
  Clark and Lana waited patiently inside the Shining Light Foundation. Harry concluded a few more detailed scans of them to make sure they were of complete health. It was magic beyond any of their comprehension, but Harry told them that he wanted to make sure there were no nasty surprises that had been left behind when Lily had exited the building. The two sat on edge of a bed, and Harry decided to give his assessment.
  
  "The good news is, Lily has finally left the building," Harry concluded.
  
  Although given how many false disappearing acts she pulled, Harry mentally added that he would always be looking over his shoulder.
  
  "And the bad news is, she took the Fortress with her," Lana concluded with a sigh. "But the good news is that she seemed to download all of the knowledge in the Fortress into my brain. The bad news is, I can barely make any sense of almost all of it."
  
  Chloe was the one who piped up next. "Well, it's there. Maybe Harry and Kara can take a peak in your mind, and maybe help you make sense of it."
  
  Lana looked a bit apprehensive. She was not quite sure about people poking inside her head.
  
  "It's up to you naturally," Kara amended. "We don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. But if you understand what you learned, it will help you help Clark help the world."
  
  "I just need some time to think about it," Lana said.
  
  Harry waved off her statement. "Take all the time you need. Right now, rest is the best medicine. There should be a slight scar, even magic can't remove it now. It could fade in time."
  
  "Looks like Lex left me something to remember him by," Clark commented. There was a moment where Clark sat. Lana's arms were wrapped around him. "So, is there a chance..."
  
  "He's out there," Lana said shortly, with conviction in her voice. There was no question in her mind that Lex was still out there. It would be foolish to assume that he died.
  
  "Harry and Kara searched the Artic up and down," Chloe offered. "Do you really think he would have escaped in his condition?"
  
  Lana just offered her opinion on the situation. "How many times has Lex survived certain death? Just because we assume that something killed him, does not mean that anything killed him. He is highly adaptable if nothing else."
  
  Lana did not like Lex by any means. However, one did not need to like someone to understand what they were capable of, and there were a lot of things that Lex was capable of. Lana knew that she had not seen the last of him, and as long as he lived, Lex would cast a dark specter over the lives of everyone that knew him.
  
  "There were times where I think that there was an internal struggle in him," Clark said. "A part of him..."
  
  "Clark, you see the good in others, even when there is nothing really to see," Kara interrupted. She looked at her cousin, and a serious expression spread across her face. "Lex may have had some good buried deep down, but that good is buried by what he is capable of."
  
  Kara smiled. Seeing the good in other people's might have been both Clark's greatest strength and weakness.
  
  "And to think, if I didn't rescue him, none of this would have happened," Harry added.
  
  Lana shook her head. "Who knows what might have happened? You said it wasn't Lex's time right now. Couldn't you use that Lifeline reader thing to find where he is?"
  
  "It has to be in proximity, it's not a GPS," Harry informed Lana.
  
  Lana looked flushed. "Oh too bad, that would be useful."
  
  "Yeah, it would be," Kara agreed.
  
  Clark had gotten up to his feet, and looked a bit restless. Everything that happened really did flow through him. In some ways, he thought today would be a milestone in the journey he took. With the Fortress gone, the rules of the game changed. If Lana did have the information in her mind, perhaps that could help him. Then again, Clark thought that the actual information was only one part of everything that was to come, but Jor-El had been cryptic about the subject, only talking about mysterious training.
  
  "The two of you have a clean bill of health, providing nothing else happens tonight," Harry said. "And if you feel a bit off, call me immediately."
  
  "We will," Lana replied.
  
  "Yeah, we wouldn't want a relapse," Clark added.
  
  Clark and Lana walked off to return to the Kent Farm. They would figure out where they would go from here in the morning, after a good night sleep. Kara stopped them from leaving.
  
  "Take care, both of you, and I mean that," Kara said in a firm voice. "Today was just one test, and there will be many more to come. As far as you come, everything has just begun in many ways."
  
  Lana had a shrewd feeling that Kara was addressing her as much as she was addressing Clark. The pair of them walked off, with Lana lightly scooping up Clark. Clark did not protest too much. Lana flew off the pair of them to the Kent Farm, for a night of relaxation. What they would do from there.
  
  "It seems like I got some explaining to do," Chloe said. Harry and Kara looked at her. "I was in my hospital room minding my own business, and the next thing, I'm in the Artic. And I had the symbol on my hand. And then I'm getting these strange powers, like Clark's..."
  
  "Actually like mine, and like Harry's too," Kara said.
  
  "What's the difference?" Chloe asked.
  
  "Oh, there is a big difference," Kara said. She really had no idea exactly what Chloe did, well no clear idea, but there were a few theories. "The powers could be a passing thing, or they could be permanent. We're going to have to all hash out it, and if it's permanent, the arrangement is."
  
  It was that moment where Chloe got on her toes.
  
  "What arrangement is that?" Chloe asked.
  
  "We'll let you know when we're figure it out, and we'll help you get a handle on your powers," Kara told her.
  
  Chloe nodded in acceptance.
  
  "After we get back from our Honeymoon, just try and keep a low profile," Harry said. Chloe opened her mouth to protest, and Harry could see the protest was coming. "I know you're confused, and we don't have all of the answers, no matter how much we want to. I would advise you stay here, instead of going to a hospital or back home..."
  
  "That's fine," Chloe interrupted, shaking her head.
  
  Chloe had no idea what was happening. She trusted Harry and Kara to figure it out. This symbol on her hand indicated something, and the way Harry and Kara looked at her, she was not certain that she wanted to know, at least right away. Yet, despite that, everything was going to come out whether she wanted it too or not.
  
  Kara showed Chloe to her temporary living quarters. Harry turned around.
  
  "This could complicate things," Harry said to himself.
  
  Kara returned, and nodded. They would have to make sure what was happening. Chloe was not the third Herald of Death. That being said, she had been blessed with some Herald of Death powers, and both of Harry and Kara's natural powers as well.
  
  Chloe screamed. Kara looked around. Chloe had just inadvertently had gone invisible.
  
  "You better talk her how to get through that," Harry said.
  
  "Why couldn't you do it?" Kara asked.
  
  "In case she becomes visible, and her clothes don't," Harry answered, trying to give his bride to be the message.
  
  Kara responded without missing a beat. "Again, why couldn't you do that?"
  
  "It would be awkward for Chloe," Harry said. The truth was he did not mind, but things would get awkward.
  
  "Oh, that human modesty thing, I forgot," Kara said, and she shook her head. "We're going to have to work on that, if this arrangement is what we both think it might be."
  
  Kara turned around, and moved off to walk Chloe through the process of becoming visible.
  
  When a person's life flashed before them, it put everything in perspective. Lex had tried to yell out to get the attention of someone, anyone, to help him. However, all he accomplished was a sore throat. The cold wind bit into his skin. It seemed obvious that he was going to die in the winter wasteland, and he shuddered at the very thought. Lex's eye twitched. Everything that happened to him flashed before his eyes.
  
  'So this is it,' Lex thought to himself. 'This is how it ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. And this time, there is no swooping voice of death to pull me out at the last brink. Someone will find me, days from now, maybe weeks or month. Find my decaying remains.'
  
  The whirling of a private helicopter filled Lex's ears from above. Lex shuddered in the cold. Someone had arrived. Would it be someone that could help him? Or would it be someone to help kick that final shovelful onto his grave? Lex had no idea. The fact he could not feel his limbs actually may have been a good thing. Any pain he would have felt would have been numbed.
  
  Footsteps could be heard. Lex tensed up as much as he could. His heart thumped across his chest. It hurt to breath. Every single movement was like agony. Every possible moment of his life was torture.
  
  The newest arrival approached Lex. Lex's vision was rather blurred at this point. Perhaps he had been hallucinating, given the level of frost bite and hypothermia he was likely suffering. A woman stood over Lex's downed form. The woman had curly red hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a heavy black coat, pants, and boots. Gloves covered her hands. She stood over Lex, and surveyed his downed form.
  
  "You look like you're having a bad day, Lex."
  
  Lex could barely speak or breathe. He dragged himself over barely an inch, before the bald businessman collapsed down onto the ground. The heart had thumped against his chest, and he rocked back and forth on the snow drift.
  
  "Tess, you need to..."
  
  Words had failed Lex, his throat was completely raw.
  
  "Help you?" Tess asked. An eyebrow raised, and she surveyed Lex. "I thought you didn't show weakness."
  
  "Not weakness, survival," Lex breathed.
  
  "I see," Tess said coolly. "Do you mind actually letting me in what you were doing out here in Siberia?"
  
  "Don't remember," Lex mumbled.
  
  "Convenient amnesia then," Tess answered lightly. "No one else knows you're here, and they wouldn't find your body for weeks."
  
  Lex had known this game. Despite his weakened state, the game she was playing was obvious to him.
  
  "You wouldn't let me die," Lex whispered.
  
  "Would you have had our positions been reversed?" Tess countered.
  
  Both remained silent. Each had their own take of the answer. There was no need for either to respond.
  
  "Kal-El," Lex whispered, but he stopped suddenly.
  
  Tess invited Lex to continue.
  
  "The traveler," Lex managed once again. "Harry Potter...is the ultimate power...between life and death."
  
  Lex blacked out at moment. Tess reached over, and pulled out a glowing orb that Lex had stuffed inside his coat. She quickly stowed it away. The woman turned around, towards her bodyguards who stood at the edge, waiting for orders.
  
  "Get him on the helicopter," Tess ordered firmly to her men. "Make sure he gets a warm set of clothes and something to eat. I'll decide whether or not he goes to the hospital, based on how much information he gives."
  
  Tess thought that if it even leaked out that Lex was in the hospital, whoever did this might finish the job they started.
  
  She stood out in the snow, and reached into her pocket. Tess removed the piece of paper she had swiped out of Lex's desk drawer. The symbol was of interest. If she had to hazard a guess, it meant keys to great power. It meant something that could change the world.
  
  Something Tess promised to learn more about, especially since she had a potential name to go off of now with Lex's statement. It might have seemed like a statement made out of delirium, but there had to be something to the madness.
  
  To Be Continued in "Relocation."
  Relocation
  
  
  Chapter 36: Relocation.
  
  Chloe sat in one of the many guest rooms at the Shining Light Foundation. There were many strange things that happened to her, and she just took them in stride. This latest Herald of the Herald things had registered a twelve on the strange meter. Chloe looked up, and Kara appeared right in front of her. She relaxed when she realized it was only Kara.
  
  "We need to talk," Kara said in a calm and collected voice.
  
  Chloe had an idea that statement was going to leave to a life changing conversation. She folded her arms and sighed. "Yeah, I suppose we do need to talk about everything. I guess I have the tendency of putting my foot in my mouth. It's really getting to the point where my tongue should permanently taste like leather. But this is something completely new."
  
  Kara looked at Chloe, studying her for several minutes.
  
  "You like Harry," Kara said softly.
  
  Chloe slid back, and tried to remain casual, calm, and collected. "Well, we're friends, so I would have to like him."
  
  "That's not what I meant," Kara remarked, crisply. The blonde Kryptonian brushed her hand through her hair and sighed. "I saw some images in your mind when I was fixing everything with Harry. There were things that I was very interested in, curious."
  
  "I know, and Harry and you are getting married, so it was very wrong for me to even think about such a thing," Chloe said, sliding back on the bed. Powers or not, Chloe had a clear idea that Kara could crush her if she wanted to. Crush her like an insect. That kind of thought made Chloe very apologetic.
  
  Kara stood in the room, before she sat down next to Chloe. The blonde Kryptonian stared at Chloe for a moment. There was a long pause, before a smile crossed over her face.
  
  "There are a lot of things I'm still learning about human culture, but there are a lot of things that I don't really understand. There are many things that I guess I'll never get. The fact is why humans think that there is just one choice or another regarding a relationship. Either one person or another, when going into a relationship, why does that have to be? If there are three people, or more, I guess, why can't they decide to compromise? If they are three people who trust each other, they can respect each other, and can have a healthy and loving relationship, why does one person have to be cast aside with hurt feelings?"
  
  Chloe looked at Kara. She pondered that situation, and decided to enlighten Kara.
  
  "There are certain things on Earth..."
  
  Kara cut her off. "That is forbidden? That is taboo? Who is to say that these things are wrong? Someone had to say those things were wrong a long time ago, but it could have been perhaps they lacked an open-mind or perhaps were too limited to handle those things themselves. Being in a relationship with multiple partners is very common throughout other galaxies. It's not something that is considered wrong, or even demeaning. It is something that is considered to be a perfectly acceptable relationship. Love is love, why try and hurt one person at the expense of maintaining society's standards?"
  
  Chloe raised an eyebrow. For some reason, she thought that Kara had a certain amount of logic, in a sense.
  
  "If all parties are on board, and trust each other, there is no harm," Kara continued. Kara looked Chloe right in the eyes, and Chloe felt like the girl was staring into her very soul. "That is a universal truth. Denying what is true in the heart is not healthy. I saw it in your mind, you feel something deeper for Harry than friendship, and...you also feel similar things for me."
  
  The blonde sat up startled. "Kara...I...don't..."
  
  Kara placed her hand on Chloe's knee, and offered a smile. The touch had caused shivers to go down Chloe's spine.
  
  "It's okay, Chloe. I don't mind. You're a very pretty woman, both physically and on the inside. You have a sharp mind, and would be an ideal partner for someone of equal stature. Harry would say the same thing; in fact I know he will. He just has a greater pull to me. However, something happened when he saved both of us on that day he arrived here."
  
  Kara smiled at Chloe. Chloe slid back, her heart fluttered. This blue eyed blonde Kryptonian was inches away from her, and it was still causing chills to run down her spine.
  
  "Kara, um don't take this the wrong way," Chloe said. She paused, and tried to convey her thoughts in a way that would not really cause problems. "Are you....bisexual?"
  
  Confusion spread over Kara's face. She looked at Chloe, and decided to speak up.
  
  "I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with that term."
  
  Chloe could have slapped herself in the head. Of course, Kryptonian culture might not have had such a term, and the cultures were different. Chloe should have figured that out given all of what Kara had told her. There was a long pause before Chloe decided to enlighten the other blonde on the matter.
  
  "Well that means that you like both men and women."
  
  "I see," Kara said slowly. The blonde put a hand on her chin, and began to ponder. "I guess I would be classified as that then. Appreciating the beauty of both men and women is something that is more commonly accepted throughout the universe. Earth's culture is interesting in many ways, and so much backwards in other ways. Then again, compared to many planets in the universe, Earth is still young. It has plenty of room to grow, and to prosper, reshaping its views on established norms."
  
  Chloe would have had to agree. Kara looked in her eyes for a moment.
  
  "Just like our relationship with Harry," Kara added as an afterthought. "I can see you as someone who would keep a very open mind about many things. Given the friends that you have, that's just something that is elementary."
  
  "Yeah, you got me pegged," Chloe answered, shrugging her shoulders.
  
  Kara placed a hand on Chloe's cheek, and leaned closer, so their noses were nearly touching.
  
  "You've come into brand new powers, and there are people here at the Shining Light Foundation that will help you master them," Kara continued. A smile spread across her face. "While Harry and I are gone on our honeymoon, I would like you to stay here, and practice all of your powers. There is a training room down here with plenty of room, so you don't hurt yourself or anyone else. If you need anything, ask for Megan, she's discreet, and able to keep secrets."
  
  "Does she know about you and Harry?" Chloe asked.
  
  "She knows some things," Kara admitted. "Don't worry about your job, you've been given paid vacation time. Harry and I can do that, with being majority shareholders at the Planet now. Granted, we're not the only people with power, but we can pull some strings."
  
  Chloe should have known that those two had pulled a lot of control of the Planet out from underneath Lex. Harry would be the only one who would be so casual about it, and not really make all that big of a deal out it.
  
  "And if you do well, I'm sure Harry and I will find ways to reward you," Kara said, and Chloe's mind went wild with thoughts that were very much not G-Rated.
  
  Her eyes started to burn at the thoughts that she had. Kara reached over, and grabbed Chloe by the hair.
  
  "It's okay Chloe, stay calm, keep your thoughts focused," Kara said, getting Chloe to focus, and not let her heat vision burn up the entire room.
  
  "I've gained an entirely new appreciation on Clark, and how he keeps control of his powers," Chloe said. "And you too."
  
  "It's not easy," Kara admitted to her. "I need to talk to my future husband about this potential arrangement. We kind of need to get his okay before we go all the way with this, even if I can sense there won't be many problems."
  
  A smile crossed over Chloe's face. Harry's okay would kind of be important. From what Chloe could figure out, she was magically bonded to both Harry and Kara. Well, there was likely a more complicated and sophisticated term for it, but that was the general idea. Kara and Harry were bonded, which Chloe figured was just as good as married. They just wanted to get things on paper, which Chloe figured was good.
  
  Chloe did wonder how powerful she was. First, she would worry about mastering her powers, then she would worry about that fact. Chloe had a shrewd idea that she was not quite on the level of Harry and Kara, but rather close. That meant that she was more powerful than Clark and Lana as well.
  
  Explaining this new arrangement to Clark would be fun however. Chloe suspected that his delicate sensibilities would be offended. Although a lot of what Kara said about multiple-partners made sense, and the blonde Kryptonian had grown up in a different culture.
  
  Harry sat in his office, atop his desk, arms folded, with his foot tapping off the floor. A soft pop echoed and Kara appeared next to him. Kara stepped forward, and Harry reached forward, pulling her onto the desk, and onto his lap. The blonde Kryptonian rested her head on Harry's chest, and smiled at him.
  
  "I just had a discussion with Chloe about what's going on," Kara informed him.
  
  "You seem to have a better idea what's going on than I do," Harry told Kara. Kara just responded with a smile.
  
  "I know, but you do too deep down," Kara remarked. Harry stroked her hair as she rested against his chest. "Really, Chloe's little statement really sealed the deal. Back when you brought her back an inch from death all of those months ago, there was something that happened. Just like when you saved me from the ship. Who really knows what would have happened had you not taken those two actions."
  
  Everything clicked with Harry.
  
  "So, I'm bonded to both you and Chloe," Harry said, getting the full scope of the situation, and Kara responded with a nod. Harry took a moment to process this.
  
  The silence was worrying to Kara. She pressed herself onto his chest, and gave him a cute little smile.
  
  "Harry, that's not a bad thing," Kara said. She offered him a bright smile. "I have no problem, and I don't think Chloe has much of a problem with it either. It's just going to take her a while to come around. But I had a talk to her. I know that some cultures on Earth frown upon relationships that have more than two people in it, but..."
  
  Harry cut off Kara with a kiss, to reassure her of something. The kiss had so much passion in it, that Kara felt shivers go down her spine. Kara allowed herself to melt into the kiss that Harry gave her. Chloe really had no idea what she was getting into. Then, Kara wondered what it would be like to kiss Chloe. That was something that she would have to find out in the future. Kara did not really want to overwhelm her too quickly, otherwise she would have seized the moment.
  
  Kara stroked the back of Harry's neck, and her legs wrapped around him. Harry lowered her down on the desk, and continued to kiss her long and hard. Kara's heart beat against her chest, and she felt warmth between her legs. Harry pulled his kiss away from Kara, and a smile crossed his face. He decided it was now time to enlighten his fianc?e with a few things about the world that he came from.
  
  "Actually, in many ways, I don't have that much of a problem with it, if you're okay with it," Harry said. Kara's eyes locked onto Harry's, and the dark haired wizard decided to elaborate just a little bit more. "While multiple partners isn't something that was too common, it was not strictly forbidden. There were certain situations where it was allowed and encouraged."
  
  "How so?" Kara asked.
  
  "I was the last son of the ancient and noble house of Potter," Harry replied. Kara nodded in understanding. He was not done. "And through my godfather's death, I inherited the mantle of the head of the most ancient and noble house of Black. Given that I was the last member of both houses, I was allowed at least two wives with each house should I have chosen to do so."
  
  Kara's gaze became questioning, and she looked at Harry. There was so much that was running through her mind right now. The girl could not explain it properly. A question lingered on the tip of her tongue, and Kara endeavored to ask it immediately.
  
  "Why didn't you tell me this, Harry?" Kara asked. She gave him a searching and questioning look. "Didn't you think I would understand?"
  
  Harry shook his head. "I figured that it wouldn't matter, given that world is dead."
  
  "Even if both of our worlds are dead, the spirit of the best parts of them lives on within both of us," Kara replied, leaning closely towards him. Her beautiful legs remained wrapped around Harry. Kara looked up at Harry, and a caring expression lingered in them. "I know that you love me beyond all measure. But why would loving others diminish the love we have for each other? There is no conceivable reason why it should be that way."
  
  Harry would have to agree, there isn't. Kara pushed her head up, and watched Harry, her gaze lingering. Blue eyes met green, and the two looked at each other, wrapped in their embrace.
  
  "An open heart and an open mind is the key to a healthy relationship," Kara added to Harry, and Harry leaned down and kissed her on the lips, fully. Kara wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, and Harry laid on top of her. His kisses became more intense with each passing minute. Harry broke off the kiss. "Why should we be bound by anything that is considered proper for someone else's standards? Even if it is taboo to some, that just makes it that much more exciting."
  
  Harry stroked her cheek, and smiled.
  
  "I love you so very much," Harry whispered to her.
  
  "I love you too," Kara said, her blue eyes meeting Harry's green, the passion in them could not be denied. She wrapped her hands around Harry's neck. They were here on the office, on Kara's desk. "Make love to me, please."
  
  Harry cupped Kara's face, and gave her a kiss. He began to work the buttons of her blouse open.
  
  "As you wish, honey," Harry told her.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  Harry opened her blouse. Kara's magnificent bust was covered by a black bra, and Harry unclipped her bra. Kara made a happy moan of content, and Harry attacked Kara's chest with a series of kisses, and licks. The blonde Kryptonian gave a happy moan of content, with Harry worshipping her breasts. The girl hugged Harry's head into her chest. Kara's eyes rested back, with Harry rolling his tongue over her right nipple and then her left nipple. He then sucked on her breasts. Harry tasted them, and enjoyed what she had to offer.
  
  "Oh, yeah, Harry, suck on my breasts," Kara encouraged him, and her hand reached underneath her skirt. She pulled her panties down with a swift moment, and started to rub her clit a little bit. The blonde Kryptonian was making circular motions with her thumbs, and the sensual sounds she made began to heighten.
  
  Harry indulged himself in the blonde's beautiful tits, and sucked on the wonderful flesh. He noticed Kara pumping into herself. Harry allowed Kara to masturbate herself into an orgasm, and then pulled himself off of her tits. With a grin on his face, Harry took her hand, and began to suck the juices off of her fingers. Kara took some for herself.
  
  "Delicious," Harry told her.
  
  Harry leaned Kara back onto the desk, and continued to kiss her. His kisses spent time peppering her neck, and collarbone. Kara whimpered when Harry had kissed, and licked at her shoulder. Harry worshipped every inch of her. Kara felt herself burn with desire, with Harry kissing down her body. His lips lingered at several faces. His tongue flickered briefly in her belly button, and that caused Kara to tingle with excitement.
  
  Harry's kisses continued down her legs. Kara whined when Harry had just missed her pussy. The dark haired wizard kissed up the right leg, and then back down the left leg. Harry played with Kara's feet a little bit, and the girl was flushed with desire. She loved when Harry kissed and licked at her feet.
  
  The young twenty year old wizard indulged himself in every inch of his beautiful nineteen year old Kryptonian fianc?e. With a swift movement, Harry buried his face into Kara's wet snatch. Her pussy was wet for him, and Harry devoured her, licking her folds and burying his tongue deep inside her.
  
  Harry's tongue hissed inside of her, stimulating her with Parseltongue. Kara was driven nuts when Harry's tongue had rattled inside of her moist core. She felt her breath quicken, and Harry buried his tongue deep into her.
  
  "Feels so good," Kara breathed, her hands finding their way to her nipples. Circular motions were done, as Kara played with her breasts while Harry had gone down her. Harry hissed deep within her, and Kara's pussy clenched with an orgasm.
  
  Harry pulled himself up, and his face was splattered with Kara's honey. The blonde girl flew over, and pulled Harry into her arms. The two embraced each other, and Kara gave him light kisses. She slowly licked the juices from Harry's face. This caused him to strain within his pants. Kara thought that Harry was gloriously overdressed. With a swift, and super quick movement, Kara disrobed Harry.
  
  Now Kara shoved Harry down onto the desk. It was magically reinforced to withstand anything that they could do, and the two of them could do a lot. Kara grasped Harry's throbbing hard cock in her hand. The blonde gave slow strokes, and tasted the head.
  
  "Do you want me to stick it inside?" Kara asked him, teasing Harry with a few slow strokes and licks.
  
  "Please, Kara," Harry pleaded, and Kara gave Harry's cock a few more strokes. She decided to have some fun, taking Harry's cock, and placing it between her breasts.
  
  Kara began to rock up and down, pleasuring Harry's cock. She saw the pleasurable expression on her lover's face. Her mate was blissful, and Kara continued to squeeze his penis, massaging it with the supple mounds of flesh on her chest. Her nipples stood out rock hard. Having Harry's cock between her tits felt so good, and Kara could not have enough of it.
  
  Harry watched Kara continue to tit fuck him. Her fleshy globes rubbed his cock in the most pleasurable way, and Harry felt pleasure with his fleshy pole squeezed beneath her breasts. She was slow enough to tease him, yet fast enough to give Harry the pleasure he desire. His balls throbbed, and he was about ready to release his load on Kara's delicious tits and pretty face. Kara sensed this and stopped. She waited a moment, and Harry panted.
  
  Kara dove between Harry's legs, and licked his balls, and the base of his penis. The girl's tongue worked magnificently over him. Harry felt shivers going down his spine. He could not take it anymore. Harry reached over, and grabbed Kara by the hips firmly. Kara got the hint, loud and clear.
  
  Kara motioned herself, rubbing Harry's throbbing member with her wet slit, and then pushed down onto Harry. The blonde Kryptonian gyrated her hips onto Harry, rubbing herself onto his pelvis. Harry returned, and thrust upwards into Kara. Kara rode Harry, a look of bliss content in her eyes. Her breasts bounced when she rode Harry's cock. The two met each other stroke for stroke, each passing movement continuing to make their bodies feel good and satisified.
  
  "Feels so good, keep riding me, love," Harry moaned, with Kara bouncing up and down his cock, gyrating around it with her hips, and squeezing it with her powerful pussy muscles.
  
  Kara grinned, and continued to ride Harry. She was making a show out of it. Her breasts swayed, and the desk creaked beneath them. For one insane moment, Harry thought that it was going to bust beneath them. However, his charm work did in fact hold. Kara bounced down, and squeezed Harry's cock with her powerful pussy muscles. Harry worked back towards her, pushing her and stretching her. Kara's pleasure spots were touched, and Harry knew how to drive her wild.
  
  The blonde Kryptonian bent down, and bit Harry's nipples, which seemed to add to the erotic experience. Harry reached around; to play with Kara's ass the more she bounced up and down onto him. Harry thrust back up into her tight crevice. Kara moaned.
  
  "That's it, fuck my pussy, play with my ass," Kara encouraged him. She loved Harry's hands roaming all over her body. His hands found her breasts, and Kara reared back her head, to offer a hearty scream.
  
  Harry thrust up and into her pussy. Kara's walls hugged him in the most desirable way, and rubbed him. Kara was determined to drain Harry of every single drop of seed he had in his body, and the girl continued to bounce on him. Their hip bones clashed together when the two lovers met each other stroke for stroke. The passion heightened, and Kara saw stars when she was driven to one orgasm after another.
  
  Kara leaned down, so Harry could lick her sweat covered breasts. It offered an interesting taste. Harry worshipped her breasts, with Kara squeezing her pussy muscles, to try and get him to cum into her. Harry was a tough nut to crack, but Kara would not be denied her treat. She needed to get her lover's cum, it would complete her, and fill her up.
  
  The hours ticked by, even only minutes ticked on past their office thanks to the time expansion spells. Kara moaned, and cooed, feeling Harry's cock striking every single pleasure point of her. It throbbed inside her quite nicely, and was shoved deep into her as far as it could go.
  
  Harry reached the end of his tolerance. His lover's warm velvety walls squeezed and massaged him. Harry was driven closer and closer to the edge. Kara bounced up on him. He watched her swaying breasts, playing with them as well. His hands massaged her breasts, and Harry sent jolts of magic at Kara's nipples, which he knew were sensitive.
  
  "Harry, cum for me!" Kara yelled at the top of her lungs.
  
  Harry held out long enough for Kara to have one more earth shattering orgasm. Then he let all caution to the wind, and splattered his seed into Kara's waiting womb. He painted her walls wet, and both of their combined juices dribbled out on Kara's thighs. Both collapsed, several hours later, their desires sated, at least for the time being.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  Kara wrapped her arms around Harry, and pulled him into a long kiss. Her bright blue eyes stared into his green eyes.
  
  "I love you," Kara said. "And I'll do anything to make you happy."
  
  "I love you too, and I'll do anything to make you happy," Harry said to her.
  
  The two lovers, and soon to be spouses cuddled on the desk. Kara thought that the sex was great, although she wanted to try some new things that were outside just standard sex. The blonde Kryptonian had plenty of ideas in her mind. What if she dressed up as a naughty schoolgirl who had to serve detention? Or what if she dressed up like a nurse who gave some tender loving care to a patient? Or what if she dressed up like a librarian who tried to negotiate a payment for an overdue book?
  
  Kara's greatest desire was to play an alien slave girl that pleasured her master. She thought that her and Harry could get a lot out of that. There were many more devious ideas Kara had dabbling around in her mind. Some of them needed more than one girl, but Kara was working on that front.
  
  At this point, Kara settled for cuddling on the desk with her lover, and soon to be husband. The two would get up in a few minutes, but as for right now they would enjoy their company. And perhaps have one more round before leaving their office. Kara could tell that Harry might be agreeable to that, and so would she.
  
  The two of them would just need to relax, and perhaps restart in a little bit, once they had a chance to catch their breath.
  
  There was never a dull moment in his life, or that was the conclusion that Clark had come through. He had crashed on the couch the previous night, watching television with Lana. Lana was down next to Clark. Both of them had recovered from their ordeal of the past day. It was a healing process that would needed to be done one step at a time.
  
  "Morning," Lana said with a yawn. She shook her head, and shifted off of Clark. There was a moment before she regained her bearings and got a look at the clock. "Or good afternoon I guess. Everything really just got away from us."
  
  Clark had to agree. He nodded his head, and tightened his arm around Lana's waist.
  
  "I thought yesterday was a bad nightmare, but it happened," Clark said.
  
  "We got out alive, and we'll survive," Lana replied, trying to keep a positive spin on things. She blinked immediately with everything that had been rattling around on the inside of her mind. Lana really did need a quiet place to reconcile all of these thoughts. "The real question is what is going to happen now that the Fortress is gone?"
  
  "I don't know," Clark admitted.
  
  That was an honest answer to that burning question. Clark really had no idea what he was going to do about the Fortress. The thoughts flashed through his mind. The truth was, he was not convinced that the Fortress was really on.
  
  Lana worked Clark's shirt off of him. She took a look at the scar on his chest where Lex stabbed him.
  
  "Faded a bit from yesterday, it looks like," Lana said, studying Clark intently.
  
  Clark shifted a bit at this. "Maybe Harry was right, that it will heal in time."
  
  "Are we talking about the physical scars or the emotional ones?" Lana questioned him. Clark had no idea how to respond to this question. Lana decided to elaborate. "After all that happened, Lex knew your secret, and we don't know what he might do about it."
  
  Clark hated having these thoughts. He really hoped that Lex had perished in the Artic. There was a chance that somehow he got buried deeper than Clark and Lana were. They would never know. He knew one thing, and he was sure Lana agreed. Without a body, there was no guarantee that Lex was dead. And even with a body, they would both have their doubts.
  
  "Lex knows how to leave his mark," Clark remarked, but the young man was deep in thought. "But, he does have some interesting points that I can't help, but wonder about."
  
  Lana sensed that Clark doubted himself right now. "Clark, don't, Lex was just playing with your head. He is deluded."
  
  "What if in all of his delusions, he might have been right about something?" Clark asked. "What would have happened if I would have come clean with him all of those years ago?"
  
  No one seemed to be willing to answer that question.
  
  "I don't know," Lana said, and that fact scared her. Actually, she wondered what would have happened if Clark had become clean to her years and years back. The world would never know. "It's hard to predict how Lex would have reacted, but...something tells me it wouldn't be good."
  
  Clark had to relax at that point. He traced the scar on his chest. It was almost in the shape of an "S". It was a weird souvenir to be left behind for sure. A knock on the farm house door caused Clark and Lana to sit up straight.
  
  "Lois," Lana said, seeing Lois in the distance.
  
  Lana hastened to answer the door, and let Lois in.
  
  "Since when did you start locking your door?" Lois asked in confusion.
  
  "Since, people started letting themselves in," Clark replied to her, a small crossing his face.
  
  "Oh, that's really funny, Smallville," Lois said. She placed her hands on her hips, just looking at Clark. She really wished he would put on a shirt on, it was kind of distracting her and throwing her off of her game. "So what's the deal with the scar?"
  
  "Cut myself shaving," Clark replied, and Lana could have hit herself for the lame answer.
  
  Lois could not bother to retort. "What, in the dark, and half drunk?"
  
  "How are you holding up after what happened, Lois?" Lana asked, trying to deflect the subject away.
  
  "There's something that happened, or so people said," Lois said. She tried to rack her brain. "It's almost like something wiped my memories. I just hoped I wasn't abducted by aliens and probed or something."
  
  Clark shifted, he knew, but could not very well tell Lois. The entire timeline worth of memories had been shifted. It was a Friday, and this had been a long week. Tomorrow would be the wedding.
  
  "Are you sure you couldn't remember anything, Lois?" Lana asked.
  
  "For some reason, I remember a giant bat, but that can't be right," Lois said. She sighed. "Never mind, I've just swung by to see how you two were holding up. The new owner of the Daily Planet is evaluating everyone, and looking into hiring some fresh blood. I'm actually popping in to see if I can find a story that can rock his socks."
  
  "Lois, I'm sure if you just keep up the hard work, you'll be able to do something that will keep your job," Clark said to her in a reassuring voice.
  
  "I'm sure whoever is the new owner will appreciate your dedication," Lana chimed in.
  
  "Even if your grammar skills are off," Clark added.
  
  Lois folded her arms, and looked at Clark. There was a moment where Lois looked at Clark, and she had to shift her expression and sigh. "Yeah, but you've got a point, both of you, I guess. Just got to see what happens when the hammer drops."
  
  "Well, I'm sure the hammer won't drop on you, Lois," Clark said, but then he remembered the news he had been holding onto. In all of the chaos, he had nearly forgotten it. "In fact, we might be seeing a bit more of each other starting on Monday."
  
  Lois was caught off guard with this. Lana was not completely surprised as Lois was, she knew Clark was applying for something, and she pretty much put two and two together what was going on.
  
  "I'm starting at the Planet on Monday," Clark informed her. "It's high time that I step out of the comfy confines of Smallville, into the big bad world out there."
  
  "Wow, you're moving away from Smallville," Lois said, whistling at the news.
  
  "It's not like we're leaving forever," Lana amended. She and Clark had discussed this potential arraignment a couple of times, not seriously, but really just figuring out their options. Lana thought that this would be for the best. "Clark can still commute back and forth, easily, if he wanted to."
  
  "Yeah, with the gas prices these days, good luck," Lois retorted with a roll of her eyes. Lois looked up at Clark and Lana. "Wow, Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter, I never thought I would have seen the day."
  
  "Neither did I, if truth be told," Clark agreed, shaking his head at the thought.
  
  The fact of the matter was Clark thought that being in a key position at a major newspaper would allow him to keep an ear out for any problems that required his response. The journalism racket was going to be a tough one to deal with. Clark thought it was worth the risk, and Lana thought it would be as well. Lana wondered if Harry had a job opening at the Shining Light Foundation branch in Metropolis. Providing he would forgive the entire possessed stealing the orb thing. Even though it was not her fault, Lana felt guilty.
  
  "It would kind of be a shame if you left forever," Lois said. She frowned, just thinking about it. "Smallville wouldn't be Smallville without you, Smallville."
  
  There were sometimes that Clark did not get Lois at all. A smile crossed over Lana's face, and she nodded.
  
  "No, it really wouldn't be, but things change, people grow up."
  
  "I see that," Lois replied. She looked at Clark. "So, you two are still going strong?"
  
  "We're hanging in there, despite everything," Lana said, looking back at Lois, wondering about her curiosity.
  
  Lois's face contorted into a smile. "That's great for both of you. I'm happy for both of you. Really happy, did I mention how happy I was?"
  
  "Yeah, I heard it the first time," Clark replied.
  
  Lois turned around. There was sometimes where she got the impression that there was some really big secret that she had not been let in on. It was almost like some really big bit of gossip that everyone else knew, and thus no one else talked to it. They all knew everything knew, so there was no reason to say anything. Lois watched both of them.
  
  "So, I just stopped by to see how you both were holding up," Lois said. "And to ask if you have any idea where Chloe is."
  
  "She's at the Shining Light Foundation," Clark informed Lois.
  
  Lois frowned at that moment. She looked to be deep in thought, and closed her eyes. "Chloe has been spending a lot of time there lately."
  
  "Well, she is friends with Kara and Harry," Clark offered her.
  
  "Yeah, one might think they would be more, almost like there is some steamy affair going on between the three of them," Lois said. She said this in a joking manner, mostly in an attempt to rile Clark up. Clark seemed to laugh it off after his eyes widened for a minute. The entire thought seemed so absurd. "Yeah, I know, that'd be the day."
  
  Lois bid them a goodbye, and left Clark and Lana alone in the farm house. Lana noticed the subtle gaze that Lois gave Clark. A half frown, half thoughtful expression spread across her face. She decided to just figure things out as they happened, but she would be keeping a close eye on Lois Lane from now on. Clark dropped on the couch. Lana turned around, and looked at Clark.
  
  "Now, where were we?" Lana asked.
  
  "Why don't you tell me?" Clark asked.
  
  Lana nudged Clark. "I should just show you, then."
  
  With a swift motion, Lana pinned Clark down on the couch. Clark wondered what he got himself into this time.
  
  The move of Lex Luthor was done overnight, and discreetly. There was no clear idea what his eventual fate was going to be. His future medical future did not look promising, and there was a change that Lex may lose all use of his body from the neck down. Tess pushed open the office door. The chain of succession had allowed her to take over as the acting CEO of Luthorcorp, although there would be many vultures trying to get their piece of the pie. She sank down on the chair on her desk , and made her next move.
  
  Tess saw to it that Lex's location remained discreet. He had frostbite, hypothermia, and severe blunt force trauma. The bald young man had the fortune of living through all of this, or perhaps it was the misfortune given the situation. The red haired woman snapped open a file that was on the desk. It was everything that Lex collected on Harry Potter. Obsession did tend to be a game that he played more often than not.
  
  She read through the file with only the slightest amount of interest. There was really nothing that indicated that Harry Potter was anything other than a young man with a past that seemed unremarkable. Given the notes Lex made, Tess noticed some level of frustration that Lex exhibited because of his lack of success. There were many trips made for Lex to try and gather information.
  
  The only thing that was even more than a bit curious, A folded newspaper article was spread out on the desk. It detailed a bit of news from sixteen years ago, detailing a young girl who had been institutionalized. She claimed that she saw a flying car in the neighborhood, pick up a neighbor. Lex made a note that this was the same neighborhood where Harry Potter was reported to have grown up in as a child.
  
  A few more notes, and no one seemed to remember Harry Potter even existed. Tess put away the file, and clicked to see if she could find anything further on the computer.
  
  There was nothing. Tess once again pulled out the piece of paper she recovered earlier. This was a curious symbol, and something that showed the promise of true power. Tess shook her head off to the side, and placed the folded paper back into the top drawer of the desk. There were so many things that had to be done, and so many things that Lex left her behind. Not to mention a few lawsuits against the company that she had to deal with. Tess shook her head, and took a deep breath.
  
  She took the telephone off the desk, and dialed up her contact.
  
  "Make sure he gets the medical attention he needs. In a few days, I'll speak to him again. And make sure no one finds out where he is. And do not let him out of your sight. I know you say he's crippled from the neck down, but I'm not about to take any chances. Your job hinges on it."
  
  There was a sound of understanding. Tess put down the phone. When she left him, Lex had been babbling about Harry Potter, Death, Kal-El, and Krypton. It was almost like his mind had shattered from spending what seemed to be eight hours in a frozen wasteland. There were more things that she would have to sort out regarding what Lex was working on. Most of the Luthorcorp employees had been on a need to know basis. If Lex had no use for them, then they didn't need to know. It was just that simple.
  
  Tess walked off. She checked the note. There was a board meeting today. Lex was going to attend, and Tess had to as his proxy. There was one more piece of business Tess had to deal with, and then it was back off to the races.
  
  There was an announcement about the wedding of Harry Potter and Kara Kent on her desk. Tess thought it would be best to send the happy couple her regards, and perhaps open the door for future business. She made arrangements to request a meeting with them at their earliest convenience after they had returned back from their honeymoon.
  
  In a room inside the Shining Light Foundation, Kara and Harry looked over the stacks and stacks of gifts they had. Claire stood behind the two of them. Her young eyes widened, and a smile crossed her face, and looked over the gift.
  
  "You guys got a lot of presents," Claire said with wide eyes. "Who are they are from?"
  
  Kara responded with a smile. "Oh friends, well-wishers, and other general misfits."
  
  Claire looked at them. A look of mischief spread over her young face. She turned to her parents.
  
  "So, are you going to take a peak?"
  
  "Claire, that would take the fun out of it," Harry told her. Despite this statement, there was a fond smile on his face. He put an arm around Claire, and steered her away from the gifts.
  
  "Well, how will you know if it's lame or not?" Claire asked, in wide eyed innocence that only an eleven year old girl could have.
  
  In a couple more years, she would be a teenager, and then the real fun of parenting would begin.
  
  Kara folded her arms over her chest, and offered a smile to her daughter. "It doesn't really matter; it's the thought that counts."
  
  "Besides, if they're lame, we can pawn them off," Harry told Claire, and Claire laughed at that statement.
  
  Claire stepped forward, and looked around. She yawned. The girl tried to mask her feelings, but Kara scooped her into her arms.
  
  "I think it's time to get you home, and to bed young lady," Kara said. She held Claire in her arms, and took a brief look at the clock. "It's getting later than we thought, for all of us, and we have a big day tomorrow."
  
  Harry would have to agree. The truth was that he lost track of the time, and it had gotten away from him. Claire was carried off. There was a lot to do, but they had to wait. The Fortress was out there somewhere, and it could have been in any number of infinite dimensions. It would be Clark's job to try and figure out where he would go from here.
  
  Harry and Kara had other things to worry about, and they got Claire set up for bed. The two of them walked off, to head off to bed.
  
  To Be Continued in the Next Chapter "Bonding."
  Bonding
  
  
  Chapter 37: Bonding.
  
  Despite all of the insanity, all of the near death, and missed deaths, the big day was almost upon Harry and Kara. Their wedding would be happening later that afternoon. As of now, the couple rested in bed in each other's arms. Just content in sleeping in for a few more minutes, and then cuddling with each other until they had to get ready and out of bed. The rays of sunshine came in through their bedroom window. Claire likely was already still in bed, or do something quiet in her room. Kara's blue eyes flickered open, and she shifted over. Kara's scantily dressed body sprawled over Harry's.
  
  The blonde Kryptonian wore a thin see-through white nightdress that her nipples poked out from. Harry appreciated the gesture, especially given that was the first thing he woke up to. Kara smiled at Harry. The two lovers, and soon to be official spouses continued to cuddle in bed. The two enjoyed the moment of silence, before Harry broke it.
  
  "Morning, beautiful," Harry told Kara. He leaned over on the bed, and his lips met Kara in a nice kiss. Kara rolled over, so she was on top of Harry. The blonde Kryptonian continued the kiss, deepening in it. Kara grinded across Harry's covered pelvis, getting him excited, and leaned down to whisper in his ear once she broke the kiss.
  
  "You're looking rather delicious yourself this morning."
  
  "You know, keep this up, and we...ah that feels so good. We won't make it to our own wedding, on the account of being preoccupied."
  
  Kara cupped Harry's crotch from underneath the sheets, and smiled. "Well we can't have that, now can we?"
  
  She teased Harry a little bit more, and straddled him. The kisses continued, and Harry ran his hands over Kara's body. Kara broke it off, and checked the time.
  
  "It's about breakfast time already," Kara remarked, eyes focused on the clock. Kara turned away from Harry. "I guess after what happened, the two of us would be out like a light."
  
  Harry nodded, and wrapped his arm around Kara. To be honest, he put every single other event that happened out of his mind. Everything regarding his mother, the disappearance of Lex, the disappearance of the Fortress, and everything else, Harry had just decided to forget about for the time being. There would be plenty of time to worry about that once they got back from the honeymoon. For once, Harry was going to let what happened be someone else's problem, at least for a week until they got back.
  
  Kara floated over to the wardrobe and changed into a set of clothes. She wore a white t-shirt that stretched across her chest, and showcased her ample bust. The material stopped right before her stomach, and showed off her toned midriff. The blue jean skirt that she chose hugged around her hips, and did an excellent job in showcasing her legs. The girl chose not to wear shoes, and thus her mouth-watering feet were on display, and Harry appreciated that.
  
  The blonde Kryptonian looked over at Harry, and enjoyed what she saw as well. He wore a black tank top, and black shorts. His cute messy hair was on full display, and Kara licked her lips thinking about what they were going to do after the wedding. She planned to go all night long with Harry. The two of them floated down the stairs for breakfast, where Claire just had got up out of her room. The redhead girl yawned, and looked at her parents, with a smile on her face.
  
  "Morning Claire," Harry said brightly to his daughter.
  
  "Morning, Dad, Mom," Claire said, and she looked at them, with a grin. "So today's the big day, isn't it?"
  
  "Yes, it is," Kara answered. "You were right, it took long enough."
  
  Claire just smiled. It would be a magical day. "I just hope nothing bad happens."
  
  Kara just frowned. If anyone ruined her wedding, once she got ahold of them, they would die a most painful death. That much was for certain. Thoughts of how she could punishing anyone sabotaging the wedding had been filed away for the future.
  
  As of now, Kara sat down and enjoyed some pancakes, eggs, and toast for breakfast, wonderfully prepared by Harry. This was one instance where Kara would forgive Harry's upbringing, given the fact that he learned how to cook. Her cooking skills tended to range from mediocre to disastrous depending on what she was preparing. Granted, it was not so bad that she could burn cereal, but still she had her share of kitchen failures.
  
  Regardless, Kara dug into her meal, and enjoyed a hearty breakfast. Harry checked the newspaper. Claire saw her father flipping through it, and had to comment on how tedious it was.
  
  "You know Dad, the Internet does exist, and most people do get their news from there," Claire teased. She wrinkled her nose, at the thought of how slow looking up things in the newspaper went.
  
  "I know Claire, but considering I own a huge part of this newspaper now, I feel the need to support it when I can," Harry replied, and Kara offered a smile at that. Harry delved into the newspaper, and read up on the latest weather forecast. "That's some good news, the weather is going to be sunny and warm today."
  
  "A perfect day for our perfect day," Kara responded. A bright smile spread across her beautiful face.
  
  Harry smiled back at her. "Any day with you is perfect, my prodigal princess from the stars."
  
  Kara leaned over the table, and wrapped her arms around Harry. She kissed him, long and deep. Their lips molded together, and tingled with power. The tongues of the couple clashed for dominance.
  
  At her seat, Claire pulled a face. She loved her parents, and loved that they loved each other. That being said, did they really have to do that at the dinner table while she was eating? The two finished, and Claire decided to gulp down her orange juice. She belched, sending little sparks of fire.
  
  "Claire," Kara said reproachfully, casting a stern look at her adopted daughter.
  
  "Excuse me," Claire said, with a shifty little smirk on her face.
  
  The Potter family ate breakfast together, and enjoyed the morning they had. The time seemed to crawl by. Kara and Harry both thought that the wedding could not come fast enough, but the after-party would also be great. The two had smirks on their face when they thought about what was to come.
  
  Claire missed the significance of most of it, she was just glad that the two most important people in her life were getting married.
  
  Above the Earth's atmosphere, practically in Space, Lana hovered, and pondered. Space was actually an interesting place to collect one's thoughts, without the distractions. At this point, Lana tried to focus her super hearing. Every single sound was faint at first, but there were more sounds that could be heard from high above her perch point, the more she focused and adjusted herself. Lana could see Clark standing outside of the Farm House. He was pacing back and forth, likely wondering where she was.
  
  The day was going so far, so good. Lana could not see a cloud in the sky, or a hitch in the arrangement. She just hoped that Kara and Harry's day would be perfect, without any complications. Lana found herself amused at thinking that if someone ruined Kara's wedding, the blonde would torture them slowly and painfully before putting them out of their misery. Lana thought she got a bit more sadistic glee out of that thought then she likely should, but that was beside the point.
  
  Her mind was mostly back together at the Fortress, although Lana did get some weird strangled thoughts in a language that she suspected was Kryptonian. If she focused long enough, Lana could pick out bits of it. One of the words translated into "mother", and then there was "back up", "failsafe." And the final word translated into "destroyer." Lana hoped that in time, she could piece together more, and had spent a couple hours every night before bed thinking about it all.
  
  Lana decided that she made Clark wait long enough. Lana decided to burst down from space, flying. Kara had given her advice on how not burn up on reentry. Although, the only thing that would burn up would be her clothes. Which Lana remembered had not been invulnerable. Then again, they really did not make clothes like they used to, regardless of the situation.
  
  Clark paced around. It was getting close, and Lana was gone. Clark was worried that something happened, but suddenly that fear was put to rest. Lana shot out from the sky like a cork, and wrapped her arms around the waist of Clark, before wrestling him to the ground. Clark was caught completely off guard.
  
  "Lana, I was wondering where you were," Clark said, and Lana let him get up to his feet. There was no need to get their clothes dirty after all.
  
  "Up in space, the view's interesting," Lana remarked, and a grin crossed her face.
  
  Clark put up a hand and his cell phone rang. He answered it.
  
  "Hey, Clark, just a reminder, your cousin's wedding is today," Chloe said from the other end. "And you know, Kara, she will throw you into the Phantom Zone if you miss it."
  
  "We're on our way there," Clark answered in an abrupt voice. He had no idea how true that was. Lana scooped up Clark into her arms, and took flight.
  
  There were times like this where Clark really wished he could fly. Perhaps it would come someday to him, randomly, all of his other powers did. He was being held back by something. Clark had really no time to think about that when Lana landed him behind Lois and Chloe. Lois turned around with a start, but relaxed when she saw it was only Clark and Lana..
  
  "When did you get here, Smallville?" Lois asked.
  
  "Just about ten seconds ago," Clark replied, and Lois looked at him strangely.
  
  "Yeah, I guess you were a bit closer than I thought," Chloe said, in a knowing voice. "That was me jumping the gun again."
  
  "You tend to do that a lot," Clark answered, and Chloe just lightly punched him on the shoulder, which did hurt a lot more thanks to her strength.
  
  "Well, I'm just glad I got an invite," Lois said, looking up. "I almost expected some kind of catch, and sure enough, I was almost given a body-cavity search on my way here. It's almost like people don't trust anyone anymore."
  
  "Given all of the weirdness that has happened, you can't be too careful," Clark said, eyebrows raised.
  
  Lana knew that better than anyone. She walked with Clark into the wedding. They saw Claire standing there, with Megan from the Shining Light Foundation. Lana smiled at Claire, who waved. They had to go to their seats, Lois walked up to talk to Claire.
  
  "It's been a while since I've talked to you, Claire," Lois said in a bright voice. "And I was wondering when were we going to have that rematch in video games. You know, I let you win, right?"
  
  Claire snorted. "Yeah right, that's what all adults say, to hide the fact that they lost badly"
  
  "Now, Claire, that is unfair," Clark said. He then paused, and added. "I mean, why would you even classify Lois as an adult?"
  
  "Hey!" Lois yelled, in mock outrage.
  
  "Well, there are times where you tend to act a little bit immature, Lois," Chloe said, unable to resist chiming in her two cents.
  
  Lois turned around, and pouted at this.
  
  "Case in point," Chloe replied with a grin.
  
  "What is this, pick up Lois day?" Lois asked.
  
  "Well, I haven't checked the calendar yet," Clark answered.
  
  "It could be," Lana chimed in.
  
  Lois could hardly believe that Lana and Clark were double teaming her in such a matter. And not in the good way either. She shook her head, and looked off.
  
  Chloe just guided Lois away. Today was a big day for Harry and Kara. Chloe had thought about what Kara had said on that day. She would be lying if she was not interested in what the possibilities were with that. As for right now, Chloe resolved to master her newly found powers the best that she could. Then she would work from there, and whatever happened, happened. Chloe decided to keep it a secret from Lana and Clark, at least for now. She decided to let them in on the secret much later in the most amusing way.
  
  Several guests at the wedding talked, and for good reason. Bruce Wayne had showed up at this moment, flanked by his butler, and a young boy at the age of twelve. His butler was named Alfred, and he showed up as well.
  
  The boy was named Dick Grayson. A few months ago, Dick's life had been turned upside down when his parents had fell from the Circus high wire before his very eyes. Dick had been taken in by Bruce, while the police had searched for his parent's killer. So far, there had been no solid leads. Dick wanted to go out, and look for the criminal himself.
  
  Bruce's night life had been an enigma, and one Dick was puzzled by. He was seldom around, and when Dick asked Alfred where he went, Alfred had remarked that he was at a business meeting. The young boy folded his arms as he thought about that. That excuse seemed to be a bit too much to swallow.
  
  "I don't even know why you dragged me here," Dick said, and he looked around to punctuate his point. "I don't even know half of these people. Actually most of them to be honest, so what's the point?"
  
  "Master Bruce figured it would do you some good to get out into the fresh air," Alfred responded in his usual dry and no nonsense manner.
  
  Dick sighed, and shook his head. "Well you seem to have more of an idea what Bruce thinks than what he tells me."
  
  Alfred just offered a sympathetic smile to Dick. Keeping Master Bruce's secrets was always the most frustrating part of his job. He did tell Bruce that Dick would find out eventually, if the living arrangement became more permanent. With the lack of progress on the killer, Alfred thought that was an obvious thing.
  
  Clark noticed Bruce, and walked up to greet him. "I didn't expect you to be here. You haven't been attacked by any muggers lately, have you?"
  
  "No more so than usual," Bruce answered in a crisp tone, like he was not bothered by the fact.
  
  "How do you know Harry and Kara?" Chloe wondered.
  
  "We've done business," Bruce said in a swift voice. He led his young charge over away, before Chloe could ask any more questions.
  
  Megan stood in the background, watching, and smiling. She had worked with Harry and Kara over the past few months, and had watched them grow closer. Kara really had a noble heart, and Megan could have given an earful to the other survivor of her planet for thinking that Kara was trouble because of who her father was. Kara could not be further from Zor-El, if she tried.
  
  Of course, that had been smoothed over. Megan smiled at the thought, and watched everyone move over, as the wedding drew closer. There were most certainly two things Martians enjoyed, no matter what color they were. That was Oreos and Earth Television. They tended to be addicted to both.
  
  She could really stop at both at any time.
  
  Megan ate the Oreo she had, and went for another one, and grumbled because her stash was low. She had an entire package when she left too.
  
  Despite all that he had been through, Harry was a bit nervous as he waited for his bride to come down the aisle on this day. He almost expected something bad to happen, true to form. That was just the story of his life. Any moment, someone would be showing up, perhaps some long dead enemy or a new one. Harry tapped his foot, and waited, his arms folded.
  
  So far so good, as Harry saw Kara walked down the aisle. Harry could not take his eyes of her. She looked positively stunning. The garb she had on both was modest, and respectful, but at the same time showcased her beauty. Kara's bright face had a smile on it. Harry could sense her impatience, and need to just sprint down the aisle to get this over with, so they would be married. Unfortunately, due to the public venue, Kara would have to wait, and could not showcase her powers. The girl moved down the aisle, and Harry gazed upon her radiant beauty.
  
  Kara stood in front of Harry, as the priest prepared to read the specially created wedding vows that had been agreed to prior to the wedding from both Harry and Kara.
  
  "We are gathered here today to mark the joining of these two souls, who have found each other, despite the hardships that are present in life. Today, this young man, Harry Potter, will be joining this young lady, Kara Kent, in holy matrimony, bound together for as long as they shall live and beyond."
  
  Kara and Harry could barely hide their smirks. The two of them knew that as long as they shall live and beyond, would be for a long time. A pair of dazzling green eyes locked onto a pair of bright blue eyes. The two of them smiled at each other, and they both placed the wedding rings on each other's hands. They were only barely listening to what the priest had said. Mentally, they had counted down to what was going to happen. The moment the two would be joined together officially, for the rest of the world.
  
  It would only strengthen the bonds that both of them felt in their heart. Harry and Kara smiled at each other.
  
  "Do you, Harry Potter, agree to these vows with your wife? Do you agree that you will protect each other, cherish each other, to treat each other like equals, and tie the best elements of your lives together through your union?"
  
  Harry mentally vowed these things there. His hand met with Kara's, and he could feel the bond between the two of them get stronger with the next couple words he spoke. "I do."
  
  There was a smile on Kara's face, and impatience washed over the girl. She did not have to wait for that long, and the priest decided to speak on the next part of the vows.
  
  "Do you, Kara Kent, agree to these vows with your husband? Do you agree that you will protect each other, cherish each other, to treat each other like equals, and tie the best elements of your lives together through union?"
  
  "Damn right I do," Kara replied with a grin, and that caused a few laughs from some who had heard her.
  
  "If anyone has just cause that declares these two should not be bound together, speak now or forever hold your peace," the priest stated.
  
  'Under penalty of heat vision,' Kara thought to herself, and Harry picked up the thought. He knew Kara would go through with it. If anyone objected, friend or foe, the girl would fry them with the heat vision, and then roast marshmallows off of their remains.
  
  No one had responded. Kara felt rather pleased with this. She waited for the priest to make things official.
  
  "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest said, slowly turning to address the new couple. "You may now....kiss the bride."
  
  The priest's voice trailed out for Harry and Kara had already begun to kiss before that sentence concluded. It was a rather passionate kiss, with the two of them wrapping their arms around each other, and Kara had her legs tightly around Harry, nearly pushing him back, with their tongues dancing together. They only scarcely remembered that there were people watching them. The entire world had stopped, as they felt a warm glow surround them to strengthen their bond after officially being married. Everyone else felt the glow, even if they did not understand the significance about everything.
  
  Kara broke off. She was now officially in all ways Kara Potter. It took every bit of self-control not to fly off with Harry, and to consummate their union. She figured it would be prudent to stick around, and enjoy the wedding reception for just a little bit.
  
  All and all, the entire wedding had gone on without a hitch, and the reception was shaping up to be something that was going to go on without a hitch as well. That fact was something that placed a smile on the faces of both the bride and the groom. Both Harry and Kara sat outside, as everyone chattered around them. They were happy that everything was official, and no force on in the universe could break the bonds they shared.
  
  "Is this wedding everything you ever dreamed of?" Harry asked her.
  
  A grin crossed over Kara's face, and she wrapped her arms tightly around her husband. "You're everything that I've ever dreamed on. Anything that happens with this wedding is just a bonus. But you did a great job."
  
  Harry surveyed the situation, and gave his two cents on the matter. "Really, you think so? I thought things could have been a little bit better...."
  
  Kara picked up a piece of cake, and slammed it into Harry's mouth to shut him up before he was too critical of himself. Harry looked at his wife, and thought that turnabout was in fact fair play. With another motion, Harry picked up the piece of cake, and shoved it into Kara's face. Kara laughed, and scrapped the frosting off of her fingers. She slowly licked the frosting off, teasing Harry. Her tongue slowly tailed down her fingers. Harry felt himself tingle with the excitement of what he was seeing.
  
  Clark stood in the background watching. He had walked off to get Lana some punch. This gave Lana a chance to talk to Lois and Chloe. Clark stepped over, and saw a very familiar face standing there.
  
  "Mom? I didn't know that you were here."
  
  Martha Kent looked at her son with a smile. "Harry and Kara both invited me. This is the first time that I met them in person, even if we have both talked on the phone and exchanged letters a few times. Kara talks about you all of the time. I must say, I was shocked to see that you had a cousin...."
  
  "You and me both, Mom," Clark replied, pleased to see his mother. With her role as Senator, she was not around that much anymore.
  
  "And a bit suspicious, I hate to say," Martha whispered to him. "Given some of the other survivors of Krypton, and what happened the last time a girl named Kara from Krypton had come to visit you. But this is different."
  
  "Thankfully this is completely different," Clark replied, and he was glad. It took him a while to really get used to the idea that he had blood family, and there were times where he kept a close watch on Kara and Harry as well to a lesser extent.
  
  "So, how are you and Lana doing?" Martha asked.
  
  "Despite it all, we're hanging in there," Clark said, figuring that was the best way to describe what was going on.
  
  Martha just nodded. Clark and Lana had their ups and downs. Perhaps it would all work out after all for them in the end, perhaps not. That was up to Clark and Lana to decide, and Martha just sat back. Martha moved over to offer her regards to the happy couple.
  
  "Congratulations you two," Martha said with a bright smile towards Harry and Kara.
  
  "Thanks, Mrs. Kent," Kara responded, giving the woman that raised her cousin a smile.
  
  "Dear, I told you to call me Martha, I mean you're practically family," Martha said.
  
  Kara smiled, and added to Martha in a whisper. "Right, Martha, and again, thank you for taking care of my cousin for all of those years. I know Clark must have been a handful. If the House of El is known for one thing, it is stubbornness."
  
  Martha laughed, before she spoke.
  
  "Jonathan and I did our best," Martha responded. "I'm just proud that Clark turned out to be the way he did."
  
  Kara looked at how Clark turned out. He was not perfect by any means, but at the same time, he turned out alright.
  
  "I am too," Kara said for a smile.
  
  "And thanks again for helping us get everything in order with the adoption," Harry told Martha.
  
  "It wasn't a problem," Martha said to Harry, waving off his thanks. She understood where Harry was coming from, and was happy to help. "It does take a lot of heart to take in a child that isn't yours into your home."
  
  "I think you would know better than anyone else," Harry replied. At this statement, Martha nodded, and smiled.
  
  "Yes, most people wouldn't have done what Jonathan and I did," Martha said, and that was a sad statement.
  
  "I would have," Harry said, and Kara smiled at what Harry said.
  
  "I know," Martha replied, seeing that easily. "You two enjoy yourselves; I'm going to go catch up a bit more with my son. I have a feeling I've missed a lot."
  
  Kara and Harry exchanged a covert expression. If that was not the understatement of understatements, they did not know what was. The music started up, and Harry looked at his beautiful wife.
  
  "So, my I have this dance, my lady?" Harry asked Kara.
  
  "I'll be delighted," Kara replied, and the two stepped towards each other.
  
  Harry placed his hands on her hips, and locked arms. The two of them enjoyed their first dance together as a married couple. While the two of them tended to be more graceful flying through the air, then they were on the dance floor, they thought that had done alright. They were together, and the sun shined brightly on them. A gentle spring breeze blew outside, and they danced outdoors, oblivious to the rest of the world around them. It was rather nice, to be together.
  
  Chloe watched the couple, a smile on her face. Lois had watched them as well. The brunette nudged her cousin.
  
  "They do look good together," Lois admitted grudgingly.
  
  "Yes they do," Chloe agreed. She found herself looking at the two of them, just studying the way they moved. Tonight was their night, and she turned her attention away from them.
  
  At the table, Claire had gone for a piece of cake, but Dick had swiped it out from underneath her nose. A scowl of discontent spread across the face of the young pryokinetic. Thankfully she learned control, and did not flash fry the boy who took her cake.
  
  "Hey, that was my piece of cake, you know!" Claire yelled hotly.
  
  "There's plenty more, just cut yourself off another slice," Dick said, holding his hands up in a defensive motion.
  
  Claire shook her head, and bit her lip. She could have cut herself off of another slice, but that was not the point. It was the sheer principal of the manner. She watched Dick eat that slice of cake, her slice of cake, and the scowl deepened on the young girl's face. Dick seemed to also make a production out of eating her cake. He put the plate over.
  
  "That was some good cake," Dick commented.
  
  Claire turned over, and backed off. She seethed, and glared at Dick.
  
  "Make a new friend, Claire?" Lois asked.
  
  "Him, no he's no friend, he's annoying," Claire said. She then added. "He's a twerp."
  
  "Ah, I think you might like him," Lois teased her. "You're getting close to that age where you're getting feelings for boys."
  
  "I don't like Dick!" Claire said hotly.
  
  Chloe and Lois looked at each other. There was a moment of silence, before Lois was the one that spoke.
  
  "Are you going to touch that one?" Lois asked swiftly.
  
  "No," Chloe said shortly.
  
  "Good, because I'm not either," Lois responded, and she slowly backed away at that point.
  
  Claire wondered what they were talking about. Sometimes, adults said things she could not even begin to understand. At least she would be getting this piece of cake, even if it was not as good as the piece of cake that had been swiped for her. Claire silently plotted to pay that boy back for stealing her cake. On this day, a vendetta was established.
  
  Harry and Kara spent some time dancing, about an hour or so more. They had some light conversation about the various guests. The fireworks that had gone off for their wedding served as a handy distraction. The two of them had snuck off, invisible, and into the sky. They would stay at the hotel suite tonight, and then fly off to Greece for their honeymoon tomorrow. It would be their first outing as a married couple, and a rare chance to let their hair down.
  
  The wedding and subsequent reception had many guests that had been invited. There were all sorts of people there, some of them mundane, and some of the colorful. One person was not invited to the wedding. That particular individual sat perched in the air, invisible for all to see. Even X-Ray vision could not pick her out.
  
  The reason why she had not been invited to the wedding was that the happy couple had not known that she existed. The blonde Kryptonian floated in the air, placed a hand to her chin, and pondered what to do next. The fact of the matter was that there were so many things that she had to take care of before revealing herself to the rest of the world, and more importantly to her two fellow Heralds of Death.
  
  She still searched for the Fortress, even though it had been lost, buried, and seemingly in another dimension. There could be an infinite number of pocket dimensions where it could have been sent to. There were not only pocket dimensions, but pocket dimensions within pocket dimensions. This fact led the girl to an exercise of supreme frustration. The fact of the matter was that the search could take months and months, even for her. Even the small hint she picked up had been just a misdirection.
  
  Being locked in solitary confinement and experimented on had given her plenty time to think. There was a certain kind of bitter feeling that she felt towards all of humanity, based off of the actions of Lionel Luthor. There where she wondered if her father was right. The young woman wondered if he was correct in his assumption that these people were barbarians that deserved to be taken over, for their own good.
  
  She wondered, with all the hatred, all of the war, all of the just callous disregard for anything different from themselves that some humans exhibited. Then again, Kryptonians were the same way, being torn apart over generations. Kara Zor-El of Earth 2 vowed not to allow that to happen on this planet. Then there was her cousin's counterpart on this world, and the role he had to play.
  
  Kara had observed Kal-El or Clark Kent as he was called here. It was only for the past couple of days, and there would need to be more observation as time went on. However, at this moment, she found herself quite underwhelmed by him. There was a great enemy coming, and if Clark did not learn how to step up and learn how to kill, the destroyer would destroy him.
  
  A part of her wondered if she could track down this monster, and slay his mortal shell before his full potential was realized. He was one of the undesirables, but there was an asterisk by his name. It was a trial that Clark would have to overwhelm and win, or the consequences would be dire.
  
  Kara saw her counterpart in this world, and her husband fly off. There was something strikingly familiar about this Kara's bonded that she could not shake the feeling. She shook her head. If the young woman wanted to, she could touch them. Little did they know they were right next to the Third Herald of Death, but did not know it, because she was invisible, and cloaked herself from any sense they had.
  
  The girl checked the papers that she had, the cover where she would run. The Galatea Foundation was already set up for her, and her alias of Karen Starr. Apparently, she had been figured in.
  
  The girl prepared to figure out her next move. With all of the grace and precision of someone of her abilities, Kara Zor-El of Earth 2 vanished with a pop. She remembered all she observed, seeing people that had died in her world, like Lana and Chloe. Lana had been killed by Lionel Luthor as a way to control Clark. Chloe disappeared as well, and was presumed dead as well. She vowed to keep a close watch over them, and make sure it did not happen again.
  
  Kal-El would mandate further observation, and perhaps assistance. In one universe, he was too extreme and immoral prior to his murder, and in this universe, he was too much like a glorified boy scout. Kara nearly rolled her eyes at this fact. That would be something to deal with at a later date. As of now, the blonde Kryptonian needed to collect more information about this world, and what she was up against.
  
  Kara allowed herself one more thought at the happy married couple. She longed for the day where someone like that could take her in his arms and tell her that he loved her. Emotions she suppressed threatened to come back.
  
  She shook her head. Those thoughts were selfish and stupid to have, and just led to nothing, but hurt and false hope.
  
  Kara had all of the attributes of a healthy female Kryptonian in her physical prime. Her confidence had been rattled, unfortunately, by what had transpired at the hands of Lionel Luthor and her imprisonment.
  
  Winds blew throughout the cold and desolate Artic. No one had noticed that something was off as of yet, and even if someone did notice, the mysteries of what transpired would stay with those who had been down there. The Fortress was once there, yet above ground there was nothing, but a big blank stretch of nothing. There was a miniature hole in the ground. From within this hole, a light shined, offering as a potential beacon for something. What was that beacon? Was in a sign for hope, or a sign for trouble?
  
  Deep beneath the group, several microscopic crystal fragments glittered. They could not be seen by the naked eye, and could be scarcely seen by the enhanced Kryptonian vision. The crystal fragments glittered; it was all that remained of the Fortress. A small light had kicked out in the Fortress, once again only scarcely visible to the eye.
  
  A small amount of residual power had been activated within the area where the Fortress had once stood. Like any great structure there would be backups, and fail safes in case the worst possible event occurred. One of those backups had kicked into place at that moment, and it was one that was not created by Jor-El. The backup was unknown by Jor-El, and was not even part of his plans. Yet, it was there, only to be activated in the case where Jor-El's programming had been destroyed, or grossly compromised.
  
  Even Lily Potter did not discover this aspect of the Fortress, it was buried so deep within it. It was subtle in its design, and very calculating with how it was developed. Jor-El was not the only person who had taken steps to make sure Kal-El had guidance as he reached his destiny.
  
  The essence of the mother program had flicked back to life. The consciousness of Lara had awoken from a long slumber. She was very weak, and unable to do much. All she could do was begin to siphon what residual energy was left within this area, where the Fortress was, and the caves that were connected. Then she could send a message to her son, so she could better assist him.
  
  This process would take several weeks, maybe even a month or more. Lara was secure in the knowledge that her niece should be able to help out Kal-El in the meantime, if he needed any guidance. Both of them, as she had sensed, Kara's counterpart from an alternate world had arrived. Lara could not articulate a message to her at the time when this version of Kara visited the area around where the Fortress once was. Regardless, Lara trusted Kara, both of them, one hundred percent with the life of Kal-El. Jor-El's coldness towards her would be something that Lara would be having words with that man about, should his consciousness return to the Fortress.
  
  Lara did love Jor-El, and knew him to be a kind and noble man. His logic had gotten in the way of reason, and he had allowed his son to know some kind of heartless monster, this AI that he created. The AI was efficient, and methodical, but there were certain parts to someone's destiny that needed emotion to be properly cultivated. Jor-El had many faults, and he programmed every single one of them into that AI of his. As a result, her son no doubt thought his father was a cold, and uncaring man, when the truth could have not been further.
  
  Lara would need to have a discussion with Kal-El about other matters, including the matter of his mates.
  
  Depending on what values her son was raised with, she might be fighting an uphill battle to get him to realize this part of his destiny. Lara sensed something, threads connected to Clark. One of them was blackened, indicating that Clark had once lost someone extremely close to him, who he had connected with on some level. Whoever she was, she had died, but Lara could not find out much more.
  
  Lily Potter had drained most of the power when she took the Fortress wherever upon being banished. However, Lara began to tap into every reserve she could. There was no force in the universe that was stronger than a mother's determination to assist her son.
  Honeymoon
  
  
  Chapter 38: Honeymoon.
  
  The night was still young, and beautiful, at least that was the thought that went through the heads of the newlyweds when they had sailed from their wedding to the hotel suite that had been booked. Flying was the only way to travel for the two of them, and they got a great deal of enjoyment from it. Both Harry and Kara could agree with that, with the feeling of the wind blowing through their faces. The two stopped in at the front desk to check in officially. Harry scooped Kara into his arms. Kara giggled when she was in Harry's arms.
  
  "And how much did you have to drink at the wedding?" Harry teased her, cradling his new wife close to him.
  
  Kara just fired back a grin. "You know, the two of us really can't be affected unless it's the really hard stuff. Now the sooner we get up to this bedroom, the sooner we can get down to the real fun."
  
  Harry would have to agree with that. The dark haired Herald of Death continued to sprint his wife up the stairs, and to their suite. The door blew open, and Kara wrapped her arms around Harry. Her lips met with his in a deep kiss. Kara was wrapped around Harry, her arms around his neck, and her legs wrapped around his waist. The two of them were finally in every way married, and the body that they had strengthened in every single way whatsoever. Kara walked Harry over, and pushed him back onto the bed. She pulled open Harry's shirt, and rubbed her hands onto his bare chest.
  
  "I can't wait," Kara responded, a wide grin spreading across her face.
  
  She had recited it over and over in her mind. She was now Kara Potter, and the link she felt for Harry was absolutely stronger than ever. Kara could feel other strands linked to Harry's soul, but hers was the strongest for now. The blonde Kryptonian vowed to keep it that way, and she planted a series of kisses on Harry's collarbone.
  
  "I love you, so much, my wife" Harry told her, and he cupped her backside for emphasis. Kara gave an expression of desire, and continued to stroke Harry's chest and abs, giving them kisses, and licking them.
  
  "I love you too, my husband," Kara told Harry, and her hands moved down Harry's body, before reaching for his belt, and removing it.
  
  Kara pulled back from Harry, and grabbed her wedding dress. She gave Harry a little show, swaying her hips, and pulling the dress down from her body. Harry got a good look at her mouth watering body, dressed in nothing, but a lacy white bra, a white thong with the material barely covering what needed to be covered, and white stockings. Kara had somehow lost her shoes in the battle.
  
  Harry grabbed her by the hips, and pulled her scantily clad body onto his. Kara sighed deeply into the kiss, and Harry ran his hands over her body. He rolled Kara over onto the bed, and continued to deepen the kiss. The fun could begin on that point, and Harry looked down at her. Kara looked up at Harry with a very unmistakable "fuck me" expression in her eyes.
  
  Harry was not one to disappoint his new wife.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  Kara was laid prone on the bed. Harry drank in every single inch of her beautiful body with his eyes, and he gripped her shoulders firmly. Lowering his mouth, Harry kissed Kara firmly on the lips. Kara returned the kiss with absolute fury, her tongue clashing with Harry's. The couple tasted each other, and Harry continued his efforts. He kissed the side of Kara's neck, sucking on it. Kara moaned, appreciatively of his efforts.
  
  Kara ran her hands through Harry's hair, and the dark haired Herald of Death resumed his actions on her neck. It caused her to grow impatient, but Kara did not wait have to wait for long. Harry reached behind her back, and with a snap, Harry removed her bra. Kara rested on her back, and Harry pressed his lips against her collarbone. He kissed her several times, and his hands reached around. Kara gave a light moan with pleasure, when Harry groped her breasts.
  
  Harry felt her breasts in his hands, and he felt every single inch of her supple, wonderful flesh. The look of desire spurred Harry on, to continue to squeeze at her breasts. Then Harry switched actions, and placed his mouth on Kara's right nipple. Kara reached forward, and stroked Harry's hair.
  
  "Yes, Harry, more, please," Kara breathed, eyes lidded over with heavy pleasure.
  
  Harry sucked on Kara's nipples, and moved down her, kissing her stomach. He reached her panties, and skimmed the edge of them with his finger, brushing against her. She felt wet, and warm between her thighs. Kara whined when Harry brushed up against her. She lifted her hips off of the bed, and Harry pulled down her panties down her legs, and around her ankle.
  
  Kara barely had any time whatsoever to think, when Harry stuck his tongue deep within her core, licking out his bride. She gripped his hair, and Harry swirled his tongue inside her. Kara breathed in and out, with Harry's tongue connecting with her pleasure spots. A spasm of pleasure filled her being, when Harry continued to go down on her.
  
  "Harry, more, I need your cock!" Kara demanded, and she reached forward, grabbing Harry's cock for emphasis when he edged forward.
  
  Harry did not need to be told twice. After savoring the taste of his wife's pussy, Harry wanted more. He teased her, and rubbed his length against the slit. Kara's wide eyes looked at him, begging for him. Harry aimed himself, and pushed into Kara. Kara gave a sigh of contention, and Harry pushed inside her. Her walls hugged his thick length, and Kara wrapped her hands around Harry. This action encouraged Harry to continue to shove his cock into her. He would continue to feel the tight squeeze of her walls around his length.
  
  Kara pushed her hips up to meet Harry's movements. His cock was large, and inside her. Harry thrust into her roughly, and Kara could not be happier. She grabbed Harry around the lower back, and pushed up. She felt herself being driven further and further, so she matched Harry, meeting him stroke for stroke. The second of their powerful hip bones clashing together. Harry groped her chest, and Kara's moans heightened. That felt so good to her. It was like she was floating on air.
  
  "You're so hot around me," Harry told her, continuing to plow into her tight core, feeling it hug his member.
  
  "Yes, keep fucking me, that's it," Kara groaned, feeling him stretch and push at her walls, hitting every pleasure spot within her. "Slam into my pussy!"
  
  Kara's pussy muscles convulsed around Harry, and hugged him. Her legs had wrapped around his body, and it left with a nice warm envelope when Harry pounded into her pussy. His balls slapped against her the harder he fucked her. Kara seemed to enjoy this, and Harry reached forward, to grab her hair, tugging on it. This caused Kara's passion to increase, and she moaned louder with the rough sex she was receiving. He smashed his lips onto hers, and probed his tongue into her mouth. Harry tasted the sweet and savory taste of his wife, there was no better feeling in the universe.
  
  Kara was beyond heaven. While her husband's tongue probed one set of lips, his cock probed another set of lips. Harry lowered, and plunged into her. She had been driven to yet another orgasm, but Harry still was going strong. Kara was determined to get his seed into her.
  
  "Fuck me, baby, fuck me," Kara cooed, once Harry had broken the kiss.
  
  "I'm fucking you, I love your tight pussy," Harry breathed to Kara.
  
  "Yes, but I'd love your seed," Kara talked back to him, her hips raising and lowering off the bed to meet Harry's incoming thrusts into her moist center. "My pussy burns for you, baby, but it needs this seed in it."
  
  Harry lifted in and thrust into her pussy, hugging him so tightly. He could see the juices rolling down her thighs. Kara had an amazing sex drive, and could never get enough. Which was fine, as Harry could not get enough of her either. Her pussy was very damp, and continued to rub his length up and down, when Harry pushed into her.
  
  Kara thought she was going to lose it. She must have been driven to the edge at least dozens of times, but Harry had not come close to losing it in her. Kara stepped up her efforts, summoning all of her strength. The friction between their two organs was a force to behold, and Harry sped up his efforts into her.
  
  Harry felt himself being brought to the edge, and he tightened.
  
  "Cum for me, Harry!" Kara called, squeezing him for emphasis. "Shoot your seed into me! I'd love it if you came for me!"
  
  Harry's balls tightened, and he felt the release coming. His seed splattered deep into Kara. His cock spurted rope after rope of his semen into her. Kara twitched underneath him, and Harry could tell she felt as good as he did.
  
  The moment Harry completed filling her up, Kara grabbed Harry by the shoulders, and rolled him onto the bed. Harry was on his back, and Kara now sat on his hips, straddling him.
  
  "Now, it's my turn to be on top," Kara told Harry.
  
  Harry felt Kara's hand wrapped around his pole, and her hand pumped up and down, until he was put back up to full mask. Kara was ready to go, and after teasing Harry, Harry once again found himself balls deep in his lover's pussy.
  
  Kara started her momentum slow; matching with Harry did with his thrusts. It was best to start slow, to build up the momentum, so the inevitable eruption would be memorable. She began to bounce a little bit more, and Harry matched her strokes. Kara could not get enough of this cock in her, and she continued to bounce on it. She rode it, gyrating onto his pull, feeling it push into her pussy.
  
  "That's it baby, I live for your cock," Kara moaned, bouncing up and down upon Harry's hard rod. "It's the best thing in the universe, pound it into to me, love!"
  
  Harry spotted the lustful expression in Kara's eyes, and the rate she was bouncing up and down. Her hair framed her beautiful face, and the girl's lips had been puckered to match her desire. The simmering "fuck me" eyes also heightened Harry's enjoyment. He continued to match her, and Kara's bouncing intensified. Her tightness rubbed him, and drove him closer to the brink, but Harry had returned fire. Pleasure bolts had been sent towards her, magically stimulating every bit of her body.
  
  Kara played with her nipples, and made lewd sounds with her mouth and tongue when she bounced up and down on Harry. She slammed down onto him with a force that would crack concrete. Harry returned fire, thrusting into her. The two of them had a danger of cracking the bed or collapsing the floor, charm or no charms.
  
  Harry was glad for the decision for Kara to take their activities about six inches above the bed. That allowed Harry to pump into her much harder, and feel her pussy wrap around him, squeezing him hard. It was like a tight vice, but pleasurable in its own way. Kara's moist snatch bounced up and down on his shaft, squeezing it. He reached forward, and bent up. Kara bent towards him.
  
  Once again, Kara felt pleasure with Harry's mouth wrapped around her tasty tits. She loved how Harry sucked them. She reached around, and sank her fingers into Harry's back. The blonde Kryptonian scratched Harry when he fucked her. The scratches would heal, due to Harry's abilities. The thrusts continued to happen, and Kara mewled when Harry speared into her tight center.
  
  "Keep fucking me Harry, almost there," Kara moaned, hugging Harry's face into her breasts.
  
  Harry detached his mouth from her breasts, and looked into her eyes. He had been keeping up this dance. Kara tilted him back, so she could rise and lower onto him. Kara kept riding his cock like a cowgirl, her breasts and hair swaying in the breeze that had been created by their passions. This brought Harry closer and closer to the end. There was only an amount of time before his balls tightened, and he released a flood of cum into Kara.
  
  It was not time yet, and Kara sped up her motions. She was determined to get her treat, and many more loads throughout the night. Her hand nearly hit the ceiling she went so high, but she bounced back. The two had cracked the walls due to the sonic vibrations that made from their hips meeting together. Kara found herself not caring at that moment. All that mattered was Harry's cock was inside her, and was hitting her in places that made her feel good.
  
  Harry felt his cock convulse in Kara, and her pussy muscles tightened. They had been doing this for a very long time, so long where Harry had lost track. The time was coming, with her tightening around him, and Harry's balls tightening. His eyes looked up at Kara, and there was only one thing left for them to do.
  
  Both loves had come together. Harry splattered his cum deep inside Kara, and Kara tilted her head back, moaning, and bouncing. She was determined to drain Harry dry of everything that he had. Harry drained his load into her, filling her up with his seed.
  
  A moment's pause, and another round would be coming soon. Right now, they took some time to lower themselves on the bed, and cuddle in each other's warm embrace.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  Kara and Harry rested on the bed. The blonde Kryptonian placed her head on Harry's shoulder, and sighed. Harry wrapped his arm around her body. The two lover's naked bodies snuggled against each other. Kara smiled at Harry, and continued to kiss him deeply. Harry was about ready to go once again, and Kara was ready to oblige him.
  
  The dance of desire continued between the two lovers all through the night, although given the time expansion charms, they made love to each other for much longer, for nearly a day, perhaps even more. And they would have gone much longer, if they could find some way to expand the charms. The newest strengthening of the bond allowed them to need more fuel for it.
  
  Kara and Harry felt absolutely content, and no matter what new dynamics their relationship took, the two would always have a very special place in each other's hearts.
  
  For the first time in a long time, Harry and Kara allowed themselves to sit back, and relax, and not think about anything that happened the rest of the world. It was actually an interesting change of pace, and Harry felt relax. It could be because his beautiful wife was rubbing suntan lotion onto his shoulders. The point that neither of them could burn under the yellow sun was far from the point. It was just an excuse to feel each other up, and have some fun. Not that they needed an excuse, but that was beside the point.
  
  Harry was dressed in nothing, but a pair of tight boxer shorts. The muscles he accumulated through training and hard ship were on display. His dark hair stood up on end, and his green eyes were covered by a pair of sunglasses. Harry had come a long way since being a scrawny midget in glasses, which was a fact that Kara appreciated. And Harry appreciated Kara's hands running over his shoulders, and his back. Kara playfully pinched his ass, and a smile appeared on Harry's face. He sighed in pleasure, at what his wife was doing to him.
  
  Kara hovered over Harry, and rubbed the suntan lotion into his back. She massaged each one of his muscles, and made circular motions around on his back. Kara continued to rub up and down his back. She passed down, and massaged his legs completely.
  
  "So relaxing," Harry breathed to himself.
  
  "We do need to relax," Kara agreed, feeling her body calm down and relishing the chance to let her hair down. There was an unwritten rule that was made before they left on their honeymoon. Nothing that happened between them relating to their Herald of Death responsibilities was going to be discussed. Anything that happened, it could wait. They were taking a week off to themselves, and if something happened, well Clark and Lana would have to handle it. "And what better time to relax than on our honeymoon."
  
  Harry nodded in agreement. Kara's talented hands continued to massage his back, and work over every single one of his muscles. She worked the tension spots out, both in Harry's muscles, and in Harry in general. From all of the teasing, she could tell that the blood was rushing from Harry's head, to the other parts of body.
  
  "My turn," Kara said in a sweet voice.
  
  Harry grabbed Kara around the waist, and got a good look at his wife. The red bikini she wore was a vision of beauty. The bikini top stretched across her ample chest, and showcased cleavage that made Harry's mouth water and his groin stir. His eyes traveled down her curvy body. Her stomach was rather flat, and Harry found himself attracted to it. The stomach muscles were taut, and her belly button was cute. Harry continued to drink in his wife's body, to her long legs that stretched down. They were toned, and lovely, and smooth and sexy, and Harry really could not come up with enough adjectives to describe her.
  
  Kara flipped over on her front. The blonde bombshell rested on her chest. She shifted her hips upwards, and Harry stared at her cute rear end. The red bikini bottom fabric stretched around her ass, showcasing it. Harry reached over, and cupped the suntan lotion bottle in his hand, and poured it into his hand. The dark haired Herald of Death rubbed the suntan lotion into her back muscles. Kara hummed happily, and felt her husband's hands work into her shoulder muscles.
  
  Harry rubbed the lotion into Kara's back and shoulders. He felt every single inch of her soft, and lovely skin underneath his hands. She was a vision of absolute perfection beneath him. The sun shined brightly onto both of them, and Harry rubbed her lower back, and brushed his thumb against her ass. Kara moaned at this happily.
  
  The attention Harry was paying to her ass was not something that had gone unnoticed by Kara. The blonde Kryptonian's smile spread across her face. Humans engaged in an activity called anal sex, and Kara was quite curious to experience this activity, but she wondered if Harry would agree. Given the fact his eyes continued to linger on her ass, Kara would have to breach the subject before too long.
  
  Harry looked at Kara, and smiled. She rolled over, and Harry lathered the sun lotion onto her front. The blond Kryptonian sighed in glee, and Harry knew that she enjoyed the motions. His hands lingered on her abs, and then moved to rub suntan lotion on the valley between her breasts. Harry worked into her nice and long, giving her nice strokes. Kara shifted, feeling Harry's hands massage and work her over.
  
  "I think we're all done," Harry told Kara.
  
  "Ah, already," Kara said with a pout.
  
  Harry wrapped his arm around Kara, and pulled the blonde Kryptonian into him. Her head rested on his shoulder, and there was a bright smile on her face. The two sat on the beach, and really enjoyed sitting underneath the sun. The two had a radio out with them, and listened to the music. They would spend today on the beach, just relaxing.
  
  Kara smiled at the thought of being with Harry when their lives were not in peril by something. This was going to be the best week in both of their lives, and Kara would be sad when it was back to business as usual. The two of them sat, and pulled out the packed lunch they had. The two of them would eat together, and listen to the music blaring together.
  
  "So good," Kara said, in between bites of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich Harry had made. She took a few bites of it, and enjoyed just everything.
  
  Today was the perfect day for both of them. Kara dropped back, and rested her head on Harry's lap. Harry stroked his fingers through Kara's hair, and smiled. This would be the beginning of their perfect week. The duties they had as Heralds of Death were pushed as far back in their mind. Kara and Harry both smiled, their lives were great, at least for right now.
  
  Despite what happened, as long as they had each other, life was not so bad.
  
  Chloe took some time to ponder the events of the past couple of days. Of course, there was only a small amount of time to think, compared to what her real mission. Chloe would be both a liar and deluded if she did not admit that she had at least thought about the possibilities that having Kryptonian powers would have. She had thought about it more than a few times.
  
  Thinking about something, and doing something were two extremely different things; something Chloe found out throughout her attempts to train the powers. The good news is that she got the powers to the point where it would not cause any fatalities for herself, and for other people. The bad news was that Chloe was frustrated that nothing was perfect. The super speed was down mostly, even if she had problems with the sudden stops.
  
  Chloe sped halfway across the room in the Shining Light Foundation, and just missed the marker.
  
  "Okay, let's try that again," Chloe remarked to herself, taking a deep breath, and bracing herself.
  
  Chloe backed up, and once again attempted to super speed towards the marker. She was far closer with her stopping this time.
  
  "Chloe, just calm down, and remember that you're trying to master powers that aren't technically natural to you," Megan said, casually munching on a Oreo, which calmed her nerves. The girl watched, and observed Chloe. To be honest, her progress was a bit beyond what Harry and Kara expected.
  
  "No, I can do this, I really can do this," Chloe said, persistent and determined, not to mention just a tiny bit of stubborn.
  
  Once again, she had backed up, and tried to hit the marker once more. And once again, Chloe just missed the target. She was getting closer.
  
  "Chloe, just take a deep breath and calm down, you can do it, I know you can," Claire remarked, sitting with Megan, and eating Oreos with her, as they watched Chloe's progress.
  
  "Okay, I can really do this," Chloe said to herself once again.
  
  She visualized what she wanted to do. Clark had been doing it as simply as breathing. Lana picked it up well enough. Chloe could do this, she really could do this. Another deep breath, and Chloe took another step back, and once again shot forward at super speed.
  
  This time Chloe managed to stop in time, and hit the marker immediately. The woman took a deep breath, and felt absolutely relaxed. This was the easiest thing in the world. There was no question about it. Claire applauded Chloe from her perch point, and continued munch on her Oreos.
  
  Chloe backed off, and hit the marker again, and again, spot on. She finally got the hang of that, there could be more challenging things. Although some of the things used to train her powers were weird. Learning how to fly by going through an infinite number of rings, for instance, was something that Chloe felt was a little strange. Then again, that was just how powers had been trained.
  
  Chloe turned around, and managed to carve a symbol on the stone wall with her heat vision. She had to keep it carefully aligned properly.
  
  Megan continued to take the notes that Harry and Kara requested of her. The truth of the matter was that Chloe's speed was impressive. As her powers grew, she would surpass Clark in speed, and also Lana as well. Then again, given what Megan knew, Clark really had a lot of untapped potential. She spent a lot of time studying about the potential of Kryptonian powers underneath a yellow sun, and found the entire study to be rather fascinating.
  
  Then again, there were some theories that Megan felt a bit outlandish. For instance, she was pretty sure that it would be absurd to turn back time by flying around the Earth backwards. Some people did have strange ideas. Perhaps it could work under certain circumstances, but it was more likely to hurl everything off of the side of the planet.
  
  She did hope that Harry and Kara were enjoying themselves on their honeymoon. If anything needed a vacation, it was those two. There was some times where Megan thought that the two of them worked themselves too hard. In fact, she heard Claire complaining about that, and Megan would have to agree.
  
  Megan's cell phone rang, and she excused herself to take the message.
  
  "Hello, this is the Shining Light Foundation, how can I help you?" Megan asked, in a brisk and business like tone. "No, they're not here right now...you want to talk to them about business, what kind of business? I see, no I really don't know what you're talking about, no I don't, so they'll know if I mention it. Alright, whatever, they'll be back next Tuesday, if you want to stop by, you'll be able to make an appointment. Two is fine, but call to confirm on Monday, yes, thank you. Will there be anything else? No, I'm sure they'll be interested in what you have to say to them."
  
  Chloe had heard a few bits of that conversation, and Megan had put away the phone.
  
  "So what was that all about?" Chloe asked.
  
  "Oh, just someone wanting to discuss something with Harry and Kara, they'd know what it is when I told them apparently," Megan replied with a sigh.
  
  It was not like she could read minds, well technically she could, but that was beside the point. She most certainly could not do it over the phone. Megan checked the clipboard with the students, both old and new coming in to the Shining Light Foundation. Some students fit in well, while others were problematic.
  
  Harry had a policy that any parent could pull out their children at any time, as he did not want anyone to feel like they were a prisoner.
  
  "Who was it?" Chloe asked.
  
  "Oh, some guy named Queen," Megan said in a nonchalant voice.
  
  Chloe wondered what Oliver wanted to possibly talk to Harry and Kara about. In fact, last she heard, Oliver had been overseas, doing God only knows what. Then again, given that Supergirl and Arcane had been making a few waves as super heroes, Chloe managed to put two and two together.
  
  Right now, since her training was done, Chloe had taken a step out to get some fresh air. Perhaps, she would pop in to visit Lana. At this point, Chloe was not quite ready to show Clark or Lana her powers, but that time would come soon, in a couple days. She was mastering them rather well, even if there were a few bugs to work out.
  
  The past week had been like something out of a dream for the newly wedded couple. The honeymoon was winding down to its final days, but Harry and Kara thought that they had some memories that would last a lifetime. They made sure to enjoy themselves, even if in the back of their minds, they wondered if they would have paid for what happened. The moment they got back, they would be able to focus on the many things that they had to get done. The two of them really wondered when their third counterpart would show up.
  
  Harry and Kara actually checked the lifeline scan, but it is reading inconclusive for it. This little quirk was strange as over a week ago, there was a distinct hint that there was no third Herald there. Now it was like the lifeline was not sure what happened. Harry and Kara both pondered the matter, and wondered about something. They wondered if the third Herald was there, but if she was hiding her presence. Harry and Kara wondered how she had found out, and if she had been confused that there were two other Heralds here.
  
  There was a sense that there was someone nearby, but before the two of them could check too much, that sense had vanished into the night. That left Harry and Kara more confused, and bewildered than they had ever been in their lives. Right now, the couple enjoyed some of the more historical monuments. Harry had actually gone deeper, given his knowledge of magic, and had discovered some historical landmarks that had been sealed away from private eyes. They had been of a magical nature.
  
  It did seem that no matter how hard they tried, the entire Heralds of Death business followed them around. A frown spread over Kara's face, and the blonde Kryptonian studied one particular painting on the wall. Harry noticed what she was looking at. The fact of the matter was that it was very fine, and could not be seen by the naked eye. However, with Kara's enhanced vision the small symbols of Death could be seen.
  
  "Well, there's another place that popped it popped up," Kara whispered to Harry.
  
  Harry closed his eyes, and placed his hands on the wall. Kara did likewise, and both Potters could feel the residual magic flowing between the both of them. It caused their hands to tingle, and they floated up into the air. They could a sense of the essence flowing from within the temple, and both of their eyes glowing. Every single magical structure told a story, and Harry and Kara got a sense of the structure.
  
  After the magic flowed through their veins, the two of them dropped down to the ground. Harry and Kara shook their heads, and took a deep breath, before they regained their bearings. After that was done, it was Harry who was the first person who had spoken up.
  
  "It was a temple belonging to one of the Heralds of Death, about twelve hundred years ago," Harry explained, reading the inscription. "Apparently he went mad with power."
  
  "Wasn't that the case with all of them?" Kara asked.
  
  "He actually held the post for the longest, over a hundred years, and it was a burden that he bared alone," Harry said. Kara stepped towards Harry, and the dark haired wizard wrapped his arms around his blonde wife. "He actually managed to banish more undesirables than ever before. And he....invented the process of making a Horcrux."
  
  Kara had remembered Harry's memories, the twisted and disturbing process in creating a Horcrux. Kara could hardly believe that someone would do such a thing, but they would have to be rather desperate.
  
  "He invented it, so he could never lose another person," Kara whispered. "His wife, apparently, he did not want her to die."
  
  Harry had recalled the information that had been imparted into his memory. "However, the process turned her twisted and evil. Death stripped him of his powers, and his wife, the one woman he saved from Death, had killed this Herald. The next Herald of Death had to clean up the mess, as several people found the man's notes. Unfortunately, that fire was never snuffed out."
  
  "The practice of making Horcruxes hopefully died with Voldemort," Kara inputted.
  
  Harry nodded, and closed his eyes. "I certainly hope it did, and the one good thing I'll say about my old world is that it tried to get that type of magic censored. It didn't do much good in the end."
  
  Kara leaned in closer to Harry, and her eyes fluttered shut. The blonde Kryptonian thought about everything. It was lucky the two of them had found each other, and had offered comfort. The story remained the same with the few references to other Heralds of Death that they had looked up. They did well for a while, but the labor had gotten to them. Without a support network to lean on, they all withered and were eventually branded pariahs. That was the main reason why Death had stopped the process.
  
  Harry and Kara took a few more minutes to enjoy the sights around Greece. They amused themselves in a legend regarding an island of warrior women who had been sealed away from the rest of the world. Harry found these sorts of things to be kind of entertaining, but at the same time they were very far-fetched.
  
  Then again, given all of the things that Harry had to deal with throughout his life, something being far-fetched might not have been something that he could discount. The two walked from the temple, and Kara turned to Harry, with a smile on her face. After what they learned, both of them needed something fun to do.
  
  "Race you around the world!" Kara called at him, a playful expression on her face.
  
  Without warning, Kara jumped up into the air, and took flight.
  
  "Hey, no fair, you got a head start!" Harry yelled playfully, and he took into the sky, and chased his wife in the air.
  
  Kara laughed, when Harry had given chase to her. She looked over her shoulder, with Harry flying behind, trailing further away, and she playfully blew him a kiss. Harry gained speed, and Kara flew faster. The two of them could see glimpses of the world as they flew around at hyper speed. Harry gained momentum, and Kara flew back towards him, like a blonde blur in the air.
  
  Harry eventually caught up to Kara, and wrapped his arms around her, catching his wife in mid air. Kara laughed, and Harry pulled Kara in close to him.
  
  "Looks like I caught you," Harry told Kara with a grin.
  
  "You did," Kara agreed. "So what are you going to do with me?"
  
  Harry pulled Kara in tightly for an embrace in mid-air, and pressed his lips against hers. Kara returned the favor, with the two kissing in mid-air. Harry's hands had begun to work their way underneath Kara's shirt, and feel her up. Kara did likewise, grinding against Harry in mid-air. They caused a bit of a breeze with their actions.
  
  The two of them were content, and kind of a bit sad that they had to return back to the old grind. Even if they did miss several people after being gone for the week, but alas the honeymoon could not last forever.
  
  Kara Zor-El of Earth Two continued her surveillance on the Kent Farm, and circled around it. She wanted to observe this Clark in this natural environment, for better or for worse. The blonde Kryptonian hovered in the skies, invisible, crossing her arms. The girl continued to look down at the farm, and a frown crossed her face. There were many thoughts that echoed through her mind. It was hard to get a hold of all of them, but the fact of the matter was she had a mission.
  
  Until Kara had all of the facts, she would not interact with anyone around her. She would only interfere if anyone was in mortal peril. The girl flew around the air, and floated over Clark and Lana. Kara's eyes watched the couple. She observed everything that happened to the two of them, although she turned around at some of the more intimate bits. Just because she would not mind an audience, Kara thought that others would not share her spirit.
  
  So far Clark seemed to be of rather average power. He was slowly coming into his powers, but there was so much room for improvement. Kara wondered if his training had even begun. Mentally, he did not appear to be ready for what was coming. His upbringing was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it allowed him a nice and comfortable life, with family and friends that loved in. On the other hand, it made him too soft, too human, and it seemed to make him believe that he was actually human, and stunted his growth.
  
  Clark had simply refused to embrace his Kryptonian heritage, and Kara Zor-El of Earth Two felt frustrated at that.
  
  Kara wondered if her counterpart on this planet had similar thoughts. Clark had walked out with Lana, thinking about something. Lana had been gifted Kryptonian powers, likely to help assist Clark until he got into his full maturity. When would that happen? Would it happen in months, years, or even decades? The one good thing for Clark would be that he had plenty of time to grow into his powers.
  
  The bad thing is that the world around him might not wait for him to rise as its protector. There was any number of dark forces brewing in the background. They would plot to stop Clark before his journey even started.
  
  She tapped into one of her powers, and managed to get a nice view of what had happened so far with Clark's life. To be honest, she thought that Clark was extremely fortunate not to get killed countless times over. He lacked discipline, and often times, common sense. And Kara could have just shook her head at what Jor-El was doing with his guidance of this Clark. She was sure he had his reasons, even if the blonde Kryptonian did not agree with them.
  
  One day, the world would need a hero, and Kal-El, Clark, whatever he was called, could rise above. This was dependent on whether or not he survived the next few years. Nothing was set in stone.
  
  'There's something extremely strange going on with Clark's lifeline reading,' Kara thought to herself. 'I wonder if the other two Heralds have noticed it. His dot is gold as it should be, but there are times where it flickers to black, briefly for second. It is as if reality cannot determine how to figure Clark in."
  
  Kara focused her hearing, and floated higher into the air. Her chest inhaled and exhaled, when the girl took a deeper breath.
  
  "Clark, we better hurry, we're going to be late, well you're going to be late," Lana told Clark.
  
  Clark fired back on the ground. "I don't think I can be late, unless I leave just a second before we're supposed to. I can super speed there in a flash."
  
  Lana put her hands on Clark, and Clark looked at her. The calculating, and rather devious expression in her eyes was not missed by Clark, and he braced himself for what was going to happen.
  
  "Or, I can fly you there," Lana replied.
  
  "Lana, it's fine, really," Clark said, but he knew what was coming next.
  
  Lana was not about to take no for an answer, and she scooped up Clark in her arms. Clark sighed, resigned to his fate. One day, he would fly, or so he had been told. Yet, it did not come to him. It was one of the greatest mysteries of life.
  
  Kara continued to watch, with Lana scooping up Clark in her arms, and flying off into the sky. The blonde Kryptonian frowned at this action, and tapped her fingers on the briefcase she held. Clark really had no pride whatsoever, since he allowed Lana to scoop him up in her arms repeatedly, and taxi him off like he was some petulant child. While Kara had no problems with Lana, she did kind of have a problem with the fact that Clark allowed himself to be demeaned like that.
  
  Clark's powers were natural, hers was gifted. Lana should be thanking whoever gave them to her every single day, upon a bended knee. At least she seemed to have a decent hold on them, although Kara wondered if she needed more guidance on them. Both of them only scratched the surface on what their powers were capable for. If Kara had made a solemn vow not to directly interfere, she would have stepped in.
  
  She did observe that Clark and Lana did seem to have their ups and downs in their relationships. That might have been an understatement, but that was just what she observed in their body language, and the way they carried themselves. A lot can be learned from the body language of others, at the first possible opportunity.
  
  'Got a lot to do, without babysitting those two,' Kara thought to herself. 'One day, I'll meet up with my two fellow Heralds of Death, but now's not the time. I'll do it on my own terms. I'll need their help to open up the crypt, because it needs all three of us to get the artifact within."
  
  Kara resolved to tackle that particular situation when she personally felt the time was right. As of right now, there were other matters that she would need to deal with. At the tips of her fingers was information that she needed to understand this world. Of course, Kara learned from a very young age not to trust the words of others, but rather trust what she saw and observed with her own eyes.
  
  Kara followed the couple all the way to Metropolis, and dropped down to the ground. She allowed them to go off, unwatched. There would be plenty more time for observation later, as of now Kara Zor-El of Earth Two had business to do, and she had a civilian identity to establish. Actually having a secret identity was a process that she found loathsome, and troublesome. However, it was something that the higher ups had mandated, by the way she was figured into this world.
  
  The girl looked at the papers, and tried to get into character. She had to remind herself of one simple fact. In this world, her identity was Karen Starr, the owner of the Galatea Foundation. The Galatea Foundation's mission was to help girls who had been mentally and physically battered get a second chance in life. Kara's face contorted into a scowl, Death did love her little ironies.
  
  She also had a partnership with the new CEO of Luthorcorp that was brewing. The fact she had to do business with Luthorcorp in any way, no matter who was behind it, caused her a great deal of distaste, and made her want to throw up in her mouth a little bit. No matter who was behind it, a Luthor was a Luthor, and they all were trouble. Of course, Kara sensed this could be an opportunity to gather information on the inside for her mission, and sabotage the company so it was not a threat towards Kal-El's future mission.
  
  Kara also had to get used to the idea she was now called Karen Starr, because there was already a Kara Zor-El in this world, well now technically Kara Potter. She pushed open the doors to her building. Knowing her luck, she would be saddled with a bunch of idiot employees, and would need to exercise every bit of self-control not to strangle the lot of them.
  
  - See more at: http://www.hpfanficarchive.com/stories/viewstory.php?sid=809&chapter=38#sthash.Id45zP4l.dpuf
  Recruitment Part One
  
  Chapter 39: Recruitment Part One.
  
  Gotham City was a city that never had a moment's rest from the criminal element. There were a number of gangs who stood around, and waited for a moment to strike. There was no question about it, those who were in Gotham City had grown desensitized to the attacks throughout the city, from a variety of colored criminals. Mob warfare ran ragged on the street, although there was a dark force running everyone ragged.
  
  Batman sat perched on the catwalk, watching a group of figures dressed in black. They were members of the League of Shadows, a group who had been given Batman recurring problems. He had been able to gain a bit of information on their operations, but there was a higher power operating them from beyond Gotham City. It had been a global operation, and it was hard to determine why Gotham City was chosen for their latest base of operations.
  
  Batman had stepped in, and realized that the League of Shadows had kidnapped several high ranking politicians in Gotham City. The Dark Knight scoped out the situation, and recognized a few of the faces. They were corrupt, and dishonest, likely funneling taxpayers dollars to fund their own lifestyles, but nevertheless, they were just another set of lives that Batman had to protect from a far more dangerous voice.
  
  "That's all I know, I swear," one of the politicians stated in a raspy voice.
  
  The League of Shadows assassins surrounded them, several swords raised. The politician swallowed the lump in his throat. His fellow politicians feared for their lives. They had been snatched out of their offices, or homes, these assassins had gotten past the security that they paid a great deal of their ill-gotten gains for. There was no question about it, this League of Shadows was dangerous enemies, and they were not secure.
  
  Batman had seen all that he needed to see, and he dropped down to the ground, swift and ready to pounce. The detective was on the attack the moment he dropped the ground. He took a few steps forward, and a couple of smoke bombs had been thrown down to the ground. The League of Shadows stumbled around, coughing on the smoke. Batman rushed around in the smoke. One punch after another knocked out the ninjas. The leader of this particular group rushed forward, and tried to stab Batman, but Batman dodged the sword.
  
  The next thing the leader knew, he was suspended upside down from the rafters. His fellow League of Shadows members had been rendered unconscious, and the politicians could not scramble out of the doors fast enough.
  
  "I'm not going to ask you twice," Batman growled. "Who are you working for?"
  
  "Forget it, I shall not betray my master," the leader said, and he bit down in his mouth. It released poison from a filling in his mouth, and he swallowed it. The leader went stiff, and the poison did its work.
  
  Batman could not formulate an antidote quickly enough to save him, with the unfortunate realization hitting him; it was another dead end. The League of Shadows had been something that had bedeviled Batman on and off for months. He had heard rumors that a couple of their agents had been lurking around Smallville as well, searching for something. It might be time for Batman to pay someone another visit, and let him know what was going on.
  
  They were not the only problem that bedeviled Batman, a crime wave was also occurred compliments of one of his most persistent foes in his eighteen months under the cowl, the Joker. Batman found that ironic in many ways, because he found the crimes this man committed to be anything, but funny. What was worse that the Joker seemed to kidnap a doctor, Harleen Quinzel, from Arkham, and seemed to be using her as a hostage.
  
  One problem at a time.
  
  With a swift movement, Batman made his way to the Batmobile, and drove off towards his cave. He had gathered some evidence, but it was not enough. The mission was never ending, against the criminal elements that had threatened to pollute the city. The Dark Knight checked the police scanner, to try and find any crime, but had not been able to track anything down.
  
  Batman arrived at the Batcave, and exited the car. He took a step back, and saw Supergirl and Arcane casually lounging in his cave, like it was no big deal that they had bypassed all of his security. The two just had entered the cave, and just made themselves at home. Batman just grimaced at the thought, but did not allow himself to be bothered by them.
  
  Kara could barely keep a straight face at the look of shock underneath Batman's face. "I was wondering when you'd get back, Bats."
  
  "So how are you doing?" Harry asked, casually and calmly.
  
  Batman took a moment to really digest what was happening, and he asked one calm question.
  
  "How did you get here? How did you find this place?"
  
  "We have our ways," Harry replied, a smile crossing his face.
  
  "That doesn't tell me anything," Batman told them, and he took a step back. He realized that he would have to take some steps into upgrading security. "Is there any particular reason why you're here, or did you just decide to come into my cave to prove you can?"
  
  "Well, partially we did that for that reason," Kara said in amusement, hovering in the air, mischief dancing in her eyes. "We didn't tell a soul where this place is, not even Clark, even if we did know it for months. Plus, I think you have an idea who we are, right, Bruce?"
  
  Kara used his real name, to indicate that she was not going to be intimidated by this man, grumpy bastard that he might be, and her and Harry were the ones who were in control of this meeting.
  
  Batman stood and looked at the two young heroes. The two of them were brash and bold, and he knew when he had his back against the wall, and they held all of the cards.
  
  "We understand that you've been keeping tabs on Clark," Harry told Batman, and Batman nodded slowly. "And you've also been dealing with a group here that has been causing you problems."
  
  "They call themselves the League of Shadows, and word is a pair of their agents has been sulking around Smallville as well," Batman told them. Kara and Harry nodded, and invited for the Dark Knight to continue. "It is a good thing that Clark has relocated mostly to Metropolis, or should we say, the Blur?"
  
  Kara and Harry were caught off guard, and both of them looked at each other. They were not sure what to say. The name "the Blur" seemed to be rather new to both of them, so Batman decided to elaborate.
  
  "That's what they're calling him now," Batman added.
  
  If Kara had not been so sure that Batman had his sense of humor surgically removed from birth, she would have thought he was joking. Batman reached over, and handed Kara the newspaper detailing the Blur's latest exploits.
  
  "Well if you know, it isn't difficult to put two and two together," Harry told Kara.
  
  Kara mouthed the words "the Blur" over and over again, looking at the paper, unable to believe it. She just let it set in. As Clark's cousin, it was her sworn duty to give him a hard time over this moniker, as much as she could.
  
  "And furthermore..."
  
  Batman had noticed that Arcane and Supergirl had left the cave at that moment. He watched, someone had pulled the sudden disappearance act on him for a change.
  
  "Well played," Batman said, impressed, and he turned to his computer to log his latest mission, and see if he could uncover any more information on the mysterious League of Shadows.
  
  He reached over, and picked up the arrow with a note attached to it that he uncovered three nights before. It offered Batman an invitation to join a group of heroes. Batman felt he worked best alone, but it would be prudent to give this group his answer in person.
  
  Lana sat and pondered, ever since the incident in the Fortress, she had given the matter of what she had learned about thought. Most frustratingly, she had only been able to piece together about ten to fifteen percent of what was given to her inside the Fortress. There were more bits and pieces that had been coming to her, but it was a rather slow and ponderous process. Lana thought the assumption that she would figure it out on her own would be false.
  
  Clark seemed to be a bit reluctant to do anything about the Fortress, for some reason. Then again, given what happened, and the fact that even if they were able to find the Fortress, there might still be some residual nastiness from Lily. Given what Harry and Kara said, the Fortress could have been anywhere. Lana had thought that there was a possibility that it could have been broken up, and scattered throughout several universes.
  
  It would be foolish to think that Harry and Kara had not even thought about something like that. At that moment, Clark and Lana were adjusting to life in Metropolis, even if they could still fly back to Smallville when it struck their fancy.
  
  Everything had calmed down a lot ever since that night at the Fortress. Lex's disappearance had hit the news, and there was people suspecting foul play. His last known whereabouts had yet to be determined, and a part of Lana just knew that there would be some kind of calm before the storm.
  
  Clark walked over, past Lana in the Daily Planet. The moment that they arrived there, they saw Lois on the warpath already. She barely even said two words to either of them.
  
  "Well, at least she's up bright and early," Lana told Clark, nudging him and pointing it out.
  
  Clark just smiled at Lana. "Yeah, she really is, but so what are you going to do today?"
  
  "Keep an eye on everything in the city," Lana informed him, standing with a smile. "I'll be back to visit you before lunch, but I need to go flying and clear my head. Do you think you can keep out of trouble for a few hours?"
  
  "I'm sure I'll be fine, unless the coffee machine attacks me," Clark answered, trying to keep the mood light.
  
  Lana just offered a nod, and leaned forward for a kiss. She kissed Clark goodbye, and the couple parted ways. It did seem like they were going through a tense time in both of their lives. Lana had the sense that Clark still had doubts about where his destiny truly lied. He needed some time to piece it together, and to a lesser extent, Lana did as well. The only thing that gave her clarity was the fact that Clark was not attacked by anyone.
  
  Clark walked inside, and Lois nearly bumped into him.
  
  "Can't talk right now, I've got a Blur sighting that I want to follow up on," Lois said, speaking faster than a speaking bullet.
  
  "Oh, well I'm sure he's gone by now," Clark told her, and Lois looked at him. "He saved an entire group of school children from careening off an unfinished bridge. The brakes failed."
  
  "Or they were cut," Lois offered, deciding to take the more pragmatic approach to the situation.
  
  "Why would someone want to cut the breaks?" Clark asked.
  
  "There are some sick, sick people out there, Smallville, nothing surprises me anymore," Lois offered, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I wonder when Chloe is getting back from her sabbatical. I talked to her the other day, and she seems fine, but I can't help and think there is something that she's not sharing with us. Then again, I get that sense that there are a lot of secrets that I'm being left out on for some reason."
  
  "Are you sure that you're not looking for a story that's not there?" Clark asked, but he would be lying if he was curious.
  
  Lois just shrugged. The latest business maneuverings around this city was only secondary to the new hero of Metropolis. The funny thing was that regarding the Blur, there were conflicting reports on whether it was male or female. Some of them reported a female that could fly, and others had reported a man on the ground, who ran at super speed. Being the reporter she was, Lois was determined to get to the bottom of the business, and uncover the secrets.
  
  'Could be some kind of co-opt act,' Lois thought to herself, trying to ponder the situation.
  
  The dark haired reporter took a step forward, and ran into Harry and Kara Potter, who stood on the elevator.
  
  "Fancy meeting you here," Lois told them, offering them a cordial nod, but she was not going to be denied her story.
  
  "Hello, Lois, nice to see you too," Harry replied to her.
  
  "What are you doing here anyway?" Lois asked.
  
  Kara was the one that answered. "Oh this and that, we do like to kind of check up on our employees when we need to, and make sure everyone's working hard."
  
  Lois stood up straight, and looked at both of them. It was a few seconds before the statement that they had said clicked in her head.
  
  "So, wait, you're the new mystery investors?" Lois asked, trying to keep her voice neutral, and racked her brain, thinking about anything she could have done recently to Harry and Kara that might offend them, and put her out on the streets, and out of a job.
  
  A smile crossed over Harry's face. "Well, really not that much of a mystery now, is it? Yeah, we've invested in the Planet, but it's more of a hands off thing. We wanted a paper that was free of corporate interest, and told the people what they needed to do. Like the latest rumor about the...Blur, I believe he is called."
  
  "Yeah, you've been away on your honeymoon, so you wouldn't know," Lois replied. "Sir..."
  
  "Lois, call me sir one more time, and you'll be fired," Harry told her cheerfully, cutting her off.
  
  "Right," Lois answered, regaining her bearings and she nodded, feeling a bit more at ease with the entire situation. Lois took a deep breath, and walked over. "Anyway, I figure that the Blur might be two different people. The rumors for the sightings vary about who is behind it."
  
  "Well, I'm sure a persistent reporter will uncover the truth," Harry remarked, with a casual shrug.
  
  "And I've also been looking into the change of ownership on Luthorcorp, and their newest partnership, seems like someone's trying to take your shine," Lois told him, and she handed Harry the story that she completed. "It's still a little rough around the edges, but..."
  
  "That's what editing is for," Harry replied to Lois, and Lois nodded. "Do you have anything else that you can show me?"
  
  Lois nodded, and Harry turned to Kara.
  
  "Go and visit your cousin, see how he's doing," Harry suggested to his wife.
  
  Kara nodded, and walked over, to see Clark. Clark was busy with his work. Kara stepped in front of his desk, and tapped on it, causing Clark to look up.
  
  "Kara, you're back," Clark said to Kara, just noticing her.
  
  "Yeah, Harry and I just flew back in from our honeymoon," Kara answered, and sitting down on the chair in front of Clark's desk. "It's a shame that it didn't last for longer, but all good things must come to an end."
  
  Clark nodded, and Kara continued to sit, allowing Clark a moment to work. She performed a handy little charm that would block the conversation between her and Clark out, from any third parties who might want to listen in, but found themselves unable to.
  
  "So, I understand that you've stepped up your efforts," Kara remarked to Clark in a casual voice. "Still, the Blur, Clark, really?"
  
  Clark looked at Kara, and threw his hands into the air defensively. "It wasn't really my choice. That name was given to me."
  
  "And it stuck," Kara remarked to Clark. She placed her hands on her hips, and leaned back in the chair. "I wondered when you would go public, well not necessarily public. It could have been worse, I guess. I would have thought that the name Superboy would have stuck, or something."
  
  "Superboy?" Clark asked, raising an eyebrow.
  
  "I'm Supergirl, you're Superboy, and you can be my sidekick," Kara remarked to Clark in a cheerful voice.
  
  Clark opened his mouth wide, and Kara laughed at him. Her cousin was so uptight sometimes that he was so easy to wind up. Kara's arms crossed, and a smile appeared on her face.
  
  "So any luck with finding the Fortress?" Kara asked.
  
  "No," Clark answered shortly.
  
  "Well, if I were you, I would get on that as soon as you can," Kara told him. "Harry and I can help you, but only to a certain extent. Your destiny is your own to master, and there is a choice that you and Lana must make about where to go next. And did you tell her the truth about everything?"
  
  "What are you talking about?" Clark asked, nearly dropping his papers, and caught completely off guard.
  
  "You know what I'm talking about, Kal-El," Kara fired back at him. Clark realized that she was trying to convey something serious to him, given that she had used his given Kryptonian name. "We both know that you told Lana that she died. You left a part of your story out, didn't you?"
  
  Clark had no idea how is cousin knew.
  
  "What did you leave out, Clark?" Kara asked him.
  
  "I asked Lana to marry me," Clark muttered, trying not deny this fact to himself.
  
  "And did she accept?" Kara asked him quietly.
  
  There was a moment of pause, before Clark answered.
  
  "Yes, but then she died," Clark replied.
  
  Kara sighed, and looked at Clark for a very long moment.
  
  "So, you now have a crippling fear of commitment because of one doomed timeline," Kara told him. "What you do is your business, Clark, but you and I both know that Lana might figure out that there's something else you're keeping from her."
  
  "If something happened to Lana..."
  
  "What if something happened to you?" Kara countered, and she gazed her cousin dead on in the eye. "And you both missed an opportunity. Life is fleeting. Either of you might be dead tomorrow, even with your great powers. And there will be an entire boatload of missed opportunities. Seize the moment today, Clark, Carpe Diem, all that good stuff. "
  
  Clark conceded that she had a point, and had a lot to ponder upon, about everything. Kara turned around, and saw Harry exit the basement. No doubt he had uncovered some information that the two of them needed to discuss.
  
  "I've got work to do, and I'm sure you do too," Kara concluded. "I'll talk to you later, and take care."
  
  Kara walked off, and left Clark to ponder every single word she said. Deep down, Clark had this nightmarish fear that history might repeat itself, and that's why he kept certain secrets from Lana.
  
  Chloe took a deep breath and reflected., over the past week; she had been practicing her new found powers. Perhaps it might have sounded arrogant, but Chloe thought that she was getting kind of decent after mastering her powers.
  
  At the very least, she was not flying into walls, or running into them.
  
  The heat vision was mostly good, she managed to get used to her new super senses, and not break every single door knob she touched, well anymore. Granted, the Shining Light Foundation had self-repairing spells built into it, so it did not cause too much damage. The blonde stood, and tried to focus her heat vision on the target.
  
  "Not, bad, but you might want to focus about a tenth of an inch to the right."
  
  Chloe did as she was told, before she realized who had spoken to her. She turned around, to see Harry smiling at her. Kara stood by the side of him, with a smile on her face as well. Chloe's eyes widened.
  
  "Oh yeah, you guys were supposed to be back today," Chloe replied. She had to slap herself, then again she had been so focused on her powers, that she had lost track of the time.
  
  Harry and Kara smiled, and stepped over to greet Chloe, to see how she was doing.
  
  "We've actually been back a bit longer, and have been reading the progress reports on you," Kara replied, offering a smile.
  
  "You've been doing really well, Chloe," Harry added to her. He took a step forward, and looked the blonde in the eyes. "I might have to reward you on your progress."
  
  Kara just smiled knowingly, and Chloe just looked at Harry. She took another step towards him.
  
  "What do you have in mind?" Chloe asked to him.
  
  "Your powers aren't quite as potent as ours, but they need a certain means of stability," Harry told her. This was going to be a fun conversation to have, but Kara and Harry braced themselves for what was going to happen. "And there are certain activities..."
  
  "Harry, no need to really just dance around what you're saying, I know what needs to be done, I figured it out," Chloe answered, and she took a step forward, and looked into Harry's eyes. "For my powers not to drive me...well a bit off, you and I need to have sex, at least once a day."
  
  Chloe said this in such a nonchalant and shameless way, that Harry could not help, but smile.
  
  "Yes, at least once," Harry replied to her with a grin, and Harry reached forward, and placed his hands on Chloe's waist, and looked her in the eyes. "I wanted you to get control of certain abilities, before you take the next step in your training."
  
  "Training, huh?" Chloe asked. "Is that what they're calling it now?"
  
  Harry just replied with a slight grin, and looked at Chloe, his eyes meeting hers. "Well, call it whatever you want it, but it's something that has to be done."
  
  "No, not something that has to be done," Chloe replied, and she took a step closer, so her and Harry were practically nose to nose. "It's something that we had to do."
  
  Chloe thought that with increased powers meant an increased libido and she could hardly keep herself at bay.
  
  "You know, I never thought that I'd be needing to do this with a married man," Chloe remarked in an off handed manner. It did seem so wrong. "Especially when his wife is standing on the other side on the other side of the room, and is okay with everything that has been going on."
  
  Kara offered Chloe a smile. "Well to be fair, said wife will be watching and sometimes joining in. Just remember that I always get first dibs on Harry, and don't forget that."
  
  "Um, yeah," Chloe said, a bit intimidated of the blonde Kryptonian. That was a new experience for her, but she tried not to back down.
  
  "We won't pressure you into anything, unless you're ready," Harry answered to her.
  
  "I didn't say I minded, I was just caught off guard," Chloe replied, shaking her head, but she looked into Harry's bright eyes. These eyes showed so much, and captivated her. Her heart beat against her chest. "So, we're really going to do this, and we're all okay with this."
  
  Harry and Kara both smiled at her, reassuring her.
  
  "You know the suspense is killing me," Chloe said, and she put her hands on her hips, looking at Harry. "Are you going to kiss me or not?"
  
  Chloe offered this in almost a teasing manner, expecting the rug get pulled out from under her, and this be one big April Fool's Day gag. Harry leaned forward, and pulled Chloe into a long kiss. Chloe wondered if Harry was going to take the plunge, or she would have to take drastic action.
  
  The moment Harry's lips were on hers, she felt new sensations that she had never experienced. Harry's hand was placed on the small of her back, and Harry tilted her back, pushing her against the wall. Chloe wrapped her legs around Harry, getting into the moment. Harry kissed the breath out of her, and Chloe returned fire, the two of them getting into the moment.
  
  Harry released her, and Chloe looked at him, driven completely breathless by his actions.
  
  "He does have that effect on women," Kara commented, knowing that she had a responsibility of unlocking these doors on Harry.
  
  Chloe remained in Harry's arms, and looked in his eyes. Words had failed her, that kiss had driven her speechless, and caused her spine to tingle. If that was just a kiss, she could hardly wait to do anything else with Harry.
  
  "Wow," Chloe whispered.
  
  "Yes, wow," Harry agreed. "Just wait until tonight."
  
  "Why wait?" Chloe asked him.
  
  Kara just snickered.
  
  "See that's the problem, you give them one taste and they want more," Kara replied to Harry, offering an impish grin towards Chloe.
  
  "Okay, fine, I guess I can wait, it will be worth it," Chloe answered to Harry.
  
  "Trust me, it will," Kara added to her.
  
  A frown crossed Chloe's face. "Okay, now you're just teasing me, and it's unfair."
  
  "Good things come to those who wait," Kara replied in a calm voice. "So did you tell Clark?"
  
  Chloe blinked at that moment.
  
  "Tell Clark about our new arrangement, or about the power thing," Chloe replied. "If you're talking about the power thing, well I didn't tell him yet. I was waiting for the right time to tell him, or rather show him."
  
  "Just don't give him a heart attack, whatever you do," Harry told Chloe.
  
  "Well there are a few things I wanted to do to him if I ever had his powers," Chloe answered, and she looked at Harry, amusement crossing her face. "I have a few things that I want to um...pay him back for shall we say."
  
  Chloe paused, and mischief danced in her eyes.
  
  "Let's just say Clark has a bad habit of popping by unexpected, and knocking everything around, like a tornado came through. I wondered how he would react if the shoe was on the other foot."
  
  Kara and Harry had both been highly amused by that fact, and hoped that they would be there to see it.
  
  "The flight is the hardest part, but once I got it down, it was easy," Chloe added.
  
  "That's good to here, and there will be other powers that you'll have, but we'll work you through those," Harry told her, and Chloe nodded. "We just wanted to run you through the essentials."
  
  "Fair enough," Chloe agreed, and she folded her arms, and waited.
  
  "We have a lot of interesting news to share," Harry added, and Chloe invited Harry to continue. "Apparently your cousin was doing some digging, and she discovered another new foundation that had rolled into town. With a woman with a vaguely mysterious past, who had been traveling the world."
  
  Chloe put a hand to her chin, and shook her head.
  
  "So do we might have our mysterious Third Herald of Death," Chloe remarked casually.
  
  It was at that point, Harry and Kara looked at each other.
  
  "It's a potential, but I wouldn't count on my chickens before they hatched," Harry said. "The woman's name is Karen Starr, and she's never been photographed by anyone. She's really cold and distant. Which is why this partnership with Luthorcorp is quite baffling. She doesn't seem to be the business type if this little information we were able to uncover was correct."
  
  "Are you doubting the validity of that?" Chloe asked.
  
  "Well, kind of, her past seems too clean and too nice, and people might start to ask questions," Harry said. "The fact of the matter is, I know that there's a third Herald who entered this dimension, but the fact of the matter is that she doesn't want us to find her, at least not yet."
  
  Chloe put a hand to her chin, and slowly pondered, before she spoke slowly.
  
  "Maybe you should get an appointment with this Karen Starr, and see what her game is," Chloe suggested.
  
  Kara was the one who chimed in. "We're going to find out all we can about her first, and then we'll force a meeting. If she is the third Herald of Death, then there's a chance that she might seek us out. Providing she hasn't already. She may have the power to turn invisible, and be watching us, and thus we won't even know."
  
  Chloe suddenly shivered. The thought of someone being invisible and watching over her was a bit alarming. Granted Chloe could do that with her powers. She sank back on the chair.
  
  "Our newcomer to Luthorcorp, and our acting CEO is also a potential problem," Harry added. "I'm looking into her, but she wants a meeting with us apparently."
  
  "Did you ever figure out what happened to Lex?" Chloe asked, curious suddenly.
  
  "No," Kara said. Lex had just vanished; perhaps he had been sucked wherever with the Fortress. Of course, they still could not find whatever backdoor Lily had sent the Fortress.
  
  "We're going to set up a meeting with this Tess Mercer," Harry informed Chloe, and Chloe nodded. "If she's Lex's hand-picked successor, maybe she has an idea where some of the skeletons at Luthorcorp are buried."
  
  "And maybe she'll have a clue about what Lex might be up to," Chloe offered Harry, and Harry shrugged at that instinct. "There have been rumors about her and Lex..."
  
  "They'll be rumors about any woman who had risen to that level of power, regardless of the circumstances," Harry responded, just waving off everything, and not really putting much stock into what the media said about anyone, knowing what happened to him at first. "Controversy creates cash, and that's one lesson the media has embraced. People eat that up with a spoon."
  
  "We're getting off the subject, are you going to tell Clark?" Kara asked.
  
  "Yes, about my powers, I'll let him know," Chloe responded. Chloe then paused. "About the relationship....I'm not sure how I'm going to break that one to him."
  
  "Are you ashamed of the arrangement?" Harry asked. "Because if you are..."
  
  "No!" Chloe yelled firmly. "It's just...well Clark's the most morality minded person that I have ever met. Nuns might laugh behind his back about how many morals he exercises. And the polygamous relationship, that might offend his delicate sensibilities. So I got to break it to him, gently."
  
  Kara just frowned, and thought it might be time to enlighten her cousin on the facts of life, and how it was perfectly acceptable on Krypton for a man to have multiple spouses or lovers. In fact, at one point, Krypton had about thirty percent men, and seventy percent women, due to war, so it was rather encouraged.
  
  "Clark will understand, eventually," Kara replied, and she cracked her knuckles, for adding. "And if not...well I'll find a way to make him understand."
  
  Chloe nodded, and hoped that Kara was right. Kara looked off with a smile, and a knock on the door had indicated that someone was there. Harry walked over, and saw Megan outside, waiting.
  
  "Mr. Potter, Oliver Queen is here to briefly meet with you, but he says he can't stay for more than fifteen minutes," Megan responded to him.
  
  "Right, thanks Megan, and you'll get a substantial bonus for all the work you did helping Chloe, I really appreciate it," Harry remarked.
  
  "It wasn't anything, I'm here to help out, and that was helping out," Megan responded, but she blushed slightly at the praise from Harry.
  
  "Tell Claire I'll be back after dinner to visit her, unless a life and death emergency comes up," Harry remarked, and Megan nodded.
  
  "Right," Megan said with a smile.
  
  Harry turned briefly to Chloe and Kara.
  
  "Chloe, why don't you give Kara a demonstration of your powers, and I'm sure she'll be able to help give you some pointers on anything that you're not quite right on."
  
  "Will do," Chloe responded, firm and ready for the battle.
  
  Harry turned around, and walked down the hallway, walking far enough to spot a young man with blond hair dressed in a suit.
  
  "Mr. Queen, I presume," Harry remarked casually.
  
  "Mr. Potter," Oliver said in a crisp voice. "Please call me Oliver."
  
  "Then, call me Harry," Harry said, as he shook hands with the man. "I understand that you wanted a meeting with me, about matters for the Shining Light Foundation."
  
  "Actually, no, Harry, that's not what I wanted to meet with you for," Oliver replied. "There are other matters that I wanted to meet with you. Regarding any other identities that you and your wife might be keeping from the general public."
  
  Oliver was surprised to find out that Clark Kent not only had a cousin, but she was married to Harry Potter. He had heard of Harry, briefly. Oliver had known a girl named Daphne in his childhood, and they had corresponded a few times. They had dated briefly as well, really technically twice, but that was longer than most of his relationships. It was a highly political scene with the people in that circle.
  
  "Oh, you mean your little club of heroes," Harry responded, and Oliver was surprised. "Yes, I know about everything that you've been doing, from your efforts to disable Luthor's 33.1 facilities. You missed a couple, but don't worry, I took care of that."
  
  "Right, um thanks" Oliver said, happy to get to the point. "You know why I'm here then."
  
  "Yes, Oliver, I do," Harry responded. "You want to me join your little team."
  
  "Both you and Supergirl," Oliver corrected. There was a third person he recruited as well, and there were several other heroes that he had his eye on. "Don't answer now, and just think it over. Talk it over with your wife, and come to this address tomorrow night, and the rest of the team will be there."
  
  "I'm not making any promises that I'll join," Harry told him. He had a lot on his plate after all.
  
  "I just ask for a courtesy of a meeting," Oliver responded. "Just think it over, think about all of the good you can do for the world by being a part of this, and I'll be in touch..
  
  Harry watched the archer leave. The truth was Harry and Kara had found out every single bit of information they could about everyone who hung out in that particular group, and knew that since they went public as Arcane and Supergirl, there would come a time where that league of heroes would come knocking at their door.
  
  Still, it was an interesting proposition, and Harry wanted to see firsthand what kind of operation Oliver was running, and he knew Kara would agree.
  
  Lana and Clark sat outside of the Kent Farm. It was a quiet night, and both of them had plenty of time to sit back, and ponder. The two of them sat next to each other. Clark had thought about what Kara had told him, even if he was not quite ready to spit out everything. He was just waiting for the right moment.
  
  Clark had thought about all of the people that with his powers that he could never save just in time, Alicia, Raya, his father, just to name a few, and despite the fact that Lana was empowered, he still worried about and always would be worried about something happened to her, even if they should ever split apart.
  
  The only thing for sure about life was that nothing was for sure, and that was one of the most painful lessons Clark learned.
  
  At this moment, Lana had tried to piece together everything that had happened to her. She decided that she might need a tiny bit of help to reconcile what happened in the Fortress. The fifteen percent of the information she deciphered might have been decent, but there was still eighty five percent of the information that she was unable to decipher.
  
  What if in the eighty five percent of that information, she had some crucial bit of information that would help Clark, and be the difference between life and death? Like for instance, the secret about why he was unable to fly. Lana thought and pondered that matter.
  
  "It's a nice night," Lana, remarked breaking the silence.
  
  "Yeah, it is," Clark responded.
  
  Clark had a mixture of emotions, and really had nothing else to say. He had been hiding who he was for so long, that it sometimes was hard to be completely honest. The fact that he never really intended to tell Lana that he went back, and had reversed time to save her life, it was more than he really intended to say. Given what Clark lost on that day, he was unwilling to relive that day any more than he had to.
  
  On that day, Clark asked Lana to marry him. On that day, Lana said yes.
  
  And on that day, she died.
  
  What if Clark asked her again? What if she said yes?
  
  What if something happened to kill her again?
  
  Or worse, what if she turned down the proposal?
  
  There were so many questions, and doubt racked the mind of Clark Kent. His hand was on Lana's. There were a million questions in his mind about everything. Harry and Kara had no doubts, were completely honest with each over from the beginning. Kara really did not seem comfortable with hiding who she was, rather she embraced it, and accepted everything that went along with it, accepted all sides of her.
  
  Even with the great power Lana had been gifted, even if in some ways she protected him, Clark still felt a certain amount of responsibility to make sure she remained safe. Lana could be a thousand times more powerful than he was, and Clark would still feel that responsibility. Clark could have no powers, and still feel that responsibility. That was just the type of person that Clark Kent was.
  
  "I get the feeling that you want to tell me something," Lana responded, and she looked at Clark. "Just by the look in your eyes."
  
  "It's nothing," Clark told her quietly.
  
  Lana wondered sometimes. She got flashes of a memory, and the strangest dreams, that Clark proposed to her on that day, the day she got killed. Yet, she wondered if she should tell him. Sometimes a dream was just that, a dream. The scatterbrained delusions of someone who was delusional, and Lana was content for what she had, for now.
  
  "I really hope that I'm not interrupting anything."
  
  Clark and Lana spun around, and saw Chloe standing there with a smile on her face.
  
  "Chloe, you're back," Lana said, in a happy voice. "I'm guessing you have a clean bill of health."
  
  "That's one way to put things," Chloe offered, a slight smile tugging on her lips when she spoke.
  
  "I'm glad to see you're going to be okay after everything that happened," Clark added.
  
  Chloe offered a smile. "Clark, after all we've been through, do you really think you're going to get rid of me that easily?"
  
  Clark had to laugh; he never thought that, not even for a moment.
  
  "I've got something to show you, both of you," Chloe told them, and Lana and Clark looked puzzled.
  
  Clark suddenly found himself pulled off of the ground, and Chloe shot off of the ground, flying into the air. Lana looked rather surprised, and then amused.
  
  That was before Chloe had pulled Lana off of the ground as well, and had flown around Smallville with both of them held like they were feathers, circling the city several times in a short amount of time.
  
  It took a moment for both Clark and Lana to register what happened, when Chloe deposited them on the ground.
  
  "Wait, since when...what happened....it's..." Clark stammered, unable to string together a coherent sentence.
  
  Lana decided to take pity on Clark, and ask the question that he was trying to ask. "So, how did you get those powers Chloe?"
  
  Chloe thought about giving a flippant answer, something along the lines of "Kara and I were having a hot make out session, when we got struck by lightning", but she figured that Clark would get a brain aneurism at even the very thought of something like that. Even if it could have happened, but it did not, so Chloe opted for a version of the truth.
  
  "When Brainiac infected me, Harry and Kara had to go in and save me, you do remember that," Chloe said, and Clark nodded, offering her to continue. "The only way they could save my life was to give me Kryptonian powers."
  
  Clark just put his hand to his chin, and nodded. There was something that he had to state.
  
  "So, does that me everyone can fly before me?"
  
  "I'm pretty sure Lois is still grounded," Chloe offered, and she took a moment to step back, and envision Lois with super powers. She was resourceful enough without them. "As far as I know anyway, but that's beside the point. I spent the last week practicing these powers, while Harry and Kara were on their Honeymoon. And they thought that I did a good job."
  
  "You mastered them in a week?" Lana asked, a twinge of jealousy filling her, despite herself.
  
  "Well, I wouldn't say mastered, but I got about a ninety percent hold of them, a few flaws, but Kara is giving me advice on how to best use them," Chloe remarked, shrugging her shoulders.
  
  Lana shook her head, it took her a lot longer to master her powers, and there were times where when her emotions got the better of her, her powers did not work as they should have.
  
  "Don't worry, Lana, everyone learns at their own pace," Chloe replied, getting a sense at what Lana was thinking.
  
  "No, I'm not worried, just surprised," Lana said, waving off Chloe's words.
  
  Clark paused suddenly, and just remembered something.
  
  "Lana, there's something I got to do tonight, do you want to..."
  
  "I trust you to go off on your own Clark," Lana said waving her hand. "Chloe and I need to talk about stuff, catching up."
  
  Clark nodded, Oliver had called him just earlier today about the meeting, and it was a bit short notice, but Clark agreed to come. With speed, Clark rushed off into the night. Lana slowly turned to Chloe, and a questioning expression appeared in her eyes.
  
  "There's something going on with how you've got those powers," Lana said to Chloe, giving her a searching look. "It wasn't just gifted to you like you said."
  
  Chloe opened her mouth to say something, but Lana cut her off.
  
  "There's something going on between you three, isn't there?"
  
  Chloe looked at Lana at that moment, and she slowly nodded.
  
  "So, you're the third Herald?" Lana asked.
  
  "Not exactly," Chloe told her. "It's complicated."
  
  "How is it complicated?" Lana asked.
  
  Chloe bit her lip nervously, and took a long and deep breath.
  
  "Well, to give you the cliff notes version, Harry saved my life more than a few times. I decided to tell him how much I owed him my life, both he and Kara after the latest ordeal with Brainiac. Suddenly, I got bound to both of them."
  
  Lana took that in, calmly and carefully. She could see why Chloe might be a bit tentative to say anything to Clark.
  
  "So, you three..."
  
  "Lana, I know it's unconventional," Chloe told her.
  
  "Actually, on Krypton it isn't, males have had multiple mates for generations there, given the wide gap between male and female population after an alien invasion which wiped out most of the population, and a subsequent civil war," Lana recited. "That's one of the things that the Fortress told me and....never mind."
  
  "What is it Lana?" Chloe asked.
  
  "Just never mind," Lana repeated to Chloe. "If it was anyone other than Harry, I would be freaking out about this a lot more than I am. Of course Clark..."
  
  "Might have a problem with that on sheer principle," Chloe agreed. "Harry is very faithful to Kara, and won't do anything unless they mutually agree on it."
  
  "Is Kara..."
  
  "Yes, she is," Chloe offered, before Lana could even ask her question.
  
  "You didn't even let me finish," Lana argued.
  
  "Didn't need to, Kara plays for both sides," Chloe answered.
  
  "Do you?" Lana asked.
  
  Chloe just offered a shrug. "I don't really know. This is very new to me, I'm just going to go with the flow and see what happens."
  
  "I'll deal with Clark if he puts up too much of a fuss," Lana told Chloe. Chloe looked grateful. "You are going to tell him."
  
  "When the time is right," Chloe offered.
  
  "He's going to find out, and it would be better off if the three of you came clean," Lana warned her. Chloe offered her a pleading expression not to say anything, and Lana's expression softened. "But my lips are sealed."
  
  "They better be," Chloe said. "Because I can now wipe memories, and I'd hate to do that to you, Lana."
  
  Lana looked a bit intimidated, but Chloe laughed.
  
  "You actually thought I was being serious, weren't you? But if something happens, we kind of have to wipe memories."
  
  "There's no need," Lana answered. "I swear...not a word to Clark, even if I think you should."
  
  Chloe shifted, and nodded. The truth was that she was glad this arrangement was offered by Kara. It saved all three parties a lot of heartbreak. Although with the third Herald looming, Chloe felt that Kara was already used to the idea of sharing Harry with someone else. Perhaps that little declaration she had was a blessing in disguise.
  
  "So, you want to go flying?" Chloe asked. "Maybe you can give me a few pointers."
  
  "Given how well you've mastered your powers, I figure it's you who should be giving me pointers," Lana offered.
  
  Chloe just smiled, and they took off. Maybe they'd bust a few heads along the way if there was any crime to be found.
  
  "Try and keep up, Lana!"
  
  Lana just smiled, and Chloe was having a bit too much fun with her new powers, acting like a kid on Christmas morning.
  
  The two Heralds of Death stopped at a makeshift headquarters for the foremost group of heroes. The two of them looked around. The set up was halfway decent all things considered, although both Harry and Kara had thought that they would do many things different.
  
  The entire group of heroes thing was one that Harry thought personally would have been bound to have headaches at best, and been bound for failure at worst. Just the fact that so many colorful personalities were together, and they clashed, it could be trouble. Then again, Harry had no idea how they ran, so he could have been jumping the gun.
  
  "Please to see you two showed up, and I hope you stick around."
  
  Oliver stood to address Harry and Kara. The entire group seemed to move around, and looked up at the two newest arrivals.
  
  "Supergirl and Arcane this is...."
  
  "Impulse, or Bart Allen," Harry said, pointing out the young man standing in the background.
  
  "Dude, are you psychic or something?" Bart asked.
  
  "Actually we do something called research," Kara told him, with a smile crossing her face.
  
  Bart looked at them, and nodded, feeling gobsmacked.
  
  "Right, that makes sense too."
  
  "Arthur Curry, or Aquaman," Harry said, turning to the larger swimmer beside Bart.
  
  "Please, call me AC," Aquaman said, with a bright smile, and an outrageous heroic pose.
  
  "Victor Stone, or Cyborg," Harry added, turning to the black youth that stood in the background, and offered a crisp nod. He turned to the woman dressed in a black coat and fishnets, before he responded. "And Dinah Lance, or Black Canary. Together you're...what are you calling yourselves again?"
  
  That was one piece of information that Harry did not know, and would not be getting an answer, for Clark had just sped in.
  
  "And the Blur," Harry replied, barely concealing his grin.
  
  "The Blur," Bart said with a chuckle. "Seriously, Clark, amigo, the Boy Scout fit you a lot better."
  
  "Neither of those were my choice," Clark said shaking his head. "You said that you wanted to meet me."
  
  "We have trouble, there have been three magical artifacts that have been stolen from museums, I'm trying to get..."
  
  "The eye of the dragon, the horn of the Unicorn, and the fang of the Basilisk," Harry recited in a bored voice.
  
  "Next time I need to do hours of research, I'll just ask you," Oliver said in a dead pan voice, and Harry just smiled a slight smile. "What do they do?"
  
  "Separately, nothing," Harry told them all, and they looked forward.
  
  "Then, what do we have to worry about?" Bart asked.
  
  "Yet, together, they do something far worse," Harry said. "Don't worry, they need power, multiple human sacrifices, at least seventeen."
  
  Black Canary was the next one to speak up, in a trembling voice "The dried out husks that we found...they were those sacrifices."
  
  "Then this situation has gotten far worse," Kara added in a solemn tone of voice, and they looked at Harry. "The three artifacts can bring back what once lived, at the expense of sacrificing the lives of many."
  
  "And they kept these things in a museum," Clark said shaking his head.
  
  "It would have made sense to destroy them," Harry agreed, closing his eyes.
  
  Destroy them was what the two of them planned on doing once they had gotten their hands on the artifacts. Harry and Kara sensed that whoever had stolen the artifacts. Victor had looked up, and had ushered them over.
  
  "I managed to hack into the security, before it went nuclear," Victor said. "There was a lot of static, but I managed to isolate a few scarce images."
  
  "It's a start."
  
  The heads of the team mates had snapped around, and they were graced by the presence of the one and only Batman. Bart nearly ran backwards, caught completely off guard.
  
  "Dude, that just took ten years off of my life," Bart said, and Batman just dropped down.
  
  "No need for introductions, it seems like you're up your necks in a problem," Batman replied. "An old colleague of mind clued me on this theft, and the culprit behind it."
  
  "Don't leave us in suspense, then," Oliver remarked.
  
  "Morgaine le Faye," Batman said dryly.
  
  Harry and Kara's attention was immediately grabbed. Le Faye was among the undesirables on their list, both her and her son, who had been alive since the days of Camelot. The sorceress had remained hidden for years, but the time was ripe for her to take over.
  
  "So, you're here to help us?" Clark asked.
  
  Batman just offered him a stoic look. "I'm here to tell you that I decline the offer for membership in person. I work alone."
  
  Clark turned, and stared down Batman.
  
  "I thought that at one point, but it doesn't hurt to have any backup," Clark replied.
  
  "You know, you are the last person that should be giving me any advice on anything," Batman replied, in a stern voice. "Does anyone have a plan beyond stumble around in the dark, and hope for the best, while causing mass property damage?"
  
  The assembled group remained silent, waiting for someone to speak up, but Harry stepped forward.
  
  "I got an idea," Harry told them. "You're all going to have to follow my lead for this to work..."
  
  "I've got what we should do," Oliver replied. And Harry opened his mouth, but Oliver cut him off. "No offense, but..."
  
  "Fine, you've got your idea, just let's hope it doesn't blow up in your face," Harry replied, his voice dripping with warning.
  
  Harry and Kara had an idea that whatever plan Oliver had, it would not end up for the best. The rest of this group seemed to defer to him, but both Clark and Batman had their doubts. Then again, this group only seemed to really sabotage Luthor's 33.1 facilities, at least so far. They had potential for more.
  
  "Just a fair warning, le Faye is not your average thug, she's a powerful sorceress with hundreds of years of magical experience," Harry added.
  
  Oliver took this into consideration, but he had a feeling that this woman who claimed to be le Faye could be someone hopped up on meteor rocks, and driven insane with mad delusions.
  
  "Are we ready to do this, then?"
  
  There were nods all around. Batman had slipped off already, into the night, and so did Harry and Kara. Clark had remained behind, and readied himself.
  Recruitment Part One
  
  Chapter 40: Recruitment Part Two.
  
  A tall and imposing woman with dark hair, dressed in black robes glided down the hallway of a large office complex. A golden mask fit over her face. The woman's name was Morgaine le Faye, and she had three magical artifacts within her grasp.
  
  The fools who had obtained them had no real idea what they were holding in their hands. Some would argue that these would only serve as mere trinkets to be ogled. Le Faye had a different idea in mind, and she would use these trinkets to bring forth Camelot.
  
  And all it would take would be the sacrifice of this Metropolis. Much like all cities, it was dirty, and full of obnoxious individuals without the least amount of class. It did not have the sophistication of the days of Camelot, and Morgaine vowed to correct that immediately. The glowing trinket that she held in her hand indicated she needed at least six more life force transfusions before she could enact the charm.
  
  It would not be just any life force transfusions, but it would those with certain energy signatures, and auras. Le Faye stepped into the hallway, disabling their primitive security alarms.
  
  "Fools, trusting their modern convenience, and not their eyes and ears, this is why the world has decayed. No matter, it shall be to my advantage, and soon the world will bend down to me."
  
  There was a pair of security guards standing at the end of the large hallway. Immediately, the sorceress turned around, and two blasts of light knocked them back. The two security guards turned into stone, and the woman admired her handiwork. Then immediately, she blasted the stone security guards backwards down the stairs.
  
  With a huge crash, they landed at the bottom of the stairs. Their hardened bodies shattered into pieces. Le Faye looked down the stairs, uncaring, and uninterested. Neither of them satisfied the parameters for her enchantment, so they were useless. She continued to search throughout this building.
  
  Her monitoring spells had indicated that someone was coming. Someone had decided to be a foolish hero, and jump in to attacker her. The fools had no idea what she could do to them. The woman waited in the shadows, perhaps these heroes would be suitable candidates for the life force transfusions. All the woman had to do is wait, and watch.
  
  Their efforts were sloppy, and amateurish, but the sorceress thought that made them all that much easier for the taking. Le Faye planned, and plotted, the ageless sorceress was ready to take down another group of would be heroes.
  
  The group of heroes crept in through the shadows, carefully making their move towards their destination. Clark scanned through the door, but suddenly he was repelled back from some strange energy source. He felt dizzy and nearly collapses to the ground. Bart rushed over, to say something to Clark.
  
  "Our radios are done, so I'm playing courier," Bart told them, seriously.
  
  "Something's interfering with my powers," Clark said, rubbing his temples. "Tell Oliver that there is some weird energy signature around here."
  
  Bart zoomed off to the other end, and Clark waited patiently. Time ticked by, and Bart returned in the blink of eye. He turned to Clark, eyebrow raised, and began to speak.
  
  "Arrow said that everything is screwing up with his equipment, and Arcane and Supergirl told him that there's a high concentration of magical energy in the air, and to be on our guard. Canary and Cyborg are heading inside to take a closer look around, and so am I."
  
  "Be careful, Impulse," Clark warned him.
  
  Bart offered a look of mock sorrow.
  
  "Hey, careful is my middle name," Bart told him, and Clark just waited, as Bart zoomed inside, and took a look around, before he zoomed back, and stuck his head outside to look at Clark. "The coast is clear."
  
  "Coast is clear, got it," Clark told and he took a step forward. He could barely focus his X-Ray vision, yet he had to try. The fate of everything hinged on his ability to get things together. Clark saw Oliver, Dinah, Arthur, and Victor move in. In the shadows, Batman crept, and he no doubt had his own way to get inside.
  
  "It's quiet," Dinah whispered.
  
  "Almost too quiet," Bart chimed in.
  
  Victor turned to Bart at this moment; eyes widened "Are you trying to get us killed?"
  
  The young hero staggered suddenly, and felt something messing with his circuits.
  
  'You better get Cyborg out of here, the magic in the air could cause him serious damage,' Harry projected to them all mentally. They had a little help from their Martian uplink network to keep in contact with the team, so they could focus normally.
  
  The entire team was confused, at that moment. Bart decided to bring up the glaring elephant in the room, and turned to address the rest of the day.
  
  "Did he just speak with us in our heads?"
  
  "I think he did," Clark offered, slowly. Bart walked over to help Victor, and the two sped out of there. Bart returned a moment later in a cloud of dust.
  
  "Best we can do," Oliver said, and he gritted his teeth, and prepared to fire.
  
  'Don't worry, we're not going to go too deep into your minds,' Kara informed them.
  
  'Where are you?" Clark thought, and he once again felt weakened. It must have been strong to have this kind of effect on him. He took a step forward, and winced. He nearly had a limp, and took a deep breath. Each and every moment along the way he felt weaker and weaker. It was sapping his energy.
  
  'Don't worry about that, Boy Scout, just stay focused.'
  
  Before anything else could be said or done, a regal and quite pompous voice cut through the air.
  
  "So this is what passes for heroes in this century. A ragtag group of misfits in outlandish costumes, led by some archer that would make the village idiot look dignified."
  
  The heroes turned around, and they saw Morgaine le Faye stand before them in all of her glory. Her eyes glowed, and stepped forward. Le Faye surveyed them with disinterest, and suddenly, her hand was pointed at Arthur. He fell to the ground.
  
  "I believe we have a fish out of water," Morgaine remarked in a voice dripping in arrogance, and Clark suddenly blasted a ray of heat vision up. It caused a fire, which set off the sprinkler system, and had restored Arthur to health.
  
  "Thanks, bro, I owe you one," Arthur told him in a grateful voice, and then Morgaine just gazed at the entire league of heroes.
  
  "Perhaps I had underestimated you, but no matter, you can't hope to..."
  
  Bart had interrupted this attempt by trying to catch Morgaine off guard with super speed. It was quite unfortunate that magic was a lot faster than the fastest man alive. Bart found himself slowed down to a crawl, before immediately his form shifted to stone, to the horror of everyone around them. Bart stood there, immobilized, and Morgaine just waved her hand.
  
  Pigeons appeared in the air, and landed on the statue of Impulse, preparing to do what pigeons did to statues.
  
  "Okay, lady, let's see if a magic can beat an arrow," Oliver said, and he took aim carefully.
  
  Before he could even shoot one arrow out, his arrow was transfigured into a harmless rose, and then he was blasted backwards into the wall, before several thick vines wrapped around him.
  
  "Archer, run your mind more, and your mouth less," the sorceress said with a taunting expression in her eyes.
  
  Black Canary turned and closed her eyes, before she let out one canary cry at full volume at the sorceress. This staggered her for a moment, before a gag appeared around Black Canary's mouth, and she was also shifted into stone, like Bart.
  
  "Pathetic, as usual," Morgaine replied, sounding bored like she was reading a phone book, and not fighting a group of super powered heroes. "Perhaps, I'm doing the world a favor in letting it out of its misery, and bringing forth the glory days of Camelot once more, where my son shall rule..."
  
  Arthur and Oliver also shifted to statues, and Clark was the only one on the ground who was still facing Morgaine. The woman turned and hoisted Clark in the air. A blast of heat vision knocked the woman back a few steps. It did not burn her, due to the shield spells and Clark was flung around.
  
  Morgaine jumped down, and grabbed Clark. She saw that he had traces of what she needed to cast the spell. Immediately, Morgaine prepared to drain Clark. She felt ultimate power radiating off of him. Clark's knees buckled, and he tried to fight her off.
  
  An explosive knocked Morgaine back, and Clark felt like he sustained a heavy dose of the flu.
  
  "You are one with a great deal of power child, but no concept of how to use it," Morgaine taunted the Kryptonian, and several more explosive devices bounced off the floor, knocking Le Faye back.
  
  "Careful, you'll hurt them," Clark said, looking nervously at the statues of his team mates that had been turned to stone.
  
  Clark turned around, and watched Batman dive down, dodge the spell. Moving in from the other end, Clark tried to get his hands on Morgaine. Morgaine deflected his attack.
  
  "Once I dispense of this flying rodent, I shall have your power," Morgaine replied in a dry voice.
  
  "You're going to have to catch me first," Clark told her, zipping away from her attacks the best he could at super speed.
  
  'Any ideas,' Clark thought to Harry and Kara.
  
  'We can reverse the petrification spell and stop what she's doing, just give us five more minutes,' Harry mentally projected through the temporary psychic link that had been set up between all of them.
  
  Batman and Clark exchanged nods, and then the Dark Knight turned to the Kryptonian hero.
  
  "Follow my lead," Batman said, eyes fixed on Clark. "And keep up."
  
  Clark did as he was told. Batman seemed to know what he was doing, and his actions were causing the sorceress to have a fit. The stones on the floor rattled, and serpents burst through the floor.
  
  "Heat vision, seventy five degrees to the right," Batman ordered, and Clark did as he was told. "Duck, roll, jump, and punch."
  
  Clark was taken off guard by the impromptu training that Batman had given.
  
  "Remember to master your surroundings," Batman advised Clark.
  
  This game continued, and Clark kept things up, ducking and dodging, pivoting, and preparing. The moments ticked by, and they both hoped that Harry and Kara would have some type of plan.
  
  The stone statues were illuminated by magic, and le Faye was taken off guard.
  
  "NO!" the woman yelled, realizing that her well placed spell work had been undone, and Clark knocked le Faye into the wall. The woman put the brakes on, and shot an attack at Clark. "You dare touch me!"
  
  Kara and Harry hovered in the air high above, and prepared to move in for the battle.
  
  'So, Oliver's plan didn't work after all,' Kara thought to him.
  
  'Well I suppose it could have, but it didn't,' Harry thought back to her through the link, shaking his head.
  
  The two Heralds of Death used their spells to help keep the statues safe from harm. The statues were innocent and regular human beings that could be destroyed with one wrong move. It was petrification at the most advanced degree. The two of them understood that, and thankfully they had an advanced level of magic to delve into and analyze everything. The two scanned the building.
  
  'Just tweak the variables, and slowly release them from the state of petrification, so they don't go into shock.'
  
  That was much easier said than done, and the two Heralds continued to slowly release them from the charms. Batman and Clark dodged every single attack. Kara thought that there were few better people who might be able to train Clark in defending himself without his powers than Batman, but he could get a little fanatical. Suddenly, Kara and Harry felt warmth. The type of spells they utilized was extremely draining, and they had to distribute the work between the two of them.
  
  The two of them floated to the ground immediately, and held each other. Sure enough, everyone was back to normal, and there was not a scratch on any of them. Harry and Kara closed their eyes, and popped inside, just in time to see le Faye nail Clark with a blow. Clark was at her mercy, and Kara sprang into the air.
  
  Kara knocked le Faye back into the wall. The woman was pinned back, and immediately the sorceress understood who she was fighting.
  
  Her hand was waved, and several suits of armor came to life, and engaged the League.
  
  "So, you are the two latest lapdogs who have been sent to me, to collect my mortal soul," Morgaine told both of them, boredom in her voice. "I have outrun your kind throughout my entire life, and I'm going to keep outrunning..."
  
  Kara sent a blast of heat vision to cut off her grand monologue, and le Faye dodged it. The two Heralds of Death swooped in, in an attempt to box this sorceress in. They were getting closer and closer to getting her into the battle. The heroes were dealing with the woman's guardians.
  
  "You cannot hope that you will bring about my demise," le Faye told both of them, and her eyes glowed with absolute malice and power. The woman blasted them hard, and Kara and Harry used their shields to block it.
  
  Harry saw the three artifacts. The spell would always be in progress, unless he cancelled it. It was a shame that he had to destroy such sacred artifacts, but it had to be done. He blasted the artifacts with a high intensity blast of magic. The artifacts crumbled to nothingness, and le Faye's eyes widened with absolute fury.
  
  "NO!" le Faye yelled, and she got knocked back.
  
  She refused to get dragged to beyond without a fight. The woman dodged each and every attack, and deflected them. Shot after shot, spell after spell, the battle intensified, and increased with each attack.
  
  "Just hang on, we'll be here in a minute!" Clark called, pushing his way through the battle.
  
  Le Faye was sent flying head over heels, and then she landed right on her feet. Suddenly, Harry and Kara had her boxed in. The woman was not going to go down without a fight. She stood on her feet, ready for the attack. The witch gritted her teeth.
  
  Suddenly, a bright light engulfed everyone, and nearly blinded them. A figure swooped in from behind, and sent le Faye flying. The form of the sorceress burst into dust before their very eyes. Harry and Kara looked into the blinding light, and they saw a floating woman, for a brief instance.
  
  They never really got that close of a glimpse of her, and were sure that the rest of the group did not get her.
  
  The magical enchantments faded from around them, and Harry and Kara dropped to their knees briefly. That was not easy, and they had averted the crisis. The two of them checked the Lifeline Reading, and discovered that le Faye had been sent on.
  
  Despite the mysterious woman who had shown up, they had one thing to think about. There was one less immortal to destroy. They would be going over their memories later, and trying to solve the mystery. It was going to bother them until the moment they figured everything out.
  
  Right now, the team was ready to clear off into the night. It did really hit them hard that they were very close to suffering a humiliating defeat, and perhaps a rather painful death. Batman followed the team, away from them, discreetly in the shadows. Harry and Kara hovered in the air, and while they saw some potential, they knew what they needed to do.
  
  The aftermath of the battle with le Faye had given the various heroes more than their share of bumps and bruises. Harry and Kara were both mostly fine, although what was on their mind was far different than any actual consequence for the battle. The fact of the matter was that they were about to break through le Faye's defenses, but something happened. There was some invention that took out the sorceress before they even could think about it.
  
  Harry braced himself for what is to come, and Oliver approached him. He looked battered and bruised from the battle, and looked at Harry.
  
  "I believe I owe you an apology about doubting you," Oliver replied, looking at the two of them. "If it wasn't for you, we'd be a park monument somewhere."
  
  "Just imagine the pigeons," Bart added with a shudder.
  
  The team did imagine the pigeons, and they shuddered as well. Batman could not resist breaking up the light hearted mood. He had been quiet to that point, in the shadows, just plotting and planning every single little moment of time. The Dark Knight surveyed the entire group.
  
  "Pigeons would have been the least of your worries," Batman told them, and the heroes just looked up. "Did you see what happened to those security guards? Turned to stone and pushed down a flight of stairs. I'm not certain if we've seen the last of le Faye."
  
  "She was blown into smithereens," Bart argued, but he was the recipient of one patented Batman look.
  
  "All of us were lucky that we didn't...well that it didn't turn out worse," Dinah said in a calm voice.
  
  Clark nodded, and stood in the background. He had very nearly been used as a power battery, but he shook his head.
  
  "Everything did turn out okay, in a sense," Clark offered them.
  
  "Okay is acceptable, most of the time," Kara told her cousin. The blonde stood on her feet and looked at him. "This team got extremely lucky. If Harry and I weren't here, and if Batman and you hadn't distracted le Faye when they did..."
  
  The team had no need for Kara to say anything more. She had given her fair assessment. They really did have a long way to go for coherency. Harry decided to put the most positive spin on the situation that he could, and decided to give his honest assessment of the situation.
  
  "I won't say this team lacks potential. There is a lot of untapped potential with a lot of the members of this team, and that's something that you can work on. However, the entire hero team thing, I don't know about Kara, it's not for me."
  
  "It's not for me either," Kara agreed, and immediately the entire group looked at her. Clark looked at her.
  
  "Kara I thought you might have..."
  
  "You could think, but you would be wrong," Kara interrupted, and she looked at Clark. "I've never been much of a team player, and the only person I've ever really clicked with, that I could really work together with, is Harry. A team can't be a rag tag group of misfits. It does need strong leadership, and it needs more structure. This team really has potential, and perhaps it can grow from here."
  
  The team had looked at each other, every single one of them pondering what had been told. In reality, Harry did have some good points. Oliver just looked at Harry, and surveyed him carefully.
  
  "For some reason, I think you just implied that I wasn't a good leader," Oliver answered, trying to look at Harry.
  
  "Leaders can grow, which makes them able," Harry told him in a cryptic tone of voice. "Of course, the commitment is all or nothing. And eventually good leaders can grow from absolutely nothing. We all make mistakes, it's just a matter of endeavoring to find ways to correct those mistakes that makes us what we are."
  
  "You do learn more from a million failures, than from one success," Kara added. "That is part of the growing process."
  
  "Deep," Bart commented, nodding his head.
  
  "They do both have a point," Arthur remarked, and it had given the entire team something to think about. Beyond the fact that they had just gotten spanked by le Faye, and could have been swept up the next morning by the janitor had it not been for the timely intervention of Harry and Kara.
  
  "Yes, we do have a lot of work to do," Dinah agreed.
  
  The heroes pondered, and Harry and Kara just turned around. Harry paused, and allowed himself a moment to put his thoughts together. There was a moment for everyone to allow everything to sink in completely. Then Harry decided to add something.
  
  "We'll be around, and even if we're not officially part of this, there may come a day where we'll need your help and you'll need ours."
  
  "Likely the latter," Oliver replied. He then turned to Batman, who stood in the shadows, and his face was framed. His expression would have been unreadable even if he did not have the cowl on his face. "So, how about you? Did you give joining the team any matter?"
  
  Batman paused before he gave his assessment.
  
  "This team lacks structure, and you were very lucky not to get yourselves killed out there today, a group of college frat boys has more structure and dignity," Batman replied in a flat voice, not pulling any punches with what he thought. "I will remind you that I work alone, and Gotham City is the first priority to me."
  
  The team members nodded, given what they heard about Gotham, they understood that Batman would spend a great deal of his time protecting that city from all of the colorful personalities that resided in it. Batman stood in the background, not saying one word. There was really not much else for him to say, yet he said one thing.
  
  "Despite the lack of structure I've seen from this team, I will not deny that potential would be had, if everyone is willing to commit beyond more than a casual alliance. When committing to the mission, it is either all or nothing. And should you need my help, and you will, I will assist you."
  
  The team members murmured in agreement, and Kara and Harry just took this attempt to take their leave. Out of the corner of their eye, they saw a shadow which could have been Batman making one of his grand exists. They did see a bit of how it was done, and it was amazing how quick Batman could be, even without super powers. He truly mastered his surroundings.
  
  Right now, the two of them had to go over the battle in their mind. In many ways, it was something that they needed to process, but there were also other reasons to go over this battle. There was someone else with them tonight, and that someone was extremely powerful. Once they went over the memories, it would allow them to be closer, and closer to what the identity of this person was. As for right now, it was a mystery, and all they had were theories that had little backup.
  
  Clark stood, tonight had been an interesting night, and he decided that since everything was wrapped up nicely, it would be best to return home. At super speed, Clark made his way back from the Kent Farm, and knew that Lana would be back.
  
  
  
  Lana stood at the edge of the farm, just watching the stars above her, and deep in thought. She knew that Clark would return safely, given that she had briefly seen him on her fly by. Sure enough, Lana had heard Clark come in at super speed from miles and miles away. She mentally counted down the seconds until Clark stopped right on front of Lana. Lana embraced him, when Clark stopped.
  
  "I was wondering when you would show up," Lana remarked, looking at Clark.
  
  Clark looked into her eyes, and nodded. "Sorry, I got tied up..."
  
  "Please tell me you were figurative, and not literal," Lana told Clark, and Clark just looked at her. He prepared himself to tell Lana what happened.
  
  After a pause, Clark decided to enlighten Lana on what occurred.
  
  "Actually, that was about the only thing that didn't happen to me tonight. And I had all sorts of spells thrown at me."
  
  "I can't leave you alone for five minutes," Lana said, shaking her head, but there was a bit of a relieved smile on her face.
  
  A cross expression spread across Clark's face, and he looked Lana right in the eye. "I said I got spells thrown at me, it wasn't like any of them hit me at all."
  
  "Sure they didn't, Clark," Lana remarked, but a smile appeared across her face. She looked rather pleased that Clark had gotten through mostly in one place.
  
  "Well for the most part maybe," Clark replied, and he pulled Lana in. "I have learned that ducking is one of the most important skills to have in a power."
  
  Lana would have to agree. There were times where she got the sense that powers could only get someone so far. Sometimes, there was many survivor instincts that one could build in, and Lana had thought that she had these survivor instincts built in. Those were only slightly more useful than the powers that she had, which she got a hang on. Despite the fact she had a tighter grip on her powers, there was always room for improvement.
  
  "So, Clark, when are you going to introduce me to that group of Superfriends of yours?"
  
  Clark just blinked, and looked at Lana. Lana crossed her arms, and just smiled.
  
  "Why, do you want to join?" Clark asked.
  
  Now it was Lana's turn to be put on the spot with a question. There was a moment she paused, and then her gaze focused on Clark immediately. "Well, that's a good question, but I don't really know. We'll just have to see how things go. I think that we should make an attempt to figure out what happened to the Fortress."
  
  "Do you think there might be any hints through what was downloaded into your brain?" Clark asked.
  
  Lana stroked her chin, and pondered about that. The truth was she was sorting out her memories.
  
  "No, but I guess I need a little help in sorting out these memories," Lana said. "Kara offered to help translate them for me, so I guess it's time for me to allow her in my mind."
  
  "I'm sure she won't hold anything against you," Clark said.
  
  Lana certainly hoped not. Memories were something that she clung onto, and as she thought about her life, there were a few chapters in it that she was not very proud of. She turned, and looked at Clark. The two of them just stood outside, underneath the stars, waiting and watching, enjoying this moment of downtime that the two had. There was a pretty good likelihood that they would not have many, so it was prudent to enjoy what they had.
  
  All and all, tonight could have turned out much worse, and Clark was grateful to get out of that battle in one piece, and he was certain Lana would be grateful. Although Clark did embrace this adventure as a means to expand his mind, and hopefully learn a lesson from the future, and he knew that others would as well.
  
  "Something on your mind, Clark?" Lana asked.
  
  "Just thinking about how great it is to be out here with you," Clark replied.
  
  "Then we're in like minds," Lana said.
  
  They had come a long way, but there was still a long way ago. Each moment in life was after all just a tiny step towards a greater goal. The two of them understood this more now than ever before throughout all of the trials and tribulations they went through.
  
  "You felt that didn't you, Chloe?"
  
  Chloe nodded, understanding and absorbing the memory that Harry and Kara shared with her at that moment. It was the battle that night. Chloe had spent a lot of time with Lana, just catching up on various things, before returning back. Of course, they were not lucky enough to run into any kind of problems. The two of them appeared to be looking the wrong place, and at the wrong time. A smile crossed Chloe's face, when she shifted and crossed her legs.
  
  "It seems like for every answer you uncover, there's just two or three more questions," Chloe commented.
  
  Harry just looked at her, with a dry expression on his face. "Welcome to my life."
  
  "So, do we got the third Herald in our cross hairs, or something else?" Chloe asked to them.
  
  It was Kara who chimed in with an answer.
  
  "I believe that the third Herald is right close to use, but for whatever reason, she isn't revealing herself. Whether or not her, and the mysterious Karen Starr are one and the same, we can't be one hundred percent sure. There has to be a good reason why she isn't showing herself."
  
  "Perhaps she doesn't know that you are the fellow Heralds," Chloe replied.
  
  Harry just looked at Chloe at this point, and responded with a smile.
  
  "Trust me, she'd know, if she was right by us. We got a small hint of her presence when she was actively using her powers. If it was a passive power, like invisibility, then we wouldn't have seen her at all. Since it was an active power, like reaping, we ran across her."
  
  Kara and Harry exchanged a thoughtful expression, communicating without words just seemed to be something that had come naturally to them. Both had gotten a sense of what to say, and what to think about. And the fact of the matter was that they were completely stumped about where to go next. They both had a feeling that there was something very important that they were missing, yet neither had any idea what that might have been.
  
  "She could be watching us, at any time, watching over all of us," Chloe told them.
  
  Kara would have to agree, and a calculating expression spread across her face. "Sooner or later, we're going to have to find her, and we'll have a talk. I just hope it will be a talk that will be nice, and we can come to some kind of common ground."
  
  Harry and Kara had both discussed the matter a few times. They had come to the unfortunate conclusion that there was a big chance that the final Herald of Death could be someone who would be twisted for whatever reason. Whether it would be because of their own choice, or otherwise, Harry and Kara both had no idea.
  
  "We're reconfiguring the Shining Light Foundation computers to try and find any large and unusual spikes of powers," Harry said, stroking his chin at the thought.
  
  "And you'll track her down that way?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow.
  
  Kara piped in for an answer. "Well, in theory it should work. And in theory we should find her. We've went over the memory a few times in our head, and the only thing we've figured as that there's a chance that she's more powerful than both of us."
  
  "Alone or put together?" Chloe inquired.
  
  Harry blinked, and then answered. "Likely alone, and potentially both of us put together. The funny thing about power levels is that there is no real way to measure them. We're just going to have to kick back, and hope for the best."
  
  "I'll continue to search," Kara replied. "I believe that the two of you have some bonding to do."
  
  Kara's focus was on Harry and Chloe at that point. Chloe put her hands on Harry's wrists, and looked him in the eye.
  
  "Don't think I forgot about our arrangement," Chloe said in a low voice.
  
  "I wouldn't think you would have," Harry fired back with a smile.
  
  Chloe smiled, and Harry wrapped his arms around Chloe's waist. Kara decided to allow Chloe to have some alone time with Harry tonight. She could experience everything through the Herald link like a third party.
  
  Kara pulled off her skirt, and shirt. She was wearing nothing but a very skimpy pair of red panties, and a barely there red bra, with her cape wrapped around her shoulders as well. She smiled, and kicked back on the chair, closing her eyes to enjoy the show.
  
  The next thing Chloe knew, she was in Harry's room, and Harry looked at her. Chloe had been pushed onto Harry and Kara's bed. Harry bent down, but Chloe grabbed Harry and rolled him over, onto his back. Harry allowed her to pin him down.
  
  Chloe pressed her lips down onto Harry's with a kiss, and grinded her body up and down on his. Harry pulled her into an embrace, and returned the favor. The two of them were getting hot and heavy, and the fun began.
  
  Smut Lemon Begins.
  
  Harry's arms wrapped tightly around Chloe, hugging her body into his, and Chloe felt the warm embrace that Harry had around her. Their lips mashed together in absolute passion. Chloe gave a surprised, but pleased, sigh when Harry reached his hands underneath her blouse. Chills, the good kind, ran down her spine when Harry felt up the underside of her breasts.
  
  Chloe felt pleasure, with her nipples poking out, and erected. There was a heat between her legs, and it was going to get hotter, when Harry slowly slipped his fingers down her pants with one hand, and cupped her ass with the other. Harry continued to kiss Chloe, and she felt herself overwhelmed by a fog of pleasure.
  
  Harry felt Chloe's body, pressed against his, and he felt her up. He liked what he felt, and he had a feeling that he was going to like what he saw. Chloe's hands moved up, and ran her fingers through his hair. Harry deepened the kiss, feeling her body, and felt himself grow against her, his clothed erection covering against her clothed entrance. Chloe pushed him back slightly, and began to dry hump him with her clothes on.
  
  She felt so good, and the kiss broke. Chloe feverishly worked the buttons of his shirt off, but then grew impatient, tearing it open with great strength. Harry pushed Chloe back, and her shirt rode up, with Harry getting a look at her flat and firm stomach.
  
  "That was an expensive shirt," Harry said to her, with a playful expression.
  
  "You can repair it with magic you know," Chloe fired back, rubbing her crotch against Harry's covered erection. She leaned forward, and sucked on his earlobe, before straddling his crotch. Harry nearly tipped back onto the bed, with the blonde continuing her actions.
  
  Harry groaned, at the teasing Chloe was giving him. Her lips once again had been planted on his, and her soft hands traced patterns over his chest and abs. He felt himself growing harder, and the hardness was only to come. Chloe turned around, and stuck her ass out, before she grinded it down onto Harry's bulge.
  
  "So hot," Harry whispered to her, and Chloe just smiled, turning around, to face Harry. Her hands were placed on his shoulders, and their lips were several inches apart.
  
  "I can tell," Chloe breathed back, tracing a pattern around his face, before looking down. "Looks like the big guy needs room to breathe."
  
  With a swift motion, Chloe had unbuckled Harry's pants, pulling it through the loop. Harry only wore boxers, and Chloe licked her lips at the massive tent. She could not wait to taste it, and to have it in her. For now, she wanted to get Harry riled up a bit, for making her wait. Her hand squeezed Harry through his boxer shorts, and felt him, cupping his length in his hands.
  
  "Keep doing that, Chloe," Harry encouraged her, feeling the pleasure of her hand working him through his shorts.
  
  Whether Chloe was better or equal than Kara, Harry could not say. He needed several hours of experimentation to determine that, and in the end, it could be close. The throbbing of his cock indicated that she was very good, and had made his balls swell with desire.
  
  Chloe straddled Harry's boxer covered lap, and slowly began to pop open one button of her blouse at a time. She saw Harry's eyes on her, with more and more of her skin revealed.
  
  Harry watched Chloe, seeing the peak of her cleavage being revealed. Slowly, and tantalizingly, Chloe began to unbutton one button at a time, grinding against Harry's erection every single way. Her desire was something that could not be measured in mere words. Harry watched every moment, and watched her toned stomach be revealed.
  
  Chloe pulled her blouse off, slowly, slipping it off of her slender shoulders. Harry watched, transfixed, seeing her standing there in nothing, but a bra from the waist up. Chloe stood there, and swayed her hips, instinctively hovering a few inches off of the ground. With swift precision, Chloe removed her pants, slowly pulling down over her legs. Harry watched her, and felt himself harden even more.
  
  Her body was tight, and lovely, with perfect breasts, a slender waist, and lovely legs. Harry had thought that Chloe's breasts might have grown a little bit after her exposure to the powers, but he would need the before and after pictures to make sure.
  
  Chloe moved over, and grabbed Harry through his boxer shorts once again, before squeezing him a little bit. She played with his cock, and his balls. The sensations Harry felt was great, and he twitched in Chloe's hand.
  
  A look of mischief appeared in Chloe's eyes, and she looked at Harry, a grin across her face. "So, do you want this body?"
  
  "Yes, I do," Harry breathed heavily, looking at Chloe in all of her glory.
  
  Chloe dropped down, and motioned for Harry to arch his hips up. Harry did so, and Chloe slowly pulled Harry's boxer shorts off, with his cock springing out, and nearly smacking to her face. The woman before him felt herself dampen a little bit, it was so big, and so thick.
  
  Immediately, Chloe licked up and down the length. Harry's penis was worked over slow licks. She savored the taste like a lollypop, and also she slowly stroked his balls with her free hand. He felt so good, and tasted so good, Chloe was addicted to him.
  
  Harry felt her warm tongue stroke him, and he placed his hands on her hair, stroking it. Chloe continued to lick up and down.
  
  "Keep doing that, just keep doing that," Harry offered Chloe, in a bit of a foggy pleasure.
  
  Chloe was going to do more than that. Harry let out a hiss, when Chloe had placed her mouth on Harry's cock. She tried to fit it all in.
  
  "Is it too big for you?" Harry asked Chloe, and Chloe just looked up at him. "Kara can fit it all in her mouth easily, you know."
  
  Chloe was not going to be denied. She drew her breath, and managed to slip Harry's cock into her mouth. She gagged a little bit when it hit the back of her throat. That gagging was something that was replaced by the pleasure that she felt. The manhood her lips wrapped around tasted delicious.
  
  Harry watched Chloe down on her knees, in nothing but a pair of bra and panties, bobbing on his cock like it was the absolute best thing in the world. His breath continued to heighten a little bit, and his heart beat a bit faster. Kara had just a tiny bit more skill, but Chloe was willing to give it a good try, as she went down on him.
  
  "Fuck, feels so good," Harry groaned, and Chloe immediately continued to bob up and down on her.
  
  The feel of Harry's cock down her throat was making Chloe feel foggy with pleasure, and her hands reached down her panties, to play with herself. The juices trailed down her thighs around, and she continued to give Harry a blowjob. Kara might have been a hard act to follow, but Chloe was determined to make Harry feel good nevertheless.
  
  Harry placed his hands on her face, and fucked straight into her face, into her throat. Chloe looked up him, surprised, but continued to push forward. The face fucking would not break her face thanks to her new powers.
  
  Chloe wanted Harry's load, and looked up at him. She stroked his balls, squeezing it with her new found strength.
  
  Harry's balls tightened, and he could not hold back after Chloe had gone to town on him after a while. He sent a warm and creamy liquid into Chloe's mouth. Chloe kept sucking, making sure she drained Harry of his complete load.
  
  Chloe looked up, and made a production of swallowing it again. She felt a burning sensation in her, that could only be filled by one thing, and Chloe knew how to fill that need.
  
  She threw herself over Harry's lap, and straddled him. Chloe looked into Harry's eyes, and her soaked panties were on his crotch. Harry reached over, and unclipped her bra.
  
  Chloe's breasts bounced out, nice and freely. She felt the air hit her nipples, and then she felt Harry latch his mouth onto her left nipple, sucking it.
  
  "Damn it, feels good," Chloe moaned, Harry's mouth on her, and his tongue rolling against her. She felt the area between her thighs tingled, and Harry continued to offer his efforts, switching from her left nipple, from her right nipple. "Yeah, feels real good."
  
  "Tastes good," Harry managed, before he went back to town on Chloe's tasty tits, and he stuck a hand down her pants.
  
  "Oh God," Chloe moaned, her eyes fogging over with pleasure. Harry's fingers now were down her panties, and he was stroking her clit.
  
  This was not any stroking of her clit, he was sending small jolts of magical energy through his fingers. Chloe nearly lost it between his mouth on her breasts, and his fingers stroking her. Harry skillfully manipulated her folds, and Chloe tried to push onto Harry, trying to ride his fingers.
  
  "Damn it, feels god, feels good, keep doing that," Chloe moaned, and Harry worshipped her breasts, licking around them.
  
  Harry felt absolutely good, and Chloe fit nice and tightly around him, as he fingered her. He felt her pussy juices drip around his fingers.
  
  Chloe groaned at the loss of Harry's fingers, but then suddenly Harry's fingers lifted up and were stuck in Chloe's mouth. Her eyes glazed over, and if Chloe was honest, she had never tasted herself before. The girl could not comprehend why, whilst she licked and sucked the juices from around Harry's fingers.
  
  Harry had gotten done tasting her, and pushed Chloe back onto the bed. Chloe landed on the bed, and Harry placed his hands on her shoulders, looking into her warm eyes, and Chloe's mouth was enclosed in a lustful expression, giving Harry "fuck me" eyes.
  
  He pealed the panties off of Chloe's legs, they were damp, and Chloe could not believe that she had gotten so wet. She wanted some cock between her legs badly, and looking up at Harry's, she felt herself nearly clench at the thought.
  
  "So wet," Harry said, teasing her slit with his fingers.
  
  "Because of you, stud," Chloe responded, and Harry immediately teased her folds. "Stop teasing me, Harry."
  
  "In a minute, honey," Harry teased, and he kissed her face, moving down her cheeks, and going down her body.
  
  Chloe felt herself go in a state of absolute bliss, when Harry's lips kissed down her shoulders, down between her breasts, on her stomach, and down her legs. His head brushed against her entrance, and Harry kissed back up the right leg, and he buried himself into her.
  
  She thought she had felt pleasure when Harry had gone down on her with his tongue. It licked into her, scrapping against her walls, tasting her, and slurping up her juices. As it turned out, Chloe had not experienced anything yet, and Harry's tongue began to hiss deep within her core.
  
  Chloe screamed in pure pleasure. She had no idea what Harry was doing to her with his tongue, but she thought that he should keep doing it, often, and not let up for any reason whatsoever. His tongue felt so good ,licking her up, and tasting her.
  
  Harry lapped up the savory taste within Chloe. He could tell by her screams of pleasure, and the thrashing that Chloe enjoyed the sensation of his tongue, as much as his tongue enjoyed licking her hot pussy. Chloe clenched her legs around his head, and Harry proceeded to award her, by burying his tongue deeper and deeper, lapping up the cum as it drained out of her.
  
  Chloe deflated on the bed, and Harry felt himself throbbing. Chloe's eyes looked up at Harry, more wanton need in them.
  
  "Harry, fuck me, please," Chloe begged him.
  
  Harry cupped her pussy, and Chloe whined.
  
  "Please, don't make me beg for it," Chloe managed, and Harry teased her entrance, sliding his cock up and down against it, before he obliged Chloe, and slammed his cock deep within her.
  
  Chloe felt her walls stretch, and suddenly she was filled to the brim with Harry, who pumped in and out of her. His hands were on her breasts, and fingers rolled over her nipples. Chloe's mind went haywire with all of the sensations. If she died right now, she would die a very happy woman. She managed to remember that she should likely move her hips up, so Harry could get some pleasure out of this.
  
  "So good, so tight," Harry breathed to her, and Chloe's walls squeezed. "Your pussy feels so fucking good."
  
  "Fuck me harder," Chloe begged, and her legs managed to wrap around Harry's body.
  
  Harry obliged that request, and hammered Chloe nice and hard, with long strokes into her. Her walls wrapped around his member, and he continued to push into her, going deeper.
  
  Chloe wrapped her arms around Harry, giving him the encouragement, while lifting her hips off of the bed. Her eyes were glazed over, but she wanted this image burned into her mind. Harry's cock slid deep within her, pushing and punishing her, driving her to mind numbing orgasm, after mind numbing orgasm.
  
  Harry felt Chloe clench tightly around him, and he sped up just a little bit, driving her even wilder. Harry massaged her breasts, and played with her nipples, squeezing them. Chloe squealed, when Harry played with her nipples, and Harry spend up, his balls slapping against her flesh.
  
  Chloe bucked her hips up, and higher, meeting Harry's motions. She wanted to know when his climax would come.
  
  It was building to an explosion.
  
  She needed his seed in her.
  
  She wanted his seed in her.
  
  Chloe would get Harry's seed in her, and she pushed together her pussy muscles ,trying to squeeze Harry. The friction had pushed back, stretching her out. Chloe was getting a work out.
  
  "That's it Harry, pound me until I can't go anymore," Chloe whimpered, and Harry continued to spear her, impaling his cock within her.
  
  Chloe knew one thing, bond or not, she would have never let another cock even come closer to her. Harry continued to push in and out of her, manipulating her pussy long and hard, the minutes ticked by, and perhaps the hours. He had been going at her for a long time, pounding her pussy, and hammering her hard.
  
  It was really the best thing.
  
  Harry bent down, and kissed Chloe nice and hard, while continuing to fuck her. He played with her ass, when her hips arched off of the bed. Every single stroke pushed into her, and Harry felt himself going closer to release.
  
  "You're about to make me cum," Harry whispered, his hot breath on Chloe's ear.
  
  "I need it, Harry, your seed inside me," Chloe managed, and her heart thumped against her rib cage, and the pleasure increased.
  
  Harry felt his balls tightened, and he continued to thrust deeper into her.
  
  Chloe screamed, Harry had hit every single spot inside her, and he could feel her deep in her womb. His cock had pushed deeper than anything Chloe had ever imagined.
  
  That was before the release came. Chloe felt herself injected with Harry's seed, the semen splattered against her. Chloe continued to thrust up, and Harry released spurt after spurt into her. It was like a fire hose, and Chloe could tell why a non-altered woman could not survive this experience.
  
  They would be filled up with so much semen that their body would combust. Moments later, Harry continued to spear into her, making sure his entire load was fulfilled.
  
  Harry collapsed on her chest, and Chloe looked up at him with a satisfied smile.
  
  She needed more of this, and Harry could provide it. Chloe really lost track of how much time had passed, both in the room and all together.
  
  Smut Lemon Ends.
  
  Chloe's eyes were widened, and she breathed heavily. Her arms wrapped around Harry, and cuddled into his chest. Harry lovingly stroked her body, and Chloe felt a feeling of contentment.
  
  "I can see why Kara's always in such a good mood around you," Chloe whispered to him, and she ran her hands through Harry's hair, a wide smile on her face.
  
  "He is amazing, isn't he?" Kara asked, and she popped back up, naked, and laid herself on the other side of Harry. The two girls cuddled on either side of him, running their hands over his body.
  
  Harry thought that if they kept his up, it would cause him to be ready to go another round. Then again, perhaps that was the point. Two beautiful and smart girls next to him, was quite the feeling.
  
  "It will be the three of us next time," Kara whispered.
  
  Chloe was both excited, and nervous about this possibility. Then again, she was determined not to let Kara show her up in bed. Chloe was competitive in that way, and vowed to give Kara a run for her money in the giving Harry pleasure department.
  
  Why did she think that real winner of this competition would be Harry?
  Girl Like Me Part One
  
  Chapter 41: Girl Like Me Part One.
  
  Tess remained calm, cool, and collected, and tried not to let anything that was going to happen today, rattle her psyche. Even though she was about ready to step a few moves into what appeared to be the unknown, and could be pushed into losing the control that she enjoyed. Tess tapped her hand on the side of the desk, and waited.
  
  Time seemed to stand still for her, and a buzz on the intercom had brought her out of her thoughts. Leaning forward, careful not to do anything too soon, or not soon enough, Tess had answered the intercom.
  
  "The two owners of the Shining Light Foundation are here to see you, Miss Mercer."
  
  Tess just tapped her fingers on the side of the desk, and waited. She would show no mercy to anyone. Lex made the calculated error of letting his guard down at the worst possible time, and landed him in the fix that he was in. Immediately, Tess answered the voice on the intercom, with calm and self-assured expression on her face.
  
  "Send them right in, I'm prepared to see them," the woman replied, a firm expression set upon her face.
  
  Tess was prepared, more than prepared. The door opened and she saw the two of them for the first time outside of pictures.
  
  Harry Potter wore his dark hair straight down; it was not messed up in any way whatsoever. He wore a red jacket that had stripes on the side, a travesty of a tie, and a rather wrinkled dress short. He also was attired in dress pants that looked to be very much outdated, and shoes.
  
  Tess thought that this appearance could be a way to lure potential adversaries into a false sense of security, as someone who was harmless and bumbling, so she resolved to remain on her guard.
  
  Kara Potter, nee Kent, had her hair clipped back in a bun, with a pair of glasses on her face. She wore conservative business attire, buttoned up completely, with a skirt that reached down past her knees. It did offer the hint of something more, but her eyes told the true story. The woman could be dangerous if she was pushed.
  
  Observation was the key to business, along with diplomacy. Tess leaned over the desk, and extended her hand to shake.
  
  "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Potter," Tess replied in a crisp and cordial voice.
  
  Harry took off his glasses at the moment, allowing Tess to get a look at his eyes for the first time. She resolved to stay on business, but she summarized they were the type of eyes that captivated most women who had seen them. They radiated of power, and allowed for some kind of air of charisma. They were, for lack of a better term, bewitching.
  
  Not that Tess would be taken in by such things; she was just merely stating an obvious fact.
  
  It was a moment of tense silence, before Kara seized the floor, and began to speak. "We do apologize for not meeting with you much sooner, but business tends to keep us busy."
  
  "Yes, I do understand, and this is a time where us meeting would become beneficial both parties," Tess agreed, preparing to take full advantage of the work she did to prepare for this meeting. "I understand the previous management of Luthorcorp and the Shining Light Foundation had talks that had gone south, and I am willing to open up the possibility of future talks between the two sides."
  
  Harry pounced on the opportunity Tess had given him.
  
  "I heard a rumor about Lex, and I was hoping that I was not overstepping my bounds," Harry told Tess, eyes trying not to show curiosity
  
  "No, not at all," Tess told him, waving and motioning for him to continue. Perhaps this would give her a hint of where Harry's stake in this entire game was. It would allow her to stay in control.
  
  Harry thought that he had some kind of in to figure out the mystery of what happened to Lex Luthor.
  
  "I heard that he has been reported as missing."
  
  "You have heard this rumor correctly," Tess responded, and she just remained calm, not offering any hint with her body language of what she was really thinking. "I had personally followed up on a lead, but our former owner is not where he was supposed to be."
  
  Harry and Kara sat, mentally comparing notes. They knew for a fact that some Luthorcorp interference had been ran, but the question was how this was done and where Lex was. It seemed clear that Tess was only telling them a version of the truth. Harry decided to make a calculated risk in an attempt to find out more.
  
  "I'm interesting in hearing about this proposition you got on the table," Harry told Tess, looking leaning forward, and peering into her eyes. Kara did likewise over her glasses.
  
  Tess took a deep breath. "I believe making such an arrangement will have benefits to all three of us."
  
  "So, it is an arrangement that the three of us will find mutually beneficial?" Kara asked, and Tess just smiled, leaning forward to look at the couple.
  
  "It could potentially rock the business world, and shake everything up," Tess replied to the both of them, placing her hands into her desk, and pulling out a folder, with material for the both of them to read. "Many would frown upon the three of us getting in bed for this arrangement, but they lack the imagination for the possibilities that something like this contains."
  
  "Many often do," Kara replied, with a knowing smile, and she reached forward, to grab the papers, and passed Harry's copy to him, so the two of them could read it, and get a full view of all of the benefits that such a deal would have.
  
  "It's all about taking risks, all about breaking norms," Tess remarked, more to herself than to Harry and Kara. "Wouldn't the two of you agreed?"
  
  "What is life without a few risks?" Harry asked a smile crossing over his face.
  
  Tess responded with a knowing smirk, and a nod, appreciating the intensity in his bright green eyes. She shook her head, and got her mind back on business. The two of them sat, they were the pure definition of what one would call a power couple. Anyone who stood in their way would find it hard to stand for much longer.
  
  She appreciated that, and the two of them continued to look at the papers, for the proposal that Tess had given them.
  
  "The Shining Light Foundation is mostly non-profit," Harry told Tess, making sure she understood that this was one point that he was not going to concede on.
  
  Tess just brushed her hair from her eyes. "Believe me, I have no intention of changing your foundation, but I'm thinking of a bigger picture and the ways that you can broaden your scope to so much more."
  
  'Believe me, I think of that as well,' Harry thought to himself.
  
  Kara nodded by his side in agreement, getting an idea of what he thought about. Tess just looked at the paper.
  
  "People foolishly throw aside that they are going to change the world, but that's what I intend to do, and save it from itself," Tess added, to the pair of them.
  
  There was something different about them, about both of them, and also there was something different about the Traveler. Tess had studied about them, but she needed to find out even more.
  
  "You have helped those children, and have made visits to Belle Reve, to try and assist the patients there, but the Shining Light Foundation could offer much more, and offer them a much greater purpose," Tess offered to them. "Luthorcorp is willing to assist, and perhaps also offer you a piece of this company, and anything else you may need to make this a reality. Anything you want."
  
  "We'll have to consider what you said, and we'll get back to you in due time," Harry replied, to break the brief second of silence.
  
  Tess just nodded, they should have taken all of the time that they needed. The truth was, Tess needed to have both of them on board, for her goals to work. And if she needed to assist them on their goals, whatever they might have been, so be it. Their assistance was something that was needed for her control, and the plans that she had cooking up.
  
  "We have a lunch meeting that we need to get back to," Harry told her in an apologetic voice.
  
  "Business calls me as well shortly," Tess said, and she offered him a dry smile. "Never a dull moment, whatsoever."
  
  She sat, not backing down, and the two walked off. Tess watched them go, and when she was sure they vacated the premises, the woman reached into the side of the desk. The crumped up piece of paper Lex had studied obsessively was in her hands. The key to some answer was in her hands.
  
  A dangerous road to obsession was also at her fingertips.
  
  Tess also grimaced, about the latest report about her mysterious corporate saboteur. So far, he or she was not caught on camera, and this person had utterly destroyed threw Luthorcorp facilities, without any pattern, rhyme, or reason. Tess would find out who this person was, and bring whoever it was to justice.
  
  Harry and Kara both left as well, and Kara turned towards Harry, but it was the dark haired Herald of Death who spoke first.
  
  "So what do you think?" Harry asked.
  
  "I'm both intrigued and suspicious," Kara replied, after a moment's thought.
  
  Harry just thought these thoughts mirrored his. Yet it would get them ever so closer to Lex, and solving something that had dogged them for the past number of weeks.
  
  Sabotage was a very nasty word for what Kara Zor-El of Earth Two was doing right now, and one she refused to even think of as it pertained to defining her actions. There were certain actions that could be considered to be justifiable, and in many ways, one would call her a noble crusader. The only cause that Kara Zor-El, or Karen Starr as she reminded herself she was called, served was the mantle of the Herald of Death. That had been gifted to her, and she had two counterparts that she would meet.
  
  Yet there were several things that she had to do, before Karen officially joined up with them. The name Luthor hung out in her mind, like some sort of corrosive acid that threatened to eat away at everything that was good and just in the world. Karen recalled all of what the name Luthor did to her cousin, her version's universe of Kal-El. She certainly hoped that he was in a better place, for all that happened, and that she regretted each and every day that Kal-El could not be saved in time.
  
  It would not be enough to murder the Luthors, that was not Karen's game, and it was too clean, too simple for them. She wanted to utterly decimate them, to make sure the name Luthor was not fit to be written, or even spoken. They would be known for two things. Humiliation being one of those things, and failure being the other thing, failure would be the big thing in fact.
  
  'Security is primitive as always,' Karen thought to herself, whilst she dismantled it. 'Now if I was a super powered suit, where would I hide?"
  
  Being in a business relationship with the owner of this company allowed Karen certain access. She was adept enough in covering her tracks, and making sure that nothing could be traced back to her. Once people started tracing things back to her, that was one things got potentially problematic.
  
  Security stood standing around, keeping a vigilante eye out for any enemies, and they acted as if anything they did mattered. They were nothing, but puppets, rabble that Karen could easily take out with one finger. She did, and flicked them back onto the ground.
  
  Karen could have ripped the doors open with brute strength. The blonde Kryptonian preferred the sweet sophistication of science, and she hacked into the computers, getting whatever data she had. The truth was that hindsight being what it was; she wished she had finished Lex off in the Siberia when she had the chance.
  
  It was a missed opportunity, but life tended to be full of those.
  
  Karen was preoccupied by the fact that the Fortress needed to be found. Yet, it was not found, it was somewhere, in an infinite number of dimensions. It was hard to count every single dimension in the vast multiverse, because there were so many. They were all out there, and all of them taunted her, tormented her. It would take a lot of time and power, to navigate through them all, but Karen was getting closer and closer with each passing day to pinpointing it.
  
  The natives were not friendly in many of them, and often times had ripped people apart on general principle. They were far from friendly, and Karen scanned for energy plans. This facility stock piled the meteor rocks of all types.
  
  Green rocks, red rocks, blue rocks, and even a few black, gold, and pink rocks, but they would all need to be destroyed. Karen had seen the full power of meteor rocks up close, and what Lionel intended to do with them in the end.
  
  The meteor rocks did not affect her, thanks to her Herald of Death powers, and they would not harm another person ever again, human or Kryptonian, once she had destroyed them. The blonde heard a foot step off into the distance.
  
  A hapless scientist got knocked into the wall. There were no bones about it, Karen wanted to make sure that no one had followed her, no matter what, and there were no witnesses to what she did.
  
  A grin crossed her face, and the blonde Kryptonian hovered and swayed high above the floor. She was closer to uncovering just what Lex was up to. The security cameras blew up when she flew by. Not that they could catch her, she was a blur, and could not be picked up by any technology known to Earth. It would take an act of magic to catch her.
  
  Karen missed the monitoring spells that had been planted in this particular Luthorcorp facility. Had she not been on a timetable, she would have noticed that the charms had dinged her when she went across the hallway.
  
  'Luthor, what's your game?' Karen thought to herself.
  
  There was no answer, for this was a rhetorical question. Karen circled around the lab, gathering all the valuable technology as the spoils of conquest. She had earned the right to loot whatever she could. Taking pity on the humans, she deposited them outside of the lab.
  
  Then Karen flew up into the sky, and prepared to detonate an explosion device. The device was positively primitive compared to its Kryptonian counterparts, but Karen managed to figure out a way to create it. She watched, arms folded against each other, hovered in the air, and another Luthorcorp facility got vaporized, leaving no traces.
  
  This one offered very few clues where to go next, but Karen was able to adapt rather well. That might as well have been one of her powers. Karen dropped down, and took care of one more piece of business. The blonde Kryptonian used a crystal to mind wipe the last three hours from the minds of the staff and security she had rescued.
  
  No one would be able to track anything back to the source. Like a cork, Karen shot off in the sky. The busty blonde watched, her hair framing her beautiful face, and knew that there would be an investigation, but no evidence could tie the sabotage back to her.
  
  Karen flew back, and listened for radio traffic in the ear piece. They thought it was a group of eco-terrorists who had been attacking Luthorcorp for their past business practices. If they only knew, but a smug smile crossed the face of the young woman as she continued to fly.
  
  They would never know what she had done. Karen had gotten away with the perfect crime, and just in time too, given the people who were hovering around. Soon the name Luthorcorp would be lower than mud, and Karen would feel justified.
  
  Lana hovered, and watched Clark go about his daily duties, at the Daily Planet. It would be at least ten minutes before he would get off, which allowed Lana to fly above the ground, and collect her thoughts.
  
  There were a couple of moments where Lana kept an Eagle eye view for any potential crimes she could foil, but there was nothing to be seen. Not even a pickpocket and Lana resigned herself to just going around the sky of Metropolis, taking a casual flight to clear her mind.
  
  She wondered what this accursed ringing in her ear was. Lana had felt it on and off, and there was a beacon of some sort.
  
  Lana had stopped in the air, and pivoted, when something like this happened, automatically she was likely to have smelled a rat of some sort. That rat could potentially have been named Lily Potter.
  
  Lana was not too sure she was gone, and was forever was looking over her shoulder for. Lana tapped her foot, and flew even higher, to orbit in space, to get a better bird's eye view, and potentially clear her head. Lana folded her arms.
  
  The dream happened again last night. Clark had taken her to the Fortress, and proposed to her. Lana had said yes. Then the dream turned into a nightmare. Clark had been swooped down by some monster who had stalked him, and had been ripped away from her.
  
  The more Lana tried to fight him, the more the monster just crushed Clark. Lana kept getting pulled further and further away, until she was in an endless void of nothing. She fought, was helpless, feeling Clark get dragged away. The blood dripped from him, and the breath faded from his body.
  
  Then Lana stood over Clark's grave, and that's when she woke up. The dream had been so vivid Lana thought it was real, and it scared the ever living hell out of her.
  
  It was a sign that she needed to double, no triple, her efforts protect Clark against all that caused him harm, but at the same time, Lana felt that Clark did need a certain amount of space, as not to stifle him.
  
  It was a no win situation for sure. Lana tried to close her eyes, to figure out what to do. The knowledge from the Fortress was partially translated, and tomorrow was when she would begin her sessions with Kara at the Shining Light Foundation, where they would decipher and translate the information. Kara warned Lana that this might take a bit of time to do so, but Lana was patient. Any shred of information to help her help Clark help the world was more than appreciated.
  
  At the same time, Lana had a sense that someone was up there, watching over her as well. It was uncanny, and made the hair on her neck stand up. Every time Lana focused her X-Ray vision towards the person that she thought was there, that person was not there. When Lana's grip slipped in a rare lapse, someone had held her readjust long enough to save that entire bus full of people.
  
  Lana wondered if this was the sign of some greater power, returning back to Earth, just in time to catch Clark. She looked up at the news broadcast, stating that Lex Luthor had gone on a sabbatical, and Lana just took these broadcasts with the grain of salt that they deserved. It did confirm Lex was not dead and still out there, planning and still a menace.
  
  Clark stepped out, and Lana moved up to greet him, but then suddenly, Clark rubbed his ear. Lana paused, and looked at Clark, noticing that gesture.
  
  "You hear it too?" Lana whispered to him, in a voice that only a Kryptonian with super hearing could pick up.
  
  "Yes, it's been happening on and off all day, and it's saying, come to the Artic, Kal-El," Clark replied, but he clutched his papers.
  
  "I don't like it, Lily might have survived," Lana told Clark, and Clark shifted.
  
  "Harry destroyed her," Clark told Lana, and Lana just shrugged.
  
  "Lily could have made a backup that even Harry couldn't have found out about ," Lana suggested, not wanting to discount that possibility. Harry was only human, even with his great powers.
  
  Lana and Clark stepped forward, into the hustle and bustle of Metropolis at rush hour. Once they got to a safe location, they would fly off. Well technically it would be Lana flying, with Clark in her arms, but the thought was there. The two heard the humming, and the message growing more and more frantic.
  
  "We'll get Harry to check this out later," Clark told Lana, and he rubbed his ear.
  
  "I'm at the Shining Light Foundation tomorrow, I'll talk to him then," Lana said, and sure enough, Clark was in her arms, and the couple took flight into the air.
  
  Clark was getting more used to this, and Lana was getting more confident regarding her powers. Both had hoped that the mental block would fade over time, but there were some parts of himself that Clark still had not come completely to terms with.
  
  Chloe sat at the Shining Light Foundation, having waited for Harry and Kara's return from their activities. The last couple of weeks had been exciting to say the very least for her, and a smile just was put on Chloe's face. She had a great relationship with a great man, and if she had to share him with another woman, then so be it.
  
  From what Harry had said, given the type of bond that they shared, they were technically for all intents and purposes married. Much like Harry and Kara were technically for all intents and purposes married before they actually got married-married. Chloe did not claim to be an expert on magic, even if Harry was teaching her a little bit about it. Harry was a very good and able teacher, and Chloe found that her eyes remained on him at all times.
  
  Some people would sell Harry short, but he was rather brilliant, caring, and brave. Harry did admit to himself that he had never been the best in school, but Chloe thought that he was rather intelligent in other ways. He really supported her, and what she did, in all of its insanity.
  
  Plus there was the mind blowing sex, which Chloe thought was more of cherry on top than anything. Chloe leaned back on her chair. She wore a tight black skirt, and a cleavage baring white top, along with boots. Perhaps it was not the most professional thing in the world, but Harry had taught her a nifty little charm to change that if someone came by for a meeting. Or at least give the illusion that she had changed.
  
  To be honest, magic was a fascinating thing, and Chloe found herself more and more endeared with it the more that Harry taught her about it.
  
  The doors opened, and Chloe bounced up, to see Harry and Kara walk inside. Both of them looked a bit worn out, but rather pleased despite the situation.
  
  "So, how did your meeting go?" Chloe asked.
  
  "I thought it went well," Harry remarked, looking at Chloe. Harry sat down on the chair and turned around to check the monitoring charms that he had snuck inside Luthorcorp. If there was any hint of Lex, he would know.
  
  Kara hovered over, and sat herself down on Harry's lap on the chair. Chloe moved over, with a grin, and sat on his other side on the chair. It was a rather tight fit, but the three of them had snuggled together nicely on the chair.
  
  Harry kept clicking away at the computer, trying to find out what he needed to, but his mind drifted to the two beautiful women, who were on either side of him.
  
  One of the most serious pieces of advice that Sirius had given him was that Potters would find always find a woman who could be defined by three adjectives. Those three adjectives were, smart, sexy, and strong.
  
  Harry looked up, and both Chloe and Kara cuddled on either side of him. The fact of the matter was that he did not just find one woman who had these qualities, rather he found two, and that was something that he could take to the bank all day long.
  
  The door opened suddenly, and Chloe and Kara suddenly stiffened, with the compromising position that they were in. Harry was a bit slow to react, and Claire walked into the room, in a cheerful expression.
  
  "Hey, Dad, have you seen my bag?" Claire asked.
  
  "Did you check the last class you were in?" Harry asked Claire at that point, and Claire just shrugged.
  
  She could have smacked herself.
  
  "Yeah, I must have left it in there, I don't know why," Claire replied, but suddenly she looked at Harry, Chloe, and Kara. "Um, why are you three sitting on the same chair?"
  
  "Because the other one was busted," Kara replied quickly.
  
  "Don't you have magic?" Claire asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Can't you fix it?"
  
  Claire suddenly looked at the two of them, and saw her father's hand slowly slip off the small of Chloe's back, and it was wrapped around Kara's as well. The eleven year old girl looked, nodded, blinked, with widened eyes, and just turned around and walked off.
  
  Harry really had no way to read the reaction on her face. Chloe leaned forward.
  
  "Did you explain to your daughter about the situation, Harry?" Chloe asked him, voice nonchalant and calm.
  
  It was this point where Harry shifted in the chair. Chloe and Kara both got up to their feet, and Harry did as well, to took a step forward.
  
  "How do you explain something like this to an eleven year old?" Harry asked them.
  
  Chloe just gave a shrug. "How do you explain something like this to Clark?"
  
  "I thought you were going to tell him today," Kara told Chloe, and Chloe gave a rather prolonged sigh.
  
  "It must have slipped my mind," Chloe replied, and she bit her lip nervously before she spoke again. "We better tell him soon, because Lana's already figured it out."
  
  Harry thought that was about right. The truth was he could imagine Clark freaking out just a tiny bit about this, not that it was his business. They were all consenting adults. Chloe stood immediately, and watched, carefully, and quickly.
  
  "You must be distracted, you didn't even kiss me when you walked in the door," Chloe remarked to Harry, placing her hands on her hips, and looking at him.
  
  A devilish grin crossed over Kara's face, and she hovered in the air, before grabbing Chloe around the waist. Chloe gave a surprised noise, and Kara pressed her lips onto Chloe's in a searing kiss. Harry watched the gesture, eyes widened. He was not about to make a noise, rather he stared there, transfixed.
  
  Kara just pulled away from Chloe at that moment. Chloe watched Kara, absolutely shocked, and numbed. A look of mischief crossed the face of the blonde Kryptonian at that moment. "Oh, you meant Harry, didn't you?"
  
  "Yeah, yeah, I did," Chloe breathed, but a shit eating grin was plastered upon her face. "The gesture is appreciated though, thank you very much."
  
  Harry stepped forward, and wrapped his arms around Chloe. Chloe peered into his eyes, and Harry pulled her into a long kiss. Chloe melted into his embrace, feeling her spine tingling with his efforts, and Harry ran his hands down her back, teasing more potentially coming.
  
  An alarm went off, and Harry had found what he was looking for. The monitoring spell had struck pay dirt, and Harry stepped forward. Chloe and Kara both stepped forward, and watched what Harry had brought up. There was a moment, before Harry responded.
  
  "Are you two girls seeing what I'm seeing?" Harry asked both of them.
  
  Chloe and Kara offered a nod, and numbly peered to the screen.
  
  "I think we've found our third Herald of Death," Chloe replied, and Kara just watched her. "Looks like you, looks a lot like you. Only shorter hair and she's....a bit more mature."
  
  "What do you mean mature?" Kara asked, without missing a beat.
  
  "Well, she's had more time to grow," Chloe offered, and Kara just looked at her, but then her eyes fell on the cleavage window on the girl's outfit.
  
  "Oh, I see," Kara replied, but she looked at it. This girl moved with speed and rabid fury. It seemed like whoever this girl was, she was Kryptonian, and had embraced her heritage even more than Kara did, perhaps too much to the other extreme, on the other end of the spectrum from Clark.
  
  "So, either someone cloned you, or you have an evil twin from another dimension," Chloe remarked.
  
  "No one is saying she's evil," Harry said, eyes narrowed sternly.
  
  Chloe just shrugged, and the three of them kept looking at the screen, over and over again, in an attempt to uncover some kind of clue. Harry suddenly marked down a list of the Luthorcorp facilities that had been hit.
  
  The problem was there was no pattern.
  
  "So, Kara, if you were going to attack another Luthorcorp facility, where would you go?" Harry asked Kara.
  
  Kara pondered for a moment, before it struck her.
  
  A car crash had occurred in Metropolis and it lead to a three car pileup. One person was down on the ground clutching their neck. In some weird twist of fate, it happened so fast that the mysterious blur could not save the day. Several paramedics had been dispatched on the scene.
  
  One of them was Davis Bloome, a young and charismatic paramedic. He was unassuming and casual to the naked eye, but like many people, there was a darkness that lurked inside of him. Also, little did he know he was in the cross-hairs of someone who wanted to do him harm.
  
  Karen floated in mid-air, hovering with her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes narrowed, and looked at the person below. She could sense him. The crisis she had manufactured to draw him out of hiding worked like a charm. Now it was time for her to finish off the job, nice and easily, to slay the monster before the darkness had overwhelmed him.
  
  In a way, she was doing him a favor. Karen swooped up, and caught Davis around the waist, unaware, still invisible.
  
  "What is going on?" Davis demanded, and he was hurled across the room onto the ground.
  
  "Taking care of you before you before a problem," Karen replied, looking down at the paramedic immediately. "You'll thank me for this later, in the afterlife."
  
  "I don't understand what I did," Davis replied, confusion on his face.
  
  Karen just simply rammed an elbow down across the side of the neck. That was not nearly enough, to kill him, but it would cause him a great deal of pain, blues, and agony.
  
  Suddenly a figure rushed in. Davis was scooped up, and swooped out of her reach. Karen spun around, and grabbed Clark Kent by the jacket, before she flung him against the wall hard, with the full force of her Kryptonian strength.
  
  Clark landed with a solid thud, and he looked up. He saw this girl who resembled Kara so very much it was scary. The white material on her costume hugged snugly around her body, showcasing her curves. There was a large cleavage widow, one that Clark tried to look away from. She wore black boots, white fingerless gloves, and a black cape that fluttered in the breeze.
  
  "Just who are you?" Clark demanded, regaining her bearings.
  
  "Someone who is very pissed off about what you did, Kal-El," Karen told him hotly.
  
  This girl even sounded like Kara, and this was the last thought that went through his head, before she punched him. Clark was somehow immobilized, and stunned.
  
  Lana showed up immediately against Karen, pleased that she had just saved an innocent civilian from a terrible fate.
  
  "Wonderful, his partner him crime," Karen replied dully.
  
  "Crime, what are you talking about?" Lana asked, confused.
  
  "You saved him, helped save that paramedic, but trust me, he's a real monster," Karen replied, in a dull voice, and she grabbed Lana by the hair. Lana tried to struggle with all of her might, but she had been flung into the wall, and with a loud crack, her face connected hard with the concrete.
  
  Karen took a step forward, and Lana and Clark were both down on the ground. The two of them would wake up in a moment, and most certainly the opportunity had been lost for today.
  
  Karen stopped, and her heart skipped a beat. She was face to face with her two fellow Heralds of Death. It was too soon for them to meet. Kara blinked, looking at her double.
  
  "Who are you?" Kara demanded.
  
  Karen grabbed Kara violently by her hair to do the same she did to Lana, but Kara had the presence of mind to fight back. Harry was knocked down in the scuffle, but he rebounded quickly.
  
  Harry found himself watching the two blonde haired girls, each equally matched, rolling around on the floor, pulling each other's hair, scratching at each other's faces, and punching at each other, while trying to tug at their clothes. He found the sight to be rather distracted, especially with the attire on what appeared to be Kara's doppleganger.
  
  Shaking off his thoughts, Harry tried to rush forward. A force field had knocked him backwards, and forced him to stagger a step or two back. The two of them continued to fight.
  
  Eventually Karen rolled over, and pinned Kara on the ground. She groaned when the small of her back hit the concrete.
  
  "Guess I'm stronger, and more mature," Karen replied to Kara, whispering in her ear, and stroking her face. "And I can dominate you, and have my way with you, in any way I wish."
  
  "You wish," Kara managed, and Karen's hands wrapped around her throat. She choked, and Karen straddled her on the ground. Karen licked her lips. After being locked up for all of those years, Karen relished being the dominant one for the change, not someone who was helpless, and demure.
  
  Harry tried to fight through the forcefield. If this was the third Herald of Death, she flipped, and absolutely lost all sense of self.
  
  Karen looked at her younger, but mostly identical body. Kara struggled to fight Karen off, but Karen just leaned down, and pressed her lips on Kara's in a lustful kiss, forcing her tongue into Kara's mouth.
  
  The kiss lingered, with Karen just rubbing herself on top of Kara, as they both laid on the pavement. Whether or not anyone was around to see this, they did not care. For the first time in a long time, Kara felt powerless, and Karen just grabbed the crystal.
  
  "Are you going to...wipe my mind?" Kara asked, breathing heavily.
  
  "No, I want you to remember this for a lifetime," Karen replied, groping Kara through her shirt.
  
  She enjoyed this, perhaps a little bit too much, and Kara deflated under her touch, feeling her double's soft hands work on her.
  
  Karen got to her feet, and held the crystal, before jabbing it towards the area between Kara's legs.
  
  Kara gave a high pitched moan and her hips bucked violently when she was simulated with the energies of the crystal, before she blacked out from the pleasure.
  
  Harry felt her pleasure through the bond that they shared, and found himself black out immediately as well.
  
  Karen smiled, they would make excellent lovers when the time was right, but she still had plenty of work to do before that particular moment was ready. The destroyer had tasted blood, his own, but Karen could not adequately finish the job.
  
  Clark and Lana came too, and saw Kara lying on the ground, a goofy smile on her face, and Harry out as well. Both of them wondered what was going on.
  
  To Be Continued in "Girl Like Me Part Two."
  Girl Like Me
  
  Chapter 42: Girl Like Me Part Two.
  
  Clark shook up the cobwebs, and Lana was up to her feet. People thankfully did not crowd around too much, but Clark was honestly shell-shocked, taken out by that woman, whoever she was. She was so quick and so fast that Clark could barely figure out what had just happened. His mind was completely rattled, and Clark slowly turned to Lana, voicing a question in a whisper.
  
  "Lana..."
  
  "Fine, Clark," Lana responded, and she rubbed her head, trying to get some sense back into her own mind. Harry got back to his feet, absolutely shaken. Kara was down on the ground, and Harry nudged her, trying to wake her up. The blonde was in la-la land from what had just happened and thus Harry grew rather frantic.
  
  "Kara, please snap out of it," Harry said in a desperate voice, and at these words Kara stirred and she extended her arms, for Harry to pull her up to her feet. Kara wrapped her arms around Harry and Harry hoisted her back up to a standing position, her legs wobbling a little bit due to the fact that she was still recovering from what had occurred.
  
  Kara took a long, and deep breath at that moment. And her eyes fluttered open, before she gave a responsive nod, a smile crossing her face. She wanted to let Harry know that despite what happened, she'll be okay.
  
  "I'm back Harry," Kara responded, and both of them knew that Kara had been brought to quite the peak thanks to that crystal. It had shut down her mind and the mind of Harry as well, and allowed their mystery girl to escape.
  
  "Who was that anyway?" Lana asked, completely at a loss for words .
  
  "I believe that was our third Herald of Death."
  
  Chloe showed up, and she tried to disguise the pleasure that she felt through the link, when Kara had been jabbed with the crystal. It was extremely difficult to block out of her mind and keep focused about, but she had to try. Harry shook his head, and took a few deep breaths, trying to remain on his feet. Kara was placed back on her feet, and Kara adjusted her feet. It was Clark who had stood there, about to open his mouth, but Harry waved his hand before they made a scene.
  
  The entire group was back on the Kent Farm at that moment, and Harry gave them the motion for them to speak. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that they would need to say a lot about what had just transpired. Sure enough, Clark was going to chime in at that point.
  
  "That was the third Herald of Death?"
  
  "Yes, I believe that's what Chloe said, and it's the truth," Kara offered, and Harry sat down. Kara slid onto his lap. The two of them still were rather out of it from what the third Herald had done. Harry wrapped his arms around his wife, and Kara leaned her head into his chest. Chloe stood on the other side of them.
  
  "She didn't seem like the friendly type," Lana offered, rubbing the side of her head, but thankfully she did not suffer from any double vision. She tried to use her powers, but it was like the third Herald shut them down temporarily, before smashing her into the wall to exert her dominance. Not that Lana had any delusions of winning a hand to hand fight with one of the Heralds, especially with Harry who could eat her for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with some left over for dessert.
  
  Harry sighed, that was ever the truth. The third Herald of Death seemed to be a bit bent with some kind of power and the fact she ruthlessly attacked them, and had her way with them, just because she could. This was not make a stable individual at the very slightest and thus Harry grew with a bit of worry. She also randomly attacked a civilian, a paramedic, and if Harry had to guess, she manufactured the actual disaster to get them there.
  
  Harry wondered what her game was, and that was something that was hard to ponder. She seemed to be acting in an erratic fashion and without the proper grounding for her powers, there could be potential trouble.
  
  Chloe shifted, and looked at Clark, conflict washing through her mind. She wanted to make sure both Kara and Harry were okay, and offer them some level of comfort. Yet, Clark did not know, and Chloe just took a breath. There was no time like the present, Chloe guessed at that moment, and with a resolved expression she decided to break the charming news to Clark.
  
  "Hey, Clark, I need to have a word with you...just for a minute..."
  
  "Chloe, in a minute, there's something important that you all need to know, especially Harry and Kara," Clark told them, and Harry and Kara were all ears at this statement that he had given. They leaned forward, to listen to Clark. "Lana and I were listening, and heard a noise coming from where the Fortress used to be."
  
  "What kind of noise?" Harry prompted, frowning at the very thought, and trying to piece it together, but at this point while there were any number of theories that he could have given, there was no real proof.
  
  "It was a buzzing coming from the Artic, some sort of beacon," Lana helpfully inputted, and Harry just nodded, hearing what she had said. He shifted, and listened to what she said, and invited for Lana to go on to give him further information. "The noise was like it was calling out to us, asking us for help, summoning us to the Fortress."
  
  Immediately, Harry and Kara shifted their expressions to each other, and great worry flooded into them with both of them were automatically suspicious due to the past experiences, but the two of them wondered what was up. They had banished Lily to the beyond, but they had known by now that things were not always what they seemed and how sneaky Lily was. It was all too possible that even if she was long gone, the woman had left some sort of failsafe behind.
  
  Lana and Clark both waited nervously, and they could tell that Kara and Harry tried to assimilate what was happening in their mind. It was Kara who piped up with an answer, mentally agreeing with Harry that this course of action was the best call.
  
  "Once we figure out what is going on with this third Herald, Harry and I will check it out, in case it is a trap."
  
  "It could be Jor-El," Chloe offered, deciding to offer them an option.
  
  "And that's not a trap, how?" Clark asked, shrugging his shoulders, not too thrilled about that possibility either.
  
  "Better him than my mother," Harry answered, and Clark shifted at that point. He would have to debate that one in the future. The AI version of his father had been one that had given him more than a few headaches in the past. "But until we have taken a good look at everything, it's best no one goes near where the Fortress was. Powers or not, if you get sent to some kind of pocket universe, you won't be getting out, and you could get sent anywhere."
  
  Lana leaned forward, and had to ponder about it. The fact was that Lily would have been devious enough to leave something behind, even if she was not behind. The last few times she had been in the Fortress had made Lana a bit uneasy. There was something in her mind about a failsafe, if Jor-El's influence had been removed, but she could not for the life of her piece together much more than that. The knowledge was a hazed bit of jigsaw pieces that Lana was trying to scramble together.
  
  "Our biggest problem is this third Herald of Death," Harry responded, switching the conversation back to its intended purpose.
  
  There was a long moment of silence before Clark decided to offer what he thought of the situation.
  
  "She's a bit twisted in the head," Clark replied, and he looked at Kara. "She looks a little like you, you know..."
  
  "Yes, Clark, I did notice that, thanks," Kara responded, rolling her eyes at these words from her cousin and his ability to state the completely obvious.
  
  "So what do you think, evil twin from a mirror dimension, some kind of clone, future version of you driven mad by a worse-case scenario timeline?" Chloe asked, biting her lip at the thought, and shutting up immediately to offer them the office.
  
  Kara thought that any number of these possibilities had been likely and possible. There was something about this doppleganger that made her wonder, if this attack had been random. In the heat of the moment, Kara wondered if she perceived some kind of threat. The Herald of Death instincts could be hard to read and now this made Kara wonder, especially when it was unlikely that this third Herald got the proper grounding for her powers.
  
  The Herald of Death powers were hard to read sometimes, and might have registered a false positive or two. Harry and Kara understood that from their training and that was one thing that Lily was correct about. The two of them knew what they must do now.
  
  "We should go and look for her," Harry said, and Chloe got up, offering them an eager expression and she nearly fell over in her excitement.
  
  "You two need my help?" Chloe asked, itching for a chance to stretch her legs.
  
  "I appreciate it, but you did have something to tell Clark, and we'll be right back when we find her," Kara responded, and the two disappeared in a flash of light.
  
  Chloe and Clark looked at each other, and there was an uncomfortable moment of silence before Chloe had blurted out what she had to tell him without any tact whatsoever.
  
  "Harry, Kara, and I are in a relationship together, the three of us!"
  
  There was silence, and Clark looked absolutely flummoxed at the moment. He stared at Chloe, who watched him, a fearless expression on her face, and Clark suddenly burst out with laughter. This might have been the most absurd and outlandish statement that ever
  
  Lana sighed, this was going to be kind of painful, she braced herself for the impact, and more importantly the damage control, as Chloe's eyes bored into Clark's. There was a pause before Chloe decided to enlighten Clark on this situation.
  
  "Why are you laughing?" Chloe asked Clark, and Clark just shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs.
  
  "You nearly had me going for a minute Chloe, nice late April Fool's day joke," Clark told her, and Chloe just crossed her arms at that moment, and looked at him, a bit of agitation flickering through her eyes.
  
  "It's not a joke," Chloe replied in a cool voice, and Clark just looked at her, and blinked immediately.
  
  Clark still was blinking a minute later. Lana nudged her elbow into his ribs to snap Clark back into the reality. It took a couple of sharp jabs before Lana brought Clark into something that vaguely resembled coherence.
  
  "The three of you...in a relationship...together," Clark managed, and he shook his head, unable to process this. He had thought Harry was an okay guy, but something like this, was making him question Harry right now. This just seemed wrong, he could not explain how it was wrong, just that it was wrong.
  
  One could argue that stubbornness was one of Clark's superpowers and it was rearing its ugly head at that point.
  
  "Yes, Clark, the three of us are in a relationship together, with all of the benefits that go along with it," Chloe responded, and Clark just blinked immediately. He could barely even process what was going on around him, but once again something seemed to be completely off.
  
  This was not something that one heard every day.
  
  "Chloe, that's just...do you...."
  
  "What is it Clark?" Chloe asked, and she looked Clark dead on the eye, not blinking and showing absolutely no fear whatsoever. "Is it wrong that the three of us are together?"
  
  "The two of them are married Chloe, that's what's wrong about it," Clark responded, and there was a lecture on the tip of his tongue, but Chloe cut him off at the pass.
  
  "Actually, Harry and I are married too, and likely me and Kara as well, we're all magically bonded, which is higher than any law in the land," Chloe offered, thinking of this to be a perfectly logical and rational explanation as to why Clark should have nothing to complain about this.
  
  Clark's mind proceeded to shut down at this point, and he was struck dumb.
  
  "Chloe, I don't think this is, this could end...."
  
  Clark really could not find any way to string together a coherent sentence. This had spun his entire worldview of everything on its axis. Harry was in a multi-partner relationship with his cousin and his best friend, and they were okay with that. Both logically and morally speaking, none of this made any sense whatsoever and the attempt to interject logic into this situation was giving Clark a throbbing headache.
  
  "It's perfectly naturally Clark, well on Krypton anyway," Lana offered, trying to deflect Clark, but Clark's eyes snapped towards her, accusations dancing in them towards Lana.
  
  "Wait, Lana, you knew about this?" Clark asked her, suddenly realizing.
  
  "Just for a couple of days," Lana responded to Clark, sensing a fight coming on, and it pained her that she sensed that.
  
  "Weren't you the one that hated me keeping secrets from you?" Clark asked Lana, feeling a bit hurt and betrayed by the woman that was supposed to be his protector.
  
  "Your secrets Clark, when we were supposed to be in a relationship," Lana reminded him, and she tried to grab Clark's hand to gently calm him down, but he just turned away. "This was not my secret to give out at will."
  
  "We should have come clean with you at the beginning," Chloe remarked, looking apologetic and honestly Harry and Kara were right, the longer they kept this a secret, the worse it would have seemed. "But, Clark, you know I'm a grown woman, and I can make my own decisions."
  
  "And what do you think people will think about this?" Clark asked suddenly, and Chloe just opened her mouth, but Clark was not done. "And what you're doing is technically...."
  
  "What illegal, morally wrong?" Chloe asked him, giving him a challenging expression in her eyes. She could not believe that Clark was being such a wet blanket and closed-minded, especially about his own background and where he came from. It was reasons like this why Clark struggled to embrace his own Kryptonian heritage.
  
  Lana shook her head, and hoped that things would not get a bit rough. With Chloe having her powers, she did not want to have to pull her friend off of her boyfriend, and get caught in the middle of it. That would be an outcome that was far from desirable for her, and Lana sighed, trying to pacify the situation without it escalating to shouting or worse.
  
  "Clark, you have to understand something, this is something that they've agreed to be in," Lana told them, and Clark just turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "I was in the Fortress, and the knowledge that absorbed into my mind is clear. I know some of it...multiple partners is something that is common with Kryptonians."
  
  "So, if I wanted to bring in another girl or two, you'd just be alright with that?" Clark asked, eyes snapped towards Lana's face.
  
  Lana felt very annoyed at Clark right now. "Don't you throw this back around on me, Clark Kent!"
  
  Clark just got up, and took a deep breath. He had never thought that anyone could even be in a relationship with more than one girl, and this was just new and confusing to him. He stepped out, with Lana yelling a warning behind him..
  
  "I swear to God, if you go after Harry, you're going to be sorry!" Lana told Clark, and Clark just paused, hit with that one.
  
  "No...I just need to go for a walk...clear my head...I'm sorry."
  
  Clark turned around, and left, taking a deep breath, and tried to figure out this new situation. He really wished that Jor-El was around, and would be able to give him some advice, even if this was one of the last situations that he would have ever thought he would discuss with Jor-El. It was clearly not something that was in the top one thousand to say the very least, and if he thought of a million things before today, this would not be thought of.
  
  What was worst was that Clark considered the multiple partners thing before, under the Red Kryptonite, and was ashamed of it, but he shook off those thoughts. It was wrong, wrong, wrong to have such wanton desires, and Clark wondered what Harry was thinking, unless it was Chloe and Kara who talked him into it.
  
  Lana and Chloe were left in the Kent Farm, both of them just looking at each other.
  
  "Well that could have gone better," Chloe offered meekly.
  
  "Yeah, no kidding," Lana said shaking her head, and peering at him. "I should really go after him...but something's holding me back. I'll keep a close eye on him, making sure he doesn't do anything irrational."
  
  Chloe hoped for that too, but one thing was for certain about Clark, he was irrational at the worst possible times.
  
  "He's just shocked about it," Lana replied, trying to justify what was happening, and Lana was visited by a theory. "If I had to take a guess, his male ego just took a blow, wondering why he doesn't have more than one mate."
  
  "Would you even allow another woman into your relationship?" Chloe wondered, but Lana did not answer that.
  
  Lana walked off without answering that question, and Chloe was left all alone. She just hoped Clark came to his senses, because Chloe hated to lose her best friend over something like this. She could sense the confusion coming off of him, and perhaps a tiny bit of jealousy.
  
  She had given Clark plenty of chances to make his move, and now Chloe had truly moved on, but she would have liked to retain their friendship. There was really no easy situation for something like this and Clark was just too stubborn, Chloe could not think of that enough. That was one of his defining characteristics.
  
  He got it from his father, both of them perhaps, if what Kara said about Jor-El was true.
  
  "I don't care if you can't remember a thing, I want answers about what happened, and I want them now!"
  
  Tess slammed the phone down, and she took a step forward, to think about what happened. Another Luthorcorp facility had been destroyed and the person who had been behind it had not even been caught. She had not known about this one actually, which made it more curious and also made her suspicious about Lex's intentions. The only bit of information she had been able to drudge up was the fact that Lex had a store of meteor rocks there.
  
  The key word was that it was something that he had, and it was something that he did not have anymore. Tess remembered the latest progress report regarding Lex, and how he was paralyzed from the neck down after his little misadventure in the Artic. She had slowly been worming the information out of him, but he seemed to be unable to say much of anything. He feigned some kind of brain damage, but Tess knew better, she knew that Lex was milking sympathy from the doctors she assigned.
  
  Karen showed up at this point, casual and calm, with Tess none the wiser at what she had been up to.
  
  Then again, Karen was a completely elaborate disguise. She wore a dark wig that was bland in both color and style. She wore a pair of thick glasses over the bridge of her nose. Her clothes were extremely conservative, not anything unlike what she normally wore. It did hurt her to be covered up this much, but it was all about the role she had to plan. Not an inch of flesh was showed, except for that on her face and hands.
  
  "Ms. Starr, I had nearly forgotten about our meeting today," Tess replied, trying to remain calm and collected in spite of the grim news she had received.
  
  Karen was pleased how much she had gotten under the skin of Tess, and took a step forward, hiding the look of supreme triumph in her eyes.
  
  "I hope you haven't been under too much stress," Karen replied in a soft voice.
  
  Tess shook her head and stood up straight and proud. "No more so than usual..."
  
  "With Lex Luthor's unexpected sabbatical, you must be working around the clock getting this company back off the ground," Karen answered to Tess, and Tess just responded with a tense look.
  
  "Yes, much to do, but I have not neglected our partnership," Tess replied, trying to regain control, and regained her bearings.
  
  "Of course not, an honest and dedicated career woman like yourself would never neglect a partnership," Karen replied. Her face remained calm and blank of all emotions, yet beneath it all, Karen was calculating every single thing, and was pleased that Tess was losing control, being so accustomed to having it at any other control.
  
  'Shoe's on the other foot now, isn't it?' Karen thought, working hard trying to keep the smug expression off of her face.
  
  She managed to copy the documents Tess had in her case, without her even noticing it. Tess turned around, and stepped forward, trying to deal with the sabotage of this previously unknown to her Luthorcorp facility.
  
  "If you would like, we could reschedule the meeting for next week," Karen offered, in a sweet and innocent voice, keeping her eyes devoid of any expression.
  
  "That would be acceptable," Tess agreed, relieved that she had a week to prepare. Thanks to that corporate saboteur, her mind had been all over the map and she had to get it together, or her competitions would eat her alive. "I can delay this, but I do hope that it will not cause any problems."
  
  Karen just offered a brief smile, before she reestablished her stern expression. "None at all, you can find me to be very flexible."
  
  Karen turned around, having what she needed. The other two Heralds of Death were looking for her; this could not be done it was too soon for them to join together, but Karen did have this information that they might find handy. While she could not read between the lines of where Lex was, it did not mean that others could not.
  
  Especially if that other person had a more intimate knowledge of this dimension, and with those thoughts, Karen slipped into the hallway, and changed from these boring clothes, into something more comfortable.
  
  The two Heralds of Death remained invisible, and continued to track their counterpart. Harry was going over everything in his mind about what happened. There was some times where he just smelled a rat, although he had no idea how or why. Harry folded his arms in the air, and continued to sway from one side, to the next. The dark haired Herald of Death grabbed the wrist of his wife, and the pair of them continued to descend to the ground, landing on the side. The two of them saw their mysterious girl flying around, careful not to attract any attention.
  
  At least, no attention from either of them, and Kara stood rigid, putting her hands on her hips.
  
  "Looks like she slipped up," Kara answered, looking forward and seeing her twin in sight.
  
  "Or, she's luring us into a false sense of security," Harry told her, and Kara turned around, smiling brightly, ready to avenge what happened earlier.
  
  The two of them would grab her, and forced her to give them the information, give them the answers. Kara flew forward, trying to grab her counterpart. Suddenly, she became visible in the blink of an eye.
  
  Karen saw her counterpart flying towards her, faster than a speeding bullet. Normally Kara's speed would be a problem for anyone. However, she was faster, so Karen dodged Kara, grabbed her arm, and folded it behind her back, forcing her to her knees with pain. Kara grimaced, and Karen kicked her in the back of the arm several times.
  
  "You just don't know when to give up," Karen replied, and she was kicked off by Kara.
  
  Harry jumped in and tried to bind the other blonde Kryptonian. For a second, the ropes bound around her tightly, squeezing her in place. She snapped out of her restraints, and Kara jumped into the air, grabbing Karen around the waist. The two of them flew up into the air, flying, and spinning in the air, and Kara tried to direct her counterpart away from crashing into any people.
  
  Putting some anti-eavesdropping spells, Harry tried to mitigate the damage control the best that he could. The two blonde Kryptonians crashed through a nearby water tower on the top of the building, causing ice cold water to fly everywhere, and both girls were completely soaked with water. Ice cold water dripped from their bodies and their clothes were completely damp.
  
  The two of them landed down on the ground hard. Karen got back up to her feet. The white material clung tightly to her curves, and it was apparently that she was not wearing anything underneath. Kara grabbed her, but Karen gripped the shirt, before she tugged at it, ripping off Kara's half shirt. Kara flew away, and the material tore away in Karen's hand, leaving her in nothing, but a soaked bra from the waist up. Kara's nipples poked out from behind the wet fabric as the material clung tightly to her chest.
  
  Kara jumped up, and tried to bind Karen's wrists and arms together, but Karen stepped off to the side, and grabbed Kara by the waist. Kara gave a surprised yelp, as Karen smacked her on the backside with a super powerful slap. Kara gave a yelp that was half between pleasure and pain, and this gave Karen a moment to knock her duplicate off guard.
  
  Kara nearly flew off of the side of the building, and Karen jumped into the air, sending a blast of heat vision through the air. Kara repelled, and heat vision met heat vision. The two girls, dripping wet with water, with their clothes ripped, tried to push back and forth, to overwhelm each other with the heat vision.
  
  "Just you who are you?" Kara demanded in her most dangerous voice, but she was shoved back, nearly sliding off of the side. Karen just had a grin cross her face, and she caught Kara around the waist.
  
  "I am you," Karen whispered in Kara's eye, and slowly stroked her fingers on the exposed skin of her stomach, teasing her fingers at the edge of the skirt, but not quite taking the plunge. "Soon, you'll see, but I have information for both you and your mate."
  
  Karen grabbed the envelope of documents, and shoved them into Kara's hand. Kara took them, and Karen reached forward, grabbing Kara, and pressing her lips to her counterpart's with a searing kiss. Kara did not fight, instead returning the kiss deeply, and opening her mouth to allow Karen's tongue to enter. There was just something rather intoxicating about this, and Kara felt her mind slowly shut down.
  
  "Just something to remember me by," Karen replied with a saucy wink, and she disappeared, just when Harry broke through the barriers, finally reaching Kara.
  
  Kara just nearly dropped to one knee, and Harry wrapped his arms around her, making sure she was okay.
  
  "I'm sorry I couldn't get through in time," Harry whispered to Kara, and Kara just nodded, her heart beating across her chest. Her head thumped down onto Harry's shoulder, with him holding her tight in a warm and loving embrace. Harry's bright green eyes looked into her blue eyes, and concern filled them. "Are you okay?"
  
  "Yeah, I'm fine, I'll be fine," Kara answered, wrapping her arms tighter around Harry, and pulling him into a long kiss. Harry returned the kiss with fever, and passion, the two of them had been soaked from the battle.
  
  Harry could taste the other blonde Kryptonian on her lips. She had a wilder and more untamed taste than his beautiful bride. It was sensual in its own way, however. Harry pulled away, and Kara placed her hands on Harry's waist, propping herself up.
  
  "Are you sure?" Harry asked her, smiling at her.
  
  "Positive," Kara answered with a nervous little grin, and she held the information in her hand, clutching the information tightly in it. "I wonder why she gave us this."
  
  Harry had no idea. He placed his arm around Kara's waist, and the two of them set sail back off, after Harry repaired the damage, and modified a few memories.
  
  The two of them made their way off, and tried to reconcile what had happened to them on that particular day. It was one that neither of them would be forgetting anytime soon, that was for certain.
  
  Back at the Shining Light Foundation, Kara and Harry poured over the documents on the table. The other blonde Kryptonian had given it to them. Chloe took a step forward, looking a bit dazed, and thrown off.
  
  "So what are you doing?" Chloe asked them, rather curiously.
  
  Kara was the one that popped up. "Our mysterious third Herald of Death popped up again, and gave us this, its information, and it's what Lex is up to."
  
  "So the rumors of Lex Luthor's demise have been greatly exaggerated," Chloe chimed in, and Harry and Kara got in. "Is there any concrete information on him?"
  
  "Nothing that we can track him down with, but we might be able to track down what he is working on," Kara replied, and when Chloe just looked at her, Kara decided to elaborate with more information. "There is some kind of project that he's working on; we believe that he thinks it will help him defeat Clark, but we don't have any information regarding what it is, where it's being held, or where Lex is."
  
  Chloe just shivered at the sound of Clark's name, and Harry grabbed Chloe's hand.
  
  "What's wrong?" Harry asked her, concern in his eyes.
  
  Chloe just took a deep breath, and decided to elaborate on what she was feeling. "Clark and I...well we kind of had it out over...our arrangement."
  
  Kara just looked up, and took a deep and calming breathing, before she gripped Chloe's hands, and looked her straight in the eye.
  
  "Just say the word, and I'll go and have a chat with him," Kara told Chloe in a gentle voice. Chloe slid back, and her heart beat a bit quicker against her ribcage, but she shook her head.
  
  "No, I don't want to make this situation any worse than it has to," Chloe responded, feeling a bit flustered.
  
  "If he started his training, like he was supposed to, he would have understood about this," Kara replied, and she did not want to think about it, but it was possible someone like Clark could have had multiple mates.
  
  Breaching that subject with Lana was going to be all kinds of fun.
  
  "Clark is your best friend," Harry replied, and he looked at Chloe. "Perhaps at another time, you hung your hat on something more developing."
  
  Chloe just offered a nod, and sighed. "Yeah, I did, but that ship has long since sailed, and long since been torpedoed a long time again. Clark's stubborn, and often times needs to be hit with a hard dose of reality."
  
  "Just say the word Chloe, and I'll take care of him immediately," Kara replied to Chloe, and Chloe just smiled, shaking her head.
  
  "No, it's nice if you, really it is, but I'm fine," Chloe responded to both of them, and Harry just placed his arms around her.
  
  "Clark will come around, although if he doesn't, I'll just seal him in a nightmare dimension until he does," Harry responded, trying to lighten the mood, and Chloe laughed, before things grew suddenly serious.
  
  "Somehow I don't think that physical abuse and trauma is going to solve this problem," Chloe answered, and Harry just placed his hands on either side of her face, before he gently kissed her lips.
  
  Chloe felt herself be a bit better, indulging herself in the full pleasure of the tender kiss that Harry gave her.
  
  "Come on, the three of us need relief after what happened today," Kara chimed in, and Chloe just nodded at the three of us. She saw the symbol on her hand, and it reminded her of the choice she made.
  
  The choice had not been without its benefits, and Harry, Kara, and Chloe disappeared with simultaneous pops, heading back home to unwind with each other.
  
  The two girls grabbed Harry, and pushed him back on the bed. Both of them sat on either side of Harry, and started to kiss his body, while pulling off his shirt. Both Chloe and Kara massaged Harry's abs and chest, and Harry felt himself swell under their actions.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  The two lovely young women disappeared for a brief moment, leaving Harry wanting more. Both of them returned, wearing sheer see through night dressed. Chloe wore a white one, that wrapped snugly around her body, and when she swayed, Harry could see her round breasts, with her nipples poking out of her shirt. His gaze traveled, when Chloe bent over, to see her tight pussy, and nice ass, with a cute little birthmark on it.
  
  Kara wore the same thing, only hers was blue, and if possible made with less material than Chloe's. It wrapped tightly around her, the material only really going from the top of her cleavage, wrapped around her luscious breasts, and stopping at her midriff area. Harry saw all of her. Her pussy only had a small strip of blonde hair, was tight, and pink with arousal for him. Her legs were a bit longer that Chloe's and a bit more toned, not that Chloe's were bad. Her ass was in perfect shape, and Kara teased him by wiggling it at him.
  
  With a wave of his hands, the material disappeared from the bodies of both women, leaving them perfectly naked. The two girls hovered over Harry's hands, and Harry stuck a finger up both of their pussies. The two girls moaned, as Kara bounced up and down on his fingers on his right side, and Chloe did likewise on this left side.
  
  "Oh, that's it, finger me good," Chloe whimpered, and she bent forward, nibbling on Harry's ear.
  
  Kara moaned deeply, and Harry added more fingers, pumping into her moist cunt, working its magic into her. Harry could really manipulate her, and hit her in the right spots without even trying. Given the look of pleasure on Chloe's face, Kara could tell that the other blonde felt the same thing exactly.
  
  Chloe was in heaven, with Harry finger fucking her like this. He seemed to pay extra attention to what touches drove her to the most pleasure, and it was like Harry was born to do this. He gave her pleasure, beyond anything she could have ever measure. Chloe grinded onto Harry's hand, when she hovered in the air, and Kara did the same thing, both girls feeling the pleasure.
  
  Both girls eventually had been brought to a rather spectacular duel orgasm, and had their juices splattered onto Harry's hands. After they did that, Kara and Chloe switched spots. Chloe was allowed to lick the Kara's juices off of Harry's hand, and Kara did likewise with Chloe's juices. Both girls sucked, and licked on Harry's hands and fingers, trailing their wet and hot tongues over it.
  
  "You taste really good Chloe," Kara offered with a deep moan in her throat, eyes flickering with the deepest desire.
  
  Chloe just looked at Kara, a grin spreading across her face, before she spoke. "You don't taste too bad yourself, Kara."
  
  The two girls worked Harry's pants off of him at super speed, and yanked his boxers down. Harry's cock sprung out, and nearly nailed Kara in the cheek. Kara grabbed it, and slowly stroked down it. Chloe took her turn, and both girls proceeded to stroke and squeeze Harry's cock, taking turns feeling it.
  
  Harry's eyes fluttered shut with desire. The fact of the matter was that these hot hands on his cock were going to make him lose it, if he was not careful. These two devious blonde vixens had him in his hands, molding him, and squeezing him. Kara went down between his legs, and bathed his sack with her pink tongue. She expertly licked Harry, knowing what he liked, and Chloe licked around Harry's cock.
  
  "Go ahead, suck my cock, I can't take it anymore," Harry whispered, and sure enough, Chloe's hot mouth had enveloped around Harry's cock. The dark haired Herald of Death gave a hiss through his teeth, as the blonde slowly began to bob her head up and down at it.
  
  Chloe thought she was getting a good enough taste, and pleasuring Harry, watching while Kara was licking his balls. However, that was not good enough for Kara. Kara pulled herself up, and grabbed a handful of Chloe's hair, before the blonde Kryptonian roughly shoved Chloe face first down onto Harry's cock, making her take his cock in the back of her throat.
  
  "Suck his cock like you mean it, bitch," Kara ordered, a devious expression in her eyes, and Chloe did so, and suddenly, Kara's hand was down between Chloe's legs. Chloe tried to block out the sensations, when Kara rubbed her thumb against Chloe's clit. The blonde bucked her hips, and continued to spear Harry's cock down her throat.
  
  Harry saw this scene, and instinctively, Chloe's fingers reached their way into Kara's pussy, and began to feel around on the inside of it, feeling the pleasurable heat around her fingers. Harry felt his balls load up with cum, as Chloe continued to go down on him, deeper, and deeper, pushing his cock down her throat. Harry leaned back, giving a pleasurable groan.
  
  "That's it, keep sucking it, oh Kara, feels so good, keep doing that Chloe," Harry groaned, as Chloe deep throated him. Kara meanwhile, with her hands both occupied, managed to position herself so her toes had been rubbing Harry's ball sac to simulate it.
  
  Kara was pleased about the effect this was having, as she made sure Chloe was giving Harry all of the pleasure he desired. The back of Harry's cock hit Chloe's throat again, with the blonde pushing him deep into her throat.
  
  "So close," Harry whispered, running his hands through the hair of both of his girls, and Kara pulled Chloe off of Harry's cock. Harry groaned at the loss of Chloe's luscious lips wrapped around his dick, but it was soon replaced by Kara's firm, but soft hand. Kara began to tug on Harry's cock, and jerked him off.
  
  "Cum for us, love."
  
  Harry's balls tightened, when he saw both girls on their knees, looking up at him with bright eyes, and Kara pulling on his cock. Harry groaned, and his balls tightened, before his loins exploded.
  
  Jet after jet of warm cum fired out of his balls like a fire house, splattering Chloe and Kara both in their faces, their breasts, and rolling onto their stomachs. The cum was never ending, firing out load after load. Kara kept pumping Harry, wanting to get every drop of cum out of him, as he kept firing. Chloe and Kara caught some of the cum on their tongues, and it was a beautiful thing.
  
  Both girls looked up at Harry with dirty smiles, and mischievous expressions on their faces, their faces completely splattered in his spunk. The two girls licked their lips.
  
  "Oh, Harry, look at the mess you made," Chloe remarked in a playful tone.
  
  "Whatever, shall we do?" Kara asked suddenly, but she grabbed Chloe around the waist, and pulled her into a tight embrace. Both blondes hugged each other, and their tongues slowly licked each other's faces.
  
  Chloe's eyes fluttered, she was getting more and more into this than she could have ever thought. Especially when Kara's mouth latched onto her breasts, sucking the cum off of them. Chloe placed the back of her hand on Kara's head, and encouraged her to continue, feeling a heat build between her legs.
  
  "More, please," Chloe whispered, and Kara looked at Chloe, before sticking her tongue deep between Chloe's tits, and licking the valley. Suddenly, Kara began to rub her pussy against Chloe's.
  
  Kara felt the feeling of Chloe's moist pussy on hers, and she already felt its tightness with her fingers. The two blondes continued their actions, rubbing their pussies against each other, and Chloe daringly cupped Kara's ass. She squeezed it, and fondled, molding the perfect cheeks. Kara was a vision of perfection, and beauty.
  
  "You're beautiful," Chloe whispered to Kara, and Kara pulled away from Chloe, smiling.
  
  "You are too," Kara answered, and she scooped Chloe into her arms, before flying her to the other side of the room, and suddenly at that point, Chloe felt herself secured to the wall by restraints, with Kara having been quicker on the draw.
  
  "Hey!" Chloe yelled in an incredulous voice, but Kara offered her an impish grin, and teased Chloe's opening making her whine. "You're not going to leave me hanging like this, are you?"
  
  Kara tackled Harry at this point, feeling that there was no need to wait, given that Harry would have been already erect.
  
  Sure enough, Harry was, after that hot display. Kara kissed him with passion, and desire. Harry kissed her back, running his hands over her body, exploring every single curve of her body, and then Kara backed off, before seeing Harry's erect cock so stroked it, feeling it in her hands, and without any warning, or care, Kara impaled herself down on his cock.
  
  "Fuck me with your big cock Harry, I want to feel it stretching out every inch of my pussy," Kara whined.
  
  "Your pussy, so tight, so hot," Harry said, moving his hips up, and matching Kara as she bounced up and down on him, riding him like the stallion that she thought he was. Kara's breasts swayed in the air. She gave a pleased gasp when Harry groped her boobs, and used his thumb to trace up and down across her nipples. "Big breasts, beautiful, blonde, keep riding me, let's break the bed."
  
  Kara bounced up and down, and the bed creaked underneath them. It was at this point, where Kara sped up her motions, and then two lifted off of the bed, with Kara touching the ceiling, before they slammed back down on the bed, but Harry remained sheathed inside of Kara despite these intense motions.
  
  Chloe watched, whimpering, with her pussy burning with desire. With her arms and legs chained to the wall, there was no room for her to pleasure herself, so Chloe felt an unbearable heat, and she wanted Harry's cock in her, so bad. Right now, she watched, seeing the strokes of both Harry and Kara get more and more intense, and the warmth between her thighs become nearly unbearable.
  
  "I love fucking this tight twat," Harry managed, and he switched positions, so this time Kara was on her back. He pushed into her, and thrust deep into her. He felt her walls squeeze his member, and Kara gave pleasurable squeals, when Harry groped her breasts.
  
  "Fucking damage me, Harry," Kara fired back, thrusting her hips up, and Harry kept inside her, spearing into her again, and again. Kara summoned her power to her pussy, giving Harry the most pleasure she could, whilst squeezing his super hard penis with a force that would crush diamonds into coal.
  
  Chloe watched as the hours ticked away, and her breathing had become more labored. Her wrists were still bound, and Harry pounded into Kara more and more. She watched Harry's cock lift up, and slam back down into Kara, with the hot fucking. Kara's legs wrapped around Harry's waist, and the two took their antics higher, rocking back and forth in the air.
  
  "Fuck me, fuck me!" Kara moaned, Harry's cock driving into her with intense force, and giving her pleasure.
  
  "I'm balls deep in you, fucking this tight pussy," Harry managed, and he continued to fuck Kara, with Kara positioning them right in the line of Chloe's sight, so she could watch the two fuck.
  
  Chloe whimpered, now they were just teasing her. She needed relief badly, slumping against the wall.
  
  It could have been a very long time, but Harry's motions sped up, hammering into Kara's pussy with the force of a meteor. Kara fucked him back, nailing her husband with the full force of a jet. The two moaned, and whimpered, rocking back and forth in the air, until eventually Harry's loins tightened.
  
  Harry flew over, and slammed Kara into the wall, kissing her, before he thrust into her. Kara squeezed him, and both came together. Kara felt herself be filled up Harry's cum, it flooding into her, and splattering against her walls. Their combined juices rolled out onto Kara's thighs, as Harry continued to thrust into Kara, going deeper and deeper, splattering his load into her.
  
  Chloe was slumped against the wall, but was woken up by two people. Kara's cunt was against Chloe's mouth, dripping with Harry's cum and Kara's as well, pushing against her lips.
  
  "Eat me," Kara ordered to her, and Chloe obliged, sticking her tongue deep into Kara's moist peach, and licking her out, tasting the savory taste of both the combined juices of her lovers.
  
  Chloe did not have much time to register that, for Harry's cock speared inside her. The blonde girl moaned, and the vibrations caused Kara's pussy to clench right on her, releasing a flood of juices onto Chloe's pretty face. Chloe was spurred on to eat Kara, munching on her cunt, as Kara rubbed it in her face, getting off on these actions.
  
  As this was happening, Harry sawed into Chloe's pussy, feeling it wrap around his cock. The woman was still chained to the wall, but that just added to the emotions and the drama.
  
  "Chloe, do you like this fucking?" Harry breathed, when he slammed his cock in and out of her, as she was pressed against the wall.
  
  Kara pulled away from Chloe, long enough to allow the young woman to give an answer. "Yes, keep doing that, fuck me, fuck me hard."
  
  Harry obliged, and was right in Chloe, pounding away at her perfect tight pussy. The woman moaned in desire, and Chloe's arms were now free. This allowed Chloe to reach around and also pleasure Kara's ass with her fingers whilst Chloe ate Kara's pussy. The Kryptonian blonde hovered in the air, moaning, and cooing, while playing with her nipples.
  
  "Such a good pussy licker, you just love pleasing your mistress and your master, Chloe," Kara whimpered, with Chloe continuing to lick out Kara's twat, and also she teased Kara's clit, which was super sensitive. Kara moaned, grabbing Chloe around the head. "Keep doing that, baby, just don't let up.
  
  Chloe's legs were let go as a reward ,and wrapped around Harry, encouraging him to fuck her nice and hard, slamming into her crevice. This allowed Harry to gain more momentum, when he sawed into her pussy. Chloe felt blinded by desire, with a huge cock in her pussy, and a tasty pussy on her mouth. The two of them brought her into new worlds of pleasure, sensations that could not be described by mere words.
  
  Harry could feel her wrap around him tightly, and he could almost sense Chloe's thoughts, her deepest desires. Chloe wanted to be fucked harder, and who was Harry to disappoint such a lovely lady? Harry speared deep into her pussy, and Chloe's legs tightened around Harry.
  
  "Ah, ah, yes," Chloe whimpered, when Kara gave her mouth a break, and then Kara went down. She knelt down between Harry's legs.
  
  Harry groaned with pleasure, when he felt Kara's tongue lick up and around his ballsac. The blonde Kryptonian was really adept at driving Harry into brand new worlds of pleasure, and his heart sped up when she licked him like that.
  
  "Damn Kara, fuck yeah Chloe, both of you are so fucking hot," Harry managed to both of them, feeling his cock impact Chloe hard.
  
  "You too, babe, fuck me ,love this, wreck me, fuck me, do me hard," Chloe chanted, wrapping her arms around Harry's back, and digging her nails into it. "Your cock fills me up so much."
  
  Kara licked Harry's swinging balls, and Harry's hands found his way down to Kara's breasts, and he fondled them.
  
  The time ticked away, and Chloe's eyes fluttered shut. Her head reared back, with soft moans, and Harry continued to stray the course. She lost track for how many orgasms Harry had driven her to. Chloe knew that if she was a normal human woman, she would be dead from the overexertion . Harry hammered into her again, and again, and again, pounding his thick meat into her cunt.
  
  "Getting close," Harry informed Chloe.
  
  "Cum in me, please I need it," Chloe begged, wanting to feel Harry explode inside her, just like he did with Kara earlier.
  
  Harry's balls tightened, and his load unleashed deep into her quivering cunt. Chloe writhed, and moaned, seeing stars at that final orgasm, when Harry exploded a deep and steady stream of cum into her, finishing off the session of sex with his spunk painting her walls white and wet.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  The three lovers crashed on the floor, with Harry providing a blanket, and glasses of water for the three of them. An hour might have only passed in the real world, but they had been going at it for at least a day inside this room, maybe longer. After the preliminaries were done, Harry suspected that he fucked both girls for ten hours straight, and they were grinning like loons at this point. The time spells were holding much more, and Harry could not think of a better part.
  
  Both of his lovely beautiful, and bright blondes rested on the floor. Chloe was draped over Harry's chest on one side, and Kara was draped over Harry's other side.
  
  "I love you both," Harry said.
  
  "I love you too," Chloe managed sleepily.
  
  "Love both of you too," Kara breathed heavily.
  
  All three of them felt in better spirits than they had been before. With Chloe added, it seemed like their desires had gotten stronger, along with their powers.
  
  Davis Bloome found himself in a hospital room, which was an interesting turn of events, and his mind had been rattled. There was some mysterious woman that attacked him, and was fully intent to rip his head off. Something had saved him, given the fact that he ended up here, and not in the morgue.
  
  "Are you alright?"
  
  Davis turned around, looking up at the newest arrival and saw the young man standing in the hallway. He seemed harmless enough, but Bloome was on the edge after what happened.
  
  "Yeah, I'm fine, I heal easily," Davis admitted, and he leaned back on the bed. He studied the young man. "You were the one who got me out of there, weren't you?"
  
  Clark just sat back, and nodded slowly.
  
  "I'm just happy to help."
  
  "Well, that's good, and perhaps you should offer me some insight on just who that woman was," Davis answered, and he looked at Clark. There was a moment where Clark did not respond at this point.
  
  "I have no idea, but she could be dangerous," Clark offered, but to be honest, his mind was elsewhere. He tended to stick his foot into his mouth a lot of the time, and earlier today, he did stick his foot in his mouth.
  
  Perhaps Clark was the wrong one, but stubbornness did tend to run in the family, both his human one and his Kryptonian one. His mind reflected to the busty blonde Kryptonian that resembled an older version of his cousin. She seemed to be so annoyed by his presence, and however, if she was going to attack innocent people, Clark was going to take her down.
  
  "I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Davis answered, and he broke the silence.
  
  Clark stood at this moment, and Davis just tapped his fingers on the side of a table.
  
  "Clark Kent," Clark replied to the young paramedic.
  
  "Davis Bloome," Davis answered, for some reason, he thought the name Clark Kent would be one that he would remember for a long time. "So...thanks."
  
  Clark nodded, and he turned around. He would stick around for a little bit, should the twisted version of Kara would come back. Clark was leaning towards an evil clone of some sort, or perhaps some shape-shifter, neither would surprise him.
  
  Davis stood, and he had seen the carnage around him, the blood that had been spilled. Granted, the blood had been his own, but it had intrigued him. Davis slid back, and the eyes just flickered. There was always something about him, some inherent darkness, which he tried to suppress.
  
  And the events of today had caused Davis to consider his lot in life.
  
  Lana sat down, just reconciling everything that had happened over the past day. The fact of the matter was that she wanted to clear her head, and get into order. Kara entered the room, followed by Megan. Megan sat, and offered Lana a smile.
  
  "Just relax, and pretend we're not here," Kara remarked Lana, giving her an encouraging smile. "It won't hurt that much, in fact getting your teeth pulled hurts much less, or so I've heard."
  
  "What's Megan doing here?" Lana asked, looking at the teenage girl.
  
  "She is going to make sure that I don't miss any spots when I'm translating," Kara informed Lana, and Lana just responded with a nod. She looked at Megan, who sat with her arms folded across her chest.
  
  "So, are you...are you meteor infected?" Lana asked curiously.
  
  "Yes," Megan replied a bit too abruptly. She did not want people to know about her true form, it was hideous. It was a calculated risk just letting Kara and Harry know about her mind reading abilities, but she owed them to help, after they took her in and gave her purpose at the Shining Light Foundation. She had become almost an older sister to Claire as well, and the Potters had been so good to her, asking no questions.
  
  Perhaps they would understand, given a certain amount of time, but Megan was insecure about herself and what her true form was, along with what her people did in the past.
  
  Despite everything, she had some serious image problems, mostly because of how white Martians were treated by the greens. The fact of the matter was that neither color of Martians really understood how the conflict began. The White Martians were oppressed, but that was beside the point. Lana would likely know about that particular conflict, but as for Jor-El's opinion on the White Martians, Megan could not say.
  
  Lana slid back on the chair, and the two had gone through her mind. The dark haired girl just relaxed at this moment, and allowed Kara to shift through her mind, while Megan helped guide her. The feeling of their presence in her mind was like a gentle nudge. Lana felt herself understanding more and more, with each piece of information being shifted from the garbled words into clear and concise thoughts.
  
  It did not escape Kara's notice that Lana seemed to remembering the timeline that Clark erased with clarity. Right now, she put it across as a dream. Then the dreams turned into nightmares. Kara reminded herself she was meant to delve into Lana's mind, and translate the memories, not be poking around in her dreams and nightmares. Kara took a moment to remember that, and at that moment, she continued to push through the memories.
  
  Lana felt a headache coming on.
  
  "And we better stop," Megan whispered to Kara, sensing Lana's discomfort.
  
  "How much more?" Lana asked.
  
  "Half," Kara replied.
  
  "Keep going," Lana persisted, wanting to get this done and overwithou, but Megan shook her head.
  
  "No, it will cook your brain cells," Megan replied, biting her lip nervously, and she looked at Lana seriously. "You can't protect Kal-El if you're brain dead."
  
  Lana opened her mouth to protest, but shook her head. She had so much new knowledge that it was hard to reconcile. She had only one question to ask them both.
  
  "How much longer?"
  
  Kara paused. "Three to four more sessions, at the least, but we should go upwards to five. Every night, the same time, if that's alright for you?"
  
  "That's fine," Lana answered, waving off the question, and she got up, thinks had been translated into her mind, and more information.
  
  Lana thought about tracking Clark down, but first she would return the Kent Farm, and check on him there, and if he was not there, then she would go out to track him down, to keep an eye on him from a distance until he was ready to act rational.
  Maxima Part One
  
  Chapter 43: Maxima Part One.
  
  An endless void of vortexes filled the sky, with one being able to see large mountains in every single direction, and anyone who was here, could have been anywhere, yet they could have been nowhere as well.
  
  The third Herald of Death made her way onto the scene, and tracked her conquest through the void. It had been sent here a couple of weeks ago by Lily Potter, and she knew she was very close to what she was looking for.
  
  A smirk crossed Karen's face, between the four of them; they could not have found the main focus of the Fortress. Lily had collapsed the Fortress back into the crystal of knowledge, and had hid it in a pocket dimension within a pocket dimension. Karen could hardly believe how simple something like this was. Her eyes glowed with power, as she saw the challenges that she had before her.
  
  Several shadow monsters popped up and Karen readied herself for battle. The blonde Kryptonian sent blasts of energy from her hand, sending the demons scattering. They were likely left in this place as guardians, and there was a great deal of craziness that they could have been capable of.
  
  Karen sprinted over, and was about ready to pick up the crystal, when suddenly a loud boom echoed from the distance. The blonde Kryptonian stood rigid, and the girl's blue eyes burned brightly. The one thought clicked in her mind that she was not the only one who had tracked the crystal to this dimension. In fact, there was another someone, two other people who arrived.
  
  Karen stood, spun around, and hovered in the air, hands on her hips, and stared them down the moment that Harry and Kara appeared as she greeted them with a little smirk. "I was wondering when you two would roll on it."
  
  Kara snapped towards her double, this time she was ready, but Harry grabbed Kara by the wrist, in warning. They were in this dimension with any number of monsters, and the Heralds felt the need to keep their wits about themselves. The two of them took a very long and deep breath, and focused their attention forward.
  
  "I'm guessing you tracked it here as well," Harry remarked to her, and Karen just stood at them, before offering a smile towards them.
  
  "A bit before you two did, but I suppose you've been knocked down to Kal-El's errand boys," Karen replied, and Kara's eyes snapped towards her duplicate.
  
  "You know, he's your cousin too," Kara replied to her, coolly and calmly.
  
  Karen just wrinkled her nose at that thought, to be honest she had been gloriously underwhelmed by Kal-El so far in this universe. The fact was he was some pathetic boy scout that needed to be coddled, and only accomplished what he did because of more talented and intelligent friends really rubbed her the wrong way.
  
  "We need the crystal, it's essential for his training," Kara replied, and Karen just grabbed the crystal into her hands.
  
  "Oh, you mean this crystal," Karen replied, just fluttering her eyelashes, and twirling it between her fingers, deciding to have a little fun with the situation as she spoke. "The thing that's needed to create the Fortress of Solitude, but you see, I'm not sure if he's worthy of it, worthy of the power."
  
  "What you think isn't important," Kara answered fiercely, and she dove at Karen, but Karen blocked her attack, and flung Kara over to the side once again.
  
  "Why do all our times together have to end like that?" Karen asked, before grabbing Kara around the wrists, but Harry shot cords out, wrapping around Karen. Instead of being thrown off, a smile spread across Karen's face. "Bondage on the second date? How kinky!"
  
  Karen busted out of her bindings, and she flew forward. Harry found himself caught off balance by the generous amount of cleavage this outfit was showing. The dark haired Herald of Death might have had better will power than most people had, but he still had limits, he was only human, and he could be led around like his hormones like any man.
  
  Especially since this lovely, if something unhinged, woman was so much like his wife, and her body was having the desired effect.
  
  "So, is that a wand in your pocket, or are you excited to see me?" Karen asked, and she brushed against Harry, as he struggled against her. The portal opened behind Karen, and she shoved Harry off, before giving him a parting grope, and making her way through the portal.
  
  Kara and Harry exchanged a determined looked, and followed her through the portal. Harry shook his head at the attraction that he felt towards this other Herald of Death; even though both knew that something like this was inevitable. One of the Heralds of Death powers they discovered was to release super powered pheromones that would ensnare anyone who had the slightest bit attraction to them. They had tried to keep those powers at bay, because they could be used for abuse.
  
  Yet, this Herald did not seem to have any inhibitions about using her powers in such a manner. The fact was she escaped this crossroads dimension with the crystal, and Harry and Kara picked up velocity, following her closely behind. They flew so fast that their clothes began to rip from the friction, but neither cared. They had to stop her from getting the crystal out, in case Lily left another nasty surprise behind they had to deactivate.
  
  Karen had passed the portal, and it barely closed, with Harry and Kara just escaping the portal. Harry stood on the ground, his shirt completely torn off, and most of his pants, only leaving a few patches. Kara stood beside him, her cape completely shredded. Her blue top now had strips that covered her nipples, and not much else. Her skirt was now little more than a belt, and with another step, it threatened to go further than that.
  
  "That's a good look for both of you," Karen remarked to them, but before they could respond, the crystal had vibrated in her hand.
  
  Karen stood, and waited, this was something new.
  
  "She left something behind!" Harry yelled at Karen, and Karen just offered a shrug at that moment, confused with what happened, this was not something she had expected.
  
  The crystal sent a light into the sky, and suddenly, an explosion echoed. Kara grabbed Harry by the wrist, and the two made themselves invisible. It was hard to tell what had just happened. Karen already bolted away, with the crystal.
  
  "What came through the portal?" Harry whispered to Kara, and Kara stood, rigid, and waited.
  
  "Some horrific monster no doubt," Kara replied, standing with her hands on her hips. She saw the figure that stepped out of the portal, and thus her eyes narrowed when taking a long look at it. "Yep, I hate it when I'm right."
  
  A woman dressed in warrior garb with flowing red hair stood in the distance. She was beautiful, but there was something a bit suspect about her beauty.
  
  "Hold on, I'm coming," the woman replied in a fierce and determined voice, and she walked out, ready to seek out her one true love, and take him back to her planet, so they could rule over all.
  
  "Who is that?" Harry asked slowly, to Kara, who seemed to know what was going on and she went pale at the thought.
  
  "Maxima, the Queen of Almerac," Kara whispered to him, feeling a bit of dread coming on. "She can ensnare any man, and if they are not someone strong enough, then they will succumb to her powers in moments. Her kiss is fatal, and she will not rest until she finds a mate strong enough for her."
  
  Harry felt an expression of mortal dread come on about it. "Who is strong enough to withstand her?"
  
  Kara offered the answer as grim as she could state. "A Kryptonian."
  
  Harry was afraid of that. While Maxima was not an undesirable given his quick check of the lifeline reading, she proved to be enough of a potential headache, that the two Heralds had to work damage control on.
  
  Lost in all of this was that the third Herald had just bolted in the confusion with the Crystal of Knowledge to Merlin only knew where.
  
  Maxima followed the beacon from her home world just like it had been written in the stars. She had waited patiently for her savior to send for her, but it was a long wait, but it would be worth it.
  
  The warrior queen often dreamed about what her Kryptonian soul mate would be like, strong, brave, bold, willing to take charge of the situation, and able to withstand the full force of her passions.
  
  The Queen licked her juicy lips, at the very thought. She had waited longer than she cared to remember. Maxima zoomed forward at super speed, from her point. In this Metropolis there were many men who were of good breeding, but looks could be deceiving. A Kryptonian would only have the inner strength to withstand her full force, without wilting.
  
  It was not lost on the ruler that this planet had a yellow sun, which made the fact that her soul mate was born and bred here even more enticing. Maxima must have had him, she must need him. No doubt he was experienced, strong, and bedded several women already, like he should have. Yet, Maxima felt the strength, and the pull towards him.
  
  A young man stepped out the shadows, and looked at Maxima. The man's heart beat against his chest, at her very presence. The closer she got, the more enticed the man got, to the point where he was light headed.
  
  "M-may I help you," the man managed, looking at her.
  
  "Yes, you may, I am inquiring about the Kryptonian on this planet, I wish to bed him," Maxima replied in her regal tone.
  
  The man swallowed a lump in his throat, and decided to speak quickly. "You know, I'm...I'm him really, but your beauty, is so amazing."
  
  Maxima smiled her smile. She shall see if this man was really her soul mate, or just another pretender to the throne. Shoving the man against the wall, Maxima pulled open his shirt, and dragged her hands down his chest.
  
  The man was pressed against her, and Maxima leaned forward, pressing her lips firmly against his in a kiss, which the man returned. He ran his hands down her form, and Maxima was pleased that he seemed to know what he was doing. It was always so bothersome to lead someone through a sexual act.
  
  Then it happened, the man began to choke, and sputter. His lungs filled up with a thick fluid, and he collapsed. Maxima pulled back, and watched him drop. A flicker of remorse filled the queen, realizing that this had not been the one, but rather a pretender, someone who had aspired to be something greater.
  
  Maxima saw the man on the ground, and sent a beacon in the air, to summon for help. There was a chance that he could survive, providing the medical personnel were prompt enough to tend to his needs.
  
  And speaking of needs, it was time that Maxima began to tend to hers. Quick a bolt of light she was off, to continue the search for the man that would rule by her side, and would provide her an heir. Time was running out, and there was any number of potential opponents, from both off world and on world that would threaten to destabilize her rule.
  
  Maxima had just driven a group of aliens known as the Reach off of her planet, but they had weakened her planet's resources, and had sown the seeds of discontent with her people. There was a threat of a civil war, but a king to rule by her side would allow her to keep the peace, and not allow more blood to be spilled.
  
  She was a woman of war, but at the same time, blood spilled should have a purpose, and not be done for the sick enjoyment. Maxima continued her travel, searching and waiting for the person who would bed her.
  
  It did stand out to her mind how human males did have some twisted obsession with lying to a pretty face to make themselves look better. Yet, they could not back it up, and it had consequences, fatal ones.
  
  Maxima had pity, but she would not shed tears. The woman continued her trek; little did she know she was being observed.
  
  Karen watched from high above. One mortal life meant little in the grand scheme of things, but now she knew Maxima's game. Despite all of her bravado, and all of her warrior spirit, she was some woman just in desperate need to get laid, by the strongest man possible.
  
  This merited further observation, but Karen thought this would be a true test of Kal-El's strength if he could resist this alien temptress. Somehow, she was not too optimistic about that given what she observed so far.
  
  Clark had his mind half on his work at the Daily Planet, and half on the argument that he had a few days ago. He had made excuses to get tied up to his work, and to be honest, a part of Clark regretted what happened, but another part of Clark refused to admit he was wrong. It was just the values he had.
  
  The fact that he had similar thoughts when he was under the influence did not help. Lois walked up, and rapped on his desk.
  
  "Lost in space there, Kent?" Lois asked him, and Clark looked up at her, eyes snapped at her.
  
  "Yeah, just thinking about some things that have happened," Clark managed, shaking his head.
  
  "You and Lana had another fight, didn't you?" Lois asked.
  
  Clark just paused, and nodded. "Yeah, I guess one could say that."
  
  Lois felt intrigued, but did not want to feel like she was jumping in and taking advantage of Clark's obvious vulnerability. So Lois offered him some good solid advice like any friend or work colleague should.
  
  "Well, I don't know the details, but it takes two to be wrong about something sometimes," Lois answered, and looked at Clark. "If you want to talk about it, perhaps figure out what happened, I've got a working set of ears. I'm not sure what happened, or if I can solve the problems, but I'm here for you, okay, Clark?"
  
  Lois just patted Clark on the hand, and walked off; because she had a hot lead she had to follow. Clark barely had any time to register, before Kara showed up, with her arms crossed, and she stared down at Clark.
  
  "We need to talk," Kara remarked to Clark, and Clark understood that meant now. He slipped away, and Kara put up the privacy spells. Clark was about to mention his misgivings about Kara, Chloe, and Harry's new arrangement, but Kara cut Clark off. "Harry and I found the Fortress."
  
  Clark was not expecting that at all, and he could hardly wait for the details. Yet in the back of his mind, Clark thought that there was a catch, there was always a catch.
  
  "We found it, but we lost it, the crystal of Knowledge is in the hands of the third Herald of Death," Kara responded, and Clark's face fell.
  
  "Great, the last thing we need is the all of the knowledge of the universe in the hand of that psychopath," Clark responded, his face falling and his expression turning dark and brooding.
  
  "She's not a psychopath," Kara responded in a firm and crisp voice, and Clark opened his mouth to protest, but Kara was not done. "She's just confused, and in a new world that she doesn't understand. I was like that too before Harry found me, so don't judge her. We need to keep reaching out for her."
  
  "And I suppose reaching out means taking her into your bed as well," Clark responded, and Kara's eyes flashed, and she looked at Clark, her full attention on him, so Clark pressed on. "I don't know if it's a good idea what you three are doing..."
  
  "Really, I wasn't aware that my sex life was any of your business, Clark," Kara answered, and Clark took a step back, not wanting to think about his cousin having a sex life, especially involving his best friend. "Chloe liked you for years, and you missed your chance, as far as I could tell, because this is really what this is all about, isn't it?"
  
  "No, it's not about that," Clark responded, stepping over his words, and speaking a little too fast. "It's just that a relationship is supposed to be...."
  
  "What between one man and one woman?" Kara asked Clark.
  
  "No, that's...between two people," Clark responded, not wanting to sound like a bigot, although some people around where he was raised would state that. He heard some slurs about those who enjoyed the company of the same sex in his day, and a few of the more fanatical ones stated that those people should be hung from trees.
  
  "Why does it have to be two?" Kara asked. "Why if three or more consenting adults love and respect each other?"
  
  "It's....just wrong," Clark stammered.
  
  "How is it wrong?" Kara argued.
  
  "It's...." Clark managed, and Kara just looked at him.
  
  "You don't have an answer, do you, Kal-El?" Kara asked him, making sure to use his full Kryptonian name to let him know her agitation with him being judgmental. "Because I'd imagine that you had similar desires, to be in a relationship with more than one girl at the same time, didn't you?"
  
  Clark shook his head at that point.
  
  "Don't lie to me," Kara whispered to him, and she looked at Clark with a burning expression.
  
  "Yes, but I was on the Red Kryptonite then," Clark spat out, but he felt he was fighting a losing battle.
  
  "Yes, Clark, you might have been, but Harry and I studied that extensively to create the cure for you and Lana," Kara replied, removing the bullets from Clark's gun, and staring him down. "Those thoughts were already in your mind, those desires, it just removed your inhibitions. Funny you think something is wrong, because you sure thought about doing it, didn't you?"
  
  Clark resembled a fish out of water.
  
  "Oh, and Clark, just a heads up, there is a dangerous alien queen after you," Kara remarked to Clark, and this got Clark's attention away from the harem thing regarding Harry.
  
  "So, she's going to want to kill me?" Clark asked.
  
  "Worse, she's going to want to bed you, have a ton of steamy hardcore alien sex, and take you back you her home planet so the two of you can rule," Kara responded, and she looked at Clark who was thrown off by this nonchalant declaration by Kara. "She has red hair and is stunningly beautiful, and I'm not sure if your mind can handle resist her charm. Her kiss won't kill you, but it will ensnare you further. So make sure you keep Lana, or any other girls you might be secretly wanting a threesome with in your mind."
  
  Clark opened his mouth to protest, but Kara struck him with a silencing spell. She was going to give Clark plenty of time to think about what he did.
  
  "I can't help you with this one, I've been helping you far too often," Kara responded. "If we find the crystal, we'll let you know."
  
  Clark just offered a wordless nod, and Kara zoomed off. The silencing spell disappeared. Clark had a lot to think about, and he realized that perhaps he was being a bit judgmental about the entire situation. What Chloe, Kara, and Harry wanted to do should be their own business, even if Clark did wonder if Kara had a point.
  
  He did not want to think about those desires that he might be having.
  
  Whilst Kara warned Clark, Harry sat at the Shining Light Foundation, trying to pinpoint the location of both the third Herald of Death, and Maxima. Both of them posed dangers, albeit of different sorts. He had already heard the word that four men had been found by medics, poisoned completely. One had been saved just barely, but there would be complications. Three others suffered a fatal blow.
  
  Harry could not worry about that as of right now, the lives of others paled to the problem of what would happen if Maxima got her claws into Clark. The woman obviously was desperate to find a powerful mate. Given what he had been able to piece together of the alien genetic makeup of her people, they had been strong.
  
  Kryptonians had been among the few species who had been able to survive a full mating process. One of the other races was the Czarnians, but they seemed to be rather scarce, even though according to Kara, the last one was rumored to be working as some kind of bounty hunter, for the highest dollar.
  
  Harry continued to piece together some kind of tracking signal, and as such, he barely heard Megan enter the room. Claire followed Megan into the room.
  
  "Hi, Dad, what are you doing?" Claire asked curiously.
  
  "We have a bit of a problem," Harry answered, and Claire looked at him with innocent eyes.
  
  "What kind of problem?" Claire asked.
  
  "There is an alien queen who wants to ask Clark out on a date," Harry responded, framing the question in the most innocent manner that he could.
  
  A frown spread over Claire's face. "Oh, and is she nice?"
  
  "No, she's a bit fanatical, and she won't take no for an answer," Harry responded. "And she doesn't seem like the type to share."
  
  "Oh, that's unfortunate, Clark needs all the love that he can, just like you," Claire answered, wise beyond her years. "He does seem a bit stressed out. I know him and Lana are together, but you, Mom, and Chloe are together, and it seems to be working out just alright."
  
  Harry did not want to meddle in the love life of anyone, knowing how much he hated it when people did to him. Megan walked over, and whispered in Harry's ear.
  
  "Um, what type of alien queen are we talking about?" Megan asked, curiosity getting the better of them.
  
  "Maxima is her name," Harry responded, and Megan just paled a bit. "Megan, what's the matter? You're turning white."
  
  "I am!" Megan yelled, and she panicked, before she realized that Harry was referring to her skin going pale, and not anything else. "Oh, yeah, well it's just, I've...heard about her people, somewhere, I can't remember where. You weren't kidding when you said they would not take no for an answer. They're highly proud, and also...well they're just highly proud."
  
  Harry just responded with a nod, and looked at Megan, raising an eyebrow curiously. Claire walked off from the room, just standing in the corner.
  
  "And she's after Clark," Megan remarked, and she brushed her red hair out of her eyes, when she started to babble. "And...oh boy, that's not good. Lana might not even be able to protect him, not on her own, but she's determined, and has been training hard. At the same time...Maxima has been training her entire life, from the cradle to now, and she's been around for a long time."
  
  "I can tell," Harry responded, and Megan looked at him, with Harry looking back. "There are times where I get the impression that you know much more than you let on, Megan."
  
  Megan just paused, and Harry looked at the girl.
  
  "I know where you've come from, and that's fine, but just remember that you got to learn to be comfortable in your own skin, before you truly know who you are," Harry answered. "People won't think any less of you about what you are, at least the people who truly should matter. It's who you are that matters, not where you came from, or what your people might have done before you."
  
  Megan just turned around, nodding slowly. The truth was White Martians had been considered monsters, and while there were a few bad eggs among them, it was blown out of proportion by propaganda that had been spread throughout the universe.
  
  "Thanks Harry," Megan responded, and she turned, looking outside the window. "So, good luck at tracking down...um whatever it is you're doing."
  
  "Thanks," Harry replied to her, and Megan walked off. Claire sat in the corner, working on her homework. Kara returned, just in time. She greeted Claire with a quick hug, before she moved over to Harry.
  
  "I warned Clark, and we had words about...well you know," Kara said quickly.
  
  "Yeah, that was coming," Harry answered, not really thinking about it. "Our third Herald of Death is on her way to the Daily Planet, and she's tailing Queen Maxima."
  
  "And now we'll be tailing her," Kara added, and the two zoomed off, with Claire being very annoyed that her homework got blown all over the place, by her parents blowing off at super speed..
  
  With a frown, she cleared up her work.
  
  The warning Kara had recently given him was fresh in his mind, but the truth was that Clark was not distracted. He had decided to smooth things over with Lana first, and then with Chloe.
  
  Although there was a good clue that Lana was closer to Clark than he thought, given the fact that she vowed to protect him at all times. Still, there was the alien queen that Clark had to worry about, and he made his way to the elevator, when he spotted a red haired woman standing inside.
  
  Maxima had decided to take a closer look at this building, but so far, her search for her soul mate had come up empty handed. However, fate tended to have a way of throwing the cards back into her favor, and it did with who walked inside the door.
  
  "Hello," Clark responded, half paying attention to the woman.
  
  Maxima saw his demeanor, his broad shoulders, his tall body, and that was not all she noticed. The woman thought that if this was not the one, she would scream in frustration. Maxima stepped forward, and grabbed Clark, before pushing him back against the elevator.
  
  Panic flooded Clark's mind, when he felt the strength of this woman who could physically dominate him.
  
  "What are you doing?" Clark managed through a hazed expression, but the woman pushed Clark back, his back hitting the wall.
  
  "Such strength, looks like I've finally found the one that I was looking for," Maxima responded, and she enjoyed that he pushed back, because it made the conquest that more thrilling.
  
  It was no fun dominating someone who was weak of body, but when there was someone who could match her strength, that was where the true fun began.
  
  Clark felt himself ensnared by this woman, but he tried to follow Kara's advice, to keep Lana to the front of his mind. It allowed him moments of resistance, when suddenly, Maxima grabbed him hard, and leaned forward, before her lips pressed against his in a searing hot kiss.
  
  The Kryptonian felt his inhibitions melt away slowly, and Maxima deepened the kiss. His mind was shut down of all thoughts of resistance. Why should he resist, she was so gorgeous, and the thought of any other woman had left his mind.
  
  Clark tried to push through, he was stronger, but suddenly his resistance was worn down by the way the hands were moving. As the elevator seemed to go up, Maxima was working her way down Clark's body and was about to unbuckle his pants to give him the thrill of his life.
  
  The elevator stopped, and the door opened. Lois stepped inside. She was about to say the words "going down", but given the sight she was visited with, the fact that those words seemed oddly inappropriate right now. Never one for tact, Lois spoke up.
  
  "Who are you?" Lois asked, looking at Maxima.
  
  Maxima just looked at Lois, like she was a momentarily amusement at best. "I am Queen Maxima, the ruler of Almerac, and I'm here to take my soul mate back to our planet, so we can rule over all."
  
  "Right, and I'm the queen of the mole people," Lois answered in a disbelieving voice, but Maxima just looked at her, ready to bring Clark back home.
  
  "None shall stand in my way of claiming my prize," Maxima responded in a crisp voice, and Clark stood there, in a trance. Lois began snapping her fingers, trying to get Clark's attention.
  
  When that didn't work, Lois tried the old stand-by of slapping Clark in the face, repeatedly, to try and bring him back to reality. That did not really work all that much either. Clark was completely out to lunch, and likely it was almost like he was some kind of spell.
  
  "Clark, think of Lana, think of anyone, just snap out of it!" Lois yelled, a bit frantic.
  
  "Lois," Clark mouthed, but Maxima shoved Lois to the ground.
  
  "Let's go, my king," Maxima replied, grabbing Clark, snaking her arm around his head. "You have proven yourself to be worthy of being on my arm, and together we shall rule with strength, and punish all who dare defy us."
  
  "No, you should serve the people, not the other way around," Clark slurred, his mind becoming less hazed.
  
  Maxima sighed, his little morality would have been so cute, had it not been so annoying. She was about to seal the deal with another kiss, sealing her pull, when suddenly, a fist ripped through the elevator, and punched Maxima directly in the face.
  
  Maxima turned around, and saw Lana right on her, and she rushed over for Clark.
  
  "How quaint, the human that my mate has fine-tuned his love making skills with," Maxima answered smelling her mate's scent all over this one, and she looked at Lana, surveying her. "You have done well, but your usefulness has passed. But if you ask nicely, perhaps you may have a role, as a servant to attend to our needs. Beg for me."
  
  Maxima grabbed Lana by the head, but Lana pushed her back.
  
  "I'll do no such thing," Lana answered, and she grabbed Maxima, around the waist, flying her through the wall at super speed. Both women continued to fly, before Lana slammed Maxima into the fresh mud outside. Both women had been splattered with mud.
  
  Karen arrived, and normally she would have amused. If she was not so certain that Lana would be utterly annihilated by Maxima, power upgrade or not, and the third Herald of Death surveyed the situation, trying to figure out her next move
  
  Clark was still half in la-la land, and Lois was down on the ground. Karen grabbed Lois, and picked her up.
  
  "Lana will get killed if you don't help her," Karen replied to Lois, whispering in her ear. "If Maxima wins this rite of combat, she can claim Clark by universal law."
  
  "Really?" Lois asked in confusion, but she spun around. "Just who are you?"
  
  "I'm Clark's cousin," Karen answered to her.
  
  "Another one?" Lois asked her, confusion spreading towards her. "You do keep cropping out of the wood-work. So I'm guessing you and Kara are twins or sisters or something?"
  
  "One could put it that way, yes, but anyway, we don't come from Earth, we come from a planet that is long dead called Krypton, and have special abilities underneath the yellow sun," Karen answered , telling Lois anything she needed to know, knowing that she would wipe her memories later.
  
  "Really?" Lois asked, dubious, but that would explain so very much.
  
  "Lana was gifted those powers, and Chloe does as well, and now you do too," Karen continued, and Lois was completely flummoxed.
  
  "How do you..."
  
  "You've been given Kryptonian powers for two hours, giving you more than ample time to defeat Maxima," Karen responded to her in a crisp and calm voice.
  
  "And why don't you do it?" Lois asked her.
  
  "I have no interest in winning the hand of my cousin in ritual combat," Karen responded.
  
  "Right, you are related," Lois answered.
  
  "That's not the problem, he's just not my type," Karen replied in a crisp voice, and Lois was taken aback. The truth was Karen's type had bright green eyes, messy dark hair, was a wizard, and was named Harry Potter.
  
  Not that she would mention it on anything more than a subconscious level. Her other type were blonde haired, blue eyed Kryptonians named Kara.
  
  "Help Lana," Karen encouraged, and that was what Lois did, speeding off like a blur.
  
  Karen watched as Lana was losing ground, despite holding up her end of the fight gallantly. Once Lois and Lana defeated Maxima, then one of the Heralds could send her back to where she come from, although it was possible that Maxima's pride would cause her to take a fight to the death attitude.
  
  The show was about to begin.
  
  To Be Continued in "Maxima Part Two."
  Maxima Part Two
  
  Chapter 44: Maxima Part Two.
  
  The moment Lois Lane got empowered, she could scarcely believe her luck, this was something beyond her wildest dreams, and the possibilities of what she could do with this power had danced in her head. Lois was like a kid on Christmas morning, as her imagination had run wild with any number of ideas what her powers could do, but that was not important. There was only one thing Lois could do now, and she focused herself, intent to move forward to complete the task at hand.
  
  The main objective was to lay the smackdown on some smug alien princess, and that was what Lois intended to do, speeding past the offices of the Daily Planet, and exiting the window, ready to engage this queen in battle. Lois dropped down, making sure to remain carefully out of the wandering eyes of any busy bodies that might have been around, and scoped out the scene, looking for Lana and Maxima.
  
  It struck Lois who the Blur was, it had to be Clark, or maybe it was Lana, but perhaps it was both, hard to tell sometimes really. The sounds of combat had cut Lois out of her musings, and she moved around, to see Lana and Maxima go at it. The fight was about what one would expect between two super-powered women who were fighting over a super powered man with lots of hair punching, punching, scratching, and kicking.
  
  Not to mention the mud throwing, Lois could not forget about the mud throwing, the mud throwing was something that was important to detail here. Lois noticed that Lana was holding her own, but at the same time, Maxima was just skilled. If Lois had to hazard a guess, Maxima was the type who had been in fights since she was a small child, but guess what, Lois was the same way.
  
  "Hey, hands off!" Lois yelled, before she sped over, hand extended, and her palm struck Maxima straight in the face. Maxima flew backwards from the impact, going through the air, and landing on the ground, but the only thing that was injured was her pride. That was the worst type of injury for a queen of her race, and Maxima rose to her feet, eyes narrowed and face seething.
  
  "You dare strike the Queen of Almerac!"
  
  "Yes, I dare, given what you've done today you're getting off light," Lois responded, and she focused herself, before she realized that she had super breath. Lois amused herself, remembering all of the people who thought she was just full of hot air, and now she had a chance to put that to a more universal use. Lois blew Maxima off balance, and she staggered immediately at that time, her legs buckling from Lois breathing her. Maxima fought back, trying to super speed for, and she grabbed Lois.
  
  Lana shook her head, and tried to get back to her feet, the entire situation just assimilated in her mind. It struck her that she was in a battle that she might have been a bit in over her head. It was not because of her own lack of ability, but rather the fact that the woman that attacked her, was far more skilled, and had been training for far more years. Lana's musings had been broken up by Lois nailing the woman in the face.
  
  "I must have my king, and I will not let either of you stand in my way!" Maxima yelled, and she grabbed Lois by the throat, trying to strangle her, but Lois knocked Maxima off, sending her flying back. Maxima crashed hard into a gate, as people surrounded around. With how their powers were modified, a slight shield was surrounded around their faces, blocking anyone from seeing their true faces.
  
  Lois surrounded Maxima, and Lana joined her, ready to get back into the fight. Lana nailed Maxima with a huge kick to the side of the head, whilst she was distracted in her battle with Lois. The kick cracked Maxima hard in the chest, and the woman staggered back, with Lois spearing Maxima with her shoulder, sending her flying back into the side of a building, cracking it.
  
  "You might want to be a little less rough, not to cause an Earthquake," Lana advised to her, and Lois just shrugged. Lana had no idea how Lois got super powers, at this point, she was just rolling with it, but the help was appreciated for Clark.
  
  "No, my planet...it will die, I need an heir, I need someone strong enough," Maxima answered, taking a deep breath, and she grabbed both Lana and Lois by the throats, pushing them back hard. "He is my soul mate, and I will not allow either of you to stop me. He sent for me."
  
  "Maybe it was a wrong number," Lois managed, rasping at that moment, but her eyes lit up, and she sent out a burst of heat vision, and Lana did the same. The two rays of heat burned Maxima, causing her to stagger back, and Lana and Lois smashed Maxima back hard.
  
  The queen had flown back, and for this moment, she enjoyed the thrill of combat. Nothing had given her more pleasure, and she was impressed by these two, for their desire to fight for the Kryptonian. Maxima debated the merits of keeping these two as pets, once she had defeated them, for they could tend to both her and her mate's needs.
  
  Lois and Lana looked at each other, and both nodded at each other, before they tried to fire off an attack. Maxima had been knocked to the ground, and before the vibrations could level half of Metropolis, Lana kept them at bay with a telekinetic field, until they could be rode out. Lana was breathing heavily, and Lois looked at her, with a raised eyebrow, not quite realizing what she did.
  
  "I don't think I have that ability," Lois remarked in an off handed voice, but Maxima was up, staggered, blood dripping down from her mouth. "Don't look now, but her royal pain in the ass still wants to dance."
  
  Lana grabbed Maxima, and flew her up into the sky, with Lois following behind her. The two empowered women were up in the air, with the queen struggling to get out of Lana's grip, but Lana hurled Maxima into the waiting grip of Lois.
  
  Lois caught Maxima, and she flew into the air, before a punch impacted the alien queen in the face. Maxima spiraled to the ground, going head over heels, and Lana caught her before she crashed to the ground to cause a sadistic impact.
  
  Maxima had no idea what was happening, but it was a fight to the death, a fight that she would not be denied. Lana suddenly had Maxima rolled over onto her stomach, and a knee buried into the back, hands on the side of her head. The alien queen refused to go down at this point, but then she slumped at that moment.
  
  "Careful, she might be playing possum," Lois said, as she dropped down to her feet, and kept her eyes firmly on the alien queen. Sure enough, Maxima was luring them into a false sense of security, nailing both of them with a hard double palm strike, and both women had flew backwards with a sinister impact.
  
  Lois and Lana soured backwards, and Maxima grabbed Lana, before wrenching her arm, with cracking her elbow behind her back, the queen taking Lana down. Lois grabbed Maxima, wrapping her arm around her throat, trying to choke her out with a rear naked choke, but
  
  Maxima flipped her over, before causing both women to land on the ground. Lana and Lois staggered back to their feet, and Maxima flew at them with a primal rage.
  
  The two women knew what they had to do, and it was an elementary tactic, but an extremely useful one. The rage of Maxima should be used against her, to make her lose by her own merits, before between the two of them; they could just barely keep up with this alien queen, and her warrior spirit.
  
  "Hey, you've already lost, you just don't already know it," Lois heckled Maxima, and Maxima turned around.
  
  "Yeah, you can't even defeat, what did you call me, the practice girl of your so called soul mate," Lana taunted Maxima, and Maxima turned around, to go after Lana, but Lois was not done mocking the queen as of yet. In fact, one could say that she was just getting warmed up, with Lois deciding to go for the gut rather early on.
  
  "You can't even win a man with your charming personality, so you have to resort to ensnaring him with that kiss of yours," Lois answered at that moment, and Maxima suddenly blinked, gritting her teeth in rage, she wanted to kill this obnoxious woman slowly, painfully, until the point where she begged for mercy. "That really says something about your self-esteem, or lack thereof."
  
  Maxima was in a rage, and she gave a primal howl, before she went after Lois, but this left her own for an attack from Lana. Lana slammed the fullest force she could muster into the spine of Maxima, with the woman's legs crumpling underneath her.
  
  Maxima screamed from the agony, and Lois caught her with a huge thunderous punch to the face, with a loud sonic boom echoing, that Lana had to contain to prevent it from leveling all of Metropolis.
  
  X-X-X
  
  Harry and Kara popped up at the Daily Planet, and they had arrived just in time to see the chaos, and also see Karen just sitting on Clark's desks, legs crossed, and casually drinking a cup of coffee. Harry turned around, and his eyes focused on Karen's face, but there was a moment before she spoke.
  
  "I must commend you on being the only man to be able to look at my face."
  
  "What did you do?" Harry asked, looking at her, and dropping any sense of pleasantries, and Karen just responded for a moment by humming, until her younger counterpart looked at her.
  
  "Well, I'm trying to fix the mess that we caused, so I gave Lois super powers, so Maxima doesn't try and kill Lana," Karen answered, and Kara and Harry stepped off, but Karen put up a field to stop them. "Remember, it's now trial by combat, for the hand of Kal-El, and they have to beat her, and it may be to the death. You can't interfere, either of you."
  
  Harry looked at Kara for confirmation, and the blonde Kryptonian nodded her head, looking defeated, but she responded with a few words. "Yeah, it's true, Lana and Lois have to win or..."
  
  Kara's voice trailed off at what she was going to say, and there was really no need for her to continue, Harry had gotten the message loud and clear. An arm was thrown over Kara's shoulders, and the two watched a bit of the battle from the windows. To most other observers, the battle would be just be a bunch of super powered blurs, going back and forth without any rhyme or reason.
  
  Thanks to their super powers, both Kara and Harry were able to watch the battle, it going back and forth several times, and both of them watched, absolutely impressed.
  
  At that moment, Chloe showed up, looking around. She watched, mouth wide open, and eyes blinking, just trying to reconcile the entire situation that was going on around her, before speaking after a moment of silence.
  
  "Would either of you...explain what is going on here?"
  
  It was Harry who chimed in at that point, without missing a beat. "Our friend the third Herald here found the Crystal of Knowledge, and my mother tampered with it, sending a beacon that summoned an alien queen who is extremely horny, and in desperate need of a mate. She used a kiss to ensnare Clark with her powers, and is now fighting Lana and Lois in ritual combat for Clark's hand, oh and Lois has now been given super powers."
  
  Chloe's eyes widened in abject horror. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOIS HAS BEEN GIVEN SUPER POWERS?"
  
  Kara could not resist teasing her mate at that one. "Really, out of all of that information, that's the thing you find the most objectionable."
  
  Chloe's mouth open, Chloe's mouth shut, she resembled a fish out of water at this point, before she shook her head, and regained the necessary amount of focus to properly think in a rational manner. "Okay, just calm yourself, perhaps this isn't going to be the cataclysm that you think it is. Perhaps Lois will be responsible with them and....oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. And she was sent out into the thick of things, without training, oh boy. And..."
  
  Chloe sank herself down onto the chair, breathing in and breathing out, regaining her bearings and the loud sounds of combat could be heard. Karen sat on the desk, watching a bit of it out of the corner of her eyes, this was going better than expected.
  
  She half expected Lois and Lana to get creamed in about ten minutes flat, and Maxima throw Clark over her shoulder, before taking him back as the spoils of war. Granted, that's not what she wanted to happen, but that was just likely something was going to happen, that being the most probable outcome given what she heard about the people of Almerac.
  
  Chloe cut in with a question that had been burning in her mind. "So...um where's Clark in all of this?"
  
  Karen chimed in happily with an answer, her blue eyes fixed on Chloe, and a slight smirk on her face, getting some kind of perverse amusement out of the situation. "He's in the elevator, in la-la land, after the Queen kissed him. He's still ensnared under his power, but at least he's not singing really bad show tunes."
  
  Chloe half paid attention to what was said, and she only sped over to the elevator, where she spotted Clark, slumped and in a daze, his shirt torn off from Maxima's earlier efforts.
  
  The lights seemed to be on, but no one was really home, and Chloe tried to snap her fingers to wake Clark up. She snapped them over and over again, but she was not getting anywhere.
  
  "Clark, wake up, snap out of it!" Chloe yelled at Clark, shaking him with her super strength, but this did her no good. The woman put her hands on her head, and shook it, before a sudden and wicked burst of inspiration had struck her. "Clark, you've forced me to take drastic action."
  
  Chloe sped off from the elevator, leaving Clark in his stupor, and returned a moment later, toting a huge jug of ice water that she had liberated from the office water cooler. Chloe closed her eyes, and whilst throwing all caution to the wind, the water jug was dumped on Clark, the ice water poured all it all over it. Half of it was dumped over his head and the other half was dumped down Clark's pants.
  
  Needless to say, this had snapped Clark out of his daze, and back to reality, with him looking around. Clark stood in the elevator, shirtless, and dripping wet, and his eyes snapped towards Chloe's amused face with an incredulous expression on his face.
  
  "CHLOE!"
  
  "Well that worked," Chloe remarked, barely able to keep a straight face with the amused situation that had happened.
  
  "Why did you do that for?" Clark asked, shaking his head, and he resembled a drowned rat with his hair soaking wet.
  
  "What would you have had be do, Clark?" Chloe asked, looking at her friend, and glad to see he was back to his usual self, not in a daze, well not more so than usual anyway. "I figured, that always worked wonders in getting Lois up out of bed, so why not do the same to you?"
  
  Clark found it hard to fault this logic, but he did not remember anything, past the point where he had gotten into the elevator. He had a feeling that something rather important happened, although the Kryptonian found himself struggling to remember past a certain point.
  
  Those thoughts were cut off by a huge crash through the windows that sent flying glass and debris everywhere. Clark winced, but found out that the Daily Planet office had mostly been cleared out by this time, which he found that he was thankful for.
  
  The last thing that he needed was a few shell-shocked interns to find the scene, but really it was Clark who was the most shell-shocked of them all, his mouth widened. Lana and Lois had some redhead pinned to the floor, and she was struggling, fighting.
  
  "She has a lot of fight, doesn't she?" Lana grunted, trying to hold Maxima down to the ground, pinning her down.
  
  "Oh, hey, Smallville," Lois responded in a nonchalant voice, whilst she pinned Maxima to the ground, but Karen stepped over at this point, looking down at Maxima.
  
  "I believe you've lost, princess," Karen taunted her, a smug and self-assured expression etched on the face of the blonde Kryptonian once she had looked down at the defeated alien queen.
  
  Maxima's face contorted into a snarl, and she could sense that this girl had masterminded her utter humiliation by giving that other woman super powers. Her pride had been demanded, and the only thing that could soothe it was blood. Maxima bounced up to her feet, once Lana and Lois got up, and while they braced themselves to fight, Maxima attacked Karen instead.
  
  Harry dove in at that moment, and sent Maxima flying back against the wall. Maxima's eyes widened at his strength, and his power, and she wondered if he could be an ideal mate, but Kara had already noticed the signs. Kara flew in, grabbing Maxima around the wrist, and managing to find the bracelet on her, recognizing the technology at once.
  
  "I won't forget this humiliation!" Maxima yelled, trying to save face by not breaking down in her defeat.
  
  "Yeah, you will," Karen answered, in a bored voice, holding up her crystal, and wiping Maxima's memories of her little trip on Earth, before Kara had sent her back to where she came.
  
  Suddenly, a sonic boom echoed throughout the Daily Planet offices, and Kara, Harry, Clark, Lana, Lois, and Chloe all landed on the ground with a thud, knocked out.
  
  Karen was about to wipe Lois's minds and her powers but Harry had blocked her from doing so completely. That was his last act before Harry blacked out from the pain.
  
  Karen had teleported out of the way, and Clark was the first one to get to his feet, using his chair to pull himself to his feet.
  
  Clark shook his head, and spotted that this other blonde Kryptonian had left something behind.
  
  It was the crystal, with the note attached to it. Clark read the note, it was in Kryptonian writing, and he understood the message immediately. He was actually surprised that Karen had left it behind.
  
  Keep it safe this time, for there may not be a next time.
  
  
  
  Lois stirred back to consciousness, and she was sitting at her desk at the Daily Planet, with a splitting headache. To be honest, Lois could not remember all of what had happened, and honestly speaking she had blacked out some time ago, perhaps working on a story.
  
  That seemed to be the most logically explanation of her mind, and the brunette reporter tried to get her head back together, when footsteps echoed towards her. They sounded like thunder in her current condition, and she spun around, to see Chloe standing there, with a casual expression.
  
  "Lois, are you okay?" Chloe asked to Lois in a calm voice, and Lois blinked at that moment, with Chloe's voice sounding like thunder in her ears. It was almost like someone had turned up the volume of her hearing up, for it to be super sensitive.
  
  "Okay, yeah, I'm fine, really I'm fine," Lois responded, and she reached over to grab her cup of coffee, but it was empty. That was strange, because Lois did not remember taking one drink of it whatsoever before she blanked out.
  
  Lois felt a spasm in her back, and shook her head, it was not for the first time where she suspected that something extraordinary happened, and she had been down for the count, missing every single moment of it. "Boy, I feel like I've been through hell and back."
  
  Chloe noticed that Lois seemed to have no idea what happened, and wondered if the powers had been a temporary thing, even though the pain had not left her. "So...how are you feeling?"
  
  "Like I was a stunt double for Wile E. Coyote," Lois responded with a grimace, and she got up to her feet, wincing when she stood on her feet. "Ow...ow...what happened?"
  
  "There was something that went through here involving the Blur," Chloe said, barely keeping a straight face at the moniker that Clark had been dubbed, but she managed to keep her cool, and look at Lois, looking at her. "The person after him knocked you into a wall, but you managed to get up, I guess and blacked out. I was about to call the ambulance, but then you woke up, are you sure you're okay?"
  
  "Give me a couple of pain killers, and call me in the morning," Lois responded with a grimace, trying to shake her head at that point, and really get back to life. "Just got to get back to work, the news business waits for no one, so why should I be any different. Up and back at it, are you sure I didn't miss anything important?"
  
  Chloe had no idea what to say, and she blinked for a moment, before turning towards Lois, and taking a deep breath.
  
  "I think you would have remembered it if was important," Chloe answered in an honest voice, and she saw Clark standing nervously in the background, out of the corner of her eye. Chloe took a step back. "If you need anything, I'll be right around the corner."
  
  "Yeah, I think I'll just take about five," Lois answered, grimacing at the slightest movement, and she slumped back down on her chair, wincing at the stabbing pain going through her body. "Yeah, about five years, maybe five decades, but after that, I should be back on my feet within no time."
  
  Chloe just turned around, and walked forward with a purpose, quickening her strides, pushing through the door, to face Clark, a nervous expression etched on his face. The two had not spoken to each other ever since their little tiff, unless one counted Chloe dousing Clark with the ice water in the elevator and snapping him out of his Maxima induced trance moments ago.
  
  Chloe shifted on her feet, watching Clark, just taking moments to study him, and Clark responded by opening his mouth, but then he promptly shut it, taking a deep breath.
  
  "So, I guess we have to talk," Clark responded at that moment, taking a deep breath, and looking at Chloe.
  
  That was the most direct, and sincere way to get straight to the point, which Chloe appreciated about Clark at this point, direct honesty, was something that they needed to get through this entire situation. Clark cleared his throat, and his eyes snapped onto Chloe's, both staring at each other, before the Kryptonian spoke in his most honest voice possible.
  
  "Chloe look I'm...you know I still don't like this, but...I respect your right to be in any kind of relationship that you want to, even if it's kind of...well you know, and I'm sorry."
  
  "Yeah, thanks, Clark, I appreciate you finally pulling your head out of your ass," Chloe answered in a nonchalant voice, and Clark just looked at Chloe, with a raised eyebrow.
  
  "It does seem to spend a lot of time wedged up there," Clark answered, folding his hands over his chest, and he watched Chloe, who responded. "After all that's happened..."
  
  "And a lot has happened," Chloe said, cutting off Clark, and she stepped forward. "I'm glad to have a friend like you Clark, even with all of your faults, and there are many, we could list them all day."
  
  Clark just nodded, and he would have to agree.
  
  "But at the same time, your imperfections make you who you are, and give you something to work past," Chloe answered, looking at Clark. "And you know, you might find yourself in a situation like mine, where you are in a relationship with multiple people. Lois and Lana technically won that duel with Maxima, therefore, they won the rights to you."
  
  "So, wait, I'm some prize to be won in a contest now?" Clark asked, getting a bit defensive now.
  
  "Not saying that at all, but just saying, perhaps you might want to open your mind, you never know what you like until you try it," Chloe answered in an even voice, and Clark just nodded. "And you can't look me in the eye, and tell me that you haven't had forbidden thoughts about multiple women at the same time."
  
  "Yes, but on the Red Kryponite," Clark said, and Chloe just put a hand up to stop Clark, before he said anything else, a smile appearing on her face.
  
  "And what does the Red Kryptonite do? It removes your inhibitions, but it doesn't put new thoughts there. You always did have a wild side in you."
  
  "So, I guess I was just projecting my insecurities about my own forbidden desires onto Harry, and blaming him, I know he wouldn't force you or Kara into anything, unless you were willing," Clark said, but he was happy that he did not confront Harry about the situation. Most likely because it would end badly for him, and then once Kara found out he tried to attack Harry, it would really end badly for him.
  
  "Just learn from your mistakes," Chloe responded, and she looked at Clark before saying something. "You got the crystal, don't you?"
  
  "Yes," Clark responded, and he reached into his pocket, to make sure it was still there. "She's a weird one to figure out..."
  
  "She did help us today, and send Maxima away," Chloe responded to Clark, eyes snapped up, and focusing him, before nodding her head. "I don't know, there's a chance that...well you know what there's a chance for."
  
  "I don't need to visualize anything that goes on behind closed doors," Clark said, holding his hand up, and Chloe got the message.
  
  Chloe smiled at that moment, before taking a deep breath, and directing the conversation back to the matter at hand.
  
  "Kara and Harry want to take a look at that distress that you and Lana heard from the Artic the other day, and they want you two to meet them, tonight, after dinner," Chloe responded, and Clark nodded, feeling that was agreeable to what he wanted to do. The truth was there was a morbid amount of curiosity "Don't be late or anything."
  
  "I won't be," Clark said, thinking that Lana would be agreeable to what happened, and to be honest, he was curious about what was going on, and wanted to solve that mystery.
  
  Chloe's eyes looked at Clark, a grin crossing her face, and to be honest, after what happened, she could not resist. The blonde looked at Clark, and remarked in an oh so casual voice. "Hey, Clark, you looked a little bit parched, how about a drink of ice-water?"
  
  Clark's eyes snapped towards Chloe, who had broken out in hysterical laughter. "That's not funny, Chloe."
  
  "I thought it was," Chloe responded in mirth, before the two walked back to Clark's desk. Clark sat back down to work, and Lois had brave walking off to get another cup of coffee. Chloe was gone, and Clark had his papers in order, trying to get back into work.
  
  Suddenly, Chloe zoomed in back in at super speed, and sent Clark's papers flying in every which direction, causing him to scramble to pick them up.
  
  "Sorry, always wanted to do that," Chloe said, before turning around, and walking off, whistling like she had not just sent all of the paper contents of Clark's desk flying.
  
  Clark grumbled, picking up everything, his entire desk area looked like a hurricane had come in.
  
  'I suppose I had this coming,' Clark thought to himself, scooping the papers up, and putting them back into the desk, jumping at every noise, for fear that it was Chloe making her return, to disrupt all of his work.
  
  Meanwhile Lois grumbled when she had crushed the cup in her hand. They sure did not make these things like they used to.
  
  With another motion she walked over to her desk and tried to pull open the drawer. The drawer went off of the rollers at that motion.
  
  'I guess I don't know my own strength,' Lois thought to herself tensely.
  
  
  
  Cold biting winds blew through the Artic, and it was at one of the coldest points that it had been at any time, but that did not bother the five figures who had stood at the Artic, one of them clutching a crystal in his hand. Clark stood, hesitate to what he needed to do, and Kara and Harry both sensed these hesitations from Clark, so Kara turned to him, and took a deep breath.
  
  "Clark, hand us the crystal, and we'll be able to scan it, to make sure that Lily did not leave any other nasty surprises," Harry remarked, and Clark, without hesitation, had handed Harry the crystal. It was pure power personified, and Harry made sure that no traces of his mother lingered inside the crystal. It was just like her to face some kind of failsafe.
  
  It did strike Harry at that moment that the orb had gone missing as well, and the tracking charm had been disabled, so it could have been anywhere.
  
  "So what's the damage?" Chloe asked, to break the silence.
  
  Kara put up a hand, and Chloe clapped her hands over her mouth, adopting the "speak no evil" pose, nodding the head. There was a time where she stood swaying, and Harry and Kara continued to scan the crystal, before both of them nodded.
  
  "It's completely clean," Harry summarized, and everyone had let out the breaths they had been holding in, for a very long time. The fact of the matter was that the crystal could have been their demise, or their doom, but it was not anything like that. Harry held out the crystal, for Clark to take. "I believe this is yours."
  
  Clark held the crystal in his hand, holding it over, and just watching it, it was in his hand, like fire. The fact of the matter was that Clark had no idea what he truly wanted to do, but Lana stood by his side, waiting and watching him.
  
  Immediately, Clark hurled the crystal back into the snow, where the Fortress once stood. A blinding light had erupted, and the Fortress came back to life once again, in all of his majestic glory, blinding the five figures standing in the Artic with its brilliance.
  
  The five figures stepped forward, and Clark was allowed to lead the way, since it was his Fortress. Clark stepped inside, with Lana following, and then Chloe, Kara, and Harry brought up the rear, all of them hovering above the ground.
  
  The Fortress had been put back onto line, just the way it was, with one notable exception, Jor-El had been missing in action. It seemed like the Jor-El programming had been banished elsewhere, and the AI was not present, yet someone else was, her voice, beautiful sounding and sophisticated, had spoken to them throughout the Artic.
  
  "I am pleased to have met you face to face at least, my son."
  
  Kara stood rigid, and absolutely shocked, with Harry putting an arm around her waist, waiting and watching, for Kara had recognized that voice. The blonde Kryptonian stood, mouth wide open, and the Herald of Death watched, mouth wide open, trying to articulate her words, before speaking.
  
  "Aunt Lara?"
  
  This statement had caused the entire group to be caught for a loop, and Clark suddenly took a step forward, absolutely shocked by what was going on, his mother was alive and well in the Fortress.
  
  "Yes, Kara, it is me, upon Jor-El's departure from this area, my programming was activated," Lara responded in a crisp voice.
  
  Harry stood, suspicious immediately, just on sheer principle, and if experience had taught him anything, it was to suspect everything, and everyone. This could have been another one of his mother's tricks, but for now, he was going to keep an open mind. Kara seemed rather convinced or perhaps just blindly optimistic at this point. Chloe seemed to be thinking among the same lines as Harry, and her brow contorted in suspicion, before she spoke.
  
  "So, if you were here all of this time, how is it that you never had any input on Clark's life?" Chloe asked, and Lana's eyes snapped towards Chloe, but then she nodded, thinking that her friend had made a good point.
  
  "Believe me, I wished I could have been here for my son, but Jor-El's programming was going to be the overriding force, no matter what I had tried to do," Lara answered, her voice sounding apologetic and regretful. Clark noticed that Lara had more emotion in her tone than Jor-El ever did when he spoke to Clark. "I installed this failsafe program in the event where your father's AI had been corrupted, deleted, or otherwise impaired, so you would not go without guidance. I was always here, but never active. Yet, I have been well informed of everything that transpired, and am rather displeased at your father right at the moment."
  
  Kara just smiled at that, holding back a laugh.
  
  "Somebody's busted,' Chloe said out of the corner of her mouth, and Kara would have to agree.
  
  "My father has always been so cold, and so distant to me, he's....he keeps talking about my destiny," Clark said, wanting to trust this woman who claimed to be his birth mother, but she was just a voice.
  
  "Your father did have great hopes for you once you were born, the greatest, perhaps greater than any pair of shoulders could even hope to burden," Lara stated, before taking a moment to speak. "Jor-El was a man of many talents, as I had found out constantly."
  
  Clark suddenly took a step back, eyes widened in trauma, and Chloe and Lana were both in hysterics, but the truth was that Clark did not need to learn that about his birth parents. Kara even pulled a face at that one, thinking that was way more information than she needed to know, with Harry throwing an arm around her, and barely hiding his own amusement at Clark's mental scarring.
  
  "The point is that your father tends to have a grand vision, and he often finds himself pressured with what he must do, putting great pressure upon himself," Lara answered, and there was a point where her attention was fully focused on her son. "He has a multitude of faults, and once he programmed this AI, he thought that his emotions would cloud the directive he felt you would be given. It is a costly mistake, and one that has bred a negative impression of your father in your mind."
  
  "That's putting it mildly," Clark responded, thinking about Jor-El, and all of the times where his father had been critical of him, about his destiny.
  
  "For he would have had emotions, he would have understood that you would have been just as stubborn as he was," Lara added at that point, taking a moment to speak. "But there are other matters that we must discuss regarding what has happened, before we find a way to recall his programming. As able as I am to help you on certain matters, there was information that left with Jor-El that would help direct you in a certain way."
  
  "I have a lot of the information, up here," Lana remarked, tapping on the top of her head, and the truth was she understood most of it.
  
  "I understand that, and you will do well with assisting Kal-El on his journey," Lara responded briskly, and she paused. "Humanity is at a crossroads in many ways, and there is a chance that they always will be. As a wise man once told me, they are a great people, they wish to be."
  
  "Wise words to live by," Clark responded, pleased that someone had sense.
  
  "They were the words of your father," Lara informed him, and Clark just stood back, aghast, but perhaps Jor-El was much more than this AI had made him out to be. Raya had told him that much, but Clark, in his rage against his father, had refused to listen. Yet, there might have been a reason for Jor-El presenting himself through this AI in such a matter.
  
  Lara was far from finished speaking, and her attention was on Clark. "There is much we need to discuss, and there will be plenty of time to do it later. There is the matter of an element that Jor-El would have neglected, and the matter of your mates."
  
  Clark's eyebrows rose at that moment, and Chloe and Kara just looked amused, the irony of it all, and Lana was just trying to figure out what her opinion was on this entire situation. Harry stood in the backward, just watching their reactions.
  
  "I...I...I don't know about this," Clark remarked, completely flummoxed, and Chloe was now in hysterics at the look of Clark's face, making sure to burn it into her mind, because that would give her enough amusement to last a lifetime.
  
  "Yes, I do understand about Earth taboos, but it is something that you must resolve to keep an open mind for your own sake," Lara responded, without another word, and there was a moment where everyone inside the Fortress was silent.
  
  Kara broke the silence, she was happy beyond all words, and took a deep breath, focusing her attention on her aunt. "It's really good to hear your voice, again Aunt Lara."
  
  "It is good to hear yours as well, Kara," Lara responded, and suddenly she paused. "And you're all grown up, with a mate of your own, and a handsome and a strong one as well, one that will be with you until the end of time."
  
  "Yes, we will," Harry responded, with Kara grabbing one of his hands, and Chloe grabbing the other hand, as they stood in the Fortress.
  
  "Both of your mates will be a treasure to cherish Kara, and it is just the beginning for you," Lara responded to her niece, and there was a time where everything went silence. "Now, Kal-El, if there is anything you wish to ask of me, or about me and your father, do not be afraid to ask."
  
  Clark would keep that in mind for the future, but as of right now he was overwhelmed, and everything happened so fast; to the point where he had a thousand thoughts swimming around on the inside of his head. They would also have to recover the Jor-El programming wherever Lily had sent it, but that was another matter for later, right now the first steps towards the rest of his life would be taken.
  
  
  
  Bonus Smut/Lemon/Roleplay Scene Begins.
  
  Kara's eyes flickered open, and she gave a bit of a confused and tired groan, once she had come back to life, struggling to get free from how she was tied up. At this point, Kara found herself chained to the wall, and she struggled against the bindings that kept the blonde alien fastened to the wall, before looking down to see the attire that she was wearing.
  
  A small strip of black fabric had just barely stretched over her nipples, covering what barely needed to be covered, with that being the only thing that she wore from the waist up. Kara's tasty breasts had been displayed nearly fully, and her flat, toned midriff was showcased next. The next bit of clothing was a small strip of black fabric that was technically considered a skirt, although it would be more strictly considered to be a very small belt.
  
  The strip of fabric stretched over her lap, showcasing her tight and trimmed pussy, with only the smallest strip of blonde pubic hair, and then on the other side, her ass was shapely, firm, and extremely tight, a vision of absolute perfection. Kara's legs were long, smooth, and toned, absolutely delicious, and beautiful, long steams that would cause any man to stop, and stare, drooling at her. It ended at her perfect feet, with elegant arches, and sexy little toes, feet that would be the envy of any super model out there.
  
  A reflection was show of Kara's beautiful face, with her hair tied back in pigtails, giving her an air of useful innocence, and her bright blue eyes shimmering with lust, with a prominent "fuck me" expression in them. It matched her spread legs quite nicely, and the expression was topped off by luscious, delicious looking lips, that looked prime for one thing, and that was sucking cock.
  
  The door pushed open, and Kara felt her lips moisten with excitement, both the ones between her legs and the ones on her mouth. She felt her heart beat more and more, as the man had walked forward. Harry entered, dressed in a regal attire of fabulous robes made of silk, and he looked down at Kara, cupping her face in his hand.
  
  "The serum is coursing through your veins, isn't it?" Harry asked Kara, a smile crossing his face.
  
  Kara nodded, but her eyes fluttered and stared at Harry, with the deepest desire, with pure unbridled passion, and her breath hitched once again, burning through Harry with lust. "Yes, my lord, but...you know I could not have...needed much persuasion."
  
  Harry just smiled, and stroked her hair, bending down, and looking down at her, his green eyes meeting her beautiful blue eyes. "Yes, you are such a pretty little alien slave, aren't you?"
  
  "Yes, master, I am," Kara replied, the heat rising in her body, and the warmth coursing in her nether regions. "I live to only please you."
  
  A grin spread over Harry's face, and it showcased all of his white teeth, and he gripped Kara's face, before he untied his robe, to reveal his erect cock. He pushed it up into Kara's face, and the blonde Kryptonian opened her mouth eagerly, before Harry pushed it inside.
  
  "Suck my dick," Harry ordered her, and Kara did, boy did she ever sucked his cock, despite her arms and legs being chained to the wall. Harry pushed his cock into Kara's mouth, and pushed it in and out.
  
  Kara felt the pleasure of this juicy piece of manhood being pushed and out of her waiting mouth, and she sucked it with everything she had. It throbbed and twitched in her mouth, with Kara tasting the greatest pleasure of this thick piece of meat. She was able to move her head, and took advantage of this opportunity to bob down on Harry.
  
  Harry groaned, holding Kara's head steady, and pushed his cock deep into her throat. Kara's sucking never slowed down, rather it increased with intensity, and the more he pushed, the deeper she sucked him. Her throat muscle control manipulated his fleshy pole, and was driving him closer and closer to an orgasm with each passing second.
  
  "Yes slave, you've done such a good job, I'm going to release your arms so you can pleasure me," Harry whispered, and with a flick of his hand, Kara's hands became free, with one of the hands fighting Harry's balls, and the other hand fighting his ass. Kara squeezed both of them, and Harry grunted. "Keep sucking, suck me off."
  
  Kara hummed, and got excited when Harry had rammed this hard rod down her throat, keeping fucking her face. Her blue eyes locked his, and she wanted her reward, so she sped up her bobbing on him. Kara was getting closer and closer to bringing Harry to the edge.
  
  With a grunt, some time later, Harry splattered his cum down Kara's throat, and sent several length ropes down Kara's throat, some of it splattering on her face when Harry pulled back from her. His cock spurted line after line of cum down onto her face, splattering it on Kara's face. She moaned in pleasure, feeling the thick seed coat her face, and Kara breathed at that moment, dropping down.
  
  "You look like a dirty, dirty slut," Harry said to Kara, grabbing her around the shoulders, and Kara just turned her attention to Harry, a dirty and flirty smile crossing her face.
  
  "Yes, master, I am your dirty, dirty slut, and you can do anything that you want with me," Kara cooed, and Harry looked at the blonde Kryptonian, before a chair appeared.
  
  "You know what happens to dirty, dirty, sluts?" Harry asked Kara, holding her steady, and the expression on his face turned to one of deep anticipation, when Harry unbound her feet.
  
  "What?" Kara asked, but Harry flipped her over, and Kara was sprawled across on his lap. The blonde writhed on his lap, and Harry licked the palm of his hand, before he aimed it.
  
  A smack echoed throughout the dungeon area, and Kara gave a hearty moan, when Harry's hand smacked across her ass. Kara felt herself flushed with desire, and her nether regions got even wetter, when Harry spanked her even more again and again.
  
  "Yes, more, more," Kara encouraged him, and Harry just stopped at that moment, with Kara whining at the lost, with Harry pushing Kara down onto the floor, before he placed his hands on either side of her ass.
  
  "You have a tight ass," Harry remarked, putting his hands on either side of her ass, and squeezing her luscious cheeks. "It's so round and fuckable."
  
  "Do it, fuck my ass, you know you want to, master," Kara begged him, wiggling her ass towards Harry's, and Harry just offered a smile, before spreading Kara's cheeks, and aiming his cock towards her; before ramming it deep into Kara's tight rear.
  
  Kara moaned in agony, feeling Harry's hard cock up her ass, and Harry sawed into her with each passing motion, getting into her, and pounding her tight, tight ass. Kara reared her head back, moaning in pleasure, with Harry fucking her from behind. The blonde Kryptonian dug her nails into the floor, and tried to rip out bits of the pavement, with Harry pushing into her, harder and harder.
  
  Harry rammed deep into Kara's ass, giving her the pleasure that she wanted, and his alien slave girl was on the floor, his balls throbbing whilst he continued to pound into the tightest ass in the universe. Kara's moans encouraged him to push his pole harder into the back of her, feeling her ass tighten around him. His member was encased in a hole that was tighter than a furnace.
  
  "Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, oooh," Kara moaned, nearly digging up the ground, and Harry reached around, ripping the fabric from her breasts. The fabric fell to the ground, and Harry cupped her swaying breasts in his palms, squeezing them, and he thrust into her backside. "Give it to me, fuck me hard, fuck me long, yes Harry, yes!"
  
  Harry pumped deep into Kara, feeling the tightness of her rear that squeezed him, and pushed against his loins. His balls slapped against her as well when Harry continued to hammer into her tight ass deeper, and deeper, the hole was tight as a furnace, not that Harry minded feeling the backside squeeze against his prick.
  
  Harry's heart beat faster and faster, and Kara moaned louder, Harry slamming hard into her. Kara scratched the ground, and felt her pussy be soaked, with the moisture creating a huge puddle on the ground.
  
  Kara screamed out loud, and the cock slammed deep pinto Kara's tight ass, with Harry squeezing her breasts more and more. Faster, and faster, and Kara screamed, until Harry unloaded a huge thick load of cum into her ass.
  
  Kara collapsed on the ground, her ass all nice and fucked; however, Harry was not finished yet. He pulled Kara up to a sitting position, and turned her around, before burying his face into his tits, motor boarding them. Kara's ecstasy could not be matched by any human means, and Harry continued to pleasure her luscious globes with his mouth. They were tasty, and Harry pleasured the woman's ass.
  
  "Please, I need a fucking, long and hard," Kara begged him, and Harry just spread her legs apart, and rubbed against her slit, teasing the blonde with his fingers. Kara offered a throaty moan, and her eyes were glazed over. "I want you to push load after load into me, until I can't really handle it any more, go for it master!"
  
  Harry pushed Kara down on the ground, causing her to lay prone in her own cum, and spread her legs. With a swift motion, Harry pushed his hard cock deep into her tight crevice, and had her on the ground, fucking her nice and hard. Kara's eyes glazed over with pleasure, and her back arched, with her legs wrapped around his body, encouraging Harry to slam his stiff prick into her over and over again.
  
  The heat of her mound was intense, and Harry reached over, whilst feeling the pleasure from Kara, and grabbing her hair, peering into her bright blue eyes as he continued to slam himself deep into her body.
  
  "You like that, you want some of that, you want that hard fucking," Harry growled, hammering into Kara, and Kara whimpered, biting her lip, when Harry continued to push into her. "You like that good hard fucking, don't you, baby?"
  
  "Yes, fuck me, fuck me all night long!" Kara yelled, with Harry slamming his cock deeper into her center, and Kara continued to moan. "Yes, master, give it to me, fuck this whore with that big, juicy cock. Splatter everything you've got in my body!"
  
  Kara's moans continued to get deeper and deeper, and Harry groped her breasts, twisting her nipples, and then he lightly nibbled on them. The tastes and sensations of her breasts were second to none, and Harry trailed his tongue down them, while her wet snatch squeezed him. Harry hammered away into her twat, and Kara bucked her hips up, matching every single motion, both lovers feeling covered in a layer of sweat and other bodily fluids.
  
  Harry's cock connected with Kara, striking her, every single spot, every single, giving her pleasure. Kara liked the pattern that had been established, three hard and fast strokes, with three slow ones, but they were equally as hard. The passionate actions and activities made Kara's toes curl, and her spine tingle with desire. Harry playing with her breasts only added to the passions, and the blonde writhed, and thrashed with each moment.
  
  "Fucking, tight, so fucking great," Harry managed, his cock going deeper and deeper into Kara, penetrating her womanly depths, and Harry could tell by the moans that she was getting off on it, the heat causing his cock to twitch with desire, and there was only a short amount of time, before Harry could hold on.
  
  "Give me your cum, master," Kara begged him, an expression of wanting and need dancing in her blue eyes, and Harry slammed into her, harder, and harder.
  
  "We're going to cum together," Harry whispered, and Kara moaned deeply, biting her lip, but then letting out several passionate moans. "My little dirty alien slave is going to have her biggest one yet!"
  
  "Yes, yes, fuck, my pussy, in me, cum in me!" Kara encouraged him, and with each stroke, he got in deeper, together, and longer, driving into her body. He really was good at slamming into depths, and she felt him up against her womb.
  
  Harry lost his load with several long strokes later, and his balls tightened, splattering deep into her. The white fluids coursed from his cock, and shot deep into Kara, feeling her up to the brim. Kara screamed, her orgasm coursing through her, and her pussy tightening around Harry like a clamp, milking every single drop of cum out of him. Both lovers had made it down on the floor, pleased about the passionate roleplay that had just concluded.
  
  Smut/Lemon/Roleplay concludes.
  
  To Be Continued in the Next Chapter "Moments in Time."
  Moments in Time
  
  Chapter 45: Moments in Time.
  
  Spring had most certainly sprung a long time ago, and the weather shifted into the warmer, almost summer weather. Deep into the month of June, a lot of time had passed, with a lot having happened, and almost two months had passed since the Maxima incident. There was a lot to do, and not much time to do it, and even that was a problem for the Heralds of Death, who had currently sat out on the grass in a mark in Metropolis. Harry and Kara watched Claire running around outside, getting a chance to be a kid, and the two of them allowed time to just sit back, relax.
  
  Harry wrapped his arm around Kara's waist, where the blonde Kryptonian placed a head on his shoulder, and the two enjoyed nature in all of its splendid beauty, the tweets of the birds, the clouds in the sky, the crisp breeze blowing through the air. The blonde Kryptonian turned to her husband, a smile crossing her face.
  
  Kara was dressed for the summer weather, wearing a red tank top that stretched over her torso, showcasing a generous amount of cleavage, and stopped just short of her midriff, showing her toned midsection. She wore a pair of rather short shirts, that tightened around her legs, and fit snugly around her shapely hips, and rear, going down to her legs, and the apex was her beautiful bare feet. She was the stuff that the wet dreams of many men were made of, but Harry did not have to dream, he had lived that every single moment in time.
  
  Harry spun his wife around, and pressed his lips to Kara's, with a searing kissing, for no reason other than to enjoy her mouth, and her talents, his tongue scraping against the inside of her mouth. Kara deepened the kiss, both of them tasting each other, having the sights, and the sounds of nature, with Kara wrapping her legs around Harry. Harry put his hand on the small of Kara's back and stroked the skin, enjoying her moans, but suddenly Claire cleared her throat, breaking the two lovers out of their fun.
  
  "Sorry to bother you guys, but I'm going to go over there by the playground, if that's okay?" Claire asked, and there was a moment where Harry and Kara looked up, with Chloe giving them a hint that she was there, and would keep an eye on Claire, so they could have some alone time with each other.
  
  "Yeah, that's fine, yell if anything happens," Kara replied, with a smile on her face, and Harry tightened the embrace around Kara, smiling as well.
  
  "And remember, if any boys bother you, what are you supposed to do?"
  
  "Set their shoes on fire," Claire remarked in an innocent voice, and Harry and Kara just turned at them, before the girl started to laugh. "Oh boy, the look on the faces of you guys, it was completely priceless."
  
  Claire just walked off happily, with the two Heralds watching her leave, and the two just leaned against each other, staring into each other's eyes, and Harry tilted Kara's head back, before capturing her mouth into another kiss. Kara enjoyed the kiss, and no doubt there, with the two Heralds indulging themselves in each other, but they broke apart. The alien bombshell spun around, looking into the sky, and becoming rigid.
  
  There was something in the air, and that something in the air just flew off faster than a speeding bullet, with Kara putting her hands on her hips, and looking in the air. The blonde shook her head immediately, taking a deep breath, and Harry placed an arm around her, before focusing his expression on the blonde.
  
  "It was her wasn't it?" Harry asked, and Kara responded with a nod of her head.
  
  "I don't know what her game is, she just pops in randomly, to let us know that she came," Kara responded, but a frown crossed her face. "There are times where I think that she wants to just talk to us, but her pride won't let her. She's fully embraced her Kryptonian heritage, to the most horrifying extreme, and she...well she doesn't care much for humans I think."
  
  Kara's blue eyes grew wide and worried, with a troubled expression crossing her face.
  
  "Could I have been like that, if things had gone differently?"
  
  Harry just cupped his hand on Kara's chin, and tilted her head up, before pressing his lips to hers with a kiss. Kara felt a bit better, but the kiss lasted much too briefly for her liking, and it broke suddenly. "Of course, you're not, Kara. You're not a bad person, and really neither is she, she had a rough life, and it's kind of twisted her into a..."
  
  "A bit of a bitch," Kara offered Harry, and the sorcerer just nodded with a smile crossing his face, before he ran his hands through his wife's hair. Kara was pulled into a tight embrace, her face buried in Harry's chest, and Harry rubbed the skin on the back of her neck.
  
  "Yeah, that's one way to put it nicely, but I have a feeling that she knows something that we don't know," Harry responded, and Kara broke out of the embrace, before stepping back a few feet, and offering a wide grin.
  
  "I don't think she's going to voluntarily give up information, if we ask nicely," Kara replied, but she placed her hands on Harry's cheeks, and looked into his eyes. "But there is one thing that we can do, or rather you can do."
  
  Harry suddenly felt a feeling of foreboding at that moment, and a grin crossed over Kara's face at this point, with the blonde bombshell leaning forward, before whispering in his ear.
  
  "I have a feeling that she's just like me, and therefore has the same tastes, and many of the same turn-ons, therefore she's vulnerable to the same things, perhaps that's something that you can exploit."
  
  Harry raised an eyebrow, and Kara unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing, feverishly working the buttons, and running her hands down Harry's muscular chest, feeling every inch of him, and stroking downwards to his stomach.
  
  "Just think, her problem is that she might need some tender loving care," Kara whispered into her ear. "And since she's a Herald, no one could give it to her like you can."
  
  Kara slipped her hand down the front of Harry's pants, and offered a saucy grin and wink, looking at him.
  
  "Do you think you can do that for us Harry, seduce the information out of her so she can tell you what she knows?" Kara purred in his ear, before stroking him a little bit, and pushing Harry back against the tree.
  
  Harry thought that his wife was giving him permission to seduce, and likely sleep with another one, granted it was another Herald, and she was going to be in the relationship, eventually, maybe, anyway. Her needs would need to be tended to obviously, and Harry was the only person who was able to do about.
  
  "If you want me to do it," Harry breathed, with Kara stroking him a bit more, before getting back to her feet, and looking into his eyes, deeply.
  
  "Yes, Harry, do it, for us, it could mean the difference of life and death, I have a feeling she'll listen to you," Kara responded, a grin crossing her face. "Once she gets a taste, I'm sure she'll do anything for you, just like I would."
  
  Harry just smiled, to be honest, the other Herald was rather appeasing on the eyes, and he would be denied if he was not attracted to her. Her attitude left something to be desired at times, but that can be worked on easily, because Harry had a feeling that she lived a tough life. Kara was asking him to do this, not that Harry needed much prodded, and if she had any information, should he do anything to get the information by any means necessary.
  
  The two sat back down on the grass, watching their daughter from afar, and just enjoyed the day at hand, with all of the beauty. The last couple of months had been a roller coaster ride for all of them, with the Fortress still mostly online, with Lara being the influence within the chambers, although she tried to assist Clark with searching for Jor-El, but it was slow going at the moment, with none of the knowing if Jor-El even still existed.
  
  If there was a shred of the AI left anywhere, then they would be able to track it down, but in the meantime, Lara was educating Clark about certain matters, and tried to hunt down his mates, whoever they might be. Lana was one, they had been able to determine that much, even if Lara seemed to be rather indifferent on her right now at best, saying that she wanted to wait until she knew Lana a bit better, before making any judgment.
  
  On the other hand, Lara took a shine to Harry, preferring him as a mate to Kara, and Kara was glad that her aunt approved of this arrangement, not that it mattered to her either way. The fact that Kara approved of Harry was perhaps the most important thing in the relationship, and it was all that mattered to her.
  
  The two Potters continued to sit down, and enjoy the nature, on what was one of the most beautiful days of the year so far.
  
  
  
  Metropolis was a city bustling with excitement, almost too much excitement with people going to work, in the early morning rush. There was a moment where everything was calm, but when they happened, it often was the calm before the storm. People tended to say that everything took a while to break, and that was true was one of the support beams for a large billboard had given way.
  
  People looked up, just in time to see the creaking, and their bodies tensed up, before they all ran away in a panic, as the sign teetered below them. In the chaos, two young men had fallen to the ground, getting knocked down, and were unable to get up just in time, when the sign had toppled over, and was falling down upon their heads, their doom surely assured.
  
  Suddenly, a figure rushed in, a blur of light that could not be picked up by anything, and caught the billboard in one fluid motion, before throwing it up to another darker blur in the air, who had caught it, and had held the billboard steady, welding the support beams back together with a dose of heat vision.
  
  The next thing the two figures on the ground realized was that they had been saved, and their two blurs had bitten the dust, almost as fast as they had appeared.
  
  Off in the distance, Clark and Lana looked up at the billboard, which had remained steady, like nothing else had happened, and both sped off to continue one more sweep around the city, before going separate ways for the day. They were secure in the fact they had gotten in quickly, saved the day, and not been scene.
  
  The problem was that they had been scene, by a woman standing on a building across the street, dressed in black. She was a fit woman, by all appearances in her early twenties, of some kind of exotic descent, at least that was what one would judge, based on her appearance. The woman focused a pair of binoculars, and looked down, seeing the two figures speed off, only getting a slight hint of them, but her eyes had been bred through years of intense training to see things that were not there, whilst she mastered her surrounds.
  
  The woman's name was Talia, and she was one of the top members of the League of Shadows, having earned that spot through hard year and toil, and not who her father was. She had fought men twice her size to earn the spot, men who would break her in half, and not think twice about it.
  
  Talia spent eight years of her life in darkness as well, surviving on what she could, because it was a test by her father, who had always wanted a son, to see if she was worthy of the family legacy.
  
  "He swallowed the bait just as you thought he would, father," Talia reported back in, her voice crisp and to the point.
  
  The voice on the other end responded. "Excellent, you have done a satisfactory job, Talia. As I predicted, this young man is drawn to heroics. His power may be just what I need if my plans are to go off. He wears the skin of a human, but he has the potential to be much more, as we purify the world that has been ravaged by countless years of disease. Mankind really is a blight to this planet, but thankfully we have a gift from the stars. Have you been able to narrow down who he is?"
  
  "The young man goes by the name of Clark Kent, he was adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent at the age of three," Talia responded to him. "I have managed to get a job as a secretary at his place of business, the Daily Planet, where I shall endeavor to gain more information about him, and perhaps get a bit closer to him, to see what he is all about."
  
  "Do what you must, Talia, do what you must, but remember, do not forget the plan," her father responded over the link, his voice stern, and offering no room for Talia to argue. "What has your observation been about the other one?"
  
  "You mean the paramedic?" Talia asked, leaning against the pillar where she had stood, and looked out on the city.
  
  "Yes, that is who I do mean, I feel that he could also be a valuable tool, once we have unlocked certain doors," the man on the other end responded, his voice crisp and stern. "The monster within will be unlocked, but let us see what will happen when he has been exposed to one of the Lazarus Pits."
  
  Talia's father paused, before he added a few more words, almost framing them as an afterthought.
  
  "I do in fact believe that these two survivors are destined to fight to a cataclysmic end, whilst one or neither may survive the coming battle. If I am reading what is written in the sacred temple correctly, a Doomsday is coming, and the world will need the one empowered by the yellow sun to save it, for none shall slay the monster except for him. Not even those who have been empowered by Death herself."
  
  "And after the battle is done and many have been wiped out, you shall purify the Earth," Talia answered, knowing her father's plan by heart.
  
  "Yes, the destroyer could kill countless, but they are all acceptable losses," her father responded, in a crisp voice. "This Clark Kent and I will be meeting before too long. The information that my men have coerced out of Swann's daughter once we have grabbed her has allowed my plans to move forward, but continue your observation, and report back to when you gain more information."
  
  "I will father, I shall not fail you," Talia responded, before she added, almost as an afterthought. "Have you run into any further snags in Gotham City, and your operations there?"
  
  "True to form, the detective is getting closer to my operations, but rest assure, this is by design, he will be another one that I will endeavor to meet face to face before too long," Talia's father said, his voice once again crisp, and it sounded like he had everything under control.
  
  Talia had only met Batman or Bruce Wayne rather, during his days of traveling the world. It had been a memorable meeting between the two, that led to quite the wild night in Cairo, but that was another story for another time.
  
  Her father had went on about the Detective like he was the son that he always wanted, and it made Talia feel a little inadequate, especially after all she had done out of loyalty to her father. All of the sacrifices she had made, losing the best years of her life to training, and dedication, to prove she was worthy of the last name.
  
  "It sounds as if you have a contingency for everything," Talia remarked, breaking herself out of her thoughts and breaking the silence.
  
  "Naturally, I have a plan, would you expect anything less from Ra's Al Ghul?"
  
  Talia would have say given that all she knew about her father, she would not have expected anything less.
  
  "Do take care my daughter, and I will continue more of my work unearthing the map to lead me to the First," Ra's Al Ghul stated over the communication link.
  
  Talia knew the First to be an ancient myth of someone who had been empowered by the gifts of Death herself, and had been able to twist the laws of morality. In many ways, he or she was a herald, a Herald of Death, so to speak.
  
  Ancient legend had it that his soul had been trapped in a temple somewhere in the middle east, and would be able to grant powers to anyone, mastery over life and death. Her father had been using the Lazarus Pits for centuries, but the trips had less time in between, due to the fact that they were losing their potency.
  
  For now, Talia had other matters on her mind, and she would be getting a closer look at the enigma that was Clark Kent all too shortly.
  
  
  
  The Daily Planet bullpen buzzed with the news of the day, and in typical fashion Lois tore like a bat out of hell, nearly running over half of the staff, in her pursuit to file the latest story whilst it was still hot off of the presses. Chloe sat in the corner, kind of exasperated by her cousin's actions, but she just filed it away with Lois just being Lois.
  
  Clark walked over, he had a lot of time to think, and to mull things over during the last couple of months, and talking to his mother was a refreshing change from talking to his father. Although Lara did tell Clark not to judge Jor-El too harshly, given his AI counterpart was not an accurate reflection of the real deal. Clark was trying hard not to, and Lara did in fact admit that Jor-El had plenty of faults, but all and all he was a good man.
  
  Adopting a clumsy demeanor was something that Clark had decided to do, mostly to throw everyone off of the scent of the Blur. Lois in particular was starting to ask a lot of questions, and while Clark enjoyed her company, there were times where she could get mighty persistent and pushy.
  
  The psychotic version of Kara had wiped Lois's mind of that day, and none of them felt inclined to clue Lois in on what she learned, at least for the moment. However, it was not the first time where Clark found himself racked with guilt about people not being able to let people in on his secret.
  
  Clark was too caught up in his thoughts, where it led to the point where the clumsiness was not an act, and he bumped into a woman.
  
  "Excuse me," Clark replied in an apologetic voice, and the woman just looked at him. She was beautiful, Clark would have to be blind not to see that, with an exotic look that one did not normally see around Kansas. Not that he was going to say that much to Lana, but Clark Kent was only human, well not really, but he was raised as one, so that sort of counted.
  
  "It's quite alright, I was not really watching where I was going," the woman replied in a beautiful voice. There were women who could turn on men with their voices, and this was one of them, with Clark taking a step back, to keep himself in check. "I just got hired as the new secretary of this place, and I find myself a bit lost, Metropolis is not something that I'm used to. I grew up in a small village in the Middle East, everyone knew everyone else."
  
  Clark nodded, that sounded a lot like Smallville in many ways, where everyone seemed to know what was going on, and it was at that point where Clark realized how lucky he was to keep his secret for all of those years.
  
  "You seem like a nice young man, so I was hoping that you would show me around," the woman responded, looking at Clark, and her lips curled into an expression that would cause even the strongest of men to jump off of cliffs.
  
  "I'd...if you want me to," Clark responded, and the woman just offered a smile. Had Clark been a bit quicker on the uptake, he would have noticed that this was the same type a smile that a predator had given, when cornering its prey.
  
  "My name is Miranda, Miranda Tate," the woman responded in soft voice, looking into Clark's eyes, and he backed off into the wall. "And you are..."
  
  "Clark Kent," Clark responded, and he did not know why, but he kind of hoped that this woman was one of his mates, other than Lana. Lana was still good, as Clark reminded himself, even though this woman had the charisma to threaten to drive Lana out of his mind.
  
  "Lead the way, Mr. Kent," the woman responded.
  
  Lois watched Miranda leave, her arm snaked around Clark's, and her eyes burned a hole into the back of the woman's head.
  
  "I don't like her," Lois responded, and Chloe raised an eyebrow, before Lois hastily amended. "I mean...I mean she's not good for Clark, that's all..."
  
  "You don't even know her," Chloe responded, but the truth be told, she had her misgivings. Considering that Clark and her had come to agreement that Clark not talk to her about the arrangement with Harry and Kara at all costs, Chloe thought it would be hypocritical to give Clark an earful about it.
  
  "Look at her, she's the type of woman that Martha would have warned Clark to stay away from at all costs, because she's bad news," Lois responded, and Chloe just turned around. "Lana would agree with me if she was here."
  
  "Clark's just being friendly," Chloe responded, shrugging her shoulders.
  
  "I'm not saying that he isn't, Clark's a good guy, but the problem is he's too good, and people like her exploit people like him, and eat them for breakfast, shit them out, and eat them again for lunch," Lois responded, and Chloe pulled a face at that image.
  
  "Thanks for the imagery this close after I've eaten, Lois," Chloe replied, closing her eyes and pulling a face.
  
  It would be a lot easier to explain certain matters to Lois if Clark had been upfront with her, but that was another story. Lois had been through so much with them, she was kind of being left out of the loop, and Chloe could not explain her arrangement to Lois, without Clark explaining his secret.
  
  Yet, Chloe would never betray him, telling Clark's secret to someone, even though that someone who was her cousin, and potentially one of Clark's mates. That was just a theory, there was not one way or another for Chloe to prove it.
  
  Lois on the other hand had a feeling that she should be remembering something important but found her memories to be a bit hazy for some reason. She remembered flying which was weird. Lois wondered if someone had drugged her or something along those lines.
  
  There was also the fact that things just seemed much more breakable than they have had before but that was just her opinion.
  
  
  
  Karen slipped into Tess Mercer's office, walking through the shadows, seemingly undetected, and knew that she had only one hour to get any more information. She felt she was getting closer and closer to figuring this out, when suddenly, a hand grabbed her by the wrist, and spun her around. Karen prepared to fight, but relaxed when it was only Harry Potter, standing there in the flesh.
  
  Harry had a smile on his face, the kind of smile that would melt the hearts of most girls, and make their panties dampen with excitement. Karen wasn't going to fall for that, mostly because she was not wearing any panties, and she sat on the desk, still dressed in her dull disguise.
  
  "Sneaking around here like this, spying on people, one might say that you're up to something," Harry replied, putting a hand on her cheek, and Karen backed off, before Harry grabbed her by the waist, and slid her onto the desk.
  
  "I am up to something, something that you should be doing, destroying everything Luthor," Karen replied, and it was at this point where the blonde Kryptonian's eyes flashed with malice. "Do you even know who Tess Mercer is, and where she came from?"
  
  "Yes, I do," Harry replied without missing a beat. "She has certain controlling tendencies that are hard to turn a blind eye to. But does she know?"
  
  "She did in my world," Karen replied, and Harry put a hand to her knee.
  
  "That was your world, this is our world, and things are very much different, things have happened, the world has changed, and it's nothing like the world you remember, which I think is the problem. Something bad happened, and you don't want it to happen again, now do you?"
  
  Karen was silent, and she refused to answer, just on sheer principle. The blonde Kryptonian stood, arms folded, she had put the mask of deception on for the longest time, and now it was slipping, as Harry burned into her with those green eyes that were so bewitching. Harry placed his hand in her hair, and he stroked it gently, and Karen did not pull away, rather she leaned in closer, to allow Harry better access.
  
  "Drop the mask," Harry replied, and Karen relaxed, the glamor fading away.
  
  Harry saw all of her at that point, and liked what he saw; she was a specimen of beauty, just like his Karen. Her blonde hair framed her angelic face, that right now had a frown on it, with her blue eyes simmering, and full of so much unbridled passion that she tried to hold back, yet she could not. Harry could sense her body heat up at his mere touch, and understood that she had been sexually repressed, emotionally distraught, with all of her emotions shut off.
  
  His eyes traveled down to the tight blouse, with the buttons straining to pop because of her large breasts, that were round, high, and firm, the pinnacle of Kryptonian female development, and he saw her cleavage. Karen's shirt rode up a little bit, to see her toned stomach, with a cute little belly button.
  
  Harry's gaze traveled down to her short skirt that wrapped snugly around her hips and Karen was not wearing any underwear underneath, now that the glamor had faded. Her legs were adorned by a pair of stockings that ensnared his mind, and made his mouth water.
  
  She was beautiful, and Harry took another step forward, taking advantage of the attraction that she felt to him. He turned on the Herald of Death charm effect, knowing that every woman who was nearby would feel the sudden urge to have some quality time with themselves, alone in private, or with a significant other, but Harry did not care.
  
  "So, tell me what's this all about?" Harry asked Karen, and Karen's mouth watered.
  
  She knew she should be fighting this, but the problem was that she could not fight it, she wanted it, and Karen wanted to feel again. She wanted Harry to take her into his arms, and kiss her, giving her pleasure.
  
  Karen collapsed into Harry's embrace, and she tried to remain calm, even though her heart fluttered, and she felt ensnared, bewitched by his very being. Karen was slowly losing herself, losing control, with Harry pushing her back onto the desk, his hand on her knee. The very touch was causing Karen to lose herself.
  
  "You really want to know," Karen breathed, but then her breath hitched in more, when Harry's hand went up her skirt, before placing firmly on her inner thigh. Harry leaned forward, and licked Karen behind her left ear, causing the blonde Kryptonian to shudder, and her body to warm up, that spot was really sensitive.
  
  "Yeah, I want to know," Harry replied, and by design or perhaps accidentally, the buttons on Karen's top began to pop thanks to the sexually charged magic in the room, and her already short skirt got magically shorter. Her blouse was mere a few threads, just covering the essentials, as was her skirt, not leaving anything to the imagination.
  
  "I'll tell you anything, baby," Karen replied in a husky voice, her lips moistening with desire, and her eyes burning with passion, literally given the heat vision came dangerously close to setting Tess's entire office on fire, but thankfully she reigned it in. "I'll give you anything you want, but all I ask is for you to give me something."
  
  Karen reached forward, and grabbed Harry's crotch through his pants, emphasizing what she wanted, before squeezing his package roughly, and she leaned forward, whispering sensually into his ear.
  
  "And I want it, right here, and right now."
  
  Harry looked at her, and looked around. "Here, in Tess's office?"
  
  "Her desk is clean," Karen replied, with a shrug, before she threw her legs around Harry, and wrapped her arms around him, before pushing Harry back onto the desk. This busty blonde began to kiss the breath out of Harry, as she grounded her heated mound onto his erection, before the real fun began.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  Like a sex starved animal, Karen attacked Harry's mouth with hers, forcing her tongue into his mouth, and Harry returned the favor, rubbing his tongue against hers. Karen's lips were very sensitive, they've never been kissed until now, not that would stop her from having everything that she wanted, everything that she needed.
  
  Karen grabbed Harry's shirt, and tore it off of him, before she stroked his flesh with her hands, playing with it. Her hands were very skilled, and they eased lower, before Karen stuck a hand down Harry's pants, teasing his very stiff rod. Karen wanted to see the merchandise, and immediately, she tore Harry's pants off, before she made quick work of his boxers.
  
  Harry stood in the office, naked as the day he was born, and Karen's eyes widened, with heat filling her body, when she saw the sight of muscular frame, beautiful eyes, messy black hair, and that huge, thick piece of meat between his legs. Karen got before Harry on her knees, and worshipped her new god, grabbing his meat, before she gave it slow strokes, sensually rubbing Harry's member, feeling every throb, every vein, every twitch, just every inch of this meat.
  
  If this was Karen's first time doing this, then she was a natural, or that's what at least Harry summarized, she played with his cock, placing her mouth around the head, and with a swift motion, took the entire length down her throat. Harry gritted his teeth, hissing like a snake, and Karen's head bobbed up and down, up and down, taking Harry deeper and deeper into her tight throat. Harry felt her throat muscles convulse around him, and Karen sped up at his sounds of pleasure, deep throating him at every movement.
  
  Karen was born to do this, she wanted this cock, and she would get what she wanted, taking this thick tool down into her throat. The blonde Kryptonian sped up with every single passing moment, and continued to suck Harry down, the cock hitting the back of her throat, feeling it twitch.
  
  "That's it baby, such a hot mouth, suck that cock like the whore you are," Harry breathed to Karen, and Karen, spurred on by the dirty talk, sped up, whilst vigorously rubbing her clit, bringing herself closer and closer to an erect.
  
  She was so dirty, she was so filthy, Karen needed this cock, and Harry was giving her the meat she needed, slamming it down her throat. Karen could almost sense that Harry was getting nearer, and grabbed his ballsac, fondling it tightly with her hand, coaxing him to cum at that moment.
  
  Harry felt her talented mouth on his rod, and her skilled hand on his ballsac, so his balls tightened.
  
  "Going to cum," Harry groaned, and Karen's mouth popped off, stroking Harry's cock up and down, while she did, pumping it faster.
  
  "That's it Harry, cum all over my pretty face, and my big tits, soak this dirty slut with your cum," Karen cooed, pumping Harry all the while faster, and he proceeded to cum, sending several thick jets of cum, it pumping out of his cock like a fire hose.
  
  Karen slid back, catching some of it in her tongue, and some of the cum splattered in her hair, not that she cared. This was a pinnacle of manhood, and she had just serviced him well, but now she had little time to reconcile what had happened for Harry had just jammed three fingers into her cunt. Karen moaned, eyes glazed over at the unexpected intrusion, but she felt Harry slowly pump into her.
  
  "Manipulate that cunt," Karen breathed, and Harry fingered her, jamming his fingers in and out, in and out, in and out, feeling the heat in her mouth, and Karen felt herself coming close, with her pussy clenching around his fingers.
  
  Harry manipulated her inner most pleasure centers, before grabbing Karen, and leaning her back on Tess's desk, pulling his fingers out of her. Karen groaned from the lost, but did not have long to grown where Harry had spread apart her extremely moist lips, and shoved his tongue down into her tasty pussy, making circular motions with it as he slowly licked her out.
  
  "Oh, great fucking Rao," Karen groaned, her hips bucking up to match Harry's tongue, when he jabbed his tongue deep into her gushing cunt, and Karen felt Harry go down on her with the skill, he was talented at oral sex, that much was for certain. Karen's eyes fluttered, her heat beat fast, and her body warmed up, with her moaning and cooing becoming more and more labored with each passing stroke of Harry's tongue.
  
  It was until Harry started hissing in her core, and Karen screamed to the heavens, hoping that Harry remembered to put silencing spells around the office, because she sure as hell didn't. Harry's tongue was working such great magic at her, and his hands found her tits, with Harry fondling them, squeezing them, whilst he went down on Karen.
  
  Harry tasted Karen's pussy, it was mostly the same, but at the same time, very different from Kara's. It had a more exotic taste to it, wild and untamed, while Kara's was more sweet and savory, but both tasted the same. Harry continued to go down on her, stimulating every single spot of her, and Karen's legs squeezed together around his head, with a force that would decapitate a normal human being.
  
  Karen's pussy clenched, and after a time of Harry stroking his tongue deep into her, and hissing deep into her cunt, Karen came hard, splattering Harry's faces with her love juices. The sweet nectar splashed onto Harry's face, and Harry reached forward, scrapping some of the juices off of Karen's legs, before offering it to her. Karen greedily and gladly feasted upon her own girl cum, licking it from Harry's fingers.
  
  Harry decided to go where no man had ever gone before, and he rubbed Karen's lips, teasing the opening.
  
  "You better do it, and fuck me hard," Karen demanded, Harry just teased her, rubbing her lips up and down with his fingers, and then brushed his thumb over her clit, sending sparks of magic into it, which caused Karen to whine. "HARRY! HARRY! FUCK ME!"
  
  Karen's legs were spread, and Harry hovered over her, aiming his cock towards her pussy, before he jammed it into her. For a moment, Karen's maiden head had been busted, and she felt pain, but that was fleeting for her powers could heal her. Harry then offered slow strokes at first, penetrating her pussy, and then built up the tempo.
  
  "Harry, fuck me like you mean it," Karen demanded, putting her hands around his back, and sinking her nails into it, to encourage Harry, and Harry sped up his thrusts, slamming his cock harder and harder into Karen's moist sex, his balls slapping against her. "Oh, that's it, fuck me, fuck me long and hard, fuck me nice!"
  
  "You really are a cock whore, aren't you?" Harry grunted, as he continued to saw into her, pounding his cock into her.
  
  "Yes, I want you, your cock, your cock, you're my master, fuck this dirty little alien," Karen breathed, and Harry continued to smash his cock deep into her, punishing her cervix with his swift, and fluid motions.
  
  Karen laid back upon the desk, and Harry just rammed his thick tool into her, giving her pleasure, stretching her inner walls, and she tightened her legs around him, moaning deeply. It was now that Harry had a mouth latched on her right tit, sucking it hard, and Karen screamed when Harry lightly bit down on her nipple.
  
  "Do you like it rough?" Harry grunted, and Karen looked up at him, with Harry reaching around, and grabbing her hair, tugging on it, and slamming hard into her pussy.
  
  "Yes, fuck me, fuck me, break this fucking desk," Karen managed, and sure enough, the desk collapsed underneath them, but Karen still hovered into the air, feeling Harry's incoming thrusts, fucking her with the full force of a train slamming into someone, while Karen fucked him back with the full force of a jet. Her body was feeling so good right now.
  
  Harry thought that the imprisonment had made Karen rather horny, and as it turned out, he was right, this woman really was built for fucking, she wanted it. He thought Kara's sex drive was amazing, and Chloe's wasn't anything to sniff at either, but Karen's tight cunt massaged his stiff prick, and Harry felt the warmth around him.
  
  "Such a fucking great pussy," Harry managed, and he continued to slam his cock in and out of her, it appearing and disappearing, banging their hips together with miniature sonic booms that cracked the paint and the windows in the office.
  
  "Such a huge fucking cock, keep doing it baby," Karen moaned, and Harry continued to pound into her, thrusting his dick into her, and pounding at her, knocking over cabinets in Tess's office, not that neither of them really cared, lost to the moment.
  
  Karen felt herself being driven to orgasm after orgasm, and Karen tightened herself around him, trying to milk him, using every single trick she knew. Her cunt wanted his load badly, and she thrust against him. Harry's hands were all over her floating body, her breasts, her ass, her face, legs, everywhere, sending little touches that drove her beyond wild.
  
  Harry slammed his rod deep into Karen's core, and felt her heat up, with the two of them hovering in the air, blowing around everything, the two powerful Heralds fucked each other long, and fast, with their lips now smashing together with a passionate kiss, as they swayed in mid-air.
  
  Karen tilted back, her back arched, and Harry impaled his cock into her core, with her moaning, and writhing in midair.
  
  "Here it comes," Harry told her, what seemed to be a long time later, nearly an hour, maybe more, but Karen had long since lost track of the time.
  
  "I need your cum in me, now," Karen growled, biting her lip, and summoning all of the power to her pussy muscles, giving Harry the tightest squeeze she could, for the best cum he would ever have.
  
  Harry's seed splattered deep into her, and Karen screamed to the heavens, feeling Harry unload into her, draining what seemed to be more cum than a hundred mortal men could have. It was thick as it went into her too, splattering the inside of her walls, and Harry came directly into her womb. Karen couldn't have any children because of Lionel's experiments, as far as she knew, and that gave her another reason to hate everything Luthor.
  
  Right now, Harry drained his thick fluids into her, and Karen fell back on the ground, satisfied.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  Karen reached into her jacket pocket, when she put her clothes back on, and pulled out a flash drive, before handing it to Harry.
  
  "That's everything I've been able to find on a project Luthorcorp has been working on, called Project Promethus," Karen responded, and Harry looked at her. "We...I think it's Lex's last lifeline before his body gives up and dies. He's paralyzed from the neck down, and might only have a couple of months to survive after his injuries."
  
  "Who are we?" Harry asked, and Karen disappeared into the night at super speed. At least Harry understood why she was destroying all of the Luthorcorp facilities, she was searching, but the blonde Kryptonian left him a note this time.
  
  Next time bring Kara or Chloe, or both, so we can have some real fun.
  
  Your third mate.
  
  See you soon.
  
  Harry had no time to mull this over, for the office door opened at that time, and he went invisible, not having the time to clear up, get out, or anything else.
  
  
  
  Tess entered the office, after enjoying lunch, if it could be called that. The problem for Tess is that more often or not, lunch was just an extension of the insanity of the day, and thus she was on business for most of it. She did not fully get the situation that was in her office, before Tess stopped, and stared.
  
  The entire office had been trashed, and it looked like someone or something had went through it like a tornado, or maybe a pack of wild animals. Tess really wondered who could have done this, and she spun around, making her way back down the hallway.
  
  "Check the security logs for my office for the last two hours."
  
  Tess continued to quicken her strides, moving quicker yet with each passing motion, and she was not about to waste. Something like that happening was not giving her much confidence in her staff, and she thought that she was going to lose mind at that moment.
  
  After walking down the hallway at the most rapid speed she could allow, Tess stopped and stared at the man in the chair, who had done just as she asked. The man offered an apologetic smile, and looked at Tess, who tapped her foot on the ground.
  
  "There's someone in the office, but the security cameras can't pick it up, until about ten minutes ago, where it looks like a wind looks like it toppled everything in the office."
  
  Tess's eyebrows raised in confusion, and she moved over, trying to slow the tape down, but found nothing, except for a blur of light, and then everything in her office was totaled.
  
  "I see," Tess replied, knowing what she had to do, she would have to double the security around her office to make sure nothing like that happened again.
  
  Also for some reason the moment where Tess walked into her office, she felt the need to have a really long, and really cold shower, but she shook that sensation off. There was just something in that office, that Tess could not shake, and right now there was only one thing for her to do.
  
  She would comb every inch of her office, trying to find the culprit, and then Tess would get to the bottom of this entire mess; leaving no stone unturned whatsoever. Of course, the real problem was where to start, because Tess was flummoxed about the entire mess, and at a loss for words.
  
  She wondered if this corporate saboteur was sending her a powerful message of some sort, but at this point, the woman was at a loss of what it might have been.
  
  
  
  "I wouldn't beat up yourself too much, Kal-El, your development is coming along better than many would hope," Lara lectured Clark as he stood in the Fortress of Solitude, speaking about his doubts to his mother about the fact that he wondered if he was ever ready. "Many would be crack under the burden that you have been given, and would fall. When the time is right, then you will be ready."
  
  "And what if that time never comes?" Clark asked his mother, and there was a long pause, before Lara responded.
  
  "Then it is quite fortunate that there are others who will be able to pick up the work in the meantime, but I feel that there will come a day where you will be ready, when it counts the most," Lara answered, and Clark just responded with a nod at his mother. Lana stood next to him, giving him an encouraging smile. "If I have learned anything about humanity is that it has any number of able protectors that will jump to the call when needed. It is wise that you have such an able protector."
  
  "I try my best," Lana said in a modest voice.
  
  "And you will keep trying, because I think that you understand what is on the line," Lara answered, and it was almost like she was looking at Lana, with the dark haired girl being put under the radar. "Do not falter, Lana Lang, and stand by Clark, and perhaps you will be prepared for greatness, for not because it is your destiny, but rather due to the choices that you make."
  
  Lana nodded in understanding, and suddenly there was a cracking.
  
  "Is that what I think it is?" Clark asked.
  
  "Yes, Kal-El, I believe we have finally recovered your father," Lara responded, but they waited and watched before Jor-El slowly, and surely came back on line.
  
  Jor-El took a moment to regain his bearings, because had he been worked over a lot by Lily, and there was a moment before the AI found himself regaining his bearings, before he began to speak.
  
  "Hello, Kal-El."
  
  Clark responded, preparing to say the words that he never thought he would ever hear himself say in his life, but there he was saying it. "It is good to hear your voice again, Jor-El."
  
  "Hello, Jor-El," Lara responded without preamble.
  
  This was a statement that was simple, with two words, yet it was two words that had caused the Jor-El AI to sputter, not understanding how this had happened, this was not something that he planned for.
  
  "Lara?"
  
  "Pleased to see you remember me, given that it was I who gave birth to your son, so you could send him to Earth on some grand destiny," Lara responded crisply, and there was a moment where she paused. "Did you not think that I would not have made sure that I would also be watching over my son?"
  
  "The thought had not crossed my mind, but you must understand, that I have everything under control," Jor-El responded, and it was at that more where Lara's voice got a bit sarcastic, if an AI was capable of such a thing.
  
  "And I suppose the fact I found your data bits buried in....where was it again, Lana?"
  
  "Someone's Facebook Wall," Lana responded, barely keeping a straight face at the entire amusement of the situation.
  
  "Kal-El, Lana, Chloe, Harry, Kara, and I have worked tirelessly for the past six weeks, and I do hope that you are grateful for it," Lara responded, but then she added. "Unless of course you enjoyed being subjected to the mental angst of Earth teenagers all day long, then by all means, I shall send you back, and we'll pretend we never had this conversation, and furthermore, you owe your niece an apology. She's not Zor-El, and that petty family feud between you two should have died with Krypton. Do you understand?"
  
  "Yes, Lara, I understand you clearly," Jor-El responded, being a program of logic, he knew that there was none in arguing with his wife when she had her mind made up in such a matter. Jor-El took a moment to collect his thoughts. "There is one matter of business that I wish to discuss with Kal-El."
  
  "By all means then discuss it, his eyes are on you, and his ears are open."
  
  Sure enough, Clark was listening, as was Lana, because she knew that if involved Clark, it may as well have ended up involving her one way or another.
  
  "Kal-El, you have taken a major step towards growing into your destiny, but there is a looming darkness that is coming, an enemy that you must master, and you must master it alone. There is a danger beyond anything that the world has ever known, and it is you and only you that must face it."
  
  Clark swallowed the lump in his throat, and Lana just grabbed him by the hand. Resolved, the Last Son of Krypton took a moment to stare forward, determined, as the Fortress was whole once again. "I'll be ready."
  
  "Do be ready, my son, for Doomsday is coming upon us, and whilst you attempt to hide from your heritage, the monster will get stronger from the day."
  
  'Vague as usual,' Clark thought to himself.
  
  Lana looked at him, and tugged on his sleeve. "Come on Clark, your parents look like they have a lot of catching up to do."
  
  "Well, see you later, both of you," Clark responded, and Lana turned around, standing at the door.
  
  "Race you back," Lana said, and she sped off, with Clark trailing behind. "C'mon Kal-El, pick up the pace, I'm only going at half speed."
  
  Clark had noticed that Lana had taken to calling him Kal-El at random times, mostly when she tapped into her powers. It had been happening ever since that night at the Fortress where Lily downloaded all of the information from it into Lana's brain, and Lana seemed hush-hush about what exactly it entailed, only that she would tell Clark when she fully understood it herself. Even after the sessions with Kara at the Shining Light Foundation, it was almost Lana had changed, been programmed into something more Kryptonian.
  
  Perhaps Clark was being paranoid, but never the less he chased Lana, determined not to lose the foot race. If anything, he thought he was getting faster, but the problem is, so was she.
   To Be Continued in the next arc "Nevermore."
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