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Herald of Death(46-61)

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Школа кожевенного мастерства: сумки, ремни своими руками
  
  Nevermore Part One
  
  Chapter Forty Six: Nevermore Part One.
  
  The sun shined brightly in the sky in Metropolis, as the summer weather was in full force, and it was a picture perfect, beautiful day, with the hustle and bustle that was common with the city being in full force. Everyone was in a bright and cheerful mood, and there was no reason to be unhappy for today would be a great day for many reasons, one where it would be perfect.
  
  Yet in every perfect day, there was always one dark storm cloud that was brewing, and thus it threatened to rain on that day until everyone had been sent into a tormented and depressed state of mind.
  
  A dark haired girl took slow steps towards the front entrance of the Shining Light Foundation, walking slowly, yet carefully. The young girl was about fifteen years of age, dressed in a black cloak that was pulled over her head, and it had a pendent depicting a raven pulled over it. She entered the office, where a red haired girl dressed in bright colors, with a green blouse, and a red skirt, with blue boots walked over here.
  
  "Hi, welcome to the Shining Light Foundation, my name is Megan, how may I help you?"
  
  Despite Megan's sunny and cheerful demeanor, the demeanor of this other girl was anything, but, the expression that was on her face was one that was sullen, and brooding, crossing her arms, and she took a step forward. "I wish to speak to the owners of the Shining Light Foundation on an urgent matter."
  
  "And whom may I ask is speaking?" Megan asked, looking at this girl, her expression still dark, still brooding, not even one bit of emotion crossing her face.
  
  "Rachel, Rachel Roth," the girl replied, her eyes dark pools that bored into Megan, and made the girl shiver. Megan Morse wondered if this girl ever smiled, ever showed any emotions at all, but that was beside the point.
  
  "Well Rachel, sit down, and I'll see if Mr. and Mrs. Potter can speak to you," Megan replied in a happy and sunny voice, before she turned around, and Rachel was not done speaking as of yet.
  
  "Do try and convey to them that this matter is urgent."
  
  'They always are,' Megan thought at that moment, a knowing smile crossing her face before she left, and Rachel sat in the lobby of the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  Rachel could sense that this was a structure built in part by magic, which meant that this was the right place to go, and find someone to help her. Help was something that she needed, and if her sense was right, these were the people who could help the young girl the most. Crossing her arms, Rachel waited in an impatient matter, tapping her foot on the ground, and drawing a deep breath at that point.
  
  Emotions were something that could have been a problem, and they caused her powers to go wonky, which was why Rachel vowed to turn them off at any costs. She reached forward, grabbing the pendant that she wore, the raven swinging from her cloak. The pendant once belonged to her mother, and it was a gift that Rachel was given before her mother passed on.
  
  Her mother was the one that warned her that this day was coming, and Rachel was not looking forward to her sixteenth birthday, which would be in a few days. She could sense his hand involved, and a dark presence stalked her, which caused Rachel to be very tormented, with the looming specter of her father showing up.
  
  Rachel wondered when this Megan girl would return with the Potters, there was no time to wait, but if they were who she suspected they were, they would have many responsibilities. She just hoped that they would put aside to help her.
  
  The elevators opened, and Rachel got up, pleased that she did not have to wait too long. True to form, Harry and Kara Potter exited the elevator, and Rachel could feel automatically that they were extremely powerful, which was something that caused a bit of a distraction with her. Rachel got up to her feet, and Harry walked up to her, a smile crossing his face.
  
  "Rachel, isn't it?" Harry asked, and Rachel offered a slow nod. "I welcome you to the Shining Light Foundation, I know it much be a shock what you're going through but..."
  
  Rachel put up a hand to stop Harry, and there was a moment where she took a long sigh, before speaking. "I am not infected by the meteors, so do not worry about that. That is not the reason why I'm here, my powers are natural."
  
  That was something that caught both Harry and Kara for a loop, with the two locking eyes, and communicating briefly without words like they were always able to. There were just many times where Harry and Kara had the instincts that there was something about ready to happen, although this was a point where both of them had this sense of foreboding, and they were getting that from this girl.
  
  Although how she figured in at this point, neither of them could say, and it was Harry who had broken the very long silence that had been created by this revelation.
  
  "So, you're not infected by the meteors."
  
  "We've established that, yes, my powers were natural, and dangerous, powerful magic," Rachel responded, turning around at that moment, and looking out the window. She never appreciated the beauty in the world until the end, or near the end. She could sense that his will was in the city, there were those who worshipped him, and believed that he would bring about some kind of change.
  
  Well he could bring about change alright; there was a certain amount of change that did come along with the end of the world. Nothing would ever be the same again.
  
  "So, exactly why are you here?" Kara asked, in a curious voice, and the blonde Kryptonian was more than curious. "You can tell us, you did come here, and you want to let us know, don't you?"
  
  "Yeah I did, and yeah I will," Rachel responded, taking a long and deep breath. "I've come here because I need the help from the Heralds of Death to stop a presence that could threaten all of the human race, and eventually all moral life throughout the universe."
  
  Kara and Harry sat up straight, and rigid, looking at the girl, and Rachel's expression never changed, never wavered.
  
  "Don't worry, I sensed you, and I know the legend, but I won't tell anyone," Rachel responded, and she took a deep breath. "There is something important that you need to know, and I hope that you can stop him when he comes."
  
  "Who's coming?" Harry asked, getting a bit impatient, and Kara looked like she shared his impatience.
  
  "Trigon is coming," Rachel answered in a voice, and Kara and Harry were confused at the significance of this statement, but had a feeling that they would find out all too soon about what Rachel meant by what she said. "He's coming and you have to kill me before it's too late."
  
  One thing Clark could say about his life is that there was never a dull moment, but granted, that was something that might tend to work to his disadvantage. As strong as his powers were, there were always going to be people who were stronger than him, and many of those people were not going to be all that friendly. Yet, Clark had the one thing that a lot of those people who were wicked, and had been twisted by the power had.
  
  He had determination, and a never say die attitude that would allow him to seize the day, and win the moment, as he made his way from the Daily Planet building. Lana was going to meet him outside just like she always did after work, and Clark saw Lois move off in the other direction, waving at her, with Lois just moving off quickly, giving him a courtesy wave.
  
  For some reason, Lois seemed to be a bit snippy about the fact that Clark was trying to show the new secretary, Miranda, around the office, and had voiced this much, many times. When Lana found about it, she just warned Clark to watch his back, but Clark failed to see what the problem was with an unassuming secretary.
  
  Kara had told him that there was a potential enemy lurking around every corner, but Clark thought that was a pragmatic attitude to take, even though Harry argued that it was a realistic one.
  
  Clark Kent was pulled out of his musings, his super hearing picking up the muffled screams of a girl, something that was not a good thing. At super speed, Clark sped into the alleyway, but stopped to get a sense of his surroundings. The three figures were dressed in red cloaks, with shaved heads, and a weird symbol carved into their forehead, not to mention that they spoke in monotone.
  
  The Last Son of Krypton stood in the alleyway, waiting and watching at that moment, and sure enough, they gave him reason to interject, at that time when the girl was shoved against the wall.
  
  "She's not the one," one of the robed figures stated.
  
  "Then kill her," the second robed figure replied, but before they could do the dastardly deed, Clark sped in at the speed of light, and grabbed one of the figures around the wrist, flipping him onto his stomach.
  
  Another super speed in at the speed of light, and Clark scooped up the girl, before sprinting her to safety, before the robed figures could figure out what was going in. Clark paused, and looked at the figures, but the leader seemed to speak in a crisp monotone.
  
  "No matter who you are, or what powers you have been gifted upon, no one will stop his coming," one of the figures said, and his eyes began to glow orange, but Clark sped forward, and knocked the figure into the wall.
  
  The figure landed hard against a set of trash cans with a clatter, and another one of the figures grabbed Clark from behind, smashing his face against the wall, before he leapt high into the air, Clark's legs dangling from underneath him. The figure retained the ability to fly, and had Clark up over the ground.
  
  The figure hurled Clark back to the down from hundreds of feet up, but acting quickly, Lana sped up, catching Clark in her arms, before she landed on the ground. At that moment, both Clark and Lana sent a duel blast of heat vision, but the robed figure used a shield to block the attack.
  
  "So do you have any idea who these guys are working for?" Lana asked Clark, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
  
  "You tell me, and we'll both know," Clark responded, shrugging his shoulders, once he was firmly on the ground, but the three had their eyes glowing.
  
  "None shall compromise the passage of the master."
  
  "Sounds like your standard crazy cult types to me," Lana remarked, rolling her eyes slightly when she heard their words.
  
  "You will not delay the master's coming, for it has been written that his vessel will hold him in an Earthly form upon her sixteenth birthday, and she shall be his portal to where he will bring forth change to the world, which will be his new domain."
  
  Lana was quite fed up with the melodrama that these three were giving her, so the dark haired girl flew up to try and engage them, but the force field knocked her back, with Clark having to run in this time. Clark caught Lana in his arms when she propelled back off.
  
  "So, I guess we're even for today," Clark remarked, but two bolts of magical energy shot at them, and forced the two to stagger. "Something tells me this is going to be a hard one to defeat."
  
  "Yeah, I got the message," Lana responded in a crisp voice, before she peered up at the three figures, who appeared to be summoning something, and whilst her knowledge of magic was scant, what they summoned could not be any good.
  
  "The vessel will not be compromised, and all who step within our way will be obliterated from the tapestry of life," the three figures droned in unison, and a bolt of purple energy shot down right at Clark, leaving him no time to react.
  
  Lana, being that much quicker, had time to react, and she dove in front of the purple bolt of light, with it striking her down to the ground. Clark's eyes widened in abject horror once Lana dropped to the ground, and the woman's body went completely limp, only just the faintest heart beat able to be heard from Clark.
  
  Clark gritted his teeth, and tried to engage these three figures, knowing that he was out numbered, and likely outclassed, but Lana had been struck down like she was a fly on the wall, protecting him, so he had to do something.
  
  Before Clark could do anything, a blonde blur shot from the sky, past him, and knocked the three figures back with a huge impact. Clark had hoped it was Kara for a moment, but his face fell when he realized that it was the other one. On the one hand, she was able to save him from likely getting curbed stomped, but on the other hand, that meant that Clark owed her big time.
  
  Karen dropped down, pulling the crystal out of the belt on her uniform in an attempt to get a fix, but when the three saw the crystal, and felt the power, they fled.
  
  Clark bent down, checking on Lana.
  
  "Lana, wake up, please wake up!"
  
  "She jumped in front of a bolt of magical energy, didn't she?" Karen asked in a cool and collected voice.
  
  Clark opened his mouth at that moment, and shut it, that was what exactly what was happening.
  
  "Yes, she got hit because she was protecting me, and if I didn't freeze, Lana would still be up and about, and this is all...OWW!"
  
  Clark's little trip down the road of guilt was cut off when Karen wrapped him hard across the back of the head with her fist.
  
  "Yes, you are an idiot, and yes this is your fault, but hopefully these are mistakes that you will learn from, Kal-El," Karen replied to Clark in a harsh voice, she was not going to coddle Clark like everyone else seemed to do. He was supposed to be a man of steel, so he should be able to take criticism. "Guilt won't solve what happened, now take Lana back to the farm, and we'll sort this out."
  
  Clark had no choice, gingerly scooping up Lana in his arms, and Karen roughly grabbed Clark around the wrist, teleporting the group of them back to the Farm.
  
  "You're the only one that can help me with this."
  
  Rachel was now moved into a room in the Shining Light Foundation, with Harry and Kara standing there, and this seemed like a situation where most normal people would be beyond hysterical, but Rachel remained rather calm.
  
  Harry considered the possibility that her powers were heavily tied into any emotions, so she tried not to show any, but this was the closest that she came to losing control of her powers. The young Herald of Death watched the teenage girl look out the window, and Kara tried to step toward her, given a pacifying voice.
  
  "Whoever this Trigon guy is, he won't find you here."
  
  Rachel's eyes snapped towards Harry and Kara, and the girl shook her head, before closing her eyes, and tilting her head back, giving a long sigh. Then it was only after all of those actions, where she spoke in a crisp and deliberate voice.
  
  "You don't understand, Trigon will find me, he has empowered people to find me, and they're going after every single girl, until they find me. All won't matter, is that I have been created to bring Trigon to this world upon my sixteenth birthday, and it's the end of the world as we know it, and no one will feel fine."
  
  Rachel said all of this without taking a breath, and without any humor her voice, giving a long and mournful sigh. There was a moment of pause while she considered the situation, and folding her arms against her chest, and tilting her head.
  
  Kara broke the silence, with a gentle voice. "Why don't you just tell us what has been happening, since the beginning?"
  
  Rachel offered a prolonged sigh, before she stated in a calm voice. "It's complicated."
  
  Harry and Kara's eyes met each other that statement never led to anything, but a headache for either of them, something that had been proven time and time again, yet if this girl was in danger, there was no complications that could be too complicated. The two Heralds of Death looked at her with an encouraging voice, and Rachel decided to speak, closing her eyes as she recalled.
  
  "This Trigon is my father, and he's an extremely powerful demon who has been trapped in a prison of his own creation by the people of Azarath."
  
  Harry and Kara had vaguely heard of this Dimension through their studies to be Heralds of Death, but there was not much they truthfully knew about it. Both Heralds invited Raven to continue, and the teenage girl did.
  
  "They managed to expel Trigon's evil from the universe, but it was not without a price. The fact was this monster forced himself on one of the women in the dimension, and sired an heir. That heir was...me."
  
  Rachel closed her eyes, feeling guilt about what could be brought upon the world by her creation, but yet Harry and Kara did not say anything, rather they pressed her on.
  
  "The other people of the dimension suggested that my mother terminate me before birth, thinking that I could be used as a vessel for Trigon's return from the dimension where he had been banished, but she refused, and tried to raise me like she would any other daughter. Yet Trigon's influence returned, and he sent three powerful creatures, heralds for lack of a better term, to the dimension to try and abduct me. My mother sent me away, but all of the people of Azarath were slaughtered by my father's chosen minions."
  
  "And these people followed you here," Kara responded in an even voice, and Rachel nodded, the expression on her face never wavering.
  
  "Yes, and if it was not for me, they would all still be alive, and not only that, but countless people would suffer and get killed."
  
  Harry gave Rachel an encouraging smile, and the girl continued for a moment.
  
  "Trigon plans to use me as his vessel to this world, and my powers to reshape the universe into his own image, a reflection of him, dark and twisted, and utterly sadistic. All mortal life would bend to his whims, and he will not stop."
  
  "We'll stop him," Harry answered, in a firm voice.
  
  "Yeah, you can count on it," Kara replied, in an equally firm voice, she was not going to back down from a fight, even if it was an extremely powerful demon who could destroy each and every one of them.
  
  Rachel pulled herself up, and looked out the window, seeing the beauty of the city, and the world. Would it be the last time that she would see it, that was the question that burned through her mind, and tormented the young half-demon? Her mystical abilities were strong, but they would not repel Trigon once he decided to take over her body.
  
  "We're going to put you in our most secure room," Harry answered, after mulling over the matter in his mind at that moment.
  
  "That won't stop him," Rachel said, and she added more essential information to the Heralds of Death. "I'm going to be used as the vessel within two days, and...the reason I came to you because you have the power to destroy me before Trigon can use me."
  
  Harry and Kara immediately put their collective foot down on that issue.
  
  "There's another way, there always is," Harry replied, looking at Rachel, his expression firm, and serious. He stepped forward to really consider the young half-demon, and Rachel just seemed to offer a glare to him regarding this situation. "We'll stop Trigon."
  
  "You have to kill me, it's the only way," Rachel responded, persisting that point as she emphasized every word.
  
  "And what makes you think he won't decide to use another?" Kara asked Rachel suddenly.
  
  Rachel stopped, and stared at that moment, that was not a situation that she considered, but it was one that was entirely feasible. That did not make things much better for her, rather it made them extremely worse, but if she knew her father, he would want her alone.
  
  "You don't really know what it's like, to be conceived for someone else's ambitions," Rachel remarked in a brisk voice to Harry, and it was at this point where Harry's eyes just snapped towards hers sternly.
  
  "Yeah, I do."
  
  Kara just led Rachel to their most secure room, hoping that it would hold her. It was supposed to be used as a holding cell for any intruders, but that was not the point, the point was to keep her safe. The same cell once held Clark Kent and Lionel Luthor, so it should have hopefully keep Trigon out.
  
  Rachel stopped at the door, spinning around to face Harry, her eyes on his.
  
  "You have forty eight hours to pull some magical plan out, for that's when Trigon comes, on the day of my sixteenth birthday. I hope you understand what's on the line."
  
  Harry and Kara understood, and could understand the plight of this young girl as well, for she was one who lost everything she ever knew, another orphan of a race that was now gone. Now she felt that her only purpose was to be used as this monster's means to destroy people, but Harry and Kara would be damned if they would let that happen.
  
  It was time to do a bit more research, to see if they could find anything more on Trigon that would potentially allow them to stop him, but for that the two Heralds would need some back up.
  
  Lana was laid on the couch in the living room at the Kent Farm House, and Clark hovered in the background, while Karen checked over Lana. There was a moment where Karen was silent, and Clark just wondered what this other Kryptonian was going to say. There was an undercurrent of hostility in her face, and her voice, and Clark just thought she was a bomb waiting to go off.
  
  "You should consider yourself lucky, she's merely been petrified," Karen remarked softly to Clark.
  
  Clark stood up straight, and asked the one pressing question that was on his mind. "How is that considered lucky?"
  
  "Because, with the blast of magic she was struck with, it could have blown her head completely off," Karen replied stiffly, and Clark found it hard to read the emotions in Karen's voice, she kept the tone she spoke in rather stiff and neutral. "She's going to be down and out for the next three days, but she'll be back to her normal self."
  
  Karen turned away from Lana, and was about to walk to the door, but she stopped suddenly, and turned around to face Clark.
  
  "And you need to feed her, make sure she remains hydrated, and check on her to make sure she's breathing," Karen added to him in a firm voice. "If you want her to live, that is."
  
  "Is there any way to bring her out of that state before the three days are up?" Clark asked, and it was at that point where Karen gave a very long pause, before she turned to Clark, offering him the most honest statement she could give it.
  
  "It depends, if you want Lana to become a vegetable, then sure, but otherwise, I don't think you'd want me to try," Karen answered in a brisk voice, before she turned around, unable to stand to look Clark in the face. "So, I would say it would be good to meet you face to face for the first time, but I detest lying to people."
  
  Clark could not resist piping in at that moment. "Just what is your problem with me anyway?"
  
  "My problem with you is that you refuse to embrace the wonderful heritage of one of the greatest races of the universe, and try and dumb yourself down to the level of humanity!" Karen snapped harshly, and Clark took a step back, taking a deep breath. "You are someone who is special, Kal-El, but obviously you can't handle that."
  
  "I think that I'm mostly ordinary," Clark replied in a modest voice, and his expression remained on Karen's face, not trusting himself to look elsewhere. "And the name is Clark."
  
  "No, I don't think I'll call you by your slave name," Karen answered briskly, and she turned around, unable to stand to look Clark in the eye. "Humanity will end up betraying you in the end, once they learn the truth. I've seen it happen before. The moment you were outed as an alien in the other world, people attacked you. They thought that you were another super powered freak, infected by the meteors, but once they understood that you were an alien, they tried to crucify you."
  
  "So, you're from another dimension?" Clark asked suddenly, it all clicking. "So, you are a version of Kara from another dimension?"
  
  "Yes, I'm your cousin, but thankfully not your direct cousin," Karen answered, before she turned around and face Clark. "Kara might humor you, but secretly inside, I think she's kind of ashamed of you, for how you've allowed yourself to be soft and weak, unlike a true Kryptonian would be."
  
  "That's not true!" Clark snapped, his eyes flashing. "You know, you're acting like..like..."
  
  "A bitch?" Karen asked, and Clark just nodded, not quite the word that he would use, but the terminology did fit, even if it would never fall out of his mouth. "Well guess what Clark, this entire planet is a big one. Humanity is not worth saving, the only reason I'm here because I'm duty bound, and there is a certain green-eyed sorcerer that I have my eyes on, who is a fantastic lay I should note, likely better than you would be. You strike me as a faster than a speeding bullet type."
  
  Clark was not going to even dignify this comment, or any others this older version of Kara was given with a comment. Surely, his cousin would not have been like this, if Harry had not found her, but that was beside the point.
  
  "I'm not going to baby you, and I'm not going to coddle you like your Kara does," Karen answered, stepping back, and looking at Clark dead on in the eye. "There is a dangerous threat that is coming for you Clark, and each day you refuse to embrace your heritage, is another day you put more human lives at risk. Every day you delay, you are ensuring that your own failure is sealed, and with that failure, the fate of the world."
  
  "You and Jor-El should hang out sometime, you have a lot in common," Clark responded.
  
  This was the absolute wrong thing to say, and Karen angrily struck Clark in the face, the force her fist connecting with his nose knocking him down to the ground. Clark fell, feeling his blood pouring down his nose, with Kryptonian strength and magic combined. She did not pull her punch either, like Lana sometimes did when they sparred, Karen really and utterly decked him in the face.
  
  "Don't you dare compare me to that monster," Karen said, eyes flashing with fury, and Clark thought for a moment she was going to burn him with her heat vision. "He was the one who sealed the fate of all of Krypton, just like you're going to seal the fate of everyone on Earth because of your inaction. This is not some game where everyone can just hit the restart button, people's lives are on the line. It's high time you grow up, Kal-El, and stop play acting as a human!"
  
  Karen seethed, he was so weak, and the fact he needed someone to protect him was utterly appalling to her. A true Kryptonian didn't need a protector, they could stand on their own.
  
  Clark felt a stabbing pain through his head, and Karen turned around, before she sped off in a towering temper. This could be another version of his cousin alright, but with an even worse temper, and likely some deep mental issues. Clark wondered what happened in that alternate timeline that had tormented this version of Kara to such a twisted reflection.
  
  He sensed her anger, but Clark also noticed something else, that being fear when she spoke of Clark potentially dying. Right now, Clark did think that she had one good piece of advice, and he would watch over Lana, until she got better.
  
  Karen flew towards the Shining Light Foundation, her hair blowing in the breeze, and a frown pursed on her thick, red lips. The fact of the matter was today Clark did not know how close he came to dying, and how he could have gotten many more people killed. If he had embraced his heritage, and his full powers, those three thugs could have been more easily defeated before they had a chance to harm Lana.
  
  Karen could not stand to see her cousin die again, even if it was not technically her cousin, and the blonde continued to fly forward with these thoughts in her mind. Clark really needed to man up, and take control, and stop being such a weakling that toed the line.
  
  It was nothing against Lana, but Karen had a serious problem with Clark's inability to see what his hesitation was causing.
  
  "So on the mortal end, I've only been able to find a little bit of information on our terrible Trigon."
  
  Chloe had stated this fact to Harry and Kara, with the three of them crowded around the main computer at the Shining Light Foundation. The two Heralds of Death had tried to figure out what was going on with Trigon with their own abilities, but as what happened so often with the abilities of the Heralds of Death, they ran into stone wall. They did know that Trigon was an undesirable, but there was something about his status that seemed to be marked as so dangerous.
  
  "There is a little temple outside of the city called the Church of Trigon; they are dedicated to be preparing for his coming."
  
  "The day of his coming is in two days," Kara replied to Chloe, and Chloe's eyes snapped towards Kara's, before she decided to elaborate just a little more information. "According to Rachel, Trigon's coming will happen upon her sixteenth birthday in two days, where he'll apparently use her as some kind of vessel for his plans to dominant the world. The way she talked about him, he sounded horrible."
  
  "If her story checks out, does it then?" Chloe asked, and despite all of the weirdness she had seen, and likely will see again, there was just something about this entire demon vessel thing that struck her as a bit odd. It was Harry who alleviated her skepticism with a few well placed words.
  
  "I thought that there might be something fishy to her story at first, but it does check out," Harry informed Chloe, and Chloe's eyes widened, before she took a deep breath. "We all know that Trigon is some kind of powerful demon."
  
  "No, not some kind of powerful demon, he's the powerful demon."
  
  The three of them spun around, and saw Karen standing in the hallway, dressed in her normal attire, arms crossed over her chest, and she floated forward, not even bothering to walk at that moment.
  
  "Well the third Herald of Death graces us with her charming presence," Chloe responded, with a smile, which Karen did not return, and she dropped down on her feet.
  
  "I wish we could be meeting up under better circumstances, but the truth is, this is a problem that could destroy the entire world, and then eventually the entire universe," Karen remarked, trying to get across this point as something that was serious, and Harry and Kara just looked at her, before the two of them responded with nods. "Trigon's forces are already in the city, and already looking for the vessel, they ran afoul of Clark and Lana. Lana took a really bad hit, and now she's petrified."
  
  "Oh my God, will she be okay?" Chloe asked, and it was at this point where Karen spun around to her, and looked at her with an indifferent expression upon her face.
  
  "She'll live," Karen responded in complete deadpan at that moment, before she swung the conversation back to its intended purpose. "Trigon has planned this attack for centuries, but it was not until all of those years ago that he tried to create a means where he can enter the mortal world. There is something about this plane where he cannot enter it directly, at least until he reshapes it to a more suiting image. That is why he's using this vessel, this girl."
  
  Kara and Harry just allowed all of this to sink in with them, before Harry cut in with the pressing question that had been on both of their minds.
  
  "I don't suppose you have any way to stop him, given that you are here, and everything, do you?"
  
  Karen offered a smile, but it was not a smile born from warmth, but rather one that was ironic, the type of smile that manifested from a great deal of regret. "The vessel with have to be destroyed, and Trigon will never come."
  
  "Absolutely not," Harry answered without missing a beat, and Karen knew that he was a hero, who would work hard to save everyone, and that's one of the reasons why she fell in love with him, but there were some people who could not be saved.
  
  "I wish there was another way, really I do," the third Herald of Death responded, and the two other Heralds and Chloe exchanged a tense look, with time winding down, before Harry responded.
  
  "I'll find another way, I always find another way, and this is not going to be a time where I fail."
  
  "For the sake of the world, I hope you're right," Karen replied grimly. "We'll try in your way I guess"
  
  The three Heralds prepared to work together, to try and prevent this arising, while Chloe took this as her cue to slip out, and to keep Clark up to date on what was going on, besides this would be her chance to check up on both Clark and Lana.
  Nevermore Part Two
  
  Chapter 47: Nevermore Part Two.
  
  Waiting for the other shoe to drop was something that Clark felt he should have gotten used to, at least by this present time, but the truth was that he was not used to it. Lana remained on the couch, immobile, and really only responding by some light, shallow breaths. The entire situation went through Clark's mind, countless times, and there was only one obvious conclusion that could be drawn for it. Lana had taken a bullet for him, and it was a shot that could have destroyed a normal human.
  
  Not that Lana had it all that easy, and Clark realized that better than the next person, taking a moment to make sure that Lana was still breathing. Otherwise, he sustained a constant vigil over Lana's body, as she remained prone on the sofa, not even moving, and not even budging from her present state. Clark did wonder if things were going to get better, for they sure as could not get much worse.
  
  The door opened, and Clark heard a whoosh, with Chloe standing there behind him at that moment, just moving over to check on Lana. Clark had barely even heard that Chloe had turned up, to be honest, his mind was elsewhere. Chloe gave Clark a moment to collect his thoughts, before clearing her throat and pulling Clark out of the deep funk he was in.
  
  "Hi, Clark," Chloe managed in a soft voice, serious, and trying to get his attention, and Clark turned around at that moment, swallowing the lump in his throat and blinking. "I would ask how you're holding up, but that sounds like a stupid question the more I think about it."
  
  Clark just nodded, appreciating the sentiment none the less, and he leaned forward, hoping for one brief moment that Lana exhibited some kind of signs of life. However, it was nothing but false hope, and Clark was brought back to the harsh reality that Lana would not be waking up for another couple days. The young man tried not to think of what might happen if Lana would not ever wake up ever again.
  
  Clark shook his head that was an attitude of a defeatist, he couldn't think like that, Lana would be okay. She had really gotten blasted pretty hard and Clark could not help, but recall that shot was meant for him. Lana did serve the duty that she had been given by Kara and Harry, a bit too well, and it could have cost her something near and dear, her life.
  
  "So, I'm guessing that there is a reason why you're here other than checking up on me and Lana, to make sure we're okay," Clark muttered at that moment, and Chloe offered a brief nod, almost swallowing the lump that appeared in her throat. Chloe took a brief moment to collect her own thoughts, and then stepped forward closer to Clark, sensing the despair radiating off of him.
  
  Given Chloe's powers that was too much to bear, but she could worry about that later. She thought for a moment that her healing abilities might help Lana, and sure enough, Chloe decided that it was worth enough to try.
  
  There was nothing, some kind of barrier had blocked Chloe's powers from even working on Lana. Chloe felt a stinging sensation in her hands and staggered back from the pain. Thanks to her Herald of the Herald powers, healing someone would no longer knock her out, but she would still feel every bit of pain.
  
  "Chloe, I don't know if you should have done that," Clark offered, and Chloe rubbed her temples, they throbbed heavily, but she managed to stir herself back to life.
  
  "No, Clark, I had to try," Chloe argued harshly, knowing what Clark would have done the same thing had he been in the position to do so.
  
  "And I'm sure Lana appreciates the fact you tried," Clark answered, and he looked at Chloe, swinging the conversation back to its intended purpose. "I suppose that's why you came, to try and see if you could use your powers to help Lana."
  
  Chloe knew that she had some unfortunate explanations ahead of her, but through true strength and courage, she pushed through, looking Clark dead on in the eye when she talked to him.
  
  "Yeah, that's most of the reason, but there's another reason, we might have a bit of a problem," Chloe said, and this statement got Clark's full attention, especially with how seriously Chloe had said it. Now that she was sure that Clark's full and undivided attention was on her, at least for the moment, so Chloe continued to speak. "It has to do with those over-powered goons that jumped you and Lana."
  
  Clark was almost afraid of that and even though he would live to regret asking this question, he had to ask it regardless.
  
  "So, prey tell how big of a problem are we dealing with?" Clark wondered, once again feeling a mortal dread coming on and judging by the look on Chloe's face, he was about to be proven grossly and utterly right.
  
  Chloe's sigh was long, and her expression serious, before she turned to Clark. "I'm guessing the absolute end of the world could be a good place to start."
  
  Clark's head snapped up at these words, Chloe would not have said such a thing, unless it was serious, but there had been many storms that had been weathered by him over the years. Somehow Clark thought that this would be far worse than any previous situation, and his breath remained rather shallow, before he invited Chloe to continue.
  
  Chloe did continue, for better or for worse, explaining the full scope of the situation to her best friend.
  
  "So, I suppose I should give you the Cliff's notes version of what has been going on, and what we might be up against," Chloe answered, and Clark once again invited her to continue. Chloe did so, speaking in a slow manner, because there was a lot of it that did not make that much to sense to her. "Essentially there's this really powerful demon who sired a young girl sixteen years ago, and now wants to use her as a vessel to take over the world, turning it into a place where he can thrive, and those three super powered minions were after her."
  
  Clark just allowed all of this to be reconciled in his mind, before asking the obvious question.
  
  "Do you know where the girl is?" Clark asked, and Chloe let the answer out at that moment, without pausing at the slightest.
  
  "She's at the Shining Light Foundation, Harry and Kara have her in the most secure room that they have," Chloe responded, before she took a moment, and added as an afterthought. "You know, the one that that the two of them kept you in when you tried to break into the Shining Light Foundation, remember that one?"
  
  Clark cringed at the memory, and winced. That was not one of his finest hours and he was glad that Kara did in fact forgive him. There were times where Clark did not forgive himself. He looked at Chloe and answered in a deadpan. "Vividly."
  
  "Yeah, I don't know how well that's going to hold, the way that girl was talking, she seems to think that the end is near, regardless of what we do," Chloe answered, speaking quickly, without taking any kind of breath.
  
  The fact of the matter was that Chloe knew that this situation had the potential to turn south rather quickly, and just hoped that Clark could get his head in the game. She could sense the doubt coming off of him; one did not need mind reading abilities to sense that level of angst. A frown curled across Chloe's lips, and she floated forward, before looking Clark dead on in the eye.
  
  "None of this is your fault, Clark," Chloe said in a firm voice, and Clark just nodded. Chloe doubted the sincerity of his nod and decided to press forward, a bit of a pained smile crossing her face. "I could say that a hundred times, and you wouldn't believe a word I said, would you?"
  
  Clark offered her a smile, even though it was rather strained, Chloe had him pretty much pegged, and the truth was he should not really blame himself for what happened. Yet, he did, and Lana had to suffer for his indecision. The only crime she committed was taking a rather prominent hit for him. The angst, and the guilt pounded into his head with the force of a meteor over it, again and again, with Clark closing his eyes at that thought, and turning towards the window.
  
  He opened them up at that moment, and saw the picturesque beauty of a summer day before him, taking a moment to reflect upon it. It was hard to believe that the end would be before them "It's such a beautiful day."
  
  Chloe smiled, hopefully that it would encourage Clark to pull his head out of his ass and stop beating himself up.
  
  "It will be a beautiful day, and the next day will be as well, and the next day, and every other day," Chloe commented, turning around, and taking a moment to just appreciate how beautiful it was. "So do I have your word that you won't beat yourself up over what happened, or do I have to fly over there, and pin you to that wall until you give in?"
  
  Clark's face cracked into a bright smile, one that Chloe returned at that moment, the two friends taking a moment to stare each other down.
  
  "I don't think that it will be necessary."
  
  "Oh, well then there's always a next time," Chloe answered barely keeping a straight face as she shrugged her shoulders, and she looked at Clark. She could see that he was tired, even for his abilities. "You've been sitting there all day and all night, haven't you?"
  
  "I have to," Clark agued, but Chloe shook her head, and turned to Clark.
  
  "Just get some rest right now, I'll take over for a few hours."
  
  "But..."
  
  Chloe put a hand up to silence him, not in the mood to argue with Clark, and certainly she was not in the mood to deal with his self-pity. She stared Clark dead on in the eyes, and she did not blink at him at all. "No buts, Clark, do you hear me?"
  
  Clark nodded, he was tired, not to mention hungry, and catching a whiff of himself, he needed a shower. Boy did he ever need a shower. It was obvious at least that much when he had caught a whiff of his arm pit, so Clark spun around, and at super speed, he went back up the stairs.
  
  Chloe just offered a bit of a smile, and checked on Lana, hearing her heart beating, that was a good sign. The truth of the matter was that even though she tried not to show it, Chloe was rather worried about the end that was coming. What little information they had been able to find on Trigon had not been promising.
  
  "Rest easy, Lana, hopefully there will still be a world here when you wake up," Chloe offered her friend in a soft voice.
  
  There was no amount of time where it went by where Chloe thought more and more about the fact that the world could be ending at any moment, but her confidence had to be put on Harry and Kara's abilities to get through. The third Herald was also capable sure, she supposed, although the third Herald had many issues to work through, many, many, issues.
  
  For the moment, Chloe continued to take Clark's place watching over Lana, so his personal needs could be taken care of. Super powered or otherwise, Chloe felt that Clark should not neglect his life, and she suspected that he would at the expense of Lana. Not that was not an admirable trait, but Clark should think of himself sometimes.
  
  Rachel sat in the secure room in the Shining Light Foundation, wishing she could have enjoyed more of the chair she sat in, along with the rest of the room. The comfort level was fine, and there was a television for her use, but entertainment did not suit her, it seldom did. The sandwich, crackers, and juice she had been given seemed to be of good quality, even if the young girl found herself picking at them more or more, rather than eating them.
  
  She supposed that she should eat something, but nerves tended to be a hostile thing that wrecked the mind and spirit of even the most well-adjusted. After her past, Rachel was not well adjusted and Rachel most certainly was not really that normal. She offered a long and labored sigh at this point, and folded her arms, staring at the sandwich intently.
  
  "I could get you something else, if you like, if you don't like what you have."
  
  The polite voice indicated that Megan stood on the other side of the glass, and used her access key to shift inside, before entering the cell. She took the bean bag next to Rachel, and offered her a warm smile. Rachel was fingering the raven pendant she wore, and just shook her head. Her dark eyes snapped up into the green eyes of the young girl. Rachel wondered how such a girl could have such a sunny deposition given what was about to go down and what she could cause.
  
  "The food is to my liking, I just find it hard to eat because of everything that has been happening, and what I could bring upon the world."
  
  Megan nodded in understanding, before she leaned forward, addressing the young half demon in a pacifying voice. "I think you'll find that Harry and Kara won't let anything happen to you."
  
  Rachel did not doubt their capabilities, but the fear of Trigon had been put in her during her entire life. She knew this day was coming, it was hard to really deny what was coming, she preyed it would never come, but now it was going to be hard to escape.
  
  "It isn't anything happening to me that I'm concerned about, rather what may happen to the rest of the world," Rachel answered without missing a beat, and Megan had to feel where she was coming from with this sentiment. "Do you think that they can stop...what is coming?"
  
  Megan did not even pause for the slightest second, and she offered Rachel an answer with the brightest, hopefully most optimistic, tone that she could manage. "I don't think they can accomplish something, I know that they can. That's just what they do."
  
  Rachel shifted on the chair, remaining silent, just pondering over several matters, and knowing that it was nice that someone had some level of optimism, because she surely did not. Optimism was something that failed her at every single moment, and Rachel's next sigh became long, before she shook her head. She could almost sense him creeping up on her, taunting her, and tormenting her very life. While Rachel had not heard his voice as of yet, she could only imagine what he was like. Cold and sadistic, extremely brutal, and horrific, he was a darkness that burned everything that was pure and good upon his path of destruction.
  
  The easiest way was for the three Heralds to just take her out right now, before his hold could be given over her. Rachel knew that Trigon would not rest until he claimed what was his, and the fact she descended from something that vile revolted her to the stomach. The worst part was that Rachel could feel all of the emotions around her, pouring into her, and knew that as Trigon used her body, a part of her would always feel the despair as her soul had crumbled to dust.
  
  That thought depressed her, and Megan just leaned on the beanbag chair, offering a smile, and asking in a rather reluctant manner. "So um, do you play video games or anything?"
  
  Rachel was caught completely off guard by this line of questioning and she gave the young girl a queer look, before answering in a dull and deadpan voice.
  
  "No," Rachel replied in a swift voice, shaking her head, knowing that the other girl was trying to make conversation. And Rachel, not being one for tact, decided to cut the chase. "I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it, but it doesn't distract me from what I am, and what I have been created to do. To think that I could be responsible for countless deaths in the next day, and they will be coming, unless they destroy me, it's just...well words don't describe it, do they?"
  
  "I'm sure there are a few words that could describe it, but I try not to think of those words," Megan replied, and she looked at Rachel, with an honest expression on her face. Megan offered a bright smile, but it was an expression that Rachel did not return. "Try not to worry about everything, you're not a monster."
  
  Rachel gazed at Megan with a look of abject disbelief, trying to reconcile the fact that she was anything, but a monster. Megan, on the other hand, did not need her mind reading abilities to sense that there was some kind of doubts within the mind of this girl, so the red haired girl leaned forward and continued to talk to Rachel in a gentle whisper.
  
  "You might think you are, because of how you were born, but none of this is your fault," Megan responded, trying to speak in a light and pacifying voice. "Your father is the one that is the monster, for what he did, and what he's planning on doing. The people who came before you are the monsters, but as a wise person once told me, it is your actions that define you, and that makes you who you are. It doesn't matter if you're human or otherwise, that's just how things go."
  
  Rachel once again wished she could believe this to be true, but doubts flooded her mind like a current, in a flurry, much unlike anything that she ever could imagine. The dark haired girl took a moment to reflect, and leaned back in the chair, taking a bite from her sandwich, just letting it all sink in. It actually did taste quite nice and if this was a final meal, at least that much would be a happy memory to go out on.
  
  "I wish I could live for the future," Rachel mused, and there was a moment where she rubbed her temples. It seemed to relax her, but only slightly, and then she continued to speak. "But all I'm living for is just a doomsday that is coming in the present."
  
  Megan felt depressed just a little bit given the vibes that were coming off of Rachel and tried to pacify her just a little bit, to calm down the grim mood.
  
  "There will be a tomorrow, Rachel," Megan responded with conviction, patting the other girl on the hand, and trying to be a calm influence. Skepticism danced in Rachel's eyes, but Megan continued to speak in a firm voice. "That is what Harry and Kara are doing in the other room, they are building a better tomorrow, and I hope that if I can help in any way, I'll...I'll see what I can do."
  
  Rachel offered a crisp nod, but wished there could be more that she could say, and more that she could do, but to be honest, she was scared to death. Despite these reassuring words that had been given to her by Megan, the young half demon felt like a part of her was always in the control of some dark and malevolent influence. This influence sought to twist her, even if Rachel had the best intentions.
  
  She tried to fight that inner darkness within her, but it continued to twist and torment at her, pushing her closer and closer to the brink of sheer darkness, despair, and feeling like there was nothing to live for. Rachel remembered the words that her mother said, about how it was always darkest before the dawn, but there was no point in fighting after what happened.
  
  The pendent Rachel's mother gave her served as a reminder of where she came from, and the people who had strength beyond all measure. That was where she had half of her heritage from, even if the other half of the heritage came from a complete monster. She was half demon, and the fact kept ringing out in the back of her head, taunting her, and if she closed her eyes, she could see them.
  
  Each and every one of them, she could see, the victims that had been punished because she had been able to keep a few steps from the knights of Trigon. That was something that resounded out for her and continued to torment her. Guilt was a harsh thing and her emotions, kept under control so tightly, nearly faltered.
  
  Rachel's blood ran cold, there were young girls suffering because they were not her, so that terrible trio had put them down hard. The dark haired girl took a step forward, and tried to reach for the door latch, but Megan grabbed her hand roughly, and spun Rachel around, stopping her from leaving. Yet, despite this blockage, Rachel's breathing got heavier and heavier, and the walls rattled slightly from her powers.
  
  Rachel's face contorted into an expression of pure desperation, and panic, her heart thumping loudly across the chest. The fact was that she needed to get out, lives were being put in peril, and the half demon tried to communicate this much to Megan.
  
  "I need to get out of here, now, before those three attack anyone else."
  
  Megan crossed her arms, and the expression on her face remained rather firm. The young girl stood, standing and staring down the half demon, she would not back down, she was fearless. "No way, no way, no way at all! I can't let you out of here, I won't let you out of here!"
  
  "I don't see how a normal girl like you is going to stop me, if I want to escape, now stand aside," Rachel said, not wanting to hurt this girl, but if she had no choice, Rachel would not hesitate to do so.
  
  Rachel's eyes flared with even more power, but so did Megan's, if they had come to some kind of fight, the battle could tear down half of Metropolis. The half demon backed off, realizing this and realizing that Megan was not as normal of a girl as she thought.
  
  Meanwhile, Megan had took a few calming breaths, it had been a long time since she had nearly lost control of her own abilities in such a way. It was as if Rachel was not the only one who had problems keeping her inner nature at bay and Megan took a step back, offering an apologetic smile, weak as it might be towards Rachel.
  
  Suddenly, as if on cue, a dark voice echoed through the back of Rachel's head, and a tormenting tone spoke, causing the back of the hairs to stand up on her neck, with her fists curling, and her blood ran cold.
  
  "My dear sweet, Raven."
  
  "No, you can't be here,' Rachel answered in a panicked voice and Megan's eyes widened when she sensed the sinister psychic presence from the other end of the room.
  
  "Baby girl, you thought that you could escape me, couldn't you? No, you can't, for Daddy's coming home."
  
  The sadistic laughter of Trigon cut through the senses of all that heard it like a white hot knife and Rachel and Megan both got goose bumps.
  
  "You felt that too, didn't you?" Rachel asked Megan, who stood, eyes widened, and glued to the wall, practically transfixed, and her mouth opening and shut.
  
  Megan was shell shocked and shaken, but at the same time rebounded rather quickly, sensing the fire, which caused her to become paralyzed. That was a nightmare that she did not want to relieve, and Rachel cleared her throat, snapping Megan back to what resembled reality.
  
  "Um, yeah, I did," Megan responded, shaking her head, and trying to take a moment to really get her mind back into order. The presence of Trigon was not one that she would recover well from any time soon "I'll be right back, but remember the right choice is something that you can make. It is what separates us from them."
  
  Megan moved off to report the strange presence that she felt inside the cell for a brief moment. Granted, it was repelled by the defenses, but Megan had no idea how long those were going to hold, if they had been completely tested. This was information that the three Heralds needed to know.
  
  Rachel sank back on the chair, taking a book in her hands, but she was not really reading it. Rather, she pondered upon Megan's words, taking them to heart, and really wished that she could make the right choice. People made it seem so easy, but it was the hardest thing in the world to do. Rachel understood that and felt the horror, the torment, and everything that had gone along with making the right decision.
  
  Yet the right choice was something that was hard to come by. That was one thing that the half demon understood and one thing that continued to torment her until her dying day.
  
  "So, you heard it is as well?"
  
  Megan nodded her head up and down, answering this inquiry from Harry, and it was Kara who chimed in the words.
  
  "I think all of us did, in fact, I think that half of Metropolis did as well."
  
  Kara and Harry, as they so often did, locked eyes, understanding what was at stake. They were reaching zero hour and the arrival of the terror of Trigon, and they only were getting together what passed as a plan at this very moment. The presence was looming closer, and closer to them, and there was no question about it, the three were in crunch time. Karen stood in the background, hovering awkwardly, before she leaned forward, and spoke in a slow and concise voice.
  
  "So, do we have a plan, or not?"
  
  Thinking quickly was a specialty of Harry's, even during his first year at Hogwarts, Harry had been able to keep cool in the face of certain danger. While others worried, Harry thrived, pulling out some kind of plan. Sometimes it was through sheer dumb luck, but whatever caused everyone to go home alive. This time, Harry had a bit of a plan that required on this blind luck, but it was better than nothing.
  
  Harry enlightened his fellow Heralds on the plan, what passed as a plan anyway. It was cobbled together based off of a chance, but it just had to work.
  
  "I think if we get Rachel to another dimension while Trigon tries to possess her, it should be easier to defeat him, and perhaps expel him," Harry explained to both of his fellow Heralds and Karen crossed her arms over her chest, skepticism danced within her eyes.
  
  Karen wondered if Harry even thought this plan through, and thought about all the ways where it could have gone wrong. She still hung onto her belief that Trigon could be destroyed if the vessel was destroyed, and her eyes snapped towards Harry, unblinking and ice cold.
  
  "Yeah, sound plan, but there might just be a few tiny holes that I might want to poke into it just a little bit," Karen responded, pausing at that moment, before she decided to speak. "Trigon will still come, he'll just reek havoc elsewhere."
  
  "Phantom Zone," Kara answered quickly, as if that solved anything.
  
  Karen was gobsmacked by this suggestion and Harry even looked at Kara with a quizzical eyebrow, but then Karen just smiled long and hard. It did show some potential and that would be the one place where no one would shed any tears if Trigon had destroyed all life. She found herself a big fan of this plan.
  
  "You're going to take a teenage girl into the Phantom Zone, and try and trap her demonic father there?" Karen asked, raising an eyebrow, actually pretty impressed by that plan, it did have some merit, providing no unintended variables got in the way.
  
  Kara mistook Karen's look for questioning the plan, and jumped in a defensive manner. "Hey, it's loads better than actually killing the young girl."
  
  Karen really hated when someone contradicted her, especially if that person was herself and a scowl crossed her face, before her eyes snapped towards Kara's face.
  
  "I didn't say it wasn't," Karen argued, and suddenly she offered a bright smile on her face, towards both Kara and Harry, her two fellow Heralds of Death. She then spoke once more. "I just hope that this plan won't backfire in any way."
  
  Kara and Harry suddenly felt some chills entering their body based off of this innocent statement from Karen and the two of them blinked suddenly, hoping that they had not just got screwed over in the worst way.
  
  "Oh, please don't jinx it," Kara remarked with a sigh, taking a deep breath, and putting her hands in her face, but Harry patted her on the shoulder. This small action reassured her at this point and caused Kara to relax, ready to fight the battle at hand.
  
  "Don't worry, it will all balance out, you'll see," Harry answered, giving Kara a reassuring glance and a smile, that only mildly alleviated her nerves.
  
  No one dared to ask, what could possibly go wrong, because all of them knew better. That was just going to open up the floodgates for all kinds of problems and they had enough problems without inviting even more on to face them.
  
  And even if they did ask, the answer was creeping up behind them, with an aura that filled the air. It was almost like Dementors had crashed the party, but it was less cold. Despite the fact that the aura was less cold, it still caused them to be startled. The three Heralds immediately stood up high and proud, on their guard for whatever these enemies had in store for them.
  
  The three Heralds of Death stood ready to go, and the defenses held for a moment, but they would only hold long enough for the three Heralds to leap into position to defend their strong hold. Harry erected a few more defensive wards, hoping that they would hold the ground, while the two other Heralds looked ready, and focused their heat vision.
  
  The three possessed minions of Trigon entered the room through a flash of dark light, and the three of them charged forward arms extended. They sensed the power and the presence that was within these three.
  
  "It is them, the Heralds of Death."
  
  "Even they could not stop the master's plan."
  
  "The vessel will be his."
  
  The minions rushed forward to engage the Heralds, and all six stood facing each other off, before they all charged at each other. The six of them clashed with each other, and the six of them repelled back. Three heralds and three minions slid back on the ground, and the six of them stood, with illuminated hands and began firing blasts of light as the Heralds did all they could to keep this battle on this one particular floor of the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  Karen aimed a blast of heat vision at one of the minions, who created a shield to block it. Intensifying the blast of the heat vision, Kara tried to get through, but again, it bounced off. The blonde Kryptonian tried again and again, and each and every individual attack was blocked again and again.
  
  On the other end, Harry engaged another minion, and tried to banish him back to where he came, but it was not that simple. Death had warned him that there would be extremely powerful forces that would seek to take him down. This minion was one of them, and Harry channeled more power into his attacks, trying to crack down the shield.
  
  Kara flipped herself up into the air, and nailed the minion with a double foot to the face, and the minion flew to the ground. Harry and Kara joined hands, and combined their attacks, blasting the minion with a beam of light. The intense blasts stunned him, taking him down, but it did not take him out. The enemy was back to his feet and mean, nasty, and cruel as ever.
  
  The minion struggled, refusing to get reaped, when Karen sped in at that moment, and joined the attack. The power of three was able to barely defeat the one, but he did disappear into a flash of light. The explosion sent the minion beyond and the three Heralds could not help, but think that one had been knocked down, so there was only two more to go.
  
  The three Heralds flew back, having been knocked down, and drained. They staggered at that moment, and one of the minions tried to make an escape for it. He did not want to experience the same fate of his others.
  
  A blur of light sped into the room, and Clark decided to join the party, while Chloe was watching over Lana. The minion blasted Clark backwards, sending him flying to the wall, but that allowed Kara, Karen, and Harry to jump in, taking out minion number two. The three scythes cut into the minion and caused him to explode in a blinding flash of light, sending his particles spreading across the wider multiverse.
  
  The minion's soul was already doomed the moment that Trigon had been let inside it that much was for certain when the minion blew into dust particles. The minion vanished into the light, never to be seen ever again. The attack drained the before Karen turned her attention to Clark, who was staggering, punch-drunk from when the minion had attacked him.
  
  "What are you doing here?" Karen demanded of Clark, and Clark raised his hands into the air, a bit defensively.
  
  The two Kryptonians stared each other down, neither backing off from their stance, and Kara took a step forward, in case she needed to break something up between her cousin and her "sister", for lack of a better term.
  
  "I heard what was happening, and I needed to help," Clark replied, just narrowing his eyes at the older version of Kara, he about had it with her and her attitude, but Kara made sure to put herself even further in the middle of them, before things got ugly. There was no time for any petty disputes, especially with one more minion there.
  
  "Whatever problem you two have, settle it when the world isn't about to end!" Kara snapped, shaking her head, and sure enough, Harry was fighting against the final minion. The clashes of magical energy illuminated the room and Harry tried to break through his enemy, but damn if this sucker wasn't going to give a fight before he went down.
  
  True to form, the biggest, toughest, most sadistic demon was the one who was going to be the last one, he was the main one out of the three. Harry understood what was on the line, and he kept fighting, until he could not fight any longer. Harry was going to go the distance, and so was this demon, so it was a battle of extremely strong wills, pushing and battling against each other.
  
  Kara rushed over at that point, and Karen rushed over as well. The method to defeat the other two minions did not work with this one, and he continued to press forward, engaging the three Heralds in the attack.
  
  The taunting laughter of the minion echoed for all in the building to hear, and the teeth of the three Heralds gritted as they pushed back the attacks. More blasts of light could be seen, and Clark tried to jump in, but he was slapped to the side like an overgrown fly.
  
  "You cannot hope to stop this, for the balance will be disrupted when the master is released," the minion said in a deep voice that did not fit his frame.
  
  "Hold him off; I'm going to try something!" Harry yelled to both Kara and Karen, and before either blonde Kryptonian could ask what was happening, Harry was off at the speed of light.
  
  Clark tried to blast the minion with a super powered attack, but his strongest punch had the effect of a spitball striking the side of a battleship. The Kryptonian winced his knuckles cracked off of the face to no avail. The minion laughed at Clark's efforts, and knocked him back, causing the Kryptonian to connect with the wall.
  
  Kara and Karen responded to that attack amplifying their heat vision, and burning him with an attack. The minion staggered back, but a field appeared around them, immobilizing the two Heralds in place. The two slammed their hands up against the energy field, trying to kick and punch their way out, but they could not do it.
  
  Kara and Karen flew at the field, banging their shoulders against it, trying to fight their way through. Attack after attack was fired in their attempt to break through the field, but each attack lead to nothing, other than sore shoulders from the blonde alien beauties.
  
  Clark tried to super speed at the wall as well, but it was an equivalent for striking head on into a brick wall for him. The Kryptonian staggered, and Kara and Karen forced their way through the wall, flying up the hallways, going after the minion was getting closer, and closer to his destination.
  
  Soon the master would be released, and the world would experience what the true meaning of what terror was.
  
  Harry arrived in the room, where Rachel sat on the chair, and leaned back, hands folded over her lap, and she offered a bit of a sigh where Harry had entered the room. There was no delaying the point and Rachel clutched the side of the chair, skin whiter than she had been previously and she bit her lip, keeping her powers in control.
  
  "You heard the statement," Rachel answered, and Harry responded a nod, trying to keep his face neutral and trying not to betray how worried he was about what was going to happen. "Then you know that he is coming."
  
  "Yes, that's what he intends to do," Harry said, without any means to sugarcoat the statement. Determination that Harry was known for crossed into his voice and he looked Rachel dead in the eye. "And I intend to stop it."
  
  Rachel just put her hands on her face, and leaned her head back, offering a brief sigh. "Unless you have some mystical magical plan that you're going to pull out of thin air to stop him, I doubt you'll be able to do that. Not that I'm offending you or anything, but the fact is the Herald of Death powers..."
  
  "They have a few surprises," Harry cut in, and Rachel felt when he looked into her eyes, he was peering into her very soul. There was only a slight amount of reassurance that Harry was giving her, but it was going to work. "I don't want to tell you that everything is going to be okay, because that will be insulting both of our intelligence."
  
  "You're a great motivator, you know that," Rachel answered in a brisk voice, but she barely concealed the smile she had on her face. It was the first one she had...well as long as she could remember and her memory went back a long way.
  
  Harry knew that it was gutcheck time, this was do or die, the fate of the world was in the palm of his hand. No pressure or anything, but still Harry's eyes flashed with a fluid determination that was not matched by many.
  
  "I'm a realist, no matter what, but in this cell, he may break through, I'm sending you to another realm, hopefully that will delay Trigon's coming, and with any luck I can trap him there," Harry said, and Rachel's skepticism was something that spread across her face rather quickly.
  
  "Okay, I'll trust you, but I still recommend finishing me off before there is a chance," Rachel answered, but Harry once again cut in with what he was a perfectly logical statement.
  
  "And what makes you think Trigon won't use another vessel?"
  
  Rachel did not answer that question, for because there was no time to, and the loud explosion from outside had caused Harry to turn around. Outside of the hallway, Kara and Karen had been knocked back by the demon, who was determined to fulfill his objective by any means necessary. While he could not kill the Heralds, he could really make them suffer.
  
  Immediately, Harry sped through the wall, shifting his density through it, and with another movement, sent the minion flying back. The minion was knocked back into the wall, down, but far from out. The minion spun around, staggering, before he lifted a hand, and knocked Harry, Kara, and Karen back onto the ground. The laughter of the minion echoed through the hallway, and the minion peered down.
  
  "Your attempts to stop the inevitable are quite quaint."
  
  "So is your inability to keep your mouth shut," Karen retorted, and with a fury, she blasted a hard flurry of attacks, knocking the minion into the wall, but the minion knocked her off.
  
  "Death needs three heralds, and all of them are incompetent children, the master shall..."
  
  The minion screamed suddenly when Harry, Kara, and Karen blasted the minion with everything that they had, utterly annihilating him. The three dropped down to their knees, having used the full force of their powers to banish him from where he stood, and he was sent to the afterlife to be picked apart by the higher ups there.
  
  The smoldering ashes of once what was a demon fluttered on the ground, and the three Heralds stood, side by side, the magic still flowing in the air. It took everything they had and then some, but the three disciplines of Trigon were defeated. Harry looked down at the ash remains, and offered one final statement that hoped would serve as good advice.
  
  "The first rule of having an evil plan, make sure we're dead before you start running your mouth!" Harry breathed, and Clark took a step forward, but suddenly, Rachel dropped down to the ground. She screamed in blood curdling agony and grabbed her hair, rocking back and forth in frantic fury.
  
  The girl's eyes were glowing, and they rolled up into the back of her head. Rachel was chanting underneath her breath, and Harry immediately swooped in, when a dark vortex opened where she stood.
  
  With swift speed and agility, Harry grabbed Rachel, clutching her tight, and several flaming skeletons appeared from the portal. Harry transported both himself and the half-demon girl into the Phantom Zone, hopefully at least stalling Trigon's plan.
  
  Kara and Karen used their super breath to blow out the fires, and Clark decided to add his input by going at super speed with them. The skeletons had been knocked back, crumbling to dust. He had taken his aggressions out on the day these demonic creations, smashing them with ballistic fury, and punching them.
  
  Suddenly, Clark had been struck by a bolt of dark magical energy, once Harry had transported Rachel of harm's way.
  
  "Clark!" Kara yelled, trying to grab onto him, but Karen held Kara back. It was a struggle, but Karen's strong grip was around Kara's waist and she was trying to elbow her way out to save her cousin.
  
  "No, you'll only kill him," Karen answered, eyes widened showing fear and concern, and suddenly Clark fell down to the ground, his eyes rolling into the back of his head, before he began to speak in a deeper voice.
  
  "Not quite the vessel I was hoping for, but it is adequate."
  
  Kara and Karen understood one thing, and that was that Trigon had just missed possessing his daughter, so he grabbed onto the next most convenient vessel.
  
  Said vessel was Clark Kent, and Clark stood up laughing coldly and high.
  
  Kara froze up completely, not knowing what to do. There were a few different ways where she could have expelled Trigon off hand immediately, but they all had to do with hurting the vessel, with potentially lethal means.
  
  Karen on the other hand, dove at Clark's body with reckless fury, slamming him into the wall, trying to use her crystal to expel Trigon from the body, but Trigon used Clark's hand to smack Karen back. The impact rattled the entire Shining Foundation Building and sent Karen flying back with a huge crack.
  
  Karen flew head over heels, but Kara caught her before she crashed on the ground, and stood her up. Then a concussive blast had knocked both of them down, and sent them flying to the ground and sent both blonde Kryptonians crashing to the ground.
  
  "I will deal with you in due time, but for now, this pathetic realm is mine for the taking," Trigon declared, laughing in a thunderous manner.
  
  Karen and Kara were sprawled on the ground, and they caught a glimpse that only seemed to be capable at this present time with some kind of demonic possession, before the two completely blacked out.
  
  Clark took flight through a window that had been removed, and continued to pick up his flight.
  
  "Nothing can stop me now!"
  
  Megan watched Clark fly off having heard the commotion and her mouth was a gap, green eyes glowing at that moment and she spotted Karen and Kara knocked out on the floor. The White Martian gave a sigh, as she watched Trigon use Clark as a vessel to transform Metropolis into a hellish nightmare, where the skies turned red and the people turned to stone.
  
  'We'll see about that.'
  
  To Be Continued in "Nevermore Part Three."
  Nevermore Part Three
  
  Chapter 48: Nevermore Part Three.
  
  Trigon looked at the world through a brand new set of eyes, everything seemed to be so petty, so insignificant, and so ripe for the taking. He saw the humans below him like ants that could be crushed, and a blast of fire from his eyes confirmed that there was some level of power in this temporary vessel. That much was something that pleased Trigon as he tried to determine what else this body could do. The vessel might be weak of mind and weak of soul, but Trigon was never one to deny when something had the potential of true power.
  
  Now, this city would be the perfect nexus point for his plans, to transform the world, until his full form could thrive in this world, and then he would send forth his legions to one world at a time to transform the universe. It would be a plan that would cause his rise and his dominance as he struck down his vengeance upon the world.
  
  Trigon had been spawned from a darkness far too great for him to comprehend, and a darkness that even partially terrified him, but the terror of Trigon would overwhelm that darkness with a brand new breed of his own. He offered a thunderous laugh that echoed throughout the city, and a wave of magical energy struck the people.
  
  All the people below shifted into stone statues, and while Trigon did not possess great magical power within his body, there was a certain residue that he could utilize to immobilize the citizens, even if the terrible demon had to do so one block at a time. Victory would be his, and so would this world. Each and every moment he grew in power and they all weakened the more people allowed to go on unchecked.
  
  From the Shining Light Foundation, Megan looked frantic, when she saw Kara and Karen both sprawled out on the floor, and what was worse was Harry was gone. The young girl repeated one mantra in her head.
  
  'That's not good, that's not good, this isn't good, this so isn't good.'
  
  The truth was that was a mantra that caused her a great deal of frustration, and nearly reduced her to tears, but never the less it was one that tried to keep her sanity intact. Megan fretfully nudged the two blonde Kryptonians on the floor, but Kara and Karen had taken a very long nap, being knocked out by Trigon's power. The young girl tried to nudge them again and again but there was no dice.
  
  "Guys, wake up, the world's going to end!" Megan shouted at them, but sudden she peered out the window to see the possessed form of Clark outside with the sadistic laughter echoing.
  
  Kara and Karen did not respond to her abilities to wake up, they had been put in a similar petrified state like Lana was, protected only by their powers. They were an inch between being a awake and being knocked out. Megan could not think of a worse scenario if she had tried, and believe her, the Martian's mind was capable of a lot. The girl slid over to a vault, and opened it up.
  
  She pulled out a chunk of a glowing green rock, and took it towards the window, taking drastic action to take down Trigon, or rather the body holding him. Megan closed her eyes, and began to take flight outside the window, reaching Clark's body. She really hoped that this would be enough to end this nightmare prematurely.
  
  "Hey, Trigon!" Megan yelled, and Clark turned around, before Megan shoved the glowing green rock underneath Clark's nose, expecting him to wilt like a flower.
  
  However, it was not working, and Trigon laughed, utterly mocking Megan at that point.
  
  "Foolish child, it appears that particular vulnerability had been shut off before I entered this vessel," the booming voice of Trigon echoed, and Megan held the now useless green meteor rock in her hand. She suddenly felt rather stupid as she did not have a plan B.
  
  It did make a lot of sense, Harry and Kara managed to block the Kryponite from affecting Clark, but now it came back to bite them in the ass in the worst way. There had to be some kind of failsafe to counteract the cure, just in case of a situation like this, but the problem is that Megan had no idea what it was. She was completely lost and the only two people who knew could not very well tell her right now.
  
  Megan knew one thing however, as the blast of magical energy came through her, it was time to go intangible, and the energy blasted through her form.
  
  "You cannot stay that way forever, little Martian girl," Trigon taunted at her, and Megan offered a smile, before she bombarded Trigon with an extremely powerful bolt of psychic energy.
  
  Somehow, by a sheer miracle, blasted through his mind and reached inside his subconscious.
  
  'Clark, Kal-El, I know you're in there somewhere, but you got to fight it hard, your mind is stronger than Trigon's is, please fight it, okay?"
  
  "He cannot fight it, for he is not stronger than me, not in the slightest. His mind is weak, and he has squandered great power for foolish acts of heroism. He may not be human, but this Kal-El is just as pathetic as them. He will fit in with their race, especially when they are destroyed."
  
  'Humans are not pathetic, they are capable of a lot, don't you dare judge them!'
  
  "Insolent pest of a girl, you cannot hope to match my power, and my abilities. I am Trigon, and I am..."
  
  Megan suddenly broke through the barrier, and repelled Clark's body back, sending him flying hard into the globe of the Daily Planet, where he impacted it like a fly on a windshield. The psychic blast bombarded him hard, and Megan stood, with Trigon madder than ever, before another heavy blast tried to impact the young white Martian in disguise.
  
  'Yeah, I'm way in over my head, Harry, where are you? Just wherever you are hurry, or Kara and Karen better wake up, I can't handle Trigon on my own! I never should have turned down being the Herald of Death of Mars; I could really use those powers right about now.'
  
  Megan continued the song and dance with Clark, dodging his Trigon fueled attacks, although she noticed a flicker of something from his eyes. Clark tried to fight Trigon's possession, but Trigon just exerted more of his will, crushing Clark's resistance. Trigon was a force far stronger than anything that Clark had fought until this point and he grew weaker yet.
  
  Back at the Shining Light Foundation, Karen and Kara both stirred back to life, and shook their heads, completely dazed. It was like they had been impacted on the head with a huge asteroid repeatedly.
  
  "What just happened?" Kara asked in a groggy voice.
  
  Karen rolled her eyes, and gave Kara a frustrated glance, before she responded in a slow and patient voice. "Trigon possessed your cousin, if Harry had just destroyed the vessel, none of this would have happened."
  
  "Rachel is not just a vessel, she is an actual human being with thoughts and ambitions of her own," Kara responded in a defensive voice, and Karen jshrugged. "Plus this just proves the point that Trigon would have used someone if he really wanted to come."
  
  "Well, fine, I guess you have a point," Karen responded with a shrug of her shoulders, and speaking as if it pained her to admit that Kara was right, and she was wrong. "So how about we evict Trigon from Clark?"
  
  "How do we do that?" Kara asked, because as she racked her brain for anything, she found nothing, short of killing Clark, and for obvious reasons, she did not want to do that.
  
  "I'll think of something," Karen answered, and Karen and Kara flew out the window.
  
  They saw Megan continuing to engage Trigon, and despite her abilities, the girl was rather inexperienced and in over her head. Kara knew that if Megan had a little more time, she could potentially loosen Trigon's grip, but they needed a distraction.
  
  Karen offered that distraction by flying forward with a ballistic fury, and smashing Clark in the face with a huge kick. Kara mused that Karen seemed to enjoy that a bit too much, but this was not the time and the place for such thoughts. Trigon was back up in Clark's body, and boy was he hot.
  
  The battle continued to rage on, as Kara now joined the fight, trying to appeal to Clark.
  
  "Clark, fight it!"
  
  There was no response, and Trigon once again tried to blast them with the same spell that knocked them out, but this time Kara and Karen dodged the attack, and spun around, before knocking Clark with a double punch, sending him back, as Megan tightened her psychic grip on Clark's mind.
  
  It was going to be a titanic struggle to loosen Clark from the terrible torment that Trigon offered. Both of them tried to get in, to force their way into his mind, but there was nothing, not even a little bit, Clark's mind was stubbornly held onto by the demon. The Heralds summoned their full powers, but since they were one short, there was little stopping him.
  
  Harry looked around in the location where he was, peering into the distance, and Rachel stood by his side, a frown crossing her face. There was a long moment of silence before the young half demon decided to chime in with her two cents.
  
  "Let me guess, you miscalculated the jump, and you have no idea how to get back."
  
  Harry paused for a moment, and turned to Rachel at that precise moment. There was time before Harry had tried to figure out if he had done exactly what Rachel suggested, when he calculated each and every individual variable in his head. "Oh, no, I calculated the jump perfectly, it is just that we landed in a place where we have to be very careful to not to let anything come back with us to Earth."
  
  That was all too much of a horrific possibility that Harry did not want to even comprehend as people still were reeling just a little bit from the last visitors that had found their way out from the Phantom Zone.
  
  "Wonderful," Rachel replied in a dry voice, and her dark eyes were on Harry's, before she continued in a remorseful voice. There was guilt dripping from her very tone whilst she spoke. "You know, I have no idea what we're going to do when we get back, because Trigon was coming through that portal, and he latched onto someone."
  
  "Clark ran right in front of the light, I bet it was him," Harry answered as he pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering how this could have gotten any worse.
  
  Rachel just gave a bit of a sigh before she offered the most frank declaration that Harry had ever heard from somewhere her age.
  
  "For the world's supposed greatest future protector, he really has no common sense whatsoever," Rachel responded in a crisp tone, and Harry could not argue with that whatsoever. The problem was that Lana was supposed to be babysitting him, but she got knocked out by Trigon's minions, so that was out.
  
  Harry wondered if he should have had a backup protector installed in case of an event like this and Lois seemed to be the most likely candidate should her powers ever return to her, but that was another matter. Still it was best to have a contingency plan or two in case the worst came to the worst.
  
  It was times like this where Harry knew that a backup would be helpful but that was another problem for another time.
  
  Harry meanwhile had to stare back out into the Phantom Zone, and took a rather deep breath. There were many vile criminals throughout all of the known galaxies in this place, so it went without saying how Harry needed to remain on his toes, and completely alert after everything that had just transpired.
  
  Trigon coming out was bad enough; one of these phantoms coming out was another bad thing. Earth had already dealt with them enough, and Clark had spent a year of his life tracking them down. Harry and Rachel continued to move through the Phantom Zone at that point, they knew the exit portal was rather near, and suddenly, they heard something rustling in the distance.
  
  It was moments like this where Harry stood rigid on sheer principle just waiting to see who was going to come out, for there was something lurking. Exactly who or maybe what was something that could not be determined yet.
  
  There was a certain someone in the Phantom Zone, a certain blonde someone, and Harry and Rachel stood on their feet, ready for a fight, should this person engage them in battle.
  
  "You seek the way out, don't you?"
  
  There was a long pause with both Harry and this woman staring at each other as Harry tried to figure out if she was a threat that should be dealt and the woman did the same. Harry was on his guard ready for an attack. He stood in the Phantom Zone and heard a rustling behind him. Nothing in here could hurt him in the slightest, but Harry was still not going to take any chances. He responded to the woman as Harry stood and did not blink.
  
  "We have the way out, thank you very much," Harry answered to the person, raising a hand ready to attack her at that moment. "We entered the Phantom Zone to escape a powerful demon that had arrived on Earth to take it over."
  
  "So the terror that Jor-El has believed to happen has come to pass."
  
  Harry was caught off guard by this declaration and he offered a raised eyebrow before he decided that information was something that he needed.
  
  "What terror is that?" Harry asked in a suspicious voice.
  
  The figure in the distance wasted no time in answering, her face looking rather grim to match the tone of her voice.
  
  "Jor-El long believed that his son's greatest enemy would be one that could cause unmistakable terror on the Earth. Kal-El has not yet embraced his heritage yet, am I correct?
  
  Harry wondered what this meant, but then it struck him at that moment.
  
  "Yes, he isn't flying if that is what you mean," Harry answered, and the woman in the shadows nodded with a response.
  
  "Two years ago, he didn't start his training, and he still stalls. He refuses to even acknowledge what his father can do, and what knowledge he can impart upon him, despite the less than noble intentions of his AI successor."
  
  Harry and Rachel stood in the background, and watched this woman, standing in the shadows. It was at that moment where the woman seemed to recognize Harry and she took a half of a step back, but otherwise stood her ground.
  
  "You are the shadow of death, are you not?"
  
  "Yes, if one wants to call me that," Harry answered to the woman, and curiosity got the better . "Just what did you do to get here in the Phantom Zone?"
  
  The woman was prompt to answer at that moment, a feeling mournful expression crossing her face. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before she began to speak in a somber and remorseful tone.
  
  "Earth was a beautiful place in the short time I experienced it. I managed to help Kal-El escape the Phantom Zone the first time, and followed him back. He believes that I was killed in an attack by one of the Phantom Zone villains, but Jor-El had transported me back into the Phantom Zone, whilst he left a shell behind that resembled me. It was to impart a lesson upon Kal-El that life is fragile, and try and encourage him to embrace his heritage."
  
  Harry smiled a strained smile, as he knew all too well about the strained relationship between Clark and his AI father. Then again, Harry could talk about strained relationships with artificial copies of his parents.
  
  "Jor-El has his reasons, but I've noticed that Kal-El is very much like him. Willing to shoulder the burden of the world all on his own regardless of sense or reason, dedicated to the cause, and extremely stubborn, to the point where it makes me want to bang my head against the wall. And this is one of these situations where Kal-El engaged his fists before engaging his brain, if I'm not mistaken."
  
  "He does that often enough," Rachel commented, and the blonde woman before them nodded at that moment.
  
  There was a long pause before the silence had been broken at that point by the blonde woman as she stared them down.
  
  "You must depart now, before the Phantoms sense you as a ticket for early parole," the woman added, but she seemed to be rather reluctant to voice this next bit. "I do ask one favor of you."
  
  "What is that?" Harry asked, and the woman just responded with a smile, looking at him.
  
  "Please allow me another chance to experience Earth, and take me from this place. I know Jor-El has his reasons, but the will of you, Herald of Death, will override any will of his. I do not wish to spend all eternity trapped in the Phantom Zone."
  
  Harry paused, and Rachel raised an eyebrow, waiting for Harry's response. Even though the half demon girl could sense what Harry was going to do because that was the type of person that he was.
  
  "I will understand if you think of me as guilty, my story might often tend to lack credibility to an outside party."
  
  "No, I believe you, and I will help you, under one condition," Harry answered, and the woman responded with a nod. "Do not under any circumstances say that you owe me big time."
  
  The woman was caught off board by this statement as she watched this strange and interesting young man.
  
  "That seems fair," the woman responded, for some reason, she expected some other form of payment to be delivered, but that would be adequate what he requested.
  
  "And what may I ask is your name?"
  
  "Raya."
  
  Karen and Kara continued to pour on the assault against Trigon, but he was one step ahead of them. The terrible demon really fired back his attacks, and Kara dodged one, but Karen's equilibrium was completely rattled at that point, spiraling in mid-air. She was going to smash down into the ground hard, she could just feel it.
  
  A dark haired blur shot from the sky and caught Karen in his arms. Karen sighed when Harry her cradled in his arms, and they continued to fly down to the ground.
  
  "Thanks for saving me," Karen responded grudgingly, and Harry just responded with a smile as he cradled the young woman in his arms.
  
  "No need to thank me, just think of me as your own personal protector."
  
  Karen grimaced, why did her words have to come back and bit her in the ass in the most hypocritical way? That was just how her luck seemed to go all of the bloody time. The blonde Kryptonian had no time to speak right now, when Karen had been set on the ground, and Megan was knocked backwards, her head ringing at that moment.
  
  Kara and Harry looked at her at that moment as the Martian tried to regain her bearings, teeth gritted when she looked up. It was obvious that she had suffered a setback in the attack.
  
  "I thought I got through," Megan responded, curling her fists together in frustration, and her mind was flaring with absolute power, eyes glowing.
  
  "It was a noble effort, but Trigon is not so easily destroyed," Harry told her, and Megan responded with a nod, as the three Heralds of Death flew forward, blasting Clark with everything they had, to try and get Trigon out of his body.
  
  It was difficult trying to maintain a certain balance between making sure Clark did not get hurt, but at the same time, Trigon seemed to be banking out them, as he drew more power.
  
  Rachel watched from above, as Raya stood in the shadows, not wanting to intervene. Jor-El's divine intervention saved her the last time, and she had gotten a third chance in life, and three strikes, and you're out as the Earth saying had went. The half demon however had her face twisted into a pained grimace, understanding what was going on.
  
  "It has to be me."
  
  Rachel watched as the three Heralds of Death, and the one Martian tried their assault again on Trigon, but short of destroying Clark's body, there was no way that they could have defeat him.
  
  She on the other hand had powers, and had a purpose now, a purpose not to be someone else's pawn. Some of the best words were left unsaid, but Rachel could feel it, she had a life of her own, and it was going to be lived whether or not her father liked it or not. The half demon summoned more power that she had ever tapped into in her entire life.
  
  Rachel's mother warned her that only this amount of power should be tapped into under only the most extremely circumstances, but there was no more extreme circumstances. It was time for Rachel to face her most terrible demon yet, and that demon was her father. She was ready to slay the monster and bring him down hard, fast, and obliterate him.
  
  "Hey, Trigon, how about a little father, daughter chat?"
  
  Rachel said this in a way where her voice echoed and Clark's eyes fixed upon her. Trigon was distracted from his fight with the three Heralds by his daughter's presence.
  
  'Megan, now!' Harry thought to her, trying to get in while they had the element of surprise.
  
  Megan nodded, and she managed to lock onto Clark's mind, trying to carefully pull it out of everything. Rachel's eyes glowed with power, a white glow enveloping her, and with another swift motion, she blasted Clark with a wave of magical energy. The magic impacted Clark hard and fast in his chest and cracked against him.
  
  "No this power, I must have it, I must!"
  
  Trigon exerted more of his control, but Clark was fighting it with all it was worth, trying to grit his teeth and trying to struggle, arms thrashing in mid-air going back and forth. Harry, Kara, and Karen saw some shadowy vapor rising from Clark at that moment and knew that the grip was broken.
  
  "I'm your father, and I tell you to cease these attacks, immediately!"
  
  "No, you're not my father, I wasn't raised by you, and I'll have nothing to do with you," Rachel responded in a fierce voice, and she blasted Trigon with another attack at that moment, and Trigon was slowly separated from Clark.
  
  'My mind is my own again,' Clark mentally sighed at that moment.
  
  'Yeah, let's keep it that way, shall we?' Megan responded to Clark in a telepathic way.
  
  Trigon's astral form had been ripped from Clark's body, and Kara, Karen, and Harry all materialized energy scythes, before they brought the weapons down on the demon. Rachel sent an attack which super charged their powers, and caused Trigon a lot of pain. He screamed out loud!
  
  He was not going to go down without a fight that much was for sure. Karen, Kara, and Harry pushed, and Clark moved out of harm's way, now completely free, collapsing to his knees from the pain, before blacking out. Being possessed by an extremely powerful demon had taken a lot out of him.
  
  Immediately, Raya sped in, and grabbed Clark, before speeding him off to get the medical attention that he needed. Because of his weakened form, it would not be a good idea to keep him around when he was potentially ripe for the possession again.
  
  "I am the powerful Trigon, all powerful, I will not..."
  
  "You will," Kara responded, as they forced every ounce of power that they had into the energy scythes, with Rachel assisting, and Trigon's shadow form began to glow.
  
  "You may defeat me, but there is a greater darkness still to come!"
  
  Trigon vanished into the distance, the final burst of power having banished him, and Harry, Karen, and Kara all collapsed to the ground, and realized that it took everything they had. Rachel dropped down next to them at that moment, looking at the three Heralds, who were completely weakened.
  
  That was sure as hell not easy, but they had won.
  
  It was at that moment, where Karen pulled herself to her feet, and flew off, there was still a couple of things that she needed to do before she was willing to tell Harry and Kara everything. That day would be coming when she personally felt that the time was right.
  
  She actually was relieved that Clark was fine, and by Clark, she meant Kal-El because she was not going to indulge him by calling him by that weak Earth name. She sure was not going to do that, but for some reason her stance softened just a tiny bit against him. There was no denying that he had a long way to go but he managed to keep Trigon's very worst at bay just for a little bit.
  
  Karen was proud of how adequate he did today.
  
  "All things considered, that went far better than we expected."
  
  Kara and Harry stated those words when they were back at the Shining Light Foundation, and Megan had to nod at that point. Chloe was there as well, having passed off the burden to Lois in keeping an eye on Clark and Lana. Lois pretty much forced the issue seeing that Chloe had been there for a long time and was neglecting sleep, but before she got to bed, Chloe had to stop by the Shining Light Foundation first.
  
  She had a feeling that Harry and Kara knew how Clark had gotten back to the Kent Farm, but all Chloe saw was Clark lying on the ground behind her, so she took him up to bed, and there was a note that said all Clark needed rest, and he would recover in a couple of days.
  
  The note was written in Kryptonian, which Chloe understood thanks to her connection to Kara and Harry.
  
  "Yeah, it wasn't easy, but at least we did it, at least we won," Harry remarked, putting his arms around Kara and Chloe. "I just really wished she would have stuck around, so we could thank her, we couldn't have defeated Trigon without her help."
  
  Kara mulled over a certain scenario that she had in her head over the past couple of times they had encountered Karen. The Herald of Death powers allowed them to read the body language of others, which was a useful skill to picking out where a person came from and their mentality. And Kara had to be able to figure out an alternate version of herself if she was doing her job properly.
  
  "I'm beginning to think something really bad happened to her, wherever she was," Kara answered, stroking her chin at that point, and thinking about the situation, deep in thought. "You know, she does have her moments of decency, but it just seems a lot of the time, she's fighting something within her."
  
  "There are certain times where our own nature might get the better of us."
  
  It was Rachel who had broken the silence in a soft voice, and she turned at that moment, just letting it all soak in. This had been a long day for all of them and Harry considered Rachel for a moment before he spoke.
  
  "And how about your own nature?" Harry asked to Rachel, taking a moment to look at the girl, who just offered a hint of a smile.
  
  Rachel thought that was a good question, but it was one that she did not come close to having the answer for. She decided to relay that much to Harry as honest of an answer as she could.
  
  "I don't really know what my future holds, but I hope that I will be able to thrive in this world," Rachel answered, and she folded her arms, staring out the window. Metropolis had been restored to its past beauty, and everyone was back to normal, or at least how normal everything would get. "There's a time where he could come back, though. Trigon is not going to be someone that is easily defeated, and there is that far greater darkness that he's spawned from, something that he ever shudders to think about."
  
  "Whatever it is, we'll be ready," Harry answered in a resolved voice, and Rachel honestly did believe that, she had seen what the Heralds of Death were capable of, and understood the powers that they had.
  
  But it was truly not any power that mattered, it was the ability to never give up. Rachel learned that today when they had fought Trigon. Trigon was the ultimate power in the world, fearsome, fierce, to the point where no one could defeat him. Be that as it may, The Heralds of Death banished him and it was not because of their powers, but rather because of the strength of character that all three of them exhibited.
  
  Rachel looked on the horizon, and saw the sun shine brightly; not quite knowing what the future might bring for her, but it was bright.
  
  Now that the entire Trigon issue was cleared up, Kara and Harry had a few other matters to deal with, namely the fact that Lex was looking to become super powerful at that moment, and the two of them had no idea where he was being held.
  
  And they were beginning to think that Tess had lost track of him as well. How that was possible given that Lex was currently paralyzed from the neck down, the two Heralds had no idea. However, it was something that was extremely probable. They would find out what was happening and it was their hope that they would put Lex down for the count.
  
  "We'll meet again, you can count on that."
  
  "We shall, Rachel," Harry responded when she looked back at Harry, considering him before she turned around.
  
  They watched Rachel leave, freer then she had ever been, the raven pendant dancing from her costume. She was about to live the rest of her life with a smile on her face and a strong resolve in her heart.
  
  Clark stirred awake from his slumber, feeling a ringing sensation in the back of his head, and he heard voices from the hallway. The last thing Clark remembered was that he was at the Shining Light Foundation, and after that, Clark's mind was a complete and utter blur, with nothing else occurring after that was of note.
  
  He did understand that he was in his bed, and wondered how many days had passed. Chloe was standing on the outside, waiting for him to get up.
  
  "I thought I heard you stir, and I think Lana's about ready to wake up as well, so you timed that one right," Chloe answered at that point, and Clark rubbed his temples. "How are you feeling?"
  
  "Like someone dropped the Fortress on the top of my head," Clark managed, rubbing his nose.
  
  Chloe jgave Clark a bright smile, and decided that it would be best to enlighten her best friend on what had happened.
  
  "Well to give you the short version, you were possessed for about an hour by a dangerous demon, and the three Heralds expelled him from you, and he's gone," Chloe answered, and Clark just let this all set in. There were several bits and pieces that had returned to him, but it was all a complete and utter blank to put things mildly. That did not settle well with Clark as he feared that he did something under the influence that would cause him misery.
  
  "So you were here looking after me the entire time," Clark responded at that moment, and Chloe just offered him a brief look, before deciding to amend that fact.
  
  "Not exactly, I had to step out a few times, but Lois had agreed to keep an eye on both you and Lana, you just missed her before you woke up."
  
  Clark jumped with a start, realizing that he was most certainly wearing different clothes than he did when he had on earlier, and wondered who changed them. Chloe was only happy to point out the fact.
  
  "Come on, Clark, it's not that Lois hasn't seen you naked before," Chloe responded with a bit of a grin at Clark's expense.
  
  Chloe really wished that she could take a picture at this point at the look on Clark's face. The old saying was that a picture was worth a thousand words and each and every one of those words would not begin to describe the expression on Clark's face at this point. He was flummoxed at this thought and tried to recover quickly.
  
  "That's not helping, Chloe," Clark managed, and he tried to get up to his feet, staggering a bit at that point. He could not get drunk because of his powers, not that he drank much. However, this was what he felt like in a way.
  
  Clark tried to make his way down the stairs, and he saw Lana trying to stir immediately. Nearly tripping over the carpet, Clark rushed over, and checked on her.
  
  "Oh, hey, Clark," Lana responded in a pained voice, she felt her ears ringing. The last thing remembered, she and Clark were flying, and they heard a disturbance. Everything after that was a complete and utter blank. "What happened, it seems like something happened."
  
  "That's putting it mildly," Clark answered, and he moved off. "Why don't I get you something to eat, and Chloe can..."
  
  "I'm able," Lana responded, springing up to her feet, and nearly staggering, but Chloe dove in to catch her, with an exasperated expression on the blonde's face.
  
  "Both of you need to calm down, you nearly died," Chloe told them in a fretful voice, and she looked at the two of them. "And neither of you are doing anything beyond blinking and breathing until you get a complete clean bill of health."
  
  Lana and Clark exchanged a tense look, having been reprimanded like two children who had been caught going over the fence. A smile crossed Chloe's face, when she looked Clark in the eye.
  
  "And if you don't take it easy, I'll set Lois on you."
  
  There was no mistaking about the seriousness of that threat as Lana laughed, as Chloe prepared to fill the two of them in on the gaps in their mind. Even though there were certain things that Chloe did not understand herself, bu
  
  Raya stood in the Artic, the wind blowing against her, and could sense the Fortress there. It was similar, yet, different form the last time she had been there. She took a moment to take in the splendor before her as she enjoyed being back on Earth. Then again most places in the universes would be something that would be preferred to the Phantom Zone.
  
  A whooshing sound came up from behind her, and Raya spun around, seeing Karen standing there, arms folded across her ample chest. Raya took a moment to stare at the Kryptonian before her, and suspicion lingered in her eyes.
  
  "You've grown since the last time we've met," Raya responded at that moment, breaking the silence that had existed. "You're the daughter of Zor-El..."
  
  "Yes, I'm perfectly aware who my father is," Karen responded, without missing a beat. "My father was a complex man, and I did not expect Jor-El to understand what he wanted to accomplish. Jor-El is blinded by his own greed and egotism, and he continues to do so to this day."
  
  "Is that you talking, or Zor-El talking?" Raya asked in a cool voice.
  
  There was a very long moment where Karen gave Raya a nasty glare, before speaking.
  
  "I don't need my father to do my thinking for me, he's had many faults, but Jor-El has them too, and don't pretend for a moment that he doesn't," Karen responded at that point, crossing her arms over her chest, and staring out at Raya's face. "Yet, you are here, and you can do something that I'd trust no one else to do."
  
  "And what is that?" Raya asked, her voice suspicious at that moment.
  
  "Protect, Kal-El," Karen responded, and Raya seemed to be a bit taken off guard by this.
  
  "I was under the assumption that he had already been given a guardian, and a protector," Raya answered at that moment.
  
  Karen just chose her next words carefully, taking a moment to really allow herself to ponder the situation. Then she gave Raya her answer.
  
  "Kal-El does have a protector, and while I will not deny she does an adequate job, she's not one of us. Even with her powers that she had been gifted by my two fellow Heralds, she's not one of us. A Kryptonian, and at her core, she will always be human. Lana understands Clark Kent the human, but I want someone who understands Kal-El, the Last Son of Krypton, and watch over him."
  
  Raya mused about that matter, and was conflicted at that moment. Kal-El had a great destiny ahead of him, although she even wondered if she could comprehend the greatness that he had been set to on this course.
  
  Karen was not done, and Raya sensed real worry in her eyes.
  
  "And someone needs to watch over Lana as well, for if what I've seen will come to pass, it will be a doomsday for all."
  
  "What have you seen?" Raya asked when she looked at Karen in confusion and Karen paused for a moment.
  
  "It's coming, I see it in my dreams, Lana is the first one struck down, protecting Kal-El from his fury. Kal-El is despondent and without Lana, he gives up and is killed next. Countless humans die, there are few survivors.
  
  Karen knew this to be true, it was the same premonition that she saw night after night since she got here. That's why she tried the slay the monster's shell but it was too late, much too late. Now his aura changed, it was no longer red, but rather it was half red and half gold. It needed to be destroyed, but it could not be touched.
  
  "I will assist you, but only because I wish to help Kal-El, and not on your behalf," Raya answered at that moment of time.
  
  "Whatever allows you to sleep peacefully."
  
  Raya was about to comment on that, and the rather snide way Karen seem to be addressing Kal-El, but Kara Zor-El of Earth Two was gone in a bolt of light, almost like she had vanished.
  
  Meanwhile, Raya knew that even if she was not asked to look over Clark, she was duty bound to the House of El, and that was something that she had taken seriously.
  
  She must be discreet, because if Kal-El knew that he was in danger, he would do something foolishly reckless. He was after all his father's son.
  
  Being paralyzed did not suit Lex Luthor at all, but he would have something to remedy that at the point. The bald young man was laid out on the table, as a doctor prepped the suit for him.
  
  "I must warn you, Mr. Luthor, the suit is not fully fine-tuned yet..."
  
  "I don't care, I want my mobility back, and there is no time for us to fine-tune it any longer," Lex argued in a stubborn tone of voice. It was high time that he got what was coming to him and he did not want to wait any longer. "I will be stronger, stronger than them all, and there is no man, or no magic, that will be able to stop me when the suit is on."
  
  The suit was completely invulnerable to all attacks, and would give the user super strength, super speed, and would be invulnerable to all attacks, including magic. Before she left, Lily Potter had given Lex advice on substances that would block out magic attacks, and wicked woman that she was, Lex had a feeling that she knew what she was doing and talking about.
  
  The suit had one weakness, but the doctor decided not to brief Lex on that, feeling that the man's impatience was something that could backfire on the bald billionaire. Regardless, he began the process of grafting the suit into Lex's skin, a process that had a fifty-fifty shot of killing him.
  
  Lex felt unbearable pain.
  
  Pain was welcomed given that over the past three months, Lex could not feel anything from the neck up. That meant the suit was working, and Lex felt the material bond to him, his DNA changing into something that was super powered.
  
  Lex Luthor got to his feet, and was back in business.
  
  He would achieve his destiny as a Luthor, what his father had groomed him for since childhood, but there was one thing first and foremost on his mind.
  
  Revenge against Clark and Lana, that's what he would have. He tried to be their friend, but they spurned him, and now Lex was going to show them the price for their egotism.
  
  To Be Continued in the Last Stand.
  The Last Stand Part One
  
  Chapter 49: The Last Stand Part One.
  
  Autumn weather arrived and was in full swing, even if the hints of the summer were still here, and what a six months it had been since the final battle of the Artic. One Harry Potter knew that better than anyone, and they had been given the runaround with their third Herald of Death, who had shown up, and disappeared for weeks at a time, doing who knows what.
  
  Harry also was keeping tabs on their newest guest from Krypton, who seemed to be not as dead as many people would have thought. Then again, Harry wondered if anyone was ever really dead, there seemed to like a lot of people just cheating the edge of death. Harry had been so busy with tracking down undesirables with Kara and Chloe, so they had no real idea whether or not Clark knew of Raya's return.
  
  It was not down to Harry to tell Clark what was going on, he respected Raya's wishes to want to remain mostly off to the side, just in an observatory role for now. Kara grudgingly agreed with this, although she was not too happy about Raya's presence, making a few choice comments about her being Jor-El's lapdog. Harry really hoped that he would not have to break up a super powered Kryptonian catfight, because when Karen and Kara did it, it was bad enough, he did not want to have to do it again.
  
  "Three more off of the list in the last three months," Kara answered, breaking Harry out of his thoughts, and Harry just nodded. One of his wives leaned over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and snuggling her face into the back of Harry's neck. "Just think, eleven, twelve more to go, I think."
  
  "At our last count," Chloe responded before she showed up at this point, putting a pair of hands on her hips, the blonde grabbing Harry by the hand on the other side. "But, there's something else strange going on, and it's regarding something with our third Herald, and something she did."
  
  Kara and Harry racked their brains at what Chloe meant, but they were struggling to figure it out. So Chloe took a moment to enlighten then, offering her employers and lovers a smile, before raising a little eyebrow, before she spoke.
  
  "Remember, she attacked that paramedic all that months ago, Davis Bloome."
  
  "After all of the insane things Karen did, it's kind of hard to remember them all," Kara answered, looking rather dismayed by the thoughts of her cross-dimensional twin. She honestly wished that Karen would actually join them for real, but she seemed to be beating to her own drum. Kara really worried about how unstable the Herald of Death powers were making her, without the proper grounded influence.
  
  Then again, if Kara knew herself, she knew how stubborn that she was, so why should an alternate version of her be so different?
  
  "Well, do you remember Linda Lake?" Chloe asked at that point, and Harry racked his brain.
  
  "Yeah, crazy woman who liked to ruin the lives of others, and could turn into water. I had her blackballed so hard and so fast, if I recall correctly. Lois told me she swore revenge, but she was found dead a few days later."
  
  Harry did not shed too many tears for that woman, she reminded him of Rita Skeeter. Albeit one could turn into water to spy on her latest victims, whilst the other could turn into a beetle. Be that as it may, both of them were pains in the ass, and could not care about revealing the deep dark secrets of those who they wished to stab with their poisoned pen.
  
  "Yeah, but Davis was the one that found her, dead on arrival, and I dug through some records, and it was not the first time that happened, six more cases over the past few months," Chloe answered, and Harry and Kara just exchanged a rather tense look.
  
  Harry was trying hard not to think of the worst.
  
  "Perhaps he just has a bad track record," Harry answered, trying to play the devil's advocate, but even his voice lacked conviction at that point, taking a long and deep breath.
  
  "Maybe," Chloe offered in a rather skeptical voice, with a slight raised of her eyebrow. "But I took a look at his lifeline reading aura, but maybe my powers aren't as fine-tuned as yours."
  
  "What did you see?" Kara prompted, giving Chloe an encouraging smile and nod, and Chloe was prompted to delve into her mad theory.
  
  "I don't know how any of this is possible, maybe there's something faulty with my powers, but his dot is half red and half gold."
  
  Harry and Kara stood up straight at that point, there was only one other person to have a gold lifeline reading, and that was Clark, given his unique nature. Even Raya had just a white reading when the two of them had checked her. That was something that the two of them needed to check out first hand.
  
  How could someone be both an undesirable and have a reading like Clark? If he was gold, that meant Heralds of Death could not kill him, yet they had to kill him because he was red and an undesirable.
  
  That reading really did not make any sense whatsoever, and Harry offered a frown, before looking Chloe dead in the eye.
  
  "Yeah, I'm going to have to really check that out, but if Bloome is dangerous, stay away from him," Harry answered, and Chloe opened her mouth to protest, but Harry cut her off with a well placed kiss to the mouth. Chloe found her mind shut down with Harry's efforts with a kiss, and she found herself agreeing.
  
  Chloe sank down on the chair with Harry and Kara, and the news broadcast was on, there was a huge Luthorcorp Press Conference on, and Harry turned up the sound when it was started. Luthorcorp had many pieces of business that were outstanding, and Harry and Kara had a casual relationship with Tess at best.
  
  "Look, Oliver," Harry whispered, and he saw the owner of Queen Industries walk up to the podium, at the plaza where the Press Conference was occurring.
  
  A blinding flash of white light appeared on the screen, like a flash bang and knocked the cameras off, leaving nothing, but a test pattern screen. Kara, Chloe, and Harry all bounced up to their feet, and watched, listening.
  
  "We lost the feed, but our reporters on the scene have seen Oliver Queen go off the stage, someone has shot him, I repeat someone has shot Oliver Queen, and..."
  
  A loud explosion like a bomb, and the two Heralds and their Herald watched, their eyes widened at that point, mouths opened at the events that transpired.
  
  Tess and Oliver both were inside, along with many others, and it seemed like someone had lethal intentions in mind for them.
  
  
  
  A young scientist was running from a facility that was owned by Luthorcorp, taking a long and pained breath, when suddenly a figure flew in front of the scientist, and grabbed him around the throat.
  
  "I'm going to ask you once, and I'm going to ask you nicely, where is Luthor?"
  
  "Luthor, I don't know what you're talking about, I just work here," the scientist responded in a trembling voice, but the flying figure slammed him hard against the wall, and he winced with his ribs cracked at that point.
  
  "Let me guess, you're just doing the job," the young robed woman said, her blonde hair framing her face, and a smile crossing her face underneath the robe. The young scientist began to nod his head, looking like an overgrown bobblehead.
  
  Karen almost took pity on him, seeing how pathetic he was, and she really hoped that he would not blubber about how he had a family. Weakness was something she could not abide by, but thankfully the man was able to look her directly in the eye. Karen picked up a huge stone, and crushed it in her hand.
  
  "So you were just doing your job. That does not absolve you from having blood on your hands. People who worked for some of the worst dictators in the known galaxies were just doing their jobs. People were herded into death camps to be struck down, just for the crime of being alive, and who they were. But naturally they were just doing their job. "
  
  Karen paused before she asked the question on her mind.
  
  "Did Luthor finish the suit, or not?"
  
  "I don't know, I don't know," the scientist stammered, his heart beating heavily against his ribcage, and Karen retracted her grip, the last thing she wanted to do was have this man drop dead of some kind of heart related ailment.
  
  "Do you know someone that does know?" Karen asked, her eyes flashing with a hint of heat vision, which the scientist noticed, shaking madly.
  
  It was amazing how quickly people were willing to volunteer information when their life was on the line and that was what this scientist did. His body shook, and he began to spit out the information that Kare needed.
  
  "Lab Four, Lab Four, there was something hush-hush going on there, people were going in and out of there at a rapid rate. I don't know what, but I heard a whisper that Luthor might have been kept there."
  
  Karen felt herself rather pleased with this fact, finally there would be a reckoning with someone named Luthor. While this version of Lionel was already dead, Karen could take her aggressions out on his demon seed. Flying at a ballistic fury, Karen smashed open the doors of the lab, and continued to pick up a lot of steam with each passing movement, going faster and faster.
  
  Lab four had the highest security that money could buy, and was on the very top floor of a very large building. However, those facts were no barrier for Karen, for she sped past the stairs, knocking out security who had no idea what was coming. She quickened her movements heading further and further up the stairs, until she reached the destination she sought.
  
  Security was tight, as she figured, and while she had often preferred the sweet sophistication that science offered, there was no time for it. Grabbing the door, Karen ripped it off of its hinges, and ripped it off the hinges. The door was torn off like it was tissue paper, and Karen threw it to the side, moving up to the shell shocked scientist.
  
  She saw an operating table, and rather high tech equipment around the lab, but she was not concerned by that. Rather, she was concerned with grabbing onto every single bit of information that she could. Karen reached over, and grabbed the scientist around the throat, before slamming him hard into the walls of the lab. The plaster cracked, and the spine of the scientist would have had she done so even more.
  
  "I'm going to ask you one time, and I'm not going to ask you again," Karen remarked, through gritted teeth, practically snarling the next four words. "WHERE IS LEX LUTHOR?"
  
  The scientist was shaking, nearly wetting himself in the terror at what Karen had to do to him, and he was stammering. This girl was not one who was much for patience, so she continued to shake the scientist like a ragdoll, and he felt himself wilt underneath her impressive grip, a heart beat getting heavier and heavier with each passing moment.
  
  "He's gone, left," the scientist responded at that moment, breathing at that moment. "He was bonded with the suit a few weeks ago..."
  
  That was not the lesson that Karen wanted to hear. It took every single bit of her self-control to hurl this pathetic bit of humanity to his demise below, but the blonde Kryptonian held herself at bay.
  
  It was at that point where Kara showed up, with Harry in toe. Karen looked at her two fellow Heralds of Death, and Harry immediately grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, before pinning her against the wall. Karen did not put up too much of a fight, and Kara grabbed Karen by the other side, holding her firmly against the wall.
  
  "Explain what you're doing now," Harry replied cooly, making sure both he and Kara had Karen pinned against the wall.
  
  Karen smirked, she had many fantasies that started like this, although they got far more interesting as time went by.
  
  "Depends, are you going to give me a kiss to say hello?" Karan asked in a husky voice, that nearly made Harry stand at attention, but through the sheer voice of will, he kept himself at bay.
  
  "Maybe, you'll get a reward, if you're lucky," Kara responded, taking control.
  
  "From both of you?" Karen asked with a hopeful gaze.
  
  Kara responded with a smile, and Karen proceeded to explain what was going on.
  
  "I'm after Lex Luthor, I believe that he might have been bonded to that suit. Seems like he's more slippery than we thought he was."
  
  "And he's on the loose, in a super powered suit," Kara answered, letting out a breath, wondering if this day could get worse.
  
  "We have other problems, we think he's struck for revenge, there was a bombing at the Metropolis Plaza, and Oliver Queen was shot," Harry informed Karen, and Karen seemed disinterested by this fact. As far as she was concerned, Oliver Queen was of no concern to her, he deserved to be taken down several pegs. "And if Lex is behind it..."
  
  "He's not done yet, and I doubt he'll rest until he gets his hands on Clark and Lana," Kara added, and Karen nodded, knowing what they must do.
  
  "The suit doesn't appear to have a weakness," Karen chimed in, but it was Harry who answered at that point.
  
  "Everything has a weakness, there's just a matter of us finding it and exploiting it."
  
  Despite his powers, Harry did not see Lex as someone who would be overly careless at first, he was going to stalk and calculate from the shadows. For all Harry knew, Lex had already been bonded with the suit for a couple of months, and had been off in a secluded area, testing it out, while he plotted his revenge.
  
  It was not for the first time where Harry regretted saving the life of Lex Luthor almost a year ago, but perhaps things were meant to happen. Right now, the three Heralds of Death once again had to work together, but after this was over.
  
  "And you were right about the paramedic, there's something really odd about him," Harry added as in an afterthought.
  
  "If he's gone gold, there's no way for us to stop him now," Karen answered, and Harry and Kara responded with a nod. "I hate to say that I told you so, but I told you so."
  
  "We'll figure out what to do then later, right now, Lex is our top priority," Kara answered, and the three Heralds of Death prepared to take flight, after Karen did a quick memory wipe with the crystal. Kara was quick to call out her double on this, looking her directly in the eye. "I don't know how you could do that, if you're like me, Zor-El has wiped your memories, and I would think you would not be so casual about doing it to others."
  
  "Zor-El is a great and noble man, and he would never do that, how dare you speak that way about our father!" Karen snapped hotly, and Kara and Harry realized what happened, and suddenly a lot was explained.
  
  Karen was never enlightened about the truth about her father. She likely was a victim of someone in that alternate world, with her father's beliefs about humanity echoing in her mind, and her believing many of them. Coupled with the Herald of Death powers, and that was a recipe for her to go absolutely manic.
  
  Harry and Kara had to sort out the state of Karen's fractured psyche at another date, right now Lex Luthor was on the loose, and more dangerous than ever.
  
  
  
  The three Heralds of Death saw the scene outside of the Metropolis Plaza, there was smoke and dust everywhere that choked anyone who had been foolish enough to step in too close. That much was certain, and Karen exchanged an expression of disinterest with Harry and Kara. They wondered why, but Karen was too happy to let them in.
  
  "It's not Luthor, at least not directly," Karen answered, and Kara and Harry opened their mouths, asking how she could be so sure. Karen was all too happy to elaborate for them, and proceeded to answer. "This is not subtle enough for Luthor, he would not leave such a big bang, especially with a building that he owns."
  
  Kara nodded, but that was immediately skeptical about what was coming out of Karen's mouth, and decided to call her out on that subject. "I don't know, that might be just what Luthor wants us to think."
  
  Karen shrugged her shoulders, not expecting to be believed, but she scanned with her X-Ray vision for debris, and found a small chunk of a bomb. Quickly, before anyone could see it, Karen took the bomb in her hand, and read the label on it.
  
  "Property of Winslow Schott," Karen read to her two fellow Heralds, and she eyed the bomb with distaste, throwing it down. "What kind of idiot puts their name on the bomb they used?"
  
  "One with an ego problem," Kara suggested casually, but Harry just frowned, before he activated the earpiece, getting a direct link to Chloe, who was at the Daily Planet right now.
  
  "Hey, Chloe, you busy?" Harry asked her over the communication link.
  
  "Just trying to find out the latest news about the explosion at Metropolis Plaza, why?" Chloe asked with a frown.
  
  "Do you think you can run a quick check on Winslow Schott?" Harry asked, and Chloe seemed like she was going to question that, so Harry filled her in. "We found a chunk of a bomb with his name on it, and we think he might have been behind the explosion."
  
  Kara waved her hand, and the three Heralds shifted to invisibility mode, with the police walking by, and the fire department trying to shift through the rubble at this point. Harry waited patiently for the next twenty minutes whilst Chloe conducted a search. Kara scanned the building with her X-Ray vision at that point, but a lot of it was lined with lead, so she could not see much past a certain point.
  
  "Here we go Harry, Winslow Schott," Chloe responded, pausing before she was certain that Harry had given her his full and undivided attention. "He was a man who worked for Queen Industries for years, a tortured genius type, who always brought toys into his place of work. He started smuggling explosives into work, so he was fired. He also had a bit of an attitude problem, and a temper."
  
  "And let me guess, he swore revenge on Queen at some point," Harry answered, and Chloe chuckled.
  
  "That's putting it mildly, there have been eight death threats towards Oliver in the past year, and one restraining order filed," Chloe responded over the communication link. "He also committed petty crimes, getting locked up for them for a time, but he seems to have gotten released for early parole."
  
  "He has a friend in a very high place then," Harry concluded, and there was no need to really delve into who that friend was.
  
  "I really wish I would have crushed his skull when I found in him Siberia," Karen mused, and it was at that point where Harry and Kara spun around to face her.
  
  "You didn't think to make sure he was at least locked up in a safe location, when you found him," Harry responded to Karen, staring her down, but to Karen's credit, she did not blink in any way whatsoever. "I'm not too sure if..."
  
  "Well, I was kind of busy searching for the Fortress that you two, Kal-El, and Miss Lang lost, which you're welcome for getting back by the way," Karen responded in a crisp voice, and the three of them seemed ready to have it out.
  
  Suddenly, a crackling voice could be heard elsewhere in the city, and the three of them stood up straight.
  
  "The first shot has been fired, and this city spurned my genius. While other men put away their toys, not thinking they were something that adults should play with, I have fine-tuned mine. I will have Oliver Queen's head on a plate, and I want a ransom of one million dollars for funding."
  
  "One million dollars?" Kara asked, raising an eyebrow at this odd request.
  
  "Whatever you say Doctor Evil," Chloe commented over the link, still listening in.
  
  "I have made my demands, and if I see any do-gooders try to be a hero, several buildings in this city will be blown to smithereens. I have hidden over a hundred bombs at strategic locations in this city, some of them work while others are duds. I'm not bluffing. If you do not deliver my cash to Metropolis Plaza within ninety minutes, the next building will go up in flames, and the next for every ten minutes after that. I am left waiting."
  
  The taunting voice of the Toyman continued to echo in their ears, and Harry tried to trace the signal, but it was being broadcasted through several different channels, it would take at least an hour to isolate the frequencies and eliminate the dummies. And that was with magic at his disposal.
  
  Toyman might have come across as an eccentric nutjob to some, but he was a glorified terrorist and utterly dangerous. This might have been the darkest hour that Metropolis had ever suffered.
  
  "Luthor can wait," Harry responded, and Karen opened her mouth to protest, but Kara clapped a hand over it.
  
  "What...Luthor, what happened?" Chloe asked, annoyed at being left a bit out of the loop at this point.
  
  "Lex Luthor has gotten full feeling in his body back, and he's stronger than ever," Harry explained, resolving to keep his voice calm. "He's bonded to a super powerful suit that will either match or exceed Clark and Lana's combined strength."
  
  "I'll get in touch with them, warn them," Chloe answered, biting her lip, but shaking her head. Lois had also left with Clark on an assignment, regarding the bomb threat, and Lana, as Clark's protector, was not far behind.
  
  "We're going to see if we can get Queen out of there," Harry told Chloe over the communicator link. "Also, Tess is in there."
  
  "Let her rot," Karen responded in a harsh voice.
  
  "She hasn't done anything yet," Kara replied to Karen, looking her dead on in the eye.
  
  "You mean besides save Luthor from certain frigid death," Karen answered, and her eyes just narrowed, with a smirk. "Unless you want to keep her as a pet..."
  
  "Okay, Herald to Herald spat, I'm leaving now to try and warn Clark and Lana about the danger they're in," Chloe answered abruptly, leaving at that point, cutting her end of the communication link.
  
  The three Heralds prepared to pop inside, to try and find Tess and Oliver, along with anyone else who had not been able to get inside. However, they saw one of the paramedics outside, Davis Bloome, who was lurking. Karen's eyes narrowed, but they had other business to attend to, they supposed. The hero thing, making sure everything was okay was first and foremost, as much as she loathed admitting it.
  
  
  
  Tess shook her head, to be honest she had far worse days, and she was trapped in the basement of the plaza, surrounded by rubble. Her only companion was Oliver Queen, boy did that bring back some memories that she would like to put behind her. Tess tried to figure out how to get out, there had to be a hatch, an exit to the sewer, anything.
  
  "I don't think we're getting out anytime soon," Oliver answered, wincing, as he had lost a lot of blood, but at least he was only shot in the leg. If he was shot in the arm, or the head, things would have been a lot worst. In the arm, Oliver would have lost the ability to shoot an arrow, and in the head, well it's likely he would be dead.
  
  "You maybe, but I'm checking out as soon as I can," Tess replied, swiftly trying to shift apart two boards, but it just caused more of the dust to settle, and a crack to continue to widen in the ceiling. "Cave in; damn it!"
  
  Before Tess could respond with any other words, several miniature toy helicopters arrived though an open vent. The vent was just large enough for them to get through, but not large enough for any human past the age of about four to slip through. The helicopters hovered over them dangerously, and once again the voice of Schott could be heard by them.
  
  "So, Oliver, do you take me seriously now?" Schott taunted in a cold and sadistic voice, and several small pellets began to shoot down at Oliver, nearly missing his crotch. He was on one leg, and had no arrows.
  
  Those pellets on their own was not going to be a problem, but all of them being fired at once, that could constitute as a bit of a problem. Oliver Queen drew a deep breath, and decided to improvise in the situation.
  
  Oliver reached into his pocket, and pulled out a rubber band and several pencils. Taking careful aim, Oliver managed to shoot them at the miniature helicopters, taking them out one at a time with his expert marksmanship. They were knocked out of the air, shattering into debris at that moment.
  
  Tess on the other hand, opted for a less skilled approach, but never the less I was one that was rather effective. The woman picked up a fire axe, and began swinging it wildly, damaging all of the toys with a wild swing, shattering them into millions of tiny fragments.
  
  "Hey, you have a playmate down there, that's not fair," Schott responded, and Oliver jhad a bit of a smirk appear on his face.
  
  "Life isn't fair, Toyman, that's what you learn when you grow up," Oliver answered, and there was a loud howl and a shriek from Schott at that statement.
  
  "And respect is something that you will learn, pretty boy, before you die!"
  
  The walls smashed open, and several large toy soldiers stopped their way inside, followed by a miniature tank that had been outfitted by rather real weapons.
  
  Tess, not being an idiot, wondered how Schott had smuggled something like that into the basement of Metropolis Plaza. That could not be done without inside help, and now Tess was beginning to question what was going on at that point.
  
  The toy soldiers had been smashed suddenly when three blurs had shown up, barely visible to the naked eye. One of them took out the spying device that had been blast with a rapid fire blast of heat vision. Tess watched, mouth a gap, as one of the toy soldiers prepared to bring its bayonet down on the top of her head.
  
  The dark haired young man rushed in, and pulled Tess out of the way, before she could lose her head. Two blasts of heat vision had blown the soldiers into saw dust.
  
  "Arcane, Supergirl, and...I'm sorry, I've not had the pleasure of meeting you," Oliver responded, and Karen just dropped down, preparing to state her codename, when suddenly the walls on the other side broken apart.
  
  Tess spent more than a moment in the arms of Arcane, but managed to regain her composure and slowly dislodge herself with dignity. Even though a part of her regretted having to do so, almost feeling the power radiate off of him.
  
  Shaking her head, Tess looked up, and saw Oliver get shot in the arm by a tranquilizer dart, as several more helicopters and toy soldiers entered the room.
  
  The three Heralds of Death were ready, and little did Schott know that the more things he sent in, the closer that Harry was to pinpointing where he was holed up, and it would allow him to take the Toyman down.
  
  In other worse, Schott was putting his own neck in a noose, and was blissfully unaware of it. The three Heralds began to smash the toys with their powers, with Tess offering a rather useful ax related assist. They blew into smithereens, but knew that the battle was far from over.
  
  
  
  "Schott's big talk, I don't know how he could have put a hundred bombs in Metropolis, without anyone noticing it," Lois remarked, walking next to Clark, and she gave him a significant look. "Without the Blur noticing it at the very least."
  
  "He can't really be everywhere at once," Clark answered, and Lois peered over her shoulder when she turned to Clark.
  
  "Our contact said one of the bombs might be in here, but we should take a look around," Lois answered, and then she shrugged her shoulders a little bit as an afterthought. "I don't know why Schott would have put a bomb here, it's been cleared out for two years. Even the rats have abandoned this place."
  
  Clark was on his guard, there had to be some kind of method to Schott's madness, the trick was to try and pinpoint what was what. Adjusting his X-Ray vision, Clark tried to see what he was up against, but found all of the boxes were lined with lead.
  
  "Being kept in the dark about something doesn't seem too charming, does it Clark?"
  
  Lois spun around, and saw Lex Luthor standing there, dressed in a black suit, bold as brass, and before Lois could say two words, Lex calmly knocked her back. All it took was a flick of his finger, and Lois was dropped to the ground, knocked completely unconscious.
  
  "You!" Clark yelled.
  
  Lex smiled back at Clark, his anger not fazing him at all.
  
  "Yeah, after you left me for dead, I bet you never thought you'd see me face to face again," Lex answered at that moment, offering a smile to Clark. "My little puppet Schott, well, he's doing a great job keeping the real threats distracted from my plans. His bombs, well all of them work, especially the one that I planted in his workshop, and all they need is one little signal, and kaboom."
  
  Clark was done talking, and he rushed forward, to grab Lex, but Lex repelled him back. There seemed to be some kind of field around him, preventing Clark's attacks. No matter how much Clark pounded away at Lex's force field he did not break through.
  
  With a fury, Lana flew in from behind, and knocked Lex back a few inches, before the field around her suit propelled her back into Clark. Clark caught Lana in his arms, and threw her back onto his feet in one swift motion.
  
  Lex just stood, and had his eyes fixed firmly on Clark and Lana, all humor having left them. There was no mirth, no amusement, merely stone cold seriousness.
  
  "Lana, it appears you have acquired a backbone with your new abilities, pity I'm going to have to remove it," Lex answered, and he just offered a bit of a smirk. "Metropolis goes off with everyone inside, starting with Metropolis Plaza."
  
  Chloe sped in at that moment, saw Lois, scooped her up, sped her out, and then returned to look at Lex, who chuckled. He was rather amused by Chloe showing up.
  
  "Well, the gang's all here, it looks like," Lex answered, and he fingered the detonator, which he could send the signal remotely to any bomb that he chose. "I wonder if I should press it now, or make you sweat it out just a tiny bit."
  
  Chloe's eyes snapped to Lex, and saw Lana try and attack Lex once again. The field around the suit repelled her back once again, so a combined attack by Clark and Lana was tried. The attack fared only slightly better.
  
  "Lex, Tess is inside Metropolis Plaza," Chloe informed him, hoping that this bit would resound with Lex given that Harry informed Chloe of Lex's connection with Tess and she assumed someone as resourceful as Lex would pick up the puzzle pieces.
  
  Once again, Lex just offered a sad smile, almost as if he regretted it, but if Tess did not get herself out in time, that was not his problem.
  
  Besides, he would be dong her a favor, sparing her of certain horrors that might be to come.
  
  "It's a rule of chess and business, certain sacrifices must be made," Lex answered, a smirk spreading over his face. "In fact, I could take all four of us out in one big bang right now. I might lose, but the world won't have its protectors any longer."
  
  "You're bluffing," Clark managed, and Lana wished Clark would not have said that, that was the worst thing he could have said.
  
  Lex just offered a smile, and offered three words to them all, stating them slowly and meticulous. "I never bluff."
  
  With a press of the button, the bombs below them were detonated, and the world around them enveloped in a blinding light.
  The Last Stand Part Two
  
  Chapter Fifty: The Last Stand Part Two.
  
  The toy soldiers continued to march forth step by step, and attacked the four individuals in the plaza, with the helicopters and miniature tanks rolling in. With a wave of his hand, Harry blew up several of the miniature tanks, having to use his magic to contain the explosions. If he had not shielded the attacks, then half of the Plaza would have blown up with them inside.
  
  Kara and Karen blasted several beams of heat vision and took out the gigantic toy soldiers with ballistic fury, the soldiers crumbled to nothingness, and Toyman's little army was being knocked down bit by bit. All of them crumbled underneath the attacks that had given against them. The two blonde Kryptonians flew forward and knocked the soldiers down with high impact punches. Both of them seemed to be in a competition to take out the most enemies, but whatever got the job.
  
  Oliver meanwhile laid on the ground, drugged and half out of it, not really moving in any way whatsoever. Tess stepped on top of his body, not caring if he had got hurt, and swung the battle axe hard into the crotch of one of the toy soldiers. It doubled over to allow Harry to send a blast of high intensity light directly at the enemy and blew it into dust particles.
  
  "Looks like Queen is down for the count," Harry responded with several of the miniature helicopters blowing up in mid-air, with each passing moment Harry was getting closer and closer to tracking down his enemy. It was just a matter of pinpointing the right signal and zeroing in on where it came from.
  
  Tess just had a smile cross her face, smashing two more of the soldiers with the fire ax that she acquired. Each swing decapitated more of the enemies, even though Supergirl and whatever the other one was calling herself disabled more of the never ending barrage of toy soldiers.
  
  "Oliver laying down while all of the action is going on, why am I not surprised?" Tess mused to herself underneath her breath, and Harry raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as they took out most of the enemies with swift of attacks.
  
  Queen was on the ground and Harry knew that there were more enemies that were coming, so decisive action was the word of the day. Harry picked up a broken box lid, programming it into a Portkey, and shoved said item into Oliver's hand. It would transport him out to the Metropolis hospital where they could deal with them and he would not be a liability that they would worry about.
  
  "Any luck on finding on him?" Karen grunted, smashing the enemies with more of a ballistic fury than ever before. They smashed the soldiers to bits with each passing swing and the busty blonde felt like she was working out a lot of stress on these things. Still she wanted to find the mastermind behind all of them.
  
  Harry held up a hand and saw the miniature tanks on the ground, a few of them had not been disabled yet. Some of them were giving off a signal that would help Harry isolate what needed to be done to find his target. Waving his hand, Harry locked onto the signal, trying to trace it back to the source and it was matching up to the other source. Schott did an acceptable job trying to mask the signal, but at the same time, he was being too careless.
  
  Once Harry gave her the go ahead, Kara proceeded to fly forward, hitting the ceiling and smashed into the miniature tanks. Under the impact of her fists, they crumbled from the shots. A few more shots took out the remaining tanks, blowing them to smithereens. While Kara was never cruel enough to break someone else's toys, she would make an exception in this case, especially given what this man threatened to do to the city.
  
  When the smoke cleared, Harry, Tess, Karen, and Kara stood in shadows, looking at the broken bits of toys strewn around them. Tess did not offer them any questions, now was not the time, this was something that she would figure out on her own accord. These three had great power though and that much was something that she could respect, but it would be better served for something else other than breaking the little gadgets of some creepy little psychopath.
  
  Tess did have one pressing question that she did not hesitate to ask of the Potters. The redhead temporary owner of Luthorcorp brushed a hand through her hair and took a long, deep breath before turning to them.
  
  "So, how do you think he did something like this?"
  
  Arcane's eyes snapped towards Tess's, and while she could not make out what his eyes looked like, she could feel the pure power radiating from them. Even for someone like her, it was a commanding presence and truly he seemed to be mulling something over in his mind. There was seconds of time with a pause before Arcane elected to answer, and as Tess predicted, she was not too thrilled with the answer that she received.
  
  "I believe it was Lex Luthor who enabled this, and you have a good idea what he was up to."
  
  Tess just looked at Arcane with a bit of a smile crossing over her lips before she spoke to him.
  
  "Nothing you can prove," Tess answered in a light voice, going under the assumption that they had nothing on her.
  
  "Someone had to pick up Luthor from his icy tome in Siberia," Karen replied, her eyes snapped towards Tess and her expression was icy cold, to the point where she sent shivers down the spine of Tess. "And that someone was you, he was an inch from death, and now he's back on his feet, with some kind of super suit."
  
  "That super suit was supposed for be for cancer research," Tess answered, but then she grimaced, unable to believe that she had been so na?ve.
  
  She would find out where the leaks were that allowed Lex to pull the wool over her eyes and accomplish this task. Then those leaks would be...dealt with.
  
  Harry, Karen, and Kara exchanged the grimmest expressions imaginable, that suit was for cancer research alright, but it was not to cure a cancer. Rather, it was to enable one in Lex Luthor and now he could be hunting for revenge at this given moment. Lana and Clark, along with anyone else who Luthor might have felt wronged him could be in danger, especially with the few specifications that the three had picked up about this suit.
  
  "Enabling one, maybe," Harry replied breaking the silence as Tess just retained her strong resolve, but secretly she was kind of agitated that Lex had withheld information. Then again, what else should she have suspected? "And once your usefulness has passed, Lex was going to take care of you."
  
  Tess understood exactly what this young man was trying to tell her, there was no need for him to go into any further elaboration. Lex set up the entire thing for months, making sure Schott attacked at the right time. Schott was nothing more than another means to Lex's ends, a cruel end at that, and Tess was the one who was caught in the crossfire. The fact Oliver was there was just a means to entice Toyman, but given their past, Lex would also like to gain a bit of vengeance on him as well.
  
  "And I found our Toyman," Harry answered, and he pointed down. "He's in the sewers, in a secret lab."
  
  "Ideal location for a vermin like him," Tess answered underneath her breath, but there was no time to waste, it was off to finish Schott once and for all.
  
  
  
  Dust filled the air from the explosion that Lex had triggered in some insane attempt to kill all of them in one fell swoop. It was clear to all of them that bonding with the suit coupled with Lex's own twisted mind had driven him just a slight bit around the bend. There was a point where everyone was shaking off the cobwebs from the explosion as they tried to regain the bearings. It was then where one question triggered through the minds of everyone.
  
  Were they dead?
  
  Lana and Clark were on their hands and knees, looking over their shoulders, daring to see if there was a flash of light. They did not dare to look whether or not the pair of them had been blown straight to Oz and back because of what had occurred. Lex knew what he was doing the moment that he led Clark here, he knew Lana would follow, and he knew that they would not resist the chance to play into their hands.
  
  It came to their minds, that they were not dead, in fact they were far from being dead. It was thanks to the timely intervention of someone that their deaths did not come at that point, and sure enough the heavy breathing behind that signaled the fact that Clark and Lana were still among the living. Something that the pair of them let out a nice long breath for, becoming suddenly thankful that they were alive.
  
  Chloe's knees buckled, but at the same time, she was holding up the ceiling before it could cave in, the blast had just barely been contained by her powers. It was not easy; she was straining to hold this heavy explosion back. Harry did not exactly explain to her how to sustain a blast like this as many conversations that they had, so the tiny blonde was going on pure instincts at this point. Her eyes snapped up towards Clark and Lana, completely bloodshot, before she inclined her head to the entrance.
  
  The three of them did not see Lex, and Chloe's knees buckled, but Clark and Lana made their way towards the exit. Clark was about to pull open the door, but Lana had beat him to the punch, pulling it open with an immense strength.
  
  "Got it," Lana grunted, pulling the door off of the hinges, and she slipped through the tunnel, scooping up Clark, flying both of them away from the scene of the crime. This tunnel should have led to the basement of the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  They continued to fly as fast as they could, and heard the explosion give way, with Chloe right behind them. Her clothes were slightly tattered, ripped and torn, but she was in rather good spirits all things considered, given what had happened was something that frustrated the lot of them.
  
  "Lex, where is he?" Clark managed, wondering, because the fact that Lex disappeared after the explosions had gone off was really eating away at him. There was something about this that was not right at all and a thumping sound echoed that Lana heard.
  
  "Clark calm down, let's get out of here and regroup first, " Lana said in a pacifying voice, but the truth was she was no less freaking out than Clark. Lex had jumped in and tried to take them out.
  
  A loud thump hit them from behind at these thoughts. The impact sent Lana, Clark, and Chloe crashing directly through the wall on the other send, flying head over heels, with the trio of them landing down on the ground hard. They were surely in the basement of the Shining Light Foundation that much they knew for when their heads rattled. Unfortunately, the way they got here was most unconventional.
  
  Lana tried to use her telekinesis powers to bring something down on Lex's head but something was wrong. It was almost like there was something radiating from that suit that prevented her from using her powers directly on Lex. She wanted to scream in frustration.
  
  Clark was about ready to ask for the number of the train that hit him, but Lex was standing above him, smug and self-assured as ever. It was hard to believe that this monster was the same person who Clark counted as a friend for so many years. Then again, he thought that he could have misjudged Lex at this point at least that was the thoughts that echoed through his psyche as the bald young man stood over him.
  
  "Clark, I offered you the hand of friendship, but you spurned me," Lex answered, giving Clark a good hard kick to the ribs, one he felt when Lex buried the toes of his hard boot into his gut. "Do you think...do you honestly think that you could have ever defeated me?"
  
  Clark was about to answer that question, blood dripping down his mouth, but before he could, Lana rushed in, with a crowbar in hand. She slammed the crowbar down on the back of Lex's head with the full strength that she could. For the briefest second, Lana looked like she thought that worked, but that moment was fleeting.
  
  Lex spun around and went to punch Lana in the face, but Lana dodged the attack at that moment, holding nothing other than a bent crowbar in her hand. Lana's eyes narrowed when she stared at Lex about sick of him and all that he's done.
  
  "You won't hurt Clark or anyone else again," Lana managed in a firm voice, right before she got back handed hard, and knocked down.
  
  "Really, and I doubt that you are going to stop me, this suit was designed to handle people like Clark and apparently you," Lex replied, taking a few steps forward, and then it was Chloe who tried, but a field appeared around Lex, blocking her assaults. "You know, I did wonder what it would be like to see my enemies beneath my feet like the helpless cockroaches that I always suspected they were. But to think it would be a former friend."
  
  "You're mad," Clark voiced at that point, unable to think of anything else to say.
  
  Lex offered a smile and a shrug, before walking over, and punting Clark hard in the ribs once again. Clark winced from the impact of the foot of Lex striking him, and he again and again, Clark was pounded. Each punch ricocheted off of him, each kick connected with fury, and once again Lana tried to get her hands on him, but was outgunned by Lex, being knocked back with a back fist punch.
  
  Lana and Chloe both were on the crowd, and exchanged nods, hoping that a combined attack by the both of them would be enough to take down Lex. That suit had to have a weakness of some sort, there was no way it was foolproof.
  
  The two women gained enough super speed to try and nail Lex at an immense voice, but one of the powers fused into Lex's optic nerves was the ability to see things much quicker than others. He could anticipate punches that had been thrown before they had even been thrown, and sure enough, Lana and Chloe were stopped cold.
  
  "I can't move," Chloe managed, wincing at how lame of a statement that sounded, as her legs twitched and moved.
  
  "Me neither," Lana answered, trying to wave her arms back and forth, but failing at that point, her stomach turning at the look of pure sadism on the face of Lex Luthor. It was a look that made her sick to her stomach. The suit had given Lex the powers of telekinesis, much stronger than hers were.
  
  "So, how about it, Kal-El?" Lex asked, stating that last name in a taunting manner, looking down at Clark. "Should I kill your girlfriend first, or should I go with the brains behind your brawn? Decisions, decisions, why don't you choose?"
  
  Clark felt a swell of anger, and he jumped at Lex with full force. That distraction caused Chloe and Lana to escape Lex's grasp before he could harm them. The two women watched Clark slam full force into Lex nearly at speed of light, smashing into the bald young man, and both of them cracked against the wall.
  
  "There's no way you can get out of this basement, Lex," Clark told him, and a brief smile just crossed Lex's face in response to this declaration.
  
  "Fitting that it will be your tomb then," Lex answered, straight before he sunk a punch deep into the abdomen of Clark, hunching him over in pain. Another punch rattled the ribcage of Clark, more followed that up as Lex hammered away at the Kryptonian before him, dropping Clark to his knees.
  
  Clark tried to keep together determine a way to get it together and find a way to defeat Lex in this suit. Lex now had strength to match his cunning, something that he relished in having, and Clark was trying to analyze every single angle of this situation, there had to be some kind of weakness within this suit.
  
  The problem as finding that weakness before Lex finished all three of them off and Harry and Kara were not showing up to save the day this time. Clark was all on his own, but he refused to be bailed out of every situation. This battle was his to win, it would be Clark against Lex to the end, the bitter end in fact.
  
  
  
  Winslow Schott kept himself calm all things considered; it would be unwise to lose sight of the plan. The plan had all went according to everything that he planned on accomplishing. Queen had snubbed his genius that was not something that he would ever forgive at all. Schott had been mocked as an eccentric, a nutjob, an utter loon, and many people had doubted his sanity, but he was not someone that should be taken lightly. He was not a joke, not in the slightest, the man would prove that when half of the city blew up in the next twenty minutes.
  
  One of his bombs had been disabled inside the Plaza, causing Schott's eyes to widen in abject horror. He had no idea how that could be, but never the less that mattered little, all this man had to do was stick to the plan. Schott was going to fire one more warning shot to make sure those in Metropolis understood that he was a man who played for keeps.
  
  The wall began to crack around him, and either Schott had very heavy termites, or someone had decided to intrude upon his well laid out plans. He would not abide by something like that, and his hand was on the remote where he could remotely trigger the bombs, but when he pressed the button, it was not responding.
  
  "No," Schott answered at that moment, when suddenly a loud bang echoed out, at the same moment where an invisible force snapped his head back. The bullet pierced Schott's heart the same moment where his neck snapped back from the impact.
  
  Schott slumped to the ground, blood splashing from his mouth, rolling his eyes into the back of his head, breathing nice and heavily. There was no question about it, Winslow Schott was dead, having ceased to exist. His plan would have gone off without a hitch, but alas it was really not to be. What was worse was that he did not have any way to figure out who had locked out his remote to the bombs.
  
  The door opened, with Harry and Tess exchanging a confused expression. Harry saw that Tess took a shot at Schott to stop him in the most fatal way, while he knocked Schott out with a spell, snapping his neck back. There was only one thing clear to him, the fact that Schott was in fact dead, having been sent to the great beyond.
  
  "Well that was easy," Tess remarked, but before she could say much more, the blonde bolted over to the computer at that point, and began to activate it.
  
  Kara bit her lip, trying to hack into the signal that the bomb had given off, the frequency was far different than anything else that she had ever experienced. Whoever developed these bombs intended to take a lot of people down with them, in fact half of the city. One wrong move, one hitch in the code, and the bombs would explode, taking countless lives in Metropolis, along with all of the surrounding counties with them.
  
  The Heralds of Death would in fact survive, but the others would not be so lucky, everyone in the blast radius would be killed. Not just from one single bomb, but rather from the cumulative effect of all of the bombs going off at once. That much worried Kara, causing the blonde to bite down hard on her tongue and lips, eyes narrowed.
  
  "I'm not sure if I can deactivate them, either," Tess answered at that point, breaking the silence, and the three turned towards her. She peered over Supergirl's shoulder, peering at the codes, and looking at them. A brief look indicated just the full scope of this situation. "Lex made the frequency as such where if anyone tried to deactivate them without the wrong codes; it would set them all off simultaneously. It would be best if we all get outside of the blast radius and hope that Lex does not set off any more of the bombs."
  
  "We don't abandon people," Harry answered in a firm voice, and Tess shrugged her shoulders, to be honest, she knew that Lex was going to sacrifice everyone in the city, including her. "He's got to have hinted something to you."
  
  "Lex spent most of the past four months feigning being brain dead, mumbling about Kal-El, Krypton, the Traveler, and Death," Tess answered at that point, she should have doubled the security, but wondered if that would have done any good. Despite her hard work over the past four months, Luthorcorp personnel still found themselves rather loyal to Lex Luthor.
  
  "Why don't you try this?" Karen asked, and Kara looked a bit skeptical that something like that would work.
  
  "Are you sure?" Kara asked, not wanting to be the one to cause the entire city to go up in flames.
  
  "Positive that I'm sure," Karen answered, a smile crossing over her face, and Kara just shrugged, as Karen mentally fed the commands to her.
  
  The code was one hundred million lines long, and it became clear to Kara at this point that Lex had way too much free time on his hands to input something like this long and drawn out. With her fast typing speed, she was able to get the code down in little time flat, but it had to be done carefully, not to reduce the keyboard to dust by typing too fast.
  
  There was a moment in time where they all seemed to hold their breaths as Kara typed in each and every individual line of code.
  
  Then the breaths were let out when the code phrase of bombs deactivated were heard and all let out a collective sigh of relief. Kara especially, knowing that one error in the code was going to cause everything to be lost. It was so close to all being lost, she could hardly believe how close it had gone. Harry wrapped his arms around Kara, pulling her into a deep hug, and spinning her around in the chair, into a kiss.
  
  "You did it, honey, you really did it, you saved the entire city," Harry answered, and Kara just smiled, melting into Harry's tender embrace, resting her head on his shoulders, with Harry deepening another kiss, like Tess and Karen were not even there.
  
  Kara broke the kiss, and was about ready to thank Karen, but she was gone immediately. Tess lingered awkwardly, but then looked at the two of them, nodding towards them.
  
  "There's an exit there, I'll find my own way out, thanks," Tess answered, she needed to get back to Luthorcorp.
  
  The two of them thought that it was only the end, but suddenly a garbled transmission came in from the Shining Light Foundation. They had been so distracted by dealing with Schott and the bomb threat that they had almost lost sight of Luthor.
  
  One question went through their mind, were they too late? That was not something they could think about, rather they prepared to head off to the Shining Light Foundation, when suddenly they hit a wall.
  
  Someone had blocked them out from simply teleporting inside, that did not make any sense at all, and Kara and Harry felt the despair, knowing that they would have to fly the long way in.
  
  Was it a glitch thanks to the automated security system, or was it something else entirely, perhaps someone keeping them out? That was the question, as worry flooded them, the fact Luthor was in the Shining Light Foundation was more than a cause for great concern and distress. The two Heralds of Death picked up their flight, going faster than a speeding bullet.
  
  Magic, much like technology, could conspire to screw someone over at the worst possible times.
  
  
  
  Years of frustration bubbled to the surface in the mind of Lex, everything that he had in his life, every setback, every agonizing moment, all of them fluttered deep within his mind. Ever action his father had done that had belittled him and undercut him, sometimes in favor of Clark reflected through Lex's mind as he pounded Clark until his face was swollen, bruised, battered. Lana and Chloe had also been knocked out on the floor.
  
  "Just admit it Clark," Lex said, practically foaming from the mouth as he looked down at Clark's battered body.
  
  "Admit that you're insane?" Clark slurred through the attacks, before pushing himself up. "Because I've already done that a long time again, you've lost it Lex, you need help."
  
  Lex offered a chuckle before he leaned down and peered into Clark's eyes, sadistic intentions danced within them.
  
  "No, my mind's clearer than it's ever been," Lex responded, heavily breathing when he bent down to look Clark directly in his eyes. Clark could barely see Lex, but it appeared that Lex wanted him away long enough. "Seven years, Clark, I said this in the Artic, but it bears repeating. Seven years you soundly mocked me, offering the utter sham of friendship. Spit on the ground is worth more to me than our friendship, and it obviously doesn't seem to be worth much to you."
  
  Clark tried to get back to his feet, tried to size up Lex, using his X-Ray vision, but the skin was giving off a glow that was rattling Clark's mind. He did feel like there was some subtle levels of radiation coming off of it as well, and wondered if that was driving Lex to his current state of mania. Clark was on his hands and knees, at the feet of Lex, who reveled in this moment.
  
  "Feel this moment for the rest of your life, Kal-El," Lex answered, and he looked over his shoulder at Lana and Chloe, both who had been knocked around pretty hard. "Unlike you, I'm not a heartless monster who gets off on people's suffering. I will do you the favor of killing you first, before taking out the rest of the city. Then over the ashes, I will rebuild a brand new shining empire."
  
  "Countless will die," Clark breathed, trying to pull himself up to face Lex in the eye. If he would die, it would be done so proudly and without regrets. He would not die slumped on the ground, at the feet of the Luthor, but rather he would go out swinging. Each and every punch would count for sure.
  
  Lex's grin crossed over his face, once again Clark refused to admit what was true in the world, that he could not save everyone. It did pain Lex that his former friend had treated their friendship in such a callous way, but he felt that relying on some visitor from the stars to save humanity would be even worse. Lex was going to be the one to save humanity and he was going to do so by eliminating its gravest threat.
  
  "Believe me, I've counted, counted each and every one of them, and I'll continue to count their corpses after the trigger has been pulled," Lex answered, holding up the remote. Clark tried to slam into the field that prevented him from physically attacking Lex. All he managed to get was a huge headache that rebounded him off of the field.
  
  Clark tried to give Lex a pleading expression, to tell him not to do this, but Lex was far beyond any logic, reason, or understanding. He had gone simply around the bend, gone completely and utterly mad. Lex raised a hand and pressed a button, with both Clark and Lex preparing themselves for the end, but for drastically different reasons.
  
  Nothing happened at all. There was not even a blink of light, a flare of an attack, and Lex once again pressed the button, still nothing. Another press of the button and still nothing, with his attention turned away from Clark at that moment.
  
  Clark felt himself strengthen just a little bit but not because of any powers that he had, that was far from the kind of strength Clark had thought of. It was the inner strength Clark drew upon, that would win this day, along with every other day. He would not let Lex get him down, he would win, there was no question about that.
  
  With fury, Clark sped forward, catching Lex off guard when he was playing with the remote control. The field burned Clark's hands as he pushed through, but there was no denying the determination of the Kryptonian. Clark summoned the full force of his powers, shredding his shirt from the super speed, but he could always get a new shirt. There was one thing on his mind right now.
  
  Get Lex Luthor and put him down into the ground at that point, before he could cause any damage. Clark knew enough about Luthors that they would have some kind of contingency plan in play, multiple contingency plans in fact if they could manage it. There was no question about it, Clark was not going to back down, and he slammed his former best friend down onto the ground hard.
  
  Lex's eyes snapped up, impressed in spite of the situation, he had no idea that Clark would fight this hard to take him down. That would make his inevitable triumph over the friend who stabbed him in the back much more great at this point, as he summoned more power into the suit, his eyes going bloodshot and his heart speeding up to an insane rate, but Lex ignored these signs.
  
  Obsession drove many great men and that was what drove Lex Luthor at this point as he pushed Clark back. The two struggled titanic with their power, going back and forth, back and forth, neither given the other any quarter, before Lex gained the advantage.
  
  Clark had tapped into all of the strength that he had been allowed and had come to the realization, with the strength he had, Lex had somehow made this suit far stronger. Not to mention that Lex had no inhibitions about holding back and that was what doomed Clark in the end, causing the Kryptonian to drop down to his knees, slumped on the ground, breathing heavily in pain.
  
  The battle was hard, but Lex held many of the cards deep within his hands, playing dirty while he did. He took a step forward to savor the moment, and knew that it would only be a matter of time before Death had visited him again. Lex had no problems with dying, as long as he took Clark down with him, and he leaned down, wrapping his hands around the throat of Clark, causing his breath to draw out of him.
  
  Lana flickered an eye open, seeing Lex at that moment straggling Clark and she saw red. With all the strength Lana Lang could summon, she got to her feet, but Lex offered a hand around her throat as well. Lana gripped onto the hand, trying to dislodge it from her throat, but she hand no better luck than Clark did.
  
  "Lex, listen, it's killing you," Clark gasped, struggling to breath, but Lex was beyond reason.
  
  "Clark, you've got it backwards, I'm killing you, both of you!" Lex responded, a grin crossing his face, as Lana and Clark both blacked out and now Lex would either kill them, or render them permanently brain dead. Either way was an acceptable outcome for Lex, all it mattered was his victory.
  
  Before Lex could complete the deed, he felt like several white hot knives slammed against the inside of his brain, shredding it pieces, and he dropped to the ground, unresponsive. Clark and Lana had been dropped to the ground, completely rendered unconscious from what Luthor had done to them. Both were alive, barely, but unconscious.
  
  Lex was not so lucky as a fatal brain aneurysm had befallen him as it took him out of the equation completely.
  
  It was over, Lex Luthor was dead.
  
  
  
  "Clark, wake up, Clark snap out of it!"
  
  Clark was being shaken away by Kara at that point, and he felt the injuries that he suffered in the battle of Lex get healed slowly, but surely. Lana was already awaken, and relieved to see that Clark was up and about. As was Chloe, but right now, she was hanging onto Harry, trying to shake off the cobwebs after all that happened.
  
  Chloe really did not recall much of anything, other than the super powered form of Lex Luthor knocked out on the floor, not offering one bit of movement, or resistance. A frown spread across her face, there was something about this entire situation that made her curiosity swell up a lot, with Harry holding an arm around her, to steady her up to her feet.
  
  It was Lana who had beaten Chloe to the punch, asking what seemed to be the obvious and most pressing question.
  
  "What happened?"
  
  Suddenly Megan popped up at that point, to answer the question. "I heard the screams coming down from the basement and got concerned that something was happening. I tried to override the failsafe, but couldn't, but it turned out that I didn't need to. By the time I got down here, Lex had dropped to his knees. He suffered a brain aneurysm I think, it killed him."
  
  Chloe looked at Megan at that moment, suspicion appearing in her eyes, not that she was mourning the death of Lex Luthor. It still struck her odd that Lex, after all that happened, had dropped down at that point. It just seemed like a little, well Chloe just expected it to end with more flare than just a random dropping to his knees.
  
  'Then again, I'm sure it was more spectacular in Lex's mind,' Chloe thought suddenly to herself, realizing what was going on at that point, and drawing a deep breath into herself. The blonde felt Harry wrap his arm around her, holding her tightly.
  
  Lana could not believe it, nudging Lex with her toe to make sure that he was dead. Sure enough, Lex had finally bitten the big one, after his brain seemed to have given up on itself. She felt a rush of freedom, and did the only thing that made sense, hugging Clark. Clark returned the hug at that moment.
  
  "He's gone, after all of that, he's gone," Lana answered at this point.
  
  "But, is he gone for good?" Harry asked at this point, looking at the downed form of Lex Luthor.
  
  "I don't know, Harry, looks pretty dead to me," Chloe answered, waving her hand over Lex and blasting him with a jolt of energy from her hand. Lex's body did not give any signs of life, so it was verified that he had bitten the big one.
  
  Lana was now able to use her telekinesis and hoist Lex up before dropping him down. She did this once, twice, and three times.
  
  "You enjoyed that a bit too much," Harry offered Lana who shrugged.
  
  Kara decided to jump in at that point. "Yeah, but the only thing was for sure, is nothing is for sure. What if this isn't the real Lex, just some duplicate that he sent out, while the real one is laughing at us somewhere?"
  
  "Kara, don't you think you're being a tad bit paranoid," Clark offered his cousin, and Kara's eyes spun towards Clark's as she peered into them a long time, before responding.
  
  "No, I'm being what's being called a realist, you should try it sometime," Kara answered in a soft voice, but whatever the case was, this person was in fact dead. She could verify that much and the strange readings that were coming from the suit fused into his body would not have helped his case much at all.
  
  Harry took a moment to scan the downed body of Lex, getting all of the readings that he could off of him. It would be a chore to get the suit off of him once it had been grafted to the body, but it was not like that they could bury Lex in the suit. That was just offering an open invited to any number of mad scientists and crazed nutcases to pry the suit off of him.
  
  "We're going to need to keep Lex's body until we can get the suit off of him, and we'll arrange for him to be found by the right people afterward," Harry told the entire group, who all nodded slowly. "I trust every one of you can keep this a secret, for however long it takes."
  
  "How long do you think it's going to take?" Clark asked, curious about the process and unable to believe that Lex was dead. It was fortunate that there was some kind of divine intervention that had been brought in, because Clark had no idea what was going to happen.
  
  Harry pondered on the matter long and hard, realizing that was a good question that he did not have a clear answer to whatsoever. The suit was a combination of many different sciences and highly resistant to magic. How Lex managed that feat, Harry would never know, although him and Kara would have to figure out that face as long as they pulled the suit to pieces. Time would not be on their side, but they would be able to get the suit out.
  
  Chloe stood, knowing why Kara and Harry had to do what they needed to do, but regardless there was still a few questions rattling around on the inside of her mind. One could blame that on the inquisitive mind that Chloe had, but still she was seeing more than a few holes regarding the death of Lex Luthor, how everything seemed to end in a nice and even manner.
  
  To be honest, Chloe had her doubts about how Lex really died, but that was not her place to say. She was not about to rain on Clark and Lana's parade, rather she just stood back, supportive as Harry and Kara moved Lex's body. Over the next few days and weeks, they would be picking it apart, until they found to get that suit off of Lex.
  
  Was the Luthor menace completely gone?
  
  The only thing for sure was that nothing was for sure, but for right now, he was most certainly out of their hair. Only time would tell if he was truly done and gone forever.
  
  
  
  Chloe sat back at the Shining Light Foundation, mulling over everything that had transpired over the past day. It was once again hard to believe that Lex was gone, but there was something rather bothering her. She half looked up to see Kara and Harry walk inside, heads hunched over in deep conversation. There was no time to waste; Chloe had to tell them what was on her mind.
  
  "Guys, I really don't know how to say this," Chloe remarked and Harry and Kara had their full attention on their mate, taking a few steps forward, and facing her.
  
  Harry was the one that broke the silence at this point.
  
  "If you don't know how to say something, then just say it, and it will all be done and over with."
  
  Chloe figured as much, offering a long and labored sigh to the pair of them, before she decided to cut to the chase at that point.
  
  "I think when Megan arrived...I think she might have done something to Lex," Chloe answered at that point, and it was at this point where Harry and Kara lock eyes at this point, before the pair of them sighed.
  
  Chloe waited and watched, both of them looked to be mulling over something in their mind, exactly what it was, she had no idea whatsoever. The blonde tapped her foot on the floor and folded her arms as she looked right at Harry at that moment. Chloe did not have to wait for too long, before Harry was the one who opened his mouth to respond to her.
  
  "I had an idea, but I wasn't sure. Are you positive?"
  
  "It was something that I saw in her eyes," Chloe answered at that moment, before she side stepped over herself. "And it's not like I'm really blaming her, with what she's done to Lex, but this is something that she's capable, so..."
  
  "We know," Kara replied putting a hand up to stop her cold, and Chloe nodded at that point. "She was doing her job to protect everyone in this place where we were gone. Lex was a threat, and she...took care of him. She took the shot that no one else was willing to make."
  
  Harry offered a nod, before he turned around, walking to the outside, where Megan was sitting in the room, waiting for him. Her eyes snapped up, and she started in before Harry could even say two words edgewise.
  
  "Harry, I know that...I know that you're upset with what I did, and likely I don't blame you if you want me to leave forever. But that's not the point, the point is that Luthor was a mad dog and someone had to put him down long and hard. And I was the only person who was willing to do it, and guess what, I'd do it again if I'd have the chance. I don't know about you but..."
  
  "Megan, please calm down," Harry interrupted her, and Megan realized that she was floating above the ground, in her rant. She had to get control of her powers, because if she could not stand on the ground, there were other powers, other problems. "I don't blame you for what happened to Lex. If it wasn't you, it would have been me or Kara..."
  
  "Actually, if you showed up when you did, Clark and Lana would both be dead," Megan answered briskly, biting her lip at this point at the thought.
  
  Harry knew what happened immediately, the young white Martian had seen what happened, and froze, doing what she thought was the best possible thing. The mind was the only vulnerable spot in the suit, Harry knew that much immediately when thinking about it. There happened to be no easy solutions for this answer.
  
  "Just remember that what you did might not be the easy solution every time," Harry told Megan and Megan inclined her head with a nod, before she turned around, walked off. "And I'm not blaming you for what happened with Luthor."
  
  "I know, and thanks," Megan replied with a smile crossing her face.
  
  Megan walked out at that point, when the door opened and Harry turned around to see Kara waiting on the other side of the room. The blonde looked at him with an inquisitive look, wondering what was going to happen now. At this point, Harry did not seem to have answers, Kara didn't either, and Chloe did not really either. Kara broke the silence after an extremely long pause.
  
  "She has the potential to be rather powerful," Kara responded to Harry as she placed a hand on his, standing right beside him. "Today was proof of that."
  
  "I know, why do you think I'm keeping an eye on her?" Harry asked, and Kara's jaw was set as she nodded.
  
  Harry trusted Megan but she did have the potential to run away with her powers.
  
  
  
  Raya waited out in the Artic with the windows blowing in her face. While she did not mind waiting out there, she had a feeling that the daughter of Zor-El did so for the sake of making her life that much more inconvenient. She was about to call her out on that fact, when Karen showed up at that point.
  
  "I was unable to intervene today with Kal-El, and I want to know if you have had anything to do with this," Raya said without preamble. "Why did you block me?"
  
  "I didn't block you, Raya," Karen answered when she stood in the Artic and stared her dead in the eye without blinking and Raya seemed skeptical. "I was blocked as well from intervening as were the other two."
  
  Raya's disbelief filled her eyes but Karen knew that despite her best attempts to get through, she could not get through.
  
  "If you didn't block me, then who did?" Raya asked.
  
  "A good question, I'll let you know if I ever find out the answer," Karen answered when she held the crystal in her hand.
  
  It was something her father gave her, it was a part of her, and there were almost times where her father gave her guidance about what to do with Kal-El and his destiny from beyond through the crystal.
  
  She needed to find out who blocked her from saving her cousin's life. For it were not for the divine intervention of the White Martian, Clark, Lana, and Chloe would all be dead.
  
  Who would want to see those three dead?
  
  To Be Continued in "Dynamic."
  Dynamic Part One
  
  Chapter Fifty One: Dynamic Part One.
  
  Chloe sank down onto a chair in Harry's study after the events of the last couple of days. It seemed obvious at this point that Lex had in fact bitten the big one and now Harry and Kara were working to get the suit off of him so they could send his body away for its final burial. Currently Clark and Lana had gotten back to what passed as a normal life for them, now Chloe took a moment to shake off what happened.
  
  "You've had a stressful day, haven't you?"
  
  Kara had returned at this point from the Shining Light Foundation and Chloe greeted her with a smile. Both blondes stared at each other for a moment before the two of them spoke.
  
  "I think we all have," Chloe responded as she stretched the white blouse that she wore stretched up while she did, showcasing a few inches of her skin. Kara moved over to the other end of Chloe standing behind her and began to massage the back of her neck. Chloe leaned back and gave a sigh as Kara's talented hands began to work the back of her. "Oh, that feels so good, keep doing that."
  
  With a grin, Kara unbuttoned Chloe's blouse and slid it off of her shoulders. Chloe was wearing nothing but a red bra from the waist up and Kara continued to stroke her fingers over Chloe's skin, massaging it going down the back of her neck all the way to her back, rubbing circles in it and Chloe breathed heavily at this point, feeling Kara's hands do their work on her back.
  
  Kara motioned for Chloe to lift her hips up and Chloe did, so Kara could slide the skirt down her legs. Now Chloe sat in the chair, wearing nothing but a pair of red bra and panties. Kara's hands ran down Chloe's legs and massaged them.
  
  "You like that?" Kara asked her with a mischievous grin spreading over her face.
  
  "Yes," Chloe breathed heavily at that point and Kara worked her legs, going around the back, before she moved to her feet.
  
  Kara slipped Chloe's shoes off of her feet and with a tug, yanked her socks off. It was at that point where Kara began to rub the soles of Chloe's feet and her eyes glazed over in pleasure, before Kara worked over the toes.
  
  "I hope I'm doing a good job," Kara remarked as she continued to rub and massage the soles of Chloe's feet.
  
  "You are," Chloe breathed, her eyes heavily lidded with pleasure and she found her hand going down the front of her panties.
  
  "Harry does them the best, I think," Kara responded at that point, but then a wicked grin spread across her face. "Although he doesn't do it with his hand, but rather a different part of his body."
  
  Chloe's mind went haywire as Kara's hands were all over her. She managed to articulate one statement through the fog of the pleasure that she was feeling, her eyes meeting Kara's when she stated this.
  
  "When..aw...when is Harry coming back?
  
  Kara ceased her actions a little bit much to Chloe's disappointment but only slightly.
  
  "In a little bit," Kara responded to Chloe with a smile on her face before she reached on, cupping her hands on Chloe's face and staring in her eyes. "But that doesn't mean the two of us can't have some fun while we wait for our husband to return home."
  
  Chloe felt shivers go down her spine and there was much more when Kara's lips smashed against hers, parting her lips with her tongue, and giving her a searing kiss. The fun was just beginning as Kara just stepped back and slowly pulled her shirt over her head.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  Chloe felt her mouth-watering when Kara had pulled off her shirt to reveal her nice, supple, firm breasts. It was hard to believe that a pair of female breasts could turn her own so much as Chloe felt a warmth between her thighs at this view. Kara sauntered forward, dressed in nothing but an extremely short skirt that seemed to get even shorter with each passing second. Chloe found her eyes on Kara at that point.
  
  "Suck," Kara responded as she pointed to her breasts and at this command, Chloe felt compelled to obey. She leaned her hand forward and began to lick Kara's right breast, swirling around the nipple, and then planting her mouth on it firmly, before she sucked on it. Kara's eyes glazed over, as she breathed heavily. "Oh that's it baby, suck, suck on them like you've never sucked on anything before."
  
  Chloe switched her attentions from Kara's right breast to her left breast, offering them the amount of love that they deserved. They were a perfect gift of female beauty as Kara could not get enough of her actions and Chloe indulged herself further and further in Kara's female flesh. She heard the moans of the taller blonde which spurred Chloe to suck even more of her breasts at this point.
  
  Kara's eyes glazed over as she felt Chloe roll her tongue over the blonde Kryptonian's breasts, this was like heaven. Not nearly as much as heaven as Harry was, but it was a close enough second where she could not complain. Kara's eyes were heavily lidded as she moaned louder and louder, feeling the joy of Chloe's mouth suckling her, worshipping her, just giving her great pleasure.
  
  "That's it, pleasure the tits of your mistress," Kara moaned at that point, being lost in the moment and Chloe buried herself into Kara's breasts, sucking on them, as Kara's fingers found their way down the front of Chloe's panties.
  
  Chloe suddenly felt the wave of pleasure engulf her when Kara began to plunge her fingers in and out of Chloe's sopping wet cunt. The fingering had never felt better and Chloe thought she was going to blow up from the great orgasm that Kara was giving her at this point, lifting her hips up to meet Kara's incoming thrusts.
  
  With a slight plunging sound, Chloe removed her head from Kara's tits and Kara removed her fingers from Chloe's quim. She whined at the loss, but not for long, before Kara had grabbed Chloe around the waist before she flew her over to the couch.
  
  Chloe was planted on the couch and Kara had pulled off Chloe's bra and removed her panties in a flash of light. Kara pulled off her own skirt as well and yanked her panties down over her legs to reveal her wet pussy. Chloe found herself breathing heavily at the desire and wanted to touch Kara, to give her pleasure. The bond they had compelled her to do so although Chloe did not need that much compelling.
  
  Kara felt herself grow wetter at the sight of Chloe's body and she pulled the other blonde into a deep kiss. Chloe moaned into Kara's mouth, returning the kiss as she parted her legs. Kara rubbed her pussy up and down Chloe's own, humping her with glee. This action got Chloe rather hot, but Kara was not done.
  
  "I want to try something," Kara said after she broke the kiss and she motioned for the couch for Chloe to lie down. Chloe did so. "No, do so on your front, with your ass presented in the air for me."
  
  Chloe did so, having her elbows on the couch and her ass sticking up in the air, presenting herself for Kara. Kara kept her eyes on her lovely rump, perhaps she would have to indulge herself in that at another time. Right now, Kara walked over to the other side of the room and reached underneath the table.
  
  She pulled out a strap-on with a large dildo strapped to it, hard and solid, just waiting to be penetrated into some girl's vagina or ass. This was magically modified so Kara or any girl who used it could feel the sensations through it as well. Kara strapped it to her and now was a time to give it a test spin.
  
  Chloe wondered what Kara was doing, for she had her back turned, but then she found out the hard way. She felt a cock penetrate her from behind and with this motion Chloe felt it slide into her pussy, as Kara pumped her toy in and out of Chloe. Chloe clutched onto the couch as she breathed more heavily from Kara's actions.
  
  "How do you like that?" Kara asked at this point, as Chloe breathed heavily, eyes glazed over. Kara also played with Chloe's tits and ass when she pounded the strap on into her.
  
  "Good, so good, not as good as the real thing, but still good," Chloe breathed in and out, feeling it plunge into her and stretch her in so many great ways.
  
  Kara just smiled and sped up the thrusts she did into Chloe, causing the blonde beneath her to pant. She was the dominant type and Chloe seemed to be falling into the role of being quite submissive rather nicely, even if she was normally dominant in many other things. Still Kara's aura was so overwhelming that Chloe was putty in her hands.
  
  Chloe felt the sensations that Kara gave her, and really wished Harry was here to see this, but all of those thoughts were washed out of her hand. For her first time using such an object, Kara really knew how to work her cunt with it. Then again, it was magically modified, so it was giving her all of the pleasure that she needed.
  
  "Yeah, fuck, yeah Kara," Chloe groaned as Kara thrust deeper and deeper into her, feeling the pleasure of the strap on penetrating her from behind.
  
  "So tight, I can feel it, but you're going to return the favor sometime," Kara managed, seeing that Harry was there, how long he had been standing there, she had no idea. She had been lost in the moment of plowing into Chloe with her new toy and suddenly thanks to magic something wonderful happened.
  
  Kara was driven to an orgasm, but the magic within her toy had transmitted her cum into Chloe's pussy. Chloe screamed out in pure pleasure at this point as she was driven to a mind rattling orgasm from Kara's efforts.
  
  Chloe collapsed on the couch and panted, before Kara turned around to see Harry standing there with a broad grin on his face, already having stripped off all of his clothes. She removed her strap on and turned to face him.
  
  "So hot," Harry managed and with that he flew over to the other end of the room, grabbing Kara around the waist and slammed her hard against the wall, giving her a passionate kiss.
  
  Kara was not surprised by Harry's actions, he was always the passionate type, and this kiss just cemented that fact. He also was squeezing her breasts rather hard and Kara moaned loudly in his mouth as that pleasure washed through her.
  
  "You two have been naughty girls and you couldn't start without me, could you?" Harry asked Kara and suddenly Kara found herself chained to the wall, unable to move. "Well that's okay, I'll forgive you, but naughty girls need their punishment."
  
  "Yes, they do, punish my cunt Harry," Kara begged Harry feeling her pussy clench nice and tight at the thought and she nearly came just thinking about Harry fucking her hard against the wall.
  
  Chloe was so out of it that she had not noticed that her hands and feet had been magically tied with her mouth duct taped shut. It slowly did come to her after a few moments, but right now her eyes were on Harry and Kara and what they were about to do.
  
  Harry hovered his cock over Kara's entrance and with a swift movement plunged it deep inside her. Kara was already nice and wet from her activities with Chloe and Harry pumped into her long and hard, feeling his cock being wrapped nicely around her walls. Kara's breath got heavy as Harry placed his hands on her breasts and squeezed them, before he reached around with his other hand and squeezed her ass.
  
  "You like that baby, like me fucking you like this?" Harry managed as he slammed into her slow and Kara did not like that, she liked it nice and rough.
  
  "Fuck me harder, please Harry, fuck me harder," Kara groaned, managing to move her head just enough to bite down on Harry's shoulder, offering him encouragement .
  
  Harry did not need much more encouragement, rather he put his hand on Kara's hair and offered a firm tug to it, pulling her hair. Kara clenched together around him with a super strong force and Harry hammered into her pussy much harder. Her breathing got heavier and heavier as long as Harry's hard rod pumped into her.
  
  Kara was in heaven at this point being fucked against the wall, getting her hair pulled, ass grabbed, breasts groped, all because of the man she loved. He knew what she liked and Kara felt herself burn with the passion of the sex that she received at this point.
  
  Chloe watched wondering when it would be her turn, but knew that Harry just got warmed up. Her cries were slightly muffled by the duct tape over her mouth, so all she could do was watch Harry pummel Kara with his cock up against the wall. This event happened while her pussy burned in desire and a wanton look appeared in Chloe's eyes.
  
  "Oh yes Harry, fuck me, fuck me," Kara breathed as the chains came loose, but this only allowed Kara to wrap her legs tightly around Harry as he speared into her tight pussy.
  
  Harry continued to hammer into Kara what seemed like for hours on end and knowing Harry's stamina, it likely was. The dark haired wizard continued thrust himself deeper and deeper into Kara as several orgasms rattled her body, causing the full limits of her stamina to be increased, but Kara could go on for a long time without needing a break.
  
  "Harry, I need your seed in me, blow it into me," Kara begged him as she could not handle it any more, she needed her man's cum inside her.
  
  Harry teased and tormented Kara for a couple more moments as he speared deep inside her, really offering her the pleasure a goddess like her deserved.
  
  "Shoot your spunk into me Harry!" Kara encouraged him while Harry hammered her long and hard with passionate thrusts. "This dirty slut wants your cum, indulge her Harry, indulge her, fuck me!"
  
  Harry's balls tightened and sure enough the explosion had come as he sprayed his fluids deep into Kara's pussy and painted her walls white. Kara thrashed having at least two more orgasms before Harry had unloaded his seed deep into her willing pussy and she slumped to the ground with a goofy grin on her face.
  
  Chloe was now on the couch and at that moment Harry was over her, peering down into her eyes as Chloe looked at him, begging for her to get some at this moment.
  
  "Have you learned your lesson?" Harry asked in a calm voice and Chloe responded with a firm nod of her head, before Harry removed the tape from her mouth.
  
  "Yes, Harry, don't start with you not here to watch the full show," Chloe said before she moaned and Harry put his hands on her breasts, feeling them up. Chloe moaned feeling Harry's talented hands work her over, as her feet were untied.
  
  Harry laid back on the ground and his cock sprang up in front of Chloe's feet. Chloe looked at Harry at this point, her hands were still tied, and she could not break the attack. She waited for Harry to give the word.
  
  "Pleasure me with your feet," Harry declared and Chloe just smiled, knowing what was going to happen.
  
  Chloe ran her big toe down Harry's shaft going up and down it, feeling it underneath her foot. Harry leaned back, enjoying the pleasure of Chloe's foot on him, as she used her toes to stroke his balls and then go up his shaft.
  
  "I'm going to give you something that you'll never forget," Chloe told Harry in a throaty moan as she stroked Harry's cock up to full mast with her feet. Harry laid back to enjoy the motions of her feet stroking him and hissed through his teeth when Chloe placed her arches on either side of Harry's cock.
  
  Harry was in heaven when Chloe stroked his cock with her feet and he felt his throbbing rod move in and out of her soles. Chloe worked his cock with her feet quite nicely, rubbing it and stroking him at that point.
  
  Harry's pleasure heightened when Kara flew over and licked the head of Harry's cock. If Chloe's sexy feet were not enough, the fact Kara was licking Harry's hard rod when it pushed in and out of Chloe's feet heightened the desire for the entire situation. The two blonde beauties pleasured Harry for that moment.
  
  "That's it, oh yeah, that's it," Harry grunted with Chloe dragging her feet up and down Harry's throbbing prick.
  
  Chloe thought this felt nice as well, feeling Harry's cock beneath her feet, and throbbing to the point where she felt every amount of his pleasure. She really wished that her hands were free so she could play with her pussy, but for now she would settle for stroking Harry long and hard with the soles of her feet.
  
  Harry thrust his hips up higher and higher as his cock rubbed against Chloe's feet and he saw Kara dive between Chloe's legs to devour her womanhood as well. This sight had gotten Harry off quite nicely, just about as much as the lovely footjob that Chloe was giving him.
  
  Chloe rubbed her heels up against Harry's balls and Harry felt the pleasure growing in his loins, he was about ready to burst. She seemed to sense this as Chloe began to rub her feet even harder and faster down Harry's shaft at this point, with Harry's balls tightening.
  
  "Going to cum," Harry grunted feeling the pleasure build in himself.
  
  "That's it Harry, cum, cum all over my feet," Chloe encouraged, but Kara was now currently sucking on her clit, so Chloe could not articulate much more than this.
  
  Harry's cock tightened before he splattered Chloe's feet with his cum. Chloe saw the thick and ample amount of seed that splattered onto her feet, toes, and ankles. Harry just kept cumming and painted her feet completely white with his spunk.
  
  At that point, Kara dove towards Chloe's feet and lapped the cum off of her soles. Chloe moaned deeply at these motions, pleasure washing over her body.
  
  "Oh, Kara, yes Kara," Chloe cried as Kara's talented tongue worked over the soles of her feet and she felt herself grow rather warm with even more desire. Kara lapped off single bit of cum off of the soles of Chloe's feet.
  
  With another swift motion, Kara pulled back and saw that Harry's cock was throbbing once again. She held Chloe back on the couch and looked at Harry with a knowing smirk.
  
  "She needs your cock in her, you don't want to disappoint her, do you?" Kara asked in a sweet voice.
  
  "Yes, please, Harry, I need your cock in me," Chloe begged and Harry, not being one to leave a lady hanging, go up to his feet and hovered over Chloe's entrance.
  
  He teased her slit with the head of his cock for a couple of moments before Harry plunged his cock deep into Chloe's moist folds. Chloe gave a cry of pleasure as Harry thrust deep into her, pushing her back on the couch.
  
  "Harder, faster, that's it," Chloe begged as she lifted her hips up to meet Harry's incoming thrusts and found Kara's pussy on her mouth to muffle her. Chloe knew what to do, using her tongue to lick and pleasure the inside of Kara's pussy while the blonde grinded on her face.
  
  Harry plunged his cock in and out of Chloe's pussy while he played with two lovely sets of breasts. Both Kara and Chloe moaned at the pleasure of their husband's actions, which caused his cock and balls to throb once again. Harry was dictating the temper of this game, slamming his cock deep into Chloe.
  
  Two hard strokes and a series of lighter ones, that was the tempo that Harry decided to dictate, all while he squeezed their breasts, alternating between each one. The firmness of the flesh in his hands had driven Harry to a greater degree of lust and passion, his balls throbbed nice and hard with each incoming stroke.
  
  Chloe felt herself in heaven with Kara's pussy on her face and Harry's cock slamming hard into her, striking her g-spot nice and hard. The pleasure coursed through Chloe's mind made it hard to think as Kara and Harry now both played with her breasts. She could not talk, all she could do was lift her hips and use her tongue to encourage both of her lovers.
  
  Kara felt so good that Chloe was eating her out, really working on her. She grinded herself down onto Chloe's face more and more to give the blonde the encouragement that she needed to keep eating her. That was what Chloe did, she kept eating Kara out, really savoring the taste of her warm pussy. Kara released her juices onto Chloe's face and pulled back so Harry could see it.
  
  Chloe laid on the couch when Harry speared his fleshy pole into her, her face splattered with Kara's juices. The visual was so hot, but what made it even hotter was when Kara slowly and seductively licked her own juices off of Chloe's face.
  
  "Your cunt is so tight, you're going to make me cum at any moment, so hot," Harry grunted at that point slamming into Chloe at that point.
  
  "Fucking ruin me Harry, oh Kara, feels so good, yes Harry," Chloe babbled as she rocked her hips upward and squeezed her tight muscles around Harry's cock, trying to coax him into cumming.
  
  The dance continued for quite some time with all three lovers lost in the pleasures that they offered to each other. Like all good things, they must come to an end and Harry's balls constricted before they exploded.
  
  Chloe felt the pleasure of Harry's burning seed entering her chamber and this was a feeling that she would savor for the rest of her days. Chloe had one more powerful orgasm of her own before the three lovers collapsed on the couch, seeing stars and pleased to have unwound certain tensions from them.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  
  
  Gotham City was truly the city that never slept and there was one man in the city that never truly slept. That was the commissioner of the Gotham City police force, James Gordon, who stood on the roof of the Police Station, flashing a light into the air. It was known as the Bat Signal and it was his way of signaling for help from Gotham City's protector.
  
  "New toy, Commissioner?"
  
  Gordon spun around, one day he would not be surprised by Batman's sudden appearances. Hopefully he would not be for the sake of his heart, as he saw Batman slowly walk out of the shadows, followed by a short young man dressed in a black mask that stretched over his face, a red top with the letter "R" over it in green, and green tights with red boots. Gordon observed the young man, this was a relatively new addition to Batman's team he noted.
  
  "I see you've finally broken down and gotten a sidekick," Gordon answered in a crisp voice.
  
  "Partner," the young man corrected rolling his eyes. Gordon was like the tenth person who made this mistake.
  
  "More like a prot?g?," Batman answered, even though it was not by his choice. Still as Alfred reminded him, Dick was a lot like him at that age, a bit too much like him. So he suited up, modifying an old circus uniform he had into a crime fighting outfit. He was known as Robin, the Boy Wonder. Hopefully by keeping him close by, Batman would keep him out of trouble. "What's the problem, Commissioner?"
  
  "A huge one, follow me," Gordon answered in a somber voice as Batman and Robin followed Commissioner Gordon from the roof down a set of stairs. Gordon opened the door before he paused and spoke to the Dynamic Duo. "No one should follow us, but this transmission came in from the League of Shadows. They've taken things to the next level."
  
  Batman could tell by the tone of his associate's voice that something was more wrong than the League of Shadows taking things to a more personal level. The Dark Knight took every single step down the winding staircase as he followed Gordon and Gordon pushed the office door open.
  
  "Forgive the mess, I've been preoccupied," Gordon replied, but Batman made no comment about the mess. Gordon reached into his pocket and removed a pipe, lighting it. His wife had tried to make him promise to cut down for his health, but given the circumstances, it was hard to really fault him for indulging too deeply in that particular habit.
  
  Gordon walked over to the desk and spun around a DVD player before he placed a disc inside. He waited for the disc to play, drumming his fingers on the side of the desk impatiently as he did.
  
  "Can hardly figure out these things half of the times, I really miss the days of VCRs," Gordon responded in an off handed voice as he managed to find the menu option and press play. He turned to Batman and Robin, both who remained calm. "I received this message from the League of Shadows. Escalation does not even begin to piece together what they're going to do."
  
  Sure enough the video started up in a dark warehouse where several hooded figures appeared in a circle with a figure sitting a chair. Their hostage was obscured to the moment to who it was. The lead figure spoke up in an obviously modulated voice as his masked face turned towards the camera.
  
  "Commissioner, you have enabled a false idol in Gotham City, and have interfered with the master's plans. You have stolen much from the League of Shadows, so therefore we are going to have to steal something from you. She is perfectly safe at the moment, but only if you publicly declare Batman a fugitive and have your police force hunt him down. Once Batman has been brought down, then she will be released."
  
  The members of the League of Shadows all took a few steps back, on at a time to show a sixteen year old girl with red hair who was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. She was bound and gagged to the chair.
  
  "Take a look at your daughter Commissioner and know that you brought this upon yourself when you enabled a vigilante. The League of Shadows knows that your police cannot defeat our operations, but remember, you started this war. Therefore, we're going to finish it."
  
  The transmission cut off after Gordon was allowed one more final look at his helpless daughter and saw the fact that there was a sword at the edge of her throat. They could have sliced her throat open at any moment in time, but they chose not to. They wanted to bubble anticipation tot he surface so Gordon could wait and watch. The wait was something that the Gotham City Police Commissioner could hardly bare to watch and there was a long pause.
  
  Robin did not know what to say, Batman warned him that there was going to be some dangerous enemies that they were going to fight. None of the enemies that they ever fought so far, at least in the two months Robin had teamed up with Batman seemed to be more serious than the League of Shadows. They were a threat that were not localized in Gotham City but had been worldwide.
  
  Batman remained silent for a long time before Gordon had tried to receive some kind of response to him. The Police Commissioner knew that there was going to be no easy solution to this problem. Either he brand Batman as a dangerous fugitive, which would be violating his oath to uphold truth and justice as Gotham City Police Commissioner, or his daughter was killed. This was the ultimate sadistic choice.
  
  Plus there was a rather obvious fact that no matter what happened; there was a chance that Barbara would have gotten killed regardless. That was a very real threat and one that Gordon worried about. When his daughter failed to return home from Gymnastics class one day, Gordo feared the worst, but this was worse than the worst.
  
  And now his eyes looked at Batman's who remained stoic as he ever was. Gordon cleared his throat to bring Batman's response back to him.
  
  "Do what you must Commissioner, if you need to brand me as a fugitive to get your daughter back, then just do it."
  
  "I'm not about to cave into terrorists," Gordon argued in a firm voice and Batman just turned around, secretly pleased. "I don't suppose that you could..."
  
  "Track her down?" Batman interrupted before Gordon could finish his question and it was at that point where there was a long awkward pause between the two. "It's always worth a shot, and that's the best shot that we have. There are several leads I could follow up on the League of Shadows."
  
  "What is their inevitable plan?" Gordon wondered, as he dreaded what the answer might bring.
  
  Batman turned around and looked out into Gotham City, there could be pockets of them anywhere. He narrowed his eyes at that point and plunged himself deep into thought, running through possible scenarios in his mind as only Batman can. It went without saying that none of those scenarios were good and many of them delved into worst case.
  
  At this point, Batman had to do what he always did, and make sure that justice was served. Gordon did not say another word, he was all too used to what was going to happen next. Batman had pulled a disappearing act with Robin right next to him.
  
  One day, Gordon would figure out his secret, but for now all he could do was wait and watch, the images of the DVD burned into his head. The images played over and over in his mind again and again. That tormented him for sure and that torment was not going to go away. He puffed on his pipe in some desperate attempt to calm his nerves, but there was no calming whatsoever.
  
  It was one of the darkest hours in the life of James Gordon, but then he realized something. If the League of Shadows felt threatened enough to pull a hostage situation, that means that Batman was dangerously close to stumbling upon something vital and wrecking their plans. Perhaps there was some silver lining to this entire mess after all. That was all that Gordon could hope at this point.
  
  
  
  The Daily Planet parking garage was an area that was a bit out of the way from the rest of the building, where one had to go down an elevator to a certain point and walk down a set of stairs to get there. The woman known as "Miranda Tate" walked to her car in the parking lot, before she clicked on a pen that she held in her hand.
  
  Suddenly at that point there was a group of shadowed figures that came out from behind a pair of boxes. Two of the security cameras were disabled rather quickly as the shadowed figures walked over at that point, backing the supposed secretary up against the wall, as she shuddered the further and further she stepped back. The woman was out of her league at this point and unable to get much further than where she was.
  
  "Help!" Miranda screamed at the top of her lungs to signal any help at all, knowing that there would be only one person that would be able to hear her shrieks from where she was standing. She opened her mouth again, but a hand clapped over her mouth to muffle any further screams.
  
  Sure enough, as if on cue, Clark had heard the shouts and screams at that point of the woman. He could hear it all the way from the lobby and he pulled open the doors before he made his way downstairs in a blur, before he stopped directly in front of the members of the League of Shadows. He saw them standing at the bottom of the steps but the problem was they caught sight of him as well and sensed that he was a problem.
  
  "One step closer, and the woman gets it," one of the men stated while he held a dagger at Mirdanda's throat, with the woman acting like she deflated under the grip of the attacker.
  
  Clark just paused with a long smile; it was a good thing that he was not planning to take another step. He drew a deep breath and blew as hard as he could. The super breath knocked the assassins off guard and sent them flying backwards to the ground. Each and every garbed figure flew head over heels before they crashed down to the ground.
  
  At super speed, Clark had knocked each and every one of them down with shot after shot, they landed on the ground like dominoes that were knocked down and knocked back. They all dropped to their knees before Clark was able to step forward and help the woman on the ground back up to a standing position.
  
  "I have you," Clark managed in an apologetic voice.
  
  "A matter of opinion," Miranda responded at that moment before she removed an amulet from beneath her blouse and held it, muttering a few scrambled phrases underneath her breath.
  
  Clark suddenly went rigid; he was completely paralyzed from the attack and could not have seen this coming. Whatever that amulet was, it had sapped his strength and rendered him unable to move. He collapsed to his knees and twitched madly with his legs kicking in every single direction imaginable.
  
  Lana sped down the steps at this point, sensing that Clark was in trouble and slammed the woman against the wall. The amulet dropped down to the ground and Lana held the woman against the wall, when suddenly another servant stepped out of the shadow.
  
  Unknowingly to Lana, this servant picked up the amulet in his hand and took a few steps towards the woman. Lana was rather distracted at this point in time, as she slammed the woman who attacked Clark against the wall.
  
  "Why did you do this?" Lana demanded, but before she got an answer, she felt her knees buckle, feeling much weaker than she ever did before she got her powers.
  
  The dark haired woman measured Lana before she drilled her in the face with a solid kick and readjusted her jacket, looking down at the woman. The large bald man who had used the amulet had turned to Miranda with a nod on his head.
  
  "You've done well, Ubu," Miranda, or Talia rather, had stated looking down at the weakened forms of Clark and Lana as security guards entered, but they had been League of Shadows members in disguise. "My father will know of the role you've played in today's victory."
  
  Ubu offered a stiff nod, he could hardly wait to be lavished with such praise, especially with the great one known as Ra's Al Ghul. His family had been in the service of the Demon Head for years, the mantle being passed down from father to son over the years and this particular Ubu was the latest Ubu to be in the service of Ra's.
  
  "Put the power inhibitor cuffs on them," Talia ordered the members of the League of Shadows and certainly enough, Lana and Clark were cuffed so their powers would be blocked. "This will automatically filter the yellow solar radiation to red, therefore they will not be receiving the strength that I drained from the back any time soon."
  
  Clark and Lana were both scooped up, unable to move, even if the effects of the amulet would wear off in due time. Their powers on the other hand, that was something else that was different entirely. With the cuffs on them, they would not be coming back any time soon, the great one did his homework on their weaknesses. Talia had smiled, pleased about how this plan seemed to go off without a hitch at that point.
  
  The woman turned to activate the communication device in her hand, giving her a direct line to her father, the great Ra's Al Ghul.
  
  "The Traveler and his companion have been captured, father," Talia responded over the other end of the line, as Ra's just seemed pleased.
  
  "You have played your role well, Talia, and soon there will be more roles that will be played well. Take him to the location that I have given you and work quickly before they have missed. My men have the other one and we also have insurance against the Detective should he stumble upon our plans."
  
  "What about these Heralds of Death?" Talia wondered, curious to see what her father had cooked up against them.
  
  Ra's paused for the longest time before he offered a hearty laugh. It was almost as if he was amused by their involvement and had taken a moment to calm himself down before he responded.
  
  "Leave them to me Talia, just leave them to me."
  
  Clark and Lana were hauled in the back of a van that many on the outside would assume would be to deliver the latest circulation of newspapers. With their powers blocked, the pair of them would be transported to the airport, where they would be taken to the League of Assassins base in Afghanistan where their plan would begin.
  
  
  
  "What do you mean Clark is missing?"
  
  Chloe had said this statement in a frantic manner as Lois had relayed the information her. A frown appeared on the face of Lois before she looked at Chloe in a reassuring manner.
  
  "I mean exactly what you think I mean, Clark has gone up and missing," Lois said in a serious voice as she lead her cousin over to the security tapes. "Take a look at this...the backup security feed went up and...."
  
  "Lana was down here too," Chloe interrupted as she had seen the tapes, but immediately she recognized the face of one of the people who abducted Clark and Lana, it was the face of Miranda Tate.
  
  Chloe and Lois had come to the same conclusion and Lois could not help but state that she noticed this one right away.
  
  "I knew that woman was trouble from the start," Lois remarked in a grim voice as she watched everything go down, with Clark and Lana having been led out in a van. "Pretty slick of them, wasn't it? They made it look like they had hauled them out like newspapers, but they drove the van to God only knows where."
  
  Chloe spun around and tried to get a close look to see if she could find any tracks. She left at this point.
  
  "Lois, I'm going to check something out, why don't you call the police and report that Clark and Lana are missing?" Chloe inquired and Lois turned around, which gave Chloe the opening that she needed to speed off faster than a speeding bullet in the other direction.
  
  Lois turned around to ask Chloe something but found that she was gone. She had a feeling that she should know why Chloe went off that fast but there was a mental block on her mind that prevented her from doing so. Lois wondered if she got abducted by aliens or something and had her memories wiped.
  
  Chloe had used her enhanced vision to follow the set of tracks. There were many sets of tracks on the ground as she had seen but this particular set of tracks was far different than any other set of tracks. The blonde continued to make her way down the set of tracks before it led to the airport.
  
  She had been a bit too late, Clark and Lana had been hauled onto some kind of jet and flown off without another word. Chloe felt a bubbling of frustration deep within her, she had never felt more helpless on her life.
  
  'Okay, let's see how well these powers really work,' Chloe thought before she focused her vision and tried to trace where the plane had gone off. The problem was that this was easier said than done and she could not really pick up anything.
  
  Chloe tapped her foot on the ground before she activated the communication piece in her ear and drew in a deep breath before she informed Kara and Harry of the bad news. Somehow this was going to be her fault, even if Lana got captured as well as she tried to accomplish her duties.
  
  "Hey, Kara, are you there?" Chloe asked on the other end of the communication link which came to life.
  
  "Yeah, I'm here," Kara responded towards Chloe. "What do you need?"
  
  "Clark and Lana have been kidnapped," Chloe answered in a grim voice and she did not even have time to blink before Kara had popped in next to her with Harry closely behind her. Kara waved her hand to Chloe to invite her to elaborate just a bit more. "Some goons kidnapped them and threw them in the back of a van before they drove with them."
  
  Kara's eyes snapped over towards Chloe's as this entire situation did not make any sense at all, for a number of reasons. Clark should have not been kidnapped under any means and most certainly Lana should have not been kidnapped to say the least. There had to be some force that allowed them to be subdued and as it turned out, Harry was the one who had the answer at that very moment.
  
  "I'd imagine that they had some kind of magical force that allowed them to kidnap the pair of them," Harry answered at that moment and Chloe and Kara nodded, that made a lot of sense. Harry spun around and tried to run over the theories in his head for that minute. "There must have been some kind of magical focus that would have drained their powers and blocked their access to the yellow solar radiation, essentially turning them human."
  
  "But, no magical spell could do that for too long," Kara argued and Harry nodded, before he grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes.
  
  "No, a magical spell could not do that, but stop and think about it, Kara, if they drained the powers long enough, they could slap some kind of inhibitor cuffs or collars them that had automatically filtered out any yellow sun radiation into red, after they used whatever they used to drain their battery."
  
  "But what would they want with Clark or Lana?" Chloe asked but then she paused. "Well, I'm sure that there are a lot of things, but I can't believe a secretary would be behind this. Sure, Lois thought that she was trouble, but I never thought that she would be the kidnapping trouble type."
  
  Harry had put all of the pieces together in the fragmented jigsaw puzzle that it was.
  
  "She was stashed in there by someone to keep an eye on Clark, and I'll be honest, her references were good, but perhaps I should have went with my gut when I saw that they were a little too good," Harry answered at that point and Kara shook her grabbed Harry's hands in a reassuring manner at this point.
  
  "Harry, it's not like you could predict everything that happened," Kara answered as she closed her eyes and squeezed Harry's hand to let him know that she did not blame him for this in the slightest. She turned around to talk to Chloe trying to give Chloe a reassuring smile on her face. "We're going to go and look for Clark, maybe you should stay here and see if anything breaks, if they send any hostage messages or anything that might indicate why they attacked Clark."
  
  Chloe nodded in agreement as she watched Harry and Kara fly off but she did not have too much time to watch when Lois had dialed her up.
  
  "Hey, Lois, did you call the police?" Chloe asked her.
  
  "I found out that Clark isn't the only one who has been kidnapped today with the same M.O.," Lois answered and Chloe offered Lois a chance to explain. "There was some paramedic named Bloome that got captured. Maybe it was with the same guys?"
  
  That got Chloe's attention and she waited for Lois to hang up before she relayed that information to Harry and Kara, they would find it very interesting. Perhaps the third Herald was onto something when she attacked that guy all of those weeks ago and tried to off him.
  
  "Hey Harry, Kara, someone else has been kidnapped. You're not going to believe this."
  
  
  
  The desert in Afghanistan was the location where Harry and Kara had been led as they flew high over the sky. There seemed to be nothing, but a desert stretching as far as the eye could see, but appearances could in fact be deceiving. The two Potters settled down on the ground and kept an ear out when they saw a pyramid that had been recently forced open.
  
  'Something tells me that might be a good lead,' Kara projected to Harry and sure enough the two of them had flown in at that point before they dropped down to the ground and proceeded to walk over to the pyramid.
  
  The two of them did not see anyone particularly dangerous and sure enough they spotted Raya of all people in the pyramid. Raya stood up straight before she spun around to face two of the three Heralds of Death, but she recovered quickly.
  
  This had given Harry the opportunity to ask the obvious question.
  
  "Raya, what are you doing here?" Harry asked at that point, a bit perplexed about her being here.
  
  Harry and Kara did not know about Raya's new status as Kal-El's protector given that Karen hid that particular tidbit from everyone.
  
  Raya was prompt to answer with an explanation that did in fact make a lot of sense as she turned to face Harry and Kara. "I learned of Kal-El's abduction and I would like to assist you in searching for him. As you know, I wish to serve the House of El and Jor-El instructed me to watch over Kal-El."
  
  It was at that point where Raya had fully realized that the version of Kara Zor-El she had been speaking to had been one from an alternate dimension. Of course, a part of her had realized that from the get go, but the fact of the matter was that this confirmed her suspicions. There were a few differences for sure.
  
  And both Heralds of Death were looking at her now with a skeptical expression in both of their faces. There was a moment in time where the pair of them did not say anything before Harry had been the one to manage to speak up.
  
  "Have you found anything right yet?"
  
  Raya motioned for Harry and Kara to follow her over towards a set of walls with a series of what would appear to be scribbles to the untrained eye. However, given that the Herald of Death powers offered as a virtual Rosetta Stone, Harry and Kara were able to understand the scribbles without pause and with precision.
  
  "I have found this writing and while a part of it appears to be Kryptonian, another part of it is...another language that I cannot decipher," Raya answered at that point and Kara leaned forward to read it.
  
  "It says here lies a monument to the first, one who had been gifted powers by the specter between the barrier of life and death. He can only be contained for he shall rise again to bring darkness upon the world. He is the Anti-Monitor...that's the only other line that hasn't been scrubbed out."
  
  Raya looked at Harry and Kara that statement offered more questions than it offered answers. Kara was only too happy to elaborate what she had found as she took a deep breath. Then it was time for her to speak once more.
  
  "I'm thinking the first that was to receive the Herald of Death powers, before history was even written, a long time ago, and the power warped him such that he was sealed away."
  
  Harry's expression grew rather grim and dark, this explanation made so much sense, in fact it made way too much sense all things considered. Kara took a moment to look at Harry who offered a bit of a smile as he walked over to see if there was any more information that was written.
  
  "Perhaps it had faded in time," Raya offered as Harry had tried to read over the information one bit at a time.
  
  "Maybe," Harry responded but he was extremely skeptical that it did and screwed his eyes shut when he thought about every single angle of this problem. "But magic is something that always leaves a trace behind no matter what happened."
  
  Raya would have to take Harry's word for it and defer to him he was in fact the expert. Lost in all of this was the fact that none of them were getting closer to finding Kal-El where he might have been. Given the number of temples that she had located so far, he could have in fact have turned up anywhere in this labyrinth of passageways. There were traps and dead ends that she already had to defuse, they were problems eve with her powers.
  
  "I'm guessing whoever kidnapped Clark might have been interested in this," Harry responded as he broke the silence and pointed to a faded set of paintings that depicted two powerful forces fighting. "A great hero from the stars defeated a horrible monster that brought Doomsday to the Earth. From the ashes of the battle could the Earth be cleansed all that is wicked and a new Eden will be created, with countless human lives being lost."
  
  "How many do you mean when we talk about countless?" Kara inquired at this moment.
  
  Harry's expression became grim.
  
  "About ninety percent of the Earth's current population," Harry responded and Raya's eyes snapped over to theirs when a frown crossed her face.
  
  "To commit genocide on such a mass level is an atrocity and it appears that someone has attempted to willingly invoke this battle."
  
  "We're in like minds," Harry agreed as he continued to tap on the wall to read what he had before him before he continued to walk forward.
  
  Kara and Raya had both enhanced hearing that they heard some noises from something that was way below this particular temple. How far down beneath the ground they went, that was something that remained to be seen at this point.
  
  "There's something way below us, but there's also something across from us as well," Harry responded at this point and realized that there was a multi-pronged assault at work in this temple.
  
  "They're prepping for the sacrifice," Kara responded as she listened closely.
  
  "The Great One will have his dream," Raya added at that point and the group of them wondered what this could mean.
  
  "Be careful a temple like this is rigged with traps," Harry warned both Raya and Kara and Raya nodded, she encountered a few close calls when they arrived here. "I deactivated most of them but there could be some nasty surprises that might delay us."
  
  Raya wondered if Harry was always this pessimistic or if it was merely because of the situation that had been offered. They had precious little time to think about that before it was time go further down the temple.
  
  Had they paid more attention they would have noticed two shadowed figures who had also followed a trail to this very temple and were about to crash the party for the League of Shadows.
  
  
  
  Clark's eyes flickered up as he tried to regain his wits among himself. He had never felt much weaker than he had before as he tried to lift his arms but they slumped down to the ground by his side at this point. There was many times where he tried to get free from his position, but his arms were like cement and he realized that he was shackled.
  
  "Not good," Clark managed at this point as he saw another figure, a red haired girl who was bound and gagged and Lana was next to him as she stirred awake.
  
  "What happened?" Lana murmured and they saw another figure, as they recognized him as the paramedic that they had saved a few months ago.
  
  "Nothing good," Clark managed when he tried to get his wits about himself. Everything came back to him, bits and pieces through a copious mental fog. "It was an ambush, they got both of us."
  
  Lana was afraid of that was the events of the attack had cycled back to her mentally and footsteps could be heard. It was then that Lana realized that these cuffs on her had filtered the yellow sunlight into red so her powers did not function. She thought that they should have reserves but there was nothing at all.
  
  Someone had drained their power batteries at that point and the two of them tried to get back to their feet. Lana struggled against the grip but her strength and powers failed her.
  
  "Greetings Star Child."
  
  A man dressed in green with dark hair and sideburns walked up to him. He gave an accent that indicated that he had some kind of higher breeding.
  
  "My name is Ra's Al Ghul and you are guests to witness an extraordinary event that will reshape the world from something different as far as you know it," Ra's answered at that moment as he tapped his foot on the ground and Clark struggled with his binds.
  
  "Guests, is that what you call kidnapping now?" Lana voiced as her eyes flashed with annoyance at what happened.
  
  A large man walked over towards Lana and gave her a warning voice raising his fist as to threaten to strike Lana. "You have not been given permission to speak to the great one, woman."
  
  Lana was about to retort in kind but Ra's was the one to speak.
  
  "It is quite alright, Ubu, please stand down," Ra's answered and the large man fell into line at the orders of his master like an obedient dog. "These two have no idea what they have been brought here for, but they can know this, sooner rather than later they will be prepared for a new change of the world."
  
  Right next to where Clark and Lana had been tied up there was a large pit with a bubbling fluid and Ra's leaned against the walking stick that he held. Neither had no idea whether it was there to hold him up or had some kind of purpose that was far greater than they imagined.
  
  "Why am I here?" Davis asked as confusion bubbled through his mind through this entire incident.
  
  "To unlock a form that is more natural to the savage personality that you have subconsciously been fighting for some time," Ra's answered as the ancient leader of the League of Shadows watched. "You and the Star Child are destined to fight until one is left standing and over the ashes of your battle a new world will rise. It will be more beautiful than Eden and the wicked will have been purged with a greater fury when the creator did when he told Noah to build the ark."
  
  Davis would have asked for more information, but as it turned out there was a loud crashing from above. Ra's turned as he motioned for his League of Shadows members to move into position.
  
  Batman and Robin had crashed the party and the Dynamic Duo were ready to fight them all.
  
  "I need time to prepare, delay the Detective," Ra's ordered to his men and women and that's what they did, preparing to engage the Caped Crusader and his young protege in deadly combat.
  Dynamic Part Two
  
  Chapter 52: Dynamic Part Two
  
  From the perch went Batman and Robin as the Dynamic Duo ran in to go into combat with the League of Shadows assassins. The World's Greatest Detective sent one of them flying with a punch as the Boy Wonder succeeded him sweeping the legs out from underneath another member of the League of Shadows with a well-placed strike. The young crime fighter did a pose and he landed on his feet before he pumped his fist in the air and jumped forward.
  
  "Yay, this isn't too bad!" Robin called with a bit of a smug expression on his face but suddenly one of the members of the League of Shadows knocked him out for the loop. Batman rushed in to block another attack.
  
  "Stay focused!"
  
  This admonishment form Batman caused Robin to properly fall back into line as he rushed over before he used the grace and precision that he did on the high wire. This proved to be an effective attack. The assassins clonked heads with these two obviously not being extremely skilled. The Boy Wonder sprung himself forward and ducked another attack from his enemies.
  
  A duck, a weave, and then a block before Robin flipped him onto the ground. His mentor seemed to be at five places at once but there seemed to be a lot of these guys. There was one thing for certain about ninjas as they bred like rabbits. There were a never ending stream of them, no matter what they did.
  
  "Go free the hostages, I'll cover your back," Batman ordered and Robin did as Batman said as he used the rocks to repel himself to the shadows. The young hero reached forward and snapped the bindings that tied Barbara Gordon up.
  
  "Wonderful, I'm being rescued by the amazing flying sparrow," Barbara replied with a bit of a roll of her eyes. After all of these weeks in capacity she needed someone to take out her frustrations on.
  
  "That's Robin!" Robin answered at that moment but he dodged an attack from one of the League of Shadows members. The sidekick of Batman turned to the Police Commissioner's daughter, before giving her an anxiious expression. "You better get out of here before..."
  
  Barbara cut off Robin's words before she kicked one of the League of Shadows members in the face before she disarmed it. She had some gymnastics skills under her belt as she ducked and tumbled before she knocked two of them down. The sixteen year old girl decided to take out some aggressions on her captors and the Boy Wonder had to admit she had some decent moves.
  
  "That's for kidnapping me!" Barbara yelled as she dodged another shot while Batman rushed in to knock several more of the assassins down. It was pure chaos and three of the hostages had already been moved down the set of stairs.
  
  Batman made his way over at that point and tried to rush them but the large figure of Ubu had blocked his presence. The large man lifted a hulking hand and tried to punch The Caped Crusader but the Dark Knight ducked and rolled before he bounced off of the walls. A grappling hook launched around Ubu but the man caught it.
  
  He only caught it for the moment until a tug had pulled the large hulking man forward to allow Batman to crack him in the face with a huge kick before the Dark Knight jumped up. A huge punch to the back of the head smashed Ubu down hard to the ground as Barbara stepped over to take a look at the World's Greatest Detective.
  
  "Not too bad for a rescue, but I was wondering what took you so long to show up," Barbara answered at that point as Batman just give her one of his world famous Batman looks .The Commissioner's responded with a bit of a shrug because she moved towards a wall to catch her breath.
  
  Batman scoped out the situation before a voice had brought him out of his thoughts.
  
  "If you're looking for a way out it's through the next corridor, to your right, and up."
  
  Supergirl and Arcane had popped up at that moment to face Batman and Robin looked at them, impressed that they had pulled the sudden appearance trick on his mentor of all people. Naturally if Batman was surprised by their sudden appearance he had recovered himself quickly and managed to take a look at the pair of them before he nodded.
  
  "Robin, get Miss Gordon out through that door," Batman answered at that moment when he turned to his protege. "Keep an eye on her."
  
  Barbara did not seem to be too happy with the fact that this was the case and decided to voice that fact to Batman, standing up and looking him straight in the eye.
  
  "Hey, last time I checked I saved blue birds's..."
  
  "ROBIN'S!"
  
  "Whatever, I saved his sorry butt back there, against those guys and he's supposed to be your sidekick."
  
  "Partner!" Robin answered as this girl was getting underneath his skin and Barbara personally was glad to have some kind of outlet after she had been stuck down there for a few weeks. "I don't know if you've been keeping track of current events but those guys are bad news."
  
  Barbara just rolled her eyes at this point when she looked at the Boy Wonder before she proceeded to comment in a sarcastic tone of voice. "Really, no shit, mockingbird, because these guys took three of the other hostages down into the temple where their plan is going to..."
  
  Batman was already gone at that point with Supergirl and Arcane having followed. Barbara watched him leave, she had to admit, she gave the entire fighting evil thing a good thought. In fact, she could be Batman, only a girl, but only if she could come up with some name that would fit the situation.
  
  'Raya just seems to have slipped away in the chaos,' Harry thought to Kara when they had flew behind Batman down the tunnel. The blonde Kryptonian's frustration was evident through the bond as she spoke to her bond mate.
  
  'Yeah, I know, but we've got bigger problems, Clark is down there still without any powers,' Kara responded through the mental link to Harry. 'And Lana too, and...what's that smell?"
  
  Harry had stopped at that moment before he had seen it through and it was a smell that he recognized through his training for the Herald of Death. His eyes took on a grim look before he slowly turned around to face Kara.
  
  "That Kara is a Lazarus Pit."
  
  Kara was afraid of that but she just needed to make sure. The situation had gotten even more intense now that little variable had been thrown in the ring. The two had little time to waste because if this Ra's Al Ghul was using a Lazarus Pit coupled with what they learned about the First, it was hard telling what might happen.
  
  It just would not be good, there was no two ways about it.
  
  "It is on this day where you have been chosen to bear witness to an event that will change the world, an event that was thousands of years in the making. It is ever since the First has been sealed away by several forces beyond your comprehension, an Anti-Monitor so to speak, and one that will help cleanse the Earth. It is upon the sacrifice that you will make that you will bring force a new age that will dawn."
  
  Clark stood rigid, held up by half of the League of Shadows members with Talia having a knife to the throat of Lana to make sure she did not interfere. Ra's Al Ghul stood atop a platform as they prepared Davis Bloome for the dip into the pit.
  
  "That doesn't look safe," Bloome argued as he got closer and closer to the pit as he saw it sinisterly bubble.
  
  "Nonsense, the Lazarus Pit will cure you of all of your impurities, and bring out the true monster within you, the destroyer that you were meant to be" Ra's answered with his eyes firmly on Davis when he was closer and closer to the pit. "I have managed to acquire the notes of Virgil Swann and the log of the Veritas Society. I had gone to them to offer my input but Thomas Wayne, Virgil Swann, and Lionel Luthor all arrogantly turned me down. Yet their arrogance comes with Karmic retributions for it is I who live while their bodies decay and whither in the ground. For it was not one traveler who came to Earth on that day, but two travelers who had crashed in that Cornfield in Smallville."
  
  This had gotten the attention of Clark who tried to figure out a way to escape.
  
  "What are you talking about?" Clark demanded to try and keep Ra's talking whilst he tried to find a way out of his predicament.
  
  "While you were found by the Kents, Davis Bloome was found by the Veritas Society as they wrongly believed he was the one," Ra's explained at that point. "It appears that Bloome was not born by conventional means but rather created as a weapon that hitched a ride onto the vessel that brought you here, Star Child. He was made from the most dangerous creatures of your world, engineered in a lab to adapt to anything. Davis Bloome is merely a camouflage for a true horror that lies within. You cannot fight the monster for it is you and the human face you wear is but a lie."
  
  Davis seriously considered this guy's sanity or lack thereof, he honestly did not seem to be all there at that point. He was being hooked in restraints but for what reason. He felt a savage fury bubble within him as he inhaled the smell of the pit.
  
  "Then there was a prophecy that has been around since the dawn of time, where the Star Child and the Destroyer are destined to battle in a fight where neither will survive," Ra's continued at that point as he cracked his knuckles. "This prophecy indicates a cataclysmic battle between the two sides but do not worry, once the battle has concluded, the world will be rebuilt. I will force this battle."
  
  "Countless with die," Clark answered at that point through a hoarse voice.
  
  "If it leaves your mind at ease, Star Child, I have counted, approximately sixty five billion to be precise," Ra's answered without missing a beat. "And it will happen once you have been exposed and reborn as what you should have been all along."
  
  Lana meanwhile while Ra's was giving his monologue maneuver herself into place and with a swift kick had knocked Talia back by surprise. The daughter of the Demon Head staggered but the dark haired woman managed to wrestle the key away from the guard before she unlocked the restraints with another fluid motion.
  
  'Yellow sun, where are you?' Lana thought desperately but there seemed to be no yellow sun at this point.
  
  "After her, stop her, she's not part of the plan,' Ra's answered at that point and Talia tried to kick Lana at that point but she managed to dodge out of the way.
  
  "You're nothing without your powers, so I suggest you surrender and I may make your death painless," Talia answered at that point but before she could respond Batman swooped in front of her. The woman took a step back at this point, caught off guard by The Dark Knight sudden appearance.
  
  Ra's on the other hand did not seem to be surprised in any way whatsoever.
  
  "Ah yes, Detective, you are here to bear witness to the end of everything, despite your best efforts the world will be entombed in chaos," Ra's answered with his eyes firmly locked upon Batman as they remained unblinking. "I do offer a moment to consider a choice that I'll give you, if you wish to be a part in this new order, then you can join me. You will have unprecedented respect and the hand of my daughter, but I do not wish for us to be enemies. Rather I wish for you to be my heir."
  
  Batman looked at him at that moment and tried to move his way to Ra's but several large members of the League of Shadows rumbled in to battle with the Detective. The Dark Knight dodged every single one of their assaults. He ducked and rolled when he caused them to all trip up with his solid attacks.
  
  Clark was up to his feet as he tried to reach for the handcuff keys. Lana's powers had not returned fully yet due to being underground away from the yellow sun so she struggled and now Talia had the medallion once again. Lana found herself weakened by the pull of the power.
  
  With a well-placed Baterang Batman knocked the medallion out of Talia's hand, over the cliff, and knocked her back. Lana got herself up and looked at Batman with a grateful look.
  
  "Thanks, I guess I owe you one," Lana answered before she saw a hulking figure with a sword try to stab Batman from behind. At super speed Lana rushed in and knocked the hulking figure out for the count. She shrugged before a brief smile appeared on her face when she faced Batman. "And now I think we're even."
  
  Clark was back up to his feet as the rocks began to crumble underneath him from the stress of the constant fighting. He got his hands on the key and opened up the cuffs.
  
  Two of the assassins tried to keep him from escaping from the handcuffs and knocked him back. Clark fought them and he lost his balance.
  
  The good news was the cuffs had come off as planned.
  
  Lana's eyes widened as she sped over towards Clark but she was just a second or two too slow.
  
  Clark fell backwards over the cliff and landed into the Lazarus Pit with a splash. Lana's eyes widened as she tried to dive in after him but Batman grabbed her arm to prevent her from taking the plunge after Clark.
  
  "No, he'll emerge in a moment and you need to be ready to grab him for mania will visit him due to the pit's effects," Batman told Lana and Lana got the message before she stepped back.
  
  All they could do now was wait and see how Clark would get out of this mess. The pit bubbled sinisterly as all they had to do was wait and watch.
  
  Raya joined Harry and Kara as they made their trek through the temples down the stairs when they saw more scrawls on the wall when they got closer and closer to where the Lazarus Pit was. And that was not all they had gotten closer to there was a thump coming from behind the wall that was faint but only could be heard by super human hearing.
  
  Kara x-rayed the wall and found that there was someone from behind the wall. With expert precision, she managed to pull open the wall at this point and knock it down to reveal the bound and gagged form of Patricia Swann on the ground. Patricia shook her head at that point as she tried to recover long enough to draw deep breaths in and out before she pulled herself back up.
  
  She was untied at that moment and shook her head.
  
  "Harry, I thought it was them again, coming back to finish me off," Patricia answered when she shook the cobwebs from her head. "The League of Shadows is interested in Kal-El."
  
  "Of course they are," Harry responded in deadpan before he looked at the woman. "You told me that you were going on a holiday."
  
  "Yes and they grabbed me at the airport, I was supposed to be back a couple of days ago," Patricia answered while she groaned and rubbed her forehead. "I fear what I might have told them and what damage could it do the world. There are many things that Ra's Al Ghul seemed to know. Did you know he offered to assist my father?"
  
  "That's news," Harry answered, with a raised eyebrow.
  
  "I'm guessing your father turned him down," Kara chimed in with her blue eyes locked onto the face of the woman.
  
  "Yes, my father, Lionel Luthor, and Thomas Wayne all knew that trusting someone like Ra's Al Ghul was a bad idea," Patricia answered as she shook her head when she tried to take a moment to reconcile what had happened. "If they expose Kal-El and the other one to the pit..."
  
  "The other one?" Harry asked as he decided to let Patricia in on how much he found out. "The other one, that being Davis Bloome."
  
  "Yes, that's the other one, I found out that he arrived her the same day that Kal-El did," Patricia answered at that moment. "And beneath the charismatic face lies a true heart of a killer, someone with no conscious or reason. That's the way he's been born and bred from the very worst of Krypton."
  
  Harry could argue all day about nature against nurture but right now he had to send Patricia Swann back.
  
  "This will teleport you back to the Shining Light Foundation," Harry informed her and Patricia did not seem to question that at the moment.
  
  A loud scream could be heard as Harry shoved the Portkey into Patricia's hand and sent Chloe a quick mental signal to let her know to expect the other woman.
  
  "Lana," Kara murmured at that point as the two Heralds bolted right through the doors just in time to see what was happening.
  
  Batman was all too happy to enlighten them on what had just transpired a moment before they had arrived.
  
  "Kent was knocked backwards and fell into that pit; I trust the two of you know what it is."
  
  "It's a Lazarus Pit, it can sustain a person's life as long as there is a breath and warmth still in their body," Harry explained at that point as he noticed the League of Shadows had suddenly gone scarce which had to mean that there was more than one Pit in this temple. "But if someone healthy goes into it, who knows what might happen?"
  
  Lana decided to bring up the unfortunate and dreaded question. "What happens if a completely healthy Kryptonian male gets knocked into the Lazarus Pit?"
  
  "I think you're about to get your answer," Kara responded at that point as the pit began to bubble and Clark began to rise from the pit with his body giving off a glow as he flew out of the pit. The blonde gave a tentative question towards her cousin. "Clark?"
  
  Clark's eyes snapped towards Kara at that point as they glowed red, with fury and unsettling power. "Do not call me that name, Kara, that's not who I am. I am Kal-El and I have been reborn into what I could truly am."
  
  Kara's expression became suddenly gob smacked as they realized what had just happened at this point. Clark was about ready to lose his mind rather badly and he thought that he got reborn. This could prove to be a most problematic situation if he had gone full Kryptonian without his human emotions.
  
  "Clark, that's just the Pit talking," Kara answered as she prepared herself for an attack before Clark dropped down to his feet and looked at her. "It's made you nuts."
  
  "No, it's made my mind clearer than it ever was before," Kal-El argued as he looked at Kara for a long moment, with almost disdain that was not him. "You can have your human delusions all you want, for I have loftier goals in mind. I will rule over this primitive mud ball that you humans call a planet with strength. My mate will rule with me."
  
  Lana looked at Clark at that moment before she shook her head and she placed a hand on his gently.
  
  "Clark, I'll stand by you but you can't really think that this is the right way to do things."
  
  Kal-El looked at this human, sure she was a certain amusement for his human self, but he had shed his human skin when he had been reborn. He stepped forward and spotted Raya at that moment.
  
  "Raya, long time no see," Kal-El commented when he saw her, looking over this full blood and natural Kryptonian before him.
  
  "Hello, Kal-El," Raya answered in a rather tentative tone of voice as she was unprepared with what to expect. "You've changed a lot."
  
  "It's most surprising to see that you're alive," Kal-El responded at that moment before he shook his head and reached forward to cup her chin with his hand. "The two of us are among the last of our kind, we can rule together."
  
  "We should discuss what you are going to do, Kal-El," Raya responded as she thought the affects of this Lazarus Pit should wear off, hopefully before Kal-El did something he regretted.
  
  "Yes, and we shall mate when the time is right," Kal-El responded at that point as he flipped Raya's hair back before he looked in her eyes and then pressed his lips to hers with a powerful kiss. Raya was shocked by this brazen and bold gesture so much that the woman did not fight it. The Last Son of Krypton invaded her mouth with his tongue and her mind went on lockdown.
  
  Then he flew off without a backwards glance or a declaration of goodbye.
  
  "Follow him,' Kara managed to the other woman and Raya nodded at that point, she was going to protect Kal-El.
  
  Lana stood at that moment as she was unsure about what had happened at that moment but she was certain that she did not like it. Something told her that Clark changed but it was most certainly not for the better.
  
  Ra's Al Ghul had managed to move off in the confusion after Kal-El had flow the coup at this point. The leader of the League of Shadows knew that the fact that he fell into the Lazarus Pit in such a manner will only make the transformation far less temporary. He would only last like that for a maximum of six hours, at least that was his calculation. At least that was what Ra's pondered in his mind as he twisted the dial slowly to prepare Davis Bloome. He knew he only had a few moments before they had recovered enough to find his contingency plan.
  
  "Just imagine, Mr. Bloome, you will be what you should have been, what you always had the potential to be," Ra's commented in a crisp voice as he began to lower the pod containing the young man with the chains. "You will thank me for unlocking the shackles upon your human mind and allowing you to embrace your destiny."
  
  Davis believed that this man completely flipped but then he was rather curious. There was a dark force that had bubbled within his mind that caused him torment at that point. The young paramedic was being lowered closer and closer to the pit as he went deeper and deeper. He tried to push himself out at this point but he found himself hit the wall again and again.
  
  "Let me out of here!" Davis yelled but he realized that there was no one who could hear him no matter how hard he had pounded on the containment pod. He was getting closer and closer to feeling the tender embrace of the Pits and primal forces in his mind stirred when he got closer ot the fumes.
  
  Ra's washed at this point as he closed his eyes before he waited for it. The sounds of his second string of followers were being knocked around outside and he could sense that the Detective loomed closer and closer. However, it would be much too late by the time that he arrived.
  
  The Demon Head knew that his daughter was doing what she could to give him all of the time as he saw the pod that contained Davis be dip into the Lazarus Pit. The pod was slowly flooded with the fluids that had drenched him. Davis Bloome felt the warm fluids being drained into the blood.
  
  His mind began to shift and his body had begun to change as he was slowly surely reborn one step at a time as the pod was flooded a little bit. Bloome tried to pry himself out but he felt a more primitive force take over his mind.
  
  "Prepare the helicopter, and release him within ten minutes," Ra's ordered but at that point a figure grappled up to face him. The Demon Head took a half of a step back but at the same time he stood his ground when he stared down his foe. "You're too late, Detective, you should have taken my offer whilst you had the chance. Now your arrogance will create your own tomb."
  
  Batman knocked out several of the henchmen which caused them to spiral to the ground with a sickening crash before they landed. He advanced on Ra's one step at a time ready to engage his deadly foe.
  
  "It's over, Ra's," Batman said but Ra's, in a lightning fast movement that many a fraction of his age could not pull off, unsheathed a sword before he tried to stab The Detective with it. The Dark Knight dodged the attack at this point before he did a tuck and roll before he launched a grapple line before he latched onto it.
  
  Ra's pulled out a second blade before he sliced the grapple line before the head of the Leageu of Shadows advanced. Both engaged each other in battle. There was a series of punches and kicks that both fighters deflected upon each other. Batman managed to obtain a sword form one of the fallen assassins to block Ra's incoming attack.
  
  The cold metal clung together before they smashed together. Another clang echoed throughout the temples as Batman tried to reach over to pull the pod out but his enemy saw that attempt coming, to knock him back.
  
  "So we'll see what happens when we truly match swords, Detective," Ra's remarked as the two continued to clang swords together as they connected again and again and again with the cold steal crashing against each other with each individual shot. The battle between the two fighters got intense.
  
  The two continued to match wits and weapons with neither budging as they fight on the ledge close to the Lazarus Pit at that point. The Dark Knight and the Demon Head circled each other with their eyes locked onto each other for that point before they rushed forward before they clashed together. Both stood with their teeth gritted as the swords had connected at that point before they shoved forward.
  
  Batman rolled and threw a series of smoke pellets to the ground in his attempt to blind the Demon Head but Ra's deflected them with his sword before he repelled up of the wall before he dropped down. The Dark Knight impacted his foe with a vicious punch to the jaw and another punch aimed at him before The Caped Crusader slid underneath the legs before he shot a grapple line around the ankles of the Demon Head.
  
  Ra's staggered forward and nearly went over the side but he hung on for dear life. The growls of the monster could be heard from below it was music to his ears.
  
  "This is been most illuminating Detective, but I have a ride to catch and I would suggest you do the same," Ra's commented in his smug superiority before he kicked his enemy over the ledge. Batman hung on for dear life over the edge before he swung his feet back and forth, back and forth.
  
  The pod cracked open as it was in the Lazarus Pit with Batman trying to drop down to scope out the entire situation. He saw Ra's exit through the Helicopter with several members of the League of Shadows scrambling towards the exit.
  
  Batman knew he had to keep the monster from breaking out of his pod but there was a moment where he had tried to reconcile what to do in his mind. It was not going to be easy for sure but that's just what the caped crimefighter had to do.
  
  The fluids within the pit had begun to eat away at the human exterior before the monster began to crack through with Batman setting explosives. He vowed never to kill but given what he learned his father's notes, this monster being loose might make him forget that vow. That was the thought that went through his mind when he continued to set explosives.
  
  Lana's eyes snapped up as she saw Clark, or Kal-El rather, fly away from her. She gave a long and labored sigh before she looked at two of the three Heralds of Death who had been left behind.
  
  "That was the real, Clark, wasn't it?" Lana asked and Harry saw a slight crisis of faith coming on so he decided to nip this one in the bud before the woman could be drowned in her own self-pity.
  
  "Lana, the Lazarus Pits lead to mania and madness, the mind is not sound, which is why no one should expose themselves to them constantly. It can prolong someone's life at the risk of decaying their minds. Clark will come back to normal."
  
  "With a whole lot of regrets," Kara managed at this point to have her eyes on Lana at this point.
  
  Lana just nodded she could tell that Clark was not himself, there was just something in his eyes that was completely off. One did not know someone for that long without picking up some kind of subtle hints that something had happened. And now she wondered what would happened, she just hoped that Raya woman was going to be able to convince Clark against it.
  
  This Raya was a surprise to her but she was certain that the Heralds had their reasons for keeping her quiet.
  
  "That's not Clark Kent who is talking remember, that's Kal-El, someone who has fully embraced his Kryptonian heritage," Kara answered before she offered a slight smile. "And I do hope that warping his mind was not what it takes for him to fly."
  
  Lana shook her head she felt that there was something where Clark would be able to achieve that happy medium. She stood forward as her shoulders slumped and the woman sighed.
  
  "Some protector I turned out to be," Lana offered in a crisp voice but Harry just looked at her.
  
  "Lana, why did I give you those powers?" Harry asked her which caused Lana to get taken off guard by the question at hand.
  
  Lana recovered at this point to ask Harry's question at least how she thought he had implied it.
  
  "Because I could be with Clark?"
  
  Kara and Harry locked eyes and thought that Lana had got most of why they did what they did but she had not gotten what they did one hundred percent.
  
  "Yes in a way, but no in another way," Kara chimed while her eyes were firmly on Lana's. "Harry and I didn't give you those powers. You earned those powers. You wouldn't even be able to enjoy those powers you hadn't earned them, you proved yourself to be able to selflessly protect Clark."
  
  Lana had gotten it immediately as she took a deep breath before she faced Harry and Kara, getting everything immediately.
  
  "And Clark is now in more danger than ever before," Lana retorted at that moment as she clutched her hands together before she offered a sigh. "And I better go after him."
  
  "Tread softly," Harry warned her and Lana nodded her head slowly, she understood about treading slightly. "He's not the Clark Kent you know and love, not until he's purged of the Lazarus effect. "
  
  Lana moved off at this point to track down Clark but she had a pretty good idea where he might have gone. She just hoped that he would not do anything that he would regret when he had come to his senses. Although given the way that her boyfriend was talking before he flew off that seemed to be more than likely. She turned around and flew off without another word, there was no time to waste at all.
  
  Harry and Kara rushed over to the next room before both of them had heard the sounds of the monster at that time. A fight was just wrapping up from where they stood and they located the structural weakness in the wall. Or rather the sign Batman had given them when he snuck off.
  
  'The destroyer is loose,' Harry thought to Kara, a statement which caused Kara to pale at this point.
  
  There was another force that the two Heralds of Death felt beneath the temple as Davis Bloome was transformed into the monster that was buried deep inside him. There was something stirring at this point but Harry and Kara tried to block it out. They could only deal with one problem at a time.
  
  That half gold-half red reading that Bloome had given of was completely clear in their minds, they could not touch him but at the same time he needed to be destroyed for he was an undesirable. It was quite the paradox that came with their powers.
  
  Kal-El flew through the skies to leave a whirlwind behind him as he reached the top speed capable of him. His eyes were squinted shut in determination at this time before he dropped down onto the ground at this point. The Last Son of Krypton stopped in the Artic before he took a long look at the Fortress that stood before him.
  
  He was a fool to assume that this Fortress was just some pretty little architecture, it should give him everything that he needed to take control. For years Kal-El had stood and allowed the weakling known as Clark Kent take over his life and cause him to get bred by supreme weakness. Yet he was strong part of a superior group of people who were far evolved, a race that had powers beyond the wildest dreams of mortals under the yellow sun.
  
  Kal-El withered locked away, while Clark too control of his life. Now that the situation reversed and the true Kryptonian within took all control.
  
  "Kal-El, what is the meaning of this?" the voice of Jor-El spoke.
  
  "You thought you could use me as some pawn of a chess board to ease your own failures," Kal-El responded with a bit of a smug expression spreading over his face after he spoke. "I knew that you needed to feel big to push me around but don't worry, Jor-El, I have figured out what my destiny was and it doesn't involve you in it."
  
  "Please clarify," Jor-El answered at that moment.
  
  Kal-El decided to offer his father a moment's pause before he explained.
  
  "The technology within the Fortress will allow me to take control of Earth and save it from the monster that is coming. Anyone who stands in my way will be exiled to the Phantom Zone."
  
  "Kal-El, your mind has been addled," Lara chimed in without pause but Kal-El responded by shaking his head.
  
  "My mind is fine, it is more perfect than it ever has been, and my thought process has never been sounder," Kal-El answered without thought as he managed to enter the Fortress console before he tried to determine how to delete his parents.
  
  "Kal-El, wait," Raya chimed in when she had dropped to the ground to face the Last son of Krypton and Kal-El turned around to her face her. "Do not be so hasty as to delete their influence from the Fortress, but rather mute them. Given them a chance to see that you are in sound mind and what you have done is just."
  
  Clark mulled over the thought in his head before his jaw remained set and he nodded before he altered the Fortress.
  
  "Kal-El just remember your heart..."
  
  These words by Lara were upon deaf ears as Raya watched, she knew that Kal-El would regret removing his parents from the Fortress during his madness. The woman knew that she had to work some kind of damage control at this point before the Earth's eventual savior spiraled out of control. She worked over in her mind a way to stop the young man before her before he caused too much damage.
  
  "Show me everything," Kal-El stated as he accessed the technology within the Fortress. "Show me it all."
  
  Kal-El worked through the Fortress technology before his eyes widened at that point before he saw the plans to some destructive weapon that could annihilate entire armies. There was no weapon on Earth that could withstand its pure fury. He looked over the majestic fury and the brutality of it. Whilst Kal-El did not feel the need to use that particular weapon, the fact was that it had a certain destructive fury.
  
  It was called a Nova Javelin and it would have a sadistic fury that would burn through everything in its path once it had been launched. It was a twisted invention of General Zod who had used it to great fury but Kal-El did not concern himself with those details. The Last Son of Krypton began to access other Kryptonian weapons and how to perhaps adapt them using Earth technology.
  
  Raya felt worry flood through her because Kal-El found himself rather interested in the weapons of Krypton. That was the worst part of his culture to find himself develop an interest for especially with Javelins which could be considered Krypton's version of what a nuke was on Earth.
  
  Back in the temple in Egypt the pod had busted open with Kara and Harry trying to summon the full force of their powers to keep it at bay.
  
  The monster had risen from the pits with Batman's attempts to keep him down having failed thus far. There was one thing for certain, they were in for a tough battle.
  
  It could not leave this temple, that much was for certain.
  Unleashed
  
  Chapter 53: Unleashed.
  
  From the pits rose the menace in all of its fury as the members of the League of Shadows who had been left behind watched it exit. Their eyes when they stepped back before the assassins backed off away from the monster. The monster's eyes snapped with the savage menace that they expected before the destroyer moved forward and did not discriminate against who it attacked.
  
  The cracking of limbs could be heard as the few members of the League of Shadows who had been left behind had been torn up by the monster's assault. They were flesh and bone, and stood no chance whatsoever.
  
  "Move!" Batman yelled when the Dark Knight clicked the detonator for the explosives he set around the area of the pit.
  
  A loud explosion echoed to loosen a slide of rocks and the ground. The monster was surprised from the attack as he staggered back. The rocks flew down to bury the monster as it tried to move forward. The avalanche of rocks fell down upon the monsters to try and crunch it. The Dark Knight stood and watched when Harry and Kara rushed forward to join him.
  
  With a thunderous punch, the destroyer broke his way through the rocks and lifted his arms into the air before he gave a deep growl. Harry and Kara stepped back they could feel the bloodlust coming off of him as Batman put two pairs of brass knuckles on before he dove forward.
  
  Batman smashed the destroyer with his pairs of brass knuckles before the destroyer had been smashed back. The destroyer blocked his attacks and flung his enemy back hard like he was nothing. The World's Greatest Detective dropped down to the ground with a sickening thud and the monster advanced forward in his attempt to crush the Dark Knight.
  
  Harry and Kara aimed all of the power that they could to blast the monster with a pair of energy beams. The destroyer was lifted high off of the ground and smashed back through the walls of the underground cave. The two Heralds of Death took a breath before they cracked their knuckles and stepped back.
  
  They zoomed at the destroyer at super speed, he must not escape this temple and be allowed in the outside world. Harry and Kara summoned the busted rocks and transfigured them into razor sharp daggers.
  
  "NOW!" Harry yelled as they sent them at the monster at rapid fire fury and setting the daggers on fire. The flaming daggers flew towards the monster to try and rip through him.
  
  The destroyer staggered back when the knives stabbed through the destroyer at super speed. The monster staggered as it burned into his skin to cause him a great deal of agony, the misery continued to burn through him. He sensed these two as a threat, but it was faint and he would destroy it to show his superiority. The monster stepped forward and swung wildly at his enemies, furiously as he continued to swing for the fences.
  
  The destroyer knocked Harry back with a punch before the monster reached over and grabbed Kara around the head. Kara's arms and legs swung back and forth as the destroyed tried to crush her skull like an eggshell through savage fury. The grip constricted around her head the more she thrashed and kicked her legs but the monster was not about to let up. In fact, the blonde Herald of Death felt a splitting headache coming on when she tried to overpower her dangerous adversary.
  
  Harry rolled over and made a motion through his way but Kara was able to break free with a violent flip kick to the face of the destroyer. The destroyer staggered a few steps back before Kara's eyes began to glow with savage fury. She unleashed the heat vision into the head of the destroyer.
  
  Kara's eyes burned a hole through the destroyer's head as it seared through the top of his head and burned directly into his brain in an attempt to lobotomize him. The searing heat fried through the top of his head as she cut into his cerebral cortex. It might seem to be a little extreme but desperate times called for desperate actions.
  
  Harry and Kara held their hands together and summoned the full force of their power towards them before they blasted a bright blast of golden light towards the destroyer. The destroyer was hoisted hard up the ground before he smashed down to the ground with a thunderous crack. The two heralds of Death dropped to the ground as they recovered from using so much of their power to blast him hard.
  
  That attack should be been powerful enough to reap him and send him into the afterlife. At least that was the theory that the two Heralds worked with. However, things were not that easy, it was never that easy as the monster rose up to a standing position. The top of his head began to heal itself over when he turned to look at Harry and Kara as he registered the pair of them as a threat. The monster took a step forward as it continued its rampage of destruction.
  
  "We can't kill him," Kara breathed frantically as she looked at Harry, feeling a bit of something atone to fear at this point.
  
  The two Heralds tried to work quickly, in their attempt to defeat the monster, to slay him before time ran out.
  
  "We should be able to send him somewhere else, hopefully," Harry responded when he grabbed hands with his fellow Herald and wife as they smiled and shifted their gaze, determined and ready to strike.
  
  The destroyer picked up a huge chunk of rock and hurled it at Harry and Kara. They stopped it from hitting them with a concussive blast from both of their hands before they aimed a second powerful concussive blast at the monster. While the blasts destroyed the rocks it barely put a dent in the destroyer.
  
  The monster staggered around but a blur flew in from high above and punched the destroyer hard in the face with all of her might. A rapid fire series of punches and kicks connected to the destroyer to back him and forth.
  
  Karen showed up and joined Kara and Harry, with the three Heralds standing side by side.
  
  "Late as always," Kara remarked when she shook her head before the three Heralds stood side by side and aimed all of their power at the monster.
  
  "No matter what, Doomsday cannot get out of here and into the world!" Karen yelled and Harry responded with a nod.
  
  The trio of them knew exactly what was at stake as they summoned the full blast of their powers. Three energy scythes appeared from the three of their hands. Perhaps three Heralds could succeed where the two failed. Kara, Karen, and Harry summoned the full force of their powers before they nailed Doomsday hard.
  
  The concussive blast of their powers sent Doomsday flying head over heels before he landed on the ground with a huge crash. Doomsday rolled over when he deflated from the impact but he was going to get up. There was no two ways about it, they had to go, now.
  
  Batman was picked up by Kara and a look of annoyance crossed over his face when he was being trafficked out of there like a child. Karen and Harry kept blasting energy bolts towards Doomsday, to slow him down and the three Heralds blew out of the temple at super speed.
  
  The temple began to collapse upon Doomsday to hopefully bury him deep underground, with Harry, Kara, and Karen picking up more and more super speed. They could not even take a breath, the friction tore at their clothes and Batman sent a grapple hook to swing away out of the grip of Kara.
  
  The temple began to collapse upon itself to send smoke up in the air. The dust began to settle as the three Heralds exchanged a tense look with none of them wanting to say a word. The three of them shook their heads when they recovered as they collapsed to the ground.
  
  "Did we win?" Karen managed as she collapsed onto Harry's shoulder as the dark haired Herald of Death held her up. In the chaos, she dropped her crystal but now was not the time to worry about that. She was sure she could find it later.
  
  Harry checked the lifeline reading for Doomsday but cursed himself, when he had dipped in the Lazarus Pit it had turned him from half red and half gold to full gold. Now he was untouchable by the Heralds, with Kal-El being the only one who could take him down. That served to be an annoyance to them as they tried to regain their bearings. There was nothing any of them could do, so they never felt so helpless in their lives.
  
  Of course, there were always loopholes as hopefully the three of them had softened up Doomsday a little bit so Kal-El could go in for the kill. Karen in particular doubted if he could handle the power of Doomsday, but even Harry and Kara had more than their fair share of doubts. They had seen the fury and felt the power; there was no question about how dangerous Doomsday wa
  
  Kal-El sensed something happening throughout the world, as he tapped into powers that he never thought that he would have. And powers that he would never even have if he had remained holding onto his human identity. Once Clark Kent had been purged from his mind, the Last Son of Krypton understood everything quickly, there was so much more that he could do, he had been kept back. His full potential was held back by some force, something that Kal-El had thought of long and hard.
  
  It was Jor-El who had blocked his powers but Kal-El had the last laugh when he had blocked the presence of both Jor-El and his mother in the Fortress. The two of them had remained silence with neither of them able to speak at this point with Raya having convinced him to not delete them. Kal-El thought that was the best for they would understand that he would succeed where they would fail.
  
  He prepared the weapon that he managed to create in less than twenty minutes, thanks to his amplified intelligence and super powers. His powers had made him a literal god and with those foolish inhibitions that had been given to him by his human upbringing embraced, Kal-El could embrace his full potential.
  
  It was time for him to take Karen's words to heart, to stop pretending to be a human, because he was far from one.
  
  The Destroyer was on his way and a grin crossed over Kal-El's face when he shook his head when he double checked the calculations. Sure enough, all calculations had been tabulated as it should be and the Nova Javelin would be launched into the city where the destroyer rampaged towards. Everything would be taken down in a world shattering fury and the Destroyer would be annihilated.
  
  The javelin would destroy everything that it touched as well as the Destroyer, as well as this Doomsday. The Last Son of Krypton prepared to arm the weapon as he regretted the necessity of what had to be done but regret was such a human emotion. It was one that he had to get rid of as he tried to shake his head and get these emotions away from him. Time was not a luxury he had so there was that.
  
  Raya watched Kal-El with a frown, this was something that Jor-El did not want his son to become. He was supposed to be a protector that was sent here to help protect the entire world from the dangerous forces. That was the destiny that Jor-El had in in mind, only the best intentions for his son. Instead, Kal-El was about to become a bigger destroyer than the destroyer.
  
  She made her move before she super sped at Kal-El when his back was turned. With a swift movement, Raya sent Kal-El into the side of the wall with all of the strength she could muster. Kal-El bounced back as his eyes snapped into her face and a dangerous expression flickered into his eyes when he turned to Raya. He was about to threaten her but Raya grabbed him around the wrists and held him in place with her strength.
  
  "I'm afraid, I can't allow you to do this, Kal-El," Raya said as she was thrown back hard by Kal-El's strength.
  
  Lana showed up just in time to see Kal-El throw Raya halfway across the Fortress of Solitude. She took a deep breath when she looked at Clark when she shook her head before she took a step back and adjusted herself.
  
  'Sorry Clark, but this is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you,' Lana responded when she rushed at Clark in super speed.
  
  Clark spun around and blocked Lana's attempt to grab him from behind. Lana tried to overwhelm Clark with her strength but there was something about the pit's effects that enabled her. Lana struggled on her feet as her legs buckled when Clark's strength was overwhelming her. This threw her completely off her game.
  
  "Clark, Clark, stop!" Lana begged him but Clark pushed Lana back.
  
  "You shouldn't get involved," Kal-El said as he looked at this woman.
  
  "Well if you want to stop me, then hit me!" Lana yelled as she tried to goad Kal-El into doing something but there was a flicker of something that resembled Clark Kent in Kal-El's eyes. He clutched his fists as he looked at her. "Clark, I know you're in there somewhere."
  
  "Clark Kent is dead!" Kal-El yelled as he turned around and closed his eyes before he jumped up to fly away without another word from Lana.
  
  Lana could have gone after Clark but she shook her head, there was something that she had to do before she went after Clark. Her eyes flickered over to the console of the Fortress of Solitude as the weapon was launching and would blow into Metropolis about one minute after it was launched. The dark haired girl stepped over to the console and took a deep breath.
  
  Thankfully, Lana had the knowledge to shut down the weapon before it launched that was downloaded in her mind but would she have enough time? Not to mention Clark had encrypted the launch codes so she had to figure those out. Things never were easy, that much Lana had found out for sure.
  
  At the speed of light, Lana tried to break through the codes, but she kept getting locked out again. Clark was about to send a super powered alien nuke at a populated city so he could just destroy this Doomsday. This was not like the Clark Kent that she knew, but Lana had to remind herself that this thing was not like the Clark Kent she knew. He was a twisted reflection that had been warped by the Lazarus Pit.
  
  She bit her lip as she continued to type in, the countdown was at thirty and counting. Sweat began to roll down Lana's face as she was in the pleasure cooker and time was running out. She wanted to pull her hair out but she did not have any time.
  
  "Come on, come on," Lana pleaded with the weapon as she widened her eyes and tried one last ditch effort to get through.
  
  She screwed her eyes shut, to brace herself for what was to come next.
  
  Kal-El hovered several miles out of the city of Metropolis when he waited for the big boom to happen but his ear had picked up something. The something he picked up was most certainly not to his taste as he scowled. Lana disabled the weapon at the last second possible for it was launched. The Kryptonian hovered in the air as he moved back and forth before he looked down upon the ground.
  
  A loud thunderous crash echoed when Kal-El sensed it was coming. This complicated things far more than one could ever imagine. He did not want to engage the monster toe to toe; fighting an enemy face to face was such a human thing to do. It defied everything that a true Kryptonian was, he had come to that realized as he embraced more and more what it fully meant to be a Kryptonian. Such a battle lacked a great deal of logic and now Kal-El backed off in the air before he flew back to face Doomsday.
  
  Doomsday and Kal-El went face to face in the city streets of Metropolis before Doomsday raised his arms in a sadistic manner before he rushed forward. The monster's eyes filled with the fury of a blood night when he moved to engage Kal-El.
  
  Kal-El dodged out of the way at super speed and Doomsday turned around but Kal-El raised his arms into the air before he smashed Doomsday down across the top of the head. The monster staggered before Kal-El summoned a full breath and blew at the top of his lungs.
  
  His super breath sent Doomsday flying backwards halfway across the city before the monster spiraled head over heels. Doomsday crashed down to the ground as Kal-El hoisted Doomsday up into the air before he flew into the air hard and fast as he could. The friction ripped at these human clothes but Kal-El could not care about that. There was one thing on his mind and that was to put the monster in the ground, permanently.
  
  A super-sonic punch smashed Doomsday in the head and another supersonic punch rattled Doomsday hard and long. A ballistic flurry of lefts and rights stung the monster but his healing abilities shrugged off the attacks. Kal-El found the monster's hands around his throat as he felt his strength falter just a slight bit but he ignored it.
  
  Kal-El fell out of the air when his flight had failed him and Doomsday dropped down to the ground. He would not do it, he would not lose his Kryptonian self but rather he backed up and at super speed he knocked Doomsday back long and hard.
  
  As the fight was going on, Lois Lane watched from the Daily Planet windows with an awestruck expression on her face. Suddenly, certain things flooded back to her to the extent where it overwhelmed her and almost made her pass out. Her eyes widened as things slowly clicked in her mind that had been lost over the past number of weeks. Lois grabbed the side of the window and dug her fingers into the side of the window before she turned her gaze back outside.
  
  Everything made so much sense to Lois now more than ever before and she recalled her brief stint with powers. She and Clark were going to have a talk when this was over but right now she saw that the battle had left the streets of Metropolis. Lois could not help but watch the sadistic carnage that had been presented not unlike a car crash that one could not look away from.
  
  Kal-El and Doomsday meanwhile soured high into the sky away from the city and into the country as they continued to exchange super-powered punches that sounded like cannons going off. The Star Child and the Destroyer battled high above the sky just as it had been written in the stars when their punches having continued to connect with sadistic fury. The intensity picked up with each passing moment.
  
  With a smash, Doomsday cracked hard into the ground. The miniature earthquake could be felt all through Metropolis as Kal-El rolled over and held up his hands that had been scrapped when he turned around. The ravages of battle could be felt but he pushed himself past any limits that he had been imposed with before. Kal-El breathed heavily before he summoned all of his power as he flew around the Earth all of the way at super speed.
  
  Doomsday looked up and Kal-El came back from the other side having circled around to the globe three sixty with his fist outstretched. The punch smacked Doomsday directly in the face before he flew down into the ground and now Kal-El grabbed him hard around the head, before he jumped up again.
  
  With swift precision Doomsday was hoisted high into the ground with Kal-El bringing him high up into space before he spun around and then he sent him back down to Earth in a flash. Doomsday had been planted hard into the ground like a tree with a thunderous smash and in fact several trees had been snapped when the two fighters connected with the ground.
  
  Kal-El and Doomsday laid in a crater in the Earth when the dust had cleared and the monster pulled himself up. The two clashed with each other with Kal-El having nailed Doomsday with a huge punch. Another punch smashed into Doomsday hard before Kal-El hoisted Doomsday high into the air before he grabbed him high up.
  
  The Kryptonian sat out with a huge Muscle Buster type move which caused Doomsday to sink into the Earth, being driven deep underground.
  
  Kal-El pulled himself out of the crater as he cringed when he had felt blood being drawn. He tried to get up and fly away but he found himself blasted out of the sky with three bolts of identical magical energy. Kal-El tried to push back through the energy bolts but this effort was all for naught for he grew weaker, weaker, weaker, until he landed on the ground hard.
  
  Head over heels Kal-El flew backwards and crashed down to the ground. He saw three figures hover in the air above the moonlight before one of them held a medallion over him. Kal-El recognized the medallion as the one thing that could threaten his powers but there was no stopping what was going to happen.
  
  Harry pointed the medallion over Kal-El and hoped by purging all of the yellow solar radiation from him, this would reset him back into Clark Kent. The power battery was drained completely as Clark dropped to the ground with the impact. He took a deep breath as he looked down at Clark.
  
  Kara moved in as she scooped up Clark and sped him back to the Kent Farm so he could recover. Harry activated the ear piece that he had on.
  
  "Lana, Clark's fine," Harry told her over the communication link.
  
  "What about Doomsday?" Lana asked Harry, her voice shook only slight but she recovered immediately. "Please tell me that Clark defeated him after all we went through tonight."
  
  There was a moment where Harry paused long and hard before he collected his thoughts and he responded to Lana.
  
  "He's still around, but he's half and half again," Harry answered before he elaborated. "He was all gold like Clark, which meant we can't kill him. Now he's half red and half gold."
  
  "It's going to be Clark's monster to slay," Lana responded as she shook her head.
  
  "Not alone, but yes he'll have to deal the crushing blow," Harry stated when he took a moment to recover. This had been a tense night all things considered. "I just hope that it's not at a great price."
  
  Lana did not know what Harry meant but she had to know that it was not going to be good. With this entire Doomsday mess things were going to get a bit harder.
  
  Harry turned around as he saw Karen fly off at that point, but that just seemed to be a standard issue with her. They would have to have a talk sooner than later but Harry had other things that he wanted to figure out.
  
  "Chloe, Clark's fine," Harry said as he switched frequencies on the earpiece.
  
  "Oh, thank God," Chloe said as she breathed when she had heard Harry's news.
  
  "Don't thank him yet, Doomsday's not done yet," Harry told her when he walked away in a funk before he down and tried to track the monster. Yet he saw something else, he sensed something far more dangerous than Doomsday lurking in the offing. His bad luck just would not leave him alone. "Damn it."
  
  "What's wrong?" Chloe asked to Harry over the communication link.
  
  Harry collected his thoughts for a bit before he responded whilst he brushed his hair form his eyes.
  
  "It's not over," Harry told Chloe in a cryptic voice. "It's just started. I'll see you at home. I need to get back in the Shining Light Foundation."
  
  "Do you want me to meet you there?" Chloe asked at that point.
  
  "If you want to go check up on Clark first, that'd be fine, but your help is appreciated," Harry said as he turned off to look into the sky.
  
  The night looked oddly peaceful, the kind of night that was the calm before the storm.
  
  Clark's eyes flickered open when he shook his head. It was not for the first time in recent memory that he had woken up without any memories. In fact, this seemed to be a disturbingly recurring theme that Clark was unable to shake that he should not have to deal with. His head shook as he tried to push himself up.
  
  "Clark, it is you, isn't it Clark?" Lana asked as she hovered over Clark. She really hoped that he was back because that thing that he had been warped into was not something that she thought she could stomach.
  
  "Yes, of course it's me, Lana, who else would I be?" Clark asked in confusion with Lana offering him a bit of a smile. "What happened?"
  
  "You fell in one of those pits, remember those?" Lana asked before Clark answered with a brisk nod. "It twisted your mind but you're all better now."
  
  Lana proceeded to explain everything that happened to Clark and Clark had grown rather frustrated when he had heard what nearly happened. Had Lana not been able to shut down that weapon that he prepared, who knew what was going to happen. Clark had an idea that it was not going to be a fun time for the world and she had found a new way to protect him, this time from himself. Who really knew what would happen, that was something that Clark mulled over in his mind constantly.
  
  Actually Clark had a good idea, there might be a little bit of a problem. He looked at Lana for an extremely long time as he tried to determine what he was going to say. Clark shook his head when he looked at her with Lana's hand on his.
  
  "Thank you, Lana, I guess you protected me in more ways than one," Clark said as he looked rather grateful and Lana just smiled at him.
  
  "Yes, and you flew," Lana responded with a smile and Clark had got up immediately. "Clark, don't try and strain yourself!"
  
  Clark had only half-listened to Lana as he pulled himself back to his feet to stagger to the left, a bit punch drunk when he shook his head from side to side. This was news that he could get behind, but the problem was how to get it to happen when he was not under the influence.
  
  "That's proof that I should have those powers," Clark answered as he exited the Kent Farm and he tried to take a running start and take flight.
  
  Sure enough Clark jumped into the air but as he tried to fly, he crashed down onto the ground. Lana tried not to be too amused at his antics before she shook her head and helped Clark up to his feet.
  
  "Clark, don't get too discouraged," Lana told him in a firm voice.
  
  True to form, Clark did in fact get discouraged as he took a deep breath.
  
  "If I could fly when I was under the effects of the Pit, I should be able to fly, something's blocking my powers," Clark said as he looked up into the sky. "The Pit made me pure enough to fly..."
  
  "The pit drove you insane," Lana argued when she looked at Clark with a serious expression in her eyes. She feared that Clark was going to do something rather drastic and needed to stop him before he did. "Clark, swear to me that you're never going to seek out that pit, no matter what."
  
  Clark had seemed reluctant to give Lana his word for too long but a smile crossed his face when he saw the firm look in her eyes. The two stared at each other as the wind blew over the fields. It was a beautiful night in Smallville.
  
  "Okay, Lana, but I can't believe that I flew," Clark answered as he wondered what about the Lazerus Pit had made him think differently. "What about the destroyer, what about Doomsday..."
  
  "Harry said he's still out there," Lana offered as she interrupted Clark, but Clark's cell phone had gone off.
  
  "Hello?" Clark answered when he looked rather tense but shook his head.
  
  "Clark, we need to talk, Daily Planet, right now," Lois responded at that point. "I saw you outside and I remembered everything."
  
  Lana and Clark exchanged a rather apprehensive expression, they wondered if this day would come.
  
  "Lana and I will be right over," Clark said to Lois.
  
  "Great, we can be a threesome," Lois responded in a cheerful voice, a term that caused Clark to stagger a little bit and nearly fall over his feet.
  
  Thankfully Lana was quick enough to be able to catch him and with another motion, Lana scooped up Clark. Clark braced himself for what was to come as Lana jumped into the sky towards the Daily Planet with Clark in her arms.
  
  It was up, up, and away from there.
  
  Raya observed them silently, and nodded with a smile. She wondered if Lana would fill in all of the details to Kal-El what happened. It was not entirely bad if she had to be honest with herself.
  
  Elsewhere in Metropolis Karen flew high above the sky to the outside of the Shining Light Foundation. She mulled certain matters over in her mind ever since that she had her encounter with Harry all of those weeks ago at Luthorcorp. While she was not a firm believer of destiny, Karen thought that there were just a certain amount of times where things just felt right. Karen flew towards the building.
  
  She saw her two fellow Heralds of Death in the Shining Light Foundation as a smile had crossed over her face. With a movement, Karen wrapped her knuckles on the window on the office on the top floor. There was a pause before Karen waited for them to answer at that moment.
  
  Harry walked over and opened the window to allow Karen inside. He looked at her but Karen flew inside and threw her arms around Harry as she slid inside. She calmed herself down for a minute before she spoke to her fellow to Heralds of Death.
  
  "So, I've done some things that I'm not proud of when I've been here," Karen commented when she looked at them, her shoulders slumped when she shifted guiltily. "And while I still think that Kal-El should man up a little bit and take control of his own life, I do think that there is a chance that he could go too far as we saw today."
  
  "Yeah, there is," Kara agreed when she looked back at her double before she backed off from Harry and gave a long sigh. "But these are matters we can talk about later, and believe me we need to talk."
  
  "I know," Karen said to Harry and Kara as she slumped against the wall before she just though about everything that had happened and there was a lot that happened.
  
  There was a long moment where the awkward silence happened as guilt ate away at Karen. There was something that drove her to act in the ways she did and it was just then where she realized just how messed up she was. Her bright blue eyes found their way on Harry and Kara for a very long time before she spoke.
  
  "You need to understand what happened, and I need to get something off of my chest," Karen said as she leaned against the wall before Harry offered her a chair. Gratefully Karen took it as she sat down.
  
  "And it's just as well you came around because we might need your help," Kara chimed in and at this statement Karen grew quite curious.
  
  The three of them had been at odds several times and had worked together at others, but it just seemed like they were on different pages. Yet, the more time passed, the more that they wished to get together and step forward into the light to face anything. They might not be able to take down Doomsday, given how Death dicked them around on matters like this.
  
  However being the Heralds of Death, there was so much they could do the help guide Clark, as long as they stood together.
  
  A figure laid in a cornfield somewhere in the countryside as he was splattered in an immense amount of blood. He shuddered when he woke up. The last thing he remembered he was abducted and then he was here.
  
  Davis Bloome rested in the field and there was something that was completely different amount him, there were flashes that appeared in his mind. Flashes flickered through his head about a beast that had taken over his body when the Lazarus Pit had flooded into him, with every single cell of his body having been saturated and changed. He was far more dangerous than he could ever even believed.
  
  Bloome shook himself as he saw a pickup truck show up at the edge of the field. He actually heard it far before it had shown up but naturally his mind did not really process it all that much. The man got up and he felt a savage fury bubble deep within him. There was only one flicker that had gone through his mind.
  
  'Rip, tear, kill, maim.'
  
  Those words repeated themselves like some demented mantra that caused Davis to twist more and more around the bend like a knife had been stabbed deep within himself. The footsteps could be heard as the farm couple had gotten closer and closer to check him.
  
  Davis mentally flashed back to a figure being found in the field by a group of uniformed personnel. They had found him to think that he was some kind of savior, some kind of traveler, and had taken him in for observation.
  
  Everything just went back to a cornfield and a shower of green fire, but what that exactly entailed, he did not more. He did not know at all and Davis pulled himself up when the young man had shined a light in his head.
  
  "Are you alright there?" the farmer asked as he shined the light.
  
  He pulled himself up as he did not have a stich of clothing on him before Davis got up with the farmer looking him right in the eye. Davis felt the urge to murder, the monster needed blood or it would break out again to destroy everyone. The destroyer would kill far more people to lead to a literal doomsday.
  
  Bloome got to his feet and knew what he must do to satisfy the bloodlust. He grabbed the farmer around the neck and with surprisingly strength snapped his neck back. The farmer landed down on the ground with a thud.
  
  His wife screamed but a hand to her mouth silenced her. She tried to struggle against the grip of Bloome but the harder that she struggled, the more Bloome suffocated her until the air had been pushed out of her. The eyes rolled in the back of her head as she dropped down to the back.
  
  Davis felt satisfied as did the monster within for now but how long would it last? Or would it even last, that was the question that he asked mentally. Davis walked off as the two dead bystanders had been knocked out. A chill could be felt through the air as he walked off.
  
  "We tracked it to Afghanistan when we found it in the wreckage, not a scratch. I want to know why."
  
  Tess held a glowing crystal in her hand and had her people at Luthorcorp hook it up to the computers. No substance on Earth would be able to survive that damage. There was an instant where she waited, watched, and hoped for the best.
  
  There was nothing at all after nearly an hour despite the efforts of her best people to scan the crystal. It did not get a blip even at all.
  
  Tess spun around and walked off, another disappointment but the rumors of what happened in Metropolis piqued her interest. As did three villages in the Middle East that vanished off the face of the map, almost like they never existed at all.
  
  The moment Tess left, the computer screens flickered to life. A symbol of three dots in an upside triangle flashed with strange symbols on the screen.
  
  There was a download in process.
  
  "Soon, Kal-El, not even your Herald of Death protector will be able to stop Doomsday from coming. I manipulated the girl into accelerating his descent by attacking him whilst inflaming her mind to act in an irrational manner and now the job will be finished. The House of El will fall. The BrainInteractive Construct will fulfill the core objective from the House of Zod."
  
  Slowly, subtly, Brainiac of Earth-2 infected the Luthorcorp computers.
  Crisis Part One
  
  Chapter 54: Crisis Part One. (Alternate Title: Power Girl or We Are Legion).
  
  Karen felt guilt wash over her body, after everything that happened; she was surprised that the other two Heralds welcomed her with open arms. Tonight's events were a wakeup call for what might have happened if Kal-El had shut his emotions off completely like she initially wanted. It was a dire sight as Clark had indulged himself in the more twisted aspects of the House of El and their bloodline.
  
  The House of El had been an interesting lineage filled with more disturbed and depraved individuals than there were noble hearts. While Karen did not trust Jor-El to say the very least, she had to admit that he was one of the more decent individuals that came out of the House of El. Not that was anything to write home about, but Karen's mind was far clearer than it ever was before now she lost the crystal. The blonde Kryptonian spent a number of moments to contemplate everything that had transpired.
  
  A chair offered to her was taken at the speed of light and Kara and Harry sat down in front of her.
  
  "I suppose I should start with apologizing for everything that I've done, but the Herald of Death powers, they overwhelmed me and I didn't have the best life to begin with," Karen managed with a sigh. Her eyes screwed shut when she took a moment to contemplate her lot in life before she returned her gaze to her two fellow Heralds. "Kal-El...Clark, whatever, I might have been a bit harsh on him."
  
  "Just a bit, yes," Kara said when she looked at Karen with a smile crossing her face.
  
  "You can't deny that you're a bit underwhelmed by his progress," Karen responded and Kara looked back at her for a little bit before she decided to give her honest assessment on the situation.
  
  "I would have at least thought Kal-El would have flown by now but I think that the fact is that he hasn't completely embraced his heritage. And that is for one simple reason, Jor-El's heavy handed approach and constant harping on Clark might have done more harm than good. My aunt is trying to temper Jor-El and prepare Clark the best she can, but Aunt Lara wishes in part that she had been there to guide Clark since the beginning."
  
  "She was always the more level headed of the two," Karen remarked tensely when her eyes flickered against the clock. "Eight long years imprisoned, that really did a number on me."
  
  "What happened?" Harry asked Karen. This inquiry gave Karen a moment's pause before she collected her thoughts and answered. Her hands placed against the chair allowed a brace for when she looked into Harry's eye, feeling she could trust him beyond all others.
  
  "I came here to Earth just like this universe's Kara did. My ship was trapped in the dam for years, but I broke out. I found out that my cousin had been raised, not by Jonathan and Martha Kent, but by Lionel Luthor."
  
  Harry let out the breath he was holding but he wondered where Karen had fit into this. Sure enough, she was not going to hesitate to tell him. Karen pressed on with the story as she figured that it would be just that much easier.
  
  "I saw Lionel for the snake that he was but I was overwhelmed and captured, kept in a room underneath red solar ramps for days on end, experimented on. I had Kryptonite injected into my blood stream so Lionel could learn more about the secrets of Krypton and the universe, his lust for control was unbelievable."
  
  Karen choked a little bit so Harry wrapped an arm around her, a gesture that she appreciated. There was something about Harry's touch that soothed her and welcomed her, at least for a little bit. The blonde closed her eyes tightly before she continued.
  
  "For years and years, they conducted all of these experiments on me, but I tried to remain calm, thinking that I could still save him, still save Clark from Lionel, but that was when he showed up. The other child Lionel adopted. His name was Harrison...Harrison Luthor."
  
  Harry had a really bad feeling about this as did Kara but both did not say anything for now. Karen took that as the cue to continue to talk to both of them and she did with a heavy heart.
  
  "I was enamored by Harrison, most women were, and he had most women, before he threw them to the side like a used gum. He claimed that they were all nothing to him, that I was the one that he was destined to rule the world with, to rule all of the galaxies. He promised me that if I agreed to be with him forever, he'd kill Lionel and save Kal-El. I almost believed him but then he killed Kal-El, to make sure that I had no distractions from him. After he had ruined Kal-El's life by exposing where he came from, even though the two were raised as brothers. That didn't mean much in the house of Luthor."
  
  Karen now had her head buried in Harry's shoulder as Harry now knew how he had figured in during that alternate world. Harry realized how lucky he had been with the Dursleys now, especially if the alternative had been being raised by Lionel Luthor. He shuddered to think of the implications. Kara looked from Harry to Karen as she felt a stirring in her heart and felt bad for Karen.
  
  "He had all of your powers, and none of your heart," Karen managed when she looked at Harry. Harry was taken again as Karen wrapped her arms around Harry tightly and pressed up against him. "I know that Harrison Luthor was born Harry Potter of my home dimension, but through Lionel's conditioning, he got twisted into something else, something sadistic."
  
  "I find it hard to believe that Death would allow this," Kara chimed in but Karen's eyes remained on Kara's for an instant.
  
  "Death did not allow anything, for Harrison Luthor is Death as far as that universe was concerned," Karen said when she managed to regain her composure. Kara now added her arms around Karen to comfort the poor girl. "He's far more dangerous, and this universe's version of Death sent for me, because she feared that he would discover other worlds or worse, you would become like him."
  
  "Harry will never become like him," Kara responded in a firm voice as she expressed confidence in her voice.
  
  Karen did agree but there was a problem, if Harrison Luthor could breach the dimensional barrier somehow, he could take over this version of Earth. He was that powerful, there was no question about it and posed a graver threat to the entire multiverse than most.
  
  "He's over in your world right," Harry stated and Karen nodded slowly, as the mage slowly kissed the tears away from the blonde Herald of Death.
  
  "But I can still see him, he's a monster, and that's not a word that I throw around lightly," Karen stated when she got up to her feet. "But now, we have to work together. I've been stubborn but now I have to work together. The three of us, we're the Heralds of Death and we need to protect Kal-El until the time where he's ready to step into his role. Whether it's one year or a hundred, that's the mission that we have been tasked with."
  
  Harry and Kara agreed, this was what they had been sent here for. They would be there to pull Clark out of the fire no matter how many times it took.
  
  "We found something, a gravestone with symbols on it," Kara chimed in when she remembered it from all of those months back. "It needs three of us."
  
  "The key of eternity, the one means that the Herald of Deaths can use to resurrect one life without any consequence," Karen said and Kara and Harry nearly jumped out of their seat but stayed calm. Harry asked the next question when his gaze focused upon Karen's face.
  
  "One time per person or one time per the three of us?"
  
  "Good question actually," Karen answered with a shrug.
  
  That was going to be something that they were going to have to look up at another time but right now there was something that caught their attention. At this very instance, blinding flashes of light could be seen outside the door outside of Metropolis and a blinding white light erupted with a flash.
  
  Karen, Kara, and Harry watched the blinding lights with their mouths a gap when they leaned towards the window. They were so focused on this that they did not even see Chloe show up.
  
  "Hey guys...whoa, what's that?"
  
  Chloe's eyes widened, completely awestruck, before she analyzed the situation at hand. She patiently waited for the answer but she did not have to wait for very long as Harry turned around to go face to face for her.
  
  "The First has awakened."
  
  "All of these years...all of these years, suddenly my life makes so much sense, I can't even believe it. And all the....I can't believe I didn't piece together sooner."
  
  "Believe it Lois, believe it," Clark responded as he was unable to keep that Kansas City Farm Boy smile on his face. Despite the utter cheesiness of it, Lois could not help but be endeared to him.
  
  "There's just one thing that I have to say," Lois remarked casually before in a flash of light she grabbed Clark around the arm and flipped him down to the ground hard before she pinned him to the ground. Lois straddled Clark when she pinned him down to the ground, much to Lana's amusement. "C'mon Smallville, you haven't been eating your Wheaties lately or something?"
  
  Clark looked at Lana as if imploring her to help but the grin that was on Lana's face could light up an entire room. She threw her hands up to feign innocence as Lois had Clark down on the ground and at her mercy. And Lois found herself completely lacking that particular quality for she continued to look in Clark's eyes.
  
  "So, how do you like the shoe to be on the other foot?" Lois asked Clark when she pushed him to the ground.
  
  "Yeah, point taken, would it help if I said uncle?" Clark asked Lois but Lois just offered him a brief smile.
  
  "It's a start Clark, it's a start," Lois remarked casually when she peered at Clark in his eyes and allowed him to get to his feet. Clark scrambled to his feet but Lois stopped him once again. "I seem to remember something about a combat against some alien queen. Lana and I won that, I believe it was for a rite of combat for your hand."
  
  Clark hitched in a breath, he wondered when Lois was going to bring up that point but the grin on her face widened. Lois grabbed Clark around the waist and pulled him into a tight grip. It was now that Clark realized that Lois had not properly figured out how to temper her own strength. Granted, Clark could take it but normal people could not.
  
  "Yes, yes, you did," Clark managed when Lois leaned into him and gazed into his eyes long and hard, before she violently attacked his mouth with a kiss. She pinned Clark down to the ground when she shoved her tongue into his mouth.
  
  She paused, and gave him a wicked smile. "And after all the secrets you kept from me...well I think you've been a very naughty boy Clark and deserved to be punished."
  
  Clark wondered what he had gotten himself into as Lana watched and hummed nonchalantly. A year ago, she would not be so accepting of this but after the Fortress information had been downloaded into her brain, she understood that there were certain cultural differences that she had to accept. Besides, it was healthy for the mind to open itself up to new experiences.
  
  "Are you really going to lay down and take that, Clark?" Lana asked as she couldn't resist egging her boyfriend on.
  
  "I'm trying," Clark managed when Lois had performed the kiss, working his clothes off him. "Lois, are you in heat?"
  
  Lois's eyes were glowing to show her heat vision was about to go, so that answered Clark's question. She furiously began to go after Clark, she wanted him so bad that she could taste it.
  
  "I think that he should make it up to me, for all of the times he ducked out on me and left me out of the loop," Lois remarked when she gave Clark Junior a handshake to greet him as Lana joined her down on the ground. "How long had he kept the big secret from you, Lana?"
  
  "About six years," Lana remembered when Lois locked eyes with Lana, gave her a wicked grin, and caused Clark to shudder. He had a feeling that Lois formed some rather devious intention in her minds and he was about to be the victim to what she was cooking up.
  
  Clark was right to fear that point when Lois turned to Clark with a mischievous glint in her eye that Clark did not know whether to be excited or scared by. Regardless, Clark relearned the lesson that he learned the hard when Lana had gotten her powers. That lesson was that super powered women acquired some super powered hormones, there were no two ways about it.
  
  "I think Clark should be taught a lesson about keeping secrets from the people close to him," Lois answered with a smirk across her face as she stripped Clark at super speed and Lana was no help because she may have accidentally used her powers to hold Clark in place.
  
  Right "accidentally" that was what she did, Lois and Lana exchanged a devious look to prepare to do something next.
  
  Clark had gotten a reprieve when his cell phone rang. Lois and Lana both knew that this could be an emergency. As quick as light, Clark moved over to answer the phone as Lois just watched him before an amused thought crossed in her head.
  
  'Faster than a speeding bullet, hopefully he's not like that in bed.'
  
  The young man in question grabbed the phone and took a moment to collect his bearings before he answered.
  
  "Hey," Clark managed like nothing out of the ordinary happened to him before he answered the phone.
  
  "Clark, you need to get to the Shining Light Foundation ASAP, there's something going down that you need to see, and we might have a problem," Chloe said without pausing to ask Clark how he was doing. Clark could hear the frantic tone of her voice, so he managed to recollect his bearings along with his pants and answer.
  
  It wouldn't be the first time Chloe saved his ass and he had a feeling that it was more literal this time than ever before.
  
  "I'll be right over there right away," Clark responded in a firm voice. "Does it have to do with Doomsday?"
  
  "Doomsday is the least of our problems right now," Chloe answered, and this statement did wonders in making Clark wonder what was going on. If there was something more dangerous out there than the Ultimate Destroyer, than they could be in for a rude awakening, but Clark struggled to think what that might be.
  
  Lois and Lana looked at Clark curiously but he offered then an apologetic look.
  
  "Cancel the orgy, I guess," Lois offered in an understanding voice.
  
  "We have a problem, Chloe says that I need to get to the Shining Light Foundation pronto," Clark told both Lana and Lois but Lana was the one who amended Clark's words.
  
  "Don't you mean that we need to get to the Shining Light Foundation?" Lana offered and Clark decided not to protest.
  
  "Yeah, after all of the times that I got left out of the loop, I'm not about be to cut out now," Lois replied when she dared Clark to contradict her with a look at his eyes, but she found no contradiction to be had. Finally, he knew better.
  
  The three sped off with Clark being the slowest but for some reason after tonight he was just a bit faster. Not fast enough to catch up with them but still he evolved a bit with his powers. Perhaps his powers underwent an equivalent of a growth spurt or something along those lines. Or perhaps the effects of the Pit had not quite left Clark.
  
  Never the less he felt a bit stronger and a bit faster, which was something that Clark felt good about. After everyone had surpassed him, it was time for an upgrade.
  
  Before Clark could reach the Shining Light Foundation a blinding pulse of light struck him. This was unlike anything that he had ever seen or felt before. Lana and Lois stopped and spun around as they felt it between them too.
  
  Slowly, all of them appeared to be drawn into some kind of field that warped around them to reveal a cloud of anti-matter. A figure walked forward dressed in a blue bodysuit with a helmet with peering red eyes and a face carved out of granite. He towered over Clark, Lana, and Lois and walked forward, shaking the ground. The hideous creature looked at them in disdain.
  
  "So, this is the traveler they prophesized coming," this individual said in a deep voice. "As of yet, I'm underwhelmed. But perhaps you are more than you appear, Man of Tomorrow."
  
  "Who are you?" Clark asked as Lana and Lois wondered what was going on. Come to think of it, Clark wondered what was going on as well; nothing about this situation seemed to add up to anything that remotely made sense.
  
  "I'm called many things, and I go by many names, the devourer of worlds, the scrounge of souls, but you may call me the Anti-Monitor."
  
  "Clark, you can't fight him," Lana managed when she grabbed Clark by the arm and fear flooded through her eyes.
  
  This Anti-Monitor obliterated entire planets, galaxies, dimensions if what the Fortress told her was true and if he was who he claimed to be. He had been sealed away a long time ago, but not before many lives were erased. The records horrified Lana when she read about each atrocity.
  
  "You are merely a fly upon the windshield that is the universe, so you can't stop me," the Anti-Monitor commented but Clark stepped forward and rushed at him at his top speed and swung with a punch.
  
  Clark screamed when his hand was completely burned. There was no two ways about it, what the Anti-Monitor did to him hurt. He flew back but thankfully Lana and Lois were able to catch him, before they flipped Clark back onto his feet. The Anti-Monitor regarded the three of them as annoyances that he would crush.
  
  "We're going to die, aren't we?" Lois asked when she gazed at Lana and Clark.
  
  Before the Anti-Monitor could transform them into Anti-Matter, and erase them from the universe, three bright lights shot from the sky and impacted the Anti-Monitor. A tear in the fabric of time and space opened when the Anti-Monitor crashed through and the world around Clark, Lois, and Lana got suddenly warm again.
  
  At first Clark thought that the three Heralds shown up to save them but these were three different heroes.
  
  "Who are you?"
  
  "We're the Legion of Super Heroes, and we've come from the future to stop the great crisis from happening."
  
  This got Clark's attention immediately and he was helped to his feet, managing to regain his bearings.
  
  "Tell me more."
  
  "The seal was broken then," Kara concluded with a sigh when she, Harry, and Karen moved through the Lifeline Reading to double check everything.
  
  "The Anti-Monitor was sealed away for millennia, but something busted him out," Harry concluded when he sat around in a circle with Chloe, Kara, and Karen.
  
  "Do you think he busted out when Clark fought Doomsday?" Chloe inquired and at that question there was a moment where Harry considered it before he nodded.
  
  "A true Kryptonian against a monster like Doomsday that would be a powerful fight, Harry commented when he thought about it. A bit of a sad smile twisted over his face when he considered everything that happened. "We were lucky that downtown Metropolis was not left in ruins."
  
  "Luck had nothing to do with what happened, and there's the fact that Doomsday is still out there," Chloe answered when she looked at all three of them.
  
  "Doomsday is a problem, I don't deny that," Karen answered when she considered everything that had gone down. This had been a long day for all of them but it was going to get even longer if they could not focus on the task at hand. "Be that as it may, it's Kal-El's problem to deal with, not that we can't help him."
  
  "You'd hate to see something happen to him again," Chloe offered Karen but Karen did not say one word to Chloe. Chloe thought that getting any kind of response out of Karen was about as fun as pulling teeth. "Yeah, figured as much, despite your agitation with him, you've grown fond of him."
  
  "He is family, sort of," Karen mumbled before she turned outside the window to see the flashing lights and to hear the weird buzzing. "He should be getting here by now."
  
  "Unless he got sidetracked with Lois and Lana," Harry offered and Kara and Chloe both pulled faces, not wanting to think about either of their cousins doing the horizontal mambo with anyone. "I'm sure he'll get here when he can."
  
  "Do you think that Ra's had any idea what he was doing when he released the First?" Kara asked when she tapped her fingers against the side.
  
  "Good question, wish I had an answer," Harry responded when he brushed his hair away.
  
  Ra's Al Ghul was another problem area given his status as an immortal but Harry would find and track him down along with Kara and Karen in due time. The problem was that one did not live as long as Ra's without learning a few tricks of the trade. Harry moved over to grab the phone to call Clark, but it went dead.
  
  Claire was with Megan back in Smallville, but given what was out there; Harry wanted his daughter to be as far away from the chaos as humanly possible.
  
  "We have a problem," Kara said suddenly as her pupils diluted and her body grew rigid.
  
  A flash appeared in her eyes of Clark being obliterated in a wave of anti-matter and his particles scattered all across the universe. Kara shuddered at the thought of it, wondered how real it was, was it happening now, or was it going to happen? Harry threw his arms around one of his wives and pulled her in as the other two looked at him.
  
  "You saw that too?" Karen asked when she placed her hands onto the floor. Her finger nails dug into the floor to leave indentations, nervous at what she saw and her heart beat steadily against her chest. A rhythm was established before Chloe inclined her head to meet Karen, to establish full eye contact.
  
  "We all saw it, I think," Harry breathed when he grabbed onto Kara's hand and tried to comfort her, to let her know that everything was going to be okay.
  
  "Clark's going to get killed by the First, we have to go now!" Kara yelled losing her head and panicking.
  
  Karen did not want to voice the other alternative that what Kara saw was the present and not the future, but something held her back. She felt a knot in her stomach at the very thought and Chloe looked as bad as she felt. Harry was the only one who remained calm, thankfully for all of them, because someone had to.
  
  A flash erupted to jerk them all out of their thoughts and Harry, Kara, Karen, and Chloe all jumped to their feet. The Shining Light Foundation alarms gone off to indicate that someone was here that was not authorized. The four of them flew down the stairs to find out who was there, because something about an alarm going off triggered a red flag in their heads.
  
  Three figures stood at the bottom of the stairs surrounded by downed security guards.
  
  "Impressive, you took out my security," Harry responded with a raised eyebrow when he braced himself for an attack. "But the three of us do not wish to fight you."
  
  The dark haired young man spoke to face Harry. "Do not be alarmed, we do not wish to fight you, Heralds of Death, or any of the children under your care."
  
  "Heralds of Death, I don't know what you're talking about," Harry replied as he feigned interest.
  
  "Yeah, I never heard of that name in my life," Kara responded catching on but a blonde woman just looked back at her.
  
  "Your legend goes throughout time, even after your fall from grace, the good that you've done is not forgotten," the blond woman responded in a crisp voice. "Harry Potter, Kara Zor-El, and Karen Starr, or Arcane, Supergirl, and Power Girl as history remembers you."
  
  "Power Girl?" Karen managed with a raised eyebrow.
  
  "She's not named that yet," the third member of the team, a red haired young man stated.
  
  "Am now, thanks for the idea," Karen answered when she offered a wide grin.
  
  "Don't worry, they're with me," Clark said when he stepped out of the shadows and Lana and Lois followed, both looking quite baffled, and a bit skeptical.
  
  "Oh, thank Rao, Clark, you're okay," Kara said in a happy voice, with Chloe, Karen, and Harry sharing in her relief. "We thought the Anti-Monitor blasted you."
  
  "These three managed to defeat him," Clark answered but the dark haired young man shook his head.
  
  "Not exactly, we didn't defeat him, we merely delayed him," the dark haired young man told Clark and Clark was shocked. He turned around to face Harry, Kara, Karen, and Chloe. "Rokk Krinn, Leader of the Legion of Super Heroes."
  
  "Imra Ardeen," the blonde said when she regarded Harry with a bit of interest.
  
  "Garth Ranzz," the red haired young man said when he looked at them.
  
  "Now that introductions are down, we can get down to business," Rokk remarked as he looked at Harry. "You wouldn't happen to have a conference room or a place where we could meet?"
  
  "Upstairs, follow me," Harry responded but his eyes were still on the three. "Where did you three come from?"
  
  Rokk responded in a calm voice without missing a beat. "The thirty first century."
  
  Now Harry was both curious and skeptical but it remained to be seen what emotion won out in the battle of his mind. The powerful mage would give them all the benefit of the doubt to explain why they were here, but his suspicions heightened. The fact that they said the Heralds of Death had a fall from grace was not missed upon them.
  
  "I hope you're well K...Clark," Karen replied in a polite tone of voice that took Clark aback.
  
  Today was definitely a strange night and it was about to get stranger he had a feeling. Why was Karen actually being nice to him and not bitching him out about how he stalled in his destiny? Clark sensed that Lana was equally suspicious but Lois seemed to be adapting to this new level of insanity.
  
  Clark had a feeling that Lois would fit right in.
  
  Being bounced a few seconds ahead of time was something that the Anti-Monitor detested but he bounced back after a few moments when he found his way back. Given the intensity of the attack, the Anti-Monitor was very annoyed indeed. The force of destruction understood who had attacked him, those meddling fools in the Legion of Super Heroes interfered in his plans.
  
  Oh yes, the Anti-Monitor encountered the Legion before in their future which by his perspective would be his past. He recalled a battle in the future where he had been temporarily banished to the ancient past, a thousand years ago this moment. Death did what she could to contain him, to seal him in the past, but that failed.
  
  The Anti-Monitor at one point existed simultaneously in the past, present, and future, with Death's manipulations on his form indicated that he would not be able to do anything given that he was thrown into a state of constant flux. He circled throughout time in hyper-speed in an endless loop to watch civilizations come and civilizations go. By design, the Anti-Monitor stopped before he reached the end of time or the beginning before he looped back again.
  
  He looped again and again throughout time for all eternity, in temporal flux, until the seal broke itself to deposit him in a time where the Traveler and the Destroyer battled. The Anti-Monitor learned of their coming long ago when he was gifted the powers of the Herald of Death by the entity known as Death. They would have a cataclysmic battle where the Traveler would either rise from to take his first step to his destiny or fall hard to engulf the world into darkness.
  
  The battle only began the previous day, the Anti-Monitor saw the battle from afar as he broke form his temporal containment. The traveler, this Kal-El, underwhelmed him but it was the Heralds of Death who intrigued him most of all. This new set seemed to be allowed emotions, and seemed to care for these pathetic worms that infested this world.
  
  Unknowingly, the Anti-Monitor warped into the worst case scenario of what the Herald of Death powers could do to a person when they were not properly grounded. For three hundred years the Anti-Monitor worked tirelessly but he felt that there was something more. He tried to erase all of reality and instate a new order, but Death stopped him.
  
  Now the Anti-Monitor sought revenge against Death and those empowered by them and their Heralds. He struck against a barrier and understood that he appeared outside of his charge. Those fools in the Legion of Super Heroes cracked his outer shell but this was no matter. The Anti-Monitor repaired himself when he lifted his hands.
  
  Thousands of lives around him snuffed out, he did not know where, he did not know when, and he did not know who, but he didn't care. The pure power given by thousands of lives snuffed out was amazing. The Anti-Monitor sucked every single bit of the essence, men, women, children, vegetables, minerals, animals, it mattered little to him.
  
  All that lived withered due to his mere touch and the Anti-Monitor empowered to seek out the only ones who could stop him. Then with that finished, Death was next on his list.
  
  "We've come to the past to help save the past, present, and future."
  
  Harry's expression turned towards the three members of the Legion of Superheroes, a few peaks into their mind verified they were who they said they were, no level of deception could fool the Heralds of Deaths. Kara and Karen folded their arms, they wondered about the consequences of a trip to the past.
  
  "You realize that a trip to the past could have severe consequences that will impact the future," Kara remarked without missing a beat.
  
  Harry could not resist adding his two cents. "There have been grave consequences for those who meddled in the past, unless of course your trip has already been set in stone."
  
  Hermione lectured that point to Harry when they went back in time during their third year at Hogwarts to save Sirius from the Dementors and Buckbeak from getting executed. Harry recalled it and understood that time travel was a risky business. The final battle with Brainiac proved that much.
  
  Rokk understood their misgivings. "The past is one that is always in flux, the more time that has passed. In the thirty first century, there have been tails from travelers who claim to be from a far more distant future than the one we reside from."
  
  "We risk a lot from stepping into the past, for the moment we try and return, there is every chance that we will cease to exist," Imra responded with that fear rather real.
  
  "It's for a noble cause, and besides, we get to see one of the greatest heroes in the twenty first century up close and personal," Garth remarked when he looked at Clark.
  
  "Many of the greatest heroes," Rokk corrected but he readjusted his stance and continued to speak. "It will all be for naught if the past happens as we have recorded it. We only delayed the Anti-Monitor but he will return with a vengeance. Our rings managed to transport him far enough to the future."
  
  "What do those rings do?" Chloe asked curiously.
  
  "The rings allow for time travel and the flight among other powers, in addition to our more natural gifts," Imra answered and with that statement, Chloe turned to Clark with a smile.
  
  "Well we know what to get you for your birthday," Chloe commented with Clark giving her a mock glare. The three members of the Legion had their eyes snapped towards Clark in confusion. "He can't fly yet."
  
  "Kal-El can't fly?" Garth asked as he tried to reconcile this bit in his mind. "He's supposed to go faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, and that's just the one thing about Superman, he flies."
  
  'Wonderful, I'm going to have to mind wipe him before I go back now,' Imra thought in a sardonic manner.
  
  "Superman?" Clark asked in confusion, mulling over the name in his mind.
  
  "I prefer the Blur myself," Lois chimed in with a grin but Kara rolled her eyes in response. "It's a perfectly acceptable name."
  
  "Enough," Rokk said before he turned towards Clark. "The past is being written right now and many details get lost to the annals of history. We have come back for one purpose."
  
  "The Anti-Monitor is after Clark," Kara chimed in, remembering the vision she had earlier, that vision spooked her.
  
  Imra felt the need to correct Kara. "While the Anti-Monitor is after Clark, he will survive. You will not."
  
  Kara looked surprised and alarm flooded Harry's face.
  
  Rokk continued to chime in. "History states that Supergirl was killed fighting the Anti-Monitor to stop the great Crisis and Arcane eventually became one of the greatest terrors the world had ever seen, killing countless when he was driven mad by her death."
  
  This was a revelation that did not go over well with anyone at all.
  
  To Be Continued in "Crisis Part Two."
  Crisis Part Two
  
  Chapter 55: Crisis Part Two.
  
  A look of astonishment coupled with a hearty amount of skepticism crossed Kara's face when she looked at the three time travelers. To say that a maelstrom of emotions gone through her head would be the understatement of the century; the fact of the matter was she found herself confused. Clark's expression grew worried, Harry's emotions flew into the realm of panic, and Karen appeared highly skeptical, more so than Kara even was.
  
  Kara folded her hands over her lap and took a moment to consider every bit of this situation. Lois, Lana, and Chloe seemed unwilling to state what they made of this entire mess.
  
  "That's what history says," Imra chimed in when she saw the looks on the faces of all of the people in the room. For some reason and this was a point they agreed not to bring up, history altered as it pertained to Supergirl and Arcane's destiny. They were supposed to lead New Krypton but now the scenario was present as it unfolded. "History has been misread before and has the potential to be misread again, we must take certain matters up for a great deal of interpretation."
  
  "But the most reputable sources say that," Rokk added, he did not like this any better than the rest of the team did, but he had to face facts and consider what was before them. History stated Supergirl died and then Arcane slid off the deepend. "It may be best if Supergirl heads to the future until this matter is sorted out."
  
  "I don't run from my problems, true heroes don't," Kara answered when she folded her arms and refused to even consider the fact that she should be leaving for a moment. "You tell me what history says and you might believe it to be true, but a lot of things that are recorded, accepted as common knowledge, are likely wrong. I'm not going to believe what is written cannot be undone."
  
  Clark clung onto some hope that this would not happen, this would be worse than anything he ever imagined in his life. He added in a firm voice with conviction. "Doesn't the fact you came here change the course of history already? The moment you stepped out of the future and arrived her and interacted with the Anti-Monitor, we're into the unknown."
  
  "That might make the vision I had even worse, I might not die but you will," Kara told Clark and Lana and Lois both looked alarmed even though Lana was the first one to speak up.
  
  "No, that's not going to happen, I'm going to make sure no one dies or I'll die trying," Lana answered, a statement that gave Chloe an ample amount of reason to wince and her head turned towards Lana. The woman had the decency to act apologetic when Chloe's eyes were on her. "Sorry, that's not the way I intended to have that statement come out."
  
  "Could we please can the death talk?" Chloe asked when she looked from Kara to Clark to Lana and then to Lois, Harry, and Karen. "No one is going to die, no one is going to get killed, no one is going to die trying to prevent people from getting killed. History might say that Kara died, but you know what, we're going to make history wrong. And if you think that Harry's going to turn evil because of something like that, then none of you know him at all."
  
  Chloe folded her arms when she placed her hand on Harry's and dared them to contradict her words.
  
  "Perhaps we should ask the resident expert on Death, the head Herald what he thinks about what's going on," Garth commented when his eyes focused on Harry, but Harry stared back.
  
  Immediately, the word Death hit Lois immediately and her brain recalled something, sudden realization smacked against her psyche faster than a speeding bullet. She could hardly believe that this was happening so she slowly turned around towards Harry, an accusation dancing in her eyes. She drew breath before she fired out the statement that she had on the tip of her tongue towards Harry.
  
  "That was you wasn't it?" Lois asked suddenly when she looked at Harry, a statement that took Harry completely off his game and made him wonder what Lois was referring to.
  
  "I beg your pardon," Harry responded when he looked back at Lois, trying to scratch his head.
  
  "Under the dam, death, the guy in the robe, the guy who scared me half to death!" Lois yelled suddenly when it all came flooding back to her at super speed. She pointed an accusatory finger towards Harry, with madness dancing in her eyes. "That was you!"
  
  "Oh yeah, that was me," Harry recalled in a dismissive manner but Lois did not seem to be too thrilled that Harry brushed off her very real trauma.
  
  "You son of a bitch, you scared me half to you!" Lois snapped when she looked at Harry but then she stopped before she realized what she said.
  
  'I just called my boss a son of a bitch, which meant I called his dead mother a bitch,' Lois thought when she realized what she said as her complexion grew suddenly pale. 'Oh, I am so fired, it isn't even funny.'
  
  Harry's gaze found its way towards Lois's face when she gulped and everyone sat on pins and needles before he offered her a smile. Lois wondered what the deal with the smile was. It was certainly not a, "clear out your desk two days ago because you've been canned so hard" smile, it was an actual genuine smile. The smile was an actual genuine smile that was really creeping Lois out to the point where she could hardly believe how much his smile crept her out. There was a tense moment before Harry said the last thing that Lois expected.
  
  "Congratulations Lois, you've been promoted," Harry answered in a cheerful voice and Lois nearly cracked her own neck when she did a double take. Chloe tried to find some amusement out of the situation.
  
  "Um, thanks," Lois said, not knowing what to quite say about that.
  
  "Back to business," Karen answered when she looked at Lois and Harry, and the two of them shifted their eyes back into the battle. "I think that we should..."
  
  Before Karen could inform them what she thought that they should do, the scanners in the Shining Light Foundation mainframe computer went haywire. Since they were calibrated to pick up any unnaturally large spikes of magical energy, they went absolutely chaotic with the fury and the carnage. Chloe was the first one who rushed over to check the scanner and began to type in.
  
  "Guys, you might want to look at this, it seems like the Anti-Monitor is...this doesn't make any sense," Chloe mumbled when she rubbed her fingers against her temples and clicked the mouse on the computer. The three dimensional holograms popped up to reveal what was going on in the world. "The Anti-Monitor...it's almost like that he's erasing everything in his path."
  
  "Yes, he's erasing it and converting it into anti-matter, that's his fuel, that's what drives him," Imra responded before she placed a hand to her head and tried to shift emotions but she heard the despair of thousands of voices being snuffed out. "It's awful, all of it, they're dying, vanished in an instant."
  
  "Can we stop them?" Clark asked, hoping to hear some positive reinforcement.
  
  "Yes, there might be one way to shut down the Anti-Monitor but it presents a risk for the entire multiverse," Harry answered when his eyes turned to the rest of the team. "I can't understate that this is an all or nothing gambit, where we either succeed completely or fail."
  
  "So no pressure or anything," Lana concluded.
  
  "All of the pressure is on now," Kara remarked when she put her hand on Harry's and Karen put her other hand on Harry's, and the three Heralds stood ready to face this threat.
  
  "Stay safe K...Clark, and don't die," Karen voiced before she turned around and hugged Clark like a family member, something that started to freak him out just a little bit given how she acted to him previously.
  
  "I won't, don't worry," Clark answered before the three Heralds of Death prepared to go off.
  
  "They have a plan, we need to have faith," Chloe remarked when the silence that manifested within their disappearance broke.
  
  Kara, Karen, and Harry flew towards the source of where the disturbance took place, the latest attempt by the Anti-Monitor to feed and convert the energy into anti-matter. The trio made their way over the barren wasteland where things once stood, they once existed, but now the wave of power wiped it out in an instant. The three knew of their mission, it was one that was not going to be easy, but they had to fight like they never fought before, long and hard until the battle was one, no matter how long it took.
  
  "He's got to be close somewhere, I can feel him," Kara managed when she looked out into the distance and the three Heralds spotted two dots glowing nearby. It was the only thing that showed up within the wave and within the mist. "We're going to beat him and no one dies."
  
  "No one is going to die," Harry confirmed when the three Heralds watched from the distance and saw the force they assumed to be the Anti-Monitor gain momentum when it rolled over more life. "We're going to get his attention now."
  
  Three beams of heat vision synchronized to fire into the swirling dark cloud into the distance and the eruption caused a pained grimace. They knew that whatever their target was, they connected with one hundred percent accuracy. The explosion rattled them when the Anti-Monitor turned up to face them and his eyes locked onto them.
  
  "I thought of you as brave fools but this exceeds all my expectations," the Anti-Monitor responded in a crisp voice when he waved his hands.
  
  "Everything you got, now!" Harry ordered before Kara and Karen aimed their hands and fired with a ballistic fury towards the Anti-Monitor. The impact cracked him against the chest and sent him hurling back a step. "Keep it up, don't stop no matter what, I think we've damaged him just a little bit."
  
  Harry, Kara, and Karen impacted the Anti-Monitor with every single blast of energy that they could shoot from their hands. He tried to fire back hard but the combined power of the three Heralds of Death was barely enough to push him back. Harry maneuvered himself in front of the two girls in the line of fire, given that he had the closest ties to the Herald of Death powers. He was the strongest one of the three of them and energy blasts crashed from his hand before they impacted the Anti-Monitor hard.
  
  The Anti-Monitor staggered back a few inches but the dust cleared to reveal that he barely been cracked.
  
  "This is what Death sends as her heralds on this day and age," The Anti-Monitor responded when he held his hands into the air and clapped them hard to send the wave.
  
  "Fire back!" Kara yelled when she blocked the attack with a wave of energy. The two bolts collided with each other in ballistic fury and the glowing continued to occur when the forces vibrated against each other.
  
  "We're not going to make it," Karen voiced through gritted teeth when she felt a numbing sensation go through her hands. The blonde fired back and nailed the Anti-Monitor full force.
  
  "Yes, we're going to make it," Harry argued when the three of them propelled the full force of their power.
  
  The Legion of Super Heroes popped up into the battle for the second stream of attack but the Anti-Monitor was ready to block the attacks from their rings now. They were not going to displace him back in time again, even if the three of them fired with everything that they had. The three Heralds joined them with the six of them bombarding the Anti-Monitor with an attack. He lit up like a Christmas tree, but the universe shifted around at them.
  
  "He's transported us into the Anti-Matter Verse," Imra murmured in fear when she ran her hands through her hair and tried to pick up a reading. "I'm not getting anything from him."
  
  "He's nowhere, yet he's everywhere," Kara confirmed when she felt her body tense up when they looked around. The booming voice of the Anti-Monitor thundered.
  
  "After all of these years, it astounds me to think that people take the word of Death at any kind of face value, but of all of the broken promises she's given me, the consequences will lie before you. The world will be reshaped, with the sacrifice of you three Heralds giving me enough power to go back to the beginning and rewrite history. None of you can stop it, so why bother attempting this futile effort?"
  
  Harry hoped that he was able to break through the dimensional barriers to Chloe at the Shining Light Foundation, because they needed all of the help they could get. Dangerous shadow monsters, shapeless and hostile surrounded everyone, intent to smash them to smithereens at the first motion of resistance.
  
  "They're in some place called the Anti-Matter universe?" Clark asked when he tried to figure out if he heard Chloe correct. Sure enough, Chloe nodded her head before she spun around to talk to Clark in the chair. She managed to get Harry's mental message before everything faded to black in her mind and got the coordinates that she needed to fire up the portal in the Shining Light Foundation. "And how are we supposed to get him out if the Anti-Monitor's trapped them there?"
  
  "I can't believe...you got to go in there Clark, the Anti-Monitor wants you," Chloe answered suddenly and Lana and Lois's eyes widened at the thought of this. Clark looked apprehensive when Chloe continued her statement without another word. "Kara's going to die, and there's nothing any of us can do about it unless you go in there."
  
  "I'm..."
  
  "Clark, you're not going to die either," Chloe added with conviction in her voice when she began to punch in the coordinates to the Shining Light Foundation's portal device, not knowing how to work this thing as well as Kara and Harry did, but they managed to work her through the basics. "It's just...the Anti-Monitor never expected you to get involved, he thinks that you'll be protected at all costs."
  
  "That makes sense," Lana answered when she stroked her chin thoughtfully and looked at Clark and Chloe. Lois, however, had a look of extreme confusion cross over her face when her eyes darted back and forth from Chloe to Lana to Clark and back. The dark haired woman took a moment to pause before she thought.
  
  "What is going on, none of this makes any sense?"
  
  "The mission of the Heralds of Death this time is to protect Clark, for his journey, but the mission has been written in stone throughout all time until the traveler comes," Chloe explained but Lois is confused. "Clark is destined for greatness, and if he falls before he rises into the hero that he's going to be...then there will be doom, the world will be plunged into utter darkness."
  
  Lois had no idea what Chloe talked about this time but she had to understand. She figured out this much, Clark needed to be protected and she was allowed these powers for such a purpose. She felt Lana had the same gifts for the same reason, but Lois did wonder what would happen when Clark rose into his full powers. That was a bridge the entire group were going to have to cross collectively.
  
  "Are you sure this will work?" Clark asked, feeling less sure about everything than he ever had been before. Chloe turned around properly to address the three of them.
  
  "I'm not one hundred percent sure, but when the alternative is the full scale rewrite of human history, where none of us will exist past our next breath, do we really have many options?"
  
  Clark shook his head; he would have to concede this point. Lana and Lois watched Clark, seeing that he stepped in to do what was necessary to win the day just like he always did. Clark walked over towards the portal and prepared to step on through but Lois and Lana followed him.
  
  "You two don't..."
  
  "Yes, we do," Lana answered when she looked at Clark firmly, in an expression that lead no arguments.
  
  "We're in this today, no matter what," Lois said before her neck craned towards Chloe. "Are you coming with us?"
  
  "Go ahead, I'll man things on this end, someone's got to bring you back home in case things go south quickly," Chloe answered, really wishing that she could go through.
  
  Lois, Lana, and Clark entered the portal and felt the entire world change around them. They knew one thing; they were not in Kansas anymore.
  
  Lois shivered, involuntarily when she looked around, while Lana and Clark copied her movements; there was little time to wait before a set of dark shadows shot out of nowhere before Lois, Lana, and Clark automatically blasted them into dust with their heat vision.
  
  "Something tells me we got to stay sharp, if those things touch us..." Lois started before she stopped and dragged her finger across her throat in a cutting motion.
  
  Clark, Lana, and Lois blasted another set of shadow monsters and a third set before they moved forward to the sounds of screams and the sound of battle. They saw him in all of his glory, the Anti-Monitor.
  
  "I'm going to attack him," Clark told Lana and Lois and the eyes of both women snapped towards him. "Head on."
  
  "Clark, that's nuts, you tried that before and your hands got burned," Lana protested but Clark was off like a blur of light.
  
  "Fast as a speeding bullet, and about as subtle," Lois commented when she watched Clark speed off.
  
  Clark gained momentum, faster, and faster before he slammed into the Anti-Monitor at his full force.
  
  The Anti-Monitor gave a grimace of pain and that was all the distraction the three Heralds needed. Their eyes glowed with power before they raised their scythes and swung for the fences. The scythes cut deep into the Anti-Monitor.
  
  "Fools, as long as you fight me in the Anti-Matter universe, the battle is hopeless," The Anti-Monitor grimaced and he aimed his attack towards Clark.
  
  Kara tried to save Clark but a force field erupted from around her to block her into place. Harry darted in to take the blast in front of Clark.
  
  "HARRY!" Kara screamed in absolute horror when she saw the blast slice through Harry. "NO!"
  
  Kara unleashed the full fury of her powers when she saw Harry vanish on the spot where he stood and the heat vision busted the Anti-Monitor's outer shell. She flew at him with ballistic fury and Karen joined her with the pummeling of the Anti-Monitor. Fists beat against the chest of the creature and cracked him against him at this point.
  
  Time stood still.
  
  Harry Potter was gone, vanished, like he never existed. He vaporized on the spot from the attack from the Anti-Monitor, completely gone. Not even a pair of footprints had been left in the dirt, that's well he been blasted.
  
  None of them could believe what happened, it defied all logical explanation, and time stood still when their blood ran cold.
  
  "No, no, no, no!" Kara and Karen yelled in unison when they realized what happened and they blasted Anti-Monitor through the wall between the universes with everything they had.
  
  Then something happened.
  
  Suddenly and surprisingly, Harry re-materialized, every bit of skin burned off of his body, before slowly and painfully he re-healed. He looked gaunt, like a corpse, before he staggered forward and Kara and Karen seemed relieved that he was alright. Well at least alive anyway, the corpse like visage that he had meant that he was suffering a little bit.
  
  "Stand back, I can finish him," Harry rasped when his body racked with pain after he just barely held himself together when the Anti-Monitor tried to release his next attack to finish Harry.
  
  Each step was like agony but Harry opened up the walls between time and space, before he launched the Anti-Monitor through. The Anti-Monitor flew through time and space where Harry transported him one second after the end of all time.
  
  Harry flew back out of the portal and then the portal on the other end opened. Kara grabbed him in her arms when he collapsed and spun around, a frantic expression dancing in her eyes.
  
  "That's our cue to get out of here," Clark commented and sure enough the entire group made their way through the portal into the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  There was a moment where they all took their breaths. Harry blacked out completely from what happened, no one but Karen, Kara, and Chloe knew that he died before he managed to reverse time and warp reality with his powers before sending a past version of himself from two minutes ago back with his memories.
  
  Harry knew that there would be consequences to that but it paled to what the Anti-Monitor was going to do if he was allowed to exist.
  
  There was a chance that he would be back; evil like that always came back.
  
  Back at the Shining Light Foundation, Harry tried to regain his bearings but after everything that transpired that was easier said than done. The dark haired wizard shook his head and tried to pull himself up. A stabbing pain was felt through his chest when his eyes managed to adjust himself back to the light. Kara, Karen, and Chloe were all the closest to him. Kara's arms in particular were wrapped around Harry like a vice grip like she feared that he would fall to pieces if she let go. Chloe held her hands on Harry's arms and Karen was on his other side.
  
  "I don't think I ever want to do anything like that ever again," Harry breathed heavily when he caught his breath and shook his head but Kara leaned in and kissed him on the lips firmly in belief. "The past is secure, the future is what it should be, and the Anti-Monitor is gone. And all it took was me nearly dying to do it."
  
  "Where did you send him?" Clark asked from the doorway when he popped up. Harry gave a pained grimace when he turned to address Clark. "Oh, and thank you."
  
  "Your appreciation is noted and...well appreciated," Harry managed weakly when Karen rubbed the side of his neck, something that he appreciated because he was sore. "I sent him one second after the end of time."
  
  "Wait one second after the end of time?" Lois asked in confusion when her eyes focused on Harry and Harry responded with a brisk nod. "So after all of that, you know...you know when the end of time is and all of that?"
  
  "No, I didn't exactly get a chance to check the calendar...good spot keep rubbing that, it's sore," Harry managed when he leaned into Karen's grip and Chloe stood by Harry.
  
  It was not lost on Lois how close Chloe seemed to Harry but she supposed any kind of lecture was going to fall upon deaf ears. Especially given what she planned to engage in with Clark and Lana.
  
  Plus, Harry would likely obliterate her from existence like he did the Anti-Monitor or worse, take away the promotion that he gave her earlier. A promotion Lois had no idea how she got it, but she was not going to complain about it. When someone gave you a promotion for something unexpected, complaining was the last thing that they did, for sure, one hundred percent.
  
  Harry considered all of what happened and he came closer to dying than he ever did before, well perhaps that was just a tiny bit of a stretch. Death visited him like a creeping mistress and nearly swooped in to attack him this time and any other time. Harry considered himself lucky that he was able to pull himself together long enough to reverse his fortunes and he sensed Kara's despair when she saw him die. He felt bad for having to put his wife through that, but that alternative was just as bad, if not worse.
  
  "I felt it too, I don't know...for a second I thought that there was a stabbing pain in my soul," Chloe managed when she joined Kara and Karen in hugging Harry tightly. "Why do you pull stunts like that?"
  
  "It's been ages since I've pulled a stunt that reckless," Harry answered when he looked back at Chloe with an honest expression in his eyes, before his head shifted. "The last time I did it was during my school days. I supposed I mellowed out, matured, got better, I guess that was what happened. Although I don't really know how."
  
  "History has changed thanks to that reckless action."
  
  As it turned out the Legion Three stood in the corridors of the Shining Light Foundation when they saw Harry. Harry pulled himself up, barely able to stand but somehow through the sheer force of will, he got out of bed to greet them. A smile crossed his face when he paused long enough to address Garth, Rokk, and Imra with a twisted expression on his face. It was not because of their presence, but perhaps the fact that he really saw a lot of horrors throughout history when the Anti-Monitor blasted him.
  
  Every single person who suffered, every single person that died, Harry saw them, every single human suffering ever, Harry felt them and it was like nothing that he ever imagined.
  
  "There is a chance that an evil as great as the Anti-Monitor will return," Rokk told them when his gaze fixed upon them. "And if not him, then there will be others."
  
  "As for him and the others, there will be us," Kara responded in a firm voice as they all nodded, convicted and ready for what the world was going to throw at them. No matter what happened, they were going to win the day and survive. There was no one who was going to beat them. "After Harry nearly died, I'm prepared for everything."
  
  Harry decided that there was no nearly about what happened today, he did die. He almost saw Death's gloating face before he pulled the reversal of time and space to turn back the hands and reverse what was right. The dark haired young wizard and Herald of Death prepared himself for his next works but Imra was the one who spoke.
  
  "Today was just one of many battles in the future,but now the next step in Clark's journey rests in his hands," Imra answered when she looked back at Clark. "He's coming whether you want to or not. History is unclear how the battle will transpire."
  
  "Well if I'm as famous as I am in the future, then there's only one way it could have gone," Clark answered, feeling as if they had no need to fear after all that happened.
  
  "Don't be so sure," Karen offered in a much softer voice than she had before and once again Clark wondered about her change in character. "The fact that you assume that you'll live could mean that your death is secured."
  
  "I hate to agree with her, but she's right," Lana answered when she grabbed Clark around the hand. "Please tell me you won't go in there against Doomsday next time with the assumption that you're going to win just because history says you'll live. History says that Kara was killed on this day, and you see her here."
  
  "You think that the inverse will be true?" Chloe asked, a bit fearful at this prospect.
  
  The three Legion of Super Hero members exchanged nervous looks that was the one risk that time travel offered at any time, the most minor of actions could cause a reversal of fortunes. Time unraveled like strings, there was a point where nothing was set in stone now and all wondered if they would have a future to return to no matter what the cost.
  
  "Be careful and prepare, the world needs you as a symbol, but do not rush to that moment until you're ready," Imra advised Clark when she slipped something into Harry's hand covertly and the Legion of Super Heros disappeared into the time stream.
  
  They had one more pressing piece of business to take care of sixty years into the future from this point. They took a trip into Gotham City to assist the Batman of that time, a young man by the name of Terry McGuiness.
  
  That movement left the entire group alone to consider what happened today and prepare for what was going to happen in the time to come.
  
  Harry looked at the ring in his hand when the others turned away with the note that read 'just in case.'
  
  "Good now that that's over with, I believe we have some unfinished business to take care of because someone still needs to pay for keeping secrets," Lois answered when she grabbed Clark and dragged him off and Lana went after her with a smile on her face.
  
  Chloe could not resist and she called out cheerfully. "Have fun Clark!"
  
  Kara, Karen, and Harry laughed but the dark haired wizard got out of bed.
  
  "I've got an urgent meeting, with Tess Mercer," Harry stated to their questioning looks.
  
  Chloe was the one that pounced on that statement. "You've been meeting with her a lot lately; one might think that you intend to add her to her collection."
  
  "She's on our to-do list," Kara remarked nonchalantly which caused both Chloe and Karen to look at her with widen eyes. The blonde smiled prettily before she turned to Harry with a concern. "Do you want me to...."
  
  "I can handle this, I'll be back in fifteen minutes and then we'll check out the gravesite," Harry answered before he got up to his feet.
  
  "Good thing he has a lot of stamina," Chloe answered when she watched after Harry and smiled. "For a number of reasons."
  
  Karen and Kara agreed with that.
  
  Tess waited for her business partner to arrive, he never was late for one of their appointments but she figured that there was always a first time for anything.
  
  Sure enough a polite knock on the door caused her to look up.
  
  "Come on, it's unlocked."
  
  Harry entered the office with Tess looking up at him and there was only one thing that she had to say.
  
  "You look like hell."
  
  He smiled ruefully. "Sorry, I've been very sick."
  
  "You must have, you look as if you've climbed out of the grave to come here and see me," Tess remarked when she offered Harry a seat. "Are you sure you're alright?"
  
  Harry smiled at her. "Why, are you playing nurse?"
  
  Tess raised an eyebrow, to be honest she wondered about Harry sometimes, she knew he was married to Kara Kent but he seemed to carry on a close relationship with Chloe Sullivan as well, they appeared to be rather cozy in public. Often times the three of them together, but hey consenting adults and all that, there was no need to go all moral trip. It was the twenty first century, it was time to be more open minded.
  
  "As much as that thought is intriguing, I've called you here on a matter of importance," Tess answered when she looked at Harry. He appreciated the passion in her eyes, the strong and bold demeanor, much like that showed by Kara, Karen, and Chloe. He was drawn to strong and confident women, not that there was anything wrong with that. Then again he could be pretty strong himself. "As you know the merger with Queen Industries fell flat. Everything went off the rails after Lex's unfortunate accident."
  
  "Yes, that's awful," Harry responded when he looked at Tess without blinking.
  
  Tess did not buy his sympathy for a moment but she did not call him out on it.
  
  "The merger is still on the table because Luthorcorp stockholders are breathing down my neck, they want to take the company back for themselves," Tess stated when she looked at Harry. "Those vultures would ruin all of the hard work that I've done and sink the company faster than a stone. You might be the only one with the clout to make sure they fall back into line."
  
  Harry felt intrigued at this but he wondered if there was a catch, there always was a catch.
  
  "Fifty-fifty, the two of us, we bring this company beyond the legacy of Lex or even Lionel Luthor," Tess added when she looked at Harry with intentions in her eyes. "The two of us together...we could save the world."
  
  She believed in her heart that they had a lot in common but why she could not know. It was an instinct that she had. Tess Mercer found herself determined to see what made Harry Potter tick, although for different reason than Lex did. She tried not to get lost in his bright green eyes; they were bewitching pools that she figured melted the hearts of most women he encountered.
  
  "I'll think it over," Harry answered when he held himself up, feeling a bit over and looking at her.
  
  "We'll revisit this in the future but don't wait too long Harry; I don't need someone who is going to be indecisive," Tess answered when she gazed at him for a little bit. "But I know you'll make the right decision and we'll meet in the future to consummate our deal."
  
  "I anticipate it," Harry answered before he paused. "Draw up the papers."
  
  Tess was surprised that Harry made his decision.
  
  "I'll have them ready in the next ten days," Tess replied when she looked at Harry, awestruck at what he was doing.
  
  "I'll be in touch," Harry answered when he reached forward and grabbed her hand, shaking it.
  
  "It's a pleasure doing business with you," Tess responded when she drew back, staring at Harry for a moment, almost doing something impulsive. However she had great self-control.
  
  She always did dream that someday her prince would come but gave up on that fanciful delusion years and years ago. Perhaps she was a bit premature.
  
  "Good bye, Tess," Harry responded when he smiled and walked away.
  
  "Good bye, Harry," Tess stated, when she watched him leave, appreciating the view when he did.
  
  Raya waited at the edge of the Kent Farm, to be honest she missed out on most of tonight's adventure because she was trying to hunt down Doomsday. She understood the danger the monster posed and that was her way to protect Clark. The Kryptonian stood, while Clark met her, he had been under the influence of the Lazarus Pits.
  
  Clark showed up with Lois and Lana back at the Kent Farm, okay Lois was carrying him.
  
  "Clark, stop whining, I said I was sorry for dropping you in mid-air!"
  
  Raya smiled at this proclamation from Lois and she stood forward.
  
  Clark stopped when he saw her.
  
  "Raya?"
  
  "Yes, Kal-El, I'm here," Raya answered when she looked at him and Clark could not believe it. "You actually know that I'm alive, Jor-El faked my death to teach you a lesson about the fragility of life and sent me back to the Phantom Zone."
  
  Clark opened his mouth but Raya pressed her fingers to it.
  
  "I realize that it is not right, it is not just but that's what Jor-El did," Raya stated when she looked at Clark. "And he has a reason for what he does but I can't help but feel there is a more direct attempt to prepare you for the destiny, when it may come."
  
  "We'll all in this for the same reason, to protect Clark," Lana responded when she looked at them all.
  
  Kara chose Lana, Karen chose Raya, and Harry chose Lois, all to protect Clark and to help him on his guidance. They sensed something within the three of them and now they stood united. The Heralds would have other responsibilities, with Chloe perhaps acting as a bridge between Clark's protectors and the Heralds.
  
  At least that's what the three of them figured collectively.
  
  "So....I met you when I was under the influence," Clark offered and Raya nodded.
  
  "And you kissed me."
  
  "I'm sorry," Clark answered when he looked at Raya.
  
  "It was not awful," Raya answered when she led Clark off and Lana and Lois walked. "I believe we need to come to terms with this new arrangement before we decide how to go forward with Doomsday."
  
  They all nodded and flew off, with Lana taking her turn to scoop Clark up and fly away.
  
  A quiet wind blew through Godric's Hallow in the dark of the night where there was no noise around other than that wind. The noise quickly was replaced by the appearance of three figures who flew through the air at the speed of light. The three Heralds of Death made their way to a certain gravestone in the graveyard, for two of them; curiosity ate away at them after the last several months while they figured out what this is. Now that they were finally on good terms with their counterpart, they could find out what the gravestone was and the secrets of the Herald of Death that had been lost. Was it something to aid them like what Karen suggested or something that would be able to control as Harry feared?
  
  Harry, Kara, and Karen dropped to the ground in front of the gravestone. The moment the trio touched down, the gravestone blinked to life and red light illuminated them. It was almost as if it beckoned them forward and they stepped forward to accept the charges. They wanted to see what was behind this tombstone.
  
  The three symbols appeared on the gravestone and with another movement, the three Heralds of Death pressed their hands to the gravestone symbols. The symbols for death lit up when their hands touched it and it bathed them in blinding gold light that filled through the graveyard. The trio stood back as the ground shifted and stirred underneath them.
  
  This was an interesting development and a set of stone stairs appeared before them to lead down a secret passageway. This passageway led them to catacombs that looked to them that had not been visited in years. Someone scrawled symbols on the walls or something, words that even the three Heralds could barely make out even with their powers.
  
  The only thing of note was sitting on a stone pedestal at the end of the corridor; they spotted the stone box before them. Harry, Kara, and Karen sped forward and three more symbols appeared on the stone box. Without another word, the three of them touched their hands to the symbols. The box remained still for a moment and they feared that it was not going to work for any time at all.
  
  Then without warning the box broke open and a silver glint bombarded their senses; this glint ensnared their mind when the trio watched the item in the box. They crowded around for a closer look, their eyes widened at the majestic glee this box contained. It sat in the box and it was nothing really of too much value, well at least to anyone who did not know the true.
  
  A silver crystal key shaped like a Grim Reaper's Scythe sat in the middle of the box and Harry snatched it up, when Kara snatched the scroll up.
  
  "It's part of a map," Kara read the writing on the back of it. "The first of three parts of a map in fact."
  
  "So there's more, this is just the beginning," Harry continued and Kara nodded in confirmation before she leaned in to face Harry.
  
  "There are two more keys, two more parts of the map, and the real treasure is yet to come," Kara answered when she looked at Harry.
  
  "Treasure or terror?" Karen asked to Kara and Harry at that point and the three Heralds had no clue whatsoever what that might mean. All they knew was that they had in their hands the key that led beneath the gravestone.
  
  The three Heralds of Death flew off with the crystal key and the piece of the map, they knew that they had a long way to go and no one must know what they were doing. If this was a device to allow them to retrieve a person from the beyond without consequence or even one that could control them and their powers, they could not let anyone know what was happening.
  
  They returned to the Potter House and Karen stood on the outside, a bit confused at this, wondering if she would be allowed inside. A smile spread over Kara's face before she invited Karen inside and Harry did likewise. Chloe already was there, as was Claire. Claire's eyes widened when she saw Karen.
  
  "Hey," Karen answered when she looked at Claire and the young girl regarded her with suspicion.
  
  "Um, hi," Claire responded before she reached over and grabbed Harry by the sleeve, so not to be rude. When Harry had his full attention on her, a smile crossed over his face. "Dad, who is this?"
  
  "This is your mother's sister...for lack of a better term," Harry answered to Claire and Claire nodded, she understood Harry's implied meaning. "This is Karen."
  
  "Oh, I guess I'm pleased to meet you," Claire answered when she looked back at Karen before she added. "You hurt any of them, and you'll be sorry though."
  
  "Duly noted," Karen responded but she held up Harry.
  
  "Why don't you go up to bed right now?" Kara asked Claire and Claire opened her mouth to protest before Kara gave her a firm nod. Claire spun around before she went up to her room.
  
  This left Chloe, Kara, Karen, and Harry alone at this moment.
  
  "So, it's time to welcome you properly into the family, I guess," Kara responded to Karen.
  
  "You know, after all she's pulled, she does deserve to be punished a little bit," Chloe responded with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
  
  Harry grinned before he led Karen up the stairs and she supposed after she acted like a bitch, she could stand to be treated like one for a little bit. She could hear Chloe's voice from down the stairs.
  
  "I'll get the paddle!"
  The Magic in Me
  
  Chapter Fifty Six "the Magic in Me" Part One.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  Karen found her arms and legs bound together in magical ropes when she had been stripped completely and utterly naked. She knew that this was coming after the spiteful bitch she acted like when she arrived here, but the ends would justify the means. As long as Karen got herself a nice, helping, heaving of Harry's cock, that was all that mattered to her, but right now Chloe stood over her. Karen could not say one word, on the account that she was gagged.
  
  Chloe wore a lacy white bra that stretched over her decent sized breasts and also a nice lacy pair of white knickers that were a thong that stretched over her ass. Kara stood to the side, taller than Chloe, wearing a nice red corset that stretched over her ample bust, although not quite as big as Karen's, and red stockings that covered her shapely legs. Harry was the final one, dressed in a black boxer shorts that did not hide the prominent bulge that developed.
  
  Harry reached over and gave Karen's tits a rough squeeze, which she moaned through the gag for. Kara's eyes turned towards Karen, a smirk across her face.
  
  "You like that, don't you, bitch?" Kara asked Karen when she grabbed a handful of her left breast and squeezed it nice and hard. A wicked grin crossed over her face when she considered Karen. "I'm sure you've mellowed out, but you still have to be punished."
  
  At the word "punished", Chloe smacked Karen hard across her backside with a paddle. Despite this action being humiliating for most people, Karen got off on it, and Chloe smacked her once again hard across the ass, to cause a ripple effect on her tight bum. The blonde Kryptonian felt her pussy clench tightly when Harry cupped it in her hand.
  
  "She's so wet right now, isn't she ladies?" Harry asked then and he watched Chloe and Kara play with Karen's large breasts when she was still tied to the bed. Harry pulled off his boxing shorts before he straddled the back of her legs, a grin crossing his face "I'm sure she'd like my large cock up her ass, wouldn't she?"
  
  Chloe and Kara nodded in agreement, with wicked grins across her face and Karen's eyes contorted in a bit of hope. Harry teased the hole of her anus with his cock, brushing it up against it, causing her to shiver with delight but Harry moved over and grabbed Chloe around the waist before he pulled her into a long kiss.
  
  Chloe returned the kiss and felt Harry unclip her bra. The bra fell down to the ground between the two of them and Chloe's breasts spilled out, perky, with erect nipples. Harry grabbed her breasts and squeezed them tightly as he needed the kiss, before Kara removed the gag from Karen's mouth, looking at her with a grin.
  
  "I bet you wish that was you?" Kara asked when she cupped Karen's face roughly in her hands and looked her in the eyes.
  
  "Yes, I wish it was me," Karen moaned when Harry slid Chloe's panties off of her legs to reveal her smooth, wet sex, that was right for the taking.
  
  Harry took it, first by sticking his fingers in and out of Chloe. Chloe reared her head back with a moan when Harry fingered her, his fingers felt so good as they expertly manipulated her folds. Yet, his fingers did not fulfill the fire within her well enough, Chloe longed for another part of Harry in her so she grabbed his cock.
  
  "Stick it in, big boy," Chloe breathed huskily in his hear and Harry grabbed her hips before he in fact did take her, before Harry rammed his cock deep into her. Chloe grabbed Harry tightly around the waist with her legs when Harry pushed her back into the wall.
  
  "So tight," Harry grunted when he reared back and thrust nice and tightly into her, his balls slapped hard against her skin when he fucked her against the wall.
  
  Chloe whimpered when she grabbed her arms around Harry and sunk her nails into his back when his cock speared into her nice and hard. It stretched her out in entirely different ways and Chloe bit down onto Harry's shoulder, but that somehow added to the atmosphere of the situation. Harry pumped deep into her pussy, working his cock into her.
  
  In time to Harry's thrusts, Kara had a whip and she began to whip it across Karen's naked backside. Karen whimpered from the punishment that she received? Was it punishment however, or was it pleasure? That was the question but her moistened pussy offered an answer.
  
  "Yes, yes, feels so good," Chloe breathed when she tightened her grip around Harry when he pumped into her tight pussy and Harry stroked his fingers through her hair.
  
  She was rocked with several mind numbing orgasms as Kara whipped Karen all of the way to punish her for all of what she did for her. Kara also squeezed Karen's cheeks roughly and spanked her ass nice and hard with ear rattling smacks and her hand impacted across it.
  
  The older blonde Kryptonian whimpered a little bit more when she watched Harry fuck Chloe hard against the wall, before Harry turned around. His cock was still in Chloe when he walked her across the room towards the bed and placed her down to continue to thrust into her. Chloe's eyes glazed back from pleasure when Harry cupped his hands around her breasts to continue to hammer her.
  
  "Getting so close," Harry breathed when he continued to hammer into his wife's pussy and Chloe enjoyed every single moment when she rested back, managing to thrust into her long and hard.
  
  "Cum," Chloe breathed when she wrapped her hands around Harry, and with a couple more thrusts, her pussy clenched around him and squeezed him. Harry's cock burst to send a steady stream of cum deep into Chloe's pussy when she milked him until his balls were drained of the fluids.
  
  Chloe rested on her back when Harry pulled out of her; no sooner than Harry pulled out, Kara dove between her thighs and licked the seed that dribbled from her pussy between her thighs. She gave a surprised moan but Kara's efforts continued to increase when she lapped Chloe up.
  
  Kara saw that Harry's cock grew once again from her actions, with a grin, Kara dove over before her mouth wrapped tightly around Harry's penis and enveloped it nice and hard. Her mouth bobbed up and down his cock, feeling it go down her throat nice and hard. The blonde Kryptonian took Harry deep into her throat and Harry grabbed the back of her head to allow her to continue the actions.
  
  "Feels so good," Harry grunted when Kara went down on him nice and long, her moist lips sucking hard on him, her nose rubbing against his pubs, and her hands snaked around his balls. "Such a good mouth."
  
  Kara sped up her actions on Harry to suck and blow him like the pro that she was. Harry grabbed the back of her hair, tightening his fingers around her blonde tresses when she went down onto him.
  
  Chloe rested next to Karen before she grabbed the busty blonde's head and Chloe made Karen look her in the eyes before a wicked grin crossed over her face.
  
  "Eat my pussy, "Chloe commanded so Karen did as she was told, going down between Chloe's legs and began to feast on her, tasting the combination of Harry's cum and Chloe's juices between her. "Oh, so good, feels so good!"
  
  Kara popped Harry's cock from her mouth before she pushed him back onto the bed and hovered above his entrance, teasing and tormenting him, rubbing the head of his cock against her entrance. She gripped Harry's cock in her hand before with one swift motion, she impaled herself down onto him.
  
  "Fuck me, fuck me hard," Harry grunted when Kara bounced up and down on him, her breasts swinging and swaying, her hair flowing in the breeze. Harry reached up to grab her breasts to squeeze them nice and tightly and Kara threw her head back with a moan.
  
  "Yes, play with my tits, they're yours, play with them," Kara moaned loudly when she felt Harry rise up to her. The two established intense momentum while they matched each other thrust for thrust, speeding up for a bit and then slowing down for a little bit more.
  
  Chloe reared her head back with a light little moan when Karen ate her pussy nice and long. The blonde's talented tongue moved around Chloe. The brainy blonde played with Karen's breasts, rolling her fingers across Karen's large nipples. The two blondes played with each other a little more.
  
  Kara bounced up and down on the bed, riding Harry for everything that he was worth, and immediately Harry returned fire, feeling her clench him tightly with an orgasm. Harry's hands rolled her thighs, her ass, her breasts, everything, each and every motion caused her to go wild at this intense fucking she received.
  
  "Harry, never stop, please never stop," Kara begged him when Harry squeezed her breasts, and the two lovers were spurred by Chloe's moans when she lifted her hips up so Karen could get better access.
  
  The passionate actions continued for a little bit longer before Harry unleashed his cum into Kara's moist pussy, shooting her up with several spurts of seed. Kara screamed in joy when Harry's burning seed splashed against her walls, to paint it, and his cum sprayed into her. She felt fulfilled with their mutual orgasm.
  
  Harry shifted his sights over to Karen, a grin crossing his face before he snapped his fingers and the bindings found their way back from around her. Karen moved to grab Harry but Kara and Chloe grabbed both of her arms to hold her back. With another motion, Harry dove between Karen's thighs and began to eat her out.
  
  Karen whimpered when his tongue scrapped against her cunt, licking it out, and really tasting the juices. His tongue inside her felt so good but she needed more, she wanted more. Kara and Chloe held her arms while one latched their mouth to either side of Karen's breasts.
  
  The blonde Kryptonian threw her head back to scream out loud in the pure passion, the intensity of Harry's mouth and his motions getting more and more labored. The dark haired wizard sucked on her clit.
  
  "More, more," Karen begged her lovers before Kara and Chloe tilted her back on the bed and her legs spread when Harry's mouth left her pussy. Karen whined for the loss, but it was not lost for long when Harry aimed his cock before he thrust it hard into her pussy. "YES!"
  
  That was what Karen wanted, Harry's cock entered her once again and she felt him push into her with fluid strokes. She could not use her arms to pull Harry into her before Chloe and Kara held her tightly.
  
  "You've been such a good girl, taking your punishment like the bitch you are," Harry answered when he ran her hands through Karen's hair.
  
  "Yes, I'm a bitch, your bitch," Karen told him when she felt the joy of Harry's cock slam deep into her tight Kryptonian pussy. It felt so good slicing into her. "Keep fucking me, I want you to fuck me all night long."
  
  Karen fingered both Kara and Chloe's pussies when they were on either side of her, in tune for Harry's cock coming out of her mouth. Kara and Chloe made out above Karen, their tongues dancing together for dominance for that amount of time that they indulged themselves in their mouths, with their hands on Karen's breasts. All while their eyes watched Harry's thick, hard, rod destroy Karen's pussy, really pushing her to the limits.
  
  "So good, love when you fuck me," Karen moaned when she felt the nice pussies of both of these girls, her breath became labored and her chest heaved into the hands of Chloe and Kara.
  
  "That's so good, I love fucking you, I love fucking your pussy," Harry fired back when her pussy squeezed around him. Her hips thrust up to meet his attacks to her pussy, but there was a moment where Harry aimed his cock into his third wife's pussy.
  
  Karen rubbed her fingers into the pussies of both of the blondes before she arched her hips up to meet the incoming thrusts, squeezing him hard. and managing to use her legs to lock him in hard. This was so good, she wished she indulged into more of this. Harry was a great lover, everything made her feel good.
  
  "Here it comes," Harry breathed when his cock continued to hammer into her, speeding up when he reached a peak.
  
  To add to the atmosphere, Karen furiously fingered the pussies of Chloe and Kara again and again, and they reached a fever pitch, all four of them coming at the same time with an explosive orgasm.
  
  They had no idea how much time passed, nor did they care. All four of them took an intermission when they rested in each other's arms, Kara wrapping her arms around Harry from the back, Chloe from the front resting her head on Harry's chest, and Karen's head was now on Harry's lap when he stroked her hair.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  
  
  Winds blew throughout Metropolis when the autumn breeze kicked into a fever pitch and a dark haired young woman stood on the street cover, her head turning from one side to the other, a smile crossed over her face. Yet the smile was to hide the very real pain she felt after everything that transpired throughout her life. Many years ago her father died and it was a very hard time for her. The woman recalled it quite well and the dark force that claimed him indicated that there were forces beyond his comprehension that he dabbled with.
  
  That was one of the lessons that her father imparted on her before he died, there was nothing about it, but she wished to do what she could to bring him back. That was her foremost wish and something that she wanted to do but there was nothing to do it.
  
  Even her magic, even all of the enchantments that she tried over the past couple of years, they were all duds, dead ends, and everything that caused her great dismay. The young woman stood dressed in a white shirt, jeans, with her black hair tied back in a ponytail.
  
  Her name was Zatanna Zatara, the only daughter of Giovanni Zatara, one of the greatest escape artists that the world ever known. Yet, there was the fact that he had magic that allowed him to escape all of those times; that fact was obvious, but there was one thing that he could never escape, and that was his own demise. The dark haired young witch/sorceress/magic user stood at the street corner, before she made her way to a shop in the downtown district of Metropolis. There were instances where she had to go for the desperate times and desperate actions.
  
  "Zatanna, surprised to see you here of all people."
  
  Zatanna turned around to see the young man in the alleyway, twenty five, twenty six years old, with dark hair, dressed in a crisp suit. He stood by the side with his butler, and Zatanna knew who he was, she met him years ago. She greeted him with a smile crossing her face and stood on her heels before she faced him with a bright expression and tone of voice.
  
  "Bruce...this is a pleasant surprise, or do you prefer the name, John Smith?"
  
  Bruce Wayne offered Zatanna a cordial smile, she was a few years his junior and quite taken with him when he traveled the world to train. One of Bruce's teachers was Zatanna's father, who taught Bruce much about escaping. He turned around before he placed his hands on his hips and considered Zatanna for a moment, peering in her eyes.
  
  "So I hear you specialize in granting people's wishes," Bruce commented lightly when he looked back at Zatanna and the young woman responded with a nod.
  
  "Yes, that's a specialty of mine, I feel that it's my way to give back to others with my powers," Zatanna commented when she looked at back at Bruce. She placed her hands on her hips before she offered Bruce a nice grin and placed her hands through her hair. Then she proceeded to speak to him again, curiosity getting the better of her in spite herself. "So, what is the wish of the great Bruce Wayne, Billionaire Playboy?"
  
  Bruce offered Zatanna a slight smile.
  
  "Why bother with wishes when money can buy me everything?" Bruce answered but Zatanna did not buy the Billionaire playboy act for a moment at all. She leaned forward and put her hand on Bruce's before she smiled at him.
  
  "You and I both know what your wish is, the same wish that I have," Zatanna offered in a serious voice when she looked back at Bruce long and hard with a careful expression in her eyes.
  
  "It's been five years, hasn't it?" Bruce asked her and Zatanna answered Bruce's query with a light nod.
  
  "Five long years, yes," Zatanna answered him when she leaned forward and placed her hands on her hips. "It's been five years, but it never gets any easier. I suppose you know where I'm coming from better than anyone else."
  
  Bruce did not really respond but Zatanna got the message loud and clear. The truth was that his real wish would be a world where Batman was not needed, thus a world that an eight year old boy would not have his parents gunned down before him in an alleyway. That was a wish that Bruce did not even bother considering for a moment, that was a folly to even think that it would happen. The billionaire playboy by day, caped crusader by night, stared back at Zatanna.
  
  "I think I've found a way to speak to my father," Zatanna added when she stared back at Bruce and Bruce offered her a calm expression. "You've never been one to believe in magic, have you?"
  
  "I believe that there are things that should not be dabbled in," Bruce corrected her but Zatanna shrugged her shoulders when she looked back at him.
  
  "I know what I'm doing," Zatanna answered when she leaned forward and gazed in Bruce's eyes. "Don't be a stranger now."
  
  Zatanna spun around and walked off without another word, leaving Bruce in her wake. Alfred craned his neck to look at his employer, before he offered his two cents.
  
  "An inquiry, what is with you and wayward and troubled young women, sir?"
  
  "I'm just looking out for a friend, Alfred," Bruce responded evasively when he turned around and walked back to his limo. "I hope that she knows what she's doing."
  
  "That is a hope that I share with you, sir," Alfred agreed when he blinked nice and long before he shifted his gaze towards the limo and entered inside. "Business calls."
  
  "Yes, indeed, Alfred," Bruce agreed when he hoped Zatanna knew what she was doing. If she got in too far deep, Bruce might not even be able to bail her out, even if he knew that there was someone within Metropolis that could if she got in over her head. "I believe that a trip to the Shining Light Foundation is in order."
  
  "Very good sir," Alfred offered when the limo drove off, he was just the driver and the butler, and he knew by now that Bruce had a method to his madness.
  
  Zatanna walked inside the dusty shop where a kindly old man stood before her, with various magical trinkets hanging from the ceiling. They flickered in Zatanna's eyes in every single direction, the dark haired magical user stepping forward into the light.
  
  "May I help you, young lady?" the old shopkeeper said.
  
  "I have this book on pre-order, I wish to pick it up," Zatanna told him when she handed him the receipt and the shopkeeper took it. She did not mention that she figured the book once belonged to her father at one point and was her birthright.
  
  "Ah yes, a very old and rare book of enchantments, I must say, you have good taste, my dear," the old shopkeeper said when he turned around and pulled open the cabinet before he removed the dusty tome from the cabinet. He placed it on the table and Zatanna looked at it, surprised expression on her face before she brushed the dust from the book.
  
  "Yes, this is exactly what I need," Zatanna responded when she took the book and turned around, having already pre-paid for it. "Thank you."
  
  "No, thank you," the old shopkeeper stated when his face twisted into an expression of pure sadistic glee.
  
  When Zatanna was gone, the shopkeeper revealed his true form; he was not some kindly shopkeeper at all, but rather the aged sorcerer known as Felix Faust. Faust's face contorted into a grin before he placed his hands on the table before him and waited for the young woman to open the portal like a good little soldier.
  
  "Soon master, we will take the world by storm," Faust stated when malice danced from his eyes.
  
  
  
  Zatanna clutched the book in her hands when she made her way from the shop and made her way to the hotel suite across Metropolis but she ran into another familiar face. She stepped back with a start when she looked at the young man before him, she had seen him many years before, but she was very long when she ran into him. It was almost ten years ago when he saved her from a group of dangerous magic users, but Zatanna recognized these green eyes anywhere.
  
  "Well it looks like trouble just rolled into town," Harry remarked when he stared down Zatanna who looked back at him with a surprise but she snorted. She stood on her heels before she stared back at Harry nice and long before taking a calming breath. Her expression never left Harry's face at all, rather Zatanna kept her gaze focused and intent on Harry for an extremely long time before she spoke.
  
  "You know, you're the last person who should talk about people getting in trouble, Harry Potter," Zatanna responded with a steady expression on her face when she stepped across to greet him. "So I heard you found someone, I'm sure she's very beautiful."
  
  Harry smiled, Kara was very beautiful, as was Chloe and Karen as well, but he decided not to let Zatanna in on the fact that he had multiple spouses. The dark haired young sorceress kept his eyes on Zatanna before he responded.
  
  "I heard about your father, I'm sorry, he seemed like a good man the few times that I had the pleasure of meeting him."
  
  Zatanna appreciated the sentiment; she only met Harry a handful of times before he seemed to disappear off the grid. Then again, she felt surprised when she heard that Harry popped up after all of these years just last year, after not spending that much time in the public life. Harry never was the type to be in the spotlight, from what she managed to find out about him, yet he was back in the spotlight with the entire Shining Light Foundation.
  
  "So how have you been holding up?" Harry asked when he looked at Zatanna and she took a long time to consider his question before she responded slowly and carefully, choosing her words as such.
  
  "About as well I could be expected, I guess," Zatanna offered with a long sigh when a smile crossed her face. "But it's not going to matter for too long as I've found a way to talk to him."
  
  Alarm was something that spread across Harry's face when he looked back at Zatanna, carefully considering what she said to him, and he wondered about a lot of what she said. The dark haired young wizard carefully considered every single word that she said and did not want to rain on Zatanna's parade especially when she was such in high spirits.
  
  Yet, he felt compelled to give her a warning in case she tried to do something that she would end up regretting later. The dark haired wizard placed his hands on his head, before he titled his head back, and looked at Zatanna.
  
  "I hope you know exactly what you're dabbling in," Harry told her when he considered the young magic user before him. She was several years his junior, especially when one dealt with chronological ages. "Because I know better than anyone else about how dabbling with magic, especially involving dead parents, can come back and bite you hard."
  
  Zatanna shook her head nice and long before she gazed back at Harry, considering his words nice and carefully. Harry had been through a lot and seen a lot, but there was just something about his words that she was willing to overlook. She did not go about a matter like this without thinking things through very carefully and clearly, that was not the way her mind worked. Still, a smile crossed her face when she contemplated what Harry said and pushed her back against the wall to look at him.
  
  "I appreciate the concern Harry, I do, really," Zatanna responded when she pursed her lips into what passed as a smile. "But, I've been working hard on it, researching everything, and this time I've found something that won't blow up in my face."
  
  "Remember, those who mess with the dead open a Pandora's Box," Harry warned her when he looked back at her.
  
  "You could give Bruce lessons with how paranoid you are," Zatanna responded with a chuckle before she looked back at Harry, adjusting her shirt before she smiled and calmly stated her next question in a would be casual matter. "So tell me, is there anything the famous Harry Potter wishes for?"
  
  "Wishes tend to backfire, as you have to be exact, otherwise they blow up in your face," Harry answered when he stared back at her. "I have everything that I wanted or ever needed right here, that's all that matters."
  
  "Are you certain you wouldn't yearn one day of having a peaceful life?" Zatanna offered him but Harry's smile crossed over his face.
  
  "Trust me, normality is overrated," Harry responded back to her without missing a beat before the two stared back at each other, the tension between both magic users rising. There was an unspoken agreement between the two not to speak of the incident that almost happened between them all those years back. It didn't get too far anyway before Sinclair and her followers decided to interject themselves in what was building up to be something between the two.
  
  "Oh that's right, you're Harry Potter, you don't do normal," Zatanna offered him when she turned around. "Maybe I'll see you again."
  
  "Maybe," Harry responded before he hoped that this, whatever she was doing, would not blow up in Zatanna's face. He was half tempted to take the spellbook away from her and beat some sense over her head with it.
  
  The only way people learned their lesson about messing in things that were beyond their comprehension was the hard way. That was the most painful motivator and Harry remembered it more times than ever before. Hell, he was the one that learned it, time and time again.
  
  He turned around to head back to the Shining Light Foundation to check in with Kara, Karen, and Chloe, now that they were finally on the same page. Where Clark would be with the destroyer coming, that was something that they would worry about in time. Lois, Lana, and Raya did their best he was sure but Harry left nothing to chance.
  
  
  
  "No, Clark, trust me, take all of the time away that you need," Kara told Clark over the phone at the Shining Light Foundation when she kicked her feet back on the desk with a sigh and looked forward of the window. "I don't need to keep an eye on you twenty-four seven, and then there's Raya...yeah that was a surprise as well...it's mostly you, Lois, and Lana right now, okay fine. Take care, and don't get into too much trouble. Oh, yeah, Lois got a death threat form someone, that's not surprising, hopefully with her powers she could be able to mitigate that."
  
  Kara laughed at something that Clark said over the phone as Claire sat at a chair beside her desk in her office, in between classes, and she read the book that she was assigned. A smile crossed her face when she half listened, even though she could not hear exactly what was being said on one end of the phone. Claire did not have the super hearing her parents did, either of them, but she figured that was a blessing and a curse.
  
  "Okay, Clark, talk to you went you get back, but take it easy out there," Kara offered him over the phone before she hung the phone up, threw her head back, and sighed long and hard. The blonde Kryptonian fixed her eyes outside the window; the future did look rather bright all things considered. "Claire?"
  
  "Yes, Mom," Claire responded with a sweet and innocent look across her face when Kara looked at her. There was a moment before Kara continued to speak.
  
  "Three minutes, you got to get back, don't you?" Kara asked her daughter and Claire pulled a face when she realized what the time was. Her break flew by fast, too fast all things considered. "You don't want to be late."
  
  "No, I don't," Claire offered with a smile on her face before she spun around and walked out. She nearly bowled over Harry when he walked through the door. "Dad."
  
  "Claire," Harry answered before he gave his daughter a brief hug and he walked over to be with Kara when Claire went on her read. "She's doing really well in her classes."
  
  "That she is," Kara answered with a smile when she showed Harry what she was working on. "I think that I might have figured out the location of the second crystal key. Stop and think about it, if there's one place where all of the weird stuff in the world happens, what do you think it is?"
  
  "Smallville," Harry answered her without missing a beat and sure enough, Kara's hand was against Harry's. "Clark's coming here was not a mistake and neither was mine."
  
  "And there was something that Jor-El saw in this place, but I wonder if he subconsciously picked up on certain cues," Kara offered Harry and it was that point where Harry took a long time to consider what Kara was talking about. The fact of the matter is they had to find the second key and the second part of the map.
  
  "It does seem like we're always tracking down something," Harry offered Kara and Karen popped up at that moment, taking the seat on Harry's lap. Harry smiled when he wrapped his arms around his third wife.
  
  "Chloe's coming up in a little bit," Karen informed them with a tense expression on her face when Harry pulled his arms tightly around her. Karen rested her head on Harry's chest and began to speak a bit more. "So tell me, what have you found out so far?"
  
  "Well, we believe that our mystical key might be somewhere in Smallville," Kara offered Karen and Karen shifted over before she saw the print out Kara had. "The weird energy points here, here, and here indicate that there's something here. I've been researching how the meteors fell and there seems to be a nexus point."
  
  "It's where Clark's ship landed, isn't it?" Karen asked Kara out of the blue and Kara never really thought about that. They could mentally trace back the trip of Clark's ship, using their powers and find the exact point of where they landed. If they found that exact point, then they could track down the second key.
  
  Granted, it was a longshot, but right now it was the only shot that they had. Karen, Kara, and Harry focused on the thoughts and wondered about the prize in the box; although truth be told, skepticism reigned supreme in their minds as they gone over the problem with every single angle in their minds. The treasure as Kara, Karen, and Harry all suspected could contain an item to reverse one death, without consequence, but Harry wondered if it would be that easy.
  
  "I interpret that as this," Harry informed both of them and Kara and Karen turned around to look at Harry, eyes widened in curiosity, before Harry continued to speak to them. "The trinket that we're after is going to give us a chance to reverse one death without consequence, but it's not necessarily going to be us being able to reverse that death one hundred percent of the way."
  
  Karen and Kara considered this point that Harry made when they mulled over every single word he stated in their minds and to be honest, he did have a point. Everything about their mission as Heralds of Death had some kind of double meaning to it, and they wondered when it was going to stop. The two blonde Kryptonians placed their hands on Harry's and shifted towards him with bright smiles and bright eyes.
  
  "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it," Karen commented in a light voice when she squeezed Harry's hand and Harry squeezed back, with Harry taking the other hand. Karen and Harry's lips met in a light and tender kiss, with Harry showing Karen that she was not alone. Harry turned around and kissed Kara on the lips immediately as well.
  
  "Well it looks like I'm missing out on all the fun."
  
  Those words indicated that Chloe showed up and she stood in the doorway, with a mock pout on her face but Harry sped over to grab her around the waist, nice and tightly. Harry tilted Chloe back enough to capture her lips in a kiss and she felt the pleasure of Harry's mouth working over hers. The two Blonde Kryptonians worked over the diagrams again to double check their math.
  
  Harry pulled away from the kiss and walked over with Chloe to sit down. Now that was out of the way, it was time for them to bring her back up to current events.
  
  "I wouldn't be surprised if that's underneath Smallville," Chloe answered when she closed her eyes and thought about everything long and hard before her mind and gaze returned. She voiced the theory she had to both of them, a smile crossing her face. "And I bet if you find our little death symbol, you'll find the second key."
  
  Harry, Kara, and Karen exchanged a tense look before all of them nodded, that was more than likely. They had a lot of work to do and not too much time to do it. The entire incident with the second key and second part of the map was first and foremost on Harry's mind, so much that he forgot his little meeting with Zatanna and the warning he gave her about meddling in magics. He reminded himself that he should keep one eye open and also inform his wives about what was going on because if he needed help, they would be his best line of defense to help him out.
  
  There was plenty of time to think about that later, as of now, they had much to do, that was a point that Harry could not belabor enough. Time ran down when the destroyer got close and Harry was not a fool, he heard of the deaths of people being found, brutally maimed.
  
  It was hard to pinpoint a pattern when the suspect was completely twisted and out of his mind, but Harry tried his hardest to do so. The problem was that the monster's savage fury did not indicate any kind of pattern. The time got nearer for Clark's reckoning and the Heralds intended to push him into that battle with as easy of a time as he could, so his victory would be assured.
  
  
  
  Speaking of people getting near their time of reckoning, Zatanna stood in a basement surrounded by torches as she drew the symbols on the pedestal. She realized how cliche this situation seemed but she could not be bothered, there were instances where the dark haired sorceress felt that she had nothing to lose and anything to gain. The warnings that Bruce and Harry both gave her, albeit in different ways, rang out through her mind, but she had little time to think about everything. Rather she drew the symbols on the pedestal.
  
  Hesitation was her greatest enemy right now, an enemy that snuck up on her, filled her mind with self-doubt, with all kinds of disturbing thoughts in the back of her head. The dark haired young witch double checked the symbols on the runes, it was exactly that the spell description in the book indicated, each and every time she checked and double checked, before she sketched them and held the book open before her.
  
  "Here it is," Zatanna mumbled when she looked back at it, before her eyes narrowed towards the book and she saw the ritual before she shoved it onto the table. Dust flew from the book, the clouds nearly made her cough and hack, not to mention her eyes watered a great deal. Yet, Zatanna continued to press the page back and began to speak the incantation in a strangled tongue.
  
  She read it over and over several times to ensure that she got the ritual precisely right, there was no time for a misstep in a situation like this; Zatanna could not speak enough about how she had to get this exactly right, or everything would fall to pieces. The power glowed from her hands when she continued to mutter underneath her breath and continued to empower the symbols, her hair flying back from the mystical energy that swirled around the room and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
  
  Time stood still, Zatanna was lost in that moment in time, the moment where someone thought they would do something completely right or completely wrong; she waited for the other shoe to drop. She looked forward curiously, waiting for a hint that her father was waiting to speak to her on the other side, but there was not another word.
  
  Rather there was a pause and a loud hissing sound, but then portal hovered in the air, before it turned from blue to red and the glow bounced off of Zatanna's eyeballs, she felt like she stood in hell.
  
  "I don't understand, I did the ritual perfectly," Zatanna offered when she put her hands on the book or tried to at least, but the book bounced her back a few steps. She felt like she got shocked, and held her hands, turning them over to see smoke coming through them with the burn marks.
  
  There was a low, inhumane, and quite sadistic chuckle that filled Zatanna's ears and slowly, with the hairs prickling upon the back of her neck, she turned around to see the same shopkeeper she bought the book from. He looked back at Zatanna when she massaged the burned flesh on her hands.
  
  "This book was a dud," Zatanna responded to him in an accusatory tone of voice but his laughter raised up a little bit, once again it freaked Zatanna out only a slight bit.
  
  "Actually, my dear, this book worked perfectly," the shopkeeper offered with a bow before his disguise melted away from him to reveal his true form. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Felix Faust, and you've just unleashed hell upon earth, my dear Zatanna."
  
  Zatanna's eyes flashed towards Faust's, she needed more information and she raised her hand.
  
  "Dnib mih!" Zatanna declared when she sent the ropes to Faust but he blocked the attack and pivoted on her feet, before her eyes narrowed towards him.
  
  Faust clucked his tongue and tutted a little bit before his hands placed upon his hips, he stared back at her for a bit of a time.
  
  "You're so predictable, Zatanna," Faust responded when he took a long hard look at her, before the sorcerer informed her of his plan. "My master...well he's one that doesn't like to be left waiting to say the very least. He wants to send his legions into this world, and well know what today is."
  
  "No," Zatanna offered wondering what the significance of the day was.
  
  "Friday the thirteenth, the day where occult energies are their highest and all I needed was one foolish little girl to open one single portal," Faust responded before he flicked his wrist and sent Zatanna flying backwards against the wall.
  
  Several shadow creatures appeared from the portal and Zatanna tried to use her best spell to push them back into the portal for a moment. She panted heavily when she tried to push back into the portal but the demons overwhelmed her when they continued to march in, her hands cracked and snapped the harder they pushed back. She struggled, there was no need to worry about them, the dark haired witch shifted her eyes and she grunted with her knees bending.
  
  'Have to stop them,' Zatanna thought but this was something that was way out of her depth and Faust knew that she knew she was outgunned.
  
  The day has come, that much Faust realized and he tingled with excitement when he watched Zatanna's attempts to push them back into the portal. She caused this, her struggles made everything all that much sweeter, and made the hunt even more joyous. The young sorceress continued to push back further and further, each moment her mind strained and cracked under the pressure.
  
  Faust sensed the demons he could control coming closer out of the portal, the time would be at an end for all of the people, and darkness would reign supreme over the world. Flashing lights filled the room when Zatanna was blown back and overwhelmed by the demons. She used her last bit of magic to form a protective shield over her but Faust's face twisted into a grin.
  
  "Come forth my children, she is of no consequence; we have a world to plunder."
  
  
  
  The Shining Light Foundation's alarms went off, now normally there were times where false positives could be triggered, no magical charms were perfect. Yet, there were other times like this where such a sensitive alarm being triggered was a cause for ample concern and the dark haired wizard known as Harry Potter adjusted his position before he looked out the window, carefully seeing what was going to happen. The other two blonde Heralds of Death and the blonde herald to the herald also looked out the window.
  
  It was calm.
  
  Almost too calm.
  
  In fact, if Harry hazarded a guess, it was the time of calm where he should be alarmed for the other shoe to drop, wait for something awful to happen, wait for something that will tear apart all time and space into a horrific entity. Harry waited for it to happen, he waited for every single moment to come undone but suddenly he felt a stabbing pain in the back of his head. Kara and Karen felt the same thing and the three Heralds hunched forward.
  
  Chloe immediately dove in, being a mere Herald to the Heralds, she only had a certain sense for what was gong on but at the same time, she could sense that whatever was going on was not good, it was not good at all. Concern filled her eyes when she placed a pair of hands on her hips as she turned to face the three Heralds who waved off her concern. Yet at the same time it was painfully obvious that they felt some kind of discomfort and a great deal of pain, being hunched over in such a way.
  
  "I believe we got it," Harry managed when he wheezed a little bit and Chloe grabbed around him and the other two Heralds slumped against the wall. Chloe looked confused, bewildered, and more than likely she was a bit scared about everything, her mind came unraveled.
  
  "What do you have?" Chloe asked, to be honest, she was almost afraid to ask what was being cooked up now.
  
  Harry's expression never wavered, not even for a moment, before he found himself inclined to answer.
  
  "Something is out in the city, something dangerous."
  
  "So it is as I feared then, she's dabbled into something that she cannot undo."
  
  Chloe, Kara, Karen, and Harry all spun around to see Batman standing in the flesh right before them, with his belt on and a stoic expression on his face underneath his cowl. Harry could not even begin to know how Batman got in here, past his security without tripping up the alarm. Then again, the hyper sensitivity of the alarms were directed elsewhere, so an intrusion by someone, even someone as imposing as Batman could not trigger them.
  
  "Zatanna, she did this," Batman offered when he looked back at Harry and Harry opened his mouth. "Unwillingly, unwittenly, the person who sold her that book make her their perfect pawn."
  
  "Are you saying that I should have stopped her then?" Harry asked Batman, a defense forming on the tip of his tongue but surprisingly, Batman responded with a simple answer of his own.
  
  "No, you shouldn't, for if I lectured you, then I would be equally as guilty. I warned Zatanna about the danger of what she was doing, but yet there was no way to stop whatever this is."
  
  Whatever this is, Kara, Karen, and Harry found as they tapped into their full Herald of Death Powers but suddenly the connection grew weak.
  
  "Uh oh."
  
  Chloe's face contorted in confusion before she turned to the three Heralds at these words from Kara.
  
  "Care to elaborate just a tiny bit more?"
  
  Elaborate was what Harry did. "You know what the date is today, don't you?"
  
  Chloe thought about it for a moment before she looked back at Harry. "Friday the thirteenth...so what does that have to do with anything?"
  
  Kara picked up with an explanation of her own. "On Friday the thirteenth, there are weird things in the air regarding the magic that exists all around us. Everything is aligned such a way where our powers don't work as well as they should. It's not as if they're taking away but..."
  
  "You have a short in other words," Chloe confirmed with the three Heralds nodding, that was what best described them for lack of a better term.
  
  "Mr. Potter, a Miss Zatara is here to see you," the receptionist at the front desk said before they could figure out anything.
  
  "Send her on up, now," Harry said a bit shorter than he intended, but given the situation, his temper was not the most stable right about now. The damage that occurred would have to be mitigated, how and when, Harry had no clue. In the meantime, Zatanna would make her way up to face the music.
  
  Moments later, Zatanna arrived just in time to stare down the entire group, that contained the three Heralds of Death, Chloe, and Batman, with them staring back at her. The dark haired young sorceress collected her thoughts before her eyes narrowed a little bit, an apologetic expression on her face before she decided that now was the time to speak. Harry looked in her eyes dead on, not blinking, not saying a word, but the implication of what he was thinking was there.
  
  "So, you told me so."
  
  Harry gave her a stiff nod, once again not saying anything and Kara, without a word, offered Zatanna a chair and she took it sitting it down.
  
  "I suppose you have a plan."
  
  "Working on it as we speak," Harry answered when he turned around to look out the window but there was a moment when another person showed up. A smile crossed Harry's face when he saw her arrive; standing in the shadows where only Harry could see her properly from his vantage point.
  
  "I figured you might need some help when I saw what was happening, so I got here as quickly as I can."
  
  To Be Continued in Part Two.
  Magic in Me Part Two
  
  Chapter 57: The Magic in Me Part Two.
  
  Standing there in the Shining Light Foundation corridors was Rachel Roth, who stared down at Harry, Karen, Chloe, and Kara. Batman, as always, stood in the background, stoic and calm, not letting the presence of this girl rattle him, even if she suddenly disappeared. Then again, Batman would not be one to complain about sudden appearances or disappearances given some of the habits that he had.
  
  "I noticed the demons coming through the portal, I managed to blast some of them, but I'm afraid that I'm outgunned," Rachel responded when she turned to the three Heralds, their Herald, Batman, and Zatanna. "The guy doing this is an extremely powerful sorcerer with years of experience..."
  
  "Felix Faust, he sold his soul to a demon to get everlasting power and immorality," Harry responded without missing a beat and Chloe raised an eyebrow at this revelation.
  
  "A fitting name then," Chloe responded and Kara nodded before she turned around to face Rachel.
  
  "The problem is that our powers aren't...working as they should be," Kara offered in a frustrated voice when she held her hands up, they were glowing and she had no idea how to turn them off. "All of the powers that we have and there are always going to be certain quirks to them, one of them is that on Friday the Thirteenth, with the occult energies in the air..."
  
  Karen sneezed and all of the furniture in the room developed wings and started to fly away. Harry, who sighed, moved over to reign them in one at a time and took a calming stance. The dark haired wizard could not let things like this rattle him, for if it did rattle him, then there would be a problem. He managed to undo the charms Karen did who offered him an apologetic look which Harry brushed off.
  
  "Perhaps magic isn't the answer to this," Batman stated in his usual tone of voice and when he had the full attention of the group, he pressed on. "Perhaps technology will give us the heads up where magic is failing as of now or at least weaken it enough to where you can go in and fix the problem before it spreads."
  
  Harry found himself intrigued by Batman's words and a quick wave of his hand invited the World's Greatest Detective to go on.
  
  "I have been tracking this energy signature since it manifested, I believe I've found a way to pinpoint the problem and hopefully stop it," Batman responded to them all and sure enough he held out a device in his hand.
  
  Chloe really could not help herself from asking the one question that she was sure was on the minds of many people.
  
  "What don't you have in that belt of yours?"
  
  Batman did not rise to the bait and respond, except for one patented Batman glare of death.
  
  "Well, I guess I can check getting the death glare from Batman off of my bucket list," Chloe answered with a bright smile.
  
  Zatanna was oddly quiet at that moment, knowing what she might have brought into this world. In hindsight, she should have checked the calendar, it was Friday the Thirteenth, she knew about the high concentration of occult energies flowing through the air. That was a lesson her father pounded in her head constantly, to try and impart on her the reasons why messing with any magic on that day ensnares the mind.
  
  "I'll see what I can do to make this right, if I can make this right," Zatanna offered when she closed her eyes and felt the demons around her.
  
  "The portal, I can lock on it and seal it so nothing else goes through," Rachel answered when she looked at the three Heralds and Chloe who nodded. "I suspect Faust may be on your most wanted list."
  
  "Yes, he is," Kara informed Rachel and the young half demon girl tried to concentrate her magic. Shutting a portal for her should be child's play, given that it was unwise to leave portals open when traveling between dimensions. There was always a fear that something else would get through.
  
  The fact was that this portal was harder to shut but Rachel managed to summon the full strength of her powers to seal the portal shut. It was a hard process but it was done, and it left her breathing heavily, dizzy, and she staggered back into Harry's arms, where he managed to catch her.
  
  "Alright there?" Harry asked Rachel with a smile on his face and Rachel felt his hands on her arms, but she shook her head off to block the thoughts out of her mind.
  
  "Yeah, doing better than the rest of this city's doing," Rachel responded but Kara, Karen, and Harry now stood on their feet, ready for action. They all took long and deep breaths before they turned around to head out towards the chaos.
  
  Karen stopped before she realized something and the blonde offered the entire group as mile.
  
  "Let's not go to them this time," Karen responded when she looked at them all and Harry and Kara wondered what she was talking about, as did Chloe. "We go to them, we'll get destroyed. Herd them to us one at a time and we'll send them on their way."
  
  "Herding demons, well that's new," Kara answered but she saw the merits of the plan.
  
  Harry, Kara, Karen, and Chloe got in position, as did Rachel and Zatanna.
  
  "You might want to stand clear, you don't have any magical powers and they'll sense that," Rachel remarked to Batman when she looked over her shoulder.
  
  "I might not have magical powers, but you'll find that I'm oddly resourceful," Batman answered without missing a beat and the group did not argue with him.
  
  The three Heralds of Death fired up a ritual that would hopefully bring their party guests to them for a visit. Harry, Kara, and Karen drew in their breaths, now was not the time to think the worst, even if the worst resounded in the back of their minds. Their powers could short out on this day and cause them a boatload of problems. The Herald Trio and their Herald watched the glowing outside.
  
  The arrival of several demons with black bodies, glowing red eyes, and sharp fangs indicated that their attempt to tempt the monsters worked, perhaps a bit too well, but it worked. The Heralds manifested their garb and Zatanna closed her eyes before she summoned all the power to her.
  
  "Ezeerf!" Zatanna yelled when she blasted the demons nice and hard with her spell and they froze on the spot allowing the Heralds to swoop in and knock them out of the running.
  
  Rachel closed her eyes and they began to glow before she immobilized the demons and blasted them off to nowhere. These were nothing compared to her father but it was obvious that Faust was going for quantity over quality. This was a simple mistake for would be sorcerers, they always tried to mangle the numbers.
  
  Batman aimed a baterang and threw them at the demons causing them pain. This was not your ordinary baterang, no far from it, Batman and a friend of his named Jason Blood had these specially made to harm demons of all sorts. Blood especially wanted these made in case his more demonic side got out of control but that was beside the point. Batman unloaded with an attack after attack on them, flinging the special objects around.
  
  "I bet I reaped more demons than you did!" Karen yelled when she swung her scythe and destroyed two more of them.
  
  "You didn't!" Kara yelled back at Karen when she smashed her way through more creatures.
  
  "Yes, I did!" Karen fired back when she smashed her way through some creatures of her own. The two blondes glared at each other before Chloe shook her head.
  
  "Oh will you two knock it off, it doesn't really matter!" Chloe yelled when she dived down and knocked out eight in one fell swoop. "Besides, I think I got both of you beat."
  
  Kara and Karen gave Chloe mocking glares when Harry allowed himself seconds of amusement the antics of his wieves, but he knew that through their collective efforts, they sent most of the demons off, with the exception of the ones controlled directly by Faust.
  
  They took down the slaves, now it was time to find the master, and that meant another Undesirable. Faust was on their list and it was time to collect.
  
  
  
  Faust's eyes widened with sadistic glee when he looked over everything before him, the screams of other people were music to his ears. They beat in his ear drums like pure magic. That was a type of feeling that could not be replaced at all and his legions of demons marched into town to raze some hell, for lack of a better term. His sadistic expression never wavered, not even for a second when he watched.
  
  The mood of the powerful sorcerer was cut short when three figures showed up to lead another group. He recognized their power but Faust did not fear it. He knew what today was.
  
  'Three minutes until midnight,' Kara thought to Karen and Harry and they all nodded, three minutes before their powers returned back to normal, although if they knocked Faust into a different timezone, Friday the Thirteenth would have already passed.
  
  In fact, Harry thought that was not the worst idea in the world, as the demons made a circle around Faust to surround him.
  
  "Ah, and it's the little enchanter trying to fix her mistake," Faust taunted when his eyes found their way toward Zatanna but Zatanna blocked the taunts out of her head and raised a hand up to wave it.
  
  "Eci tsalb!" Zatanna yelled when she turned her hand around and fired the ice from it towards the demons.
  
  "Impossible, there is no way for you to..." Faust started but a baterang blew up the pedestal he stood on.
  
  Kara flew in at super speed and tried to punch him but Faust blocked it when he put the shield up. Another block and Kara continued to punch at him.
  
  Next Karen flew herself at the shield and it crashed with a sadistic impact. The two blonde Kryptonians knocked themselves against the shield and tried to break free, shot after shot but they found that it was hard to crack through the defenses that Faust erected.
  
  Harry offered his own input to the situation, burning through the demons with help from Chloe, they blew up into dust. He knocked into the shield and it cracked with Faust finding himself unable to sustain it for much longer.
  
  "I don't understand!" Faust yelled when Kara broke through the shield, flipped up, and kicked him in the face whilst Karen tripped him from behind.
  
  Faust was a powerful sorcerer but his body was rather frail, unlike that of the Heralds who kept themselves in good shape and would be so even if they didn't have their powers.
  
  "It's after midnight!" Harry called and Faust realized what happened as his demons disappeared when the Heralds banished them.
  
  Faust tried to get away but Zatanna teleported in front of him and lifted her hand before her eyes glowed.
  
  "Etercnoc seenk!" Zatanna yelled at the top of her lungs and Faust found himself unable to move from his positioning, his knees weighed down several times their normal wait.
  
  "I refuse to lose, I have power, my plan was foolproof!" Faust yelled when he tried to move but the three Heralds approached him and he felt the sweet embrace of Death tickle him.
  
  The three Heralds surrounded Faust with the intentions to make him go on dancing in their heads and now Faust tried to push himself away but his knees knocked together. He became frantic and his blasts of magic did not really match up to the powers of the Herald of Death, especially when Friday the thirteenth became Saturday the fourteenth and the three heralds rounded upon them.
  
  "You've proven yourself to be a fool!" Karen responded when her two fellow Heralds nodded and their eyes glowed together before they held their scythes
  
  Faust braced himself for the end, he feared death, his heart beat against his chest with a loud thump-thump. He knew what was waiting on the other side and it was not warmth and friendship. The deal he made came back to haunt him, and Karen, Kara, and Harry raised their weapons before they swung for the fences to smash them hard into Faust.
  
  Faust felt himself bombarded with the magical energies that ripped through him and he screamed out the top of his lungs. It was a blood curdling shriek when he felt himself dragged into the afterlife by the minions of his master, the one he made the deal with, he was dragged off to the beyond.
  
  Everyone watched as they could hear his screams echo and get louder, louder, louder, and more frantic, there was no question about it, wherever Faust was going, it was not going to be pleasant. His suffering was going to be assured and the damage that happened in Metropolis reversed.
  
  Harry, Karen, and Kara worked a little magic of their own and it was like nothing ever happened.
  
  "So what exactly happened to Faust?" Chloe asked when she looked at.
  
  "Well when you make a deal with a demon for ultimate power, they tend to get the most out of the arrangement," Rachel responded as she heard the final echoes of his blood curdling shrieks.
  
  Chloe heard them too and to be honest, Faust was not someone that she would shed too many tears by given what he did. The Heralds stood around and sure enough, Batman disappeared into the night, now that the mission was accomplished.
  
  That's what Batman did, he disappeared into the night, swift as vengeance and only appeared when he was needed. Harry thought that he pinpointed how Batman did it but he would allow him to disappear into the night. It was part of his mask, part of who Batman was. He was vengeance, he was the night, and all that good stuff.
  
  "I think we're done," Kara remarked to break the awkward silence that developed between the entire group.
  
  "No demons around, so I think that we are," Rachel confirmed and everyone sighed in relief.
  
  Thankfully they were able to minimize the damage caused by these hoards of demons and there was no one that was killed. Although if Rachel did not seal the portal they poured through, there would be even more problems, as their sheer numbers tended to overwhelm most people and then there was the fact that they would grow in power the more than they feasted off of each and every person out there.
  
  Luck was not a term that Harry Potter threw around loosely but tonight, they were lucky that they did not suffer a horrific defeat and get destroyed. It spoke well for the control that they had over their Herald of Death Powers that they did not be overwhelmed by the Friday the Thirteenth insanity.
  
  Luck had nothing to do with anything; skill had everything to with winning the day.
  
  
  
  Zatanna drew in a breath when she stood outside and looked up at the sky in Metropolis, there were many things that she did that were questionable. Her desire to speak with her father one last time was exploited by Faust and she knew it one hundred percent of the way. There were times where her heart defeated her head and she thought about what she should have done. The dark haired magic user peered up into the sky and stood on the lawn outside of the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  "Do you have a place to stay?"
  
  Zatanna spun around to see Harry hovering there before her.
  
  "I thought that you'd be chasing me off by now, given all the trouble I caused you and your...wives," Zatanna responded, with the word rolling off her tongue like some oddity that she could barely fathom yet there it was. She shook her head and turned to face Harry. "Only you Harry."
  
  "That statement is so ambiguous that it could pertain to many things that have happened in my life," Harry responded when his expression never faltered. "Seriously speaking, what are you going to do now?"
  
  Zatanna thought about this question long and hard, to be honest, that was a good question and one that she wondered about. Harry always asked the questions that made her wonder and the dark haired magical sorceress pondered this question over in her mind, she mulled it over, and thought about it.
  
  "Well I know one thing is for certain, I'm not going to dabble in mysterious spell books that I buy from supposedly kind owners at a second hand book shop," Zatanna responded and Harry's face contorted into a tiny bit of a smile.
  
  "That's a good idea."
  
  Zatanna stared at Harry, there earlier meetings had been far more innocent in their own ways, even if Harry had an entire mad cult out for his blood.
  
  "I swear I'll find some way to make this up to you," Zatanna added when she looked at Harry.
  
  "I know you will," Harry responded when the two stared at each other.
  
  There was a long pause with neither knowing what to say.
  
  "So, I'm assuming that you defeated that Sinclair woman," Zatanna remarked to break the silence and Harry offered her a crisp not when his eyes never left her, not even for a single moment. Always when Harry looked at her, Zatanna felt like his eyes scanned her. "I wondered if you went down in a blaze of glory, given that you disappeared for six years."
  
  A tense smile appeared over Harry's face when his expression turned to face Zatanna and the dark haired Herald of Death took a moment to lean forward and peer into her eyes. Having him be so up close and personal caused shivers to fill her being and move down her spine.
  
  "Six years was a long time but it flashed by in an instant the more I think about what happened," Harry answered Zatanna and that cryptic statement was all Zatanna was going to get out of Harry at this present moment. The dark haired sorceress stepped forward. "It's getting late, I got a daughter to tend to, and my wives are wondering where I am."
  
  "I think that I have a journey to take starting now, but maybe I'll be back around before you think," Zatanna offered Harry with a shrug.
  
  "Maybe," Harry agreed when he looked back at her and a breeze blew between the both of them.
  
  Harry and Zatanna stood across from each other, with one of them wishing that she listened to the other. They dodged a very narrow bullet tonight with what occurred and Zatanna spun around, not even blinking with anything that happened. The dark haired young sorceress walked off and Harry watched her live.
  
  "I take it you two have had dealings in the past."
  
  Rachel stood behind Harry and Harry turned around to face her.
  
  "One could say that," Harry answered Rachel in a crisp and ambiguous tone of voice.
  
  It was true, before Harry met Kara, he really didn't have any luck with love and she opened the doors for something great, and Harry was glad for it. There was many times where his curiosity got the better of him but thankfully when he fished Kara out of that lake, that was not one of those times.
  
  Rachel stood before Harry and Harry decided to bring up a point that he had with her.
  
  "Your powers are getting stronger and more refined I see," Harry answered Rachel when the young half demon looked back at him. "If you would like to, I'll help you train your powers a little bit, to make sure that they don't go off the rails at the worst time."
  
  Rachel thought about the offer and a part of her felt honored that Harry of all people, especially with his busy schedule, offered to train her in the art of her powers. She had some grounding in her powers but she was nowhere near perfect. Harry could help her become better.
  
  It did seem like she was forming some kind of connection with Harry, although what that was, Rachel did not know what it was. Although there were many instances where she felt more at ease around Harry, where she trusted him, and given the fear that surrounded her up until the defeat with Trigon, there were instances were trust was something that was hard to come by.
  
  "I thank you, and I'll keep that in mind," Rachel responded to Harry with a smile crossing her face.
  
  "Great, we can start your training on Monday morning," Harry answered with a smile back towards Rachel which she returned.
  
  Tonight was a productive night to say the very least, with the demons banished and Faust taken down. Harry checked the Undesirable counter, they were down to eight. Harry wondered what happened when they hit zero and wondered if the work of the Heralds would truly be done.
  
  Then again, Harry doubted that there work would ever be done, there would always be evil out there to fight and always be people who would try to cheat death. Yet, as long as the Heralds were out there and did their jobs, those people could not run forever. They would find them, tracking them down, and hopefully everything would work out for the best.
  
  After the night that was, Harry decided to return back home where three lovely young women were waiting for him. That was one of the perks of his position to say the very least. There was thankfully no call that indicated that Clark was in trouble, which was good, he needed a day off about as bad as Harry did. Plus, Lois, Lana, and Raya should be able to cover each other.
  
  With that thought, Harry smiled before he returned home with a pop, tonight had been a long one and he looked forward to some downtime before the next major crisis.
  
  
  
  "For once, it was actually pretty boring come to think about it," Lana responded when Clark, Lois, and Lana swung by the Shining Light Foundation the next day.
  
  "Speak for yourself, I was the one who got dragged into the hotel room several times by all of you," Clark responded when he looked at Harry, almost expecting him to come to his defense.
  
  "Congratulations," Harry said when he patted Clark on the shoulder and Lois, Lana, Chloe, Kara, and Karen all looked highly amused.
  
  There were some days where Clark thought he was fighting a losing battle and this was one of those days by far. He decided to go with the flow. As the old saying went, if you can't beat them, join them. At least that's what Clark had in mind and his mind went wild with many thoughts. The young Kryptonian male sat down on the chair beside them.
  
  "Anyway, we brought you back something," Lois answered to the three Heralds and they looked rather surprised by this statement by Lois. "I know, it's a bit sudden but...there you go."
  
  Lois, Lana, and Clark hoisted up a large tomb onto the desk in front of Harry, Kara, and Karen.
  
  "You went grave robbing?" Chloe asked when she raised an eyebrow.
  
  "More like Lois tripped on it and we noticed the symbols," Clark answered and Lois turned around at him with a mock glare.
  
  "I don't trip, Smallville, I descended to the ground gracefully," Lois answered but Clark offered a smile that indicated that he took great pleasure to get underneath her skin. So Lois decided to take great pleasure in using her super strength to twist Clark's arm behind his back in a hammerlock move.
  
  Clark did not really feel pain but he could not power out of it either. Plus, it did stand to reason that all kinds of pain were not physical, there were some that emotional and Lois pushed Clark down onto the ground, standing above him, with her foot on the back of his head.
  
  "Say it Smallville!" Lois called out to him.
  
  "Uncle?" Clark asked and Lois got up and Clark pulled himself up to the ground.
  
  Harry, Kara, and Karen were only mildly amused by their antics on the account they had something in front of them that they might have been searching for. The tomb sat before them on the desk and their eyes took a long gaze towards it when they peered at the symbols on it. The symbols were that of death, with the triangle, the circle, and the line, the same markings that they knew from their training and that had been on the first gravestone.
  
  "Lois...fell gracefully over it when Lois and Clark were following up a lead about smugglers," Lana answered when she looked at them.
  
  "And it wasn't a very good lead either, you know what they were smuggling?" Lois asked then and Kara, Karen, and Harry figured that even if they did not want to know, Lois was going to let them in on the fact anyway. "They were smuggling cheese, and the stuff reeked. I thought that it would be something good for all the trouble we went to going after it."
  
  "Well it does make for a cheesy story," Clark answered with a wide grin and Lois turned her attention to him with an agitated glare.
  
  "You were warned abound the puns, Smallville," Lois answered but Harry put his hand up before he turned to Lana, Lois, and Clark.
  
  "I need the three of you to leave and go into the next room because if I set this thing off with you nearby, it might hurt any of you," Harry answered before they looked at them. "You three are not Heralds, and when one of those things were touched by Lex, his brain got fried."
  
  "Good thing someone didn't touch one of the symbols," Lana remarked them, feeling pleased that she had the foresight and Clark's cough sounded like "Lois".
  
  With a narrowed eye glared, Lois, Lana, and Clark exited the room at super speed. Thankfully, Harry knew of a charm to make sure that nothing blew around when people exited at super speed. Chloe wished that she had Harry around years ago to perform that charm; it would have saved her from having to clean up a lot of messes after hurricane Clark blew into town.
  
  Without another word, Harry, Kara, and Karen saw the three symbols on the tomb and they pressed their hands to them simultaneously. The blinding white light filled the room and caused the desk to rattle underneath him. It reacted a bit differently that the other one and they waited on pins and needles for the other shoe to drop.
  
  The crypt cracked open to reveal an antique box within it. The three Heralds grabbed the box and they felt it swing open.
  
  Sure enough the contents were mostly the same, with a third of a map and another key.
  
  "So all we need to have is one more key and one more piece of the map," Harry answered, pleased that Lois's skills to inadvertently stumble upon trouble, or perhaps intentionally even, came in handy.
  
  "Easier said than done, I think," Kara commented and Harry placed a hand on hers, before he smiled. Chloe put a hand on Kara's other hand, and Karen put a hand on Chloe and Harry's hand and the three Heralds and their Herald stood in a circle.
  
  "No matter what, no matter how, no matter what it is, we'll find it."
  
  Clark poked his head into the door, he heard the humming and the light show, so he was concerned. However, he saw Harry, Karen, Kara, and Chloe in the midst of a moment and wondered if he was premature in trying to break something up. He stood there in wait and decided that since he was there, he would ask the painfully obvious question that was on the tip of his tongue.
  
  "Is everyone..."
  
  "Fine, Clark, thanks for asking," Kara responded with a smile crossing her face when she looked back at her cousin. "Everything worked out well...its just some piece of paper and a weird key."
  
  "But does the key have any significance?" Lois asked, her reporter instincts getting the better of her.
  
  "You know Lois, if you need to worry about it, we'll tell you," Chloe answered for the Heralds and Lois looked back at her cousin. "All three of you."
  
  "We're honestly piecing everything together ourselves," Karen added with a smile towards Clark, Lana, and Lois. "So did you and Raya spend much time together?"
  
  "I think Raya spent a bit more time enjoying the slot machines where we were than Clark," Lana offered with a mirthful expression in her eyes. "It's always the ones you least expect."
  
  Karen hoped that her chosen protector would have a stronger place in Clark's heart, the strongest place, but their journey only began. It was one of those things where she felt like her competitive nature needed to win out every single time. She did appreciate one single fact.
  
  The three Heralds chose someone in their own way to protect Clark, when they couldn't always watch over him. Kara chose Lana, Harry chose Lois, and Karen chose Raya, and that was amazing how things worked out in that way. Karen felt her head get a bit clearer since she found her family and ever since she misplaced the crystal her father gave her when she left Krypton. It was a part of her old life though, Karen wanted a new life.
  
  Even though she felt should likely she track down that crystal because if it fell in the wrong hands, anyone who came across it could be in mortal peril.
  
  Clark felt that Karen being nice to him after the way that she treated him when she first got here was weird and unsettling but then again, in some way she was family. He knew that people could change and he hoped that things would continue to get better in time. Clark also was under the impression that Kara, Karen, and Harry were up to something top secret but despite his temptation to find out, he decided not to.
  
  There were certain matters that Clark could not fathom and his mind would not piece together. The Heralds knew what they were doing and Clark resolved to just step back, let them do what they needed to do, and worry about his life.
  
  
  
  Harry sat waiting up in his office and there was a knock on the door that brought him out of his thoughts. He leaned forward and addressed the person on the other side.
  
  "Come in," Harry responded and the office door clicked up to reveal that Zatanna was on the other end. She was dressed in a tight white top and a black skirt, displaying her long legs in fishnets. The dark haired magic user entered the room and took a look at Harry. "Hey, Zatanna, didn't expect you to come back around here."
  
  "Well, I did some thinking, and I don't think that I could leave town without thanking you for helping me," she told him with a smile on her face when she looked Harry over. "And I had a discussion with your wives. We've agreed that there's only one way that I can make this up for you. And I can show you want I wanted to do to you all those years ago if we hadn't gotten interrupted."
  
  'Yeah Harry, I did, take her, she owes you big time,' Kara confirmed to him.
  
  Harry got to his feet, with a smile on his face when he drank in Zatanna's form and sent butterflies flapping in her stomach.
  
  "I'm sure we can make up for what you've done, yes," Harry responded when he grabbed Zatanna around her waist and the two looked over each other.
  
  "I don't know what's changed about you but there's something powerful about you and it's....well it's amazing," Zatanna breathed when she looked at Harry with a gaze through her eyes and Harry stared back at her, a smile crossing his face.
  
  "I'm sure it is amazing," Harry responded when he looked back at her honestly, a smile crossing his face. "And I'm sure the two of us can work out something together."
  
  Harry bent Zatanna back and pushed her against the wall before his mouth met hers and his hands brushed through her silky black hair. She felt a warmth flooding through her body like nothing she ever felt before. Harry ran his hands all over her body when she opened her mouth to allow his tongue inside. The two of them had their tongues dance with the passion that defied belief.
  
  The kiss broke apart and Zatanna felt flushed from that action, before she reached forward and grabbed the bulge in Harry's pants.
  
  "Take me home and take your payment," Zatanna breathed to Harry, rubbing him through the fabric of his trousers and working him over. Her eyes danced with the passion and desire, desire to have this cock in her and penetrate her like she allowed no man to ever do so before.
  
  Harry scooped her up in his arms and the next thing they knew, they were back in Harry's bedroom. She collapsed down on the bed, feeling flushed with pleasure and Harry began to strip off her clothes and his before the real fun began.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  Harry saw Zatanna Zatara's hot body on the bed, her silky black hair that framed her face, a piercing pair of blue eyes that eyed his package with hungry lust. His gaze traveled down to her perfect breasts with erect nipples begging to be played with, her toned stomach, down to her sexy legs that stretched on with her perfect feet. And then the center, the strip of black hair and the hungry pussy lips that begged for a treat. Harry was going to give her that treat and he rubbed his cock head against her entrance for a tease of what was to come.
  
  "Harry, please," Zatanna breathed when he bent down and licked her pussy a few times to get her warmed up. She breathed when her juices trickled down her legs, she thought about this for long nights for years and years. Often times using any number of spells to pleasure herself but that did not fill the void and was not real like this.
  
  Harry manipulated her folds with his fingers and then he trailed kisses down the lower half of her body before he shifted focused. He went up her body, kissing every single inch of the tanned flesh that was available to him. The dark haired wizard ran his hands over her body causing her to shiver and then he bent down to place his mouth on her dark nipple, suckling on the flesh.
  
  Zatanna moaned when she felt his talented hands, mouth, and fingers all over him, he felt so good that she could hardly imagine this. This was better than her wildest imaginings and she shuddered from the pleasure. Things were about to get more intense when he ceased sucking on her nipple and moved his mouth a bit south of her. He probed her belly button briefly with his tongue, causing the pleasure to course through her.
  
  His tongue worked into her center, lapping up the juices from her molten core and licking them onto his tongue. He savored every single taste in her, the sweet sin that dribbled down her thighs and made his body flush with desire. He could hardly handle everything that happened but it was true, he was driving himself more and more to the edge of everything, feasting on the lovely juices.
  
  "Oh, shit!" Zatanna yelled when she felt his tongue vibrate into her. She was glad the rumors that Harry lost his ability to use Parseltongue had been grossly exaggerated. He bobbed his tongue in and out of her, working her over center with his vibrating tongue.
  
  He tasted and teased her for a little bit longer until her pussy splattered the heavenly juices within all over his face. Harry pulled up, a smile on his face when her juices dribbled off of it and he shook his head.
  
  "Yeah, I bet that feels good," Harry stated when he teased her once again and Zatanna grabbed Harry by the shoulders and kissed him once again, before flipping him onto the bed, causing him to land hard.
  
  Zatanna ran her hands over Harry's frame, feeling his muscles underneath her hands, they felt so good. She could rub on them for hours but when she straddled his hips, she saw the erect phallus next to her. The sex god that was this wizard made her pussy moisten with desire; she needed this cock sliding in and out of her lips, pleasuring her in every which way and in ways that she could not imagine.
  
  Harry felt her slide his pole into her soppy wet center and he moaned in the pleasure.
  
  "Oh yeah, that feels so good, a tight fit," Harry breathed when the raven haired magical user began to ride his pole, grinding her hips down onto the base to get the most pleasure.
  
  "You....yeah, fuck me!" Zatanna breathed huskily when she continued to rock back and forth.
  
  Harry laid back and allowed her to enjoy the ride but the he spotted her swaying breasts before his face. There was one thing for him to do and that was to reach forward to grab onto them. He gripped the breasts into his hand, squeezing them and causing her eyes to flicker shut with the desire as he worked his magic on her wonderful globes. She continued to ride the dark haired wizard with everything she had.
  
  "Oh yes, more, yes, feels so good," Zatanna breathed huskily when she felt his cock push up inside her depths.
  
  Harry felt her warm pussy wrap around him, lovingly caressing his member. The dark haired woman rode him with all she had and then sped up her bouncing on him, coming all over his cock. The lubricated nature of her walls allowed Harry to slide in and out of Zatanna with ease beyond all measure. She was rather horny and Harry loved it.
  
  Zatanna felt her pussy burn with the desire for this young man when he pushed up into her. His hands cupped her breasts and squeezed them, before he reached around and proceeded to play with her ass. These sensations, his hands all over her body, that felt rather good. She felt flushed and her body sized up with even more pleasure.
  
  She raised her body and lowered it onto his cock, making sure it hit the inside of her. The dark haired wizard's eyes flooded with pleasure which caused Zatanna to smile. That mean that she was doing the job of a lifetime to pleasure this god among men. She continued to rock her hips around the base, twisting around him and he gave a grunt below her.
  
  "Use that pussy to squeeze me, oh that's it!" Harry breathed heavily when he pushed his hips up into her.
  
  His cock pushed into her pussy, really probing the depths of her. The two clashed together, with Harry having to dial it back a little bit not to hurt Zatanna. However he had some great control that there was no need. The raven haired sorceress rode Harry, her face flooded with pure ecstasy when she continued to rock back and forth.
  
  "Cum, please, I need it," Zatanna panted when she felt herself driven to the edge and pushed off multiple times. He had the stamina that could go on for days if she allowed it but she summoned all of her power to her pussy, to try and squeeze him into submission.
  
  Harry thrust his hips up into her center and with a final huge thrust, his loins exploded and he blasted several warm jets of cum into her center. She gave a shrieking moan of pleasure when the dark haired wizard's cum splashed into her and she allowed her pussy to milk him until his orgasm was done.
  
  The shuddering pleasure that went through Harry's body was a lot but it was even more when a new figure joined the party.
  
  "Mmm, that's a good taste."
  
  Kara had her tongue between Zatanna's legs and was licking the combined juices. Her talented and hot tongue worked her way into Zatanna, causing the woman to shudder. This was something that felt so good that she could not believe it. The blonde used her extremely talented tongue to work her pussy, licking and pleasuring the core that was dripping wet with two sets of juices.
  
  Zatanna never thought about being in a relationship with another woman but now that this hot and pink tongue was in her, she could not....she could not really think straight to be honest.
  
  Harry would have to be blind to not see the perfection of Kara, the blonde was completely naked. Her lovely pert breasts stuck out with her erect nipples. His eyes traveled down her golden blonde hair and lovely blue eyes that glowed with burning passion and lust. Her taunt stomach, curved hips, and wonderful ass led to a pair of sexy legs that men would willing die for, topped off by her perfect feet.
  
  'Harry, I'm wet for you,' Kara cooed in her mind, she had been watching her husband pleasure another woman invisible in the corner and played with herself.
  
  'Let's not make you wait them,' Harry told her when he edged his cock into her pussy from behind when Kara licked and nibbled at Zatanna's hot pussy.
  
  Zatanna grabbed Kara's blonde locks and trailed her fingers through them when the Kryptonian goddess went down on her center. Her talented tongue probed her inside while the magic user looked up. She saw Harry's cock appear and disappear within Kara's warm folds, hearing the sound of their flesh smacking together from the impact of their two powerful organs meeting together.
  
  Harry grabbed her breasts, playing with them, and rolling his hands over his Alpha's firm and lovely peaks. She breathed into Zatanna's pussy and continued to use her tongue to stimulate the dark haired woman. The three of them were picking up a pace whilst Harry plunged his cock into Kara's warm folds, really working into her.
  
  'More Harry, please more,' Kara panted mentally when her eyes flickered a little bit when she continued to eat the pussy beneath her.
  
  'You want it, you got it,' Harry thought, rolling his hands over her breasts and working on the tender and lovely flesh beneath his hands. His large organ pushed into her tender folds.
  
  Kara felt the pleasure of the cock buried between her thighs along with the taste of the dark haired witch's pussy. The blonde submerged her tongue into the womanly depths, feeling the pleasure beneath her and she felt a shuddering breath fill her body when she continued to work her tongue into the depths, getting deeper with each passing motion. She wanted the entire taste and she would have it.
  
  Harry watched his first wife eat the pussy of this hot sorceresses, it was so hot and it convinced him to plunge his cock into her at hyper speed. He could tell that this made Kara's toes curl with desire and the dark haired wizard pick up the pace when he drilled into her molten center, feeling her clench around him when he sped up his thrusts with each passing moment, feeling her wrap around him.
  
  "Yes, yes, yes," Zatanna panted when she lifted her hips off the bed when her pussy clenched and spilled its juices onto Kara's face.
  
  Harry pushed himself into her once again and sped up the tempo a little bit before he pushed into her. His cock shoved into Kara, working her Kryptonian pussy over with several more strokes before he offered one declaration.
  
  "Here it comes."
  
  The three of them decided to cum together, with Kara's pussy msucles giving Harry's thick phallus, when her hips rocked backwards. To many men, that would feel like pain but for Harry, it felt like pleasure. The dark haired wizard spilled his creamy essence into her, feeling good when he splashed into her.
  
  Kara slid forward and kissed Zatanna heatedly, with the dark haired witch returning the favor. The two ran their hands over each other's sweaty and hot bodies, smiling when they looked at each other. Their eyes moved over to see the reaction that it had on their lover and smiled, the night was just beginning.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  
  
  Tess bit her lip when she sat on a chair on her desk and held it in her hands, partially transfixed by what sat in her hand, the orb she found all of those months away. Her best scientists had not been able to dent it, not even scratch it, and most certainly would not be able to open it. It was a mystery of what this orb was but Tess felt the need to figure out how to open it, if nothing else the contents would offer a hint towards Lex's psychosis.
  
  Yet there was no identifiable markings of any kind whatsoever, in fact the orb was clear and purple, without a trace. Tess set the orb down on the desk with a smile crossing her face when she took it to the high security vault in the back of her office and locked it away. It would be unwise to study it for too much longer especially when one considered the amount of time she spent on it already.
  
  Tess debated many things about that orb in her hand but there were other things that were on her mind.
  
  "We uncovered the entire field and found something Miss Mercer."
  
  Curiosity got the better of Tess and she wondered with as many trips as Lex recorded on file, along with many that he did not record, how could he miss something like this? It defied all conventional belief and all standard logic, yet Tess stood forward with a thought on her mind of what was before her.
  
  "What is it?" Tess wondered and the box was brought before them.
  
  It was nothing extraordinary whatsoever, it was a carved box with the strange symbols on it, the same symbol Lex sketched that he found on the gravestone.
  
  The same symbol Tess noted that she did not find a translation for no matter how many books or records she poured through. That symbol was in no language ever recorded by humans and that was the key word, no language ever recorded by humans. Tess placed her hands on the edge of the box, careful not to touch the symbols.
  
  She recalled from Lex's extensive records that the time he touched the symbol on the gravestone, his brain was short circuited for a time and then reset by a mysterious force. Sorcery or either highly advanced alien technology was the two most logical explanations and Tess could not determine right yet what offered more unanswered questions for her. The power before her was personified in this box.
  
  "More reports have come out about the serial killer, Miss Mercer."
  
  Her contact handed Tess the latest police reports that were faxed to her, the creature, the monster continued to attack, but Tess determined from a few grainy photos that it was not a monster but rather a man. It was the other one, the one that was sent on Earth with the traveler that would need to be a challenge that he must overcome or doomsday would strike the world.
  
  The words "neither can live whilst the other survives" was found on the inscription in the scrolls Tess located that described the battle. The killer grew in power and she wondered what the traveler was doing. While the world burned around them, Tess wondered whether or not the traveler understood that he had to take certain steps to preserve the future of the world.
  
  She heard of the three messengers of Death who had been sent forth.
  
  Lex's notes were vague but Tess located information about what Lionel Luthor left behind, a series of journal entries that grew more and more frantic the more time past. There was one final entry that was written days before Lionel was murdered by a gunman.
  
  "Death will visit them all before the end of Doomsday."
  
  Tess could not wrap her mind around that situation and she tapped her fingers across the desk, before she delved into another area of interest, security recordings that she uncovered over the last few days before Lex's trip to the Artic. Lex's body was uncovered, dead and decayed several days ago but Tess wanted to find out even more information regarding what she had at her disposal.
  
  "Are you saying he's the one?"
  
  That was Lex and Tess almost heard something, the faintest whisper but no matter how much she heard, the person who spoke was out of reach.
  
  "The traveler, all this time...you've got me by the throat anyway, what's your stake in this?"
  
  More silence but once again Tess swore she heard something in the silence.
  
  "We do need to have a talk after what happened, Kal-El and I, after all of the lies.'
  
  There was a long time where Tess should have heard words but there was nothing on the other end of the recording except for constant static. She fine tuned every single bit of the recording but there was nothing, nothing.
  
  Tess read the final words that Lionel Luthor wrote before he passed on.
  
  "Death will visit them all before the end of Doomsday."
  
  The more she knew, the less Tess understood, and for someone like her, she did not like that at all.
  
  The box in front of her presented another mystery, the same mystery that may have indirectly led to Lex's demise. Harry Potter stood before her as an enigma, someone that she wanted to understand but someone that seemed to be a few steps ahead of her. As much as Tess loathed to admit it, the ball was in Harry Potter's court.
  
  Then she looked at the symbol, maybe not, given that these symbols followed Harry Potter around wherever he went. Tess wondered if she held an item that he required for whatever his destiny was. It would be prudent once more to get in touch with him and try and determine what his game was.
  
  The killer continued to pile up his victims but given the context clues Tess read, there was every indication that Harry knew what was going on here, even if he did not have a way to defeat it. The Traveler was also in the middle of it and then there was Kal-El.
  
  "Death will visit them all before the end of Doomsday."
  
  A statement that Lionel made that would live on infamy that looped through Tess's mind.
  
  Also, she heard a humming from the vault and she swung it open.
  
  Tess swore that the orb started to hum and then she heard voices within it but it remained still, silent, and ominous in the vault. Tess tapped on the orb, it had her rattled, she'll admit that much. Yet the orb remained silent and quiet.
  
  Almost too quiet.
  
  Tess turned around and walked away. Once she was gone, a quiet voice spoke from within the orb.
  
  "Soon, it will be fulfilled," a female voice stated from within the orb. "Harry will lead them, it's in his DNA, he will make all who oppose him kneel before him."
  
  To Be Continued in the Next Chapter "Calm Before the Storm."
  Calm Before the Storm
  
  Chapter Fifty Eight: Calm Before the Storm
  
  Harry woke up the next day in bed, with Zatanna draped over one side of him and Kara draped over the other side of him. The two of them snuggled into his chest and he smiled, feeling content.
  
  Zatanna shook herself awake and offered a sleepy smile. "So....so that wasn't a really nice dream? This time it was real."
  
  Harry turned to the side a little bit and kissed her on the lips. He pulled back and smiled. "Not a dream, very real."
  
  Kara woke up and Harry gave her a kiss too. She was his Alpha after all so she would have a special place in his heart.
  
  "I trust you'll be coming around a lot more now," Harry responded when he looked at Zatanna and she smiled.
  
  "Yeah, I have a pretty good reason," she offered, cupping his crotch for emphasis. Harry could go all night long and then some. It was what she was waiting for and better. "I have to get some things in order but after that's done, I'll be coming back on a more permanent basis."
  
  "Glad to hear that," Harry responded when he looked at her and Zatanna got dressed, before she offered Harry one last parting kiss.
  
  "Don't I get a kiss goodbye?" Kara asked with a mocking pout. "I'm only the one who set this up so you could get laid, you know."
  
  Zatanna offered a smile, and she kissed Kara, running her hands through her gorgeous blonde hair and looked into her blue eyes.
  
  "I'll see you later," Zatanna offered when she turned and walked off.
  
  Harry knew that he would in fact see her later.
  
  Kara and Harry were left alone and the two of them exchanged a tense expression before the blonde spoke.
  
  "We still got Doomsday to work on," Kara stated when she folded her arms. "I....I can't believe that Clark has to do that. You realize that I'm going to likely teach my cousin to kill. Lois would be able to do it if she could, Raya would be able to do it if she could, Lana would as well, so would you, I, Karen, and Chloe. Hell even Oliver would too, and let's face it, if he dies in the process....no big loss."
  
  "Kara, be nice," Harry responded but she just grinned.
  
  "But Clark's too much of a boy scout, I'm sure he goes on an endless guilt trip if he accidentally kills a fly," Kara responded when she looked at Harry. "There has to be some way that we can take down Doomsday."
  
  "Avada Kedavra," Harry whispered, turning away from Kara.
  
  "Pardon?" Kara asked but then she realized. "You....you think that would work."
  
  "I don't know," Harry responded when he shook his head. "It either puts down the monster for good or....it makes him unkillable. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the risk."
  
  Kara wondered as well, when Harry pulled her onto his lap and stroked her hair.
  
  "I came here to protect Kal-El, I don't want him to die," Kara whispered when she snuggled into his chest.
  
  "As long as Lana, Lois, and Raya have their powers, Clark is perfectly safe," Harry responded when he looked at them. "And unless Death decides to pull my powers, they'll keep theirs."
  
  Kara smiled, Harry had been toeing the line as much as he could as of late, although given how fickle Death was, she had a deep feeling of dread. Then again, he already lasted longer than every Herald of Death to date, going on two years. He had the proper grounding.
  
  ______________________________________________________
  
  The last several days, even the last several weeks had been intense and kind of stressful for Harry Potter but despite all of the evil forces he fought, there were instances where Harry knew that he could take anything that the world threw against him. Despite what was out there, Harry shook his head and decided to continue the task that he was doing, or rather finish it because he was almost done with it.
  
  Harry, slowly but surely, made his rounds in the Daily Planet and found everything to be mostly running as it should, nice and smoothly. Or at least as nice and smoothly as a Newspaper company in a chaotic city like Metropolis could be. The latest exploits of the Blur were detailed but now that Lois was in on the joke, she was able to have a bit more fun with her stories. That amused Harry and in some ways, that made him look forward to seeing what Lois's latest efforts were.
  
  Kara and Karen were off doing their own things, with Kara visiting her Aunt at the Fortress of Solitude, even though she would have to stomach Jor-El. Karen was following a lead on the position of where the third key was, and she also commented on trying to find a crystal of some sort. What significance that crystal had, Harry really did not have any idea whatsoever but if Karen thought it was important, than it was important.
  
  Lana and Lois were off doing something with Clark, although the full details Harry decided was their business and no one else's. Clark seemed to have conceded defeat about the entire situation which Harry personally thought was the best thing in the world for him. Harry folded his arms over the top of the table and remained silent, pensive and passive when he stared out the window of the main office.
  
  "Hi, Harry!"
  
  Chloe popped up at this point, saying those words brightly, before she offered Harry a hug for a moment and pushed him back towards his desk.
  
  "So the inspection go alright?" Chloe inquired of him as the blonde straddled his lap with Harry on the desk and made sure the office was locked and secured. One did not need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what Chloe had in mind for both of them. She smiled when she straddled her legs over Harry's lap and peered into his eyes.
  
  "Everyone seems to be running on schedule," Harry commented to Chloe when she slowly unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands down his muscular chest.
  
  "That's good, I think we should conduct a private inspection of our own," Chloe remarked when she practically purred in his ear as he said that.
  
  Chloe thought that with Kara and Karen away doing what they did, and her being here, this would be the perfect opportunity to score her some one on one Harry time. She could tell by Harry's bulge poking her that he was up for the inspection and she wrapped his arms around his neck, with a bright smile crossing her face.
  
  Harry leaned forward and planted a light kiss to the side of her neck and Chloe shivered when he began to suck on her neck with his very able mouth. His hands roamed all over her body, down her clothed breasts, underneath her shirt grazing her belly, and down her stocking covered legs, before they grazed underneath her skirt, and Harry smiled while he felt between her legs.
  
  "I think I'm not the only one that is up for a little inspection," Harry remarked when Chloe was already undoing his pants with feverish fury.
  
  "Yes, Mr. Potter, I think you're not the only one," Chloe responded with a mischievous grin. "Let's conduct a little...raise."
  
  Chloe groped him for emphasis and then the real fun was about to begin.
  
  Smut/Lemon Begins.
  
  Chloe had Harry's pants down around his ankles and she saw his boxers. Her mouth drooled when she pushed down his boxers to reveal his large penis before her. His erection sprang out and struck her in the cheek but Chloe caught it in her hand, squeezing it and rubbing it up and down, before she licked his cock up and down like a lollipop. Harry clutched his hands around the desk and Chloe licked the head.
  
  "Oh, so good," Harry grunted and Chloe grinned at him, playing with his balls a little bit before she stuck Harry's cock slowly in her mouth. Harry watched it disappear inch by inch into her mouth when she sucked long and deep on it, pushing the cock down her throat.
  
  Harry leaned back on the desk to feel Chloe work over his cock with her pretty little mouth as it pumped in and out of her mouth, hitting the back of her throat. Chloe groped his balls when she looked in Harry's eye, a hot expression dancing in her beautiful eyes when she continued to go down on her lover. Harry felt worlds of pleasure fill him when Chloe took him down her throat a little bit at a time.
  
  Chloe tasted his wonderful cock but she started to feel warmth and desire between her thighs the more of this massive organ she shoved down her tight throat. She reached down with her free hand and pulled down her skirt, with a little help form Harry. Harry saw the pair of lacy red panties she had on.
  
  "So hot, suck my cock why I eat you," Harry groaned when he reached down to feel Chloe's wetness as she slipped her panties off to reveal her smooth sex, her lips swollen and ready for Harry's pleasures.
  
  The two lovers found themselves in a sixty nine position, with Chloe sitting on Harry's face when she sucked on his cock and also licked his balls a little bit. Harry was in heaven and his head between Chloe's thighs felt like heaven as well. He rubbed her clit with his thumb and also played with her ass, before he dove between her legs and began to go to down on the womanhood that lied within.
  
  Chloe groaned, the sounds vibrating on Harry's cock, which she figured gave him more pleasure as she sucked his cock down her throat, trying to get the creamy delight inside. Harry going to down on her moist core, licking the inside of her, and using his tongue to stimulate every inch of her felt like there was nothing better. The blonde panted when she put her hands between Harry's legs and played with his balls.
  
  Harry tasted Chloe's pussy, lapping up the heavenly delights that were between her legs and the scent drove him mad with the deepest desire. The blonde's breath hit his cock as it was in the back of her throat and Harry found himself getting close to the bring. He delved deeper into his wife's tasty peach, licking and sucking on it while he feasted on the delights between her thighs.
  
  'Fuck, he's so good,' Chloe thought to herself when she used her super breath to increase her suction power, her nose rubbing against Harry's pubs, she had her mouth completely pressed to his pelvic bone. 'Oh god.'
  
  Harry matched Chloe's movements, using his super suction to really gave her pleasure and the two lovers moaned into each other's sexual organs before the two of them felt their organs tighten.
  
  Chloe splashed her love juices on Harry's face from the pleasure as he shot his thick cum down her throat. She made sure to swallow every last drop that Harry drained from his balls down her throat and she sighed in the deepest contentment.
  
  She pulled away from Harry and licked her lips, to see that Harry's cock was still good to go.
  
  "Round two," Chloe breathed huskily when she wrapped her arms around Harry.
  
  "Round two, yeah," Harry answered when he unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it open to reveal her chest encased in a very skimpy bra, which Harry quickly relieved her of.
  
  Chloe straddle his lap, trapping his cock beneath them, it brushing against her stomach and Harry squeezed her breasts, before he kissed them and licked them, first going for the right nipple and then the left nipple, moaning and breathing heavily when he did this.
  
  "Oh, Harry, feels so good," Chloe whimpered when Harry blew on her breasts and sucked on it.
  
  Harry played with her breasts and her ass for a little bit, causing chills to run down Chloe's spine before Harry teased her opening with his cock head.
  
  "Please Harry, fuck me," Chloe whispered to him and sure enough, Harry's cock plunged into her pussy.
  
  Chloe felt a rush of pleasure when Harry's cock entered her and began to plunge in and out of her while she straddled him. She wrapped her legs against his waist and pushed down onto him, gyrating her hips a little bit when she did so.
  
  Harry groaned, that action gave him so much pleasure, Chloe's pussy squeezed him so nicely before the blonde pushed herself down onto his cock. The blonde pushed Harry back onto the desk and rubbed his chest with her hands while Harry returned fire to fondle her breasts.
  
  Chloe pushed herself up and sank down at Harry's cock, their hips meeting with the pleasure combined with two powerful forces meeting each other. She rode Harry for all of he was worth, clenching him when she did and felt pleased when the dark haired Herald of Death groaned underneath her efforts.
  
  "Yes, you're so hot," Harry managed when he saw Chloe bouncing up and down on him, riding his pole like a cowgirl, with her pussy squeezing him tightly and hotly.
  
  He reached up and played with her breasts, running his fingers over them to give her little jolts of pleasure, before he took one hand behind her and played with her ass.
  
  "Oh, feels so good Harry, I love how you worship my breasts and my ass, keep fucking me baby!" Chloe yelled when she continued to ride up and down, stopping to gyrate her hips around Harry's thick pole, squeezing him with the pleasure and she continued to bounce.
  
  The two sped up their actions, their hips clashing together with the passion that only two powerful people could feel and Harry and Chloe played with each other, with Harry roaming his hands all over Chloe's body. Harry noticed that she squealed when he played with her belly button and wondered if that was a perfectly sensitive spot for her as Harry grabbed her hips and pushed down on her.
  
  Chloe's pussy clenched around him, releasing her juices, she panted heavily because of the intense orgasm that she felt and Harry playing with her belly button, along with her nipples did not help with her orgasms that she was feeling. She continued to ride Harry hard.
  
  "Harry, cum, I need it in me," Chloe breathed heavily before she peered down lovingly into his eyes.
  
  "Here it comes, my smart babe!" Harry groaned, when she scratched his chest and bit his nipples.
  
  It was always the brainy ones who were the naughtiest.
  
  Harry's balls tightened before it unleashed his creamy delights up into Chloe and splattered his thick load deep into her spasming pussy. Chloe screamed, reaching another peak when Harry filled her up with the seed, splattering it into her and causing it to dribble out of her pussy.
  
  Chloe and Harry fell back on the desk, several hours of fucking later, breathing heavily and satisfied.
  
  Smut/Lemon Ends.
  
  _____________________________________________________
  
  "Kal-El must speed up the time table of embracing his destiny."
  
  "Kal-El is doing perfectly fine!" Kara yelled back when she was at the Fortress, having an argument with Jor-El. To be honest, she regretted putting him back online but her aunt convinced her to do so to give them a balanced perspective of all sides. Although Lara did balance out more of Jor-El's colder and indifferent qualities, there were times where he could be insufferably stubborn. "I'm taking the steps necessary to ensure that his protection is secure until the moment where he's ready. Which is more than I can say about you with all of your twisted tests!"
  
  "I do what I must for Kal-El to embrace the person he is," Jor-El answered in a crisp voice. "Your mate deliberately defied my plans when he brought Raya from the Phantom Zone again."
  
  "Yeah, another one of your tests, which was a brilliant one by the way, Jor-El," Kara practically spat out.
  
  "Kara, Jor-El, this argument solves nothing," Lara cut in before things could get too ugly between her husband and niece. "Kal-El is in a rocky step on his journey, but it is not something that should be rushed because you believe this to be his destiny."
  
  "Do you not see it, Lara, for each passing day, the monster grows in strength," Jor-El argued to his wife and Lara realized that. "Each day we have, is a day that we cannot delay for what Kal-El must do."
  
  Kara understood that Bloome, or rather the monster because she personally felt that any trace of Davis Bloome was killed when Ra's Al Ghul dunked him in that pit, was out there and killing people. She felt a personal responsibility because her, Harry, and Karen had been unable to catch him.
  
  "Kal-El will embrace what he is meant to do, but only when the time is right for him to do so, and not one second before," Lara argued when it appeared that she glared at Jor-El to dare him into challenging him.
  
  "A mother's love often times gets in the face of all logic."
  
  "Yes, but your logic has caused Kal-El nothing but suffering and pain," Lara answered, getting in the last word while she could. She knew her son was destined for great things but pushing him towards that greatness before he was ready to take the steps without any prodding was going to do more harm than good. Kara stood there, the awkward scene before her. "Kara it was good to see you but I think it would be best if you leave whilst I have a conversation with Jor-El."
  
  "Of course, Aunt Lara," Kara answered, knowing what a discussion between her Aunt and Uncle would entail and quickly Kara sped off outside the Fortress.
  
  She stood outside the Fortress where Raya sat waiting.
  
  "Jor-El isn't completely right, but he isn't completely wrong either," Raya answered to break the silence that occurred between the two women.
  
  "I know, and that's what makes it frustrating," Kara whispered to Raya in an undertone between the two of them.
  
  She looked up and saw Lana, Lois, and Clark in the air above them, and smirked when Kara thought about Lois's idea to "train" Clark to get him to fly. It seemed like Lois wanted to do her part as Clark's protector to encourage him to fly, by any means necessary. And by Lois, any means could be a lot. She stepped up her efforts when she found out Clark flew twice recently, albeit under the influence.
  
  "You didn't seem all that fond of me when you found out that I was here," Raya answered when she looked at Kara.
  
  "I'm sorry, I was just projecting the dislike I had for Jor-El onto you," Kara responded in an apologetic voice and Raya nodded by her side in understanding.
  
  "That type of projection can be easy to do, even with the best of us, and I do admit that I want to see Kal-El to do well but I wonder what Jor-El was thinking when he removed all of his emotions from the equation," Raya mused when she looked into the sky, eyes narrowed with amusement when she saw the interplay going on in the sky above. "If he were not to do that, then he would understand what Kal-El is going through, for he went through the very same thing with his father, who also expected great things of Jor-El. Each passing generation, the House of El has had great expectations and more often than not, they've passed and often times exceeded them."
  
  Raya paused before she inclined her head towards Kara.
  
  "Case in point."
  
  Kara was pleased to hear that glowing assessment, she sure thought she was doing good as the Herald of Death of Krypton, although her main objective was to make sure that Clark remained protected until the moment where he was ready to embrace that destiny. Whether it be a month from now, a year from now, or ten years from now, Clark had a great roll in the future of the world, although Kara wondered if the powers that be thought about how great that was going to be when the time passed.
  
  "I take it your problem with Jor-El stems from what happened to your mother," Raya added to break Kara out of her thoughts and her watching Lois and Lana toss Clark back and forth in mid air, despite his protests, in some hair-brained attempt to get him to fly.
  
  "Yes, that's exactly it, he didn't offer regrets, even eight years later," Kara responded, clutching her fists in frustration, Jor-El was someone that she was not the biggest fan of. She liked to think of Clark as Lara's son and only called him the son of Jor-El when he was being a bit of a twat, which was very often the more she thought about it. Of course, Kara wouldn't have Clark any other way.
  
  There was a gentle expression in Raya's face when she gazed back at Kara.
  
  "I do not intend to absolve Jor-El, for he blamed himself and he often did wonder if he was the one who caused that fatal blow," Raya added when she looked at Kara. "Alura was in the middle between Zor-El and Jor-El and either one of them could have been the one to strike her fatally, but...I'm not sure what happened and Jor-El was not either. He decided to seclude himself for the longest time because of it."
  
  Kara looked up in the sky, and continued to amuse herself by watching Lois and Lana and there was a yell of "stop whining and taking it like a man, Smallville!"
  
  "Your mother was a brave and valiant woman and I see her influence shining through on you," Raya answered when she looked at Kara. "While I never had the pleasure of meeting her, I've heard enough of her to realize that she was a great woman. She was a medical scientist in the Kandorian Army and one of the best."
  
  That little fact was news as far as Kara was concerned, she always thought that her mother was a humble botanist and nothing more. Alura was an expert on plants, both on Krypton and other, knowing what properties healed and even what properties killed, even though there was some twisted desire in knowing something that. Although Kara figured that would have to be known how plants killed if one would want to be inventive enough for formulate some kind of antidote.
  
  Raya decided not to tell Kara the other part of what she knew about Kara's mother, figuring that there was no need for Kara to know that. The fact was that Alura was good friends with Zod at one time. In fact, there were rumors that Alura chose Zor-El over Zod, not that was the best choice in the world to make given what hindsight was.
  
  Yep, she thought it would be prudent not to tell Kara that her mother was once friends with one of the greatest War Criminals in the history of Krypton.
  
  Karen showed up at that point and faced them.
  
  "No luck on it," Kara whispered to her when Raya flew up to join the fun above them.
  
  "No, I'm pretty sure someone's messed around in that field but if it was there, it's gone now," Karen whispered when her eyes snapped up. "Maybe that will convince him to fly."
  
  "Maybe," Kara answered when she watched Clark get tossed from Lana, to Lois, and the Raya joined in on the fun.
  
  "Clark's being triple teamed and not in the good way," Karen answered, for some reason her mind felt clearer since she lost the crystal.
  
  "Yeah, thanks for that image," Kara responded with a shudder when they decided to leave Clark in the very capable hands of Lana, Lois, and Raya.
  
  Or perhaps at their mercy.
  
  At their mercy seemed to be a rather good term, for they did not appear to have any.
  
  "Come on, enough is enough," Clark responded when Lana tossed Clark back to Lois. "Are you going to be the least bit tired yet?"
  
  "Never!" Lois yelled with an amused expression on her face.
  
  "Yeah, Clark, you should know we can go for hours and hours," Lana responded with a wink at the implications of the statement.
  
  "It is an essential part of your training," Raya responded when she caught Clark and threw him back.
  
  Clark had no idea whatsoever how this was an essential part of his training but he went with it. It wasn't like he could fly away, no matter how much he willed himself to.
  
  "I think I hear someone calling for help!" Clark yelled but this fell on deaf ears.
  
  "Nice try, Smallville, but we have the same super hearing that you do and we don't hear anyone," Lois responded as the other two women nodded.
  
  _________________________________________________________
  
  Harry continued his work at the Shining Light Foundation, checking on some of the guests as he walked around. A buzzer echoed and he moved over to pick up the communication link to see who was calling.
  
  "Harry, Oliver Queen wants to know if you have a few moments to spare," Megan answered on the other end.
  
  Harry wondered what he wanted but decided he might as well get this over with.
  
  "It's fine, send him on up, I'll be there," Harry answered when he looked at the latest copy of the Daily Planet, describing the latest exploits of the blur or blurs rather, saving a runaway train from certain destruction. Harry also found the article regarding a group of heroes calling themselves the Doom Patrol who stopped another crime outside of the city limits to be quite enlightening.
  
  Oliver popped up at that moment to see Harry standing there.
  
  "Oliver, I see that your leg is much better," Harry answered and for the past few months, Oliver had been out of it, due to the fact that he was shot in the leg.
  
  "I'm on the mend, although I've been through worst," Oliver responded when he looked at Harry. "There's something that I need to inform you about that you should know, or someone."
  
  Harry waved his hands for Oliver to proceed.
  
  "Tess Mercer, she's very interested in digging up information on you," Oliver responded before he paused and waited for Harry to answer.
  
  To be honest, Harry knew that Tess was extremely interested in digging up information on him, given her inner nature; she would want to have all of the cards on the table out in front of her. In fact, Harry was pretty certain that Tess was interested in more regarding information and also more than about the partnership that Luthorcorp and the Shining Light Foundation enjoyed. That was the sense that Harry got when he thought about it.
  
  Oliver saw that Harry was being rather nonchalant about the situation so he offered him a few more words.
  
  "I don't know if you realize what type of woman Tess Mercer is or what she's capable of," Oliver responded when he looked back at Harry.
  
  Harry drummed his fingers on the side of the desk, when he half watched Claire on the other side.
  
  "I understand what kind of woman Tess is and I understand what she may be capable of," Harry answered when he turned towards Oliver and looked into his eyes dead on, staring him down. "But I don't think you understand what kind of man I am and what I'm capable of."
  
  Oliver thought so, he didn't know that much about Harry Potter himself, although Clark did vouch for him several times. Of course Clark would stick up for Harry, he was practically family and all that. Oliver offered Harry a spot in their group but he turned it down. Which was a shame as from what Oliver observed here at the Shining Light Foundation, Harry seemed to be a natural leader and would be perfect for leading that group of super heroes, but Harry once again claimed that he had little time on his hands.
  
  "I'm sure you have plenty to things to say about Tess and I'm sure she has plenty things to say about you," Harry responded, cutting to the chase. "Whatever past you two have...it's in the past and it should remain there. I've got to worry about what I have to do in the present."
  
  "And you do realize that there's some kind of super powered serial killer running loose in Metropolis," Oliver answered when he looked back at Harry.
  
  "Believe me, Oliver, I realize that, and I'm taking steps to prepare the only person who can defeat him for his destiny," Harry answered when he looked away from him.
  
  There was a very real possibility that Clark could die in this battle with Doomsday, that was a point that Karen, Kara, and Harry discussed previously. They did not want to bring this up to Clark because the last thing they needed was for him to start second guessing himself. That would end up getting him killed faster than anything else.
  
  "So Clark is the only one who can stop him?" Oliver asked when he stood back and watched Harry. "I'm not sure what I find more vexing, the fact that you're putting this much faith in Clark or the fact that you put no faith in anyone else."
  
  Harry did not even bother to respond, there were certain things that Oliver did not need to know, certain bits of inside information that he had that should not be thrown in the hands of others. That was something that Harry needed to keep under his hat to thrive and survive.
  
  "I have faith in plenty of people but there are times where...we've got to look at things from a certain perspective and realize what must be done," Harry responded to Oliver.
  
  That cryptic message seemed to not please Oliver but Harry was not in the business of pleasing people, he was in the business of figuring out what needed to be done for the good of everyone. It was not easy to make those decisions and he could tell that some might crack. Sure he bent a few rules along the way to get what he needed done but that was the way the ball bounced in this situation.
  
  "I'm going to level with you, if Clark doesn't win this battle, the world is doomed," Harry answered when he looked out the window.
  
  "He'll need all of the help that he can get to deliver the final crushing blow to this monster then," Oliver prompted.
  
  Harry's eyes turned towards Oliver's and he stared him down. Oliver felt as if Harry was burning a hole through his head although if he had heat vision that could be more than possible if Oliver did not watch his step.
  
  "I can count on you and your team to help."
  
  Oliver's face contorted into a slight grin. "If there was any question about that, then you don't know my team at all."
  
  "I hope you pack a lunch because Doomsday is not going to be any easy pickings," Harry responded when he shifted on his feet and took a mere moment to stare down Oliver. "Believe me, I wish this was much easier than it was, but it's not going to be easy. And he will roll over your team to get to the final battle with Clark, there's no question in my mind about it."
  
  Oliver could tell that Harry was on his mind and he noticed what Harry's daughter was doing, she was shooting arrows at a target with expert precision. He turned towards Harry, a smile on his face.
  
  "Girl has a good shot, if I'm ever in the market for a sidekick..."
  
  "No, Oliver," Harry answered when he cut him off, shooting down that suggestion, even if it was not given too seriously.
  
  Harry vowed to make sure Claire didn't have to fight any life endangering situations until she was thirty at least, maybe forty, he didn't want the life for her that he had. Where he had to worry about everything crashing down his head no matter what. The dark haired wizard stepped forward and watched Claire light the arrow on fire before she shot the flaming arrow into the target.
  
  "Now that's something I can't quite do," Oliver responded when he watched.
  
  "Maybe if Claire's ever in the market for a sidekick, she should look you up then," Harry responded with a slight smile when he looked back at Oliver. "As for what you said about Tess, I know how to handle women like her."
  
  Oliver could take that statement anyway he wished and Harry was pretty sure that he did take that statement to heart in a certain way.
  
  _________________________________________________________
  
  Claire walked around the Kent Farm while Karen, Kara, Chloe, and Harry talked about everything. She knew that Harry was in a relationship with all three of them but it didn't bother her at the slightest. Most girls her age might be a bit disturbed by something like that but Claire looked at things from a slightly different perspective.
  
  She had three Moms which meant she was three times as awesome. At least that's what the perspective was in her mind, she was sure people would argue with her about that point but she found herself uncaring about the opinions of other people. She continued to walk around the farm happy and really not paying attention to anything.
  
  "Raya's got this plan for Clark that will hopefully get him ready to defeat Doomsday," Kara responded when they walked across the farm. "It's a long shot but do we have any other shots right now?"
  
  "We can weaken Doomsday up for Clark to jump in for the kill," Harry answered and the three of them nodded.
  
  "Yeah, all our lifeline readers say is Clark has to be the one to kill him, it doesn't say what happens before that," Chloe responded when she placed her hands on her hips. "Of course, that lies the problem, Clark killing, he's always tried to avoid that."
  
  "But we all know that something like that is unavoidable," Harry offered and Chloe nodded in response, they all did know that something like that was unavoidable.
  
  Harry still considered the Killing Curse but there was so much that could go wrong with that.
  
  The problem was that people like Clark, his upbringing, as Kara once said, was both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. It was quite the paradox to be honest, with two sides of the same coin continued to be batted around.
  
  Karen grinned when she saw Clark walking out on the barn. She caught eyes with Claire who was in on the little joke.
  
  "Look Clark, I'm flying!" Claire yelled with a giggle when Karen levitated her into the air.
  
  "Of course you are," Clark responded in a tense voice as Lois and Lana cracked up at the look on his face when they walked beside him.
  
  Clark looked up in the sky, there was not a cloud in a sky, not a bird, or a plane even, but there was some mental block in his mind that prevented him from reaching his heights. There was a part of him that was still scared about potentially embracing his full Kryptonian heritage in a way that would allow him to take flight. Kara encouraged him to do so on his own time table but Clark felt inadequate when he was on the ground and everyone else could fly.
  
  The last two times he embraced his full Kryptonian heritage, it nearly ended badly but at the same time Clark wondered if he should let go to his humanity. Maybe to beat a monster, he would become a monster.
  
  He really hoped it would not have to come to that.
  
  Lana sensed what Clark was thinking about.
  
  "Clark, I know you're thinking that you have to become like him to defeat Doomsday, but trust me, there's other ways," Lana remarked when she put her arm around Clark .
  
  "Yeah, we'll knock him around for a little bit, weaken him up, and you can knock him into the afterlife," Lois added in a pleased voice.
  
  Killing was another problem, Kara told him that Clark had to be the one to kill Doomsday.
  
  "It's time for you to learn a lesson that I hoped not to be the one to teach you and your father prayed that you never had to learn," Raya remarked when she stepped forward and placed her arms around Clark gently. She smiled when she looked in his face.
  
  "How to kill?" Clark asked when he swallowed the lump in his throat but Raya stared back at him, shaking her head.
  
  "Anyone can learn how to kill, it's a matter of knowing when to kill that is the skill you must master."
  
  Clark did not really distinguish between the two points because he felt that there was always another way but Raya felt in time he would be able to distinguish between them, given enough time and perspective about the situation.
  
  "Trust me Kal-El, as much as we wish there was another way, in war, there isn't, and against Doomsday, you are in war."
  
  Raya looked back at Clark, hoping that he got the message.
  
  "When will I know when the time is right to kill?" Clark asked, feeling that the entire nature of killing was going against everything he thought.
  
  It was Kara who interjected with an answer of her own.
  
  "It is an inner instinct that makes us realize that it's something that we need to do to save the life of hundreds, rather than doom them. It's something that we don't feel pleasure out of but we feel like its a necessity," Kara explained to him before she placed her hands on her hips and peered into Clark's eyes. "To me, that's the difference between wanting to kill and knowing when the right time was to kill."
  
  Clark knew that his cousin would know better about killing people than most, given that the responsibilities that she had but it was not something that he took a drastic step to do.
  
  "Clark, no one is going to judge you any differently if you...if you have to take a life to save hundreds or even thousands more," Lana responded to him and Lois decided to input with some words of her own.
  
  "Yeah, war is hell but there's an entire world out there that is going to chew you up and spit you out if you don't do what is necessary out there."
  
  Once again, Clark thought that they spoke the right words but it was something that he was not prepared to do. Yet, he would have to take these steps of what was necessary.
  
  "It's not something that any of us take any great pleasure in doing," Harry added speaking up for the first time when he looked at Clark. "But there is something that needs to be done, if nothing else, so the lives of countless can be saved."
  
  Clark noticed that particular point was drilled in the back of his head over and over again, the fact that there were many lives on the line and a knot formed in his stomach based on these thoughts. He thought about everything he got through and wondered if his training started much sooner than Jor-El even realized. Every single event in his life lead up to something but what that something was, Clark had no clue about.
  
  "Is this the day that you embrace who you are?" Harry added when he looked at Clark and Clark opened his mouth to respond but Harry cut him off. "Only one person can answer that question and that is the very same person that looks back at you every single day when you wake up in the morning. The same person you see when you stare back in the mirror."
  
  Harry came to that point of realization years ago when he figured out how killing was an ugly business and one that he accepted had to be done, even if he did not like it. Clark was coming to that same realization, much the agitation of him, Harry was sure.
  
  "When the time is right and only when the time was right, you'll know," Harry added when he turned around to look into the distance.
  
  Clark got the message loud and clear, Harry offered this advice as it prevent him from doing something that he regretted. At the same time, Clark was far closer than anyone, even Clark could have realized.
  
  Of course, signs could be misread and theories could be wrong, that was one thing Harry understood better than anyone.
  
  _______________________________________________________
  
  Tess made her way to the Shining Light Foundation, taking quick strides with a purpose but she stopped outside to go over what happened in her mind. The papers for Harry Potter buying into Luthorcorp had been signed, their partnership was merely a formality.
  
  There were many instances where she thought she had all of the answers but people kept changing the questions. That was not something that Tess found endearing at all to her. She enjoyed being in control and if she was not in control, her mind tended to be agitated.
  
  Harry Potter was someone who vexed her, he held the key to many mysteries and what was he doing? In some ways, she figured he was making the world a better place, call it a gut feeling that she had but in other ways, he seemed to be an enigma. Tess could come up with a hundred theories about what Harry Potter could be but none of them could be right, many of them could be off the mark.
  
  She would find out, that was the type of person that Tess Mercer was. The files Lex had on her answered some questions and opened up the Pandora's Box for even more mysteries. The deeper she went in, the further she felt in over her head. The red haired woman walked up the stairs, a purpose flickered in her eyes.
  
  She thought by now she would take the plunge and go inside, but something prevented Tess from taking that step inside, at least not yet.
  
  The reports of more murders disturbed her a little bit, there were thirty deaths and none of them had a pattern which was even worse. It meant that they were acts of senseless violence, wanton destruction, the type of sadism that blackened the hearts of people. The police were no closer to capturing this person or people behind this than they were before, in fact, Tess wondered if they...no she could not think about it.
  
  Someone had to stop them and Tess put together all the jigsaw puzzles together. The final statement of Lionel Luthor echoed through her head.
  
  "Death will visit them all after the Doomsday."
  
  No matter how many times Tess went over that statement in her mind, it was all the same, everything caused her to stand on her toes. Her breath hitched in her body and she spun around before making her way through the front doors of the Shining Light Foundation. Harry told her that if she needed to discuss anything with him, his doors were upon, but he would prefer that she come with a good explanation.
  
  Tess intended to come with that good explanation when she continued to make strides with a purpose, thinking about what she would have to do to face Harry.
  
  "Is Mr. Potter in?" Tess asked to the young girl at the desk, Megan, Tess thought her name was.
  
  "One moment please, Miss Mercer," Megan responded when she moved over, peering over the glasses she wore, to maintain an air of being professional despite being barely older than eighteen. "Harry, Tess Mercer is here to see her."
  
  "Tell her I'll be ready to see her in ten minutes," Harry answered without missing a beat.
  
  Megan turned to Tess.
  
  "I'll wait," Tess responded but at the same time, she tapped her foot on the ground, nonchalantly and carefully while she watched the seconds tick by.
  
  _____________________________________________________
  
  "Very good Rachel, and that's where we stop for today," Harry responded when he was training Rachel to get a better hold of her powers. "You've actually got this more down than you think."
  
  The sixteen year old half demon turned to Harry with half smile, coming from him, she appreciated these glowing words of praise.
  
  "It's easier with each session we had," Rachel answered when she looked at Harry, peering into his green eyes before she shook her head and remained focused. "You're a very able teacher and these children here, I'm sure they appreciate what you're doing as well."
  
  "Yes, I'm sure you are as well," Harry answered and Rachel nodded before she took a long look at Harry, it was hard to convey her emotions into words.
  
  Especially when such emotions could get the better of her but before she could say anything, a knock was on the door.
  
  "I'll talk to you later, Rachel," Harry responded and Rachel made her own way out, knowing that business called and she would be a burden there.
  
  Harry opened the door to allow Tess to enter the office. The woman walked inside, tall and proud before she took a moment to look at Harry. He seemed to be in the midst of a rather intense work out and Tess heard another girl's voice from in there.
  
  "I trust I'm not interrupting anything," Tess remarked to break the silence when she looked around his office.
  
  "No, you're not interrupting anything," Harry responded when he offered her a chair to sit down and she took it. Harry sat behind his desk so he could look Tess in the eyes.
  
  "So is your better half around?" Tess asked when she looked over her shoulder.
  
  "Kara is off on a business matter, she'll be back before too long," Harry responded and Tess knew that that was going to be all of the information that she would get out of Harry at this time. "I've heard that you've been busy. There have been rumors that you've been checking up on my background."
  
  "Depends on who you've heard these rumors from," Tess answered, when she looked Harry dead on in the eyes. "If you've heard them from a certain archer playboy, you should know that he's got hang ups of his own that I don't think he'd want me spilling to you."
  
  "I know there are three sides to every story," Harry responded when Tess took the cup of coffee Harry offered her. She sniffed it, to make sure there was no tell tale signs of poison. Not that she expected Harry to poison her but one did not deal with dangerous people without being a little careful. "There's the perspective of Person A, the perspective of Person B, and there's the truth. The truth is somewhere in the middle, although it might lean closer to one side, as opposed to the other."
  
  Tess allowed this all to sink in when she drank her coffee.
  
  "Call what I'm doing due diligence, but I must say, your life seems about as dull as sitting in Luthorcorp stockholders meetings," Tess responded, choosing her words carefully. She had not been able to find anything concrete other than boring mundane facts.
  
  "Sorry to disappoint," Harry answered when he flashed her a slight smile that caused Tess to lose focus of what she was doing but only for the moment. "You didn't come here for chatter, did you?"
  
  Tess shook her head. "No, I didn't, I came here with the problem. The serial killer...I trust you've heard about him."
  
  "Yes, I did," Harry agreed when he slid out the papers. "They're talking about how this is some super...meteor-infected person."
  
  Tess could tell that the word they used were rather different but she also could tell that Harry shared her skepticism about the true nature of this monster. She peered back into Harry's eyes, taking a look into his emerald orbs for a brief moment before she adjusted her thoughts.
  
  "I've been through several notes that Lionel Luthor left behind," Tess responded with Harry turning around, his full attention was on Tess. He wondered if Lionel wrote about his knowledge of Clark's secret and that fact made Harry nervous about what Tess knew. He would assume that she knew nothing but also assume she knew everything. Harry would act like he knew nothing until she said something and than he would be fully aware of what she said. Tess allowed these words to sink in before she looked at Harry. "He knew that this monster was going to come to pass, it's more than a mere monster."
  
  "Much more," Harry agreed when he shifted on his desk. "But does he realize what will happen if he's not stopped."
  
  "It must be the traveler," Tess added when she peered back at Harry.
  
  "The traveler?" Harry asked, feigning ignorance but Tess did not buy it for a second.
  
  "Yes, you and I both know who I'm referring to," Tess responded when she shifted through the notes she took.
  
  "Do we?" Harry fired back, keeping his statements vague and short.
  
  "Yes, we do," Tess agreed when she looked at Harry. "And I understand that while he must be the one...it doesn't matter what happens to the monster before the final blow is delivered."
  
  Tess ran her finger over the top of the coffee cup, and the intensity in her eyes could not be denied. Harry matched her with the same intensity.
  
  "You're not the only one who has been helping out the meteor infected, as you know," Tess responded when Harry cupped his hand to his chin and nodded. "And some people decided not to find help at the Shining Light Foundation, instead they moved to other...less than able venues and thus got themselves in trouble."
  
  Harry knew what Tess referred to, it seemed like much to his agitation, the powers of some twisted them around the bend, to the point where they could not function in society.
  
  "I've got a team and got them a second chance," Tess responded when she looked at Harry. "I've taken certain precautions."
  
  Harry had a grim idea what she meant by precautions.
  
  "Of course, your insight is valuable, given what you might know and I think you have more puzzle pieces to this entire mess than any of us," Tess mused, but Harry did not confirm nor deny any theory. She had no need for him, she saw enough in his eyes. "I'm proposing an alliance, we find the killer, take him down and...allow the traveler to deliver the crushing blow, providing he has it in him."
  
  "He will," Harry added.
  
  "I hope he does something to earn your confidence," Tess answered when she extended her hand outwards to shake. "If we combine our resources we could put a stop to this."
  
  Harry grabbed her hand and shook it, but he remained an intense eye contact with her. Tess found herself lost in his eyes the more he looked back at her.
  
  The alliance was on but would it be enough?
  
  Harry knew that there was a chance this plan could go south, which was why he had a contingency up his sleeve in case Tess's team did something unpredictable like power-crazed meteor mutants might.
  
  There was nothing that Harry was not willing to do to make sure everything went smoothly and he suspected that Tess had the same ambitions.
  
  To Be Continued in the Next Arc "Alliance."
  Alliance Part One
  
  Chapter Fifty Nine: Alliance Part One.
  
  Harry followed Tess, keeping a few steps behind her and also his back up was a few steps behind him, even if she remained invisible. The woman walked with a purpose towards the location that she was heading, it seemed that she planned for what she wanted to do for an extremely long time at least that was the sense that Harry got. Regardless, Harry followed her keeping up the pace, and wondered how close they were. Harry had the sense that they were very close.
  
  "My team has sighted something, we're going to meet up with them," Tess answered when she turned around and looked at Harry. "If you have any further information about this, I would like to know it now."
  
  "Trust me, you know all that you need to know," Harry answered when he kept his eyesight firmly on Tess. She was a wild card to him, no matter how much she intrigued him. Although Harry got a sense that she was intrigued by him as much as he intrigued her.
  
  Still it was prudent to keep a few steps ahead of her in the mental department. It was a never ending game of mental chess between the two.
  
  There was a pained grunt and Tess quickened her steps forwards, before she saw four figures lying on the ground. She stopped at a skid and pulled out a remote control device. She looked at it and the four of them did not look active. In fact all four blips registered one thing and that was there was no brain activity.
  
  "What happened?" Harry asked her and Tess spun around to enlighten him on the matter.
  
  "I don't understand what went wrong, there were fail safes on them in case they got out of control, but only I was able to activate them."
  
  "Fail safe or a killswitch," Harry responded, keeping his voice calm and crisp, although he was not sure how much he liked Tess using the meteor-infected in such a way, the more he thought about it but he supposed that she had reasons.
  
  Tess did not seem fazed at all and answered the question without missing a beat.
  
  "Whatever you want to call it, the point is moot, as all of them are dead," Tess responded when she turned around and tried to figure out something.
  
  Suddenly, the device she held in her hand burned it and it flew out of her hand before landing on the ground with a thud. Tess rubbed her hand, wincing at the fact that it did that and Harry turned to her, wondering what happened. It should have not activated the fail safes in her team without her pressing the button and also it should not have reacted in such a way, at least that's what Tess figured.
  
  There were many questions in her mind and the answers became few and far between, but her heart beat against her chest never the less when she moved forward and heard the growling sound behind them.
  
  Was it the creature, this monster of doom?
  
  "Death will visit them before the Doomsday."
  
  Did that have some kind of meaning Tess missed, that could in fact be quite literal because she understood one thing and one thing alone. That was that Death visited these young people and now the Doomsday was here. Could the monster be savvier than Tess suspected, she assumed that it was a mindless brute and judging by the expression on Harry Potter's face, he seemed to be thinking about the same lines. Then again, Tess never quite knew what Harry Potter was thinking, he was an enigma.
  
  One that she hoped to figure out one day for sure, but he was an enigma never the less.
  
  "It's not the monster, at least I don't think," Harry stated when he motioned for Tess to go forward. "I think there was something that went in there."
  
  Tess's eyes snapped up, this was one of the many buildings in this section of town that were own by Luthorcorp, in fact it was a research and development lab that Lex Luthor himself used. Perhaps someone was giving the monster marching orders to steal items from the lab, for what reason, Tess had no idea. However, she was determined to find out no matter what.
  
  She intended to clean out the lab by now but in all of the excitement, she never got around to it. She stepped inside, carefully fingering a gun that she had on her. It was best to shoot first and ask questions never but suddenly she stopped cold in her tracks. Things had gotten from strange to simply downright weird. Questions led to even more questions and fewer answers which was something that Tess did not like.
  
  "If anyone is there, I demand you to show yourself!" Tess yelled but sparks flew in the air to cause her to back up a little bit and stagger back a little bit.
  
  There were lasers that shot out to attack her but Harry quickly grabbed Tess and pulled her out of the way. He yanked her out of harm's way so fast that both of them fell backwards onto the ground. Harry landed first and Tess landed on top of him , almost straddling his lap when she looked down into his eyes.
  
  Tess and Harry stared at each other in this compromising position for a moment before Harry cleared his throat and Tess got the message, scrambling to her feet but she composed herself with a dignified and stoic expression. She spun around and saw the walls vibrate and the fact was they started to hum.
  
  "We've got to run," Harry answered when the walls lit up again but the doors swung shut before them.
  
  "That might be a problem," Tess responded in a dry voice but Harry shook his head, before he forced the doors open, before he scooped Tess up in his arms. "Hey wait a minute..."
  
  "Keep your head down, and don't say a word!" Harry yelled in a voice that left no room for argument as Tess decided to play along, at least for now.
  
  Harry sped off before he flew to the nearest window with Tess in his arms. Tess figured that there was something different about Harry Potter now.
  
  'I will kill whoever's behind this,' Harry thought to himself, smacking himself because he had no choice but to expose his secret to Tess.
  
  They landed outside the building and Harry put Tess down on the ground, before she shook her head to clear the cobwebs. That was unlike anything else she ever experienced in her life and she wanted to figure what was happening. When she caught her breath, she found her voice, and there were more explosions, before an energy spike hit the power lines.
  
  "I don't suppose you want to tell me what's happening now," Tess answered but Harry put his hand up to stop her from saying anything.
  
  A sadistic voice echoed to taunt Harry and a symbol burned into the Luthorcorp facility that they left. There were three points, connected in a wavy line in an upside down triangle. Harry put the pieces together as only he could before he was spoken too.
  
  "I'm coming for you Harry Potter, soon the protector of the House of El will be gone, the house will fall, and Doomsday will come. You cannot stop it."
  
  Harry stopped before he recognized that voice, he recognized it and he knew what it was and knew that there might be trouble.
  
  'Brainiac? But how could it..."
  
  That was another question that Harry had to answer at another time as for right now, he sensed Doomsday was on his way to Metropolis, his hunger no longer sated by picking off random farmers in the country.
  
  When it rained, it poured.
  
  "Every single computer in Luthorcorp...damn it, I've been locked out."
  
  Tess placed her hands on the pedestal before she shook her head, now was not the time to lose her head, there would be plenty of time for that later, as of now she would have to shake off everything that happened. She stood outside and looked up, trying to get back into the system.
  
  "Was there anything you did that might have caused the Luthorcorp computers to get compromised?" Harry asked when he weighed the danger that was Brainiac in his mind. There was no sugar coating anything, not this time. Since Brainiac was back, it was not good but it made no sense, he destroyed Brainiac back in Krypton.
  
  Didn't he?
  
  Tess paused, racking her brain over before she answered the question that Harry had for her. "I've...I found this crystal in Afghanistan and hooked it up to the Luthorcorp computers to analyze it."
  
  Harry turned around and knew that was the crystal that Karen brought to her Earth, which meant that it was not his version of Brainiac that he was dealing with, rather the Earth 2 Version of Brainiac. Somehow, someway, Brainiac hitched a ride on the crystal and made his way here with Karen which would explain the way Karen acted when she was here. And the fact that someone was giving her direction.
  
  When Karen lost the crystal, she seemed to be a lot clearer with what she was and what she wanted to do, that much Harry did remember. He shook his head, there would be time to play a million theories later, right now, he had bigger problems than that crystal.
  
  "You hooked up an unknown crystal to the Luthorcorp computers," Harry managed when he looked at Tess and Tess took a step back before she nodded.
  
  "I assumed that the Luthorcorp computers would be...safe enough, we have the best firewall protection that money can provide," Tess answered but immediately she saw the fallacy of that statement. "Don't tell me we got attacked by some alien computer virus."
  
  "Well for all intents and purposes, yes, it's the Brain Interactive Construct, and it's prime objective is simple, ensure that all life on Earth perishes," Harry explained to Tess, who nodded. "I...dealt with it before, but I feel that it came back for more after everything that's happened."
  
  Tess took this matter in before she responded. "That's the thing about a computer virus, no matter how many times you try and fix your computer, they always find a way to sneak back it."
  
  Harry knew nearly nothing about computers but he knew something about Brainiac.
  
  'Why would Brainiac be intent on making sure that the Destroyer rolls over the planet?' Harry thought to the Lifeline Reading device.
  
  'Because what you have referred to as Doomsday, is the son of Zod and Faora,' the Lifeline Reader thought back to Harry.
  
  'Well that explains it,' Harry thought, this was another attempt to serve Zod that was Brainiac's objective the entire time.
  
  A very familiar figure broke Harry out of his thoughts and Tess looked up to see the man approach.
  
  "Detective John Jones, Metropolis Police Department, I wish to speak to Mr. Potter about the incident at the Luthorcorp facility."
  
  Harry spun around, he recognized the Martian Manhunter immediately and was curious. Tess, unknowing about his true identity, stepped forward.
  
  "I can assure you that all Mr. Potter did was make sure that I got out of there safely," Tess stated in a firm voice when she looked the Martian Manhunter in the eye.
  
  The Martian Manhunter looked back at her with a reassuring gaze. "I can assure you that Mr. Potter is not being accused of any crimes, I wish to have a word with him as he may have seen something vital that could stop the rampage of murders going on through Kansas."
  
  Tess eyed Harry but Harry turned around and walked off with J'onn, following him out of ear's reach.
  
  "I trust Jor-El informed you about Doomsday," Harry whispered to the Martian Manhunter and the Martian nodded.
  
  "Jor-El feared the Destroyer would come but he had hoped, perhaps foolishly, that Kal-El would be ready before he could rise," The Martian Manhunter stated when he looked at Harry. "Where is Kal-El? I checked the Kent Farm and the Daily Planet and..."
  
  "Kal-El is learning a skill that I think we hoped that he never had to learn," Harry responded to the Martian Manhunter and the Martian got it immediately.
  
  "He has to learn how to kill to defeat the Destroyer, it was Jor-El's greatest fear come true," the Martian Manhunter stated and Harry nodded. "Do you think he'll be ready?"
  
  "I don't know," Harry responded when he looked out into the distance before he looked into the sky. Right now Clark was with Kara, Karen, Raya, Lois, Lana, and Chloe and they were doing everything that they could to prepare him. "He will not stand alone."
  
  "No he won't," the Martian Manhunter agreed when he turned to Harry.
  
  "But we have another problem," Harry answered to the Martian and his full attention was on Harry. "Brainiac's back."
  
  "I would advise you to seek out Jor-El and ask for his advice on how to deal with this problem," The Martian Manhunter responded to Harry without missing a beat.
  
  Harry thought it would be a cold day in Hell before he would ask Jor-El for help about anything. It went without saying that Harry was not too fond of him, especially after the way he treated Kara. Harry knew what it was like to be treated badly by a person because of a bad relationship that had with a parent. So Jor-El did not endear himself to Harry from the onset.
  
  The Martian Manhunter sensed Harry's thoughts and turned to him, offering him a crisp gaze.
  
  "No matter what your problems were with Jor-El, he will realize that Brainiac is bigger than anything that you could ever have against each other," the Martian Manhunter stated when he looked at Harry.
  
  "I can handle Brainiac, I've beaten him before, I can beat him again," Harry stated when he turned around.
  
  "Careful, Herald of Death, pride comes often before a fall, as you Earthlings are so noted in saying."
  
  Harry tried to pick up on the energy spike and he had a good idea where Brainiac was heading.
  
  "Tess, I think I can stop this, but do you have a place to stay, that's off the Luthorcorp grid?" Harry asked when she looked at him.
  
  "Handle what you need to handle, I can take care of myself."
  
  Harry saw the determination in her eyes, and Harry knew that she could take care of herself.
  
  "Remember, there's a murderer out there," Harry answered when he looked at Tess, and she nodded, understanding before Harry vanished into thin air.
  
  She would figure out how he did that, one day but right now she was out of control thanks to that Brainiac, whatever he was. Harry knew something more than he was telling and Tess found herself frustrated by the lack of knowledge that came her way. Despite her best efforts, she lost control.
  
  Now was the time for Harry to trust the instincts that many said rarely lead him wrong. That was one point that Harry would take to the bank, the dark haired Herald of Death wondered if he was about due for something really bad to happen, it was only the law of averages. He stepped forward and the Martian Manhunter promised to keep an eye out for the Destroyer for him.
  
  That was good as far as Harry was concerned for that would give him a chance to deal with Brainiac, once again Harry could tell where he was heading and where he wanted to go. The computer had one purpose and one purpose alone, and that was to collect all of the knowledge that he could.
  
  Harry heard a thump behind him which put the young dark haired hero on high alert, he knew that something was creeping out there, something that should not be creeping out there. His hands curled a little bit when he looked over his shoulder, and waited for it to come.
  
  He saw one of the Prometheus bodysuits move towards him but it had to be a prototype, in fact he knew that it was a prototype. Harry scanned the information from the Luthorcorp database, understanding what was ahead of him and found the information. Most of the suits had been thrown out by Tess or so he believed, but there were a few that Lex hid before his untimely demise.
  
  "What you do is a folly."
  
  Brainiac's voice grinded to Harry when the super powered suit moved towards him, directed towards Harry but Harry dodged the attacks.
  
  "You are fast, you are skilled but ultimately those powers are squandered."
  
  "Kara was right, for a computer you talk too much," Harry answered before he shook his head.
  
  "Perhaps, but I know of your defeat of my counterpart in what is designated Earth One. I learned from the mistakes of this counterpart, combined I would be designated the Brain Interactive Construct Seven Point Zero. I retrieved the data from this universe's version that he left on the Luthorcorp computers."
  
  Harry blasted the suit but it was nothing except for an empty shell. The real Brainiac was elsewhere.
  
  "You've been a thorn in the side of many plans throughout your days, Herald of Death. But you will not compromise my objective for I know of the way to destroy you."
  
  Harry sent an electro-magnetic pulse through his hands but the machine was nowhere yet it was everywhere.
  
  "I've been having people try and kill me since the day I was born, you're nothing more than that," Harry answered when he saw Brainiac infect a tank of experimental nanobots.
  
  The nanobots constructed into the more familiar form of Milton Fine, who stood before Harry. Harry went after him, to try and blast him with a powerful charge of magic.
  
  A field appeared around Brainiac, blocking him and Harry flew backwards.
  
  Harry became invisible and Brainiac stood, not bothered by anything.
  
  "You may have become invisible but you still give off a certain degree of body heat and I will find you."
  
  "Again, for a computer, you talk too much," Harry answered without saying another word and he stood to face his enemy, before he sent another pulse through the air.
  
  Brainiac calculated the situation based on what he knew and he responded in a cold, methodical, and logical way. He knew that his defeat would be probable, but he did not have to win, merely ensure that Harry Potter, this Herald of Death, did not win on this day. He circled his enemy, preparing to move in for the kill.
  
  "Today is the day where it is written that the House of El falls. It has been allowed twenty further years of lingering on this planet but the Destroyer will assume its role and there's nothing anyone can do about it. Even Death's chosen cannot hope to stop my plans."
  
  Harry dove at Brainiac but Brainiac shot several cables at him. He kept them at bay with his powers for a moment but something happened to Brainiac, at least this version. He adapted to Harry's powers and sent a pulse of energy through the field.
  
  "I'm sure your powers didn't tell you about that," Brainiac taunted Harry when he pushed him back towards the wall and Harry struggled against the force.
  
  Several wires implanted themselves into the back and side of Harry's head, with Brainiac trying to download a backup copy of himself into Harry.
  
  Harry blasted Brainiac back into the wall, before he staggered back and nearly collapsed to one knee. The young wizard panted with his head ringing and a burning sensation going through it but he turned to Brainiac, his eyes narrowed.
  
  "I bet your program didn't tell you about this," Harry taunted Brainaic, but suddenly, Brainiac shot a disc at Harry.
  
  The disc connected with his chest and Harry tried to remove it but a cold chill enveloped his body. Harry dropped to the ground, temporarily paralyzed, long enough for Brainiac to step in for the kill and he raised his hands to finish off the only one who could save the House of El from its doom.
  
  A blur shot in and knocked Brainiac through the wall with a telepathic pulse, sending him flying through the wall. Brainiac flew back, with the hands phasing through his chest when he was put through the wall. She pushed him back with each passing motion and he fell down to the ground with a thud.
  
  Harry looked around, feeling like he suffered a really bad case of the flu, before he blacked out. After all of this, that stupid pile of microchips was going to be the one that defeated him. That was about right.
  
  Brainiac stopped, wounded, so it appeared that the Herald of Death had a contingency plan. The White Martian was on the list for those who would suffer first before Doomsday came. Her suffering would be long and drawn out.
  
  It mattered little for thanks to the information he pulled from the Luthorcorp computers that Lily left behind, he knew exactly how to strip him of the Herald of Death powers and his powers in general in fact. He knew that the nexus point of Herald of Death powers flowed through Harry, which meant all Heralds of Death lost their abilities and anyone who were gifted by the abilities would lose their powers as well.
  
  Kal-El would be trapped in limbo where he would perish and if he should ever escape, it would be too late, for Doomsday would roll over the planet. Brainiac wished to finish the job he started, because he left nothing to chance and for that, he left to repair himself.
  
  Then the Herald of Death, now powerless, human, and mortal, would be easily destroyed. Brainiac deduced he was nothing without his powers but a deluded child.
  
  The White Martian damaged him more than he thought, he would need twelve hours to prepare before he finished the job but it was unlikely that the Herald of Death would reclaim his powers in that time.
  
  Harry shook his head, trying to get his head back together, and it took him a moment before he realized what happened. Somehow, someway, Brainiac injected himself with something and he found himself back to the Shining Light Foundation, strapped to a table.
  
  "Woke up in time."
  
  Megan stood over Harry, trying not to focus on the fact that Harry was strapped to the table, naked. Yet that was the only way to make sure that Brainiac did not leave anything behind. She watched Harry for a long time before she turned her head towards him and spoke in a crisp voice.
  
  "I'm sorry about the state of undress, but it was the only way," Megan answered in an apologetic voice when she turned to Harry. She could not resist offering another point to lighten the mood. "Perhaps since I've seen yours, maybe you would like to see mine."
  
  Megan could not believe that she was brazen enough to say that but to be honest, that was one of those things that went through one ear and out the other. Then again, being eighteen years old, such a comment would not get Harry into too much trouble but he seemed to brush that off. At least that's what it seemed and for that Megan felt rather grateful that he did not make a big deal of it.
  
  "My powers are gone," Harry managed when he looked at Megan and Megan stepped back, an apologetic look swimming in her eyes.
  
  "Yeah, your powers are gone," Megan agreed when she looked up at Harry, taking a moment to let everything sink in. "I don't know what Brainiac did, if I hadn't intervened when I did, he would have tried to take everything from you and leave you nothing but a dried out husk."
  
  "He shouldn't be this powerful," Harry responded when he looked up at the sky and tried to levitate the book on the shelf but his powers were gone.
  
  Harry went over the events in his mind and knew what happened. Tess hooked up the computer to the crystal and then everything went haywire. There was no point in denying that fact and Harry turned around before he saw that Brainiac was gone.
  
  "Sorry, but John Jones is on the phone, you know our mild mannered detective from the MPD," Megan responded when she looked at Harry with a slight knowing glint in her eye. "You know in the same sense I'm a mild mannered teenage assistance at the Shining Light Foundation."
  
  Harry got the message immediately and he took the phone.
  
  "The Destroyer has been sighted, now's the time to halt what you're doing and bring back Kal-El," The Martian Manhunter stated over the phone.
  
  "Tiny problem with that," Harry answered when he took a moment. "It's Brainiac...he found a way to take my powers."
  
  "Did you not go to Jor-El?" the Martian Manhunter asked him over the phone.
  
  "Look, Jor-El wouldn't be able to help me, if Brainiac knows how to remove powers now that have been granted by Death," Harry answered when he knew that Kara, Karen, and Chloe were trapped, unknowing to what happened. Should it come time to return, then they would be in that realm without any way to get out. Then again, Harry suspected that Death allowed Brainiac to take his powers, to punish him for something. "I'll find a way to take down Brainiac, reverse it."
  
  "Without your powers..."
  
  "I'm not helpless," Harry responded when the straps were off and he got to his feet. "Keep following the Destroyer and if you think you can shut him down or at least stall him, be my guest."
  
  "We both know that's Kal-El's battle to fight," the Martian Manhunter responded over the other end of the telephone.
  
  "Yes, I know, but it won't be his to fight alone," Harry answered when he turned out.
  
  Tess's warning that Death would visit them for the Doomsday had Harry on edge more than he ever cared to admit to anyone whether it be man or Martian. Harry expected his boss to pop out of nowhere to give him a performance review about what happened so far. Given the fact that Brainiac stripped Harry of his powers, Harry felt Death would find that performance quite lacking.
  
  "Tess Mercer on the other line, she wants to know what happened," Megan stated and Harry nodded.
  
  "I'll be in touch," The Martian Manhunter stated when he got off to allow Harry to talk to Tess.
  
  "Eighteen people were killed tonight and twenty one others were injured," Tess stated without preamble. "And every single Luthorcorp building, I've been locked out. I tried to hack in remotely but..."
  
  "Brainiac shut you down," Harry answered when he looked onto the Shining Light Foundation computers, so far the security was the only thing that held so perhaps he was not as shut as he thought.
  
  "What kind of danger are we looking at?" Tess asked Harry and Harry paused for a moment before he responded with his grimmest assessment yet.
  
  "The end of the world as we know it."
  
  Tess hitched in her breath before she tapped her foot on the ground on the other end of the line. It was to Harry's understanding that she mulled over certain matters in her mind but it was fine for Harry. She could take all of the time she wanted or needed for it gave Harry time to consider his next move, whatever that might be. The dark haired young man leaned forward and pondered his predicament.
  
  "I don't suppose you have some rabbit to pull out of your hat that might allow us to stop this," Tess answered after a long thought.
  
  'At this point, I don't even have a hat,' Harry thought, he was sure that he was in more hopeless situations in the past although it took him a while to remember any of them.
  
  "I'll let you know if I come up with anything...but keep a low profile and keep your head low," Harry managed when he turned around and grabbed a change of clothes, before he put them on.
  
  Megan watched Harry make his way to the door and she stepped in front of him.
  
  "Did you stop Brainiac?"
  
  "No, I could only damage him, but he'll be back online within a half of a day, maybe a day," Megan answered when she looked at Harry.
  
  "And how long have I been out?" Harry asked the young Martian girl who bit her lip before she responded to that question.
  
  "Ten and a half hours."
  
  Harry swore when he mulled over the situation in his mind, yep there were instances where things were more hopeless; but they did not happen in the then and now, rather they happened when Harry could put them in the past. Putting everything in perspective, Harry wondered if there was any way around what he needed to do and he decided that there was only one thing to do. He knew that he risked his very livelihood to do so but perhaps he could stall Brainiac for long enough until his powers returned.
  
  "I'm going after him."
  
  Megan's eyes flashed in terror when she stood on her tip toes to stare Harry straight in the eye and ask what was the most obvious question in the world. "Are you insane?"
  
  "Perhaps, but there's no point in waiting around here, I've got to stop him, if I can defeat Braniac, maybe I can reverse what he did to me."
  
  "That's insane, Harry, you're smarter than this, don't be like Kal-El, think straight!" Megan yelled at him, when she stepped up to face him and he shook his head. "There is one other way, and we both know what it is."
  
  Harry's lips curled into a smile, he did know it, granted he did not like it, but he knew it and knew what he had to do. Perhaps it was what he should have done from the beginning but he was too stubborn. Now it was time for two people to put together pride and their differences to stop a common threat. A threat that endangered their mutual interest and Harry knew one thing.
  
  It was time for the Prince of Darkness to strap on his ice skates.
  
  "Megan, can you get me to the Fortress?"
  
  Megan without pause nodded, before she scooped up Harry, and flew him out the window to the Artic.
  
  'Now I know how Clark feels,' Harry thought dismally when Megan carried him in her arms all the way to the Fortress of Solitude.
  
  Harry dropped down to the Artic snow and ice when he slipped and slid. He wished his powers returned. In fact, he went over every single possible scenario in his hand where he could bring his powers back but there was nothing. He was sure that there was something that he missed but his powers were secondary to the fact that Brainiac was out there as well as the Destroyer.
  
  "I know we had our differences Jor-El, but now's the time where we need to work together," Harry answered when he stood out there, agitated that he had been demeaned to begging for help from someone. He clutched his hands and shook his head, before he adjusted his stance a little bit and stared out into the Artic. "Brainiac has returned."
  
  "I was under the assumption that the BrainInteractive Construct met its final demise."
  
  "Believe me, that assumption was shared by me but this is another version of Brainiac, from an alternate timeline and he is as dangerous if not more so than the one you've known," Harry answered when he stepped forward and shook his head. "I know that there was a point where the universes split but there has to be something that you know that will allow me to stop Brainiac."
  
  "I do not think that you understand the gravity of the situation that you have caused with your attempts to meddle in Kal-El's destiny," Jor-El lectured Harry but it was at that point where Harry's temper rose a little bit.
  
  "Look, you can talk about your son and his destiny all day and all night but if you don't help me deal with Brainiac, your son won't come back to have a destiny. He's been sent off to fulfill your will, so he can take out Doomsday. You know, the planet's greatest destroyer, something that he's supposed to defeat. Despite my great powers, I couldn't defeat him but that's down to him!"
  
  Harry dropped to one knee, he felt fatigued and weaker than he ever did before but then he stood back up. No, he would not be reduced to pleading with him.
  
  "You know what, I was an idiot thinking that you would care, I sometimes wonder if you want Clark to fail for your own sadistic amusement," Harry stated when he turned around but another voice called after him.
  
  "Harry, Jor-El will assist you."
  
  The voice of Lara finally spoke up, there were times where Harry forgot she was even here, yet she was there and she spoke to him. Harry stopped in his tracks and spun around. He waited in the snow and ice before once again Lara spoke in a firm voice.
  
  "We both understand the danger that Brainiac poses if he is allowed to remain unchecked and the end game would be to enable the bloodline of Zod to succeed. Therefore it will be in our best interest to assist you, is that correct Jor-El?"
  
  Lara framed this question in a matter that Jor-El only had one answer to give and one answer at all if he valued his existence.
  
  "Yes, it will be important but you must promise that my son will return from where you have sent him and fulfill what he's destined to do," Jor-El answered to Harry, it almost sounded like Jor-El was pleading with Harry for his son's well being.
  
  "I'm not...Kara and I have done nothing but ensure that Clark remains protected but yet you take us for granted," Harry stated when he stared back at the walls of the Fortress.
  
  "Jor-El was mistaken with his claims but we must assist you Harry," Lara answered in a firm voice. "Not because of the situation but because now you are family."
  
  Harry did not know what to stay to that.
  
  "Show me all you have on Brainiac," Harry stated when he finally found his voice and regained his composure.
  
  The Kryptonian symbols flashed before Harry's eyes and he strained to understand them, he wished to understand them but there was something blocking his understanding. With his powers completely gone, he could not understand any single symbol that he read. He wanted to but it was utter gibberish to him.
  
  "Is there a problem?" Lara asked Harry.
  
  "I can't read it, it's nothing to me, my powers, they're gone, and..." Harry responded before he trailed off, straining, he had to remember.
  
  "Then there is only one thing that we must do to assist you," Lara answered when she took a moment to gaze on her niece's mate.
  
  "Show me what Lana saw," Harry stated when he held his hands together before he paused at that moment before he added, knowingly. "And show me everything that she didn't see as well."
  
  "You are quite resourceful to understand that I purposely blocked some knowledge from the mind of Lana Lang, for fear that Lily Potter would get her hands on it," Jor-El stated but he knew that there was anything he must do. "This is the knowledge of the universe and should be only processed by those of strong mind and strong hearts. Should you be unable to process than you will be unable to even move, for your mind will be destroyed."
  
  Harry paused before he stated without a preamble. "Some things are worth the risk."
  
  A great deal of blue light bombarded Harry when he saw his mind surrounded by the knowledge, perhaps in this knowledge he could find a way to return his powers and stop Brainiac, while bringing the others home.
  
  To Be Continued in Alliance Part Two.
  Alliance Part Two
  
  Chapter 60: Alliance Part Two.
  
  Knowledge was the element that bound many races for better or for worse. One might argue that a certain amount of knowledge could be a dangerous thing that knowing too much, especially about things that were beyond ones station would be a bad thing. Many people found themselves corrupted by the knowledge flowing through their minds and drove them to fits of insanity that they could not believe in the past.
  
  Others would consider knowledge to be the crux of all evil, especially when wanted to use it to for their personal gains. A little bit of knowledge would be considered a dangerous thing, something that corrupted the mind, ensnared the senses, and blackened the soul. All for the everlasting pursuit and an obsessive quest of knowledge; the saying that knowledge was power proved to be accurate beyond all believe and made many wonder about one truth.
  
  Knowledge was power.
  
  Did absolute power corrupt absolutely?
  
  Yet what was true power, that's one thing Harry considered when he stood in the Fortress, knowing that this knowledge was what he needed to bring Brainiac down. After he had been separated from his Herald of Death powers, desperation reigned upon the young dark haired wizard. He was sure that those powers were still there within him, deep inside.
  
  Yet accessing those powers were something Harry struggled with, it was much like drawing water out of a very deep well whilst said well evaporated, pushing the water out of it. He knew he could get deeper, he should get deeper to get the water but yet the water drew further and further away from his grip. Further and further away when he pushed into the depths of his mind. The clock ticked by and the dark haired Herald of Death could not wait for things to happen. In fact time nearly ran short and pushed him to the depths of reality.
  
  He stood at the edge of something that resulted in clarity, if one might be able to call it that. Every single moment in his life, those obsessed with the trappings of power surrounded Harry, and pushed him to the depths, to the brink. In his quest, he found that power drew away from him, slipping outside of his grasp.
  
  Those who obsessed with knowledge and power found themselves doomed to despair by it.
  
  'The knowledge within this Fortress, I knew it, I know it, every single bit of it and more,' Harry thought when he felt it swirl around him. 'A treasure trove of knowledge was taken from me and likely absorbed by Brainiac, but in his poor foresight he's neglected the one thing truth that humanity learns the hard way time and time again.'
  
  True strength came from within, Harry must find it and step towards the edge of what was true in the world. The young wizard felt the swirling of power at his palms, the knowledge beating into his minds.
  
  "No doubt by now you're trying to stop me, delay me."
  
  The voice taunted back at Harry, it echoed in his ears like a sympathy of destruction, it was him, it was Brainiac. The entity who took away his powers, somehow, some way, and then tracked him here.
  
  "Whatever we do, it is imperative that he does not enter the Fortress," Jor-El responded when he cut in.
  
  "You cannot stop me, you could not stop me, and you, your son, and the entire House of El will be snuffed out," Brainiac taunted from afar.
  
  "Harry, you need to escape, if you're in the chamber when the Fortress is compromised, he could destroy you, regardless of your strength," Lara chimed in but Harry shook his head. "In your quest for knowledge, you may find clarity, but you also might find yourself become twisted as the enemy."
  
  Harry snapped out of it, his mate's aunt, she held great wisdom, even more so than Jor-El. He staggered from the chamber, once again, it was not learning things anew that he did. It was reminding himself of things that he already should know. It was like studying for an examination, no more or no less. The young Herald of Death shook his head, the spirit of everything that he could know flowed in and out of him.
  
  "I have it, I know it, I am it," Harry stated over and over again, a statement that confused all who heard it.
  
  Harry was not confused, he was far from it. In fact, he knew more than ever before what must be done, what he must do to stop Brainiac. Gaining his powers back after all that occurred would be the highest priority but it would not be the only thing.
  
  "Defeating Brainiac, that's what I must do, I trust you can hold him off from the Fortress," Harry stated to Jor-El and Lara.
  
  Silence reigned in the Fortress before Jor-El answered. "We can do as you requested but I'm afraid that it will only be for a short time. He could find a way around. I trust you now know what to do bring Kal-El back so he could fight it alone."
  
  Harry's nod stiffened, his eyes widened, mouth ran dry but he knew it, he knew what must be done to defeat Brainiac, to save the world, and to protect his mate's cousin from him. If the computer found knowledge to process how his powers worked, it could use said knowledge to snuff out all life on Earth, and then download the knowledge.
  
  Then all other universes will follow but Harry would not allow that to happen, not if he could help that.
  
  "I know what must be done, now more than ever before," Harry answered when he folded his arms before he looked out and saw the glow around the fortress.
  
  Within and without knowledge flowed from his fingers down to the tips of his toes. He stepped forward and saw Megan waiting outside the Fortress.
  
  "Did you find a way to get your powers back?" Megan asked Harry and Harry levitated ice blocks to demonstrate.
  
  "The normal wizard powers yes, the other powers, no but if I get to the Shining Light Foundation, I can beat him," Harry answered with one hundred percent conviction dancing in his voice.
  
  He knew what was on the line and he stepped forward, a part of him could feel it. Even without his full powers, Harry felt everything happening around him, it all flowed within and without him. The dark haired wizard could make that connect within, closing his eyes and feeling the flow, the knowledge of the universe at his fingertips.
  
  Heart thumped against Harry's rib cage when he maintained his strides.
  
  "So far Brainiac has stayed out," Harry answered when he looked at Megan.
  
  "And we can keep him out," Megan answered with a warm smile, confidence rolling off of her words.
  
  Harry paused before he understood it all clearly now, it flowed in and out of him, how he did not know before, he was ignorant, foolish, but he saw everything clearly. Before him was what he needed to do.
  
  "This might sound crazy, but let's invite Brainiac inside."
  
  Megan's eyes spun around to Harry like he grew two heads. "Maybe I should have checked you better for a concussion...."
  
  "No, trust me, if I can get Brainiac in the right spot, I can trap him, easily, no problem, okay maybe a little problem but get all the children out of there, to a safe place, to the Kent Farm, there's no computers there that Brainiac could use."
  
  "Right, safe place, no electronics, and you're going to...." Megan answered but Harry shook his head.
  
  "I'm going to have some words with Brainiac, after what happened last time, I didn't really give him the proper beating with what happened to Claire," Harry answered when he spun around on his heels and moved off.
  
  There was so much to do, so little time, but the group prepared themselves for the final battle. Knowledge continued to flow through Harry's mind. While he had not forgotten about the Destroyer, the Knight must be destroyed before the pawns get taken out. Something told him that Bloome, Doomsday, whatever he was, his destruction tied into Brainiac's plans.
  
  Brainiac would use the chaos when the destroyer hit full power and absorb all of the planet's knowledge, before jumping to the next planet and the next one. Of course, where he went from there, that was another point entirely.
  
  'I'm coming for you, Brainiac,' Harry thought when he made his way to the Shining Light Foundation, determined and ready to go.
  
  He felt his powers slowly return and for some reason, now when he was in the tender embrace of his own creation, said powers increased, amplified, and accelerated tenfold. Harry closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and rolled his shoulders back, before he craned his neck back.
  
  "You and me, computer, you want Kal-El, you want the last survivors of Krypton, you want this world, you go through me," Harry called, lowering the walls around the Shining Light Foundation to allow Brainiac in the front door.
  
  
  
  "Any update on where you went."
  
  "I had to take a side trip up north," Harry responded when he talked to Tess on the phone. "The thing that's taken over Luthorcorp....it's a danger that it might have infected my building."
  
  Tess knew better than to ask Harry about why anyone would be interested in any data that he would have on the meteor infected. She really knew better, he had dozens of files on every person who were infected on the meteors, whether living or dead, powers, bibliographical details, and any criminal records they would have. It would be information that that people would give their left arm to get their hands on.
  
  While she did not hear of Harry use that data in a malicious way, she was certain that he could and would do what he could to protect the interests of himself, those closest to him, or his charges. Tess calculated that backing this particular young man into a corner.
  
  "I've got everything locked down and people evacuated, so far so good, but that won't hold them, not forever," Harry added when he shook his head and caught his breath back. The young wizard held his phone out, he knew it was coming.
  
  "You may have compromised yourself when you created that back door into the Luthorcorp network," Tess stated to Harry in a flat voice but he did not cringe or apologize about it, in fact he remained stoic.
  
  "Maybe you're correct, but you wouldn't have infected any of your computer networks if you would not have left well enough alone regarding the crystal. But I guess Lex taught you that one, didn't he?"
  
  Harry could tell he touched a nerve and given the circumstances he found himself uncaring to be honest.
  
  "I'm sure your mother taught you a few things about winding people up with the wrong intentions as well," Tess answered when she fired back.
  
  Nerve struck on the other side, and now the ball was in Tess's court.
  
  Silence reigned for a little bit on the phone.
  
  "My mother....never mind about her," Harry answered, who figured that whatever notes Lionel left behind, he mentioned Lily in them. "The monster...there are people working about it, but I might be compromised for the next few hours."
  
  "Compromised, in what way?" Tess asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
  
  "Compromised as in that computer took away my...." Harry started but he stopped and paused. "Rest assure abilities or not, I'm not going to take this one lying down, not without a fight."
  
  "Well, keep fighting the good fight," Tess answered when she heard something. "Oh, and you should know that three more of Lex's prototype suits have been infected and are going on a rampage."
  
  Harry heard the smashing outside the windows and sure enough the dark haired wizard went rigid. That complicated the rest of his night to say the very least but once again, there was little time to worry about that. Rather he pressed on and moved down the stairs, taking one step at a time.
  
  "I can see that, they're coming here, I'll call you back," Harry answered Tess without missing a beat.
  
  Without most of his powers, Harry felt weaker but he shook his head, he never been one to fall into the trap where he thought powers were the be all and end all. Granted, they came in handy against some extremely dangerous foes. Be that as it may, Harry found himself to be annoyingly resourceful without them; there were times where he actually was stripped of his powers in the past.
  
  The suits of power rumbled on the city streets beneath Harry, going for him and smashing their way through the front entrance.
  
  "I never liked that door frame, planned on changing it anyway," Harry remarked in a droll voice, when he moved forward, the suits moved in.
  
  Brainiac did one common folly that many enemies decided to undertake and that was that his consciousness spread in several different directions. Many would consider that to be a benefit but with Harry it allowed him to duck and dodge around easier, manipulating the suits against each other. It was after all three distinct parts of Brainiac, so there would be three parts of him wanting an equal amount of revenge.
  
  Harry's heart hammered against his chest, only a fool would not get worked up after something like this. The reason the suits were prototypes became very apparent to Harry, their clunky and inability to maneuver around properly was so easily manipulated by the magic user.
  
  One well placed spell caused an explosion, to blow the suits of the armor apart. They clattered down to the street, bursting apart.
  
  This little action confused Brainiac and Harry found himself pleased that that individual was confused. He knew that his powers returned somewhere, at least to a limited agree.
  
  Perhaps Harry should keep his eye on the battle at least that was the thought that went through his head when the clunky arms of one of the possessed battle suits did. To his credit, the dark haired wizard dodged around and recovery quickly, springing himself up in the air with the agility that he learned from the Quidditch field.
  
  A loud bang cracked the second suit open and sent it crashing to the ground with an intense thud. Harry felt and tasted something that he had not in a long time, since he received his Herald of Death abilities and that was blood. Blood on his lips, mouth, and tongue, blood that dripped down from his mouth, to be honest that kind of unsettled him.
  
  His healing abilities did not work with his powers stripped from him, not good, not good at all, but that was not something Harry could bother himself with. The third suit moved after him and....
  
  'SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!"
  
  Those word the thoughts that went through Harry's head when he saw it face off against him. Of course, Harry's luck would not even leave him alone for a minute. The Destroyer barreled down the streets of Metropolis towards him, on its rampage. The barricades put up did not deter it not that would have mattered in the first place with something that destroyed it.
  
  There was one Martian/Detective down on the ground, ribs shattered from the attack, despite his advanced powers. If Dooomsday damaged the Martian, then that did not bode well for the rest of the normal people out there. Even if those people were Heralds of Death who lost their powers thanks to the mishaps of things that happened.
  
  There was one silver lining to this cloud and that was the fact Doomsday knocked the final battle suit out, destroying it beyond all repair. It was a shame that Harry flew back and was nearly damaged beyond all repair himself from the impact. He felt his ribs snap, his ankle roll, and his face smack, with his right eye swelling shut.
  
  Harry forgot how much pain sucked and the answer that was a lot, too much in fact, more than Harry could handled.
  
  The dark haired wizard pulled himself to his feet, staggering on spaghetti legs and swayed from one side to the other, trying to regain some kind of standing position. Doomsday blocked by the shields but said shields would not hold the destroyer back for long. Harry pushed his power forward, the strong-willed sorcerer gaining immense deal of momentum when he powered up his spells.
  
  He pushed his foe back, strong as he might be, he was not going to bring the dark haired wizard down, not if Harry could help it.
  
  Doomsday was dangerous but he cornered a wounded dog in his own yard. A wounded animal was something that was more dangerous than any force on earth; depending on one's perspective they had more to lose or nothing at all to lose.
  
  A flash of blinding light caught Doomsday, and the Martian Manhunter tried to enter the beast's mind but dropped to the ground, unable to penetrate the savage fury of his brain.
  
  Harry summoned a rock, programmed it into a Portkey, and shoved it into the hand of the creature, before it disappeared into a flash of light.
  
  Where did it go? Hopefully into a volcano, that's what Harry's intention was at the very least. He could barely keep his head above water never the less and the buzzing in his head could only mean one thing and one thing only.
  
  Brainiac was coming.
  
  No wait, Brainiac was here.
  
  Harry scrambled to his feet, on one leg and with one eye, with the other having been swollen shut. His face turned into a delightfully ugly shade of purple, swollen and disgusting but he pushed himself forward.
  
  One might get the impression that Harry Potter ran away from the fight, something he never did before but one would be wrong with that impression, no matter how true it could have seen. The dark haired wizard dragged his ankle behind him, painfully, seeing the energy pulse follow him all the way to the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  
  
  Brainiac sensed the weakness in the organic life form that he followed, a glowing fury pulsing through his eyes. He moved forward, the protector was close, the one that he must take out. His core objective beat strong through his program. For the past several years, one mishap after another prevented it from being fulfilled.
  
  "I'm coming for you Harry Potter!"
  
  Harry staggered back; it was so nice when the psychopathic machines announced themselves when they stopped by. On one leg, Harry gimped, each step seemingly a labor, a pain, a miserable existence, dragging his feet behind him. Did the dark haired wizard find himself in this situation for not a good reason?
  
  No there was a good reason, a very good reason, he reminded himself what was at stake, why he was here, what he must do. The young man shook his head, clutching himself.
  
  "Look at the one who has been gifted with ultimate power, you are weak and you grow weaker," Brainiac taunted when he stared down Harry, his legs finally buckled from underneath him. "Underneath your false bravado, you are merely a child who is still pandering to those for some attention. You may be as pathetic as Kal-El and most certainly are a worthy champion much like the rest of these humans."
  
  Harry flickered his hand forward but Brainiac batted away the force fields like they were nothing. They were nothing, nothing but an illusion, just a feint, something that allowed Harry to back up. The dark haired wizard pushed back, closer and closer. He knew that time ran out as the menace moved up on them.
  
  "I returned because my mission was not completed," Brainiac answered in a crisp, sadistic, and very much twisted voice. He peered down at Harry, sending sparks against his face. "You keep returning because you have not acquired the intelligence to know when it's your time to stay down and face facts."
  
  Brainiac paused before his expression grew more twisted.
  
  "There is no way that you can win this day so it is useless trying."
  
  Harry edged back a little bit closer, he got closer to the central core of the building, where the true power lied.
  
  "You talk a good game but you've never been able to defeat me and you haven't been able to defeat Clark Kent," Harry answered, making sure to put an extra emphasis on Clark's Earth name, knowing that it would cause Brainaic the greatest misery, given that it would be an insult to him to point out that a mere human bested him.
  
  It reminded him that no matter how superior he thought he was, Brainiac was forever and always second better to someone who wore an Earth skin. He could tell that there was annoyance.
  
  "You are...."
  
  "You know, Brainy, mind if I call you Brainy?" Harry asked when he backed up a little bit, a little bit closer. "You seem to be so adept at psychoanalyzing the humans but I'd like to pick your brain a little bit if you don't mind, see what makes you tick.
  
  Brainiac appeared to be not down with that, a blast shot out at Harry but true to his credit, the young sorcerer dodged the attack, moving around it, and shook his head. With a sigh, the dark haired wizard shook his head, and blocked another attack, and pivoted.
  
  "You seem to be driven by many of the same things that these organics that are weakened by emotions are, aren't you?"
  
  For some, they might consider what Harry did as folly but really it was all part of a well calculated plan to get in the head of his enemy.
  
  "Here's the thing, you are nothing but a lackey, nothing but a machine but you've deviated from your objective. This isn't what it's all about, is it? You're upset that you didn't get what you want, now you've created convoluted and petty schemes for revenge."
  
  Sparks splattered in every single direction, with Harry understanding the nerves he touched to be many but he shook his head. There would come a time where the young wizard shook his head, sliding back a little bit. The instant came at last.
  
  "You think you understand what I'm doing but you've fallen into a foolish trap that many humans have done previously. You understand little and assume very much, a folly which I will exploit and destroy you, Harry Potter."
  
  Harry wondered if this computer understood what he was saying and how much that it pertained to him. All he needed was a few steps more and the day would be his, whether he moved a little bit to the right or was it to the left. He had no idea but he kept pushing back. The seconds edged by on the clock when the machine rushed forward him.
  
  It was now time for Harry to be the one to open up the flood gates of enlightenment.
  
  "That's where you're wrong Brainiac. I know far more than you could ever realize, and do you realize what you're doing?"
  
  Brainiac paused, and Harry sensed it, his powers slowly returned, trace elements lingered within the walls of the Shining Light Foundation. It might not be enough to send someone into the tender embrace of Death but it was another to give him strength. They were powers that he needed to use wisely, powers slowly returning to him. Each move counted very much.
  
  "Brainiac, it would indicate you are smart but it's actually true that you're quite the opposite."
  
  A pulse of electricity shot through the hands of the young wizard to send him flying back into the air. The dark haired wizard turned around, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling from what happened.
  
  "You chased me in here, machine."
  
  "And you ran."
  
  That response, whilst it was true, was not completely accurate.
  
  "You chased me, and I led you in here. You misunderstand a fundamental truth about humanity and how we work. Strength comes in many forms and what you think is weakness is strength."
  
  Brainiac paused before his eyes narrowed nastily and he spoke. "Clarify what you mean."
  
  Harry was only too happy to offer the proper amount of clarification because after all that happened, this machine did not get it, he did not get it at all. But he was oh so happily going to explain it into them.
  
  "There is something that you should know to be true with your studies and your knowledge of humans and that is the fact that we are animals. But not in the snide and disrespecting way you might intend to brand us as. No far from it, really far from it, the fact of the matter is that we react to certain ways, in a class where one might consider it to be survival of the fittest.
  
  Brainiac would have sensed that something was up, providing the fact that he was not too blinded with the tunnel vision that he had. Tunnel vision was not something that affected people, a fact Harry happily exploited.
  
  "You won't stop me."
  
  "You chased a wounded animal, cornered him, but not only that, you cornered him in his own yard."
  
  Harry paused for a moment's time before a twisted grin appeared on his face, had Brainiac understood humanity well, he would have known the danger that he found himself in. But like a fool, the machine remained ignorant to what went on around him.
  
  "You're in my yard you pathetic bag of microcircuits but don't worry, you won't be staying too long."
  
  The mistake Harry waited for this entire night happened, when Brainiac lunged forward in an attempt to finish him off.
  
  One thing happened at this point, with Harry bringing in the internal core of the Shining Light Foundation. One electro-magnetic pulse did not damage Brainiac, not for that long. Being an alien computer, he was highly adaptable at any situation. Therefore mundane methods to take him down seldom worked.
  
  A thousand electro-magnetic pulses spilling into his body, ripping him apart, that might constitute as a bit of a problem and Harry's breath continued to hitch in. He dropped down to the ground, shaking his head and shook it off. The dark haired wizard brushed the hair from his eyes and felt what occurred.
  
  Brainiac ripped apart, the screams were inhumane but that was as well, the man was not a man, he was a machine. He tried to pull himself out but found that the field the Herald of Death trapped him in was too much. A magic that was stronger than Hogwarts at its peak shot into him, ripping him apart, and damaging him.
  
  Minutes turned into seconds, spinning around with each passing tick of the clock. He blew into nothing, leaving nothing but a piece of a motherboard on the ground. Harry caught it into his hands, it had three small dots scratched into it.
  
  The liquefied material stretched into a ball that shuddered to a rest in Harry's hand. His breath let out of his body when he knew one thing.
  
  And that was Brainiac knew no more, and Harry did it, he did it, somehow he did it, by hook or by crook.
  
  First he would sit down and then hopefully would be able to bring everyone back home. Or they would bring themselves back home.
  
  
  
  "You look like crap."
  
  That was the nice and rather to the point statement Lois Lane made when she exited from the limbo dimension, with Raya, Lana, Clark, Karen, Kara, and Chloe.
  
  "Hi, Lois, nice to see you too."
  
  Without another word, Kara rushed over to run her hands over Harry's bruised face and a frown crossed the Kryptonian survivor's face. "What happened?"
  
  "What happened, Doomsday happened, that's what happened," Harry remarked when he rubbed the side of his face, offering a wince, shaking his head from one side to the other. It took him a moment to get his mind together. "I'm....yeah that's what it is but I'm fine."
  
  Chloe looked at Harry with a strained expression when she took a look at him, before she offered a sigh. "Fine, is that what we're calling it now?"
  
  "I'm fine, trust me, I've had much worse," Harry managed when he moved over with Karen, Chloe, and Kara, the quartet of them moving. "I took care of Doomsday."
  
  Suddenly, Clark's expression got a bit anxious and dare Harry say it, extremely hopeful. Unfortunately, Harry needed to burst his bubble.
  
  "By take care of him, I mean I transported him off, into a place where he can't harm anyone, at least for a little while. It's not permanent by any means, he'll be back, he always comes back, and you need to be ready. It's coming to the time where you have to face him; we've delayed it for as long as we could."
  
  Clark understood that, somehow after all of the waiting, it almost was if his entire life lead up to this moment, the battle with this monster, the battle with Doomsday. The two individuals who walked into the battle stepped in to face each other but the real question would either of them be the same ever again? That was a question that echoed through the mind of the Last Son of Krypton and gave him a sense that something serious was about to come down the pike.
  
  Lana's expression looked towards Clark.
  
  "It's that time but after what happened in there, you're ready, more ready than you'll ever be," Lana offered when she turned around to face him.
  
  Clark was not sure about that but it was something that he thought about, carefully mulling over the matter in his mind. The time came closer for his end, the battle that he would have against his greatest enemy, against Doomsday. The destroyer rolled over its path and he realized that each second he delayed, the more threat he put away.
  
  "You shall win for I see the determination in your eyes, it resembles your father's when he sets his mind towards something," Raya answered when she looked at Clark.
  
  They all had a few doubts in their mind about what might happen, that went without saying but that made their resolve stronger along with their abilities to win the day no matter what. If they stood side by side, all of them felt strongly they could succeed.
  
  "No one said it was going to be easy," Clark remarked when he turned around.
  
  "Of course a bunch of people said it was going to be easy," Lois commented lightly when she turned around and looked over her shoulder. She added with a smirk. "They said it before they died."
  
  Harry turned around, that was a statement that was made by fools before they died if there ever was one. Fools before they were placed into the ground and knew that every single battle was going to be an uphill one. No one said it was going to be easy but the real excitement was in the journey, the quest for anything.
  
  Kara stood by Harry, he sensed her reservations with what was happening and he had to agree with them, there was no such thing as being too prepared. Those who thought differently about being too prepared were going to be in for a nasty shock and a rude awakening. It rattled the senses when they thought about it.
  
  'We're going to win, we have to win, right?' Kara thought to Harry through the link.
  
  Karen felt a bit apprehensive; there was some kind of calm before the storm brewing. 'I hope we're going to win, but it is not our battle to win.'
  
  'It's Clark's,' Harry thought to Kara, shaking his head but the younger blonde to his left placed a hand on his while the older blonde to his right put another hand to his.
  
  "There's times like this where I wished you had a third hand," Chloe remarked in an off handed manner.
  
  "Oh, I'm sure you know all about my third hand," Harry answered with a smile which caused Chloe to look away and Lois to grimace.
  
  "That's a bit more than I needed to hear about the two of you. Could you keep that talk...I don't know."
  
  "Sorry, Lois, I'll try not to mentally scar next time, although I'm sure nothing happens in my room that you lot don't get up to with Clark," Harry answered but Lois shook her head. "Not helping with the mental imagery?"
  
  "Not in the slightest," Lois agreed before she turned around. "So do we have to wait for him to make a move?"
  
  "He should be out west somewhere, if you want to fly out there, and if Clark's ready, it's time to fight him," Harry responded when he placed his hands on his hips, his face still dinged up, his ribs sore, and his ankle busted but his determination somehow spread through.
  
  Clark thought about it, there was only one answer that question, it's now our never. Granted, the flight thing was something that he still did not get down, but he could have sworn he was up in the air for more than three seconds. He did it when no one was looking, that was his luck but he had it, for a brief second and without any demonic possession either.
  
  There was a condescending pat on the head and the shares of "sure you did" from Lois. Lana stated that the belief that he might have flown allowed him to speed up the flight proces and Raya agreed, stating that it might be a sign that he came more to terms with his Kryptonian heritage.
  
  Clark was not sure, the only thing that was for sure in life, was nothing for sure.
  
  "Well unless you've mysteriously got the ability to fly outside of her own imagination, I think we can get you out there," Lois answered when she looked at Lana with a smile. "Would you like to do the honors, Lana?"
  
  "Since you did last time, Raya did it the time before that, I think it is my turn," Lana answered with a grin on her face.
  
  Clark sighed and almost pouted which Lois caught.
  
  "Hey, Earth Boy, you learn to fly, and you won't keep getting scooped up like that," Lois answered to the amusement of everyone in the room, except for Harry who remained stoic and Karen who frowned but shook her head.
  
  She learned to live with it by now. It did not amuse her to see her cousin lack a backbone but she learned to live with it.
  
  Lana without another word, scooped Clark into her arms and prepared to fly him off.
  
  There was one problem, Lana stumbled and bumbled, going down on the ground with Clark in their arms. The two fell to the ground with a crash.
  
  "Lana what happened?" Clark asked when he looked at her.
  
  "Maybe, you're having a bad day, here let me try," Lois answered before she grabbed Clark firmly, before she tried to up, up, and away.
  
  It was a really good thing that she did not clear out the window, rather she crashed onto the floor, with Clark hard on the ground.
  
  Raya tested her flight and sure enough she flew high above the ground. Taking one lap around Metropolis, she made sure everything was okay. She stopped and landed on the ground, and looked at them.
  
  "Test your heat vision, all of you," Raya told them.
  
  Harry, Kara, and Karen hit targets with their heat vision. Clark was able to as well. Raya did so as well but Chloe, Lois, and Lana were unable to access their heat vision or any of their powers.
  
  Harry performed a scan with his magic, Chloe's meteor abilities were still there, but that was the only thing that was still there regarding her powers.
  
  "Houston we have a problem," Lois commented and that was the understatement of a century.
  
  Harry found himself visited by a theory and he hated to confirm this to be right.
  
  'Accessing Lifelife Reading on Clark Kent,' Harry thought to himself and there was a flash.
  
  Clark's normally golden dot turned black, which indicated that he only had twenty four hours to live. Kara and Karen recoiled when they saw it as well.
  
  "What was it?" Lois asked them.
  
  "Fine, everything's fine," Kara stated in a bright voice, all too bright.
  
  They tried to access the Lifeline Reading once again, to verify what they saw was not some kind of horrific illusion.
  
  There was nothing. Until a very familiar and unwelcomed voice echoed throughout the collective consciousness of the three Heralds of Death, something that they hoped to never here.
  
  "You were warned about the price in your direct meddling. The next seventy two hours the three of you are mortal. Your powers will be returned back if the Higher Ups deem you worthy."
  
  "Death took our powers away," Harry confirmed grimly.
  
  Lois offered the most accurate declaration anyone could have ever said.
  
  "Shit."
  
  "Indeed," Lana said, it was not hard to put two and two together.
  
  Their powers, Lana, Lois, and Chloe, were gifted by the Heralds of Death. With the powers of the Heralds gone, so were the powers of the three girls.
  
  And it was a shame to because Lois recently discovered an awesome power she had been gifted but that was a story for later.
  
  
  
  Tess sat at the desk, hands folded over when she looked at the computer system at Luthorcorp, yeah this was going to eat several million out of her bank account to get repaired. That was beside the point; there was something else that she needed to think about.
  
  The Destroyer vanished without a trace and she knew Harry Potter had something to do with it. That was until he mysterious reappeared in the Southwest United States three hours ago. The monster was on his way and Tess was no closer to figuring out what to do about that. The entire Brainiac mess sidetracked her and threw her for a loop.
  
  There was no idea what she could do, like there was no idea what could be done about that mysterious humming noise that came from the vault. The orb rattled in the vault and the woman bent forward, pulling the orb.
  
  It glowed in her hand and shook, positively vibrating. Something was in there, and something was alive. For some reason, Tess felt like she held live fire in her hand, fire that threatened to scorch her if she made one wrong movement.
  
  "You must be warned about the consequences of meddling."
  
  Tess looked up, that voice in the orb, it sounded familiar but she could not place it.
  
  "I have suppressed the other voices in the orb, for a short time, I wish to speak to you, Tess Mercer."
  
  The voice was female.
  
  Tess paused for a moment. "Who are you?"
  
  "My name is not important. All you need to know is that I was one of the leading medical officers for the Kandorian Army. And I helped oversee the blood withdrawal for the experimentation. All that you need to know is that this orb was an abomination that never should have been. We had no right to play Rao."
  
  Tess raised an eyebrow, she was intrigued.
  
  "You need to get rid of it. Fortunately there is a way to destroy the orb and that is...."
  
  The voice was silenced, with another voice replacing it.
  
  "Sorry, this message has been cut off, please try again later."
  
  The orb glowed a red color and knocked Tess backwards, causing her to crash down onto the ground with a thud.
  
  The device floated from her hand and entered the vault before it locked behind her. Tess got up, to try and open the vault but surprisingly, someone changed the combination on her. It was some magical force changed it.
  
  Tess wasn't about to give up yet.
  
  Lily's presence woke up within the orb, she wondered who pulled that act because it was not her.
  
  The third presence in the orb seemed pleased that everything was going to their plans. The Dark Lord should have taken over the Magical World by now, so all she would have to do was deliver the Traveler to him and he would be invincible. She switched her blood out for that of Isis Lovegood's and the stupid little Mudblood suspected nothing.
  
  
  
  Clark stood at the edge of the Fortress of Solitude, there came a time where he felt that he needed to do certain things and one of those things was to make peace with Jor-El.
  
  "You said before that you hoped there was a time where I might call you father, well I think that time may approach yet," Clark stated when he stood at the Edge of the Fortress of Solitude. "But for me to do that, we must work together as a family, all of us. Whatever happened between you and Kara's father, Mother was right, it was best left to die with Krypton."
  
  Jor-El remained silent for a moment but Clark stood his ground.
  
  "Like it or not, Kara is family, she's blood, and whatever happened, it's not her fault," Clark stated when he looked out.
  
  "Yes, I do believe that petty family feud shall be set aside for the greater good of the world," Jor-El agreed when he paused. "What occurred with Alura was an unfortunate tragedy and I think Kara hung onto her fair share of bitterness regarding me but now is not the time for this. This is your moment Kal-El. This is one where you shall stand prouder than them all. I will not sugarcoat this, the Destroyer is far more dangerous than anything you've ever fought before."
  
  "But I believe that you may be up for the challenge, my son," Lara chimed in.
  
  "As do I," Jor-El responded.
  
  "And no matter what, we will be proud of you," Lara stated, but Jor-El remained silent and stoic.
  
  "Lana, Lois, their powers are gone and Raya's is at normal Kryptonian strength, Chloe has her healing abilities, and Harry, Kara, and Karen can't intervene or they'll lose their Herald abilities permanently," Clark answered when he looked forward.
  
  "Do not think that despite these obvious handicaps you stand alone, Kal-El," Lara answered when she stared at Clark. "As long as you keep those in your heart in mind, you will never be alone. Jor-El and I will be with you to guide you the best we can but this is your greatest trial to date and must be yours to conquer in the end."
  
  "I feel like my entire life lead up to this moment," Clark answered when he turned out.
  
  Harry stood in the Fortress, Clark reminded him of him the moment before he walked into the Forest to fight Voldemort or rather sacrifice himself to kill the Horcrux. The night the entire world changed for him, leading to one moment or the other.
  
  Kara and Karen stood behind him, not saying one word.
  
  What could they say for someone who was fated to die in twenty four hours? They mentally agreed, that he must never know, it would defeat him before the battle even started.
  
  "Guys, the monster is heading to the Artic," Chloe stated in an anxious voice to Harry when the scanners at the Shining Light Foundation picked up on them. "Lana's here with me, Raya's there to try and tail him to minimize damage control, and I don't know where Lois is. She mentioned something about calling in a favor with one of Uncle Sam's old army buddies."
  
  Harry shivered suddenly, feeling dread come on, hoping that Lois would not cause more damage than Doomsday with whatever scheme she was planning.
  
  "She said that just because she doesn't have powers doesn't mean that she can't help Clark," Chloe answered when she sighed. "It's going to be a long night. Lana tells Clark not to do anything too reckless but she has a feeling that it's going to fall on deaf ears."
  
  "Doomsday's coming for you," Kara related to Clark and he stiffened.
  
  "Good, I'll bring the fight to him," Clark answered, when he threw the red blanket he brought to the Fortress over his shoulders, it flowing behind him.
  
  Kara looked at Clark with an impassive look in her bright blue eyes. "Be careful."
  
  "I'm always careful," Clark answered before he walked out the door.
  
  Walking to his eventual demise although Harry hoped he was wrong, as did the other Heralds.
  
  "There's something that you're not telling us, isn't there?" Chloe asked when she jumped on the communication link.
  
  Harry paused to consider telling Chloe what he saw before his powers got yanked. Then he stated to her in a calm voice, trying to remain optimistic "I'll tell you after Clark's beat Doomsday."
  
  To Be Concluded in the Final Chapter "The Ultimate Destroyer."
  Ultimate Destroyer
  
  Chapter 61: The Ultimate Destroyer Part One.
  
  "We, the Higher Ups, commune on this day, not to judge the Heralds of Death but to judge Death herself, for the malicious use of her abilities and the interference of the natural progression of matters on the planet known as Earth. Death will be allowed to state her case but should she be found guilty, she will be forced to step down from her position as the gateway to the afterlife and a new one will be chosen in her place. Our first and potentially most damning piece of evidence is the full scale and senseless destruction of what mortals refer to as the dinosaurs."
  
  Defiance was a quality that Harry Potter utilized many times in his life; when authority figures shoved him around and tended to undermine him. The fact of the matter was despite the edict from the higher ups, he was not going to stand by and let this matter go unchecked, not if he could help it anyway. The dark haired wizard prepared to figure out what to do and came to one conclusion. His two blonde wives waited beside him, the third one staying at the Shining Light Foundation to track Doomsday's progress for Clark.
  
  "I'm beginning to see why all of the other Heralds lost their minds and swore a vendetta on Death," Kara responded when she clutched her arms and inclined her head over to the side. Her eyes closed when she thought about everything but there was a look of thought and concentration on Harry's face.
  
  "I'm not sure if Death was directly involved with this one," Harry answered when he clutched his hands.
  
  Karen gave Harry an incredulous look when she asked the extremely obvious question. "If it's not that meddlesome bitch, than who else could it be?"
  
  Harry decided to enlighten her on the process. "I'm....I'm....well Death stated that there were higher ups, at least we're assuming its Death .But if Brainiac found a way to stop my powers temporarily, then it stands to reason that other people might have found out a way to do so as well."
  
  Harry, Karen, and Kara thought about that point and to be honest, that was something to think about. They came so far, they came so close, that they were able to taste the victory. Clark was taking a huge step towards achieving what he was put on this planet for but that hinged on his ability to defeat Doomsday. The three Heralds remembered one thing that haunted them.
  
  The reading that they saw from the Lifeline before Death yanked their powers that echoed throughout the back of their heads. The fact of the matter was Clark went black which meant that there was a ninety five percent likelihood that he was doomed to die. Granted there was a five percent likelihood that he could live but who would want to play odds like that.
  
  "We're running out of time," Karen answered when she looked nervously and she checked in with Chloe. "Any news on our destroyer?"
  
  Chloe bit her lip when she checked the latest news.
  
  "He's after Clark, Oliver and his rag-tag group of heroes....well they're going after him to stall him while Clark gets ready," Chloe answered but Harry turned away.
  
  He was not about to tell Chloe to tell Oliver that what he was trying to do was a suicide mission, rather he was going to let him do what he needed to do. The heroes of the world would not stand by idly and wait for Doomsday to destroy it. Or wait for Clark to get his ass in gear.
  
  "Lana's going stir crazy in here and Lois...she's still MIA, and Raya's gone to the Fortress to help Clark out in any way she can, being the only one of those three who still have powers," Chloe told Harry, mostly talking to herself than him. "Do you think there's a chance....of our powers returning?"
  
  Harry wished he could say that there was. He got a sense that Death may have also thrown then under the bus as a scapegoat for something she got in trouble with from the higher ups.
  
  "I don't know Chloe, we're checking into something, we're going to keep you posted," Harry answered when he turned around and thought about everything that he had to do.
  
  "Don't suppose a miracle could happen, could it?" Chloe asked when she paused.
  
  Harry did not answer, at least right away. To be honest, he did not believe in miracles but he believed in results. And resourcefulness, there was only one person on Earth who could find a way to restore the powers. She had access to a realm of magical knowledge that would be able restore them.
  
  "I don't know, but we're meeting with someone, Rachel, she'll hopefully have something that could bring our powers back behind Death's back," Harry answered but Chloe paused.
  
  "You do realize that there's a good chance that Death will come down here personally and ring your necks if you undermine her like that?'
  
  "Good, let her come," Kara answered, showing no fear in her voice or her eyes. "We're ready, we earned these powers, and she has no right to take them away because of all of these stupid rules."
  
  "Again, I'm beginning to see why all of the former Heralds grew to hate her," Karen responded when she folded her arms and looked up into the sky. "I hope....I hope that there is something that we can do."
  
  Harry once again was not sure that Death was the one behind this mysterious loss of powers, call him crazy, he was called worse but that's the way he thought. There was something unsettling with when this happened just now, the moment before Clark went forward to face Doomday. And the fact the life line reading turned black before their powers got lost.
  
  Well, it was not like he could think about that, he knocked on the door, with the young mage waiting and the door opened, for Rachel to poke her head out.
  
  "Harry, I....after all that's happened I didn't expect you to come by," Rachel responded to Harry before she looked at the three Heralds of Death. She commented in a sardonic voice. "There wasn't a problem with my training last time, was there?"
  
  Harry took a turn to smile back at her. "No there wasn't a problem, far from it in fact. But we do have an issue, we need to travel to your realm and access the library."
  
  Confusion reigned over Rachel's face before she asked what she assumed to be a very obvious question. "And why couldn't you do that?"
  
  Kara chimed in with an explanation. "Our powers have been yanked and we're hoping for a way to restore them."
  
  Rachel mused that these three had among the very worst luck in the world that much was for certain. The young half demon sorceress took a moment to mull over everything that transpired and closed her eyes, before deciding to help them. After all, after the big time they helped her, she'll be forever in their debt.
  
  "I'll help you, it's no problem, if Kal-El doesn't succeed, much will be lost after all," Rachel answered after they gave her a brief summary of what the situation was. She engulfed them in a bright light and sent them to the realm.
  
  It was an amazing place with a huge library, somehow the citizens of this dimension managed to save most of it from Trigon and after her father's demise, Rachel went back her to persue the books, flipping through them a little bit at a time and learning about new bits of magic. Naturally she would allow Harry, Kara, and Karen to go into the library.
  
  "Thanks Rachel, I appreciate that and I'll find a way to make your help worth your while," Harry answered and Rachel looked at him.
  
  "Ah, that's quite the promise, isn't it?" Rachel asked in a stoic voice before she walked forward and flipped through the books. There were many legends of the Heralds of Death in this library, not to mention other magical artifacts. She continued to flip through the books with the help of Harry, Kara, and Karen.
  
  There was a moment where Kara gave a triumphant smile and turned the book over to them.
  
  "There it is, the solution to our problems," Kara answered and Harry looked at her before he gave her a kiss on the lips, which she returned.
  
  "You're brilliant."
  
  Kara smiled before Karen offered him a mock pout, shaking her head.
  
  "How about me?"
  
  Harry kissed Karen on the lips a little bit and Rachel looked at him, about to open her mouth. "You're brilliant, you too Rachel."
  
  Rachel opened her mouth but in the heat of the moment, Harry offered her a slight kiss on the lips. His mere touch caused her brain to nearly shut down and the young half demon to go into a catatonic state. New emotions bombarded her mind.
  
  "You're...you're....you're....w-w-elcome," Rachel stammered when she closed her eyes and shook her head. "But you know that altar, while powerful, is also dangerous. It will either restore your powers or destroy you utterly."
  
  "We're up for the challenge, I think," Kara answered, they would do anything to restore their powers and this altar would restore the powers, even if the risk was greater.
  
  Harry, Kara, and Karen prepared to depart for the last known location of the altar, a museum in South America, and they hoped that it was there. They needed their powers back, so they could help prevent the upcoming Doomsday.
  
  Green Arrow dropped to the ground; they were in the Northern Part of Canada where the monster showed up. Black Canary, Cyborg, and Impulse followed him up the banks of snow and ice. Aquaman took the water; that was naturally in his element.
  
  Oliver peered from underneath his hood, they were in a fisherman town, that's what the community seemed to thrive on.
  
  "How do we know when he shows up?" Dinah asked to break the rather awkward silence.
  
  "Follow the sound of the screams?" Bart asked when the others looked at him and sure enough there were screams.
  
  The destroyer arrived on the field, more hideous than he had been described and Oliver felt rather underequipped with the arrows that he had. They would not do him as much good as he assumed against this monster, against this creature, whatever he was. Yet, he had to try and he aimed his arrow, before he shot it.
  
  The monster got the arrow in his hand but he ripped it out. Briefly, a nasty kind of blood spurted from his hand, before the monster stood on the ground, rushing forward with each passing step. The villagers scattered.
  
  Bart ran around the world to gain the necessary momentum to try and take the creature out. He circled the entire planet and came back around the other side of him but the monster knocked him down onto the ground with an impact. The speedster rolled over, clutching his back and was down, groaning.
  
  "I thought...I thought that would work," Bart stated with a grimace when he tried to sit up but he failed. The young speedster shook his head a little bit and was helped to his feet.
  
  Cyborg was the next one to get smacked down by the destroyer who sensed that he was getting close to his query. These insects were not something that he would allow to stop him from destroying the last son of Krypton. That was his mission, he would not....
  
  Green Arrow fired a rapid barrage in him, unloading twelve, thirteen, fourteen arrows into him, all of them entering his chest. Doomsday stepped forward, grabbing the archer by the throat and shaking him like a ragdoll.
  
  "Canary, now," Green Arrow managed when Doomsday hoisted him up and prepared to crush him with the impact.
  
  Black Canary opened her mouth to send a sonic cry at Doomsday. The monster felt a bit of discomfort and for a brief instant, they thought it was working. His ears began to bleed slightly and for a second they thought or perhaps at least hoped that the danger was passed.
  
  The danger was still present and clear; Doomsday pushed her down to the ground and slammed her head down onto the ground. Canary grimaced from the impact but something else knocked the monster back, a few inches.
  
  The monster dropped to his knees a little bit, the psychic assault bombarding his mind and threatening to shut him down with extreme prejudice. Megan tried to lock the monster within a prison of his own mind.
  
  "Don't worry, I was sent here by Arcane, Supergirl, and Power Girl to help you," Megan answered when she tried to push him back, the hood over her head obscuring her facial features, not that she needed it with her shape shifting abilities.
  
  "And who are you?" Oliver wondered when Doomdsay almost stopped in his tracks.
  
  There was a pause when Megan turned out the mental juice, trying to push through the frontal lobe of the monster, his brain was more complex than ever before. The young Martian tried to force her way into the mind of Doomsday, but blood dripped from her nose when she pushed herself to the fullest.
  
  "You may call me...Miss Martian," Megan stated, she was not in the mood to come up with a more creative codename now.
  
  "Really, that's it. You couldn't....OW!"
  
  Oliver felt a smack in the back of his head from an invisible hand.
  
  "Sorry, my mind slipped."
  
  Megan flew backwards with an impact, landing onto the ground with a solid thud and Doomsday had a throbbing motion through his head.
  
  "Where is the trio,now?" Oliver wondered when Megan's head thumped, thumped, thumped.
  
  Megan could not answer the question with any form of clarity but another figure popped up, sending a grappling hook at Doomsday to try and hold him into place. Batman arrived on the scene and his strongest grapple could not hold the monster into place. He grappled up and hooked it to the Batwing, which was on auto polite.
  
  He gave the signal and tried to drag Doomsday out of harm's way but that worked out a bit better in theory than it did in practice. The monster busted loose and dropped on the ground.
  
  The group of heroes tried a team assault but they were all knocked down like nine pins with Doomsday not in the mood to engage them. He continued his rampage further and further north, sinking his feet into the ground and giving a loud growl. The monster rampaged even further up North.
  
  "He could have killed us but he let us go," Bart remarked when he shook his head, granted his body ached all over but the pain meant that he was still alive or not crippled.
  
  Megan dropped to her knees, her eyes and head burning from trying to read his primitive and destructive mind of this menace, this monster. She never felt anything like this and the savage fury threatened to overwhelm her. It was a small wonder that she was able to pull out when she did otherwise it could have destroyed his mind. The young Martian sighed when she tried to bring herself back to life.
  
  "Fine, just fine, I'm just fine, "Megan answered when she got the looks, ignoring the throbbing in her temples in the back of her head and she twisted her head around a little bit.
  
  "He's not after us, but I think you've figured that out already, Queen," Batman answered when he looed at the Green Arrow and managed to activate the tracking device that he planted on the artic. He switched communications. "Sullivan."
  
  "How in the hell did you get this frequency?" Chloe asked in an indignant voice when she heard Batman of all people talking to her through the supposed private communication link.
  
  Batman offered no response other than getting straight down to business. "Tell Kent that the destroyer is on his way to the Artic .If he's going to step up, now's the time to do so. We did all that we could to delay him but it has to be him."
  
  There was a moment of communication on the other end and Batman heard Chloe say, "No, Lana, it's suicide!" before she returned back to him.
  
  "I'll relay the message to him," Chloe offered in a tense voice.
  
  Batman did not answer and the rest of the heroes turned around to talk for each other for a moment.
  
  "I think we better get back to Metropolis, in case the monster returns there," Oliver suggested and the other members of the team nodded, before he turned around to ask Batman for his input.
  
  There was only one problem and that was Batman decided to slip out. Oliver grimaced, he hated when Batman did that. One day he would figure out the secret.
  
  Clark waited outside the Fortress but he decided not to wait for much longer. Everyone was right, this was his moment, it was time to man up and face the music, face this menace, this monster, he was going to take on Doomsday.
  
  "Kal-El, you do not have to stand alone against him."
  
  These words from Raya gave Clark a great deal of pause and caused him to stand around. The young woman stepped forward to face off against the Last Son of Krypton, waiting for what he had to say and her heart thumped a bit against her chest. The blonde crossed her arms and tapped her feet on the ground, while she waited, watched, and prepared alongside him.
  
  "It's my battle to fight, Raya," Clark argued when he looked at the woman but she shook her head.
  
  "Your destiny, while yours, is not meant to be embraced alone. With this monster, and believe me when I say this for it is the truth, you are in a war. And this war cannot be won alone. Wars are won by a collaborative effort and not because one person stepped in alone to fight the battle. While the victory will be yours in the end, you do not have to stand alone."
  
  Raya placed her hands on either side of Clark's waist and pulled him in, staring him directly in the eyes. There was a long moment, before she leaned forward and lightly pressed her lips against his. The Kryptonian returned the favor, feeling the soft and tender kiss that the two shared in the blowing Artic winds.
  
  "I have been entrusted with keeping your personal safety and that's what I'm going to do," Raya answered when she looked at Clark and saw him standing there. He still had the red blanket draped over his shoulder, almost like a cape that flowed over him. He wore a blue top and blue jeans but the Kryptonian before him frowned.
  
  There was something missing.
  
  She focused her heat vision, and cut a symbol into the shirt that Clark wore. It looked like an "S" incased in a diamond.
  
  "Your family's crest, the crest of the House of El ,for luck," Raya remarked when Clark gave her a quizzical look at this and he nodded.
  
  Clark thought that he needed more than a little bit of luck to allow him to survive today's battle but that could be done later. He stepped forward and he would do so with his head held high in the air. It would be a battle that he did not relish happening but it would be one that he would face.
  
  'No matter what my son, I will know that you have done what you must to protect those in the world, to the very end.'
  
  The ghostly voice of Jor-El echoed from the Fortress of Solitude before Clark took more steps into the frozen ice and tundra, his feet cracking underneath the ice when he walked but he shook that thought off. He heard the rumbling coming forward, Doomsday was coming, he reached closer when the time ticked by.
  
  A loud growl indicated one thing and one thing alone to Clark Kent and that was that Doomsday was here and he was ready. But one had to realize something, after all of the trials Clark went through, he was born ready and he stepped forward onto the Fortress. He stood on the ice, his footprints pressed into the snow and his expression flickered off to the side.
  
  "He's here," Clark stated when he rushed off at super speed, going faster and grabbing the monster around the head.
  
  With a mighty toss, Doomsday was hoisted off the ground by the force of Clark and threw to the ground. The monster flew down onto the ground and the young man did not let up the assault at all. Another huge shot sent him flying backwards. A series of rapid fire punches rocked the monster, causing him to buckle his legs, before he kept fighting. Punch, punch, and kick sends him down to the ground, before the monster rushed around, grabbing him around the head.
  
  Doomsday shrugged Clark off to slam him down onto the ground. The monster smelled the blood of the House of El that had been drawn when the young man cut himself. He rolled over, massaging his busted up forearm, and the yellow suns healing rays did not hold him fast enough.
  
  Raya connected with a kick to the back of the head, true to her word she did not allow Clark to stand alone to face this menace. This monsters leg's rolled out from underneath her, before the young woman hoisted him off the ground a little bit.
  
  The normal Kryptonian gifts underneath the yellow sun were not enough to defeat the monster with Raya flying backwards before she crashed onto the snow. Doomsday hoisted up a huge chunk of ice and tried to smash her skull in.
  
  Immediately, Clark zipped forward to the attack, and felt the ice shatter over his head with titanic force. His knees buckled and his head rang when his eyes felt a bit of swelling. That was not good, far from it, the young man dropped down.
  
  The sharp bone spikes from his body stabbed into Clark once, twice, and three times. They each opened up cuts and knocked him down.
  
  "NO!" Raya yelled before she focused her super breath and tried to knock Doomsday off balance.
  
  The monster forced his way through the gale winds, and the ice and snow that had been kicked up. He grabbed Raya around the head and squeezed the air out of her. The woman dropped down onto the snow and ice and he yelled.
  
  A huge uppercut punch rocketed Doomsday in the chest to send him sliding backwards and then with another movement, Clark zipped from behind him and nailed him again with another punch. Another movement and another punch, again, and again when he busted his knuckles off Doomsday's jaw.
  
  "Come on, you want to go, come on!" Clark yelled before he grabbed Doomsday around the waist before he leapt into the air hard as he could.
  
  They slammed down onto the thin ice, causing it to crack and break through, sending them plunging to the frigid waters below. The two survivors of Krypton sank to the bottom and for a brief moment, it seemed like they drowned.
  
  Clark poked his head out from underneath he water, completely wet, his hair dampened but suddenly Doomsday grabbed him and pushed him down beneath the water. The destroyer plunged him beneath the water, trying to drown him.
  
  Raya rushed over, recovering from her attack and knocked Doomsday back, before she scooped up Clark and flew him out of the way. He was half awake, half breathing, covered in blood, and completely damp.
  
  "We got to get you out of here," Raya stated, wincing as the wounds from her own body had not healed. "He's got the scent though, I've got to throw him off."
  
  Doomsday scented the blood of his victim and would not let up. He got a small taste, all he needed was one touch and then he would have his prey. Nothing in this world could stop him once the traveler was taken down and his objective would be delivered. The Last Son of Krypton, the son of Jor-El, he would pay with his blood.
  
  The danger the altar presented could either jump start their powers back to where they should have been, it could destroy them, or it could change them into something completely different. There was a certain amount of risk when dealing with many magical artifacts. With everything that was on the line, one small slip out could set them back a long way.
  
  There was one thing to be thankful for and that was the altar was left here at this place, untouched and untainted with the dark haired wizard moving his way into battle, pausing and pondering his next move. The two blonde Kryptonians walked towards him, hovering a few inches above the ground. The currently benched three Heralds of death managed to disable the security and enter inside.
  
  It was nothing but a stone pedestal with strange markings on it. If they had their powers, they could translate it but naturally if they had their powers, they would not be here in the first place. That was one thing that they could take to the bank. The three of them walked forward.
  
  "Well this is it," Kara answered and there was a moment where Harry nodded, knowing what he had to do. This was in fact do or die.
  
  "We can't even open up that last box if we had it, not without our powers," Karen stated when she wished they would have found it sooner. Yet, there was nothing with them, and now they stepped forward.
  
  Harry took risks many times, to the point where he did not really need to take such risks. There was countless times where he felt that with everything on the line, he needed to let it all hang out. That being said, he never took a risk where there was this much on the line.
  
  "Neither of you have to do this, I'll be the one that touches the altar," Harry answered when he turned to his beautiful blonde brides next to him. "If I touch it and it's safe, then you can touch it. If it's not safe..."
  
  "You'll be killed," Karen answered, her eyes not leaving Harry for an instant before she inhaled and exhaled her breath slightly. "No chance, no way no how. We stand together, and we die together. The altar will either empower us all or destroy the three of us."
  
  Kara agreed when she looked at two of her lovers. "Don't think that you have to stand alone, not this time, not ever again. The three of us, we're Heralds United, even if we don't have our powers, and we'll get them back, get the power back we've been cheated out of."
  
  Harry, Karen, and Kara clasped their hands together, walking a few steps forward. There was little time to waste, on their way down here, they heard of the monster's rampage.
  
  "Clark's in bad shape," Chloe interjected before they could touch the altar.
  
  'Oh, why does she have to give me bad news, now?' Kara mentally asked to herself in a fretful manner.
  
  'There's never not a time for bad news, is there?' Karen asked and they shook their heads.
  
  'I guess there isn't, but that's not the point,' Harry thought to them both, placing hands on theirs.
  
  "Explain, please, we're going to try to get our powers back," Harry answered and Chloe seemed surprised.
  
  "I'll wait but if you can't do it, I'm going out there to stand by Clark regardless," Lana stated but then Kara seemed flooded with alarm.
  
  "No, Lana, you'll be killed."
  
  "I'm not useless without my powers," Lana persisted in a stubborn voice before the blonde Kryptonian amended, gritting her teeth.
  
  "No one's saying that you are Lana, all I'm saying is Doomsday is a danger that you can't face alone even with your full powers."
  
  "I won't be alone, Clark will be beside me and I'll be beside him," Lana argued without even given anything else the consideration needed. "Speaking of people who should be beside Clark, did any of you three hear from Lois?"
  
  There was a shrug between Harry, Kara, and Karen before they shook their heads. They had not heard from Lois in over a day.
  
  "No, I can't say we heard from her and....since she left the Shining Light Foundation the other day, come to think of it," Harry answered, you can take the powers out of the protector but you cannot take away their desire to protect the charge that they had.
  
  That was why Harry found a bit of trepidation, if that was a good word, at what Lois was going to plan. There were instances where the woman did tend to be a bit headstrong, or maybe high strung was a good word. The young mage chuckled, he could have been talking about himself at that point but that was beside the point.
  
  "Let us try this," Harry answered firmly and the two blondes nodded beside him.
  
  They were all in this together.
  
  "On three," Kara prompted firmly.
  
  "One, Two, Three."
  
  They touched their hands to the altar and for an instant nothing happened. The Herald Trio thought that they felt something, anything, a buzzing, a tingling sensation, and it vibrated beneath their hands, rocking back and forth with the three of them shaking.
  
  "What's happening?" Kara asked when her hair flung around in the wind.
  
  "I'm not sure," Harry answered when he shook his head.
  
  "Something's happening, but I'm not sure it's our powers coming back!" Karen yelled, wondering what was going to happen now.
  
  The vibrations continued to kick up and suddenly a light show took place, before the three of them were engulfed by multicolored fire. All three of them vanished into a blinding flash, leaving nothing left, not even a smudged footprint on the ground where they stood.
  
  Chloe, on the other hand, was completely lost.
  
  "Harry,Karen, Kara, what happened?" Chloe asked but sure enough there was no sound on the other side, it was like they were there one minute and gone the next.
  
  Clark's eyes flickered over, the yellow sunlight healed his body although for some reason, the energies that Doomsday gave him, it was a much slower process. Raya cradled him in her arms and dropped down in the field in Smallville. In an odd coincidence, this was the very same field where his ship crashed all those years ago, where his parents found him.
  
  "Kal-El, I know it must hurt," Raya stated when she tried to rifle through her bag and found something to put on the wounds, a solution derived from Earth plants that helped absorb the yellow solar radiation faster and allowed him for greater healing powers. "But you need to pull yourself together. When the destroyer is on a rampage, he will stop at nothing to ensure that his prey is caught."
  
  "Thanks for the tip," Clark managed when he pulled himself to his feet, his shirt ripped slightly, torn down the center of the crest.
  
  Doomsday would come whether Clark wanted him to or not, the problem was whether or not he could meet the monster head on. His hands trembled a little bit, he felt a burning stinging in them. His knuckles scraped while he punched the destroyer in the face.
  
  "It has to stop now," Clark stated when he stood up. "He's killed far too many, I've got to bring him down or die trying."
  
  Raya's face flickered with a little bit of a grimace when she heard that Clark was willing to die in order to save countless lives. In some ways, she imagined that was a good quality to have but in other ways, that was kind of a reckless quality to have. Regardless of the fact, the son of Jor-El stood forward and the young Kryptonian woman watched him walk off.
  
  "Your father would have done the same thing if he could to save all of Krypton," Raya responded quietly and Clark nodded, his head held up stiffly.
  
  Clark stepped forward and rushed down the road at the rumbling sound.
  
  CRASH!
  
  The sound of Clark's fist impacted Doomsday rattled for miles, the destroyer sliding back a little bit but still not budging. It struck Clark at this very point that when he was under the influence of the Lazarus Pits as Kal-El, he simply barely held his own against Doomsday. Now he was fighting the monster who was stronger while he was weaker.
  
  That kind of defeatist attitude would have to be put on hold, for more punches rattled against him. Punch, punch,, roundhouse right, haymaker, left jab, right hook, and an uppercut punch but Doomsday stood on the ground not moving. The monster absorbed every single blow before he picked up an old tractor and smashed it over Clark's head with ballistic fury.
  
  The monster had no reason, no conscious, no feeling, and the scrapes and bruises on Clark got worse. It was almost like the harder he fought, the weaker he grew. Blood splattered from his chest, the cuts and bruises more intense but he shook his head. There was no time to waste and no easy way out.
  
  "Is that are you got?" Clark asked and sure enough, Doomsday rattled him with a punch.
  
  Raya rushed forward, stabbing Doomsday with a knife in the chest. While she knew that would not hold him for long, it could slow him down so Kal-El could do what he needed to do. The monster ripped the knife out of his chest but smartly, she sped out of the way, keeping her distance.
  
  Clark jumped high into the air as he can, he could leap a tall building in a single bound, and smashed into the head of Doomsday, before hoisting him up, and flinging him into the air with all the strength he could muster. An uppercut nailed the monster in the face and propelled him backwards into a water tower.
  
  Doomsday landed out on the other side, crashing to the ground with a fury that could not be matched. Clark bolted over, faster than a speeding bullet and hit the monster with a punch more powerful than a locomotive.
  
  Another impact but Doomsday weathered the storm.
  
  'He's getting stronger,' Clark thought to himself, no matter what, his best shot was not good enough.
  
  As Clark and Doomsday were fighting, a car drove off the road into a ditch with the pedestrian fearing for their very life. Why did this happen? Well as it turned out Lois Lane made her way up the road driving said tank and she saw Doomsday was here.
  
  Clark and Doomsdy continued their brawl in the field and Lois could have sworn she heard a scream from a person about having the "right of way". There was one thing that her father taught her, well actually there was many things her father taught her. But there was one thing that General Sam Lane taught his oldest daughter and that was the person in the tank always had the right of way.
  
  Okay, maybe he never really said that but Lois figured that he would have said that, if he would have taught about that.
  
  She hated to do such damage to the corn but hey sacrifices needed to be made.
  
  "Move it Smallville, double time!" Lois yelled in a voice that she was sure that he could hear.
  
  Clark sped out of the way, not wanting to be anywhere close to Lois when she fired at Doomsday. He knew better not to be in the line of fire.
  
  Doomsday looked up with a growl and suddenly the tank fired a large shell. It ripped through the air and slammed into the stomach of the monster, sending him flying back down with hard fury. The blood splattered when Lois connected and the beast dropped backwards to the ground, spurting blood out of its stomach like a water fountain.
  
  For a moment, Lois thought she did it.
  
  "See, I don't need super powers to cover your ass Clark!" Lois yelled triumphantly but then there was another scream that cut off her victory party short.
  
  "LOIS WATCH OUT!"
  
  Lois watched out as the monster smashed onto the top of the tank, his injuries healed.
  
  'You've got to be kidding me,' Lois grimaced, unable to believe that the monster shrugged off getting blasted with a tank full force in the stomach.
  
  It defied believe for it was unbelievable and Lois shook her head, trying to push her way out but thankfully Clark was there to rescue her, knocking the monster back with another ballistic fury.
  
  Raya was on the scene when Clark drove the destroyer off.
  
  "That was reckless," Raya remarked to Lois when she helped her out of the tank.
  
  "It would have worked if that thing didn't have super tough skin," Lois remarked when Raya answered. "Please tell me this monster has a weakness."
  
  "So far, we've been unable to find it," Raya stated in an apologetic voice.
  
  "And....now Clark's....he's got to win," Lois answered when she looked into the sky; there was not anything up there. Not even a bird, not even a plane.
  
  Tess watched from the window of her office, peering down at the city below her and hearing the news coming in through her ears. The destroyer went North up by the Artic and then continued his rampage throughout the United States. He was after someone and the woman tried to get in touch the Shining Light Foundation.
  
  No one, in fact, she had a sense that it was like Harry Potter, along with his wife, Clark Kent's cousin, dropped off the face of the Earth. The phone was busy. Tess wanted to punch a wall or something but she remained calm. Losing her composure at this juncture would not be a good thing. The woman stepped forward a little bit, crossing her arms and tapped her foot on the ground. The red haired woman swayed her hips and watched.
  
  "Miss Mercer, someone is coming...it's him."
  
  Tess bolted when she looked out the window, sure enough someone was coming, the monster was here and he was not alone, oh no he was not alone, far from it, in fact the young woman clutched her hands together. She waited and watched, seeing a blur go down the street. It was not any blur, it was the blur but despite all of the advancements that happened, there was no way to get a clear shot of his face. He moved way too fast.
  
  She tapped her hand and a loud crash echoed from above her. Tess had to get closer, but how she would get closer, she had no idea. The young woman pushed her office door open, determination flickering on her face, and then she walked down the steps before taking a moment to go down the steps. Despite the danger, she felt a need to look at everything.
  
  Meanwhile back on the streets, Clark smashed through a street light, every single attempt to take down Doomsday lead to more pain, blues, and agony for the Last Son of Krypton. Stubborness was the name of Clark Kent and pushed himself to his feet. He pushed himself to his limits and then beyond.
  
  He beat him before, he could defeat him again, and this time he could put him down. The ringing in his head would not slow him down, not even at the slightest, and taking a step back the young Kryptonian took a deep breath. He blew a gust of wind to try and slow him down.
  
  Doomsday offered a different tact, it crushed the ground beneath him, and rushed forward. It knew of the greatest weakness of this individual, now it was clear to him as day. The Last Son of Krypton, the scion of the House of El, it felt it had one weakness. This weak sack of flesh cared for the even weaker sacks of flesh on this primitive world and would do anything to save them.
  
  In addition to evolving in strength, the monster got more intelligent and recognized the patterns in the behavior of these meat bags. He jumped up and suddenly he tried to bring down a building on some hapless bystanders.
  
  Clark moved in as fast as he could and sprinted into the area, saving the bystanders before they could be crushed.
  
  "I think that was the blur."
  
  "What did he look like?"
  
  "A blur."
  
  Clark had no time to waste for idle chatter before he smashed into Doomsday. Swing for the fences one more time and Clark connected his fist into the chest of Doomsday as quickly as he could. Another swing and another shot to the chest of the destroyer, to stun him and take him down.
  
  A back hand shot knocked Clark down and toppled him down to the ground, rolling him over to the ground. Doomsday stomped the back of his head, sending the young male Kryptonian smashing into the ground. Another furious fist and he was slumped against the ground, waiting for the kill.
  
  Lana rushed in, dressed in the body armor she borrowed from The Shining Light Foundation, and it amplified her strength before smashing into the enemy.
  
  "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!"
  
  A jumping kick rattled Doomsday but he grabbed her foot and cracked it back. Lana gave a hearty scream of pain before the monster hoisted her up and hurled her down to the ground.
  
  Lana smashed hard with a sickening thud and she felt her arms and legs go completely numb. Without her power, she was as mortal as anyone else and Doomsday prepared to ram the spike into her heart.
  
  Clark rushed it and took the hit, the bone spike slamming into his heart instead. Doomsday felt satisfied, its target went down, crashing down to his knees, on the ground. Blood spilled from the chest of the Last Son of Krypton when Doomsday lifted his hands into the air and gave a mighty roar at the accomplishment of what he did.
  
  Not done yet, Clark pulled himself, blurred vision, lost blood but somehow, someway, he would not let Doomsday live. With all of the remaining strength the Last Son of Krypton could muster he grabbed the Ultimate Destroyer around the head and buckled his knees before jumping up into the air as high as he could.
  
  Doomsday was fighting but Clark jumped higher, higher, higher, the friction burning against his body when he picked up super speed and the monster lit up in his hands like a super nova. He used the momentum, perhaps flight, perhaps not, it was hard to tell. All the Son of Jor-El worked on was pure adrenaline, his blood pumped through his body when it splattered from his mouth.
  
  Clark smashed Doomsday into the ground, pouring his strength into him, and then once again he hoisted Doomsday up before he flung him into a tower. The monster flew backwards and then the Last Son of Krypton super sped in front of him. A huge punch rattled the monster and sent him down to the ground once again, one more time.
  
  "No, I'm not letting you hurt anyone again," Clark breathed when his shirt was nearly ripped off, splattered in a coating off both his and monster's blood.
  
  "You will die," the monster growled when Clark hoisted him up into the ground, he tried to push him up and then slammed down to the ground.
  
  The monster rattled with one shot when Clark summoned strength and punched him hard, before he grabbed an electrical cable and hoisted it up. He impaled it through the monster's abdomen.
  
  A loud pop resounded when both Clark and Doomsday were overwhelmed with a lethal dose of electricity. The monster screamed in anguished fury, smoking and melting into the ground, sinking both of them deeper.
  
  "Get away, you won't hurt them, ever again," Clark stated, the blood splattering from his mouth with each word when the cable shocked more despite his hands blackened and burned.
  
  The molten lava hardened over Doomsday, with Clark directing his heat vision to seal him underneath the ground.
  
  Doomsday was done and then so was Clark. His body gave way and he collapsed in a pool of his own blood in the smoking crater he created.
  
  Lois arrived in Metropolis when the dust cleared and she took a few tentative steps forward, wondering if she missed all the excitement. The ambulance sirens echoed and she spotted Lana on the ground.
  
  "LANA!" Lois yelled when she stepped over to see Lana on the ground.
  
  "I'm fine, feeling's coming back, in fact, that's not the only thing that's coming back," Lana answered when she tried to push herself up but her powers did not return yet. At least she could feel her legs, even though they were in racking pain. "I'm a bit shaken up, that wouldn't be fun, even with full strength."
  
  Raya was there and moved the debris off of the bystanders the best she could.
  
  "I'll go see what I can find out about Clark," Lois stated and Lana was glad, she had no idea where he went and it was not like she could move anyway without the healing abilities of her powers.
  
  Lois sped off to the side as quick as she could before she stopped and stared at the crater.
  
  The scene was nasty and then she saw him, in the crater, barely moving, barely breathing.
  
  "CLARK!"
  
  Lois rushed in and went down into the carter, to see Clark up, his face covered in blood, a hole through his shirt, no a hole through the chest. The young man tried to lift his head up, shaking his head and he collapsed down into a motionless husk, blood spilling from his mouth.
  
  "Lois," Clark murmured when he looked at her, through blurred vision that faded fast.
  
  "What happened, what happened to Doomsday?" Lois asked when she held up Clark but he collapsed, a bloody and battered mess in her arms. "Hold it together Clark, we can get you help."
  
  "No, Lois, I can't....I've done it, I've saved the world from the destroyer, the ultimate one, that's my destiny," Clark breathed when blood continued to spurt from his chest. Lois tried to do what she could to stop the bleeding when she cradled Clark in her arms.
  
  He took a hell of a beating. The sun healed him but it was not fast enough.
  
  "Damn it Clark, if you die on me, I will kill you!" Lois yelled at the top of her lungs, but he saw his face, mangled and bruised beyond all recognition.
  
  "I'm not....I'm not....sorry Lois, whatever happens, it happens," Clark answered when his head slumped back and he coughed a little bit. He felt completely battered and wrecked.
  
  Raya turned up before Lois but she barely had any time to register that the other woman was there.
  
  "Clark, this isn't the end," Lois whispered when she looked at him.
  
  "Goodbye, Lois," Clark managed when he closed his eyes and his breathing stopped.
  
  Lois tried to hold it together, she really tried to hold it together, but her heart beat a little bit. Panic rose through her body and she felt his limp body in her arms.
  
  "His heart still beats but it's very faint," Raya stated clinging onto that point, the only one who had super hearing. She tried to remain calm. "If....if his body is still warm, there is a chance, but I must hurry."
  
  Raya pulled Clark's battered form gently from the arms of Lois and pulled him away, before she sped off.
  
  The ear piece in Lois's ear came to life.
  
  "Lois, I heard what happened, is everything alright?"
  
  That was Chloe.
  
  Lois was not prepared to tell her the news.
  
  "Lois?"
  
  "Clark....he's gone."
  
  Chloe remained silent for a moment.
  
  "Chloe?"
  
  "I....it's not....it's not possible, is it?"
  
  Chloe hid a sob even though Lois could tell what was happening. She was on the verge of having a minor breakdown herself. Despite her best efforts, she failed to protect Clark.
  
  "Raya....Raya says there might still be a chance," Lois stammered when she looked over. "Lana's being taken to the hospital, my powers aren't back, are yours?"
  
  "Only the meteor ones," Chloe responded but her voice was flat and dismal.
  
  There was no more to say between the pair of them. Lois's kneeled in the crater, amidst the blood and carnage and breathed heavily.
  
  Tess heard what happened downtown and there was a brutal batter. Doomsday was buried so far underneath the ground that he would not be coming back, at least any time soon. She felt the need to make arrangements to ensure that it stayed that way. The red haired woman walked down when she heard another humming from her study. The orb made weird noises all the time and spoke in cryptic tones but what happened was the strangest of them all.
  
  The orb was gone.
  
  Where was it?
  
  "I'm sure you're confused."
  
  A voice behind her caused Tess to tense up.
  
  "I set the orb to open when the Traveler put down the Destroyer."
  
  "How could you?"
  
  "It's magic, it can do anything."
  
  She turned around and saw a woman dressed in black, with red hair and the same green eyes that Harry Potter had. That was the last thing Tess saw before a purple light struck her in the face and knocked her unconscious.
  
  "Just when you thought you had all of the answers, I keep changing all the questions."
  
  Lily Evans spun around, looking outside the window, seeing the bright lights from as far of the eye could see. She smiled.
  
  Everything was going according to her plan.
  
  Chloe's mind was going a million miles a minute after everything that happened and what was worse, Harry, Kara, and Karen were missing in action. She sat in the main office of their temporary headquarters, peering over the city of Metropolis. There was still chaos after what happened with the battle between Clark and Doomsday. She tried to keep her wits about herself but she figured that what happened....maybe they were doomed for that to happen.
  
  No Chloe refused to believe that, rather she decided to take decisive action. She made up her mind rather quickly about everything and bit her lip. It was time, do or die, there was no question about it. The blonde reached into the box that Harry gave her and opened it. The glint of the ring flicked in her eyes and she took a look at it, mulling over the options in her mind.
  
  Could she change what happened?
  
  Chloe had reservations about using the ring for something like that and Harry warned her to only use it in a case of an emergency. The blonde kept looking at the ring, thinking about everything that happened. She turned her head around and thought the situation over, clutching the ring in question in her hand. It was like fire she held and it threatened to burn her.
  
  Should she or should she not?
  
  That was the question really and Chloe felt butterflies beat a path in her stomach and her body shiver oh so slightly when she rocked back and forth on the heels of her feet. The blonde took a moment to look at the ring.
  
  Suddenly she felt her body immobilized. She could only blink and talk.
  
  "Where is the traveler?"
  
  This voice was nasty and cruel and Chloe knew that this woman, whoever it was, meant business. She was spun around, to see a psychotic looking woman dressed in black robes, with long black hair and sinister violet eyes, staring down at her. Chloe struggled to free herself but she realized that this was some kind of magical spell. Therefore she would not be getting out of her predicament any time soon. No matter how often she struggled and her limbs twitched, she was not going to get out any time soon.
  
  "I don't know what you're talking about."
  
  The woman's expression was nasty and she lifted a wand, or so Chloe assumed. Harry didn't need one to use magic and neither did Kara or Karen.
  
  "CRUCIO!"
  
  Chloe screamed out loud when she felt the pain of a hundred burning hot knives stab into her body and she never felt anything this horrible in her life. Her limbs twitched and turned, and she thrashed in a screaming, burning, agonizing pain. The blonde's eyes flickered for the most part and her heart beat heavily against her chest. It was very agonizing to suffer something like this.
  
  "Now, did that loosen your tongue, you filthy little Muggle?"
  
  Chloe dropped to her knees, the sweat rolled down her face and she breathed heavily, before she turned around, her eyes flickering with pain but despite the numbness in her hands, she refused to be bullied by this person.
  
  "Go...to....hell..."
  
  The woman's face contorted into a nasty grin before she grabbed the ring in her hand.
  
  "I believe this is important, I'll be taking this," the woman responded when her eyes flickered nastily. "And since, I don't need you anymore, it's time for you to go for a nice, long ride."
  
  Chloe realized that she was going to die.
  
  This witch banished her through the glass windows from the highest windows in Metropolis and Chloe flew backwards, glass cutting into her when she screamed. It was funny how much time slowed down when she fell.
  
  Another figure swooped in out of nowhere and caught Chloe in her arms before she descended to the ground. Chloe's vision was blurred with her body cut up from the glass. She saw an image of a head of blonde hair and blue eyes. She couldn't tell who it was, whether or not it was Kara or Karen, before she blacked out.
  
  The wicked witch was another matter. She left with a Legion ring in her possession.
  
  On a distant planet far away from Earth, a stasis chamber containing a girl of about twenty three years of age opened. She had long brown hair going down her back and bright brown eyes. Her robes had her family crest on it and were a combination of red and yellow. She had an emblem on her robes that resembled the phoenix of Earth mythical origin but it was a Kryptonian legend.
  
  Thara Ak-Var was part of a group of Kryptonians who tried to escape the planet during the civil war. They settled on a distant planet that was much like Krypton, in fact it had been colonized by Kryptonians several years ago. She stepped forward, clutching a locket in her hand. The planet known as Argo was a sanctuary that was until the main planet blew up.
  
  Several planets suffered from the explosion of Krypton and Argo was no exception, most of the people on it died immediately, while others were sick. Thara tirelessly worked on a cure but by the time she got it done, it was much too late, everyone on her planet was dead but her. She could have got off but she put herself in suspended animation as punishment for her failures and her inability to save the people of this planet.
  
  She knew about the orb that was sent to Earth, her parents worked with Jor-El on the experiment, as did Kara's mother. Her parents never gave their blood but Jor-El and Alura did. She felt a pang of her heart when she thought about her best friend. She was likely to die with all of Krypton, the explosion claiming her and that brought a tear to her eye when she thought about it.
  
  She opened up the locket and saw the picture of her and Kara, in happier times, much happier times. They were so innocent back, then, so full of life.
  
  If she woke up, that meant the orb was opened and the Kandorians were released. And that meant that they were on Earth. Thara dreaded the possibilities of what would happen should they restore their powers. She knew one thing, she had to get to Earth and warn everyone, because Zod and his army would conquer it. While the clone was not the man Zod become, he could in fact become that man.
  
  Thara activated the portal and stepped through, hoping that her journey to Earth would be successful. She crossed her fingers and hope for the best, even though the worst was something that she would and could very well expect.
  
  Lois Lane felt a feeling of the most mortal dread when she stepped forward and shook her head. She got back to the hospital, Lana was there and now Chloe was there. This was not one of her better days. As for Clark, well Raya said that there was a chance that she could save him, if the body was still warm. What she meant by that, well she was too much in shock to ask.
  
  She scoffed, it was rare that she was at a loss for words, but she saw it was happening.
  
  There was another problem, Kara, Karen, and Harry went off to try and restore their Herald powers and with each moment that her own did not return, Lois thought that Harry became unsuccessful. The woman stepped forward, wondering where they were. Did they....no she did not even want to think about it. After everything that happened.
  
  Lois also dreaded the fact that before long she would have to call Martha Kent o break the news, the news that no mother wanted to hear about their son. With Lana out of commission, Chloe down, and Harry, Kara, and Karen all missing, the burden was left on the shoulders of Lois. She hitched in a breath, and hoped that whatever mad scheme Raya had up her sleeve would work.
  
  She stopped and stood rigid when she saw a flash of somewhere nearby. She blinked, hardly able to believe it.
  
  "Kara?"
  
  She saw the hair of blonde hair, the blue eyes, and the woman turned around, to look at Lois like she was insane.
  
  "Kara, there you are, I've been looking all over for you, Clark's...." Lois stated but the woman interrupted her.
  
  "Kara...I don't know what or who you're talking about."
  
  Lois bit her lip, whatever Kara tried; it gave her some form of amnesia.
  
  "Kara, we'll get you back, find Harry and Karen, everything is going to be...."
  
  Lois stopped, she did not want to say what everything was going to be. Saying everything was going to be alright seemed so shallow, so hallow, that she could not bear saying such a lie to herself. It slapped her in the face and that was the harsh reality of them all. The woman stared back at Kara.
  
  "I don't know who you're talking about," the woman stated in a calm tone before she turned and sped off.
  
  Alura In-Ze wondered who this strange woman was talking about, calling her by that name. She only knew two people in her life by that name. One was the goddess that symbolized hope and courage on Krypton. The other was her younger sister, who was killed by Black Zero.
  
  Hearing that name brought back so many memories that she suppressed but Alura remained strong and knew that she was on Earth.
  
  She found a way to restore her powers under the yellow sun, at least for a short spell. If Zod and his army found out that she knew, Alura would be in danger.
  
  It was time for her to disappear. She snuck Lara's DNA into the orb, unknowing to Jor-El, but she had to find him before Zod did.
  
  Lois frowned when she looked at the woman's dust, if that wasn't Kara that sure as hell looked like her twin.
  
  "We have found Death guilty for her actions and have sentenced her to eternal torment. A replacement will be named shortly but the higher ups have decreed that several of Death's actions will be repealed."
  
  "First, Harry Potter, Kara Zor-El of Earth One, Kara Zor-El of Earth Two, Chloe Sullivan, Lana Lang, Lois Lane, and Raya will be having their full powers restored, along with amplifications as an apology for the inconvenience the previous Death's actions have caused."
  
  There was humming.
  
  "Second, Death has ordered several deaths over the past several years out of spiteful means. Many of them will be reversed and these individuals will be restored back on Earth. They are as follows."
  
  There was a humming pause.
  
  "Dolores Umbridge of Earth One....will not be considered for resurrection and we feel that Death was too soft on her eternal torment. Therefore her eternal torment will be increased."
  
  The list was read off for real.
  
  "Hermione Granger of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Nymphadora Tonks of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Luna Lovegood of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Sirius Black of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Bellatrix Lestrange of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Regulus Black of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Daphne Greengrass of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Astoria Greengrass of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Alicia Baker of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Narcissa Malfoy of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Andromeda Tonks of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Dobby the House Elf of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Rose Evans alias Rosalina Sinclair will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Severus Snape of Earth One will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Clara Jor-El of Krypton will be given a second chance at life."
  
  "Alexandra of Earth One will be given life."
  
  "Alison of Earth One will be given life."
  
  At least the ringing in his head ceased to happen, that was always a good sign as far as Harry was concerned. What was less of a good sign was the fact that no matter what, he could not figure out what happened. At least his memories were there, he remembered that he was married to several beautiful women, he was a wizard, his name was Harry Potter, there was something about Doomsday, and oh yes, he touched a mystical artifact in a desperate gambit to restore his powers that Death unfairly stripped him of and ended up here.
  
  Things could have gone better all things considered but on the other hand, things could have gone worse. Harry found himself face down on a tropical island and rolled over. He felt an experience that was foreign to him, at least since he received his Herald of Death abilities. A stabbing pain filled his body, the aches and groans, not to mention the moans rocked his body when he tried to sit up.
  
  The key word was try, for he could not.
  
  'Kara, Karen,' Harry thought to them, trying to pick them up on the mental link they shared.
  
  They weren't there, he could have sworn that they were standing next to him. He pushed himself to his feet but then collapsed. The beating he took when he touched the artifact made him feel like his body was rearranged inside out and every which way, he could not even begin to describe what he felt. He tried to pull himself up and then he collapsed once again, his shoulder and legs killing him.
  
  Footsteps could be heard.
  
  Were they the friendly kind of footsteps? Or Death coming to gloat before she dragged him onto the afterlife, branding him as yet another failure?
  
  Harry opened his eyes and saw her standing over him, with a surprised expression on her face. She was a young woman, of about twenty one, maybe twenty two years of age. She had dark hair that went down her back and blue eyes. She was quite tall as well. She wore a white shirt that wrapped around her bust tightly and blue jeans that fit snugly around her shapely hips. He could tell despite his situation that she was beautiful. A pair of silver bracelets and a choker was around her neck.
  
  "You're....you're hurt."
  
  Harry hated to admit this but she was right.
  
  "Yeah, I don't know how I got here or where here is," Harry responded.
  
  "Diana, mother told you to come back here and not to wander off like that."
  
  "In a minute, Donna, someone washed up on the island, he's hurt," Diana responded when she looked over her shoulder. "Um, my name is Diana, and you're....on Themsyscira, or Paradise Island as it's better known. It's the home of the Amazons. We need to get him some help."
  
  Donna, who Harry assumed as Diana's sister, popped up, she had black hair and looked like her miniature, maybe about five or so years younger.
  
  "Hello," Donna stated, eying Harry appraisingly. She had heard of men but this was the first one she saw up close. And not a bad first one if she might say so herself.
  
  "Donna, help me get him to the medical wing, he needs help, and tell mother of the circumstances."
  
  Donna nodded, as it appeared that he lost a lot of blood and could barely move.
  
  Diana hoped that she would not catch hell from her mother for this but given the circumstances, she supposed that it could not be helped. The two sisters helped Harry back onto the island.
  
  Harry would need to recover before he could find Kara and Karen, or maybe they would find him first. It was not like he was going to be in any condition to do anything for a little bit yet.
  
  Then his powers returned. But he was still feeling the burn from what happened. There was something different about his powers but he could not place it.
  
  To Be Continued in Herald of Death Book Two, Coming in July.
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