Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Co-Op.

Harry and Kara stood, and were about to give chase. He might be a master of escape, but with their powers they could capture them. Unfortunately for them, they had other problems to deal with. This Batman, whoever he was, had been kind enough to trip the alarm on the way out.

Something told Harry that Batman was not going to be that sloppy, unless it was on purpose. Harry looked at Kara, Clark looked at both of them, and they all knew what they had to do without words.

They could not be caught in here, no matter what. Harry, Kara, and Clark bolted to outside. The security cameras magically lost the last several minutes of footage. Clark was about ready to bolt out at super speed, but Harry grabbed him by the sleeve. With a slight tug, the three popped right back to the Kent Farm.

Clark looked shaken, but he recovered quickly from the forced teleportation.

"So, Batman?" Kara asked him.

"Yes, that's what I heard," Harry added.

Clark frowned, with confusion on his face. "I never heard of him."

"He's news to me as well, but I wonder if he and the mysterious urban legend in Gotham City are one and the same," Harry said, and he looked thoughtful. Clark looked at him, with faint recognition. He had heard a few stories, and while he did not discount them, he tried to not to put too much stock out of them. "Over the past year or two, there have been criminals who have been strung up, and scared out of their wits. The person who did this, they have no idea who it was. They've never been able to get him on tape, or even get a picture of him at all."

"He must be good," Clark offered.

Kara and Harry both frowned.

"Well, he must be good, or at least well prepared," Harry said. "He caught us off guard, all of us. It happens to the best of us."

"The question is, whether it'll happen again?" Kara asked.

"Not if I can help it," Harry said.

He was sure that this Batman had narrowly given him the slip twice, and he was determined not to let it happen a third time.

Clark frowned, as he opened the door for himself, Harry, and Kara. Harry and Kara followed him in. They were greeted by Chloe and Lana, with Claire hovering in the background. She waved and smiled at them, which they returned.

"What happened?" Chloe asked.

"We met Batman," Harry said.

Both Lana and Chloe looked confused. Lana was the first one to ask the obvious question.

"Just who is Batman?" Lana asked both of them.

"Well, that's another good question," Harry said.

"He knows who I am, he knows my secret,' Clark said. He tried to keep himself calm and collected. In reality, he was freaking out the inside. He did not even have a hint of who the man underneath the cowl was.

"I know this is likely breaking all kinds of ethics, but why not take a peak underneath his mask?" Chloe asked him, and Clark looked at her, exasperated. "You tried, didn't you?"

"He must have lined his mask with lead," Harry said.

"Talk about a guy who did his homework," Chloe said.

"Did his homework, I say he's done more than his homework," Harry said. His body shifted, and he tried to puzzle together the mystery that was Batman. "He's done all of the homework, everyone else's in the class, and went for the extra credit."

"So, any clue who he might be?" Lana asked, and there were four baffled looks that had been directed towards her.

"We might be able find out easily, if we can find him again," Harry said.

"He slipped through us, and…well he's smart, I'll give him that," Kara said, a small scowl was on her face. She was very much agitated that this Batman slipped out of the backdoor, before she could get her hands around him. "I don't think he has any powers."

"His lack of powers doesn't make him any less dangerous," Harry said seriously. "It makes him craftier, and potentially more dangerous."

There was no disagreement of that. The entire group sat in silence. Even Claire, who was sitting in the corner, remained quiet. Kara decided to voice something that she had meant to bring up a long time ago, but was hoping that Clark would swallow his pride.

"The meteor rocks get you in trouble too often for your own good," Kara said. "With all of your powers, you're kind of useless if someone shoves one little rock underneath your nose…no offense."

Clark really couldn't take any offense to something that was true. All of the times the Kryptonite caused him trouble flashed through his mind. All it took was one little meteor rock to bring him to his knees, powers or not. It was a weakness that frustrated him, and what Batman told him really hit him hard.

He should have found a way to block it out by now. Then he remembered something, and turned his attention to Harry.

"You figured out how to negate it," Clark said, and Harry looked at him, inviting him to continue. "You found a way to negate the Kryptonite radiation with magic. I remember, months ago, before Kara somehow became invulnerable. You still haven't explained quite how that happened."

At this point, Kara caught Harry's eye, and both shifted guiltily. The truth was they were about ready to tell Clark, but had been unfortunately sidetracked. They were going to tell Clark everything, even if the consequences would be dire. Now was not the time, but they would have to revisit that particular line of conversation later.

"I have found a way to negate it completely, yes," Harry said. "My first run of tests only could center it around an object, like the cape I gave Kara. But now I can inject the cure directly into the blood stream. I've synthesized it, and it should work out for you. With your permission, I'll give it to both you and Lana. The rocks do affect her as well with her new found powers."

Lana nodded. She found out that the powers did have certain drawbacks when she tried to save Clark.

"So what do we have to do?" Lana asked.

"Come with me to the Shining Light Foundation," Harry said. "We've got the necessary there to give you the cure. There will be other ways to trip you up, I'm sure. But you don't have to worry about the Kryptonite anymore."

Lana and Clark both nodded. Harry and Kara transported them off to the main lobby of the Shining Light Foundation headquarters, leaving Chloe and Claire alone back at the Kent Farm, at least momentarily.

The quartet went into the Elevator shaft. The elevator shaft rose up, until the main lab area. It was a research and development area, where Harry studied the green rocks and the potential effects that it had on people. Hopefully, that would gain him some level of clarity, and understanding to properly help the guests.

Some of the guests had been troubled cases, and much to his dismay, some already at Belle Reve were beyond hope. He hoped that he could prevent more from falling into that particular mania.

Lana and Clark sat down, and Harry moved over to the back vault. This was not exactly a cure that one could test, and get wrong. However, based on what he knew, and what he researched, he was confident that it worked. He shielded the vault as he spun open the dial. Not that he needed to mask the combination, because it changed via a random factor every other hour. He removed two vials from the vault.

"Something tells me you had this planned," Lana said.

"It wasn't whether or not you were going to come for the cure," Kara told both Lana and Clark. "It was just a matter of when, and how. This should benefit both of you, so you can be all that you can be. So you can work together, and make whatever life you choose to make with each other."

Lana and Clark let that all sink in and both of them nodded. Harry took two needles, and filled them with the cure.

"Now, this won't hurt all that much," Harry said. "Maybe just a little bit, but that's just your bodies assimilating to the cure being injected into the bloodstream."

"So this is a one-time thing, right?" Clark asked.

"If I didn't know any better, I would have to say that you're afraid of needles," Kara teased lightly, and Clark just shot her a look through narrowed eyes. Kara just offered a smile.

"Well, there's really nothing to be afraid of," Clark said. "Most needles can't really penetrate my skin at all."

"That's where magic comes in," Lana offered, and Harry nodded in confirmation.

"To be fair, that's the only way a needle is getting through invulnerable skin," Harry explained to them. "Magic makes an utter fool out of any physics, human or alien. Although to be fair, there are instances where your powers tend to fly in the face of conventional wisdom as well. But, that is I'm sure an enlightening discussion for another time. And here's the cure."

Lana and Clark were injected with the Kryptonian cure. Harry summoned a green rock from the vault, and threw it at Clark. Clark instinctively flinched, but then much to his surprise and joy, the rock did not affect him. For obvious reasons, this felt like a huge burden that was being slowly lifted off of his shoulder.

"Thank you," Clark said, picking up the rock and holding it, without any ill effects whatsoever.

"We really do appreciate that," Lana said. Harry and Kara both nodded towards them.

"No problem, but remember don't get too cocky," Harry warned them. "Just because the Kryptonite is a non-factor, it does not mean that you're out of the woods."

Clark and Lana both nodded. They understood.

"So no one like Batman can get the drop on me again," Clark said. A sudden realization dawned upon him, and a frown appeared on his face. "I really don't know what his problem was with me."

Harry looked thoughtful at that moment. He took a breath, before he spoke. "Maybe, he didn't really have a problem. Perhaps he was trying to warn you about something, in his own way. I know, it's a stretch, but there are more insane theories out there. Until we have an idea who he is, or what his motive might be, we're just grasping at straws."

With the antidote to the Kryptonite given, and their vital signs reading as okay, Clark and Lana could be returned home without any problem. Harry and Kara's work was still not done.

Batman presented a problem. They had to deal with him, and find out whether or not be posed a threat. He had a reason why he did what he did. Harry and Kara would track him down, and get some answers.

Given that he was able to give three super powered individuals the slip; something told both of them that this would be easier said than done. But what was life without a few challenges?

The alarm reached the attention of Lex rather quickly. A frown appeared on the bald man's face. He stepped forward from the shadows, and took a long, hard look at the security logs. There was a glitch in them. It seemed as if there was a gap in the security. It was not that long, less than an hour.

Although it was much too long for him, and he took a deep breath, to try and find any hint as to why.

The fact there was some kind of security gap in the first place caused Lex to be on edge. This only added to his problems today. There was some mysterious figure in a cowl that showed up today, and had strung him upside down like he was a cheap piece of meat. Then, if he would hazard a guess, this figure in the cowl breached his security once again.

Security moved in, and Lex turned to them, a determined look etched on his face. No one got the better of Lex Luthor, and got away with it.

"Check around the building!" Lex barked, and he folded his arms. "I'm serious, if someone is still lurking around, I want to know immediately. Do not let anyone enter this building again. I need to know what's been compromised."

Lex stepped forward, to continue his assessment. He pulled out a cell phone, and dialed up his security teams.

"The second building he showed up to today, which means he could be on his way there," Lex said. "Keep an eye out for this man. He's dressed in black, and wears a cowl. He has a belt on. Do not even blink, he moves fast. He may have super powers, but I'll find that out when I have him secured. The mask is going to come off regardless. Your jobs are on the line, don't fail me."

Lex put away the cell phone. He moved to check up the back up security tapes. Something told him that there was something else here. The backups did not show much. There was a great deal of static interference on them.

It was almost as if there was an EMP pulse shot off, but he discounted that idea thanks to the pure absurdity of the attack being selective. The bald man brushed a hand against his forehead. If he had hair, he would be pulling it out by the roots right now.

'Focus, Lex, don't lose control,' he reminded himself. 'You hold all of the cards, they don't. Remember, you have work to do. The entire world could be hinging on your success, or failure.'

Lex walked off, to plot his next move.

A makeshift underground facility in Smallville was the temporary headquarters for Batman. He had been planning this temporary re-location for several months. He had equipment moved in, slowly. He had to do it in the dark of night, a few pieces at a time as to not arouse suspicion. The equipment was not nearly as sophisticated as what he kept back in Gotham City, but it would do the job nicely.

The dark and brooding outfit reflected the soul of the man beneath the cowl. By day he played the role of beloved billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, but it was all a front. Any innocence Bruce may have had had died at the age of eight. That was when his parents were brutally gunned down in an alleyway before his eyes. It was a scarring image that would never leave him.

It was at their graves that Bruce made a promise. That promise was that he would not let that happen to again to someone. He traveled the world, training under some of the greatest masters in the world. He picked up every trick that he could. He had mastered a quick escape faster than anyone. He trained his body to a physical peak that no human would ever had thought of, without super powers.

Batman showed up in Gotham City twenty two months ago, and he had waged war on the criminal element. Bruce Wayne returned nearly a year later, as to not trigger suspicion that they were one and the same. He waged battle against not only the various mobs that were tearing apart Gotham City, but also a colorful rogues gallery of criminals.

The communication link on his belt came to life. There was only one person who had that particular line.

"Yes, Alfred, what is it?" Batman asked in a gruff voice.

The long time Wayne family butler and surrogate father figure to Bruce replied in his own dry and humorless way.

"You've made the late news, sir," Alfred said. "It appears that Lex Luthor has been spooked, and is offering a reward for information on information regarding you or even your capture."

"Good, he's playing right into my hands, then," Batman said.

He briefly encountered Lex Luthor as a child, less than a handful of times. On the surface, many would compare them. To a blind eye Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor would seem similar, but the similarities ended at their immense wealth, and the fact they both had an interest in unraveling the mysteries of the Veritas society, albeit for different reasons.

He had uncovered his father's notes some time back. Thomas Wayne had kept a detailed log of all of the meetings he attended as a member of the Veritas society. The logs started innocent enough, but the group became more and more divided as time went on. The group was fractured on what to do with the traveler, whether to assist him or control him. Certain members of the group were just out for reasons of greed.

It was to the point where Thomas Wayne suspected that the entire group would kill each other over the secrets of the traveler. Bruce half wondered if his father's death was a random act of violence like the world had assumed. It was not like the killer was speaking. He was shot on his way to the courthouse by a hitman before he could stand trial for the murder of the Waynes.

"So, how goes the investigation with the traveler?" Alfred asked.

"It's all falling together, I believe I've located him," Batman stated. "He seems unassuming enough, but as we both know, appearances can be deceiving. I set up a test for him in Metropolis where he saved Bruce Wayne from some muggers, men I paid off. He roughed them up a bit in his attempts."

"I do hope the check is sufficient enough to cover the medical bills then," Alfred replied dully.

"He held back, but it may have been because he did not want anyone to find out about his gifts,' Batman continued. "His girlfriend had similar powers, although I doubt they were natural. There is another X-Factor in this equation. His cousin is engaged to the owner of the Shining Light Foundation."

"The enigmatic Harry Potter?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, another young man who I have been only able to find the basics on," Batman said. "The biggest cause of concern is that Lionel Luthor appears to have wormed his way into the traveler's confidence."

"Judging by the tone of your voice, you doubt that Mr. Luthor's intentions are pure," Alfred said.

"I'll need more information before I decide," Batman continued. "It's Lex that also may be a cause for concern. I know enough about the younger Luthor to be suspicious. I'm not the only one who is delving further into the Veritas Society."

Batman continued to log his observations into the computer.

"I trust your plans for Saturday Night are still on," Alfred said.

"Yes, the circus, I haven't forgotten that Bruce Wayne is expected to make an appearance," Batman said, waving his hand.

"It does seem like a spectacle, sir. The Flying Graysons performing their death defying activities, without the aid of a net."

Batman just grunted.

"I need to get back to work, Alfred," Batman stated.

"Of course, sir," Alfred responded dryly. "Will you be back in time for breakfast?"

Good night, Alfred, get some rest," Batman said.

Batman continued to investigate. He had one more area to investigate, and then he would need to arrange another meeting with Clark Kent, to get a better idea where he stood and what threat he posed.

While Batman was investigating the mysterious the traveler, Harry and Kara spent some time investigating him. They pulled an all-nighter at the Shining Light Foundation, and were working well past midnight.

"Every piece of news we could find on him, and we just have more questions than we have answers," Kara concluded.

"The actual Batman name was only used less than a handful of times," Harry said. "The Dark Knight of Gotham City, the Caped Crusader, the Prowling Vigilante, the Shadow of Vengeance, and who knows how many other names they gave this guy."

"Do you think he's a threat?" Kara asked him.

"We better treat him like one," Harry said seriously. He looked at Kara, and she knew that he was not treating Batman lightly by the look in his eyes. "He's able to slip away, and he knew about the Kryptonite."

"I'm so glad that's not a problem anymore," Kara said in relief.

Harry nodded; he would have to agree with that assessment.

"I just can't believe Clark wasn't more proactive in figuring out a way to negate it," Kara said with a sigh. "He knew about it for years and years."

She bit her lip, and added.

"Actually, I'm sure Jor-El could have told him how to stop it. But somehow he didn't care to enlighten him on that information. It's another one of his demented little tests, I'm sure."

"We still haven't figured out what happened to him," Harry said.

"To be honest, I'm not too upset about it," Kara said firmly. "You still think that something that it was something to do with the pulse."

"That's the most logical theory," Harry said. "Alternatively, Jor-El may have decided to take a step back. I don't think he expected you, but if he did, he certainly did not expect me. I suspect he knows who I am."

"And he didn't tell Clark," Kara said. "But we need to, somehow."

Harry turned to her, and grabbed her hand. He looked into her eyes, giving her a reassuring smile as he did so.

"We were going to, and we will," Harry said, and he punched up something else on his computer, and Harry jumped up. A smile appeared on his face.

"What is it?" Kara asked him.

"I think we've located our bat," Harry said, and he punched up more information, and there was a blinking light. "Yeah, there he is. Get ready."

Kara zoomed off and changed quickly. Harry flicked his hand, and his clothes shifted into a black suit. It was perfect in blending into the dark. A charm camouflaged his face, preventing anyone who he did not trust from seeing his identity. Kara returned.

"I see you made a few modifications," Harry said.

Kara nodded, pleased with the work that she did. She wore a blue half shirt that stretched around her torso. It accentuated her chest well. She wore a red mini-skirt that teased what was underneath. It was charmed so no one, but Harry, could look underneath it. She wore a pair of red high heeled boots. A red cape wrapped around her, fluttering in the breeze. A red headband with Kryptonian writing was wrapped around her forehead. Her hair was tied back, so it did not nail her in the face when she was flying.

"I'm not sure about the headband, but you look stunning regardless," Harry said.

"Hey, the headband just seems to go with the outfit," Kara said with a shrug. She added with a teasing smile. "You know, given some of your fashion choices, you really are the last person in the universe who should be giving me tips on what to wear."

"Too true," Harry said.

He gave her a brief look. She looked absolutely stunning in that outfit. Of course, Harry thought she looked beautiful in anything or nothing at all even.

"So, Supergirl, are you ready to go?" Harry asked her.

"Yes um…we should really come up with a codename for you," Kara said.

Harry thought about it for half of a second. A smile appeared on his face as it hit him. "How about Arcane?"

Kara smiled back at him. "I like it. It fits you."

"Arcane it is then," Harry said.

Harry and Kara flew off, using a combination of technology and magic to track Batman. Batman was a tough one to track; Harry had to give him credit for that. But even he could not outrun two Heralds of Death forever.

Of course, their powers meant little when they were not willing to think outside the box. Which is what Harry and Kara did, one swooped behind the vehicle that Batman was driving, and the other swooped in front of it.

Batman drove in in his car. Alfred had dubbed it the Batmobile. It contained all of the equipment that would allow him to remain stealthy and efficient. It was the right combination.

The Batmobile stopped immediately. He slammed his foot on the accelerator, but something super strong was keeping him into place.

Batman looked up at the next minute, and found that his car was airborne. He prepared to eject, and figure out who was doing this, but a blinding flash of light engulfed him and his car. The next thing Batman knew, he, along with his car had been deposited down on a rather rocky surface.

'A new location, this could prove to be problematic,' Batman thought, but he kept cool under the face of certain fire.

The top of the Batmobile was ripped open, and he stood face to face with a blonde woman. She floated in mid-air, arms folded across her chest.

"You know, it's rude to disappear like that," she said.

Batman escaped his car, but found himself to be in a big void of nothing. There was nothing, but darkness as far as the eye can see.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"You're nowhere, yet you're everywhere."

He caught a glimpse of a figure dressed in black, who stood over him. His face was not covered, but yet he could not make it out. All Batman managed to receive was a headache, the harder he tried to focus on him, and there was something that blocked him from thinking rationally about who they might be.

"Escape is going to be rather hard without my help."

Batman turned around, a determined scowl crossing his face. They would be surprised from what he had to escape from in the past. He darted around, moving around in every direction but yet after constant searching, he found no way out.

"Just who are you?"

"I'm Arcane, and this is Supergirl," Harry said.

That was not sufficient enough information for Batman.

"Your real names," Batman persisted gruffly.

"After you," Kara offered, waving her hand and inviting him to give the answer. She had a knowing smile on her face, knowing that Batman would not give up who he was. Even if it meant finding out their secret identities, although she suspected that they best be careful He could piece together everything in due time. He just seemed to be the sort to figure out the impossible. "Of course, we could do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"The easy way is that you give us information about why you've been lurking around Smallville," Harry said. "We have a nice chat, maybe compare some notes. I'm sure you had a good reason for what you're doing, although I'm at a loss to figure out what that is at this point."

"The hard way is that we tear that mask off of your face, find out who you are, and you'll still give us the answers," Kara said. "One way you'll leave here. The other way, you'll leave here with a few broken bones."

Batman remained silent. Kara added, with a malicious smile on her face.

"The choice is yours."

"Take your time," Harry said. "But don't take too much time, or we'll get the information anyway, the way you don't want us to get it. "

Normally he was the one demanding information. While Batman did not get unsettled easy, the fact was this was a situation that he was not used to. A frown appeared on his face, and he reached for his belt.

He found out quickly that said belt had just been removed, and was now in the hands of Supergirl. She held it, almost taunting him with the fact she had easily removed it.

"Nice belt," Kara commented idly. "It'd be a shame if something happened to it."

The fact they knew to remove his belt right away proved that they were at least far craftier than many of his enemies. That was not a good thing; it just made them far more dangerous. Batman stood in the shadows, and knew they were not going to be intimidated that easily.

He gave them a truth, at least in a slight version of it.

"I'm investigating a case that has brought me to Smallville," Batman said. "I've found notes detailing a secret society known as Veritas. Many of the members have died under suspicious circumstances, and the Luthors may be connected."

Harry and Kara kept their mouths shut. To be honest, this fact did not surprise them in any way whatsoever. The moment they saw Lionel Luthor was part of the Veritas Society, and that Lex was now obsessed with it, they were on their guard.

"So what does Clark Kent have to do with it?" Kara asked him.

"Everything," Batman replied roughly.

"Care to elaborate just a little bit more," Harry added, and he waved his hand, to give Batman the opportunity to elaborate.

It was at this point where Batman mentally calculated how much more he should tell these two.

"The Veritas Society was formed to watch for the coming of the traveler," Batman said. "I've located a few scant references that told about his coming, from civilizations of years past. Dating back to the Mayans, they have long since believed that the Traveler was coming, and that it was his destiny to either lead humanity to a new promised age, or conquer it."

Batman only used the word destiny to describe what others had thought. He did not believe in destiny, but rather he believed in action.

Harry and Kara both nodded, quietly. They would not play their hand of what they knew. This Batman remained a wild card, and Harry got a great deal of static when he tried to peer into his mind. He suspected that he stuffed his cowl full of electronics to give up a great deal of interference to anyone with mind reading abilities.

Although he did read that there was Muggle methods to stave off mental invasions. He suspected Batman knew these. The guy was paranoid.

Harry mused somewhere Alastor Moody was smiling approvingly at this guy's level of paranoia.

"You sent the cryptic e-mails to Chloe Sullivan," Harry said.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Batman asked dryly. "The moment I found out Hugo Strange was part of Veritas, I stepped up my investigation. Yet, it appears that Strange dropped dead before I could interrogate him. I'm at a loss to figure out what happened to him."

"He died of natural causes," Kara said swiftly.

"I'm sure," Batman said, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously towards both Arcane and Supergirl. "Strange and I have come to the same conclusions. Clark Kent is the traveler, and it remains to be seen whether or not he's dangerous. He will need to mandate a close observation, and I will be keeping an eye on him."

"Really?" Kara asked him. A bit of a distrustful scowl crossed her face and she stared down Batman, not backing down. She was not intimidated by him at all. "And who's keeping an eye on you?"

"That's a good point," Harry said. His eyes burned into Batman's face with a simmering glare. "As far as I can tell, you're nothing, but a vigilante. You assault criminals, rough them up. You don't give any concern to their civil liberties. You flaunt the law, and you think that Clark needs to be watched. What makes you the authority on this?"

In reality, Harry did agree that a city as torn as Gotham City needed someone like Batman, he was a major necessity. However, Harry was more than inclined to play the devil's advocate. Especially to prove a point, and that point was to let Batman know that he was being watched carefully as well.

"Some will disagree with what I do," Batman said, in an unapologetic voice. "Once Kent decides to step further into the light, and embrace his full powers, who could stop him should he become corrupted. Power has corrupted the most noble people out there before, and it can do so again."

Harry stared down Batman, but Kara stepped over to him.

"It's not your concern what happens to Clark," Kara said to him in a low and dangerous voice. "I don't know what your problem is, but you better back off. If something happens to Clark, I'll deal with it, we both will, and don't think we won't deal with you either if you step out of line."

"I wouldn't expect anything less, Batman said. "I doubt you're going to be able to get any further information. The Veritas Society is shrouded in mystery, and I will find out why they seemed so intent on guarding those secrets."

Harry was not fooled for a minute, at least right now. His gaze fixed on this brooding figure. He knew something else, or at least suspected something else. There were many secrets, and many ideas.

"Is that sufficient for you?" Batman asked.

Harry and Kara exchanged a look. They kept their body language still, not to reveal their true intentions. Kara shoved the belt back into Batman's hands.

"For now," Kara said.

"I'll let you out right now," Harry said, and he motioned for Batman to enter the Batmobile. He did so without another word.

The tables were turned, but Batman had plans stirring underneath that pointy cowl of his. The traveler represented a curiosity, but now Supergirl and Arcane also were players in this game. They seemed intent to keep a closer watch on the traveler, but Batman deduced that there may be other players at work.

Exactly who and why would be something that would be the ultimate test of his deductive abilities. Finding out Lex Luthor's intentions would be something that would be much simpler to determine.

Once Batman was off, Harry and Kara turned to each other.

"Can you believe that guy?" Kara asked. "He seems to think he's entitled to answers."

"There's a deeper involvement with him, something of a personal one regarding the traveler or Veritas in general," Harry said, and he looked thoughtful.

The couple floated through the air, high over the sky. They saw Batman drive off and disappear into the night.

"He's got some issues," Harry added as an afterthought.

Kara gave him a very un-lady like snort. "You would have to have a few issues to dress like a flying rodent. I was half tempted to throw him through a wall."

"I agree," Harry replied. His hand grabbed hers, and they flew off.

Their night was not done, and they would continue to follow Batman closely. Thanks to the tracking charm Harry placed on that belt, he would be able keep a close eye on the Batman. Even if he ditched the belt, there would be enough residual magic on the belt to tag his body, and be able to track him for a period of twenty four hours.

Batman had a clear idea something was done to his belt. When it left his possession, he knew that there was a chance for it to be tampered with. He ditched the belt, replaced it with a spare, and moved off into the shadows. He walked around, taking one step at a time. This was the final place that he had to stop by today. He was heading to Luthor Mansion itself.

The Dark Knight managed to scramble the security. While Lex Luthor was spending time securing his assets, Batman hit closer to home. He walked through the shadows, and stepped forward slowly. He made sure not to trip any security. He removed a can from his belt. He sprayed it, to reveal a laser grid.

Batman carefully stepped around with the precision that was learned over the time of practical crime fighting. He remained on his toes, and knew that he would have to play this one carefully. One wrong move, and he could either trigger the alarms, or he could be cut to ribbons.

"Hands in the air, and don't move!"

Batman spun around, and saw several security guards stand before him. They had their guns on him, and a couple held stun guns. He remained calm.

"We got him, sir."

The voice of Lex Luthor popped up. "Don't let him out of your sight."

Batman held his hands closely together. He could escape at any time, but they were playing right into his hands.

Lex Luthor thought that he had Batman trapped in here.

In reality, Luthor was trapped in here with Batman. The bald young man appeared a second later, and Batman was secured. Lex stared Batman down for at least a minute.

"So, I'm at a loss to figure out why you decided it would be a good idea to snoop around," Lex said to him. "I've read a bit about you. You're a mysterious vigilante that popped up over the last two or so years in Gotham City. The police seem to want to take you down. I wonder what they would do when they find out that I've captured you."

Batman remained silent.

"Not much of a talker," Lex said, and he shook his head, and security grabbed Batman. "I'm curious, whose face rests underneath that mask?"

Lex took a step forward.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Batman said.

"And he talks," Lex replied with a grin. He reached forward, and grabbed onto the cowl, to try and remove it.

An electrical jolt shocked Lex back, and he staggered back, a grimace appearing on his face.

"I warned you," Batman said flatly.

"Well played," Lex said, almost impressed. "But there's more than one way to get that mask off. I'm sure I have a tool around here somewhere that will peel that mask from your face. Unless you want to remove it voluntarily."

"What do you think?" Batman asked him, almost taunting Lex.

Lex shook his head. There were some people who were just stubborn. They lead Batman into the elevator, and they were downstairs. Security kept their guns on Batman, and he just smirked.

"I don't think you've figured out the amount of trouble you've stumbled into," Lex said. "You're not getting out of here, alive at least."

Batman stood stiffly, and as if on cue, an explosion rang from above. Lex staggered, and his security did much the same. He spun around, and rushed forward.

"There's someone else here, someone else other than him," Lex said. "Half of you stay with our guest, the other half, you come with me."

He scrambled his way up the stairs, followed by security. He was on the edge at this point. The hallway had smoke in it, and Lex stood, feet planted firmly on the ground. His heart beat sped up, and there was another explosion.

He stepped forward, and pulled open the door of his study. There was no one inside, and then he heard all of his security guards be dropped to the ground by an invisible force.

Lex turned around, and a palm struck him in the back of the head. He fell down onto the ground face first. The bald man was down for the count.

Kara materialized over the fallen body of Lex Luthor. He was breathing, but otherwise out for the count. She activated the ear piece.

"Okay Harry, he's down," Kara said. "Work your magic."

Back downstairs, a few security guards took a step forward, and they held their guns. Half of the guards kept their weapons on Batman.

The moment they turned their attention slightly away at a clatter from above, Batman knocked them unconscious with several swift blows. He nailed them back with a back hand, and kicked them hard in the head one by one. Batman navigated through the shadows, and one by one they were picked up.

The security guards fell to the ground, and Batman made his way towards the nearest computer. He went to download what Lex Luthor had on his computer. It was heavily encrypted, but he was not the World's Greatest Detective for nothing.

After a matter of moments, he had the information that he wanted. It was not much, but would hopefully fill in some holes. At the very least it was confirmation that Lex was still trying to piece everything together himself.

Batman stopped, and saw two other figures in the distance. He offered a stoic nod, and moved into the night. He had one more stop he had to make, before it was time to return to Gotham City.

Lex rubbed the back of his head. He had no idea who put him down for the count. The security tapes were right in front of him, but there was static again. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure they were not captured.

He placed a pack of ice on the back of his head, and grimaced. He completely went out for the count. And then someone jolted him awake. At least a half of an hour of his life was missing. A half of an hour had also been missing from the security cameras in the mansion.

The security guards who had failed to protect him would be getting their walking papers, and replaced by someone who could do a more competent job.

This dark brooding crusader had some accomplice. And Lex found himself caught off guard by them. He tried to recall if he saw anything. The back of his head suffered blunt force trauma. It was like he got nailed in the back of the head with a baseball bat or a crowbar.

Yet, it could not have been much more than a hand that slapped against the back of his hand. A hand could not have registered that much force, enough force to knock him down for the count.

He dropped down to the chair. He likely had a concussion, but he would have to get that checked out. For all of his power and wealth, he could not buy a pair of eyes to put in the back of his head.

It was almost as if he was being stalked by some looming presence. Come to think about it, it was a sense that he had gotten ever since his near death experience at the dam all of those months back.

Something very powerful was watching him.

'It has something to do with the traveler,' Lex thought to himself. "But what. Is Death just toying me, before dragging me over the edge to my own personal torment.'

He had a great destiny, and he wondered how much time he had left to achieve it before the sands of time ran out for him.

Lex refused to take a step back, and to slow down. If he uncovered the secrets of the traveler, he could hold the keys to the world.

Yet, another matter vexed him.

The symbol continued to taunt him. Something happened when he touched that gravestone. Every second of his life flashed before him at super speed. Every good moment, every bad moment, everything flashed before him.

A biting wind blew through the air of Smallville in the early part of the morning. Clark walked outside in preparation for his early morning chores, having noticed that the barn door was ajar. He carefully walked forward, and peered inside.

There was nowhere there.

"I was wondering when you would show up."

Clark's eyes popped up, to spot Batman perched high above him.

"So, Batman, isn't it?" Clark asked casually. "That's not a name you were born with. If it was, it was a weird name to be given."

"Well, it's not nearly as strange as Kal-El," Batman retorted.

Clark stiffened.

"I know about you, but I have not shared my findings with anyone, yet, " Batman said. "Be warned, your arrival has created a Pandora's Box that is now being broken open. The incident with Hugo Strange is just merely the beginning. Be on your guard, and remember that even though your intentions are noble, there are those who will twist those noble intentions for their personal gain. And they will hide under the mask of benevolence as they do so."

"Are you always that cryptic?" Clark asked.

"It's not too difficult when you learn to read behind the lines," Batman said. "There will come a time when your powers will not save you, and there will be no one around to bail you out. What are you going to do then?"

Clark shook his head. "I'll deal with it when the time comes."

"I hope so, for your sake," Batman said, and Clark looked up at him. "I have all that I need to know for now."

"So, you're leaving," Clark said. "Just who are you? Underneath that mask?"

"And what makes you think that what lies underneath this cowl isn't the true mask?" Batman replied briskly. "There will come a day where you will be prepared to become the force for good that you can be, or become the greatest menace the world has ever seen."

"I've been told that it's my destiny to become something great," Clark replied, before he could stop himself.

This statement got Clark a grim and almost nasty look.

"If you become a force for justice because people say it's your destiny, then you're doing so for the wrong reasons," Batman lectured. "If you do so out of obligation that means that you will not truly have your mind, body, and soul into this mission of justice. Do you really think that you're going to truly help anyone if you do so out of obligation? It should be a choice that you make, don't you think?"

Before Clark could answer this, he heard two new arrivals in the barn. Harry and Kara showed up.

Five seconds was all it took for Batman to disappear into the night, and leave as quickly as he arrived.

"You had a visitor, didn't you?" Kara asked.

"If you mean, Batman, then yes," Clark said. He shook his head, thinking of the meeting. "He's not one to stick around, and give answers."

"I've found it easier to get answers from my school's old Headmaster," Harry remarked darkly. "And speaking of answers, I was in the process of giving some to you last night."

"That did get cut short," Clark said. "It's early, shouldn't it…"

"This really can't wait, it's just going to be worse if we don't tell you," Kara said, hoping that this would be a huge weight off of shoulders and her conscience. She hoped Harry found a way out of the forced vow of silence.

She also hoped Clark would forgive her from keeping this from him for so long.

She shook off those doubts. Harry would have found a way. Otherwise he would not have brought off the subject.

"I never liked having secrets kept from me, so it's best that I tell you in a little bit," Harry said.

"We'll head up to the Farm House, and we can discuss it," Clark said, but a part of him dreaded what was going to be said. The looks on Harry and Kara's faces both indicated that a big bombshell was about to be dropped. "Chloe and Lana are still up there, and I think they might have a right to know."

Harry and Kara exchanged a look. They had a sense of what the other was thinking, which grew stronger with each day they were together. Both nodded. They just hoped that the anticipation would be worse than the actual event.

No one had to be a rocket scientist to see that a huge bombshell was about to be dropped. Harry and Kara locked eyes with each other. There was really no use in drawing this out too much longer. Chloe, Lana, and Clark sat around the table, and Harry and Kara sat a ways away from them.

Lana broke the silence before they could say anything.

"So, you have something to say, to all of us?"

Clark and Lana's eyes were locked on Harry and Kara. Chloe sat back on her chair. She knew what they were, but felt it would be best to act like this was news to her. At least for now, but Harry opened his mouth before she could think about what she should do any more.

"The best place to start about this story would be the beginning," Harry said. "I did tell you that my world foretold the emergence of the traveler for years and years to come. Ever since a thousand years ago, since the founding of Hogwarts. One of my old school's founders, Rowena Ravenclaw, saw the arrival. Another woman, a seer named Cassandra Trelawney, saw a planet exploding in green rock, and the arrival of a child from this planet, who would be found on Earth. This is where things get murky."

Kara gripped Harry's hand underneath the table. Both Clark, and Lana listened, and both nodded.

"Doctor Swann intercepted a message from my dying planet and told me about my heritage," Clark said. "Are you trying to tell me that this goes much deeper than that?"

'Yes, much deeper, Clark,' Harry thought to himself.

Harry paused, and continued his story. He just wished he could spit out the revelation of what his job was.

"There were people in my world that somehow found out that you were coming," Harry said. "In fact, they had been waiting for your arrival for years. I told you about my mother, no need to rehash that story."

Clark nodded. He knew where Harry was coming from, having a parent try to pull the strings from beyond the grave. That part he sympathized with one hundred percent of the way.

"My presence here ties into the extinction of a thousand year old race of hidden magical users," Harry said. "We started with such promises, but like many great civilizations, we suffered decay and loss."

Kara and Harry both allowed that to sink in. They both knew how greed, and corruption could cause more deaths than any disease.

"This entire mess in my former world escalated out of control during the last hundred years of my world," Harry said. "The blame can be rested on the shoulders of four individuals, one who had the best intentions in mind I'm sure in this mind. Rosalina Sinclair is the one you've met."

Chloe and Clark both had dark looks cross their face. They knew her all too well, and did not shed many tears about her demise.

"The next two was Gellert Gridelwald and Albus Dumbledore," Harry said. "Both were obsessed during their childhood about finding three ancient artifacts that would give them power. That greed tore apart several lives. Dumbledore managed to see the light in his own way, but Gridelwald did not until the very end of his life. Both were tainted in different ways by the greed."

Harry took a deep breath.

"There was the one that killed my parents, but he tried to take over everything and plunge the world into darkness," Harry said. It was not lost to anyone how detached Harry seemed to be. The fact his parents were dead was something that he had come to terms with a long time ago. "His name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, but he dubbed himself Lord Voldemort. He was obsessed, sick, and twisted. He's done awful things that I can scarcely even begin to talk about. There was a prophecy, of a child that was born to defeat the Dark Lord. Born to parents who thrice defied him, and that child was me. He killed countless, but he was a minor player in this entire game."

"A mass murderer was just a minor player," Lana said, feeling a little sick.

"He was just another puppet in the game of a higher power," Harry said, and he took a deep breath. "The game had been set into motion years and years ago, centuries even. But, my fate was sealed before I was even born. Before I was born, my mother was visited by someone, someone who made a deal with her. I would not be here if it was not for that deal, but…I can't help, but detest the reasons behind why she made the deal."

Harry's eyes did not blink then. It was the moment of truth, now or never.

"You know I showed up here four months ago, and rescued Kara from being trapped in the ship," Harry said. "I was wondering, do you remember anyone else showing up around that time?" Someone who may have told you something about constant vigilance.

Time stood still It struck both Clark and Lana at the same exact time. They were flooded by a feeling of dread, and they began to look at Harry strangely.

Then it took a couple of moments before one of them managed to speak, almost dreading to confirm their theories.

"The robed figure, who looked like the manifestation of the Grim Reaper," Clark said, and he swallowed a lump in his throat. "So it was you, wasn't it?"

Lana closed her eyes, and shook her head. It was hard to assimilate all of this information.

"You were the one who came to me, told me that I had a choice to make," Lana whispered to him.

"I did," Harry said.

"I nearly shot you, out of frustration with everything that had happened with Lex," Lana said. "If I would have…"

"You wouldn't have killed me, but I don't think we would be having this conversation right now if you had shot me," Harry said somberly.

Lana got the meaning of what Harry implied immediately. She felt grateful Harry had given her one more chance, when he could have easily just dealt with her right then and there. And no one would have been the wiser to her demise.

She shivered at that thought.

"Why were you sent here?" Clark asked him.

"I was sent here to make sure you step into your role as the hero the world needs to have," Harry said.

"You're death," Clark managed. "Why would you…"

"I'm not death, I'm merely her herald," Harry replied. Then he decided to drop the other bombshell. "As is, Kara."

That revelation floored Clark, and Lana. Had the not been so shell shocked, they would have noticed that Chloe's lack of reaction. She had known about all of this for months.

"So, you're…you're…"

"The Herald of Death of Krypton, as Harry is the Herald of Death of Earth," Kara said with a slight smile.

"So, you two are both…" Clark managed. He tried to shake off this revelation. They were still the same people, weren't they?

"Are there any more?" Lana blurted out before she could help herself.

"There's one more," Harry said cryptically.

"Who?" Clark wondered.

"We don't know," Harry answered with a shrug.

"She's coming," Kara added in a misty voice.

Harry decided to take a deep breath. He allowed Clark and Lana a few moments to have this settle in.

"Are we going to die?" Lana asked, but she felt stupid the moment those words left her mouth. Still it was a very real fear.

"No, I would know if it's your time," Harry said, and Kara nodded in agreement. "Death sent me here, I'm certain, to find Kara. And the third Herald, whenever she shows up, she'll be joining us. It is our job to make sure nothing happens, until its time."

"Time for what, exactly?" Clark asked.

It was at this point, Harry's face had a smirk on it, but it was twisted and almost scary looking. "There are some forces that might be beyond Death. There is a hint that something dangerous is coming. It's not here yet, but it's something you may have to deal with. I was not supposed to get involved or even step out of the shadows."

"You got involved," Lana said. "I wouldn't have these powers if you didn't."

"And much like a stone being dropped into a pond, my mere presence has caused ripples. I may have altered the course of fate for many people," Harry said with a nod.

"Let's hope it's for the better," Kara said.

"A great evil, that death cannot even handle," Clark said. The revelation was a bit much, but it showed Clark's strength that he was able to mostly handle it. "And she expects me to deal with it. Or am I just some lamb that's being sent to the slaughter for her own amusement?"

That was a question Harry couldn't answer. He knew Death, and a part of him wondered if she wanted Clark to succeed. Or wanted to see him fall on his face in the most spectacular manner.

"You're going to win, Clark," Kara said.

"Yeah, whatever it is, you can take it," Chloe said, speaking up for the first time.

"You've been through a lot, Clark," Lana added. "There's no need for you to turn back now."

"What if it happens before I'm ready?" Clark asked.

Harry looked at Clark, seriously.

"Don't worry about that too much," Harry said. "When the time is here, you'll be ready. Have faith in yourself, because there comes a day where the world will need to have faith in you."

There was a pause before Harry added.

"I know because I've lived through it. But for you, I hope that it ends better than it did for me. As much as a world enjoys a hero, they enjoy one that's fallen from its pedestal even more. I've fallen, and only do what had done because I had to."

"I don't know about that," Clark said slowly. "You seem to have done some pretty heroic things so far."

"Thanks your assessment," Harry said, but a slight grin appeared on his face. It was pained, almost like a grimace. It was a sense of someone who had just taken a short, but painful, trip down memory lane. "It's one that I honestly don't agree with. But we could have this argument all day about what constitutes being a hero."

A part of Harry was still annoyed by the fact that he was unable to accomplish one simple task regarding the prophecy. In fact, he considered his inability to defeat Voldemort his greatest failure. Sure, Voldemort was dead, but that was not by Harry's hand. The Dark Lord defeated himself, or at least the Wand of Eternity did.

The entire mess regarding Sinclair was a byproduct of said failure. The past was the past, but there was a nagging voice in the back of his mind that reminded him that he never fully embraced his role as the defeater of Lord Voldemort. It was a swift act of chance that lead to him winning the day, not any of his own abilities.

While the Horcrux was long gone, an echo of Voldemort still remained within his mind. He used his Herald of Death powers to inadvertently absorb Voldemort's powers from the Horcrux. The problem with this was that the absorbing of the powers of another also left behind an echo in his mind. That was the reason why he only used that power sparingly, and did what he could to keep the echo locked tightly behind a door in his mind.

He needed to remain focused at all times. His concentration could not slip one little bit. That door in his mind could not open, even a crack. So far, Harry remained fortunate, and Kara was a great help in assisting him with coping with his powers. Without her, he might have lost his mind, and became as cold and merciless as Death herself.

He felt to keep the balance, life needed to be appreciated. Something that Death had no concept of in his opinion; given the fact she utilized mortals as chess pieces.

Clark inclined his head. He had a lot to think about, and life was not going to get any easier from here. Another question vexed him, and he asked Harry and Kara promptly.

"It's hard to really come to terms with what happened, but I guess I will in time," Clark said. "How does a person qualify for being a Herald of Death?"

"Well in our cases, there was a deal made, a bargain made with Death," Harry said. "My mother bargained for me, as I told you. I came to be. As for Kara, your guess is as good as mine."

At this point, three expressions crossed the faces of Harry, Kara, and Clark. It was obvious that they had someone in mind about who could have made the deal possible. Not that any of them were complaining about Kara's continued existence, but they wondered if this individual's motivations were pure, or had an equally selfish motive as Harry's mother did herself.

"We all know who did it," Kara said. "Or who is likely to have done it."

"We better not jump to conclusions, before we have all of the facts," Harry said.

"Jor-El seems like the most likely suspect, though," Clark said.

"Almost too likely," Chloe said, and she got three strange looks at this remark. "It's not always the person that you most expect."

Lana remained quiet. This was quite the revelation to be dropped onto her head.

"Lana, are you alright?" Kara asked her gently.

"Just trying to let this all set it," Lana said. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been to come forward with this."

"Very hard," Harry said. "Given the fact we are bound by an oath of silence, and can't out right tell someone that we are Heralds of Death."

Harry paused, and then added one final observation to the group.

"The funny thing about magical oaths is that there's always a way around them," Harry said. "They're all up for interpretation, and anyone can find a loophole in them, if they think long enough. They're not foolproof."

"People can also find out about our abilities on their own, accidentally," Kara said. "We're kind of supposed to wipe their minds though if they do."

Clark and Lana both appeared alarmed. Their breath became a bit more labored.

"Don't worry, unless you become a threat, we won't wipe your memories," Harry said. "Even if I catch heat from the big boss man-lady, I'm not comfortable with wiping minds. Unless there's no other choice, but the mind is a fragile thing. It's one that's seldom messed with. I've had my mind wiped completely clean before, and used as a puppet to do someone's bidding."

"Who would be demented enough to do something like that?" Lana asked.

"Someone who was really twisted," Harry said.

If he had to be honest with himself, the demise of Dolores Umbridge was still his happiest memory. Outside of the ones he shared with Kara, of course.

Clark broke the next bit of silence.

"This is a lot to take in," Clark said, and he leaned back.

"We're not any different than we would have been, but we have a bigger responsibility than ever before," Kara said. "And we have to make sure the balance between life and death remains intact."

"Not everything is predestined, that would invalidate the point of living," Harry explained at the questioning looks he was receiving. "I've had many clashes of philosophy with my school's old Headmaster, but there were some things that he said that made sense. And the one thing that made sense the most was the choices we make are what define us. And that's what defines life"

Harry looked thoughtful, and then he added.

"If you could go back and do it all again, what you think is the right way, it doesn't mean there's going to be a better outcome. In theory, it could be better, but it could be much worse. And Death has her way of balancing the scales."

"With your powers, you can bring back the dead," Clark said. This was not a question, more like an observation.

"I could, but a sacrifice must be made," Harry said. "A sacrifice of a pure life, an innocent life must be made for every single soul that has returned. And it would be painful for the person being brought back to life to be removed from the afterlife. Anyone with a heart, anyone with a conscience would not want to make that choice."

Harry took a deep breath.

"Every single death, I can hear a whisper of the person fading," Harry said.

"And I can as well," Kara said. "Our training, it taught us how to block it out, to mute it. If we ever lose control, the agony is beyond all description."

Kara recalled that night, the night that she heard every voice that died with the destruction of Krypton calling out for her. Harry almost sensed her thoughts it seemed, and he squeezed her hand underneath the table.

If Harry had not been there for her, she would have gone mad.

"Trained, someone trained you then," Clark said.

"Yeah, that doesn't see like something that anyone could do," Lana said.

Chloe coughed suddenly, but Harry and Kara looked very uncomfortable.

"This was the one time where I had to trust my mother," Harry admitted grimly, and this got him a few looks. "The journal was left here to let me know about my powers, but she had her own game. She wanted me to take over humanity, control everyone. You know bend them to my will. I'd never do that, even if I could do so easily."

Lana and Clark exchanged an uncomfortable look.

"Unless I really slip, I swear that I'll never do something like that," Harry said, and Kara nodded with agreement.

"You really could, couldn't you?" Clark asked.

Kara gave a sad smile. "If Harry and I ever got twisted by our powers, there isn't a single person on this planet, or the universe that could stop us. If our inhibitions got twisted, and nothing held us back, humanity could bend to our will without too much effort."

The powers of the Heralds of Death had immense potential. The more they tapped into the powers, the more they could be used as a crutch. They had their uses, but they should be used wisely.

Harry suspected that was why the other Heralds lost themselves. The powers became too easy to use, and to fix the problems. They no longer relied on their wits, and their creativity.

Thus they flew off the rails, and the balance was upset. Past Heralds were stripped of their powers. Death stepped in to clean up the mess.

Harry and Kara found themselves in a better position, because they served as each other's anchor. No previous Herald had someone to share the burden with. They could keep themselves on the straight and narrow, and make sure there powers did not corrupt their noble spirits. They could work together, and work through the problems. And they would not be driven insane by them.

"I'll try my best to stop you, if that day ever happened," Clark said.

"I hope so, for the sake of the world," Kara said, and she meant those words.

"But, you know it would happen," Clark added. "And should it happen with me, you need to promise me…"

"If worse comes to worse, for anyone, we'll not hesitate to do what's necessary," Harry said. "If everything else has failed, don't think that I'll hold back. I hope that day never comes. But the best placed hopes often are misdirected."

He had encoded a fail safe in the Kryptonite cure for both Lana and Clark, just as a precaution. He hoped he never had to use it, but those hopes were often misplaced.

Harry took a deep breath.

"You don't know how much of a weight off my chest this is," Harry said.

"For the both of us," Kara agreed. "I guess the truth can really set you free."

"This is really a lot to process," Lana said.

"For us too, and we're the ones that have these powers," Harry said.

"We work through it together, one day at a time," Kara said, before she added with a smile, and looked at Clark and Lana. "Just like I'm sure you two will be able to work through whatever problems you can, together."

Harry checked the watch. It was early in the morning, and they had been burning the candle at both ends.

"We'll see you around, we have to get home, get some sleep," Harry said with a yawn, and he walked over to the couch, where Claire was sleeping. He nudged her. "Hey, wake up sleepy-head, it's time to go."

Claire stirred, but did not get up straight away.

"Can't I have five more minutes," Claire grumbled.

"You've had an extra hour already," Harry told her. "I guess if you don't get up, you won't get any ice cream for dessert for a month."

Claire bolted up out of bed immediately.

"Okay, I'm up, I'm up," Claire said to Harry, and Kara smiled. She knew Harry could never keep that threat, but Claire seemed to buy it.

"That never fails, does it?" Chloe asked. "Ice cream deprivation, the number one proven tactic of getting a child out of bed, or so I've heard."

"Yeah, it does," Kara said with a smile, and Claire put on her coat.

"You've two been up all night, haven't you?' Claire asked, seeing how tired Harry and Kara both looked. "What were you doing?"

"Chasing bats," Harry said swiftly.

"Why were you chasing bats?" Claire asked in confusion.

"It's a long story," Harry said, and he checked his watch. "You should say goodbye to everyone, so we can get back before breakfast becomes lunch."

"Okay D…Harry," Claire said, and Harry acted as if he did not notice her almost slip. Claire turned to the others. She smiled and waved cheerfully "Bye, Clark, Lana, and Chloe!"

Goodbyes were said, and Kara scooped up Claire in her arms, before she walked towards the door. Chloe turned to Clark and Lana.

"I better be heading out too, catch the two of you later," Chloe said, and she followed Harry, Kara, and Claire. "So, does it feel good to be able to get that off of your chest?"

Harry smiled.

"You can't even begin to imagine," Harry said. "They didn't seem to be completely thrilled with what they learned."

"I guess they just need some time to let it settle in," Kara said.

Chloe smiled. "Well, to be fair, it isn't every day that you find out two people work for the Grim Reaper. Speaking of which, are you worried if you're going to catch hell from your boss."

"Well, it's a possibility," Harry admitted. "I have a feeling if she really didn't want me to say anything, she would find some way to put a stop to it. But, I've been tweaking her nose left and right since I got here. Remember, I wasn't supposed to step out of the shadows."

"You do live life dangerously, you know," Chloe said.

Harry grinned. "Well, if you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much space."

Without another word, Harry, Kara, and Claire disappeared off into the night. A huge burden had been taken off of the shoulders of Harry and Kara, but they had a feeling that there was going to be more problems to come.

They would be ready for them, no matter what.

The Veritas Society puzzle was coming closer together, but there was still the discovery of Project: Genesis and any potential ramifications from that were weighing on their minds. Harry needed to get confirmation that all of the subjects from that particular experiment had been destroyed with the magical world. It could be certain disaster otherwise.

Then there was Hermione's mysterious resurrection. The more Harry thought about it, the more he distrusted everything behind her return.

It all struck Harry suddenly. Hermione's return was too convenient, and she just happened to have the answers for one simple reason.

There was another party that arranged for her to lure him there, and to give him all of the answers.

Harry knew now what he had to do, and he would play her game, for now.

As she had done so many times before in the past, the face of Hermione Granger was buried in a book. She must have read every single book in this place twice, or maybe three times. She read multiple books a day. That's all she could do. She did not need to sleep, she did not need to eat, and she could not leave the doors of this library. The moment she stepped outside, the pain was unbearable.

Hermione wondered why she was brought back, or why her past memories felt so cold and barren. It was not as if she lived those memories, but rather if she observed them as a third party. She was like someone who was looking in through the window, at her own life and times. Memories flashed by her, and it gave her so much time to think.

She regretted calling Harry here, even if it was to help him. It gave her a hint, a taunt of the life that she could have had on the outside. The look of distrust on Harry's face hurt her more than any curse. He had his own life now, with Kara, and he had truly put the past behind him. He had moved on. She should have moved on, to the afterlife.

Yet she was still here.

Hermione jumped with a startle. Someone was in the library with her. She remained alert, and her eyes stared forward as the figure continued to walk forward to her.

"Quite amazing that you still bury yourselves in these books, even years after your apparent demise, Miss Granger."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. Lionel Luthor stood before her in the library.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, pure venom and hatred dripping from her voice. "No, I've got a better question. How did you find me here?"

"No need to get defensive, I merely was investigating the mysterious disturbance that happened in Europe a number of days ago," Lionel said. "I must say, I was very much surprised. The origin point did not come from the graveyard as I thought it would, but from this very library. Yet, I see no electronics of any sort that can cause such a powerful charge. It's almost as if it was done by magic."

"You must have lost your mind," Hermione said swiftly. She added in a cold and detached voice, "There's no such thing as magic."

"Ever the skeptic, much you were the last time I saw you, you must have been ten or eleven," Lionel said. "Shortly thereafter, you, Hermione, stopped exchanging letters with my son. I'm guessing you moved on in life, or found a new life. When you went to a mysterious boarding school in Scotland, there seems to be a lot of that going around. I've encountered someone you may have met. He's a young man who goes by the name of Harry Potter."

"We've met, yes," Hermione replied calmly.

"I heard of your grisly demised, and I've kept into contact with your parents for years prior to that, but they disappeared," Lionel continued. "Much to my surprise, I came across them a number of years ago in Australia. And they had no memory of their past. They didn't even know their last name was Granger, or they even had a daughter named Hermione. It was almost as if they were bewitched with new memories, and their past had been wiped clean. I tried to arrange my top scientists to bring back their memories, but it seems the process had caused their minds to be shattered. Whatever methods that were used, undoing them was too much of a strain on them."

Hermione waved her hand, inviting Lionel to get to the point.

"Yet, you appear to be alive. Did you fake your own death to escape something?"

"That's not your business, Luthor, so kindly leave," Hermione said curtly.

"Defensive, that aspect of you has not changed either," Lionel said without missing a beat. "People don't come back from the dead, Miss Granger, not without someone else manipulating the strings. And if I've found you here, chances are that others will find you. That is, if you are who you appear to be."

Hermione's face remained stoic, and no emotion crossed it. There was a stirring of irritation deep inside her.

"This subterfuge reaches a level that even the Luthors dare not cross," Lionel said, and he looked right in Hermione's eye right now. "What are your intentions regarding Harry Potter?"

"I have nothing, but the best intentions regarding Harry," Hermione said firmly, with conviction in her voice.

"Do you now?" Lionel asked her, quietly. "I admit I have had my doubts regarding Harry Potter, and his intentions regarding certain matters, but he's proven himself to be on one hundred percent genuine. The type of man you would want to stand beside you, and the type of man who is not anyone's puppet."

Lionel paused, and his unblinking gaze focused on the face of Hermione at this point. He continued to fish for the details he needed to uncover.

"He will help shield the traveler, until he is able to fulfill his destiny as the savior the world needs. He's not anything like his mother or any other members of her bloodline. I must say, that was a relief to me. I daresay he's outgrown her influence, and any control she might have had on him has been broken. Whatever manipulations she had, he managed to be stronger than them."

"Lily Potter never had anything, but the best intentions for Harry," Hermione replied defensively. "She was a noble, valiant, and selfless woman. She sacrificed her life so he could fulfill his destiny."

"Did she?" Lionel asked, and he paused, before he calmly stated. "Or was this sacrifice merely the means to create a further extension of her will from beyond the grave? This was to perhaps cement herself as a saint, and one that should be followed without question."

Hermione's gaze burned through Lionel. If looks could kill, he'd be dead.

"Just leave!" Hermione snapped, her eyes flashing with rage.

"I'll be gone then," Lionel said, and he stepped off, careful not to turn his back. His voice dropped to a low whisper. "I never thought that you'd become a puppet, Miss Granger. Your parents would be disappointed."

Lionel left, and Hermione was half tempted to strike him down. She managed to rein herself in, but her gaze remained fixed and dangerous.

The dark and dismal winter weather was obvious for miles around. One figure stepped out of the shadows. He watched from afar, calculating, and thinking about the situation at hand. His objective must be fulfilled, but there was an unintended variable that was thrown into the equation. This variable could jeopardize everything he had worked for.

Death's messenger was here. The legends were known to many on Krypton, even if few scarcely believed it. Yet, he knew it to be true. He had seen the manifestation of this legend in flesh and bone. What was worse was that Death's Messenger had aligned himself with the son of Jor-El. He had entered a relationship with the daughter of Zor-El. Death's messenger posed a danger to his objective.

His observation was that Death's Messenger must be dealt with, immediately, so his path could remain clear.

An alternate would be to find a way to manipulate both Death's Messenger and the Daughter of Zor-El for his purposes, to get what he wanted.

He would need more information, before he would proceed with his plan.

The BrainInteractive Construct, or Brainiac as he was commonly referred to, would analyze this from all variables, and come up with the best angle of attack. He was fully operational, and ready.

No one would stand in his way.