Chapter 9

The lights of a very impressive tower in the heart of Metropolis came on. The gateway allowed them to access it from the Cave in Happy Harbor, if they needed to. Mareena lead the charge, followed by Whitney, Helena, Donna, Megan, Artemis, Zatanna, Raquel, Thea, Jesse, and Anissa. The entire team had been here, and boy it had been growing. And they always left the door open open to recruit more.

"So, this is what you've been working on for the past couple of months?" Thea asked. "Very nice."

"Yeah, it's an honest headquarters to all our own, and not something the League passed down,' Sara said. "Speaking of which, when's the last time the League handed us a mission?"

Good question, and a couple of months after the events of New Year's Eve, interactions with the League as a whole had been limited. Perhaps by design, perhaps by coincidence, but it was curious.

"They're looking into the missing sixteen hours," Mareena said. "Thankfully, it's not gotten out to the media. Outside the League, It might be a problem, if the people knew that a group of super villains manipulated them and got a spy into the ranks of the League, and then controlled them. With six of the members unable to account for the next sixteen hours."

"I'm surprised they have no idea," Raquel said. "And there's been no blowback."

The entire team nodded.

"Star Labs has studied the Starro Tech used on the League from back to front for some kind of memory bank," Jesse said. "But, nothing. The Light didn't want anyone to find out what they had the League doing for those sixteen hours."

Thea closed her eyes. She had no idea either. Despite the Light having every intention to clean up her loose end, they still did not let everything slip. Planning for the potential inevitable moment where Thea slipped. They really thought of everything.

"So, what are we doing about the Cave?" Whitney asked.

"We can still keep in in operation somewhat as a monument for our humble beginnings," Harry said. "All of the souvenirs you collected should be able to chronicle the beginnings of our team."

Whitney smiled and gave a thumbs up.

"And despite the lack of League interaction, we've all been busy, dealing with a few things," Harry said. "Intergang causing problems and these new threat which we've run into."

"Any luck with the….well….." Artemis said.

"My original?" Thea asked. "Not an idea. I've overturned every stone I could think of, searching for clues. And Oliver's spent a lot of resources, but damn if he wants to compare notes right now. I don't think he can look me in the face right now."

The only way they could track what Oliver was doing was by all of the stock he had been selling off and assets, and all of the exotic locations he had been showing up in, at some odd places in the planet. He had been searching for his sister and had been rather relentlessly with his search.

"Everything thinks he's just being irresponsible with his money, and ruining his company's future," Whitney said.

"A reputation which Ollie carefully cultivated over the years," Thea said. "Speaking of investigations, is there any luck on finding the woman who attacked Marie Logan?"

"Nothing," Harry said. "Well, nothing other than a few small leads, that she's connected to David Cain and she resembles Lady Shiva."

Those who knew about Lady Shiva just frowned. Her reputation was terrifying.

"So, what are the chances that Cadmus ended up cloning Lady Shiva as well?" Zatanna asked.

More than a couple of team member shuddered in response.

"Anything's possible," Helena said.

Harry knew anything had been possible. Given how deep the Light's resources went and how Jason Woodrue got his hands on some Cadmus technology when he had controlled Ivy.

In Harry's ear, a buzzing echoed. He stood up straight, to try and pinpoint the source of the buzzing.

"Superman, come alone."

Harry recognized the voice and wondered what it was all about.

"You okay?" Anissa asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry said. "Listen, I've got to take care of something. Helena or Mareena can answer any questions about the new headquarters, they can."

"We will, don't worry," Helena said. "Take care of it…."

Megan could feel Harry be rather guarded, so whatever he was doing, she just hoped he did not do anything too dangerous. Of course, considering it was Harry, they never had to worry about it. Harry moved off and flew up.

"So, anyone have the slightest idea what that was all about?" Sara asked.

"Knowing him, maybe someone wanted a booty call," Raquel said with a grin.

"That's not surprising," Whitney said.

Given she was the only member of the original team who had not slept with Harry, perhaps it was time for Whitney to get over her anxiety and jump on that.

Superman dropped down outside of a shipping yard. He could hear someone in the shadows.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice."

The one and only Black Widow popped up. Superman was about ready to ask what this was all about. The Black Widow walked in and flashed the images up across the screen for him. Harry looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

"L-Corp is shipping something top secret from Central City to Metropolis," Harry murmured.

"And it's attracted the wrong kind of attention."

Harry's eyebrows raised as he followed the progress of several gentlemen dressed in yellow suits which made them look like and resemble demented beekeepers. Of course, the absurdity of their suits did not detract from the fact they are well armed. And Harry felt like he encountered them before.

"Advanced Idea Mechanics, better known as AIM," Black Widow said. "They pride themselves with being ahead of the curve with technology, but most of what they have...is what they've stolen."

"And they're after whatever Lena's shipping?" Harry asked. "So, do you have the slightest idea what she's shipping?"

"Whatever it is, it came from Kord Industries, and AIM just missed stealing it there," Black Widow commented. "They're going to make an honest attempt to take it...even if the train is moving, look at that."

The hovering platform the AIM scientists rode on, along with their enforcers, had been geared up with some of the most impressive technology Harry ever laid his eyes on. Quite impressive, and obviously stolen from a few high tech companies. They did an adequate enough job of utilizing it. A beam shot from the sky platform and disabled the train.

"Do you think you can take out the platform without crashing it into the city?" Black Widow asked him.

"Got it covered," Superman said.

Harry analyzed the platform with his powerful mind and had a pretty good idea what he needed to do. He had been rather curious as well to what Lena transported on the ship, but that was something which would have to wait for a later moment in time.

Time to move and deal with AIM.

"She thought she could stay one step ahead of us!" the AIM scientist said.

"So, what are we doing with this thing anyway?"

"We aren't doing anything, our backer wants it," the AIM scientist said.

The AIM enforcer looked completely shocked at this particular statement. "And when are we mercenaries for hire?"

The AIM scientist hovered the platform and created a beam which stopped the train cold. They needed to ensure that the cargo inside was not damaged. The other members of AIM waited to descend from the skies and drop down onto the train, to get what they needed.

"Since we started getting paid handsomely by our benefactor. The Scientist Supreme agrees about this, and it will give us more resources to further our plans to bring our enemies to their knees."

And while it went without saying, the minute the accounts cleared, they had swelled their ranks, AIM could steal the cargo once again. They had done it a couple of times before in the past.

"Look up in the sky!"

The man who said that received a flick of the wrist and ended up skidding to the edge of the platform. The AIM scientist gawked in the air and caught Superman. He reached in and threw an explosive grenade which let out a huge sonic charge. The Man of Steel powered on through and kept shooting at AIM.

"That should have dropped him to his knees!" The scientist yelled. "Fire, fire with everything!"

Half of the AIM crew had been brought down to the ground, to hijack the train. Unfortunately, for them, laying in wait, had been the Black Widow. The Black Widow kicked one of them in the face.

"You!"

Black Widow spared no words and most certainly no movement. She punched the goon down to the ground and flipped high into the air, stomping on the back of his head. She carefully dodged a glowing shock stick and came back with an attack of her own. The sheer force of the Black Widow's electrified sting brought the AIM goon down to the ground.

On the sky platform, one of the bigger AIM goons, now with a jetpack, blasted off to engage Superman in battle. Superman blocked the punch from the man. The gauntlets on his hands amplified his strength. Superman put his hands onto the gauntlets and overloaded them with a charge of magic and sent the man down to the ground.

Several thick cables wrapped around Superman. The holders of the staffs which these cables shot out of sent enough electricity to power an entire village towards Harry's body. Harry could feel the burn just a little bit until he reversed the course of the electricity.

Black Widow came down and caught another brute with a punch. She hit a thousand small fists of fury before jumping up and kicking the AIM thug directly in the face. Black Widow spun around, wrapping her legs around the man's head, and flipping him all the way down to the ground. She popped back up and avoided the swing of the goon's arm before popping him with a huge uppercut punch to the side of the head.

Smiling, Black Widow stepped back. The sky platform, with the remaining scientists were getting away. Superman came from underneath it. The platform released a beam of light which cut through the air. Superman pushed the platform beam back to AIM and rocked it.

"ARGH, WE'RE GOING TO CRASH!

They were not going to crash, Superman made sure of it. He guided the ripped in half platform down into a nearby scrap yard. One of the AIM scientists scrambled for the nearest escape root.

Only for the Black Widow to jump down and smash the point of her boot down across the man's skull. He landed with a very solid crack and Black Widow held him before smashing him down onto the ground.

The chief AIM scientist found himself in a dark room. Two dim lights came on to illuminate the faces of Black Widow and Superman.

"Talk," Black Widow said.

"You don't know how deep our operation lies," the scientist said.

Black Widow put her hand underneath the chin of the scientist. Who tried, perhaps in vain, not to blink underneath the fearsome gaze of the legendary SHIELD agent. The legendary Black Widow, digging her nails into the man's jaw, forced him to look forward.

"Why were you after it?"

"Because, someone wanted it," the scientist said. "Someone big, someone important...and no, I don't know who it is. Only the Scientist Supreme knows of our big benefactor."

This bit of news shocked the Black Widow. Harry had a question.

"Then, who is the Scientist Supreme?"

"The top scientist in AIM, the one we all take orders from," the scientist said. "We don't know names, names can fall into the wrong hands."

"He's telling the truth," Black Widow muttered.

Harry scanned the man for any signs of deception. Only just fear of what Black Widow and Superman would do to him and perhaps the fear had been right there. But yet, he knew something else.

"Luthor was the one who started this war," the AIM scientist said. "He thought...he could stop us...but he was wrong."

So, Lex did something which stirred up AIM. Although AIM was after something Lena wanted. The train had been secured by some of Black widow's agents. And AIM, well this particular group of scientists, along with their brutes and mercenaries, were going away for a long time.

"Just what are you?" the AIM scientist asked. "Our weapons were designed to take out Superwoman...and yet they had no effect on you."

Harry just smiled and said nothing. He refused to indulge in the AIM scientist's intellectual curiosity which caused the gentleman a certain amount of great anguish.

The train arrived at L-Corp's main resource. A trusted group of aides arrived, with Lena coming out, and Sam following her. The man on the train moved over to Lena.

"They came after it again, Ms. Luthor."

Lena just turned to Sam.

"We have to get it to the vault," Lena said. "And make sure it's nice and secure until we're ready to start studying it. He'll make another attempt for it, I know he will."

"You know who is going after it?" Sam asked.

"No hard evidence to implicate him, at least not yet," Lena said. "But, if he's working with AIM, then he must want it."

Ted Kord's untimely death had been one of the statistics attributed to the after effects of the Amazon Aresia's attack. While Lena thought it could be very possible, she had not been entirely convinced this had been the case. Someone wanted him out of the way and wanted his most prized possession.

From the skies, Harry observed and made sure the cargo reached its destination. No one had made an attempt of it, right before it had been put into a high security L-Corp vault.

Harry had been curious to why AIM had been after it, who they had been working for. Lena had her ideas naturally, and Harry wondered what they were.

From the shadows, Harry caught the eye of the Black Widow, who observed him. A message pinged on Harry's phone with an address to meet the Black Widow in the morning, with a reminder that it was a three day weekend this weekend. Of course, the Black Widow, being a teacher in her day job would know.

Harry's curiosity, as it often had gotten several times before, got the better of him. Perhaps the best way to figuring out why someone wanted something she acquired so bad, was to ask Lena straight out what was going on.

"So close, and yet so annoyingly far."

"Next time, we'll get it."

AIM's Scientist Supreme thought they had everything wrapped up in a nice little bow. All they would have to do was acquire the device, when it was moving from Central City to Metropolis. Unfortunately, for them, the Black Widow had gotten involved, and Superman as well.

"Mr. Lord?"

Maxwell Lord, a dark-haired gentleman dressed in a fine suit, leaned out of the shadows. Despite the great disappointment of this evening's events, he remained calm. He took a long sip of brandy and savored the taste.

"Once more, Ted Kord's discover has slipped through my fingers," Lord said. "We could have done great things with his it. Great things, but he had to play a hero. And his heroics ended up costing him dearly."

"Lena Luthor won't part with it easily either," the Scientist Supreme said. "And she'll make sure to not spare a single dime for securing it, now that it's in her posession."

Lord seemed nonplussed by that bit of news on the outside. On the inside though, he had been very bothered like this. Lord sipped the drink he had been nursing a little bit longer.

"Any Luthor acquiring this artifact, is problematic," Lord said. "The future will be mine and the House of Luthor...they will collapse under their own hubris. Lex thinks because of his associates he is the master of the fate of the world. But, I will show that Lex Luthor is the world's greatest charlatan. It's only a shame dear Lena has the misfortune of being related to him and being related to Lionel."

Lord rose up and peered out into the city. This city owed a lot to him, although it did not get him the accolades that Lex got or indeed, that Superwoman got and the rest of the Justice League. Their popularity would fall and dissolve.

"And then, there's Superman," Lord said. "Your scientists could not even bring him down a knee. Your technology failed against him."

"He's not just a Kryptonian," the Scientist Supreme said. "Whatever Cadmus did., they created a weapon with more destructive potential than anything I've ever seen."

And AIM just had to have it, any weapon that powerful, deserved to be aligned with the true masters of the world. The Scientist Supreme smiled and hoped to learn more about Superman.

"And the Light allowed it to slip through their fingers," Lord said with a small shake of his head. "But, he's not amongst the Light, and he's far beyond the Justice League. Therefore he's a wildcard in the war that's to come."

Lord looked off into the distance, deep in thought. He had plans for Superman. Something had to give. Even gods could fall.

Lena had been shuffling around papers on her desk, until a knock brought Lena out of her thoughts. Lena looked up to see Harry stepping inside.

"Harry, what do I owe the pleasure of such a late night visit?" Lena asked.

"Tonight, AIM went after something you had on a train," Harry said.

Lena smiled, she figured this conversation was coming. She took Harry's hand and lead him to a bookcase in her office. Lena pulled back book to reveal a switch and then revealed a long winding staircase. At the end, a fingerprint scan, an eye scan, and finally a rather complicated password had been in. Lena walked over to a final panel and pushed a series of buttons.

"Never do security halfway, do you?"

"Given what I'm about to show you, you'll know why."

Trapped in the midst of a crystal case, laid a magnificent blue scarab. It appeared to be rather majestic and also rather sinister looking.

"Ted Kord had been studying this artifact for five years prior to his demise."

"You have a Reach Scarab?" Harry asked.

Lena had raised her eyebrow. This information which Harry gave her, had been unknown to her.

"The Reach is a race of aliens who wear these scarabs," Harry said. "They are known for their conquests of worlds, and making the occupants reliant and subservient to them. A Kryptonian General named Lyta Zod stopped them from overtaking Krypton years before its destruction. They've sent one of their scarabs here to Earth as an advanced agent.."

"Well, this was found by Kord's mentor, Dan Garrett, in a tomb, and it was said to be thousands of years old," Lena said. "How do you know all of this?"

"Natasha gave me Lyta's journal," Harry said. "She had been on Earth for a time, during the second World War and documented some of her exploits. She worked side by side with Diana and Peggy Carter."

"Fascinating," Lena said. "So, since you know about the Reach, due to Lyta Zod's journal, perhaps the two of us could work together on determining the secrets of this scarab?"

"Sure, would love to," Harry said.

Harry could tell Lena had been as curious as he had. Lena leaned in and put her hand on Harry's pulling him a bit closer together.

"And I owe you full access to it, because if it wasn't for you, it wouldn't have gotten here safely," Lena said. "And I think we don't want AIM and their benefactor to get their hands on it."

"Their benefactor…."

"He's named Maxwell Lord, he's been feuding with my brother for years, and he also felt spurned by my father, when he was first making his fortune," Lena said. "He's very dangerous and calculating as well. And he won't stop at a second failed attempt."

"He won't get his hands on the scarab," Harry said.

"Do you think you could make me a copy of that journal?" Lena asked. "I would like to see it, if nothing else to read a first hand account of Agent Carter. She was a hero of mine growing up. My mother, my birth mother, told me stories about her adventures."

Harry smiled. Of course he would do so.

"I will," Harry said. "Mom, I..."

"Oh, I want to thank you," Lena said. "It's been a long night, but I really want to thank you."

The intoxicating scent of Lena drew Harry closer, and Harry picked up a very evident arousal coming from her. Lena embraced her son close and smiled.

"Let's head upstairs," Lena said. "This lab is high tech, but much too stuffy for me, thank you."

Lena lead the way up the exit and Harry followed her all the way up.

Now Lena had been back on her feet, it had been time to indulge herself with Harry. It was only a pity she could not help train him, alongside of Caitlin, so he could learn everything he needed to know.

Better late than never, Lena supposed.